Wrap up of the week’s nuclear news
In a week when we are concentrating on the topic of Nuclear Lies, up comes a film that really sets out the history of nuclear lies, with extraordinary archival footage. A IS FOR ATOM -a film not to be missed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2011/03/a_is_for_atom.html
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India’s nuclear power stalemate continues, with the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) showing their determination to stop the Koodankulam nuclear project, and the Jaitapur one. As the Russian engineers leave Koodankulam, India’s nuclear corporation turns to Russia to borrow money for that project. And to France, to borrow money to buy France’s nuclear reactors.
A more dangerous stalemate and standoff, as the West threatens more sanctions on Iran, and Iran threatens to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Israel to close its vulnerable Dimona nuclear reactor, in fear of (?preparation for) war with Iran.
America’s faith based doctrine on nuclear waste disposal
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The United States of America has a touching religiosity – quite heartwarming, in this cynical age.
So it is not surprising that the USA is the one country in the world that has expressed its religious faith in nuclear power in a government regulation – the Waste Confidence Rule
The Waste Confidence Rule contains a “predictive” safety “finding” that simply stipulates spent reactor fuel can be disposed of safely at some unspecified time in the future, whenever it becomes “necessary” to dispose of it.
Warms the cockles of your heart, don’t it?
Wrap-up of nuclear news 2011
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Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs
The year started with a renewed push by the nuclear lobby, for a “nuclear renaissance”. But already costs and safety problems were slowing this ambition. The “poster boys” for nuclear power Olkiluoto and Flamanville reactors became increasingly costly, and fraught with safety problems, and still not built.
- No nuclear plants built in USA since the 1970s. Worldwide 16 new ones were under construction in 2010, but only 2 in 2011. Meanwhile 13 closed, and many of the existing 433 reactors are nearing their use-by date. Global nuclear energy generation fell in 2011, due to increasing costs, weaker electricity demand, and falling costs of gas.
- In March the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe had a sudden impact on the nuclear industry. As a continuing human, environmental, and economic disaster, it continues to accelerate the decline of the nuclear industry.
- USA, France, Russia, and South Korea continued a frantic competition to sell nuclear power to developing countries, seeing they meet strong opposition to selling them to their own people, (except for South Korea)
- The worldwide nuclear waste problem escalates, yet even in desperate straights because of this, USA and others are happy to continue producing this toxic stuff !
- Nuclear weapons problems continue, with a little progress towards nuclear disarmament. At the end of the year, the world is at a nuclear standoff between the Western world and Iran.
- The global nuclear lobby is resuming its push to market its product as clean, healthy, cheap etc. It continues to tout “new nuclear” – “Generation 4 reactors, and also Thorium reactors – desperate side issues to promote the industry even as it fails. Christina Macpherson, 3 Jan 2012
The hypocrisy and lies of the global nuclear lobby
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Has anyone noticed that Japan well and truly stuffed up in its planning and setting up of the Fukushima nuclear power plant – and yet is now preaching to India on the unsafety of India’s nuclear plants?
That strikes me as a dazzling bit of arrogance and hypocrisy. Yet Japan’s Prime Minister has the gall to tell India that because of Japan’s nuclear disaster, Japan is now an expert on nuclear safety!
And anyway, as if the Japanese government cared about India’s safety, anyway! What they care about is making money selling their nuclear. technology.
But now – I’m here getting a bit ahead of the worldwide nuclear lobby. The comprehensive international report on the Fukushima nuclear disaster will not be completed until about June 2012. However, the initial part of the report recounts all the errors made by the Japanese regarding the planning and setting up of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and in dealing with the catastrophe.
I’m predicting that the nuclear lobby will come out with a whole lot of guff about how much safer nuclear technology is now. How much they’ve learned from the disaster, so we can all rest assured that the nuclear industry is now safe! – Christina Macpherson, 27 Dec 11
Parallels between Wall St and Fukushima
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Have you seen the film “Inside Job”?
I was amazed at how the top guys responsible for the global financial crash in 2008 continued to prosper. They’re still in charge, in financial institutions, in universities, advising government, – nothing’s changed.
Similarly, in Japan, apart from 3 token (and generously rewarded retirements) the same complex of nuclear industry, government, academia are still in charge of nuclear policy.
What if the West has misjudged Ahmadinejad about nuclear weapons?
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has certainly come out with some powerful statements against Israel, and he has sounded very threatening.
Yet Ahmadinejad also comes out with some powerful statements against nuclear weapons., and arguing that Iran is not developing them and would never use them, especially as a “first strike”.
We need to remember that Ahmadinejad is a popular leader, trying to function in an Islamic State, – where supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the Mullahs wield extraordinary power and influence. Ahmadinejad has to “keep them on side” – has to come out with fiery nationalistic statements. But perhaps he really does believe that nuclear weapons are dangerous, immoral, and unnecessary. Perhaps the world could do worse than Ahmadinejad for an Iranian leader. – Christina Macpherson
Despite pro nuclear hype, the industry is in big trouble
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While the captains of the nuclear and uranium industries continue to sing the praises of new nuclear reactors, new types of reactors, and the long term glowing outlook for the industries – the facts tell something else.
In Germany, the peak association of utility industries now states a clear wish to have all nuclear power cswiftly closed down – all finished by 2020.
USA has had the longest and biggest association with commercial nuclear power. USA now appears to be leading the way in seriously questioning the viability of the industry.
The Fukushima disaster is not ending any time soon. Nobody dares to estimate the financial cost. The human and environmental costs are not fully known, but already are extensive. Japanese survivors of the tsunami and earthquake can now start to rebuild their lives. Japamese affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident struggle on with uncertainty.
Wobbly nuclear words – how reassuring they are!
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There are just so many of these wobbly words, pouring out of the pro nuclear lobby, as the lobby develops its current strategy, in response to the Japanese nuclear disaster, and with the anniversary of Chernobyl coming up. The two strategy themes are as follows:
1. Nuclear radiation “low level” radiation is not so bad, quite good really. Don’t mention the cancers and birth deformities from Chernobyl – or just gloss over the (relatively treatable) thyroid cancers.
2. Safety. New nuclear designs will be so safe – Fukushima just shows us how safe they are. And anyway, action is now taken to strengthen safety at old plants – Fukushima’s been a good reminder really.
Nuclear doublespeak has crept into the mainstream media. And – note even a 7.1 earthquake is now labelled an “aftershock” – sounds better, doesn’t it? And – of course, any nuclear incident is “no immediate danger”
The oceans – a great idea for a radioactive toilet
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Time was when Europeans emptied their toilet pans out of windows, into the street.
Now we think that’s disgusting. But – now no problem with the oceans. We’ve been dumping sewage, plastics and all sorts of rubbish into the seas for decades.
Now – the ultimate insult to the oceans – it’s OK to dump radioactive water. This could be a precedent for future nuclear waste problems. I’m sure that the nuclear establishment will be happy with that – if we are.
Don’t be the nuclear industry’s April fool
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When you check out the nuclear news, you find plenty of cosy little items saying how Chernobyl 
wasn’t so bad – very few deaths etc. How low level radiation is not harmful to you, might even be good. How ‘progress’ is being made on the Fukushima cleanup. How it was all the fault of TEPCO anyway – the industry as a whole is safe, really. The new model nuclear reactors are really really really safe.
Don’t believe it. In 2011 – 25 years after the Chernobyl explosion, it’s just the right time for cancers to emerge in those who were subjected to “low level” radiation in the Ukraine. While it is true that one individual’s risk of cancer is small from exposure to low levels of radiation, exposure of many to this radiation will produce cancers in some of them. The world’s scientific authorities are united in pronouncing that there is no safe level for ionising radiation.
As to the safety of nuclear reactors, and the effects of radiation from even the normal operations of the nuclear fuel cycle – ask yourself who is supplying this information – “What’s in it for whom?
There may be some legitimate grounds for minimising the effects of the Fukushima radiation – a reasonable aim by authorities to prevent panic, and perhaps to save the businesses of farmers whose produce is not radioactive. To avoid unnecessary anxiety in countries distant from Japan. Just ask “What’s in it for whom? – Christina Macpherson
Earth Hour – a challenge to the consumer society
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Some environmentalists dismiss Earth Hour as pretty much irrelevant to the global warming crisis, and to the issue of nuclear energy.
But I think that they are wrong. Earth Hour in itself might mean just a temporary drop in energy use, worldwide. But during Earth Hour, people realise how they can manage quite well, using less energy.
This is a subversive message – for it contradicts the whole “philosophy” behind society’s present rampant consumerism,
and ever-growing need to use more energy.
If the Consumer Society were to change to a Conserver Society, then the planet and its atmosphere would be treated with respect. Greenhouse gas emissions would diminish, and it would be obvious that nuclear energy is not needed. The nuclear lobby thrives on ever-growing consumption of energy and material “goods” – Christina Macpherson
USA’s nuclear “Waste Confidence Rule” – an act of religious faith?
The USA’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission has updated this rule – the “Waste Confidence Rule”
It sounds quite bizarre, to me. I am quite comfortable with the idea of Pope expressing dogas. After all, he is supposed to be infallible. But even the Pope is pretty careful these days, when he speaks infallibly, “Ex Cathedra” the Pope nowdays at least tries to make it sound like something sensible.
But the “Waste Confidence Rule” expresses the idea that there’s no solution to nuclear waste now, but we fervently believe that somewhere down the track, somebody will produce a solution. So , therefore, we should go ahead with new nuclear power.
Now I ask you? Does that make sense to you? – Christina Macpherson
Did you know about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s “Waste Confidence Rule”?
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I can hardly believe what I read (in the post immediately below this). Can it be true that the USA’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission can proceed to make policy on nuclear waste according to an act of faith?
a “predictive” safety “finding” that simply stipulates spent reactor fuel can be disposed of safely at some unspecified time in the future, whenever it becomes “necessary” to dispose of it.
This is like the Catholic Church’s dogmas. You gotta believe it, because the Pope said it.
You gotta believe that a safe disposal of radioactive nuclear waste will be devised – so whoopee – go ahead with more nukes!
This also reinforces the fact that the NRC has no idea what to do with the wastes
Nuclear politics and propaganda in USA this week
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Christina Macpherson As a non American, I often puzzle over President Barack Obama’s statements and actions – especially his latest pronouncement of nuclear energy as “clean”, when we all know that it’s dirty.
However, many non Americans must be coming to realise the strange state of USA politics. With a Democrat controlled Senate, and a Republican controlled Congress – well, America could be facing an endless stalemate.
Somehow, some Republicans think it is their job to stop anything Obama does, regardless of whether Obama’s action is good or bad.
So – Obama is twisting around, and in the process, alas, twisting the meaning of words like “clean”, in a effort to get through this illogical opposition, and to actually get American politicians to work together. It is painful to watch – but it might just work.
Today’s posts include an article along those lines Renewable Energy a Priority in President Obama’s State of the Union Address – Business News – Energy Digital
Also included is some information on Patrick Moore, co-chairman of the pro-nuclear “Clean & Safe Energy Coalition. “, and paid salesman for the nuclear industry. Moore was at Plant Vogtle this week, trying to drum up public support for a proposed new nuclear plant.
America’s expensive nuclear white elephant
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With the title “Blue Ribbon Commission for America’s Nuclear Future”, it is pretty clear that President Obama’s expensive touring panel to “find a solution to nuclear wastes” is a waste of tax-payers’ money.
Wedded as they are to promoting nuclear energy, the panel has e an obvious, not a vested, interest in producing more nuclear waste. Hardly an encouraging outlook, as still there is no known way of getting rid of the existing wastes.
1 This Month
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10 June – Assessing Canada’s Investments in Small Modular Nuclear Reactors – https://zoom.us/meeting/register/IiqHA5feRhaEBycOLNTJlA#/registration
Cuba Is Not a Failed State – It Is a Besieged State
PETITION: “Global Appeal to Endorse Palestinian Right of Return of Refugees”
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