Nuclear Energy

Jill Stein is calling out Obama, the darling of the Nuclear industry, not only for his corporate cronyism but also for a reckless regressivism.

Dr. Stein marked the first anniversary of the Fukushima meltdown, citing the tragic deaths involved as well as the straggering $250 BILLION cleanup costs. To Stein this is clear evidence that an “immediate move to a 100% renewable economy” MUST BE MADE. She observed that the Obama White House “has shown it has learned nothing,” since it is still promoting nuclear power plants while other progressive countries are dramatically moving away from them especially since the Japanese nuclear disaster. Stein:

A Green president would invest in wind, solar and geothermal, emphasize efficiency and conservation, phase out nuclear power plants, and move to a carbon-free economy to deal with climate change. We would immediately end Obama’s expensive subsidies for nuclear power as well as fossil fuels, and use those funds instead to kick off a job-producing energy program based on clean, safe and renewable energy.

The United States isn’t broke; we’re the richest country on the planet and a country in which the richest among us are doing exceptionally well. But the truth is, our economy is broken, producing more pollution, greenhouse gasses and garbage than any other country. In these and so many other ways, it just isn’t working. But rather than invest in something better, we continue to keep this ‘dinosaur economy’ on life support with hundreds of billions of dollars of our tax money. The Story of Broke calls for a shift in government spending toward investments in clean, green solutions—renewable energy, safer chemicals and materials, zero waste and more—that can deliver jobs AND a healthier environment. It’s time to rebuild the American Dream; but this time, let’s build it better.

Video source

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Radioxenon Testing

By David Wogan | September 16, 2011

[...]

Radioxenon testing involves taking air samples and looking for xenon-133, an isotope of the noble gas that is formed as a byproduct of nuclear reactions and acts as a tracer.

Originally published in the California Progress Report
By Karen Bernal
Progressive Caucus of the CA Democratic Party

We've had enough. The country has had enough.

As elated as we were when President Obama was elected in 2008, after a disastrous eight years under the repressive and war-mongering Bush Administration, the Obama Administration has been a major disappointment to the working class and Progressives of this country.

So much so that on July 30, the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party adopted a resolution criticizing President Obama for negotiating away Democratic Party principles to extremist Republicans, and suggesting that we may explore steps to "effect necessary change, including a possible primary challenge to President Obama." The resolution, overwhelmingly adopted at a meeting of the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party July 30, did not say President Obama would not be that candidate.

The officers and members of the caucus are willing to meet with the President if he wishes to discuss our concerns. In fact, we would welcome the opportunity. Our Caucus leadership wishes HOPE BEYOND HOPE that President Obama will rework his priorities to respond to the needs of working class Americans in order to get progressive support in 2012.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Fault system draws questions about Diablo Canyon nuclear plant’s safety

King George III Won: Happy Fourth of July!
By David Swanson
http://warisacrime.org/node/58333

The Declaration of Independence is best remembered as a declaration of war, a war declared on the grounds that we wanted our own flag. The sheer stupidity and anachronism of the idea serves to discourage any thoughts about why Canada didn't need a bloody war, whether the U.S. war benefitted people outside the new aristocracy to whom power was transferred, what bothered Frederick Douglas so much about a day celebrating "independence," or what the Declaration of Independence actually said.

When you read the Declaration of Independence, it turns out to be an indictment of King George III for various abuses of power. And those abuses of power look fairly similar to abuses of power we happily permit U.S. presidents to engage in today, either as regards the people of this nation or the people of territories and nations that our military occupies today in a manner uncomfortably resembling Britain's rule over the 13 colonies.

Or perhaps I should say, a large portion of us take turns being happy or outraged depending on the political party with which the current president is identified.

Yet, more reasons why we need to contact our Congressmembers and tell them to vote NO on the "Defense Authorization" bill (HR 1750).

Call you Congressmember toll free: Call 1-888-231-9276 and ask for Doris Matsui (or whomever your Congressperson may be).

The Worst Bill Ever in Congress
http://warisacrime.org/node/57943

The "Defense Authorization" bill now before Congress, HR 1750, is arguably the worst bill ever considered likely to pass into law. It includes $118 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wars a majority of Americans wants ended. But that's not why it's the worst bill ever.

This bill also includes $553 billion for other military waste. That's enough money to save and improve a lot of lives if it weren't being dumped into the war machine. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

The bill limits the President’s ability to implement the New START agreement unless there is full funding for the nuclear weapons complex, bars the retirement of nuclear weapons until two new nuclear facilities are completed, and bars further nuclear weapons reductions below New START levels unless approved by Congress. But that's not why this is the worst bill ever.

The bill invests heavily in a National Missile "Defense" system based in California and Alaska.

This bill revives a second engine for the F-35 that the Pentagon has no use for.

This bill bars any transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo.

But none of that is why this is the worst bill ever.

Warns Any Radiation Exposure Is Unsafe
March 19, 2011

Washington, DC - March 19, 2011 – Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) today called for a nationwide moratorium on new nuclear reactors in the United States and a suspension of operations at the nuclear reactors with a similar design as those involved in the disaster in Japan, as well as those on fault lines. PSR cited the medical risks associated with any level of radiation exposure regardless of how small. Lower doses result in less chance of harm than higher doses, but any dose level can put an individual at risk.

“There is no safe level of radiation exposure,” said Jeff Patterson, MD, immediate past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “The direction of the wind and the amount of radioactivity released is going to determine the extent of the impact on human health. If the wind changes direction, a large release of radioactivity from the Fukushima reactors would have far-reaching medical consequences in Japan. Medical treatment for radiation is limited, at best.”

Original letter to the Sacramento Bee from John Reiger:

Japan is being nuked again. Sixty six years ago it was hit twice with nuclear bombs. This time it is being nuked by its own nuclear power companies. Japanese nuclear power hustlers are like the American nuclear power hustlers who continue to assure us that nuclear power is clean and safe. But it’s not.

During early nuclear bomb tests in this country, American servicemen were deliberately exposed to bomb radiation because "experts" thought they were far enough away to escape deadly doses. They weren't; many died.

These days nuclear power experts continue to assure us that nuclear power is clean and safe. But Japan - having first experienced the full horror of nuclear war - is now experiencing the horror of peacetime nuclear power. We need to learn from the tragic Japanese experience. No nuclear bombs! No nuclear power!

John C. Reiger
Pres. of Veterans For Peace, Ch. 87

Only low level radiation so far. Click the pics to enlarge. The first one is of the jet stream for Friday March 18th; and the second is a graphic on the health effects

Few radioactive particles on U.S. west coast

VIENNA (Reuters) - Minuscule amounts of radioactive particles believed to have come from Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant have been detected on the U.S. west coast, two diplomatic sources said Friday.

The level of radiation was far too low to cause any harm to humans, they said. One diplomat, citing information from a network of international monitoring stations, described the material as "ever so slight," consisting of only a few particles.

"Even a single radioactive atom can cause them to measure something and this is more or less what we have seen in the Sacramento station,"

Fukushima 50 battle radiation risks as Japan nuclear crisis deepens

Workers in protective gear – known as the Fukushima 50 – encounter myriad problems as Japanese PM demands answers

Risk of meltdown ... smoke comes out of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Photo: DigitalGlobe

Stay indoors: Japanese PM's order to residents beyond nuclear reactor evacuation zone after blast
Glenda Kwek - March 15, 2011 - 2:57PM
The Sydney Morning Herald

Radiation levels near a quake-stricken nuclear plant are now harmful to human health, Japan's government says after explosions and a fire at the facility.

''There is no doubt that unlike in the past, the figures are the level at which human health can be affected,'' said chief government spokesman Yukio Edano.

Tens of thousands have already been evacuated from a zone within a radius of 20km from the Fukushima No.1 plant, 250 kilometres northeast of Tokyo.

In a live address on national broadcaster NHK, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan also said that people beyond 20 kilometres but up to a 30-kilometre radius from the plant should stay indoors.

Published on Friday, March 11, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
by Harvey Wasserman

Had the massive 8.9 Richter-scale earthquake that has just savaged Japan hit off the California coast, it could have ripped apart at least four coastal reactors and sent a lethal cloud of radiation across the entire United States.

The two huge reactors each at San Onofre and Diablo Canyon are not designed to withstand such powerful shocks. All four are extremely close to major faults.

All four reactors are located relatively low to the coast. They are vulnerable to tsunamis like those now expected to hit as many as fifty countries.