Middle East: Why should Israel alone be allowed to have nuclear weapons?
Israel should give up nuclear weapons http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/14/letter-israel-should-give-nuclear-weapons/ E.L. Hamilton
Why does the United States insist that Israel be the only nation in
the Middle East with nuclear weapons? With Israel’s record, it should
be the last nation on Earth to have nuclear weapons.
At 2 p.m. on Oct. 6, 1973, Egypt attacked the Israelis across the Suez
Canal. The Israelis were caught off guard, and the Egyptians destroyed
their forces. As the situation deteriorated, Israeli Prime Minister
Golda Meir ordered the French-built Mirage planes loaded with nuclear
bombs. The nuclear missiles were also loaded on their launchers. One
plane was loaded on the runway ready for takeoff. Fortunately, the
planes were not launched.
Israel will never give up the West Bank or the Golan Heights. It needs
it for expansion. If it reaches this goal, it can then annex territory
from neighboring countries with no opposition for future expansion.
Either Israel should be forced to give up its nuclear weapons or
another Middle Eastern country should be permitted to have them as a
counterbalance to Israel.
Israel should be forced to give up the West Bank and the Golan Heights
even if it takes military force. This action would have to be taken by
some nation other than the United States, which is controlled by
Israel.ed May 14, 2013
New Mexico uranium mine project – deadline for comment is extended
Public Has More Time To Comment On New Uranium Mine Proposal http://kunm.org/post/public-has-more-time-comment-new-uranium-mine-proposal By CARRIE JUNG, 13 May 13, T
The proposed Roca Honda uranium mine, located next to San Mateo Mesa, is a joint venture of Strathmore Minerals and a Japanese nuclear utility company. John Dejoia, Senior Vice President of New Mexico Operations for Strathmore Minerals says only minor disturbances such as roads and vent shafts would be located in the culturally sensitive areas of the project.
But Gregg Shutiva, Governor of Acoma Pueblo, says even minor disturbances on cultural property is are considered highly offensive by members of the tribe. “Even a road,” Governor Shutiva says, “that is established by taking a grater and removing the first top foot of dirt, that may disturb cultural sites. It would be like plowing down the Vatican.”
The US Forest Service released the draft environmental impact statement for the Roca Honda Uranium mine in February. The agency is accepting public comment through mid-June and is expected to make a final decision on the proposal by December.
We ignore the growing global nuclear arsenal at our peril
Who Will Drop the Next Nuclear Bomb? We ignore the ever-growing global arsenal of nuclear weapons at our peril. The Nation, Nick Turse May 13, 2013 “…….Rattling Sabers and Nuclear Denial Frederick Burkle points out that, today, discussions about nuclear weapons in the Middle East almost exclusively center on whether or not Iran will produce an atomic bomb instead of “focusing on ensuring that there are options for them to embrace an alternate sense of security.” He warns that the repercussions may be grave. “The longer this goes on the more we empower that singular thinking both within Iran and Israel.”
Even if Iran were someday to build several small nuclear weapons, their utility would be limited. After all, analysts note that Israel would be capable of launching a post-attack response which would simply devastate Iran. Right now, Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East. Yet a preemptive Israeli nuclear strike against Iran also seems an unlikely prospect to most experts.
“Currently, there is little chance of a true nuclear war between the two nations,” according to Paul Carroll of the Ploughshares Fund. Israel, he points out, would be unlikely to use nuclear weapons unless its very survival were at stake. “However, Israel’s rhetoric about red lines and the threat of a nuclear Iran are something we need to worry about,” he told me recently by email. “A military strike to defeat Iran’s nuclear capacity would A) not work B) ensure that Iran WOULD then pursue a bomb (something they have not clearly decided to do yet) and C) risk a regional war.”…….
In a world awash in nuclear weapons, saber-rattling, brinkmanship, erratic behavior, miscalculations, technological errors, or errors in judgment could lead to a nuclear detonation and suffering on an almost unimaginable scale, perhaps nowhere more so than in Iran. “Not only would the immediate impacts be devastating, but the lingering effects and our ability to deal with them would be far more difficult than a 9/11 or earthquake/tsunami event,” notes Paul Carroll. Radiation could turn areas of a country into no-go zones; healthcare infrastructure would be crippled or totally destroyed; and depending on climatic conditions and the prevailing winds, whole regions might have their agriculture poisoned. “One large bomb could do this, let alone a handful, say, in a South Asian conflict,” he told me.
“I do believe that the longer we have these weapons and the more there are, the greater the chances that we will experience either an intentional attack (state-based or terrorist) or an accident,” Carroll wrote in his email. “In many ways, we’ve been lucky since 1945. There have been some very close calls. But our luck won’t hold forever.” …..http://www.thenation.com/article/174295/who-will-drop-next-nuclear-bomb#
India’s nuclear policies meeting with determined opposition
Activists slam govt’s nuclear policies http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Activists-slam-govt-s-nuclear-policies/Article1-1058924.aspx Nikhil M Ghanekar, Hindustan Times Mumbai, May 12, 2013 On Saturday, the Coal-ition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP) and anti-nuclear activists criticised the Centre’s policy of expediting civilian nuclear energy projects when most developed nations have shunned the technology following the Fukushima disaster.
CNDP founder Achin Vanaik and activists such as Praful Bidwai and Vaishali Patil spoke on nuclear disarmament, the secrecy around nuclear power and the huge costs of producing nuclear energy at the seminar- ‘Coming out of the nuclear trap’.
Bidwai said the department of atomic energy had propagated myths about the advantage of nuclear power. “The costs of producing nuclear energy are exorbitant… the cost of decommissioning reactors is half of what is used to build them.”
USA nuclear officers in a dead-end career?
Is there a morale crisis in the US nuclear force? Arab News ROBERT BURNS 13 May 2013 Beyond the US Air Force’s embarrassing suspension of 17 nuclear missile launch officers lie two broader questions.
Do those entrusted with the world’s most destructive weapons feel stuck in a dead-end career field, given the momentum toward more nuclear arms reductions? And is there a morale crisis among these officers?
This matters because the missiles — 450 of them standing in below-ground silos, ready for launch at a moment’s notice — form a critical part of America’s nuclear defenses. There is little room for error. Although none has ever been fired in anger, the risk of accidental launch or unauthorized intrusion is real.
In a rare look inside the secretive world of nuclear missiles, The Associated Press reported this past week that the deputy commander of operations for the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, complained to his officers about “rot” within their ranks.
In a confidential email obtained by the AP, Lt. Col. Jay Folds wrote of 17 launch officers, 10 percent of his force, being removed from duty for what he likened to incompetence. They are being given remedial training, with the goal of being back on duty within two months….. http://www.arabnews.com/news/451372
A sad week for the nuclear industry: 6 reactors to go
Experts: Easily the worst single week for U.S. nuclear power industry since Fukushima — 4 major setbacks in 3 days — 6 reactors on chopping block http://enenews.com/experts-easily-the-worst-single-week-for-u-s-nuclear-power-industry-since-fukushima-4-major-setbacks-in-3-days-6-reactors-on-chopping-block
Title: Worst Week Since Fukushima: 4 Major Setbacks In 3 Days Are Latest…
Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire
Author: Peter Bradford , adjunct professor, Vermont Law School and Mark Cooper, senior fellow for economic analysis, Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School
Date: May 8, 2013
Worst Week Since Fukushima: 4 Major Setbacks In 3 Days Are Latest Stumbles For U.S. Nuclear Power Industry
Reverse Renaissance? Experts Point to 6 Reactors on the Chopping Block and Passage of Anti-Industry Florida Law; Beleaguered Industry’s Woes Start With Bad Economics … and Go Downhill From There.
Call it the “renaissance in reverse.” Not only is the U.S. nuclear power industry mothballing plans for planned reactors in North Carolina and Texas, it also is now pulling the plug (or threatening to do so) on existing reactors in California. All of that and the passage of anti-industry legislation in Florida happened last week (April 28th-May 3rd), easily the worst single week for the U.S. nuclear power industry since the March 2011 meltdown of nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan. […]
Full release here
Hackers attack researchers on nuclear radiation issues
Department of Labor website reportedly compromised to target nuclear weapons workersThe Verge, By Dieter Bohn on May 3, 2013 Two computer security software firms are reporting that a US Department of Labor website was compromised with malware designed to target employees in the Department of Energy — likely nuclear researchers. According to Invincea, a zero-day exploit targeting Internet Explorer 8 was discovered on the DoL’s “Site Exposure Matrix Database,” a site meant to provide information on the heath risks associated with exposure to radioactive materials. That site contained a redirect which secretly installed malware that could communicate witha remote server, according to Alien Vault……..http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/3/4298782/department-of-labor-website-reportedly-compromised-to-target-nuclear
Government collusion with nuclear industry disinformation
Time for a nuclear phase-out?, Le Monde, 10 May 13, by Adam Chimienti “…….Attempts to mislead Governmental collusion with the nuclear industry may have led to considerable threats to human health and environmental safety. We have seen extensive attempts to mislead and cover up. Japanese nuclear power operators and vendors, including TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company), the owner of Fukushima’s plants, knew well in advance that many reactors were not prepared to deal with major earthquakes, according to US State Department documents and the company’s own spokespeople. Yet this awareness only led to collusion with METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in an effort to downplay or ignore legitimate concerns only a few years before the March 11, 2011 earthquake. The pro-nuclear forces in the country did everything in their power to dismiss the urging of experts warning of a major disaster in the years prior to the meltdowns. The Japanese government also overturned a court order for the closure of a plant in Kanazawa in Western Japan that was considered unable to withstand a major earthquake (2). Continue reading
UK: Prime Minister Cameron appoints climate change sceptic as adviser
Climate change sceptic to advise David Cameron on foreign policy, Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent The Guardian, 10 May 2013 Appointment of Peter Lilley, one of only four MPs to vote against Climate Change Act, criticised by green campaigners One of the government’s fiercest climate change sceptics has been appointed to advise the prime minister on key foreign policy issues, in a move that has angered green campaigners. Peter Lilley, a former minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, was one of only four MPs to vote against the Climate Change Act, and has been a frequent contributor to climate-sceptic forums, as well as being vice-chairman of oil company Tethys Petroleum. He will work on the new No 10 Downing Street foreign policy board, headed by Jo Johnson…. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/10/climate-change-sceptic-peter-lilley
Nuclear energy is neither pollutant free, nor carbon free
Nuclear power is not the answer to our energy needs http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-nuclear-industry-20130509,0,7641347.story#ixzz2Svejsjs0 Regina Minniss, 9 May 13 Dan Ervin’s commentary on lifting restrictions on U.S. companies supplying nuclear power equipment abroad is completely misleading (“A nuclear opportunity,” May 6).
Nuclear energy is not, as Mr. Ervin says, pollutant free or carbon free. Government regulations allow nuclear power plants to deliberately’ and routinely emit hundreds of thousands of curies of radioactive gases and other radioactive elements into the environment every day. Radiation cannot be seen, felt or tasted, so I’m wondering if this is why Mr. Ervin feels he can credibly say that nuclear power is pollution free.
As far as carbon dioxide-free, the energy used to create nuclear energy — to mine the uranium ore, crush, mull and enrich it, then create the concrete and steel container vessel for the reactor and store the hot radioactive nuclear waste — all comes from the consumption of fossil fuels
Malfunction shuts down Calvert Cliffs nuclear reactor
Calvert Cliffs nuclear reactor shuts down, Unexplained malfunction under investigation By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun, May 9, 2013
One of two reactors at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Southern Maryland shut down suddenly Wednesday night after an as-yet-unexplained malfunction, a Constellation spokesman said.,,,,, http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/blog/bs-gr-calvert-clifffs-shutdown-20130509,0,6098339.story
Renewable energy report – a plus for Nevada
Nevada Renewable Energy – Good or Bad? Oilprice.com By John Daly, 05 May 2013 Say what you will, the energy matrix driving the U.S. economy is in flux, if for no other reason than the increasing volumes of natural gas and oil produced by U.S. hydraulic fracturing efforts are beginning to have a significant impact on the U.S. economy.
While the issue of “fracking” excites legions of both proponents and detractors, the common ground that both share is a commitment to lessen America’s dependency on foreign energy exports.
Another element, still largely marginalized in the mix, is renewable energy, and a most interesting story is now playing out in Nevada, where two recent reports present diametrically opposed image of the importance of renewable energy in the state’s future.
For the upside, view the Applied Analysis “The Economic Impact of (Nevada’s) Renewable Portfolio Standard,” written for the Las Vegas-based Clean Energy Project last month.
Cutting to the chase, the report concluded that a shift to renewable energy would positively impact the state’s employment and economic output…….http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Nevada-Renewable-Energy-Good-or-Bad.html
France’s ballistic missile test a flop
French ballistic missile test ends in failure http://www.marketwatch.com/story/french-ballistic-missile-test-ends-in-failure-2013-05-05?reflink=MW_news_stmp By David Pearson 5 May, PARIS—A ballistic missile test from a French nuclear submarine on Sunday ended in failure, the defense ministry said in a statement.
The M-51 missile, without its nuclear warhead, was fired from the “Vigilant” submarine as it cruised off the coast of Brittany. Technicians caused the missile to auto-destruct shortly after launch in a zone that was closed to air and sea traffic, the ministry said
May 9 Live stream panel on Fukushima ocean radiation
VIDEO: Fukushima ocean radiation panel to be live-streamed http://summitcountyvoice.com/2013/05/03/fukushima-ocean-radiation-panel-to-be-live-streamed/ May 3, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
Experts to discuss concerns about radioactive dispersion; viewers can ask questions via Twitter during May 9 session FRISCO — More than two years have passed since a 9.0 earthquake and a 50-foot tsunami catastrophically damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant on Japan’s northeast coast, but questions still linger about the long-term impacts of radioactive pollution in the ocean.
The quake and tsunami killed about 20,000 people, and some coastal Japanese fisheries are still closed due to concern about the radiation. Next week, an international panel of scientists will discuss the accident and potential impacts to the environment and human health in a web-streamed session at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
The panel will be held on May 9, 2013, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. EDT and simulcast on the Web (http://www.whoi.edu/fukushima). Online viewers are encouraged to participate and send questions for the panel discussion via Twitter. The event hashtag is #WHOIfukushima. Questions during the discussion can also be sent via email to cmer@whoi.edu.
The panel will look at natural and human sources of radiation in the ocean, what was released from Fukushima, impacts on marine ecosystems and human health, public policy implications, and how information is communicated to the public.
“The goal is not to alarm or assign blame, but to talk about lessons learned from this tragic event,” said WHOI senior scientist and marine chemist Ken Buesseler, who led the first international, multidisciplinary assessment of the levels and dispersion of radioactive substances in the Pacific Ocean off the Fukushima nuclear power plant in June 2011.
Following the short keynote presentations, Heather Goldstone, host of Living Lab on WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station, will moderate a panel discussion from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EDT.
The program will include presentations by:
- Mitsuo Uematsu, University of Tokyo
“The Fukushima Disaster: An Overview” - Ken Buesseler, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
“Radioisotopes in the Ocean” - Jota Kanda, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
“Radioisotopes in Marine Life” - Hiroyuki Matsuda, Yokohama National University
“Seafood Safety and Public Policy” - James Seward, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
“Impacts of Radioactivity on Human Health” - Dennis Normile, Science Magazine
“The Role of the Media in Disasters” - Jian Lin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
“Tsunamis and nuclear power in the U.S.”
The program is part of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Morss Colloquia series, established thanks to a generous gift by Elisabeth W. and Henry A. Morss, Jr.
The Oak Ridge anti nuclear protestors
THE PROPHETS of OAK RIDGE, WT, 2 May 13 Dan Za Last summer, in the dead of night, three peace activists penetrated the exterior of Y-12 in Tennessee, supposedly one of the most secure nuclear-weapons facilities in the United States. A drifter, an 82-year-old nun and a house painter. They face trial next week on charges that fall under the sabotage section of the U.S. criminal code. And if they had been terrorists armed with explosives, intent on mass destruction? That nightmare scenario underlies the government’s response to the intrusion. This is the story of two competing worldviews, of conscience vs. court, of fantasy vs. reality, of history vs. the future…… http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2013/04/29/the-prophets-of-oak-ridge/
1 This Month
petition to oppose the rapid increase of space-military industry threatening Jeju Island and the region.
[Petition by April 19th (KST)] Stop the joint military-Hanwha Systems-Jeju Provincial Government Sea Launch!
World Nuclear Power. Reactors 1951-2026, 75 Years of Nuclear Power.
Interactive Map– https://dv.worldnuclearreport.org/
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/2352741955560
of the week–London Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Tell the Ukrainian Government to Drop Prosecution of Peace Activist Yurii Sheliazhenko
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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