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A golden reminder – wind and solar are FREE energy fuel

This golden age of energy prosperity will make a sharper contrast between these nations and states and those that will face higher fossil energy costs.

Renewables will bring golden age of free energy  http://www.tgdaily.com/sustainability-features/61320-renewables-will-bring-golden-age-of-free-energy February 8, 2012   by Susan Kraemer, EarthTechling Most people understand that once solar panels are paid off, the energy they provide is free. But what about on a national level?

Many haven’t really internalized the corresponding fact. The same people worry that government investment in solar, or policies that encourage it, is somehow wasting money. But solar works the same way at the national level. Once the infrastructure is paid for, the energy is free. The same with wind. It is money well spent.

A new coal plant must be paid for, too, but after that initial cost is paid, money must continue to be pumped in, day in, day out, shoveling a fresh train-car-load of coal into a furnace every 12 hours, for the next 30 years.

Some nations have invested in so much renewable power in the last few years, that their citizens will share a future golden age of free energy , starting as soon as 2020. And that investment will yield increasing dividends in the decades after that, as yet more wind and solar, now in the pipeline, gets connected. Continue reading →

February 9, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities would be counter productive

If we bomb Iran, Tehran will go nuclear. Is that really what Niall Ferguson wants? Telegraph UK, By David Blair,   February 8th, 2012 What should Israel and the West do about Iran? Niall Ferguson thinks that war would be justified and in this week’s Newsweek he sets out to demolish the case against a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He lists the “five reasons” why people oppose military action and knocks them down one by one.

But, oddly, he doesn’t bother with the biggest objection of all: going to war with Iran would not solve the problem. Continue reading →

February 9, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

The daily $1million costs of closed nuclear reactor

Nuclear Plant Still Shut Down, Costs Mount,Mission Viejo Patch, 7 Feb 12 A plant spokesman said Monday that the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is continuing in shutdown mode.By Adam Townsend, February 6, 2012  The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station remains in shutdown mode and is producing no electricity. As crews are assessing and planning repairs to leaks at Unit 3 at the plant,

the unplanned shutdown is costing Southern California Edison from $600,000 to $1 million per day.…..It was a week ago when operators detected a steam leak of radioactive water from the heat exchanger tubes inside the steam generator, which makes steam to turn turbines that make the electricity. The heat exchanger tubes number in the thousands and are filled with super-heated, high-pressure, radioactive water. A Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman said last week that several hundred tubes in Unit 2 showed wearing on the inside; two were shot, and almost 900 others had significant thinning.

The components are only one to two years old…….   http://missionviejo.patch.com/articles/nuclear-plant-still-shut-down-inspection-ongoing

February 8, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

A cultural bridge from Israel to Iran

Israeli Farsi-language radio station seeks to send peaceful message to Iran.Washington Post, By Associated Press,   February 7 JERUSALEM — While Israeli leaders are increasingly sounding belligerent warnings of a potential military strike against Iran’s nuclear installations, a group of Iranian-Israelis are transmitting a different message.

Radio RADISIN, a private Farsi-language radio station based in Tel Aviv, airs Iranian music, poetry and current affairs shows aiming to spread peace between the Israeli and Iranian people — regardless of who is in power in Tehran.

“We, the people in Israel, are a peaceful nation and not an enemy, or the ‘little Satan’ as we are described by the Iranian regime,” said Shay Amir, the station’s 42-year-old CEO, who left Iran for Israel after the 1979 Islamic revolution. “For 32 years, the regime has poisoned its people against Israel. We are here to tell the truth.”

Before the revolution, Israel and Iran were close allies. Some 100,000 Jews of Iranian descent live in Israel today, many with fond memories and still strong ties to friends and relatives in their homeland. An estimated 25,000 Jews still live in Iran…..
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/israeli-farsi-language-radio-station-seeks-to-send-peaceful-message-to-iran/2012/02/07/gIQAjdfJwQ_story.html

February 8, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Poor conditions of workers in Africa’s uranium mines

The low ventilation within the mines caused health problems for the miners from Niger, Gabon and Namibia, who are portrayed in Hecht’s book. “The miners got more exposure of radon,” Hecht said. “Exposure became overexposure.”

Radon is a decay product of uranium and can stick to dust particles that, if inhaled, increases the risk for lung cancer.

Mine workers are also specifically told to ignore safety standards, Hecht said.

Michigan history professor gives lecture on Africa, uranium, The Daily Cougar, By Audris Ponce,   February 7, 2012 African uranium mines have carried a significant political impact on international affairs since the Cold War and, more recently, in the Iraq War. Continue reading →

February 8, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

International conference strengthens anti-uranium resolve

• International cooperation against the uranium industry is be increased. It’s to be attempted to prevent ever more countries starting to mine. International uranium transports are to be targeted more to make them transparent and stop them.

Seven nations represented at anti-uranium conference in Germany http://indymedia.org.au/2012/02/06/seven-nations-represented-at-anti-uranium-conference-in-germany  06 Feb 2012, By SOFA Münster Two hundred anti-nuclear activists from Niger, Russia, France, Poland, Turkey, the Netherlands and Germany attended a one-day uranium conference in the German city Münster on 4 February.

The main focus of the gathering was the demand to shut down the international uranium industry and to stop the worldwide uranium mining, enrichment and processing into nuclear fuel. Supported by 35 anti-nuclear and environmental organisations this was the biggest conference of its kind in Germany for years.

There was intense discussion of the dangers of global uranium mining. Continue reading →

February 7, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Germany moving ahead on renewable energy smart grids and storage

Germany Maps Out Financing Plan for Renewable Energies, Sacramento Bee,  BERLIN and ESSEN, Germany, February6, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ –– Germany recently passed the 20 percent mark for renewable energy in the electricity mix. And the federal KfW bank group has introduced a new plan to further accelerate this shift to renewables, with increases in multimillion euro business loans now available.

As more renewable energy is generated, energy management and storage are also receiving increased focus. Germany Trade & Invest, together with representatives of Germany’s six E-energy model regions, will be at this year’s E-world from February 7-9 in Essen to highlight
opportunities for international companies in these growing market segments. Continue reading →

February 7, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear power has huge, ? insuperable problems

Disadvantages of nuclear energy, Biofuelswatch, by Max Rutherford, February 1st 2012  Nuclear Waste The biggest problem with nuclear power plants is the waste created during the generation of energy as an unwanted and dangerous byproduct. All waste products from a nuclear power plant are radioactive and thus they are detrimental to almost all kinds of living beings. What is even more hazardous is the fact that they remain radioactive and dangerous for thousands of years, which makes them virtually a permanent hazard. Continue reading →

February 3, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Continung talks – U.N. and Iran

UN Nuclear Experts Plan Another Visit to Tehran (includes video) VOA News, 1 Feb 12,  The United Nation’s nuclear agency’s chief inspector says he had a “good” visit to Iran and plans to make another trip in the “very near future” to discuss Iran’s controversial nuclear program.

Speaking Wednesday in Vienna after returning from Tehran, Herman Nackaerts said his team of International Atomic Energy Agency experts had three days of “intensive discussions” with Iran about all of its nuclear aims.
The West fears Iran is developing a nuclear weapons capability. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. Nackaerts said the IAEA and Iran have “a lot of work” to do, but that
both sides are committed to resolving outstanding issues. He declined to elaborate. ..
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/UN-Nuclear-Experts-Plan-Another-Visit-to-Tehran-138498174.html

February 2, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

USA university women to host meeting on nuclear disaster issues

Women’s group hosts meeting about nuclear disaster preparedness The Doings at La Grange (Chicago) By Chuck Fieldman cfieldman@pioneerlocal.com January 30, 2012 With March 11 being the first anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in Japan, the American Association of University Women is hosting a meeting about nuclear disaster preparedness from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 18 at Hinsdale United Methodist Church, 945 S. Garfield
Ave., Hinsdale. Continue reading →

February 1, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Japan’s anti nuclear movement moves to the mainstream

Anti-nuclear movement unites rightists, leftists, The Asahi Shimbun, January 27, 2012 In the early stages of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Cocoro Fujinami posted a message on her blog that brought the little-known singer instant fame.

“How much are we going to coddle the nuclear power industry?” wrote Fujinami, a so-called B-class idol who has also posed as a gravure model and appeared in film.

However, that message also led to scorn. The 15-year-old is one of the new faces of the anti-nuclear movement in Japan, an issue that has blurred the lines between leftists and
rightists.

After Fujinami posted that message on March 23, her blog received more than 3 million hits over three days. She won support from Softbank Corp. President Masayoshi Son and other well-known figures and became a regular invitee to anti-nuclear demonstrations. Continue reading →

January 29, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

What became of japan’s radioactive cows?

Japan loses track of radioactive cows, ABC Asia Pacific News, A woman feeds her cattle at a farm in Kawamata, 45 kilometres west of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. [AFP] Mark Willacy, Tokyo, 27 Jan 2012  Japanese authorities have lost track of nearly 3,000 cows suspected of containing high levels of radioactive caesium.

The cows ate rice straw contaminated in the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Last year Japan’s health ministry ordered the testing of more than 4,500 beef cattle suspected of being contaminated with radiation.

But according to Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper, so far only a third has been tested, with the distribution routes of about 3,000 head of slaughtered cattle remaining a mystery.
Of the tested meat, about six per cent was found to contain radioactive caesium above the acceptable safe limit. Food safety experts say that consumers would have to eat a lot of the
meat to suffer any damage to their health. http://abcasiapacificnews.com/stories/201201/3417073.htm

January 29, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Bombing Iran – not the smartest way to go

Bomb Iran? Yes we can: a US plan that couldn’t possibly go wrong, SMH, Bill Keller January 28, 2012  “…..An attack on Iran is almost certain to unify the Iranian people around the mullahs and provoke the supreme leader to redouble Iran’s nuclear pursuits, only deeper underground this time, and without international inspectors around.
At the Pentagon, you sometimes hear it put this way: Bombing Iran is the best way to guarantee exactly what America is trying to prevent.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/bomb-iran-yes-we-can-a-us-plan-that-couldnt-possibly-go-wrong-20120127-1qlqx.html#ixzz1kmwgt4eV

January 28, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Japan can manage summer electricity without nuclear power

Japan says can avoid summer power cuts even if nuclear By Kentaro Hamada TOKYO Jan 27, 2012  (Reuters) – Japan will be able to avoid power cuts this summer even if the nation’s last few nuclear reactors cease operating due to public safety fears after the Fukushima crisis, the government said on Friday….

“We would have to call for conservation of electricity, but there’s an excellent chance (the power lost if all nuclear plants are shut this summer) can be overcome without placing curbs on electricity consumption,” he added.

January 28, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Does USA really need all those expensive nuclear weapons?

Senator Puts U.S. Nuclear Arsenal in Doubt, US News, January 26, 2012  The Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee today questioned the value of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, putting in motion efforts to cut the numbers and costs of missiles and bombs that are part of the Pentagon’s “nuclear triad.”

Previewing today’s Pentagon announcement on what weapon systems will be cut, delayed or eliminated in the upcoming budget, Sen. Carl Levin said the nation needs to rethink its nuclear force created during the Cold War.

“The Cold War is over. I just think there’s a way over-reliance and cost that goes into our nuclear weapon system,” he said at a media breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

Later, he went further, suggesting that the arsenal is useless. When talking about an arcane Senate procedure, he raised nuclear weapons again. “It’s like the nuclear weapon, it’s totally useless. It can’t be used except to accomplish some other goal, then it’s used, used to deter.”

Levin has questioned the number of nuclear weapons in land-based missile silos, long-range bombers, and submarines before. But his comments are more meaningful now as the Pentagon prepares to cut costs and as it faces even more budget reductions if Congress and the White House can’t come to an agreement on a pending budget deal.

“I’ve always believed that nuclear weapons are way overdone, we have way more than are needed to carry out their mission. Their mission can’t be to use them. They can only be to deter, or to achieve some form of deterrence,” he said …… http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/01/26/senator-puts-us-nuclear-arsenal-in-doubt

January 27, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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