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CAMPAIGNERS from Norway descended on Westminster to demand Sellafield be closed down amid fears an accident at the site would cause devastation across the globe. 0508874 CAMPAIGN: Campaigners from Norway protest against Sellafield at Westminster The group claimed the quality of the radioactive waste is poor and they fear there will be an accident at the site. Frank Storelv, from Oslo, said 90 per cent of wind blows from the south west and if there was an explosion or accident at Sellafield, one or two days later the radioactive waste would be carried to the west coast of Norway.

CAMPAIGNERS from Norway descended on Westminster to demand Sellafield be closed down amid fears an accident at the site would cause devastation across the globe. 0508874 CAMPAIGN: Campaigners from Norway protest against Sellafield at Westminster The group claimed the quality of the radioactive waste is poor and they fear there will be an accident at the site. Frank Storelv, from Oslo, said 90 per cent of wind blows from the south west and if there was an explosion or accident at Sellafield, one or two days later the radioactive waste would be carried to the west coast of Norway.

The Coalition for a Nuclear Free Alberta launched its province-wide Green Ribbon Campaign at the Grande Prairie Public Library yesterday. The purpose of the campaign is to urge Albertans to reject what the CNFA deems to be a risky and expensive proposal to develop nuclear power in the province. "People are beginning to see that there's more to this nuclear development story than meets the eye," said Norman Dyck, a spokesman for CNFA. "The information is getting out to the alternate media; people mostly want to be responsible in what we leave to our great-great-great-great grandchildren." The coalition does not see nuclear power as a climate change solution. It believes renewable energy options can be brought about faster and more cheaply, with less risk to the health of Albertans and the environment.

The Coalition for a Nuclear Free Alberta launched its province-wide Green Ribbon Campaign at the Grande Prairie Public Library yesterday. The purpose of the campaign is to urge Albertans to reject what the CNFA deems to be a risky and expensive proposal to develop nuclear power in the province. "People are beginning to see that there's more to this nuclear development story than meets the eye," said Norman Dyck, a spokesman for CNFA. "The information is getting out to the alternate media; people mostly want to be responsible in what we leave to our great-great-great-great grandchildren." The coalition does not see nuclear power as a climate change solution. It believes renewable energy options can be brought about faster and more cheaply, with less risk to the health of Albertans and the environment.

PERTH - Demonstrators wore "nuclear warheads" while percussion band Junkadelik gave extra life to a spirited protest outside the Australian Uranium Summit on May 7. The 100-strong action was organised by the Anti-Nuclear Alliance of WA. The rally chair, veteran peace campaigner Jo Vallentine, said the campaign against uranium mining must gear up in the face of moves by the state Coalition government to allow uranium mining in WA. She called on activists to organise a petition to state parliament with the largest number of signatures in WA history. In response to a new pro-uranium push from the nuclear industry a further two protests were organised outside pro-uranium events for May 11. Anti-uranium campaigners have vowed to end uranium mining in the state.

Vermont Yankee critics are gearing up for another campaign aimed at persuading state lawmakers to turn thumbs-down on the plant's request for a 20-year license extension. A coalition of groups including Vermont Public Interest Research Group and former Gov. Phil Hoff are announcing the campaign Thursday. It's aimed at getting more Vermont towns to pass resolutions on Town Meeting Day opposing Vermont Yankee's bid to remain operating past its scheduled 2012 closing. Last year, 36 towns passed such a measure.

Vermont Yankee critics are gearing up for another campaign aimed at persuading state lawmakers to turn thumbs-down on the plant's request for a 20-year license extension. A coalition of groups including Vermont Public Interest Research Group and former Gov. Phil Hoff are announcing the campaign Thursday. It's aimed at getting more Vermont towns to pass resolutions on Town Meeting Day opposing Vermont Yankee's bid to remain operating past its scheduled 2012 closing. Last year, 36 towns passed such a measure.

"The verdict in the Bhopal gas tragedy case has sparked renewed protests against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) by locals who are prepared to strongly oppose the installation of three more proposed units - III, IV and V - at the atomic power plant. Street campaigns and public meetings have been organised against the new units after villagers, dismayed by the Bhopal judgement, discovered that the officials in the six districts that will be worst affected in case of a disaster at the plant have no emergency preparedness plan. The street campaigns and three public meetings against Koodankulam in Kanyakumari district after the Bhopal verdict attracted a good audience, said National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements coordinator S.P. Udayakumar. "The Nadars and Pillaimars earlier kept away from the anti-nuclear and anti-Koodankulam campaigns, calling them anti-development," he noted. "But the Bhopal verdict made them realise how irresponsible our government is towards people's safety.""

"Easter 1958: some 10,000 people marched from London to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston to protest against Britain's first hydrogen bomb tests. Fast forward to the Easter weekend this year and people have come together from across Britain - some of whom protested in the original march - to participate in the 50th anniversary event. Rowenna Davis, interested to find out whether anti-nuclear campaigners are 'noble or naive', went along for the ride The snow didn't stop them coming. Half a century since the first march to Aldermaston in 1958, members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament were going back to the base to protest against the government's plans to renew Trident, the UK's nuclear weapons system. And this time I was going with them. As a general rule, anti-nuclear protesters are considered to be the most unrealistic of all campaigners - and I wanted to see for myself whether they were noble or naive. "

About 30 anti-nuclear campaigners have walked from Reading to Berkshire's Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). The 13-mile (21km) "peace pilgrimage" was organised by Reading Peace Group to mark the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Campaigners left the Civic Centre at 0900 BST and held a multi-faith service outside AWE in the afternoon.

About 30 anti-nuclear campaigners have walked from Reading to Berkshire's Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). The 13-mile (21km) "peace pilgrimage" was organised by Reading Peace Group to mark the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Campaigners left the Civic Centre at 0900 BST and held a multi-faith service outside AWE in the afternoon.

CAMPAIGNERS protesting against possible plans to scrap nuclear submarines at Devonport Dockyard descended on the city for an organised protest at the weekend. Around 300 people turned out in support of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament who believe that Plymouth will be turned into a dumping ground for nuclear submarines. The rally began with a march through the city centre before speeches outside the Guildhall. The group then travelled to Devonport Park before a protest march along the dockyard wall, finishing at the site's Camels Head entrance.

CAMPAIGNERS protesting against possible plans to scrap nuclear submarines at Devonport Dockyard descended on the city for an organised protest at the weekend. Around 300 people turned out in support of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament who believe that Plymouth will be turned into a dumping ground for nuclear submarines. The rally began with a march through the city centre before speeches outside the Guildhall. The group then travelled to Devonport Park before a protest march along the dockyard wall, finishing at the site's Camels Head entrance.

"The nuclear industry is being offered what campaigners claim is a taxpayer subsidy on the disposal costs of waste from new reactors following a secret lobbying campaign, the Guardian has learned. The revelation will put further scrutiny on the new government's promise that there will be no subsidy for nuclear power. Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne, the new energy and climate change secretary of state, admitted to the Guardian this week that the government already faces a £4bn funding black hole over existing radioactive waste."

Campaigners against the construction of a nuclear power plant in western Belarus have been denied permission to stage a series of protests. The group, campaigning under the motto "The Astravets Nuclear Power Plant is a Crime," wanted to demonstrate in Smarhon, Maladzyechna and Vileyka this month, opposition activist Alyaksey Syudak, a member of the group, told BelaPAN. The local authorities in Maladzyechna cited in their reply the "unconfirmed nationality" of the applicants, the Smarhon authorities said that a presidential edict ordering the construction of the plant had not yet been issued, while in Vileyka, the applicants were told that the venue picked up by them was not intended for mass events.

"A blinding flash of light followed by a cloud of complete darkness. A city in shambles. A face peeks out from beneath heavy wooden beams, eyes dart left and right, trapped as fires begin to consume everything. These memories of the atomic bomb decimating Hiroshima haunt Takashi Teramoto. Sixty-five years later, he recounts the story to about 40 Mill Pond students and their parents during a live video conference organized by sixth-grade teacher, Rebecca Kline and the Executive Director of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, Steve Leeper. While it was early in the morning in Hiroshima when the live video conference took place, it was 7:30 p.m. for the audience in the Mill Pond auditorium. The live image of Teramoto, who survived the bombing of Hiroshima and his interpreter, Elizabeth Baldwin, were projected on a large screen while pictures were displayed in am accompanying slideshow. This video conference was organized as part of a campaign by the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation to abolish all nuclear weapons in the world. Leeper explained that they are not doing this campaign to attack America or complain about what happened. Their concern is preventing mass destruction by nuclear weapons from ever happening again. "

"Environmental campaigners on Wednesday urged Thailand to shelve its nuclear power proposals, warning that the cost of the project could be much greater than expected. Greenpeace said the government's provisional plans to build five nuclear plants could face "huge cost overruns" and pressed authorities to instead focus on renewable energy. Campaign manager Tara Buakamsri said official estimates for the initial cost of the development was around 15.4 billion dollars, but cautioned that international spending levels for reactors suggested the outlay could be more like 20 billion dollars. Thailand is exploring the feasibility of tapping atomic power to help meet its growing energy needs, but it has faced strong local opposition to the siting of reactors."

"Environmental campaigners have accused the Government of preparing to allow a multi-million pound "handout" to firms building nuclear reactors. Greenpeace said the move went against assurances given by ministers that the nuclear industry would not receive handouts to help build new nuclear power stations. A study commissioned by the group claimed that firms would not be liable for dealing with the waste from new reactors, leaving the taxpayer with bills running into billions. The report, written by Ian Jackson, an associate fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, said dealing with waste from each new reactor will cost around £1.5bn, but under current plans being considered by the Government, energy companies would "walk away", having contributed as little as £500 million. Ben Ayliffe, senior energy campaigner for Greenpeace, said: "The Government has said there will be no public money for new nuclear power, but the unique financial model developed for this report shows that billions of pounds of public money could be spent to subsidise the nuclear industry, even though the Government is warning of painful cuts ahead for the country in key areas like education and health."

LAND close to a former nuclear power station in Essex was yesterday earmarked as a potential site for a new reactor - sparking concerns from local campaigners. The Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA) has announced that it expects to put forward land near Bradwell for consideration as the Government looks to identify locations suitable for new nuclear build. The news was greeted with alarm by local anti-nuclear campaigners - who fear it could pave the way for more than one power station to be built.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband gave a speech today in London outlining a new '6 step programme' for creating a world free of nuclear weapons. His speech was largely a response to pressure created by recent high-profile campaigns emerging from the US, which have been calling for step by step progress towards the ultimate abolition of the world's nuclear arsenals. Getting rid of the bomb? Sounds like radical stuff, but what's particularly radical is who is behind these campaigns. Not your 'usual suspect' peaceniks, but rather some of the biggest names in international diplomacy, who have come together to demand action on global security because they see the spread of nuclear weapons as the biggest threat to our immediate future.

The Alberta Liberal Opposition is raising concerns that the "fix is in" for nuclear power after a Conservative campaign manager was hired by the Ontario firm looking to build Alberta's first nuclear reactor. The Liberals say Randy Dawson was hired recently by Bruce Power to do government relations after he ran a successful campaign for Premier Ed Stelmach's Tories in the March provincial election.

Greenpeace activists blocked access to the Pickering nuclear station today with a flat bed truck topped by a giant billboard reading "Minister: Don't Nuke Green Energy," as part of a campaign to convince the McGuinty government to replace Pickering nuclear reactors with green energy. "Greenpeace is blocking the Pickering reactor station because Nuclear Energy Minister George Smitherman is blocking green energy in Ontario," said Shawn-Patrick Stensil, a Greenpeace energy campaigner. "The spin around Smitherman's proposed Green Energy Act is cynical greenwashing to hide the fact that his nuclear plans will rob green energy of the funding needed for development."

A military manual that was handed over to German campaigners has reignited allegations that the US used DU ammunition in Afghanistan. If true, it runs counter to repeated assurances given by the US military that no DU was used. The manual, a war-fighting guide for Bundeswehr contigents in Afghanistan is marked classified and for official NATO use only. It was written by the Bundeswehr's Centre for Communication and published in late 2005. Campaigners have long suspected that the US military has not been entirely candid over the issue and papers have emerged showing that DU munitions were transported to Afghanistan. The use of A10 Warthog aircraft -- one of the main users of DU ammunition -- remains widespread to this day, although the number of armoured targets is now much diminished. Estimates by Janes Defence in 2003 suggested that the Taliban had at least 100 main battle tanks and 250 armoured fighting vehicles at the beginning of the conflict. It would be unusual if the US Army had chosen not to engage these targets with DU munitions from the air. The section on DU munitions begins with:

This anti-nuclear campaigner has spent a lifetime striving to create a better world. The day after the Federal Government approved a new uranium mine in South Australia, veteran anti-nuclear campaigner Helen Caldicott was appalled. In her view, exporting uranium, to any country, is morally indefensible. "I think it's devastating," she says, describing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as "a wolf in sheep's clothing" and accusing Environment Minister Peter Garrett of moral turpitude. "I'm so ashamed to be an Australian at the moment," says Caldicott, 71, a Melbourne-born medical doctor.

Pakistan's nuclear programme has been under attack right from its inception. The decade of seventies saw conspiracy theories of Pakistan's acquisition of nuclear technology clandestinely. The decades of 80s and 90s saw an orchestrated campaign to malign its programme. After being forced to cross the nuclear threshold in May 1998, Pakistan established its Nuclear Command Authority three years before India; put in place, its Strategic Plans Division (SPD) to perform functions relating to planning, coordination, and establishment of a reliable command, control, communication, and intelligence network; yet Pakistan faces a concerted campaign to instil fears regarding the security of its nuclear assets. Frederick Kagan, former West Point military historian, who devised the Bush administration's Iraq troop surge, called for the White House to consider various options for an unstable Pakistan, including the US to consider sending elite troops to Pakistan to seize its nuclear weapons if the country descends into chaos. The Washington Post carried a detailed report on war-games to take out Pakistan's nukes. Bruce Riedel, former CIA officer, senior advisor to three US presidents including President Obama on Middle East and South Asian issues came up with an Op-Ed Pakistan and the bomb: How the US can divert a crisis in WSJ (May 30, 09) based on half truths, conjectures and apparent twisting of facts in pursuit of an agenda. It has been refuted by various analysts including this scribe so let it rest at that though because of Mr Bruce Riedel's position in the US government, it may be construed that his views are reflective of the Obama administration.