New Nukes
The House of Commons’ Science and Technology Committee is to launch a report entitled Devil’s Bargain? Energy Risks and the Public that will look at how the public perceive risk in relation to energy infrastructure. The committees report into the risks of energy generation says the UK governments position as an advocate of nuclear made it difficult for the public to trust it as an impartial source of information on the technology. Classing Fukushima as serious an incident as Chernobyl shows the international scale for nuclear accidents is not up to the job for warning the public over such disasters, MPs said today. Last years disaster at the Japanese reactor following a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami was classed as a level 7 accident because of the amount of radioactive material released putting it on a par with the 1986 accident at Chernobyl. However, many times less
radioactive material was released than at Chernobyl, and nobody died or received a life-threatening dose of radiation from Fukushima, the science and technology committee said. It called for the International Atomic Energy Agency to review the international nuclear and radiological event scale to show orders of magnitude and make it understandable to the public.
Scotsman 9th July 2012 more >>
Ministers will today call on independent bodies such as the Environment Agency and Office for Nuclear Regulation to bolster efforts to explain the risk of building new energy plants, warning that many people were left confused about the impact of Japan’s Fukushima disaster. The House of Commons’ Science and Technology Committee is to launch a report entitled Devil’s Bargain? Energy Risks and the Public that will look at how the public perceive risk in relation to energy infrastructure. The report aims to explain why public reactions to last year’s Fukushima nuclear disaster varied markedly. Some countries, including the UK, continue with their civil nuclear programmes, while others, such as Germany and Italy, have axed plans for new reactors.
Busness Green 9th July 2012 more >>
David Cameron must accelerate the construction of more nuclear power stations instead of wind farms, leading right of centre think tanks say today. The think tanks, including the Centre for Policy Studies and the Institute of Economic Affairs urge the Prime Minister to develop a new “strategy for sustained higher long term economic performance”. It comes amid widespread concern among rightwing Tory MPs that the Liberal Democrats are exerting too much influence on the Coalition. In a letter published in todays The Daily Telegraph, they tell Mr Cameron to adopt a coherent and realistic energy policy based on rapid development of extracting gas by the controversial method of fracking as well as coal and nuclear power plants. The think tanks say: The Coalition deserves praise for convincing the international markets that it has a credible deficit reduction plan. But that is not enough. What is needed now is a strategy for sustained higher long term economic performance. The think tanks also urge ministers to stop building wind-farms and repeal (or suspend) the Climate Change Act, and abandon the multi-billion pound high speed rail link between London and Birmingham.
Telegraph 9th July 2012 more >>
Letter: Here are seven policy steps to be taken: 1 Adopt a coherent and realistic energy policy, based on rapid private-sector development of new gas (including fracked gas), coal and nuclear generation. 2 Stop building wind-farms and repeal (or suspend) the Climate Change Act, which threatens to impose a yearly bill of some £15 billion, chiefly affecting those who can least afford it.
Telegraph 9th July 2012 more >>
Dounreay
Letter Steuart Campbell: Dounreay was established to develop fast reactors, not to provide electricity, although the Dounreay Fast Reactor did provide some. At the time, because uranium was expensive, it was thought economical to use the plutonium produced in the thermal stations to “breed” more from otherwise useless but fissile U-238. A fleet of fast reactors could then power the country without the need to import uranium. The experiment was successful but was undermined by uranium becoming more plentiful and cheap. However, as uranium becomes m ore scarce, we will have to revisit fast reactors to keep the lights on.
Scotsman 9th July 2012 more >>
Submarines
There have been 266 fires on nuclear submarines in the past 25 years, it has emerged. The incidents included 74 blazes on ballistic missile submarines. Three happened while the vessels were in base, one of those on a ballistic missile boat. Peter Luff, minister for defence equipment, support and technology, gave the figures in response to a parliamentary question by SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson.
Scotsman 9th July 2012 more >>
Morning Star 8th July 2012 more >>
BBC 8th July 2012 more >>
Telegraph 8th July 2012 more >>
Huffington Post 8th July 2012 more >>
