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Manmohan Singh off to Japan for a nuclear deal

Policy Watch: The PM’s nuclear dreams, May 27, 2013,  Agency: DNA, R N Bhaskar  Minister Manmohan Singh is off to Japan this week.  Among other things, he is expected to sign papers relating to a nuclear deal. If true, that would be most unfortunate. 

First, general elections are just round the corner. It is not appropriate for any government to sign high-priced deals just before elections are due. Unfortunately, politicians love making big-ticket expenses just before elections.  
Past experience has shown that even a small percentage as commissions can be hugely tempting.
Second, all the data currently available indicates that nuclear power is more expensive than coal based power
Third, except for France, which depends heavily on nuclear power, almost every country is reducing its dependence on nuclear energy.  In fact, as one of the two charts reproduced shows, the US itself has never depended on nuclear energy for more than 20% of its energy mix. Had this source of energy been cheap, it would have enjoyed a bigger share of the US energy basket….. http://www.dnaindia.com/money/1839827/report-policy-watch-the-pm-s-nuclear-dreams

May 27, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

USA, Finland, Australia, Canada – global spread of Fukushima radiation

text ionisingFukushima Radiation Spreads Worldwide http://junogalaxy.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/fukushima-radiation-spreads-worldwide.html 25 May 13  Earth Changes —  California, Finland, Canada, Australia Hit By Radiation 

The University of California at Berkeleydetected cesium levels in San Francisco area milk above over EPA limits … and even higher than they were 6 months ago. 

Finnish public television says that cesium from Fukushima has been detected in lichens, fungi and elk and reindeer meat in Finland.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency confirmed a radiation cloud over the East Coast of Australia. 

The West Coast of Canada is getting hit by debris from Japan … and at least some of it is likely radioactive.

The authors of the controversial study claiming 14,000 deaths in the U.S. so far from Fukushima are now upping their figure to 20,000. I spoke with nuclear health expert Chris Busby about their study, and he said that mortality figures fluctuate pretty substantially in the normal course, and so it is hard to know at this point one way or the other whether their figures are accurate.

And while there is no evidence linking them to Fukushima, Bed Bath and Beyond has recalled radioactive tissue holders after they set off police radiation monitors aboard a delivery truck This may just be an example of the incredibly lax handling of radioactive materials.

And thyroid cancers are – mysteriously – on the rise in the U.S.

But don’t worry: The owner of the Fukushima plant has the plant in cold shutdown, so everything is “under control” … Although temperatures have apparently jumped inside Fukushima’s number 2 reactor, and the Japanese have no idea where the nuclear fuel has gone, so they are drilling a hole into the containment vessel to try to find it.

May 25, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

More options for USA’s nuclear waste are needed

AGs Tell Feds To Look At More Options For Spent Nuclear Fuel By BRIAN DOWLING, The Hartford Courant, May 24, 2013 Attorneys general from four New England states, including Connecticut, are asking federal regulators to consider other ways to handle spent nuclear fuel in their review of environmental impacts of the waste’s storage on-site at the plants.

In a filing with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission made Wednesday, the states brought up two options that were missing from a study of possible storage plans that was released in March. One option is shut down the plants until a permanent storage site is found. The other is have plants put spent fuel into dry casks rather than keep them in the plants’ cooling pools.

“State residents, particularly those living near active or retired nuclear power plants, need to know the potential environmental impact of long-term storage of nuclear waste,” Attorney General George Jepsen said in a written statement. Vermont, Massachusetts and New York were also on the filing.“Public confidence in the NRC’s study will only result if all viable options, such as alternatives that can substantially mitigate potentially adverse impacts, are considered….. http://www.courant.com/business/hc-nuclear-fuel-attorney-general-20130524,0,292186.story

May 25, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

China orders North Korea to return to nuclear talks

China Bluntly Tells North Korea to Enter Nuclear Talks NYT, By JANE PERLEZ May 24, 2013 BEIJING — The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, bluntly told a North Korean envoy Friday that his country should return to diplomatic talks designed to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons, according to a state-run Chinese news agency…. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/25/world/asia/china-tells-north-korea-to-return-to-nuclear-talks.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

May 25, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear deterrence has been a very dangerous system

Nuclear Winter of Our Discontent, TIME USA By May 22, 2013 “…..By re-studying the U.S. nuclear bombing of Japan that ended World War II in 1945, and the brush with World War III that 1962’s Cuban missile crisis represented, Ward Wilson  tries to revamp our understanding of the utility of nuclear weapons…… What this new scholarship reveals is that the failure rate of nuclear deterrence is potentially higher than theory admits.

Nuclear deterrence has to be perfect, or close to perfect. A catastrophic all-out nuclear war could result from any failure of nuclear deterrence, so there is little margin for error. One could say for nuclear deterrence, failure is not an option. Yet these documented cases of nuclear deterrence failure raise the possibility that we have been far luckier, and have run far greater risks, than we imagined. If nuclear deterrence has a high rate of failure, continuing to rely on it for the safety and security of the United States would seem to guarantee its eventual catastrophic failure.

One of the great strengths of the military mind is its insistence on experience-based thinking. In the case of nuclear weapons, there has historically been plenty of theory, but not as much sensible, pragmatic thinking. It is time for a little more pragmatic analysis.

Sobering stuff. Full thing here.- Rethinking the Utility of Nuclear Weapons http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/Issues/WinterSpring_2013/5_Article_Wilson.pdf

http://nation.time.com/2013/05/22/nuclear-winter-of-our-discontent/

May 23, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Japan’s renewable energy – $487 million investment from Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs to invest $487 million in Japan’s renewable energy market jdp,  MAY 23, 2013 by IDA TORRES  The Goldman Sachs Group is set to invest around 487 million dollars in the next five years in Japan’s renewable energy market. This is made due to the country’s increasing demand for electricity from solar and wind power as it tries to decrease its reliance on nuclear energy.

The investment will be coursed through the Japan Renewable Energy Co. unit which was created by Goldman in August 2012 to arrange the details, map out the design and operate power plants that will be running on renewable materials including the sun, wind, fuel cells and biomass fuels. They will be spreading out this investment through bank loans and project financing worth 2.4 billion dollars over 5 years for projects that will cost around 2.9 billon dollars in total.

Japan can potentially become the 2nd biggest market for solar energy by the end of the year, second only to China….http://japandailypress.com/goldman-sachs-to-invest-487-million-in-japans-renewable-energy-market-2329333

May 23, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant – shut since Jan 2012, and now – indefinitely!

reactor-San-Onofre-1Feds again delay San Onofre nuclear plant restart decision   89.3 KPCC, AP | May 20th, 2013, Federal regulators have indefinitely delayed a decision on the proposed restart of the offline San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California, raising new questions Monday about whether the twin reactors will produce electricity again.

The plant, on the seaside border of San Diego and Orange counties, has been dark since January 2012, after a small radiation leak led to the discovery of unusual damage to hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water.

Operator Southern California Edison wants permission to restart the Unit 2 reactor and run it at reduced power in hopes of stopping vibration and friction that was blamed for damaging tubing.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission delayed several earlier target dates for a ruling, with officials recently projecting a June announcement. But its website on Monday listed no date for a restart decision – only “to be determined.”

Agency spokesman Victor Dricks had no comment.  Last week, the NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board sided with environmentalists who have called for lengthy hearings on the restart plan after concluding that firing up the plant would allow Edison “to operate beyond the scope of its existing license.”…. http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/05/20/37332/feds-again-delay-san-onofre-nuclear-plant-restart/

May 21, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Iran reiterates its opposition to nuclear bombs

Iran strongly opposes nuclear weapons: MP, Press TV 20 May 13 A senior Iranian lawmaker says all signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) have the right to peaceful nuclear know-how, expressing Iran’s strong opposition to nuclear weapons.
“Iran seriously opposes nuclear bombs and believes that all nuclear weapons in the world should be eliminated,” Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi said. 
He made the remarks in a meeting with a member of Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of South Korea’s Parliament Chung Moon-hun in Tehran on Monday. …..http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/20/304504/iran-strongly-opposes-nuclear-weapons/

May 20, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

200 firefighters doused fire on ship loaded with radioactive material

safety-symbol-SmHamburg ‘avoids radiation disaster’ as ship loaded with fissile material, explosives burns (VIDEO) RT May 18, 2013 The German city of Hamburg likely avoided a major technological disaster on May 1, when a freighter ship caught fire. It had several tons of radioactive material and explosives among its cargo, it was revealed.

It took 200 firefighters working for several hours to douse the fires on the Atlantic Cartier. The ship’s most visible cargo was some 70 cars, 30 of which were damaged in the incident. But now it was revealed that the vessel also had highly dangerous substances on board as well, which posed the threat of radioactive contamination to the area……. http://rt.com/news/hamburg-radioactive-ship-fire-464/

May 20, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Hunt for Bin Laden could have led to nuclear war

Noam Chomsky: Obama was willing to start nuclear war to kill bin Laden Raw Story, By Eric W. Dolan, May 18, 2013  MIT professor Noam Chomsky criticized the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Friday, saying President Barack Obama could have provoked a nuclear war.

“We were very close to war with Pakistan, which easily could have turned into a nuclear war, which could have destroyed all of us,” he told Jason Liosatos of Global Peace Radio. “The Obama administration was willing to take that chance, though there were other ways of finding and apprehending bin Laden.”….. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/18/noam-chomsky-obama-willing-to-start-nuclear-war-to-kill-bin-laden/

May 20, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Safety problems led to banning nuclear submarines from two Scottish lochs

Nuclear subs temporarily banned from two Scottish lochs, BBC News, 16 May 13 Royal Navy nuclear submarines have been temporarily banned from two Scots lochs after failing training assessments.

Problems with safety procedures were identified during simulated submarine accident exercises in March and April.

The Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator has banned submarines from Loch Goil, near Faslane, and Loch Ewe in Wester Ross, while the issues are addressed……http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22556949

May 18, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Crack in North Carolina nuclear reactor – reactor shut down

North Carolina nuclear plant shut down after crack discovered Fox News May 16, 2013 Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. –  A nuclear plant near North Carolina’s capital city was shut down after operators reviewing ultrasonic tests from last year found the results showed tiny marks of corrosion and cracking that need repair, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said….http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/16/north-carolina-nuclear-plant-shut-down-after-crack-discovered/#ixzz2TazTGNuR

May 18, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Unplanned nuclear shutdowns happening more often now in USA

Unplanned shutdowns’ at Turkey Point nuclear plant lead to more oversight By Marcia Heroux Pounds, Sun Sentinel May 17, 2013  

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday it is increasing oversight of theTurkey Point Unit 3 nuclear power plant after three “unplanned shutdowns.”

But the commission said that the Florida Power & Light Co. plant near Homestead is “operating safely.”

Unplanned shutdowns are not common. And when they happen frequently they can signal broader issues, the NRC said…… The NRC said it will conduct an additional inspection to ensure that causes of the shutdowns are understood, to identify the extent of condition, and to make sure that FPL’s corrective actions are sufficient….. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-fpl-turkey-point-oversight-20130517,0,4825698.story

May 18, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

NRC wants to change the rules on radioactive transport

Nuclear watchdog seeks to change rules on transporting radioactive material THE HILL, By Julian Hattem – 05/15/13 The nation’s nuclear watchdog wants to issue new rules on transporting radioactive material to bring the United States in line with international standards.

The changes to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) rules would meet 2009 revisions to regulations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global nuclear energy organization, as well as 2011 regulations from the Department of Transportation. http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300017-nuclear-agency-seeks-to-change-rules-on-transporting-nuclear-material#ixzz2TVXVzRAd

May 16, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Check on USA nuclear reactors’ performance with activist toolkit

Nuclear Energy Activist Toolkit #6: Reactor Daily Power Levels , director, Nuclear Safety Project All Things Nuclear, May 14, 2013 When something happens at a U.S. nuclear power reactor like an unplanned shut down or problem that prevents operation at full power, it can be helpful to place that incident in context. One means of providing that context is to examine that reactors’ operating performance. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission posts information online that can help. Each work day, the NRC posts a data setcontaining the daily power levels reported for each nuclear power reactor in the country during the past year.

 Each entry in the data set contains a date, the reactor’s name (e.g, Indian Point 2) and the percentage of rated power (i.e., 0 to 100).

The data set can be easily downloaded as a text file and imported into a spreadsheet program like Excel to allow the data to be examined. Those steps for Excel are:……http://allthingsnuclear.org/nuclear-energy-activist-toolkit-6-reactor-daily-power-levels/

May 16, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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