This week in nuclear news, Australia and more

‘Tis the season to be jolly.  But, honestly, I can’t.  If you want to know what’s really going on in this human-species-afflicted planet, I recommend Radio Ecoshock.  Here you will learn about  Climate Collapse & The Plastic Plague

It’s not about some distant future problem. It’s about now, and how we are living on a trashed planet.  And we’re and adding more to this with all our festive junk and unnecessary gifts.

Having said that –    there are so many good people trying to clean up, and keep clean, our fragile planet.   For some examples – I recommend  99 Good News Stories From 2020 You Probably Didn’t Hear About.

Also, I am reading “The Good Germans – resisting the NAZIs  1933 – 1945“, by Catrine Clay. I find this book a very timely reminder that in very worst of modern times, there were so many people who saw evil being done, and resisted it, and also helped the persecuted, as best they could.

AUSTRALIA

2020 in Australia – a successful year for resistance to nuclear pollution.

Nuclear waste dump plan for Kimba, South Australia.  Senator Rex Patrick contests Freedom of Information refusal about Australia’s nuclear waste plan.  Federal govt accepted Queensland’s “NO” to nuclear dump. Why not South Australia’s?.  Senator Rex Patrick calls on South Australian govt to come clean about nuclear waste dumping. Australia’s Industry Department is bluffing in employing staff for non existent nuclear waste project

Ranger Danger: Rio Tinto Faces Its Nuclear Test in Kakadu Uranium – Unfinished Business: Rehabilitating the Ranger Uranium Mine .  Green group raise toxic leak concern at Ranger Uranium Mine

A reminder of the danger of ionising radiation, after theft of a nuclear device.

CLIMATE. The Usual Suspects: oil and gas majors star in Australian tax heist.    Australia, the climate laggard, could lead the world: over to you, PM– Hypocrisy on steroids: Frydenberg backs witch-hunt on banks that won’t lend to miners.

INTERNATIONAL.

Sleepwalking Toward the Nuclear Precipice.

The insanity of nuclear power in space.

About writing about the nuclear crisis. We’re in a storytelling crisis”: Advice for writing on nuclear issues, from the author of “Fallout”.

Unveiling New Billboards: “Nukes Are Now Illegal!” (Nuclear Weapons) .

CANADA.  Canada’s Small Modular Nuclear Reactor ‘Action Plan’ banks on private sector nuclear pipe dreams.    NuScale exultant that their scam small nuclear reactors have conned the Canadian government.  Many Canadian organisations dispute the government’s plan for small nuclear reactors.

JAPAN.

75% of the Japanese public want Japan to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.  Major Japan life insurers shun investing in nuclear weapons-linked firms.

Uninhabitable:   Booklet by citizen scientists uncovers true extent of radioactive contamination in Japan’s soil and food.

2 million yen ($19,300) incentive for families to move to near crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Investigation of mass alterations of data on nuclear safety by Japanese company.

Mutsu Mayor Soichiro Miyashita made it clear that spent nuclear fuel facility will not go ahead.  44 year old Mihama nuclear station, with waste disposal problem may be allowed to restart.  Nuclear waste plan spells doom for a Hokkaido fishing community.

UK. 

• Law and Disorder: The case of Julian Assange.
• Disabled Russian nuclear-powered feighter to pass  through UK and European waters.
• Sizewell C nuclear project. No “green light” for £20bn Sizewell nuclear project, but the UK govt “in talks” with EDF.       UK’s Sizewell nuclear project could be a costly fiasco like Hinkley Point C.  Controversial funding arrangements for unnecessary Sizewell C nuclear project?  Why is UK govt taking the financial and flooding risk of Sizewell nuclear, when renewables are clearly safer and cheaper?.  Ipswich Council raises fresh worries about Sizewell nuclear power plan.  Sizewell C nuclear plan – a disastrous and expensive mistake.  EDF did a small survey of Suffolk community opinion –weighted to favour nuclear industry?
•  Doubts about planned Berkshire ”garden town”, because it’s too close to AWE nuclear weapons factory.

USA. 

•  Investigative journalism – A Legacy of Contamination, How the Kingston coal ash spill unearthed a nuclear nightmare.
• Investigative journalism – USA government resists paying compensation to nuclear workers made ill by ionising radiation.
• For the USA, despite the “Green Nuclear Deal” propaganda, solar power is looking a whole lot better.
• David and Goliath fight to repeal crooked nuclear plant bailouts in Ohio. Following huge bribery scandal, Energy Harbor still manipulating to keep nuclear bailout law.
• Is Energy Harbor cutting nuclear plant workers’ benefits in violation of labor deal?
• USA House Armed Servcies Chairman very sceptical of New Plutonium “Pit” Plans for Nuclear Warheads.
• Russian hackers evaded layers of U.S. security to attack America’s military and intelligence agencies.  In a massive cyber-attack, U.S. nuclear agency has been hacked.  Hacking of U.S. nuclear weapons agency went undetected for 9 months.    6 Things to Know about the 2020 Cyberattack and Nuclear Power Plants.
• In midst of pandemic crisis, more U.S. tax-payer money to go to nuclear power in space.  USA to turn the moon into a nuclear weapons site.

CHINA.  China has 350 nuclear warheads, compared to USA and Russia’s many thousands of them.

RUSSIA.  Russian environmental defenders under attack.

IRAN.  World powers renew commitment to preserve Iran nuclear deal.   Iran’s Rouhani: No conditions or negotiations on nuclear deal.  Iran builds at underground nuclear plant.   Iran Rejects New UN Report over Nuclear Violations.  West yet to condemn Iranian nuclear scientist’s assassination.

US Navy nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine and 2 warships sail through Strait of Hormuz, (Persian Gulf-Gulf of Oman).

EUROPE.  European Leadership Network appeals to nuclear weapons States to reduce nuclear risks.

UKRAINE.  34 years later, food crops near Chernobyl still contain ionising radiation.

TURKEY.  Turkey’s unfinished nuclear plant already redundant.

DENMARK.  Big boasts for small nuclear reactors on ships – but are they a recipe for disaster?

JORDAN.   Did a research reactor in Jordan leak?