This first week of 2018 in nuclear news – Australia and beyond

With regret, this newsletter is now going to focus mainly on nuclear issues. Climate change is no less important – indeed the harsh reality of climate change  is worse than we thought.  Climate change is being covered brilliantly by excellent websites, such as Radio Ecoshock and Global Weirding with Katharine Hayhoe. Renewable energy and energy efficiency are being left out, too, despite their huge importance.  The new, narrower, focus is just because it’s all been getting, too much, too hard, and – newsletter too long.

My thanks to Lonnie Clarke of The Age of Fission– radio programme, (Missouri) for her information service, and for interviewing me this week .  Also thanks to  David Archer (TMI Podcasts) (Toronto) for the interview today.

With the Trump government now overturning net neutrality laws, it becomes ever more important for all the avenues of independent media to work together to spread information on the nuclear threat.

AUSTRALIA

Dr Margaret Beavis on the value of United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Nuclear wastes. Revealed – Some politics behind the failed South Australian push to import nuclear wastes- MPs paid by Taiwanese government to travel to Taiwan to discuss funding of nuclear waste facility. Taiwanese government denied claims by Investment and Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith’s that Taiwan  would fund the building of a waste facility.

Is the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Protection Agency (ARPANSA) dedicated to promoting the nuclear industry rather more than promoting public safety?

Aboriginal anger over lack of action to stop Scots nuclear waste transfers.

Cabinet papers reveal:

• In 1995 the Australian government knew that Sydney’s Lucas Heights’ high level radioactive trash was a problem.
• Australian govt prioritised BHP’s Olympic Dam mine’s business above the dangers of French nuclear testing. Australia’s eventual 1985 rift with France, over French nuclear testing, and the sinking of Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior.

Rare earths mining in Central Australia approved

Micro grids taking off in a big way In Australia.

INTERNATIONAL

UN officials welcome reopening of communication between the two Koreas.

Nuclear industry desperately lobbying for financial help to be counted as “clean”.

Population Oscillations OR Collapsing Ecosystems.

Nuclear fusion – not really close at all.

USA.

• Former military analyst Daniel Ellsberg warns ‘50-50’ chance of nuclear war in coming weeks.  Donald Trump’s  National Security Strategy (NSS) puts America in peril.
• Facebook now willing to be censored by U.S. government.
• Trump’s NASA Space Plans – Potential for a Nuclear Catastrophe.
• U.S. Congressional Budget Office fails to consider costs of nuclear-weapons making clean-up.
• New Jersey stops fast-track pursuit of nuclear subsidy bill, for now. New Jersey’s flawed legislation – a gift to the nuclear lobby, and its fan Governor Christie.  South Carolina’s Base Load Review Act, even Florida’s, – a licence for the nuclear industry to rip off the people.
• Anxiety over safety of Holtec canisters in San Onofre’s stranded nuclear wastes.
• Damaged Hanford Nuclear Reservation waste tank to be permanently closed. Radioactive material again found in cars and trucks at Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant.
• Tepco, GE Escape $5B Fukushima Radiation Lawsuit. Sailors Fight to Keep Fukushima Radiation Case in USA.

UK.  Renewables a better option than nuclear power: but nuclear is needed for maintaining nuclear weapons.   Britain’s Hinkley nuclear project rife with scandalous conflicts of interest.  Blunders, catastrophic, delays, even bankruptcy… ANOTHER nuclear power plant is going into financial meltdown. Delay in removal of nuclear wastes from Anglesey’s Wylfa power station.

NORTH KOREA. Improvement of inter-Korean relations.

JAPAN. Japanese gov’t to guarantee bank loans for Hitachi’s “risky” nuclear plant project in Britain. Westinghouse, Toshiba’s troubled nuclear unit, is acquired.

Radioactive debris at Fukushima – a huge challenge to Japanese govt and TEPCO.   Fears of children who have to check radiation levels outside before they can go and play.   Is Fukushima a healthy place to play Olympic ball games?

CANADA. Ontario’s nuclear emergency plan – inadequate, says Greenpeace.

FRANCE. French Greenpeace activists in court for breaking into the first nuclear plant.

CHINA. Another blow further delays China’s nuclear energy programme.

INDIA. Stop nuclear power expansion – says Former Chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

PAKISTAN.Pakistan and India exchange information on their nuclear installations and facilities.

MALAYSIA. ISIS supporters in Malaysia, and plans to make a thorium “dirty bomb”– Concern in Malaysia over radioactive thorium and uranium in building materials

BELGIUM. Belgium became the world leader in problems at nuclear power plants– Nine nuclear incidents in Belgium in 2017

TAIWAN.Taiwan’s green shift defies energy security fears.

GERMANY. Radioactive leak in German nuclear reactor.  Germany has broken another renewable energy record.

KENYA. Growing concerns on the safety and feasibility of Kenya’s planned Sh2 trillion nuclear energy project.