Risk of low level radiation might be under-estimated

That X-Ray Could Give You A Heart Attack News Junkie , By Dolores M. Bernal Oct 22, 2009

Researchers from the UK have found that small levels of radiation could lead to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems. The findings were published this week on the journal of PLoS Computational Biology. Continue reading →

October 24, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, 2 WORLD, health | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Warning on CT Brain Scans

– FDA Issues Warning About Radiation Overexposure During Brain Scan By: June Chen, MD Health and Age 10/22/2009 Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported cases of radiation overexposure during brain perfusion computed tomography (CT) imaging. Although the reported cases of radiation overexposure all occurred at a single institution, this warning does raise a red flag about potential problems with CT quality assurance programs. Continue reading →

October 24, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, health, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Iran seems to be spurning a good nuclear deal

Dickering Over Uranium Tehran should love the U.S. offer on enrichment. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL OCTOBER 24, 2009

One sign that an adversary isn’t serious about negotiating is when it rejects even your concessions. That seemed to be the case yesterday when Iran gave signs it may turn down an offer from Russia, Europe and the U.S. to let Tehran enrich its uranium under foreign supervision outside the country. The mullahs so far won’t take yes for an answer.

Tehran had previously looked set to accept the deal, which is hardly an obstacle to its nuclear program………………..the West’s enrichment offer is already a good one for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran would give up one bomb’s worth—about 2,600 pounds—of uranium enriched at its facility in Natanz to the low level of 3.5%. Russia would then enrich the uranium further to 19.75% and someone, most likely France, would put the uranium into fuel rods for transfer back to Iran for ostensible use in a civilian nuclear reactor. Western officials say this would delay Iran’s efforts to get a bomb………………

Iran insists it won’t stop enriching uranium on its own, in violation of Security Council resolutions. Aside from rewarding Iran for past misbehavior by letting it use illegally enriched uranium, this deal fails to solve the problem it is intended to solve. That’s because as long as the Natanz facility continues to enrich uranium at its current rate of about 132 pounds a month, Iran will produce enough low-enriched uranium within the year for a bomb………….

The mullahs know that President Obama is eager to show diplomatic gains from his engagement strategy, and they are going to exploit that eagerness to get every possible concession. The one thing Iran has shown no desire to bargain over is its intention to become a nuclear power.

Iran To Turn Down Uranium Deal – WSJ.com

October 24, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Iran, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

President Obama misinformed about France and Japan’s nukes

Beyond Nuclear 23 Oct 09 President Obama is either misinformed or uninformed if he believes that France and Japan have operated their nuclear power programs safely and effectively.

Due to its dependency on nuclear power, France has an immense and unsolved nuclear waste problem including 81 + tonnes of plutonium sitting in canisters – enough for 10,000 bombs. Leukemia clusters have been found along the coast near the huge reprocessing plant and radioactively contaminated sites litter the country due to the 210 now abandoned uranium mines.

Japan has suffered a series of tragic accidents at nuclear facilities in the past two decades including an accidental criticality at the Tokai-Mura uranium enrichment facility that killed two workers and exposed many hundreds of local residents and an earthquake that released radioactivity into the ocean from the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s largest with seven reactors.

If Obama is serious about addressing climate change he must get off the nuclear bandwagon and make a real commitment to meaningful progress on renewable energy.

October 23, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

No international nuclear garbage for America

Don’t import nuclear waste

Bill by Alexander, Gordon would ban such shipments

The Leaf Chronicle October 21, 2009 If a friend asked to dump his garbage in your yard because he knew you would know what to do with it, what would you say? Probably, no thanks. That’s what the United States should say to countries that want to send their nuclear waste here for processing and storage. Thankfully, Sen. Lamar Alexander and U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon of Murfreesboro are sponsoring legislation in Congress to keep other countries’ nuclear waste out of the United States. No other nation allows the importation and storage of another country’s nuclear waste. Continue reading →

October 23, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear power not a good deal for Vietnam

Nuclear power and unanswered questions Vietnam Net 22/10/ 09 “The investor of the first nuclear power projects is the state power monopoly, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN).…….Tien Phong: US$12 billion is a huge amount of money, about 13 percent of the country’s current annual gross domestic product (GDP). Is it necessary to invest that money to build a nuclear power plant when Vietnam can develop hydro, thermal and wind power at cheaper cost prices?……………. Continue reading →

October 23, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | ASIA, business and costs | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

nuclear – an industry in financial meltdown

Is the nuclear industry in meltdown?

October 21 2009 | Der Spiegel Politicians and electric company executives the world over are dreaming of a “nuclear renaissance”. But a spate of hitches at Olkiluoto 3, the new flagship reactor in Finland, go to show that this is not in the cards, believes Der Spiegel, whcih also doubts that modernising old nuclear power stations is a viable alternative…… Continue reading →

October 23, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, business and costs | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Immediate danger of nuclear global cooling

The Forgotten Nightmare: Global Cooling

By Robin Davis 21 October, 2009 Countercurrents.org “……………….While global warming dominates the headlines a more urgent danger threatens life on earth. Global warming could make the planet uninhabitable by the end of the century. Global cooling – the “Nuclear Winter” that would follow nuclear war – could achieve the same result in days or weeks……… Continue reading →

October 22, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, 2 WORLD, climate change | antinuclear, climate change, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Climate Bill Becoming Just a Nuclear Power Promotion

Is the Climate Bill Becoming an Excuse to Promote Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Power?By Harvey Wasserman, AlterNet. October 21, 2009.The Senate bill includes a “Clean Energy Development Administration” that could deliver virtually unlimited federal cash to build new reactors and fund other mega-polluters……….. Continue reading →

October 22, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, climate change, USA | antinuclear, climate change, nuclear | Leave a comment

Chernobyl still has unsolved nuclear waste problem

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Cooling Pond to be Decommissioned Chernobyl and Eastern Europe 22 Oct 09 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is currently conducting a three-day seminar in Kyiv, Ukraine to discuss problems related to the decommissioning of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s cooling pond….
…….The Chernobyl cooling pond is an artificial body of water that was created to cool the heat exchangers of four nuclear reactor units at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. As a result of the Chernobyl accident, the cooling pond was exposed to extremely high levels of contamination. The reservoir area has an approximate volume of 8.5 square miles, or 5,297,199,985 cubic feet.

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Cooling Pond to be Decommissioned – Chernobyl and Eastern Europe Blog

October 22, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Russia, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Taxpayers at risk in nuclear plans

USA: Nuclear power’s up-front costs Persistent problems argue against increased tax investment Herald Tribune October 21, 2009 .Whether you’re for or against nuclear power, you’re probably helping to fund its future expansion.
For example, Florida customers of Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy pay a monthly fee to help the utilities pursue new nuclear reactors — which may not be built for years, if ever. Continue reading →

October 22, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment

Thailand push for alternatives to nuclear

Thailand: NGO pushes alternatives to nuclear Efficiency and cutting demand help more Bangkok Post 22/10/2009 The development of nuclear power plants by 2020 should be reconsidered, environmental activists urged the government. Continue reading →

October 22, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, ASIA, business and costs | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Yankee nuclear plant safety in doubt

Report raises new questions about Yankee reliability By Nancy Remsen, Burlington Free Press Staff Writer • October 21, 2009 A consultant’s first report to the Legislature raised new concerns about the reliability of the 37-year-old Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee in light of its owner’s desire to re-license and operate the nuclear power plant for another 20 years.Arnold Gundersen of Fairewinds Associates nc. raised five concerns in his first report: Continue reading →

October 22, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium, wastes | 1 Comment

Nuclear revival? – but waste problem still not solved!

Nuclear Power Revival for GE Leaves Waste Unsolved By Jeremy van Loon

Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) — When 65 scientists met at Princeton University in 1955 to decide where to permanently store radioactive waste from nuclear power plants, their conclusion was simple: Bury it deep underground, far from earthquakes.

Since then, reactors worldwide have produced 270,000 tons of spent fuel, storing most of it in canisters above ground. Continue reading →

October 21, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, 2 WORLD, wastes | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Governments infringe on indigenous rights

RIGHTS: Govts Failing Indigenous Declaration, U.N. Expert Says By Haider Rizvi UNITED NATIONS, Oct 19 (IPS) – A top U.N. expert on human rights law called Monday for governments to match their words with deeds and make good on promises to respect indigenous communities’ right to live as they wish. Continue reading →

October 21, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, 2 WORLD, indigenous issues | antinuclear, indigenous, nuclear | 1 Comment