CND Press Roundup Wednesday 5th October 2022

War in Ukraine / NATO

• Is Vladimir Putin prepared to use nuclear weapons? This Guardian podcast, Reuters, The NYT, and The Telegraph all take a look.

• UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly warned Tuesday that any use of nuclear weapons by Russia would have consequences.

• Russia has disputed a report in The Times as “western rhetoric”, that the Kremlin is preparing to demonstrate its willingness to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

• The UN’s nuclear watchdog said the head of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant will not be returning to work following his weekend-long detention by Russian troops. That’s as IAEA chief Rafeal Grossi said he is willing to revisit the plant again as part of efforts to create a safety zone around it.

Trident / Nuclear Testing

• The Herald has a long-read on Britain’s first nuclear weapons tests with testimony from veterans.

• Russell from CCND was on local BBC stations last Sunday talking about why people of faith and no faith should be opposed to nuclear weapons.  

• The major powers have criticised a motion brought by the Marshall Islands and others to the UN Human Rights Council – seeking assistance from the human rights office for help dealing with the legacy of nuclear tests.

UK Nuclear Energy

• Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has told a Tory party conference fringe that Britain should “copy the French” and offer free electricity to those living near a nuclear power station.

• Rees-Mogg also announced £200 million in funding for a prototype nuclear fusion reactor by 2040 – with the site to replace the existing West Burton station.

• Lincolnshire Live talks about the 10,000 jobs that could be created at the fusion plant in West Burton.

• The nuclear fusion announcement has been criticised by the SNP and Greens, who said the government is throwing money after “unproven technology.”

• A YouGov poll shows that public support for nuclear power has risen slightly in the last year with around 48 percent of the public supporting it (compared to around 40 percent between 2019-2021).

• The developer of Sizewell C is creating a new wetland area near the site of the proposed nuclear plant for marsh harriers.

• French nuclear firm EDF is reviewing whether to give a ‘short extension’ of its Hartlepool and Heysham plants.

Nuclear Energy

• Renew Economy has a piece on the “dead on arrival” bill put forward by Australia’s opposition on lifting the country’s ban on nuclear power.

• Meanwhile a report warns that “unproven” SMRs would end up raising Australia’s energy costs and delay the uptake in renewable energy generation.

• A lack of suitable workers is one of the issues facing the nuclear industry amid a push to expand the sector.

• That’s as the share of nuclear power in global gross electricity generation fell below 10 percent last year – the lowest in four decades.

Chernobyl

• Read about scientists in Chernobyl who discovered tree frogs with an unusual black tint.

Iran Nuclear Deal

• A survey by the Eurasia Group has found that nearly 8 in 10 US citizens (78.8 percent) think the US should pursue a deal with Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

North Korea

• The Telegraph looks at recent goings on in “curtain-twitching” North Korea following its recent missile test – the 37th so far this year – which flew over Japan.