Antinuclear

Nuclear news (and climate) this week

Some bits of good news.      Rock ‘flour’ from Greenland can capture significant CO2, study shows. How Much Would It Cost to Solve Climate Change? And How Would We Pay for It?

TOP STORIES

Extreme heat events have now become the new normal.

$528 Billion nuclear clean-up at Hanford Site in jeopardy.

Unlimited money to Ukraine is now allowed, through USA’s “Debt Sealing” arrangement.

EDITORIAL: Government turns a blind eye to lessons from nuclear disaster. Tiny radioactive particles persist indoors years after Fukushima.

Panellists discuss nuclear documentary ‘Atomic Bamboozle’ and warn against return of nuclear power . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUsPt_xUt7I&t=27s

Climate. 1.5 C limit is still feasible. Increasing heat could turn ocean plankton microbes into carbon emitters. Mediterranean now a global heating hotspot. Freak May typhoon shows Philippines is now in constant state of climate emergency. China swelters through record temperatures. And vulnerability of old people to heat waves.

Nuclear.  Well, like the plastic pollution (we’re all swimming in it),  chemical pollution, species extinction, probability of pandemics, overpopulation, the hazards of AI –    nuclear dangers pale into some insignificance beside the now reality of global heating.

Today is World Environment Day. What a joke! What are our illustrious leaders worrying about?  They, the male-dominated  national chiefs are all about their usual preoccupation –  getting ready to wage war against each other. That’s the important thing –  climate change gets a mention in passing – the occasional “motherhood statement”.

Meanwhile – wildfires across many Northern regions, extreme heat, ocean changes ……..  The earth has Bipolar Disorder: and so do we,  – and also RADIO ECOSHOCK

AUSTRALIA. 

•   Julian Assange ignored in “press freedom roundtable” as spies cosy up to Big Media. 
• AUKUS Fissile or Fizzer? Rex Patrick on the trouble with Virginia Class second hand submarines.  Scott Morrison issues blanket denial on nuclear submarine questions.     AUKUS, Congress and Cold Feet.   Australian submariners test positive for drugs.        
•  Crooked company Price Waterhouse Cooper STILL HAS ACCESS TO THE DEFENCE SECRET NETWORK. Defence reveals seven new PwC contracts worth $6m after tax scandal broke. 
•  Dutton’s nuclear plan doesn’t add up. 
•  Draconian: South Australia just topped NSW, Tas, Victoria, Queensland with new laws penalising peaceful protesters.

  ECONOMICS. NRG exits nuclear with sale of South Texas Project stake. Call on ratepayers to fund a study for small nuclear reactors in Clark County. Amidst all the enthusiastic promotion of Small Nuclear Reactors, there’s still the admission that SMRs are simply unaffordable. Dutch government sets many $millions in funding for Nuclear Power, and to encourage investors in nuclear. Nuclear energy just helped Finland slash electric costs by a staggering 75% — so why doesn’t the US follow suit? 3 reasons we are cool on the power source.

 Marketing: Unseemly scramble as makers of small nuclear reactors try to con UK government . 

ENVIRONMENT. Finland’s newest nuclear plant is warming the sea, harming wildlife.

ETHICS and RELIGION. Nonviolent ecumenical movements call for ratification of the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty.

HEALTH. Female health care workers need better protection from radiation, doctors say.

MEDIA. British police detain journalist Kit Klarenberg, interrogate him about The Grayzone. The Days’: The Story of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and Netflix’s New Drama. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQkb7fCr2bQ&t=31s Instagram bans Democratic presidential candidate RFK Jr from creating new campaign accounts.

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. France’s triple dependence on nuclear fuel . Iran increasing enriched uranium stocks, holding 23 times the limit, says nuclear watchdog. US announces $46 million in funds to eight nuclear fusion companies. Scientists heat nuclear reactor to 100 MILLION degree Celsius – hotter than the SUN (what could possibly go wrong?).

OPPOSITION TO NUCLEAR. Call for International Action against Fukushima Radioactive Water Dumping in the Pacific. Plan to release Fukushima nuclear plant water into sea faces local opposition: “The sea is not a garbage dump. British anti-nuclear campaigners support Canadian counterparts over nuke dump (on nuclear-news.net)

POLITICS. Bill to extend operating period of nuclear plants passes Japan’s Upper House. Greenland refuses to allow exploitation for uranium.  France’s triple dependence on nuclear fue (on nuclear-news.net)

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. France, Germany Dispute Over Nuclear Energy Leaves EU Deadlocked on Renewables.     US cuts data sharing with Russia under New START nuclear deal.     Biden wants to engage Russia on nuclear arms control.    West considers renewed engagement on Iran nuclear crisis. Andrew Little tells nuclear powers New Zealand’s stance isn’t just ‘wishful thinking’.      Dismay in the region over Japan’s plan for nuclear waste water https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12DNoeIsXRY

RADIATION. Tritium found beyond safe limits in treated Fukushima wastewater.

SAFETY. 

• TEPCO faces new crisis over pedestal blow at Fukushima plant. 
• Neither Russia nor Ukraine committed to the IAEA’s 5 principles to protect Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Rafael Grossi to brief UN Security Council on Zaporizhia nuclear situation. Bellona publishes new report on Ukraine’s besieged Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
• USA urged not to use bomb-grade uranium in nuclear power experiment. China halts floating nuclear power plan over security fears. 
• Administrative monetary penalty issued to Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for security failures at Pickering and Darlington nuclear stations. 
• Concern over low flying aircraft circling over Hunterston nuclear power station.

SECRETS and LIES. Warren Report Reveals Vast Pentagon-to-Defense Contractor Lobbying Pipeline.

WASTES. Proximity principle – nuclear waste should be stored as near as possible to the point of generation. South Korea experts say more study needed on Japan’s nuclear water plan. Nuclear waste disposal site could be built next to power plant, Estonia.

WAR and CONFLICT. Netanyahu convenes Iran war drill, scorns UN nuclear watchdog.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. The AUKUS nuclear submarine deal is a nuclear proliferation danger. We are going backwards: we now face a new wave of nuclear weapons manufacturing . Blinken Dismisses Calls for a Ceasefire, Says US Must Build Up Ukraine’s Military. Largest ever Arctic Challenge NATO fighter aircraft exercise begins in Northern Europe.

Disconnecting War from Its Consequences, (cut welfare spending, increase weapons). Protest Disrupts Opening of North America’s Largest Weapons Fair. NATO official calls on China for transparency over nuclear weapons  

June 5, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

The week in nuclear news (but climate news is Big)

Some bits of good news:     What went right this week? The good news you should know about –  It was a good week for green energy –   money deserting fossil fuels –  An English city prepared to host a refugee festival.

Climate. Insurance giant halts sale of new home policies in California due to wildfires. Sea level rise will “disappear” California’s famed beaches . Thawing glaciers around Everest show critical need to stop greenhouse emissions . More than 1,500 arrested at Extinction Rebellion protest in The Hague.

Christina notes: It’s the CLIMATE, stupid!

Nuclear. News on climate is so genuinely awesome –  to use the proper meaning of the word –  that it really does dwarf nuclear news.   But the nuclear lying goes on – the pretense that small reactors will be economic and will solve global heating. THat’s such a distraction from real action. 

TOP STORIES

Slowing ocean current caused by melting Antarctic ice could have drastic climate impact, study says. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KlpKq3YEdM

America’s Wars and the US Debt Crisis.

G7 Leaders Falter Over Nuclear Disarmament in Hiroshima.

Sending F-16 planes to Ukraine will create a new Cuban Missile -style nuclear crisis .

Ukraine’s neighbors push for Zelensky to pursue peace as millions of displaced people flow into Europe. ‘Independent’ Ukrainian ‘kill list’ actually run by Kiev, backed by Washington.

Ukraine: Power loss at nuclear plant underscores ‘highly vulnerable’ safety situation.

Atmospheric Testing of Nuclear Weapons in the 1950s and 1960s

AUSTRALIA.

• Australian Prime Minister Albanese refuses to meet with Assange’s wife.
• ‘Cold feet’: Big problems emerge in controversial US-Australia submarine deal. Civil Society faces imposition of an AUKUS military High Level nuclear waste dump.
• An Open Letter to the Australian Government from concerned scholars regarding the AUKUS Agreement. AUKUS nuclear submarine bases in Western Australia will seriously weaken current safeguards against nuclear weapons proliferation . Transferring US nuclear subs to Australia far from smooth sailing. Aukus ‘expensive’ and not ‘easy to replicate’, Australian officials told foreign diplomats. Has AUKUS evolved beyond nuclear-powered submarines? Government introduces Bill to exempt nuclear submarines from crucial environmental protection acts.
• Opposition Leader Peter Dutton touts AUKUS as gateway to nuclear energy industry.
• Property values in Kimba? Not so good, since the town agreed to host a nuclear waste dump. Hundreds rally against South Australia’s state government’s proposed increases to penalties for protesting. Honest Government Ad – South Australia Protest Law https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kecnSHmznic

CLIMATE. Hinkley Point C – Why nuclear power accelerates carbon emissions. A clean energy transition means moving away from nuclear power.

CULTURE and ARTS. Everything’s Getting Way More Dangerous And Way More Stupid.

ECONOMICS.  

• Director General Grossi Highlights China as Indispensable IAEA Partner, Leader in Nuclear Energy. 
•  Nuclear power won’t help Maine reach its clean-energy goals, 
•  French defense minister opposes American takeover of nuclear firm. 
•   Point Lepreau nuclear power station – too many expensive shutdowns. 
•  Damning critique of Rolls Royce         Rolls Royce to cut thousands of jobs. . 
• Marketing: USA pours $billions into Poland, in effort to market USA’s small and large nuclear reactors to Europe. Romania to be a guinea pig for NuScam’s small nuclear reactor folly. Putin bribes ‘friendly nations’ with use of 24-hour ‘floating nuclear power stations’.

ENERGY. US Electricity From Renewable Energy Beat Electricity From Coal Or Nuclear In 2022. Taiwan Considers Keeping Nuclear Reactors on Emergency Standby.

ENVIRONMENT. China firmly opposes Japan’s discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into sea. South Korean experts to continue analysis of Fukushima water discharge. South Korean nuclear experts to tour Fukushima plant amid water concerns. Pacific islanders are not convinced that the release of Fukushima wastewater is safe . Nuclear & Toxic Chemicals.

HEALTH. Public health expert says Fukushima waste water release a retrograde step, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_WcZZq9JTU

LEGAL.Court rejects case opposing restart of Miyagi Prefecture nuclear plant.

MEDIA. 60 Minutes Australia Keeps Churning Out War-With-China Propaganda. Review | Netflix drama review: The Days – Netflix Fukushima nuclear disaster series starring Koji Yakusho is an enthralling account of the 2011 event, with strong hints of HBO’s Chernobyl.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQkb7fCr2bQ

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. Canadian reactors that “recycle” plutonium would create more problems than they solve. Nuke Power’s “Renaissance 4.0” Has Already Melted. No,        There Won’t Be Nuclear-Powered Commercial Shipping This Time Either.

POLITICS. 

• New Zealand won’t give up its nuclear-free stance, says Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. 
•  While Sullivan and Wang build ‘guardrails’: where is Mr Blinken?
•  Rishi Sunak ‘turns his back’ on UK’s nuclear test veterans a year after pledging support. 
• Israel’s New Minister for Nuclear Absurdity. 
• Nuclear power is neither reliable nor ‘green’ and is not suitable for South Africa’s just transition. 
•   Taiwan Government’s nuclear-free policy remains unchanged: Cabinet

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. 

•  Ukraine: Why Negotiations Are the Only Rational Option in the Face of Climate Chaos and Nuclear Dangers.
• Hiroshima Survivor Slams G7 Leaders for Embracing War & Rejecting Nuclear Disarmament. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66tf6Ki7sdM. Elders say – Nuclear states must now act following G7 statement – Mary Robinson.          G7 has descended into an ‘anti-China workshop’. Visiting a park is not paying respects:the appalling failure of the G7 to act on nuclear disarmament. 
• France holds up EU energy agreement over nuclear power. 
• After AP report, Iran’s nuclear chief says Tehran to cooperate with inspectors on ‘new activities’.  
• Irony Or What! India “Sidelines” Russia For US Nuclear Tech, But US Remains ‘Critically Dependent’ On Russian Nuke Fuel.

PROTESTS. A Mothers Day protest: Activists blockaded the entrance to the US 2 Navy’s west-coast nuclear submarine base.

RADIATION. Trident: Ministry of Defence confirms more than 50 radiation leaks this year.

SAFETY.    Fukushima reactor 1 found to have damaged pedestal supporting nuclear core. Japan Nuclear Watchdog Asks Fukushima Plant Operator to Assess Reactor Risk.          World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant Kashiwazaki-Kariwa May Stay Closed Due to Papers Left on Car Roof.             Groups Warn Biden that Ukraine War Shows Attacks on Nuclear Plants ‘Could Happen Here’.         Nuclear Security: Department Of Energy Should Take Actions to Fully Implement Insider Threat Program.

SECRETS and LIES. Ukraine admits to murdering “quite a few” Russian civilians. Ukraine claims Russia is plotting ‘a provocation’ at nuclear plant, offers no evidence.

SPINBUSTER. Clean energy transition sparks nuclear reaction. Nuclear Turns Fashionable.

URANIUM. U.S. planning test reactor to run on weapons-grade uranium.

WASTES. IAEA team in Japan for final review before planned discharge of Fukushima nuclear plant water.      What we know about the federal government’s ongoing nuclear waste plans in New Mexico.       Gordon Edwards explains, and comments on. Canada’s policy on radioactive waste and nuclear decommissioning.

Since Cold War. Russia Issues Dire Warning After US Approves Ukrainian Strikes On Crimea. Russia moves ahead with deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Russia Claims Group Crossed Border From Ukraine In Attack. Russia evacuates nuclear munitions due to incursion from Ukraine into Belgorodoblast-Ukraine’s Intel. Belgorod Attacks | Russia Removes Nuclear Warheads From Grayvoron Amid Attacks

Russian vessel attacked by Ukrainian sea drones off Bosporus. Ex-Pentagon Analyst: Biden Faces Shrinking Options on Ukraine. A grim vision of nuclear warfare in Ukraine. Russia warns about nuclear power war risk.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES.

• US sends largest warship ever constructed to Norway.
• Russia to move newest nuclear sub to Pacific in August.
• Iran Builds an Underground and Possibly Unreachable Nuclear Facility.
• Nuclear umbrella to protect Taiwan could be globally catastrophic.
• A Nuclear Collision Course in South Asia. Can the Pakistan-India nuclear deterrence hold – in the nuclearisation of South Asia in the New Nuclear Age.
• Belarusian president offers nuclear weapons to those willing to join his alliance.  

May 30, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Australian and other nuclear news this week.

A bit of good news –   A low birthrate is good news for the planet.   What went right this week? The good news you should know about.Climate.  Cop28 host UAE’s approach is ‘dangerous’, says UN’s ex-climate chief.
Christina notes: Pathetic war-mongering response by G7 stuffed shirts at the historic Hiroshima nuclear-bombing site.

Nuclear.  Linder Gunter writes “Lying is the new black” – about the promotion of nuclear energy. But it’s timely too, about the latest developments in Ukraine. Have the Russians had a win? We are told – not really!  The G7 leaders went to Hiroshima –  all for world peace of course, paid lip service to America’s horror nuclear bombing in 1945, and went on to militaristic planning against Russia and China  – nothing about nuclear disarmament. No suggestion of negotiation.

TOP STORIES:

Hiroshima survivors warn G7 leaders about using nuclear bombs.

Ukraine’s Depleted Uranium Blast: Europe on Brink of ‘Environmental Disaster’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kqpbw6YTLo Depleted uranium won’t end a war that has no winners.

Global heating is predicted to trigger more nuclear outages in France every year..

Should South Carolina have canceled Plant Summer? Yes, and Georgia should have canceled, too

     **************************************************************

AUSTRALIA.   Stella Assange: ‘This is the closest we’ve ever been to securing Julian’s release’   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6N33Ca8UrA

 AUKUS may turn out to be the largest financial swindle perpetrated by the United States and the United Kingdom against Australia and other Asia Pacific nations.    Labor, Greens & Defence Experts call for AUKUS Parliamentary Inquiry    Coalition clown show on nuclear on full display in Senate inquiry.    Richard Marles and the ‘seamless’ transfer of Australian sovereignty.  Pentagon seeks authority to transfer nuclear submarines (and costs) to Australia.     Why nuclear power won’t work in Australia — yet another explainer.    Government gutted as consulting firms PwC, Big 4 pick up $1.4b a year for giving advice, including on Defence purchases.  ‘Extremely difficult’ for nuclear energy to ever have a future in Australia- says Secretary of pro nuclear union.     Defence bombing Indigenous site in Woomera.   Community batteries .

CLIMATE. Siting new nuclear power stations — an unsustainable geography.

ECONOMICS. Finnish nuclear plant throttles production as electricity price plunges. Russia’s Atomflot added to U.S. sanctions list.

ENERGY. Finance for renewable energy.        Germany’s green revolution puts nuclear power in the past.          The nine hours in which Spain made the 100% renewable dream a reality. New report finds millions of Britons planning to get rid of their cars .

ENVIRONMENT. Nuclear Free Local Authorities condemn UK Environment Agency’s failure to protect the marine environment in Hinkley Point C’s nuclear project .

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. Nuclear Fusion breakthrough hits hurdles as five experiments fail.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. How a small activist sailing ship successfully challenged the nuclear arms race.

POLITICS.  Sceptical opinions about Vladimir Zelensky.         France to speed up nuclear power deployment.         Poland’s Greens oppose construction of small nuclear reactor in Kraków.  Energy minister Andrew Bowie in visit to Suffolk projects.        Robert F Kennedy’s Peace Platform.

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. 

• At a G7 summit high on ambition, nuclear disarmament takes a backseat to Zelensky’s diplomatic appeals.        Facing Russia’s nuclear threats, the U.S. and its allies must not whitewash their own.       Former world leaders urge G7 to get nuclear arms control back on track .  Hiroshima’s nuclear history sounds an urgent warning for G-7 summit.
• Indonesia calls for destruction of the world’s nuclear arsenals.
•  Ukraine’s neighbors ready to pay off Zelensky to stop conflict – Seymour Hersh. 
• France holds up EU energy agreement over nuclear power. 
• Drink Fukushima water if it’s clean, South Korea tells Japanese officials.    Ocean release of Fukushima nuclear wastewater endangers Pacific Islanders’ welfare.
•  French Polynesia’s anti-nuclear organisation Association 193 criticises France for downplaying impact of atomic tests. 
• New UK sanctions on Russian energy to include Rosatom and nuclear energy ( a little bit) .
• Stronger Global Governance is the Only Way to a World Free of Nuclear Weapons.

PROTESTS. Anti-nuclear activists protest Japanese government plans to release radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.

SAFETY. Nuclear Safety Authority identified faults in Olkiluoto nuclear power plant .     IAEA Warns of Tense Military Situation Near Ukraine Nuclear Plant.

SECRETS and LIES. Lying is the new black.

WASTES. Fukushima fishermen speak out against nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping plan.

WAR and CONFLICT.  US hopes to snatch victory from jaws of defeat in Ukraine. Ukrainians forced by Russia to retreat from Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) , their supposed ‘fortress’ in Donbass. Russian forces dig in at Ukrainian nuclear plant, witnesses say.   Ukrainian diplomat fears ‘terrible summer’ ahead.

G7 Desecrates Hiroshima A-Bomb Memory With Warmongering Summit.  Biden Won’t Apologize for 1945 Nuclear Attacks on Japan as G7 Leaders Gather in Hiroshima.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. UK and Netherlands agree ‘international coalition’ to help Ukraine procure F-16 jets.    Western Weapons to Ukraine: Black Market for Terrorists “On Command”.        $3 BILLION Pentagon ‘accounting error’ means more weapons for Ukraine.

May 22, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Biden too scared to come to Australia because of protests about Julian Assange?

Darn it! I was just about to buy my “Free Julian Assange” shirt – to wear in Canberra, and at the Sydney Opera House, and join thousands of others protesting – wherever Joe Biden dares to show his face in Australia.

USA Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday that a deal on the debt ceiling negotiations might be made by the end of this week. So – perhaps all the panic about the US Debt Ceiling will not be necessary? So – does Biden really need to cancel his visit to Australia?

Never mind – he’s still going to Hiroshima for the G7 summit. That’ll be OK. Everyone will say worthy things about how there must never be another nuclear bombing, and how we must all send drones, tanks, missiles etc to Ukraine . And they’ll say it politely -that’s the thing.

As for those bloody uncouth Australians – heck – someone might throw a rotten egg at Biden, – such is our rage about the persecution of Julian Assange. I mean – the Australian Prime Minister will of course bend over backwards to be polite, and not mention Assange. And Julian’s family and his other prominent supporters will be courteous.

But ya can’t count on the rest of us downunder colonials to be nice about it.

Yes Joe, – safer to go straight home from the G7 – give Australia a miss.

May 17, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Nuclear news (too much) this week

A bit of good news – What is Black Climate Week? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1YQWBoDN_w

Climate. 75 active wildfires rage in Alberta, Canada. Wildfires, heat waves in Canada, Russia, Mongolia Kazakhstan.

Nuclear. Hard to know which issue to tackle. There’s the frenzied pro nuclear propaganda (type “nuclear” into Google News and see what you get). There’s Zaporizhzhia. There’s waste. And there’s Zelensky and Ukraine – where the Washington Post forgot that its job is adulation, and quickly has to correct any suggestion that Zelensky is less than a saintly hero. USA and its lackeys (UK, Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan etc) are not actually at war against Russia. But the Western media must think that we all are, so its infra dig to publish anything other than war-mongering propaganda worthy of the WW1 British style.

AUSTRALIA. 

•   Assange and the Australian government’s persecution of alleged Afghan war crimes whistleblower. 
•   Australian Radioactive Waste Agency a “zombie measure”– no funding left by Morrison government.
•   ‘Dumb idea’: Energy minister fires at Peter Dutton’s nuclear power plan, urging him to ‘come clean’ about the facts . Boring new pro nuclear push in Australia – same old excessively optimistic arguments.  Nuclear advocates energised despite economic reality  Nuclear power at least 15 years away, says regulator. Peter FitzSimons takes aim at schoolboy campaigning for nuclear energy with scathing Twitter post, 
• Very bad advice: $368b nuclear submarines and the Federal budget.     Weakening of Australia’s nuclear prohibition laws – necessary to develop the submarines. Budget reveals cutbacks on funding for Australia’s military and navy, in order to pay $billions for nuclear submarines. This week’s budget confirms the death of Labor’s nuclear disarmament diplomacy. 
•  A Warrnambool artist recalls the physical and emotional effects of nuclear testing in Maralinga. 
•   Nuclear waste is a $476m problem even before AUKUS.

CLIMATE. How a campaign to keep fossil fuels underground is gaining traction. Weatherwatch: concerns over climate impact on UK nuclear power sites.

CIVIL LIBERTIES. Chris Hedges: Julian Assange – A Fight We Must Not Lose. Threats to journalism posed by UK National Security Bill brushed aside by Parliament.

ECONOMICS. 

•   Sowing Seeds of Plunder: A Lose-Lose Situation in Ukraine. 
•   Putin Still Selling U.S. Nearly $1 Billion in Nuclear Fuel.  UK government’s own workplace pension scheme won’t back nuclear projects. Rolls-Royce falls 6% as update lacks oomph and news on small nuclear business. 
• Counting the rising costs of Scotland’s nuclear testing facility.
• Marketing. Bill Gates, Rolls Royce, and others, in the scrum to con the UK government into buying useless nuclear reactor minitrash.

EDUCATION. Nuclear enthusiast Jennifer Granholm ‘hopeful’ about $1B in federal loans to restart Palisades nuclear plant.

ENERGY. Germany’s Nuclear Energy Phase-Out, Explained,

ENVIRONMENT. Campaigners claim permit change at Hinkley Point would kill billions of fish. What to Know About Fukushima’s Exclusion Zone and Nuclear Mutations. Japan’s nuclear contaminated wastewater dump plan a cause of concerns even for New Caledonia.

HEALTH. The terrible toll of A-bomb tests — Beyond Nuclear

INDIGENOUS ISSUES. The Quiet Warrior: Russell Jim’s Struggle Against Nuclear Colonialism.

LEGAL. New Mexico State law and multiple federal court challenges may yet block the Holtec nuclear waste project.

MEDIA. Washington Post censors its own report of interview that showed President Vladimir Zelensky in a poor light. THE NUCLEAR CLUB. Christopher Nolan’s New ‘Oppenheimer’ Trailer Sees U.S. On the Brink of Nuclear War. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CXFpWTxS3M The Women of Three Mile Island. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is3jlNhicFY

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. Microsoft just made a huge, dodgy bet on nuclear fusion. Helion and Microsoft Lead World Down Nuclear Fusion Rabbit Hole, China’s nuclear ambitions get a boost from Russia, but is energy the only goal?.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. Save our sceptred isle: NFLAs issue appeal to King over Lincolnshire Nuke Dump. UK’s Nuclear Waste Services ignore overwhelming local council opposition to siting plan for waste dump. Pacific leaders remain steadfast against nuclear waste disposal.

POLITICS 

• Nuclear power and the technocratic system are not compatible with democracy: France’s group in Grenoble that fights this system. 
• US nuclear companies urge Congress for $billions, as Russia’s nuclear industry profits from both sides of the Ukraine war . Power alert: Be wary of lifting moratorium on new Illinois nuclear plants. Robert Kennedy Jr: America needs a revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY89a_zXi9s  Understanding The Highly Complex World Of Western China Analysis. 
• Campaigners against UK nuclear waste dump plan claim victory in local elections. How the Greens are conquering the Tory countryside.   No more Hibakusha: Nuclear Free Local Authorities urge PM to make peace pledge at Hiroshima Summit. 

• Jamaica’s government planning for small nuclear reactors – but there’s been no public discussion. 
• Philippines unprepared for nuclear-related dangers,

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY.  The success of the Zelensky regime coming unstuck?                                                                                                                          France to host pro-nuclear meet to push for EU recognition of climate benefits.            Whitewashing history. Estonia to issue fines for celebrating WW2 victory over Nazis.              Five years after Trump’s exit, no return to the Iran nuclear deal.                                          NATO – a great predatory bird – now keen to gobble up Japan, too.

PROTESTS. 8 arrested at nuclear protest on Mother’s Day

SAFETY. Luck is not a safety plan. Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant facing ‘catastrophic’ staff shortage amid Russian evacuation. Russia orders evacuation of civilians around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant amid warnings of ‘severe nuclear accident’. Ukraine war: ‘Mad panic’ as Russia evacuates town near Zaporizhzhia plant. Risks too high at Zaporizhzhia. 

Experts urge G7 leaders to discuss nuclear security.                                                              Vogtle-3 nuclear reactor flunked cybersecurity inspections, still at 0% power (7 May)          French nuclear group Orano (previously Areva) evacuates foreign workers to Niger capital following security threat.

SECRETS and LIES. The US silence on Israeli nuclear weapons and the right-wing Israeli government.

SPINBUSTER. Missteps deliver Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez into the hands of the pro-nuclear propagandists – REPROCESSING IS NOT RECYCLING.

WASTES. 

• Nuclear’s Dangerous Waste Is ‘Rapidly Catching Up’ With Industry 
• Canada’s radioactive waste and decommissioning policy is a failure. 
• Regulator issues permit for New Mexico nuclear waste facility against wishes of  local, state, and federal leaders.  New Mexico shouldn’t be the nation’s nuclear dump.
• Prevent, protect, consult – the NFLA (Nuclear Free Local Authorities)’ three priorities for UK radioactive waste policy. Profitable industry in trying to clean up dead nuclear reactors. The Nuclear Industry Thinks It Can Get Away With Dumping Far Hotter Wastes Because Cumbria Has a Short Memory? 
• Stanford-led research finds small modular reactors will exacerbate challenges of highly radioactive nuclear waste.  
• Fukushima greets summer with dread as nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping approaches.

WAR and CONFLICT. Leak reveals Zelensky privately plots bold attacks inside Russia.(Is his halo slipping?) Zelensky plotted attacks deep inside Russia – Washington Post. As Donetsk civilians live in constant fear of Ukrainian shelling, from on the ground, I detail the terror. 

Poland: Pentagon, NATO reach milestone in plans for direct confrontation with Russia. NATO Weapons Go Boom, British Missiles Strike Russia – Ukraine War Escalates Russia’s Nuclear-Capable Tu-95, Tu-160 Bombers Deployed Near NATO Border As Tensions Escalate With Ukraine. NATO holds submarine warfare exercise to block Russia’s entry to Atlantic . 

US Politicians Suggest Bombing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Event of Cross-Strait Conflict.                                                                                                                        Japanese protesters call for US military to be evicted.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. Biden is selling weapons to the majority of the world’s autocracies. Britain leads the way in escalating the Ukraine war with long range missiles. US to Provide Ukraine $1.2 Billion in Long-Term Security Aid. Pentagon chief pledges Abrams tanks to Ukraine soon. 

US and Taiwan in talks for US$500 million in free weapons after arms deliveries stalled. Pentagon: U.S. deploys warplanes, warships, interceptor missiles to Europe, troops to Mexican border . Links between Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Power. U.S. transfers F-22s from Poland to Estonia to “defend NATO’s eastern flank” . Pentagon wants authority to start work on new technologies without Congressional approval.

May 16, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Australia! Don’t fall for nuclear lobby propaganda!

The well-funded nuclear lobby is really taking aim at Australia.Not just in government, in (bought) universities and corporate media circles, but also with a public petition.

Above you see their them – -but I’ve just ever so slightly altered it…

May 14, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

This week in nuclear news – Australia and more

Some bits of good news. I’ve been ignoring energy sources other than nuclear. But that’s hard to do this week. I’ve come to at least 3 very positive stories: Germany produces 40GW of solar, and much of it exported to other countries. Great Lakes wind power could give Ontario to 100% renewable energy.   Bristol solar farm connects directly to the grid

Climate. Record low Antarctic sea ice is another alarming sign the ocean’s role as climate regulator is changing

Christina Notes. Time for a laugh – in this sorry world.

Nuclear. Sorry – it’s no different from last week – war-mongering rhetoric. But James W. Pfister offers a timely reminder of President John F. Kennedy and Chairman Nikita Khrushchev’s joint “withdrawal from the brink” in 1962. “Both sides settled for less than a win.”

AUSTRALIA. Australian prime minister feigns concern for Assange but defends “national security” secrecy.

Labor’s serial betrayal of Australia. JOHN PILGER: Danger of war exists if we don’t speak up now. Location for nuclear submarine’s base ‘close to a decade’ away. Port Kembla May Day march rejects AUKUS nuclear submarine base plan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgL307PMWMY Unions, communities tell Labor: ‘Port Kembla is no place for a nuclear base’. Unions to march against nuclear subs, citing health risks over jobs. Port Kembla rally to demand NSW site be ruled out as Aukus nuclear submarine base. AUKUS high-level nuclear waste dump must be subject to Indigenous veto.

CLIMATE. Former Nuclear Leaders: Say ‘No’ to New Reactors,

CIVIL LIBERTIES. Julian Assange makes ‘Kingly Proposal’ to Charles III.

ECONOMICS. Newbuild: How Much of Vogtle Nuclear Plant’s Capital Costs Can Southern Recover?   Canada and Ontario are turning to nuclear energy as a green solution –Here’s the problem with that. 

  Marketing. Blaine Higgs, Premier of New Brunswick, Canada, heads to Europe to promote non-existent small nuclear reactors. The Philippines to be the South East Asian guinea pig for NuScam’s small nuclear reactors? US Sells Taiwan 400 Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles – Profits and Provocations, Not Protection 

HEALTH. DEPLETED URANIUM: COURTS ACCEPT CANCER RISK DENIED BY ARMY. Radiation. Ukrainian soldiers train to deal with radiation as worries over nuclear plant grow.

MEDIA. Multiple US Officials Confronted About US Assange Hypocrisy On World Press Freedom Day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8osNmcVkoY Hypocritical Commemorations: World Press Freedom Day. The Antidote to Oliver Stone is Philippe Carillo’s Film “Fukushima Disaster: The Hidden Side of the Story” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBqk0OtlE8k . A nuclear Bacchanalia .

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. The danger of artificial intelligence controlling nuclear codes. A mess of different Small Nuclear Reactor Designs in UK.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. Abolish Nukes, Kishida, G7!

PERSONAL STORIES. A life uprooted and stolen — Japanese victims speak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzaE_9l5mSw&t=83s. A Tribute to Daniel Ellsberg .

POLITICS.   

Fukushima: Only 1% of people return home despite lifting of evacuation order

UK.  

• Opposition to Sizewell C nuclear was a factor in Green Party success in East Suffolk. What’s happening with Great British Nuclear? Not Much. Now the UK government is saying they need costly large nuclear reactors as well as small ones. UK government to take 50% stake in Sizewell C nuclear project, amid legal challenge, soaring costs, and pension funds pulling out. 
•   UK government’s proposals on radioactive substances : -all of its 7 “consultation questions” should be vigourously opposed . Reply to UK government’s nuclear dump consultation – STOP Undersea Nuclear Dump NOW! 
•   MPs, Scientists Raise Alarm Over Climate Hype for Small Modular Reactor

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. James W. Pfister: Cumulative risk and nuclear war.          Biden’s leadership on nuclear disarmament to be tested in Hiroshima,

PROTESTS. Protest against investment in Sizewell C nuclear power station.

SAFETY. 

 More Than 1,600 Evacuated From Areas Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant.          IAEA head calls situation near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant ‘unpredictable and potentially dangerous‘. Record high water levels threaten dam near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Evacuations spur UN watchdog concern over Ukraine nuclear plant. Disaster Fears After Explosives Found Inside Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant. 

 France’s government postpones its nuclear safety reform indefinitely. Backup generator at Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant fails, triggering special federal review. ‘Lessons not being learned’ as nuclear safety lapses rocket by a third in a year. West Hartford Preps For Hypothetical Nuclear Nightmare.

SECRETS and LIES. Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, and the ‘made men’ of the Biden administration. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken embroiled in alleged attempt to influence US officials on allegedly corrupt company Burisma.

Former CIA Officer Says Decision to Drone Attack Kremlin Was Made by the United States. Meet the Ukrainian children killed by US/NATO funding and weapons.

WASTES. What happens to the UK’s nuclear waste?    Germany’s Asse nuclear waste interim storage facility continues to cause controversy.

WAR and CONFLICT. Russia ‘very unlikely’ to use nuclear weapons, US intel chief. WWIII on the Instalment Plan. The dangers of nuclear escalation have not receded. US ‘Dangerously Close’ To Another Nuclear Missile Crisis; After Russia, China Could Respond To Deployment Of Nuke Subs To S.Korea.   As US-China Tensions Mount, We Must Resist the Push Toward Interimperialist War.   

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. The Twenty-First Century of (Profitable) War– Not Your Grandfather’s Military-Industrial Complex. Nuclear weapons may not be in Seoul’s best interest. Impending NATO inductee Finland welcomes “significant military infrastructure” from Pentagon .  

May 8, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

TODAY. Time for a laugh – in this sorry world

My thanks to Caitlin Johnstone for her jolly thought about how we good upright Westerners can destroy Russia. We’re being told by our betters, the Western experts – that the recent drone attack on the Kremlin could be   “ a false flag operation by Moscow  designed to justify more intense attacks in Ukraine or more conscription“.

So, as Caitlin observes, the logical conclusion is to send heaps of weaponry to Russia and let Russia destroy itself!

Another laugh could come from watching the gyrations of the Australian government, as it aims for setting up a high-level radioactive waste dump on Aboriginal land. (ABORIGINAL LAND is, of course, what they mean when they say ‘A “REMOTE SITE“).

The Australian government is currently fighting a legal battle against an Aboriginal group who are objecting to the government siting a radioactive waste dump on their traditional land.

At the same time, the Australian government is ever so piously saying that it wants to establish an “Aboriginal Voice to Parliament”.

May 6, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Another nuclear war-mongering week in the news

A bit of good news. The Golden Rule, the first boat to protest nuclear weapons is back to inspire a new generation.

Events. 17 May Online Seminar – Beyond Nuclear “Tritium and the U.S. Nuclear Power Sector”. 18 – 28 May .12TH INTERNATIONAL URANIUM FILM FESTIVAL RIO DE JANEIRO .

Climate. The most at-risk regions in the world for high-impact heatwaves.

Nuclear. What can I say? The longest section below “Weapons and Weapons Sales” says it all. It’s the war-mongering economy, stupid.

Christina notes. Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles – a puppet of the American war industry – leading us on to WW3.

AUSTRALIA. New Defence Review Further Enslaves Australia To US War Agendas. Australia pays Washington swamp monsters for war advice – as they groom us for World War 3. Caitlin Johnstone: Australia Pays “retired U.S. military figure” Clapper to advance USA’s Military Aims.Australia pays former US defence chiefs $7000 a day for advice.  We are being seduced into war again by the US, this time over Taiwan. 

Defence Minister Richard Marles and former Defence Minister (now weapons lobbyist) to spruik for militarism at expensive weapons festivity. AUKUS nuclear submarine cost includes 50% fund for unexpected overruns.    $123B Contingencies for Nuclear Subs Unveiled – a licence to fail.  Port Kembla no place for a nuclear subs base, say local campaigners. 

Memo to ERA: You have one job – clean up Kakadu uranium mess.

CLIMATE. Despite the dangers of climate change, UK nuclear power stations still sited on the coastline!

ECONOMICS. Preparing for War: The Global Military Budget. Nuclear vs Solar: The Race For Renewable Dominance. Marketing. UK courts Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates for investments to salvage the nuclear dream

ENERGY. EDF Q1 revenues rise but nuclear output declines.

ENVIRONMENT. Remembering Chornobyl — Beyond Nuclear. Why did Russians dig trenches in radioactive Chernobyl woods? Marine deaths prompt calls for investigation and halt into any new nuclear dump tests. Hinkley fish deterrent farce makes mockery of Environment Agency and Minister.

HEALTH. Russian troops ‘went FISHING in the nuclear reactor cooling channel at Chernobyl’ and are now suffering from radiation sickness. ‘New Zealand should say sorry’ – sailors posted to watch nuclear tests.

HISTORY. REGAN Vest: Inside Denmark’s secret nuclear bunker.

MEDIA. BBC launches 7 part series on Fukushima nuclear disaster. Fukushima nuclear disaster – new Netflix series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtB8P59xWjw Survivors of Britain’s Cold War radiation experiments to have their stories recorded.

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. The age of small modular nuclear? Amid maintenance delays and strikes in nuclear industry, France restarts one reactor.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. MPs and activists push back as Ottawa pitches expansion of nuclear energy -“a dirty dangerous distraction”.     Citizen opposition blocks discharge of radioactive water from Indian Point nuke into Hudson River, for now.             Anti nuclear campaign groups in Wales (Dwyfor and Meirionnydd) urge government to invest in energy conservation, NOT dirty nuclear power.

PERSONAL STORIES. The mind of Oppenheimer, inventor of nuclear bomb who turned pacifist. Chernobyl: Survivors reflect on nuclear accident, Russian occupation.

POLITICS. 

• Biden’s team fears the aftermath of a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive. Scott Ritter: ‘Ukraine Victory Resolution’ Act – a Delusional Suicide Pact. 
• US Senators and Congress Members introduce Bill to stop A1 from power to launch a nuclear weapon. Lawmakers propose banning AI from singlehandedly launching nuclear weapons.
• Canada’s push for small nuclear reactors will be costly, ineffective, some MPs warn. New nuclear tech not the answer to Canada’s climate woes, MPs say. 

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. 

• Biden and South Korea’s Yoon sign new agreement on nuclear weapons. 
• France to participate in Russian Rosatom’s Hungary nuclear power plant project. Will The EU Sanction Russia’s Nuclear Industry? (I don’t think France will agree to this) 
• Pentagon-EU-NATO merger proceeds apace. New pact mandates EU honor NATO’s Article 5 collective war clause . 
• Statement by the G7 Parliamentarian Forum for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. G-7 Expected to Focus on Nuclear Dangers in Hiroshima.

PROTESTS.“We won’t be scapegoats!” — French opposition to nuclear waste dumping.

PUBLIC OPINION. Is nuclear power attractive or risky? In Minnesota, it’s both.

SAFETY Remembering Chernobyl as nuclear danger grows with attacks in the Zaporizhzhia region. Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant: a Catastrophe Waiting to Happen, Ukraine’s nuclear power plants are still a source of nightmares years after the Chornobyl disaster. Chernobyl anniversary offers a bleak look at what may await other Ukrainian nuclear plants. Russia fixing power line from Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to land it controls, IAEA says. 

Japanese authorities doubtful of removal process of Fukushima radioactive sandbags. Libya lost, then found, 2.5 tonnes of uranium – a red flag for nuclear safety.   No change to nuclear transport rules following accident down under, says regulator.

SECRETS and LIES. 

• Foiled Escape: UC Global, the CIA and Julian Assange.
•  ‘Crazy’ that Russia and Ukraine still trade – Seymour Hersh.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_2kfZKtSRg
• Once Shocking, U.S. Spying on Its Allies Draws a Global Shrug. 
• How The FBI Helps Ukrainian Intelligence Hunt ‘Disinformation’ On Social Media. 
• Sensitive files on nuclear submarine found in English pub restroom. 
• ACTION ALERT: False NYT Spy Claim on Iran Nukes Needs Correction.

SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. India needs ‘space-based’ weapons – top generals. Stop SpaceX from crashing rockets in the Pacific. The wrong stuff – Musk and the 4/20 rocket drill .

SPINBUSTER. Caitlin Johnstone – The Single Dumbest Thing The Empire Asks Us To Believe.

WASTES. Nuclear waste from small modular reactors – Simon Daigle comments on recent article. A means to dispose of nuclear waste remains elusive and Canada continues to store the most per capita. The long and dirty legacy of nuclear power. Plans to release nuclear wastewater into Hudson River delayed following outcry.

WAR and CONFLICT. 

• Daniel Ellsberg Warns Risk of Nuclear War Is Rising as Tension Mounts over Ukraine & Taiwan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAxEnqZt3w 
• US deployed Nuclear Disablement Teams to S. Korea in March.
• Russia is preparing to defend Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. 
• NATO drills fifth-generation warplanes for all-domain “immediate response under Article 5”. 
• Germany trains Ukrainian special forces, tank crews for attacks on Russian forces. 
• Estonia: NATO absorbs national forces on Russia’s northwest border . 
• Sardinia: NATO strike force practices war with Russia . 
• Mombasa Appeal for peace and prevention of Nuclear War – International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. 

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES.

•  UK replacing its Nuclear Warhead Programme – at what cost? UK underlines commitment to NATO nuclear capability  and a £3 billion funding uplift for the nuclear enterprise. UK Gave Ukraine Thousands of Shells, Including Depleted Uranium Rounds. 
• Will the West turn Ukraine into a nuclear battlefield? 
• US nuclear weapons modernization plan spurs cost questions. Dealing with a debacle: A better plan for US plutonium pit production. 
• US to send nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea. Kim Jong Un’s influential sister says North Korea determined to develop nuclear arsenal following US-South Korea summit. 
• Pentagon: Poland leader among NATO nations, “wonderful host” to U.S. combat forces . 
• Largest short-range missile acquisition in NATO: UK to deliver more missile batteries to Poland . 
• NATO conference pushes arms procurements for Ukraine, future wars .  
• NATO allies, partners provide Ukraine with 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks . 
• Ukraine signs new contracts with Turkish drone manufacturer for “new-generation weapons” . 
• France: NATO’s rehearsal for war with Russia includes cyber, space, electromagnetic components . 
• Nuclear weapons: a big threat to Africa, too — IPPNW peace and health blog.

May 2, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

A big week in nuclear news

Some bits of good news.   Total Rejuvenation of ‘Dead’ River by a Rural Indian Community Hailed as National Example .   The world’s happiest countries, according to new research.

Climate. Disturbing Sea Level Studies, (Which Threaten All Nuclear Facilities Sited Close To Oceans, Rivers & Lakes).     Searing heatwave hitting Southern and South Eastern Asia.

Nuclear. Folie a tout le monde?   Not just USA, Russia, China –  it seems that everybody is getting into the nuclear weapons race. Former Pentagon official Henry D. Sokolski pronounces  “We don’t know what to do.” Indeed a profoundly true statement. Somebody better think of something, before the omnisuicide takes place – whether it be started by some deliberate military action, – or, more likely, by some unintended glitch, possibly even a trivial one.

Christina notes. Space X rocket – “A successful failure” – George Orwell would love it!         Penny Wong – a huge disappointment to me. At last political folk music is back ! “Killing the Messenger #Free Julian Assange”, by David Rovics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUX2IHm7Aiw

AUSTRALIA. Opposition grows to nuclear submarines in Port Kembla. AUKUS submarines “nation building” says Admiral- No they’re not, says Rex Patrick.      ‘Stupidly dangerous’: AUKUS won’t cause a Chernobyl but experts are still worried.     New Zealand-Australia testiness over citizenship resolved, but nuclear sensitivities remain . 

  Greens support Barngarla people’s opposition to Kimba radioactive waste dump set to open after 2030

Submissions to Senate Inquiry:

•  Dan Monceaux urges the Senate to keep Australia’s legal protections against the hazards of nuclear industrial facilities.

• Refuting the spurious and dishonest nuclear claims of Senator Matt Canavan. 
•  Grusha Leeman – Australia is much too hot for safe nuclear power – let’s not dither with the nuclear distraction.
• Timothy Nott – as a conservative opposes risky, expensive, unsustainable nuclear power. 
• Larry O’Loughlin reminds Senate of the unsolved problem of nuclear wastes, and calls to retain Australia’s nuclear prohibitions.

CULTURE and ARTS. NUCLEAR AFTER-LIFE: FROM TRAGEDY TO FARCE, THE CLAIMS OF A NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE.

ECONOMICS. 

•   Marketing. America is going to sell heaps of Holtec’s Small Nuclear Reactors to Ukraine! US ready to lend Poland $4 billion for nuclear energy plan.
• Globally, taxpayers are on the hook for nuclear accidents. Nuclear is uninsurable and unacceptable.
• Pension funds shun Sizewell C in major blow to Britain’s nuclear ambitions. UK seeks a nuclear energy renaissance – but experts question whether it’s value for money. Rolls Royce shares OK for civil aviation, but investment in small nuclear reactors is risky. A Nuclear Revival Needs More Rules, Not Less.     
• French Winter Power Twice as Pricey as Germany’s on Nuclear Woes. Nuclear Troubles Send French Winter Power Prices Soaring. 
•  Does India have enough insurance coverage for a nuclear disaster? Nuclear liability issues not yet resolved for Jaitapur project: French company EDF.

EDUCATION. The nuclear lobby continues to buy universities- University of Wyoming well and truly bought. With visit of Algerian President France must face up to its nuclear fallout.

EMPLOYMENT. France’s struggle to deliver a second nuclear era.

  ENERGY. Earth Day 2023: A Newly Post-Nuclear Germany vs. California’s Reactor Relapse. Germany’s Energy Revolution (‘Energiewende’) is working. Renewable Energy Is Charging Ahead. Russia’s political and economic winner – its nuclear exports to Western countries.

ENVIRONMENT. Alba MP Neale Hanvey calls for Ministry of Defence to tackle nuclear decontamination at Dalgety Bay. Water shortage at Sizewell: the environmental cost.

ETHICS and RELIGION. Will Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment managers follow the govt in backing nuclear?.

HEALTH. Radiation. Dogs of war — Chornobyl.    New Zealand’s nuclear test veterans seek recognition.   Inadequate Protection: Current Radiation PPE is Failing to Shield Female Healthcare Workers

LEGAL. EU faces legal action after including gas and nuclear in ‘green’ investments guide.

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. Terrestrial Energy’s molten-salt reactor gets over one hurdle – but many more to come -Will it be a lemon?             Russia to set up a small nuclear reactor in the Arctic Republic of Sakha.       Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will switch back to Russian fuel, from Westinghouse fuel .

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. This is why Youth, MPs and ICAN are going to Hiroshima next week. Daniel Ellsberg is still fighting — Beyond Nuclear International.

POLITICS. Germany’s last nukes shut down — Beyond Nuclear. Jonathon Porritt:Germany’s nuclear nous vs UK nuclear nutters. ‘There’s a lot of posturing’: Europe’s nuclear divide grows as one plant opens and three close. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vows to ‘unwind US empire’. SEN. MARKEY AND REP. LIEU ANNOUNCE LEGISLATION TO LIMIT U.S. PRESIDENT’S POWER TO UNILATERALLY START NUCLEAR WAR. Whaa -at ? – Bill in North Carolina legislature would define nuclear as source of CLEAN energyUS nuclear taxes — the true costs. Excitement in Kent City Council about new nuclear power (now reclassified as “environmentally sustainable”).

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY.

• It’s High Time the US Signed a Peace Treaty with North Korea, 
•  S.Korea’s Yoon to meet Biden as doubts grow over nuclear umbrella. Questions about S.Korea-USA ‘ironclad’ commitment lead to impossible nuke solution. 
• US warns Russia not to touch American nuclear technology at Ukrainian nuclear plant. 
•   Germany and Finland: Two sides of the nuclear power coin in Europe. Germany, Poland and others are pushing for new sanctions on Russia’s nuclear energy.
•   French-Russian nuclear relations turn radioactive. 
•  Civil Society Wants Deeds, Not Words  on Nuclear Disarmament: The G7 Should Listen.        G7’s statement on nuclear issue hypocritical and pale. Why the disbandment of NATO is long overdue.
•   Biden willing to damage US economy to counter China – US Treasury.        Chinese Diplomacy Seen as Threat to US ‘Peace,’ ‘Stability’.

SAFETY. New images from inside Fukushima reactor spark safety worry.       Maintenance impacted at Zaporizhzhia, says IAEA.           Hungary to Prolong Nuclear Plant’s Lifetime as Expansion Stalls.       Nuclear life extension plans tested by obsolete components.

SECRETS and LIES. Leaks Reveal Reality Behind U.S. Propaganda in Ukraine.

SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. SpaceX: Should we colonise the solar system?      Environmentalists say Starship failure boosts their concerns.      SpaceX launches most powerful rocket in history in explosive debut – like many first liftoffs.    Starship’s test was a successful failure.                  Warfighting domain: U.S., Polish militaries sign space agreement 

SPINBUSTER. Disarming the persistent myths of a glowing nuclear renaissance. Six war mongering think tanks and the military contractors that fund them.Return to Russia: Crimeans Tell the Real Story of the 2014 Referendum and Their Lives Since — RADIATION FREE LAKELAND.     In Indiana, small nuclear reactors don’t need to be “small” any more.

WASTES. 

•  What now for Germany’s remaining nuclear waste? 
•  France’s radioactive waste management agency Andra wants to increase storage capacity at Cires waste dump . 
•   Fukushima’s fishing industry survived a nuclear disaster – 12 years on, it fears Tokyo’s next move may finish it off. Japan hopes to start discharging Fukushima nuclear wastewater in July. 
•   Scrapping could be next for Russia’s nuclear-powered battle cruiser. Background briefer on nuclear waste in Canada. 
• The Human Dimension to Kazakhstan’s Plutonium Mountain.

WAR and CONFLICT.

•  Russia is deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus – NATO shouldn’t take the bait.      
• NATO to surge troops to Russian border. 26,000 troops from 14 nations: NATO allies join largest Swedish war games in over 25 years . 
•  Germany okays Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil.
•   Largest air exercise in NATO’s 75-year history overlaps with massive combat drills .
•   New member Finland leads team in world’s largest, 38-nation NATO cyber warfare exercise .
•   NATO trains French Foreign Legionaries for war with Russia in the Baltic. 
• NATO conducts large-scale submarine warfare exercise in Norwegian Sea .

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES.

•   NATO partner South Korea poised to be world’s fourth-largest arms exporter. 
•   Impending 50-nation Pentagon/NATO Ukraine war council will focus on warplanes.
•   Pentagon to deliver main battle tanks to Ukraine in weeks.
•   State Department approves upgrade of entire Turkish F-16 fleet to “enhance NATO interoperability”. 
•  Rep. Gallagher Says War Game Shows US Needs to Arm Taiwan ‘To the Teeth’. 
• US military-industrial complex is main beneficiary of fighting Russia in Ukraine – Moscow. 
• Complex safety problems in overhauling USA’s nuclear weapons stockpile, especially plutonium pits.
•   Global military spending increase: Militarism will cost us the earth. Three nuclear superpowers, rather than two, usher in a new strategic era.         ‘It Is Skynet’: Pentagon Envisions Robot Armies in a Decade. The US Has No Plans to Give Up Nuclear Weapons -The Public Needs to Change That.

April 25, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Penny Wong – a huge disappointment to me.

Penny Wong – a huge disappointment to me – her mindless enthusiasm for U.S,. militarism, and her mealy-mouthed weasel words pretending to support Julian Assange, while really backing the USA persecution of Julian.

I would be glad to be proven wrong – but I think that “quiet diplomacy” is intended to just shut us all up.

April 21, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Australian and other nuclear news – week to 17 April

Some bits of good news :    What went right this week: malaria progress, animal comebacks, and more.

Webinar Is New Nuclear a Smart Climate Solution? Thur. Apr. 27, 7 – 8:30 p.m. ET  https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/is-new-nuclear-a-smart-climate-solution-tickets-605041444247    Watch online OR attend at the Ottawa Quaker Meetinghouse, 91-A Fourth Ave. Ottawa.

Coronavirus. While the latest versions are highly infectious, the number of recently reported deaths world-wide has decreased by 30%. However  increases in reported cases and deaths were seen in the South-East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions, and others, including Australia. Australian results show that 80-5% of deaths were in people with pre-existing chronic conditions. Pre-existing bad health may be the major problem, as with influenza and even “the common cold”.  I am thinking now that at present, Covid-19 is not at the same level of seriousness as climate and nuclear

Climate.  The poles are the ‘canaries in the coalmine’ of the climate crisis.  Seas have drastically risen along southern U.S. coast in past decade .

Nuclear.  The global nuclear lobby is having a little hissy fit about Germany. Despite all sorts of pressure from nuclear companies and their bought politicians and media, on 15 April, Germany stuck to its agenda – and finally shut down all nuclear power 

Christina notes. Shouldn’t we all get out of nuclear, before the next nuclear failure (whether it be financial, security, accident, pollution ………)?

AUSTRALIA.  The dangerous one is the U.S, not China.Weapons-makers set to gain more influence in defence operations. Universities and the AUKUS Military-Industrial Complex. 

Rex Patrick on AUKUS submarines: “an astonishingly bad deal”.  Former Pacific leaders blast Australia over nuclear powered submarine deal. Australia’s 9 news papers gave Navy chief a platform for a resounding attack the doubters on AUKUS nuclear submarine 

Submissions to Senate.  Friends of the Earth accuses the Australian Government Industry Department of blatant racism in its Kimba nuclear waste dump plan.   Professor George W Burns says – Keep the Nuclear Prohibitions, in the immediate and long-term interests of all Australians… and of the planet. Monica Leggett, powerfully calls on all Australian MPs to reject nuclear power. 

Western Australian company to build low-level radioactive waste facility – Kimba dump a decade away – now irrelevant?

CLIMATE. Nuclear disasters could leave a lasting legacy of contaminants in glaciers.

ECONOMICS. The Pros And Cons of Modular Nuclear Reactors. One German company persists with nuclear power -interests in reactors in Sweden..

ENERGY. 16% of France’s power supply blocked amid protest – as nuclear reactor maintenance disrupted.

LEGAL. Lawsuit seeks to uphold closing California´s last nuke plant. Ciaron says he was arrested for trying to give ‘the key to Julian Assange’s cell’ to Joe Biden.

MEDIA. Media falsely blames Russia, as Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) target Donbass towns with illegal “butterfly” cluster mines..

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. ITER fusion: $16-million-a-second and no electricity. Massive undersea works to commence for HinkleyPoint C nuclear project.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. Local Indigenous peoples protest possible licence renewal for world’s largest uranium mine.

POLITICS. 

• Progressive Democrats Urge Attorney General To Drop Charges Against Julian Assange https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaomrxxL4Zw    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyekPpdjAaU
• A new era’: Germany quits nuclear power, closing its final three plants. German nuclear phaseout – a victory of reason over the lust for profit. Germany’s phaseout of nuclear power is irreversible. Germany’s Greenpeace celebrate nuclear phaseout. German government rejects new call to delay nuclear shutdown. 
• Leaks confirm that Biden admin has lied about Ukraine. 
• Netherlands energy experts recommend limiting energy demand, see little or no role for nuclear power, but Cabinet wants nuclear anyway. 
• U.S. Senate Weighs Big Plans for Small Reactors. Holtec seeking $300M from Michigan to restart Palisades nuclear plant.   Virginia lawmakers kill Governor Youngkin’s amendment to define nuclear energy as renewable.
• Nuclear is not the solution to our energy troubles. Nuclear storage dump opponents sweep into Theddlethorpe parish council.

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. 

• After leak of secret documents, South Korea to raise spying allegations with U.S. 
• Finland’s NATO entry raises nuclear war stakes. Finland’s membership in NATO marks the end of the nation’s admirable tradition as a global peacemaker. 
• Macron speaks out against war with China- the furious USA reaction shows American insecurity?.

PROTESTS. German protests against Framatome’s nuclear fuel production in Lingen.

SAFETY. UN’s nuclear chief warns ‘we are living on borrowed time‘ after two landmine explosions near Europe’s largest atomic power station in Ukraine. ‘It’s time to pump the brakes on reintroduction of nuclear energy to Trawsfynydd’.

SECRETS and LIES. Corruption in the Ukraine government, as Zelensky skims $millions from USA for diesel, while buying cheap diesel fromRussia. Leaked documents expose US-NATO Ukraine war plans. ‘No Business In The Public Domain’: National Security Council spokesman Kirby Warns Journalists Not To Report On Leaked Pentagon Documents. Ukraine-Russia war – live: Damning Pentagon leak has not affected relations, Kyiv says. Westminster keeps nuclear secrets to avoid upsetting Scottish Government. Zelensky losing control of intelligence agents – media.

SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. An operational domain’: Fear UK nuclear power plan for moon may lead to militarisation of space.

WASTES. 

• Law to ban high-level nuclear waste storage facility effective June. A Cold War Legacy — uranium pollution. Cleaning Up America’s Nuclear Weapons Complex (hundreds of $billions): 2023 Holtec’s Plan for Dumping Nuclear Wastewater Into Hudson River Is Paused. 
• Nuclear waste abandonment risks the dangers of amnesia. Update For Governors. 
• Concern over funding ‘stigma’ from Theddlethorpe nuclear storage. 
• Ignoring science, environmental protection and international law – G7 endorses Japan’s Fukushima water discharge plans. How Fukushima wastewater into Pacific will disrupt seafood trade. 4,200 tons of radioactive sewage sludge kept in Kanto area 12 yrs after Fukushima disaster.

WAR and CONFLICT . Two American brigades close to the Ukrainian border, but no plan, no leadership towards ending the war!. US Special Forces in Ukraine at embassy, official confirms, as Pentagon document leak probe heats up.

US troops in Taiwan ‘on the table’ if China invades, Michael McCaul says. US troops to China? Not a good idea, really. The coming war on China: the real target is the American people. 

CONTAINING THE BOMB:  Finland participated in new NATO air combat exercise over Baltic Sea — . Top of the world: Pentagon’s Ultima Thule is rebranded. 

AN ASSESSMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREE ZONES.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. 

• 83 Hiroshimas— New nuclear bombs coming to Europe and UK . 
• UK ignites new depleted uranium weapons debate . From the Manhattan Project to the Bronx Project: the toxic legacy of the nuclear age- depleted uranium. Russia warns of Ukraine weapons spillover. 
• Why a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East is more needed than ever. 
• The (South) Korean Nuclear Threat. 
• Poland primed to produce depleted uranium ammunition for U.S. Abrams tanks . 
• Unprecedented French war games include 14 NATO allies, nuclear carrier. 
• Russian news reports NATO to open base in Moldova near Transnistria.

April 17, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

Australian, and other, nuclear news this sweek

Some bits of good news – Community rewilding in UK.  Reintroducing elephants, sharks and other big beasts could help keep the Paris agreement alive.

Pandemic.  Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly Epidemiological Update.   Countries set out way forward for negotiations on global agreement to protect world from future pandemic emergencies.

Climate. Three consecutive years of rapidly increasing carbon dioxide emissions

Antarctica’s melting ice sheet could retreat much faster than previously thought. 

  The temperature of the world’s ocean surface has hit an all-time high. Ocean Heat, An El Nino on the Way, Potential New Global Temperature Record by 2024 — robertscribbler.

Nuclear. It’s all about nuclear weapons and the risk of nuclear war, again this week. I’m wondering if the world has got “nuclear-war-fatigue”.  So little awareness in the general public and media compared to previous times of urgent danger of nuclear war.  Some sort of complacent acceptance that we’ve all got to keep the wonderful nuclear weapons industries going  –it means jobs jobs jobs and ever-rising value of those shares. We’ll give the boys the shiny new toys –  fingers crossed that they don’t actually play with them. 

Christina notes. Nuclear war – it’s a manly thing.   The China-bogey-man distraction from the real threat of GLOBAL HEATING.

AUSTRALIA. AUKUS, NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY AND AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE – (this article says it all!) Bigger threat than China’: Defence leaders urge release of ‘scary’ climate report. Absolutely disingenuous – DARC – the Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability – Australia to join USA’s plan for Space as a War-fighting Domain– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KhkdjqSNic 

ERA hopes to raise $369 million to continue rehabilitation of Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu . How Australia helped the US keep tabs on its nuclear rivals through a secret balloon program.

CLIMATE. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report fails to mention military or conflict emissions. France’s riverside reactor build plans “irresponsible” – expert. Rethinking Paris: France braces for 4°C warming in “turning point” strategy — (wonder how France’s nuclear reactors will cope?)

CIVIL LIBERTIES. Washington Says “Journalism Is Not A Crime” While Working To Criminalize Journalism.

CULTURE. Americans now fear cyberattack more than nuclear attack. ‘Everything Russian’ must be eradicated in Crimea – Zelensky aide.

ECONOMICS. Classic Megaproject Early Mistakes Will Create A Fiscal Disaster For Netherlands Nuclear.

ENERGY. IPCC report shows the winners in energy transition – wind and solar, and the losers – nuclear power and carbon capture.     China on track to triple its terawatt-scale wind and solar target. Renewable energy overtakes nuclear power as the EU’s largest source of primary energy production. European nuclear power generation to continue at historically low levels.

HEALTH. Mental illness plagues Japan’s nuclear disaster survivors. Childhood thyroid cancer cases confirmed in the Fukushima Health Management Survey and others.

MEDIA. Japan – Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center news roundup April/May 2023.

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. Nuclear life extension plans tested by obsolete components. Saudi quest to become a nuclear player is coming up short. Current State of Post-Accident Operations at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Jun. to Dec. 2022). Nuclear fusion is a never-ending dream,

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. Crowd turns out for town hall on plutonium pits, nuclear waste storage. Campaigners continue to take a stand against the plan for new nuclear power at Bradwell. Saskatchewan must remember opposition to nuclear waste.

PERSONAL STORIES. Northampton nuclear weapons activist Ira Helfand wins peace award.

POLITICS. SCOTT RITTER: The Future of US Nuclear Strategy.  US Department of Energy is once again promoting large nuclear reactors, despite lack of supply chain and absurdly unaffordable costs. More warheads, more nuclear waste to New Mexico. Santa Fe fearful, as Carlsbad leaders support efforts.

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. G7 countries are likely to back nuclear power. The West Has Been Planning To Crush China For A Very Long Time. India and Pakistan Must Negotiate Nuclear Responsibilities. Many Speakers Voice Concern over Increase in Dangerous Nuclear Weapons Rhetoric amidst Ongoing War against Ukraine, as Disarmament Commission Opens Session.    Convincing major powers to abide by ASEAN’s nuclear treaty is challenging.    AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation seriously jeopardizes peace, stability in Asia-Pacific: embassy.

PROTESTS. 8 peaceful protestors arrested at the Nevada National “Security” Site. Four arrested after blockade of two gates at Trident nuclear base in Scotland.

PUBLIC OPINION. The British government doesn’t want to talk about its nuclear weapons. The British public does.

 SAFETY.   Fukushima.  New images from inside Fukushima reactor spark safety worry.  New Images From Inside Fukushima Nuclear Plant Are Causing Big Worries.    Foundation in Fukushima nuclear plant reactor likely badly damaged. Disturbing Clues at Fukushima Nuclear Plant May Be an Omen for Another Disaster. Fukushima Now Part 1: Railroading the Contaminated Water Release is Unacceptable! Current State of Post-Accident Operations at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Jun. to Dec. 2022). 

Japan’s nuclear regulators find errors in Japan Atomic Power’s safety documents for the Tsuruga plant. Navy’s nuclear-powered super submarine ‘Trident’ fixed with super glue. The Other Atomic Concern in Taiwan—Nuclear Reactors .

SECRETS and LIES. Second batch of Classified Documents Detailing US Ukraine War Secrets Is Leaked Online. ‘A nightmare for the Five Eyes’: New batch of classified documents leaked to social media.

SPINBUSTER. Busting the spin about nuclear wastes – a Letter to the editor of the Hill Times.

WASTES. NMED’s Permit Allows LANL Loopholes for Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility.

WAR and CONFLICT. 

• Ukrainian forces mount highly dangerous attack on Zaporizhzhia site.     Failed Ukrainian nuclear plant attack revealed – The Times.    
• ‘Brink of nuclear war’: North Korea warning on military drills. 
• White House: U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan to wage war with Russia, China. 
• DID THE UK DEPLOY A NUCLEAR-ARMED SUBMARINE TO THE FALKLANDS CONFLICT? 
• Researchers simulate damage from nuclear weapons use in Northeast Asia. 
• European war games: 9,000 U.S. troops, 17,000 from 26 NATO allies, partners in 10 nations.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. 

• Worst-kept secret? In tweet, ex-PM Barak seems to confirm Israel has nuclear weapons. Ex-PM Ehud Barak Confirms Israel Has Nuclear Weapons: Why it Matters. 
• B61-12 nuclear sharing: Finnish flag raised at NATO Air Command HQ . 
• Blinken demands NATO allies cough up more wealth, weapons for Ukraine war. 
• NATO’s biggest infrastructure investment in 30 years: U.S. Army expands base in Poland.   
• NATO orders Poland to deliver 200 APC to Ukraine as “mortars, missiles and MiGs are arriving”.
• US Navy sends nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine to Middle East. 
• US deploys nuclear submarine to West Asia.

April 10, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment

The week in nuclear news

Nuclear Winter Webinar 7 April

https://beyondnuclear.org/nuclear-winter-webinar/ The Samuel Lawrence Foundation is hosting its “First Friday” Zoom Event at 11:30 AM PST (2:30 PM EST), featuring Brian Toon, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder on:

 “Nuclear Winter: The Environmental Consequences of a Nuclear Exchange.” The event is moderated by Professor Paul Dorfman, Chair of Nuclear Consulting Group, University of Sussex, UK. Professor Toon is a world renowned researcher on the environmental and climate consequences of nuclear war. Even a limited conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, an exchange of 100 nuclear weapons, would have global climate changing consequences. Click here to register for the April 7th webinar.

Christina notes. “Clean” “Renewable” nuclear power – the PERSISTENT LIES.    Corruption in the nuclear industry.

Once again –   this is miles too long. And also – sorry – too much about Australia.   But, it’s a pivotal time – this AUKUS-nuclear submarine thing.  And not just for Australia – as 3 anglophone nations team up in spreading nuclear weapons-grade technology for the first time – to a non-nuclear nation.  All done – not with the consent of parliaments and people – just done with a stroke by the big boys. And all setting up for the next proxy war, Australia in the lead role?  – against China.

AUSTRALIA.  Australia Isn’t A Nation, It’s A US Military Base With Kangaroos, and happy to have Julian Assange imprisoned. Julian Assange – when “quiet diplomacy” means diddly squat. Inglorious inertia: The Albanese Government and Julian Assange.

The Road to War: latest film by David Bradbury. Fight For Country – the story of the Jabiluka Blockade (Pip Starr) – anniversary 1 April 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUYOwA7qwGY

AUKUS – nuclear submarines. Omigawd! Nuclear zealot Jonathon Mead is to get his own little government department nuclear supergroup.    AUKUS: Mirage or reality? AUKUS Exists To Manage The Risks Created By Its Existence.  China’s new warning to Australia over nuclear submarine deal.     Unions question Labor over AUKUS nuclear submarines. Trade Unions ACTU digs in on nuclear-free policy in headache for Labor over Aukus subs.         East coast nuclear submarine base decision likely to be made after next federal election. The three big questions Australia’s leaders must answer about the Aukus deal.        Australian government always knew that Australia would end up with AUKUS nuclear wastes – they just didn’t let on to the public. AUKUS Gets Awkward Down Under. 

• Has the USA captured Australia’s media? 
• To sign or not to sign. Australia’s dilemma over the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.              
• Letter to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), dispelling its deceptions about nuclear medicine and nuclear wastes.   
• Community trust requires public discussion and transparency.

Submissions to the Senate:

• Jan Wu –  renewables are very suitable for Australia, not dirty nuclear power.
• Alan Hewett – Nuclear power could only delay Australia’s transition to clean renewable energy. 
• Michele Kwok – nuclear power is not clean -it’s polluting at every stage. 
• Jean M Christie – nuclear power is expensive, polluting, and too slow to be of any use to Australians. 
• Diana Rickard – Australia’s nuclear bans reflect public rejection of the nuclear industry, and support for clean renewables. 
• Helen Bradbury –nuclear power not only useless against climate change, but also becomes a serious risk in extreme weather events. 
• Name withheld – exposes the fake charity group behind the pro nuclear propaganda.
• Timothy Clifford – Australia has the opportunity to become a clean energy superpower – nuclear is an unviable distraction.
• Name withheld – a trenchant critique of Australia’s pro nuclear fringe.

CLIMATE. Climate change amplifies existing threats to national security.

CIVIL LIBERTIES. UN sounds alarm over Ukraine church crackdown.

EMPLOYMENT. Nuclear skills shortage in Britain .

ENERGY. Renewable generation surpassed coal and nuclear in the U.S. electric power sector in 2022,

ENVIRONMENT. EPA finds radioactive contamination in Missouri landfill Sizewell C permits approved despite concerns over potential mass fish deaths. Campaigners claim permit change at Hinkley Point would kill billions of fish. South Korea to keep Fukushima seafood ban despite thaw with Japan.

HEALTH. Exposure to ionizing radiation can increase risk of heart disease. Cancer as Weapon: Sowing Battlefields With Depleted Uranium.

INDIGENOUS ISSUES. An obnoxious clause in Canada’s draft Act for Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)

MEDIA. Nuclear winter webinar – 7 April. Covering (Up) Antiwar Protest in US Media.

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. Small Modular Nuclear Reactors may not be the holy grail for energy security, net zero. Small nuclear reactors – the global hype and hoax continues, especially in Europe.         North Korea May Be Close to Completing New Nuclear Reactor: 38 North.          No, Nuclear Energy Won’t Save Us.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. Over 100 Canadian organisations oppose funding for small modular nuclear reactors in federal budget.    Time to revive Scotland’s campaign – Resist the Atomic Menace.       Opponents pack Pilgrim Nuclear meeting as potential discharge of radioactive water looms.

POLITICS.  USA CONGRESSIONAL EFFORT TO END ASSANGE PROSECUTION IS UNDERWAY.     

• Missouri House votes to ease restrictions on nuclear power plant construction costs. Illinois Senate votes to lift nuclear construction ban.
• Nuclear Power Classified as Environmentally Sustainable in UK’s Green Taxonomy. The Scottish Greens condemn UK Government plans for a major investment in nuclear power. 
• What nuclear disarmament leadership should look like

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. 

• Nuclear Tug of War Intensifies in Brussels. EU agrees to a compromise on nuclear energy amid French pressure. Nuclear row threatens EU deal on renewable energy goals. Paris plots response to EU Commissioner von der Leyen’s ‘unfortunate’ comments on nuclear. 
• Germany criticizes Russian role in French nuclear fuel plant. 
• AUKUS is ‘going against’ Pacific nuclear free treaty – Cook Islands leader. Aukus subs deal firms China support for Asean nuclear weapon-free zone. 
• Top UN official urgently calls for de-escalating nuclear tensions over Belarus. 
• The cost of being wrong. 
• Inside Saudi Arabia’s Global Push for Nuclear Power.

SAFETY. 

• Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant: How prepared is Europe for a future nuclear disaster? IAEA head warns on danger of intensified fighting near Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. IAEA nuclear safety chief at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, UN watchdog ditches Ukrainian nuclear plant safety zone scheme. 
• Fire on Trident nuclear submarine at Scots navy base prompts safety concern for nearby locals. 
• Concern about Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. 
• France’s nuclear company planning to extend the life of its creaky old reactors..

SECRETS and LIES. CIA’s surveillance methods on Assange revealed.

SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. US-NATO proxy war in Ukraine utilises space technology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5az_t0YxgmQ&t=1s

SPINBUSTER. 

• ARMY PUTTING ‘OUTRAGEOUS SPIN’ ON DEPLETED URANIUM SCIENCE.    
• Pentagon fake news about Chinese fast breeder reactors.    
•  “Clean, clean, clean!”-says Canada’s budget – But still, nuclear power is still dirty. 
• Elon Musk is remaking Twitter into a climate denier sanctuary. 
• AUKUS deal keeping Julian Assange behind bars. 
• Welsh anti-nuclear groups warn on the nuclear lobbyists behind the new Freeport bid for Anglesea..

WASTES. Moltex vows to help Canada recycle its nuclear waste. Critics say the byproducts would be even worse. TEPCO visually confirms melted nuclear fuel at Fukushima plant. Decommissioning reactors: Germany will complete nuclear phase-out as planned but technology’s risks remain – env min. Divers enter Sellafield’s nuclear pool for first time in 65 years. Pilgrim Nuclear owner agrees to wastewater study, but says it won’t pay for it.

WAR and CONFLICT. THE LAST THING THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE NEED IS DEPLETED URANIUM.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. 

• Russia Calls Out ‘Nuclear Weapons Hypocrisy’: US Has Tactical Nukes In 5 Non-Nuclear Weapon States. 
• Number of usable nuclear warheads increased in 2022 — report. 
• Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor 2022 is out. 
• No Country for Nuclear Madmen. 
• Actual storage of nuclear weapons in Belarus is likely to be a long time away. 
• Canada’s “peaceful” nuclear program intimately involved in selling Plutonium For American Bombs. 
• Germany, Britain deliver more battle tanks to Ukraine . South Korea to provide Poland with 1,000 tanks as well as howitzers. Bankrolled by EU and U.S., Poland to produce, ship 100 armored vehicles to Ukraine . U.S. to deliver 800 Hellfire missiles to Poland . Poland, Slovakia deliver first MiG warplanes to Ukraine . 
• China warns of World War III with ‘nuclear sword hanging over our heads’ over Putin’s plan to send nukes to Belarus.

April 4, 2023 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews | Leave a comment