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Nuclear lobbyists in Britain getting favoured treatment

Thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money have been spent on special meetings between ministers and the nuclear industry in Britain, prompting allegations the government is giving the sector an unfair advantage over renewable energy.

Ministers’ meetings with nuclear lobby raise concerns of favouritism The renewable energy industry is concerned that the government has spent thousands meeting nuclear lobbyists guardian.co.uk, 7 November 2010 Continue reading →

November 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, UK | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

No, Mr President, we can’t ‘restart’ the nuclear industry

A “commercial” nuclear reactor would cost upwards of 15 billion dollars to build in America today and require massive government subsidies which could be invested in, for example, offshore wind power and transmission lines instead.

A response to President Obama on nuclear industry, Media With Conscience , By Ace Hoffman, 8 Nov 10, During a press conference after the elections this week, President Obama made a short reference in vague support of nuclear energy. He said:”There’s been discussion about how we can restart our nuclear industry as a means of reducing our dependence on foreign oil and reducing greenhouse gases. Is that an area where we can move forward?” Continue reading →

November 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, renewable energy, renewables, uranium | Leave a comment

“Backscatter”scanners at airports increase risk to health

“It is important to note that there are “backscatter” AIT devices now being deployed that produce ionizing radiation, which could be harmful to your health,”

Pilots boycott full-body scanners over health fears By Kate Schneider news.com.au November 08, 2010 THE world’s largest pilot’s association has boycotted full-body scanners over health risks but passengers wishing to avoid the devices may instead be faced with “invasive” pat-down searches. Continue reading →

November 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

US nuclear missile systems are not proven effective

The authors conclude that the new US nuclear strategy is based on an alarming “technical myth” that GMD and SM-3 systems are proven and effective………

US nuclear safety claim is a ‘dangerous fantasy’, Eureka Alert, London, UK (November 1, 2010) – In April 2010, the US government adopted a new nuclear strategy that depends on the conclusion that the current missile defense systems will reliably protect the continental United States in the extreme circumstances of nuclear-armed combat. Continue reading →

November 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Time running out for Vermont nuclear plant

An Uncertain Nuclear Countdown, November 5, 2010, NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD If the clock is ticking on the lifetime of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, when will it actually close? Continue reading →

November 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Obama and 200 corporate heavies to India to sell nuclear technology

Over 200 US corporate chiefs are accompanying Mr Obama, including Jeffrey Inmelt of GE, seeking to sell to India civil nuclear equipment worth billions of dollars.

US trade drive in India includes arms and civil nuclear material – The Irish Times – Sat, Nov 06, 2010, RAHUL BEDI in New Delhi US PRESIDENT Barack Obama arrives in India today on a three-day official trip that promises to be high on ceremony and sentiment but somewhat low on tangible “deliverables”…. Continue reading →

November 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics international, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Entergy trying to sell Vermont Yankee nuclear plant

State lawmakers have reacted vehemently to a series of misstatements and missteps by Entergy and leaks of radioactive tritium at the plant, in Vernon, Vt., on the banks of the Connecticut River near the Massachusetts border….

Vermont Nuclear Plant Up for Sale, NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD November 4, 2010 Entergy Nuclear, evidently convinced that the Vermont legislature will not allow the company to run the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant for another 20 years, announced on Thursday that the plant was up for sale. Continue reading →

November 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

BNP Paribas banking group to fund a dangerous obsolete nuclear reactor

This reactor fails to meet international safety standards, in addition its outdated, decades old technology would never be permitted in France itself. It is a dangerous nuclear project that should not go ahead – yet BNP Paribas wants to finance it. This money would come partially from customers’ savings – which make up 45% of the banking group’s global revenue.

Why isn’t BNP Paribas ‘sharing’ its nuclear projects on Facebook? Greenpeace International, by Laura K. – November 4, 2010 Two weeks ago we revealed banking group BNP Paribas, the world’s leading investor in the nuclear industry, is planning to fund an obsolete, dangerous nuclear reactor in Brazil – Angra 3. Continue reading →

November 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, business and costs | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radiation, reactor | Leave a comment

UK nuclear powered submarine ran into rescue vessel

U.K.’s Stricken Nuclear Submarine HMS Astute Collided With Rescue Vessel, Bloomberg, By Chris Spillane – Nov 5, 2010 HMS Astute, the British nuclear- powered submarine that ran aground off Scotland’s Isle of Skye last month, collided with one of the vessels charged with its rescue, the defense ministry said……Astute, which was commissioned into the Royal Navy on Aug. 27, is “the U.K.’s most powerful attack submarine,” the ministry said on its website. Built by BAE Systems Plc, it is quieter than other submarines in the fleet, even though it is 50 percent bigger, and can circumnavigate the world without surfacing…… U.K.’s Stricken Nuclear Submarine HMS Astute Collided With Rescue Vessel – Bloomberg

November 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Trouble in selling a troubled nuclear reactor

Anyone Want to Help Build a Reactor?, NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD, November 1, 2010, A partnership between Constellation Energy and Electricité de France to build a new reactor in Maryland has broken up, with Constellation concluding that the economics are unfavorable because of electricity market conditions and the terms demanded by the Energy Department for a loan guarantee.
But Electricité de France wants to go forward and has bought out Constellation’s share of the joint venture, Unistar Nuclear. The problem is that American law requires that the plant have an American partner as a majority owner. Whom could the company recruit?….

Another possiblity for EDF would be to seek a change in the law, to allow foreign ownership of a nuclear reactor. (That rule dates from the cold war days.) But on Friday, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, was noncommittal when asked what he thought of this idea.

The commission’s job, he said, is to enforce the law, and “I’m not aware of any proposals in Congress” for changes…….. Anyone Want to Help Build a Reactor? – NYTimes.com

November 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, radiation, reactors | Leave a comment

Strategic deal between USA and New Zealand

US, New Zealand sign strategic deal after nuclear row , BBC News -4 November 2010 New Zealand and the US have signed a strategic co-operation document to restore relations after a 25-year row.US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully signed the Wellington Declaration at parliament.It commits the two countries to regular foreign ministry, trade and military talks.

Military ties were damaged 25 years ago when New Zealand refused to allow US nuclear-armed ships to dock.

New Zealand has banned nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered ships visiting its ports since 1985. The US traditionally refuses to say whether its ships are nuclear-powered or not, so New Zealand has refused entry to all of them…..BBC News – US, New Zealand sign strategic deal after nuclear row

November 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | New Zealand, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Irresponsible to continue with nuclear power without solution to nuclear waste

“Nobody should be taken in by this spin. These proposals fail to address the core issues and citizens’ concerns on dealing with dangerous nuclear waste….
“Clearly, the absence of any solution on how to deal with dangerous nuclear waste makes current calls for a ‘nuclear renaissance’ in Europe all the more irresponsible.”…..

Mixed response to EU nuclear waste plan THE PARLIAMENT, By Martin Banks – 3rd November 2010 Today’s proposals on new EU rules for nuclear waste seem to be little more than a cheap PR exercise – Rebecca Harms EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger has urged member states to bury radioactive nuclear waste, saying burial is the safest form of disposal. Continue reading →

November 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, reactors | Leave a comment

Dirty tricks in the nuclear industry, using Stuxnet computer worm?

if Areva wanted to harm Siemens reputation or make it less attractive to Rosatom, what better way than to demonstrate the unreliability of its control system software?

British Nuclear Power Plant Goes Dark. Stuxnet Worm To Blame?, Forbes, The Firewall , Nov. 1 2010 – by Jeffrey Carr, British Energy, owned by France’s EDF Energy PLC, has reported an “unplanned outage” at its Heysham 1 nuclear power plant yesterday. A company spokesperson told the Associated Press that repairs to one of the reactors are ongoing but didn’t say when the plant was expected to resume operations.
According to Siemens’ website, EDF Energy is a customer of the German technology giant, whose infrastructure software has suffered from a global infection of the sophisticated Stuxnet worm……. Continue reading →

November 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, UK | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, reactor | Leave a comment

EU struggles with nuclear waste problem, plans to ban exports of waste

no final repositories exist for the roughly 7,000 cubic meters of high-level waste produced each year….the majority of the toxic substance is kept in interim storages..

EU nuclear waste proposals include export ban EUobserver, ANDREW WILLIS 03.11.2010 BRUSSELS – New European Commission proposals will require EU member states to bury their radioactive waste deep underground, with overseas exports of the toxic byproduct also set to be banned. Continue reading →

November 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | 1 Comment

Despite Republican win, USA’s nuclear industry is stalled

A renaissance in nuclear power may be stalled regardless of action by Congress, said Chris Gadomski, the lead analyst for nuclear power with Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Nuclear Power Gains in Republican House Victory; `Cap and Trade’ Suffers – Bloomberg, By Jim Efstathiou Jr. and Jim Snyder – Nov 4, 2010 “…………Nuclear power remains a tough sell …. The U.S. has no long-term plan to dispose of spent reactor fuel, and building nuclear plants remains prohibitively expensive without government subsidies, said John Walke, clean- air director for the New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council. Continue reading →

November 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment