How would Bradwell B affect local people, place and environment? What powers are behind the decision?
Hitler’s quest for nuclear weapons
WW2: Hitler’s true nuclear capacity exposed in secret sabotage mission that ‘saved world’
WORLD WAR 2 saw the Allies cooperate to fight Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany but jaw-dropping documents reveal just how close he came to using nuclear weapons. Express UK By CALLUM HOARE Oct 21, 2020 The German nuclear weapons programme was an unsuccessful scientific effort to research and develop atomic weapons during World War 2. It went through several phases but was ultimately “frozen at the laboratory level” with historians and scholars alike generally agreeing it failed on all fronts. With that, Hitler is thought to have focused more on his revolutionary V1 and V2 rockets, but he came terrifyingly close to arming them with nuclear warheads, according to declassified papers unearthed by writer and filmmaker Damien Lewis.
“The greatest fear was that the Nazis had mastered the technology to fit a nuclear or radiological charge to the V2s, in which case there would be no defence possible.
“Churchill ordered aerial surveys to forewarn of such attacks – dry-run rehearsals to prepare for such an ordeal, and for frontline doctors to be briefed on the symptoms of radiation poisoning.
Such fears were very real. Following German physicist Otto Hahn splitting the atom in December 1938, the Allies believed the Germans to be two years ahead in the race to build the atom bomb.”
In May 1940, German forces struck a further blow in the race for nuclear supremacy after seizing Olen, Belgium, where the largest remaining stock of European uranium was located.
British intelligence reports on Operation Peppermint found by Mr Lewis revealed fears from London.
One read: “Since the fall of Belgium, much of the largest stock of uranium has been available [to Germany] from the refinery.”
According to Mr Lewis, its destination was the AuerGesellschaft refinery, at Oranienburg, Germany.
Allied research suggested it would require 20,000 workers, half a million watts of electricity and $150million (£114million) in expenditure to build the world’s first atom bomb.
Hitler, who now controlled most of western Europe, could demand such resources.
And, in concentration camps, he had access to millions of workers.
According to Mr Lewis, its destination was the AuerGesellschaft refinery, at Oranienburg, Germany.
Allied research suggested it would require 20,000 workers, half a million watts of electricity and $150million (£114million) in expenditure to build the world’s first atom bomb.
Hitler, who now controlled most of western Europe, could demand such resources.
And, in concentration camps, he had access to millions of workers.
“Details of Operation Peppermint and the measures taken to prepare for a Nazi nuclear strike were revealed in papers that I unearthed from the National Archives.
“This came as a great surprise to me, for I was unaware that the Allied wartime leaders viewed Nazi Germany’s nuclear programme as such a real and present threat.”
However, a top secret heroic mission would lead to a breakthrough……..
Hunting Hitler’s Nukes: The Secret Race to Stop the Nazi Bomb’ is published by Quercus and available to buy here. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1350513/world-war-2-hitler-nuclear-capacity-secret-winston-churchill-operation-peppermint-spt
An opportunity to remove American nuclear weapons from Europe
Creating an Opportunity to Withdraw U.S. Nuclear Weapons From Europe Carnegie Endowment PIA FUHRHOP, ULRICH KÜHN, OLIVER MEIEROCTOBER 20, 2020
ARMS CONTROL TODAY The United States could withdraw the tactical weapons it deploys in Europe with no negative consequences for NATO unity and the security of Europe. In order to secure such an outcome, German leaders and NATO policymakers will have to combine reassurance and arms control in novel and smart ways.
In May 2020, a debate erupted in Germany on the future of NATO nuclear sharing and Berlin’s participation in the arrangement that has seen U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in European nations for decades. This may well turn out to be an opportunity for the alliance, European security, and arms control. Even though it might not sound very realistic today, within the next five years the United States could withdraw the tactical weapons it deploys in Europe with no negative consequences for NATO unity and the security of Europe. In order to secure such an outcome, German leaders and NATO policymakers will have to combine reassurance and arms control in novel and smart ways. ………. https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/10/20/creating-opportunity-to-withdraw-u.s.-nuclear-weapons-from-europe-pub-83001
South Wales and the danger of pollution from the dumping of radioactive mud from Hinkley nuclear project
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Welsh politicians urge openness on impact of mud from nuclear power stationHinkley Point C building site waste due to be dumped in sea near Cardiff, Guardian, Steven Morris, @stevenmorris20, Thu 22 Oct 2020 The builders of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station must be completely open about the potential environmental impact of dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of mud in the sea near Cardiff, politicians in Wales have said.
EDF is proposing to deposit mud excavated as part of the huge construction project on the Somerset coast in the waters off the Welsh capital next year. The Welsh parliament debated the issue on Wednesday after 10,000 people signed a petition calling for a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) to be carried out on the proposal. Petitioners, led by the musician Cian Ciarán, of the band Super Furry Animals, fear the mud could be contaminated and may cause environmental damage and harm the health of people who live in south Wales. Ahead of the debate, EDF confirmed it would carry out a full EIA but members of the Welsh parliament, or Senedd Cymru, said it was vital the findings – and the workings – were published in full. Llyr Gruffydd, a Plaid Cymru member of the Senedd, said there were “real concerns” that the dumping may harm marine life and put public health in danger. “Radioactive particles from the outflow pipes of Hinkley Point A and Hinkley Point B have been flushed out for the last 55 years,” he said. “We know there were plutonium leaks in the 1970s that might also have contaminated the mud they want to dump in Welsh waters.” …….. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/21/welsh-politicians-urge-openness-on-impact-of-mud-from-nuclear-power-station |
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Culture and pride – Britain’s unnecessary attachment to nuclear weapons
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THE NUCLEAR TREATY dividing the World, Byline Times, Stephen Colegrave, 21 October 2020 “……….. Problem for Brexit Britain In the UK, our predilection for nuclear arms is cultural as much as political.
Brexit Britain is clinging on to its belief that it can regain and retain its place at the centre of the world. But the irony is that many of the nations that it wants to trade with as it turns its back on Europe are in the Nuclear Weapon Free Zones and have been part of developing and signing the treaty banning nuclear weapons. The Brexiters’ love of patriotic militarism with navy ships and flags spearheading trade missions are likely to have the opposite effect than expected. These nuclear-free nations might be no match for the military might of NATO and the other nuclear powers but they do have complete control of their own trade. “The ground is moving under the UK’s feet,” says Ben Donaldson, head of campaigns at the United Nations Association. “Whether or not the UK supports the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the impact will be felt. The treaty is popular with states the UK is looking to strike trade deals with and the UK is finding itself increasingly diplomatically isolated on this issue. A large majority of countries have made it clear they have lived in fear of nuclear fallout for too long and want action. As well as being immoral, the UK’s current position of variously ignoring and attacking the treaty and its supporters is unsustainable and damages its influence on the world stage.” Government Gives Arms Industry Extra Tens of Millions of Pounds During COVID-19 Pandemic Joshua Stein As the fiftieth nation prepares to sign the treaty, there is hope that the nations with nuclear weapons themselves are finding it harder to justify themselves to their own populations. There have been concerns about US President Donald Trump pressing the red button in the same way he presses ‘tweet’. Even in Britain there is a backlash. Although there are not protests on the streets like at the height of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), more and more councils are signing up to be nuclear-free zones, such as Manchester City Council. In America, the whole state of California, which has the fourth largest GDP in the world, has gone down this route. Increasingly, financial institutions are divesting in companies that are part of the supply chain and manufacturing nuclear weapons in an initiative called Wall of Fame. Hopefully this treaty will start to call time on the nuclear weapon nations and their allies ignoring the moral and ethical case for a ban, when an increasingly large part of the world wants nothing to do with these dangerous and potentially powerless ‘deterrents’. |
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EDF facing legal action over planned dumping of radioactive mud, and over fish safety problems
Campaigners attempting to stop mud from the construction of Hinkley PointNuclear Power Station, Somerset, being dumped into Welsh waters, have
announced they are working with leading environmental lawyers Leigh Day to
block the proposals.
Wales for a licence to dump 800,0000 tonnes of mud dredged as part of
building work for the new plant that is being built on the site of the
disused Hinkley Point A facility. Two years ago, EDF were given permission
to dump 300,000 tonnes of mud from the site off the Cardiff coast, despite
protests and following a Senedd debate.
proposals received over 10,000 signatures and has triggered a debate in the
Senedd tomorrow. Earlier this month EDF Energy confirmed it will carry out
an Environmental Impact Assessment as part of its licence application. This
agreement reverses NRW and Welsh Government’s previous position that an
EIA was not needed for the dumping they permitted in 2018 just 2.1 miles
off the South Wales coast and 2.5 miles from Cardiff.
written to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) requesting full disclosure of
documents on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)-screening
application from EDF and the agreement with NRW that “environmental
impact assessment is required”.
a controversial fish management system that is being installed at the site
of the new facility. The Environment Agency granted a licence to EDF in
2013 that permitted sea water to be used for the nuclear power station’s
cooling system but required the deployment of a fish deterrent system on
the site to protect marine life in the estuary.
proposed the use of an acoustic deterrent system to reduce the number offish being killed by the cooling system but in 2017 abandoned the plans
without suggesting any alternative. Currently the plant’s proposed Fish
Recovery and Return System will consist of a 5mm mesh barrier set up in the
water intake tunnel to stop large fish from being sucked in while another
channel will divert fish, dead or alive, back out to sea. Last year the
Sunday Times reported that marine and conservation groups estimated that
this system will kill 250,000 fish a day and called for it to be altered or
scrapped. EDF said the FRR will kills an estimated 650,00 fish a year.https://nation.cymru/news/senedd-roundup-leading-environmental-lawyers-join-battle-to-block-mud-dump/
$40 billion cost to Poland for nuclear power – $18 billion to USA for starters
Poland Strikes $18 Billion Nuclear Power Deal With U.S. Oil Price, By Charles Kennedy – Oct 20, 2020, The United States and Poland closed a nuclear power deal potentially worth $18 billion as the Central European country seeks to reduce its reliance on coal and Russian natural gas……….
The agreement closed this week stipulates that over the next 18 months, the parties will develop a program for the construction of the reactors and how they will be financed. Per plans, the first reactors should come online in 2033. The whole program could end up costing Warsaw some $40 billion, of which at least $18 billion would go towards acquiring U.S. nuclear technology, according to a U.S. government official……. https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Poland-Strikes-18-Billion-Nuclear-Power-Deal-With-US.html
UK’s Conservative politicians want strong action on climate change
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Business Green 20th Oct 2020, The UK’s departure from the EU provides an opportunity to establish a “much
more” ambitious climate target for 2030 that aligns with its longer-term statutory goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, Conservative backbenchers have told the government. In a letter sent this morning to Business Secretary Alok Sharma, dozens of Tory MPs urged the government to submit a strengthened climate goal – or nationally determined contribution (NDC), in the UN jargon – that follows the forthcoming recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which is in December due to unveil its advice for meeting the UK’s emissions goals for the 2033-37 period, also known as the sixth carbon budget. Signatories to the letter include
former Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers, former First Secretary of State Damian Green, and former Under Secretary of State for BEIS Lord Duncan. The UK government, meanwhile – which has not updated its UN Paris
Agreement climate pledges since adopting its 2050 net zero target last year – has said it plans to submit its enhanced, net zero-aligned NDC ahead of next year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow. And, in a bid to keep up pressure
on the government to ensure the UK’s plans are as ambitious as possible, 42 MPs and Lords in the Conservative Environment Network have signed today’s letter arguing the UK has a responsibility as host of the forthcoming COP26 climate conference to establish a world-leading national climate plan that sets an example to other member states and raises collective international ambition. |
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Hinkley Point C nuclear station – construction costs $388.9 million every month
S&P 20th Oct 2020, EDF Energy is spending GBP300 million ($388.9 million) a month on the
construction of the 3.2-GW Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant that it is
building with its equity partner China General Nuclear Corp. in western
England, a company executive said at a London webinar Oct. 20.
Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, managing director, nuclear new build at EDF Energy, was
speaking at a webinar on the future development of the UK nuclear power
industry organized by the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport
Forum. He said that EDF Energy had been spending this amount monthly on
Hinkley Point C “since 2018” and intended to continue at the same rate of
monthly expenditure until the plant’s completion.
The two EPR Hinkley Point C plant in western England is currently scheduled to start operations
during 2025. The plant is 66.5% owned by EDF Energy and 33.5% owned by CGN.
Do the UK authorities really understand the hazards of radioactive waste mud dumping off Cardiff?
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Nation Cymru 20th Oct 2020, Richard Bramhall, Secretary of the Level Radiation Campaign. Tomorrow the
Senedd will debate a petition calling for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be undertaken ahead of any further dredged material from Hinkley Point being disposed of at the Cardiff Grounds disposal site. This is taking centre stage as Electricité de France (EDF) seeks a licence
to dredge huge amounts of mud from the Severn Estuary and dump it on a shallow sandbank less than two miles from Cardiff. The Environment (Wales) Act 2016 requires decision-makers to take great care and to consult widely when there are uncertainties. We argue that there are large uncertainties
about how many uranium oxide fragments are in the mud, and about where they would go if dumped on Cardiff Grounds, how much genetic damage they would do to the population of Wales and whether the people who must make the licensing decisions understand the relevant science. https://nation.cymru/opinion/why-were-calling-for-more-testing-before-more-mud-from-hinkley-point-is-dumped-near-cardiff/ |
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Royal Navy officer in charge of submarine’s nuclear weapons, sent back to UK, alleged to be drunk on duty
Royal Navy officer in charge of sub’s nuclear weapons sent back to UK for ‘clocking on after night of drinking’ Lieutenant Commander Len Louw was carrying a bag of barbecue grilled chicken when he arrived for work. Sky News ,By Lucia Binding, news reporter, Monday 19 October 2020 ……….Lieutenant Commander Len Louw was declared unfit for duty when he arrived at HMS Vigilant to take charge of nuclear missiles last month………..
Lieutenant Commander Louw was responsible for all weapons and sensors on the vessel. ……https://news.sky.com/story/royal-navy-officer-in-charge-of-subs-nuclear-weapons-sent-back-to-uk-for-clocking-on-after-night-of-drinking-12108234
In Germany , a new dispute over the old abandoned Gorleben nuclear waste site
16 October 2020 Pledge Times (India/Germany)
New dispute over Gorleben
In an interview, the President of Germany’s Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management says it was problematic that Gorleben (current interim but beleaguered radwaste site) has been ruled out in the first review stage of the process to identify a geological repository site. The Green Party responded that the President “did not understand the procedure for which he is in charge. The search for a repository follows scientific criteria.”
USA aiming to beat Russia, China etc, in marketing nuclear reactors to Poland
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US to cooperate on Poland’s nuclear plans, Argus 9 October 2020, The US and Poland are set to sign an agreement to co-operate on Poland’s nuclear development programme, envisaging construction of 6-9GW of nuclear generation capacity, with the first unit to start in 2033.US secretary of energy Dan Brouillette and Poland’s secretary of energy infrastructure Piotr Naimski today agreed to sign a long-term agreement between the governments of both countries to co-operate on Polish nuclear development.
The agreement, which had been already signed by the US side and is to be signed by Poland in the near future, provides that over the next 18 months the countries will work together on a financial and technical report on Poland’s nuclear power programme. This report will be the basis for US long-term involvement and for the Polish government to take final decisions on construction of nuclear power plants in the country, the US Department of Energy said……….. Earlier this year a Polish nuclear consortium led by government-controlled PGE sold its stakes in the PGE EJ 1 subsidiary, which initially was to be developing nuclear plants. In 2009 PGE said it planned to develop 6GW of nuclear capacity. Since then the company has struggled to come up with a financing model, and it recently opted to abandon its nuclear plans and focus on renewables. Under the current financing model, Poland plans to set up a joint venture with strategic foreign investors for development of the plants, with the Polish government maintaining at least 51pc. Tentative partners, beyond US companies, include firms from France and South Korea. https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2151529-us-to-cooperate-on-polands-nuclear-plans |
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France’s anti nuclear activists to train citizen scientists to measure radioactivity levels around a nuclear site
La Depeche 17th Oct 2020, The actinists who have been mobilizing on the ground for years against the
Orano-Malvesi plant (conversion and enrichment of uranium ore), want to
train citizens to take samples themselves to measure the radioactivity
around the nuclear site.
Britain’s zero emissions policy will bring many 1000s of jobs, investing in green infrastructure
help to achieve Boris Johnson’s national renewal mission, a report
published today says. Investment in green infrastructure and technologies
will prevent long-term scarring of the labour market in the wake of the
Covid-19 crisis, the report by the London School of Economics adds.
this summer to “build back better, build back greener, build back
faster” after GDP collapsed by a record 19.8 per cent as a result of a
national lockdown.
government investment would create the maximum number of jobs while also
helping to achieve the UK’s commitment of carbon neutrality, including
renewable energy infrastructure, electric vehicle production and home
energy efficiency retrofits. The UK was the world’s first major economy
to enshrine in law a commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/net-zero-goal-will-be-ally-of-recovery-w09wcx7hn
1 This Month
1 June Webinar – The High Cost of Nuclear Power – Register
of the week– Nuclear Reactor Information Task Force
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