nuclear-news

Nuclear news to 17 June

It’s getting hard for comedians, to compete as far as international relations go, with real life becoming more ridiculous. Politicians in Norway and USA are recommending Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. All sorts of reactions to the much vaunted “Nuclear Summit” between Trump and Kim. My own favourite was Trump’s own proud boast about not preparing for the summit – he makes decisions “by touch and feel”.

Accelerating Sea Level Rise is Being Driven by Rapidly Increasing Melt From Greenland and Antarctica.  Leaked UN draft report – world is on track to exceed 1.5C of warming.

Hopes for peace following the Trump-Kim summit are likely to be short-lived.   Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists hopes for some SUBSTANCE and scientific expertise in USA- North Korea nuclear negotiations. What’s NOT in the summit agreement ?- that’s the revealing part.  What the Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un document actually says.

100 nuclear weapons is the “pragmatic limit” for any country to have in its arsenal.

Economic realities point to a poor future for nuclear power.

USA. 

• Tough sanctions will remain on North Korea until its complete denuclearisation – says USA.    Donald Trump alienates America’s allies – thus increasing the likelihood of nuclear weapons proliferation.
• The huge danger to Americans of keeping hundreds of nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert.
• Radioactive Particles Found in Homes of Workers at Major US Nuclear Weapons Facility.
• Guam wants inclusion in radiation exposure compensation program: U.S. Senate considering this.
•  Moving radioactive sludge from near Columbia River to the middle of the Hanford nuclear site.
• Natural Resources Defense Council warns against closing Hanford’s underground nuclear waste tanks.
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected Trump Administration’s plan to rescue coal and nuclear industries.   A very hard project – Trump trying to bail out coal and nuclear power.
• USA Federal nuclear weapons facilities are getting systems to disable drones.

NORTH KOREA.  In North Korea, Kim Jong Un is seen as the tough winner, in Singapore nuclear summit.   Completely ignored in nuclear summit talks – the forgotten North Korean victims of 1945 atomic bombs.

JAPAN. The global problem of poisonous plutonium: Japan looks at its options.  US demands Japan reduce its plutonium stockpiles.   Why TEPCO should quickly close down Fukushima No. 2 nuclear plant. Japan approves 70-year plan to scrap nuclear reprocessing plant.  Amazingly High Radiation in Tokyo Bay — 131,000 Bq per Meter Squared.

Why wasn’t TEPCO bankrupted? – Japan’s Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center.  Japan’s Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center calls for TEPCO to be liquidated.  Japanese anti nuclear group No Nukes Wakayama flexes their muscles.

UK. Nuclear Industry Association still struggling with inconvenient truth that Brexit is bad for their industry.  Robots the hope for cleaning up the world’s riskiest and massive nuclear waste storage pool, at Sellafield, UK.  Centrica wants to sell its nuclear industry stake, but it’s hard to attract buyers. Fears in Isle of Man community over dangers of new Wylfa nuclear power station.  Fundamental problem with Britain’s Wylfa nuclear power programme – it’s a ripoff.

RUSSIA. Safety measure for World Cup – Russia halts nuclear waste transport.

FRANCE. Systemic failures in France’s Flamanville nuclear project.

SAUDI ARABIA. Huge USA weapons purchase by Saudi Arabia was on condition that USA would KILL THE IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT!

JORDAN. Jordan knocks back Russia’s $10 billion nuclear power plant , but contemplates”small floating reactor”

BANGLADESH. Scientists predict millions of climate refugees – but where will they go?

IRAN. Iran says it can’t remain in nuclear deal without benefits.

SPAIN. Thousands protest against uranium mine in Spain.

UKRAINE. Tons of water poured in by planes, to major wildfire inside the Chernobyl ‘dead zone‘.

June 17, 2018 - Posted by Christina MacPherson | Christina's notes