nuclear « nuclear-news

Nuclear industry – dirty and no solution to climate change

Nuclear power is too risky – CNN.com Mark Z. Jacobson, 22 Feb 2010 “……The on-the-ground footprint of nuclear power, through its plants and uranium mines, is about 1,000 times larger than it is for wind. Continue reading →

February 23, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, uranium | Leave a comment

Oh goodie, a bloody coup in Niger will lift uranium prices!

Niger military coup good for uranium? Financial Post.: February 19, 2010, by Eric Lam A bloody military coup is “potentially positive” for uranium prices, a note from Edward Sterck with BMO Capital Markets says….. Continue reading →

February 23, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, uranium | Leave a comment

NATO States want nuclear arms removed from Europe

Five Nato states to urge removal of US nuclear arms in Europe guardian.co.uk, julian Borger, 22 February 2010 “…..
Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Luxembourg will make a joint declaration “in the next few weeks”, a Belgian official said, with the intention of influencing a growing debate within Nato over the usefulness of nuclear weapons in alliance strategy………..Official figures are not published, but there are thought to be between 150 and 240 “tactical” nuclear weapons in Europe, in the form of aerial bombs. Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands have 10-20 each, but most are stockpiled at US bases in Italy (70-90) and in Turkey (50-90)………………Nato officials are due to meet in Washington tomorrow, and in Rome next week, to discuss the future role of nuclear weapons in the alliance’s “new strategic concept”, which is due to be decided this year.

Five Nato states to urge removal of US nuclear arms in Europe | World news | guardian.co.uk

February 23, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

No U.S. revival of nuclear power while no waste solution

Nuclear energy can’t expand without a nuclear-waste site The Columbus Dispatch, February 21, 2010 “….No permanent place exists in the United States to store high-level radioactive waste. ………. the waste from the power plants already in operation just keeps piling up in temporary storage sites around the nation, which is not safe.
Without a permanent solution to the waste problem, nuclear energy cannot fulfill its promise as a means to reduce Americans’ dependency on foreign oil and cut emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution. To ramp up nuclear-energy production without solving this problem would be irresponsible.

Editorial: Nuclear energy can’t expand without a nuclear-waste site | The Columbus Dispatch

February 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

China’s renewable energy future coming fast

…wind power could meet all China’s electricity demand by 2030..

Green energy for China environmentalresearchweb 20 Jan 2010 “…..China is relying heavily on coal but is also turning increasingly to non-fossil energy sources. Its nuclear programme often gets the headlines, but in 2008 China had as much wind capacity in place as it had nuclear capacity……….wind has now more than doubled- Continue reading →

February 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, climate change, renewable | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear, renewable energy, renewables | Leave a comment

USA’s $96 billion nuclear waste mess

the federal government continues to search for suitable sites for storage of high-level wastes from nuclear power plants and for very long-lived radioactive materials from weapons production.

For the time being high-level waste remain on the sites where they were generated…….

Where to dump nuclear waste? Manila Bulletin By ATTY. ROMEO V. PEFIANCO February 17, 2010, Dumping nuclear waste has been a serious problem in the US since 1970 Continue reading →

February 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, fast breeder, nuclear, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, radiation, radioactive, Westinghouse | Leave a comment

Wind energy more viable for S.Africa than nuclear

‘Renewable energy is viable’ Times LIVE (Africa) Feb 21, 2010 By ZWELI MOKGATA Eddie O’Connor is adamant that 90% of the world’s electricity could easily come from renewable sources by 2050 if only world governments would commit to key energy policies in time.

Continue reading →

February 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | South Africa, spinbuster | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, renewable energy | Leave a comment

Talking sense on Climate Change

THOMAS FRIEDMAN: GLOBAL WEIRDING IS HERE Indiana Gazette , February 19, 2010 Of the festivals of nonsense that periodically overtake American politics surely the silliest is the argument that because Washington is having a particularly snowy winter it proves that climate change is a hoax and, therefore, we need not bother with all this girly-man stuff like renewable energy, solar panels and carbon taxes. Just drill, baby, drill………. Continue reading →

February 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, climate change | climate change, energy efficiency, nuclear, renewables | Leave a comment

Nuclear waste reprocessing problems

Digging up the dirt on uranium – The National Newspaper Tamsin Carlisle, February 20. 2010 “……Reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods to extract more of their energy potential is another option but is expensive and intensely controversial. Continue reading →

February 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France | cancer, fast breeder, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reprocessing | Leave a comment

Nuclear workers afraid to speak out on safety issues

Workers at San Onofre nuclear plant fear retaliation for reporting problems, memo says | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times 19 Feb 2010 –Shelby Grad Workers at the San Onofre nuclear power plant fear retaliation if they report problems at the facility operated by Southern California Edison, according to an internal memo released by an Orange County environmental group.The memo, written by a plant engineer, said 25 workers who reported problems at the plant said they feared retaliation from management after they made complaints…..

San Onofre has been the subject of several investigations by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the last few years for various safety issues

Workers at San Onofre nuclear plant fear retaliation for reporting problems, memo says | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

February 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Nuclear scientist missing in Canada

Police give up search for missing nuclear scientist thestar.com Adrian Morrow
On January 18, Lachlan Cranswick left the Chalk River nuclear reactor, where he worked, and took a bus to Deep River, the small town on the Ottawa River where he lived.

The 41-year-old physicist, whose job entailed running experiments for the National Research Council, had just finished some work for a researcher overseas…..Then, he vanished without a trace

Police give up search for missing nuclear scientist – thestar.com

February 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, secrets,lies and civil liberties | nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy | Leave a comment

Public insurance essential for nuclear industry to survive

The Other Nuclear Power Subsidy – A Liability Cap, ThePopTort 19 Feb 2010 “…. loan guarantees aren’t the only potential subsidy from which this industry benefits. Since the 1950s, when it passed the Price Anderson Act, Congress put a cap on the liability of the nuclear industry in the event of a major accident. So if there’s anything like, say, the Chernobyl disaster (the 1986 accident in the Ukraine where the containment structure couldn’t hold an explosion causing lethal radiation to spill out killing thousands, harming hundreds of thousands and rendering hundreds of square miles uninhabitable), the industry won’t be responsible beyond a relatively small amount. Taxpayers will.

In other words, if the nuclear power industry were fully responsible for the health and safety risks of these plants, the industry wouldn’t exist……. Continue reading →

February 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactor, reactors | Leave a comment

Update on America’s nuclear reactors

Nuclear News- What’s happening in your backyard? Fox News February 19, 2010 by: Molly Line

According to the Nuclear Energy Institute there are currently 19 nuclear reactors nationwide that are seeking re-licensing. Continue reading →

February 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology | Leave a comment

Nuclear ‘s problems unsolved, while taxpayer will pay up

President Obama’s Nuclear Reversal, THE HUFFINGTON POST, by Eric Pica 18 Feb 2010 President Obama announced Tuesday that the Department of Energy is awarding $8 billion in taxpayer dollars towards loan guarantees to build the United States’ first nuclear reactors in nearly thirty years. This move may be politically expedient, but for the public, it’s a raw deal.

As a candidate, Obama expressed openness to new reactors, but said, “Before an expansion… is considered, key issues must be addressed including: security of nuclear fuel and waste, waste storage, and proliferation.”

President Obama should heed candidate Obama’s advice. These issues have not been addressed. If anything, the challenges facing the nuclear industry have grown worse. Continue reading →

February 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | cancer, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation | 1 Comment

Despite Bill Gates’ support, Fourth Generation nuclear reactors look dodgy

some nuclear experts who warn that the promise is a snare and a delusion.

Fourth generation nuclear power may not be the clean energy silver bullet, FinancialTimes, by Ed Crooks, 18 Feb 2010

The huge cost, and delays and budget over-runs in construction, of third generation reactors such as Areva’s EPR, along with concerns about their safety, has inspired a search for new smaller designs, including some that are only the size of a garden shed. Continue reading →

February 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA | antinuclear, AREVA, fast breeder, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radioactive | Leave a comment