Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reinforced his party’s commitment to nuclear energy .
Rishi Sunak talks energy during Sizewell trip in Suffolk. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reinforced his party’s commitment to nuclear
energy during a tour of Sizewell B. Building permission for Sizewell C on
the Suffolk coast, which will generate 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity,
was granted in July 2022 and was expected to cost £20bn. Quizzed about
whether government had received any more assurances on further sources of
private investment for the project, Mr Sunak told reporters: “We are
confident of delivery of our nuclear plant”. In its manifesto, Labour said
it would “end a decade of dithering” on nuclear power, and would ensure the
long-term security of the sector.
BBC 19th June 2024
Extreme heat and flash floods: Scientists warn of hazardous summer weather in Europe
Europe may not break records like 2023 but it could be in store for extreme heat, storms and floods
While the UK experienced a wet and
mild June, much of the rest of Europe has been hit by extreme weather,
including heatwaves and flooding. Flights heading to Palma airport, on the
popular tourist island of Mallorca, had to be rerouted last week following
heavy rainfall that caused flooding on the Balearic Islands and parts of
mainland Spain. It came one week after flooding resulted in mass
cancellations throughout Germany’s railway system. Meanwhile, schools and
popular tourist sites were closed throughout Greece last week as the
country experienced a heatwave that saw temperatures reach 43°C. The
heatwave has been linked to a series of tourists’ deaths, including
British broadcaster Dr Michael Mosley. The scenes have left climate
scientists worried that Europe could be in for another summer of extreme
weather, following the record-breaking heatwave of 2023.
iNews 18th June 2024
Specialised device tried to recover melted fuel at Fukushima plant
By FUMI YADA/ Staff Writer, June 19, 2024 [includes VIDEO] , Asahi Shimbun
KOBE–A specialized device resembling a fishing rod will be used to “hook” tiny bits of melted nuclear fuel debris from one of three damaged reactors at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the work is expected to begin no later than October and will be done on a trial basis.
The equipment was shown to reporters on May 28.
The removal of melted fuel is regarded as the trickiest phase of decommissioning work, because the wrecked facility is still plagued by extremely high levels of radiation.
TEPCO plans to remove a few grams of melted nuclear fuel from the No. 2 reactor because radiation levels there are relatively low.
An extendable pipe to be used for the delicate maneuver was demonstrated at a facility in Kobe operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
Designed like a fishing pole, the 22-meter-long device was inserted into a model of the pedestal to support the reactor’s pressure vessel.
The aim was to ascertain whether pebbles representing fuel debris could be grasped with the claw-like arm……………………more https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15288064
Strike action suspended at Dounreay
Strike action on Wednesday 19 June by around 600 Unite members employed by
Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (NRS) at Dounreay nuclear power
station has been suspended to allow workers to be balloted on a new pay
offer. Unite can confirm that an overtime ban and an end to working
voluntary appointments will continue during the ballot process. If the new
offer is rejected by the membership, fresh strike action will be announced.
Unite 18th June 2024
TODAY What a disaster, if the anti-war movement brings Donald Trump back to the White House!
If there ever was a time for clear thinking, that time is now! There is a real danger that good , caring Americans might decide to vote for Donald Trump, because he promises to prevent World War 3.
Donald Trump is promising to bring peace to Ukraine. And he’s promising to stop the massive haemorrhaging of tax-payers’ money to Ukraine’s suicidal fight against Russia.
” Trump has repeatedly argued that US President Joe Biden’s policy of open-ended military support for Ukraine is leading the US toward a “third world war,” and has promised that he would end the conflict “in 24 hours” if he defeats Biden in this November’s presidential election“-https://www.sott.net/article/492394-No-more-endless-payments-to-Zelensky-Trump“
Sounds good, doesn’t it?
The only problem is – you can’t believe a word that Donald Trump says.
Yes, Trump accidentally tells the truth sometimes. He sure is right about the endless gravy train of money to the sainted Zelensky – and that it should be stopped.
But note – “Trump did not lobby his Congressional allies to block the $61 billion aid package in April, and said at the time that he would support lending, rather than gifting, money to Zelensky in future.“
Donald Trump’s history of lies and deception would fill a book- and indeed, it has filled several – and documentaries, too.
And do you think for one moment, that the ruthless money machine of the big corporations that fund Trump, would let him stop the weapons buying, even if he wanted to?
No USA President can stop the funding of weapons for USA’s permanent overseas wars – because no man or woman can ever get into political office without the financial backing of big corporations – and there are none bigger than the weapons-makers
Blinken made secret weapons promise to Israel – Netanyahu
https://www.sott.net/article/492412-Blinken-made-secret-weapons-promise-to-Israel-Netanyahu 18 June 24
The Secretary of State said the White House “is working day and night” to resume all arms shipments, according to the PM.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed to have pressured the United States over arms supplies that his country needs in its war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The US paused delivery of weapons to Israel in early May amid calls for it to scale back its assault on the densely-populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza. The shipment reportedly included 3,500 bombs for fighter jets. The Jewish state’s offensive on Rafah has left thousands of Palestinians dead and injured, according to the local Hamas-run authorities.
In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Netanyahu said in English that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has assured him the White House“is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks,” referring to arms supplies.
The statement confirms the latest media reports that during a meeting with Blinken last week in Jerusalem, Netanyahu had demanded the removal of barriers to the flow of munitions.
Netanyahu stated:
“When Secretary Blinken was recently here in Israel, we had a candid conversation. I said I deeply appreciated the support the US has given Israel from the beginning of the war. But I also said something else, I said it’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.”
The Israeli leader stressed that an increased flow of US weapons would help bring the end to the struggle with Hamas.
“During World War II, [Winston] Churchill told the United States, ‘Give us the tools, we’ll do the job.’ And I say, give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster.”
Comment: When Israel demands, US complies.
Netanyahu has reportedly told Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other high-ranking officials to make sure that arms transfers are fully resumed during upcoming meetings with American counterparts in Washington this week.
US President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned Israel he would halt arms shipments over the situation in Rafah, but despite those warnings his administration had reportedly kept weapons and ammunition flowing. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the US proceeded with a transfer of $1 billion worth of ammunition and vehicles for Israel in May, the same month it stopped the delivery of bombs.
On Monday, the Washington Post reported that the White House had successfully pressured Democrats in Congress to support a major arms sale to Israel that includes 50 F-15 fighter jets worth more than $18 billion.
Israel declared war on Hamas after militants killed around 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage in a surprise attack on October 7. More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the months of fighting that have followed, according to the latest figures from Gaza’s health ministry.
Comment: Regarding his recent reticence, Biden is roleplaying for the masses in an election year. He supports only one outcome: fulfilled, unimpeded.
‘Lax’ nuclear security leaving UK at risk of cyber attacks from hostile nations
Official figures show 20 per cent drop in nuclear inspections amid 45 per cent rise in security threats.
By Richard Vaughan, June 19, 2024 The i
The average number of inspections at UK nuclear facilities has plunged by a fifth in recent years despite a significant rise in the number of security incidents over the same period, official figures show.
The “unacceptable” numbers have prompted nuclear safety experts to warn that the Government has taken a “laissez-faire” approach to nuclear power inspection.
According to data from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), between 2015 and 2019 there were an average of 194 security inspections per year, a figure that dropped to 153 per year between 2020 and 2023 – a decline of 20 per cent.
This is despite a dramatic rise in the average number of major security incidents over the same period, with 531 such incidents per year between 2015 and 2019, rising to 771 between 2020 and 2023 – an increase of 45 per cent.
Security incidents reported to the ONR are both physical and cyber, with protesters and individuals gaining unauthorised access to the sites as well as hostile states targeting the UK’s nuclear infrastructure.
In December, it was revealed that cyber groups linked to Russia and China had hacked into the Sellafield site in Cumbria, prompting fears that sensitive information around how Sellafield moves radioactive waste may have been compromised.
It follows warnings from the National Cyber Security Centre of the heightened threat of “state-aligned groups against western critical national infrastructure” linked to Russia, including the UK’s nuclear power stations.
The National Risk Register, a government document which assesses “the most serious risks facing the UK”, recently highlighted the danger of both conventional and cyber attacks on UK civil nuclear infrastructure.
Nuclear safety experts said the drop in inspections coincided with the Covid pandemic that allowed for “at distance” virtual inspections, which have continued creating more “lax nuclear regulation”.
The overall number of inspections has fallen by 30 per cent since 2015, when there were 240 inspections, compared to 2023 when 153 checks were carried out.
Dr Paul Dorfman, the chair of the Nuclear Consulting Group and a former secretary of the government’s committee examining radiation risks of internal emitters (Cerrie), told i: “Covid allowed ONR to ramp ‘at-distance virtual inspection’. This is a problem because ONR needs to be in close, on-site touch with nuclear facilities to get a good view on what’s really going on – and they seem to be carrying on this ‘arms’-length’ inspection regime post-Covid.
“Basically, it looks like the ONR’s nuclear inspections are being hit by the current Govternment’s ‘laissez faire’ attitude – hence we seem to be seeing more lax nuclear regulation.”……………………………………… more https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/government-approach-nuclear-safety-drop-inspections-3120112
Very late and over budget: Why newest large nuclear plant in US is likely to be the last
Fereidoon Sioshansi Jun 20, 2024
With a lot of exaggerated fanfare, in early May 2024 the Georgia Power Company announced that the 1,114 MW Unit 4 nuclear power reactor at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Georgia, entered commercial operation after 11 years of construction.
The former CEO of the company reportedly had installed a TV screen in his office remotely monitoring the progress of the work at the construction site. It must have been the most boring show to watch since on most days very little was actually happening at the site. He was mostly watching delays.
Vogtle unit 3 began commercial operation in July 2023. The plant’s first two older reactors, with a combined capacity of 2,430 MW, began operations in 1987 and 1989, respectively. The Plant Vogtle’s total generating capacity is nearly 5 GW surpassing, the 4,210-MW Palo Verde nuclear plant near Phoenix in Arizona.
Construction of the last 2 reactors began in 2009 and was originally expected to cost $US14 billion with a start date in 2016 and 2017. But as often happens the project suffered construction delays and cost overruns – exceeding $US30 billion ($A45 billion).
It is the latest – and possibly the last – addition to the US nuclear installed capacity, which is currently around 97 GW and accounted for nearly 19% of domestic electricity production in 2023, making it the second-largest source of electricity generation after gas, which was around 43% last year.
Vogtle Units 3 and 4 use the Westinghouse AP1000 design (cited enthusiastically by Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton this week) which includes new passive safety features that allow the reactors to shut down without any operator action or external power source.
Two similar reactors were planned for South Carolina, but the utilities halted construction in 2017 amidst escalating costs and delays.
The Executive Director of American Nuclear Society (ANS) Craig Piercy congratulated Southern Company, the parent of Georgia Power Company, and Westinghouse:
“This milestone … secures a generational investment in clean energy. Now complete, Vogtle 3 and 4 will deliver 17 million MWhrs of carbon-free power to Georgia annually – equivalent to the energy from all California’s wind turbines – and will be available 24/7.”
Fair enough but Mr. Piercy failed to mention that it took 11 years and $US30 billion of ratepayer money to build it – few private investors can afford the time or the capital.
Nor did he mention that currently there are no other nuclear reactors under construction anywhere in the US and none are presently contemplated. It may be the end of an era despite ANS’ obviously biased praise of the technology.
The story is much the same in France where the state-owned nuclear power giant Électricité de France (EDF), which operates a fleet of 56 reactors in one of the most nuclear dependent countries in the world, has been struggling to complete its last reactor.
The 1.6 GW Flamanville plant in northwest France is 12 years behind schedule and more than four times over budget – for the usual reasons. A faulty vessel cover needs to be fixed, pushing operation date to 2026.
In the meantime, the estimated cost to construct 6 new nuclear reactors, ordered by President Emanuel Macron, has risen to €67.4 billion ($A110 billion), from the original €51.7 billion, and is likely to go higher before they are completed. Nuclear plants are not cheap…………………………………………………
One of the few places where new reactors are being built without long delays is China, but even there the scale of nuclear build is dwarfed by solar and wind by orders of magnitude.
In the past 10 years, more than 34 GW of nuclear power capacity were added in China, bringing the country’s number of operating reactors to 55 – barely shy of the 56 in France – with net capacity of 53.2 GW as of April 2024 (visual on right on original ). Some 23 reactors are reported under construction in China
Globally, nuclear, while a low-carbon and baseload form of generation, is struggling to make much of a dent despite a few isolated places where it is maintained on the agenda – generally by government fiat and through generous subsidies.
It is hard to come up with a conceivable scenario where its fortunes will significantly improve. A hefty global carbon tax, for example, may help but even in this case, it will simply make renewables, not nukes, even more attractive than they already are.
Fereidoon Sioshansi is editor and publisher of EEnergy Informer, and president of Menlo Energy Economics, based in California. https://reneweconomy.com.au/why-the-newest-large-nuclear-plant-in-the-us-is-likely-to-be-the-last/
Nuclear power’s financial problems exposed in new report
Greenpeace European Unit, 19/06/2024, https://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/issues/climate-energy/47124/nuclear-powers-financial-problems-exposed-in-new-report/
Brussels, 19 June 2024 – Nuclear power is a risky gamble with taxpayers’ cash, according to a comprehensive review of financing models published as the European Investment Bank prepares to discuss new support for nuclear energy at a meeting on 21 June.
The report, Fission for Funds: The Financing of Nuclear Power Plants, gives an overview of financing models and reveals how the profitability of nuclear power plants heavily relies on government involvement in de-risking investments. The report was commissioned by Greenpeace Germany and carried out by Jens Weibezahn from the Copenhagen School of Energy Infrastructure, and Björn Steigerwald from the Technische Universität Berlin.
Greenpeace EU political campaigner Lorelei Limousin said: “Nuclear power is a black hole for taxpayers and consumers. High upfront costs, long construction times, and government bailouts make nuclear projects a burden on public coffers and a threat to credible climate action. Wind and solar energy are already much cheaper, and their cost is declining. Not a single euro of EU public money should go to nuclear power – it’s time to put people’s needs ahead of nuclear greed, and invest in a safer, cheaper future.”
The report shows that nuclear power plant projects are unreliable due to budget overruns, construction delays, and reliability problems in the operational phase, and therefore often lose investor interest. Hidden costs are also often not included in initial calculations, such as liability insurance, decommissioning and waste management. These become a burden for taxpayers in the future. The report highlights that the cost of solar and wind energy are already much lower than new nuclear projects.
Jens Weibezahn, Assistant professor Ph.D., Copenhagen Business School, co-author of the report, said: “In our review of current nuclear power plant projects, we found that almost all financing models rely – either directly or indirectly – on government support to make them viable. This places an unreasonable burden on either taxpayers or electricity ratepayers, as they, ultimately, bear a large part of the associated financial risks.”
Although most global economies are focusing on renewables to reach net-zero targets, some EU countries, such as France, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, are betting on nuclear power, despite major issues in securing funding for new projects and maintaining their existing ageing fleets. This report highlights that government support for these costly, long-term, and high-risk nuclear projects is becoming harder to justify, particularly at a time of high inflation and rising cost of living.
In the past two decades, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has invested €845 million in nuclear power activities. For the first time, the EIB intends to support research and development in so-called small modular reactors (SMRs), according to a draft strategic roadmap, which will be adopted on 21 June. Many uncertainties persist regarding the overall economic viability of SMRs, not to mention safety risks and the radioactive waste problem. Greenpeace calls on EU finance ministers, who govern the EIB, to oppose any funding for nuclear energy, including small modular reactors.
Please find more information about the various financing models used in European countries in this briefing and read more in the full report.
Top lawmakers sign off on massive US arms sale to Israel
The approval of the F-15 sale comes the month after US President Joe Biden promised to hold off on arms to Israel if it chose to expand the assault on Rafah
The Cradle News Desk, JUN 18, 2024
Two Democratic lawmakers in the US Congress have signed off on a massive arms sale to Israel, which will include $18 billion worth of F-15 fighter jets, the Washington Post reported on 17 June.
Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Ben Cardin agreed to the deal after months of holding up the sale due to concerns over Israel’s conduct in its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
“Any issues or concerns that Chair Cardin had were addressed through our ongoing consultations with the administration, and that’s why he felt it appropriate to allow this case to move forward,” Eric Harris, Communications Director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the Washington Post……………………
The end of the informal consultation process will allow the US State Department to move ahead with officially notifying Congress of the arms sale, marking the last step before the deal is fully approved.
The State Department has declined to comment on the arms sale to Israel, which was one of the largest in years……………………………………
The Biden administration has already approved over 100 US arms sales to Israel since the start of the war in Gaza in October. https://thecradle.co/articles/top-lawmakers-sign-off-on-massive-us-arms-sale-to-israel
Leaked doc reveals Israeli military KNEW of Hamas plan to raid and take hostages 2 weeks before Oct 7, Israeli news reports
SOTT, Grace Eliza Goodwin, Business Insider, 2024-06-18
The Israeli military knew about Hamas’ plans to attack southern Israel weeks before October 7 — even how many hostages the militant group planned to capture, according to a report from Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
The Israel Defense Force’s Gaza Division reportedly distributed an internal intelligence document on September 19, 2023, outlining the details of Hamas’ planned raid, according to Kan.
The document, which Kan reportedly saw, states that the IDF had observed Hamas conducting a series of trainings where militant fighters practiced attacking both Israeli military stations and civilian kibbutzim communities.
The IDF also knew, according to the document viewed by Kan, that Hamas trained its units on how to capture hostages and how to guard them once they were taken back to the Gaza Strip.
Comment: The following is a AI dubbed translation of the report: English dub of an Israeli news report about a document the IDF distributed internally on September 19th, 2023, titled “Detailed End-to-End Raid Training” — it described the impending 10/7 attack in close detail, down to the number of hostages and how Hamas planned to handle them. https://x.com/BoltzmannBooty/status/1802780095934796125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1802780095934796125%7Ctwgr%5E03c00f0d7a7896eeb5714ea82f7f7840b511a996%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sott.net%2Fembed%2FrqC_5-5FwJyE6YzTfNGB8znT2Ak
The IDF’s Southern Command and Gaza Division also wrote in the document, according to Kan, that they expected Hamas to take between 200 and 250 hostages. The officials even had intel on how Hamas intended to treat the hostages in certain extreme circumstances and what rules Hamas set for executing hostages, Kan reported.
Comment: The recent hostage ‘rescue’ (and ensuing massacre) reveals that Hamas has been treating the hostages very well.
Israel mistakenly believed, the Times of Israel reported, that Hamas would never be able to get past its high-tech border security — an “Iron Wall” composed of concrete, tunnels, and razor wire, complete with remote-controlled machine guns, that was installed two years before the attack.
That oversight prevented top Israeli intelligence leaders from doing anything about the internal report detailing Hamas’ plans, Kan News reported.
And it wasn’t just a few weeks before October 7 that Israel reportedly knew about Hamas’ plans.
More than a year before the attack, Israel had a 40-page document detailing, play-by-play, exactly how Hamas would attack the southern border, The New York Times reported last year. But, Israel never took Hamas’ plans seriously, assuming the militant group would never get past Israel’s defenses, the Times reported.
Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage, many of whom are still being held in captivity.
The exact number of hostages Hamas took is unclear, but Israel has estimated it was around 240, with about 116 still in Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Israel’s subsequent airstrikes and war against Hamas in Gaza have killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, many of whom are women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities…………………………………https://www.sott.net/article/492398-Leaked-doc-reveals-Israeli-military-KNEW-of-Hamas-plan-to-raid-and-take-hostages-2-weeks-before-Oct-7-Israeli-news-reports
Vandenberg Conducts Test Launch for Development of New Weapon System
by Janene Scully | Noozhawk North County Editor, June 18, 2024
A Minotaur I rocket launch late Monday night at Vandenberg Space Force Base tested a new re-entry vehicle, which carries the warhead, under development for the Air Force for the intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system.
The Minotaur I rocket equipped with an unarmed Mk21A reentry vehicle blasted off at 11:01 p.m. flying over the Pacific Ocean as Vandenberg officials remained mostly mum about the mission beyond issuing a warning notices for boaters and pilots. Vandenberg officials finally released vague details a few hours before the launch window opened Monday night……………………………
The Air Force has contracted with Lockheed Martin for the Mk21A engineering and manufacturing development phase.
Once deemed fully operational, the Mk21A RV will be integrated on the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system.
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, based in New Mexico, is currently spearheading development of Mk21A. …………
Northrop Grumman equipped the rocket with modern flight-proven avionics and other subsystems to produce what the military calls “cost-effective, responsive launch vehicles to support missile defense testing and other suborbital applications.”
A similar test took place two years ago, but ended in failure 11 seconds after launch from Vandenberg.
The Air Force is developing a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile under the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent weapons system, also known as Sentinel………………………………. more https://www.noozhawk.com/vandenberg-conducts-test-launch-for-development-of-new-weapon-system/
Chutzpah: Netanyahu demands Biden give him more genocide weapons “to finish the job a lot faster.”
Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL 19 June 24
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seething that President Biden withheld one measly shipment of 2,000 lb. bombs Israel uses to obliterate most of Gaza’s 139 square miles. All schools, hospitals, sewage and water infrastructure kaput under Joe’s billions in genocide weapons, and still Netanyahu is not satisfied.
He released a scathing video charging “When Secretary Blinken was recently here in Israel, we had a candid conversation. I said I deeply appreciate the support the US has given Israel from the beginning of the war. But I also said it is inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel.”
Netanyahu then pivoted to the Good War: “In WWII Churchill told the US, ‘Give us the tools and we’ll do the job…and I say, ‘give us the tools and we will finish the job a lot faster.”
Netanyahu then pivoted to the Good War: “In WWII Churchill told the US, ‘Give us the tools and we’ll do the job…and I say, ‘give us the tools and we will finish the job a lot faster.”
Nuclear-armed countries spent $2,898 per second last year on nuclear weapons
The nine nuclear-armed countries spent more than $10 billion more on their nuclear arsenals last year than the year before, as ICAN shows in “Surge: 2023 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending”. Between them, they pumped $91.4 billion into the nuclear arms race, or $2,898 per second.
The biggest spender, also with the largest one-year increase, is the United States, which spent $51.5 billion, more than all other nuclear-armed countries combined. China expended $11.9 billion and Russia spent the third largest amount at $8.3 billion. The United Kingdom’s spending increased significantly for the second year in a row, to $8.1 billion.
The twenty corporations profiled in the report earned over $30 billion for nuclear weapons related work in 2023, about a third of overall nuclear weapons spending. These companies have $335 billion in contracts lined up, in some cases, until 2040 and spent more than $123 million buying influence through lobbyists and think tank contributions.
Who spent what on their nuclear arsenal in 2023?
In 2023 China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the UK and US spent a combined $91.4 billion on their nuclear arms, which breaks down to $173,884 per minute, or $2,898 a second. The United States’ share of total spending, $51.5 billion, is more than all the other nuclear-armed countries put together and accounts for 80% of the increase in nuclear weapons spending in 2023. The next biggest spender was China which expended $11.8 billion with Russia spending the third largest amount at $8.3 billion. The United Kingdom’s spending was up significantly for the second year in a row with a 17% increase to $8.1 billion.
$387 billion in 5 years
“Surge” is the 5th edition of ICAN’s global nuclear weapons spending report. In the last 5 years, $387 billion has been spent on nuclear weapons, with the yearly spending increasing by 34% from $68.2 billion to $91.4 billion per year, as all nine nuclear-armed states continue to modernise, and in some cases expand, their arsenals. Alicia Sanders-Zakre, co-author of the report noted: “The acceleration of spending on these inhumane and destructive weapons over the past five years is not improving global security but posing a global threat.”
Who profits from this surge in nuclear spending?
Globally, nuclear-armed countries have ongoing contracts with companies to produce nuclear weapons worth a total of at least $387 billion, continuing in some cases through 2040. In 2023, companies involved in the production of nuclear weapons received new contracts worth just under $7.9 billion. In the US and France alone (the countries for which figures can be obtained) these firms spent $118 million on lobbying.
These large profits incentivise nuclear weapons manufacturers to spend millions – at least $6.3 million in 2023 – to influence government policy and public attitudes towards nuclear weapons through supporting think tanks. In 2023, at least $123 million was spent hiring over 540 lobbyists and providing financing for major think tanks that influence the nuclear debate. “Surge” exposes these connections.
The opportunity cost of nuclear weapons
The billions of dollars squandered on nuclear weapons every year is an unacceptable misallocation of public funds. Instead of pouring much-needed resources into a reckless race with weapons of mass destruction, the 9 nuclear-armed states could pay for vital services for their citizens or help address existential global crises. $91.4 billion a year could pay for wind power for more than twelve million homes to help combat climate change, or cover 27% of the funding gap to fight climate change, protect biodiversity and cut pollution. One minute of 2023 nuclear weapons spending could have instead paid for planting one million trees. Five years of nuclear weapons spending could have fed 45 million people who are currently facing famine- for most of their lives.
That is why ICAN is calling for a global week of action from September 16 to 22, 2024. Our week of action will take place just as countries around the world come together to find solutions to the greatest global challenges of our time. From now until states gather, we are inviting people all around the world to tell us what they would prefer to see the money spent on, and in September we will push together with one clear message: “No Money for Nuclear Weapons!”
Corporations are influencing government policy on nuclear weapons, a damning report shows
“This report also makes absolutely clear the influence of arms companies in the shaping of defence and foreign policy, their funding of think tanks, and their meetings with government officials.”
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/corporations-are-influencing-government-policy-on-nuclear-weapons-damning-report-shows 17 June 24
NUCLEAR weapons corporations have an “absolutely inappropriate” involvement in shaping government policy on the issue, a damning report shows.
It states that as Britain’s spending on nuclear weapons climbs inexorably, the companies who make and sell them spend millions of pounds funding think tanks that advise the government on the issue.
The report also reveals that nuclear manufacturers met top government officials last year ahead of its announcement of an increase in defence spending.
“Surge: 2023 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending” has been released today by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
It states that global spending on nuclear weapons has surged by 34 per cent in the last five years and that the increase in British spending has risen by even more —over 43 per cent.
As schools across Britain crumble and the National Health Service teeters on the brink of collapse, the Tory government spent £6.5 billion of taxpayers’ money on nuclear weapons in 2023 alone, up 17.1 per cent on 2022, making Britain the fourth-highest nuclear spender after Russia, China and the United States — which spends more than the rest of the world combined.
The report was welcomed by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, whose general secretary Kate Hudson said: “The billions of pounds being funnelled into these weapons of mass destruction are a gross misallocation of resources that could be used to address pressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty alleviation.
“This report also makes absolutely clear the influence of arms companies in the shaping of defence and foreign policy, their funding of think tanks, and their meetings with government officials.
“This runs against all democracy and accountability, and must be exposed, investigated and ended.”
Labour has pledged to continue the Tories’ military spending increases if it is elected on July 4.
Ms Hudson said CND “urges voters to elect MPs who prioritise peace, disarmament, and justice.
“It is time for political parties to determine policy based on the interests of the people, not the arms companies,” she said.
“We want a decent peaceful future that does not include reckless expenditure on nuclear weapons but creates a safer, fairer world for all.
1 This Month
petition to oppose the rapid increase of space-military industry threatening Jeju Island and the region.
[Petition by April 19th (KST)] Stop the joint military-Hanwha Systems-Jeju Provincial Government Sea Launch!
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/2352741955560
of the week–London Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Tell the Ukrainian Government to Drop Prosecution of Peace Activist Yurii Sheliazhenko
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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