Greenpeace Blog

UK nuclear reactors are defective, say government inspectors

Posted by bex — 5 July 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

A huge KAPOW projected onto Torness power station

A nuclear expert has called for nuclear reactors in the UK to be "immediately shut down" after secret documents written by government inspectors reveal they contain structural defects.

The documents - which were passed to Greenpeace days before Tony Blair is expected to give the go-ahead to a new generation of nuclear power stations - show that the government's Nuclear Safety Directorate (NSD) has identified cracks in the cores of up to 14 UK reactors, rendering them at increased risk of a radiological accident.

Article tagged as: climate change, decentralised energy, government, nuclear power, reactor safety, tony blair

London mayor owns up to illegal wood in Trafalgar Square

Posted by admin — 28 June 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

Brian Baring a traditional landowner from Papua New Guinea by Nelsons Column where illegal timber was used during renovations

Whatever you may think of his political credentials, as Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has been pushing to make the metropolis a greener city. His plans for a low-energy London have shown just how far behind central government are in terms of planning for a sustainable future, and the Greater London Authority (GLA) ensures that all timber used in their building projects is from sources approved by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Article tagged as: FSC, GLA, illegal timber, ken livingstone, london, papua new guinea, trafalgar square

Notorious 'blood timber' trader found guilty

Posted by admin — 7 June 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

Timber from one of Kouwenhoven's companies is marked by Greenpeace in the Netherlands in 2001

In a verdict that will have far reaching implications for the international timber trade, a judge in The Hague has found a former timber trader and arms dealer guilty of breaking the UN arms embargo in Liberia and sentenced him to a maximum of eight years in prison.

Article tagged as: africa, blood timber, destructive logging, gus kouwenhoven, illegal timber, liberia

Short shrift for Trident renewal

Posted by bex — 1 June 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

Clare Short at Hay on Wye festival

Former International Development Secretary Clare Short MP delivered a withering critique of the case for Trident replacement during the Greenpeace Debate on the future of UK nuclear weapons at Hay Festival earlier this week.

Article tagged as: audio, clare short, hay on wye, peace, trident

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