CND's Press Round-Up - 29th March 2021
Posted: 29th March 2021
Please find today’s press round up below. A continued thanks to all for your help and support.
Nuclear Weapons
UK Warhead Increase
Nick Childs and Douglas Barrie argue in a blog on the website of the International Institute for Strategic Studies that the desire for an ‘advanced posture’ of more than one nuclear-armed submarine at sea at any given time. However, they also suggest that recurring technical problems with the Vanguard-class submarines are in part driving the move to greater opacity in British nuclear weapons policy. They conclude that the ‘abrupt and unexpected’ manner the decision to increase the warhead stockpile was taken will present ‘potential trade offs’ when it comes to other areas of military expenditure.
The Green Party politician Natalie Bennett had an op-ed in Left Foot Forwardover the weekend, in which she argued that the decision to increase the UK’s nuclear warhead stockpile should be understood primarily through the lens of domestic politics. The full piece can be found here.
The Daily Telegraph carries a piece on the construction programme for the next generation Dreadnought class of nuclear submarines.
Anti-War
China-Iran Relations
China and Iran have signed a long-awaited 25 year co-operation agreement, according to Al Jazeera. The agreement has not yet been published but is expected to make provision for direct Chinese investment in Iran, as well as co-operation on ‘strategic’ matters. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani thanked Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tehran on Saturday for resisting ‘American unilateralism’. China renewed calls for the U.S. to life sanctions on Iran in order to help resurrect the JCPoA. China donated a quarter of a million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Iran in February.
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power-Global
The World Nuclear Industry Status Report website has a somewhat cheering report, which argues that nuclear power is ‘an industry in decline’. It points that 2019 marked the first year that solar, wind and biomass generated more electricity than nuclear power plants. Foratom, the industry lobbying body, envisaged in 2010 five new reactors being made operational per year in Europe, rather than the current net loss of reactors. Furthermore, in one of the key growth sites for global energy production, China, recently constructed nuclear plants have taken twice as long as expected to complete. However, the piece does point to the growth of small modular reactors in the U.S. as one area of market optimism for the nuclear industry.
Nuclear Power-European Union
An expert advisory body formed at the direction of the European Commission is expected to say that nuclear power should be classed as ‘sustainable’, according to Reuters. The move is important because it forms part of the EU’s Sustainable Finance planning, with crucial implications as to the ability of the nuclear industry to access funding from the union. The report is also expected to say that plans for ‘deep geologic storage’ are ‘appropriate and safe’ and that their development should proceed apace. The findings of the Joint Research Centre will now be examined for three months.
Nuclear Power-UK
Local press reports that drone pilots have been warned by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary to keep their devices away from the Torness nuclear power plant, which is located to the south of Edinburgh. This follows on from concerns that number of drone incidents near the site was on the rise.
With best wishes,
Michael Muir
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament