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Former nuclear chief Gregory Jaczko lobbies for closing nuclear power

Jaczko,-GregoryThree Years After Fukushima, Ex-Nuclear Chief Lobbies For Worldwide Phase-Out  HUFFINGTON POST,  | by  YURI KAGEYAMA TOKYO (AP) 13 Mar 14, — As radiation spewed from Japan’s nuclear disaster three years ago, the top U.S. atomic energy regulator issued a 50-mile evacuation warning for any Americans in the area, a response some found extreme.

Gregory Jaczko, who stepped down as chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2012, still believes he was right, and says the events at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant show that nuclear power should be phased out in Japan and worldwide.

“The lesson has to be: This kind of accident is unacceptable to society. And that’s not me saying it. That’s society saying that,” he said in an interview this week in Tokyo, where he is giving lectures and speaking on panels marking the third anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that overwhelmed the Fukushima plant.

Now a lecturer at Princeton University, Jaczko, 43, has become a hit on the speaking circuit in Japan, where all 48 nuclear plants remain offline as the country debates what role nuclear power should play in its future……..

Jaczko said he had always been concerned about nuclear safety. But so much unfolded at Fukushima that experts were unprepared for, that it changed his view, and that of the Japanese public, on nuclear power.

Chernobyl and Three Mile Island were major accidents, but for Jackso, Fukushima definitively undermined industry assumptions such as multiple accidents were unlikely or hydrogen leaks would be controlled………http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/13/fukushima-gregory-jaczko_n_4954621.html?utm_hp_ref=green

March 14, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Plans for replacing energy after closure of San Onofre nuclear plant

New power sources planned to replace nuclear plant MODESTO  BEE BY MICHAEL R. BLOOD Associated PressMarch 13, 2014 LOS ANGELES — California regulators Thursday approved a plan for two utilities to develop replacement power to help fill the void left by the closure of the San Onofre nuclear power plant, but environmentalists warned it could open the way for more dirty energy.

The nuclear plant between San Diego and Los Angeles, which stopped producing power in January 2012, once generated enough electricity for 1.4 million homes. The unanimous vote by the California Public Utilities Commission opened the way for Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric to find ways to plug that gap.

Under the order, the utilities must obtain at least part of the power from renewable sources, conservation and storage. Commission President Michael Peevey said he would have preferred electricity that did not include natural gas-fired generation, but it wasn’t yet possible to rely only on solar and wind power, customer conservation and other alternative sources.

California has been at the forefront among states in moving away from fossil-fuel generation, but solar, wind and other green energy make up only a fraction of overall production in the state.

Environmentalists say the decision increases the odds of seeing more polluting energy as California seeks to address climate change, but Commissioner Mike Florio said no one in the world has managed to run a complex electricity grid without some fossil-fuel energy to handle unexpected shortages………http://www.modbee.com/2014/03/13/3237078/california-vies-to-replace-closed.html

 

March 14, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Global anxiety over risks of nuclear terrorism

Our nuclear insecurity Preventing terrorists from seizing bomb materials is still an ad-hoc global effort By Christina Pazzanese, Harvard Staff Writer 13 Mar 14

As the intense conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, and talk of a return to Cold War-style politics heats up, top world leaders, including President Vladimir Putin and President Obama, are slated to meet later this month to discuss how best to contain what all agree is a significant and growing international threat: nuclear terrorism.

While nuclear arms control and disarmament talks between nations have long been a cornerstone of diplomacy, making sure nuclear materials don’t fall into the hands of individuals or groups bent on harm has not received that same level of attention from the international community until recently. Continue reading →

March 14, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Britain expects to keep nuclear missile base in Scotland

Britain says Scottish independence vote not forcing nuclear base rethink Yahoo News 7,  March 14, 2014, BARROW-IN-FURNESS, England (Reuters) – Britain is making no contingency plans for moving its nuclear forces out of Scotland because the government does not expect Scots to vote for independence on September 18, Defence Minister Philip Hammond said on Thursday.

Britain’s submarines armed with Trident nuclear missiles are based at the Faslane naval base northwest of the Scottish city of Glasgow, so a vote to break the 307-year union could cost the government billions of dollars to move the naval base………

Scottish nationalists have said they would want to remove all Britain’s nuclear missiles from Scottish soil in the first term of a Scottish parliament after a vote for independence.http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/21969523/britain-says-scottish-independence-vote-not-forcing-nuclear-base-rethink/

March 14, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

‘unprofessional’ culture of nuclear weapons officers

US air force documents reveal ‘rot’ in culture of nuclear weapons officers Launch officers barely passed inspection at North Dakota base as evidence grows of cheating and ‘unprofessional’ behaviour  Associated Press in Washington theguardian.com, Friday 14 March 2014 Failings exposed last spring at a US nuclear missile base, reflecting what one officer called “rot” in the ranks, were worse than originally reported, according to air force documents obtained by the Associated Press. Continue reading →

March 14, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Virtually no cost for Michigan to triple its renewable energy use

sunMichigan Can Triple Its Use of Renewable Energy at Virtually No Additional Cost UCS , Sam Gomberg, March 12, 2014  With Governor Snyder’s recent announcement of clean energy goals for Michigan, the conversation is quickly developing around the future role of renewable energy in the state. To help inform that conversation, a newly released analysis by my UCS colleagues and me found that Michigan can triple its use of renewable energy — from 10 percent in 2015 to 33 percent in 2030 — at virtually no cost to consumers. Here’s how…….http://blog.ucsusa.org/michigan-can-triple-its-use-of-renewable-energy-at-virtually-no-additional-cost-446

March 13, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Unlikely that Ukraine will get nuclear weapons

Don’t Worry, Ukraine Won’t Go Nuclear Michael Crowley @Crowley TIME 12 Mar 14  Ukraine once had a massive nuclear arsenal. But despite calls in Kiev to develop a nuclear deterrent against Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the idea is far-fetched. Building a bomb would be incredibly difficult and contradicts the country’s long nonproliferation record…….http://time.com/22125/ukraine-crimea-cossacks-russia/

 

March 13, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Fukushima children must play inside, and food must be checked

 Morning Express: SMH Tuesday, March 11 “…..ome of the youngest children who live a short drive from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant barely know what it’s like to play outside. Their fear of radiation has kept them indoors for much of their lives so far.

Japan is preparing to mark the anniversary of the deadly earthquake and tsunami that swept the northern Pacific coastline three years ago.

“There are children who are very fearful. They ask before they eat anything, ‘Does this have radiation in it?’ and we have to tell them it’s OK to eat,” said a director of a Koriyama kindergarten. “But some really, really want to play outside. They say they want to play in the sandbox and make mud pies. We have to tell them, ‘No, I’m sorry. Play in the sandbox inside instead.’…http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/morning-express/morning-express-tuesday-march-11-20140311-34ic5.html#ixzz2vg3qcGCN

March 11, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Remembrance and anti-nuclear rallies mark anniversary of Japan’s tsunami

Japan marks 3rd anniversary of tsunami  Sky News, Tuesday March 11, 2014 Japan is marking the third anniversary of the quake-tsunami disaster which swept away 18,000 victims, destroyed coastal communities, and sparked a nuclear emergency that forced a re-think on atomic power.

Remembrance ceremonies will be held on Tuesday in towns and cities around the disaster zone and in the capital Tokyo, where Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are to lead tributes to those who lost their lives in Japan’s worst peace-time disaster………

The crippled plant remains volatile and experts say the complicated decommissioning process will take decades, as fears persist over the long-term health effects of leaked radiation. The accident forced tens of thousands to flee from areas around the shattered site……..

On Sunday, tens of thousands staged an anti-nuclear rally in Tokyo ahead of the anniversary, voicing anger at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to switch on shuttered nuclear reactors, which once supplied more than a quarter of the resource-poor nation’s power.Abe repeated his view Monday that reactors which can be deemed safe would be turned back on. All of Japan’s reactors were switched off after the accident. http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=957232

March 11, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Governor of Massachusetts concerned about safety of Pilgrim nuclear power plant

Massachusetts governor has nuclear plant concerns  BOSTON (AP) 10 Mar 14— Gov. Deval Patrick pledged on Monday to write a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, expressing concerns about the safety of the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth.

Patrick made the promise after meeting briefly with the head of a group of Cape Cod residents seeking to shut down the plant. The governor said he shares the group’s safety concerns about the plant and has expressed them both publicly and to the federal agency overseeing nuclear power in the past…….http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/03/10/mass-gov-patrick-share-concerns-about-pilgrim/0hrvw2GFkygQxoXZ5sSjaO/story.html

March 11, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Future is bright for renewable energy in Africa

Africa Has Bright Renewable Energy Future – Ernst & Young Report  VENTURES AFRICA- 10 Mar 14 Africa is poised to overtake Europe as one of the key areas of growth in the production and use of renewable energy technologies, as the use of clean tech becomes more imperative to stem the tide of climate change all over the world.

Already, South Africa has been recognised as a significant hub for clean tech, having been voted for by the IHS as the best country in the world to locate clean technologies. Market experts have watched international developers and funders invest copiously in the South Africa’s renewable energy market, making it a hub for laudable renewable energy projects.

While African countries like Ethiopia and Kenya were identified as markets to watch this year alongside other emerging markets like Malaysia and Uruguay; the Ernst & Young Renewable Energy Attractiveness Index (RECAI) report noted that emerging markets are attracting about half of new investment in the sector, and investors will increasingly focus on those markets ………

Warren also stressed the need for increased investment in grid management, digitalized supply and demand management, distributed applications and the commercialization of storage technology in order to avoid transmission bottlenecks and intermittency challenges. http://www.ventures-africa.com/2014/03/africa-has-bright-renewable-energy-future-ernst-young-report/

March 11, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Effect of Japan’s move to restart nuclear power will ripple globally

Nuclear energy costs still rising, three years on from Fukushima, SMH,  11 Mar 14 “…..,.How Japan proceeds on nuclear will ripple beyond its own borders with nations in Europe and beyond wavering over whether to purse atomic power, Wade Allison, a physics professor at Oxford University, U.K., said during a recent Hamaoka visit.

“The world is looking at Japan and what you do with nuclear energy,” Allison said. “The faster Japan can turn the reactors on the better.”

That’s not the view of Japan’s citizens.

According to this month’s poll published by the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, 69 percent of respondents said nuclear power should be phased out over time or immediately. The March 1 and 2 poll surveyed 3,000 people with a 58 percent response rate.

As the question of turning reactors back on continues to divide Japan, plant operators face other hurdles.

‘Toughest guidelines’

The Nuclear Regulation Authority was formed in September 2012 as an independent watchdog to replace the previous regulator. Its Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said the agency has “the world’s toughest guidelines” for operating nuclear plants……..http://www.smh.com.au/environment/nuclear-energy-costs-still-rising-three-years-on-from-fukushima-20140311-34ii6.html

March 11, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Southern Alliance calls for public review before St. Lucie nuclear reactor can restart

Southern Alliance seeks public review before St. Lucie nuclear plant returns to service, Tampa Bay Times, Ivan Penn,10 Mar 14, The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy filed a petition Monday to block a St. Lucie nuclear reactor from returning to service until the public vets unusual wear inside the plant’s steam generators.

In a complaint to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Southern Alliance accused the NRC of allowing unit two of the St. Lucie nuclear complex to operate outside of its license.

The Southern Alliance argued that plant owner Florida Power & Light omitted components without formal NRC approval, contributing to premature steam generator tube wear……..

The Southern Alliance, based in Knoxville, Tenn., is one of the organizations, along with the state Office of Public Counsel, the Florida Industrial Powers Users Group and the Florida Retail Federation, that routinely argues cases against utilities before the Public Service Commission.

Before St. Lucie returns to service, the Southern Alliance wants the NRC to hold public hearings………http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/southern-alliance-seeks-public-review-before-st-lucie-2-returns-to-service/2169448

March 11, 2014 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

Next thing – a nuclear Ukraine?

Ukraine may have to go nuclear, says Kiev lawmaker, USA Today, KIEV, Ukraine 10 Mar  — Ukraine may have to arm itself with nuclear weapons if the United States and other world powers refuse to enforce a security pact that obligates them to reverse the Moscow-backed takeover of Crimea, a member of the Ukraine parliament told USA TODAY…….http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/10/ukraine-nuclear/6250815/

March 11, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Unanswered questions about New Mexico radiation leak

text ionising‘Too soon’ to know health effects from nuclear leak in New Mexico  Aljazeera, February 27, 2014   13 workers at the nation’s first underground nuclear storage facility were exposed to radiation last week Federal officials and a private contractor held a joint press conference on Thursday to say it is too soon to speculate about the health effects a radiation leak at the nation’s first underground nuclear waste repository might have on the workers there.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the contractor that runs the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) in New Mexico confirmed Wednesday that 13 workers who were aboveground the night of one reported leak have tested positive for radiation exposure. And they say more workers are being tested.

DOE representatives said more tests are needed to determine the levels of exposure and emphasized that all readings at the site have been at what they said were “very low” levels.

The leak has raised questions about the facility’s safety and provided ammunition for anti-nuclear activists who say there is currently no safe way to store nuclear waste……..

… watchdog Don Hancock, director of the Nuclear Waste Safety program at the Southwest Research and Information Center, said the fact that the workers were exposed raises questions  Continue reading →

March 1, 2014 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

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