spinbuster « nuclear-news

Ionising radiation being touted to children as safe?

(What are “health physicists” anyway ? Doesn’t sound like they’re doctors)

Students learn about radiation Mar 05, 2011 RICHLAND, Wash.- Second graders at Christ the King School in Richland got a hands-on physics demonstration Friday.

Two health physicists taught the children about personal protective equipment, radiation detection, and examples of everyday items containing radiation.

Some of those everyday items include: bananas, some rocks, and even human beings. Students learn about radiation – KNDO/KNDU Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA |

March 5, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | 10 Comments

Robert Green’s inspirational call for scrapping nuclear weapons

A surprisingly small network of individuals drove the campaign to abolish slavery. As with nuclear deterrence, slavery’s leading apologists were the power elites of the United States, Britain and France. They argued that slavery was a “necessary evil,” for which there was “no alternative.” They were discredited as charlatans after a few courageous, committed ordinary British, American and French citizens mobilized unstoppable public and political support for their campaign to replace slavery with more humane, lawful and effective ways to create wealth. The analogy holds for nuclear deterrence, which can and must be discarded for more humane, lawful and safer security strategies if civilization and the Earth’s ecosystems are to survive.

Breaking Free From the Nuclear Deterrence Scam, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Robert Green, 28 Feb 2011,“………Now the nuclear weapon states, admitting that extremists with weapons of mass destruction cannot be deterred, plan pre-emptive nuclear attacks in “anticipatory self-defense” of their “vital interests” — not last-ditch defense of their homeland. Thereby, their unprovable claim that nuclear deterrence averts war is cynically stood on its head. Continue reading →

March 1, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, spinbuster, USA | Leave a comment

Well funded pressure against Australia’s new carbon tax

The nastiest end of the anti-tax campaign will come from a right-wing extremist grouping that includes Fox News’s Glenn Beck and is backed by the notorious Koch brothers.

Another step towards renewable energy – Unleashed (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 25 Feb 2011, “…..The “can’t do” campaign will be meeting in PR war rooms across Australia this morning, deciding how much to spend on lobbying, advertising and astro-turfing. As always, America leads the way for Australia’s politics and we should note the news on Bloomberg overnight that the American Petroleum Institute will start backing political candidates this year, in order to prevent climate action by president Barack Obama. Continue reading →

February 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, spinbuster | Leave a comment

Natural Resources Council challenges NRC’s WASTE CONFIDENCE RULE

In absurdist fashion, the new Waste Confidence Rule contains a “predictive” safety “finding” that simply stipulates spent reactor fuel can be disposed of safely at some unspecified time in the future, whenever it becomes “necessary” to dispose of it. The Rule also concludes that for at least sixty years after the cessation of reactor operations, spent fuel can be safely stored at reactor sites or in “special” facilities.

Sixty Thousand Tons of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Stored at U.S. Reactors for 60 Years? Natural Resources Defence Council, Matthew McKinzie February 23, 2011 Why NRDC has Challenged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Waste Confidence Rule Last week my colleague and NRDC Senior Attorney Geoffrey Fettus filed a legal challenge to two final rulemakings by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission: the “Waste Confidence Decision Update” and the “Consideration of Environmental Impacts of Temporary Storage of Spent Fuel After Cessation of Reactor Operation.” What does the Federal Government want to do with these new Rules, and why is NRDC opposing them?…….. Continue reading →

February 24, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, spinbuster, USA, wastes | Leave a comment

UK energy chief hides the truth, under his pro nuclear hype

“It’s ironic that Huhne should be singing the praises of the nuclear industry at Hinkley Point just days after an independent report revealed that soil around the Somerset power station is heavily contaminated with cancer-causing enriched uranium.

(UK) Campaigners slam energy secretary’s attempts to hide truth about nuclear energy, Stop Nuclear Power Network, 24 Jan 2011, Following Chris Huhne’s visit to Hinkley Point nuclear power station in West Somerset today, campaign group Kick Nuclear has slammed the Energy Secretary’s glowing appraisal of the government’s consultation on the revised draft National Policy Statements on energy infrastructure and its plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations. Continue reading →

February 7, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, UK | Leave a comment

Now a US Democrat senator is calling nuclear “clean”!

Key senator backs nuclear in clean [?] energy proposal – Nation – Macon.com, Jan. 31, 2011 By FREDERIC J. FROMMER – Associated Press WASHINGTON — A clean energy standard that includes nuclear power has the support of the Senate energy committee chairman,……..Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico made his position known Monday, following President Barack Obama’s call in last week’s state of the union for 80 percent of the nation’s electricity to come from clean sources by 2035. Obama expanded on previous efforts that would have focused exclusively on renewable sources like wind and solar by adding nonrenewable sources like nuclear, natural gas and “clean coal.” Key senator backs nuclear in clean energy proposal – Nation – Macon.com

February 2, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | Leave a comment

Patrick Moore and the “Clean and Safe Energy Coalition”

The Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, and its co-chairman, Patrick Moore -not clean, not safe, not honest.

nuclear plants are acknowledged by the federal government’s own National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States – commonly referred to as the 9/11 Commission – as terrorist targets.

Patrick Moore has recently begun touting the “safety” of nuclear energy at the behest of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), which is being bankrolled by the nuclear industry to promote nuclear energy as clean and safe energy. Continue reading →

January 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster | Leave a comment

Italian claim on nuclear fusion a mistake or a hoax?

Discovery says taking their device “directly to the press and public … is a strong sign of pseudoscience, and smacks of a mistake, if not an outright hoax.

Cold fusion claims leave many doubtful, Mother Nature Network, Italian scientists say they have finally discovered the fabled source of cheap power. But does their research hold water? By John Platt, Jan 24 2011“……Rossi and Focardi have self-published their research on a blog they started called the Journal of Nuclear Physics. Continue reading →

January 25, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Italy, spinbuster | 1 Comment

Koch brothers take anti-renewable energy deception to Canada

Americans are likely familiar with this bogus study, as it was used extensively by conservative climate skeptics in the media to fight the Obama administration’s 2010 budget proposal to create tax incentives for clean-energy programs, as well as to oppose many other recent efforts to promote the growth of the renewable energy industry.

Kochs Invade Canada, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Chris Genovali, 24 Jan 2011 After losing their fight for Proposition 23 in California, one might have hoped the world would be safe from oil-rich climate deniers Charles and David Koch for a little while.

But unfortunately their misinformation campaign is drifting over the border into Ontario, Canada where renewable energy is once again under fire from the “forces of yesterday.” Continue reading →

January 23, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, spinbuster, USA | 2 Comments

Virginia Coal and Energy Commission wasting $200,000 on hasty, meaningless, uranium study

It will not consider the findings of the National Academy of Sciences regarding uranium mining, milling and tailings disposal in Virginia or the volatile price of uranium. It will be a waste of $200,000.

Use NAS data to evaluate health, economic impacts | GoDanRiver.com, 18 Jan 2011, The uranium socioeconomic study initiated by the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission cannot, on its current timeline, produce meaningful results. Continue reading →

January 18, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | Leave a comment

Nuclear company up on fraud charges

Nuclear power company fights SEC fraud accusations | KTVB.COM, 16 Jan 2011, BOISE — A nuclear energy company with its sights set on building a plant in Idaho is now fighting a complaint filed against it last month. In December, the Security and Exchange Commission accused Alternate Energy Holdings Incorporated (AEHI) of fraudulently raising funds to build a $10 billion nuclear power plant in Payette County. As a result, AEHI’s funds have been frozen……

In court documents the Commission says, among other things, AEHI fraudulently inflated the price and volume of its stock using false press releases and stock promoters in order to attract investors. Additionally, the Commission says AEHI employees secretly sold off company stock and funneled the money back to the CEO….

January 16, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | Leave a comment

International push to indoctrinate Indian public on virtues of nuclear power

aims at creating public awareness about the benefits nuclear energy and its applications……

IAEA chief Yukiya Amano to visit Mumbai, Kalpakkam, Sify News, Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Geneal Yukiya Amano will visit the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) here next week and interact with top nuclear scientists in the city, Continue reading →

January 15, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, spinbuster | Leave a comment

The nuclear industry in decline

There are nine fewer nuclear power stations operating worldwide today than there were in 2002. There are 33 fewer nuclear power stations in Europe now than there were in 1989. The US has not built one in 36 years and the Japanese have virtually stopped building them.

Nuclear industry has no future, Mr Barnett – The West Australian, by Scott Ludlam January 13th, 2011,”…..In reality, there is no global nuclear renaissance, and we should hope there never will be. Since the early 1980s, the industry has been sinking under the weight of the vast costs of this obsolete and risky technology. Continue reading →

January 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, spinbuster | Leave a comment

Risk of vested pro nuclear interests in USA’s panel on nuclear power and cancer

Beyond Nuclear will be submitting comments on individual conflicts of interest and overall balance and appropriateness of disciplines by January 30. …….

Provisional panel announced to examine the link between nuclear facilities and the cancer risk, Beyond Nuclear, 13 Jan 2011, The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Nuclear Radiation and Studies Board (NRSB) has announced the provisional membership for a panel to examine the cancer risks around NRC licensed nuclear facilities. This panel will not only examine nuclear power reactors, but ALL NRC licensed facilities including waste sites, uranium mines, etc. Continue reading →

January 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | Leave a comment

Britain’s mock “GREEN” Investment Bank to fund nuclear power!

Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP who sits on the committee, said: “Nuclear is not green in my view. But it’s not new in anyone’s mind. Funding nuclear makes a mockery of the whole idea of a Green Investment Bank”

Green investment bank could help to build nuclear reactors The Conservatives’ pre-election manifesto promised that the bank would finance ‘new green technology start-ups’ Tim Webb * guardian.co.uk, 13 January 201 The government’s Green Investment Bank could fund the building of new nuclear reactors, it has emerged. Continue reading →