Radiation and Health
Children under five years old living near nuclear power stations have contracted cancer at a greatly higher rate than the national average, a study by the German government said Saturday. The risk of cancer increased by 60 percent for children living less than five kilometres (three miles) from a nuclear power plant, according to the study by the federal office for protection against radiation. The risk was 117 percent higher when only leukemia was taken into account.
AFP 8th December 2007 more >>
Reuters 8th Dec 2007 more >>
Korea
South Korea will ship 5,000 tons of steel plate to North Korea this month in the first batch of an alternative aid package for disabling its nuclear programmes, according to a report Sunday.
AFX 9th Dec 2007 more >>
Iran
Iran has sent a formal protest note to Washington for “spying” on Iran’s nuclear activities, its foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said. The message came in the wake of the latest US report on the alleged Iranian weapons programme.
Channel 4 News 9th Dec 2007 more >>
British spy chiefs have grave doubts that Iran has mothballed its nuclear weapons programme, as a US intelligence report claimed last week, and believe the CIA has been hoodwinked by Teheran.
Telegraph 9th Dec 2007 more >>
War with Iran now appears to be off the agenda and it will be difficult to persuade the international community to approve harsher United Nations sanctions against Iran. But was American intelligence really fooled for four years? Or is it being undermined from within? Some American officials believe the NIE’s findings could present a historic opportunity to open direct negotiations with Tehran.
Times 9th Dec 2007 more >>
Israel
US DEFENCE Secretary Robert Gates defended Israel’s nuclear programme yesterday, saying the Jewish state did not seek to destroy its neighbours or support terrorism, unlike Iran.
Scotland on Sunday 9th Dec 2007 more >>
Education or Propaganda
Some experts have expressed concerns about the way one industry in particular is funding a mass programme of teaching aids in schools about the benefits of nuclear power. A series of films funded by the nuclear industry and a regional development agency have been widely shown in schools and viewed by thousands of children on GCSE science courses. In the film on nuclear waste, all bar one of the speakers worked for the nuclear industry.
BBC 9th Dec 2007 more >>
Climate
An innovative new campaign is to be launched in Scotland this week to help communities take action to cut the pollution that causes global warming. Scottish Education for Action and Development (SEAD), a campaign group based in Edinburgh, will be unveiling ‘Switch on to Climate Change’, a grassroots programme encouraging people to combat global warming in their areas. Instead of urging a series of individual actions like fitting low-energy light bulbs, the campaign will back collective action, and warn against “false solutions” like carbon trading and offsetting.
Sunday Herald 9th Dec 2007 more >>
Britain is running out of renewable energy as a surge in demand from businesses has outstripped electricity by wind farms, hydropower and waste gas burning. Interest in cutting carbon has far exceeded new supplies of zero-carbon power – creating a potential headache for companies which have pledged to become ‘carbon neutral’.
Observer 9th Dec 2007 more >>
Britain is to embark on a wind power revolution that will produce enough electricity to power every home in the country, ministers will reveal tomorrow. The Independent on Sunday has learnt that, in an astonishing U-turn, the Secretary of State for Business, John Hutton, will announce that he is opening up the seas around Britain to wind farms in the biggest ever renewable energy initiative. Only weeks ago he was resisting a major expansion of renewable sources, on the grounds that it would interfere with plans to build new nuclear power stations.
Independent on Sunday 9th Dec 2007 more >>
Nothing in this sorry story has been so shameful as Britain’s failure to exploit renewable energy. Its winds, waves and tides make up the richest resource of non-polluting power in Europe, yet we are second to bottom of the continental league table in expoliting it. For decades a recalcitrant, blindly pro-nuclear treacle layer in the old Department of Tade and Industy frustrated all attempts to expand it properly. Just weeks ago they were at it again – reincarnated in John Hutton’s department- lobbying to scrap European targets for renewables on the grounds that they would impede the advance of the atom. Gordon Brown did well to face them down and insist that Britain retained and met the targets.He has done even better in following through, first with plans to exploit all forms of tidal energy – announced in last month’s green speech – and now with setting in motion this expansion of offshore wind. This is more like the Gordon Brown we thought we were getting this summer, before this autumn’s wobbles and weaknesses.
Independent on Sunday 9th Dec 2007 more >>
Energy
EDF and E.ON are among several energy groups that are understood to be considering price rises of up to 10 per cent, possibly as early as January. One industry source said: “It is not a question of if, so much as when. Once one goes, they will all go.”
Times 7th Dec 2007 more >>
Dounreay
THE western end of the Dounreay site has lost a familiar landmark with the dismantling of the silo crane cover building. The three-storey-high, grey, metal-clad building was a noticeable feature of Dounreay’s skyline, situated halfway between DFR and PFR. Its removal will allow the next phase of the waste retrieval programme to begin.
John O Groat Journal 7th Dec 2007 more >>
Low Level Waste
The public is being asked for views on low level waste because a replacement for Drigg is required.
Whitehaven News 6th Dec 2007 more >>
Berkeley nuclear site is to be the first to transport its low level waste to Cumbria by rail.
Whitehaven News 6th Dec 2007 more >>
BNFL
All four BNFL Directors get a higher salary than the Prime Minister.
Whitehaven News 6th Dec 2007 more >>
