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Southern California planning to manage summer without nuclear energy

California Nuclear Plants May Not Resume by Summer Energy Biz, Wayne Barber | May 16, 2012 A new report released by Friends of the Earth (FOE) says it would be unwise for Southern California Edison (SCE) to run the San Onofre nuclear power plant at reduced power.

The Edison International (NYSE: EIX) subsidiary has indicated that both units of the 2,200-MW nuclear station will probably remain offline this summer and the California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO) has been drafting contingency plans to keep the lights on in Southern California without the nuclear plant…. http://www.energybiz.com/article/12/05/california-nuclear-plants-may-not-resume-summer

May 18, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Increasing costs stall the nuclear ‘renaissance’

Nuclear industry finds new plants are not so cheap   REneweconomy, By  on 15 May 2012 The thin veneer supporting the nuclear industry’s claims of being the lowest-cost clean energy source is being rapidly eroded by a series of cost blow-outs and cancellations in the UK, Europe and the US.

The latest blow to the industry came in the UK, where earthworks for the Hinkley Point nuclear project in Somerset – the first to be built in the country for two decades – have been delayed amid reports of a huge cost blowout. And in the US, the country’s first nuclear plant to be built in three decades has also revealed significant cost over-runs. Continue reading →

May 17, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Route for nuclear facility pylons, cables, planned for Cumbria

Cumbria nuclear pylon route plan unveiled  BBC News 11 May 12,  Plans showing possible routes of pylons and cabling for a nuclear facility in Cumbria have been revealed.

A new nuclear power station is planned to be built beside Sellafield by 2023.

The project will include a route of pylons or a series of underground cables running from Sellafield to Heysham, or through the Lake District National Park.

Details of the six options are available online for ten weeks to allow the public to provide feedback…..    Feedback on the website  will run until 19 July.    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-18027798

May 13, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear free Mid East meeting now doubtful

Mideast Nuclear Meeting in Doubt , WSJ, 10 May 12, By JAY SOLOMON, WASHINGTON—Plans for a United Nations-backed conference aimed at ridding the Middle East of nuclear weapons are unraveling because of political upheaval in the region and diplomatic sparring over suspected nuclear-weapons programs in Iran and Israel, said officials involved in the event’s preparations. Continue reading →

May 11, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

More airport radiation scanners for USA

TSA may buy more controversial scanners, Sun Sentinel, May 08, 2012|By Ken Kaye, Despite the controversy over whether they pose a health risk, the Transportation Security Administration says it may purchase even more airport scanners that emit radiation to check passengers.

TSA spokesman Jonathan Allen said in coming months the agency plans to test software that would allow radiation-emitting scanners, known as backscatter units, to generate generic body images. Currently, these units generate naked images that resemble chalk etchings of passengers.

“When that software meets TSA’s standards and is successfully tested in an airport environment, TSA could purchase and deploy additional backscatter units,” he said…..
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-05-08/news/fl-tsa-radiation-scanners-20120508_1_airport-scanners-backscatter-tsa-administrator-john-pistole

May 11, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear free Japan – the end of an industry

 The end of nuclear, CLIMATE SPECTATOR, Matthew Wright, 8 May 2012 It happened at 5pm on Saturday the 5th of May: Tomari Reactor number 3, operated by Hokkaido electric, ceased production. This means that Japan is now nuclear free for the first time since 1966.

But life is going on. Japan now has 54 mothballed or destroyed nuclear reactors. Prior to the Fukushima disaster there were 47.5GWe of nuclear generation capacity, the equivalent of twice Australia’s entire baseload capacity.

….. Pro nuclear evangelists…. claim that countries like Japan have no option available besides nuclear. But Japan is now operating completely nuclear free. We heard claims that Japan would have widespread blackouts through last summer (they didn’t) and that this will occur this summer (they will not). Continue reading →

May 10, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Face up to global threats – climate change, nuclear power, nuclear weapons

Tough Talk From Environmental Activist Dr. Helen Caldicott    HUFFINGTON POST,   Marianne Schnall , 05/09/2012  Dr. Helen Caldicott has passionately devoted the last 40 years to educating the global community about the inherent risks and dangers of nuclear energy and weapons and the critical changes needed to restore and help save our embattled Earth. The Australian-born medical doctor (a pediatrician) and former Nobel Peace Prize nominee is the author of five books and the founder of several organizations including Physicians for Social Responsibility , Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND)  and The Helen Caldicott Foundation/NuclearFreePlanet.org . I recently had the opportunity to talk to the world renowned activist and environmental prophet at Green America’s Green Festival  in New York City, where she delivered an urgent and electrifying speech. Dr. Caldicott, who has been outspoken about the health and environmental dangers of nuclear power since before the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl meltdowns, prays that we will take heed from the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster, which resulted in the Japanese government shutting down all 54 of Japan’s nuclear reactors, and spark a global trend to close nuclear power plants. Her frustration and anger at the lack of meaningful progress on this issue is palpable; as is her inspiring hope and belief in the collective power of individual citizens to raise their voices and create the political will to take action. What’s at stake, as she reminds us in this candid interview, is our moral and spiritual imperative to protect our children and our Mother Earth. As she bluntly puts it, ” The planet’s in the intensive care unit, critically, acutely ill, and now we are all physicians to a dying planet.” She urges, “Let the data sink in and then get off your couches to save the planet for your children.”

Marianne Schnall: What is the one message you are most hoping to get out there?

Helen Caldicott: There isn’t one message, there are three. One is that we are in dire danger from global warming …..  Number two: you close down your two Indian Point reactors, because if one of them blows, man – you’re all gone. Three: work with Obama to work with Russia to abolish 97% of the weapons on the planet, between Russia and America. You can do that. The Russians are ready. What’s holding it up is your generals, who are really pathological in the Pentagon and one of them said, ‘If you get rid of our nuclear weapons, man, that’s threatening the family jewels,’ and that says it all, in a nutshell, so to speak, and that’s a bad pun…….   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marianne-schnall/an-interview-with-environ_b_1500898.html

May 10, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Radiation hotspots in North Eastern schools in Japan

Japanese schools have radiation hotspots after nuclear disaster Chicago Tribune, May 7, 2012 TOKYO — Schools in north-eastern Japan are suffering from radiation hotspots more than one year after reactor meltdowns at a nuclear power station, a media report said Monday. Continue reading →

May 10, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

South Africa urged to not be a sucker for the nuclear salesmen

Nuclear is so Third World; an expensive, hazardous, problematic technology for suckers. The French are the nuclear industry leaders and they are facing declining demand in the developed world. Francois Hollande’s victory yesterday is more bad news for the industry. They are now desperate to sell their technology to corruptible developing countries especially the aspirational Brics.

Why SA should say no to nuclear energy, Politics Web, Brent Meersman 08 May 2012 Brent Meersman says the cost is simply prohibitive and the time frame impossible
Our government, it seems, may be dangerously close to repeating the e-toll fiasco with nuclear energy. As with e-tolls, by the time the pubic wakes up to its implications and how it effects them, the contracts are signed and the citizenry is on the hook for billions. Continue reading →

May 10, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Pro nuclear Kristine L. Svinicki to stay on Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Obama nominates Svinicki to nuclear regulatory post despite objections from a top Democrat, Washington Post,  By Associated Press,   May 8 WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama nominated Kristine L. Svinicki for a new term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday despite objections from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid…

.. The Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry lobbying group, applauded Svinicki’s nomination to a new term…… http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/obama-nominates-svinicki-to-nuclear-regulatory-post-despite-objections-from-a-top-democrat/2012/05/08/gIQA2cjOBU_story.html

May 10, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

No timetable for restarting San Onofre nuclear plant

Official: Nuclear plant will be offline, Silicon Valley Mercury News, By Associated Press  05/07/2012 LOS ANGELES — The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Monday there is no timetable for restarting the sidelined San Onofre nuclear plant on the Southern California coast, where investigators are trying to determine the cause of unusual wear on hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water. Continue reading →

May 10, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

It could be ‘game over’ for the nuclear industry in Japan, and beyond

We are on the cusp of a solar revolution. One third of our global electricity consumption occurs during hours where solar power production is occurring. Meaning we can deliver solar for 33 per cent of the world’s electricity without even considering storage.

Wind power is coming down in price too, due to innovation, efficiency, and the scale up of projects and technology. As is the maturing Chinese wind industry. China is already aiming for 18 per cent wind power in its total energy supply mix by 2025 and 50GW of solar by
2020.

The end of nuclear, CLIMATE SPECTATOR, Matthew Wright , 8 May 2012 “…….The ongoing fallout of the Fukushima disaster means one of the world’s leading industrial powerhouses has taken a big hit. The sun has set on plans for new reactors to increase nuclear capacity in Japan to 50 per cent.

If electricity supply remains stable through the coming summer without any nuclear restarts then it will be game over for the nuclear utility industry in Japan. This is quite possible given that local governments and popular opinion are against restarts. Continue reading →

May 10, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

A nuclear free Japan begins today

The nuclear industry is clearly terrified that if Japan sees it can live without this dangerous and expensive technology then it’s game over for them. The fantastic example being set by Japan can only encourage other countries to follow suit.

54 reactors down: Japan breaks free of nuclear power http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/nuclear-reaction/54-reactors-down-japan-breaks-free-of-nuclear/blog/40238/ by Justin McKeating – May 4, 2012  With tomorrow’s scheduled shutdown of Japan’s Tomari nuclear power plant the country will be free from nuclear power for the first time since 1966. Can it seize this historic opportunity? Here at Greenpeace we believe it can.

All of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors will be offline. Now, the country’s government must learn from its mistakes of the past, listen to its people and scientists, keep reactors offline, and usher in Japan’s renewable and sustainable future. History is within their grasp.

There will never be a better time. Since the terrible events of March 11 last year when an earthquake and tsunami triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan has shown that nuclear power can be abandoned quickly and with an invisible impact on people’s daily lives.  The Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano has said there will be no restrictions on electricity use or rolling blackouts.   Continue reading →

May 5, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Non nuclear powers strengthen push for big powers to disarm

Non-nuclear states lobby big powers to disarm faster By Fredrik Dahl VIENNA May 4, 2012  (Reuters) – Non-nuclear states are urging nuclear-armed nations to disarm faster, while nuclear powers say they are making “unprecedented progress” in doing so, a divide on display at this week’s meeting to discuss the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Continue reading →

May 5, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Japan’s last nuclear reactor switch off this weekend

Japan Turns Off Final Nuclear Plant This Weekend  http://www.themarknews.com/news?open=8481  The country scrambles to bring renewable sources online in the wake of last year’s nuclear disaster.

 Japan is set to go completely nuclear-free as of this Saturday, a little more than a year after an earthquake and tsunami led to a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. That disaster, the worst nuclear incident since the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown, sparked widespread opposition to nuclear power in Japan, despite the country receiving as much as 30 per cent of its power from nuclear sources. Ever since last March, plants have been gradually taken offline, with the last of the 50 to be shuttered this weekend. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has vowed to have that 30 per cent be produced by hydro, solar, wind, and other renewable sources, but in the meantime, Japan has had to rely on imports of oil and gas to keep the planet’s third-largest economy running. That practice led Japan into its biggest trade deficit ever, as the cost of importing such fuels costs as much as $100 million extra a day. But at least they won’t be facing any more nuclear disasters anytime soon.

May 5, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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