Nuclear news for the end of December

Some bits of good news – COP15: Biodiversity experts share 6 reasons why our environment is not yet doomed.  Your Good News round-up: swear words can make you more resistant to pain, and more…Coronavirus.Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly Epidemiological Update.

Climate. Computer modelling predicts climate change causing cascading animal ‘co-extinctions‘.   Climate change can be beaten – why some scientists are hopeful.

Nuclear. This week, it’s all about fusion ( process in which  2 nuclei merge to one nucleus releasing energy, as against fission, in which the nucleus of an atom splits into 2 nuclei).   Literally hundreds of articles extolling an experiment in which, at enormous expense,  a tiny amount of “net” energy was produced for a fraction of a second. Still a few articles that pour cold water on all this euphoria.

It’s that time of year when in mainly- Christian countries everyone goes a bit silly, madly exchanging gifts and socialising. Serious stuff sort of stops for a bit, which is rather nice, really, (though the nuclear lobby never stops)

Anyway, may we all enjoy the good aspects, have a care for the many who are suffering, and look forward to renewed efforts for decency and care in the New Year 

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CHRISTINA’s SHORT THOUGHTS.   The media – dishonest – or just sloppy and incompetent ?– nuclear fusion coverage as a case in point.    Toad’s new fad– nuclear fusion.

  AUSTRALIA -All about buying weapons. Dumb Ways to Buy: Defence “shambles” unveiled – former submariner and senator Rex Patrick.     Nuclear fusion ambitions in Australia from a coalition of technology companies – a dodgy dream?        The revolving door: Kim Beazley, former WA governor, ex Labor defence minister moves quickly on to a Defence industry board .       Australia’s defence industry and Minister Richard Marles dazzled by (useless) B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber.       The War Memorial plays along with Lockheed Martin.

ECONOMICS. Paul Dorfman: Nuclear power is just a slow and expensive distraction.    Nuclear blow for EDF, the Flamanville EPR delayed again by six months.    Costs of France’s Flamanville nuclear reactor blow out to over $14 billion as project delayed again.

EDUCATION. Military Groomers Are Increasingly Infiltrating US High Schools.

ENERGY. France wants to cut its electricity exports to UK as its aging nuclear reactors are limited, with maintenance issues.               Opinion is split on UK government plan for new nuclear and hydrogen projects.         Point Lepreau nuclear plant taken offline after power loss.

MEDIA. A new book investigates the toxic legacy of Hanford, the Washington state facility that produced plutonium for nuclear weapons.        ‘We are all downwinders’: New film discusses Nevada’s nuclear fallout.       Media enthuses over “sexy”high tech nuclear energy, but ignores the really effective one – energy saving.

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. It’s all about fusion.  Exaggerated fusion breakthrough is for military purposes. Fusion. Really?  Fusion “breakthrough” is largely irrelevant to the climate crisis .  Clean energy or weapons ? What the ‘breakthrough’ in nuclear fusion really means. The energy from the nuclear fusion experiment was a tiny fraction of the energy put into the experiment. Very significant barriers to further progress on nuclear fusion .   Fusion breakthrough thrills physicists, but won’t power your home soon.    Researchers claim a breakthrough in nuclear fusion, but that does not mean fusion as an energy force any time soon.        Nuclear fusion – if it eventually works – will require many hundreds of millions of dollars.        ‘Bottling the Sun’: is this a new dawn for the fusion industry? (actually – no!). 

Mini nuclear reactor firms battle it out in UK for approval and government support . Bill Gates-backed nuclear demonstration project in Wyoming delayed because Russia was the only fuel source.

POLITICS. Can France rely on its nuclear fleet for a low-carbon 2050? New Delay, Cost Overrun For France’s Next-gen Nuclear Plant.   UK government ‘s announcement was NOT yet a funding decision for Sizewell C nuclear, just an exclusion of China from the project .

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. A Tale of Two Nuclear Plants Reveals Europe’s Energy Divide.   Hungary’s risky bet on Russia’s nuclear power.        For the Western leaders, Minsk Agreements were designed to buy time for Ukrainians to get ready for conflict with Russia.       German states oppose construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant.        US prolongs Russia-Ukraine conflict for three aims, aggravates nuclear war risk: experts at GT annual forum.

PUBLIC OPINION. Twice as many people support onshore wind compared to nuclear poweraccording to UK Government survey.

SAFETY. Safety of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant hangs in the balance. Russia building giant dome over Europe’s largest nuclear plant’s spent fuel stores, to shield them from Ukrainian attacks.    Russia installs shield over Zaporizhzhia nuclear storage site.    Ukraine Crisis Highlights Security Needs Of Civilian Nuclear Power.    Ineos: Ine-Not a safe location for any nuclear reactor, say Scottish Nuclear Free Local Authorities. Japanese Power Plants Less Than 40 Years Old Are Experiencing Problems. 

Incident. US Nuclear Bomber Erupts In Flames After Emergency Landing; US Air Force Confirms Mishap With B-2 Spirit.

SECRETS and LIES. The SECOND U.S. suburban husband indicted for smuggling nuclear weapon tech to Russia  . Coal Mine Boss Should be Sacked from Position as Government’s Nuclear Dump Advisor

SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. For Heaven’s Sake – Examining the UK’s Militarisation of Space.

SPINBUSTER. “FUSION NET GAIN” is manufactured ignorance. What’s all the fuss about fusion?  – a breakthrough, and if so, for whom? It’s All About the Bomb.: civilian nuclear power is merely a cover for producing more nuclear weapons.

WASTES. Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site. Alliance of Pacific organisations condemn Japan’s decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. At the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant new areas begin to be filled with radioactive debris.

WAR and CONFLICT. INTERVIEW: Ukraine has lost the war, it just isn’t over yet, says Col. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdshHJW3PMU             Kiev’s Worst Attack Against Donetsk In Eight Years Is A Desperate Attempt To Save Face. The folly of the proxy war in Ukraine and how the military-industrial-complex has become the enemy from within. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b079rbpYIzUU.S. troops deployed near Russian border. 

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. US to send Patriot air defence system to Ukraine: CNN Weapons delivered to Ukraine ‘beginning to filter’ to Africa: Nigeria. UN committee adopts Russian draft resolution on prevention of arms race in space. Remilitarized Japan doubles war spending to meet NATO standards, confront Russia, China .

WOMEN. Mothering a Movement: Notes from India’s Longest Anti-Nuclear Struggle.