nuclear-news

TODAY. What’s the connection between the UK Post Office scandal and   Soviet Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov?

Well, nothing really. But we need to remember what Stanislav Petrov did. On September 26, 1983, Petrov, in charge of the Soviet Union’s nuclear missile system, received the computer screen order to “Launch”. The system reported that a total of five Minuteman ICBMs had been launched by the USA. Soviet nuclear doctrine called for a full nuclear retaliation. Petrov had to make an instant decision. But he feared that it was a false alarm. He disobeyed the order.

The outcome proved that Petrov was correct, and nuclear armageddon was avoided.

So, faulty technology caused a terrible danger – and one man had the integrity to doubt the digital message, and to act on his doubt.

Contrast this with the actions of Post Office and  Fujitsu authorities who covered up and lied about the faulty Horizon IT system. That resulted in 900 false convictions, 4 suicides, and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives ruined.

In both cases, it was a failure of digital technology.

Now, as we plunge in to the Age of Artificial Intelligence, there is the frightening potential for more digital failures, – and worse, for human error, or even malevolence, in setting up AI programmes.

We need, as never before, people like Stanislav Petrov – people with the scepticism and the integrity - to not blindly comply with technocratic wizardry. The very recent, and still ongoing British Post Office scandal is a worrying reminder of the prevailing view about “not rocking the boat”. The boat may be sinking.

February 1, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

Giving Mastodon another go. They approved my appeal

Now, to add to my confusion – Mastodon sent me a message “My appeal has been approved. My account is back again” . My appeal was just “I don’t understand why my account has been suspended. No reason was given” . So, now I am going to give Mastodon another go

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

Bitterly disappointed in Mastodon

NOEL WAUCHOPE

Like many others, I left Twitter- X, because of Elon Musk and the whole weird setup developing there.

Today, on Mastodon, I find “Suspension of account from Jan 27, 2024”.

No warning, no notice, nothing.

My posts are almost always references to: my opposition to the nuclear industry, and to my condemnation of the genocide that Israel is perpetrating in Gaza.

Not personal attacks, not criminal accusations, not sexual content. No reason given for my suspension.

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MASTODON?

I have done a little research, on Reddit. It turns out that many others have had the same experience. Apparently you can appeal, but your Mastodon account will be permanently deleted. Hard to know how to appeal, as you have no idea what prompted them to cut you off. It seems that all that is need is for one person to make an objection to you – and you’re out! But of course, not knowing what their objection was, it’s hard to answer it. My lame appeal was:

“I don’t understand why my account is suspended. I think that I deserve an explanation.”

Where to, from here?

I have a Facebook account. It doesn’t get anything like the same volume of traffic that Mastodon does. With Facebook, I feel that we enthusiasts for a particular cause (a nuclear-free world) are just talking to each other.

And by the way, the nuclear industry has a huge presence on Mastodon.

Is there any open-source, non-profit, alternative to Twitter?

Can anyone help me?,

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

TODAY. A new Waterloo defeat for France – a nuclear economic one,

Almost 200 years before Electricite de France (EDF) signed a nuclear contract with Britain, France got decisively beaten by England, in the battle of Waterloo. That defeat ended France’s attempts to dominate Europe.

Now in 2024, France is suffering a humiliating blow, because of that 2016 contract. In essence, EDF agreed to be  solely responsible for cost overruns during construction of Britain’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

To make matters worse, in 2022, the debt-laden EDF was fully nationalised by the French government, – which paid  9.7 billion euros to take on this burden.  Back in 2016, the plant was meant to cost £18bn; it’s now headed to cost. £46bn .

Sacre bleu indeed!

France’s President Macron aims to make the nation the dominating nuclear industry power. Delusions of grandeur indeed. Apart from his grandiose plans for new fleets of big and little reactors, - around his neck is – as The Guardian puts it –  a financial albatross that has only become heavier. 

January 27, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. Time that Israel stopped being a religious dictatorship

What is so badly needed right now ? The truth. Facts. A bit of logic.

Israel has no official religion. Yet the declaration of independence in 1948 made it clear that Israel is “The Jewish State”.

And now – all the Western powers seem to agree with Benjamin Netanyahu - yes Israel IS the Jewish State.

And why does that matter?

Well, look at the past , and the present. What does a theocracy mean for its people?

Well, for hundreds of years up to around the 500 BC time, the Israel lands, especially Judah, were controlled by a state ideology of “Zion theology,”  the idea that Yahweh, the god of Israel, had chosen Jerusalem for his dwelling-place and that the Davidic dynasty would reign there forever. Then the Babylonian conquest happened, and the Hebrew Bible developed in the exiled community. The exiles saw themselves as a people distinct from other peoples.

Oppressed by the Romans, the Jews later became persecuted for centuries by the Christians. In theocratic Europe, the Inquisition developed, culminating in the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, torturing and killing non-Christians.

So, we see what religiously controlled States did to people, in the past.

And today.

Iran’s Islamic Republic says it all – enforcement of sharia law, oppression of women, oppression of religious minorities, the Supreme Leader exerts ideological and political control over a system dominated by clerics who shadow every major function of the state. 

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic theocracy and the government has declared the Qur’an and the Sunnah (tradition) of Muhammad to be the country’s Constitution. Laws are enforced against religious minorities. It has  the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice, which carries out religious policing, including control over women’s clothing and their lives. There are severe punishments for blasphemy. Education is dominated by a religious focus.

How does Israel get away with pretending not to be a theocracy? 

There’s a worldwide pretence that Jews are an ethnic minority. But Jews are all over the world, and do not have distinctive physical traits or genetic markers.

From the Balfour Declaration of 1917, to the Declaration of Independence in 1948, the world powers seemed to agree that the Palestine communities didn’t matter, and the land could be claimed by Jews who had previously bought properties there, and by the European Jews who survived the Holocaust.

This was grossly unfair to the Palestinians, – and to the Jews, who had little other choice.

But they’re there now. And can’t realistically be moved elsewhere. And Palestinians exist too.

So – everybody has to live with this. It would be a good start if everybody, especially Israeli citizens, recognised the humanity of all people, stopped banging on about “God’s chosen people”, and clearly stated Israel as a secular state.

January 25, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

Another week in nuclear news

Some bits of good news. The Year in Cheer – 177 ways the world got better in 2023.

TOP STORIES.   The Last Flurry: The US Congress and Australian Parliamentarians seek Assange’s Release. 

UK’s nuclear obsessions kill off its net zero strategy .  Military interests are pushing new nuclear power – and the UK government has finally admitted it.  

LIES. United Against Nuclear Iran: The Shadowy, Intelligence-Linked Group Driving the US Towards War With Iran. 

Nuclear goes backwards, again, as wind and solar enjoy another year of record growth.

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Climate. State of the Climate: 2023 smashes records for surface temperature and ocean heat. A new wave of climate denialism is on the rise. The Greenland ice cap is losing an average of 30m tonnes of ice an hour due to the climate crisis. Shock Horror! – They’re letting some WOMEN into the Cop29 climate summit committee!

Nuclear.  Pro nuclear propaganda seems to be doubling, as nuclear’s obscene costs become more apparent, as well as “clean nuclear’s absolute connection with weaponry!

Noel’s Notes. UK govt has come clean about it! Nuclear power- no use, really – just essential for the nuclear weapons industry.  Biden in a bind – powerless to stop the genocide, but keen to fund it and promote it. The human cost when IT goes wrong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdQQib3rmkE

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            ECONOMICS. The Times asks “Are big nuclear reactors really the right thing for the UK?  Nuclear power may twice as expensive as the Swedish government thought?  $25 billion for refurbishment of Darlingon and Bruce reactors. US Offers Up To $500MM for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Production for SMRs. Big costs sink flagship nuclear project 

EMPLOYMENT.  Federal Employees to Stage Walk Out Over Biden’s Support for Gaza Slaughter

ENERGY. An Unprecedented Momentum for Renewables.  IEA: Global renewable capacity grows over 50% YoY in 2023.  Analysis: World will add enough renewables in five years to power US and Canada.  Fuel problems for nuclear power, as the industry continues to languish in the doldrums.

INDIGENOUS ISSUES. Kebaowek Nation calls for cancellation of nuclear waste disposal site at Chalk River. Documentary ‘Downwind’ shows deadly consequences of nuclear testing on tribal lands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkoVPZnLlUY&t=14s

LEGAL. South Africa has made its genocide case against Israel in court. Here’s what both sides said and what happens next.  Fukushima Nuclear Waste Water Disputes Continued: International Law in Japanese Court?

MEDIA. How the Gaza War Can Be Big News and Invisible at the Same Time. Cancelling the Journalist: The Australian ABC’s Coverage of the Israel-Gaza War.  The threat of catastrophe is assessed in Nuclear Armageddon: How Close Are We? — review  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j43-i6E2UJU&t=128s. 1 B Scary simulator shows what could happen in the event of a nuclear disaster.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR . Blocking the Doors of the Treaty Blockers & the Nuclear Ban Treaty’s 3d Anniversary.

PERSONAL STORIES. ‘The fight isn’t over’: Idaho downwinders persist after Congress cuts compensation for them.

POLITICS.  

• It’s All About Me: Netanyahu Rejects Palestinian Statehood. 
• Even Britain’s ruling Tory party fear that their “Nuclear Roadmap” plan will end up on the scrap heap. Roadmap to warfare: new policy exposes links with UK military nuclear projects. Construction to start on Sizewell C nuclear power station amid opposition.  Petition: 100 per cent renewables rather than Small Modular (nuclear) Reactors. Sizewell C opponents warn Suffolk nuclear plant ‘could be the new HS2‘. 
• Biden administration finalizes a $1.1 billion aid package for California’s last nuclear power plant.  Why Joe Biden Is a Foreign Policy Failure. 
• Belarus says it is to change policy on nuclear weapons.  
• For Estonia the risks of going nuclear are high, and the plant not strictly necessary.
• USA announces Australia’s participation in Yemen war, parliament in the dark.

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. São Tomé and Príncipe 70th State to ratify Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. US urges discussions with China on practical nuclear risk reduction steps.

SAFETY. Limping along: EDF Energy looking to extend operational life of aging reactors AGAIN.  Hinkley C site fire safety fears trigger enforcement notices.

SECRETS and LIES. Shining a light on the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

SPINBUSTER. Work officially ‘started’ at Sizewell C Nuclear on Monday – but it was really only political theatre. Why nuclear reactors are not the future of energy despite what UK Government would have you think.

TECHNOLOGY. Nuclear start-up Newcleo drops plans for British factory in favour of France. WASTES. Chalk River, or low-level nuclear governance. Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) wants to delay completion of its review on waste dump.

WAR and CONFLICT. A response to Kallenborn: Why realism requires that nuclear weapons be abolished. Incredible analysis of US warmongers plans for war with China !  Read this and weep! 

WASTES. Chalk River, or low-level nuclear governance. Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) wants to delay completion of its review on waste dump.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. 

• The Military-Industrial Complex Is the Winner (Not You). What sort of world do we want?: ICAN exec discusses ultimate goal of nuclear abolition.   Nuclear Threats Are Looming, And Nobody Knows How Many Nukes Are Out There.  Are Nuclear-Armed Nations Entering a New Arms Race in 2024? – Experts Weigh In.
•  Germany plans to supply Israel with tanks shells as Gaza death toll nears 25,000. 
• Zelensky Courts JPMorgan, Bank of America & Bridgewater CEOs At Davos, Urges More Money From West. German defense chief against going ‘all in’ on Ukraine. 
• North Korea says it tested underwater nuclear attack drone in response to rivals’ naval drills. Nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula set to worsen in 2024. Are Nuclear-Armed Nations Entering a New Arms Race in 2024? – Experts Weigh In.

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

TODAY. UK govt has come clean about it! Nuclear power- no use, really – just essential for the nuclear weapons industry.

” Civil Nuclear: Roadmap to 2050, – in this supposedly “civil” strategy – are multiple statements about addressing “civil and military nuclear ambitions” together to “identify opportunities to align the two across government”.

Some pesky British scientists have gone badly off script – the naughty troublemakers.  Andy Stirling and Philip Johnstone should be talking about the wonderful ability of the nuclear industry to fix climate problems and energy needs.

But dammit, these guys don’t seem to understand which side their bread is buttered on. They have blatantly explained what the UK government has quietly acknowledged – THE REAL REASON FOR THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY.

The industry is not economic, not clean, not healthy, not safe, not effective against global heating, - BUT – it provides a good, respectable cover for continuing to use tax-payer to prop up the killing industry - nuclear weapons.

We probably all knew this, underneath. But it is obscured by some comfortable fantasy that we are safer “protected” by mass-killing weapons, than by friendship, understanding, negotiating, with other nations. By the fantasy that “strong” (though stupid) governments care about our survival. The reality is that those in power in government just want to hang on to their prestigious jobs and hope that the bad stuff doesn’t happen until after they retire. In the meantime they’ve got the support of the killing industries and macho military.

Stirling, Johnstone, and also Jonathon Porritt have publicised what the government rather quietly admitted:

” Civil Nuclear: Roadmap to 2050, – in this supposedly “civil” strategy – are multiple statements about addressing “civil and military nuclear ambitions” together to “identify opportunities to align the two across government”.

Jonathon Porritt is probably already persona non grata with the authorities. As for Stirling and Johnstone – telling the truth is probably not a good career move.

January 20, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. The human cost when IT goes wrong.

It’s not that I am against technology. I’m using it now. It does wonderful stuff (some of the time)

But our daily lives are now so involved with digital technology. IT is in control of so many systems. We are in danger of being constantly supervised, and indeed controlled, by digital technology. China already gives an example of how that can work.

I have grave misgivings about personal privacy, and the loss of human skills to computer wizardry. And that’s when information technology is working OK.

Britain’s Post Office scandal gives a timely illustration of what can happen when IT is not working OK. Hundreds of decent, honest people were wrongly convicted: they had to pay thousands of pounds, homes were lost, reputations ruined, lives were lost.

Of course, Post Office and Fujitsu authorities and others covered up and lied about the faulty Horizon IT system. It continues to amaze me, how these gutless individuals are happy to hang on to their big salaries, and lie their heads off, in loyalty to their employing body. It’s been going on since the notorious tobacco industry executives lied about smoking and cancer.

Unfortunately, it seems to be embedded in the corporate climbing-the-ladder system - mindless loyalty to the industry.

It is not just the fault of these dishonest individuals. It is also the fault of our general mindless acceptance of IT “progress”, and our reverence for the megawealthy tech boys developing it.

We need to maintain a healthy scepticism about digital systems - how necessary are they , and what if they go wrong?

January 18, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. New heights of folly as UK government releases its Civil Nuclear Roadmap.

When Rishi Sunak rose to the political throne in Britain, I thought: ”Well, of the stupid Tories, at least he’s probably less stupid than the rest of them”.

Well, now I wonder. With an election due by early 2025, surely Sunak and co. are not planning upon political suicide?

So I can only conclude that Sunak is as thick as a brick.

He’s launched the  Civil Nuclear Roadmap for UK to increase nuclear generation by up to four times to 24GW by 2050. The Prime Minister said: “Nuclear is the perfect antidote to the energy challenges facing Britain – it’s green, cheaper in the long term and will ensure the UK’s energy security for the long-term.” “This is the right long-term decision and is the next step in our commitment to nuclear power”

The UK intends to build up to eight new reactors, and will invest up to £300 million into producing the HALEU fuel required for new high-tech reactors, and which currently is only commercially produced in Russia.

And there’ll be a fleet of “small modular reactors” to be .built across Britain.

Sounds great, don’t it?

BUT:

Large nuclear reactors.  The cost of Hinkley Point C has spiralled to £33bn, a 30 per cent increase from 2015 when it forecast the cost at £25-£26bn.    Sizewell C has not yet received a final investment decision.

Six reactors on three sites have been shut down since 2021 and will be need  expensive dismantlement 

Most of the UK’s 9 functioning nuclear reactors are nearing the end of their operating lives, although 2 of them Heysham 1 and Hartlepool are to be extended.

Small Nuclear Reactors. Regulation and planning  rules will be loosened . A   developer-led approach will replace previous rules.     Rather than ministers specifying sites, developers will be asked to identify locations for small nuclear reactors . 

Nuclear plants will be ruled out in line with “population density” and “proximity to military activities” . But apart from those considerations, “All other criteria willbe discretionary, including size, flood risk, proximity to civil airports,  the natural beauty, ecological importance or cultural heritage of the site. ” 

Divorced from reality?  Does Rishi Sunak not know what happened to the USA’s one and only small nuclear reactor project –   the rapid decline and fall of the NuScale enterprise?

The mainstream media faithfully touts Rishi Sunak’s nuclear plans.  But investors and the general public are not that gullible. 

I think it more likely that the Nuclear Roadmap will prove the antidote to a Tory government for 2025

January 13, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

Aw gee! Did ya know that Australia is partnering USA in making multiple strikes on Yemen?

Yeah. It’s happened already. And many thanks to the American media (CNN) for letting me know. Not that it was discussed in the Australian Parliament or anything like that. But don’t worry. Our Defence Minister Richard Marles has it all in hand. I believe that he’s going to make an announcement to the Australian public soon. So no need to worry. The Labor government has everything in had, just as the Liberal government under John Howard did, in 2003, when we joined USA to bomb Iraq, without consulting Parliament.

Not a peep out of our Prime Minister yet. I wonder if the Australian media will bother to cover it?

January 13, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. Who can be believed?

Government pressure, whether strong or subtle, makes the “mainstream” media toe the “correct ” line, especially when it comes to Israel, Ukraine, or the nuclear industry.

As for “social media” with its various founts of information - well – it is way open for lies, distortions, exaggerations. And it’s getting worse. Take Elon Musk’s “X”. Twitter used to monitor tweets for lies and hate speech. Musk has sacked 80 per cent of its trust and safety team.

There’s no proper fact-checking for social media, nor for the thousands of “alternative” media sites.

And every information site is subject to bias, whether that be by obviously biased information, or by simply omitting the facts that might give the other side of the story.

So – how to work this out?

Well, I don’t know, really. But I can try.

Here are some suggested steps:

1 Does it make sense to you? . A current example: when Israel says that not so many have died in Gaza, and that they are “avoiding civilian casualties” - you can ponder on the blanket bombing of cities, and on whether Israel’s statement is likely to be true.

2. Language. Is the language especially inflammatory ? The repetition of highly emotive words – e.g “atrocity” should cause you to wonder. Or is it bland, vague and not clear? – that’s an equal sign that it might not be trustworthy.

3. The source – the media outlet or journalist. For example -a Russian outlet – Rt.com or Sputnik. You can expect their information to be biased – pro Russian. The Chinese news - South China Morning Post – likewise – pro Chinese. But the tricky thing is - these outlets can still provide factual information. The thing is – to be aware of their bias.

I myself post items on nuclear-news.net. Nuclear-news.net is clearly biased in its opposition to the nuclear industry. At least you know what the bias is.

4. Be aware of corporate media. At least they do fact-checking, and that is a good thing. But it is becoming increasingly obvious that if a news medium wants to keep its access to government information, and its sponsors, it has to be mindful of government policy and mind its “p”s and “q”s.

5. Be aware of “think tanks” and other so-called “not-for profit” advisors, who tell you what is “safe” to read, and what isn’t. 

A champion of these is NewsGuard, which purports to protect us from misinformation by rating websites on a scale of 0 to 100 on whether they provide “false or egregiously misleading content.”

It turns out that NewsGuard works closely with corporate advertisers and marketing data-brokers, “intelligence and national security officials,” “reputation management providers” and “government agencies.”

There is a growing trend for organisations to word their media message in consistent and repetitive phrases that back up the corporate and government agenda. I have previously written about the Atlas Network , which specialises in exactly this- its main function is to provide the “suitable” wording to the organisations.

6. Finally – make your choices, and be ready to change your mind. You can find outlets, and individual journalists who seem to make sense, and to take trouble to get accurate facts. Some are clearly biased, but admit this. Some are very persuasive, but you might find out later that they are dodgy in some way - e.g sensationalist, or paid to push a particular opinion.

I guess that approaching everything with a healthy scepticism is the way to go.

January 11, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | 3 Comments