general « nuclear-news

UK’s Liberal Democrats might still prevent new nuclear power

LibDem U-turn on nuclear power?, peezedtee, 13 May 2010 “……The coalition government’s policy on new nuclear power stations is being reported as a U-turn for the LibDems.I………. Nuclear power is fantastically expensive if you include all the building and decommissioning costs. .. main concern was that it should not be subsidised by the taxpayer (as it always has been up to now). And that proviso remains, it seems, in the new government’s approach. If they stick with that, the likelihood is that no nuclear power stations will get built in any case, so this “U-turn” looks a bit like a distinction without a difference.

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes | Leave a comment

Britain’s nuclear industry in trouble now

Britain’s nuclear industry wakes up to an explosive problem as Chris Huhne moves in – Telegraph Blogs, 14 May 2010, “…………there remains a sizeable threat that the Liberals could force a time-consuming and costly public inquiry that delays the new build. The idea that Chris Huhne will have to formulate regulatory policy and set out a timetable for nuclear is likely to be a considerable worry. Most destabilising is the fact that policy will probably not be clear for some time, for Mr Huhne is going to have to square his Department’s theoretical support for nuclear with his own views (in a previous speech on energy) that: “No private sector investor has built a nuclear power station anywhere in the world without lashings of government subsidy since Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. The World Bank refuses to lend on nuclear projects because of the long history of overruns. Our message is clear, No to nuclear, as it is not a short cut, but a dead end.” Britain’s nuclear industry wakes up to an explosive problem as Chris Huhne moves in – Telegraph Blogs

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, reactors | Leave a comment

Germany’s politics turn against nuclear energy revival

German election casts doubt over nuclear u-turn, ENDS Europe,10 May 2010 The electoral losses endured by Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition parties in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday could jeopardise the federal government’s plan to revoke Germany’s nuclear phase-out, according to Deutsche Bank analysts.

ENDS Europe | German election casts doubt over nuclear u-turn

May 11, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear | Leave a comment

Footprints for Peace speakers in U.S. talk about Australia’s uranium mining

“Australians feel a deep responsibility,” said Atkinson. “We are sending this poison around the world.” ………. The uranium mining has destroyed sites sacred to the aborigines, polluted their water and food supplies and endangered their hunter/gatherer way of life, said Atkinson…………..

Uranium: The Australia-Vt. connection, Brattleboro Reformer, By BOB AUDETTE / Reformer StaffThursday May 6, 2010 BRATTLEBORO — Australia and Vermont are connected in a way not many people think about — through uranium.”We are pretty sure that some of the uranium mined in Australia is being used in the fuel rods at Vermont Yankee,” Continue reading →

May 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, radiation, reactors, uranium, water | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry resuscitation stalled again in USA

Proposed New Vogtle Reactors Hit Roadblock, May 5th, 2010 › Clean Energy › Sara Barczak ›Once again, the “Nuclear Relapse” hits home. Do these recent headlines inspire confidence in the nuclear industry’s much-hyped “comeback? Continue reading →

May 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Nuclear radiation leaks are invisible, unlike oil spills

If only radiation — which leaks every day at the 104 nuclear reactors in the US — was as visible as the growing BP oil slick in the Gulf Coast

Wake up and smell the oil THE HUFFINGTON POST, John Rosenthal, May 3, 2010 “………..Close your eyes and imagine for a minute that instead of BP’s deepwater offshore well exploding 5,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, spreading millions of gallons of toxic and visible oil across the Gulf Coast, that one of the 104 nuclear reactors operating in the US, exploded Continue reading →

May 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, radioactive, reactors, uranium | 1 Comment

President Ahmadinejad of Iran points out an unpalatable nuclear truth

He is not alone in seeing the old nuclear powers as an arrogant club who believe they have the right to rule…….As the US presses for sanctions against Iran, President Ahmadinejad has come to stir up charges of hypocrisy and double standards

An unlikely anti-nuclear campaigner? BBC, Mark Mardell , 3 May 2010 President Ahmadinejad of Iran says nuclear weapons are “disgusting and shameful”, a danger to the countries that have them.We have to assume this is an indirect denial that he is on the verge of developing such a weapon. Continue reading →

May 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Renewable energy appearing as best option following oil disaster

How Obama Could Use the Gulf Oil Disaster to Buoy Renewable Energy, Inhabitat – Green Design Will Save the World, by Brit Liggett, 05/03/10 Amid the depressing news that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is still not contained nor getting better — over two week after the disaster started — there may be a little green ray of hope. The devastating effects of this oil rig spill could be the perfect moment to garner support for renewable energy.

Last week President Obama announced that he was halting all future offshore drilling until this oily mess is figured out, but we think he should take that a step further. This oil spill is the perfect chance to educate the public about the devastating side effects of our dependency on oil and the clean future that renewable energy offers us as an alternative.

How Obama Could Use the Gulf Oil Disaster to Buoy Renewable Energy | Inhabitat – Green Design Will Save the World

May 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, solar, wind | Leave a comment

USA’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Nuclear Wastes More of a Nuclear Power Promoter

National Grassroots Summit and Forum
on Radioactive Waste Policy, Chicago, June 4-6

In January, the Obama Administration’s Dept. of Energy announced the creation of its “Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on the Future of Nuclear Power in America“, ostensibly to “study and recommend” what the U.S. should do about its radioactive waste problems, especially in light of the wise cancellation of the dangerous Yucca Mountain, Nevada dumpsite proposal. Many of us watched or attended the first meeting of the Commission in April — and are deeply disturbed by what we saw and heard. The panel seems much more devoted to expanding atomic energy than it is to addressing our nation’s unsolved radioactive waste crisis. Risky “illusions of solutions” for radioactive waste, such as reprocessing, also seem high on the Commission’s agenda.

As a response a number of organizations have come together to create a National Grassroots Summit and Forum on Radioactive Waste Policy — to articulate a national radioactive waste policy for the other 300 million Americans the DOE panel seems intent on ignoring. This event will be held in Chicago from Friday, June 4^th to Sunday, June 6^th.

May 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear weapons numbers to be revealed by USA

US to unveil size of nuclear stockpile, The American government will disclose for the first time the exact size of the US nuclear stockpile at a major United Nations nuclear disarmament summit, according to officials. By Alex Spillius in New York Telegraph UK 02 May 2010 “…….Arms-control groups estimate the US nuclear arsenal contains 9,000 weapons, roughly 5,000 of them active and the rest in line for disassembly.The announcement could be timed to prevent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, from hijacking the conference with demands for more global controls of nuclear stockpiles. He speaks before Mrs Clinton. The international community believes Iran is secretly preparing to build a nuclear weapon. US to unveil size of nuclear stockpile – Telegraph

May 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Bomb in New York, close to UN Nuclear Conference

NY Police Finds Failed Bomb Prior to UN Nuclear Conference May 02, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) – Just hours before UN nuclear conference is due to start, there’s news coming out of New York about US police evacuating thousands of people from the city’s busy Times Square because of a bomb scare. In New York, police is checking a vehicle suspected to be containing bomb found outside a theatre on Saturday. US police officer Paul Brown said, ‘This appears to be a car bomb that the bomb squad is in the process of dismantling.’ The bomb made of explosives, burned wires, three tanks of propane and two canister of gasoline seems to have failed……..

NY Police Finds Failed Bomb Prior to UN Nuclear Conference

May 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

New study on nuclear plants and cancer

“…..the 1990 study as limited to cancer deaths and not covering a wide enough area, and he also said it did not factor in nuclear plant workers nor take into account weather or geography…..”

New US study on nuclear plant health risks hailed, CNBC: The Associated Press | 02 May 2010 Pennsylvania officials and activists say they are glad the federal government is taking another look at whether people who live near nuclear plants have a higher risk of getting cancer. Continue reading →

May 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear technology, radiation | Leave a comment

India to boost solar energy

Solar energy to get a boost, Sify Finance, BS Reporter | 2010-05-03 The government of India plans to produce 20 million Mw of power using solar energy said director, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy A K Singhal……………Solar energy to get a boost

May 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | renewable energy, solar | Leave a comment

Risks to pregnant women in airline flight – ionising radiation

“Pregnant women are flying through solar storms all the time, and they have no idea,”

Solar storms will make airline radiation hot issue The Province, By Josh Noel, MCTMay 2, 2010 Passengers may be suspicious of the low-level radiation doses coming from full-body scanners being deployed at airports, but a far greater threat comes from the radiation that creeps into airliners while in flight. Continue reading →

May 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Anti nuclear marchers’ long trek to United Nations

Peace Trekkers Visit Montclair , Baristanet April 28, 2010 About 25 peace marchers, some of whom have been on the road since February, walked up Bloomfield Avenue today, chanting, beating drums and carrying their message of opposition to nuclear power and bombs to the Central Presbyterian Church on Park St., where they’ll be spending the night. The marchers are members of Footprints for Peace……. plan to reach the United Nations on Saturday. They said the Montclair Presbyterians offered shelter on 24 hours notice.”I’ve only been walking for a month,” said Kerrie-Ann Garlick, who came from Australia to participate in the march, and who will be speaking at the UN. She said Australia is the third largest exporter of uranium in the world, which is why so many Australians are involved in the peace effort. “We want to close the whole industry down,” Garlick said. Peace Trekkers Visit Montclair (Baristanet)