Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Friday, March 20, 2015

Areva studies Chinese investment
Paris (XNA) Mar 17, 2015 - French state-controlled nuclear group Areva was studying a possibility to get investments from China as part of restructuring plan aimed at reversing heavy loss, a local newspaper reported on Monday. "Concerned about the regulations on state aid which would limit the contribution of public funds, Areva explores the conditions for entry into the capital of foreign investors, mainly Chinese, ... morehttp://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Areva_studies_Chinese_investment_999.html

South Africa Rebuffs US Attempts to Take Over its Nuclear Materials

South Africa Rebuffs US Attempts to Take Over its Nuclear Materials
Moscow (Sputnik) Mar 17, 2015 - South Africa has enough nuclear fuel for about six bombs - each of them would wipe out Washington, DC, or large sections of New York City. After apartheid officially ended with the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela as president, South Africa started extracting the uranium from the apartheid government's cache of nuclear weapons. Some of that has been used to make medical isotopes, but close to 485 ... morehttp://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/South_Africa_Rebuffs_US_Attempts_to_Take_Over_its_Nuclear_Materials_999.html

Nuclear Energy Institute - New Survey Shows Stronger Support for Nuclear Energy

Irish people should ignore Arnie Gundersen because he's wrong - Atomic Insights

States look at policies to prod along small modular nuclear reactors

States look at policies to prod along small modular nuclear reactors
Westinghouse nuclear reactor criticisms unfounded

Criticisms voiced about the new Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactor by an industry critic are completely unfounded, writes Rod Adams. Arnie Gundersen, who has not worked in the nuclear energy industry for over 25 years, claims that the AP1000 reactor is subject to dangerous leaks, despite the reactor having passed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's strict licensing review process. Adams notes that unlike the Chernobyl reactor that Gundersen uses as a comparison, the AP1000 doesn't have a positive void coefficient and can cool itself for several days, even without power or off-site cooling water. Atomic Insights blog
https://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-31714829-12077

Taiwan reprocessing tender suspended

Taiwan reprocessing tender suspended
A tender for overseas reprocessing of Taiwanese used nuclear fuel has been suspended, pending a parliamentary budget review, only one month after it was announced.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-Taiwan-reprocessing-tender-suspended-2003151.html

Amano highlights Africa's importance to IAEA

Amano highlights Africa's importance to IAEA
Supporting Africa is a "high priority" for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Vienna-based organisation's director general, Yukiya Amano, said yesterday in his opening address at the Nuclear Africa 2015 conference held in Pelindaba, South Africa.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Amano-highlights-Africas-importance-to-IAEA-19031501.html

US Sets First Hydraulic Fracturing Standards In Over 3 Decades - Oilpro

China reveals existence of cyber warfare hacking teams | ZDNet

Rethink the Grid: Personal Power Stations

http://theenergycollective.com/energydeborah/2205356/rethink-grid-personal-power-stations

Obama tells Iran to grasp 'historic' chance

The countdown ends on March 31, where the two sides have to agree to the outlines of an agreement that would see Iran scale back its nuclear program in return for relief from sanctions

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/us-canada/87436-obama-iran-grasp-historic-chance

Honeywell Backs President On New Greenhouse Gas Targets

http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2015/03/20/honeywell-backs-president-on-new-greenhouse-gas-targets-032001.aspx#.VQxjsmbldpk

Turkish companies to gain $16 bln from nuclear projects

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-companies-to-gain-16-bln-from-nuclear-projects---.aspx?pageID=238&nID=79938&NewsCatID=348

Nuclear plants capacity will likely be around 40,000MW by 2050, says Dr Ansar Pervaiz

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/business/20-Mar-2015/nuclear-plants-capacity-will-likely-be-around-40-000mw-by-2050-says-dr-ansar-pervaiz

South Africa Celebrates 50 Years of Nuclear Power

http://www.voanews.com/content/south-africa-celebrates-50-years-nuclear-energy-power-zuma/2687350.html

FAA gives Amazon experimental airworthiness certificate - Business Insider

The winter-safe deterrence debate, biological weapons, effects of a nuclear detonation above Manhattan, and more

Friday, March 20, 2015

Dear Readers: Seth Baum's suggestion that non-contagious bioweapons could replace nuclear weapons as a deterrent and help to avoid a global nuclear winter generated considerable debate. We've started a roundtable to hear various viewpoints. In this issue, Gregory D. Koblentz and Gigi Kwik Gronvall share their opinions on winter-safe deterrence.

The sobering aftermath of a nuclear warhead detonation over Manhattan, outlined in a multimedia presentation that we posted three weeks ago, continues to attract strong traffic to the website, as does the interactive Nuclear Notebook. We will release a new interactive feature next week that shows some of the considerations that drive the Doomsday Clock decisions--so stay tuned.

As always, I welcome your feedback.

John Mecklin, Editor

GREGORY D. KOBLENTZ

The myth of biological weapons as the poor man’s atomic bomb

Although biological and nuclear weapons are both considered weapons of mass destruction, biological weapons differ from nuclear weapons in three important ways that undermine the utility of biological weapons for deterrence: uncertainty of effects, availability of defenses, and the need for secrecy and surprise.

GIGI KWIK GRONVALL

The biological weapons ban increases US security

Biological weapons development is within the technical capability of most countries, so a revocation of the bioweapons ban could lead to a rapid proliferation of highly dangerous weapons.

SETH BAUM

Deterrence, without nuclear winter

The biggest danger posed by today’s large nuclear arsenals is nuclear winter.

Voices of Tomorrow and the Leonard M. Rieser Award

In its Voices of Tomorrow feature, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists invites graduate students, undergraduates, and high school scholars to submit essays, opinion pieces, and multimedia presentations addressing at least one of the Bulletin's core issues: nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, climate change, biosecurity, and threats from emerging technologies.

Editors will select one Voices of Tomorrow feature each year as winner of the Leonard M. Rieser Award; the author will receive a $1,000 check plus travel and accommodation expenses to attend the Bulletin’s subsequent Doomsday Clock symposium and dinner.

Japan Aims to End Nuclear Power Ban in June

Japan Aims to End Nuclear Power Ban in June
Moscow (Sputnik) Mar 20, 2015 - A reactor in Japan cleared another regulatory hurdle Wednesday, marking progress toward the country's return to nuclear power after all units were shut down for safety checks following the 2011 Fukushima atomic disaster. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said a reactor at a Kyushu Electric Power Co. plant had received approval for construction works upgrading the unit's basic design t ... morehttp://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Japan_Aims_to_End_Nuclear_Power_Ban_in_June_999.html

Japan to Restart Nuclear Reactor in June, First Since Fukushima Disaster
Moscow (Sputnik) Mar 20, 2015 - In March 2011 Japan shut down all its 48 nuclear reactor following the meltdown of Fukushima nuclear plant caused by an earthquake and tsunami. The incident was the biggest of a kind since the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe. The nuclear regulator approved the plan of construction works that Kyushu Electric Power, the plant's operating company, should conduct to make the reactor meet new safety ... more http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Japan_to_Restart_Nuclear_Reactor_in_June_First_Since_Fukushima_Disaster_999.html