nuclear-news

Week to 18 August in Climate, Nuclear, Pandemic News

As always, hard to know what is the most important issue this week. But, for sure, the coronavirus pandemic is still there.  Latest global data: Total cases 2, 534, 611   deaths 771,106. New daily cases 212,487  –  deaths 4,181. In the USA, in states such as Texas, a prevailing libertarian spirit prevents people from taking precautions, such as wearing masks. The world is headed for an economic depression, and recovery depends on a vaccine and effective treatment for Covid-19.

Meanwhile – global heating moves on inexorably. The last decade has been the Earth’s hottest on record-bringing weather extremes, heatwaves, fires, storms.  AND – there’s the pandemic infectious diseases  connection, too – while heat brings an increase in mosquito-affected areas, with the diseases that they transmit, it also thaws permafrost, releasing microorganisms. Climate study looks at humans’ exposure to extreme temperatures during 21st century.

Hiroshima and the normalisation of atrocities.   In August, attention goes to the nuclear disarmament movement,. There are moves towards achieving a nuclear weapons-free world, for example,  steps that put pressure on the nine nuclear weapons nations. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons is working hard to achieve the 50 national ratifications that will make the Treaty on the Prohicition of Nuclear Weapons become international law. United Nations promotes the role of young people in ridding the world of nuclear weapons.

Some bits of good news:  New studies reveal good news about coronavirus immunity.     No cruise is good news for Venice.

Climate stabilization: Lessons from the corona crisis.  $6.6 trillion in annual GDP at risk as Asian climate warms – McKinsey Global Institute.  Business as usual equals many extra deaths from global warming.

Surviving the nuclear bomb at Nagasaki 75 years ago showed me nuclear weapons shouldn’t exist. A new splurge on nuclear weapons marks the Hiroshims/Nagasaki anniversary.

Nuclear weapons, nuclear war, remain a global existential threat.  Only luck has saved us from nuclear war, not planning.  All too often the world has narrowly avoided World War 3, due to mistakes.  A Major Nuclear Arms Treaty Expires Next Year. What Happens Next?  Urgent need to stop the erosion of nuclear arms treaties -multilateral disarmament forum.  Nuclear weapons countries have an obligation to lead in nuclear weapons control – U.N.

The development of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and the need for research.

ARCTIC. GREENLAND.  Past the tipping point: Greenland glaciers will continue to lose ice, no matter what.  Arctic permafrost is thawing, as the region experiences unprecedented heat.

BANGLADESH. Drastic flooding in Bangladesh, displaces over 1.5 million, increasing coronavirus risk.

UKRAINE.  Nuclear radiation and Chernobyl’s forest fires.

FRANCE.  Climate change bad for nuclear: Hot weather, water shortage, likely to curb output at France’s Chooz nuclear reactors.

GERMANY.  Germany’s ‘very, very tough’ climate battle.    German energy utilities now earn more money from renewables than fossil fuels.

JAPAN. Japan sabotaging nuclear disarmament – ICAN chief.  Plaintiffs angered by gov’t appeal in Hiroshima ‘black rain’ suit.  Japan gov’t to appeal ruling on A-bomb “black rain” victims,   Fukushima’s Contaminated Wastewater Could Be Too Risky to Dump in the Ocean.  Japan’s nuclear fuel imports almost zero in 2019 as industry stagnates, 1st time in 50 yrs.  No prefecture in Japan wants to host nuclear waste dump.

USA.

• California’s Wildfires Are 500 Percent Larger Due to Climate Change.   Extreme weather causes emergency shutdown of nuclear plant in Iowa.
• Trump Hints about Meeting With Putin to Discuss Nuclear Treaty.  US open to nuclear agreement with Russia before including China.   USA are drifting toward a fraught nuclear arms race.  Survey finds that U.S. Democrats and Republicans both want to phase out land-based nuclear missiles.
• Biden Condemns Trump’s Nuclear Plans, (but he himself supports nuclear power)
• A judge again denies Virginia Uranium Inc.  Nuclear watchdog opposes any agreement that would transfer ownership of Three Mile Island Unit.
•  Even with $1.4 billion government subsidy, NuScam’s nuclear station is still a dodgy prospect.
• Renewable energy a better choice for Ohio, than nuclear bailout.
• Work ongoing at US nuclear repository despite virus cases. Hazards in U.S, government’s plans for more locations for low level nuclear wastes.  What about Vermont Yankee’s nuclear waste? Or dealing with it.  Fort Worth doesn’t need dangerous nuclear waste rolling through on Tarrant rail line. North Dakota shows how to deter any plan for nuclear waste dumping.  Nuclear fuel canisters all stored at decommissioned San Onofre nuclear station in California.  Army finally tearing down Fort Belvoir’s nuclear plant.
• New book: The Apocalypse Factory – plutonium and the making of the atomic age.

UK.  Hitachi renews interest in Wylfa nuclear project, wants government assurance on funding.  UK Chancellor evasive on the involvement of China in building Bradwell nuclear plant.    Extinction Rebellion’s protest demonstration against building of Sizewell nuclear plant.     £20 billion Sizewell C nuclear project ‘Costly and dangerous’– actress Diana Quick.  Maldon District Council now to hold Nuclear Public Meeting in Secret.

Public Comment Due on Proposed Uranium Mining.     Robots may be used for clean-up of highly radioactive areas of UK’s Dounreay nuclear complex. Nuclear site evacuated after chemical found.  UK offshore wind becomes cheaper than nuclear and gas .

RUSSIA. Andreyeva Bay’s damaged spent nuclear fuel to be removed in 2021.  Fuel finally removed from Russia’s most radioactive ship.  Kremlin Warns The US Of Nuclear Retaliation If Russia Or Her Allies Are Targeted.

CANADA. Alberta premier’s small nukes pipe dream makes no economic sense.  Alberta joins Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan – led by the nose by nuclear NuScam?

NORTH KOREA. Vulnerability of nuclear reactors to extreme weather events. Flooding all too close to North Korea’s main nuclear reactor.

IRAN. Iran nuclear deal at further risk.  But then -The United States lost a bid to extend a U.N. arms embargo on Iran.

SOUTH AFRICA. Southern African Faith Communities oppose extending the life of Koeberg nuclear power plant .

FIJI. Fiji’s bold step for peace.

MALAYSIA. Malaysia rejects nuclear power, focuses on renewable energy.

ARMENIA. Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power plant poses threat to region .

MIDDLE EAST.  Houthis are actively enriching Thorium extracted from Yemeni mountains and sending it to Iran for arms manufacture.

SAUDI ARABIA.  Germany urges S.Arabia to comply with nuclear arms control treaty.  Tehran urges IAEA to shed light on Saudi ‘covert’ nuclear program.

AUSTRALIA. Although Australians started a move to abolish nuclear weapons, The Australian government tried to sabotage the U.N. nuclear ban treaty. On 17 August the Senate Nuclear Waste Inquiry- Public Hearings go Secret.

August 17, 2020 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes