Energy Efficiency
A global movement to ban incandescent light bulbs is gaining momentum. If the rest of the world joins Australia in this simple step to sharply cut carbon emissions, the worldwide drop in electricity use would permit the closing of more than 270 coal-fired (500 megawatt) power plants. For the United States, this bulb switch would facilitate shutting down 80 coal-fired plants.
IPS News 9th May 2007
See Greenpeace UK Light Bulbs Campaign:
Nuclear Finance
Deutsche Bank pulled out of financing the Bulgarian Belene reactor after a campaign against them because the reactor was based on the Chernobyl design and was being built in an earthquake zone.
FT 10th May 2007
Hinkley
HINKLEY Point B power station has been given a clean bill of health and licensed for the next ten years, despite the continuing safety concerns of anti-nuclear campaigners.
Bridgwater Mercury 8th May 2007
Iran/NPT
Iran defended its record Thursday at a conference looking to tighten a treaty on curbing the spread of nuclear weapons, but the United States and France accused Tehran of breaching the pact by trying to build atomic bombs. The exchanges at a conference that has been dominated by Iran and its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment were a lead-up to further acrimonious debate expected on the last day of the meeting Friday.
Guardian 11th May 2007
Senior officials from six world powers met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss Iran’s defiance of U.N. demands that it stop uranium enrichment work the West believes is at the centre of a secret atom-bomb plan.
Reuters 11th May 2007
Guardian website 10th May 2007
New nukes
THE Church of Scotland has broken its silence on nuclear power by criticising plans for a new generation of reactors. In a report to the General Assembly, the Kirk’s Church and Society Council said further nuclear or fossil-fuel power plants were “not good routes to go down”. The body also claimed that successive governments have “failed to deliver” on promoting energy efficiency for both individuals and industry.
Scotsman 11th May 2007
Brazil
Brazil’s environment minister attacked proposals for new nuclear power plants on Thursday, a week after the president said he would push for more reactors if enough hydroelectric plants cannot be built.
Reuters 10th May 2007
Turkey
Turkey has adopted a law enabling state agencies to choose where a nuclear power plant could be built, which company would build it, and guarantee the purchase of the electricity for 15 years.
World Nuclear News 10th May 2007
Submarines
Support services group Babcock International is to take over the Devonport nuclear dockyard for £350m as it seeks to win more nuclear business from the UK. It has agreed to buy Devonport Management, the company which operates the dockyard in Plymouth, from current owners KBR, Weir Group and Balfour Beatty.
Telegraph 11th May 2007
Reuters 10th May 2007
Guardian 11th May 2007
Independent 11th May 2007
Uranium enrichment
A joint Russian-Kazakh uranium enrichment centre meant to supply nuclear fuel to developing countries is ready to start work, Russia’s top nuclear official said Thursday. Russian and Kazakh officials signed a final agreement on the facility on the sidelines of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev on Thursday.
Interactive Investor 10th May 2007
Finland
The city council of Loviisa in southeastern Finland voted 16-11 against a preliminary agreement to sell land to EOn, on which the German utility had proposed to construct a nuclear power plant.
World Nuclear News 10th May 2007
Interactive Investor 10th May 2007
Planet Ark 10th May 2007
Climate
THE value of nuclear power in the great global warming debate was highlighted by Copeland MP Jamie Reed in a Parliamentary question this week. Mr Reed asked the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs in a written question: “What change there has been in carbon dioxide emissions from power generation since the programmed closure of older nuclear power stations began; how the power generated by those stations has been replaced; and what net change there has been in carbon dioxide emissions as a result of the replacement generation?” Malcolm Wicks, the minister, replied: “Since 2000, six older nuclear power stations with a total generation capacity of approximately 2 GW have closed. Total carbon dioxide emissions from the power generation sector over the same period (2000-05) have increased by nearly 5 million tonnes of carbon.
Whitehaven News 10th May 2007
Climate change could spawn a new era of conflicts around the world over water and other scarce resources unless more is done to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, warned yesterday.
Guardian 11th May 2007
The UK power industry has told the Government that the development of “clean coal” power stations will not take place without heavy subsidy and higher electricity prices. The first “clean coal” power plants, which could dramatically cut carbon emissions, will need grants of up to £300 million. Centrica, the UK’s largest energy supplier, said that Britain and other European countries must penalise polluters by doubling the cost of carbon permits under the European Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), which would raise the cost of electricity. The warning over the price of green energy came as the Government delayed publication of its Energy White Paper by a week, to June 23. RWE npower will today ask the Government for clarity over plans to support clean coal technology as it reveals a blueprint to build Britain’s biggest coal-fired power station for more than 30 years.
Times 11th May 2007
Chernobyl
Radiation restrictions are still in force on 9 farms across Cumbria 21 years after Chernobyl.
Whitehaven News 10th May 2007
