The week in nuclear news

A bit of good news – Deforestation rates plummeted in the Amazon

TOP STORIES. 

Americanization of International Law: Legitimizing Palestinian Genocide and Promoting Nuclear Self-Defence. 

Sellafield: ‘bottomless pit of hell, money and despair’ at Europe’s most toxic nuclear site. We will be paying for these crumbling dangerous nuclear monoliths for generations. 

Nuclear Power Pushing at the UN’s COP28 Climate Change Conference. What Do COP28 Double Down, Triple Up & Nuclear Commitments Mean? 

Nuclear’s share of world power output at multi-decade low – report. A damning new report on the present and future of nuclear power.

FROM THE ARCHIVES. Exposed! Extinction Rebellion fact checks pro-nuclear front. Rising temperatures, rising seas – the growing climate change menace to nuclear power.

Climate. World predicted to break 1.5°C warming limit for first time in 2024. Talks at Cop28 set to intensify in bid to break impasse over fossil fuels.

Nuclear. Last month the big nuclear news story was the economic story of the  failure of NuScale’s small nuclear reactors. This month – it’s the revelations, by the Guardian UK, of the dangerous state of affairs at the largest nuclear site in Europe – Britain’s Sellafield.

Christina notes. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at COP 28. – let’s call it what it really is – a nuclear marketing company.  As the global corporate media fawns over the nuclear industry, The Guardian has the guts to do some REAL INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM.

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 AUSTRALIA. Ted O’Brien’s nuclear love-in atCOP28 gets a brutal reality check. Australia’s Opposition Coalition opposes Australia tripling renewable energy, backs nuclear power pledge at Cop28. Coalition delivers the same old tired nuclear talking points at COP28.

 Indonesia ratifies nuclear weapons ban treaty. Australia should too. US Defense funding bill to include OK for nuclear subs, AUKUS tech for Australia. Australian government funding Adelaide University to train students for a nuclear-powered defence-force.

CLIMATE. John Kerry furthering his career as nuclear lobbyist, at COP 28.     20-plus countries pledge to triple the world’s nuclear energy by 2050.    United Arab Emirates is using COP 28 Climate Summit to promote small nuclear reactor industry, as well as fossil fuel industries. Summary of the nuclear push at COP 28. ‘Spotlight on nuclear power’ – a questionable proposition. 

 The German Environment Agency shows that a global tripling of nuclear capacity by 2050 is neither realistic nor needed to achieve climate goals. Nuclear sector must overcome decades of stagnation to meet COP28 tripling goal. COP28: Is a tripling of nuclear energy workable?  

CIVIL LIBERTIES. UN Launches Gates-Funded Global Digital ID Program as Experts Warn of ‘Totalitarian Nightmare’. The US Condemned Stalin’s Prosecution of Journalists. Now It Uses His Playbook, to prosecute Julian Assange..

ECONOMICS. Cancelled NuScale contract weighs heavy on new nuclear. Nuclear lobby gets EU approval as ‘strategic net-zero’ technology: its next battle is to get EU funding. Marketing: U.S. government continues to pour $billions into the failing Small Nuclear Reactors business, in the hopes of exporting SMRs.

EDUCATION. Estonian universities anticipate high costs of training nuclear experts.

ENVIRONMENT. Sellafield has contaminated the Irish Sea with plutonium.     Atomic Kittens! Locals invaded by ‘radioactive’ cats after workers at UK’s most hazardous site nicknamed ‘nuclear Narnia’ feed 100 strays…but are they a myth?       The beautiful little UK seaside village torn apart by nuclear power station fight.     The Radioactive Pacific Ocean.

ETHICS and RELIGION. Nuclear disarmament a ‘critical pro-life issue,’ warns Archbishop Wester. 95 Democrats and 216 Republicans Support Resolution Conflating Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism.

HEALTH. Air Force expanding review of cancers for members who worked on nuclear missiles. Fund for Nuclear Waste Exposure Victims in Limbo as Congress Balks at Cost.

LEGAL. Former chair of Ohio’s utility regulator indicted in nuclear bailout law scandal.

MEDIA. The Guardian view on Sellafield scandals: ministers must put public safety before secrecy. Apocalypse Then: 40 Years Ago, A TV Movie Saved the World from Nuclear Annihilation. Digital Rights Groups Urge Meta to Stop Silencing Palestine.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR . A resounding rejection of ‘nuclearism’.

PERSONAL STORIES. One Family’s Harrowing Journey Out of Gaza City. Fears of a major leak at Sellafield nuclear plant should be taken seriously.

POLITICS. UK minister demands answers for security failings at Sellafield. Scotland government adamant in rejection of nuclear power. Scotland’ Energy Secretary Neil Gray points to safety risks as he rejects nuclear power attempts. A Scotland without nuclear power would be safer for people and planet. COP28: Global nuclear pledge casts further doubt on UK’s capabilities.

  New Mexico’s delegation outraged at removal of expand nuclear radiation compensation from proposal. Poland’s nuclear plans in question after negative assessment by security agency.

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY.

• How’s the nuclear ban treaty doing? 
• Chinese Nuclear Weapons and Canada: An Uncivil-Military Connection. 
•   4 East African countries are going for nuclear power – why this is a bad idea. 
•  Boastful International Atomic Energy Agency – announces a “Nuclear Energy Summit” like a climate event, for 2024. 
•  Sweden signs pact granting US access to all its bases.

SAFETY. Any future accident at the Sellafield nuclear site could be worse than Chernobyl, according to experts. Incidents. Canadians should be afraid of radiation: Frank Greening.

SECRETS and LIES. Sellafield nuclear site hacked by groups linked to Russia and China. Sellafield nuclear site workers claim ‘toxic culture’ of bullying, sexual harassment and drugs could put safety at risk. UK nuclear police and workers share WhatsApp jokes about paedophilia, racism and homophobia. UK nuclear revelations: how bad could they get and could they affect the US and Europe? 

 Recent Nuclear Declassifications and Denials: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

SPINBUSTER. Pro nuclear lies abound at COP 28 – Bill Gates’ push for his shonky sodium -cooled Natrium reactor .

WASTES. ‘Dirty 30’ and its toxic siblings: the most dangerous parts of the Sellafield nuclear site. Revealed: Sellafield nuclear site has leak that could pose risk to public. Extended Licence given for the storage of highly radioactive waste at Chernobyl. Nuclear tomb plan at Blind River criticized .

WAR and CONFLICT. US Defense Secretary Austin should resign over scurrilous attack on peace community. Suffering and killing in Gaza must stop now.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. China, the U.S., AI and Autonomy in Nuclear Command and Control. Would A Nuclear Weapon Make South Korea Safer? New information tool on nuclear weapons seeks to identify the next arms control strategies. B-2 Spirit stealth plane cleared to use B61-12 nuclear bombs. US aid to Ukraine laundered back to military-industrial complex – congressman. British government to send surveillance planes to facilitate Israel’s genocide. Not a Penny Nor a Bullet Off the Table. ‘Moral Insanity’: Biden Admin Bypasses Congress to Rush Tank Shells to Israel.

December 11, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes