Beyond Nuclear on the Thom Hartmann Program: The Risk to Ukraine's 15 Operating Atomic Reactors & Chernobyl

Ukraine has 15 active nuclear reactors in four locations, excluding the destroyed plant at Chernobyl. With the war in progress, why is nobody talking about the dangers of one or more being hit by Russian firepower? Or rockets hitting nuclear waste storage in Ukraine? The results could make Chernobyl look like a firecracker. Thom is joined by Beyond Nuclear's radioactive waste specialist, Kevin Kamps. See the recording here.

Russian forces take Chernobyl zone, Ukraine says, raising fears of ‘ecological disaster’

As reported by the Washington Post.

Vladimir Slivyak of Ecodefense in Russia wins Right Livelihood Award!

Vladimir Slivyak of Ecodefense in RussiaAs announced at the Right Livelihood Award website:

"For his defence of the environment and for helping to ignite grassroots opposition to the coal and nuclear industries in Russia."

Vladimir Slivyak [pictured] is one of Russia’s most committed and knowledgeable environmentalists, who has been spearheading important grassroots campaigns against environmentally damaging practices for decades. He has stopped projects related to the exploitation of fossil fuels, the use of nuclear power and coal, and the shipment of radioactive waste from abroad.

As co-chairman and co-founder of Ecodefense, one of Russia’s leading environmental organisations for decades, Slivyak has worked extensively on reducing environmental risks, mitigating the climate crisis and promoting renewable energy in Russia.

Led by Slivyak, Ecodefense was the first environmental group in Russia to start an anti-coal campaign in 2013, which helped to empower local communities suffering from the impacts of coal mining and transportation. Connecting local communities around the country and information sharing led to a rapid growth of anti-coal protests in various parts of Russia.

Slivyak has also opposed Russia’s promotion of nuclear energy both at home and abroad. These enormous successes have proven that even in authoritarian Russia, grassroots activities can effectively challenge government-backed projects.

In recent years, Slivyak and Ecodefense have been targeted by Russian authorities for their work. However, Slivyak has stayed the course heartened by the growing influence of young climate activists. Standing with them, he is committed to ushering in a cleaner and more sustainable future for Russia and the world.

[Read more at the Right Livelihood Award website.]

Germany to shut controversial Gorleben nuclear waste facility

After serving for decades as a storage location for German radioactive nuclear waste, the government said it would close the Gorleben mine. Locals and environmental groups have protested against the facility for years.

As reported by DW.

See a 1999 analysis by NIRS executive director, Michael Mariotte, who had attended and taken part in the 1997 protests against CASTOR shipments to Gorleben.

In October and November 2001, Beyond Nuclear's radioactive waste specialist, Kevin Kamps, served on an the Gorleben International Peace Team (GIPT). GIPT provided human rights observation during the CASTOR shipment protests at that time. Here are their findings. See GIPT's press release, here.

Protests against CASTOR shipments to Gorleben began in the late 1970s, and have continued up to the recent past. They were the heartbeat of the German anti-nuclear movement for decades on end.

After the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power catastrophe, Germany's Social Democrats joined Germany's Green Party in an anti-nuclear policy position, calling for a phaseout of nuclear power in Germany. (The Greens had been anti-nuclear since their founding in the 1970s.)

Shortly after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear catastrophe had begun, Germany's Conservative Party also took a nuclear power phaseout policy position.

Germany's last reactors still operating will permanently shut down next year.

U.S. Rep. Kildee Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Opposing Proposed Canadian Permanent Nuclear Storage Site Near Great Lakes

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee (Democrat-Flint Township, Michigan)Resolution Asks Biden Administration to Work with Canada to Prevent New Permanent Storage of Nuclear Waste in the Great Lakes Basin

See U.S. Rep. Kildee's press release, here.

Beyond Nuclear has endorsed U.S. Rep. Kildee's resolution.

Update on September 18, 2021 by admin

Media coverage: Newsradio WSGW; WJRT ABC12 TV; NBC25 News; ExchangeMonitor (article is behind a paywall); Holland Sentinel.