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Nuclear power: far from a done deal in UK

Nuclear or no nuclear….the first dispute for the UK’s newly elected Cameron-Clegg coalition, The Energy Collectiev, 14 May 2010,”……….. A major dispute already facing our new parliament in the first day of office is that of nuclear energy. Whilst the Tories are supportive of building nuclear power stations, the Liberal Democrats are against this. Simon Hughes, energy spokesperson for Liberal Democrats states that “A new generation of nuclear power stations will be a colossal mistake, regardless of where they are built. They are hugely expensive, dangerous and will take too long to build.”(Source: Guardian Environment, 11-May-10)

Nuclear or no nuclear….the first dispute for the UK’s newly elected Cameron-Clegg coalition

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Obama: $80 billion for nuke weapons, to promote peace? It’s confusing

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(Yeah – as a humble peasant, I don’t understand why Obama has to bribe the Republicans with hugely more nuclear weapons money, so they will agree with Obama’s and Russia’s plans to cut back nuclear weapons.?)

Kerry said the $80 billion funding request was the largest since the Cold War.

Obama wants $80 billion to upgrade nuclear arms complex, NewsDaily, By Susan Cornwelland Phil Stewart, (Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Writing by Phil Stewart; Editing by John O’Callaghan) WASHINGTON, May 13, 2010 (Reuters) — President Barack Obama sent a landmark arms-reduction treaty with Russia to the Senate on Thursday for ratification and called for $80 billion in nuclear funding, which could help win opposition support. Continue reading →

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, disarmament, nuclear, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, peace, plutonium | Leave a comment

Uranium mining prevented in Indian National Park

Uranium mining blocked,The Telegraph – Calcutta (Kolkata), New Delhi, May 14: A national panel of wildlife experts today rejected a proposal from the department of atomic energy for uranium exploration on the Rongcheng plateau in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills.The standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife decided to reject the proposal for exploratory drilling in view of the sentiments of the local people and representations from civil society groups, the environment ministry said.

The Rongcheng plateau falls in the Balpakram National Park, home to elephants, black bear, leopards, deer and the red panda, one of the rarest animals in the world.Several green groups and NGOs have campaigned against a proposal for exploratory drilling, arguing that it would harm the bio-diversity in the park. The Telegraph – Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | Uranium mining blocked

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, India | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

High ionising radiation levels in Delhi scrap market

Rainspotting in Bangalore – Greenpeace survey finds radiation 5000 times background levels in Delhi market, INDEPENDENT MINDS, by Grace Boyle F, 14 May 2010 aA survey has today uncovered levels of radioactivity up to 5000 times background levels in Mayapuri scrap market, West Delhi, after the area was previously surveyed and declared safe by government authorities.

“The distance between the contamination ‘hot spots’ that have been discovered today and the people who live and work in Mayapuri is very small, so there is concern as to the effect on their health” said Karuna Raina, nuclear campaigner with Greenpeace India.The survey found dose rate levels of 200-500 micro-Sv/h in certain areas, meaning that the maximum legal dose for a person in a year could be reached after just two to five hours close to these ‘hot spots’, Greenpeace said. The level of dose in the residential area was close to normal. Rainspotting in Bangalore – Greenpeace survey finds radiation 5000 times background levels in Delhi market

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, India | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radioactive | Leave a comment

Cancer, birth defects from Chernobyl radiation release

Experience Eastern Europe’s Recent History, Just Beware the Radiation @Signature9 14 May, 2010, “…….Chernobyl and the nearby town of Pripyat experienced the results of nuclear meltdown in April 1986. Over 300,000 people were evacuated from surrounding areas and the compromised reactor was subsequently encased in a concrete shell. Radiation levels rose across most of Europe, resulting in higher rates of birth defects , chromosomal disorders, and cancers.

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, health | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Mystery of USA’s missing weapons grade uranium

Declassified 1978 report on missing weapons-grade uranium reveals little « New Mexico Independent, By Bryant Furlow 5/14/10 tA 1978 report for Congress on the 1965 disappearance of more than 200 pounds of weapons-grade uranium from a nuclear plant in Apollo, Penn., has been declassified. Continue reading →

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

U.S. army always knew about the health danger of depleted uranium

SPOOKYWEATHER: Depleted Uranium Hazard Awareness – US Army Training Video If DU is as harmless as sometimes claimed then what spurred the US Army to make this training video ? This stuff is toxic and must be banned immediately.

VIDEO Depleted Uranium Hazard Awareness, SPOOKYWEATHER, 15 May 2010, – US Army Training Video The training materials were intended to instruct servicemen and women about the use and hazards of depleted uranium munitions. In addition, the training regimen included instructions for soldiers who repair and recover vehicles contaminated by depleted uranium.Throughout 1996, these videos sat on a shelf, while U.S. soldiers continued to use and work with depleted uranium munitions. Continue reading →

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | depleted uranium, USA | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

Balpakram National Park saved from uranium mining

Uranium mining blocked,The Telegraph – Calcutta (Kolkata), New Delhi, May 14: A national panel of wildlife experts today rejected a proposal from the department of atomic energy for uranium exploration on the Rongcheng plateau in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills.The standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife decided to reject the proposal for exploratory drilling in view of the sentiments of the local people and representations from civil society groups, the environment ministry said.The Rongcheng plateau falls in the Balpakram National Park, home to elephants, black bear, leopards, deer and the red panda, one of the rarest animals in the world.Several green groups and NGOs have campaigned against a proposal for exploratory drilling, arguing that it would harm the bio-diversity in the park.

The Telegraph – Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | Uranium mining blocked

May 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, India | antinuclear, nuclear, uranium | Leave a comment

Increased breast cancer risk in ionising radiation

“Our work shows that radiation can change the microenvironment of breast cells, and this in turn can allow the growth of abnormal cells with a long-lived phenotype that has a much greater potential to be cancerous,”

Study Raises New Concerns About Radiation and Breast Cancer « Berkeley Lab News Center, 14 May 2010, “………It is well established that exposure to ionizing radiation can result in mutations or other genetic damage that cause cells to turn cancerous. Continue reading →

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Ionising radiation a bigger cancer risk to young people

Younger Patients Face Double Radiation Risk from CT Scans: Study, Ethiopian Review, May 13th, 2010 Younger patients run a higher risk of health problems from radiation exposure caused by computed tomography (CT) scans, according to a new study. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina found that the radiation risk for younger patients were double those of older patients in a CT radiation exposure study presented last week at the American Roentgen Ray Society 2010 annual meeting in San Diego, CA. Scientists say that the findings indicate that age is another factor that doctors should consider when ordering CT scans.

Younger Patients Face Double Radiation Risk from CT Scans: Study

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Wake up America, to the pro-nuclear, pro polluting Climate Bill!

Kerry-Lieberman “climate” bill represents massive taxpayer giveaway to dirty, dangerous and expensive energy industries, BeyondNuclear, 14 May 2010, The Kerry-Lieberman “American Power Act” released today would massively subsidize the expansion of the atomic energy industry, at taxpayer financial risk and direct expense. It would similarly benefit the offshore oil drilling industry, despite the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the coal industry, despite the recent deadly mine explosion in West Virginia. As pointed out by the Energy Collective, the bill clearly prioritizes nuclear energy’s expansion, while renewables and efficiency seem to be a mere afterthought. As reported by Democracy Now!, numerous environmental groups expressed immediate opposition. Please call your U.S. Senators via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, to oppose the “paltry” climate protections and large-scale taxpayer giveaways to the nuclear power, oil, and coal industries contained in the Kerry-Lieberman “American Power Act.”Beyond Nuclear – Home – Kerry-Lieberman “climate” bill represents massive taxpayer giveaway to dirty, dangerous and expensive energy industries

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, climate change, nuclear, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Nuclear power radiation shown to cause damaging insect mutations

“Such a low but long-lasting dose of radiation can be far more damaging than a short-term high dose,”

Nuclear Power Critter Mutations, 13 May 2010, Natural Resonance Revolution Conventional wisdom holds that nuclear power stations don’t leak enough radiation to create malformed organisms. But in some locations, Hesse-Honegger discovered mutations — curtailed feelers, misshapen legs, asymmetrical wings — in as many as 30 percent of the bugs she gathered. That’s 10 times the overall rate of about 3 percent for insects found in the wild. Continue reading →

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, environment | antinuclear, nuclear, radioactive, reactors | 1 Comment

The myth of nuclear power’s “rebirth” in USA

Nuclear Loan Guarantees Will Meet State Resistance, Connecticut News, May 13, 2010 , by Jonathan Kantrowitz It was front-page news across America this February when the Vermont Senate voted to shut down the troubled Vermont Yankee reactor in 2012. But what most Americans don’t know is that the nuclear industry also lost all of its seven other major state legislative pushes this year – going 0-8 and putting yet another nail in the coffin of the myth of the “nuclear renaissance” in the United States, according to an analysis by the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS). Continue reading →

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear technology, reactors, renewable energy, renewables | Leave a comment

UK’s Liberal Democrats might still prevent new nuclear power

LibDem U-turn on nuclear power?, peezedtee, 13 May 2010 “……The coalition government’s policy on new nuclear power stations is being reported as a U-turn for the LibDems.I………. Nuclear power is fantastically expensive if you include all the building and decommissioning costs. .. main concern was that it should not be subsidised by the taxpayer (as it always has been up to now). And that proviso remains, it seems, in the new government’s approach. If they stick with that, the likelihood is that no nuclear power stations will get built in any case, so this “U-turn” looks a bit like a distinction without a difference.

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear power plants might be shut down in Germany

Poll defeat may hamper Merkel’s nuclear extension plans Deutsche Welle, 13.05.2010 Reuters Editor: Sonia Phalnikar Chancellor Merkel’s center-right government may have to rethink plans to extend the lifecycle of Germany’s nuclear plants after a defeat in a key regional election. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government of Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) may be forced to reassess plans to run Germany’s nuclear power plants well past their scheduled shutdown dates.A defeat in a regional election in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia last Sunday robbed Merkel of a majority in the upper house of Germany’s parliament. That limits the chancellor’s ability to extend the lifespan of nuclear-power plants. Poll defeat may hamper Merkel’s nuclear extension plans | Environment & Development | Deutsche Welle | 13.05.2010

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, reactors | Leave a comment