CND Press Roundup Thursday 7th July 2022

Bruce Kent

• A tribute about Bruce in The Morning Star following his funeral mass on Monday. Kate Hudson said: “Bruce transformed the scope and confidence of the anti-nuclear movement beyond all recognition. His leadership of CND in the 1980s was the embodiment of integrity, creativity and sheer determination. His razor-sharp intellect, together with his humour, tireless work, intolerance of flannel and total commitment to his faith made him a leader of our movement beyond compare. He will be much missed.”

• More coverage of Bruce’s funeral in The Tablet.

War in Ukraine

• The Metro reports on Russian drills with its road-launched Yars nuclear missiles in a forest in Western Siberia. In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said: “Over 100 pieces of hardware are taking part in the exercise. Launch vehicles of the Yars road-mobile missile systems of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Novosibirsk Missile Formation have trained redeployment during a scheduled drill. While performing their manoeuvres, missile units and detachments dispersed in a forest to increase concealment. They trained in killing mock saboteurs, reconnoitring the launch area, and in passing through ‘contaminated’ areas.”

Trident

• The Telegraph reports on Wednesday’s decision by the government, to approve the £2.6 billion purchase of British defence firm Ultra Electronics by US-based private equity firm Advent International. The sale of Ultra – which makes key electronic components for the UK’s Trident nuclear submarines – to a foreign company had led to concerns about British national security. This led US officials to threaten to limit intelligence sharing with London if the sale didn’t go ahead. A compromise agreed with the Department of Business will now see Advent “place Ultra’s top-secret businesses into two separate legal entities. These will each have a Government-appointed director to protect British national security interests and report to the state if the company tries to sell or pare back services important to defence.”

UK Nuclear Energy

• A opinion in the Independent by Josh Freed and Lindsey Walter of Carbon-Free Europe, calling for more nuclear power stations if the UK is to reach its climate targets. They argue: “It is possible to speed up approvals for new nuclear reactors and the introduction of new reactor types like Small Modular Reactors will help to keep pace in construction. During the 70s and 80s, the French government proved that rapid nuclear build-out can be done. Likewise, it is possible to ramp up capacity for renewables, but the industry will need clear signals from the government that the market will be there. It is vital that prime minister Boris Johnson and business and energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng update and accelerate their ambitions for both renewable and nuclear projects so the UK doesn’t fall behind. Planning permission for Sizewell C will be a welcome boost for the UK’s net-zero goals but the government needs to take the scale of the challenge seriously.” (Perhaps a bit outdated considering the government meltdown.)

• The UK’s nuclear expertise was featured in a recent episode of BBC Countryfile, according to Gov.uk.  

Nuclear Energy

• France’s new Prime Minister has vowed to renationalise the indebted nuclear power firm EDF – as part of efforts to limit the rise in energy prices as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The French state already owns 84 percent of EDF – but share prices have been hit as a result of corrosion problems at its reactors in France, and delays to new nuclear projects in both the UK and in France. “We must have full control over our electricity production and performance,” Élisabeth Borne told parliament in her first state-of-the-nation speech to parliament on Wednesday. “We must ensure our sovereignty in the face of the consequences of the war and the colossal challenges to come…That’s why I confirm to you the state’s intention to own 100% of EDF’s capital.”

• Campaigners have branded as a “catastrophe”, the EU’s decision to label gas and nuclear investments as green energy. Svitlana Krakovska, a Ukrainian climate scientist and member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said: “I am in shock. Russia’s war against Ukraine is a war paid for by climate-heating fossil fuels and the European parliament just voted to boost billions of funding to fossil gas from Russia. How in the world is that in line with Europe’s stance to protect our planet and stand with Ukraine?”

• The New York Times has a feature on the new push for nuclear power in the US. “The industry knows it does not have a good story to tell,” said Edwin Lyman, a physicist and the director of nuclear power safety with the Union of Concerned Scientists. “It’s still plagued by the same issues.”

Culture

• The Guardian has a review of a new animated documentary chronicling the 2018 false alarm incident where residents of Hawaii were told to shelter from an incoming nuclear missile attack.