Radhealth
Nuclear radiation from power plant leaks and bomb tests resulted in millions fewer baby girls born worldwide, according to a new study. Scientists noted these types of atmospheric blasts rather than on-the-ground incidents like Chernobyl, effected birth gender across the globe. Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany, analysed population data from 1975 to 2007 for the U.S. and 39 European countries.
Daily Mail 5th June 2011 more >>
Energy Supplies
Nuclear power has become a hard sell in many parts of the world since the disaster at the Fukushima in Japan with gas continuing to benefit.
Telegraph 5th June 2011 more >>
Sizewell
Presentation on actions taken by Sizewell B after Fukushima.
Fraog May 2011 more >>
France
MORE than three quarters of French people believe the country should follow Germany and withdraw from nuclear energy, a new survey has found. The Ifop poll of 1,005 adults commissioned by the Journal du Dimanche found 77% supported a gradual shut-down of France’s nuclear power plants within 30 years. A fifth of those in favour said it should happen sooner.
Connexion 6th June 2011 more >>
Japan
The decommissioning of the Fukushima 1 nuclear plant is delayed by a single problem: Where to dispose of the uranium fuel rods? Many of those rods are extremely radioactive and partially melted, and some contain highly lethal plutonium. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has allocated 1 trillion yen ($12 billion) in funds for nuclear waste disposal. Areva, the French nuclear monopoly, has teamed up with Tepco to find an overseas storage site. So far, the Tepco-Areva team have quietly contacted three Asian countries – Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia — to set up a center for “reprocessing”, a euphemism for nuclear dump site. Among the threesome, China was the top choice for the Japanese nuclear establishment, which has confidence in Beijing’s ability to safeguard nuclear secrets from its citizenry and even from the top leaders. Japan’s space agency, which keeps 24-hour satellite observation over every nuclear-related facility in China, possesses the entire record of radiation leaks there. Since Beijing withholds this sort of data from the public, the Japanese side felt it had the necessary leverage in talks with Chinese nuclear officials.
Global Research 31st May 2011 more >>
Tokyo Electric Power Co is expected to post a parent-only net loss of 570 billion yen for the business year to March 2012, excluding compensation to those affected by the ongoing crisis at its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, according to an internal document.
Japan Today 6th June 2011 more >>
Shares of Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) have plunged to a record-low on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company’s shares nosedived by as much as 28% after news reports that the company was expected to report a loss of $7bn (4.7bn) in the current financial year. In a seperate report there was talk of bankcruptcy for Tepco.
BBC 6th June 2011 more >>
Workers on Sunday began checking the operation of devices that will be part of a system to decontaminate water containing radioactive substances at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, with the aim of activating the system in mid-June, officials of the plant operator said.
Japan Today 6th June 2011 more >>
The Japanese utility battling to bring its radiation-spewing nuclear reactor under control said today that 1,500 more tons of radioactive water are being moved into temporary storage the latest attempt to prevent a massive spill of contaminated water into the environment. More than 100,000 tons of radioactive water have pooled beneath Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan. Three reactor cores melted after the March 11 tsunami destroyed backup generators, damaging critical cooling systems.
Independent 5th June 2011 more >>
Germany
The leader of the Greens in the Bundestag (parliament), Jürgen Trittin, praised a historic opportunity to resolve the nuclear issue that had been simmering for decades, through a real consensus. This presupposed that the government had a serious and above all a responsible exit strategy from nuclear energy.
World Socialist Web 6th June 2011 more >>
Iran
The US and its allies are pushing the UN to declare that Iran has operated a nuclear weapons programme in the past and that related activities are continuing despite Tehrans assurances to the contrary. Such a move would heighten the pressure on the Islamic republic at a time when its nuclear programme is rebounding from the effects of the Stuxnet computer virus and international attention has been focused on the Arab uprising.
FT 5th June 2011 more >>
Climate
There is a growing realisation that action on climate change is in the national interest, and this moves the debate on significantly: previously discussions were largely about sharing a global burden with governments, naturally, trying to minimise their share. There is increasing recognition of the significant co-benefits of climate change legislation strengthening energy security, increasing resource-efficiency, improving air quality and securing a competitive advantage in new markets for clean and low-carbon technologies, goods and services. Indeed, those countries with strong national legislation are, perhaps not surprisingly, attracting the most inward investment on low-carbon technologies because there is business certainty (rather than high regulatory risk) for such investments.
Guardian 5th June 2011 more >>
Renewables
A two-mile-long Belgian rail tunnel, built to shelter trains from falling trees, will from Monday provide a double environmental benefit by hosting a unique solar power project. The high-speed line running from Paris to Amsterdam passes Antwerp and a nearby ancient forest. To avoid the need to fell protected trees, a long tunnel was built over the line which has now been topped with 16,000 solar panels. The electricity produced is equivalent to that needed to power all the trains in Belgium for one day per year, and will also help power Antwerp station.
Guardian 6th June 2011 more >>
Energy Efficiency
THE health risks of living in a poorly insulated home have been highlighted in a new study into the energy efficiency of Scottish housing. WWF Scotland claims that for every 1 spent on keeping homes warm and well insulated, the NHS could save 42 pence on health costs. Now the charity is calling upon the Scottish Government to draw up new regulations which would ensure every house that is sold or rented meets a minimum level of fuel efficiency by 2015. It wants 150,000 of Scotland’s worst insulated homes to be fitted with insulation, so they meet the band ‘E’ rating on the Energy Performance Certificate scale, which runs from A to G. Most of the work would cost 2,600 per home, with the cost paid back in four years due to savings on fuel. Another WWF report published in March suggested that bringing all homes up to ‘D’ rating would create nearly 10,000 jobs and add 613 million to the economy. Several charities yesterday backed WWF’s call, including Age Scotland, the Scottish Building Federation and Shelter Scotland.
Herald 6th June 2011 more >>
