nuclear « nuclear-news

Short refresher on ionising radiation and health

Radiation Poisoning, Sickness (Radioactivity) Symptoms | Health Articles, 28 June 2010, Radiation can simply be divided into ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Radioactive materials are a source of ionizing radiation because they emit particles (particulate radiation) and waves that can penetrate certain substances. There are three types of ionizing radiation that is of concern in terms of a person’s health : Continue reading →

June 28, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear resuscitation is struggling in France, Finland, England

Generation III nuclear reactors: late again, Greenpeace International, by jmckeati – June 25, 2010T he continuing and farcical story of the state of the art European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) being built by AREVA at Olkiluoto in Finland. The many, many diverse delays incompetence in the project have led to it being (at the time of writing) four years behind schedule and 2.3 billion euros over-budget. Continue reading →

June 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, business and costs | AREVA, AUSTRALIA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, reactors, uranium, Westinghouse | Leave a comment

Dangerous idea: Plutonium powered nuclear facilities planned for space

the Obama administration would turn to nuclear power in space — and on Earth.
We have been seeing — for two months now — the damage of technology run amok in the Gulf of Mexico. Consider the consequences of dangerous, expensive, unnecessary nuclear-powered technology running amok above our heads

Obama Seeks to Revive Space Nuclear Power, Karl Grossman, June 25, 2010 Despite its huge dangers, the Obama administration is seeking to revive the use of nuclear power in space. It wants the U.S. to produce the plutonium isotope that has been used for electric generation in space and is also looking to build nuclear-propelled rockets for missions to Mars.. Continue reading →

June 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, plutonium, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Not hard to get hold of Highly Enriched Uranium, especially in Russia

What’s It Take to Build a Nuclear Weapon? | TakePart by Adam Trunell, 25 June 2010, The Nuclear Material “………The most important ingredient in a nuclear bomb is the nuclear stuff itself, which is also the hardest to get. No way can you find nuclear material like plutonium or highly enriched uranium stockpiled in a tool shed behind some half-hearted padlock. Right? Wrong.

Every nuclear-powered nation on the planet has nuclear material, and not all of it’s under lock and key. Civilian stockpiles in Europe and Japan aren’t staffed by armed guards, nor are most nuclear research reactors on U.S. college campuses.But if you’re looking for a truly easy score, try Russia. Continue reading →

June 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, weapons and war | antinuclear, depleted, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear Suppliers Group cartel in disarray over China and Pakistan

Nuclear meeting ends amid divisions over Pakistan, BBC News, 25 June 2010, -A meeting of countries exporting civil nuclear technology has ended with uncertainty about Chinese plans to sell two nuclear reactors to Pakistan.Such a deal would appear to be against the rules set by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).But the group’s annual meeting, held in New Zealand, has revealed divisions in the international response……

BBC News – Nuclear meeting ends amid divisions over Pakistan

June 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics international | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, renewableenergy, uranium | Leave a comment

Australia’s Northern Territory asks new Prime Minister to stop nuclear waste dump plan

Former Prime Minister John Howard planned to build the dump on Muckaty Station, in Central Australia, because the Northern Territory did not have the constitutional strength to block the move.

Hendo urges Gillard to dump Muckaty, Northern Territory News, NICK CALACOURAS June 26th, 2010 AUSTRALIA’S new Prime Minister Julia Gillard should rethink her predecessor’s decision to build a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory, Chief Minister Paul Henderson said. Continue reading →

June 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, wastes | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Indian authorities investigating welfare agency rather than uranium contamination

Instead of investigating the cause of toxicity, the department has chosen to make inquiries about the organisation taking care of the special children.

Uranium all over, health dept limits probe to centre, The Times of India, Balwant Garg , Jun 25, 2010, FARIDKOT: In the midst of a fear gripping Punjab after high concentrations of uranium were detected in drinking water, the state health department has reacted by directing its probe at the centre whose kids are the worst affected. This comes days after Germany’s Microtrace Mineral Lab had found abnormally high presence of the radioactive element in hair samples of 80% of 149 neurologically disabled children at the Baba Farid Centre here. Continue reading →

June 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Cartel to promote nuclear power sales meets in New Zealand

Although the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG ) claims to serve the interests of the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, its consultations and decision- making are closed to 144 of the 190 states party to the treaty. It is not accountable to the decision-making organs of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Thrashing out nuclear deals a juggling act for New Zealand, Stuff.co.nz, By BOB RIGG 24/06 New Zealand has found itself between a rock and a hard place as it chairs a meeting trying to juggle competing superpower positions on who gets enriched uranium and nuclear technology that could encourage the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Continue reading →

June 25, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics international | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Move to weaken U.S. nuclear security regulation, despite oil spill disaster

Certain nuclear energy supporters are trying to weaken regulation of new nuclear reactors in any proposed climate and energy or energy-only legislation.

Did the Nuclear Industry and Politicians Learn Anything from the BP Oil Spill? : CleanTechnica, by Zachary Strachan, 24 June 2010, A major factor causing the BP oil spill to be the disaster that it is turning out to be is deregulation of the oil industry. You would think that if people, especially politicians, learned one thing from this disaster, it would be that we need strong government oversight of risky technologies.It seems right now that some in the nuclear industry and Congress have missed that completely or just haven’t heard the news about the BP oil spill at all. Continue reading →

June 25, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radiation, reactors, wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear Suppliers’ Cartel anxious about Pakistan

Nuclear proliferation in South Asia The power of nightmares, The Economist, 24 June 2010, China’s proposed sale of nuclear reactors to Pakistan will intensify nuclear rivalry with India. But the damage will go far wider Continue reading →

June 25, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, reactors | Leave a comment

British govt plays waiting game on compensation for nuclear test veterans

Nuclear test veteran fears he may not live to see final decision, Burton News & Staffordshire Newspaper by ROB SMYTH, 24 June 2010, A NUCLEAR test veteran has described how he believes his battle for compensation from the Government may not be won in his lifetime.Archie Ross, of Oak Close, Castle Gresley, made the claim as an appeal by the Ministry of Defence, against a decision to allow compensation for more than 1,000 servicemen, continues. Continue reading →

June 25, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | UK, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive | Leave a comment

U.S. govt’s duplicity in comparing depleted uranium to tungsten

DU is in fact much more dangerous than tungsten. It may be depleted of some of its neutrons but it is still radioactive enough to cause cancer and birth defects.

US Government web site psyop promoting depleted uranium munitions | qbit.cc June 23rd, 2010 “…….This propaganda is expertly crafted to avoid directly stating that Depleted Uranium (DU) munitions are as safe as tungsten, while belittling the (valid) belief that DU is incredibly dangerous, Continue reading →

June 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Enrichment of uranium continuing in Iran

Iran has produced 17 kilos of 20% enriched uranium Tehran Times June 24, 2010 TEHRAN – Iran has produced 17 kilograms of uranium enriched to the 20 percent level, an official announced on Wednesday. “(We) have produced over 17 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium, and we have the ability to produce 5 kilograms a month, but we are not in a hurry,” Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Director Ali Akbar Salehi said during a visit to the ISNA news agency. Iran will continue to enrich uranium up to the purity level of 20 percent to the extent the country needs, Salehi stated….. tehran times : Iran has produced 17 kilos of 20% enriched uranium

June 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

China investing in USA’s USEC uranium enrichment comany

Fuel Maker for Reactors Has China as Investor – NYTimes.com, 24 June 2010, “…….Even a passive Chinese government stake in USEC could draw attention in Washington for its strategic and diplomatic implications. USEC, the parent of the United States Enrichment Corporation, is a cornerstone of America’s nuclear establishment, with classified operations that date back to the initial development of the atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project in World War II……

With $2 billion a year in sales, USEC holds about 30 percent of the worldwide uranium enrichment market for commercial reactors.

And it has been at the center of an Energy Department-administered program to take highly enriched uranium from former Soviet military stockpiles and dilute it for USEC to sell as fuel in civilian nuclear reactors, the so-called megatons-to-megawatts program. It may now do the same for the United States military after President Obama and President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia signed an agreement in April calling for deep cuts in nuclear weapons…….

Fuel Maker for Reactors Has China as Investor – DealBook Blog – NYTimes.com

June 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Germany to introduce tax on uranium fuel rods

Merkel rebuffs industry opposition to tax on uranium fuel, Monsters and Critics, Jun 23, 2010, Berlin – Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday rebuffed opposition from German industry to a planned tax on the uranium fuel rods used in nuclear power stations, her spokesman said. Current legislation requires all the German reactors to cease operation by about 2022……….. Continue reading →