nuclear renaissance « nuclear-news

North Korea’s nuclear fusion not likely to be for real

North Korea nuclear claim met with skepticism, THIS JUST IN, May 12th, 2010 North Korea announced Wednesday that its scientists had created a nuclear fusion reaction – a claim nuclear experts quickly cast doubt on. “Nobody in the world has been able to sustain a controlled nuclear fusion reaction, the ultimate goal of nuclear technology,” said Dan Pinkston, head of the Seoul office of the International Crisis Group. “I don’t think the North Koreans are going to start … putting nuclear power vendors around the world out of business any time soon.”
Nuclear fusion is the same process that fuels stars, but has never been sustained in the laboratory by any nation, much less one of the poorest nations on earth.
North Korea nuclear claim met with skepticism

May 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | North Korea, technology | antinuclear, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry resuscitation threatened by European politics

Uranium threatened by political shake-ups FP Trading DeskMay 12, 2010, by Peter Koven It has been a week of political overhaul in Europe, and one of the victims in the fallout could be the continent’s nuclear renaissance. Continue reading →

May 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

China helping Pakistan to develop nuclear technology

China-Pakistan Nuclear Agreement Scrutinized in U.S.T, NTI: Global Security Newswire, May 11, 2010 The Obama administration indicated it was scrutinizing China’s intention to construct two new nuclear power reactors in Pakistan, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday (see GSN, April 29).Since China last built a pair of reactors at the Chashma site in Pakistan, Beijing has joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group, now a 46-nation export control regime that bars nuclear trade with countries that are not subject to International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring (see GSN, May 28, 2004)……
Pakistan is one of few nuclear-armed states that remain outside the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. It is home to former nuclear proliferator Abdul Qadeer Khan and remains a point of concern regarding the potential intersection of extremism and nuclear weapons. NTI: Global Security Newswire – China-Pakistan Nuclear Agreement Scrutinized in U.S.

May 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry resuscitation stalled again in USA

Proposed New Vogtle Reactors Hit Roadblock, May 5th, 2010 › Clean Energy › Sara Barczak ›Once again, the “Nuclear Relapse” hits home. Do these recent headlines inspire confidence in the nuclear industry’s much-hyped “comeback? Continue reading →

May 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Nuclear radiation leaks are invisible, unlike oil spills

If only radiation — which leaks every day at the 104 nuclear reactors in the US — was as visible as the growing BP oil slick in the Gulf Coast

Wake up and smell the oil THE HUFFINGTON POST, John Rosenthal, May 3, 2010 “………..Close your eyes and imagine for a minute that instead of BP’s deepwater offshore well exploding 5,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, spreading millions of gallons of toxic and visible oil across the Gulf Coast, that one of the 104 nuclear reactors operating in the US, exploded Continue reading →

May 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, radioactive, reactors, uranium | 1 Comment

Nuclear Fuel Summit recycling decisions in the interests of AREVA

Former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans and former U.S. ambassador-at-large Robert Gallucci said that recycling creates stockpiles of dangerous materials at risk for theft

Nuclear-Fuel Recycling Debated , Nuclear Street, by Steve Heiser, 15 April 2010, Bloomberg: As Obama SummitNations voice differing opinions on the recycling of spent fuel at DC summit – Edited by April Murelio –According to a report by Bloomberg, debate over the recycling of nuclear fuel by reactor suppliers such as France’s Areva SA surfaced in Washington as U.S. officials sought to skirt the issue during President Barack Obama’s summit. Continue reading →

April 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics international, technology | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, enriched, France, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, radioactive, reactors, recycling, reprocessing, uranium | Leave a comment

Taxpayer will be left with costs of nuclear decommissioning and wastes

The taxpayer will be left to pick up the bills. The very nature of private companies is that they make a profit when they can … but when they can’t they can be wound up, leaving others to pick up the pieces….

Nuclear fall out, Syniadau , 17 April 2010, “……The major issue is not the cost of building the stations (although that is of course an issue, although it would be one for the companies concerned) but the cost of cleaning up the waste they produce and of decommissioning the site when it has come to the end of its productive life. These costs are much, much greater than the cost of construction.

In principle, the government’s idea is that the power companies would set aside money each year so as to pay the costs of decommissioning and clean up. The fundamental flaw in that approach is that a private company can either go bust or refuse to honour its contract commitments at any time, in much the same way as happened when National Express walked away from the East Coast rail franchise last year. The taxpayer will be left to pick up the bills. The very nature of private companies is that they make a profit when they can … but when they can’t they can be wound up, leaving others to pick up the pieces….
Syniadau :: The Blog: Nuclear fall out

April 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, UK | antinuclear, decommissioning, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactors, recycling, reprocessing, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry jumps on the Nuclear Security bandwagon

The big pitch to get “nuclear security” (now there’s another oxymoron) is being taken up by the nuclear lobby, with fervour. Let’s get new gee-whiz reactors that can use the old nuclear weapons fuel!

The world still ends up with even more toxic waste from these reactors. And the transport of the enriched uranium and plutonium? Still plenty of scope there for somebody to get hold of it and make a bomb. Even a “dirty bomb” will do. – our theme for April – Nuclear Power and Peace

April 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radioactive | Leave a comment

New York city start for the anti-nuclear renaissance

It’s also the anti-nuclear movement’s opportunity to excite the American people with a vision of what a world free of nuclear weapons looks like and how to get from here to there..

The New Anti-Nuclear Movement, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Frida Berrigan:, 16 April 2010, “………NPT FocusAt the end of April, people will be coming to New York City from all over the world to participate in and monitor the UN Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. They will gather at the “For a Nuclear Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World” conference at Riverside Church in Manhattan on April 30 and May 1. Continue reading →

April 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, USA | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear weapons, renewable energy, renewables, solar, uranium, wind | Leave a comment

USA’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission ‘in bed with nuclear industry’

Over the years, it has become apparent that the NRC is clearlyIN-BED with the nuclear industry in the push to certify the old nuclear plants for an additional 20-years of operation. The NRC is clearly engaged in a great nuclear experiment with public health and safety hanging in the balance

NRC Wants to Dig Another $10-Billion Dollar Hole in the Ground for Nuclear Waste | Before It’s News , 17 April 2010, “………..The NRC along with the nuclear industry are desperately seeking a quick solution to this dilemma because the government continues to authorize licenses for the construction of more nuclear power plants in the USA. Continue reading →

April 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactors, renewable energy, renewables, solar, uranium, wind | Leave a comment

Recycling nuclear fuel, dangerous and dirty

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

by Christina Macpherson 15 April 2010, It all sounded so good – removing stockpiles of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) and plutonium from international sites, and using them to provide fuel for nuclear reactors in USA and Russia.

And one part is good. This program would end the dirty, dangerous, uranium mining industry.

However, nobody’s talked about :

1. the dangers of transporting this stuff, – risk of accident, as in the movement of HEU from Chile, theft, terrorist attack

2. what to do with the final resulting highly radioactive waste from this process of recycling . It all still ends up with even more toxic, dangerous nuclear wastes. Still a risk of theft. still a target for terrorists, still extremely long-lasting wastes, and no-one has found a way to safely dispose of nuclear wastes.

April 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes, spinbuster | antinuclear, enriched, fast breeder, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Weapons plutonium for USA and Russia’s fast neutron reactors

US, Russia, Sign Protocol to Dispose of 17 Thousand Weapons’ Worth of Plutonium, Political Punch April 13, 2010 As the first Nuclear Security Summit began coming to a close, Secretary o f State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed that their countries would each dispose up at least 34 metric tons of excess weapon-grade plutonium – 68 metric tons total — enough material for approximately 17,000 nuclear weapons. Continue reading →

April 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, technology, USA | antinuclear, enriched, fast breeder, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

The economic and social realities of nuclear energy

Waste not … or get nukes — High Country News, Eric Jantz Apr 13, 2010 “……..To begin with, there’s the issue of who benefits from increasing nuclear power generation. At every point along the nuclear fuel chain, the flow of money reinforces current economic and social power disparities. Continue reading →

April 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, Religion and ethics | antinuclear, AREVA, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactors, renewable energy, uranium | Leave a comment

‘Third Generation’ Nuclear Reactors have same old problems – wastes, weapons proliferation

Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal, By Renfrey Clarke April 8, 2010 “….. Third-generation reactors are in essence evolved versions of the pressurised-water installations that provide almost all of today’s nuclear energy. Now being built for the first time, “third-generation” plants are arguably still at the pre-commercial stage…. Continue reading →

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, technology | antinuclear, climate change, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

U.S. Energy dept in legal trouble over nuclear wastes, and still no solution

Utilities sue Energy Department to stop nuclear waste management fees, The Hill, By Ben Geman – 04/05/10 Nuclear power companies and state utility regulators are suing the Energy Department.The companies filed the lawsuit to force the suspension of a fee that utility customers pay for federal management of nuclear waste……….The Obama administration has abandoned plans for the long-delayed Yucca Mountain waste site, and Energy Secretary Steven Chu has created a “blue ribbon” commission to help create a new long-term waste policy. Continue reading →

April 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive, wastes | Leave a comment