Thursday, September 15, 2011

Radiation Alerts

Autumn Actions for a Nuclear-Free World....

FIND ONE NEAR YOU, OR START ONE OF YOUR OWN!

September 13, 2011

Dear Friends,

It's been exactly six months--almost to the hour as I write this--that the explosion at Fukushima Daiichi's plutonium-powered Unit-3 reactor ripped apart its fuel pool and reactor building, sending black smoke high into the air and radiation across the globe.

That explosion and the accompanying three meltdowns at Fukushima forever destroyed any semblance of the myth that nuclear power is safe or clean, or even has a place on our planet.

We've had six months of radiation releases, six months of changing stories about how much radiation has been released--stories that change only in one direction: upwards; six months of the Japanese government failing to protect its people, going so far as to increase allowable radiation standards in order to avoid compensating people who should be evacuated.

And we've had six months in the U.S. of close calls and unfortunate proof of our own unreadiness to cope with a nuclear accident. We've had floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, all of which have tested U.S. reactors and served as additional warnings of the follies of nuclear technology--just in case we were heedless of the warning of Fukushima. We've had a government proving itself incapable of coordinated and effective radiation monitoring from a distant accident--setting up new alarm bells about our ability to monitor an accident much closer to home.

We've had six months, and we've had enough.

This Autumn, we urge you to bring your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues and come out to the streets with a simple message: No More Nuclear Power.

A group that formed on Facebook following Fukushima is making it easy for you. The group, called Coalition Against Nukes, is already organizing rallies and other events in many cities for October 1, including a major rally in New York City with Helen Caldicott, John Hall, Harvey Wasserman and many more. You can find a full list of actions already planned, along with contact information, on NIRS website here. We're updating it as more actions are announced (and don't forget to send us your updates!).

We're sure a lot of these local actions could use some additional volunteer help, so don't hesitate to contact them!

Don't see an action near enough to you? Then start one. Seriously. It's not that hard. Get some friends together. Decide on a location. Write a quick press release and get it to your local media. Print a leaflet and start handing them out. Post them on websites and blogs. Send the info to NIRS and we'll add it to the Actions page.

Need a hand? If you use Facebook, you can contact Coalition Against Nukes here. If you don't, contact NIRS and we'll help too.

It's been six months. It's time for us all to act.

Thanks for all you do; right now, we ask that you do just a little more...

Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnet@nirs.org
www.nirs.org

Note: Many people still have not yet signed the latest petition to Japan's government, calling for stricter radiation standards and more evacuation of people living in contaminated zones. If you haven't yet signed, please do so now here. The people of Japan are asking for our support!


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Nuclear Energy - News September 15, 2011
From RadiationAlerts.org / Tppix /
Lucas Whitefield Hixson | Information Architect | Enformable
and other sources.


After Japan. Where does the world go after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident? (The University of Western Ontario)
This week marks six months since a 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami sparked the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident, a massive incident involving equipment failures, meltdowns triggered by fuel pools and radiation release.


10am: Parliament restricts access to information about nuclear energy (Slovak Spectator)
Parliament passed the so-called Atomic Act on Wednesday, September 14, restricting access to sensitive documents containing information about nuclear energy.



Europeans Reignite Fusion Energy Project (Tech Review)
A team of researchers has restarted the world's largest fusion experiment - the Joint European Torus reactor, near Oxford, U.K. The move is a step forward in the quest for practical nuclear fusion.


Poland can't afford to scrap nuclear plans: minister (Gulf Times)
Poland will not abandon its nuclear power plans despite Europes economic crisis and growing public opposition following Japans Fukushima disaster, a government official responsible for the project said yesterday.


Durham anti-nuclear movement mourns loss of leader (DurhamRegion)
Mr. Martin, a founder of Durham Nuclear Awareness, died on Sept. 9 after a four-year battle against prostate cancer.


French nuclear blast no big deal: Minister (Turkish Daily News)
France is 'interested' in Turkey's plans to construct two or three nuclear power plant, French Minister Besson says a day after nuclear blast in south France.


Status of TEPCO’s Facilities and its services (as of September 12)
Posted:
-Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: Units 1 to 3: shutdown due to the earthquake (Units 4 to 6: outage due to regular inspections) *From 8:05 am to 9:35 am on September 12, we conducted dust sampling at the upper part of reactor building of Unit 3 using a large crane vehicle. *At 2:01 pm on September [...]

Covert Nuclear Double-Cross – Kaieda, Matsumoto worked to undermine Kan’s authority with Veitnam nuclear project
Posted:
In August, his days numbered as prime minister, Naoto Kan refused to authorize exports of nuclear power plant technology to Vietnam despite having actively pushed the project months earlier. Alarmed that the huge contracts could go to another country, then Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Banri Kaieda and Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto went over [...]

Specialists Investigation Reveals Meltdowns and Nuclear Disaster Caused By TEPCO’s Inability to Handle Situation Correctly
Posted:
The original website : http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye4822557.html Nuclear energy specialists team analyzed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant data and put together their opinions. It said "Although tsunami caused the power plants blackout, it wouldn't have caused severe crisis like meltdown if it had been handled properly." The massive tsunami attacked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. #1 reactor completely lost the AC source. [...]

A view of dust sampling at the upper part of the Reactor Building of Unit 1 at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (pictured on September 11, 2011)
Posted:
*From 9:45 am to 1:30 pm on September 11, we conducted dust sampling at the upper part of reactor building of Unit 1 using a large crane vehicle. Source:www.tepco.co.jp, via Enformable

Status of TEPCO’s Facilities and its services (as of September 11)
Posted:
- Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: Units 1 to 3: shutdown due to the earthquake (Units 4 to 6: outage due to regular inspections) Source:www.tepco.co.jp, via @Enformable




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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Radiation Alerts

Kenyan Oil Pipeline, French Nuclear Site Explode + Earthquakes, Flooding, Fracking & Fukushima (TreeHugger)
From today's pipeline explosion in Kenya and nuclear plant explosion in the south of France, to word coming late last week about the effects of the Virginia earthquake on nuclear power, to the amount of radiation released into the sea in the Fukushima nuclear disaster, to questions raised about the intersection of fracking and floodplains in New ... (more)



Recommendations for nuclear plants come after Louisa quake (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
The North Anna nuclear-power plant in Virginia is emerging as a test case for federal regulators as they reassess the dangers posed to U.S. nuclear reactors by earthquakes and other natural disasters.


New PM: Japan should aim to reduce nuclear power (Newsday)
Addressing parliament in his first policy speech since taking office two weeks ago, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda also said he would press ahead with the recovery along the tsunami-battered northeastern coast, calling on his fellow citizens not to forget "the spirit of dignity of all Japanese that was displayed despite the hopelessness of this ... (more)


Fukushima reactors now stable - IAEA (Independent Online)
The reactors at Japan's crippled Fukushima atomic power plant are now "essentially stable", the United Nations nuclear chief said on Monday, six months after the world's worst nuclear disaster in a quarter of a century.


Entergy, Vt. square off over nuclear plant future (Sunherald)
An executive at the company that owns Vermont's only nuclear power plant told a federal judge Monday that he felt heavy pressure from state officials to sell power at a price favorable to Vermont utilities if his company wanted the state to allow the plant to continue operating.



NRC staff: Reassess Earthquake Risk at Nuke Plants (NBC29)
Staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission say the agency should immediately require operators to evaluate whether nuclear plants can withstand earthquakes and floods after events in Japan and Virginia.


Inspection team checking out Neb. nuclear plant (WOI-TV West Des Moines)
A special team of federal inspectors is at the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant looking for the cause of a small fire at the plant in June.



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