nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Inadequate safety monitoring of China’s nuclear power plants

Minister: China needs to step up nuclear oversight,  The Nuclear N-Former: June 3, 2011  Beijing (AP) — China must increase oversight of its nuclear power plants after Japan’s disaster, a senior Chinese official said Friday, as the country advances an ambitious program to build more reactors.The ongoing crisis caused by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan laid bare a “host of problems” with how nuclear power is handled, Vice Environment Minister Li Ganjie said.“Some of them are technical, some are at a managerial level, some are unavoidable caused by natural disasters, while some are caused by manmade factors and can be prevented,” Li said at a news conference.China needs to raise industry safety standards, make information more accessible and put in place a strong team of independent regulators to supervise nuclear safety, he said……
Even before the Japanese crisis, Li’s ministry had urged the government for more funds to monitor the rapidly growing nuclear power industry.
Minister: China needs to step up nuclear oversight | The Nuclear N-Former: Breaking Nuclear Energy News, Videos, Photos, Commentary & More

June 4, 2011 Posted by | China, safety | Leave a comment

Debate over China’s nuclear policy

ANALYSIS: Questions remain on China’s nuclear stance,  Taipei Times, By J. Michael Cole / Staff Reporter, 23 May 11, A recent report on China’s nuclear weapons capabilities has re-ignited debate on the country’s nuclear policy and the overall lack of transparency surrounding the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Continue reading →

May 23, 2011 Posted by | China, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Toxic radioactive effects of thorium, uranium in rare earths

Environmental groups have long criticised rare earths mining for spewing toxic chemicals and radioactive thorium and uranium into the air, water and soil, which can cause cancer and birth defects among residents and animals…..

China pays price for world’s rare earths addiction, By Allison Jackson (AFP) – Google News, 7 May 11, BAOTOU, China — Peasant farmer Wang Tao used to grow corn, potatoes and wheat within a stone’s throw of a dumping ground for rare earths waste until toxic chemicals leaked into the water supply and poisoned his land.Farmers living near the 10-square-kilometre expanse in northern China say they have lost teeth and their hair has turned white while tests show the soil and water contain high levels of cancer-causing radioactive materials. Continue reading →

May 8, 2011 Posted by | China, environment, health | Leave a comment

China detects radioactive cesium 137 from Fukushima

Radioactive cesium detected in more Chinese regions amid Japan nuclear crisis BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhua) — Trace levels of radioactive isotope cesium-137 and -134 were detected in the air of 13 of the Chinese mainland’s 31 provincial-level regions on Monday, up from eight regions on Sunday.Cesium-137 and -134 were detected in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Shanghai, Inner Mongolia, Jiangshu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Ningxia on Monday….Radioactive cesium detected in more Chinese regions amid Japan nuclear crisis

April 5, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, China | Leave a comment

Anxiety growing in China over poor nuclear safety

Chinese environmental campaigners, citizens on microblogs and even the normally pliant state-run media are questioning why China has no obvious emergency preparedness plan, even though many people here live less than a quarter mile from nuclear facilities….people here were already suffering health problems associated with living close to a nuclear facility and that the cancer rate in the area has increased.

China expanding nuclear power but lacks emergency planning   The Washington PostBy Keith B. Richburg,   April 2, SHANGHAI — The Chinese government repeatedly offers assurances that the nuclear crisis in Japan poses no radiation risk in China. Officials monitor radiation levels in the air over coastal cities daily now. And planes and ships bringing cargo and passengers from Japan are closely scanned.

But the Chinese government has not told citizens living near nuclear facilities what to do in case of a similar disaster here. Continue reading →

April 5, 2011 Posted by | China, safety | Leave a comment

China: solar power on the rise, nuclear power stalled

China to Cut Nuclear & Increase Solar Power Goals after Japan Crisis – CleanTechnica: 1 April 11, China hasn’t taken long to learn a lesson from the Japan nuclear crisis (perhaps). It is cutting its 2020 target for nuclear power and is filling in with increased solar power targets, according to an official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
China recently passed up the U.S. as the world’s leading energy consumer. What it does on this front is critical to the long-term livability of our planet (for humans, at least). It is great to see that it is not only cutting back on nuclear expansion (which is a very risky option until someone learns how to deal with nuclear waste that lasts several times longer than humans have existed for), but that it is also increasing its solar power goals to account for this…….China to Cut Nuclear & Increase Solar Power Goals after Japan Crisis – CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views

April 2, 2011 Posted by | China, renewable | Leave a comment

China to boost solar power, scale down nuclear?

China mulls to switch over to solar photovoltaics to scale down N-power  The Times of India | Mar 30, 2011, BEIJING: China is seriously considering to down size its massive expansion plan of nuclear plants in view of radiation crisis created by ruptured Japanese nuclear reactors and weighed option to double the target capacity of solar photovoltaics (PV) to meet future power requirements. Continue reading →

March 31, 2011 Posted by | China, renewable | 1 Comment

China selling off old nuclear reactor models to Pakistan

China to Sell Outdated Nuclear Reactors to Pakistan, Voice of America, Stephanie Ho | Beijing March 24, 2011 China is pressing ahead with nuclear energy cooperation with Pakistan, despite concerns that it is shipping decades-old technology to its South Asian neighbor. This comes as China suspended approvals for new nuclear power plants within China to review safety standards following the recent earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan.  Continue reading →

March 26, 2011 Posted by | China, marketing | Leave a comment

China halting new nuclear plants

China suspends approvals for new nuclear plants, Xinhua, March 16, 2011

China has suspended the approval process for nuclear power stations so that safety standards can be revised after explosions at a Japanese plant, according to Wednesday’s executive meeting of the State Council, or the Cabinet. Continue reading →

March 17, 2011 Posted by | China, safety | Leave a comment

Nuclear marketing going ahead in China and India, anyway

in China, which has the world’s most ambitious nuclear expansion plans, a vice minister of environment, Zhang Lijun, said on Saturday that Japan’s difficulties would not deter his nation’s nuclear rollout…..The United States has lobbied extensively to open India’s nuclear power market to American industry. Indian and American officials spent more than five years negotiating a nuclear energy agreement that was blessed by both governments and international nuclear agencies.

Emerging economies move ahead with nuclear plans, New York Times, by Heather Timmons and Vikas Bajaj, 15 March 11, NEW DELHI — Despite Japan’s crisis, India and China and some other energy-ravenous countries say they plan to keep using their nuclear power plants and building new ones. Continue reading →

March 15, 2011 Posted by | China, India, marketing | Leave a comment

China’s $90 billion for weapons, including nuclear, in 2011

Chinese Defense Budget Boost Seen Aiding Nuclear Force, NTI: Global Security Newswire – March 7, 2011 China on Friday announced it had set aside roughly $90 billion in defense funds for 2011, a 12.7 percent boost over the nation’s declared 2010 defense budget, the Asahi Shimbun reported (see GSN, March 3).The People’s Liberation Army’s Second Artillery Corps, which oversees China’s strategic nuclear force, would benefit significantly from the additional spending, one military insider said. “Along with the second artillery (the strategic missile unit), the navy also received preferential budget treatment,” the source said……..NTI: Global Security Newswire – Chinese Defense Budget Boost Seen Aiding Nuclear Force

March 7, 2011 Posted by | China, weapons and war | Leave a comment

China’s nuclear arsenal small – but transparency is needed

The driving force in U.S.-Russia nuclear arms reduction and control is that transparency fosters predictability and minimizes the risk of a terrible war by miscalculation. A similar pact must be in the interests of China, India, Pakistan — and the rest of Asia.

Why worry about China’s nuclear warheads?, The Japan Times Online, By MICHAEL RICHARDSON, 3 March, 11, SINGAPORE — Latest estimates by Western analysts put China’s stockpile at 240 warheads, with 175 in active mode and 65 in reserve or waiting to be dismantled because they are considered too old for use.

This is a small arsenal compared with those of the United States and Russia. Continue reading →

March 4, 2011 Posted by | China, weapons and war | Leave a comment

China’s secret ambition for unlimited nuclear weapons growth – Wikileaks

Chinese officials privately admit that a desire for military advantage underpins continuing secrecy.

No nuclear limit: China, The Age, Philip Dorling, February 28, 2011 HIGH-RANKING Chinese officials have declared that there can be no limit to the expansion of Beijing’s nuclear arsenal, amid growing regional fears that it will eventually equal that of the United States, with profound consequences for the strategic balance in Asia. Continue reading →

March 1, 2011 Posted by | China, weapons and war | Leave a comment

China protecting North Korea’s nuclear secrets

China has told UN security council members it plans to block publication of the organisation’s special report that accuses North Korea of violating sanctions on its nuclear programme.

China to block UN report on North Korean nuclear capability, guardian.co.uk, 18 Feb 2011, Report says uranium enrichment programme and development of a light-water reactor are serious violations of UN sanctions  Continue reading →

February 19, 2011 Posted by | China, politics international | Leave a comment

China’s top military planners calculate for many millions of dead Chinese

the Chinese are planning to pile up a bulwark of irradiated corpses. “We […] will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xi’an,” said the general. “Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds … of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.”

This is how countries convince themselves to prepare for war.

Why we’re all up in arms over China, Sydney Morning Herald, John Birmingham , February 8, 2011 “……Politics as it is practised at the rareified levels where states manoeuvre for advantage against each other simply doesn’t factor into the thoughts of normal people.Until they pay the price for not having paid attention over all those years.. Continue reading →

February 8, 2011 Posted by | China, weapons and war | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »