nuclear-news

The week in pandemic, climate, nuclear, even bank, news

Well, all news, by its very nature is likely to be bad. (Good behaviour is pretty ordinary, not news.) But there’s  bad news, and there’s very bad news.  And this has been a week for the very bads.

Start with the pandemic. The global death toll exceeds 957,000. cases nearly 31 million.  India’s coronavirus cases pass 5 million as hospitals scramble for oxygen. A second wave grips Europe.  UK cases could grow exponentially, if no action taken. Most of the US is headed in the wrong direction again with COVID-19 cases as deaths near 200,000.

Climate. Weather extremes are more frequently with us now, and as with the pandemic, the longer term future is unceetain:  abrupt changes could bring interconnected tipping points.

Economics. The FinCEN files: Dirty little secrets of the world’s banks revealed in mass US government leak.

BUT – some good news. East Asian countries – China, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore Malaysia -have learned, through their previous SARS epidemic, how to structure their health systems to plan for and manage pandemics,  mount particularly effective responses to COVID-19, and reduce the death rate.

Why harsh COVID-19 lockdowns are good for the economy. 

World’s Biggest Rooftop Greenhouse in Montreal is as Big as 3 Football Fields – Now Can Feed 2% of the City.

Julian Assange was offered a pardon, if he would name a source.  Julian Assange exposed “a very serious pattern of actual war crimes”.  Assange insisted on not revealing names of informants.  Julian Assange case: Witnesses recall Collateral Murder attack: “Look at those dead bastards,” shooters said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNFEXvyZdyU  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYaxBVzHJHs

David Attenborough now wants us to face up to the state of the planet.  In tropical areas, increasing heat and humidity will make life almost unbearable.  Importance of the ocean’s biological carbon pump.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4aQkyJrlWs

What Frogs Can Teach Us about the State of the World.

53 million tons of plastic could end up in rivers, lakes and oceans every year by 2030.  The persistence of plastic.

The coronavirus pandemic and the increased safety risks for nuclear reactors.

Nuclear exposure standards discriminate on the basis of sex .

Why NuScam and other ”small” nuclear proposals just don’t make any sense.

The hidden stumbling block to progress on nuclear weapons.

BHP betrays international safety efforts.

ARCTIC. Arctic sea ice becomes a sea of slush.  Rapid climate change has made Greenland lose a record amount of ice.  USA. Relicensing Turkey Point nuclear station – a striking example of a dangerous action in climate change times.  Global heating is disrupting the ground in Siberia.

JAPAN. Suttsu, Hokkaido, residents oppose radioactive waste dump plan.

GERMANY. Nuclear energy CHEAP? Nuclear has drained Germany of more than €1trn to date

USA.

• Grief in Western America, as inequities, wildfires, and climate change collide. Decorum be damned. Top science editor spits the dummy with Trump. American TV news covers wildfires, but mostly is careful not to mention climate change.
•     Biden would push for less US reliance on nukes for defense.   US seeks to pressure Russia into nuclear weapons treaty concessions before election.  In 2017, USA considered plans to attack North Korea using nuclear weapons.    Arizona’s cancer toll from nuclear testing: the fight for recognition and compensation.
• Opinion poll shows unpopularity of nuclear power in the USA.  USA taxpayers set up by government in the effort to save uneconomic nuclear power. Utah lawmakers seek details on planned nuclear plant in Idaho. The sorry history of the Vogtle nuclear boondoggle: it must be stopped..  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigating FirstEnergy over its involvement in the Ohio nuclear corruption scandal.

UK. 

•  Hitachi definitely to exit UK nuclear power project. Hitachi pulls out – halting two big UK nuclear projects. Renewables would be a fraction of their costs.   A powerful message on the seismic dangers in Hinkley Point C nuclear construction. It would be cheaper to pull out now. Plutonium in Hinkley nuclear mud dumping, but National Resources Wales’ call for full testing is ignored.
• As Hitachi exits the project, UK government to announce funding for Wylfa nuclear project next month.  Suffolk County Council unable to back £20billion Sizewell new nuclear power station as the present plan stands.  UK government to subsidise Sizewell nuclear power station?.
• Magnox nuclear clear-up cost soars to £9bn.  Nuclear waste transport , and legal action.   Nuclear convoy passes near Glasgow ‘laden with six warheads’.
• Extinction Rebellion exposes Zion Lights as yet another nuclear propaganda front.

CHINA.  China ditches US nuclear technology in favour of home-grown alternative.

CANADA. Nuclear waste flyers heading to 50,000 households in Grey-Bruce.  Indigenous woman’s long trek to protest nuclear waste dump, and encourage others..  Western Canadians do not want ”Small” Nuclear Reactors in Sakatchewan.

PHILIPPINES. Duterte asks nations to reject war, eliminate nuclear weapons.

IRAN. While other nations seek conciliation, agreement, the U.S. will declare that all international sanctions are back in force.  Iran a most transparent country for IAEA inspections.

NORTH KOREA. U.S. general says that North Korea has a ‘‘small” number of nuclear weapons (over 70?)

SOUTH KOREA. South Korea says no use of nuclear weapons in joint operational plans with U.S.

EGYPT. Egypt supports Bamako Convention banning import of hazardous waste, especially radioactive, into Africa.

RUSSIA. Russia developing a nuclear-powered missile that can ”attack from unexpected directions”.

SAUDI ARABIA. IAEA and China helping Saudi Arabia with its nuclear ambitions.

AUSTRALIA    CORONAVIRUS. The State of Victoria has achieved remarkable success in bringing down the infection rate to 11 in one day, death toll 2.  This is the result of the strict lockdown regime imposed by Premier Daniel Andrews, despite vicious attacks on him by the opposition party. You know the good result is true, when even the Murdoch Press has to admit it, and its opinion poll  backs the Premier.

September 22, 2020 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes