nuclear spin « nuclear-news

‘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

USA’s nuclear weapons New START and its dodgy arithmetic

New START and Nuclear Midnight, RealClearWorld, By Daniel McGroarty 8 April 2010, What accounts for the dampening of enthusiasm of pro-disarmament groups for New START? Call it a kind of fuzzy math: The White House has been careful to characterize the new warhead levels as 30 percent below the warhead limit of the 2002 Moscow Treaty. But both the U.S. and Russian arsenals are well below those limits now, having retired weapons without replacing them…..

Add to that a new rule for counting nuclear-capable strategic bombers: Under New START, each bomber counts as one warhead – regardless of how many nuclear weapons it can deliver. With U.S. and Russian bomber capacities varying from 6 to 20 nuclear warheads, that’s a quick way to cut the warhead count without scrapping any weapons…….As the Federation of American Scientists’ Hans Kristensen reports: “… The [New START] counting rule would ‘hide’ approximately 450 and 860 warheads, respectively, or 1,310 warheads. That’s more warheads than Britain, China, France, India, Israel, and Pakistan possess combined!” Expect to hear more about that from the world’s non-nuclear nations at next month’s Non-Proliferation Treaty conference……As the Atomic Scientists like to say, the clock is ticking.

RealClearWorld – New START and Nuclear Midnight

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

USA’s poor security of its own enriched uranium and dead nuke weapons

Will U.S. Inaction on its own Nuclear Security Issues Compromise Summit Success?Across the Aisle: The PSA Blog, by Peter Stockton and Ingrid Drake | April 7th, 2010 “…..Frankly, if we want other nations to follow, we have to lead by example. Highly enriched uranium (HEU) is a prime target for nuclear terrorists: with about 100 pounds it is possible to make an improvised nuclear device that could create a blast on par with the one that devastated Hiroshima. Yet, the U.S. has the world’s second largest stock of HEU and plutonium. Continue reading →

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear Weapons Proliferation is the biggest risk with Integral Fast Reactors

Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links April 8, 2010 Hansen Nuclear Power ….. Renfrey’s article understates the WMD proliferation risks associated with integral fast reactors (IFRs). The plutonium/waste mixture from IFRs could be processed in a conventional reprocessing plant without too much trouble, especially since proliferators would take simple steps (reducing the irradiation time) to maximise the proportion of plutonium-239 and to reduce the difficulty and hazards of transporting and processing the material. Continue reading →

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

Israeli Prime Minister pulls out of nuclear summit

Netanyahu Said to Cancel U.S. Trip for Nuclear Summit By Calev Ben-David April 9 (Bloomberg) –– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a planned visit to the U.S. next week to attend a nuclear summit, a government official said. Continue reading →

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Adter suffering 500 nuclear weapons tests, Kazakhstan says “No More Nuclear Weapons”

Kazakhstan Taking It To The Streets, Burn After Reading, By David Gauvey April 8, 2010 Herbert “In advance of next week’s nuclear nonproliferation summit, Kazakhstan has plastered advertisements touting its own disarmament on 50 bus shelters around the city….The ad’s full text reads: “Kazakhstan, where 1.5 million people suffered from the effects of 500 nuclear explosions, knows the human cost of the nuclear threat better than anyone. That’s why we got rid of our nuclear arsenal, the world’s fourth largest. And that is why we call on the world to follow our example. There is no other way to build a safer world, free from the nuclear threat.”

Kazakhstan Taking It To The Streets – Burn After Reading – Burn After Reading

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, reactors | Leave a comment

‘Fourth Generation’ nuclear reactors sound good, BUT…

fast reactors cannot use water as a coolant, since this would slow the neutrons down. The coolant of choice is molten sodium metal. Sodium is highly reactive, burning readily in air and exploding on contact with water.

Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links April 8, 2010“……Compared to earlier installations, the projected fourth-generation plants – specifically, the “integral fast reactor” (IFR) designs that have drawn most attention – promise important advantages. Continue reading →

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, technology | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Romanian government’s secret plans for nuclear reactors in earthquake zone

Greenpeace 8 April 2010 Romania has currently one nuclear power plant with two functional reactors in Cernavoda (South-East of Romania). Cernavoda is situated in an area with high earthquake risk. The Romanian Government plans to build two more nuclear reactors (Cernavoda 3 and 4). These reactors are of an outdated Canadian design, the CANDU 6.

The Romanian government proposes yet another nuclear power plant in the North of the country, in Transilvania. It announced that it chose three sites on the Somes River, but keeps the information secret because of fear for protests.

Please sign the petition here:

http://www.greenpeace.org/romania/campaigns/nucleare/signthepetition

April 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, EUROPE, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radioactive | Leave a comment

Israel’s secret nuclear weapons ‘no problem’ at nuclear proliferation summit meeting

Following a policy it calls “nuclear ambiguity,” Israel has never confirmed whether it possesses nuclear arms.

PM: Israel to face no pressure at nuclear meeting – Google News The Associated Press 8 April 2010, JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister says his country will not face new pressure over its alleged nuclear program at a high-profile conference next week because the world knows Israel is not a “terrorist regime.” Continue reading →

April 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, politics international | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

The nasty truth about France’s AREVA uranium company in Niger

The international nuclear industry is an integral part of this dirty scheme in France, Niger and elsewhere. It’s time to stop it in its tracks and get it to clean up the toxic mess it’s created.

Nuclear colonialism News24: Columnists: AndreasSpath 2010-04-07 Fans of nuclear energy love France. They habitually depict the country which produces more than three quarters of its electricity using atomic power as the way forward to clean, cheap and low-carbon energy for all. In their enthusiasm they tend to ignore the less than glamorous aspects of the French nuclear industry. Continue reading →

April 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Niger | antinuclear, AREVA, cancer, indigenous, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radioactive, reactors, uranium | 1 Comment

A network of illicit sales of nuclear equipment to Iran

Iran has managed to substantially advance its nuclear-weapons program in recent years by using a network of middlemen to carry out illicit purchases of nuclear equipment in other countries.

Germany Charges Two Over Iran Equipment Deal THE WALL STREET JOURNAL By DAVID CRAWFORD APRIL 8, 2010 BERLIN—Federal prosecutors in Germany have charged two men with delivering to Iran embargoed tools that were intended to build missiles capable of carrying a nuclear payload. Continue reading →

April 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor under scrutiny for radioactive leaks and lies

NRC To Increase Oversight Of Vermont Yankee VPR News 04/07/10 John Dillon – Montpelier, Vt. Host) Federal regulators will increase oversight of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant because of recent radiation leaks and misstatements by plant executives……. Continue reading →

April 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Nuclear Posture Review plans nuclear weapons for Air Force

Nuclear Upgrade for the Pentagon’s Gajillion-Dollar Fighter Wired.com Danger Room |By Nathan Hodge Email Author * April 7, 2010 As part of a newly unveiled Nuclear Posture Review, the Pentagon has made public plans to make its all-purpose stealth fighter capable of carrying nuclear weapons. According to the review, the Air Force wants to “retain a dual-capable fighter” that can drop both conventional and nuclear weapons as the F-16 Fighting Falcon is phased out and replaced by the F-35….. Continue reading →

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

Westinghouse trying to sell nuclear plants and nuclear fuel to Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Westinghouse May Build Nuclear Reactor in Bulgaria’s Kozloduy – Novinite.com – Sofia News Agency 8 April 2010, “…Westinghouse has made it clear it is interested in participating in a future tender for the construction of a new 1000 MW reactor in the Bulgarian nuclear power plant Kozloduy which has four inactive 440 MW reactors and two working 1000 MW units, all of which are Soviet-made.The US energy company has also told Traikov that it was ready to obtain a license so that its nuclear fuel could be used for the Russian reactors in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria: Westinghouse May Build Nuclear Reactor in Bulgaria’s Kozloduy – Novinite.com – Sofia News Agency

April 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Bulgaria, business and costs | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Lou Zeller, anti-nuclear activist’s vision of hope

“I’ve been doing this for over 24 years,” Zeller said. “Whether it’s a Democrat or a Republican administration, they all love nuclear power.” In either case, he added, “We’ve been able to turn back the drive to support it.”

Anti-nuclear in the age of Obama , Los Angeles Times, By Richard Fausset April 7, 2010 Longtime activist Lou Zeller struggles to generate opposition to the president’s vision in a much different era, when jobs and climate change are bigger concerns than Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. “…. Continue reading →