nuclear-news

Hinkley Point C: Petition to protect fish in Severn Estuary

29th January, By Seth Dellow, Digital Reporter, 29 Jan 25
https://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/news/24893585.hinkley-point-c-petition-protect-fish-severn-estuary/

ENVIRONMENTAL groups have launched a petition to protect the Severn Estuary and ensure the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C is compliant with regulations.

17 groups including the West Country Rivers Trust and CPRE have joined forces to call on the Energy Secretary to ensure that an acoustic fish deterrent is installed at Hinkley Point C, with ‘comprehensive mitigation and compensation’ for all species.

It follows comments made by the Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, in an article for Mail Online, which lambasted efforts to block major infrastructure projects, singling out opposition to the acoustic fish deterrent which EDF had originally proposed for Hinkley Point C.

Mark Lloyd, CEO of The Rivers Trust, said: “It is very disappointing that the Prime Minister was so disparaging and dismissive about the need for acoustic fish deterrents on the water intakes for the new nuclear power station being built at Hinkley by EDF.”

You can find out more about the petition here: https://bit.ly/40QeM24

EDF recently confirmed that the “only option currently likely to be accepted as a mitigation” is the creation of a salt marsh. It would act as an environmental mitigation for the harm the project would bring to 44 tonnes of fish.

A formal consultation on the salt marsh location was delayed earlier in January. Some residents along the Severn, including landowners and farmers, previously expressed their opposition to the plans.

Four possible locations have been proposed for a salt marsh along the River Severn, including Kingston Seymour, Arlingham, Littleton, and Rodley.

Plans were dropped for Pawlett Hams following opposition from residents and branded a “disaster” by Bridgwater’s MP, Sir Ashley Fox.

EDF has confirmed that its process for Hinkley Point C and the project “is working with local communities and stakeholders to find solutions that work for both communities and the environment.”

February 1, 2025 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

Save Severn Estuary’s Fish: Demand Action from Hinkley — Sign the petition.

 The Rivers Trust 24th Jan 2025

Hinkley Nuclear Power Station must not remove protection for millions of fish in the Severn Estuary. Help us hold EDF accountable and ensure the Severn Estuary’s ecosystems are protected.

he new nuclear power station at Hinkley (HPC) will draw the equivalent of 3 Olympic swimming pools of cooling water per minute from the Severn Estuary, one of the UK’s most highly designated nature conservation sites.

The huge intake pipes, equivalent to the cross-section of 6 double decker buses, are required to have an Acoustic Fish Deterrent (AFD) fitted to prevent millions of fish being sucked into the system and killed.

10 years into construction and EDF are still putting off fitting this important fish protection.

The Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) is not against the power station providing vital power for the UK, BUT, is just demanding that the fish protection measures be installed as originally consented and that damage to the Severn Estuary ecosystem is properly addressed.

Sign the petition now……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. https://theriverstrust.org/about-us/news/hinkley-nuclear-power-station-must-not-remove-protection-for-millions-of-fish-in-the-severn-estuary

January 30, 2025 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

Global Day of Action to #CloseBases

February 23, 2025 — at a military base near you!

The thousands of military bases, both foreign and domestic, around the world are a critical piece of the war machine that must be dismantled. Closing bases is a necessary step to shift the global security paradigm towards a demilitarized approach that centers common security — no one is safe until all are safe.

We call on individuals and organizations around the world to join the Global Day of Action to #CloseBases on February 23 by organizing protests at military base sites near you.

1. Bases often perpetuate colonialism, removing Indigenous people from their lands. From Panama to Guam to Puerto Rico to Okinawa to dozens of other locations across the world, militaries have taken valuable land from local populations, often pushing out Indigenous people in the process, without their consent and without reparations. For example, the entire population of the Chagos Islands was forcibly removed from the island of Diego Garcia by the UK so that it could be leased to the U.S. for an airbase.
2. Bases cost an exorbitant amount of $$. The cost of U.S. foreign military bases alone is estimated at $80 billion a year, money that could be better spent on healthcare, education, renewable energy, and so much more.
3. Bases exacerbate environmental damage and the climate crisis. Military emissions are exempted from climate agreements, like the Kyoto Protocol. The construction of bases has caused irreparable ecological damage, such as the destruction of coral reefs and the environment for endangered species in Henoko, Okinawa. Furthermore, it is well documented at hundreds of sites around the world that military bases leach toxic so-called “forever chemicals” (PFAS/PFOS) into local water supplies, which has had devastating health consequences for nearby communities.
4. 
   Bases can have violent and harmful impacts on local communities.
   Militaries have a notorious legacy of sexual violence, including kidnapping, rape, and murders of women and girls in nearby communities. Yet troops stationed at foreign bases are often afforded impunity for their crimes due to Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) with the so-called “host” country. Bases can also bring a rise in property taxes and inflation in areas surrounding them which has been known to push locals out.
5. Bases heighten tensions and provoke war-making. The presence of hundreds of thousands of troops, massive arsenals, and thousands of aircraft, tanks, and ships in every corner of the globe facilitates war-making and promotes an arms race. Additionally, bases make locations into targets for attack. And foreign bases implicate countries in the crimes of foreign militaries.

………………………….More actions coming soon!

Contact us at greta@worldbeyondwar.org for action planning assistance.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. more https://worldbeyondwar.org/closebases/

January 29, 2025 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

9 February -UNITAR Hosts Forum on Nuclear Abolition: 80 Years On

 
Mirage, 23 Jan 2025

• UNITAR partners with the Japan Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (JANA) to host a public event on nuclear disarmament at the University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo, on 9 February 2025
• The public session invites international experts on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including Mr. Tariq Rauf, former Head of Verification and Security Policy, IAEA
• The discussion will touch on topics such as multilateral security challenges and diplomacy, prospects for the 2026 NPT review and the latest trends and efforts of the Secretary-General and UN Member States to try to advance nuclear disarmament
• After the public session, a virtual reality (VR) experience to convey the realities of the atomic bombing will be held in collaboration with Fujita Corporation and Tabimachi-gate Hiroshima Co., Ltd. for in person participants
• In person attendance of the public forum requires prior registration and ticket purchase. Livestreaming is available for Part I, free of charge

……………………………………………………………………………………………. more https://www.miragenews.com/unitar-hosts-forum-on-nuclear-abolition-80-1395104/

January 24, 2025 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

26 January – WEBINAR Autonomous Armageddon: Nuclear Weapons and AI

Join us for a critical webinar on Sunday, January 26, at 2:00 PM GMT “Autonomous Armageddon: Nuclear Weapons and AI“, to explore the alarming dangers posed by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into nuclear weapons systems. Hosted by three Nobel Peace Prize-winning organizations dedicated to eliminating nuclear weapons, this event will feature expert speakers, including:

Moderator: Professor Karen Hallberg, Secretary General of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, 1995 Nobel Peace Prize.

Representative of Nihon Hidankyo, 2024 Nobel Peace Prize;

Professor Geoffrey Hinton, 2024 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics;

Connor Leahy, CEO of Conjecture (AI safety research);

Dr. Ruth Mitchell, neurosurgeon and Chair of IPPNW, 1985 Nobel Peace Prize;

Melissa Parke, Executive Director of ICAN, 2017 Nobel Peace Prize; and

Together, they will discuss the general and specific risks AI presents to nuclear command and control systems, the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear war, and ongoing initiatives to mitigate these threats. We invite you to participate in this vital discussion to address the intersection of AI and nuclear weapons.

Register here or below. A recording will be made available following the session.

January 23, 2025 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

WEBINAR: 17 January : Exposed – New book sheds light on radiation science

Jan 17, 2025 03:00 AM in Etc/GMT-10

January 9, 2025

The Scientists Who Alerted Us to the Dangers of Radiation, a new book by Ian Fairlie and Beyond Nuclear’s Cindy Folkers, will have its Canadian book launch and webinar, hosted by Canadian advocacy groups on Thursday, January 16 noon – 1 ET.

Both authors will be present for discussion and questions. This book reveals that the harmful effects of radiation exposure are more pervasive and worse than thought; and that these impacts have been known or suspected for decades but suppressed by nuclear technology proponents. It explains radiation in easy-to-grasp language that clarifies its dangers and risks. Anyone who ever wondered about radiation should read the book and attend this webinar, especially with the current push for more nuclear power in the face of the climate crisis.

The webinar co-hosted by: Ontario Clean Air Alliance, Nuclear Waste Watch, Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick (CRED-NB) and the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.

Register.

January 13, 2025 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

PETITION : Scrutinise Sizewell C

Petition to David Goldstone, Independent Chair of the Treasury’s new ‘Office of Value for Money’  https://action.stopsizewellc.org/valueformoney

We, the undersigned, urge you, as the new Office of Value for Money’s independent Chair*, to call in the Sizewell C project for urgent scrutiny, as it is currently proceeding by stealth.  Over £5 billion of public money has already been allocated to the project, and there is the potential for billions more to be spent without any guarantee of a Final Investment Decision being made:

• Sizewell C received £2.5 billion from the previous government. In the Autumn Budget 2024, a further £2.7 billion was allocated prior to a Final Investment Decision (half the value of a £5.5 billion subsidy scheme created in August 2024).
• Therefore £5.2 billion of public money has already been allocated to progress work on site – and up to £8 bn is at risk – without any guarantees that private investors will take a stake in the project, or indeed that a Final Investment Decision will be made.
• There is no transparency at all about the overall cost of the project.
• In addition to the drain on taxpayers’ funds, there are serious implications for consumers; the intended use of the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) funding model means households will pay a Sizewell tax on their electricity bills throughout construction, for many years before any electricity is generated.
• There is still uncertainty regarding major issues that affect Sizewell C’s viability and costs. For example Sizewell C still hasn’t secured a guaranteed sustainable potable water supply for its planned 60 years of operation, nor is there a final design of the sea defences needed to keep the site safe for its full 150 year lifetime. 

 The Labour government announced soon after the election that an ‘Office of Value for Money’ would be created within His Majesty’s Treasury, to scrutinise areas of public spending. Initial feedback from the Treasury indicated that Sizewell C would definitely be examined, but more recent correspondence with officials has rowed back from such a firm position. David Goldstone was announced as the independent Chair of the Office of Value for Money by Chancellor Rachel Reeves during her Budget on 30 October 2024.

January 2, 2025 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

Zoom Webinar 6 December – US mid-range weapons in Germany

WEBINAR. Date & Time Dec 6, 2024 04:00 AM in time zone Etc/GMT-10 7:00 pm Berlin time, 1:00 pm Washington, D.C. time, 10:00 am California time.

On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington D.C., on July 20, 2024, US President Biden and German Chancellor Scholz announced a major bilateral agreement: “The United States will begin episodic deployments of the long-range fires capabilities of its Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany in 2026, as part of planning for enduring stationing of these capabilities in the future.” What is behind the introduction of US long-range conventional missiles in Germany? What role do such conventional strike weapons play in US war planning? What are the escalation risks of the planned deployment? And why are many Germans more than worried? Three international experts will address these questions and more:

Jürgen Scheffran, Professor (ret.) at Hamburg University, is a co-founder of Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons and has worked on arms race dynamics with a focus on ballistic and cruise missiles and missile defense systems since the 1980s.

Dan Plesch, Professor of Diplomacy and Strategy at SOAS University of London, is the co-author with Manuel Galileo of the recent report “Masters of the Air: Strategic stability and conventional strike”.

Regina Hagen, spokesperson of the German network “atomwaffenfrei.jetzt” (nuclear-weapons-free now) and a member of the Coordinating Committee of Abolition 2000, is co-founder of the new campaign “Friedensfähig statt erstschlagfähig” that, calls for an immediate halt of the planned deployment.

Andrew Lichterman, a lawyer and policy analyst at the Western States Legal Foundation and a member of the Coordinating Committees of Abolition 2000 and the U.S.-based network United for Peace and Justice, will moderate the discussion.

What: Zoom webinar

When: December 5, 2024, 7:00 pm Berlin time, 1:00 pm Washington, D.C. time, 10:00 am California time.

November 27, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

Resisting the nuclear export and import policies in the age of climate crisis – Webinar on the International Joint Response to Nuclear Expansion.

No Nukes Asia Forum (NNAF) is organising this webinar on Tuesday 19 November. Note that the time listed for Australia is “ACST” – ie Adelaide time. Please adjust to fit your time zone.

It will be an opportunity to hear about South Korea’s nuclear export program. As you are no doubt aware, South Korea’s APR1400 and APR1000 reactors have been promoted by the Coalition as candidates for Australia. South Korea constructed the United Arab Emirates reactors on which the Coalition is basing its (unrealistic) timeline.

As the climate crisis grows more serious, countries worldwide are promoting energy transition policies to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Meanwhile, some countries also pursue strategies to expand nuclear power plants by including nuclear power in their energy transition policies. The nuclear industry is emphasizing nuclear power as an alternative solution to the climate crisis, and it is expanding with small modular reactors (SMRs) that are costly and not feasible at present and conventional nuclear power plants with long construction processes. In Asia, South Korea and Japan have been promoting the export of nuclear power plants to the Philippines, Turkiye, Indonesia, and Thailand. Nuclear power plants’ safety and economic feasibility are not achievable and this is an undemocratic policy.

In response, we will host a webinar with Asian nuclear disarmament organizations to examine the current status of nuclear power plant exports and explore ways to jointly respond internationally. We look forward to your interest and participation.

○ Date: November 19 (Tue), 2024, 3:00-5:00 PM (UTC+9)

– Turkiye (UTC+3): 9:00-11:00 AM

– India (UTC+5:30): 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

– Indonesia/Thailand (UTC+7): 1:00-3:00 PM

– Manila/Taipei (UTC+8): 2:00-4:00 PM

– South Korea/Japan (UTC+9): 3:00-5:00 PM

– Australia (ACST, UTC+10): 4:00-6:00 PM

○ Location: Zoom Webinar / Zoom link will be sent via email later

○ Organized by: No Nukes Asia Forum (No Nukes Asia Form)

Korean organizers: Citizens’ Action for No Nukes, No Nukes News Media Cooperative, Yoon Jong-oh(National Assembly’s member) of the Progressive Party of Korea, National Assembly Economy Forum on Climate Crisis & Decarbonization

Philippines Organizer: Nuclear-Free Bataan Movement(NFBM), YoungBEAN, KILUSAN, Green Peace PH

Japan Organizer: Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center

Turkiye Organizer: Nukleersiz

○ Primary language: English / Interpretation: Korean

○ Presentations (15 minutes each)

Moderator: Korea (Kim Hyunwoo, No Nukes News) & Philippines (DJ Janier, KILUSAN)

Presentation 1: Korea’s Nuclear Power Plant Export Strategy and Issues / LEE Heonseok (Energy Justice Actions)

Presentation 2: Problems of Resuming Power Generation at the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines / NFBM

Presentation 3: The Overview of Japanese Failed Nuclear Exporting Project: Hajime Matsukubo(CNIC)

Presentation 4: On Nuclear Power Plant Projects and Problems in Turkiye and the Export Strategy of Russia/ Pinar Demircan(Nukleersiz)

○ Q&A and discussion: 40 minutes

○ Summary and closing remarks: 20 minutes

○ Contact: GreenReds@gmail.com

○ 참가 신청(한국어) : bit.ly/3AB2yjs

○ Registration Form(English): bit.ly/3AE0JlV

November 16, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment

Global Network Space Issues Webinar: Sunday, Oct 13

Bruce Gagnon, GN Coordinator 6 Oct 24

Global Network Space Issues Webinar
Sunday, Oct 13 @ 3:00 pm EDT

Control the Earth, control the increasingly crowded Lower Earth Orbits (LEO), and control the eventual pathway off the Earth to mine the sky for precious and seemingly lucrative resources.

Mr. Big hopes to control everything – Full Spectrum Dominance.

The webinar will be held on Sunday, October 13 on Zoom @ 3:00 pm in New York, 8:00 pm in London, and Oct 14 @ 4:00 am in Seoul

Here is the Zoom link:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86374719555?pwd=65MRXwbramOaDBMvSOsUaH2ev0Bumy.1

Meeting ID: 863 7471 9555
Passcode: 489061

Speakers:

• Dave Webb (GN board convener, England): Space as an aid to War and Genocide
• Tamara Lorincz (Canadian Voice of Women for Peace): Canada’s Role in NATO
• Sung-Hee Choi (Activist, Jeju Island, South Korea): NATO expansion and space industry in South Korea
• Peter Burt (Space Watch UK): UK’s expanding space programmes in the spotlight

Our latest monthly space video updates on the current situation as the US-NATO work globally to use space tech to suppress opposition to western control.

The video shows how costly space tech is now a domination tool used by US-NATO in their wars in Palestine/Lebanon, Ukraine, and next, China.

We’ve long been indoctrinated to ‘support the space program – to search for the origins of life’. But NASA was under the Pentagon’s control from the start. Today the US strategy is to get the western allies to contribute to build a space warfare superstructure so powerful that it would ensure hegemony.

Russia and China have long gone to the United Nations introducing resolutions to the General Assembly calling for a new treaty to ban all weapons in space. Close the door to the barn before the horse gets out.

For more than 25 years the US and Israel have blocked the development of a new space weapons ban treaty at the UN. Those two imperial nations always knew that if they worked together, as well as pulling NATO into the space war gambit, then they could possibly take on Russia and China and remain as the rulers of Earth.

It’s madness and the sickness of corporate fascism – Mussolini called it the ‘wedding of corporations and government’.

All of our various struggles against imperial terrorism are connected in so many ways. We all are fighting for liberation from corporate colonial banksters and militarists who are destroying life on Mother Earth.

October 9, 2024 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Events | Leave a comment