CND Press Roundup Thursday 7th April 2022

War in Ukraine

• Almost 7 in 10 Americans fear the war in Ukraine will lead to a wider nuclear confrontation, and that the current conflict is the opening stages of World War III – according to a survey  conducted by the American Psychological Association.

• A New York Times column looks at living in the age of existential uncertainty amid heightened threats of nuclear war: “I grew up during the Cold War, when, in elementary school, we still participated in bomb drills. A bell would ring or horn would blow and we would duck and cover, or in some teachers’ classrooms, just put our heads down on our desks. From the videos of utter destruction caused by nuclear weapons, I couldn’t see how any of these drills would be helpful (apparently duck and cover did offer some protection). I simply assumed it would be better to be resting when I died than not.”

• The i newspaper speaks to a former Moscow city councillor who had been arrested for protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yulia Galyamina was released from jail on Tuesday after serving a 30 day sentence for organising a protest against what the Kremlin calls ‘a special operation.’ A longtime political activist, Galyamina said “If earlier the protest in Russia was a movement for justice, a normal life and opportunities for citizens inside the country, today it is becoming a struggle for a peaceful sky over the heads of not only Russians and Ukrainians, but also of all mankind. The price of inaction puts the survival of planet Earth at stake”.

Trident

• The Daily Express looks at how the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system would have to move out of Scotland in the event of Scottish independence. Not much in the way of news, but there is a nice picture of SNP politicians standing in front of the CND banner.

• Tory MP Julian Lewis and Labour Peer John Woodcock team up in this opinion piece for Prospect Magazine, to argue against scrapping Trident. Apparently we should be “proud to pay the premiums” associated with having nuclear weapons and be “grateful to previous governments for giving us the opportunity to do so.”

AUKUS

• CND’s story on the announcement by the AUKUS alliance – that the pact’s remit will be extended to include hypersonic missiles in addition to nuclear-powered submarines. It includes the full quote from Kate that had been shortened in the Guardian’s coverage: “The latest expansion of the AUKUS military pact will further escalate global tensions, at a time when the threat of nuclear war is at its highest in decades. The announcement that a programme initially centred on providing a non-nuclear state with nuclear-powered submarines – in itself risking wider nuclear proliferation – will now include hypersonic missiles, is of great concern. This AUKUS expansion will accelerate arms racing in the Asia-Pacific region, leading to increased militarisation, and potentially helping provoke conflict over Taiwan. Not to mention the fact that military budgets are already escalating – what will the opportunity cost be for embarking on a whole new class of weaponry be?”

UK Nuclear Energy

• Boris Johnson’s long-awaited energy strategy is here, with plans to build eight new nuclear power stations, as well as also investing in off-shore wind and solar technologies. Plans to include onshore wind were scrapped after a rebellion by Tory MPs. The Times quotesJohnson: “We’re setting out bold plans to scale up and accelerate affordable, clean and secure energy made in Britain, for Britain, from new nuclear to offshore wind, in the decade ahead. This will reduce our dependence on power sources exposed to volatile international prices we cannot control, so we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills.”

• The Guardian also looks at Johnson’s energy plan, with more coverage of political opposition. A £120m “Future Nuclear Enabling Fund” will be launched this month in the hope of kickstarting projects, while a new body called Great British Nuclear will oversee the plans. Labour’s climate change secretary Ed Miliband said the plan had “failed on the sprint we needed on onshore wind and solar – the cheapest, cleanest forms of homegrown power,” while Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey said the government had failed to help people “cut their bills with an urgent energy insulation programme.”

• While Johnson claims his strategy will lead to cheaper bills for consumers, the Independent says that an analysis of figures from energy firms predicts that Johnson’s nuclear investments will actully increase the average household bill by over £80 a year.

• Analysis from the Guardian’s environmental editor looks at the strategy and how the Tories made a “major misjudgement” in tackling both the energy crisis and climate change. On Johnson’s big bet on nuclear: “Nuclear power is the only major energy technology that has increased in cost in the last decade and routinely suffers from massive time and budget overruns. Even [business secretary Kwasi] Kwarteng acknowledges that France’s large nuclear fleet “cost a fortune”. The gamble Johnson is making, with taxpayers’ money, is that nuclear power is a more reliable wager to secure clean future power than renewables and fast-developing energy storage technologies. It’s a long shot. Renewables and storage will develop much faster and get much cheaper due to the rapid learning that comes with small-scale technologies, unlike colossal projects like nuclear.”

• Climate campaigner Alethea Warrington has an opinion piece in the Guardian advocating for onshore wind instead of nuclear power. Some excellent takes on the government’s thinking and arguments but this bit in particular is good: “If the government believes that new nuclear plants will be an easier sell to people than onshore wind on cost or local impacts, they could be in for an unpleasant shock. Ministers who insist that the UK’s energy strategy must prioritise community consent are right. Now they must also recognise that any plan to rush forward with an unpopular, slow and expensive energy source, while keeping the brakes on clean, cheap and quick onshore wind, is unlikely to gain support.”

• The BBC gives an outline of the main points from the strategy, as well as criticism from Ed Miliband, the Greens, Lib Dems, SNP, Ofgem, and independent experts.

US Nuclear Weapons

• A nuclear watchdog group is suing the US National Nuclear Security Administration over the latter’s failure to release public documents associated with the US government’s nuclear weapons production. The complaint filed Wednesday covers more than a dozen records requests made since 2017 by the Los Alamos Study Group. The lawsuit alleges that the NNSA has a policy and pattern of violating the Freedom of Information Act in a way that “shields its activities and multibillion-dollar plans from public scrutiny and congressional oversight.”

CND

• A lovely tribute in the Westmorland Gazette on the death of Cumbrian-based CND member and activist, Martin Gilbert. His late wife, Joan Carroll, described Martin as “very involved in people, justice and equality. He did not stand by inequality or racism. He was a true anarchist – not what people think of anarchists but one who subscribed to its principles of a free society.” His family is inviting all who knew him to attend the Hope and Anchor in Ulverston on April 17 from 2pm until 6pm for a celebration of Martin’s life.

• Some great pictures in this Wales Online article looking back at the 40th anniversary of anti-nuclear protests in Bridgend. In January 1982, a peace camp was set up to protest a £400,000 upgrade of a nearby nuclear fallout shelter.