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America’s nuclear industry near death – begging for money

As renewables plummet in cost, and private financing stays nil, the nuclear industry is desperate to gouge billions from Congress for loan guarantees to build new reactors. Thus far, citizen activism has stopped them. But the industry is pouring all it has into this fall’s short session, yet again demanding massive new subsides to stay on life support

Is the “Nuclear Renaissance” Dead Yet?, HUFFINGTON POST, Harvey Wasserman: 13 Sept 2010, America’s much hyped “reactor renaissance” is facing a quadruple bypass. In actual new construction, proposed projects and overseas sales, soaring costs are killing new nukes. And the old ones are leaking like Dark Age relics on the brink of disaster. Continue reading →

September 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Moscow facing up to its nuclear radiation mess

There is also an issue of unknown radioactive dumps. Tens of them are found every year all over Moscow…People just do not know whether any nuclear waste is nearby and what the level of radiation on the surface is.

Radiation scare for Moscow parks The Moscow News, – Evgeniya Chaykovskaya – 13 Sept 10, Levels of radiation on Moscow’s streets have reached a level so high that the authorities are about to spend 4.7 billion roubles to get rid of it.The $153 million clean-up will run from 2011-2013 amid reports of no fewer than 18 dangerous radioactive objects within the capital.

And they can be found in heavily built-up areas like Kuzminki, Continue reading →

September 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

USA grassroots anti-nuclear movement against massive spending by nuclear lobby

it is now clearer than ever that atomic energy cannot compete, that new construction means new rate hikes, that delays and cost overruns will always outstrip the industry’s initial public assurances,

Is the “Nuclear Renaissance” Dead Yet?, HUFFINGTON POST, Harvey Wasserman: 13 Sept 2010, “…..According to official records, the nuclear industry has spent at least $645 million in the past decade lobbying for taxpayer handouts. It got $18.5 billion in loan guarantees from the Bush Administration in 2005. Obama has asked for some $36 billion more. But so far a national grassroots movement has kept that from happening. Continue reading →

September 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

UK likely to delay expensive new Trident nuclear missiles

Trident replacement could be delayed as David Cameron looks for savings Nicholas Watt, guardian.co.uk, Monday 13 September 2010David Cameron is examining plans to delay the replacement of Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent to reduce the pressure on the public finances during the toughest spending round since the second world war, according to government sources……..

Trident replacement could be delayed as David Cameron looks for savings | Politics | The Guardian

September 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | UK, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

America’s rickety old nuclear reactors becoming dangerous

As reactor owners petition to extend operating licenses for decades to come, the rickety, embrittled old plants become increasingly dangerous.

Is the “Nuclear Renaissance” Dead Yet?, HUFFINGTON POST, Harvey Wasserman: 13 Sept 2010, “……America’s aging fleet of first generation reactors is leaking profusely. Indian Point, north of Manhattan, has suffered seven unplanned shut-downs in two years. In recent months serious emissions of tritium and other radioactive substances into the air and water have been found at Vermont Yankee, Indian Point, New Jersey’s Oyster Creek and many more. Ohio’s infamous Davis-Besse, where boric acid ate virtually all the way through a reactor pressure vessel, has sprung some two dozen leaks which cannot be explained by its owner, First Energy. In Vermont, leaks from pipes the operators said did not exist have seeped contaminated water into the Connecticut River. As reactor owners petition to extend operating licenses for decades to come, the rickety, embrittled old plants become increasingly dangerous.

Harvey Wasserman: Is the “Nuclear Renaissance” Dead Yet?

September 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Even if they go ahead, dubious profitability for Germany’s old nuclear plants

E.On: tax eats profits from nuclear extension-paper Reuters, FRANKFURT, Sept 12 – E.On EOGn.DE says taxes will eat up between half and two thirds of all profits generated from extending the lifespan of nuclear power stations in Germany, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung said on Sunday.”The state will definitely take more than half and combined with the nuclear fuel tax likely cash in two thirds,” E.On CEO Johannes Teyssen said in an interview with the paper.New tax measures are set to be introduced as part of a deal struck between the utilities and the German government earlier this month to extend the operating lifespan of 17 nuclear power plants, giving reactors an extension of about 12 years on average. …….E.On: tax eats profits from nuclear extension-paper | Energy & Oil | Reuters

September 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | AUSTRALIA, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Ionising radiation a cancer causer in nearby, non-irradiated cells

The Bystander Effect may be more damaging in the longer term than direct radiation exposure.

Emerging role of radiation induced bystander effects:Cell communications and carcinogenesis, 7th Space.3 Sept 10, Rajamanickam Baskar, Ionizing radiation is an invaluable diagnostic and treatment tool used in various clinical applications. On the other hand, radiation is a known cytotoxic with a potential DNA damaging and carcinogenic effects.

However, the biological effects of low and high linear energy transfer (LET) radiations are considerably more complex than previously thought. Continue reading →

September 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

South Africa has virtually no control over its radioactive materials

The current situation is a serious indictment on the ANC-government, as it will result or has already resulted in South African citizens being exposed to unnecessary radiation and danger…..

Govt’s radiation control dept almost kaput, Politicsweb, – DAMike Waters 12 September 2010 Mike Waters says vacancy rate at 50%, 64% inspections outstandingRadiation Control Directorate: Non-operation poses threat to public safety The Democratic Alliance (DA) is in possession of internal documents dating as far back as 2003, which reveal that the Department of Health’s Directorate for Radiation Control is almost non-operational. Continue reading →

September 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Africa | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear factory workers to be compensated for their cancers

it is reasonable to conclude workers at Blockson Chemical Co. were exposed to radiation in large enough doses from 1951 to 1960 to cause illness, even if it is impossible to determine the precise amount of radiation exposure.

Joliet workers’ path to radiation compensation eased – Chicago Tribune, September 11, 2010|By Ted Gregory, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday ended a decade-long wait and eased compensation claims for Joliet factory workers who contracted cancer while helping build and test nuclear weapons in the 1950s. Continue reading →

September 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

UK’s Ministry of Defence stalling on compensation, as nuclear veterans die

A veteran of the nuclear bomb tests in the South Pacific today told how he fears he may not live long enough to see the Government apologise for sending them there. SGClub.com Friendly Singapore Forums, 11 Sept 10, Kieran Boomer, 74, is one of hundreds of veterans of the tests on Christmas Island in the 1950s fighting for an apology and compensation. Continue reading →

September 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

65% of Germans not happy with Merkel pandering to nuclear lobby

65 percent of respondents agree with the charge leveled by many in the German opposition that Merkel’s center-right coalition mainly took account of nuclear plant operators’ interests in drawing up its energy concept.

Poll: Germans oppose nuclear power extension – BusinessWeek, 10 sept 10, A majority of Germans oppose government plans to put off a shutdown of the country’s nuclear power plants by an average 12 years, according to a poll released Friday.The poll for ZDF television found that 61 percent opposed the plan announced earlier this week to undo a previous government’s decade-old decision to shut down all German nuclear plants by 2021. Continue reading →

September 11, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

India refusing to be a stooge for USA nuclear salesmen

Coming in the backdrop of the recent judgment of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and the events thereafter, Indian opposition parties, and in many cases, even the Indian intelligentsia, is putting pressure on the government to make sure that the country is not seen as a ‘U.S. stooge’ within or outside the country.

Civil Nuclear Bill – The slip is showing – International Business Times, 10 Sept 10, It was meant to be a quid-pro-quo in return for the Bush administration-led efforts to get India into the global nuclear league. In return, the U.S. expected India to return the favor by ensuring that the U.S. industry benefits the most from the country’s civil nuclear effort. However, the bill, as passed by the India parliament last fortnight is anything but satisfactory to the U.S. industry. Continue reading →

September 11, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Church groups, businessmen, youth, join German anti-nuclear movement

bolstered the current protests beyond the traditional activist base to reach different age groups, church bodies and small businesses specialized in renewable-energy technologies who see their livelihoods at risk.

“The protests are much broader now — they include a lot of young people who now know that nuclear power doesn’t create jobs, but eliminates jobs,”

Merkel Faces `New Dimension’ of Anti-Nuclear Protests, Green Leader Says, Bloomberg, By Patrick Donahue – Sep 10, 2010 German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces “massive” public protests this fall as demonstrators attempt to derail her plan to prolong the use of nuclear power, Continue reading →

September 11, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, opposition to nuclear | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Leaked memo reveals German govt’s dirty nuclear deal

The memo, leaked Thursday, also promises that the new nuclear agreement will include provisions to make it hard for future anti-nuclear governments to reverse the decision to keep nuclear in the mix.

Opposition fuming over secret nuclear deal – UPI.com BERLIN, Sept. 10 The German opposition has reacted angrily over revelations that the government, as part of its decision to extend the life of nuclear power in Germany to the mid 2030s, struck a deal with the nuclear industry to shield it from unfavorable future political decisions. German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a previously unreleased memo assured the country’s four main utilities that government-imposed nuclear safety upgrades would be capped at $640 million per reactor. Continue reading →

September 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology | Leave a comment

Over 250 Canadian towns say no to nuclear power

Ontario is backing off nuclear power generation of the Canadian-developed CANDU variety, ….. Quebec has a golden opportunity to follow that example.

No to nuclear power, towns say, By Jan Ravensbergen, Montreal Gazette September 10, 2010, MONTREAL – More than 250 Quebec municipalities and regional municipal governments have banded together to demand the province shut the door once and for all on nuclear energy Continue reading →

September 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, opposition to nuclear | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment