Nuclear-waste-through-the-great-lakes

Nuclear Waste through the Great Lakes!

September 28, 2010 --Nuclear Waste through the Great Lakes!

The nuclear power disasters at Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island are still with us today.
Radioactive waste land. Possible human nuclear exposure injury.

Yet, today, September 28, 2010, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission starts a perfunctory hearings to grant a licence to Bruce Nuclear Power, for 16 school bus-sized steam generators, contaminated from use in Bruce’s nuclear plants. The Commission has already stated that it sees no safety, health or environmental concerns to stop a licence to Bruce Power for the shipment of nuclear waste through the Great Lakes.

The plan is to move nuclear waste through the famous Great Lakes water system to Europe, where the generators shall be decommissioned –with any residue waste being returned to Bruce for storage!

Environmentalists warn of both the dangers of the actual shipment, and also of the dangerous precedent, to future nuclear waste transportation in major US and Canadian waterways.

Imagine, nuclear waste through the Great Lakes.

Chernobyl’s nuclear disaster created a nuclear cloud that still has forced bans on the sale of produce from British farms! And the untold damage to people and the environment by the raging Chernobyl nuclear leak?! Yet, politicians, bureaucrats and corporate officials are readily set to allow nuclear waste through the Great Lakes.

The destruction to the eco-system could be devastating.

Bruce’s CEO, Duncan Hawthorne, told the commission environmental groups are just deliberately scaring people!

"You know, I'm not living in a fantasy land. There are a number of people who oppose our technology and at every opportunity seek to oppose us. And they do that with misinformation and scare tactics in the public.

"I believe that factual, scientific debate will debunk many of those stories."
There was a call for a full environmental assessment before a licence could be issued, on the full issue of nuclear waste through the Great Lakes.

But the commission noted radioactive materials, medical isotopes, are routinely shipped from Canada, around the world! The commission fails to remember that Canada’s and the world’s largest reactor for medical isotopes, Chalk River, was unexpectedly shut down recently, because of a nuclear industry problem – a leak in its nuclear reactor –resulting in the global disruption of critical medical treatment and tests!

Some 100 mayors of communities along the shores of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River have joined together, to oppose the plan.

The frightening confidence of the commission, bureaucrats and industry experts is especially ironic, given the recent disaster of BP’s oil leak in the Gulf! Like the Titantic, BP offered assurances of its plan! Echoes of Bruce Power’s executives now as it fights to open up Canada and the world nuclear waste through the Great Lakes.


For more on this potential Great Lakes disaster, see articles at http://www.biofuels.coop/windblog/?p=338.

And a posting there by Kim, to http://www.glslcities.org/voice-of-mayors/Nuclear.cfm about an impressive bi-national US-Canada organization, a coalition of federal, state, and provincial governments! The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI). The ED is David Ullrich, formerly 30 years with EPA, including as Chief, Air Enforcement.

And they oppose the plan!? We need to mobilize the public and media! A new nuclear age is upon the world. Successfully blocked through the 1960's, 1970's to now... But now?!

BP-Gulf-Leak-Egg-Recall-Green-Party-Leader-Eizabeth-May-views

BP Gulf Leak, Egg Recall. Green Party Leader Eizabeth May views

What are the views of the Green Party and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May on such huge issues as the BP Gulf Leak, Egg Recall, and the Martha Vineyard tainted water?

Why are we asking about these seemingly unrelated issues? And why are we asking about issues seemingly unrelated to our blog here about the problems of nuclear power?

Our thought: these issues are some of the biggest environmental issues right now, today, August 20, 2010. These issues are issues that people understand. These issues are issues that affect all peoples: water and food contamination!

These are issues that the Green Party and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May have been ahead of the curve on for years! These are the issues that the Green Party and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and Green Party supporters have cared about for years! These are the issues that are touching the hearts and minds of people today!

YET, where is the Green Party and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May on these issues? Their views are on the BP Gulf Leak, Egg Recall, and the Martha Vineyard tainted water, are not in the media.

This can be attributed to the suppression of media coverage about the upstart, "fringe" Green Party and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. BUT the views, public policies of the Green Party and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May on the issues of the BP Gulf Leak, Egg Recall, and the Martha Vineyard tainted water are NOT even on front page, the opening page, of the Green Party of Canada's website.

To influence public opinion and thus public policy, we need to reach the public, the people, the media and the politicians. Of course, getting "mainstream media" is an important part of this effort.

Whether we are trying to promote public awareness about nuclear power or climate change, we should remember, that we are ultimately trying to touch hearts and minds. Whether it is traditional media, reaching the mainstream media; or reaching out to the people by the new social media, direct action, special events; we need to be very current, very alert, to the trends, the thoughts, the concerns of the people!

And the irony is that the "mainstream media" and the "mainstream political parties" seem to be completely missing in action in these huge issues that touch the lives of EVERY person, every voter, in North America, if not the world. Global ocean, water and food contamination!

There are messages floated about that the BP Gulf Oil Leak is killing the environment as it travels across the ocean and air currents, across America, Canada and the world. The implications of contaminated eggs and water is mind-boogling --whether you are in Toronto, Tokyo, New York, New Delhi, Paris, Perth, Bahar Dar, Berlin, Beijing! One of the most basic, fundamental food items, eggs. One of the essentials of life, water. Both in unprecedented stories about contamination! Yet where is dialogue? The concerns? The outrage?

This is an opportuntiy being lost to the environmental movement?!

Yet where are the views of Canada's and the world's most environmental political parties. Where is Green Party and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May on such huge issues as the BP Gulf Leak, Egg Recall, and the Martha Vineyard tainted water?

Activists in Canada have had some successs in the campaign of getting the word out to the public about the dangers of nuclear power. But again, here too, it has been a struggle. We need to keep up the struggle, expand the solidarity. Touch the hearts and minds of the people.

NHL Georges Laraque adds ethnicity “muscle” to Green Party of Canada team?!

NHL Georges Laraque adds ethnicity “muscle” to Green Party of Canada team?!

NHL Georges Laraque adds ethnicity to Green Party of Canada team?! In the global game of environment, the Green Party plays the role of environmental conscience in Canadian politics. Well, the Party just added to its game team, a new Deputy Leader: famed former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque.

But shall this appointment to the Green team, help Green Party Leader Elizabeth May build public, ethnic and media awareness with Canadiens?! --sorry, a little fun, with the fact, that Laraque finished his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens.
The Green Party claims it is often ignored by the mainstream media. Can the retired NHL enforcer help get the media coverage that environmental and Party activists say that they are not getting?

The world is in greatly troubled times! Nuclear waste from the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant –North America’s largest plant-- is about to move across the Great Lakes in September 2010. Iran is about to accelerate its nuclear program. The world’s worst oil spill, the BP Gulf spill, is finally capped; but its huge ecological damage is now only being speculated.

Climate change has dominated media weather stories around the world this summer of 2010, with record hot and cold weather crises globally.

On the human rights front, in Canada, a $45 Million class action suit is launched against the abuse of power by the Canadian governments in their treatment of protesters at the Toronto 2010 G20 meeting.

With Mr Georges Laraque’s fame and personal veganism, can he really help bring public and media awareness to such important global lifestyle and environmental issues?

With Mr Georges Laraque’s parents born in Haiti, can the NHL enforcer star bring ethnic outreach and credibility “muscle” to the Green Party?

The Green Party Leader, Elizabeth May, and the Party is holding its national convention in Toronto this August 2010. It shall be insightful to see what role the new Deputy Leader plays in the Convention and the Green Party’s outreach in Toronto, one of Canada’s most multicultural cities.

By the way, some followers of NoNuclearNow were asking why we are giving space to covering the Green Party of Canada and its activities –thank you, by the way, for your comments!

Well, as NoNuclearNow is a blog about nuclear energy, we think that public and media awareness and education is key to learning and disseminating the truth about nuclear energy. We believe nuclear power is NOT just a theoretical issue; but something that we must study, understand and defend –or oppose! So NoNuclearNow feels it appropriate and necessary that we provide information and insights into the political leaders and parties that create, influence and enact our public policies and laws; such as Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and the Green Party of Canada.

We noted earlier this month, that the transportation of nuclear waste in the Great Lakes could be a symbolic moment that the green politicians and activists can seize upon, to raise public and media awareness.

A leak of nuclear waste from Bruce Nuclear Energy Generating Plant would make the BP Gulf oil spill a footnote; contaminating 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. Bruce is the second largest plant in the world. This is symbolism galore for alert politicians, and activists.

Perhaps, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and the party can equally seize upon the opportunity that they have created, with the symbolism in a retired NHL enforcer with Haitian heritage, Montreal birth place and green vegan lifestyle?!

Green-Party-Leader-Elizabeth-May-at-2010-Green-Party-Convention-in-Toronto, to make Toronto glow nuclear green

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May at 2010 Green Party Convention in Toronto, to make Toronto glow nuclear green?!

Toronto Goes Green with both Green Party of Canada Convention and Bruce Nuclear Power Plant waste!Toronto --What are Canada’s leaders doing about nuclear waste? It’s ironic that the Green Party Leader, Elizabeth May, and the Green Party of Canada is holding its national convention in Toronto this summer 2010. This September, Toronto and the Great Lakes could glow green –nuclear green that is!Bruce Nuclear Energy Generating Plant is the largest in North America, second largest in the world. Sixteen 16 old generators from the Bruce Plant shall be sent to Sweden for recycling! These 100 tonne generators will be sent by ship through the Great Lakes, where in Sweden 90% of the material in the generators will be recycled, with the remainder returned to the Bruce Plant to be stored as nuclear waste.With the images of the BP Gulf oil leak in the public’s mind, will the Green Party Leader May, speak out at their August 2010 Green Party Convention , against this terrible government decision to transport nuclear waste material across the Great Lakes -- some 20% of the world’s surface fresh water!We found some interesting concerns about this nuclear waste transport at the Wind Blog by Glen Estill, at http://www.biofuels.coop/windblog/ --1 “If water gets into the generator, is it possible that greater levels of radiation would be dispersed?2 “If a generator went down, and was down for awhile, what would be the impact, if any, on fish? The Great Lakes have a significant sport and commercial fishery.3 “Much of the water supply for residents of Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York State is drawn from the Great Lakes. Millions of people rely on this water. How close would the ship pass to water intakes? “Like the Titanic, BP offered complete trust in its systems, backup systems. A leak could result in catastrophic damage to the environment.Where are the political leaders, federally, provincially, municipally, on this issue?! The Green Party, of course, is committed to environmental issues. So will Green Party Leader May, speak out on this issue at their August 2010 Green Party Convention in Toronto –which ironically, sits on the shores of Lake Ontario, part of the Great Lakes system.Nuclear power safe? It’s a haunting thought, with the anniversaries of the nuclear bombings of Japan; and the recent anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear plant leaks.“The threat of nuclear disaster is always with us and is an unnecessary risk that we must put to an end,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May. “Even CANDU reactors have the potential for a devastating accident, which is all the more reason to phase them out and shift to renewables.”“Every year, the anniversary of Chernobyl is a reminder to us that nuclear energy is not worth the risk.”“As Canada’s nuclear power plants age, we need to shift away from this dangerous technology and toward clean power such as wind, solar and hydroelectricity. Not only is it significantly safer, it is also the more economically sound path,” said Green Party Leader May.Such irony that the August Green Party Convention shall be in Toronto, Canada, with governments and citizens supporting the September movement of nuclear waste from Canada to Sweden, across some of the world’s most important ecology systems, from the Great Lakes’ fisheries, drinking water, to the ocean fisheries and open sea issues of the Atlantic Ocean.Can Green Party Leader May seize on this issue, on this symbolic moment, to speak out about the dangers of nuclear power, the positive potential of alternative energy; to outreach the peoples of Canada and the world?!