Russian forces have started military drills near Ukraine simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in response to what Moscow deems threats from western officials about increased involvement in the conflict. Vladimir Putin ordered the drills earlier this month in a move Russian officials said was a warning to the west not...
Nick Cater in the Oz is impressed by #nuclear power in Finland, which has built one new plant this century, and has none currently under construction or even in planning stages.
OTOH, Finland has 7GW of wind, and much more is planned https://www.both2nia.com/en/news/almost-7-gw-wind-power-finland
Another bit of Brexit related attempted policy cherry-picking comes unstuck.
The UK would like to continue to be part of the world's largest nuclear fusion experiment (based in the EU).... but the EU is now insisting that this can only continue if the UK rejoins the bloc's Euratom research scheme.
Once again the UK hopes it can knit together a bespoke research collaboration, but it seems the EU has lost patience with such 'special arrangements'.
The Carbon Hour - Episode #3
Dr Paul Dorfman, an associate fellow at the University of Sussex, Chair of the Nuclear Consulting Group, member of the Irish EPA and advisor to governments! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TGJ2rfExCE#Nuclear
President #Biden on Monday evening signed a bipartisan bill prohibiting Russian imports of enriched #uranium a move intended to cut off one of the last significant flows of #money from the #UnitedStates to #Russia amid the #war in #Ukraine.
But #sanctions on #uranium imports have taken much longer, in part because #Russia supplies roughly 20% of #US#nuclear fuel, leading some lawmakers to fear disruptions to the nation’s 93 nuclear reactors.
“It’s kind of ridiculous that it took as long as it did to get to this stage,” said Scott Melbye, exec VP of mining company Uranium Energy & president of the Uranium Producers of America, a trade group. “But we’re just glad that we got here.”
American companies pay around $1B a year for enriched uranium from Rosatom, #Russia’s state #nuclear power conglomerate. These payments have continued even after documents revealed last year that Rosatom had been working to supply the Russian #arms industry w/components, technology & raw materials for missile fuel.
The bipartisan bill will ban #uranium imports from Moscow beginning 90 days after its enactment.
Having enough electricity in winter is the big challenge for climate neutrality in 2050. This requires gigantic – electricity storage systems or new nuclear power plants, says author Andreas Züttel. It is an explosive result: If Switzerland wants to be climate neutral in 2050, building six to eight #nuclear power plants is the cheapest alternative. That’s how it stands in a study a team led by Andreas Züttel, who researches at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL).
The True Extent of US Spy Satellite Capability https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6uPjTTGHzE
A little bit on satellites that detect missile launches... as Annie Jacobsen mentions in 'Nuclear War A Scenario' #Nuclear
The nuclear legacy of the Russian Arctic
"The nuclear legacy in the north-west of Russia includes the building of a former military base in Andreyeva Bay, spent nuclear fuel from nuclear submarines, sunken nuclear and radiation hazardous objects at the bottom of the Arctic sea" https://bellona.org/publication/nuclear-legacy-arctic#Arctic#Cryosphere#Nuclear#Russia
Russian ofcls claimed the order was in response to comments from the West about the possibility of more direct involvement in #Ukraine. #NATO called the announcement “irresponsible.”
The announcement of the exercise was Russia’s most explicit warning in its >2yr #invasion of #Ukraine that it could use tactical #NuclearWeapons there.
The #Kremlin said the order came in response to comments by 2 European leaders that raised the prospect of more direct Western intervention in the #war.
The exercise, the Defense Ministry said, would involve forces of the Southern Military District, an area that covers Russian - #occupied#Ukraine & part of #Russia’s border region w/ Ukraine. It said the exercise would take place “in the near future.”
Russia begins tactical nuclear weapon drills near Ukraine border (www.theguardian.com)
Russian forces have started military drills near Ukraine simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in response to what Moscow deems threats from western officials about increased involvement in the conflict. Vladimir Putin ordered the drills earlier this month in a move Russian officials said was a warning to the west not...