“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw
Jan 02, 2025
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY with THE RISKS & CONSEQUENCES OF TOMORROW
The human error destroyed Chernobyl Power Plant in Ukraine that is still being cleaned up to this day. Nuclear Power is obviously neither safe nor provides reliable power production. ~llaw
Finally, a media news outlet, “POWER”, has figured out that nuclear power and their facilities and plants along with their nuclear waste are in reality potential partners in nuclear war. This story needs to be told by the media every day, and in every possible way.
Although I strongly disagree with the article relative to its high opinion that nuclear power is an important and reliable energy source and provider for any country’s needs, including the looming information technology (IT), especially that industry’s proposed AI and cloud computing needs, I do take my hat off to POWER’s executive editor Aaron Larson is r. for this well-written article and his serious warnings, a subject I have been harping about for months . . . ~llaw
War and Nuclear Energy: Risks Are Enormous for Power Industry and World
Nuclear power can be a highly important component of a country’s energy security strategy. This is true for several reasons.
Nuclear plants provide consistent baseload power that is not dependent on weather conditions or a constant fuel delivery system. Unlike solar or wind energy, nuclear power can generate electricity 24/7 with very high capacity factors, often 90% or more, which ensures a steady and predictable energy supply.
Nuclear power reduces dependence on foreign energy imports, particularly coal, oil, and natural gas. Countries with nuclear power plants can generate substantial electricity domestically, enhancing their energy independence and reducing geopolitical vulnerabilities associated with energy supply chains.
Meanwhile, nuclear fuel (uranium) is relatively abundant and concentrated, meaning a small volume of fuel can generate massive amounts of electricity. This characteristic leads to more stable and predictable energy pricing compared to fossil fuels, which are subject to significant market volatility. Uranium reserves are widely distributed globally, and modern reactor designs can use fuel very efficiently. Some advanced reactor concepts even propose recycling nuclear fuel, potentially extending fuel availability for decades or centuries.
By incorporating nuclear power into their energy mix, countries can diversify their electricity sources, reducing risks associated with over-reliance on any single energy technology or fuel type. This diversification enhances overall energy system resilience.
The Risks in War Zones
However, nuclear power plants present significant vulnerabilities during wartime, which can pose catastrophic risks to both military personnel and civilian populations. For example, a direct military strike or significant damage to a nuclear power plant could cause a massive radiological release, creating an environmental catastrophe far beyond the immediate conflict zone. The Chernobyl and Fukushima incidents have demonstrated how nuclear facility damage can create long-lasting contamination spanning hundreds of square miles.
Nuclear power plants are high-value strategic targets. An attacking force might intentionally target these facilities to create widespread environmental disruption, cause massive civilian displacement, generate long-term economic and environmental damage, or potentially contaminate critical infrastructure and agricultural lands. Unlike conventional military targets, damage to nuclear facilities can create radioactive exclusion zones, render surrounding areas uninhabitable for decades, contaminate water sources, cause long-term health risks through radiation exposure, and disrupt agricultural and economic activities in vast regions.
Protecting nuclear facilities during conflict is extremely challenging. Reactors require continuous cooling systems, robust infrastructure maintenance, specialized personnel to prevent potential meltdown scenarios, and extreme security measures that become exponentially more difficult during active combat. Meanwhile, the mere threat of nuclear facility damage can create significant psychological pressure, potentially forcing strategic withdrawals or negotiations due to the potential for catastrophic consequences.
A Real-World Problem
The risks associated with war and nuclear power are not just a thought exercise today—there’s been a real situation at hand for nearly three years. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Notably, the largest nuclear plant in Europe—the Zaporizhzhia facility, which has six VVER-1000 units each with a capacity of about 950 MW—was seized almost immediately by Russian forces on March 4, 2022. Fighting in the territory surrounding the Zaporizhzhia plant quickly raised concerns that its reactors could be critically damaged in the crossfire. Concerns were heightened in August 2022 when two of the four high-voltage (750-kV) offsite power lines to the site were damaged by an attack.
Representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, visited the plant in late August 2022 to assess the threat of a nuclear accident. Grossi addressed the United Nations Security Council via video link on Sept. 6, 2022, saying the establishment of a “Nuclear Safety and Security Protection Zone” was urgently needed at the Zaporizhzhia site to ensure that the physical integrity of the plant was not compromised.
While no agreement was ever reached to formally implement a protection zone at Zaporizhzhia, the IAEA has continued to closely monitor and assess the situation at the site on a daily basis. It has prioritized nuclear safety and security implications, alongside ongoing verification activities.
At the American Nuclear Society’s Winter Conference and Expo in Orlando, Florida, on Nov. 18, 2024, Grossi spoke about the work the IAEA has done in Ukraine during the war. He specifically highlighted an attack that had taken place just days before the Orlando event. “A tremendous, ferocious attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure reminded us once again that nuclear has sometimes unexpected challenges,” he said. Grossi noted that monitoring activities at a nuclear plant on the front lines of a war is “an amazing challenge.” Still, he said it was incredibly important for the IAEA to be there.
“This is why today I have teams of dedicated staff, not only in Zaporizhzhia, but also in Rivne, in Khmelnitski, in South Ukraine, in Chernobyl,” he said, referring to all the nuclear facilities in Ukraine, which total 15 operable reactors and four permanently shut down reactors. “Every three weeks crossing the front lines. I’ve done it myself five times. They do it all the time. And sometimes we’ve done it under fire. The proud flag of the IAEA, which represents us all, is there to remind those who are in conflict that nuclear energy is for peace.”
The nuclear industry has a safety maxim that posits “an accident anywhere is an accident everywhere.” In the case of war and nuclear power, the stakes are high for everyone and an accident must be avoided at all costs.
—Aaron Larson is POWER’s executive editor.
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(Please note that the Sunday and Saturday NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS are also added below by category, following Monday’s news posts in order to maintain continuity of nuclear news as well as for research for the overall information provided in “LLAW;s All Things Nuclear”.)
There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
- All Things Nuclear
- Nuclear Power
- Nuclear Power Emergencies
- Nuclear War
- Nuclear War Threats
- Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
- IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
TODAY’s NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Thursday, (01/02/2025)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
UK, France and Germany reopen nuclear talks with Iran – Yahoo
Yahoo
Meanwhile, speculation about a looming Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear … (Bloomberg) — For all the exuberance about Tesla Inc. benefiting from …
In Quotes: What to watch out for in 2025 – World Nuclear News
World Nuclear News
If we as an industry don’t get ready to invest in ourselves, whether it is the supply chain or workforce or everything else, then when will we do this …
That time we almost destroyed the world | WUNC
WUNC
Any plane crash is bad, but this one was particularly dangerous because onboard that bomber were two nuclear weapons. The event was perhaps the …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Launch the Next Nuclear Corps for a More Flexible Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Federation of American Scientists
The potential of new nuclear power plants to meet energy demand, increase energy security, and revitalize local economies depends on new …
War and Nuclear Energy: Risks Are Enormous for Power Industry and World
POWER Magazine
Nuclear power can be a highly important component of a country’s energy security strategy. This is true for several reasons.
Constellation secures $1 bln in contracts to supply US government with nuclear power | Reuters
Reuters
Constellation Energy Corp. has been awarded a record $1 billion in contracts to supply nuclear power to the U.S. government, the company said on …
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
Duke Energy, county officials to test sirens around Harris Nuclear Plant next week
WRAL.com
… Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages. If there was ever a real emergency at the plant requiring the sirens to be sounded, local radio and …
EMA director Smitherman keeps state ahead of emergencies – Alabama Political Reporter
Alabama Political Reporter
We do a lot with the planning preparations with our nuclear power plants. There are two active ones in the state; the work we do witm allows ..
Jimmy Carter’s death invites us to consider his legacy of nuclear emergency response and …
Winnipeg Free Press
… nuclear reactor expert. In this role, he was directly involved in the emergency response to the world’s first nuclear meltdown of a reactor cor
Nuclear War
NEWS
War and Nuclear Energy: Risks Are Enormous for Power Industry and World
POWER Magazine
The Risks in War Zones. However, nuclear power plants present significant vulnerabilities during wartime, which can pose catastrophic risks to both ..
What if Russia wins in Ukraine? We can already see the shadows of a dark 2025 | ECFR
European Council on Foreign Relations
Instability is growing, Putin’s hybrid war in Europe is heating up, and for fear of escalation we have encouraged global nuclear proliferation.
Ukraine War: Russia Warns Of Nuclear War With US & NATO Over Weapons & Explosives
Fathom Journal
The deputy head of Russia’s security council expressed outrage on Friday and warned this could lead Moscow into a nuclear war with the US and NATO.
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
Editors’ picks for 2024: ‘As important as Ukraine is, a Taiwan war must be Australia’s biggest worry’
ASPI Strategist
The purpose of this analysis has been to demonstrate the dangers of listening to those who focus only on the risks of resisting and deterring China.
Is Trump’s Bombast Good Diplomacy? – The American Conservative
The American Conservative
Threats and braggadocio yield diminishing returns. Us,President,Donald,Trump,Arrives,For,His,Final,. Doug Bandow. Jan 2, 2025 12:03 AM. President Joe …
Procurement: Norway Pays To Survive
StrategyPage
After World War II, Russia, Britain, and France developed nuclear weapons and the threat of those weapons being used again has made possible the ..
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
Scientists track changes at the Yellowstone supervolcano. Could it blow again?
USA Today
The caldera is the enormous volcanic crater left from the last time Yellowstone experienced a giant eruption, 640,000 years ago. It covers an area …
Yellowstone Volcanic Activity on the Move, Geologists Warn – Newsweek
Newsweek
“Caldera-forming eruptions at Yellowstone are sourced by rhyolitic melts stored within the mid-to-upper crust,” the researchers explained in their …
The progression of basaltic–rhyolitic melt storage at Yellowstone Caldera | Nature
Nature
Yellowstone Caldera is one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth, hosting three major caldera-forming eruptions in the past two million years, …
![Ukrainians wearing traditional clothes take part in a Christmas procession at the Sofiivska Square in Kyiv, on December 25, 2024. [Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP]](https://i0.wp.com/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff94f77b7-1932-4176-acc5-874a85a59c26_770x514.jpeg?ssl=1 "Ukrainians wearing traditional clothes take part in a Christmas procession at the Sofiivska Square in Kyiv, on December 25, 2024. [Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP]")
