AFRICA « nuclear-news

Decentralised renewable energy – the doorway to Africa’s prosperity

decentralised energy production through solar systems and wind farms could bring power to many remote regions, thus allowing development, creating jobs and benefitting health. Kappiah: “Solar power is reliable and can be installed easily and without the need to connect to the national electricity grid.”

Harvesting The Sun And Wind “Key For African Development” Voxy.co.nz, 28 June 2010, “The solar radiation Africa receives could make this continent the Saudi-Arabia of the future”. With this bold statement, Hafsat Abiola, daughter of Nigeria’s late President Elect Moshood Abiola, summarized the results of “Power Kick for Africa”, a two-day strategy workshop on renewable energy policies. Continue reading →

June 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AFRICA, decentralised | climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar, wind | Leave a comment

International Surfers’ Day – an International Anti-Nuclear Event

The message is clear from the surf community in Jeffreys Bay and is supported by surfers from all over the world. Don’t build a Nuke at Thuyspunt.

23 June 2010, The Jeffreys Bay surf community came out in full support of the Supertubes Surfing Foundation’s call to prevent the building of a nuclear power station at nearby Thuyspunt.200 – 250 people donned either black or yellow T-shirts and formed a human NO nuke sign on the Supertubes beach, the venue of the annual Billabong Pro surf event.

The protest formed part of International Surfing Day, a worldwide event where surfers from beaches across the planet unite to celebrate the Sport of Kings and highlight issues facing the environment.The biggest concerns the Jeffreys Bay surf community have regarding the unpalatable prospect of having a nuclear power station on their doorstep are not hard to understand. Continue reading →

June 23, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Africa | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, reactor | Leave a comment

Nuclear terrorism’s close shave: plutonium store still at risk

Pelindaba was also the site of an incredible break-in in the end of 2007.

Palindaba Uranium Facility Assult Was Nearly Successful OverTheLimit June 21, 2010 Pelindaba is a nuclear power plant tucked back in the bush of South Africa. While it may seem like an ordinary plant, Pelinadaba was used as a secret weapons facility by the previous Apartheid government. Here they created weapons grade uranium, and it is here that that same plutonium is stored now that the new government has control and the weapons manufacturing has stopped. Continue reading →

June 23, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, South Africa | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

South Africa’s pebble bed reactor project doomed

Solidarity union reports last rites for the PBMR Engineering News Keith Campbell

21st June 2010 South African trade union Solidarity affirmed on Monday that the country’s pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR) nuclear energy project has probably gone beyond the point of no return, despite suggestions that the government may resume funding for it in August.

June 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | South Africa, technology | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactor | Leave a comment

Terrorist danger in enriched uranium storage

VIDEO
Nuke Facility Raid An Inside Job? – 60 Minutes – CBS News Eyewitness Talks To 60 Minutes About Brazen Assault On South African Nuclear Facility CBS) This story was first published on Nov. 28, 2008. It was updated on June 15, 2010.

When President Obama invited 47 world leaders to Washington for a nuclear security summit in April, the assault on Pelindaba was exactly the kind of scenario they were working to prevent. Continue reading →

June 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, South Africa | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radiation | Leave a comment

Namibian people will not benefit fron uranium mining

What does all this uranium rush mean to the average Namibian?
If the overall socio-economic impact of the Namibian diamond industry is anything to go by, the upsurge in activity in the local uranium industry is likely to be an economic non-event for the majority of the citizens as no significant economic gains and individual development is to be expected..

Uranium: the future of Namibia mining, but who is benefiting? Informante, by Mathew Nyaungwa , 17 June 2010 “….it is not surprising at all that there has been a strong appetite for uranium… Continue reading →

June 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Namibia, politics | antinuclear, indigenous, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, uranium | Leave a comment

Niger radio station, critical of AREVA uranium company, re-opens

….who announced in January 2008 a campaign against uranium mining, including by French state-controlled nuclear company Areva, in the north..

Niger radio in rebel area back on air after 2 years , Google hosted news 15 June 2010, NIAMEY — The main private radio station in uranium-rich northern Niger was on air again on Monday after being closed two years earlier by the deposed president following broadcasts linked to the Tuareg rebellion. Continue reading →

June 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | media, Niger | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear secrecy, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Uranium mining ‘rush” could be a ‘crash’ for Africa

Uranium ‘Rush’ Or ‘Crush’ for Erongo?, allAfrica.com: Adam Hartman 11 May 2010 “…………there are also elements that could turn this positive outlook into a uranium ‘crush’, with serious social, economic and environmental implications.One element is government’s non consideration to re-invest uranium revenue back into the environment and communities effected by the rush. Another element is an unforeseen event that destabilises uranium prices and the global uranium market, resulting in mines ‘turning off the lights and walking away’. Continue reading →

May 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Namibia, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium | 1 Comment

Niger’s enviroment contaminated by AREVA’s radioactive uranium wastes

VIDEO Left in the Dust – Areva’s uranium mining in Niger | Greenpeace International

Left in the Dust – Areva’s uranium mining in Niger | Greenpeace International 6 May 2010, Operations of Nuclear giant AREVA put lives at risk in Niger. Uranium mines in Niger operated by the state-owned French nuclear giant AREVA continue to create a radioactive hazard for the people living nearby. Continue reading →

May 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Niger, wastes | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium, water | Leave a comment

Community opposing nuclear power in South Africa’s Eastern Cape

The Fight Against Nuclear Power: suite101.com, by Christian Theron, 4 May 2010, The Community in South Africa’s Eastern Cape is currently facing Construction of a Nuclear Power Plant even though no guarantees of safety are provided. “… Continue reading →

May 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Africa | antinuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, uranium | Leave a comment

The resource curse of uranium in African countries

A word of advice to our happy-go-lucky leaders: Keep that uranium underground, Jenerali Ulimwengu, Tanzania , 26 April 2010 The East African: “………..we have plenty of evidence of the “resource curse” all the way from Angola to Sudan to Nigeria to Sierra Leone.A typical country afflicted by this curse can count itself lucky if all that it’s left with are gaping holes in the ground and a scorched-earth ecology. Continue reading →

April 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AFRICA, environment | Leave a comment

Heavy toll of AREVA’s uranium mining on Niger’s poor

Niger: French State-Owned Company ‘Poisoning’ Poor | Coalition Against Nuclear Energy, Julio Godoy, April 2010, Paris — Recent research by Greenpeace suggests that French state-owned company Areva’s public claims of decontamination of populated areas near uranium mines in Niger are false. High radio-activity persists in towns and rural areas near the mines, affecting some 80,000 people… Continue reading →

April 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Niger | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

AREVA’s uranium mining first takes Namibia’s water, then offers to sell them water

The recent growth in uranium activities in Namibia has boosted water demand in the Erongo region, near the Namib Desert, and stretched the nation’s limited resources….Namwater, Namibia’s state-owned water supplier, will be able to buy the excess water to supply other mines, ensuring that a shortage doesn’t harm uranium production,

Areva Offers Uranium Miners in Namibia Water to Ease Shortages – BusinessWeek, 19 April 2010, Areva, based in Paris, will be able to supply about 6 million cubic meters (1.32 billion gallons) of treated water a year to other miners in Namibia’s Erongo region, Chief Executive Officer Anne Lauvergeon said at the plant’s opening on April 16…………….. Continue reading →

April 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Namibia, spinbuster | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, uranium, water | Leave a comment

Areva and other uranium miners confronted by Niger’s new government

Niger government says will scrap mine deals if no benefit Apr 16, 2010 By Abdoulaye Massalatchi NIAMEY (Reuters) – Niger’s military rulers will examine the country’s mining contracts and invalidate those that do not benefit Niger, it said on Friday.Several contracts, including those with French nuclear energy group Areva and China National Petroleum Corp., were signed under President Mamadou Tandja, who was overthrown by soldiers in the northwest African nation in February.”If a signed convention in the extractive industry is not advantageous for our country, there is no question of accepting it,” said government spokesman Mahaman Laouali Dan Dah.The military group has made anti-corruption a cornerstone of its appeal in the country, one of the world’s poorest despite its uranium mines and oil deposits….

Earlier this month, the government sacked 20 top officials working for state-owned companies, including those involved in representing the country’s uranium and oil interests.

Niger government says will scrap mine deals if no benefit | Top News | Reuters

April 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Niger, politics | antinuclear, AREVA, indigenous, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

African countries seeking enriched uranium and nuclear power

others are fearful about security at nuclear power plants in Africa, worried that loose enriched uranium will fall into the wrong hands and be used to build a weapon

Beyond Iran: African Countries Seek Nuclear Power INDYPOSTED, 11 April 2010 by | Ted Webb We hear about Iran’s development of nuclear energy in the news all the time, but many other countries are also working to enrich uranium, including Senegal and other African countries.

Right now South Africa has the continent’s only two nuclear power reactors, ABC News reports. But Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Algeria, Tunisia, Moroccco, Egypt, Ghana and Niger are all working to achieve nuclear energy.

Some hope nuclear power will help Africa economically, bring electricity to more people and prevent outages. But others are fearful about security at nuclear power plants in Africa, worried that loose enriched uranium will fall into the wrong hands and be used to build a weapon. Beyond Iran: African Countries Seek Nuclear Power

April 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AFRICA, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment