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The economic and social realities of nuclear energy

Waste not … or get nukes — High Country News, Eric Jantz Apr 13, 2010 “……..To begin with, there’s the issue of who benefits from increasing nuclear power generation. At every point along the nuclear fuel chain, the flow of money reinforces current economic and social power disparities. Continue reading →

April 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, Religion and ethics | antinuclear, AREVA, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactors, renewable energy, uranium | Leave a comment

Old Russian nuclear warheads to become fuel for U.S. commercial nuclear reactors

Nuclear twist sees Russian warheads warming US homes Herald Sun AFP , April 13, 2010, IN A strange twist of Cold War enmity on the melt, uranium from what once were Russian nuclear warheads is used to heat and light American homes, thanks to the Megatons to Megawatts Program – a successful example of nuclear non-proliferation. Continue reading →

April 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Russia | antinuclear, disarmament, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Old nuclear weapons fuel to be used in commercial nuclear reactors

the US and Russia will today sign a long-delayed agreement to dispose of 34 tonnes of plutonium from decommissioned weapons, by using it in power stations.

US summit expected to back Barack Obama’s plan to prevent nuclear theft | World news | The Guardian 12 April Leaders from more than 40 countries will tomorrow back Barack Obama’s plans to prevent the theft of nuclear material from vulnerable stockpiles around the world. Continue reading →

April 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, technology | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Damage to bone marrow through ionising radiation

Radiation victims continue to be critical, The Hindu :, Staff Reporter , NEW DELHI, April 11, 2010 Doctors suspect extensive damage to bone marrow. The condition of all six persons exposed to radioactive material at a scrap market in the Capital’s Mayapuri area continued to be highly critical on Saturday with doctors suspecting extensive damage to their bone marrow, making them severely susceptible to infections.Deepak Jain, who is admitted to Indraprashtha Apollo Hospital, is reported to be “very critical” and his treatment is being managed in consultation with senior Bhabha Atomic Research Centre officials.

The Hindu : News / National : Radiation victims continue to be critical

April 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, India | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

‘Third Generation’ Nuclear Reactors have same old problems – wastes, weapons proliferation

Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal, By Renfrey Clarke April 8, 2010 “….. Third-generation reactors are in essence evolved versions of the pressurised-water installations that provide almost all of today’s nuclear energy. Now being built for the first time, “third-generation” plants are arguably still at the pre-commercial stage…. Continue reading →

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, technology | antinuclear, climate change, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear Weapons Proliferation is the biggest risk with Integral Fast Reactors

Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links April 8, 2010 Hansen Nuclear Power ….. Renfrey’s article understates the WMD proliferation risks associated with integral fast reactors (IFRs). The plutonium/waste mixture from IFRs could be processed in a conventional reprocessing plant without too much trouble, especially since proliferators would take simple steps (reducing the irradiation time) to maximise the proportion of plutonium-239 and to reduce the difficulty and hazards of transporting and processing the material. Continue reading →

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Adter suffering 500 nuclear weapons tests, Kazakhstan says “No More Nuclear Weapons”

Kazakhstan Taking It To The Streets, Burn After Reading, By David Gauvey April 8, 2010 Herbert “In advance of next week’s nuclear nonproliferation summit, Kazakhstan has plastered advertisements touting its own disarmament on 50 bus shelters around the city….The ad’s full text reads: “Kazakhstan, where 1.5 million people suffered from the effects of 500 nuclear explosions, knows the human cost of the nuclear threat better than anyone. That’s why we got rid of our nuclear arsenal, the world’s fourth largest. And that is why we call on the world to follow our example. There is no other way to build a safer world, free from the nuclear threat.”

Kazakhstan Taking It To The Streets – Burn After Reading – Burn After Reading

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, reactors | Leave a comment

‘Fourth Generation’ nuclear reactors sound good, BUT…

fast reactors cannot use water as a coolant, since this would slow the neutrons down. The coolant of choice is molten sodium metal. Sodium is highly reactive, burning readily in air and exploding on contact with water.

Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links April 8, 2010“……Compared to earlier installations, the projected fourth-generation plants – specifically, the “integral fast reactor” (IFR) designs that have drawn most attention – promise important advantages. Continue reading →

April 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, technology | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

The nasty truth about France’s AREVA uranium company in Niger

The international nuclear industry is an integral part of this dirty scheme in France, Niger and elsewhere. It’s time to stop it in its tracks and get it to clean up the toxic mess it’s created.

Nuclear colonialism News24: Columnists: AndreasSpath 2010-04-07 Fans of nuclear energy love France. They habitually depict the country which produces more than three quarters of its electricity using atomic power as the way forward to clean, cheap and low-carbon energy for all. In their enthusiasm they tend to ignore the less than glamorous aspects of the French nuclear industry. Continue reading →

April 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Niger | antinuclear, AREVA, cancer, indigenous, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radioactive, reactors, uranium | 1 Comment

Indian Point nuclear power plant fails water quality certificate

Nuclear power plant’s water permit denied, POWER-GEN WorldWide. 7 April 2010-– The New York Department of Environmental Conservation denied Entergy’s request for a water quality certificate for the Indian Point nuclear power plant, saying the plant “will not comply” with the state’s water quality standards. Continue reading →

April 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radioactive, reactors, water | Leave a comment

UK govt acting on dangers of low level medical ionising radiation

Radiation fears lead to curb on CT scans, Ministers stop short of banning whole body scans for the worried well Sarah Boseley, guardian.co.uk, 6 April 2010, A clampdown on clinics offering MOT health checks to the worried well – which can include whole body scans – was signalled by the government today, amid concerns over the exposure of healthy people to unnecessary radiation. Continue reading →

April 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, radiation, reactors | Leave a comment

Make uranium mills accountable for their radioactive devastation

the legacy of uranium mills was that operators worked them until the money was gone, then closed up shop, claimed bankruptcy and left radioactive waste behind for taxpayers to clean up. The waste then threatens and harms groundwater, streams, wildlife and communities.

Make uranium milling cleaner With the nation considering more nuclear energy, a bill that requires mill operators to clean up as they go is a smart move.The Denver Post 04/04/2010 Given the atrocious environmental record of uranium mills in Colorado and the West, a bipartisan effort in the General Assembly designed to keep mill operators from leaving behind costly piles of toxic waste makes good sense. Continue reading →

April 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Navajo and other nuclear victims sought for compensation

Program Aims To Find Victims Of Radiation Exposure. cbs4denver.com, FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press Apr 4, 2010, FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) ― Some toiled in uranium mines, transported the extracted ore and carried it home on their clothes. Others participated in nuclear weapons testing or lived downwind from test sites.Not all have been compensated, let alone know about a federal program that does so. Continue reading →

April 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | antinuclear, cancer, indigenous, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

One year’s taxpayer payment to UK nuclear executives £19.5 million

included paying £3.8 million in taxpayer-funded bonuses to staff during 2008…The payments, which ranged from an average of just under £12,000 to nearly £37,000, were made on top of regular salary payments totalling £19.5 million.

Top jobs go in shake-up at nuclear quango, The Times April 3, 2010, Two of Britain’s most highly paid civil servants have been axed and dozens more jobs are under threat at the quango charged with cleaning up nuclear plants, The Timeshas learnt. Continue reading →

April 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, UK | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, radiation, reactors, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Stimulus spending goes to nuclear waste cleanup states

it’s not clear to me that this has much of a stimulative effect on the American macroeconomy

Gotcha on stimulus spending? Washington Examiner, By: Michael Barone, 2 April 2010, “…………lots of stimulus dollars went to the 4th district of Washington, which is on the other side of the Cascades from Olympia, and which with the South Carolina 3rd is the only non-state capital district among the top 25 districts on de Rugy’s list. What these two districts have in common is the presence of two Energy Department nuclear manufacturing sites—the Hanford Site and the Savannah River Site.

These have had huge pollution problems, and have been part of a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar cleanup process. I gather that the Energy Department was in a position to ramp up this process quickly and got a lot of stimulus funds to do so.

This may be a worthy use of federal dollars; these sites were contaminated because we were sloppy in the development of nuclear weapons during World War II and the Cold War, and it may very well make sense to clean them up. In effect we’re paying for past wars, as we do when we pay for veterans’ benefits. But it’s not clear to me that this has much of a stimulative effect on the American macroeconomy. Gotcha on stimulus spending? | Washington Examiner

April 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, reactors, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment