Nuclear energy policy in the US

More on Obama's nuclear energy policy: "Ayers, who leads the AFL-CIO's building trades unions, understands the value of 4,000 to 5,000 construction jobs that will be created by the Vogtle nuclear energy project -- the largest construction project ever in Georgia. The two reactors, awarded federal construction permits last week, represent "a strong and unmistakable signal that nuclear energy will now assume an important role in a low-carbon energy future."
Chu, at the Vogtle site on Wednesday, reviewed for hundreds of workers the Obama administration's commitment to nuclear energy, and announced an investment of $10 million in advanced nuclear technologies research. Nuclear energy, Chu said, will have growing influence globally as nations confront a changing climate and increasing energy demand." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/j-scott-peterson/new-nuclear-construction-_b_1292429.html?ref=green

Plans for nuclear waste in Canada

Last month Environment Canada and the CNSC announced a joint panel review of Ontario Power Generation's proposal to construct and operate a deep geological repository for radioactive waste at the Bruce Nuclear Generation Station in Tiverton, Ont. This is the link to the original announcement: http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/document-eng.cfm?document=53989

Also see: "Natural Resources Canada is seeking an independent expert review of an Atomic Energy Canada Ltd. proposal to bury low- and intermediate-level atomic waste in a deep rock repository at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories, two hours northwest of Ottawa." http://www.canada.com/technology/Feds+exploring+plans+bury+nuclear+waste+Ontario/6046088/story.html see also http://www.solidwastemag.com/news/feds-invest-1-28-billion-in-ontario-radioactive-waste-cleanup/1000844423/ and http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectionCode=76&storyCode=2061617

Here you could find the related documents: http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/details-eng.cfm?evaluation=17520#documents 

Commercial quantities of technetium made by cyclotrons

Commercial quantities of technetium made by cyclotrons: http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/48690 "The team has shown that the method can be used on two different commercial medical cyclotrons in Canada – which means that it is compatible with many cyclotrons worldwide. The next step for the team is to gain regulatory approval for the cyclotron-made isotope to be used in medical procedures. This should take less than two years, according to the scientists."

Thorium as nuclear fuel

A popular article about Thorium in Forbes, even if it seems it is geared towards investor audiences, exposure in general is good: http://www.forbes.com/sites/energysource/2012/02/16/the-thing-about-thorium-why-the-better-nuclear-fuel-may-not-get-a-chance/print/

It has pointed out that this article may have some errors, while I believe that journalists have an obligation to present the public with correct and factual information, I think anytime that a popular media is covering science and technology as opposed to drunk/addict movie stars is a plus for raising public awareness for what matters... it initiates a dialogue/discussion among scientists and the public even if the scientists have to point out where the errors are... In any case, here is the link to Energy from Thorium FB group for anyone interested in reading the discussion there about this article: http://www.facebook.com/EnergyFromThorium

And another article related to thorium as nuclear fuel, this one in Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nuclear-power-entrepreneurs-push-thorium-as-a-fuel/2011/12/15/gIQALTinPR_story.html 

Franco-British nuclear industry summit

During a summit last week, UK and France reaffirmed their enthusiasm for nuclear power and declared their desire for a joint nuclear industry: http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP_Summit_for_a_Franco_British_nuclear_industry_1702121.html ... "A range of commercial contracts towards UK nuclear build were signed at the summit today involving Areva, Amec, Assystem Atkins, EDF, Rolls-Royce and a joint venture between Kier and BAM: Commercial deals accompany French-UK accord" ... "Nuclear deals potentially worth more than £500 million ($790 million) were signed on the sidelines of the Franco-British Summit in Paris today as a strengthened cooperation agreement on civil nuclear energy was signed between the two countries. Many of these deals relate to EDF Energy's plans to construct two Areva EPR reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset." http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Commercial_deals_accompany_French_UK_accord-1702124.html

Is Canadian government 'muzzling its scientists'?

Is Canadian government 'muzzling its scientists'? read and decide for yourself: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16861468 ... "Prof Thomas Pedersen, a senior scientist at the University of Victoria, said he believed there was a political motive in some cases.
"The Prime Minister (Stephen Harper) is keen to keep control of the message, I think to ensure that the government won't be embarrassed by scientific findings of its scientists that run counter to sound environmental stewardship," he said.
"I suspect the federal government would prefer that its scientists don't discuss research that points out just how serious the climate change challenge is."
The Canadian government recently withdrew from the Kyoto protocol to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The allegation of "muzzling" came up at a session of the AAAS meeting to discuss the impact of a media protocol introduced by the Conservative government shortly after it was elected in 2008.
The protocol requires that all interview requests for scientists employed by the government must first be cleared by officials. A decision as to whether to allow the interview can take several days, which can prevent government scientists commenting on breaking news stories.
Sources say that requests are often refused and when interviews are granted, government media relations officials can and do ask for written questions to be submitted in advance and elect to sit in on the interview."

And this is the story on CTV: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120217/feds-muzzle-scientists-120217/ "For almost three weeks after David Tarasick published findings about one of the largest ozone holes ever discovered above the Arctic, the federal scientist was barred from breathing a word about it to the media.
Kristi Miller was similarly gagged from granting interviews about her own research into a virus that might be killing British Columbia's wild sockeye salmon, despite going to print in the prestigious journal Science.
Such incidents aren't one-off occurrences, but instead represent a trend of "muzzling" policies being imposed on Canadian scientists by federal agencies under the Conservative government, a panel told their international peers Friday at a global science conference in Vancouver.
"It's pretty clear that for federal scientists, Ottawa decides now if the researchers can talk, what they can talk about and when they can say it," senior science journalist Margaret Munro, with Postmedia News, told a group gathered at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting.
"We're not talking about state secrets here."
The views were aired in tandem with the release of an open letter by a coalition of six science and communications organizations, who jointly called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to "tear down the wall" that's been raised over the past four years separating scientists, journalists and the public.
"Despite promises that your majority government would follow principles of accountability and transparency, federal scientists in Canada are still not allowed to speak to reporters without the 'consent' of media relations officers," the letter says."

And this one on CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/02/17/science-federal-muzzling-scientists.html "Canadian government scientists are still being hampered from talking to the media about their taxpayer-funded research and that's bad news for the public, say groups representing both journalists and federal scientists.
The groups appealed to delegates at an international meeting of scientists in Vancouver on Friday, arguing that democracy depends on citizens having access to research so they can make informed decisions about government policy.
"If we're talking about policy that's informed by fact, if we're asking people to be critical thinkers, if we're asking people to engage in democratic process and to engage in democracy, it's incumbent of all of us that we make sure the process is transparent," said Kathryn O'Hara, a Carleton University journalism professor." 

and this is the link to the full open letter to PM: http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/02/16/prime-minister-please-stop-muzzling-scientists-and-researchers-open-letter/ 

PiC latest issue: Nuclear Energy after Fukushima

PiC latest issue: Nuclear Energy after Fukushima, a selection of great articles, notably the article by Jeremy Whitlock: "Are there options for better, cleaner, safer nuclear power?" http://www.cap.ca/en/publications/physics-canada-pic/issue/67/4 ... he says: "In many ways nuclear power is where the automobile was in the early 1050s: commercialized, but far from meeting its potential for efficiency, access, and ultimately - its full contribution to society. Designs exist on the drawing boards for transparently safer, more efficient, more secure, more economic, more accessible nuclear generation - but as with the automobile, the public needs to perceive the benefit and ask for it." ... this issue of PiC is a must read!

Medical isotope production at CLS

Medical isotope production at CLS: as the faith of Chalk River Labs and its missions (isotope production, nuclear R&D and neutron scattering) hangs in the balance (see the post related to the government's request for expression of interest from private sector for Chalk River Labs), it seems more progress is made in medical isotope production using X-rays, ... again even if this method is successful in medical isotope production, there are other types of isotopes that NRU makes as well as allowing scientists to perform nuclear R&D and neutron scattering... A neutron source will be required to replace the aging NRU for Canada to maintain and expand it expertise and excellence in these areas... http://www.lightsource.ca/media/media_release_20120215.php "A research project exploring the potential for making medical isotopes with X-rays from a particle accelerator instead of a nuclear reactor is about to move to the large scale. The Canadian Isotope Project, led by the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and partners including the National Research Council of Canada, and medical researchers in Winnipeg, Ottawa and Toronto, is set to scale up their work to production levels with the delivery of a new particle accelerator built by Ontario-based Mevex Corporation.
“We are very excited to be passing this key milestone in the project,” says Mark de Jong, CLS Director of Accelerators and project leader. “We have made a lot of progress over the last year in terms of the project’s theoretical work, refining different pieces of the process and moving construction and design of our test bed forward. With the delivery of this full-scale accelerator we can now move to demonstrate what we set out to do – produce medical isotopes safely, reliably and affordably.”'

What is wrong with windfarms?

Even if wind farms for electricity production do not consume fuel and have no CO2 emissions unlike fossil fuel-based power sources, they have environmental impacts (noise pollution, bird mortality...) and more importantly they cannot really make a meaningful contribution to quench the required energy of the growing world (for example wind turbines would have to cover Wales to supply a sixth of UK's energy needs, see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/9069267/Windfarms-An-ill-wind-of-change.html)... does it make sense to continue to subsidize these farms as opposed to fund proven and proper energy research and technology? ... for noise generated by the wind farms see for example: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/what-you-cant-hear-can-hurt-you/story-e6frg6z6-1226252801681 ... there are claims that there are other adverse health effects such as "sleep disturbance, vertigo, nausea, headaches", see http://www.sarniathisweek.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3439021 for example. This article on Wired Magazine is a good read detailing why different green technologies have not met their promise at least in US with some common features to other countries: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/01/ff_solyndra/all/1

CNSC is now on facebook

CNSC is now on FB: "The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has launched both English and French Facebook pages as part of its commitment to making sure that Canadians have access to the in-depth information they need about the safety of nuclear activities and facilities in Canada. The CNSC's Facebook page will provide the latest news, photos, events and timely special features about nuclear safety in Canada, and complements the sizeable information contained on the CNSC's Web site." http://www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Nuclear-Safety-Commission/297677656919134?sk=wall

 Also join the neutron group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/108654419174440/