No Nukes News: QC's nuclear exit = lessons for ON

Mon Oct 1 17:03:21 EDT 2012

No Nukes News

Oct. 1, 2012 – Please pass this onto a friend! 

The World

☢ 2011–2012 world nuclear industry <http://bos.sagepub.com/content/68/5/8.abstract>  status report The market niche that nuclear power once held is disappearing. The key nuclear indicators—including the number of operating reactors, installed capacity, power generation, and share of total electricity generation—all show that the global nuclear industry is in decline. In 2012, nuclear power’s competitors—most notably, wind and solar generation—are rapidly gaining market share as long lead times, construction delays, cost overruns, and safety concerns have combined to make nuclear power a risky investment that the markets are increasingly unwilling to make.

☢ Tritium Emissions – Seeing Through Shuck <http://ccnr.org/shuck_blog_12_09_12.pdf>  Radioactive emissions and background radiation, by Gordon Edwards, Ph.D., Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility

☢ Indian protestors stopping construction of nuclear reactor <http://www.youtube.com/embed/y5n_AHfK8mo>  Activists find welcome ally in facebook. 

☢  <http://nyti.ms/VW3cJS> Nuclear Energy Policy in France Divides Governing Coalition of Socialists and Greens 

☢  <http://bit.ly/Qb47Tc> Long, hot summer raised questions about how power plants might fare in warming world Nuclear reactors are "canaries in the coal mine" because they are more sensitive to warming temperatures than other generators. Issues arise because nuclear plants rely on water from rivers, lakes and oceans to cool the plants' safety systems like the control room and other machinery. If the water is too hot, it is incapable of taking heat away from those processes and critical cooling safety equipment. Nuclear plants also face temperature limits on water they discharge. If the water's considered too warm for aquatic life, reactor operators must power down or close. 

☢  <http://bit.ly/PYSmPs> Slow progress containing problems at Fukushima, new ones arise The operator is having difficulty pumping water into destroyed reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 plant, tanks are rapidly filling with radioactive water, and hundreds of potentially volatile uranium fuel assemblies remain in a precarious storage pool that some warn could collapse in another strong earthquake.

☢ Point Lepreau restart further delayed <http://bit.ly/QBphdk>  The refurbishment is about three years behind schedule and $1 billion over budget.

☢ Cameco hit with downgrade as hopes for uranium rebound fade <http://tinyurl.com/cgyvpzu>  Fukushima has prompted a global rethink of nuclear energy and ushered in a crisis of confidence in the uranium industry.

Ontario

☢ Quebec’s nuclear exit: Lessons for Ontario <http://bit.ly/UT8Iip>  The environmental movement had a huge win last week:  Quebec announced it will shut down its only nuclear reactor, Gentilly-2.    I believe we can import the success of the campaign to close Gentilly-2 to Ontario.  Together we can stop Premier McGuinty’s plan to spend billions to keep the Darlington nuclear station on life support. – Greenpeace Canada

☢ How many dead fish at Darlington would be significant? <http://www.waterkeeper.ca/2012/09/19/how-many-dead-fish-would-be-significant/>  A nuclear power plant in Ontario should be allowed to kill millions of fish each year, say staff of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). 

☢ GPO calls for review of Bill 75 <http://www.gpo.ca/media-release/gas-plant-fiasco-requires-rethink-liberal-bill-remove-oversight-electricity-plans>  Bill 75 would give the Minister of Energy the power to proceed with billion dollar nuclear projects without an independent review of costs or alternatives. “Without an independent review of nuclear costs and alternatives, Ontarians will need to hold onto our pocketbooks. What is the government hiding? Why are they afraid of publicly reviewing costs and alternatives?”

☢ Durham not in compliance on nuclear emergency planning <http://bit.ly/PelL9l>  

☢ Port Hope Megadump <http://www.waterkeeper.ca/2012/09/27/watchdogs-monkeys-and-radioactive-waste/>  The Port Hope Area Initiative is the most significant low-level radioactive waste cleanup project in North America. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper weighs in.

☢ Groups seek Darlington nuclear delay <http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1259916--groups-seek-darlington-nuclear-delay> 

Renewables and Conservation

☢ How to spark a 'renewables revolution' <http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/blogs/how-to-spark-a-renewables-revolution>  Japan's plan to wean off nuclear power could help lead a global push toward cleaner, more efficient civilization, says U.S. energy guru Amory Lovins.

Action

☢ Quebec Shut Down – Now Let’s Stop Darlington <http://bit.ly/TNyNjV> 

☢ Please send a message to  <mailto:christopher.bentley at ontario.ca> Energy Minister Chris Bentley (and cc  <mailto:angela at cleanairalliance.org> me) asking him to protect taxpayers and electricity consumers by flipping the switch off superfluous coal-fired electric generation and mothballing Pickering.  It’s time for the province to finally end its expensive and dangerous coal and nuclear bear hugs and embrace safer and cheaper alternatives instead.  <http://www.cleanairalliance.org/node/1121> For more info. 

☢ The NDP are asking what your priorities are, and what questions you might have for the Premier. So let’s tell them – say no to the Darlington re-build!  <mailto:yoursay at ndp.on.ca>  yoursay at ndp.on.ca.

Events

☢ Darlington: Risk and Refurbishment <https://www.facebook.com/events/354908354596025/>  A Panel Discussion Tues. Oct. 2, 7 p.m., Trent University, Oshawa 

☢  <http://bit.ly/OdGq0k> Nuclear Labyrinth on the Great Lakes Oct. 4-6, Ohio

☢ The Hazards of the Darling Nuclear Station: A Panel Discussion <http://on.fb.me/V18OD9'>  Wed. Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Metro Hall, Rm #303, Toronto

☢ Switch <http://planetinfocus.org/festival-films/switch/>  Oct. 13, noon, Toronto. What will it really take to wean an energy thirsty society off coal and oil? This doc film takes us on an eye-opening global journey examining the viability of renewable alternatives.

☢ The case for a fully renewable, all-purpose energy system <http://www.eventbrite.ca/event/4423013352>  with Mark Z. Jacobson of Stanford University, Ralph Torrie and Tyler Hamilton Monday October 15, 7:30pm, Bahen Centre in the University of Toronto, rm 1180, 40 St George Street, just north of College Street, Advance tickets $4.89 online at $10 at the door

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/> 

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Twitter: @nonukebailouts

  <http://cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_donate> 

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