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Ohio’s State legislators call for more funding for uranium site cleanup

Lawmakers seek more funding for Ohio uranium site cleanup Ohio.com By Kantele Franko 
Associated Press January 23, 2015 PIKETON, OHIO: The state’s congressional delegation is urging the White House to fully fund the decontamination and decommissioning of a Cold War-era uranium plant in southern Ohio where hundreds of workers feared layoffs last fall amid budget concerns………

The lawmakers’ letter says decontamination and redevelopment of the site is critical for southern Ohio, and it asks that the president’s next annual budget provide full funding for the cleanup……..http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/lawmakers-seek-more-funding-for-ohio-uranium-site-cleanup-1.560851

January 24, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Cameco struggles with continued saga of falling uranium prices

Uranium Producers Continue to Sruggle With Low Prices CKRM, 24 Jan 15, The oil market has seen a decline for about 3 months, but Cameco’s CEO says the uranium industry has seen dropping prices for more than 3 years.

Tim Gitzel told a conference in Whistler, BC, that the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima more than three years ago continues to have a ripple effect on the industry, and many companies have struggled with the drop in prices.

Gitzel says it will be a tough test for Cameco in both the short and medium terms while they wait for Japan to restart two reactors and construction continues on 70 reactors in Asia.

January 24, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

The nuclear industry ushered in the new Anthropocene Era

WE ARE SOWING THE SEEDS OF HAVOC. atomic-bomb-Ahttps://jpratt27.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/we-are-sowing-the-seeds-of-havoc/ JPRATT 27 Mark down this date: Monday, July 16, 1945 – the day that the first atomic bomb was detonated in the New Mexico desert.

It is also the geological marker of the start of the “Great Acceleration” – when mad-made activities began to take over from natural variability with such force that it has taken the human race just one generation to pretty much “stuff the planet.”

Welcome to the Anthropocene. Such geological epochs are normally measured in the thousands of years, but scientists have been able to narrow it down the switch from the Holocene to the Anthropocene to a single day because the radioactive isotopes emitted to the atmosphere and spread worldwide by that detonation have entered the sedimentary record. That has provided a unique signal.

Since then, humanity has altered the planet to such a degree (well, nearly 0.85C in fact) that Earth’s natural systems have been pushed beyond natural variability and now risk being destabilized – all in a single lifetime.

As James Dyke, lecturer in Complex Systems Simulation at University of Southampton, writes for The Conversation: “We are sowing the seeds of havoc on the Earth, it suggests, and the time is fast approaching when we will reap this harvest.” Giles Parkinson | Reneweconomy.com

January 17, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry claims that it is not dead (just dying, perhaps)

NUCLEAR-INDUSTRY-FIGHTS-ON“Operable” is not quite the same as “operating”http://www.beyondnuclear.org/just-the-facts/2015/1/15/operable-is-not-quite-the-same-as-operating.html The international investment bank, UBS, has declaredold style centralized generation, like nuclear and fossil fuels “the dinosaur of the future energy system.” Yet the nuclear industry continues to claim, like the old man inMonty Python and the Holy Grail, that it is “not dead.”

UBS exorts its customers to “join the revolution.” The bank predicts that “By 2025, everybody will be able to produce and store power,” using a decentralized system that makes fissile and fossil fuel systems, “Too big, too inflexible, not even relevant for backup power in the long run.” Meanwhile, the World Nuclear News claims nuclear generating capacity rose in 2014, and trumpets that 2015 began “with 436 operable reactors.” (Since there were 435 in 2014 according to WNN, the boast is rather a hollow one.)

But as the 2014 World Nuclear Industry Status Report reveals, the key word here is “operable” rather than the more truthful “operating,” bringing the true number down to 388 for 2014, “50 fewer than the peak in 2002.” Nuclear may indeed not be dead, yet. But it is well on its way.

 

January 17, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Not counting Tony Abbott, Catholics in Australia are rallying for climate change action

climate-changeflag-AustraliaCatholics in Australia join global movement to curb climate change, The Age January 15, 2015  Environment Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald Australia’s Catholics are preparing to step up campaigns to address climate change ahead of an expected call to action by Pope Francis.

The Global Catholic Climate Movement, an international coalition of Catholic groups including Catholic Earthcare Australia, was launched on Thursday to bolster support for a global climate treaty at the Paris summit planned for December.

That’s going to create real change that’s really needed, and that’s great.

Jacqui Remond, director of Catholic Earthcare Australia, said Catholics numbered one in four Australians and the time is ripe for them to push for greater action on curbing global warming.

“Looking at the leadership and the governance we have in Australia right now, there isn’t a lot of hope coming from the policies and the agenda that’s set,” Ms Remond said.

However, Ms Remond said hope is coming from abroad with Pope Francis expected to release the first encyclical on ecology as soon as March. The doctrinal directive is likely to focus on the damage to humanity and ecosystems caused by climate change.

“[The encyclical] has a significant influence because it sets a benchmark for learning for everyone in the church, which includes the cardinals, the bishops, the clergy, the lay people,” Ms Remond said. “This message will have an incredible ripple effect through the church and beyond.”

Ms Remond said Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI had also spoken out about climate change, with the latter installing solar panels on church buildings in Rome and making the Vatican the world’s first carbon-neutral state…….http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/catholics-in-australia-join-global-movement-to-curb-climate-change-20150115-12qs0r.html

January 17, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

AUDIO: Economic Isolation Weighs On Iranians

Hear-This-wayAUDIO: Economic Isolation Weighs On Iranians; Desire Nuclear Talks Resolved JANUARY 16, 2015 As nuclear talks with Iran resume, Steve Inskeep talks to Thomas Erdbrink, Tehran bureau chief for The New York Times, about rhetoric and sentiment in that country. http://www.npr.org/2015/01/16/377635615/economic-isolation-weighs-on-iranians-they-want-nuclear-talks-resolved

January 17, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Iran and USA held more than 6 hours of talks on nuclear deal

diplomacy-not-bombsflag-IranFlag-USAUS, Iran hold ‘substantive’ talks on nuclear deal, Yahoo News By Jo Biddle Geneva (AFP) – Iran and the US held more than six hours of talks seeking to nail down a complex nuclear deal, but negotiators remained tight-lipped on what progress had been made as the clock ticks down to a third deadline………

In a surprise move, US officials announced the talks had ended, only for Kerry to return to Zarif’s hotel for another hour-long session deep into the night.

The two sides are seeking to break a stalemate which has seen two earlier deadlines pass without an accord.

Now negotiators have given themselves until the end of June to reach a comprehensive agreement which would prevent the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear bomb in return for an easing of iron-clad global sanctions……..

The new Republican-controlled US Congress is already considering a bill which would slap new sanctions on Iran despite attempts by the Obama administration to hold them off………..http://news.yahoo.com/iran-says-kerry-meeting-important-progress-nuclear-talks-111227558.html

January 16, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Video: Nigeria’s push for renewable energy

Nigeria’s push for renewable energy (Video) http://www.dw.de/nigerias-push-for-renewable-energy/av-18193145, 15 Jan 15  In a few weeks, Nigerians will head to the polls for general elections. On the agenda will be the country’s ongoing electricity crisis. Nigeria is the biggest oil producer and home to the largest economy on the African continent. Yet 100 million Nigerians continue to live in the dark. Now, some see alternative energies as key to reducing poverty and ensuring environmental sustainability.

January 16, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Humanity’s last stand against climate change – this generation’s duty – Ban Ki Moon

climate-posterWe are the last generation that can fight climate change. We have a duty to act   Guardian 12 Jan 15  After a year of global turmoil, the UN and international community must work harder than ever for a sustainable future “……..Climate action took on significant momentum with major announcements by the EU, the US and China, and a successful climate conference in Lima, Peru, that kept complex negotiations on track. We must aim high: for the adoption of an ambitious and universal agreement in Paris in December to keep the rise in global temperatures below the dangerous threshold of 2C.

Ours is the first generation that can end poverty, and the last that can take steps to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. In this 70th anniversary year in which we renew our commitment to the goals and principles of the UN charter, the international community must rise to the moment. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/12/last-generation-tackle-climate-change-un-international-community

January 14, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

NATO expansion into Ukraine could spark World War 3

NATO Expansion Into Ukraine Could Ignite Nuclear War, Gorbachev Says; World ‘Will Not Survive The Next Few Years’ http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/578826/20150113/nato-expansion-ukraine-nuclear-war-gorbachev.htm#.VLWFANKUcnk By Esther Tanquintic-Misa | January 13, 2015 10:55 AM EST

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, without necessarily taking sides with Russian President Vladimir Putin, told a German news magazine that NATO instigated the current Ukraine crisis because it had chosen to not adhere to the provisions of the Paris Charter of 1990, thus saying the dangling nuclear between the bloc and Russia is just a matter of time.

With both sides flaunting their respective nuclear arsenal, Gorbachev told German magazine Der Spiegel the world “will not survive the next few years” if either side lost its nerve in the current stand-off. “Moscow does not believe the West, and the West does not believe Moscow. The loss of confidence is catastrophic.”

Although critical of his successor, the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize winner nonetheless believed Mr Putin was just reacting based on NATO’s flamboyant aspirations to expand, fuelled by the United States’ “dangerous winning mentality.” He said US-led NATO’s eastward expansion has destroyed the very essence of the European security order which was written in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975. The bloc’s expansion, he claimed, was a 180-degree turn away from the Paris Charter of 1990. He said the latter was made together with all European states to finally leave the Cold War in the past.

“We won’t survive the coming years if someone loses their nerve in this overheated situation,” Gorbachev said. “This is not something I’m saying thoughtlessly. I am extremely concerned.”

He also sanctions against Russia lead to nowhere because it harms both Moscow and those who imposed them. “It reminds me of blood revenge. Sanctions are not the suitable instrument in case we want to save our model relations,” he said, referring to the level of cooperation Moscow and Berlin showed in the 1990s and 2000s.

Tensions between Western powers and Russia escalated after pro-Russian separatists overtook large parts of eastern Ukraine. Afterwards, Russia annexed Crimea in early 2014. NATO has been escalating its forces in Eastern Europe while accusing Russia of sending troops to Ukraine. The latter had repeatedly denied the allegations.

January 14, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Custer County: Geologist states risks of groundwater contamination from uranium mining

Uranium foes elated by scientist’s findings http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/uranium-foes-elated-by-scientist-s-findings/article_145c9e0a-7d5e-58e5-914c-8ec00f5f2ef1.html Opponents of a plan to use groundwater to mine uranium in Fall River and Custer counties claimed victory Monday when a federal board made public a geologist’s statements that there are risks of groundwater contamination if mining is permitted.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board gave the public access to Hannan LaGarry’s supplemental written testimony about the proposed Dewey-Burdock in situ mine. LaGarry first testified for the opponents of the mine when the board had hearings in August in Rapid City.

After reviewing drill hole data that Azarga Uranium was ordered to open to inspection, LaGarry wrote that earlier Nuclear Regulatory Commission findings were based on a sample size too small to be “scientifically valid or useful in any way.”

January 14, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Radioactive water from Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant may have reached the Tennessee River

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant water leak may have reached the Tennessee River, monitoring shows no increased radiation Al.com  By Brian Lawson | blawson@al.com HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A worker at TVA’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant doing regular walk-around monitoring Jan. 7  identified a leak of radioactive water at the plant last week.

A Tennessee Valley Authority spokesman said today the leak resulted in a spill of between 100 and 200 gallons and some of that water, mixed with millions of gallons of cooling water, could have migrated to the Tennessee River.

TVA acknowledged that, while no elevated levels of radioactive pollutants have been discovered at the plant near Athens, the water that spilled exceeded federal guidelines for safe drinking.

The leak took nearly three hours to stop and is blamed on a faulty valve. It occurred in a common area for all three of the plant reactors and involved water that was being re-condensed after serving as steam to power the plant’s turbines.

TVA officials said this morning they are monitoring water going back into the river and have detected no elevated levels of tritium. TVA is still reviewing how the leak occurred. ………http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/01/browns_ferry_nuclear_plant_wat.html

January 14, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant has Tritium Leak

Tritium leak reported at nuclear plant in northern Alabama http://www.sunherald.com/2015/01/13/6015166/tritium-leak-reported-at-nuclear.html BY ASSOCIATED PRESS January 13, 2015  ATHENS, Ala. — A newspaper reports that radioactive water leaked from a tank at an Alabama nuclear plant, releasing tritium into the environment.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports (http://bit.ly/1BbmIs2) that the leak occurred last week at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant near Athens, Alabama.

A spokesman for the Tennessee Valley Authority, which operates the plant, said the leak was quickly contained and presented no public risk.

The TVA said a drain line leaked 100 to 200 gallons of water containing tritium levels above acceptable drinking water standards.

In a report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the TVA said it increased monitoring of water around the plant but hasn’t detected elevated tritium levels outside the plant.

Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen that occurs in nature and also as a byproduct of nuclear fission.

January 14, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Wake up call to Custer County on the dangers of in situ uranium mining

Uranium mining topic of Custer meeting Rapid City Journal. January 10, 2015   Andrea J. Cook Journal staff Opponents of a proposed uranium mining operation in southwest South Dakota are attempting to rally support in Custer County, while an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has delayed its decision on challenges to the mining operation.

Dakota Rural Action is hosting a public-information night starting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Custer County Courthouse Annex. Presenters will include Lilias Jarding, who is familiar with uranium and natural resources issues; Ed Harvey, a former nuclear researcher; and Bruce Ellison, an attorney for the Clean Water Alliance.

Few people in Custer County understand that Azarga Uranium Corporation’s Dewey-Burdock in situ uranium recovery operation extends into Custer County, according to Custer resident Juli Ames-Curtis. Ames-Curtis is also a member of Dakota Rural Action.

About half of the land at the Dewey-Burdock site is in Custer County, according to Jarding.

“It is important for the people in Custer County to understand what is proposed for the water and land,” Jarding said. “We’re concerned about water quality and water quantity.”

Opposition to the in situ process, which uses water injected into the ground to extract uranium, is well organized in Fall River County, but not in Custer County, she said.

In-Situ-Leaching

“No in situ uranium mine has ever been fully restored,” Jarding said.

“People just don’t have a clue about how it will impact their lives in this county,” Ames-Curtis said………http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/uranium-mining-topic-of-custer-meeting/article_e7185099-325d-5938-8887-11647b38bc9a.html

January 12, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear war becomes a possible outcome of Ukrainian fighting

Top Russian, American and Polish Leaders Warn that Continued Fighting In Ukraine Could Lead to Nuclear War http://investmentwatchblog.com/top-russian-american-and-polish-leaders-warn-that-continued-fighting-in-ukraine-could-lead-to-nuclear-war/ January 9th, 2015 by WashingtonsBlog

The Stakes Are Too High Not to Negotiate Peace  Former Soviet leader and Nobel price winner Mikhail Gorbachev warned today that the battle in Ukraine could result in a nuclear war:

“A war of this kind would unavoidably lead to a nuclear war,” the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize winner told Der Spiegel news magazine, according to excerpts released on Friday.

“We won’t survive the coming years if someone loses their nerve in this overheated situation,” added Gorbachev, 83. “This is not something I’m saying thoughtlessly. I am extremely concerned.”

One of America’s top experts on Russia – Steven Cohen – has also warned that failure to negotiate a peace treaty in Ukraine could lead to nuclear war.

Former Polish president – and famed anti-communist activist – Lech Walesa has  also warned that the U.S. and Nato’s arming of Ukraine could lead to a nuclear war. And see this.

Indeed, Eric Zuesse says that the risks are so high – and the American leaders so reckless – that Russia ispreparing for an expected nuclear attack by the U.S.

Read more at http://investmentwatchblog.com/top-russian-american-and-polish-leaders-warn-that-continued-fighting-in-ukraine-could-lead-to-nuclear-war/#6kmfyfIsKrOFGKsv.99

January 10, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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