Christina's notes « nuclear-news

Why don’t they count radioactive wastes in nuclear costing?

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

In today’s news we learn that the USA’s existing nuclear wastes could cost $225 billion. Of course, the government is up for these costs, not the nuclear industry. So somehow – well, then, the pretty well eternal waste storage and security is not part of the costing for nuclear power!

That’s a pretty nice bit of sleight of hand, isn’t it? But the non-democracies do it even better. Nobody has any idea what are the real costs of France, Russia, China’s nuclear wastes, nor who actually ends up paying for them.

December 10, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Christina's notes | antinuclear, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Time we all woke up to the pro-nuclear con!

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

On today’s page I include an article on India and the planned nuclear reactors there. I was struck by the fact that it will be a “multi-billion dollar market to American firms” . But, at the same time, those firms want to make sure that the Indian government (i.e the Indian taxpayer) will pay for any “industrial accident”. (Quote ‘ India’s multi-billion-dollar nuclear market to American firms. US firms already worry over delays such as writing a new Indian law to limit US firms’ liability in case of an industrial accident’)

The nuclear industry wants the money – but not the responsibility. They must think that the danger is important, to be concerning themselves so much about such liability. Yet at the same time, they’ll tell us all that the industry is so very safe.

Do we take note of these contradictions? Is this a new and so much more sophisticated version of Western colonial oppression?

December 9, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes, India, spinbuster | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive | 2 Comments

The GNEP and the myth of ‘clean’ nuclear power

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

Could it be that the nuclear powers are in so deep that they just don’t know how to get out? Despite the cost, despite the mounting unsolved waste problem, despite the countries seeking nuclear weapons, the Big Powers forge on with the myths of “clean” “cheap”, “climate friendly” nuclear power.

From the statement of Gordon Brown, and the US China joint statement (both quoted below) it looks as if the myths will continue to be perpetrated, and that even the failed idea of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership might get a re-run.

November 18, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Grand global hogwash about nuclear power

‘We can lead construction of a new global order’ Public service.co.uk November 17, 2009 The UK can shape the world of the future by leading in global co-operation, the Prime Minister said in his annual speech on foreign policy at the Lord Mayor’s banquet. Gordon Brown – “………..Britain must continue to lead the renewal of a grand global bargain between nuclear weapon and non-nuclear weapon states. A fair and balanced deal in which non nuclear weapons states must accept clear responsibilities to end proliferation by renouncing nuclear weapons in return for the right to access civil nuclear power;…..

‘We can lead construction of a new global order’ – Public Service

November 18, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Christina's notes, spinbuster | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes | Leave a comment