Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

To 1st March – Australian nuclear news, and more

Some bits of good news (hard to find this week!):

India’s Mass Tree Planting Success: Forest Cover Grows by Half-Million Acres in Two Years
Humpback whales no longer listed as endangered after major recovery.

What can I say ?–  No breakthrough at Ukraine talks as Russian assault continues. Ralph Nader: Everyone Loses in the Conflict Over Ukraine We’re in a new era. Not only is the war situation now so different, with the nuclear threat looming as never before.   But also, the media war has become so very complex and confusing. Social media plays its role –   but increasingly  – much information is crooked, devised to mislead the recipient. Bad enough from Western sources, but Russia has turned this deception into a pervasive mass art form.

AUSTRALIA

How Australian uranium ended up in war-torn Ukraine.

Meet Australian Public Affairs, the lobbying firm that pushed the Kimba nuclear waste dump for the Federal Government. 

 Remembering the success of the nuclear-free movement at Muckaty in Australia’s Northern Territory. Australia’s rushed nuclear submarine plan- irrelevant, as China’s technology will outpace it.


Like rivers in the sky: the weather system bringing floods to Queensland will become more likely under climate change
    
Queensland, NSW floods live updates: Deluge hits northern NSW, Queenslanders wait for waters to recede

INTERNATIONAL

A rogue journalist ponders on Ukraine situation. Glenn Greenwald: war propaganda about Ukraine becoming more militaristic, authoritarian, and reckless. Blanket anti-Russian propaganda leaves no tolerance for nuanced reporting – media censorship is expanding.

As Russia Seizes Chernobyl Site, Ukraine’s 15 Nuclear Reactors Pose Unprecedented Risk in War Zone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20gVRaQdVmY

Climate impacts should be a regular part of war coverage

UN report on global increase in wildfires due to climate change change.

ANTARCTICAAntarctica’s pristine snow besmirched with horrid black pollution, scientists say

UKRAINE. Ukraine has 0% of winning, so sending weapons is a pointless exercise, except for the money. U.N. nuclear watchdog to hold emergency meeting on Ukraine. Russian control of Chernobyl may have been aimed against alleged Ukrainian plan to produce nuclear weapons

Ukraine’s reactors – largest nuclear complex in Europe – IN DANGER Russian forces now control Chernobyl, inviting speculation and uncertainty. The Most Immediate Nuclear Danger in Ukraine Isn’t Chernobyl. 

Increased radiation levels around Chernobyl probably due to military’s disturbance of soil around exclusion zone.    Radiation levels increased at Chernobyl, after Russian troops seized the area.     

Why nuclear risk from war in Ukraine isn’t missiles but accidental hits on reactors. Putin says that Ukraine is a nuclear threat. Abandoned mines and old Yunkom nuclear test site in Donbas region of Ukraine pose ”singular threat” of radiation contamination.

RUSSIA. Russia President Vladimir Putin puts his nuclear forces on alert.

March 1, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

UKRAINE Special – the madness continues

It is almost unbelievable that the entire Western media and just about all governments are mindlessly jumping on the war bandwagon again. All that Russia wants is for the West to keep to the 2014 Minsk agreement , and not to be surrounded by hostile NATO and its weaponry.

But no – Biden’s USA is intransigent, and all the lackey nations just fall into line, (including my own, Australia). ”National Security” – my foot! Russia is not threatening any of them.

Haven’t they learned?

There was Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya – all unmitigated disasters, all unnecessary – and now the sheep are going in for fleecing again!

And fleecing it is. Ukraine and everybody else are buying not only the story, but more importantly the weaponry from multinational weapons corporations led of course by the USA. (Probably Russia and China’s equivalent macho men love weaponry, too)

When do we all wake up? The USA government is in the grip of the military-industrial-complex. Remember – the Pentagon brass, the weapons executives and big shareholders are NRB (Not Real Bright), and don’t quite grasp that even they themselves are not immune from the effects of war.

February 19, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Australia and more – nuclear news this week

Some bits of good news:      The green bucket list When you’re immersed in environmental science and environmental politics, it’s sometimes hard to step back and measure progress. Here are a few gains and victories to charge your batteries .

The stunning recovery of a heavily polluted river in the heart of the Blue Mountains World Heritage area.

Nuclear.   Ukraine dominated the news. The map above might help to explain why Russia really doesn’t need another NATO base on its doorstep.

Coronavirus:  COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 14 February

Climate.   Adapting to climate change ‘happening worldwide’, essential. Fixing the Climate: Hopes and Hazards.

AUSTRALIA 

Nuclear.    Practical considerations may hamper Australia’s path to nuclear submarinesSouth Australian Labor supported Greens. motion opposing SA as nuclear waste dump, but Liberals SA Best and Advance SA blocked it. INVITATION TO WEBINAR – AUKUS WILL COST THE EARTH – 24 February

 Climate.  Climate projections paint a grim future for WA if emissions not cut        Former UK prime minister urges Australia to lift its game on climate change.       People are prepared to vote for stronger climate policies

Labor rules out ‘fringe’ deal in rebuff to Greens on climate Greens to seek moratorium on new fossil fuel projects in any post-election negotiations. Independent regional journalism, brought to you by fossil fuels.

Australian demand for solar goes through the roof, smashing records     The revolution will be electrified – 7am podcast

Tasmania may get cold, but sunburn is still very much a threat .

INTERNATIONAL

Today’s Crisis Over Ukraine.

Ukraine Special – 11 February 22

Conflict resolution – the positive way out of the Ukraine crisis. USA does not have to march into war with Russia over Ukraine. It can choose to keep to the Minsk-Normandy process. Amid Ukraine Tension, US Deploys Nuclear-Ready B-52 Bombers to UK.

Comfortably numb . CounterVortex Episode 110: Nuclear power? No thanks! .

Oceans are better at storing carbon than trees. In a warmer future, ocean carbon sinks could help stabilise our planet

JAPAN. Kenichi Hasegawa, former dairy farmer who continued to tell the truth about the nuclear accident in Fukushima, passes away. PCB waste treatment plan in Fukushima: “Insufficient explanation” and opposition from many people. Robot photos appear to show melted fuel at Fukushima reactor. Zero Contaminated Water” and “Dismantling of Reactor Buildings” Missing from the Plan: The Final Form of Decommissioning the TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

RUSSIA.   The goal of Russia is to destroy NATO by exposing its impotence.   Russian Congress of Intellectuals: An Open Letter to the Russian Leadership.

UKRAINE. In Ukraine, USA to finance American companies to sell nuclear technology there, and to other States. USA’s plan – far right Ukrainian militia to attack Russia-speaking Donbass Region – drawing Russian support – USA then to claim Russia aggression.

February 14, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

This week’s nuclear news

Some bits of good news. Not much of it aboutBut I did find, in nuclear history, a story that can give some hope. From 2000 to 2012, 47 nations co-operated, in a clean-up, led by Kazakhstan, Russia and USA, of ”Plutonium Mountain” – showing that it is possible for countries to work together, to heal this wounded world.  Small island communities – pioneers for sustainability and climate action.  Renewable energy: The past decade has seen stunning change. Australia -the next 10 years will be breathtaking.  

Coronavirus. In the USA  case numbers are dropping. In other countries mounting numbers are breaking records

Climate change.  Fixing the Climate: Hopes and Hazards.

AUSTRALIA. 

The coming Khaki election: will Labor join in the belligerence against China?  

Nuclear waste dumping.  Channel 10’s ”The Project” had the guts to show Australia the Kimba nuclear waste dump story.    ARPANSA cannot with a straight face, approve flood-prone Napandee farm as a safe location for a nuclear waste dump. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGwsbGufXc0  Flooding the planned nuclear waste dump area.

  Nuclear submarine plan does not mean jobs for Australians. In fact it’s already caused 1,100 job losses. Ranger uranium mine rehabilitation costs could blow out to $2.2 billion, Energy Resources tells ASX. Nuclear medicine incidents.

Greens set climate terms for backing Labor in the case of a hung parliament


The ABC is under the biggest attack 
in its history .

Federal Government continues spin and inaction on environment in 2022

Morrison’s ‘Australian Way’ climate plan is criminally irresponsible

 Information wars: are we getting a fair view of China’s treatment of Uyghurs?

INTERNATIONAL

UK court should slap down the US Justice Department in the Assange case.

Claims Over Broken Promises About NATO Simmer at the Heart of the Ukraine Crisis.

Can Space Tourism Co-exist with Space being turned into a War Zone?

The nuclear future and the dread factor. Time to start stopping the wars: No war in Ukraine, then no war anywhere. How giving AI bots control over nuclear weapons could spark World War III.

Electromagnetic radiation, said by telecom companies to be harmless, could be hurting wildlife..,

February 7, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

To the end of January – nuclear news

The Ukraine crisis drags on – no American soldiers will be fighting, but American weapons companies making great sales.  Here’s hoping that in the event of war, nobody will strike Ukraines’s nuclear reactors  – each of them in them in themselves a sitting nuclear bomb.

Some bits of good news : Chinese Method For Growing Veggies Year-Round in Frigid Canada Really Works–And Has No Heating Costs.    South Australia Smashes Renewable Record Using 100% Solar And Wind For Full WeekSolar Power Will Account for Nearly Half of New U.S. Electric Generating Capacity in 2022

CoronavirusLPandemic or endemic: Where is COVID heading next?
ClimateHot Oceans & Escaping Consumerism

AUSTRALIA.

Massive flooding in Kimba district, – the Agricultural (no it’s now the Nuclear Waste) Town of the Year. Serious doubts that the Australian government has a plan for nuclear waste dump vulnerable to flooding. Kimba flooding: Australian government must immediately abort nuclear waste dump project. WASHED AWAY – Minister Keith Pitt’s grand dream of a Kimba nuclear waste dump. Kimba and the South Australian government must protect this precious agricutural region from nuclear waste dump’s danger of ground contamination. 
 Traditional Owners welcome expiry of uranium mine approval, but the fight isn’t over. Defence Minister Peter Dutton evasive about the 137 member nuclear submarine taskforce, which does not include a South Australian govt rep.  Pandemic pollution: how COVID-19 has fuelled Australia’s waste crisis

What drove Perth’s record-smashing heatwave – and why it’s a taste of things to come

Doctor reveals severe health effects from heatwaves and humidityAustralia’s collapsing reputation – way way down on Transparency International Corruption Index/

INTERNATIONAL.

The rulers of the great powers are playing with fireVoices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons .   The threat of nuclear winter hangs over our warming planet. 

 Swapping one dangerous fossil fuel technology for another dangerous nuclear technology is NOT progress.  Former nuclear regulators say that nuclear power is not a feasible option for tackling the climate crisis.

Russia proposes US returns American nuclear weapons from NATO countries close to Russia. U.S. and Russian Threats Over Ukraine—What They’re About .

US and British governments are effectively using “lawfare” to ensure Assange’s continued detentionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2KuzriLnaU UK High Court gives very little chance for Julian Assange.

Rockets Destroy Ozone and Cause Climate Change – Aerospace Programs’ Deadly Impacts to the Earth.

Scientists say no to Solar Geoengineering . 

Nuclear incidents and meltdowns – far more than we realised. ‘We have to stop believing the nuclear hype’ , former chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other leaders.  Busting the nuclear propaganda about Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTR).

UKRAINEFull scale war in Ukraine? With its 15 nuclear reactors – no more Ukraine, no more Europe. Increased mutations in animals affected by Chernobyl radiation. Nuclear warfare without bombs.

January 31, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

This week’s nuclear news

Readers of this news summary seem to like the ”Bits of good news” – so I think I’ll put them at the top:  Meet the scientist moms fighting climate change for their children,  . Transition to genuinely clean energy has succeeded in many cases, including economically.When it rains, it soars: Wetland birds come back from the brink 

Coronavirus: What’s happening in Canada and around the world

Climate Change. What will the climate be like in the year 2500? Provocative new science.

Nuclear.  Ukraine is the urgent news this week-   it’s not nuclear news? – well, I certainly hope that is the case.  France is the country of most interest this week, as Emmanuel Macron tries to hold it all together. In the lead-up to the presidential election, Macron must convince everyone of a positive future for the nuclear industry, despite its multiple problems.

AUSTRALIA.

A mutual suicide pact: Australia’s undeclared nuclear weapons strategy. Australia-UK talks – all about nuclear submarines and military co-operation against China.  

Options for Australia’s nuclear submarines – all of them impractical

 Flooding in South Australia includes Kimba– what about the nuclear dump site? and what impact on uranium tailings dams? 
Environmental protection prevails over uranium in Western Australia, with expiration of a third mining approval. Environmental approvals lapse for three out of four grandfathered uranium projects in WA

Dozens of questions on climate and energy policies go unanswered by Morrison government — RenewEconomy
Australia continues to lead the world for solar installations‘Everything about the Gulf of St. Lawrence was warmer in 2021’: federal scientist

There’s nothing radical about climate action in 2022      Labor has climate policy edge over Coalition, solid support for Greens

INTERNATIONAL

Common Security Approaches to Resolve the Ukraine and European Crises.

Washington pumping up war fever .

January 22 -one year since nuclear weapons became illegal. U.N. Treaty on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons – in force one yearDoomsday clock stays at 100 seconds to midnight. Doomsday Clock continues to hover dangerously.

Nuclear energy too costly for humans — and the planet .

2021 was one of the hottest years on record – and it could also be the coldest we’ll ever see again .     Research shows planning for climate change will save billions

Changing from a consumer economy to a conserver economy – painful but necessary.

Chemical pollution has passed safe limit for humanity, say scientists.      Nanoplastic pollution found at both of Earth’s poles for first time    

NATO to apply Article 5 collective war clause to outer space.

ANTARCTICAGiant canyon discovered underneath Antarctic glacier, adding to history of rising sea levels.     World’s largest iceberg melted – now one trillion tonnes of ice – gone.  

January 24, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Nuclear news week to 18 January

The undersea volcano near Tonga is bad enough. But one wonders what would be the effect of disrupting nuclear wastes undersea, whether they  be from atomic bomb testing, or from the dumping of nuclear trash.

Coronavirus.  It’s not that I have given up on studying this: it’s just that the news, and changes, come thick and fast, and we all live in uncertainty.

Climate change. It’s all happening. Keep up with the latest at Radio Ecoshock – Arctic Will Change Your Life. Nitrous Oxide, Sea Ice, & Western Fires.

Nuclear. This week,  Ukraine stalemate, and the same old issues drag on – Europe’s struggle to depict nuclear as ”green”, UK’s struggle to finance the nuclear industry, France’s struggle with old, (and some cracking) reactors. And Fukushima’s crisis springs eternal.

Some bits of good news. By the way, – biggest response ever this newsletter has received on any subject –   about the butterfly story last week!   Some wins for the planet in 2021.  Nice stories about animals – including several ”non-extinctions”.   Beavers Saved From Euthanasia Transform and Replenish Rivers in the Utah Desert.

AUSTRALIA.

Nuclear. .   AUKUS an unwelcome guest at the table of nuclear disarmament.

 In Western Australia, first Cameco’s Kintyre uranium project was disallowed, now Toro’s uranium project also rejectedToro Energy misses deadline to start work at Wiluna uranium mine    

 Climate.   Federal Labor pledges climate resilience funding,   Nationals pledge allegiance to coal — RenewEconomy

It’s not just WA: Sydney and Melbourne will see dangerous 50C temperatures soon enough

‘We’ve worked our whole life, this is our family home’: What the future of climate change means for coastal property owners.

South Australia breaks record, runs for a week on renewable energy

Charities are sick of fighting off attacks by the Morrison government

INTERNATIONAL

Is US extradition inevitable for Julian Assange? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aw4Yz0Va1c

In 2022, nuclear power’s future looks grimmer than ever.   Nuclear: economically unsustainable, inherently dangerous and absolutely unfeasible as a solution to climate change.      A hopeless pursuit? National efforts to promote small modular nuclear reactors and revive nuclear power. Small modular reactors (SMRs) offer no hope for nuclear energy.

Climate change crisis ranked as the biggest threat facing the global economy ahead of wars and pandemics. The environmental impact of emissions from space launches: a comprehensive review .

The Guardian view on The Green Planet: verdant and necessary

We study ocean temperatures. The Earth just broke a heat increase record.

Global heating linked to early birth and damage to babies’ health, scientists find

Stoltenberg: NATO ready for war in Europe.

Horrors of Hiroshima, a reminder nuclear weapons remain global threat.

ARCTICClimate change destroying homes across the Arctic. Fieldwork in the High Arctic found cataclysmic impact of climate change happening 70 years ahead of what the scientific models expected.

UKRAINEThe media downplays Ukraine’s ties to Nazism, as they promote weapons sales, and war against Russia.  This is how I feel about the Ukraine crisis.

January 17, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

This is how I feel about the Ukraine crisis

We should study the whole context of this. Russia does not want to be encircled by threatening military systems, and probably nuclear missiles. Just as America felt threatened when Soviet Russia had placed missiles in Cuba. That caused a crisis, resolved when Russia removed those missiles. USA is obsessed with surrounding its perceived enemies with military installations.

The Ukraine government is corrupt, ( yes, I know Russia is corrupt, too) . Sections of Ukraine are ethicnally and linguistically Russian. Quite frankly, a return of Ukraine to Russia is no threat to America.

But NATO in Ukraine is a threat to Russia. USA is at grave risk of starting an uncontrollable war. What use would it be to bomb your enemy to obliteration, if you yourselves are also bombed to obliteration?

January 16, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Nuclear News – Australia and beyond

It’s a critical time for the world, as Russia and USA face off over Ukraine – the mainstream media showing an extraordinary ignorance on the background for all this. In Australia we get only the USA government’s point of view – I don’t know about other countries.

The UK government is poised to legislate for electricity consumers to pay for nuclear reactors long before they are built, and to cop the costs of delays, things going wrong, or the wonderful new reactors not actually operating anyway.. Meanwhile Europe continues to contort itself with the conundrum of deciding that nuclear is ”green” and worthy of tax-payer funding. 
Coronavirus news– it’s all too much for me. We’re all in limbo – and a kind of mental paralysis sets in !

Climate Change.  No, it hasn’t gone away. The last seven years were the hottest on record.

Some bits of good news . To cheer myself up, I’ve been reading a lot about butterflies. AND, the nearly endangered Monarch Butterflies are back  – in their many thousands,  Developing food crops that can thrive in dry and hot conditions. 

AUSTRALIA.

The Australian government is complicit with USA and UK imperilling the health of Julian Assange, may well cause his death. The Australian media colludes with USA, UK and Australian governments’ persecution ofJulian Assange -”Crikey journal” typifies this .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-OEJks1ldA .   

  Australia’s ambitious weapons plan -Joint Air Battle Management System (JABMS) AIR-6500.

Climate wars to die down in federal election as major parties dodge risks

   Would the Murray-Darling Basin survive another Millennium drought?

New record caps stunning year of Australian solar milestones, sets tone for 2022.

INTERNATIONAL.

Extraditing Julian Assange Threatens Journalists Worldwide.

 Treaties, Constitutions, and Laws Against War — limitless life What if deterrence doesn’t work?

Ukraine crisis.  US-Russia Talks May Be the Last Chance .     What War With Russia Would Look Like. NATO chieftain to Russia: Georgia, Ukraine belong to us, take it or leave it. On eve of Biden-Putin, NATO-Russia talks, Blinken blasts Russia as threat to European continent.

Emissions from the five major economies set to cause a doubling of extremely hot years in many nations. “Don’t Look Up:” Hollywood tackles the myths that fuel climate denial — RenewEconomy

Nuclear energy backers say it’s vital for the fight against global warming. Don’t be so sure. Nuclear is not a practicable means to combat climate change.

Six reasons to say ‘no’ — Beyond Nuclear International

To preserve the planet, we must reduce our consumption of resources..

UN chief welcomes P5 statement on nuclear war prevention . Five world powers vow to prevent spread of nuclear weapons.

Changing patterns for spreading misinformation on pandemics and climate change.

Going nuclear: Should nations unilaterally decide?

Hundreds of thousands of satellites brightening the night sky with negative effects on the ecosphere.

ANTARCTICA. Enormous Antarctic glacier becoming unstable. Maori workers exposed to radiation in cleaning up USA’s failed nuclear reactor in Antarctica.

January 10, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Nuclear news to 4 January – Australia and overseas

As Omicron rips around the world, attention turns to medical science. In this ever-changing story, conspiracy theories are rife, and trust in science is shaken. Trust in science is diminished, too, in climate change. By and large, media and governments seem content with a ”business as usual” policy.

And now, the European Union is about to declare that nuclear power has miraculously become ”clean”, ”green” and ”sustainable” – worthy of tax-payer funding – this is a real blow to the credibility of science.

AUSTRALIA. 

 Australia’s nuclear-free collective efforts and achievements in 2021. 

  Nuclear waste from Britain heading to Lucas Heights – first load of many . Nuclear waste returning from UK to Australia. Dave Sweeney – Australia needs a genuine discussion about nuclear waste. The Australian government’s Kimba nuclear waste decision rides roughshod over Australia’s obligations under international law, 

Despite war-mongering Peter Dutton, a Defence review finds it not necessary to overturn Darwin port agreement with Chinese company.

INTERNATIONAL

Why a U.S.-Russia War Would Inevitably Be a Globe-Annihilating Nuclear War.

Will the European Commission buy into the lie that nuclear power is clean and green? Angry response in Europe to the draft European Commission plans to accept nuclear power ”climate-friendly” – eligible for tax-payer financial help.

Land and water ecosystems ‘stressed to a critical point’ .

Nuclear Twilight – the ”limited” nuclear war.

Germany, France, Britain, U.S. discuss Ukraine crisis, Iran nuclear talks.

The murky world of financing Small Nuclear Reactors (SMRs).

Increased compensation for those damaged by nuclear accident – OECD.

Threat of nuclear war: Not a thing of the past. UN Nuclear Ban Treaty conference postponed again because of Covid-19.

Radioactive radiation could damage biological tissue also via a previously unnoticed mechanism.

More fusion folly — Beyond Nuclear International

World urgently needs a Paris-style agreement for biodiversity .

COP 27 – the risk of the climate summit becoming a stalemate.

Our Oceans Are Not Sewers.

January 3, 2022 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Nuclear news Australia, and more, week to 27 December

It would be so good to welcome in the New Year with really great news. But, at least there are some indications of better news on the way, both in the unfolding pandemic story, and in efforts to stall global heating.    As for nuclear, in a bizarre way, the pandemic has been helpful to the clean energy cause.  The pandemic has caused delays in the ”supply chains”. Among other effects, this has made the push for small nuclear reactors (SMRs)  even more likely to fail. For example, despite the hype, Rolls Royce’s plan for SMRs for Qatar resulted in a fall for their share price, as the transport of parts is problematic.

Pandemic.  Omicron: bleak new year or beginning of the end for the pandemic?.   Scientists are cautiously optimistic that the variant may be a sign the virus is losing its power, despite the high infection figures.

Climate.  Earth’s Climate: Rapid and Dramatic Changes.

AUSTRALIA.

Australian government and Labor opposition ignore the suffering of Julian Assange. Can they afford to, as election looms?   

Traditional owners lodge legal challenge to planned Kimba nuclear waste dump. The Australian government has breached the rights of both black and white people of Kimba in depriving them of access to independent information on nuclear wastes.  Growing opposition to radioactive waste dump    Massive cask of nuclear waste to arrive in Sydney.  

 We froze’: What was this 1.3-metre missile doing at an Aboriginal heritage site?

Australians, like other nationalities, need to put pressure on their government to join the  UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) . 

 Australia is racing towards 100 per cent renewables.

INTERNATIONAL.

Julian Assange’s lawyers start process for UK Supreme Court appeal against his extradition to America.

The science-based case for excluding Nuclear Fission Technologies from the EU Taxonomy .

Spent FuelThe risky resurgence of nuclear power.

Nuclear power has no business case and could make climate change worse.

Is the thorium-fueled “Molten Salt reactor a proven technology?

Report:  “Moving Beyond Missile Defense and Space Weapons”

Nuclear liabilities – the tax-payer is the insurer of last resort.

December 27, 2021 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

The week in nuclear news – Australia and more

Just when we thought it was safe to go out again, along comes the Omicron variant of Covid-19.  It’s almost comic, watching our (Australian) politicians twisting themselves into knots telling us to go out and rejoice, while the medical experts are more quietly advising us to wear masks and steer clear of crowds.Meanwhile more populous countries struggle with the sheer numbers of infections, and the load on health services.

While the pandemic swamps the news –  weather extremes keep happening.  


On the nuclear scene, all seems quiet, BUT, there’s something of a crisis brewing in France, where climate effects and aging technology are causing problems in nuclear power supply, cracks both real and symbolic, are appearing as Macron gallantly pushes for a new ‘nuclear renaissance’.

 COVID-19:
 What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 20 December,   Fauci warns Omicron COVID variant ‘raging through the world’       Top US infectious diseases expert warns hospitals in the country could face stresses in coming weeks as COVID-19 infections surge.

CLIMATE.  2021: when the link between the climate and biodiversity crises became clear.

AUSTRALIA. 

INTERNATIONAL

Chris Hedges on the Execution of Julian Assange.   Classified Documents Invalidate United States‘ Appeal Against Assange — Richard Medhurst. The disgraceful case mounted against Assange by a corrupt U.S. Department of Justice and their hired guns in Britain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trzrUK_fmZI

Nuclear power’s economic failure – a ”renaissance in reverse”. Dr Jim Green dissects the hype surrounding Small ”Modular” Nuclear Reactors. Why Nuclear Power Is Bad for Your Wallet and the Climate.

Small nuclear reactors for military use would be too dangerous – excellent targets for the enemy.

15 minutes to save the world’: a terrifying Virtual Reality journey into the nuclear bunker.

Climate change has crashed Earth’s ”air – conditioners” – the North and South polesWarmer winters are happening across the globe.Adapting to climate change will only get more expensive 

  Nuclear Energy Can­not Meaningfully Contribute to a Climate-Neutral Energy System . Energy economics – getting the fuel -oil and nuclear -for continued expansion of capitalism – is costing more all the time.

Understanding cobalt’s human cost

PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ constantly cycle through ground, air and water, study finds

Anti-5G’ necklaces are radioactive and dangerous, Dutch nuclear experts say.

Some bits of good news – 10 inspiring environmental victories of 2021 Don’t Look Up: A movie about climate change that is actually good

ANTARCTICAAn Antarctic glacier the size of Britain could ”shatter like a car windscreen” in the next 5 to 10 years. Humanity should not test whether Antarctica’s ice will hold out.

ARCTIC. U.N. sounds alarm bells over highest Arctic temperature on record. Fukushima toxins in Arctic add to pressure on Japan.

December 20, 2021 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

This week’s nuclear news, AND news on Australian journalist Julian Assange

It’s not exactly ”nuclear” news. In fact, not at all. I heard that Julian Assange supports nuclear power, but that’s not the point. But what’s happening to Julian Assange is a frightening precedent for anyone who dares to publicise American military atrocities . Actually, it’s not all that new.  Now forgotten – Wilfred Burchett, the Australian journalist, was the first to visit, photograph, and report on the sufferings of the Hiroshima atomic bomb victims. Burchett was censored, persecuted, and his character smeared by the USA  government and its faithful vassal, the Australian government.

Meanwhile – back at the subject –   the West beats the drums of war, over Ukraine.

Coronavirus; Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly Epidemiological Update.Climate change:  EXTREME: We Just Left the Old Climate Behind

Some bits of good news –  Largest Farm to Grow Crops Under Solar Panels Proves to Be a Bumper Crop for Agrivoltaic Land Use.
   Hundreds of Solar Farms Built Atop Closed Landfills Are Turning Brownfields into Green Fields      Once Biologically Dead, London’s River Thames Rebounds – With Seahorses and Seals

AUSTRALIA. 

INTERNATIONAL

Even when he is silenced, immobilized, locked up and hidden from public view, Julian Assange continues to shine a light on the abusive mechanisms of power. The latest court case for Australian Julian Assange – and the death of democracyAppeal to UK’s Supreme Court will just lengthen Julian Assange’s legal torment.

FIRES OF WAR Biden is pushing us to brink of NUCLEAR WAR over Ukraine in chilling echo of Cuban missile crisis, Russia claims.

What happened at COP26? Six compelling arguments why nuclear energy is spectacularly unfit to power a just transition. Nuclear can’t deliver on climate .    Buyer beware: greenwashing is becoming more sophisticated 

Japan’s upcoming nuclear waste dump.

UKRAINE. Who’s Telling the ‘Big Lie’ on Ukraine? Russia Angered by Senator Roger Wicker’s Nuclear Strike Remarks on UkraineUkraine Is a Problem Only as Long as the West Makes It One.

December 13, 2021 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Nuclear news this week – Australia and more

Coronavirus.    Omicron proves we’re not in control of Covid – ‘only global action can stop this pandemic’
Climate Change.   Heating at the Poles will determine the fate of this life on Earth.
Nuclear. Last week, it was France that dominated nuclear industry news. This week, it’s Russia and Norway.  The news brings together the issues of climate change and of nuclear danger. The melting of the Arctic now enables Russia to forge ahead with its search for mining fossil fuels there, with the result that  Norway is taking a keener than ever interest in monitoring levels of ionising radiation in the region,

AUSTRALIA.

INTERNATIONAL.

 In the next extradition court case for Julian Assange, we can expect the judge there to be very biased against Assange. 

Analysis: Small Modular Reactors Are Decades Away. That Suits the Fossil Lobby Just Fine..

Nuclear risks are laid bare by COVID-19

Omicron Variant: For Better or For Worse?NATO foreign ministers meeting ends with veritable declaration of war.
Nuclear power is a failure – former French Environment Minister.
The nuclear consequences of cyber vulnerabilities.

Fact check: Is nuclear energy good for the climate? 

COP 26 agreement that energy efficiency investments needed for at least half of the investments needed to stall global heating..‘Deluge of plastic waste’: US is world’s biggest plastic polluter

Renewable energy growing at a fast pace, China and India leading the way. 

December 6, 2021 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Austrailian and overseas nuclear news this week

  PANDEMIC.  WHO Reaches Draft Consensus on Future Pandemic Treaty   More omicron cases pop up as world rushes to learn more.
CLIMATE CHANGE –  it hasn’t gone away. Keep up to date with Radio Ecoshock, and – Rebel Against the Crash.  Also Paul Beckwith – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IubZzo97p-A

NUCLEAR.  Again,France is in the news, as President Macron, (formerly opposed to nuclear) pushes for the industry. Meanwhile safety issues continue, and also concern over radioactive releases from La Hague into the seaMeanwhile the global nuclear industry watches with concern, as Britain struggles to organise the funding ( Regulated Asset Base) for its new nuclear plans.

AUSTRALIA. Kimba nuclear waste dump plan. Minister Keith Pitt confirms that the federal government has bought the land at Kimba for the national nuclear waste dump.  To set up nuclear waste dump , the Australian government will have to override South Australian State government laws     Kimba nuclear dump: Premier Marshall must enforce South Australia’s legislation. The Kimba nuclear dump is a long way from a done deal: needs formal environmental and regulatory assessment and approval.  Traditional owners expected to challenge nuclear waste facility in South Australia.  Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) asks people to comment on public health and radioactive waste dump.
Submarines.     French nuclear submarines a better choice for Australia . Australian Conservation Foundation comments to Parliamentary Committee on nuclear submarine agreement..

Fight for native title mining millions heads to Supreme Court | The Advertiser 

 Climate.  More Black Summers ahead as climate change increases risk of megafires: CSIRO CSIRO study proves climate change driving Australia’s 800% boom in bushfires.  Morrison Government failing young people on climate yet again       Climate change is driving a drier Australia. So why are we having such a wet year? – La Nina.   Australia could be the long-term winner worldwide with its solar energy.

INTERNATIONAL

Nuclear power being hyped in the media, but its prospects are grim.

Nuclear power for MINDLESS, ENDLESS, ENERGY use – data”farms” and Bitcoin.

Small modular reactors not the solution . Are small nuclear reactors actually small, safe, economic ?

Nuclear Fusion Recedes Into Far Future For The 57th Time.

Climate 129 reputable European and international organisations have signed up to letter opposing inclusion of nuclear and gas as being ”sustainable” and ”green”.

Latest COP 26 pledges will lead to 16% increase in carbon emissions, NOT the necessary 45% decrease.

Climate and biodiversity: mapping the irrecoverable carbon in Earth’s ecosystems. IEA: Rate of energy efficiency improvements needs to double to put world on track for net-zero.

Economic Cost Of Peak Population: Japan, China, The World..

CHINA. China calls on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to make Southeast Asia a nuclear-weapons-free zone.

  

November 29, 2021 Posted by | Christina reviews | Leave a comment