"Berlusconi" tells Italians he will decide the country's nuclear future

Unfurling a banner that says "Italians, I decide the future" and mimicking the voice of Berlusconi, Greenpeace Italy broadcast a loudspeaker message in Rome that mocked Berlusconi's autocratic style. During his speech, the false Berlusconi promises that Italians will not be denited an audience-getter like Fukushima with its own, better, Fukushima 2 and that there should be no public vote on the future of nuclear power in Italy. (Italy shuttered the last 3 of its total 4 reactors after a 1987 referendum following the 1986 Chernobyl explosion that spewed radiation across Europe). A referendum to end nuclear in Italy is scheduled June 12 and 13: Video in Italian.

Bellissimo video da Roma- serata nucleare emergency

A look at whether routine operation of nuclear plants impacts health (answer 'yes'.)

In light of the Berlusconi government's decision to build four new reactors now and four later in Italy, an investigative television journalist decided to ask: "Are nuclear power plants safe for human health?" His question did not cover accidents - which we understand are dangerous. He wanted to know whether routine operation of reactors harmed health. To find out, he traveled to Germany and interviewed some of the scientists who conducted the childhood cancer studies around nuclear plants. Watch the report, in Italian.

Most provinces say 'no' to government plans for new nuclear

At a conference of the regions, most Italian provincial leaders declared their opposition to the Berlusconi government's proposed re-opening of nuclear power in Italy. Italy held a national referendum in 1987, after the Chernobyl explosion that radioactively contaminated much of the country. Italians responded with a decisive vote to shut down Italy's three remaining operating reactors (the fourth had already closed). The provincial leader of the southern province of Basilicata - where the previous Berlusconi government attempted - and failed - to site a high-level radioactive waste dump - declared at the conference: "We are against nuclear power; it is not a positive choice and that provides no immediate results and that has a negative impact on energy choices."

Campania and Puglia regions say "no" to new nukes

The regional governments of Campania and Puglia have voted against siting new nuclear reactors in their territories and declared their opposition to the government's decision to restart nuclear energy in Italy. The law that brought nuclear power back to the country required the government to announce criteria for selecting sites within six months, with the five former nuclear power sites specifically excluded. That law was adopted on 9 July 2009 and the government is now approaching its deadline. A 1987 referendum in Italy saw the closure of the remaining three of its four operating reactors. The nuclear ban came in response to the Chernobyl reactor accident in Ukraine which resulted in considerable radioactive fallout on Italy. It appears likely that the Italian Supreme Court will now have to resolve the matter.