nuclear

Our campaign against nuclear power in Japan

The numbers of people who suffered radiation exposure during the nuclear accident at the Tokaimura uranium plant was almost certainly higher than the Government estimates of forty-nine due to the high levels of neutron radiation, coupled with the slow evacuation of the area, Greenpeace said today, based on results of an investigation around the site.

Releasing the monitoring results in Mito city and Tokyo today, Greenpeace said that it had found evidence of radioactive fallout. Greenpeace also found high radiation levels on a public road near the plant on Sunday - 24 hours after the all-clear was given by the Government - and compelling evidence of high levels of neutron radiation. Neutron radiation is the most penetrating and one of the most dangerous forms of radiation.

Arctic Sunrise - taking action against nuclear power

As BNFL's two armed plutonium ships arrived in Japan today, Greenpeace UK called on the Government to reject the company's application to open its new Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP).

At around 5.30am today, amidst massive maritime security, the Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise bore witnesses to the delivery of the first cargo of weapons usable plutonium-MOX fuel to Japan from Europe. The fuel onboard the British flagged ship "Pacific Teal" arrived at the Fukushima nuclear plant on Japan's Pacific Coast. Carrying banners reading "Plutonium Kills" and "Plutonium = Destruction", the Sunrise was surrounded by 10 Japanese Maritime Safety Agency (MSA) ships carrying commandos in full riot equipment.

London -- The UK Government last night banned the MV Greenpeace from UK waters, a move described as draconian and anti-democratic by the international environmental organisation.

In a letter faxed to the Greenpeace vessel, the UK Government invoked the 1995 Merchant Shipping Act to ban the MV Greenpeace from all United Kingdom waters in the Irish Sea, St George's Channel, the Bristol Channel, and the English Channel, citing safety concerns.

The Greenpeace ship SV Rainbow Warrior arrived today in Cherbourg to protest the imminent shipment of weapons-usable plutonium fuel from France to Japan, the first-ever of its kind. Warning that Japan's drive to amass plutonium threatens regional stability and international nuclear disarmament efforts, the international environmental group labelled the imminent shipment a "recipe for disaster" and called on the French, British and Japanese government to cancel the transport.