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Pope Francis confronting the world on the reality of climate chnage

PopePope Francis to explore climate’s effect on world’s poor.
Ban Ki-moon arrived at the Vatican with his own college of cardinals. Mr. Ban, the United Nations secretary general, had brought the leaders of all his major agencies to see Pope Francis, a show of organizational muscle and respect for a meeting between two global institutions that had sometimes shared a bumpy past but now had a mutual interest
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-3385691465275237342

Eric Holthaus: The Pope’s Climate Encyclical Now Has an Epic Hollywood Trailer
If you’re like me and eagerly anticipating Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change—due out Thursday, June 18—stop what you’re doing and watch this
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/06/12/pope_francis_climate_encyclical_now_with_it_s_own_hollywood_trailer.html

Geoffrey Lean: Is the Pope a greenie? You bet
Climate change sceptics have reason to fear the man in white.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/is-the-pope-a-greenie-you-bet-20150614-ghngc8.html

June 15, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Media all too silent on USA-Russia nuclear ‘game of chicken’

the US has a policy still to fight and win a nuclear war against Russia. And when they do that launch first and land 200 hydrogen bombs on each of your missile silos and kill your missiles. The fact that billions of people will die is called by the Pentagon ‘collateral damage’. I don’t know what the Russian military strategy is about this, but the whole thing is extremely dangerous and the news media is not talking about it on the whole

US and Russia ‘playing nuclear chicken with each other’ Rt.com Dr Helen Caldicott is one of the most Caldicott,-Helen-4articulate and passionate advocates of citizen action to remedy the nuclear and environmental crises. June 11, 2015 Current US and Russian war games at a time of serious international tension are very dangerous and someone’s mistake or a computer error could push the world over the brink into a nuclear war, claimed Dr. Helen Caldicott to RT.

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond claims the UK could deploy US nuclear missiles as a response to increased “levels of activity both by Russian forces and by Russian-controlled separatist forces” in Ukraine. Hammond added Russia needs to get “a clear signal” that “we will not allow them to transgress our red lines.” Nevertheless, the UK hosting US nuclear missiles still remains a distant prospect.

For more on this RT asked pediatrician Dr. Helen Caldicott, founding president of Physicians for Social Responsibility and president of the Helen Caldicott Foundation for a Nuclear Free Future. Continue reading →

June 13, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Deal with Iran is backed by majority of USA Jews

diplomacy-not-bombsMost US Jews back nuclear deal with Iran, J Street poll shows http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Most-US-Jews-back-nuclear-deal-with-Iran-J-Street-poll-shows-405630 In April, a CNN poll found that 53 percent of Americans back such an agreement. ican Jews support an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program than the general population in the United States, according to a poll whose results were announced on Wednesday by the liberal lobby J Street. Continue reading →

June 13, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

European Commission will rule in October on possible illegality of State aid for Hungary’s nuclear expansion

llegal state aid for Hungary’s nuclear expansion? – EU ruling expected in Oct – BBC

June 12, 2015, BBC has looked into a 12.5 billion euro deal between Budapest and Moscow under which Russia would build two new 1,200-megawatt reactors at the Paks nuclear power plant. It presented the views and arguments of those objecting to the project. It said a European Commission decision on whether or not illegal state aid is involved is expected in October……http://www.portfolio.hu/en/economy/illegal_state_aid_for_hungarys_nuclear_expansion_eu_ruling_expected_in_oct_bbc.29732.html

 

June 13, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Australia’s Foreign Minister makes a claim about ISIS collecting materials for a “dirty bomb”

ISIS may have collected radioactive materials for nuclear ‘dirty’ bomb, says Australian Foreign Minister, First Post,  Jun 11, 2015 Melbourne: The Islamic State is believed to have collected radioactive material from hospitals and research establishments in cities it has captured in Iraq and Syria which it could use to build a large “dirty” bomb, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has warned.

ISIS had declared its ambition to develop weapons of mass destruction in the most recent edition of its propaganda magazine Dabiq, stating that there is an “infinitely” greater chance of the cash-rich group smuggling its first nuclear weapon from Pakistan to attack the US within a year.

Bishop told The Australian that NATO was deeply concerned about the theft of radioactive material.

“The insurgents did not just clear out the cash from local banks,” she was quoted as saying.

In a speech in Perth last week, Bishop warned that the Islamic State may be developing poison-gas weapons.

Julie later told the daily that her speech was based on reports from the Defence Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade………http://www.firstpost.com/world/isis-may-have-collected-radioactive-materials-for-nuclear-dirty-bomb-says-australian-foreign-minister-2291388.html

June 13, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

UK’s cuts to defence security endanger Scotland’s Faslane nuclear submarine base

Nuclear weapons’ security threatened by spending cuts – defense police Rt.com June 11, 2015 Further cuts to specialist Ministry of Defence (MoD) police numbers could leave Scotland’s Faslane nuclear submarine base vulnerable to attack, according to the Chair of the Defence Police Federation.

UK ministers are planning deep spending cuts to defense. The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) guarding the base could be affected, despite the force already losing a third of its officers since 2010.

Defence Police Federation Chairman Eamon Keating is expected to use a keynote speech at the federation’s annual conference to urge ministers to reconsider cuts…….

In May, Able Seaman William McNeilly, a weapons engineer, claimed a number of security lapses and technical faults with the Trident missiles carrier expose the British nuclear deterrent to potential terrorist attacks that “would kill our people and destroy our land.”

Possible attackers have “the perfect opportunity to send nuclear warheads crashing down on the UK,” he claimed.

McNeilly also outlined the ease with which potential terrorist can infiltrate the base……..http://rt.com/uk/266617-faslane-security-defence-cuts/

June 13, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

VIDEO: America: all 16 U.S. Intelligence Agencies have begun to prepare for World War III.

see-this.wayCIA Insider: “Forget Iran, Iraq, Ukraine, and Syria this is where WWIII will start” http://pro.moneymappress.com/MMRBSSH39PPM3/LMMRR651/?h=true Concerned American,12 June 15 

This is a quickly developing story.

Should the rise of conflicts across the Middle East and Ukraine serve as a warning sign that something much more dangerous is approaching?

According to Jim Rickards, the CIA’s Asymmetric Warfare Advisor, the answer is yes.

In a startling interview he reveals that all 16 U.S. Intelligence Agencies have begun to prepare for World War III.

Making matters worse, his colleagues believe it could begin within the next 6 months.

However, the ground zero location for this global conflict is what makes his interview a must-see for every American.

Take a few moments to watch it below [on site link] and decide for yourself.

June 13, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

The fraught politics of Canada’s nuclear waste burial plan: decision now delayed

Delay in nuclear waste decision sign burial plan politically fraught: critics  Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press , June 10, 2015  TORONTO — A delay in deciding whether to approve plans to bury hazardous nuclear waste near Lake Huron until after the federal election is a sign of just how politically fraught the project is, opponents say.

In a statement this week, U.S. congressman Dan Kildee said he would use the additional time to keep pressing for an alternative to the proposed site.

“This delay until after Canada’s next election clearly demonstrates that this project is controversial, both in Canada and the U.S.,” Kildee said. “I hope that Canada considers a different location for a site.”……..

more than 150 communities, many in the U.S., have passed resolutions opposing the plan. They include cities such as Chicago and Toronto.

“Surely in the vast land mass that comprises Canada, there must be a better place to permanently store nuclear waste than on the shores of Lake Huron,” Kildee said.

Illinois Senator Mark Kirk, co-chairman of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, recently urged President Barack Obama to press Ottawa to delay approval of the project and let the independent International Joint Commission that oversees the lakes look at the proposal. http://london.ctvnews.ca/delay-in-nuclear-waste-decision-sign-burial-plan-politically-fraught-critics-1.2415916

June 13, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s ruling on radioactive waste dump delayed till December


AUDIO: Nuclear Waste Repository Decision Delayed http://blackburnnews.com/sarnia/sarnia-news/2015/06/05/nuclear-waste-repository-decision-delayed/  Reporter Email Josh Boyce Residents now have until September 1 to offer their input into Ontario Power Generation’s proposed nuclear waste repository 1 km from the Lake Huron shoreline.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s timeline for a final ruling has been pushed back to December, two months after the October federal election.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley is pleased to have another public input period. A Joint Review Panel has said disposing of the waste in a deep underground bunker at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station is the best way to deal with the material and is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

It’s now up to the federal environment minister on whether to agree with the panel’s ruling.

June 8, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Concern in Indonesia over economic non-viability of nuclear power

text-relevantNuclear is not a cheap  energy: Think tank http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/07/nuclear-not-a-cheap-energy-think-tank.html  Nuclear energy remains costly and dangerous and its use should be carefully considered, according to Institute for Essential Service Reform (IESR) Executive Director Fabby Tumiwa.

“Nuclear is expensive and very risky. A nuclear power plant can operate for 40 to 50 years, but the waste can remain for thousands of years,” Fabby said during a talk show in Jakarta on Sunday.

Citing IESR data, Fabby said that nuclear power plants in other countries had observed a steep incline in the cost of investment after the construction phase, mentioning as an example the US Vogtle nuclear power plant units 3 and 4, which began construction by Southern Company in March 2012 and November 2013.

The investment was estimated to be US$14.3 billion in total, but in 2014, the company announced that the sum had increased to $15.7 billion. The government recently revealed that it was carrying out a feasibility study for the construction of nuclear power plants in the provinces of Kalimantan and Bangka-Belitung.

Rinaldy Dalimi from the National Energy Council voiced similar concerns, citing data from Japanese power plants.“It’s not true that, as has been claimed, [nuclear energy] is inexpensive,” he said.  In Japan, he said, nuclear energy cost around 16 US cents per kilowatt hour before subsidies, higher than steam and hydro power plants at 3 cents per kWh.(++++)

 

June 8, 2015 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

Calculating the true cost of nuclear power

cost calculatorWhat’s the true cost of nuclear power? Ask The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Cost Calculator. http://boingboing.net/2015/06/05/whats-the-true-cost-of-nucle.html

By  , Jun 5, 2015 Created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, this nifty Nuclear Fuel Cycle Cost Calculator serves “provide countries around the world with nuanced estimates of the full cost of nuclear power—-almost instantly.”

Discussions of the future of nuclear power often focus on safety,proliferation, waste storage, and carbon emissions – accepting cost as a given. This tool breaks the cost of investing in nuclear power into its component parts and considers the price of three configurations of the ‘fuel cycle’ – that is, the process that includes everything from the mining and production of uranium fuel to the disposal of spent fuel after it has been used to generate electricity.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Cost Calculator [thebulletin.org]

June 6, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

100% renewable energy future for the world – no coal, oil, nuclear

renewables-not-nukesA Fossil Fuel Free World is Possible: How to Power a Warming Earth Without Oil, Coal and Nuclear Democracy Now, 5 June 15 Is a 100% renewable energy future possible? According to Stanford professor Mark Jacobson, the answer is yes. Jacobson has developed plans for all 50 states to transform their power infrastructure to rely on wind, water and solar power.

This comes as California lawmakers have approved a dozen ambitious environmental and energy bills creating new standards for energy efficiency. Dubbed the California climate leadership package, the 12 bills set high benchmarks for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum use. We speak with Jacobson and Noah Diffenbaugh, Stanford University Associate Professor and a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.

 TRANSCRIPT

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form…………

MARK JACOBSON: Well, our plans are to change the energy infrastructure in each and every state in the United States, and in fact, ultimately, every country of the world, to infrastructures run entirely on wind, water, and solar power for all purposes. So that is electricity, transportation, heating and cooling and industry……

MARK JACOBSON: Well in our plans, we do it state-by-state. Continue reading →

June 6, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Restart of Sendai nuclear plant will be delayed

Japan’s first reactor restart delayed to August: Kyushu Electric , 3 June 15 TOKYO – Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power said on Tuesday it has delayed the restart of its Sendai nuclear plant in southwestern Japan, the first to be brought back into service under new rules introduced after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

The delay to mid-August from the previous target of late July follows a warning by Japan’s nuclear regulator in April that the utility’s schedule for a restart was too optimistic……..: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/japans-first-reactor-restart-delayed-august-kyushu-electric#sthash.cqLyjX0A.dpuf

June 4, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear deal with Iran will significantly reduce Tehran’s enrichment capacity,

flag-IranNuclear deal will reduce Iran enrichment capacity: US adviser Yahoo 7 News, 3 June 15 Doha (AFP) – A nuclear deal with Iran will significantly reduce Tehran’s enrichment capacity, US Vice-President Joe Biden’s national security adviser told a conference in Qatar on Monday.

Dr Colin H. Kahl, speaking at the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, said the current deal being hammered out was the best on offer, despite many sceptical voices in the US and elsewhere, including Gulf Arab states.
“Under the deal we are negotiating… Iran’s enrichment capability will be substantially rolled back,” said Kahl.
“The deal we are negotiating makes us and the region safer.”

The ongoing talks to finalise a nuclear accord between Iran and world powers, including the United States, are deadlocked weeks ahead of a deadline.

Negotiations at the weekend in Geneva, Switzerland, failed to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran, especially over the crucial issue of inspections of military sites…….

Since the April 2 accord, technical experts have been meeting behind the scenes to overcome the remaining issues. But many of the decisions now need to be made at a political level. Following talks last weekend, US Secretary of State John Kerry broke a leg while cycling but advisers said the accident would not slow the globe-trotting diplomat.

Kahl said on Monday that “today” it would take Iran two-to-three months to produce enough fissile material for one bomb.But despite criticism he said a negotiated settlement was the best solution.

“In the absence of comprehensive agreement to deal with this challenge and constrain Iran’s programme, Iran would likely install and begin operating tens of thousands of fissile centrifuges in the near future,” he added.

The forum is a three-day long conference involving politicians, policy advisers and academics from across the Middle East and the United States.  http://news.yahoo.com/nuclear-deal-roll-back-iran-military-us-adviser-154651601.html

June 4, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Austria ready to take legal action against subsidising of nuclear reactors

justiceAustria ready to sue over subsidized nuclear plants: minister http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/us-austria-nuclear-idUSKBN0OC0KD20150527 Austria will take legal action to block any subsidized nuclear power plants in an effort to discourage use of the technology in Europe and scare off investors, the country’s environment minister, Andrae Rupprechter, said in a newspaper interview.

Rupprechter’s comments to business daily Wirtschaftsblatt reflect non-nuclear Austria’s tough stance, as text-my-money-2evidenced by its intent to take the European Commission to court over approval of Britain’s plans for the Hinkley Point nuclear plant.

Neighboring Czech Republic also plans to extend its nuclear capacity.

“Should other countries present similar subsidy plans, we will fight these in court,” the minister said in the interview published on Wednesday, saying such state backing hindered the rollout of renewable energy technology.

“Giving preference to nuclear power is unacceptable. Nuclear energy is neither safe nor economical. A lawsuit may also make potential investors hesitant.” (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by David Goodman)

June 1, 2015 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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