Nuclear news – week to 7 February

Some bits of good news. What went right this week: reviving Britain’s ‘lost’ rainforests, Europe embraced slow travel, and the UK’s green sector defied the economic gloom, plus more.Coronavirus. When will COVID stop being a global emergency?

Climate. How Ocean Heat Ends The Human Experiment.   An apology to my grandkids for not fighting in the war of our times.

Nuclear.  What can I say?  Nations. led by the gun-obsessed, belligerent, America – prepare for war, and spend $squillions on nuclear weapons. We all know that Ukraine is a tinder-box of nuclear reactors –   and yet the USA is busily organising for Westinghouse to build a fleet of nuclear reactors there –   because we all know, don’t we, that nuclear power is so safe?

AUSTRALIA.  

• Combined Environmental Non Government Organisations submission to the Australian Senate recommends keeping the existing and prudent federal nuclear prohibitions.  Medical Association for Prevention of War recommends that Australia keep its nuclear prohibitions  
• Missing radioactive capsule found in Western Australia. Bill Gates’ profitable involvement in the nuclear industry, even in radiation detection equipment. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) sends specialist team to Western Australia in search for missing radioactive capsule.. Should never have been lost’: Big questions after miracle radioactive find. 
• Aukus: Biden urged to fast-track research into submarines using non-weapons grade uranium. 
• France, NATO enhanced partner Australia to send 1,000s of artillery shells to Ukraine. 
• Kimba’s “brand” – up till now – praised as Agricultural – but could change to The Nuclear Dump – if the government’s planned facility goes ahead. 

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ART and CULTURE. Twin threats to the Marshallese.

CLIMATE. Sea level rise will threaten UK coastal towns.   Climate hypocrisy: UAE oil company employees given roles in office hosting Cop28.

ECONOMICS. 

Top UK pension funds refuse to invest in Sizewell C nuclear plan, despite government enticements. Nuclear too expensive and not needed. 

Marketing. Death and Japan’s nuclear shelter salesman.      Ukraine planning for two $5 billion Westinghouse AP 1000 reactors, part of USA marketing a fleet of new nuclear reactors to Ukraine!       South Korea to sell 40 trilion won ($32.55 billion) nuclear power plant to Turkey. China marketing nuclear reactors to Pakistan.

EMPLOYMENT. French nuclear availability reduced by 1.1 GW as strike gets under way– EDF.

ENVIRONMENT. International group of scientists warns nuclear radiation has devastating impacts on ecosystems.

ETHICS and RELIGION. Roundtable: Making nuclear injustice an agenda for change.

HEALTH. Military probing link between nuclear silo work, cancers.

MEDIA. Why the western media is afraid of Julian Assange. The dark truths WikiLeaks revealed w/Stefania Maurizi | The Chris Hedges Report – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nbTlZRin78         Facebook Protects Nazis to Protect Ukraine Proxy War. Celebrities Protect The Interests Of The Empire– Caitlin Johnstone.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR . Nuclear must not be part of Cromartry Firth freeport vision.

POLITICS. 

• Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance refuses to guarantee funding for expansion of nuclear power.
• ‘Delays and broken promises’ as flagship UK nuclear agency stalls.  Despite failure to refit nuclear submarine, UK senior defence officials get £200,000 in performance bonuses! 
• Belgium to shut down second nuclear reactor. 
• California’s plan to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant online hits regulatory snag. 
• One Year After Russia Annexed Crimea, Locals Preferred Moscow To Kiev. 
• Saudi Arabia: The Next Nuclear Power?

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. 

African states meet in South Africa to discuss UN Nuclear Ban Treaty. Morocco committed to elimination of nuclear weapons – Envoy speaks at African seminar on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, in Pretoria.

The Last Existing U.S.-Russia Nuclear Treaty Could Soon Fail.  NATO recruits South Korea for war against Russia. 

Tulsi Gabbard on the Truth of President Zelensky – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A2Gmiya-Uk             Ukraine is sinking. Is the West about to bail out? West Blocked Ukraine Peace Deal, Says Former Israeli PM. 

US Surrounds China With War Machinery While Freaking Out About Balloons. China expresses dissatisfaction and protest over US shooting down civilian airship; US sets bad precedent.     US makes diplomatic move targeting China. China objects to more nuclear sub talks among UK, U.S, Australia. 

 France tries to label nuclear as “renewable” in push to the EU for nuclear-produced hydrogen. 

Iran and the West clash over IAEA report on Fordow nuclear plant. UK, France, Germany, USA urge Iran to meet all reporting obligations on its nuclear facilities. 

USA to set up 4 new military bases in the Philippines. 

RADIATION. Indian Point Expert Forum: Dr. Helen Caldicott –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M27YdJ3pbD4&t=165s         Australia radioactive capsule: Missing material more common than you think.

SAFETY. Blasts near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Takahama nuclear reactor in Fukui halted after alert goes off, Incompetence in the nuclear submarine industry. Belgium looks to extend lives of oldest nuclear reactors. France approves study on extending nuclear reactors’ life.

SECRETS and LIES. Taking up Hilda’s Torch: Robert Green’s account of his contribution to the 1988/9 Hinkley C Inquiry – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7lSnFdWxUY Iran says France should inform the world how Israel obtained nuclear arms.

SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. There’s no planet B. NASA and DARPA are working on a nuclear-powered rocket that could go to Mars.

SPINBUSTER. NewsReal: Chinese Balloon: It’s All About The Optics – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM-4DieQHlE&t=100s

  TECHNOLOGY  . GE Hitachi group announce contract for grid-scale small nuclear reactor, requiring large taxpayer subsidy .   Scepticism on the enthusiastic claims about nuclear fusion.

WASTES. France: what to do as its nuclear waste site risks saturation point?

WAR and CONFLICT. Avoiding a Long War- the RAND corporation report. Chris Hedges: Ukraine: The War That Went Wrong. The Unwarranted Ukraine Proxy War: A Year Later. The logic behind the terror: Why does Ukraine keep attacking civilian areas in Donetsk? Victory or Valhalla: NATO troops in “huge war games” 80 miles from Russia.  Pentagon will allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles at will.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. This Time It’s Different. A Costly and Prolonged Cold War Now Seems a Certainty. 324 Tanks, Now NATO Readies Warplanes and Entire Domestic Economies for Ukraine. Ukraine’s Tank Problem – a “game changer” – REALLY?. Target Crimea: U.S. to send Ukraine missiles with twice previous range . Budget cuts have left UK’s military’s stores bare: General says Britain would run out of ammo in a day if it fought Russia -Britain buying ammo from South Asia to support Ukraine.