The week in nuclear news

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

AUSTRALIA.

• Submarines. France’s Foreign Minister raises concerns about AUKUS, nuclear submarines, and risks of weapons proliferation. Australian government using a loophole to evade international non-proliferation treaties, to get nuclear submarines? Australia’s Minister for Defense Peter Dutton Mocks ‘Silly’ China Criticism of Nuclear Subs.  K and Australian consultancy firms get together in anticipation of nuclear submarine programme.
• Nuclear waste dump plan, Legislative and regulatory obstacles, highly dangerous wastes – Kimba nuclear dump is still an uncertain project.   Many wheels to turn before that Kimba nuclear dump can go ahead, especially if Labor wins in elections.    Kimba temporary nuclear waste dump plan is unnecessary, now that federal government has approved upgraded storage plan at Lucas Heights.  
•  The people of South Australia are being excluded from the discussion and decisions about the Federal govt’s planned nuclear waste dump.   Kimba residents who oppose the nuclear waste dump plan are not backing down. How the federal government gets around the problem of trucking nuclear waste over Aboriginal land. Federal government spinning the virtues of nuclear waste to Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Ceduna, who had no say in the decision. 
• Uranium mining.Traditional owners of Mulga Rock say Vimy Resources, planning uranium mining, is not listening to Aboriginal people .
•   Labor backs bill forcing charities to reveal donors .

INTERNATIONAL.

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

Nuclear risks are laid bare by COVID-19

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

Fact check: Is nuclear energy good for the climate? 

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

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

EUROPE. The nuclear fuel chain – uranium mining to radioactive waste problem- European Commission to decide if it is ”green” and”sustainable”.NORWAY.Norway faces up to fast increasing radiation risks. Drones monitor the nuclear ships, icebreakers, submarines that clutter the Arctic.
BELARUS. President of Belarus – ready to host Russian nuclear weapons if NATO moves atomic bombs to Eastern Europe.

UK. 

• Not Before Time EDF’s Hunterston B is Switched Off For Good.
•   UK and Israel pledge to stop Iran gaining nuclear weapons. 
•   UK government secretive about its Net Zero strategy,especially on tax-payer funded projects like small nuclear power plants.
•  Why is so little attention paid to the fastest, cheapest, most effective action on climate – ENERGY SAVING?. 
•  In the next extradition court case for Julian Assange, we can expect the judge there to be very biased against Assange.  

USA. US Ex-Senator warns – US, NATO allies risking ‘all-out nuclear conflict’ with Russia. Urgent need to correct exaggerated claims about China‘s nuclear arsenal and its intentions. Nuclear industry handouts to universities continue. New Name- Same Scam. NuScale small nuclear reactors become ‘VOYGR”, universities co-opted. More delays and extra $1 billion expected for Georgia nuclear plant.

CANADA. 9 top US nuclear no-proliferation experts write to Prime Minister Trudeau requesting a review of Canada’s planned nuclear reprocessing to recover plutonium. Gordon Edwards critiques a Canadian documentary on the ”Nuclear Revival” and small nuclear reactors. Canada to get its version of the mythical beast – the Small Nuclear Reactor – GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) BWRX-300.

JAPAN. Fukushima Daiichi Frozen Wall Section Fails. Study: Fukushima discharge to affect entire Pacific Ocean in 10 years. Tracking contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident.

CHINA. China puts forward proposals as Iran nuclear talks resume. Design flaw: the incident that shut down China’s EPR nuclear station could happen to other EPR reactors.. Design flaw could explain problem at EDF’s Chinese nuclear plant. Whistleblower explained the tank design problem that caused the shutdown at Taishan nuclear power station. Safety fault in China’s European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) does not bode well for UK’s Hinkley Point C and Sizewell nuclear projects.

TAIWAN. Taiwanese Group walks for 30 hours to protest nuclear power.

RUSSIA. Global heating brings easier Arctic passage for Russia’s floating nuclear power plant to open up Arctic for more fossil fuel mining, more global heating.

MIDDLE EAST. UN chief calls for nuclear weapons-free Middle East.

IRAN. Guarded optimism among Western diplomats, as Iran nuclear talks progress in Vienna.

KAZAKHSTAN. At the Global Alliance of Leaders for Nuclear Security and Nuclear-Weapons-Free World (GAL) meeting, Nursultan Nazarbayev proposes  Global Forum on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament

FRANCE. France joins the Small Nuclear Reactor frenzy, bringing out its odd version ”NAAREA“.