ECOCIDE - After World War Two, a new crime was created on the international statute books, called Genocide. Since then there has been no World War Three, but humans, have created the Anthropocene Age, where governments and powerful corporations are destroying the planet environmentally. We are therefore keen to see the Rome Statute amended to create a crime to recognise and seek to prevent ruthless profiteering and exploitation, such that this irresponsible plundering of our natural resources might be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court. 

We wonder why there is no radiation tax, against nuclear power stations?

We all have to have insurance to drive a car, but energy companies can operate a nuclear power station without the equivalent of a Road Fund License, or a valid Insurance Policy. Sweden had such a tax, but are such heavy users of electricity, that they gave in to pressure for their radioactive pollution monsters and phased out the levy.

Anti-nuclear activists handed out yellow leaflets at COP26 that advising that “nuclear disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima endanger whole countries and regions” and “nuclear power generates 4-5,000kg of radioactive waste for every kg of nuclear fuel, poisoning land, air and drinking water” making the fuel “too dirty, dangerous, expensive [and] slow” to fight climate change. In real life and online, emotions on the subject run high.

These protestors are of course right about that, there is no denying the facts.

SWEDEN ABOLISHES NUCLEAR CAPACITY TAX

Nuclear capacity taxIn connection with the debate regarding the closure of Barsebäck in the late 1990s the government imposed a capacity tax on nuclear power, at SEK 5514 per MWt per month, which worked out at about 2.8 to 3.0 öre/kWh (€0.30-0.32 cents/kWh) potentially produced, penalising nuclear relative to other sources. In January 2006, the tax was almost doubled to SEK 10,200 per MWt per month (about €0.6 cents/kWh then). Early in 2008, it was further increased by 24% to SEK 12,684 per MWt (about 60 SEK/MWh) – reaching a total of SEK 4 billion (€435 million, about €0.64 cents/kWh). This was equal to double the staff cost and made up about one-quarter of the operating cost of nuclear power in Sweden, though in November 2015 Fortum put the proportion at 60% of operating cost.In 2014 the new government proposed to raise the tax to SEK 14,770 per MWt per month, or about SEK 70/MWh (€7.50/MWh), and this featured in the April 2015 budget, with parliamentary approval in June. The nuclear industry was then paying about SEK 4.5 billion in tax annually and called for its abolition. After a long process of appeal through the Swedish courts, the European Court of Justice in September 2015 ruled that the tax did comply with EU laws.Vattenfall said that the tax took its operating costs to 32 öre/kWh (€3.4 cents/kWh) and in April 2016, Magnus Hall, the CEO of Vattenfall, said: "The abolishment of the nuclear tax is needed in order to secure continued operation of our nuclear power plants... Combined with falling electricity prices, the current nuclear tax is contributing to a critical situation in which none of our reactors are profitable." After months of negotiation, in June 2016 a framework agreement was announced by the Social Democrats, the Moderate Party, the Green Party, the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats, which saw the tax phased out over two years from 2017. It also allows for the construction of up to ten new nuclear reactors at existing sites, to replace plants as they retire. The Liberal Party and the Left Party withdrew from negotiations and were not party to the agreement.Vattenfall said that with the abolition of the tax would reduce its generating costs to SEK 190/MWh (€20/MWh) by 2021, from over SEK 300/MWh in 2014-15. 

Plutonium and Uranium are some heavy shit elements, that should at the very least attract a hefty Radiation Tax. Countries like Sweden that has such planet friendly penalties, and then consigned them to the bin, are not doing babies and children any good. Effectively bathing them in low level radiation and increasing their risk of cancer in later life. Thus, nuclear power plants are a form of crime under the heading 'Ecocide.'

Nuclear power generation is dangerous. We are not just talking about accidents, like core melt-down and radioactive coolant leaks. We are talking about the fact that spent fuel is stored in caverns, in the sea and boreholes, without any possible long-term management plan. Simply because no corporation will survive for hundreds of thousands of years, and no bond or other financial deposit scheme could be large enough and long lasting enough to cope with any eventual pollution disaster. And what can happen will happen. That is Murphy's Law.

Chernobyl

Deuterium

Fukushima

Germany: cost of nuclear energy

Hinkley Point C

Hiroshima

Nagasaki

Sizewell C

Rosatom & EDF - Greenwashing pink hydrogen, Emmanuel Macron

Tritium

Plutonium

Proliferation

Uranium

DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS - Boris Johnson's government has no real clean energy policy. His comedy cabinet of clowns is countenancing, new oil fields and coal mines, and licking the back-sides of nuclear energy companies. All of which has caused an energy crisis in the United Kingdom. When what he should have done was push for wind and solar renewables like there was no tomorrow. He could have done that with policies and statute, but he was too lazy, keeping in the back of his mind that many of his paying supporters were in the oil and gas businesses and property developers.

Such conflicts of interest are hardly conducive the blazing a zero emission trail, because he would be biting the hand that feeds him.

Johnson's successor could make nuclear power untenable with a Radiation Tax. He could give wind and solar companies massive tax holidays, and force councils to implement an infrastructure for EVs, that pave the way to a sustainable hydrogen economy, while catering for battery electrics. Such policies would attract overseas investors, and restore confidence in the United Kingdom, where at the moment the country is weak and vulnerable to a virtual takeover with China and France investing in utilities, which should more properly be controlled by British (or at the very least European) investors who are themselves not in the pockets of Asian or Russian concerns, with world domination agendas.

We believe that every nation should be protected by international bullies, and their geographical borders and trade routes respected. We are also hopeful that one day there will be an international currency based on agriculture and the food production capability of planet earth, free of artificial fertilizers. That should be the new gold standard, where at the moment we are in free-fall with no limitations on the printing of money, that has no substance to back it up. Without some kind of natural brake on lending, all currencies are crypto.

IS IT SAFE? - In our view, nuclear power in any form, can never be safe. Under international law, nuclear proliferation is illegal. In view of the ultimate danger storing radioactive waste presents to future generations, we consider that any administration that encourages, endorses or otherwise employs atomic fission for any purpose, should be considered an Eco Nazi - and liable to the full force the law - to include confiscation of assets - to help pay for cleaning up the mess they have created for mankind.

Weapons will attract a radiation tax at a higher rate.

The International Criminal Court might prosecute offenders who do not pay their radiation taxes. A bit like driving a car without a valid MOT, and/or insurance.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS

Nuclear sites must have an environmental permit to operate. The permit requires them to monitor radiation levels from their discharges and any effects on the environment.

For example, Sellafield Ltd carry out environmental monitoring around the Sellafield site. The Environment Agency assesses the results and suitability of Sellafield Ltd’s programme, including the company’s monitoring for radioactive objects on west Cumbria beaches.

These organisations also carry out monitoring programmes to provide an independent assessment of radiation levels in the environment:

* Environment Agency
* Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
* Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)
* Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
* Food Standards Agency (FSA)

The above organisations sample air, rainwater and water sources used for public supplies to:

- check whether radiation levels conform to legal limits

- check that radioactivity in food and the environment from authorised releases and discharges does not affect people’s health or the environment

- gather long-term information on concentrations and trends so that they can identify any changes and take action if needed

- assess the public’s total exposure to radiation around nuclear sites

As part of their monitoring they use high volume air samplers which are capable of detecting tiny amounts of radioactive particles in the air.

The results of their monitoring programmes are published annually in Radioactivity in food and the environment reports.

Assessing the public’s exposure to radiation

People who live, work or carry out recreational activities near nuclear sites take part in regular ‘habit surveys’ which look at their habits and consumption patterns. This information helps work out how much radiation members of the public are exposed to from these sites. The FSA website has more information about these habit surveys.

The Practitioner Group on the Impact of Radioactivity in the Environment (PGIRE) was set up in 2017. It takes on some of the roles of the National Dose Assessment Working Group which disbanded in 2013. The Environment Agency, NRW, SEPA, NIEA, FSA, Food Standards Scotland, and the Office for Nuclear Regulation attend the group. The UK Health Security Agency provides an independent chair.

The PGIRE’s main aim is to share best practice in approaches to assessing the exposure of humans and biota to radioactivity in the environment (from regulated human activities). The group will do this primarily through meeting 2 to 3 times a year. They may need to hold extra meetings when necessary to discuss topics they consider are of particular importance.

Information about radiation is available on the Society for Radiological Protection website.

Radioactivity in the marine environment

The UK reports annually on discharges of radioactive substances which may reach the north east Atlantic marine environment. You can find out more on the OSPAR website. Read the ‘Review of the UK strategy for radioactive discharges’ which shows UK progress against the 2009 strategy outcomes and OSPAR objectives.

Radioactive incident monitoring

After the Chernobyl accident the UK government installed a national radiation monitoring and nuclear emergency response system (RIMNET). It is part of the arrangements for dealing with the effects of overseas nuclear accidents in the UK.

BRITAIN GOT ANOTHER BUM DEAL - In electing a clown as Prime Minister, UK voters made one of the biggest mistakes in British history. Brexit was and is a disaster, costing pensioners an absolute fortune, as real world inflation halved the value of their savings, with timber, copper and other commodities doubling in price. Then there is the energy crises and nuclear power, with food prices rising. We feel sure that Dr Hannibal Lecter would like to have his old friend for dinner. It might be that some Conservative Party members might also want to join in the feast.

ARE THESE THE DIRTIEST DOZEN - WORLD'S WORST - TOP HR VIOLATORS ?

THE CIRCUS -MARCH 2020

Conservative politics is based on delaying economic shortcomings by robbing Peter to pay Paul. Another prime example of short term politics with long term cost and pollution implications, is nuclear power and radioactive waste that can never be safe.

Despite that, the UK has let Electricity of France (EDF) into the frame, with promises to pay almost double the rate for a megawatt of energy, than it costs to generate the same with solar and wind power. Why on earth did Boris make such a decision, without consulting the general public, and informing them as to the facts?

DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS - We pay our taxes but get no value for all our hard earned pounds. Don't forget that our income is taxed along with just about everything we buy. Even buying a house is subject to stamp duty and dying also costs money with death duties. Shit! How are they getting away with bleeding the electorate dry like this? Fuel is taxed, drinks are taxed (that's okay by us), and using roads is taxed. Then there is car tax of course. We heard they are thinking of taxing sex, based on the length of your Johnson.

LINKS & REFERENCE

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