CND Press Roundup Friday 8th July 2022

Bruce Kent

• Fr Kevin Hegarty writes about Bruce in a column for Mayo News.

War in Ukraine

• Norway’s former Prime Minister, Kjell Magne Bondevik writes for Newsweek about the need for Russia to denuclearise if Europe is to remain safe. However, he notes that for the Kremlin to do this, NATO members need to radically alter their opinions on nuclear treaties: “NATO, Europe, and the entire international community must therefore urgently renew and reinvigorate serious multilateral efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons completely—in Russia and worldwide. This means action, not more platitudes and window-dressing. It means implementing long-neglected commitments made under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It means urgent steps to raise the threshold and reduce the risk of nuclear weapons use. Most immediately, it means dropping opposition to the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and actively supporting that treaty’s mission. At their first meeting, held in Vienna last month, the parties to that treaty condemned unequivocally ‘any and all nuclear threats, whether they be explicit or implicit and irrespective of the circumstances.’ They adopted a plan of 50 specific actions to pursue the treaty’s goals of stigmatizing and de-legitimizing nuclear weapons, reducing the risks of nuclear war, and ultimately eliminating the weapons. This is by far the strongest and most practical response by any multilateral body to Russia’s nuclear threats. In contrast, the NPT has—so far—done precisely nothing. NATO members can and should be part of the TPNW program. By supporting and—where possible—joining the TPNW, Europe can more effectively confront Russia’s nuclear threats, and begin a renewed effort to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons in Russia—and in the eight other nuclear-armed countries.”

• Foreign Affairs, however, looks at the war in Ukraine escalating into a nuclear confrontation – and US/NATO options for retaliation. The scenarios explored don’t end well (predictably), but notes that keeping the nuclear taboo intact is of importance to the likes of India and China – who thus far have stayed away from condemning Russia’s invasion: “NATO should not only pose credible threats of retaliation but also cultivate support from third parties that Putin wants to keep from joining the Western opposition. So far, Moscow has been buoyed by the refusal of China, India, and other countries to fully join the economic sanctions campaign imposed by the West. These fence sitters, however, have a stake in maintaining the nuclear taboo. They might be persuaded to declare that their continued economic collaboration with Russia is contingent on it refraining from the use of nuclear weapons. As a declaration about a still hypothetical eventuality, the neutral countries could see this as a low-cost gesture, a way to keep the West off their backs by addressing a situation they don’t expect to occur.”

• This piece in Common Dreams calls for an end to the downplaying of Russian nuclear threats. Linda McQuaig starts with recent predictions made by Francis Fukuyama – (also famous for incorrectly suggesting the ‘end of history’ after the fall of the Soviet Union) – that the “nuclear threat, I think, is a bogeyman.” McQuaig says: “Fukuyama’s minimization of the nuclear threat — a stance that underlies much of the commentary on Ukraine — implies the public should relax about nuclear conflict since the chances of it are remote. After all, according to Fukuyama, ‘there are so many stopping points’ before we reach nuclear war. The problem is he’s dead wrong about that.”

UK Nuclear Energy

• Plenty of coverage in the British press of the latest delay to the planning decision of Sizewell C - ITV, BBC, CITY AM, Eastern Daily Press, Reuters, and The Telegraph. The latest decision date had been expected on Thursday, July 7, but according to Paul Scully MP, the decision would now be made “no later than 20 July…to ensure there is sufficient time to allow the Secretary of State to consider the proposal.” Also quoted is Alison Downes from Stop Sizewell C: “In three weeks’ time, the situation may be equally confusing in government, but at least there is a bit more time for some proper consideration of these incredibly complex issues.”

• 100 percent Renewable UK looks at efforts to fund the construction of Sizewell C asking “why would anyone invest?”. The project is being funded under a model called Regulated Asset Base (RAB) – which will see a temporary levy placed on consumer bills to help fund construction. It also sees the government and power firm EDF take a 20 percent stake each in the project, with other financiers making up the remaining 60 percent. But as the article notes: “Electricity consumers will pay for the cost overruns. Now, as part of this, the equity owners are guaranteed a modest profit even before generation starts, provided, according to the Government’s own stated plans, the project is on track (very unlikely in practice!). In 2019 the Government’s RAB model for nuclear power actually said that there would be ‘the reduction or suspension of investor returns in delay scenarios’ (see page 14 of the document here).This a crucial issue for potential investors. They are already going to have to wait a long time for any return on the money they will have to put down for any investments. Indeed it is not clear to me how EDF are going to seriously start building SZC (that is apart from a facade of land-clearing etc) until Hinkley C is more or less finished.”

• The Cumberland News and Star reports on new members joining the Allerdale GDF (Geological Disposal Facility) Community Partnership, – “a group of residents, organisations, the developer and representatives of Allerdale Borough Council tasked with discussing” the possible site of a new nuclear waste dump in their area.

• Next Tuesday, July 12th, there will be a protest outside a meeting of the Executive of Copeland Borough Council – where council members will discuss the petition which gained 48,000 signatures to Save the Whale and the Snail and stop Nuclear Waste Services Seismic Blasting of the Irish Sea.

Nuclear Energy

• The Express has a laugh at Emannuel Macron’s expense after a “desperate” France moves to renationalise in-trouble French nuclear firm EDF. It writes that “in recent years the company has been faced with immense debt, nuclear reactor flaws and cost overruns on nuclear plants in France and Britain that reach in the billions of euros.” I wonder what the paper will make of EDF’s participation in Britain’s nuclear projects?

US Nuclear Weapons

• Air Force Times reports on the explosion of a rocket carrying new components for the US’ future land-based nuclear weapons system. The rocket, known as the Minotaur II+, blew up about 10 seconds after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on Wednesday. “There were no injuries in the explosion and the debris was contained to the immediate vicinity of the launch pad,” the base said, adding that officials would investigate the incident. The Minotaur II+ combines parts of decommissioned Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles and an upper segment of the current Minuteman III nuke to create a missile used for suborbital test launches.