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Map drawn of 80 USA nuclear waste sites

New Map Shows Expanse Of U.S. Nuclear Waste Sites    https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2019/05/31/new-map-shows-expanse-of-u-s-nuclear-waste-sites/#5f0a293fc2cf  

Jeff McMahon,  The United States is home to 21 “stranded” nuclear-waste storage sites, according to a congressional researcher who was quick to add that “stranded does not imply that the waste has been abandoned or lacks regulatory oversight.”It means those 21 sites are no longer attached to reactors that are producing electricity or revenue, environmental policy analyst Lance N. Larson writes in a May report to members of Congress. The stranded sites are costly for the federal government, which has spent $7.4 billion to nuclear utilities and other reactor owners, according to CRS, to offset its responsibility to store the waste.

The 21 are among 80 sites Larsen drew together in a map that shows where the country’s nuclear waste is distributed while it awaits construction of a permanent repository.

The United States is home to 21 “stranded” nuclear-waste storage sites, according to a congressional researcher who was quick to add that “stranded does not imply that the waste has been abandoned or lacks regulatory oversight.”

It means those 21 sites are no longer attached to reactors that are producing electricity or revenue, environmental policy analyst Lance N. Larson writes in a May report to members of Congress. The stranded sites are costly for the federal government, which has spent $7.4 billion to nuclear utilities and other reactor owners, according to CRS, to offset its responsibility to store the waste.

The 21 are among 80 sites Larsen drew together in a map that shows where the country’s nuclear waste is distributed while it awaits construction of a permanent repository.

June 1, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

To the Trump administration, fossil fuels are “Molecules Of U.S. Freedom”

Trump Administration Rebrands Fossil Fuels As “Molecules Of U.S. Freedom” Forbes James Ellsmoor, 31 May 19, The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has apparently started referring to fossil fuels as “molecules of freedom” and specifically natural gas as “freedom gas” , according to its latest press release.

In a statement announcing an increase of natural gas exports, energy officials used the surprising new terms. The statement announces the expansion of a facility in Quintana, Texas, that produces liquefied natural gas (LNG) for worldwide export.

…… https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/05/30/trump-administration-rebrands-carbon-dioxide-as-molecules-of-u-s-freedom/#2e2073ff3a24

June 1, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, politics, USA | Leave a comment

Trump re-election push – big effort to make sure that Ohio lawmakers approve nuclear and coal subsidies

Ohio advances coal, nuclear subsidies after pressure from Trump campaign official, Politico, By GAVIN BADE, 05/29/2019  

The Ohio House approved a bill Wednesday to gut clean energy standards and subsidize at-risk nuclear and coal plants after a last-minute push from a Trump reelection official to secure its passage.

Bob Paduchik, a senior adviser to the Trump reelection campaign, made calls Tuesday night to at least five members of the Ohio House of Representatives, pressuring them to vote ‘yes’ on the bill, five people familiar with the outreach told POLITICO. Sources said Paduchik emphasized preserving jobs at the Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear plants, both located in northeastern Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie…

“The message is that if we have these plants shut down we can’t get Trump reelected,” said one senior legislative source with knowledge of the conversations. “We’re going into an election year, we can’t lose the jobs.”

Paduchik did not return requests for comment, but confirmed to a local reporter that he called lawmakers to support the bill, saying he did so as a personal matter……..

The bill, which would create a $300 million subsidy program for two nuclear plants and two coal plants in the state, passed 53-43 Wednesday afternoon. It now heads to the state Senate.

Owner FirstEnergy Solutions has threatened to shut the plants down if they are not subsidized, and Cleveland.com reports Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, and labor union leaders made similar arguments in other 11th hour calls to lawmakers.

Legislators contacted by Paduchik include Republican Reps. Don Manning, Darrell Kick, Laura Lanese, Reggie Stoltzfus and Dave Greenspan, sources told POLITICO. The sources requested anonymity because they have other business before the legislature.

Paduchik led President Trump’s successful 2016 campaign in Ohio, after which he became co-chair of the Republican National Committee. In December, the Trump 2020 campaign announced he would return to oversee the president’s reelection bid in the crucial Midwestern swing state.

The White House referred questions on Paduchick’s involvement to the Trump campaign, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In addition to Paduchik, three sources said some legislators received calls from two members of the Ohio delegation to the U.S. House — Republican Reps. Steve Stivers and Bob Gibbs. Their offices did not return requests for comment.

FirstEnergy Solutions, which split from utility FirstEnergy in a bankruptcy proceeding last year, said it did not engage Paduchik or the House members on its behalf. FirstEnergy’s political action committee has supported Trump, DeWine and Ohio Republicans in the past, and CEO Chuck Jones met with the president and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry on energy policy before the utility and subsidiary split……..

Along with subsidizing the nuclear plants, HB 6 would also increase existing payments to two large coal plants owned by the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation, a conglomeration of Midwestern utilities. To pay for the new subsidies, the bill would eliminate the state’s energy efficiency standard and its 12.5 percent-by-2027 renewable energy standard, which are financed on customer utility bills.

Approval in the House means the bill will now move to the Senate. Insiders told POLITICO earlier this week that chamber could take longer to debate the bill, which could create a conundrum for FirstEnergy Solutions, which must decide next month whether to refuel the Perry plant or move ahead with shutdown procedures…….. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/29/ohio-coal-nuclear-trump-1347274

June 1, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | election USA 2020, politics | Leave a comment

Ohio’s subsidy Bill unnecessarily bails out nuclear, coal owner FirstEnergy Solutions

Ohio lawmakers pass bill to cut renewable requirement, help nuclear and coal
Critics say the bill unnecessarily bails out nuclear, coal owner FirstEnergy Solutions.
Ars Technica, MEGAN GEUSS – 6/1/2019,  THIS WEEK, LAWMAKERS IN OHIO’S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTED 53-43 IN FAVOR OF A CONTROVERSIAL BILL THAT WOULD PERMIT A CONSUMER-FUNDED SUBSIDY FOR NUCLEAR PLANTS AND POSSIBLY FOR AILING COAL PLANTS AS WELL.

FURTHER READING

Editorial: Utilities love the free market, until they don’t

The bill would also end Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard, which required that the state’s utilities to obtain 12.5 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2027. Instead, that renewable portfolio standard is replaced by smaller steps to bolster renewable power, but environmental groups say the bill is a step in the wrong direction.A version of House Bill 6 has now been introduced to the state’s Senate. If it passes there, it will likely become law due to the Governor’s support of the bill.

A boon for FirstEnergy Solutions Currently, Ohioans pay a $4.39 surcharge on their electricity bills to fund Ohio’s renewable portfolio standard, according to local news site Cleveland.com. House Bill 6 would eliminate that surcharge and replace it with a $1 surcharge to raise more than $170 million per year, which would be given to Ohio energy company FirstEnergy Solutions to keep its Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear plants open. The subsidies would be retired in 2026.

First Energy Solutions owns nuclear and coal plants throughout Ohio and Indiana. In April 2018, its coal business filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company then asked the Trump Administration to grant it an emergency bailout using Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, which allows the federal government to keep the electrical grid operating during emergencies. Thus far, the Administration has not invoked that Act.

House Bill 6 also has some good news for the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation, which will be allowed to petition public utility regulators for an additional fee of $2.50 per month per customer to keep two of its coal plants in Ohio and Indiana open.

Another, smaller provision in the bill would allow residents of unincorporated areas of Ohio to hold a referendum on whether to allow wind projects to proceed…….. UCS disputes that statement. “While the charges appearing on consumer bills might be less, this ignores the much greater energy bill savings consumers have been realizing through investments in energy efficiency,”

UCS writes. “In addition, the cost of wind and solar has fallen by more than 70 percent over the past decade, making them more affordable for consumers and competitive with natural gas power plants in many parts of the country.” https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/05/ohio-house-passes-bill-that-would-allow-consumer-funded-nuclear-and-coal-subsidies/

June 1, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Michael Cohen and an Alabama Nuclear Plant Show Everything About This Administration* Is for Sale

Michael Cohen and an Alabama Nuclear Plant Show Everything About This Administration* Is for Sale, A bipartisan swamp-dweller is back in the news. Esquire, BY CHARLES P. PIERCE,  31May 19

Have we mentioned recently that absolutely everything about this administration is for sale? From the AP:

The contribution from Haney, a prolific political donor, came as he was seeking regulatory approval and financial support from the government for his long-shot bid to acquire the mothballed Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant in northeastern Alabama. More than two years later, he still hasn’t closed the deal. His tale is a familiar one in Washington, where lobbyists and wealthy donors use their checkbooks to try to sway politicians. It’s a world Haney is accustomed to operating in and one that Trump came into office pledging to upend. Yet Trump has left in place many of the familiar ways to wield influence.

Unpossible!

Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, has given prosecutors information regarding Haney, his son and business associate, Frank Haney Jr., and the nuclear plant project, according to a person familiar with what Cohen told the authorities. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. Haney had briefly hired Cohen to help obtain money for the Bellefonte project from potential investors, including the Middle Eastern country of Qatar. Cohen is now serving a three-year prison sentence for tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations.

And because, as The Master warned us, money doesn’t talk, it swears, this Haney fella has been around the bipartisan block a few times…….

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a27668121/alabama-nuclear-power-plant-michael-cohen-trump-administration/

June 1, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

Duke plans to decommission nuclear plant ahead of schedule

Duke plans to decommission nuclear plant ahead of schedule,  Gainsville.com  By Carlos E. Medina, 31 May 19, It will seek permission to decommission the idle Crystal River plant about 50 years sooner than planned at a cost of $540 million.

Duke Energy wants to tear down its Crystal River nuclear power plant about 50 years earlier than planned, the company announced Thursday.

In 2013, Duke decided to keep the facility idle until 2074 and then demolish the physical plant after removing all radioactive material. But a recent review of the cost to accelerate the timeline found the company had enough money in their decommissioning trust fund to cover the accelerated plan, said Heather Danenehower, Duke communications manager.

They need approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to change plans and that process will take at least a year.

The accelerated process, which will take until 2027 to complete, would cost $540 million. The trust fund balance stood at $717 million on March 31. Whatever remains will go back to Duke’s customers. Customers, including the more than 66,000 in Marion County and the more than 4,000 in Alachua County, will not see their electricity bills increase because of the move, she said…… https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190530/duke-plans-to-decommission-nuclear-plant-ahead-of-schedule

June 1, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | decommission reactor, USA | Leave a comment

Climate change is already gravely threatening American nuclear reactors

 Jon Tidon 30 May 19 Hate to say it. It is true though. Expect a nuclear accident in the United States soon.

Trump has deregulated supervision of the 97 old nuclear reactors, in America.
Sixty of the old, beat-up, reactors are in flood zones and hurricane zones. The others are so old and decrepit, that any inclement-unpredictable weather, could cause a nuclear accident.
The soil in much of the Midwestern United States, Southeastern USA, and in the Southern United States is saturated with water from flooding, this year. That is the way it is now, in May 2019.
The soil is saturated from atmospheric rivers of rain, moving in quickly and, dumping their massive loads of water. The atmospheric-river phenomenon has been going on, for more than 10 years now, in the United States.
Atmospheric rivers of rain that come put of nowhere.

Hurricanes have grown progresssively worse and more numerous, in the past 10 years .

A deadly one-two punch of spring floods and later, Tropical storms and hurricanes, is upon us again.
The combination of flooding-saturation and then serial Hurricanes, cause Mega Climate Disasters. It also increases the probability of a Nuclear Accident in these regions, where there are numerous reactors.
We saw it with Hurricane Florence in Carolina, Harvey in Texas, Maria in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Paces like Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas are saturated with water now. The water in the Atlantic and Gulf Of Mexico is hotter and higher, than it has ever been. People could not go to the beach, along much of the Gulf of Mexico on Memorial day because, the surf flooded the beaches. The beaches were flooded, from high winds and storming in the Gulf of Mexico. Similar phenomenon preceded the Horrendous Hurricane seasons, of the past few years. The surface of the Gulf is warmer than ever.

May 31, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, USA | 1 Comment

Panicky nuclear lobby produces a propaganda book, desperate to win public support

U.S., Canada Energy Leaders Announce New Book on Nuclear Innovation in Clean Energy USA Dept of Energy 
MAY 28, 2019, VANCOUVER, CANADA – Today, leaders from the United States and Canada are unveiling a new book, Breakthroughs: Nuclear Innovation in A Clean Energy System, at the Tenth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM10), a forum including ministers from 25 nations, occurring this year in Vancouver, Canada from May 27-29.  MAY 28, 20

 “The combination of vision and innovation is having a profound impact on our energy landscape, and nowhere is that more true than nuclear energy,” said U.S. Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes. “Nuclear energy is one of our most reliable and cleanest sources of energy, and we are determined to revive and revitalize the nuclear energy industry with advanced and smart designs. This book highlights some of the incredible transformative opportunities nuclear innovation can bring to society and the clean energy future of our planet.”

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Amarjeet Sohi said, “The Clean Energy Ministerial is part of building the world’s clean energy future. Canada is proud to host the 10th Clean Energy Ministerial in Vancouver at this historic moment in time. We are pleased to be working with the United States, Japan, and other countries under the nuclear innovation initiative. We also welcome the release of Breakthroughs – a collection a real stories about nuclear innovations and how they can contribute to our climate change goals.”  ………

The Breakthroughs book is a product of the CEM Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future (NICE Future) initiative that was launched at the May 2018 Ninth CEM in Copenhagen, Denmark. The NICE Future initiative envisions nuclear energy’s many uses in contributing to clean, reliable energy systems of the future.  …….. https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-canada-energy-leaders-announce-new-book-nuclear-innovation-clean-energy

May 30, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, spinbuster, USA | Leave a comment

USA National Security Adviser John Bolton Accuses Iran of Seeking Nuclear Weapons, 

National Security Adviser John Bolton Accuses Iran of Seeking Nuclear Weapons,  TIME BY JON GAMBRELL / AP , MAY 29, 2019  (ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates) — President Donald Trump’s national security adviser warned Iran on Wednesday that any attacks in the Persian Gulf will draw a “very strong response” from the U.S., taking a hard-line approach with Tehran after his boss only two days earlier said America wasn’t “looking to hurt Iran at all.”

John Bolton’s comments are the latest amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran that have been playing out in the Middle East.

Bolton spoke to journalists in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which only days earlier saw former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warn there that “unilateralism will not work” in confronting the Islamic Republic……..

A longtime Iran hawk, Bolton blamed Tehran for the recent incidents, at one point saying it was “almost certainly” Iran that planted explosives on the four oil tankers off the UAE coast. He declined to offer any evidence for his claims.

…….Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has repeatedly criticized Bolton as a warmonger. Abbas Mousavi, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said later Wednesday Bolton’s remarks were a “ridiculous accusation.”

Separately in Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani said that the “road is not closed” when it comes to talks with the U.S. — if America returns to the nuclear deal. However, the relatively moderate Rouhani faces increasing criticism from hard-liners and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the collapsing accord…….

Bolton also said the U.S. would boost American military installations and those of its allies in the region.  …..

Bolton’s trip to the UAE comes just days after Trump in Tokyo appeared to welcome negotiations with Iran. http://time.com/5597424/john-bolton-iran-nuclear-weapons/

May 30, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics international, USA | Leave a comment

As Pilgrim nuclear plant closes, Holtec moves in to make a tidy profit

Closure of Pilgrim nuclear plant is part of a shifting energy industry, Boston Globe, By David Abel Globe Staff,May 28, 2019,  “……..  If all goes right, the last of 145 crucifix-shaped control rods will be inserted into the reactor, shutting down operations for good.

“For many of us, it’s the end of an era,” said Joe Frattasio, 56, a control room shift manager who has been working for Pilgrim for 19 years and expects to remain at the plant until March. “Unfortunately, this is the reality of the industry.”

When Pilgrim shuts down, there will be 97 nuclear reactors left in the United States, down from a peak of 112 in 1990. Another 10 reactors are slated to close by 2025.

Concerns about the safety of nuclear power — especially after the disasters at plants in the former Soviet Union and Japan — have contributed to the industry’s decline. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in recent years had designated Pilgrim one of the nation’s three least-safe reactors, forcing the plant to spend tens of millions of dollars on upgrades and inspections.

……. But the changing nature of the larger energy industry, and the resulting economics, has played an even larger role.

…… By next April, when Entergy expects to complete the first phase of the decommissioning process, only about half as many workers will remain.

“It’s a sad time, but also a time of reflection,” said Patrick O’Brien, a spokesman for Pilgrim, before a simulation of the shutdown on Tuesday at a testing facility near the plant.

As part of the process, the company will reduce the evacuation zone to the perimeter around the plant.

….. The future of the property may be left to Holtec International, a New Jersey company that’s seeking to buy Pilgrim. Although it has never owned or decommissioned a nuclear plant, Holtec has promised to complete the process in just eight years, well ahead of the 60 years allowed by federal rules. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/05/28/pilgrim/p00dL7Ju623l3VZDiUvMJO/story.html

May 30, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

$125 million to NASA to develop nuclear rockets

NASA JUST GOT $125 MILLION TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR ROCKETS,  https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-develop-nuclear-rockets    DAN ROBITZSKI_ 29 May 19, For the first time since the 1970s, NASA is developing nuclear propulsion systems for its spacecraft.NASA didn’t request any money for a nuclear propulsion program, but it will get $125 million for the research as part of the space agency’s $22.3 billion budget that Congress approved last week, Space.comreports. If the program succeeds, nuclear propulsion could significantly cut down on travel time during missions to Mars and beyond.

Test Launch

Republican leadership sees nuclear propulsion as an important step along the way to deep space missions and the 2024 Moon landing with which Congress has tasked NASA, per Space.com. Alabama Representative Robert Aderholt described nuclear propulsion as “critical” for the 2024 launch in a budget meeting last week.

“As we continue to push farther into our solar system, we’ll need innovative new propulsion systems to get us there, including nuclear power,” Vice President Mike Pence told the National Space Council in March.

Sorting It Out

But before NASA can embrace nuclear-powered technology, there’s the matter of navigating regulations that govern the use of nuclear energy.

For the time being, the space agency hasn’t announced any plans to use nuclear propulsion for any of its planned missions, according to Space.com, but that may change as the technology develops.

May 30, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | space travel, USA | Leave a comment

U.S, official claims that Russia is ‘probably’ conducting banned nuclear tests

Russia ‘probably’ conducting banned nuclear tests, US official says,    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48454680   29 May 19, Russia may be violating a ban on the testing of low-yield nuclear weapons capabilities at a site in the Arctic, a top US intelligence official said.Lt Gen Robert Ashley, the director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, said Moscow was “probably not adhering to” the rules of a recognised treaty.

He was referring to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), a multilateral agreement prohibiting nuclear testing.

Russia, which ratified the treaty in 2008, says it complies with the CTBT.

The US has signed but has not yet ratified the treaty.

Our understanding of nuclear weapon development leads us to believe that Russia’s testing activities would help it improve its nuclear weapons capabilities,” Lt Gen Ashley said on Wednesday.

He added that the US expected Russia, which he said was likely testing weapons in the Novaya Zemlya islands, to increase its nuclear arsenal “significantly” over the next decade.

But analysts received the statement with scepticism. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said in a statement that it had not detected any unusual activity.

“The CTBTO has full confidence in the ability of the IMS [its monitoring system] to detect nuclear test explosions,”, the organisation said in a statement.

The CTBT, which bans nuclear weapons testing anywhere in the world, was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1996. It sets out nuclear disarmament as a principle but diplomatically avoids the politics of the issue.

May 30, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

San Onofre Task Force Questions Edison About Nuclear Waste Canisters

   https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/may/29/san-onofre-task-force-questions-edison-about-nucle/ May 29, 2019, By Alison St John  Members of a San Onofre Task Force convened by San Diego Congressman Mike Levin are meeting Wednesday with officials from Southern California Edison, which owns and operates the shuttered nuclear power plant in North San Diego County.

The Task Force was created to increase public involvement in the decommissioning of the plant, which shut down in 2012 after a small radioactive leak was discovered in the steam generators.

Levin said several Task Force members are concerned about burying spent nuclear fuel in stainless steel canisters encased in concrete, next to the beach.

“Our task force members had specific questions about those canisters,“ Levin said, “their safety, their design and the wear and tear that the coastal environment takes on them. Those questions were not answered sufficiently. Edison said, ‘We’ll have to have another meeting to discuss that,’ so we took them up on that, and we’re having another meeting.”

Levin said he has introduced legislation to put San Onofre’s nuclear waste at the top of the list to be moved if Congress decides on a location to store the nation’s spent fuel longer term.

His bill to earmark $25 million to identify and develop what’s called consolidated interim storage site recently passed the House Appropriations Committee.

May 30, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Church should oppose nuclear waste in Utah   

      https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/letters/2019/05/29/letter-church-should/  By Leslie and Gail Ellison | The Public Forum, Dear Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring,

On May 5, 1981, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a bold and important statement opposing the placing of the MX missile train system in Utah and Nevada.

Our state is confronted with a similar situation today that simply cannot be ignored. Our legislators in the last session passedHB220 potentially allowing Class B and Class C nuclear wastes (including depleted uranium) to be transported to and stored at the Envirocare Skull Valley repository. These long-lived wastes increase in toxicity over hundreds of thousands of years. Every legislator that voted in favor of this legislation received donations from Envirocare.

Imagine the thousands of trains and trucks transporting these nuclear poisons, sloshing in their holds … forever. Insane!

There is so much wrong here, not only the dangers of transportation through population centers and the Envirocare site itself (open pit, shallow aquifer, etc.), but so many unknowns. This is a Utah state issue. Other states and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cannot believe our state will actually welcome these toxic wastes.

This should not be a political issue. It is an extremely serious health concern for our families, our children and our children’s children. We call upon the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to take a stand in reversing this bill, similar to the brave and righteous position they took against the MX missile system in 1981.

May 30, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Religion and ethics, USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Wide swathe of USA affected by major tornadoes -to the alarm of climate scientists

Tornadoes Cut Across Unusually Wide Swaths of US, Raising Alarm for Climate Scientistshttps://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/05/27/tornadoes-cut-across-unusually-wide-swaths-us-raising-alarm-climate-scientists “There’s reason to believe major outbreak days are getting worse.”  by Julia Conley, staff writer,

As the death toll in Oklahoma rose to six Monday amid an outbreak of nearly 200 tornadoes across the Midwest in recent days—as well as in areas far less accustomed to them—climate scientists said such patterns may carry warnings about the climate crisis and its many implications for extreme weather events.

In Oklahoma, tornadoes touched down in at least two cities, including El Reno and Sapulpa, over the weekend, injuring dozens and leveling a number of homes. The tornado that hit El Reno, a suburb of Oklahoma City, was given an EF3 rating, with wind speeds up to 165 miles per hour. Only about five percent of tornadoes are given an EF3 rating or higher.

 The tornadoes hit after much of the state endured severe flooding last week, following powerful storms that overflowed the Arkansas River and damaged about 1,000 homes.

Outside the Midwest, at least one twister touched down near Washington, D.C., with reports of tornadoes in Texas and Colorado, and Chicago facing a tornado watch on Monday.

While tornadoes have long been a fixture in the Midwest, meteorologist Eric Holthaus tweeted last week that there is “reason to believe major outbreak days…are getting worse,” while climate scientists are examining links between the storms and the climate crisis.

The so-called “Tornado Alley,” which covers parts of Texas and Kansas as well as Oklahoma, appears to be growing, according to a study published in Nature last year—making tornadoes more frequent in states that rarely saw them previously including Arkansas, Mississippi, and eastern Missouri.

“What all the studies have shown is that this particular part of the U.S. has been having more tornado activity and more tornado outbreaks than it has had in decades before,” Mike Tippett, a mathematician who studies the climate at Columbia University told PBS Newshour earlier this year.

As the Kansas City Star reported on Sunday, scientists believe the warming of the globe—fueled by human activities like fossil fuel extraction—is contributing to higher amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere, causing heavier rainfalls which can spawn tornadoes.

The increase in destructive tornadoes across wider swaths of the country than in previous decades “may be suggestive of climate change effects,” Purdue University researcher Ernest Agee told the Star.  And the unusual occurrence of tornadoes in far more densely-populated areas than those that frequently see such weather events has led to concerns that tornadoes will become more deadly and destructive than they’ve been in the past

May 28, 2019 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, USA | Leave a comment

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of the week– Nuclear Reactor Information Task Force

14 May – online event From Bombs to Data Centres: the Face of Nuclear Colonialism

​To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com

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