Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Woomera site not chemically suitable for radioactive trash. Neither is Kimba.


Paul Waldon– 8  Feb 21

The importance of maintaining a reducing chemical environment summarized by the authors of a MIT report as follows:
“In sitting a repository, it is important to select a geochemical and hydrological environment that will ensure the lowest possible solubility and mobility of the waste radionuclides. The geochemical conditions in the repository host rock and surrounding environment strongly affect radionuclide transport behavior. For example, several long-lived radionuclides that are potentially important contributors to long-term dose, including technetium-99 and neptunium-237, are orders of magnitude less soluble in groundwater in reducing environments than other oxidizing conditions.”
This report and a secondary geologic property recommendation by the IAEA state the importance of maintaining a reducing chemical environment, “Not” like that of the non-reducing environment of Woomera, where 9,980 drums of radioactive waste, void of rolling stewardship will continue to rust.
Moreover, the non-reducing environment of Kimba fails to tick the boxes recommended by MIT and IAEA, it’s true we don’t live in a reducing environment like that of Sweden the birth place of Dr Carl Magnus Larrson of ARPANSA but he should be adroit that we/he can not erode nuclear safety with approving translocation of ANSTO’s radioactive waste.

February 8, 2021 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Federal nuclear waste dump | Leave a comment

Not a lot happening in nuclear news, while coronavirus and climate change rage on.

It is getting harder to keep up with the coronavirus news – the fluctuating numbers regarding new cases, the comparisons between various vaccines, the good news  (Israel’s success), the bad news (new more infectious strains).

Then there’s the new preoccupation in the media about big sporting events.  In USA the Superbowl could turn into a super-spreader. The Australian Open Grand Slam tennis is watched anxiously, as an indication of whether the July Tokyo Olympics could safely go ahead.

Meanwhile it’s becoming clear that this pandemic is not going to be over quickly, that the vaccines are not a ”silver bullet’‘, and it is truly a global problem, needing global treatment.

CLIMATE. We are all too often focussing on USA, Canada, Australia, in news coverage. This week, a horror event in India brings home the impacts of global heating elsewhere in the world. Indian Glacier in Himalayan Valley Crumbles, Causing Flash Flooding. Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed.

RENEWABLE ENERGY.  I muse that these industries are also becoming corporate giants, encouraging endless energy use, and overconsumption of new technologies, with little care about their toxic wastes. Whatever happened to energy conservation?

Largely due to the pandemic, nuclear developments have gone very quiet –  I guess that’s one compensation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gWXFcFfN7E&t=55s       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XIW9hHTHnU

A bit of good news – Good news on ozone: world scientists make global assessment 5 February 2021.

AUSTRALIA.   

Kimba Nuclear Waste Dump Bill yet again postponed in the Australian Senate.  High Court ruling a helpful precedent for opponents of Kimba nuclear dump.

Australian government will probably ignore most recommendations in the environmental report.  ”Nuclear Actions” in the final report on environment laws in Australia,

South Australia achieved world-leading 60pct wind and solar share over last year.

 

INTERNATIONAL.

Economics’ failure over destruction of nature presents ‘extreme risks’,

Nuclear power unaffordable in USA, Russia, India, France, even China, but NO SOLUTION TO WASTES.

USA and Russia extend The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START Treaty) to 2026.

Bees may be more susceptible to ionising radiation than previously estimated.

As outdated nuclear power closes down, pro nuclear shills viciously attack critics.

February 8, 2021 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment