No Nukes News: phasing out nuclear

Wed Jun 1 12:04:18 EDT 2011

No Nukes News

June 1, 2011

Nuclear power is safe only if no Act of God is permitted.  -
Nobel-prize-winning physicist Hannes Alfven, 1972

Fukushima has raised, once again, the perennial questions about human
fallibility and human frailty, about human hubris and man's arrogance in
thinking he can control nature. The earthquakes, the tsunami, the meltdown
at Japan's nuclear power plant are nature's reminders of her power.
Alternatives to nuclear energy are thousand times more abundant and million
times less risky. To push nuclear plants after Fukushima is pure insanity.
- Vandana Shiva
<http://garynull.squarespace.com/more-environment-articles/2011/5/27/vandana
-shiva-nuclear-insanity.html> 

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Switzerland to Phase Out Nuclear Energy

http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/05/switzerland-to-phase-out-n
uclear.html 

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Germany to Halt Nuclear Power Production by 2022

"The exit is necessary, and is recommended, in order to rule out the risks
of nuclear power," the commission said. "It is possible, because there are
less risky alternatives."  It identified wind, solar, water as alternatives,
as well as
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/geothermal_power/index.ht
ml?inline=nyt-classifier> geothermal energy and so-called biomass energy
from waste, as alternative power sources.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/world/europe/31germany.html?_r=2
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/world/europe/31germany.html?_r=2&hp> &hp

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Tepco Failed to Disclose Scale of Fukushima Radiation Leaks, Academics Say

As a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency visits Tokyo Electric
Power Co.'s crippled nuclear plant today, academics warn the company has
failed to disclose the scale of radiation leaks and faces a "massive
problem" with contaminated water. 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-27/tepco-faces-massive-problem-contain
ing-radioactive-water-at-fukushima.html 

Japan: Credit Outlook Cut On Fears About Fukushima

On Friday Japan had its international credit rating pushed to a negative
outlook by nervy ratings firms. Fitch Ratings says while Japan's deficit and
debt are very high, it is not their main concern, it's the damage the
Fukushima disaster could do to economic growth as well as the actual cost of
cleaning it up and protecting the site in the future.

http://hken.ibtimes.com/articles/154072/20110530/japan-credit-outlook-cut-on
-fears-about-fukushima.htm

Parent anger plays role in Japan's reversal of raised radiation limits at
schools

Japan's Education Ministry has pulled an about-face, returning exposure
limits for schoolchildren 1 millisievert a year. Officials will also pay for
removing surface soil from affected schoolyards.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-radiation-children
-20110529,0,6286849.story 

Solar panels to be fitted in all Japan's new homes and buildings by 2030

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8533083/Solar-panels-to
-be-fitted-in-all-Japans-new-homes-and-buildings-by-2030.html

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Fukushima Background

The principal cause of the meltdowns in three of the six Fukushima Dai-ichi
reactors was a complete blackout of electrical power, both onsite and
offsite.

Without electrical power, cooling pumps cannot operate. Since no one knows
how to shut off radioactivity, the heat generated by the enormous inventory
of radioactivity in the core of the reactor cannot be stopped or removed
fast enough, and so the temperature climbs and climbs, higher and higher.

At a temperature of about 1200 degrees Celsius, the zirconium metal cladding
(enclosing the uranium fuel pellets) melts - and so radioactive gasses and
vapours escape into the atmosphere of the containment building -- these are
the gasses and vapours that were trapped in the "gap" between the cladding
and the fuel. These include iodine-131, iodine-129, cesium-137, cesium-134,
as well as several isotopes of xenon and krypton.

The overheated zirconium metal (Zr) also reacts chemically with the steam
(H2O) to produce large amounts of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and hydrogen gas
(H2).  All it takes is a spark to set off an enormous explosion, destroying
the outer walls of the containment structure and releasing the radioactive
gasses and vapours to the outside atmosphere. The vapours condense and stick
to soil, plants, animals, fish and inner organs, entering and concentrating
in the food chain.  Radioactive iodine concentrates in the thyroid gland and
in milk, while radioactive cesium concentrates in blood and soft organs. The
highly radioactive gasses irradiate people from the above as they pass
overhead.

As the temperature continues to climb to about 2800 degrees Celsius, the
fuel itself starts to melt, releasing a much greater quantity of radioactive
iodine, cesium, krypton, and argon, as well as dozens of other radioactive
materials -- isotopes of strontium, plutonium, americium, technetium,
rubidium, ruthenium -- the list goes on and on.

It is important to realize that a similar sequence of events would occur in
any large power reactor in the world, if there were a total loss of onsite
and offsite power for an extended period.  Such a situation could be caused
by conventional sabotage or warfare, by a combination of a natural disaster
and equipment failure, by a massive fire in the electrical wiring of a
nuclear reactor, or just by accident. See for example
http://www.ccnr.org/browns_ferry.html .

-          Gordon Edwards. <http://www.ccnr.org/> 

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Thorium Fuel: No Panacea for Nuclear Power

http://www.ieer.org/fctsheet/thorium2009factsheet.pdf

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Hudak is endangering green jobs

Tim Hudak's recent announcement that he would cancel the Green Energy and
Green Economy Act is irresponsible. It would cost Ontario thousands of jobs
and cause us to miss out on this clean energy revolution, a global
transformation that is simultaneously reducing environmental impacts,
creating jobs and fuelling economic growth in countries around the world.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/997082--hudak-is-end
angering-green-jobs

Energy platform - Hudak's misinformation

The provincial PC leader has vowed to kill Ontario's green energy plan if
he's elected premier in October. At the same time, Hudak is promising to
phase out coalfired plants by 2014 -just three years from now -because
they're dirty.

http://www.windsorstar.com/opinion/blogs/Energy+platform/4871599/story.html

Send a letter to Mr. Hudak  <http://www.cleanairalliance.org/hudak_coal>
here - use the following text or write your own:

I've just learned about the release of your new energy platform. I'm very
pleased that you are committed to completely phasing out all coal burning in
the province by 2014.

I'm also happy that you're committed to hydro-electricity. The real
potential lies with our neighbour next door via water power imports from
Quebec. With the exception of conservation, hydro-electricity from Quebec is
the lowest-cost option to keep the lights on in Ontario.  Vermont purchases
water power from Hydro Quebec for about 6 cents per kWh, less than one-third
the cost of new nuclear. Please commit to  negotiating a long-term contract
with Hydro Quebec for low-cost water power before signing any new nuclear
agreements.

In terms of natural gas, all of our new plants should be energy efficient
Combined Heat and Power.

But the best way to protect electricity consumers is to end the practice of
allowing nuclear companies to pass along their inevitable cost overruns.
Please tell Ontario Power Generation (OPG) that a Hudak Government will not
allow it to pass its cost overruns on to consumers and taxpayers. It's time
to put Ontario's consumers and taxpayers first. No more blank cheques for
OPG.   <http://www.cleanairalliance.org/hudak_coal>
http://www.cleanairalliance.org/hudak_coal  

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Ontario's Green Energy Backlash: Politicians Exploit Growing Opposition To
Wind Turbines, Solar

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/05/27/ontario-green-energy-turbines-hudak_
n_867236.html

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Keeping it clean: Activists say non-nuclear future is best way to protect
river, lakes

http://www.voicenews.com/articles/2011/05/25/news/doc4ddd540d15424867125531.
txt

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Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment  

This new book on Chernobyl by Dr. Alexey V. Yablokov, Dr. Vassily B.
Nesterenko and Dr. Alexey V. Nesterenko, Consulting Editor Dr. Janette
Sherman can be now downloaded free at:
http://www.strahlentelex.de/Yablokov%20Chernobyl%20book.pdf

It can also be purchased in paperback for $10 from Lynn Ehrle
ehrlebird32 at att.net . 

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/26/chernobyl_catastrophe_25th_anniversary
_of_worlds

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 <http://www.folkecenter.net/gb/news/fc/danish_districtenergy/> Danish
District Energy Solutions

Denmark began using combined heat and power (CHP) technology in the period
of 1989-1996 to an extent that they can now deliver 25% of the national
demand for electricity in Denmark, all from small-scale decentralized
district energy stations. Today, central and decentralized CHP plants
together have a capacity to deliver 60% of the electricity and 80% of the
heating demand.

http://www.folkecenter.net/gb/news/fc/danish_districtenergy/

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GE sees solar cheaper than fossil fuels in 5 years

http://climateprogress.org/2011/05/26/ge-solar-cheaper-than-fossil-fuels-in-
5-years/?utm_source=feedburner
<http://climateprogress.org/2011/05/26/ge-solar-cheaper-than-fossil-fuels-in
-5-years/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climat
eprogress%2FlCrX+%28Climate+Progress%29>
&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climateprogress%2FlCrX+%28Climate+Pro
gress%29

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Worst ever carbon emissions leave climate on the brink

Record rise, despite recession, means 2C target almost out of reach

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/29/carbon-emissions-nuclearpo
wer

Ailing UN climate talks jolted by record surge in greenhouse gases

Lord Stern talks of 'wake-up call' for governments meeting in Bonn next week
with no sign of an agreement to succeed Kyoto

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/29/record-greenhouse-gases-jo
lt-bonn-climate-talks?INTCMP=SRCH

Oilsands emissions data left out of UN report

Federal government admits deliberately leaving numbers out that indicate
pollution from oilsands production outstrips auto emissions, up 20% from
previous year

<http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Oilsands+emissions+data+left+report/48
61017/story.html#ixzz1Nq4J7auq>
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Oilsands+emissions+data+left+report/486
1017/story.html#ixzz1Nq4J7auq

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The 4th Revolution - Energy Autonomy

Watch the 8 min. trailer to this superb documentary:

http://www.energyautonomy.org/index.php?article_id=29
<http://www.energyautonomy.org/index.php?article_id=29&clang=1> &clang=1 

Bring this film to your community. Contact Planet in Focus
kathleen at planetinfocus.org 

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The Real Truth About Wind Energy: A Sierra Club Canada report:
http://www.sierraclub.ca/sites/sierraclub.ca/files/wind_energy_report_may26.
pdf 

Most popular Wind Power Myths:
http://www.whywind.org/pb/wp_a1b4e1bf/wp_a1b4e1bf.html 

Windy Myths: Get the Facts:  http://www.canwea.ca/wind-energy/myths_e.php

Wind Power Realities:
http://www.pembina.org/docs/re/revised-final-wind-factsheet.pdf 

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Household Efficiency Measures

http://www.climateactionnow.ca/energy-efficiency-tips-table

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Bring Nuremberg Principles to CANSEC warshow in Ottawa

STOP Canadian Participation in crimes against peace and humanity. Join the
Spring Nuremberg Action Group (SNAG) as we throw a snag into the CANSEC
weapons fair where profits are put ahead of international laws meant to stop
war crimes. While there will be nonviolent "civil disobedience", there will
be many roles for people not risking arrest. Bring signs, banners, and
objects of peace to tie to the fence.

More info on SNAG and events: 
http://www.facebook.com/l/83de7veqqpEP7GRaJX0sPkGyv-w/www.nowar-paix.ca

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104828266272535
snag.cansec at gmail.com
613-565-5959 

More info on CANSEC and Canadian war-profiteers: 
Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade
http://www.facebook.com/l/83de7zx11MDo1TlKDAoBygqj8lw/coat.ncf.ca

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Sign the  <http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/petition2.php> Petition Calling
for a Moratorium on New Nuclear Projects in ON

http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/petition2.php

And order FREE anti-nuclear and anti-coal leaflets 

They contain postcards to politicians. Courtesy of the Ontario Clean Air
Alliance.

http://www.cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_order_pamphlets 

Thank you for helping get the word out!

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Angela Bischoff

Outreach Director

Ontario Clean Air Alliance

Tel: 416 260-2080 x 1

160 John St., #300

Toronto, ON  M5V 2E5

angela at cleanairalliance.org

www.cleanairalliance.org <http://www.cleanairalliance.org/>  

www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca <http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/> 

 <http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/nonukesnews.php> No Nukes News

 <http://www.healthpower.ca/> Health Power

 <http://coalmustgo.ca/> Coal Must Go

 <http://ontariosgreenfuture.ca/petition2.php> Sign our Petition

Facebook - Ontario Clean Air Alliance

  <http://cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_donate> 

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