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Just who are these 300 ‘scientists’ telling Trump to burn the climate?

As with all such lists, the 300 ‘scientists’ badly lack climate expertise, Guardian, , 27 Feb 17, If you read my articles regularly, you may have noticed multiple times I have stated that the scientific argument is over; there are no longer any reputablescientists that deny the overwhelming human influence in our climate. An open letter published last week by the anti-environmentalists proves my point.

If you read the headlines, it might have seemed impressive: “300 Scientists Tell Trump to Leave UN Climate Agreement.” Wow, 300 scientists. That’s a lot right? Actually, it’s a pitiful list.

First of all, hardly anyone on the list was a climate scientist; many were not even natural scientists. It is almost as though anyone with a college degree (and there are about 21 million enrolled in higher education programs just in the USA) was qualified to sign that letter.

Okay but what about the signers of the letter? Surely they are experts in the field? Not so much. It was very difficult to find the list of signers online however I was able to acquire it with some help. See for yourself – Google “300 scientists letter climate change” in the past week. You will see many stories in the press, but try finding the actual letter or the list of names. The version I obtained was dated February 23, 2017 which helps narrow your searching. In an era of Dr. Google, it is unbelievable that the letter itself was not made more available.

Okay but let’s get to the central issue. These 300 scientists must be pretty good at climate science, right? Well let’s just go through the list, alphabetically. Here is a sampling (text copied verbatim from the version of the letter I obtained).

Example 1:……..Example 2:…….Example 6:………

What is the takeaway message? As I’ve said many times, the science is settled. Human emissions of greenhouse gases are causing the Earth’s climate to change. It’s practically impossible to find a reputable climate scientist who disagrees, or a climate scientist who can support an alternative view. It is also very difficult to find a scientist who thinks that the warming isn’t a problem, or isn’t significantly caused by humans. But, this isn’t a lack of trying on their side.

When the folks denying human influence on climate can only generate the type of signatures attached to this letter, it shows that while they are good at getting press, they are not good at climate science.

Of course, press may be all they ever wanted in the first place. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/feb/27/just-who-are-these-300-scientists-telling-trump-to-burn-the-climate

March 1, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

South Adricans: Say no to nuclear plants!

text-NoSo no to nuclear plants  http://highwaymail.co.za/252113/so-no-to-nuclear-plants/  Liz Purdham, Pinetown

South African citizens have till the end of March to object to the nuclear plant. UNDERSTAND President Zuma and team have made a deal with the Russians to build a nuclear plant here in South Africa.

Many hundreds of South Africans are totally against this deal – why aren’t we marching with banners, “No Nuclear”? You know the dangers of the nuclear plant from radiation to storing the radioactive waste, which has to be kept secure for years.

We all remember the Cheronbyl accident which led more countries to abandon the nuclear option and go for renewables.

We need to stand up against this deal – someone said, “it will show the Arms Deal as a picnic” so, no doubt, many stand to gain bribes and illegal pay-outs.

Through the Highway Mail, we can stand up against this programme. Apparently we only have till the end of March to object. It is so important – please make it a priority.

 

 

February 27, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Latest gloomy dramas for the global nuclear industry

nuclear-costs1

Nuclear Power Is In Crisis As Cost Overruns Cripple Industry Giants, New Matilda.,  By  on February 26, 2017 Nuclear ‘dark ages’

“…….The latest dramas occur against a backdrop of deep industry malaise, with the receding hope of even the slightest growth resting squarely on the shoulders of China.

A February 15 piece in the Financial Times noted: “Hopes of a nuclear renaissance have largely disappeared. For many suppliers, not least Toshiba, simply avoiding a nuclear dark ages would be achievement enough.”

Toshiba and Westinghouse are in deep trouble because of massive cost overruns building four AP1000 reactors in the US ‒ the combined overruns are about $14 billion and counting. The saga is detailed in Bloomberg pieces titled ‘Toshiba’s Nuclear Reactor Mess Winds Back to a Louisiana Swamp‘ and ‘Toshiba’s Record Fall Highlights U.S. Nuclear Cost Nightmare‘.

Toshiba said on February 14 that it expects to book an $8.2 billion write down on Westinghouse, on top of a $3 billion write down in April 2016. These losses exceed the $7.1 billion Toshiba paid when it bought a majority stake in Westinghouse in 2006.

Almost half of the reactors in the US have been operating for 40 years or more and are nearing retirement. Yet the four AP1000 reactors are the only ones under construction, so nuclear power is certain to continue its downward slide in the US.

“There’s billions and billions of dollars at stake here,” said Gregory Jaczko, former head of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “This could take down Toshiba and it certainly means the end of new nuclear construction in the US.”

Likewise, pro-nuclear commentator Dan Yurman notes that the Toshiba/Westinghouse AP1000 fiasco “apparently ends the so-called nuclear renaissance in the US for full size reactors. During 2007-2010 there were more than two dozen applications expected for new reactors, but now only a few licenses that have been completed and they do not have any links to near term plans to build the units”.

Bankruptcy looms for Toshiba, with the banks circling and the risk heightened by the likelihood of further delays and cost overruns with the four partially-built AP1000 reactors in the US, and unresolved litigation over those projects. Toshiba says it would likely sell Westinghouse if that was an option ‒ but there is no prospect of a buyer. The nuclear unit is, as Bloomberg noted, “too much of a mess” to sell. And since that isn’t an option, Toshiba must sell profitable businesses instead to stave off bankruptcy…….   https://newmatilda.com/2017/02/26/nuclear-power-is-in-crisis-as-cost-overruns-cripple-industry-giants/

February 26, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Bankruptcy beckons for Toshiba because of its nuclear investment failures

toshiba-and-nukeToshiba May Go Bankrupt as Result of Nuclear Investments, The Green Optimistic

The takeover of Webster & Stone by by Toshiba‘s subsidiary Westinghouse may go down in history as one of the worst investments ever made, and it all centers around nuclear power.

Ultimately Toshiba is left holding the bag for a huge construction backlog of nuclear power plants, 46 at present count, and none of them may ever be completed.

On top of the issues surrounding the construction of the nuclear plants, it seems as though senior management at Toshiba has been cooking the books. Their former auditing firm Ernst and Young was recently fined for helping them record more than 300 million dollars in fictitious profits.

A recent Toshiba earnings call was scuttled because their current auditor wouldn’t sign off on the necessary documents, but the unofficial figure for their losses so far is in excess of 6 billion dollars.

What Happened? The details of this financial catastrophe are nuanced, but they all revolve around the difficulty that new nuclear power projects are facing………

Toshiba isn’t alone in the land of nuclear woe. …… https://www.greenoptimistic.com/toshiba-bankrupt-nuclear-20170223/#.WLC9etKGPGg

February 25, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

America’s dying nuclear industry

terminal-nuclear-industryThe U.S. Nuclear Energy Dream Is Dying, Oil Price.com By Michael McDonald – Feb 23, 2017,  The United States was once a projected leader in the nuclear energy race. In the 20th century, the world dreamed of finding a way to provide safe, cheap, and renewable energy, and nuclear power seemed to be the manifestation of those dreams. All of this, however, seems to be coming to an end.

This past week, Toshiba decided to sell its American nuclear power subsidiary at a $6 billion loss. Westinghouse Electric Company, an American company that Toshiba acquired 10 years ago, is in the business of building and constructing nuclear power facilities. This isn’t the first time that Toshiba attempted to offload controlling interest in Westinghouse – all previous efforts, however, have failed.

Many reasons have been cited for this sell-off. Firstly, demand for electricity has been slowing down as of late. Secondly, natural-gas prices have been declining, making it harder to justify the measures necessary to make nuclear power work – one of the primary motivators for these projects was the increasingly high cost of natural-gas. Finally, integration of renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar) have been becoming more prevalent. Again, this makes it harder to justify nuclear energy projects.

 However, the biggest barrier to entry for nuclear energy providers is the trade-off between safety and cost. The production of this type of energy can be fast and cheap, but not if companies comply fully with the U.S. nuclear regulatory body. Nuclear energy in America is simply becoming an uneconomic option…….

This slowdown from the U.S. may be advantageous for state-owned nuclear facilities. Without America as an example, Russia, parts of Asia, and the Middle East become the example to follow – their lack of standards and regulation would be to the benefit of nuclear facilities owned by governments…….http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-US-Nuclear-Energy-Dream-Is-Dying.html

February 25, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Investing in nuclear power? Don’t. It’s a scam

Don’t Invest in Nuclear Power. It’s a Sucker’s Bet. It was a Scam!   Energy and Capital  by Jeff Siegel February 21, 2017 Donald Trump is considered to be one of the greatest salesmen of all time.

But not even Trump would be able unload this steaming pile.

Last week, after Toshiba (OTCBB: TOSYY) projected a $6.3 billion write-down for its nuclear unit, management announced it was looking to sell its majority stake in Westinghouse, for which it paid $5.4 billion in 2006.

More than 10 years ago, the suits at Toshiba were overly optimistic about their ability to roll out a new generation of nuclear power plants that would be smaller, cheaper, and safer.

Today, they have four under construction in the United States and all have run into technical hiccups and cost overruns.

All in all, it was a big bet on a nuclear renaissance that, as I’ve warned dozens of times before, will never materialize in the U.S. The economics didn’t make sense 60 years ago, and they don’t make sense today….any hope of a nuclear power renaissance is based on nothing more than false hope and the illusion that’s often paraded around by lawmakers who have skin in the game.

A Very Risky Bet

In all fairness to Toshiba, the company did the Westinghouse deal right after the U.S. government ponied up a bunch of loan guarantees, tax credit packages, and cost-overrun backstops for nuclear power development.

With Washington bullish on nuclear, management likely figured it could rely on the government to help hedge some of the risk that comes along with building massive industrial projects such as nuclear power plants.

But it wasn’t enough…….https://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/dont-invest-in-nuclear-power-its-a-suckers-bet/5760

February 25, 2017 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

Famous ex-CIA spy Valerie Plame Wilson anxious about “reckless” President Trump and his “low-quality” administration

Ex-spy Plame’s big worries: ‘reckless’ president, nuclear weapons, By Kevin Fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Feb 17,  When the most famous ex-CIA spy alive is concerned about the world blowing up, there’s probably something worrisome in that.

Sure, this is the kind of fretting Valerie Plame Wilson has been doing since her cover was famously blown in 2003 by an operative of President George W. Bush’s administration. But as she dashed through San Francisco last week to speak at a cyberterrorism conference, Plame said she sees the country heading into a dangerously unstable period that just might result in disaster involving her No. 1 concern of the past several years:

Nuclear bombs.

 Blame it on   President Trump, his reckless ways, and the “low-quality people he surrounds himself with,” she said.

“What I find most concerning about him is his access to the nuclear command and control structure,” Plame said the other day over breakfast at a diner before delivering a speech to the RSA 2017 Conference on international security. “We’re still deciding whether to take Trump literally or seriously. But during the campaign he made comments about ‘So what if Japan gets a nuclear weapon,’ and intimating that a nuclear strike is not out of the question.

“He is so casual and reckless. Impulsive, to say the least. This is a man who gets riled up by a tweet. Is this the guy you want to make nuclear decisions?”………

Plame said that, as a specialist in keeping security tight, she has been particularly mortified by Trump’s apparent sloppiness — from neglecting to go to a secure location at his Mar-a-Lago estate when he received information about a North Korean missile launch to one of Trump’s supporters cavalierly posting a Facebook picture of himself at a Trump event with “Rick,” the military officer carrying the president’s “football” of nuclear attack codes.

However, watching Trump’s news conference Thursday made her even more concerned as he casually mused that he could shoot a Russian ship “right out of the water,” and that “nuclear holocaust would be like no other.”

“So, this is the president to whom we have entrusted our nuclear codes?” she said. “The incompetence we’ve seen is — and I know this is a widely overused word right now — unprecedented. And it’s more than just Trump.

“The fact that Steve Bannon is on the National Security Council is horrifying. …….http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Ex-spy-Plame-s-big-worries-reckless-10946340.php

 

February 22, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

The real problem of the nuclear industry is simply that it’s unaffordable

scrutiny-on-costsThe Real Problem with Nuclear Power, Fortune Justin Worland Feb 17, 2017 “……Today, the biggest downside to building new nuclear power plants in many developed countries is sheer cost. Data from the Energy Information Administration shows that building a new plant costs more than $5,000 per kilowatt of capacity compared to around $2,100 for the primary type of solar power plants and less than $1,000 for the most common type of natural gas plant. (These figures vary by region within the U.S.). A nuclear power plant also requires six years of lead time while a solar plant can operate in as little as two years.

Nuclear power plants do provide some advantages over other sources, namely that it provides consistent baseload energy that provides a consistent power source at any time of day or night. But because of the costs the debate over nuclear has shifted from whether to keep old nuclear power plants operating to whether to build new ones. http://fortune.com/2017/02/16/toshiba-nuclear-power-plants/

February 20, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

A financially viable nuclear power station looks increasingly like a mirage

burial NUCLEAR INDUSTRYflag-UKDash for gas — and move on from nuclear power folly   https://www.ft.com/content/2a2d94a8-f461-11e6-95ee-f14e55513608 If an industry cannot finance itself after decades, it’s time to try another industry
Inside London FEBRUARY 17, 2017 by: Neil Collins Remember “Nuclear power? No thanks”? That sunny, smiling sticker which was almost standard on the back of every Citroen Deux-Chevaux? How we smiled at such naivety. Nuclear power was the future! The fume-belching little 2CV may have gone the way of the Trabant but, after another grim week for the nuclear industry, it seems those stickers may have been right after all.

A financially viable nuclear power station looks increasingly like a mirage. Even the eye-watering guarantee from the UK taxpayer for Hinkley Point C is not enough to cover the risk that building it will bankrupt EDF. Toshiba’s woes have claimed the scalp of its chairman. Hitachi is signalling that its project in Anglesey needs government backing to proceed. It’s telling that after 60 years of mostly successful operation, commercial viability still eludes the nuclear power industry. Perhaps we have been lucky to have avoided serious accidents and the decommissioning costs were hugely underestimated — but the combination of ever-rising safety demands and cheap hydrocarbons has destroyed its economics. Appealing for fresh state aid looks like a desperate last throw of the nuclear dice. If an industry cannot finance its own projects after half a century of development, it may be time to try another industry.
Fortunately, other industries are available. The cheapest and quickest fix is to build gas-fired power stations, to tap into worldwide abundance and increasingly diverse supply, even before domestic fracking gets going in the UK. Unfortunately, the artificial barriers imposed by today’s energy policy are preventing this subsidy-free solution. For the longer term, the price of solar energy continues to fall and smart meters that really are smart will start managing the demand side of the equation. Even offshore wind looks a better bet than nuclear as battery technology evolves. 

February 20, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Cheap and Clean Nuclear Power is Becoming a Dream More than the Reality,

Trend In Tech By Natalie Brown February 18, 2017 “………Apart from safety, another major reason why people have backed away from nuclear power projects is down to the cost. Building a nuclear power plant is no cheap task. It’s estimated to cost around $9 billion to build a nuclear power plant in the United States which is more than Apple Inc borrowed in the whole of 2016. That’s also more than 1,000 times the cost of a new fracking well and more than 3,000 times the cost of the world’s largest solar plant.

So it’s not just that all of a sudden nuclear power has become really bad, it’s just that many other forms of energy harvesting are far more efficient. One day we may have nuclear fission reactors that could change things again, but for now, at least, nuclear power will be taking a step back as other forms of renewable energy such as wind and solar come shining through.http://www.trendintech.com/2017/02/18/cheap-and-clean-nuclear-power-is-becoming-a-dream-more-than-the-reality/

February 20, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

A glimpse inside a defunct East German nuclear plant — and what it says about the future of energy in Europe

 PRI, February 08, 2017 ·By Anja Krieger and Daniel A. Gross   An hour north of Berlin, in the middle of a German nature reserve, a narrow smokestack rises into the air from a defunct nuclear power plant. The Rheinsberg Nuclear Power Plant, which came online in 1966, was the first of its kind built in East Germany. Inside, there’s a mint-green room with huge control panels.

Jörg Möller, an engineer, recently showed me around. “Everyone’s jaw drops when they come in here,” he says. “It is very impressive.”……..
Ten years ago, engineers finally removed the Rheinsberg reactor. They wrapped the radioactive material in a protective sleeve, and they lowered the whole thing onto a huge train car. Today, it sits in a temporary storage facility in the city of Greifswald.

That’s the problem with nuclear waste. No one really knows what to do with it. “Every ton we’ve dismantled and stored is still a burden,” Möller says…

At the end of our tour, Möller takes me outside, where a sign reads “radioactive control area.” It looks like a messy construction site, with huge heaps of soil and a giant white sheet. Engineers here still have to play it safe. “We’re now taking apart the storage buildings,” he says…….

As Germany moves ahead with its nuclear phaseout, it could learn a useful lesson from Rheinsberg — that the legacy of nuclear energy will be felt for decades to come…..https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-02-07/glimpse-inside-defunct-east-german-nuclear-plant-and-what-it-says-about-future

February 10, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

The Rising Threat of a Nuclear North Korea  Council on Foreign Relations 

Watch this event live on February 9, 2017 at 12:45 p.m. ET

Speakers:
Robert L. GallucciDistinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University; Former Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Mary Beth LongCofounder and Principal, Global Alliance Advisors, LLC; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense (via videoconference)

Sue Mi TerryManaging Director, Korea, Bower Group Asia; Former National Intelligence Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, National Intelligence Council

Presider:
Mitchel B. WallersteinPresident, Baruch College; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counterproliferation Policy, U.S. Department of Defense

February 8, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Vested interests hold climate policy hostage, in USA and Australia

Turnbull climate 2 facedIn Australia and the US, sound climate policy is being held hostage by vested interests https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/07/in-australia-and-the-us-sound-climate-policy-is-being-held-hostage-by-vested-interests

We must shift away from a culture of politically motivated climate change denialism to an acceptance of the truly existential threat now facing humanity, Guardian,  and , 7 Feb 17           It’s been a bad couple of weeks for the world’s climate and environment. The inauguration of billionaire property developer and reality TV star Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States has presaged a new Dark Age of climate politics.

In an opening fortnight of controversial executive orders, President Trump has decreed the expansion of major fossil fuel developments including the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines, and the neutering of long-standing environmental protections. In addition, he and his leadership team have made it plain they intend to dismantle many of the Obama administration’s climate initiatives and withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. All this runs in direct counterpoint to the rapid decarbonisation required to avoid dangerous climate change.

For Australian fossil fuel interests, President Trump’s war on climate appears particularly opportune. Just last week, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his senior ministers floated the idea of government backing for new coal-fired power stations as part of the government’s response to Australia’s “energy security” and expressed reticence over the country’s Renewable Energy Target.

For a country that has nurtured world-leading innovations in solar photovoltaic and other renewable energy technologies and that is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change – be it in the form of record heat, devastating floods, more widespread drought, coastal inundation from sea level rise combined with stronger tropical storms, or the demise of the Great Barrier Reef – doubling down on the traditional fossil fuel energy path is particularly short-sighted.

Like big tobacco before them, fossil fuel advocates have attacked mainstream climate science to confuse the public and policymakers about the reality and threat of human-caused climate change. As a result, we have seen a full-scale assault on a century and half of established science. For many climate scientists this has involved attacks from conservative politicians and rightwing lobby groups, orchestrated campaigns of harassment via mainstream and social media, challenges to job security and careers, and in some cases, death threats. Indeed, as recounted in The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars, one of us (Michael Mann) has been subject to all of those things……….https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/07/in-australia-and-the-us-sound-climate-policy-is-being-held-hostage-by-vested-interests

February 8, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

100% RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR AUSTRALIA #auspol 

Decarbonising Australia’s Energy Sector Within One Generation The transition to a 100% renewable energy system by 2050 is both technically possible and economically viable in the long term. This re…

Source: 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR AUSTRALIA #auspol 

February 5, 2017 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Climate Change should worry us all. #auspol #science #resist

Climate challenge should worry us all Section of land that was covered by water. (Photo: Maarufu Mohammed/Standard) To my shame, I realise I might just have grown up a climate change denialist. &nb…

Source: Climate Change should worry us all. #auspol #science #resist

February 5, 2017 Posted by | general | Comments Off on Climate Change should worry us all. #auspol #science #resist

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