nuclear-news

The week in Climate and Nuclear news

Christina Macpherson’s websites & blogs

The various human-caused threats to life on this Earth are becoming more apparent. Sometimes, it seems almost silly to separate them out -as climate change, pollution, deforestation etc, as they all add up to one grand global human disrespect for nature. The latest U.N. study reports loss of biodiversity as a even greater crisis than climate change.

It’s a global disgrace, that it’s been left to children to take the lead on climate action. World wide climate protests, by hundreds of thousands of school students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtZ12FOat_8

Southern African States, Mozambique, Zimbabwe,  are now devastated by Cyclone Idai.  Sure, they’ve had cyclones before, but climate change is increasing the intensity, to record levels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S5RlM7KGZI

On the nuclear scene, one veteran correspondent asks  “Who will be the world’s next nuclear policeman?”, as USA abandons its historic role as  the world’s chief advocate for de-nuclearis.ation.  Meanwhile, Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton leads us back to the Nuclear Precipice. Trump’s USA is committed to dominating the world – heading for weapons in space. 

Over 1.4 million young people went on strike for climate action.  Mary Robinson, international climate badass, on why green solutions require a feminist lens.

JAPAN. 

• Eight years after triple meltdowns and explosions at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, major problems remain and many impacts are yet to manifest.   Fukushima radioactive water – a million tons, and still coming.  Court absolves government of blame in nuclear disaster. Fukushima forests contain ‘most of 2011 accident cesium’.  Congenital heart disease operations rose 14% after Fukushima nuclear accident.    Fukushima grapples with toxic soil that no one wants.  ‘Recovery Olympics’ moniker for 2020 Games rubs 3/11 evacuees the wrong way. Most evacuees under 50 from three Fukushima towns near nuclear disaster have no plan to return.  Fall in numbers of children in Fukushima municipalities.  Fukushima Prefecture to lose 15 high schools, due to population decline.
• Japan’s Tepco fights for return to nuclear power after Fukushima. TEPCO takes risk over soaring costs at Tokai nuclear plant.  Yamaguchi court rejects residents’ call to halt last Ikata nuclear reactor in Ehime Prefecture.

INDIA. Indian military confirms deployment of nuclear subs amid rising tensions with Pakistan.

USA.

• Democrats propose policy to use nuclear weapons only in response to attack. Democrat presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard calls for end of ‘wasteful wars,’ nuclear tension. Senators want probe of Trump admin nuclear energy talks with Saudi Arabia.
• Nuclear power plants under threat from climate change. The incessant statement that nuclear is “carbon free” is untrue, and the nuclear industry knows it.
• Trump to the rescue of nuclear industry – $3.7 billion in aid for troubled Vogtle nuclear project.  Nuclear industry pushes for weaker regulations:NRC Board dominated by Trump appointees.
• Continuing concern over thyroid and other cancers, due to Three Mile Island nuclear accident. Changes in Congenital Anomaly Incidence in West Coast and Pacific States (USA) after Arrival of Fukushima Fallout .
• Trump administration plans to cut spending on Hanford nuclear waste clean-up.  USA Government Accounting Office reports lack of financial oversight at Hanford and other nuclear sites.
• USA pushing mini-nuclear reactors for military reasons.
•  Chelsea Manning – an American hero! Daniel Ellsberg explains.
• Nebraska nuclear station  threatened by flooding, as Missouri River continued to rise. The climate change “generation gap” .  The children’s climate fight is a fight against despair.  How Leonardo DiCaprio is fighting climate change with finance.

NORTH KOREA. The merits of letting North Korea keep its nuclear weapons, for now.

UK. UK Labour undermines renewable energy pledges with state ownership plan for new nuclear power plant.  UK pledges to fully fund EU nuclear-fusion facility.  EDF Energy extends outages at UK’s Hunterston B nuclear plant.  Are the UK’s cracked Hunterston nuclear reactors safe?  UK communities not convinced by bribes to host nuclear waste. UK govt’s health study of nuclear veterans – but they’ve lost half the records.

RUSSIA. Danger in Russia’s nuclear- powered icebreakers parked at Murmansk.

BRAZIL. Nuclear transport trucks in the thick of gang gunfire in Brazil.

IRELAND. Irish Council opposes dumping of UK’s nuclear waste in any part of Ireland.

ROMANIA. NuScale includes Romania in its desperate search for taxpayer funding for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors.

NORWAY. Teenage Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Has Been Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize.

March 21, 2019 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes