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Japanese nuclear safety scandal

Greenpeace activists Penny Gardner (UK) right and Irene Maggiulli (Italy) left atop the bow mast of their ship, the MV Esperanza, protesting the passage of a deadly plutonium shipment from Japan to UK. Enlarge Image

Plutonium on the horizon, planet on the line

A shipment of one of the planet's deadliest substances will round the Cape of Good Hope at about the same time world leaders are arriving in Johannesburg for the Earth Summit on Sustainable Development. We caught up with the British ship carrying the weapons-grade plutonium off the coast of Africa, but will we be able to get close enough to world leaders to remind them how unsustainable nuclear energy is.

Greenpeace activists from five countries today launched a pre-dawn protest at Koeberg, Africa's only nuclear power plant as world leaders gather in Johannesburg for the Earth Summit Enlarge Image

Activists raid South African Power Plant

Greenpeace found its way into a nuclear power plant in South Africa to kick of the Earth Summit and its call for clean, renewable energy for 2 billiion people within the next ten years.

Greenpeace activists hung a banner across the arms of the Christ statue on Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro to protest against the world leaders' failure to secure the future of the planet. Enlarge Image

The Future, Powered by?

While government delegates returned home from the failed Earth Summit, some of the dirty industry lobbyists that ensured that no action was taken by the Summit hot footed it to the World Petroleum Congress taking place in Rio de Janeiro. Yes, the same place where 10 years ago the first Earth Summit brought hope that finally the world was waking up to see the damage we are causing to the world's environment.

The two ships chartered by BNFL, the Pintail and the Teal depart Barrow, UK for Japan. Enlarge Image

Plutonium ships spotted

A year on from the September 11th attacks and it seems some governments have learnt nothing about true global security. Two ships carrying weapons-useable plutonium are nearing the end of a journey half way around the world, through waters of discontent and past small ships bearing witness. As the ships near home they will face their strongest opposition and be welcomed back by a nuclear industry that is showing cracks from coverups, bankruptcies and insolvencies, safety lapses and failures in plant security.

The Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla peacefully protesting against BNFL shipment of plutonium. Enlarge Image

Protest flotilla catches up with nuclear nomad ships

The Nuclear Free Irish Sea flotilla has caught up with BNFL's deadly cargo of weapons-usable plutonium in the Irish Sea. The dangerous and unnecessary cargo has been wandering the world's oceans for the past 75 days placing millions of lives and the marine environment at terrible risk.

The nuclear free Irish sea flotilla, (made up of yachts and vessels from England , Wales and Ireland), supported by the Greenpeace ship SV Rainbow Warrior. Enlarge Image

Careful sailing in close quarters

When the Pacific Pintail left the open sea and headed through the Walney channel this morning the ship was met by five members of the Nuclear Free Irish Sea Flotilla who had been lying in wait. The flotilla boats obeyed all maritime safety practices and orders from the harbour authorities, but still managed to sail within 50 yards (45.5m) of the Pacific Pintail carrying the first sea shipment of plutonium since the September 11th attacks.

Aerial view of Rokkasho-mura reprocessing plant taken from Greenpeace sampling kite. Enlarge Image

New Japanese nuclear risk

Plutonium is the world's most deadly substance and an important ingredient of nuclear bombs. A new Japanese nuclear facility, soon to open, could produce as much as eight thousand kilograms of plutonium a year. But deficient safeguards at the plant mean enough plutonium to build several nuclear bombs could be stolen or diverted from the plant each year, a new Greenpeace report shows.

Wind turbine erected by Greenpeace activists in front of the Doel nuclear power plant to protest discrimination against renewable energy by the Belgian government. Enlarge Image

Belgium gets out of nuclear power

The Belgian parliament voted in favour of phasing out all seven of its nuclear power reactors today. With this historic vote Belgium joins the majority of EU member states who are either non-nuclear or have their own phase out plans.

Fishermen in front of the Mihama nuclear plant after the 1991 accident at the plant. Now a second accident has claimed the lives of at least four workers. Alternative energy sources like wind and solar would have avoided this pollution and death. Enlarge Image

Accident at Japan nuclear plant

A fatal accident has killed at least four people at the Mihama nuclear power plant in Japan. There was no leak of radioactivity but it is the deadliest accident in a catalogue of nuclear scandals in Japan.

Greenpeace activists spend the night waiting for the imminent arrival of two BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels) ships, which are carrying 140kg of radioactive weapons-grade plutonium. The Pacific Pintail and the Pacific Teal left the U.S. port of Charleston, SC on September 20th. Greenpeace believes the shipment conducted by the US and France is unnecessarily threatening international security and putting the environment at risk. Enlarge Image

Nuclear shipment crosses Atlantic

LATEST UPDATES: www.stop-plutonium.org
Thanks to the Bush Administration's disregard for global concerns about nuclear proliferation, two ships carrying some 140kg of weapons-grade plutonium are en route from Charleston, South Carolina, to Cherbourg in France. The two lightly armed UK-flagged commercial nuclear ships are now somewhere off the coast of France, waiting until a possible injunction is served against Greenpeace, to dock.

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