Environment
This morning, 48 environmental, civil rights and community leaders from across the country joined together for a historic display of civil disobedience at the White House where they demanded that President Obama deny the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and address the climate crisis.
This morning, 48 environmental, civil rights and community leaders from across the country joined together for a historic display of civil disobedience at the White House where they demanded that President Obama deny the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and address the climate crisis.
Among the notable leaders involved in the civil disobedience were Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club; Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org; Julian Bond, former president of the NAACP; Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., president of Waterkeeper Alliance; Danny Kennedy, CEO of Sungevity, and Daryl Hannah, actress.
After blocking a main thoroughfare in front of the White House, and refusing to move when asked by police, the activists were arrested and transported to Anacostia for processing by the U.S. Park Police Department.
This morning, 48 environmental, civil rights and community leaders from across the country joined together for a historic display of civil disobedience at the White House where they demanded that President Obama deny the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and address the climate crisis.
Among the notable leaders involved in the civil disobedience were Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club; Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org; Julian Bond, former president of the NAACP; Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., president of Waterkeeper Alliance; Danny Kennedy, CEO of Sungevity, and Daryl Hannah, actress.
After blocking a main thoroughfare in front of the White House, and refusing to move when asked by police, the activists were arrested and transported to Anacostia for processing by the U.S. Park Police Department.
San Francisco, CA. Jan. 8, 2013
This is video coverage of the first hearing in the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) investigation of the shutdown of failed nuclear reactors at San Onofre. It is co-produced as a public service by WomensEnergyMatters.org and EON.
Pt. 1-A Video 1
Pt. 1-B Video 2
Pt. 2 Video 3
SHUTDOWN not MELTDOWN - Public Comments on San Onofre Video 4 Concerned citizens speak out as the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) begins a series of hearings on the shutdown of the failed San Onofre nuclear reactors. Co-produced as a public service by WomensEnergyMatters.org and EON.
If you like our work, you can support it, whatever your budget, here: Donate Now
This is video coverage of the first hearing in the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) investigation of the shutdown of failed nuclear reactors at San Onofre. It is co-produced as a public service by WomensEnergyMatters.org and EON.
Pt. 1-A Video 1
Pt. 1-B Video 2
Pt. 2 Video 3
SHUTDOWN not MELTDOWN - Public Comments on San Onofre Video 4 Concerned citizens speak out as the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) begins a series of hearings on the shutdown of the failed San Onofre nuclear reactors. Co-produced as a public service by WomensEnergyMatters.org and EON.
If you like our work, you can support it, whatever your budget, here: Donate Now
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has just released an environmental assessment (EA) for allowing radioactive waste metal to be mixed with the nation’s scrap metal stream. Talking points are below.
In 2000 under President Clinton, a contaminated metals moratorium was put in place, disallowing radioactive metal from being mixed with the nation’s scrap metal stream. Outspoken public concern over proposals to add radioactive metals into our scrap metal led to this moratorium. The EA proposes to change that moratorium.
Americans clearly did and do not want ourselves, and particularly our children, to be arbitrarily exposed to unknown amounts of deadly radioactivity for no better reason than the convenience and profit for a few.
In 2000 under President Clinton, a contaminated metals moratorium was put in place, disallowing radioactive metal from being mixed with the nation’s scrap metal stream. Outspoken public concern over proposals to add radioactive metals into our scrap metal led to this moratorium. The EA proposes to change that moratorium.
Americans clearly did and do not want ourselves, and particularly our children, to be arbitrarily exposed to unknown amounts of deadly radioactivity for no better reason than the convenience and profit for a few.
Radioactive materials will go to NEWGreen by ship and rail. The U.S. and Canada are poised to water down shipping regulations. Radioactive metals may soon be mixed with regular scrap metal.
LOCATION:
• NEWGreen is located directly on Lake Erie at Perry, OH, adjacent to the Perry Nuclear Power Plant.
THE PERFECT STORM:
• NEWGreen CEO Patrick New has appealed to Bruce Power in Ontario to receive shipments of 100-ton radioactive steam generators for “decontamination” and “recycling”. Bruce Power operates 8 nuclear reactors on the shores of Lake Huron, part of the largest nuclear facility in North America.
• Canada recently passed an omnibus budget bill making sweeping changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Under the changes, Bruce Power’s shipping of the steam generators would not trigger an environmental assessment. Environmental organizations and First Nations have strongly objected to the re-writing of environmental law through a budget bill.
LOCATION:
• NEWGreen is located directly on Lake Erie at Perry, OH, adjacent to the Perry Nuclear Power Plant.
THE PERFECT STORM:
• NEWGreen CEO Patrick New has appealed to Bruce Power in Ontario to receive shipments of 100-ton radioactive steam generators for “decontamination” and “recycling”. Bruce Power operates 8 nuclear reactors on the shores of Lake Huron, part of the largest nuclear facility in North America.
• Canada recently passed an omnibus budget bill making sweeping changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Under the changes, Bruce Power’s shipping of the steam generators would not trigger an environmental assessment. Environmental organizations and First Nations have strongly objected to the re-writing of environmental law through a budget bill.
Two stricken California reactors may soon redefine a global movement aimed at eradicating nuclear power.
They sit in a seismic zone vulnerable to tsunamis. Faulty steam generators have forced them shut for nearly a year.
A powerful "No Nukes" movement wants them to stay that way. If they win, the shutdown of America's 104 licensed reactors will seriously accelerate.
The story of San Onofre Units 2 & 3 is one of atomic idiocy. Perched on an ocean cliff between Los Angeles and San Diego, the reactors' owners cut unconscionable corners in replacing their multi-million-dollar steam generators. According to Russell Hoffman, one of California's leading experts on San Onofre, inferior metals and major design failures turned what was meant to be an upgrade into an utter fiasco.
Installed by Mitsubishi, the generators simply did not work. When they were shut nearly a year ago, tubes were leaking, banging together and overall rendering further operations impossible.
They sit in a seismic zone vulnerable to tsunamis. Faulty steam generators have forced them shut for nearly a year.
A powerful "No Nukes" movement wants them to stay that way. If they win, the shutdown of America's 104 licensed reactors will seriously accelerate.
The story of San Onofre Units 2 & 3 is one of atomic idiocy. Perched on an ocean cliff between Los Angeles and San Diego, the reactors' owners cut unconscionable corners in replacing their multi-million-dollar steam generators. According to Russell Hoffman, one of California's leading experts on San Onofre, inferior metals and major design failures turned what was meant to be an upgrade into an utter fiasco.
Installed by Mitsubishi, the generators simply did not work. When they were shut nearly a year ago, tubes were leaking, banging together and overall rendering further operations impossible.
It was inevitable. Those of you who have been wondering about so-called "chemtrails" need to read the December 11, 2012 article in Britain’s Daily Mail. The headline screams "Could we re-freeze the Arctic? Scientists suggest radical solution to global warming."
This miraculous feat of geo-engineering comes to us courtesy of Harvard Professor of Applied Physics David Keith, who has authored papers proposing the massive spraying of reflective particles over the Arctic Circle in the journals Nature Climate Change and Environmental Research Letters.
They call it "spraying," the street name is "chemtrails." They have been doing it for years. It is the use of chemicals sprayed from planes to alter the environment, create military antennas in the sky, to build fake clouds and a toxic reflective sunscreen for the planet. You have probably seen it happen with a long-lasting white trail streaking high in the sky behind one or more planes, sometimes making a criss-cross checkerboard design. And when you call your local news station to ask what’s going on, usually they send out the jolly local weatherman to tell you not to believe your lying eyes.
This miraculous feat of geo-engineering comes to us courtesy of Harvard Professor of Applied Physics David Keith, who has authored papers proposing the massive spraying of reflective particles over the Arctic Circle in the journals Nature Climate Change and Environmental Research Letters.
They call it "spraying," the street name is "chemtrails." They have been doing it for years. It is the use of chemicals sprayed from planes to alter the environment, create military antennas in the sky, to build fake clouds and a toxic reflective sunscreen for the planet. You have probably seen it happen with a long-lasting white trail streaking high in the sky behind one or more planes, sometimes making a criss-cross checkerboard design. And when you call your local news station to ask what’s going on, usually they send out the jolly local weatherman to tell you not to believe your lying eyes.
"Homer Simpson and Humpty Dumpty act out" the Blizzard of '78 "snow job" root cause theory for shield building cracking at Davis-Besse's front entrance on March 24, 2012. The street theater was held in solidarity with the SAGE Alliance's Shut Down Vermont Yankee day of action, and protested FENOC's cherry-picked "root cause of convenience," first floated on Feb. 28th.The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Atomic Safety (sic) and Licensing Board (ASLB) today issued two rulings rejecting an environmental coalition's intervention against the 20-year license extension sought by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) at its problem-plagued Davis-Besse atomic reactor near Toledo.
On November 30, the city of Cincinnati became the first in Ohio to pass a resolution to require the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, citing that consumers should have the right to know what is in their food. The consumer advocacy organization Food & Water Watch brought the resolution to city council as a part of their “Let Me Decide” campaign to make GE labeling the law. GE foods have not been fully tested for their impacts on human health and the environment.
Alison Auciello, Ohio-based organizer for Food & Water Watch said, “genetically engineered foods are potentially unsafe, and consumers should have the right to decide for themselves if they want to eat GE foods. It took regulation to get food processors to label ingredients and nutrition facts on labels, and now we’re calling for federal lawmakers to require the labeling of GE food.”
Alison Auciello, Ohio-based organizer for Food & Water Watch said, “genetically engineered foods are potentially unsafe, and consumers should have the right to decide for themselves if they want to eat GE foods. It took regulation to get food processors to label ingredients and nutrition facts on labels, and now we’re calling for federal lawmakers to require the labeling of GE food.”
In the wake of this fall's election, the disintegration of America's decrepit atomic reactor fleet is fast approaching critical mass. Unless our No Nukes movement can get the worst of them shut soon, Barack Obama may be very lucky to get through his second term without a major reactor disaster.
All 104 licensed US reactors were designed before 1975---a third of a century ago. All but one went on line in the 1980s or earlier.
Plunging natural gas prices (due largely to ecologically disastrous fracking) are dumping even fully-amortized US reactors into deep red ink. Wisconsin's Kewaunee will close next year because nobody wants to buy it. A reactor at Clinton, Illinois, may join it. Should gas prices stay low, the trickle of shut-downs will turn into a flood.
But more disturbing are the structural problems, made ever-more dangerous by slashed maintenance budgets.
All 104 licensed US reactors were designed before 1975---a third of a century ago. All but one went on line in the 1980s or earlier.
Plunging natural gas prices (due largely to ecologically disastrous fracking) are dumping even fully-amortized US reactors into deep red ink. Wisconsin's Kewaunee will close next year because nobody wants to buy it. A reactor at Clinton, Illinois, may join it. Should gas prices stay low, the trickle of shut-downs will turn into a flood.
But more disturbing are the structural problems, made ever-more dangerous by slashed maintenance budgets.
The likelihood was very low that an earthquake followed by a tsunami would destroy all four nuclear reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, but in March 2011, that’s what happened, and the accident has yet to be contained.
Similarly, the likelihood may be low that an upstream dam will fail, unleashing a flood that will turn any of 34 vulnerable nuclear plants into an American Fukushima. But knowing that unlikely events sometimes happen nevertheless, the nuclear industry continues to answer the question of how much safety is enough by seeking to suppress or minimize what the public knows about the danger.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has known at least since 1996 that flooding danger from upstream dam failure was a more serious threat than the agency would publicly admit. The NRC failed from 1996 until 2011 to assess the threat even internally. In July 2011, the NRC staff completed a report finding “that external flooding due to upstream dam failure poses a larger than expected risk to plants and public safety” [emphasis added] but the NRC did not make the 41-page report public.
Similarly, the likelihood may be low that an upstream dam will fail, unleashing a flood that will turn any of 34 vulnerable nuclear plants into an American Fukushima. But knowing that unlikely events sometimes happen nevertheless, the nuclear industry continues to answer the question of how much safety is enough by seeking to suppress or minimize what the public knows about the danger.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has known at least since 1996 that flooding danger from upstream dam failure was a more serious threat than the agency would publicly admit. The NRC failed from 1996 until 2011 to assess the threat even internally. In July 2011, the NRC staff completed a report finding “that external flooding due to upstream dam failure poses a larger than expected risk to plants and public safety” [emphasis added] but the NRC did not make the 41-page report public.