nuclear technology « nuclear-news

2053 nuclear bomb tests mapped

VIDEO Japanese artist maps 1945-1998’s nuclear explosions , Wired.co By Duncan Geere |06 July 2010 A Japanese artist named Isao Hashimoto has created a series of works about nuclear weapons. One is titled “1945-1998” and shows a history of the world’s nuclear explosions.Over the course of fourteen and a half minutes, every single one of the 2053 nuclear tests and explosions that took place between 1945 and 1998 are is plotted on a map.

July 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, plutonium | Leave a comment

President Obama can resist the pressure from the military industrial complex

President John F. Kennedy, who finally became obstinate in his refusal to resort to nuclear weapons……In fact, the pressure Kennedy faced from the military to use nuclear weapons was much stronger than that which Obama has thus far faced about remaining in Afghanistan or, for that matter, dialing down our nuclear-industrial complex.

Picture Obama Authorizing a Nuclear Attack, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Russ Wellen:, 6 July 2010, Since the end of the Cold War, the circumstances under which a U.S. president might authorize the launch of nuclear weapons have changed. First, it bears mentioning that, even though he or she is always accompanied by the “nuclear football,”* a president’s ability to exercise complete command over the response to a nuclear attack has long been overrated…. Continue reading →

July 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

People of conscience resist the nuclear threat

We the people of conscience therefore exercise the right of every citizen of this republic and this planet to peacefully resist the nuclear threat; attacking as it does every core concept of human rights.

(USA) Declaration of Independence from Nuclear Weapons – Salem-News.Com,,Eileen Fleming, Jul-05-2010 36 arrested at Y-12 National Security Complex. (OAK RIDGE, Tenn.) – Priests and nuns, atheists, anarchist and one clown were among the 23 arrested by the State and 13 by the Federal Government for nonviolently resisting Nuclear Weapons at Y-12 on 5 July 2010. Continue reading →

July 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Religion and ethics, USA | antinuclear, disarmament, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, peace, radiation | Leave a comment

Coastal nuclear plants endangered by sea level rise, and oil spills

the NUCLEAR INDUSTRY and CLIMATE CHANGE – our focus for July 2010

NUCLEAR POWER and SEA LEVEL RISE – All reactors on sea coasts endangered by sea level rise

They are also endangered by accidents such as OIL SPILLS, which can affect their cooling safety sytems

July 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | antinuclear, climate change, global warming, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium, water | 1 Comment

Uranium market stays down, USA govt sells old weapons fuel

Scope for medium term gains in uranium prices, July 02, 2010, by Dorothy Kosich (Mineweb) “……..spot uranium prices continue to trade at low ebb, …”Prices continue to be dampened by a low level of ‘uncovered utility requirements in the West, concern over further production gains in Kazakhstan and the barter of U.S. Department of Energy UF6 inventory to pay for an environmental cleanup at a closed Ohio uranium enrichment plant,” Mohr advised.The announcement of a DOE barter sale to USEC Inc., a leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants, was blamed for the beginning of a uranium price decline a year ago. The sale will end in the third quarter of this year. However, Mohr said U.S. Energy Secretary Chu intends to sell additional federal uranium inventory under another program.

Proactive Investors (AU) – Scope for medium term gains in uranium prices

July 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, business and costs | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, uranium | Leave a comment

The world’s most dangerous project – Russia’s floating nukes

their flexibility also brings a phalanx of new risk considerations to the nuclear bargain — particularly one like this that’s designed to change locales. No surprise then that Greenpeace Russia has dubbed the Akademik Lomonosov the world’s most dangerous nuclear project in a decade…

Russia Launches Floating Nuclear Power Plant, EEE Spectrum, 2 July 2010, Russian nuclear engineering group Rosatom launched the world’s first floating nuclear power plant Wednesday, Continue reading →

July 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

Time to stop U.S. Congress from ’emergency’ payout to nuclear industry

Wall Street investment firms are still too burned by atomic defaults from the 1970s and 1980s — the largest managerial disaster in business history according to Forbes magazine — to risk their own funds on new reactors, despite the federal loan guarantees!

As Taxpayers for Common Sense argues, such an emergency supplemental war funding and disaster relief bill is no place for energy loan guarantees to be attached in the first place

“Declare your independence” from risky nuclear loan guarantees before the 4th of July!, Beyond Nuclear, 2 July 2010, -There is still time to act against expanded nuclear power loan guarantees before the U.S. House finalizes its supplemental war funding and disaster relief bill by its Independence Day recess.

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee, chaired by Dave Obey (Democrat-Wisconsin), is considering an emergency supplemental war funding and disaster relief bill. The Obama administration has pushed for $9 billion in additional nuclear power loan guarantees to be attached as a rider onto this bill, thus attempting to rush part of a $36 billion expansion request to the nuclear power loan guarantee program, originally requested for next year’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget, onto this fiscal year’s budget. Continue reading →

July 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Sweden’s nuclear future is very uncertain indeed

the people of Sweden voted to decommission all nuclear power plants by 2010. However, only two nuclear blocks (Barsebaeck 1+2) were actually decommissioned. The decommissioning cost three times more than it did to build the reactors in the first place. That is why it is so important for the external costs of nuclear power to be included when doing a cost analysis.

NUCLEAR: Is the battle lost?, PROJECT 90, 30 June 2010, On the 17th June 2010 Sweden’s parliament passed a Bill to overturn a 30-year-old ban on new nuclear reactors. 174 parliamentarians voted yes and 172 voted no. The Swedish Parliament attached some conditions to the building of new nuclear reactors:

Only existing plants would be replaced

No government subsidies would be granted to the nuclear developments

The owner and operator would be held financially responsible in the case of any accidents. Continue reading →

July 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, Sweden | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear decommissioning, nuclear technology | 1 Comment

Scientists warn on huge taxpayer bill for USA’s nuclear subsidies

If the industry is able to secure federal approval to build the 31 new reactors it is expected to request, UCS found that total proposed subsidies could be worth from $65 billion to as much as $147 billion.

Senate Currently Proposing $40 Billion to More Than $140 Billion in Subsidies for Nuclear Industry, New Analysis FindsNew Subsidies for Constructing Reactors Would Shift Financial Risks to Taxpayers Union of Concerned Scientists WASHINGTON (July 1, 2010) – Massive government subsidies proposed in two pending Senate climate and energy bills would shift the risk of financing and constructing new nuclear reactors from the industry to U.S. taxpayers, according to an analysis released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Continue reading →

July 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology | Leave a comment

Claim that Dubai ports used to smuggle nuclear equipment to Iran

Iran uses Dubai ports to smuggle nuclear equipment, Jewish News, Jul 01, 2010 According to the “Telegraph“, Hamad al-Kaabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, was quoted saying earlier today that “Security forces have interdicted scores of ships suspected of carrying illicit cargo and seized numerous sensitive shipments that could be used for the manufacture of weapons systems, including specialized aluminum sheets, titanium, high-speed computers and sophisticated machine tools.”Mr al-Kaabi added: “The UAE has implemented many notable United Nations security council resolutions. A lot of these have banned certain goods going to certain countries.” Additionally, at a meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism in Abu Dhabi, a senior figure revealed the extent of the trade in weapons and “dual-use” goods. According to this source, officials have admitted that Dubai is being used by Iran as a transit point for smuggling both money and illegal goods….

Iran uses Dubai ports to smuggle nuclear equipment | World of Judaica

July 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | MIDDLE EAST, secrets,lies and civil liberties | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons | 1 Comment

AREVA new nuclear plant an expensive pipe-dream

Province doesn’t need another reactor, telegraphjournal.com , DAVID BEAUDIN, New Brunswick, Canada, 29 June 2010, “……..the provincial government is actively negotiating with Areva to construct Lepreau II.Considering the financial, technical and power generating debacle resulting from the attempted refurbishment of the Lepreau nuclear plant, one sincerely hoped that the government would, at least be “once bitten, twice shy.” New Brunswick has no need for the power to be produced by a second nuclear plant. It’s for export, part of the political “energy hub” pipedream. Continue reading →

July 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Canada | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

Germany’s nuclear power industry not happy with uranium fuel tax

German Minister:Fuel-Rod Tax Tied To Nuclear Extension – WSJ.com By Jan Hromadko BERLIN (Dow Jones), 1 July 2010, –The German government’s proposed tax on nuclear energy will be linked to a planned extension of reactor operating lives, deputy economic minister Jochen Homann said Wednesday. Continue reading →

July 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Climate Change is Real, but Nuclear Power is Not the Answer

Time is running out for the expensive, dangerous, dirty, nuclear power industry. The nuclear lobby’s desperate propaganda is that the industry is clean, and is a solution to global warming. That is a lie.

June 30, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes | antinuclear, climate change, global warming, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | 1 Comment

Rush to market nuclear technology to India, despite its weapons record

“At a time when the international spotlight seems trained on North Korea and Iran, a growing tolerance for India’s belligerence in building its nuclear and missile capabilities appears to shield it from.. scrutiny.”…”. . . the nuclear deal is part of a broader set of [U.S.-Indian] agreements [which] US-based multinationals are . . . hoping to use . . . as a wedge to further open India to foreign investment and sales.”

Would You Trust a Country That Named Its First Nuke Test ‘Happy Buddha’?, Russ Wellen, June 28, 2010 “…………it’s the state with a reputation for being the most spiritual in the world since it’s the birthplace of both Hinduism and Buddhism — India, of course. Yet it (or its rulers and policymakers at the time) were seemingly out of touch with said spiritualism to such an extent that in 1974 they code-named India’s first nuclear test the Smiling Buddha. They even scheduled it for the day on which the Buddha’s birth is celebrated in India. This was only the start Continue reading →

June 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Water shortage may be the finish of the nuclear industry

Water Scarcity: Nuclear Power’s Achilles’ Heel, THE HUFFINGTON POST Kyle Rabin: June 28, 2010, Scientists, researchers and other experts warn that the United States is entering an era of water scarcity. Back in 2003, the US General Accounting Office (now known as the US Government Accountability Office or GAO) projected that 36 states, under normal conditions, could face water shortages by 2013. However, those shortages were realized in 2008 — five years sooner than predicted. Current forecasts suggest that climate change will only exacerbate the challenges of managing and protecting water resources. Continue reading →

June 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, water | antinuclear, climate change, nuclear technology, water | Leave a comment