Hindsight 20-20
/This weekend Fairewinds chief engineer Arnie Gundersen traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the Three Mile Island meltdown that occurred March 28, 1979.
Read MoreThis weekend Fairewinds chief engineer Arnie Gundersen traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the Three Mile Island meltdown that occurred March 28, 1979.
Read MoreEven though so much has happened in the world since the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that led to three nuclear meltdowns and widespread radiation releases, it is crucial to remember that this international fiasco has no end in sight. For the tens of thousands of people in Japan who have been forced to evacuate, this disaster is a daily struggle.
Read MoreMarch 11, 2017 marks 6 years since triple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants and the near meltdown at numerous atomic power reactors across Japan. Even today we are still realizing the widespread impacts these meltdowns have caused for the citizens of Japan and their ongoing impact around the earth.
Read MoreFairewinds Chief Engineer Arnie Gundersen was recently featured on both the BBC and KGO Radio to discuss the recent developments at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic power plant, the risks posed, and where we can go from here in this ongoing dilemma that appears to have no end sight.
Read MorePeople all around the world know when the Fukushima Daiichi disaster began, but no one knows when it will end. As you all know, Fairewinds has been sharing the facts of the Fukushima Daiichi triple meltdowns since they began six years ago March 11, 2011.
Read MoreThe Diablo Canyon atomic power reactors should be closed in 2019, not 2024 and 2025, according to expert witness testimony filed by the San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace (SLOMFP) to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) January 27, 2017.
Read MoreThank you so much for your contribution to Fairewinds Energy Education this year! We could not do our research without you!
Read MoreKnowing is not enough, we need scientific studies that push back against atomic power industry lies about nuclear risk, climate change, radioactive waste disposal, and the impact of hot particle exposure on people around the earth. We do the scientific research, and we need your support to continue to do so!
Read MoreFollowing the passing of the American national hero, noted astronaut, and Senator John Glenn on December 8, 2016, at 95-years old, I wrote a brief tribute in Fairewinds December 16 Newsletter. I promised to write a follow-up article about meeting personally with Senator John Glenn when he protected nuclear whistleblowers.
Read MoreHappy Holidays from all of us at Fairewinds Energy Education! Wherever and however you choose to celebrate your holidays, we wish you peace and joy!
Read MoreConfused about what the election means for the future of America’s energy systems? Maggie and Arnie Gundersen were recently featured on Project Censored Radio with Hosts Mickey Huff and Peter Phillips to discuss exactly that. Listen as Maggie and Arnie examine the future of nuclear power reactors from a business perspective and show that new nukes just don’t make economic sense.
Read MoreClaims that atomic power reactors are the solution to global warming are simply attempted rebranding efforts by the nuclear power industry to make people believe nuclear power is a "clean" way of generating electricity. Listen to CCTV host Margaret Harrington of Nuclear Free Future interview Fairewinds Chief Engineer Arnie Gundersen and Research Assistant Grayson Webb about how the atomic power industry is trying to sell the world its false narrative that it helps reduce Global CO2.
Read MoreThe Fairewinds Crew created this special 2-minute animation to show you why building new nukes is a lost opportunity for humankind with precious time and money wasted on the wrong choice. At least $8.2 Trillion would be needed to build the 1,000 atomic reactors the nuclear industry wants – that’s 1 reactor every 12-days for 35-years. Watch the animation to see what it means and why!
Read MoreOur friend and colleague University of North Carolina (UNC) professor and epidemiologist Dr. Stephen [Steve] Wing died this week. I will miss his inquiring mind and his friendship. Maggie and I were lucky enough to spend some time visiting Steve last summer when we attended a family wedding in North Carolina.
Read MoreFairewinds podcast this week features an interview with atomic power watchdog Clay Turnbull, a trustee and staff member for New England Coalition (NEC) in Brattleboro, VT. Mr. Turnbull, who has spent his career speaking truth to power on environmental issues in the energy arena, was arrested in March 2016 for allegedly trespassing at the Entergy Vermont Yankee (VY) atomic power reactor site.
Read MoreCO2 Smoke Screen: New Nukes Make Global Warming Worse uncovers the ludicrously small impact that nuclear power has on saving the Earth from CO2 emissions in contrast to the promises of the atomic power industry. Well received by fellow experts in the field and filmed by award winning photographer Martin Duckworth, the CO2 Smoke Screen is the culmination of one year’s worth of research and hard work by the Fairewinds Crew, Fairewinds science advisors, and a group of amazing interns from the University of Vermont (UVM).
Read MoreThe US originally had 104 operating nuclear power plants. As these atomic reactors have declined with age, only 99 nukes remain operating, of which three more are now scheduled for shut down. Ten more atomic power reactors are on life-support as they await the infusion of taxpayer dollars necessary to continue operation, or shut down at or near the end of their design and material life.
Read MoreTwo contrasting energy news stories recently crossed my desk. The coincidence is noteworthy for what it reveals about innovation and its relationship to corporate greed.
The first story celebrated a triumph of cooperation between inventors and international funders, which has enabled the first fuel-free flight around the world. Like early fueled flights of circumnavigation, it was slow-going, but on July 26, 2016, Solar Impulse 2 finally completed the last leg of its flight circling the globe and landing in Abu Dahbi where the journey had begun on March 9, 2015. As its name suggests, Solar Impulse successfully derives all of its energy from the sun, lending an ironic twist to the Greek tragedy of Icarus whose flight was cut short by solar rays.
Read MoreUtility owner Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) announced in June 2016 that it would shut down the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant with its two atomic reactors by 2025 due to a joint proposal made by PG&E and several environmental and labor organizations. This action is neither the beginning nor the end to the decades long story of Diablo Canyon’s design, construction, and operation. PG&E’s promise to replace the nuclear power generated by Diablo Canyon’s two reactors with renewable energy and to no longer seek a 20-year license renewal for these atomic reactors still comes with significant costs.
Read MoreThe shutdown of Diablo Canyon and its two atomic reactors by 2025 is the result of a joint proposal among Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), environmental, and labor groups. This action is neither the beginning nor the end to the decades long story of Diablo Canyon’s design, construction, and operation. PG&E’s promise to replace the nuclear power generated by Diablo Canyon’s two reactors with renewable energy and to no longer seek a 20-year license renewal for these atomic reactors comes with a cost. The two reactors located on multiple California fault lines will continue to operate for nearly a decade more.
Read MoreFairewinds Energy Education is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to furthering public understanding of nuclear power and nuclear safety related issues.