India’s unhealthy nuclear industry

The New nation 19 Oct 09 “……………….In India, health hazards from nuclear power plants have always been swept under the carpet. In 2007, physicist V Pugazhendhi of the Doctors for Safer Environment released a study on the incidence of autoimmune thyroid disease among women in and around Kalpakkam, where the prototype fast reactor is under construction. It showed the disease affected 24 per cent women within a radius of 5 km from the plant. Continue reading →

October 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, India, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Nuking Climate Change

Nuking Climate Change mother nature network, by Ken Edelstein Oct 19 2009 When people like John Kerry back nuclear subsidies, green activists find themselves in a difficult position…………………………In many ways, Kerry’s support for nuclear subsidies demonstrates just how desperately he and others view the prospect of climate change. It’s not that nuclear plants have become any safer. Continue reading →

October 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, climate change, USA | antinuclear, climate change, nuclear, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

ElBaradei: Iranian nuclear threat exaggerated

ElBaradei: Iranian nuclear threat hyped By JPOST.COM STAFF Oct 18, 2009Mohamed ElBaradei, outgoing chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, maintains that the danger posed by Iran’s nuclear program is being exaggerated, Continue reading →

October 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, Iran, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

UK govt will not debate costs of nuclear power

Ministers refuse to attend debate on price of nuclear power Terry Macalister * The Guardian, 19 October 2009

The government has refused an invitation to attend a public debate on the cost of new nuclear power today, which will be attended by industry figures, academics and many other interested parties. Continue reading →

October 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, secrets,lies and civil liberties, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy | Leave a comment

India’s pursuit of nuclear – fraught with obstacles

India’s desperate pursuit of nuclear energy risky the New Nation, bangladesh, Savvy Soumya Misra October 19, 2009 Ever since the Indo-US nuclear deal signed in October last year lifted 34-year-old global sanctions that denied India access to the international atomic energy market, including uranium, Delhi has been on a shopping spree, buying nuclear fuel and reactors.India has signed civil nuclear agreements with France, USA, South Korea and Russia in the past 18 months………………… Continue reading →

October 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, India | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Bangladesh – not enough scientists to run nuke plant

Bangladesh: 500 Scientists will be Needed to Run Nuclear Power Plant Energy Bangla 10.16.2009, Bangladesh would need at least 500 nuclear scientists for a 1,000 MW nuclear power plant for its operation and maintenance after its installation, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) Chairman said Wednesday, reports UNB.

October 17, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | ASIA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment

Utah site might not be safe for depleted uranium wastes

Radioactive waste shipments to Utah site facing year delay State board agrees extra steps must be taken to ensure safety of shipment .By Judy Fahys The Salt Lake Tribune 10/14/2009 Drums of radioactive cleanup waste in South Carolina are ready for loading onto rail cars for the journey to a Tooele County disposal site. But now those plans could be delayed more than a year, Continue reading →

October 17, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Germany’s unsafe nuclear waste dump in Siberia

Russian environmentalists criticise uranium storage in Siberia Monsters and Critics Oct 16, 2009, Moscow – A Russian environmentalist group Friday criticised the way nuclear waste from Germany was being stored in the open air in restricted military areas in Siberia, and appealed for awareness of the issue in Germany. Continue reading →

October 17, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radioactive, wastes | Leave a comment

Florida taxpayers to fund new nukes

Public Service Commision Approves New Rates to Build Nuclear Plants WMBB News 13 10/16/09 – Associated Press Tallahassee, Fla:
The Public Service Commission has approved new rates to pay for building nuclear power plants that critics say aren’t needed……………….“No Nukes Now” spokesman Jim Walker says it’s not fair to charge customers now for a project that may never be approved by the federal government.

“If the feds say no, you’ve still paid the price and there is no cost recovery for the consumer. There’s no refund for this kind of money.”…………..Opponents say new nuclear plants are unnecessary and too big of a financial risk. They argue the plants are not needed because natural gas prices are dropping and people are using less energy due to the economic downturn.

October 17, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment

India’s nuke industry leading to dangers

Downside of more Indian N tests Pakistan Observer Sultan M Hali 16 Oct 09 There is a sudden flurry of revelations by Indian scientists that its 1998 thermonuclear tests were a failure and India needs to carry out more tests Continue reading →

October 17, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, India, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radioactive | Leave a comment

Mainstream media and its pro-nuclear bias

An opinion poll, on Australian attitudes to “considering” nuclear power, resulted in so many headlines like the one below. But IS that what the poll found?

Australians Keen to Embrace Nuclear Power

(VOA News By Phil Mercer
Sydney
15 October 2009)

In fact the results went like this: Here is extract from Nielsen’s report:

Almost one in two voters (49%) said they supported the consideration of nuclear power while 43% were opposed. Six in ten (62%) of Green voters were opposed to nuclear power while 58% of Coalition voters were in favour.

“It is important to understand two things about this question. First, it was deliberately asked in the context of addressing climate change. Second, it asked whether voters felt the government should consider nuclear power, not introduce it. Even in this context, nuclear power failed to achieve support from a majority of voters and a significant minority (43%) remain opposed” said Nielsen Research Director, John Stirton.

October 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Nuclear lobby looking to “modernising” old reactors, as AREVA’s new ones failing

SPIEGEL ONLINE By Dinah Deckstein, Frank Dohmen and Cordula Meyer Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan. 16 Oct 09

Modernization instead of new construction. Is the new strategy to launch a renaissance through the back door? At first, the chaos surrounding the Olkiluoto reactor reveals that the industry is by no means ready to build new power plants cheaply and safely in the Western world. Utilities, with their massive financial risks, can no longer support such mammoth projects — unless the government steps in. Continue reading →

October 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, business and costs | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry stalled in all safety-conscious countries

SPIEGEL ONLINE By Dinah Deckstein, Frank Dohmen and Cordula Meyer Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan. 15 Oct 09

Global Renaissance off to a Slow Start

The French state-owned company isn’t the only one having trouble building new nuclear power plants. Last year, for the first time since the beginning of the nuclear age, not a single new reactor went into service worldwide. Continue reading →

October 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin | 1 Comment

US Climate Bill turning into a pro-nuclear excuse?

Nuking the Climate Bill

CounterPunch By HARVEY WASSERMAN 16 Oct 09

Is the Climate Bill morphing into an excuse to promote fossil fuels and new nuclear power plants?

Sen. John Kerry’s (D-MA) recent promotion of a pro-nuke/pro-drilling/pro-coal agenda in the name of Climate Protection has been highlighted in a New York Times op ed co-authored with Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC). The piece brands nuke power “our single largest contributor of emissions-free power.” Continue reading →

October 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, USA | antinuclear, climate change, Copenhagen, nuclear, nuclear spin | 1 Comment

Safety concerns about Westinghouse new nuclear reactor design

NRC raises concern about new reactor design

Google News By H. JOSEF HEBERT (AP) – 16 Oct 09

WASHINGTON — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission raised safety concerns Thursday with the design of a proposed next-generation reactor to be built by Westinghouse Electric Co., saying a key part of the reactor may not withstand a tornado, earthquake or even high winds.

The NRC staff directed Westinghouse to make changes in the reactor design so that its outer shell, which is supposed to protect the reactor’s concrete containment structure, is strengthened. The staff concluded the outer steel and composite structure does not meet the design requirements for safety.

The reactor, called the AP1000, is one of three next-generation reactor designs under NRC review. The others are being proposed by Areva Inc., the French nuclear company, and GE Hitachi Corp………… http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hc6n8iqEyIKVzXyV1ZwW38FZkxxAD9BBQ7BO4

October 16, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment