French Cuts Spur Debate on their Nuclear Deterrence Budget
“…Around 130 million euros of the annual 750 million euro research and technology budget is spent on studies for the deterrent, and the amount is expected to double by 2016, then decrease while the development money will rise, a July French Senate report said….”
“…There needs to be debate on topics such as the range of ballistic missiles, the number of submarines and possible cooperation with Britain beyond research on warheads, the source said.
Britain, for example, is due to decide in 2016 whether to maintain four missile submarines or cut to three when it signs construction contracts for the Successor next-generation fleet….”
8 January 2013
Indiandefence.com
PARIS — An impending wave of cuts in public spending in France calls for a debate on the elements that make up the country’s nuclear deterrent, with a big question mark over whether to maintain the carrier-borne air wing, a report from influential think tank Centre d’Etude et de Prospective Stratégique (CEPS) said.
The report, “Defense Without the Cosmetics: A Platform of Proposals for Defense and National Security,” seeks to open public debate on the traditionally sacred and unquestioned realm of nuclear deterrence ahead of the publication of the official white paper on defense and national security, due in a few weeks.
The CEPS report is due to be published at the end of this month.
The call to update nuclear doctrine comes as concern rises in some quarters over what is seen as an attempt by a military pro-nuclear lobby to impose an artificial “consensus,” two civilian sources said.
“It’s locked down,” a defense expert said. Anyone who questions the deterrent doctrine is subject to “eviction or ridicule.”
Short-Circuiting the Minister
In what is described as a “short circuiting” of the defense minister, officers from the Chief of the Defense Staff pushed to block any policy changes in the deterrent force at a restricted council meeting at the Elysée presidential office, a political source said.
The meeting, held in the second half of December, was an attempt by the military to persuade the president, the political authority on the nuclear deterrent, to “change nothing,” the source said.
The defense minister and his private office realize the budgetary weight of the nuclear force and the decisions needed for future-generation programs, but there is little room for discussion as the concept of operations has been frozen for decades, the source said.
Destination of Japanese Plutonium Unclear ??
Jan. 8, 2013
Global Security Newswire
Japan intends to continue generating plutonium despite having paused preparation of a facility at its Rokkasho site for generating nuclear power plant fuel from the bomb-usable material, theAssociated Press reported on Monday.
The developmental facility was originally scheduled in 2014 to begin converting the plutonium intomixed-oxide fuel, but construction has been on hold since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011.
Japan has stockpiled sufficient plutonium to power hundreds of atomic armaments, and the island nation would run afoul of nonproliferation commitments by potentially determining it has no peaceful use for the substance.
If the country stopped separating plutonium from spent atomic fuel at Rokkasho, domestic atomic energy sites with limited room would be forced to retake custody of roughly 3,000 tons of unwanted material. Political appetite appears limited for constructing a site to deal with such substances over an extended period, according to AP.
Tokyo last year halted preparation of the Monju fast-breeder reactor, which was intended to recycle used power plant material as an alternative to reprocessing it for plutonium.
Meanwhile, a high-level South Korean Foreign Ministry insider on Monday said his country does not plan to seek Japanese treatment of its used atomic reactor material, Kyodo News reported.
more links on that here..
RELATED GSN STORIES
- Japan Ramping Up Plutonium Production Despite Reactor Shutdowns
- U.S. Official Rejects Call For International Nuclear Security Standards
- Senate Appropriators Approve Full Budget Request For Savannah River Site
- U.K. Plans Subterranean Plutonium Storage Site
- Blast at French Atomic Site Kills One
Source for this
http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/destination-japanese-plutonium-remains-unclear/
Idaho Governor Underscores Commitment to Keep Nuclear Waste Out of Idaho
By AARON KUNZ
TUE JANUARY 8, 2013
Idaho Governor Butch Otter underscored his commitment Monday to keeping more spent nuclear waste from entering Idaho. EarthFix Reporter Aaron Kunz explains.
Governor Butch Otter organized the Leadership in Nuclear Energy Commission almost a year ago. The goal was for that group to determine what the Idaho National Laboratory future might be. The laboratory is the nations lead nuclear research facility.
When the LINE Commission released its preliminary report last month, it included revisiting Idaho’s 1995 agreement with the federal government that caps the amount of nuclear waste allowed to be shipped to Idaho.
Governor Otter downplayed the recommendation in his State of the State Address.
Otter: “I’m as committed as ever to enforcing the terms of our 1995 agreement with the federal government to get all nuclear waste out of Idaho by 2035.”
The LINE Commission will submit their final recommendations with Governor Otter by the end of the month. The public comment period closed last Friday.
Copyright 2013 Northwest Public Radio
Listen to Broadcast here
http://www.nwpr.org/post/idaho-governor-underscores-commitment-keep-nuclear-waste-out-idaho
Iran to address nuclear concerns if rights respected: Mehmanparast -Press TV
The recognition of Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities in legal terms and provision of technical assistance by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Tehran have been already discussed in various sessions, Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Tuesday.
“They have never been able to provide real evidence at sessions and meetings for their claims. However, we have announced that if a comprehensive agreement is reached between the Islamic Republic and the IAEA, under which all [Iranian] nuclear activities are fully recognized, and we are fully provided with nuclear and fuel cycle technology, we will be ready to take the necessary measures to allay their concerns,” Mehmanparast told reporters in Tehran.
Mehmanparast described the recent meetings between Tehran and the nuclear body as constructive, adding that the talks revolved around “technical aspects” of Iran’s nuclear activities.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman further highlighted Iran’s sustained cooperation with the IAEA and said the Islamic Republic is determined to pursue all its nuclear rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the NPT and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Iran’s civilian nuclear program has been diverted toward military objectives.
MRS/SS/IS
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/01/08/282451/iran-ready-to-address-nuclear-concerns/
Earth’s Forecast Looks Warm and Full of Volcano Eruptions -Not good for nuclear future
Worldwide map of nuclear power stations and earthquake zones (Maptd)
As Planet Warms, More Lava Could Find Surface
6 January 2013
scientificamerican
Over a long enough time scale, warmer temperatures mean increased volcanic activity, according to new research
By Nathanael Massey and ClimateWire
The effect of volcanic eruptions on climate has been one of the more hotly contested topics in the global warming debate. Seized upon briefly by climate skeptics as analternative to human-caused warming, eruptions are now understood by mainstream science to result most often in net cooling for a period of up to several years.
Few researchers, however, have considered that an inverse relationship might also exist — that over time, climate might have an effect on the planet’s igneous activity.
Yet those are precisely the findings of new research from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany. Operating over a long enough time scale, sustained warmer temperatures lead to increased frequency of volcanic activity, the research finds.
Building off research by the Collaborative Research Center, which spent 10 years exploring volcanic regions, the GEOMAR team analyzed the layers of ash left in sea beds in Central America. From these, the team was able to reconstruct a history of eruptions dating back some 460,000 years, said volcanologist Steffen Kutterolf.
In analyzing that historical record, the researchers saw a distinct pattern emerge, he said. “There were periods when we found significantly more large eruptions than others,” he said.
British Somalis feel compelled by MI5 to spy on own community
“When they say, ‘We gave this to you, we can take it away from you whenever we want,’ it sends a terrible signal. It shows Somalis they’ll never be part of the nation. You might have been born here, you might have been brought up here, but we can take it all away from you,”
Mon Jan 7, 2013 1:15PM GMT
Press TV
There is growing anger among many of Britain’s 400,000 Somalis about how they treated at Britain’s ports, many of them complaining that they are being pressured to spy on their fellows with Somali nationalities, the Independent reported.
Somali elders in London held a gathering before Christmas to discuss the issue of coercive spying, which many young Somalis are depressingly familiar with, said Mohammed Elmi, the head of Somali Diaspora UK.
“Out of the 33 boroughs represented, 17 said they had community members who felt pressured to spy,” Elmi stated.
“The community is very keen to cooperate with the UK government and security. What is unacceptable is any form of coercion or pressure,” he said.
Growing concerns about such tactics being used by the British spying apparatus were first revealed by the Independent in 2009, when it said in a report that security services had threatened five east African Muslim men with sanctions unless they accepted to work for them as informant.
“Three of the five were approached after returning from family holidays. One of the men, Mahdi Hashi, had his citizenship revoked late last year by the Home Office and was suddenly rendered from a jail in Djibouti to the United States – an incident which has caused consternation among many British Somalis,” according to the report.
Such stories of coercion may backfire on the intelligence-gathering community, the report says.
Jamal Osman, a British filmmaker from Somalia who has won awards for his reports from his war-torn homeland, says he has often been approached by security officials at airports.
Solidarity Party in Santa Fe to Support the Los Alamos National Laboratory 6! -Video
6 January 2012
Published on Jan 6, 2013
Six activists — Janet Greenwald, Wind Euler, Summer Abbott, Cathie Sullivan, Pam Gilchrist, and Barbara Grothus — were arrested on August 6, 2012 when they blocked entrance to Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of the Nuke Free Now week of action. The LANL 6 are anti-nuclear, antiwar and environmental activists calling attention to the dangers and harm of obsolete nuclear weapons, as well as the devastating U.S. policy of ignoring the real national security threat of catastrophic climate change. They are charged with trespass, disobeying a police officer, and obstructing movement. Each defendant faces up to 6 months in jail. Their trial is taking place on Thursday, January 9 at the Los Alamos Municipal Court.
The LANL 6 are seeking to redirect our resources from nuclear weapons and war to address the real national security threat of catastrophic climate change. They are out on recognizance bonds and intend to raise at trial the illegal, immoral, expensive, and damaging impact of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s and its archaic but deadly nuclear mission. On Sunday, January 6 in Santa Fe, a solidarity party and fundraiser was held for the LANL 6. As you can see in this hour-long video from the event, the turnout and speakers were awesome!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G31wQ6R1JQ
7 January 2013
KOAT – Albuquerque Videos
CEO of General Ellectric -” It’s really hard to justify Nuclear Power Plant. ”
This is purely economical announcement by the CEO Jeff Immelt of GE(General Electric) who once was a major prime contractor of Nuclear Power Plant.
“So I think some combination of gas, and either wind or solar … that’s where we see most countries around the world going.” (Jeff Immelt, current CEO of GE, Financial Times, July 30, 2012)
This is the global reality.
Immelt melted down Nuke Plant itself via Fukushima Accident.
”
Nuclear power is so expensive compared with other forms of energy that it has become “really hard” to justify, according to the chief executive of General Electric, one of the world’s largest suppliers of atomic equipment.
“It’s really a gas and wind world today,” said Jeff Immelt, referring to two sources of electricity he said most countries are shifting towards as natural gas becomes “permanently cheap”.
“When I talk to the guys who run the oil companies they say look, they’re finding more gas all the time. It’s just hard to justify nuclear, really hard. Gas is so cheap and at some point, really, economics rule,”
Mr Immelt told the Financial Times in an interview in London at the weekend. “So I think some combination of gas, and either wind or solar … that’s where we see most countries around the world going.”
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/60189878-d982-11e1-8529-00144feab49a.html#axzz2HHTay4nb
h/t
Scary Nuclear Cover-ups in USA & Japan: Arnie Gundersen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYsI3pUNPEM
Published on Jan 6, 2013
Podcast: January 6, 2013 – Happy New Year 2013
January 6, 2013
Thanks to our listeners and viewers, Fairewinds’ fundraiser was a success. Thank you to all our donors who helped us to reach our goal. It’s a new year, and 2013 has already kicked off a repeat of the same safety and engineering issues that plagued the nuclear industry in 2012. The two, eye opening nuclear safety issues we discuss in today’s Fairewinds’ Podcast are: a radiation scandal in Japan and a major safety problem in the US at Fort Calhoun. Arnie Gundersen alerts us to the fact that radiation exposure cover-ups did not occur only in Japan, and have occurred repeatedly in the US as well as in many other countries. Finally, we discuss Wall Street’s financial worries over US reactors.
CHINA URGENTLY SEEKING NEW URANIUM RESOURCES DOMESTICALLY AND OVERSEAS
“…China produces around 1,000 tonnes of uranium a year. The World Nuclear Association has reported that China will be using 20,000 tonnes of uranium a year by 2020, about a third of the global output in 2009. The country will need to source the rest from the global market, which could set the market soaring, in order to shift away from coal as a fuel source…”
UNUUDUR.COM
China National Nuclear Corporation is to speed up overseas uranium mining exploration. The country’s leading nuclear energy developer is to focus on Australia, Africa and Central Asia, to meet its growing demand for raw material.
Formed in December 2011 in an effort to restructure its parent company, the state owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is undergoing initial examination by the China Securities Regulatory Commission to obtain an approval for an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
The capital raised from the IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange is slated to be used in five nuclear plant programmes, while the total investment is expected to be around $27.76 billion, according to a report in the China Daily.
The company had received final approval from the Ministry of Environmental Protection to move forward with its IPO way back in August. The move indicates China’s long term ambitions for nuclear power. The company runs more than 40% of China’s nuclear sites.
China urgently seeking new uranium resources domestically and overseas
China, which is dependent on uranium imports to supply its growing nuclear power industry, is to speed up exploration for uranium mining options at home and abroad.
Author: Shivom Seth
Posted: Wednesday , 19 Dec 2012
MUMBAI (MINEWEB) –
China National Nuclear Corporation is to speed up overseas uranium mining exploration. The country’s leading nuclear energy developer is to focus on Australia, Africa and Central Asia, to meet its growing demand for raw material.
Formed in December 2011 in an effort to restructure its parent company, the state owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is undergoing initial examination by the China Securities Regulatory Commission to obtain an approval for an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
The capital raised from the IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange is slated to be used in five nuclear plant programmes, while the total investment is expected to be around $27.76 billion, according to a report in the China Daily.
The company had received final approval from the Ministry of Environmental Protection to move forward with its IPO way back in August. The move indicates China’s long term ambitions for nuclear power. The company runs more than 40% of China’s nuclear sites.
Breaking -Iran Foils Several Assassination Attempts against Nuclear Scientists
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“At present the military and intelligence forces are doing their duty and they havediscovered some assassination (plots),” Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoun Abbasi said in Tehran on Sunday. He said that assassination threats against the lives of Iran’s nuclear scientists were not limited only to those five scientists who were assassinated between 2010 and 2012, alluding that more scientists have also faced such threats which were foiled by the Iranian security and intelligence forces. In the fifth attack of its kind in two years, terrorists killed a 32-year-old Iranian scientist, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, and his driver on January 11, 2012. The blast took place on the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Iranian university professor and nuclear scientist, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, who was also assassinated in a terrorist bomb attack in Tehran in January 2010. The assassination method used in the bombing was similar to the 2010 terrorist bomb attacks against the then university professor, Fereidoun Abbassi Davani – who is now the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization – and his colleague Majid Shahriari. While Abbasi Davani survived the attack, Shahriari was martyred. Another Iranian scientist, Dariush Rezaeinejad, was also assassinated through the same method on 23 July 2011. |
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China Stresses Negotiated Settlement of Iran’s Nuclear Issue
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FARS News AgencyNews number: 9107133533 |
18:14 | 2013-01-06
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“..Despite the rules enshrined in the NPT entitling every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment, Tehran is now under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down West’s calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment…”
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“Our stance on Iran’s nuclear case is fully clear as we are trying to persist in talks to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue,” Yang said in a meeting with the governor-general of Iran’s Northern province of Golestan in the provincial capital city of Gorgan on Sunday. As regards the bilateral relations, Yang said that Iran and China share common grounds in political, economic and cultural fields as both are moving on similar path of development. His remarks came after Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying Beijing once more renewed its support for Tehran’s civilian nuclear program, and called for the resumption of talks between Iran and Group 5+1 (the US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany). Hua reiterated China’s call for the resumption of talks between Iran and the G5+1 about Tehran’s nuclear program and said, “We have always seen negotiations and cooperation as the best way to solve the Iranian nuclear issue.” Hua’s statement came after Iran’s lead negotiator in talks with the world powers Saeed Jalili said Tehran and the G5+1 would resume talks later this month, although the place and date for the negotiations have not been finalized. |
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USA -State police halts nuclear waste monitoring
7 January 2013
KOAT – Albuquerque Videos
Space travel may hasten Alzheimer in astronauts -Evidence of ionising radiation effecting the brain?
Space travel may hasten Alzheimer in astronauts
Sat Jan 5, 2013 11:30AM GMT
According to the study published in the journal PLOS ONE, when astronauts leave orbit for deep space missions to places like Mars they are exposed to constant shower of different radioactive particles which can accelerate changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
While space is full of radiation, the earth’s magnetic field generally protects the planet and people in low earth orbit from these particles, scientists clarified.
“Galactic cosmic radiation poses a significant threat to future astronauts,” said the senior author of the study M. Kerry O’Banion, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the University Of Rochester Medical Center (URMC).
1 This Month
26 April – Chernobyl: Inside the Meltdown airs on National Geographic on Sunday 26th April from 4pm
29 April – Nuclear Expert Webinar #1 – Radiation Impacts on Families with Mary Olson and Cindy Folkers
- 12:15 PM MT – 1:45 PM MT
- Location: Virtual – REGISTER TODAY
4 May -West Suburban Peace Coalition to discuss Iran war at May Educational Forum
Monday, May 4, 7:00 – 8:00 PM Central Standard Time
Title: : How Trump’s Narrative Tries to Shape the Reality of the War on Iran.
Contact Walt Zlotow, zlotow@hotmail.com 630 442 3045 for further information
14 May – online event From Bombs to Data Centres: the Face of Nuclear Colonialism
Pine Ridge Uranium is the real threat, not Tehran- Tell Burgum: Stop the Extraction.
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
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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