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April 25, 2008Spinning the atom - Patrick Moore for hire
It makes a very convenient headline for lazy journalists - "Former Greenpeace founder supports nuclear". It's also the lead the nuclear industry pays a lot of money to Patrick Moore for (actually an early Greenpeace member, but that's a bit weak for newspapers and less valuable to dirty industry paying the fees). The US magazine Mother Jones has published a good read on how Moore has long been a well paid mouth piece for any dirty industry willing to pay his fees.
Here's a few choice quotes:
Now, between sips of pinot grigio, he's offering up dubious factoids: Nuclear waste is safe enough to store in a backyard swimming pool, the areas around the plants are "as clean as nature preserves," and Three Mile Island was a success story because no radiation was emitted. He dismisses anti-nuke arguments as "illogical imaginary fears."
Renewable energy vs Nuclear power
We've been saying for years that nuclear power comes at a cost to renewable energy. Nice to hear someone in the nuclear industry agree. From the Guardian:
Industry recognises that nuclear power and renewables in Britain are mutually exclusive because they both need government support as well as the same national grid infrastructure to distribute electricity. Last week Carlo de Riva, chief executive of French state-owned nuclear company EDF, said British backing for renewables, would undermine nuclear power."If you provide incentives for renewables ... that will displace the incentives built into the carbon market. In effect, carbon gets cheaper. And if carbon gets cheaper, you depress the returns for all the other low-carbon technologies. [like nuclear power]."
While hunting around for this article, I came across some letters to the editor (about a previous nuclear power story). Form more information, check out our briefing (pdf) on why nuclear is not the answer. And if all this makes you think of sumo wrestling, you're a very strange person, click here.
Nuclear and CO2
Article in yesterday's business section of the Sydney Morning Herald about doubts that nuclear energy a good solution to climate change:
Nuclear power's claim to be the answer to global warming is being questioned by reports suggesting mining and processing of uranium is carbon intensive.While nuclear power produces only one 50th of the carbon produced by many fossil fuels, its carbon footprint is rising, making wind power and other renewable energies increasingly attractive, according to environmental groups and some official reports.
Just another reason why nuclear is a bad investment.
Nuclear power is safe, part 34561
The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate visited the UK reprocessing plant at Sellafield and found evidence of an organisation with the kind of safety standards you'd expect from a state run enterprise in one of the world's richest countries handling enormously dangerous material.
" Two of the three evaporators have been shut due to safety problems, and there are continuing "difficulties" with vitrification. But the most alarming issue is the failure of equipment needed to cool the waste, which could, at worst, lead to an explosion, scattering radioactivity across much of the country. Studies suggest that for every tank that exploded 210,000 people would die from cancer "
See, completely safe. Read the full article here.
Stripping down for a nuke free Middle-East
Excerpts from the Greenpeace Mediterranean press release:
The activists exposed themselves seconds before the president of Israel, Shimon Peres, started his speech in the Tel-Aviv University. Greenpeace activists opened three big banners reading "Strip the Middle East of Nuclear Technology" and "A New Middle East = Nukes Free Middle East "."We asked the organizers of the conference to a have an unbiased and more balanced panel to discuss the real nuclear challenges in the Middle East, instead of having a panel full of ‘security’ specialists, only justifying the Israeli need for nuclear weapons", said Sharon Dolev, Greenpeace Mediterranean Disarmament campaigner in Israel.
Remote control banner
We had another surprise for the World Energy Congress today - four remote controlled banners that unrolled from the ceiling of the conference hall with the slogan "ENEL: Do Not Export Nuclear Risk". [ Large photo. ]
ENEL is an Italian company currently completing two old Soviet-designed reactors at Mochovce, Slovakia. Their designs date from the 1970s and miss crucial safety components incorporated elsewhere following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986. The most glaring inadequacy is the plant's lack of “containment” - the solid structure above the reactor intended to prevent radioactivity escaping to the environment and to protect the reactor from external accidents such as an aeroplane crash.
Here's a report from the scene by Jan, one of our energy campaigners:
"Be the change you want to see in the world" - that is the quote that appeared on huge screen during opening of the last day at the World Energy Congress. Well then, we will try to follow this wise advice.During the speech of Fulvio Conti, director of ENEL utility, a banner suddenly dropped out from the ceiling, saying "ENEL: do not export nuclear risk". Police immediately surrounded my colleague Francesco and I, asking us to leave the hall.
We decided not to, because we had paid for registration and had not do anything bad or illegal. When the first wave of alarm cooled down, an ordinary rank and file policeman tried to explain me in Italian that he is happy that we raised our message, repeating " grazie, grazie!".
Slideshow from our surprise visit to the World Energy Congress
For the full story read, "World Energy Congress and nuclear madness", or jump straight to the briefing.
Surprise visit to the World Energy Congress
[ Copyright: Greenpeace/Michelangelo Gisone ]
I work at Greenpeace and even so sometimes I've got to ask, "How did they do that?"
This is the stage of the World Energy Conference (held by the World Energy Congress), in Rome. [Click for larger photo.] We got word that the World Energy Congress has a plan that lets global warming emissions keep increasing until 2030 AND proposes an expansion of nuclear power.
Looking at the sponsor list for the Conference, that's not a big surprise. One of the main sponsors is Enel - Italy's biggest power company. They aren't building any nuclear reactors in their own country of course. Italy had a referendum and the people voted against nuclear power. But they are working on finishing a plant in Slovakia - one that was designed in the (pre-Chernobyl) 1970's.
In fact, the sponsor and speaker lists are packed with companies still stuck in back in the nuclear age. No wonder they're pushing nuclear, and no wonder it takes so long for greenhouse gas emissions to peak under their plan.
How's this for an idea instead: Take all that money they want to spend on dangerous, polluting nuclear plants and put it into energy efficiency and renewable energy instead. Make a real energy revolution!
And one more thing. I love the photo posted with the web feature about this. The guys on stage are still clapping, and just look at all those camera phones! Makes me grin.
UPDATE: There's a video on YouTube. Love the part where every one applauds.
Radioactivity found in Spain, during Greenpeace training
We train our staff properly at Greenpeace. That’s how come we found the
highly radioactive element Cesium-137, during radiation safety training in Spain. The Cesium is in marshes near the El Tinto River, 500 metres from the city of Huelva, and its 145,000 citizens.
Cesium is very dangerous, look at what happened when it
accidentally spread in a Brazilian town
Nuclear amnesia
Take three countries, over three days: Russia, Sweden, and Spain. Guess what they have in common? It’s not football, nor ice hockey, but the outrageous way they handle hazardous radioactive materials.
And all three sadly ignored the fiftieth anniversary of the Mayak catastrophe and the plight of people still living there today. 50 years ago, in Mayak a large nuclear complex in Southern Urals, a tank of highly radioactive sludge lead exploded. People were evacuated from their homes in a thousand square kilometres from many towns and villages. Yet today, thousands of people still live in the highly poisoned area on the banks of Techa River.
Nuclear cargo ship protested
This morning, Greenpeace Sweden activists attempted to block a nuclear waste transport ship. The ship is in Sweden to pickup 4.8 tons of radioactive waste (including 1.2kg of "super weapons grade plutonium) for transport to the UK. (Video here.)
The 30 activists used their small rubber boats to try and block the ship, and two of the activists jumped in the water. Meanwhile, on the Greenpeace UK blog, Joss wonders, "Haven't we got enough already - why is more nuclear waste heading our way?"
Radiation tragedy in Brazil - 20 years on
Greenpeace activists in Brazil today chained themselves to the gates of the National Commission of Nuclear Energy (CNEN), placing a memorial plaque in tribute to the victims of the Goiânia Cesium-137 tragedy, the worst radiation accident in an urban area, in history.
Twenty years ago workers at the Goiânia scrapyard took apart a metal machine, found abandoned in an old radiotherapy institute. The scrapyard owner, fascinated by the glowing blue powder stone inside, took it home to give as presents to his family and friends. His daughter ate some, sprinkled on bread.
Fatwa against nuclear power
Here's some kick-ass good news from Indonesia. The Ulama (Islamic Religious council) of Central Java, the most powerful body in Indonesia when it comes to influencing presidential decisions, after a lengthy debate has passed a fatwa declaring the proposed Nuclear power plant in Muria, Java, Indonesia as HARAAM (forbidden).
The Ulama has called upon the Indonesian government to stop all activities related to the building of the nuclear power plant, including onsite research as it has caused tension and stress amongst the community.
A few of the arguments that led to this:
1. The harm (mafsadah) of the plant is much more grave than any benefit (maslahah)
2. The government is obliged to ensure peace amongst its citizens
3. The government plan to build the plant has caused insecure feelings and tensions in the community
This could mean an end to all future plans to develop nuclear power in Indonesia, so all ye folks who sell wind, solar, and wave power need to jump in there.
UK energy needs - "The Convenient Solution"
This video from Greenpeace UK takes a look at why renewable energy and energy efficiency are the convenient solution to energy needs - arguing that nuclear power is a dangerous waste of money. Favorite line from the video: "Reaching for nuclear power is like smoking cigarettes to keep the weight off". (Watch)
Nukes for all my friends!
The President of France wants to supply Libya with a nuclear reactor. From the Telegraph:
During a meeting with Col Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, Mr Sarkozy agreed to help the country with a nuclear-powered project to desalinate seawater. France has Europe's largest civil nuclear power industry and a vital commercial interest in exporting reactors and technology.Any Libyan reactor could be supplied by Areva, France's leading nuclear energy company. Until he invited international inspectors into Libya in 2003, Col Gaddafi had a covert nuclear weapons programme.
I guess 2003 is ancient history. Oh, wait, no its not. It's only four years ago.
To spell it out. Civilian nuke proliferation leads to military proliferation. And that's not something I want to see any more of. But don't get me wrong. I'm not picking on Libya. I don't trust France with nuclear power either. Or Japan (which has tens of thousands of kilograms of plutonium stockpiled). Or the USA. None of them, for that matter.
Kashiwazaki nuke plant wrap up
We sent a team to help Greenpeace Japan check the safety of the area around the (world's largest) nuke plant. The good news is that they didn't turn up anything new and alarming. The bad news is that the Kashiwazaki plant is still sitting on a fault line, and the government is probably thinking about starting it back up at some point.
The team's just made it home, and sent me this account of their work at the scene.
LA Times says: "No to nukes"
Very strong editorial in yesterday's LA Times, saying:
The enormous cost of building nuclear plants, the reluctance of investors to fund them, community opposition and an endless controversy over what to do with the waste ensure that ramping up the nuclear infrastructure will be a slow process — far too slow to make a difference on global warming. That's just as well, because nuclear power is extremely risky. What's more, there are cleaner, cheaper, faster alternatives that come with none of the risks.
Later in the editorial they also point out that, "Nevertheless, the U.S. government spends more on nuclear power than it does on renewables and efficiency." Insane.
"Environmentalists Beaten, One Dead"
From today's Moscow Times:
Masked attackers armed with metal rods and baseball bats raided a camp of environmental protesters near an east Siberian uranium enrichment plant over the weekend, beating one person to death and injuring several others.
[Photo from Indymedia.]
That Richter fellow - measuring earthquakes
Been doing my reading about earthquakes. Apparently there's two basic ways to measure them: intensity and magnitude. Mostly people talk about magnitude, and almost always it's described using the Richter scale - also known as the local magnitude scale (ML) by those of you who are seismologists and know how to make that little "L".
The important thing to know about the Richter scale is that it's logarithmic. A 6.0 magnitude quake can be compared to a 1 megaton TNT boom, while a 7.0 earthquake is about a 50 megaton boom.
Revealing statement from nuke industry official
From the Japan Times:
In 2005, the Tokyo High Court rejected a lawsuit by local residents seeking to revoke a state permit on the installation of the No. 1 reactor at the seven-reactor power station.The court rejected the plaintiffs' argument that an active fault exists near the station, saying that what they claimed to be an active fault did not even amount to a fault and could not cause a quake.
"It is true that electric power companies don't want to spend much money for earthquake-proof construction," [associate professor at Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute] Imanaka said.
A Tepco public relations official said, "We did not assume an earthquake of this magnitude at the time of designing the nuclear power plant. After looking at aftershock location data, we have come to realize a fault lies right below the plant."
Should have listened to the locals.
Can't beat The Onion for nuke one-liners
America's Finest (Parody) News Source gave me a chuckle with this faux vox pop quotation about the Japanese nuclear reactor fire this week: "What a shame. In every other respect, that earthquake zone was the perfect place to build a nuclear reactor."
Got any funny one-liners to share - leave them in the comments below!
Update on nuke plant damaged by earthquake
It's now being reported that the scale of the water leak is larger than was first said, and that some drums of nuclear waste also spilled. Somehow I am not reassured by repeated protestations from company spokespeople that there has been "no harm" from the leaks.
Today's Wall Street Journal:
While the quake had triggered a leak of water with radioactive material Monday at world's largest nuclear power plant at Kashiwazaki city, near the epicenter, officials said it caused no harm to the environment. On Tuesday, however, officials were investigating a possible second leak, saying about 100 drums containing low-level nuclear waste fell at the plant during the quake and were found a day later, some of the lids open, said Masahide Ichikawa, an official with the local government in Niigata prefecture.A spokesman at Tokyo Electric Power Co., which runs the plant, said the company was still trying to determine whether any hazardous material had spilled but said there was no effect outside the plant. "We have no information at this time that there is any effect on the outside environment," Tepco spokesman Manabu Takeyama said.
Another leak at the Kashiwazaki power plant would sow further doubts about the safety of Japan's nuclear power plants, which have suffered a string of accidents and coverups amid deep concerns they are vulnerable in earthquakes. Monday's quake initially triggered a small fire at an electrical transformer in the sprawling plant. But it was announced only 12 hours later that the temblor also caused a leak of water containing radioactive material.
Officials said the water leak was harmless and well below safety standards, but the delay in notifying the public spurred concern among antinuclear activists and triggered criticism from top officials.
"They raised the alert too late. I have sent stern instructions that such alerts must be raised seriously and swiftly," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo. "Those involved should repent their actions."
Fire at nuclear plant in Japan
Straight from the Guardian:
A strong earthquake struck northwestern Japan on Monday, causing a fire and radioactive water leak at one of the world's most powerful nuclear plants and turning buildings into piles of lumber. At least seven people were killed and hundreds injured.Flames and billows of black smoke poured from the Kashiwazaki nuclear plant - the world's largest in terms of power output capacity. It took two hours to extinguish the fire, at an electrical transformer, said Motoyasu Tamaki, a Tokyo Electric Power Co. official.
Reports are saying that there was also a radioactive leak - a small one according to Tokyo Electric. Read our statement on the Kashiwazaki nuclear plant fire and leak. Last week we also ran a story about a fire at a German nuclear plant.
UPDATE: Tokyo Electric is now saying that the plant leaked 356 gallons of water containing radioactive material. That's considerably more than the 1.5 gallons they said earlier. Latest from the Guardian:
The plant leaked about 315 gallons of water, said Katsuya Uchino, another Tokyo Electric official. Uchino said the water contained a tiny amount of radioactive material - a billionth of the guideline under Japanese law - and is believed to have flushed into the Sea of Japan.
Thousands protest against nuclear power in Indonesia
This month thousands of people in Indonesia have been showing their opposition to nuclear power with a massive protest yesterday in the Kudus regency against government plans to build Indonesia's first new nuclear power plant in the nearby Jepara regency.
Earlier this month, Greenpeace joined thousands of Japara's residents, community leaders, artists and celebrities in in a protest against the same proposal.
The plans seem unfathomably crazy especially since Indonesia has plenty of opportunities for renewable energy. They will be using old and questionable technology to build the reactors that will require 4,000 litres of water per minute on the edge of a dormant volcano!
Let's hope President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono realises what a stupid plan this is and bins it in favour of a clean energy strategy that so many people are clearly calling out for.
Now as if the plans in Indonesia aren't worrying enough - check out what Thailand just announced today!
Olkiluoto nuclear plant protest ends
Today the three remaining activists made their way safely down the construction crane - ending their occupation of the Olkiluoto, Finland, nuclear plant construction site.
You can read a (2nd hand) update from one of the climbers on the Greenpeace UK blog or read our feature story for more info.
And here's the news from Kaisa (Greenpeace Finland):
The climbers came down because they saw they had achieved already a lot. They managed to raise wide discussions about the problems of nuclear in general, and the problems of this particular reactor. They were able to get attention to the other side of the story...
Finland: activists enter day 2 of nuke occupation
Greenpeace activists in Finland spent the night 80 meters in the air on a crane at a nuclear power plant under construction in Olkiluoto. The protest is a direct reaction to the quality problems at the construction site, which has lead to over one thousand reported breaches of safety standards.
TVO, the company that ordered plant, estimated in the application to the Finnish government that a 1600 MW reactor would cost EUR2.5 billion and take four years to build. Now the costs are exceeding four billion euros and the project will take at least six years.
The project was supposed to require no public subsidies. In reality it is reliant on an export guarantee financed by French and Swedish taxpayers and a dirt-cheap loan from public banks.
As the Finnish government begins preparing a long-term climate strategy, it needs to take a hard look at nuclear power's track record of failing to deliver on promises of being the cheap, clean solution to climate change.
Finland needs a plan to phase out existing reactors. They're really not comfortable places to sleep. More images of the occupation from Flickr.
Remembering Captain Richard Wibley
Richard Wibley, a former Greenpeace ships capatain, passed away last week. Steve Shallhorn, who runs the Greenpeace Australia office these days, posted this reminecense:
I worked with Richard Wibley for 6 months in 1989 along the east coast of the United States. Richard was Captain of the M/V Greenpeace as it did a tour of American coastal cities, campaigning on issues ranging from the offshore drilling of oil to nuclear disarmament.As it turned out, most of the fuss of that tour surrounded a campaign to rid the oceans of nuclear weapons. The focus of the Nuclear Free Seas campaign in the United States was the Trident missile, a 38 Billion dollar program to build a new missile that was to be launched from both American and British submarines.
Richard’s skills as a mariner were put to the test during two high seas confrontations with the United States Navy. Let me tell you how.
Body parts of nuclear workers taken without consent
Mike Townsley writes:
Today the UK Government will announce an inquiry into revelations that for over 30 years, body parts of nuclear industry workers who died in suspicious circumstances were taken for medical investigation without the consent of the families.
According to British Nuclear Fuels, Ltd (BNFL) the practice is "historic not current. The sampling of autopsy material began in the 60s and ceased in the early 1990s."
Historic? Burke and Hare are historic, Frankenstein is historic (oh and fictional), Mengele could even be considered as historic, but the early 1990s is recent ...
Fine Italian exports?
When I lived in Italy on an olive farm (that phrase must be said in a wistful voice), it was well known that Italy kept the truly best olive oil for domestic use, and exported the rest. That included oil that was imported from other countries, repackaged as Italian, but which no self-respecting Tuscan would use for anything other than mopping a floor.
Well that's not the only thing Italy exports that they won't have at home.
Not a single commercial nuclear reactor is operating in Italy. But guess what? Italian energy company ENEL is peddling nuclear power outside of Italy like bad olive oil.
Our colleagues were protesting in five Central European capitals today, accusing the Italian government of exporting nuclear risk to Slovakia, where ENEL is currently working to complete two reactors at the Soviet-designed Mochovce nuclear power plant.
Like the Czech Republic's Temelin nuclear plant, Mochovce was first drawn up by Czechoslovakia's communist government in the 1970s. It was a really bad year for nuclear reactors.
Jan Rovensky of Greenpeace told radio Czechia "It's a Soviet construction from the 70s, and this old project doesn't even have the containment that protects the reactor in case of accident. So we hope that even people who support nuclear energy should be against this project because it's really dangerous."
So how about it, nuclear energy supporters? If the argument goes that modern nukes are safe and that's why you support them, the logical conclusion is that older nukes are dangerous and ought to be opposed. What say we sit this one out and let you campaign against Mochovce, while we continue our efforts to let people know that nuclear energy is not an answer to climate change, and that we can achieve a 50% reduction in emissions by 2050 without it.
Does Israel need nukes?
Now here's a story you don't see everyday in the Israeli press:
Two weeks ago, Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior dropped anchor in Israel. Members of the organization in Israel and those who arrived on the ship attempted to convey their determined, consistent message regarding the danger of nuclear technology to the Israeli public.What makes the current visit special is the fact that it is part of a campaign taking place in many countries in the region, including Iran. It may sound naive but it makes sense for all the nations in the region to heed the warnings of the green organization...
In Israel, it is particularly important to hear the organization's message because of the policy of silence adopted by local environmental organizations regarding all nuclear matters.
Read it.
Digg it.
No comment...
Nuclear power: neither as secure, nor carbon-free, as industry hacks would have you believe.
Twelve activists, from eight countries, have managed to get inside the security perimiter of a nuclear power plant at Belleville Sur Loire in France and scale the cooling tower. Notable in this video (in French) is the complete lack of any security personnel whatsoever. (More here from Greenpeace France)
To be honest, I think I'd prefer to see our banner-hanging sprees foiled by security than know that a potential source of dirty bomb material can be gotten into with equipment little more advanced than a ladder.
And if you're of the school that says "ok, it's a risky technology, vulnerable to break-ins by unsavory types who might take an interest in dirty bomb or fissionable material, but at least it doesn't cause climate change," you may want to read this article in Business Week:
Is [nuclear power] really as clean as supporters contend? A report, released on Mar. 26 by a British nongovernmental organization called the Oxford Research Group, disputes the popular perception that nuclear is a clean energy source. It argues that while nuclear plants may not generate carbon dioxide while they operate, the other steps necessary to produce nuclear power, including the mining of uranium and the storing of waste, result in substantial amounts of carbon dioxide pollution. "As this report shows, hopes for the climate-protecting potential of nuclear energy are entirely misplaced," says Jürgen Trittin, a former minister of the environment in Germany and a contributor to the report. "Nuclear power cannot be promoted on environmental grounds." [...] "The assumption has long been that the [greenhouse] effect is zero, but the evidence shows otherwise." The report comes as British Prime Minister Tony Blair is pushing to build a new generation of nuclear plants in the name of curbing global warming.Environmental groups like Greenpeace, the Rocky Mountain Institute and Germany's Öko-Institut have argued in recent years that nuclear power comes with hidden carbon emissions. But the Oxford Research Group study is the most quantitative and up-to-date advancement of this assertion...
So lets see. It's not safe. It's not a solution to climate change. Even the Nevada Nuclear Test Site is a non-starter for storing the waste. What exactly is left to argue for Nuclear Power?
Ah, of course! It's "too cheap to meter." Oh wait, that one fizzled years ago, didn't it...
Iran's nuclear money
By Mike Townsley
Money, money, money ... it makes the world go around. Iran yesterday issued a new bank note emblazoned with the standard nuclear insignia of electrons whizzing around an atomic nucleus, like New York diplomats orbiting the UN Security Council.
While the diplomats seek to increase sanctions in a bid to force financial hardship on Tehran and enhance domestic opposition to Iran's uranium enrichment plans, Russian nuclear scientists are evacuating Bushehr because the cash strapped country has failed for two months to meet payments for the country's first nuclear power station.
It had been expected that nuclear fuel would be supplied by Russia this month for the Bushehr nuclear power station, however, according to Atomstroiexport, no money, no nuclear fuel.
Nuclear Free for all - beware of Britons bearing radioactive gifts
Mike, our resident antinuclear Scotsman spotted an interesting bit of news today. Mike is a part of the Rainbow Warrior's Middle East Peace tour:
"In the gulf we have the discretion to build what we want" so says Lady Barbara Thomas Judge, head of the UK Atomic Energy Authority. Lady Judge believes the absence of pesky environmentalists, a lack of political opposition and lots of money makes the Gulf the perfect place for nuclear power."The genie is out of the bottle, if they want to build it, this would be the place,' opined Lady Judge. Now I thought the genie lived in a lamp, oh well.
So lets just take a look at her Ladyship and the company she heads, and then ask if its really a good idea to let her come and play in the Middle East? Is it really a good idea to let the nuclear industry do whatever it wants, away from the spotlight of public oversight or political plurality?
The UK Atomic Energy Authority runs the notorious Dounreay nuclear complex in the far north of my homeland, Scotland. Build in the 1950s, before public concern and environmental awareness caught own to the boys own nuclear dream that was to become an environmental and economic nightmare. It was the shiny technological cathedral of the new nuclear Barons, spurned on by vision of Atoms for Peace, and ever since pieces of atoms have been washing up on local beaches. The have been dumped almost at random around the site. They have been blown tens of meters into the sky and locked inside the carcass of an aging fast reactor which no one really knows how to take apart, or decommission as they call it in the industry. With the nuclear industry it is not simply a question of the last one to leave turn out the lights, the light of radioactive contamination burns for thousands of years.
February 15, 2007
Greenpeace wins nuclear legal challenge in UK
It's been a good day here in the UK. Several months ago, we launched a legal case against the government's flawed energy review which backed a new generation of nuclear power stations. The case we brought to challenge that decision was upheld by Mr Justice Sullivan in the High Court who stated that "something has gone clearly and radically wrong" with the process. As a result, the government's decision has been ruled unlawful and they have to go back to the drawing board.
It's a massive blow to the government's plans and, as a result, a new and fuller review will have to be conducted if they want to justify their continued support of nuclear power. Hurrah. Read the full story while we nip off to the pub for a drink.
January 11, 2007
Israel's nuclear weapons factory at Dimona: a guided tour
November 22, 2006
Australia to go nuclear?
After five months of deliberation, the handpicked government committee looking into the feasibility of nuclear energy for Australia has released its report. Not surprisingly, it gives nuclear the thumbs up, with a catch. Nuclear power the report says could be viable if a carbon tax became so high as to make coal more expensive by 20-50 percent.
And that’s the real reason why this report was commissioned. Coal has been getting dirtier and dirtier in the eyes of the Australian public over the past decade as climate change has risen in the public consciousness.
October 26, 2006
Back-beats, not bombs
War. Huh!Good Lord! What is it good for? Well here's a better use for an AK47 than I've ever seen: slap six strings on it, tune up, add a Bazooka restrung as a bass, missile casing drum kit, and you got yerself a three-Peace Band.Now all we need to do is figure out some similarly useful musical repurposing of those 480 US nuclear weapons in Europe and we'll be laughing. Tell you what, let's just tell the lead vocalists in Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the UK to send them home while we think about that, shall we.
October 19, 2006
Axis of Ooops
Mark Fiore has done a bunch of great E-cards for us over the years. We had nothing to do with this one, but I sure wish we did ;-). If you don't know his website, http://www.markfiore.com check it ouf for the lighter side of the daily doom and gloom.
October 18, 2006
Sellafield fined: Eight months to notice a leak!
Looks like that old nugget, Sellafield reprocessing plant, is back in the news again, this time for leak that was discovered in April 2005, eight months after it had started:
"About 83,000 litres of acid containing 20 tonnes of uranium and 160kg of plutonium escaped from a broken pipe into a sealed concrete holding site. The operator of the Cumbrian site, British Nuclear Group Sellafield Ltd, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.""The court heard that the leak should have been detected within days rather than the eight months it took. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Openshaw said British Nuclear Group Sellafield 'did not have a good safety record'."October 9, 2006
Chernobyl: Example - What We Made
Watch the music video - then see the documentary!
Talk about edgy! London rapper Example's new video is shot in the radioactively contaminated post-nuclear zone at Chernobyl. While he there, Example also filmed an 18-minute documentary in the post-apocalyptic ghost towns and their deserted schools, hotels and funfairs - places frozen in time for twenty years.
October 8, 2006
North Korea: Happy 'Nuclear Free' Anniversary Kim Jong-il
© Greenpeace/Stefano MontesiYou may not be aware - but the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, is planning to test a nuclear weapon during the coming days, to coincide with the 9th anniversary of his leadership of the country. Scary, eh? The photograph above shows Greenpeace activists outside the North Korea embassy this morning, sending a message to Kim Jong-il.
October 7, 2006
Nuclear menace: We're launching a legal challenge against the UK government
From Greenpeace UK's website:
We're taking legal action against the government for deciding to support nuclear power without full public consultation.If you followed the 2006 energy review, you'll know that many people suspected that Blair had already decided to build new nuclear reactors. As the chairman of the Trade and Industry Committee said, the Energy Review was "a rubber-stamping exercise for a decision [to build new nuclear power stations] the Prime Minister took some time ago"."[We] think that this half-baked process has led to an unsubstantiated pro-nuclear policy. This is an issue of huge public concern since the implications of building new nuclear reactors - which create long-lived and highly radioactive waste - will impact generations to come."
October 2, 2006
1985: Rainbow Warrior Sinking - French agents finally on TV!
I've just been watching online footage from New Zealand TV station TVNZ. They claimed legal history this week, after footage was shown in France of two French agents pleading guilty to manslaughter in 1985, following the sinking of the first Rainbow Warrior.
"Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart, who admitted killing Greenpeace photographer Fernando Periera, failed to stop TVNZ broadcasting their courtroom confessions and viewers have finally been shown the French spies admitting their guilt. The trial was covered by closed circuit cameras, but the visual record of the proceedings had remained under wraps as the pair fought for their guilty pleas never to be shown on television."
Sellafield accident could turn Ireland into "an open prison for 100 years"
I've just been reading about the Nuclear Free Local Authorities's recent conference examining the possible impact of the UK's new nuclear programme on Ireland - a country without nuclear power - has found that Ireland is at serious risk from any accident there. Mind you, Sellafield - the usual nuclear bugbear for Irish people is not at the top of the list of possible sites - Wylfa on the Welsh island of Angelsea is more probable - also in the Irish Sea.
July 7, 2006
UK Power Struggle
Nuclear is getting a lot of bad press lately in the UK.The Conservative party is insisting that nuclear power should be a last resort and an expert has advised an immediate shut down of UK reactors after a report was leaked revealing that many of them are unsafe! Many people support nuclear power because they believe that it is the only solution in the fight against global warming but those of us who aren't completely gullible know that's just a bunch of crap.
What the UK needs is a decentralised energy system. It may sound unrealistic or complicated but it's not. They are already doing it in Denmark and the Netherlands. Decentralised energy means that energy is created close to the location where it is used rather than being created in just a few large power stations far away, which are controlled by big corporations.
Did you know that two thirds of energy going into power stations is wasted mainly as heat, which is not utilised. Sounds ludicrous doesn't it? Find out more and watch a cool little movie.
July 4, 2006
Mothers fight against first Turkish nuclear power plant
It's great to see that plans for Turkey's first nuclear power plant are facing opposition thanks to a bunch of middle aged women. Having suffered the effects of Chernobyl in this Black Sea region many people are against nuclear power while the Government is pushing plans for three nuclear power stations to come online by 2012. Many local fisherman in the northern city of Sinop where the plant is planned to be built, are now carrying anti-nuclear stickers and flags on their boats. They want to protect the nearby harbour, which is one of the richest fishing areas around. They are concerned that the cooling station will raise the temperature of the sea and have detrimental impacts on the fish. Outstandingly the "Mothers against Nuclear Power" have already got 25,000 signatures on their petition and even Sinop's Mayor is supporting them. Interestingly there is no mention of this opposition in the Turkish press!
June 9, 2006
Nukes out of Nato! Protest in Brussels
© Philip Reynaers
Greenpeace activists enter the NATO site in Brussels, Belgium, and hold a banner reading "Nukes out of NATO" on the organisation’s symbol statue.
8 June 200,: Brussels, Belgium — Twenty-four Greenpeace activists from Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and the UK were arrested after staging a protest at NATO’s Brussels Headquarters. Their demand: removal of the 480 US-owned and controlled nuclear weapons from Europe. The action occurred as NATO Defence Ministers are preparing for a high-level meeting on the future of NATO.
Read more: US Nukes in Europe: NATO HQ blocked by protest »
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