Siemens to quit nuclear industry

A major supplier of the international nuclear industry, Germany’s energy giant Siemens, has decided to pull out of the nuclear industry, according to BBC Business News, September 18, 2011. This decision is a direct result of the Fukushima disaster and the German government’s decision to phase out nuclear power in Germany by 2022.
Read the BBC news here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14963575

 

No radiation detected in West Coast fish by CFIA…but…

No radiation detected in West Coast fish
This appears to be good news! However, why are we not told what kind of fish was tested, where, and what the actual readings were? Pacific salmon need to be tested now and into the future as their migration patterns can take them as far as to the northern tip of Japan over their multi-year life span. Was Pacific salmon tested by the CFIA?

CBC News Sept. 19, 2011
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/09/16/bc-no-radiation-west-coast-fish.html

See “Testing and Monitoring” for comprehensive answers by CFIA citizen questions about the recent fish tests.

 

Unsure about nuclear power? Five questions you must answer to decide

This is an excellent piece by the Guardian–read it and form your own opinion!

Twenty five years on from Chernobyl, the heated debate on nuclear power remains resistant to cold facts: simply too few are known. But making your own judgements on five key questions will lead to your answer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/apr/21/chernobyl-nuclear-power-fukushima

 

Fukushima disaster: it’s not over yet

As Canadian news media do not seem to take an interest in the fate of the people and environment in Japan post-Fukushima, we have to rely on international media, such as the Guardian, which has provided excellent data journalism and reports on this topic:
“Six months after the multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the streets have been cleared but the psychological damage remains…”http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/09/fukushima-japan-nuclear-disaster-aftermath

Other related stories by the Guardian:

Fukushima six months on: Japanese mark moment earthquake struck
Silent tribute to 20,000 dead and missing as pessimism over recovery and anxiety over radiation remain
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/11/fukushima-six-months-on

Fukushima report shows nuclear power can never be safe and cheap The first “independent” review of the safety failures during Japan’s nuclear disaster reveals some chillingly obvious “lessons” to be learned
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/jun/20/nuclearpower-nuclear-waste

Fukushima nuclear disaster: PM at the time feared Japan would collapse. Naoto Kan said that Tepco had considered abandoning the plant after it was hit by the 11 March tsunami
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/08/fukushima-nuclear-disaster-pm-japan?intcmp=239

Japan Disaster http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami

Fukushima spin was Orwellian Emails detailing how the UK government played down Fukushima show just how cosy it is with the nuclear industry http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/01/fukushima-emails-government-nuclear-industry

Citizens across world oppose nuclear power, poll finds. The debate over nuclear energy is fiendishly complex, but one important factor is public opinion, and people in 24 nations across the world oppose it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/jun/23/nuclearpower-nuclear-waste

Nuclear power: If Japan and Germany don’t need it, why does anyone? The world’s third and fourth biggest economies have abandoned plans for new reactors, believing renewables and efficiency can fill the gap. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/may/11/nuclear-renewables-japan-germany

 

Plutonium found far from Fukushima

One of the most toxic and dangerous radionuclides is Plutonium, which results from the decay of radioactive Neptunium. It is carcinogenic and deadly in very minute amounts. Until now, we have not had any information on actual levels of Plutonium released at Fukushima. The most recently released data is highly troubling: http://enenews.com/report-76-trillion-becquerels-plutonium-239-released-fukushima-23000-times-higher-previously-announced

 

Explosion at French nuclear waste plant

One worker reported dead in blast at Marcoule nuclear waste processing site in southern France http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/12/french-nuclear-plant-rocked-explosion