Nuclear spin

NuclearSpin Welcome to NuclearSpin. In the current economic climate are you worried about how the nuclear industry and governments may try and spin the finances for new power stations? Will you end up paying for new nuclear power plants? Where are the new sites going to be built in the UK? What about the waste? Where will it be stored? Will it be secure? All these issues have not yet been resolved, yet the British government is pushing ahead with a new generation of nuclear power plants. Throughout 2012 we will be updating this portal and all its associated pages, the bulk of which were developed in 2008-09. If you'd like to help us by becoming a Powerbase contributor, please email the managing editor melissa.jones@powerbase.info Briefings archive To help people understand key issues on nuclear power, NuclearSpin in 2009 wrote a series of in-depth analysis pieces on key issues surrounding the debate concerning building new nuclear power plants in the UK. To access just click on the title (pdf downloads). We will be updating these briefings and associated pages in 2012. Nuclear Costs and Finances An in-depth look at the costs and financing of the nuclear industry. Nuclear Siting This briefing paper examines where new nuclear plants may be sited in the UK Nuclear Waste Worried about how the government is going to spin nuclear waste. Then read this briefing paper. Nuclear Decommissioning A critical examination of the issues that surround decommissioning in the UK A Nuclear Slush Fund? A look at whether the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority used a "slush fund" to curry influence with local communities. An analysis section called Is the Debate on Nuclear Being Fixed? Exclusive: Government Department Secretly Discussed Going Pro-Nuclear The Nuclear Decommissioning Agency, the Government department in charge of overseeing Britain’s nuclear legacy, secretly discussed making the controversial decision of actively promoting a new generation of nuclear power plants, even though the Agency is meant to be completely neutral. Read the whole story. Exclusive: Nuclear Civil Servants Wined and Dined by Industry Senior civil servants from the Office for Nuclear Development the government department set up to facilitate the building of nuclear power plants, were wined and dined at some of London’s most prestigious restaurants by companies with a vested interest in nuclear. See full story. Background NuclearSpin was originally launched in response to the British Government's 12-week consultation on energy in 2006. In 2007, the High Court ruled that the government's plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations were "unlawful" and the way it consulted with the public over the decision was "misleading, seriously flawed, manifestly inadequate and procedurally unfair". What made Gordon Brown's decision in January 2008 to give the go-ahead to a new generation of nuclear plants politically sensitive was his younger brother Andrew Brown's role as director of communications with EDF Energy, the UK subsidiary of EDF and one of the leading companies pushing for a nuclear rebuild programme in the UK. The Labour Government also sped up the planning process, making it easier for nuclear power plants to be built. Planning Minister Yvette Cooper was criticised for her "nuclear cronyism" due to her father's links to the nuclear industry. For a full briefing on the so-called 'facilitative actions' which the Government is carried out to speed up nuclear developments see New Nuclear Monitor No.14 (pdf) To help people make up their own mind about nuclear power, NuclearSpin was last updated and expanded in 2008/09 with the following information: New sections on countries and regions, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, the EU, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and United States; Expanded profiles on pro-nuclear organisations and lobby groups. An analysis section, including Why Nuclear is not the Answer to Climate Change and The_Secret_Pro-Nuclear_Push_In_Schools. NuclearSpin also worked with Sourcewatch to develop a Nuclear Portal page. Some articles and profiles have now been deleted from this NuclearSpin site and moved across to SourceWatch. Deleted pages include a redirect to the relevant Sourcewatch page. We hope you find this site useful and informative. We think you will discover that a greater awareness of what is going on globally will help you understand what pro-nuclear spindoctors are up to in your country. The editor of the Nuclear Spin portal is Andy Rowell: andy.rowell AT powerbase.info.

NuclearSpin Categories Analysis Individuals Organisations Countries Companies PR PR, Lobbying and Consultancy firms NuclearSpin News Archive NuclearSpin or documents from this website have been covered in: The Guardian, 28 January 2009 Independent on Sunday, 4 January 2009 The Guardian, 12 November 2008 Private Eye, No. 1220, October 3-16, 2008 The Independent, 24 February 2008 Variant, Number 28, Spring 2007 Public Affairs News, October, 2006 The Guardian, July 17, 2006. The Guardian July 11, 2006. BBC News Online, July 10, 2006. Scoop, July 7, 2006. BBC Newsnight, July 5, 2006. WhiteHaven News, June 22, 2006. Private Eye, No. 1159, 26 May - 8 June 2006 BBC Newsnight Scotland, May 17 2006; Open Democracy; May 18, 2006; The Sunday Times; May 7, 2006; The Sunday Herald; May 14, 2006; The Guardian, June 7, 2006; The Guardian, May 24, 2006; The Guardian, May 03, 2006; Resources archive Walrus Magazine's in-depth article on the cancer controversy surrounding the Cameco plant in Ontario, Canada. Nuclear power is the least popular energy source among European Union citizens, according to new research. A special report from Eurobarometer, the public opinion analysis arm of the European Commission, concludes that 'EU citizens are most in favour of renewable energy sources while nuclear energy is opposed by many'. Of 24,815 EU citizens interviewed in 25 countries, only one in five said they were in favour of nuclear power, while one in three (39 per cent) expressed strong opposition. The report says: "Nuclear energy provokes the most opposition among EU citizens." To read more, click here (pdf file). The Financial Times reported on February 19, 2007, that Rolf Linkohr, who has been advising Andris Piebalgs, the European energy commissioner, had his contract terminated because he failed to clarify there was no conflict of interest between this role, and his role as a pro-nuclear lobbyist. The sacking came after a campaign by Corporate Europe Observatory. Check out SpinWatch's video section, which includes one on the dangers of civil nuclear power featuring David Lochbaum from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Also a coalition of groups in the US called Grass Roots Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) has launched a report called False Promises: Debunking Nuclear Industry Propaganda which is a compelling expose of the nuclear industry propaganda. Other Nuke News Get the latest news on the Nuclear push at the Spinwatch site