nuclear-news

Google headline nuclear articles today – the main topic was the Nuclear Ban Treaty

26 Oct 20, In the 95 nuclear news items listed as headlines in Google Search today, the most notable recent topic was nuclear weapons, and, significantly, the ratifications of the U.N Treaty on the Prohition of Nuclear Weapons . These now number 50, the required number to bring this Treaty into international law.  Generally articles on nuclear weapons were critical of, or opposed to them, with some articles ‘neutral’, simply reporting facts and numbers. A smaller number of articles had the theme of valuing the nuclear weapons industry.

Apart from articles about nuclear weapons and the weapons ban treaty,   the majority of articles about the nuclear industry were clearly promotions of that industry. the major theme being that the world ‘needs nuclear power’, especially small nuclear reactors, to provide ‘clean’, climate ‘-friendly’  energy.    Another big theme was the development of nuclear fusion.  Other articles enthused about space research, nuclear medicine, and safety of ionising radiation.

Roughly half as many articles opposed the nuclear industry.  The main themes were waste disposal problems, small reactors costly and useless, and safety issues.

A smaller number again were even-handed or ‘neutral’ articles – the main topic being international diplomacy, then safety concerns, and decommissioning of nuclear stations.

October 26, 2020 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | media