Climate news, nuclear news this week

In London yesterday, police arrested 963 people who were part of the Extinction Rebellion climate protest. This movement is continuing, and spreading to other countries. They will also set up a political taskforce to take forward public negotiations with the Government. Climate awareness is gathering momentum.  Still, climate scientists seem unwilling and perhaps unable to talk to the general public, to explain the basic facts on climate change, and the complicating factors, such as the effects on oceans warning, on sea ice loss, on air current changes, on low pressure areas, the polar vortex.  There are two climate scientists who do make this effort. Paul Beckwith has made over 200 YouTube videos, and he does tackle the complicated science in an understandable way. Katherine Hayhoe almost deceptively makes climate science seem simple, and is well known for her entertaining video series Global Weirding.

This newsletter was always intended to inform on the nuclear threat. It’s just that the climate situation is now a global emergency.

Earth’s surface temperature steadily rose from 2003. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cRCbgTA_78  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tpzwqlj-d4   Extinction Rebellion can act as a catalyst for political debate and change .  Climate action: Invest in low-carbon but not in nuclear . Nuclear power plants in no way designed, or ready for, climate change extremes. “There is no such thing as a zero or near-zero-emission nuclear power plant”.

Climate Change Could Unleash Long-Frozen Radiation.

Debunking All The Smears Against Julian Assange.

EUROPE. More disappointments for Europe’s new nuclear stations– no nuclear future for Europe?

UKRAINE.  Life as a liquidator after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.  Chernobyl: How bad was it? .

UK.

• ‘We will never stop fighting’: Greta Thunberg joins London climate protest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv9EkxudXmw      Climate change rallies block London roads . Extinction Rebellion: The activists risking prison to save the planet.   Britain’s slow path to zero carbon emissions.
• Britain’s Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) notes that over 70 Welsh councils formally reject hosting nuclear waste dump.  UK’s EPA concerned over proposals for Sizewell new nuclear power station in Suffolk. Nuclear Transparency Watch warns on the unwisdom of UK government subsidising Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs).

JAPAN. Japan Atomic Power looks to a big business in cleaning up dead nuclear plants. Japan’s plutonium surplus, its history, and its danger. Japan’s massive task to clean up nuclear fuel pools of Fukushima stricken reactors.  Hazardous removal of spent fuel rods is just one step in the long Fukushima nuclear clean-up.  Japan has a new kind of visa to lure foreign blue collar workers for Fukushima clean-up.

USA. 

• An emerging hopeful trend for US nuclear weapons policy.  U.S. Ignored Russia’s Nuclear War Prevention Pact – Reports.  Trump’s administration speeds up the revolving door between Pentagon and nuclear weapons companies. Trump administration stops govt practice of disclosing numbers of nuclear weapons.  Pentagon’s strange and dangerous plan for small nuclear reactors at the battle scene.
• On climate change impacts, nuclear lobby has captured the regulators.  A conservative backlash against Trump, as he appoints fossil fuel insiders to federal agencies?
• Frida Berrigan’s personal story about nuclear weapons.
• Holtec’s nuclear decommissioning and wastes empire to grab Indian Point.
• U.S. Department of Energy seeks new certification for its Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. North Dakota prohibits nuclear waste dumping in the state.
• State subsidies for nuclear power in USA are simply not necessary. America’s nuclear lobby spending up big to get $millions in State subsidies.  AARP Ohio, on behalf of its 1.5 million members and families, strongly opposes Ohio nuclear subsidies. U.S.nuclear bailouts – Exelon and the death of competitive energy markets.  U.S. Supreme Court rejects challenge to nuclear subsidy.
•  Lawsuit against Santee Cooper, claims that investors were deceived over nuclear project risks.
• The long-lasting unsolved problem of Three Mile Island’s radioactive trash.  Three Mile Island, and the nuclear industry’s legacy of cancer.
• USA Congressmen concerned at slow clean-up of dangerous San Onofre nuclear site.
• Conflicts of interest in the Trump group’s push to sell nuclear reactors to Saudi Arabia.
• USA is preparing more charges against Julian Assange.

FRANCE. Some consternation in France, as EDF plans to split off its nuclear section.  Electricite de France (EDF) €33 billion debt, and more problems – its nuclear section to be nationalised.  EDF’s Belleville nuclear power plant to continue to have increased monitoring by France’s nuclear regulator.

CHINA.  China gambles on untested “Hualong One” nuclear reactor, and plans for international sales.

RUSSIA. Putin’s new super-dooper longest submarine packed with nuclear torpedoes.  More countries headed to go into nuclear debt to Russia.

INDIA. Dangerous electioneering: India’s Modi ramps up the nuclear weapons rhetoric.

CANADA. Canada’s Came co Corp slow to clean up groundwater contaminated with uranium at Saskatchewan mill.

BANGLADESH. China keen to sell nuclear reactor to Bangladesh – an inflated and costly project.

FINLAND. Finland to start constructing nuclear plant with Russian reactor in 2021 .

ISRAEL. History of Israel getting nuclear weapons.

April 24, 2019 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes