nuclear-news

The week in climate and nuclear news

Yes, I know, it’s bad form to be writing about anything but the virus. But here goes, anyway.  As to climate change,  the current dread of the coronavirus feels awfully like a familiar version of the anxiety that many of us have felt about the climate crisis. There’s a bit of a silver lining, in that global greenhouse has emissions have dropped.

The pandemic, and its consequence – social isolation, have  stalled industry, and are expected to wipe out global growth in renewables deployment in 2020.

The nuclear industry has put a bold face on it, claiming that construction of huge new reactor stations are essential, so that workers at UK’s Hinkley Point C build, and USA’s giant Vogtle nuclear build  can count as “essential” so the building programmes can stay on track.  But, even more remarkable, the USA nuclear industry uses coronavirus to gouge $billions of tax-payer money.

Anyway, what should we do about this truly awful global situation?  I can think only of Voltaire’s famous advice – given by his fictional character Candide – “we must go and work our garden.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcTsMirQoG0&t=8s

A bit of good news – Chinese Company Ships Crates of Masks to Italy , Covered in Italian Poetry: We Are ‘Leaves of the Same Tree’

AUSTRALIA

A major scorecard gives the health of Australia’s environment less than 1 out of 10.  With the pandemic, and the bushfires, we now must strengthen the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC).  Webinar: Yeelirrie – A Case for Environmental Law Reform .

Action on Covid19 gives a lesson for action on climate change.

Pandemic brings a danger that is unique to the nuclear industry.  Nuclear security must not be forgotten, even in times of pandemic.

With all eyes on pandemic, Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty still needs attention.

Nuclear waste disposal: Why the case for deep boreholes is … full of holes.

How will the IAEA spin the mind-boggling costs of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs)?

JAPAN.

• 2020 Olympics – Abe’s plan to help the nuclear industry has fallen through.  Kansai Electric Power Co’s history of nuclear corruption.  Olympic Torch Relay stopped – another blow to the nuclear propaganda about “Fukushima recovery”. Thousands flocked to see Olympic flame in Japan despite COVID-19 fears.
•  12 Fukushima decontamination locations likely to leak radiation, in heavy rain.  Study: Cesium levels in fish in Fukushima lakes, rivers differ.  Film dramatizing the reality of a nuclear meltdown.  Tepco has drafted a plan for disposing of Fukushima’s accumulation of waste water.

UK. Call to suspend all contractor work at Hinkley new nuclear site, because of Covid19.  EDF, French company building Hinkley Point power station, shifts workers’ costs to UK govt.  Government under pressure to suspend non-essential construction work (such as building nuclear plants) Hinkley nuclear construction work continues, while rest of UK is in lockdown. UK and Fench govts consider nuclear construction as “essential”, so can remain open.

RUSSIA. Entire crew of nuclear submarine in coronavirus quarantine.  Moscow preparing highway though nuclear waste site, despite protests.

USA.

• Trump missed his chance to lead the world on tackling coronavirus. Coronavirus IS a concern for USA’s nuclear military awareness.   Nuclear-powered U.S. Aircraft Carrier Roosevelt now carrying Coronavirus.
•  COVID-19 Threatens Outages Scheduled at 97% of U.S. Nuclear Plants in 2020.    Coronavirus brings a big problem for nuclear reactors’ scheduled outages: the industry demands special exemptions.  Pandemic plan for PalisadesNuclear Power Plant could make employees isolate at the reactor.  The nuclear industry’s 2007 NEI’ s Pandemic Licensing Plan still accepted, but not really safe.
• LANL Plans to Release Twice the Amount of Tritium Allowed .
• Plutonium clean-up workers at Hanford had inadequate protection from contamination.  Investigative journalism –  Plutonium contamination at Rocky Flats.

BELARUS. Belarus to swap gas dependence on Moscow for nuclear dependence on Moscow .

TURKEY. British small nuclear reactors to help Turkey to get nuclear weapons?

March 30, 2020 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes