41 posts
The reasons for a European public debate on nuclear energy
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The debate over the future of nuclear energy must not be confined to experts, nor to politicians and business leaders. This is a crucial choice for the future of our societies, and it calls for a public debate. The debate must be transparent and enli...
The end of nukes?
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bumped - Nomad Apparently the Spiegel has decide to declare the end of the nuclear...
Sortir du Nucléaire, pour aller où ?
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La situation des centrales nucléaires Japonaise inquiète, et à raison. Les opposants au nucléaire rebondissent et pointent du doigt cette crise comme un signe que l’énergie nucléaire n’est pas sûre. Voici un point qui se veut réal...
New nuclear power plant in Lithuania: utopia or realistic project?
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Pursuant to the National Energy Strategy which came into force in 2007, Lithuania decided to build a new nuclear power plant by retaining the infrastructure of the current Ignalina NPP. It was envisaged to finalize construction of the new NPP not lat...
"Ratification of New START a Great Success for Obama" by Niels Annen
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2010 has been an annus horribilis for the President of the United States. At the midterm elections in November, his Democratic Party suffered a devastating blow, and lost the majority in the House of Representatives to a newly energised Republican Pa...
Nuclear Imbroglio in Lithuania
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Until the end of 2009 Lithuania had depended for most of its electricity on two reactors of the unsafe Chernobyl type, which the country had to close down as a pre-condition for EU membership. In order not to depend excessively on Russian gas and ele...
Negotiation with Iran
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I have blogged before both on negotation and Iran. A fascinating book by John W Limbert (‘Negotiating with Iran’, 2009) brings the two aspects together. The author spent 33 years in the US Foreign Service, is a fluent Farsi speaker and has...
Little Boy and Fat Man in Action
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On 6 August 1945 at 8.15, the first atomic bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima. The bomb directly killed an estimated 80 000 people, the indirect damage (radioactive injuries, flash blindness, electromagnetic pulse, ionizing radiat...
ITER: need a little more cash, please
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We have been hearing for a few weeks now that the ITER project (Read an article I wrote about it for Le Taurillon) need extra cash. The experimental reactor is not much than a hole in the ground so far, but it is already over budget. From about 6 bil...
China presses ahead with Pakistan nuclear deal – and contemplates U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan
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In Beijing last week to catch up with Chinese security experts on Afghanistan and Pakistan, with two issues the main focus. Having talked on-and-off with people there about the Chashma-3 and 4 deal since it was first announced, this was the first oc...
demonstrating uncertainty
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Hey ho, big media seems to have picked up what I suppose we’ll have to call Cameron’s China gaffe: British Conservative Party leader David Cameron cited uncertainty over China as one of the reasons for Britain to maintain its nuclear deterr...
quick piece on Prague dinner
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America and eastern EuropeGuess who's coming to dinner?Apr 8th 2010From Economist.comBarack Obama tries to fix damaged relations with eastern European alliesTHE Obama administration’s closest European allies are oddly tricky to please. An invitatio...
Obama and nuclear syndrome
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When it comes to Russia and America, nuclear weapons are old footage. They seem to belong in another time, when the old guard would stand atop Lenin's Mausoleum and watch SS20s trundling through Red Square. Or fresh-faced soldiers in their...
International Community Weighs Response To Nuclear Iran
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Experts agree that if Iran's claims about its ability to produce higher-grade enriched uranium are true, the country could have weapons-grade uranium within six months. What does this mean for the West? READ MORE...
Nuclear arms will soon proliferate. So here's a plan to scrap them all | Timothy Garton Ash
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The tipping point is close when every country will want to be another nuclear France. Changing our global course is vital'Peaceniks" is not the word that immediately comes to mind as you contemplate this array of smartly dressed present and former...
The Gulf is going Nuclear
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The signature of a $ 20 billion contract, at the end of 2009, between the United Arab Republic and a South Korean industrial consortium under the leadership of the Korea Electric Company for the construction of four nuclear 1400 MW power plants marks...
Catalysing the Nuclear debate
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2010 will be an important year for nuclear issues. Preparations are underway for the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) next May which presents a key opportunity to agree actions which will pave the way towards a safer wo...
Iran’s nuclear program at the crossroads
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The way ahead with the dispute between Iran’s nuclear programme and the possible response of western powers is foggy. News from last weeks give some base for optimism (peaceful solution) while others are increasing the use of military option. W...
Put an end to 'the refusal of consciousness'
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(This is a copy of my comment to Mary Kaldor's article Dismantling the global nuclear infrastructure in Open Democracy. ) The link between nuclear weapons and great power status can be broken in Europe, by the peoples of Europe. We need a pro-Europe...
New Directive on Nuclear Safety
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The new Directive 2009/71/EURATOM establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations has been published in the Official Journal. The directive covers the nuclear safety of nuclear installations, as well as the safe man...
Nuclear-free world? Yes, we can! [Nelly Gocheva]
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After the G20 summit in London and the NATO summit in France and Germany, Barack Obama attended the EU-US summit in Prague. During his 8-day, 5-nation European tour President Obama taught lessons of difficult diplomacy. After the North Korean launch...
power generation
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Interesting technological development from MIT's Technology Review.I am not totally against nuclear power, rather I am hesitant about its implementation due to the incompetence of many national governments. The long term implications of its use don't...
Siemens Plans Nuclear Cooperation with Russia
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Germany may be phasing out its nuclear power stations, but German group Siemens plans to cooperate with Russia's Rosatom to tap into the growing global market to build new nuclear plants. A deal could be signed in the coming months. German industrial...
Can I haz my flying carz now?
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From the Guardian: Nuclear power plants smaller than a garden shed and able to power...
When were the first signs of the nuclear renaissance?
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The electricity industry has shown an interest in already completed nuclear power plants. This predates the first examples of interest in new build nuclear power plants forming part of a “nuclear renaissance”. Such a situation arises be...
European nuclear capabilities: can they ever be independent?
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We face the challenges and effects of globalisation in our daily lives - economic, political, social and cultural. Except, apparently, in defence. The retention of an independent nuclear capability is central to the defence strategy of both Fran...
Nuclear proliferation: the clock is ticking
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The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968, signed by 189 countries (but not India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea) has been a dismal failure. Its objective is to limit the spread of nuclear weapons, but at the same time the nuclear powers agre...
The Strategic Threat of Nuclear Terrorism
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On June 16, 2008, Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, the director of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence spoke on the strategic threat of nuclear terror at the Washington Institute. Mowatt-Larssen stated sinc...
Slovenia blunders with nuke incident (update)
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A nuclear accident seems to have effectively brought an end to the first European Union presidency of a new EU member state. Slovenia, due to hand over the presidency to France at the end of this month, has been caught lying on the seriousness of an...
Nu(un)clear
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Problems at Sizewell B nuclear power plant were partly to blame for blackouts in the UK yesterday. Costs of nuclear decommissioning are due to soar above the £73bn already calculated, announced on Tuesday this week. So Gordon Brown states yesterday...
