New nukes
David Miliband arrives at Defra with a new team of ministers. As all political parties fight to claim the green agenda, John Vidal asks whether the changes are really designed to smooth the way for nuclear power
Guardian 10th May 2006
A new independent report into the UK’s energy needs has claimed that climate change targets could be achieved without the use of nuclear power, WWF has reported. The study, titled ‘The Balance of Power’ by consultants ILEX, commissioned for WWF, finds that a combination of investment into renewables and a reduction of energy wastage could lower emissions by 55% on 1990 levels within the next 20 years.
Green Consumer Guide 10th May 2006
Copeland’s Labour MP, Jamie Reed, has criticised the latest spate of anti-nuclear prograganda.
Whitehaven News 10th May 2006
New nukes & Decommissioning
America’s leading nuclear clean-up company has said it could cut the £70bn cost of decommissioning Britain’s civil nuclear sites by as much as a quarter. Washington Group, which controls about a third of the US nuclear clean-up market, also said it would consider bringing American nuclear waste into the UK for reprocessing if it succeeds in buying British Nuclear Group, the state-owned company with contracts to operate nuclear sites in the UK including the giant Sellafield fuel reprocessing plant in Cumbria.
Independent 11th May 2006
Washington Group International yesterday became the first US business to state categorically it wants to take over management of Sellafield and build new atomic plants in Britain. Just weeks ahead of an expected recommendation for a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK, Washington directors said they planned to put in a bid for British Nuclear Group, the operating arm of the state-owned BNFL. The group will be sold in 2007 for an expected price of £500m to £1bn.
Guardian 11th May 2006
Iran
The US Secretary of State has said that efforts to pursue a tough UN Security Council resolution on Iran’s nuclear programme will be delayed. Condoleezza Rice said European countries would resume diplomatic efforts to persuade Tehran to change its position.
BBC 11th May 2006
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged Iran to drop its rejection of western proposals
Sky 11th May 2006
Iran through arab eyes: The Tehran regime’s fiery rhetoric and strategic ambitions impact strongly on its Arab neighbours.
Open Democracy 10th May 2006
President George W. Bush said on Wednesday that a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week did not answer the key question of when Tehran would abandon its nuclear programme.
Reuters 10th May 2006
Iran’s President insisted his nuclear programme is totally peaceful.
Glasgow Evening Times 10th May 2006
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today compared the US to a wolf who “eats without listening” as a public spat between the two countries on the best way to deal with Iran intensified. Washington and Moscow are split on the appropriate action to take against Iran following the announcement last month from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the country had mastered uranium enrichment. Russia has made clear that it agrees Iran should not have nuclear weapons but questions whether the country is actively seeking a bomb and whether sanctions would be effective.
Guardian 11th May 2006
