No Nukes News: nuclear summit and more
Angela Bischoff - OCAA
angela at cleanairalliance.org
Fri Apr 16 16:49:20 EDT 2010
No Nukes News
April 16, 2010
"I think one of the concerns is that, by definition, as you have expansion
of nuclear programs, peaceful programs, there is going to be an increase in
the nuclear by products that come out of those facilities, as well as the
expertise that is available to run them." John Brennan, Obama's chief
counterterrorism adviser
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Loophole in nuclear summit: spread of nuclear power?
President Obama's nuclear summit aims to keep terrorists from procuring
nuclear weapons. But the US is encouraging countries to develop civilian
nuclear power. But what are the proliferation risks?
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2010/0413/Loophole-in-nuclear-su
mmit-spread-of-nuclear-power
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Risks outweigh potential benefits of nuclear power
The Nuclear Research Service reports that "in comparison to renewable
energy, nuclear power releases four to five times more carbon dioxide per
unit of energy produced taking into account the whole fuel cycle."
The risk of a horrific accident, no safe long term repository for
million-year radiation of spent fuel, the risk of nuclear proliferation that
would make not only nuclear war more likely but also a terrorist use of a
nuclear bomb, and the astronomical cost of nuclear power compared to
efficiency and renewables leads many to question the wisdom of new nuclear
power - especially when the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other
research endeavors seem well on the way to resolving the intermittency
problem for renewables that is used as the reason for the need for new
nuclear power.
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/opinion/article_2c469bfe-4815-11df-8b8d-
001cc4c03286.html
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Nuclear Power: the proliferation problem
Canada must truly become an honest broker and stop its deceit about nuclear
power
By Paul McKay, author of Atomic Accomplice http://paulmckay.com/
Despite belated, growing alarm about world stockpiles of fissile fuels,
Ottawa continues to sell uranium as a commodity no less benign than wheat,
wood or potash, and to pitch reactors which are also plutonium production
machines.
Yet physics tells us uranium and plutonium are as innately conjoined as fire
and smoke, or the twisted double helix of DNA. By promoting a nuclear export
policy which gives primacy to closing current sales while assuming future
world security is irrelevant, Ottawa is compelling Canadian diplomats and
consular officials to practice a brand of deep denial which is pathological,
and promote a commerce without any conscience.
http://paulmckay.com/AA%20in%20D <http://paulmckay.com/AA%20in%20D&IC.pdf>
&IC.pdf
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Q+A: Obama's big summit on preventing nuclear terrorism
WASHINGTON Nearly 50 world leaders meet in Washington next week for a summit
aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism. It will be one of the largest such
gatherings on U.S. soil since World War Two.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6370MZ20100408
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Rid the World of Nuclear Weapons
Please join me in writing to Prime Minister Harper, urging him to work for a
world free of nuclear weapons.
http://www.ceasefire.ca/?p=4471
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Sign the petition against CANDU 6 nuclear reactors
Romania has currently one nuclear power plant with two functional reactors
in Cernavoda (South-East of Romania). Cernavoda is situated in an area with
high earthquake risk. The Romanian Government plans to build two more
nuclear reactors (Cernavoda 3 and 4 ). These reactors are of an outdated
Canadian design, the CANDU 6.
The design of CANDU 6 is under critique because of several key flaws:
- It has a positive reactivity coefficient - one of the design factors
leading to the Chernobyl catastrophe. Because of this, CANDU reactors are
not allowed inthe USA, Germany or France;
- Because it uses heavy water, it leaks more of the radioactive substance
tritium into the environment than other designs. This could be dangerous for
vulnerable people like pregnant women and children under four years old
living in the nearby town of Cernavoda;
- It is relatively easy to divert spent fuel from the reactor. India used a
similar design to obtain plutonium for its nuclear bomb in 1974. We don't
want Cernavoda to become a model for other countries who may be interested
in nuclear weapon production.
Sign the petition here:
http://www.greenpeace.org/romania/campaigns/nucleare/signthepetition
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A World Without Nuclear Weapons - Sign the Declaration
On Wednesday, President Obama signed a historic treaty with Russian
President Medvedev to cut nuclear arsenals by a third and get serious about
preventing other countries from moving forward with their nuclear programs.2
And next week, world leaders will come together for a historic summit to
tackle this very challenge.
But the right-wing hawks are up in arms. They're trying to scare the country
into thinking that having more nuclear weapons makes us safer.3 President
Obama needs to know we have his back as he takes a bold stand on this issue.
Can you sign this petition from our friends at Global Zero to support
eliminating these dangerous weapons from the face of the earth?
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87797
<http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87797&id=19773-3624164-dpr2A4x&t=3>
&id=19773-3624164-dpr2A4x&t=3
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Fantastic letter to the editor
While it is bad economics to distort the market by subsidizing green energy,
it is equally unfair to ignore the hidden health-care and climate-change
costs of coal-fired electricity and the externalized costs of nuclear power.
It should be acknowledged that subsidies to dirty electricity are hidden
while green energy subsidies are fully costed, giving green energy an
unjustified bad rap as uneconomical.
If consumers paid the true cost of coal-fired electricity, as reflected by a
carbon tax, and if the accurately costed nuclear power included the hidden
liabilities of limited insurance liability, reactor decommissioning costs,
stranded debt charges and opportunity costs, then conservation and
renewables like wind would become economically viable without subsidies.
Frank de Jong, past leader, Green Party of Ontario
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Leaders Gather for Nuclear Talks as New Threat Is Seen
The New York Times: Three months ago, American intelligence officials
examining satellite photographs of Pakistani nuclear facilities saw the
first wisps of steam from the cooling towers of a new nuclear reactor. It
was one of three plants being constructed to make fuel for a second
generation of nuclear arms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/world/12nuke.html?pagewanted=1
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Glow-in-the-Dark Exit Signs Made with Toxic Tritium
Find out everything you wanted to know about the dangers of tritium.
Tritium Primer: <http://www.tapcanada.org/tritium-primer/>
http://www.tapcanada.org/tritium-primer/
One-page fact sheets produced by the Tritium Awareness Project:
<http://www.tapcanada.org/key-tritium-resources/>
http://www.tapcanada.org/key-tritium-resources/
The Tritium Awareness Project is gathering signatures on the following
petition which requests that the federal government phase out the use of
tritium exit signs in Canada:
http://www.tapcanada.org/petition/
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When Ontarians conserve power, wind farms will be first to shut down
Despite its recent investment in wind energy, Ontario will periodically ask
wind operators to turn off their turbines, leaving gas and nuclear
operating.
http://this.org/blog/2010/04/13/exclusive-when-ontarians-conserve-power-wind
-farms-will-be-first-to-shut-down/?utm_source=feedburner
<http://this.org/blog/2010/04/13/exclusive-when-ontarians-conserve-power-win
d-farms-will-be-first-to-shut-down/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&ut
m_campaign=Feed%3A+this_blog+%28This.org%29>
&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+this_blog+%28This.org%29
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Let's give our grandkids a powerful legacy
Hydro in Niagara: A century ago, naysayers said renewable energy was too
expensive for Ontario AP
A century ago, naysayers said renewable energy was too expensive for
Ontario. But Niagara Falls is still paying dividends.
If there is a lesson worth remembering, it is that the investments being
made today in modern forms of renewable energy can be for this century what
the turbines at Niagara Falls were for the last: the foundation of our
future prosperity and a source of pride.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/lets-give-our-grandkids-a-power
ful-legacy/article1533429/
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The ECO wants to hear about your energy conservation experiences
Ontario's Environment Commissioner, Gord Miller, wants to learn about
barriers and incentives you've experienced in conserving energy. Report your
pleasure or frustration:
http://www.ontarioenergyconservation.ca/
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~~ EARTH DAY EVENT ~~ Toronto
WHAT IS IN THE AIR YOU ARE BREATHING?
Thursday, April 22, 7 pm
Koffler House, U of T, 569 Spadina Ave <http://bit.ly/crFjRR> , Room 108
(North of College), Toronto
Free!
Speakers:
Dr. Pieter Jugovic, <http://communityair.org/> CommunityAIR
Angela Bischoff, <http://www.cleanairalliance.org> Ontario Clean Air
Alliance
Lin Grist, <http://www.cleantrain.ca/> Clean Trains Coalition
Toronto Island Airport, Metroxlinx diesel trains, coal power plants-how do
these affect the air we breath? Join the Toronto Climate Campaign on Earth
Day as we hear from climate campaigners on the safety of Toronto air and
what we can do to improve it!
For more info: Toronto Climate Campaign:
http://www.torontoclimatecampaign.org/,
<mailto:info at torontoclimatecampaign.org> info at torontoclimatecampaign.org
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~~ Earth Day Eve Event in Toronto ~~
Finding Hope: Confronting Climate Wars - with Gwynne Dyer & Elizabeth May
Wednesday, April 21st at 7:30 pm
Trinity-St. Paul's United Church , 427 Bloor St. W. (1 block west of Spadina
Rd. ), Toronto
Join us the night before the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day for an amazing
event. Two of the strongest voices on the planet speaking to the climate
crisis will join forces to demand action. Gwynne Dyer, award winning
author, journalist and Elizabeth May, author, environmental lawyer, and
leader of the Green Party of Canada, collaborate to rebuild energy toward
global climate action through the theme Finding Hope: Confronting Climate
Wars. Ralph Benmergui broadcaster, performer and host of Jazz FM in Toronto
will be master of ceremonies.
Gwynne Dyer's most recent book Climate Wars warns of the security threat
posed by the climate crisis. The Pentagon and British intelligence service
understand the threat; Canada 's government does not. Elizabeth May whose
book, co-authored with Zoe Caron, Global Warming for Dummies explains the
science, the threat and outlines hopeful solutions, will lead us through the
politics and find hope to avert that threat.
Book signing will follow. Tickets are $15 each. Order your tickets online or
call 1.866.868.3447 x 239 http://greenparty.ca/node/14247
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Angela Bischoff
Outreach Director
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Tel: 416 926 1907 x 246
625 Church Street, #402
Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1
<mailto:angela at cleanairalliance.org> angela at cleanairalliance.org
<http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/> www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca
<http://www.cleanairalliance.org/> www.cleanairalliance.org
Our Facebook Group
<http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/petition.php> Sign Our Petition
<http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/nonukesnews.php> No Nukes News
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<http://cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_donate> donate now
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