nuclear-news

TODAY. A world run by 11 year-old boys?

They can be delightful people, full of fun, curiosity, competitiveness and inventiveness. They come up with the bright ideas, sometimes daring and a bit risky, but always interesting.

Neuroscience tells us that the part of the brain, the frontal lobe, that deals with judgement and inhibition, develops fully only later in the male , – up to nearly age 30 – compared to, in females, a lot earlier. Also the male brain is, by and large, better at focussing on one thing, as compared with the female, where the electric impulses dart around the brain – considering various aspects.

These differences must have been useful in the past, when sabretooth tigers were a big danger – the larger, less inhibited young male person being more likely to rush out and fight this predator. Less useful now, when the danger is other aggressive male persons.

Which brings me to my thought. I was looking at this picture of Sam Altman – of ChatGPT fame. He’s actually 38, but he’s got that bright-eyed 11 year-old boyish look.

In fact, I reckon that they all do – Elon Musk, Bill Gates – and the rest of the billionaire tech entrepreneurs. Gee – they’re brilliantly clever, and daring, and wow! – they do great stuff, and a lot of it brings us a lot of benefits.

And they’re a lot more fun than boring old fogies, people like Ralph Nader, who warned about automobile safety, and nuclear danger.

AND YET … AND YET ……

Sam Altman is enthused about Artificial Intelligence – needing an orgy of electricity. But no worry – nuclear fusion will solve that! (only nuclear fusion is many decades away).

They all seem to love nuclear energy, and endless AI, and rockets to Mars – and all that wow stuff. Things like nuclear waste apparently are not that important, nor are ideas like energy conservation to address global heating, nor the growth of devastating weaponry – in space as well as on Earth, nor the consequences of all this for the environment, the fragile ecosystem that supports our species, as well as all those other species such as the insects, that don’t matter.

The world’s leaders seem to hang on every word from these guys. I think they are making a big mistake.

I postulate that the tech billionaires had such fun when they were 11, that they never left that persona behind. Inside, they are still 11. The super- confidence, the risk-taking, the narrow brain focus – it’s all still there.

Meanwhile, ordinary mortals, and that includes women with their more generalised thinking, are pondering about the climate, biodiversity, the environment, wars, the heritage for our grandchildren. I think that we need to listen more to ordinary mortals, more likely to be co-operative rather than competitive, and to men like boring old Ralph Nader, who is older than 11 inside.

March 28, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. UK High Court caving in before USA’s power, leaving decision on Julian Assange’s future up to USA’s “kindness”?

Well, well, what better example of America’s dominance over the anglophone world could you find?

The UK High Court was charged with making a decision on whether or not Julian Assange could appeal against the British government’s decision to extradite him to the USA on charges of ” complicity in illegal acts to obtain or receive voluminous databases of classified information and for agreeing and attempting to obtain classified information through computer hacking”, under the rarely used Espionage Act of 1917

This High Court case is the latest in the series of legal cases around the issue of extradition.

Julian Assange has languished for almost five years, in solitary confinement, in the notorious Belmarsh prison, Britain’s “Guantanamo Bay” for the worst criminals. Now he has to endure this for more weeks. Talk about death by a thousand cuts. ( Perhaps Russia is kinder – they just poison their problem people, or crash them in a plane – it’s quicker)

All this because Assange revealed and published the truth about America’s military atrocities.

So – now we know.

If a journalist anywhere in the world should have the temerity to reveal inconvenient facts about the USA military, then look out!

Not only are the Western political leaders, and especially in the anglophone countries, subservient to their master – the USA, but now we know that even their legal systems are subservient too.

Dame Victoria Sharp, took 66 pages to explain why the High Court couldn’t actually make a decision, without the blessing of the USA government.

So – the High Court will reconvene in three weeks, after receiving “assurances” from the USA government – about no death penalty (on the present charges, they could make new ones?),  that he  is permitted to rely on the First Amendment, – he is not ‘prejudiced at trial’ .

Of course the USA government will come up with kindly phrases – not worth the paper they are written on.

It’s a sad day for justice.

March 26, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. A SUMMIT of nuclear fantasy, folly and ignorance

Yes they all gathered in Brussels, all those very well-paid stuffed-shirt blokes, and that one even-better paid token woman.

First there was propaganda to “more than 70 young science communicators” – with top salesman Rafael Grossi in full flight, (necessary because the marketing body IAEA has decided that we must make nuclear power look lively and YOUTHFUL)

Then the top bananas – Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo and the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi kicked off the spin buildup, leading to the adoption of a key declaration about nuclear energy.

Then the trail of international followers-on had their bit of a say.

Then heaps of big-wigs from nuclear energy agencies – panel talks on how to get nuclear power resuscitated world-wide

Finally – the Big One – how on earth to con taxpayers worldwide, and investors, to suddenly come up with the $billions needed to resuscitate this dirty and failing industry, with its only raison d’etre being nuclear weapons-making.

March 23, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | 1 Comment

TODAY. Desperation of the nuclear lobby! Its new financial fantasy scheme, couched in impenetrable jargon!

“International Bank for Nuclear Infrastructure (IBNI) will become the ‘Gold Standard’ of nuclear finance.“

Yes, I diligently tried to grasp it all- “Why nuclear energy needs exclusive global multilateral infrastructure bank”. I really did. Then I realised that I probably wasn’t really supposed to understand it.

It was not for me, an ordinary mortal, to understand why an International Bank for Nuclear Infrastructure (IBNI) is such a good idea . The point is – this IBNI will save the world from global heating – that’s the message!

I’m not sure that even the worthy financial and nuclear and government experts are going to be able to fully understand it either. But I guess that the nuclear lobby is banking on this bank as a last desperate measure to get heaps of taxpayer money into the failing nuclear industry.

It’s grim times for nuclear. They seem to have managed to convince everyone that nuclear wastes, and health, environmental, safety, and weapons proliferation risks don’t matter.

They used in the past, along with their coal, oil, gas industry mates, deny that climate change was real. Now they love it – and have adopted climate change as their only raison d’etre.

The nuclear lobby used to boast that their industry provided super-cheap electricity. But now they’re obviously admitting that nuclear electricity is in fact very expensive. But hey – pull a magic trick, – con governments again – and perhaps we’ll all agree to pour money into this incomprehensible new gimmick – the ” International Bank for Nuclear Infrastructure (IBNI)”

Sure sounds pretty desperate to me!

March 22, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. Anthony Blinken would get into bed with the devil, if it meant lucrative sales of USA weapons and nukes to Hell

One cannot help but admire the frantic peregrinations of Antony Blinken all around the world, in pursuit of American weapons companies’ interest, as well as doing the smarmy cover-up for USA’s support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The guy has amazing energy and zeal. Not sure about integrity.

However, this is all symptomatic of American prevailing culture. The Biden administration does seem hell-bent on backing Israel – even though the horror of the atrocity in Gaza is visible to the world. Even though the world’s Jews now fear an awful backlash, and the rise of nasty anti-semitism.

But the USA blunders on. The war in Ukraine drags on, and the weapons flow no doubt will continue there. (The U.S. Republicans will surely eventually find a way to back the provision of more weapons to UKraine). The weapons flow continues to Israel, despite Biden’s pious proclamations about peace.

I’m forever reading in the U.S. press about other countries clamouring to buy USA nuclear technology – plans to sell small and large nuclear reactors to Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine, Kenya, Ghana, and of course, the big nuclear submarine coup sale to Australia ………………

I also read – what I find rather nauseous – stuff about how the USA is “helping” the people of Gaza – compassionate aid, plans for when Israel is finally completely victorious, and so on.

But it was the BBC’s story today that really impressed me: Blinken visits Middle East to discuss Gaza post-war plan.

“The major Arab sponsor Saudi Arabia would normalise relations with Israel in return for access to advanced US weapons and an American-backed civilian nuclear power programme.“

I momentarily lack the energy to write about the USA’s new best friend – Saudi Arabia, (itself a buyer of USA arms), about the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, about the discrimination against women, and Saudi Arabia’s whole theocratic suppression of human rights.

But all is forgiven, if we can make money selling weapons, and if that means some delicate diplomatic acrobatics what better acrobat than Antony Blinken?

March 21, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. In talking about nuclear matters, why is money the only game in town?

I’m constantly reading nuclear news items. And yes, I am getting bored with all the money stuff. I know it’s important. I know that money is very very important, especially these days with the cost of living on everyone’s mind.(Well, perhaps not the 1% – the very wealthy)

It must be so important. There’s America’s small nuclear reactor dream gone bung, because NuScale’s smrs cost too much. There are the bankruptcies Westinghouse- and those near to bankruptcy – Toshiba, EDF, and the companies with a chequered past e,g.- SNC-Lavalin, Areva (reborn as Orano),

There are the financial contortions going on in Britain, with its very dodgy “Great British Nuclear”. The USA agonising over the ginormous costs of the still uncompleted Vogtle NPP. And France with Macron’s delusional scheme for many big and small reactors to be built very fast, -while they can’t afford to fix up, or to close down, their existing fleet of aging reactors.

There are the “minor” countries also agonising over how to pay for their nuclear schemes – Indonesia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Kenya, Ghana………

But of course, Russia China, North Korea, are fine with nuclear economics – or so I’m told by some Australian nuclear zealots who are NRB (- not real bright). Yeah well, if you need a dictatorship to make nuclear power economic, I guess that’s the way to go. (But are we sure it’s all that good in those countries, anyway?)

But anyway, yes, I’m wondering why the media doesn’t seems to be fussing about the radioactive pollution of our planet, and the risks to health, especially of pregnant women, children, and everybody. Big accidents are rare – but they do happen , smaller accidents happen, too. And the connection with weapons, war, the nightmare possibility of omnicide – that’s a bit of a worry too. Of course indigenous people and those silly anti-nuclear activists make a fuss, but they don’t count, do they?

I guess it is all symptomatic of our era, our prevailing culture, the worship of not just profit, but ever-increasing profit.

Still, perhaps I should not complain. Worrying about money might be the only thing saving us from nuclear follies. And I note that when they do their earnest costing of nuclear power – they talk only about building costs and electricity prices – and it’s already too expensive! What if they also counted the cost of nuclear waste disposal, and a thousand years of securing it?

March 20, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | 1 Comment

 Nuclear news – week to 18 March

Some bits of good news.  Notable wins in climate and environmental justice.   Scotland made rewilding progress.  The Danish City Reimagining Reuse.    

TOP STORIES. Why the US is trying to imprison Assange: Report from inside the Court. 

Reversing Europe’s and Australia’s slide into irrelevance & insecurity – National Press Club of Australia speech- Yanis Varoufakis. 

There is no such thing as a “nuclear waste-eating” reactor . 

Nuclear industry wants Canada to lift ban on reprocessing plutonium, despite proliferation risks. 

Cold turkeys: The demise of nuclear power. 

Conditions inside Fukushima’s melted nuclear reactors still unclear 13 years after disaster struck – also at https://nuclear-news.net/2024/03/14/3-a-conditions-inside-fukushimas-melted-nuclear-reactors-still-unclear-13-years-after-disaster-struck/

Climate. ‘Greenhushing’ Is On the Rise as Companies Go Silent on Climate Pledges.

Nuclear. Australia media – normally focussed on football, has a spasm about nuclear. Rest of the anglophone world gives climate, nuclear, a nod, amongst gaffes of UK royalty, and fashion, celebrities and sport. Gaza gets a mention, too,

Noel’s notes. Julian Assange, atrocities, nuclear war, AI, “Oppenheimer”, and the whole damn thing. AUKUS nuclear pact – a lame duck?         Nuclear power and the ignorance of journalists – it’s almost criminal.

nb. Huge number of articles on nuclear in the Australian media. From next week, I will cut them back to just a representative few.

*******************************************

 AUSTRALIA. (There are more articles than this – but I had to stop!)

• Decisions on the Northern Water Project could protect GAB Mound Springs from BHP impacts OR condemn the Springs to ‘ongoing degradation’ 
• NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR AUSTRALIA – AND NEVER WILL BE. Pentagon sparks fresh AUKUS doubts on anniversary of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine plans. AUKUS anniversary brings a sinking feeling. Dead in the Water- The AUKUS Delusion. – PIC Turnbull says Australia ‘mugged by reality’ on Aukus deal as US set to halve submarine build. 
• Dutton’s blast of radioactive rhetoric on nuclear power leaves facts in the dust . Refuting Peter Dutton’s recycled nuclear contamination.      Coalition will seek a social licence for nuclear: Dutton. Opposition eyeing off six sites for nuclear reactors, Dutton’s nuclear plan will require huge subsidies.    AUKwardUS: Peter Dutton’s Albo nuclear wedge may cost us hundreds of billions, ABC interview- Sarah Ferguson and Tom O’Brien – a case study in exposing Trumpian-style deceptive spin.       Nuclear power in Australia — a silver bullet or white elephant?     
• Peter Dutton refuses to say where his nuclear reactors will go. CSIRO chief warns against ‘disparaging science’ after Peter Dutton criticises nuclear energy costings. ‘The most beige person’:T ed O’Brien, The man behind the Coalition’s nuclear plans.  Surf Coast federal member rejects nuclear reactor in region.
• The Government will dictate where the high level nuclear dump will be. 
• Australia’s biggest smelter to launch massive wind and solar tender, says nuclear too costly. Victorian Premier blasts nuclear plan as renewable appeals curbed. 

NUCLEAR ISSUES

March 19, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | 1 Comment

TODAY. A morally bankrupt organisation – the International Atomic Energy Agency.

I do not know how this guy can sleep at night – his main job is propaganda- telling the world to trust in the “safety of the nuclear industry” – the latest effort is conning the Japanese.

The International Atomic Energy (IAEA) was set up in 1957 for the purpose of promoting the “peaceful” nuclear industry.

Already that was morally dubious, as the real reason was to distract attention from the guilt of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atrocities, and from the industry’s true purpose – making nuclear weapons.

Over the decades, the IAEA has successfully pitched itself as the watchdog for nuclear safety. And to a certain extent, that is true. The IAEA’s inspection system does monitor nuclear facilities for safety, and compliance with commitments, under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Obviously, given the nuclear industry’s potential for catastrophic accidents, and for spreading nuclear weapons and the danger of catastrophic wars, – it needed some sort of safety body to be able to continue to exist.

But when the crunch comes – what do we find?

We find the IAEA pushing for “safe” new nuclear power while the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, the biggest nuclear power station in Europe , is in the middle of a war.

We find the IAEA pretending that it is environmentally OK to permanently pour nuclear irradiated water into the oceans, from the wrecked Fukushima power plant, – thereby legitimising the ocean dumping of radioactive wastes

And now – the latest, (but I’m sure not the last), straw – the IAEA is pushing for the restart and regrowth of the nuclear industry in Japan.

Should Japan ever have set up a nuclear industry?

“An earthquake-and-tsunami zone crowded with 127 million people is an unwise place for 54 reactors”– Amory Lovins

So why did they do it?

To assuage USA’s guilt over the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To turn a bad thing into a “good thing”: “Many Americans are now aware…that the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan was not necessary. How better to make a contribution to amends than by offering Japan…atomic energy” – Washington Post, 23 September 1954, p. 18, “A Reactor for Japan”

But now – the 2011 and never-ending Fukushima nuclear disaster is still there.. No worries – the nuclear lobby is all for restarting Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world’s biggest nuclear power station, with its 7 reactors, just about 200 km away for Tokyo, with its population of 37 million.

But the bit that gets me is: Rafael Gross is not only pledging IAEA technical assistance for the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa., he is “sending a team of experts to assist Tepco’s effort to gain public trust.” The IAEA’s job clearly is to mislead the public on the dangers of nuclear energy

March 16, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

The need for clear thinking on the Holocaust in Gaza

Sometimes I wonder if very high education and learning can be an impediment to clear thinking. So many highly educated, prestigious, individuals calmly accept without question the numbers published by various authorities, on the deaths in Gaza. But when you ignore all the learned and official stuff – and just stop and think about this matter – they’re counting only the deaths that have been definitely identified, not the number who lie under the rubble of the bombing.

Fortunately, not all prestigious individuals are as complacent as that. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, warned of an “‘unknown number of people’ – believed to be in the tens of thousands – lying under the rubble of buildings brought down by Israeli strikes.”

And what about the deaths from disease, malnutrition, starvation? Are these deaths from “natural causes” – or from the actions of the Israeli campaign against the Gazans?

Ralph Nader gives an estimate – considering all factors, of a Palestinian death toll today of 200,000 – a number “accelerating by the hour”

And here’s another matter for clear thinking. The Israeli administration and their supporters are vociferous about the evil of Hamas. And I think that they are right about this . Hamas (Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya ) can purport to respect other nations, and merely seek Palestinian rights, but in fact, their beliefs are profoundly anti-Jewish, denying the Holocaust, aiming to destroy the State of Israel and kill all Jews.

But – not all Gazans believe in that extreme philosophy. Many adults there have joined Hamas simply because that is necessary to get a decent job. And are we to believe that all children there understand and support that philosophy?

So – the Hamas philosophy is evil. Does that make Jewish Zionism good?

Zionism should not be confused with Judaism. Zionism is not the Jewish religion. It is a philosophy dedicated to the continuance of “the Jewish State” run by “the chosen people” at all costs, and the eradication of those untermenschen – the Palestinians. It’s very like Nazism – it’s OK to kill children , pregnant women, anyone -in revenge for Hamas’ violent actions.

Of course, there are historic reasons for the development of Zionism, and of Hamas. But that doesn’t make either of them OK.

Clear thinking is not black and white, supporting one side because we’ve decided that the other side is evil.

Clear thinking is about what is actually happening now. 200,000 Gazans have been killed, and that number is accelerating, – as the world-leader USA feigns regret, pretends to help the Gazans, while funding Israel and providing the weapons for the killing.

Meanwhile – the USA focusses on two individuals strutting about, trying to become the next President, each boasting about himself, and how bad his opponent is – both apparently oblivious to the reality of Gazan catastrophe that America is promoting – what a pathetic sight – American politics!

March 8, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | 1 Comment

TODAY. Oh for a bit of sanity and genuine leadership!

I couldn’t resist this facebook comment. It encapsulates the madness of what America and its allies – the Anglosphere and Europe, are doing about the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Does the “West” – slavish followers of the USA – understand that they are observing and apparently accepting a repeat of genocidal atrocities, as they did in the 1930s about Nazi Germany? (At least there was some excuse in the 30’s. that “they didn’t know about it”)

We all know about it now. We know that Joe Biden and co are supplying Israel with the weapons and know-how for its mass murder of Gazans, while mouthing pious statements about humanitarian aid, and about ending the atrocity that they are in fact prolonging.

That lovely word “zeitgeist” – I’m not sure what it means really. But I think it’s time to change the zeitgeist that says that the important goal for human beings is the individualistic one, to make ever-increasing profit. You see, making and selling weaponry is America’s big export industry – and it provides ever-increasing shareholders’ profits, – and jobs and industry and pride and blah blah blah.

So – the Israeli’s disastrous genocide in Gaza is after all – good for business.

And so is the interminable war in Ukraine – in which “negotiation” “diplomacy” “agreement” are dirty words, never to be contemplated. Ukraine is being steadily destroyed militarily, environmentally, humanly, under the messianic Zelenksy cult. The Raytheon, Norhrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Halliburton etc etc celebrations party on…………

Who knows how much money from these, and many other corporations, goes to the USA’s Republican and Democratic parties? Does any politician get in, without that backing? At the moment – all the USA fuss about Biden versus Trump. It is irrelevant. Whoever gets to be president will be the puppet of the corporations and especially of the military-industrial-nuclear complex.

All of which means that getting a decent leader in the USA is an impossible task – as he or she must always be beholden to big business.

It is probably a pretty difficult task anywhere, with the power of corporate lobbies to influence politicians, and the USA’s history of CIA-backed removal of leaders in other countries.

Still – we’d better try. If we can’t change from the paradigm of individualism, and ever-increasing profit – to a paradigm of collective action for human and environmental good, – well, we’ve had it!

March 6, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | 1 Comment

TODAY. Normalising the unthinkable –  the 16th Annual Nuclear (so-called) Deterrence Summit

The 16th Annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit in Washington DC finished in early February

The propaganda guff should alert us to the deliberately misty thinking of the war-mongers, as they contort the facts, and kid themselves, and us, that they work for a peaceful world. The lovely phrases trip off their tongues so easily:

“Analytically driven data” “state of the art capabilities” “incredible efficiencies ” ” the cloud-based environments” “A digitalized enterprise”. Blah blah . My favourite is always “the cloud”, when what they really mean is acres and acres of dirty great machines guzzling electricity and water.

What this whole conference (now more gloriously termed “summit”) is really about, is profit, money for the American corporations – weapons ones, digital ones, space companies, contractors, and also the Pentagon, government agencies, corporate media and universities. Check out the sponsors –

There are words and phrases that you won’t hear at these conferences – “diplomacy” “negotiation” “understanding”. There’s no money in that stuff.

But you will hear “adversaries” “enemies” “evil” – there’s money in being “war ready” even better “global war ready”. Some participants actually believe that the USA could wage a nuclear war and win it – (whatever “winning a nuclear war” might mean)

I’m not religious, but I can’t help thinking what might have happened if Jesus somehow got into this crooked conference. He wouldn’t have been polite – tables overturned, lap-tops and projectors busted, corporate salesmen driven. Of course, he would be arrested as a terrorist, and given the Julian Assange treatment.

March 5, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment