antinuclear « nuclear-news

Coalition Against Nuclear Energy speaks out in South Africa

“The solution to South Africa’s energy crisis is decentralised power, where regions are able to establish their own renew- able-energy plants that are suitable to their terrain and conditions. This will not only create local jobs, but will also allow excess power to be fed into the grid.”

Concerns about a nuclear powered South Africa, Engineering News, By: Tracy Hancock 8th October 2010 “………local umbrella group Coalition Against Nuclear Energy (Cane) believes that there are many unanswered questions pertaining to the use of nuclear energy as an answer to South Africa’s electricity crisis. Continue reading →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, South Africa | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, reactors, renewable energy, renewables | Leave a comment

Time for Tennessee to move away from nuclear and coal power

“We need to get away from producing waste with energy production,” said Safer, chairman of the Tennessee Environmental Council in Nashville.

TVA’s plans for more nuclear reactors concern speakers at public hearingMore nuclear power, less coal is trading evils, environmentalist says, By Anne Paine • THE TENNESSEAN • October 7, 2010 “……plan to increase the amount of the electricity it produces by building more nuclear reactors will be mourned by future generations if it’s followed, activist Don Safer told TVA officials at a public hearing Wednesday. Continue reading →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, reactors | Leave a comment

Subtle retaliation for Hanford nuclear workers who speak out on safety?

Workers who expressed concerns were most worried about subtle retaliation,

DOE: Safety culture at Hanford needs improvement – BusinessWeek The Associated Press October 7, 2010, By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Most workers believe the safety culture at the U.S. Department of Energy’s most expensive and most complex nuclear waste treatment plant is strong, but some worry they will face retaliation for raising concerns, according to a report this week. Continue reading →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation | Leave a comment

China is aggressively advancing renewable energy

China is “by far, the most aggressive nation in terms of advancing alternative energy in general, and solar in particular.”

China’s ‘green’ stocks poised to steal limelight Asia Markets – MarketWatch, By Myra P. Saefong, 8 Oct 10, — As the world’s most populous nation and top energy consumer, China’s appetite for renewable energy sources and obligation to fulfill environmental initiatives are sure to grow — along with investment in the companies that help satisfy that demand, analysts said….. Continue reading →

October 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, climate change, global warming, renewable energy, renewables | Leave a comment

Canadian advertising regulator rules against “emission free” nuclear power

Finally, someone in authority has caught up with the nuclear industry and its propaganda. The Advertising Standards Canada, the organisation which regulates the Canadian advertising industry, ruled earlier this year that claims of nuclear power being ‘emission free’ made in adverts by the Power Workers’ Union ‘were inaccurate, unsupported, and misleading’. The Union was told to remove its ads.

‘Emission free’ nuclear power is more greenwash Greenpeace International, 7 Oct 10, We’ve discussed before on Nuclear Reactio the nuclear industry’s attempts to greenwash nuclear power by rebranding it ‘clean’. It’s a description of this most contaminating of energy sources that nuclear boosters are pushing more and more in the debate about the future of nuclear power. Another term we’re starting to see more and more of is ‘emission free’, as in ‘nuclear power is an emission free energy source’. ……. Even institutions like the BBC have bought the industry spin. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Tennessee Valley Authority wants delay in new nuclear licenses review

TVA asks for delay to US NRC review of new nuclear unit licenses, Washington (Platts)–6 Oct2010 The Tennessee Valley Authority has asked the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to defer its review of the federal utility’s applications to build and operate two new Westinghouse-designed nuclear reactors at the Bellefonte site in Alabama. TVA, in a letter made public Wednesday, asked NRC to temporarily suspend the combined construction permit-operating license (COL) review for the two units, with the exception of some elements already under way…….TVA cited the expectation that its board will vote in the spring on whether to complete Bellefonte-1, an unfinished nuclear unit of an older design at the site… Platts: RSS Feed Detailed News

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, reactors | Leave a comment

Swiss nuclear company Axpo using Russian fuel from polluted area

Greenpeace blasts Swiss nuclear power over Russian fuelSource: AFP October 5, 2010 Environmental group Greenpeace sharply criticised Swiss power stations Tuesday for using nuclear fuel from a Russian reprocessing centre at Mayak, claiming it was one of the world’s most polluted. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, reactors, reprocessing | Leave a comment

Safety and costs – the top concerns about keeping aging nuclear reactors

two questions — safety and economics — lie at the heart of the research agenda now under way on plant aging…..the environment inside nuclear plants is like nothing else, subjecting reactor components to intense heat, stress, vibration and neutron bombardment that could potentially cause hidden weaknesses in reactors, pipes, joints, wiring and other components…if one were to have a seismic event — an earthquake — would the structures withstand the forces?”.

Experts Weigh Extending the Lives of Nuclear Power Plants to 80 Years- NC WARN , September 22nd, 2010 By PETER BEHR of ClimateWire Next year, when two nuclear reactors near Syracuse, N.Y., are shut down for normal refueling operations, technicians will enter their cavernous containment structures looking for signs of aging in the thick steel walls surrounding shrouds of concrete. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

Increased nuclear program in Pakistan

Pakistan steps up nuclear construction, Google hosted news, By Shaun Tandon (AFP) – 6 Oct 10, WASHINGTON — Pakistan appears to have stepped up construction of a new atomic reactor that could help the country produce easier-to-deliver nuclear weapons, a US research institute said. Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is one of the most sensitive topics for the United States as it tries to improve relations with its frontline partner in the campaign against Islamic extremism.The Institute for Science and International Security, a private US group which is critical of nuclear weapons, said Tuesday it observed progress at Pakistan’s tightly guarded Khushab site which is key to plutonium production……….Pakistan, which experts estimate now has up to 100 nuclear weapons, has been adamant that its nuclear weapons are in safe hands and President Barack Obama has publicly concurred.

But the United States hinted at its frustration on Tuesday at the United Nations, where Pakistan has blocked a resumption of negotiations for an agenda in global nuclear disarmament talks. AFP: Pakistan steps up nuclear construction

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Pakistan, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, reactor | Leave a comment

Nevada’s 1,360 radioactive square miles need robot guards

The Nevada National Security Site is the location of a thousand nuclear weapons tests that have left the site contaminated with tens of millions of cubic feet of low-level radioactive waste. The site spans 1,360 square miles

Robo Tanks to Guard Nuclear Facility. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? | Discover Magazine,7 Oct 10, Who needs people to guard a nuclear weapons facility when you can build an autonomous robot to do it? Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

South Korea will lend $10 billion to beat AREVA in selling nukes

Beating GE, Areva. Korea Electric, the country’s biggest electricity provider, beat General Electric Co. and Areva SA of France for rights to build the U.A.E.’s first nuclear reactors.

South Korea Plans to Lend $10 Billion for U.A.E. Nuclear Plants – Bloomberg, By Ayesha Daya – // Oct 6, 2010 South Korea expects to lend about $10 billion for the United Arab Emirates’ first nuclear plants, more than doubling pledges it has already made this year to finance construction projects in the Middle East. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, South Korea | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

France in scramble to sell nukes to India

When asked if the ministry had set a deadline for clearing the project, Ramesh said, “There is no deadline for the approval of the project but since the French President is coming in December, we hope to take a decision on it before his arrival.”
Ramesh hints at clearance for Jaitpur N plant before Sarkozy visit, The Hindu, October 6, 2010, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday voiced hope that concerns raised by locals on a nuclear power plant to be built in collaboration with France in Maharashtra would be addressed and decision taken on the project before President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit in December……..

The six-unit nuclear power project is to be set up at Jaitpur in Ratnagiri using the technological know-how from France but there has been strong opposition from local NGOs who are demanding that it be scrapped citing radiation threat and alleged inadequate land compensation.

A nod by Ramesh’s Ministry to the project before the French President’s visit would save the authorities from an embarrassment as signing of a final agreement on the plant is understood to be high on Sarkozy’s agenda. The Hindu : News / National : Ramesh hints at clearance for Jaitpur N plant before Sarkozy visit

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics international | antinuclear, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology | Leave a comment

India affected by Stuxnet cyber worm

Stuxnet hits India the most, Anirudh Bhattacharyya, Hindustan Times New York, October 04, 2010 It’s being described as the new cyber WMD and may have crippled an Iranian nuclear plant, but one cybersecurity company has estimated that the worm, Stuxnet, may have its largest footprint in India…. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment

Federal judge asked to approve nuclear cleanup plan for Hanford

Court asked to OK new Hanford cleanup schedule | ajc.comBy NICHOLAS K. GERANIOSThe Associated PressSPOKANE, Wash. — State and federal agencies asked a federal judge Wednesday to approve a new cleanup schedule for the Hanford nuclear reservation, the nation’s most polluted nuclear weapons site. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

South Korea alarmed at North Korea’s nuclear programs

Seoul warns of nuclear ‘havoc’, The Australian, October 07, 2010 A SENIOR South Korean official has warned that North Korea’s nuclear program had reached “a very alarming level”. Continue reading →

October 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, South Korea | antinuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment