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Protest flotilla success: plutonium ship intercepted

Watched by Japanese police ,the Greenpeace ship 'Arctic Sunrise' and inflatables protest in Uchiura bay, beside the Takahama nuclear plant. Enlarge Image

British nuclear freighters depart Japan en route to UK

A British freighter carrying enough plutonium to make 50 nuclear bombs is now on route through the Pacific ocean. The ship will pass South Africa then up to the Irish sea before reaching its final destination at a nuclear reprocessing facility in Sellafield. Along its entire route the ship will face opposition by ordinary citizens in small boats and governments terrified at the prospect of an accident or deliberate attack.

HMS Nottingham, one of the British Navy's most advanced destroyers ran aground off the east coast of Australia. Enlarge Image

Possible plutonium security escort HMS Nottingham runs aground in rough weather off the coast of Australia.

Shortly after a flotilla of small boats set out to protest a shipment of weapons-usable plutonium through the Tasman sea, a possible security escort, the HMS Nottingham, ran aground off the east coast of Australia.

The BNFL Pacific Pintail breaching the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Federated States of Micronesia. Enlarge Image

Nuclear transports endanger Pacific States

Currently a highly dangerous nuclear cargo is being transported across the Pacific en route from Japan to the UK. The two armed ships carrying enough plutonium to make 50 nuclear bombs have completely disregarded several requests from Pacific Governments to remain outside their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).

Greenpeace and Nuclear Free Seas Flotilla between Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands in the Tasman Sea wait for the two armed nuclear freighters The Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal to deliver their protest message. Enlarge Image

Flotilla stops nuclear shipment in its tracks

For almost a week eleven small yachts have been heading across the Pacific to demonstrate the huge public opposition to the shipment of highly dangerous nuclear cargo that is being transported across the Pacific en route from Japan to the UK. Now they are in position on the route of the shipment. But the two armed nuclear freighters seem reluctant to face the full glare of publicity.

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.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu blessed the Esperanza and the crew and then joined them in wishing for a clean, peaceful and nuclear free world. Enlarge Image

Archbishop Tutu blesses the Esperanza

Archbishop Desmond Tutu joined the call for a clean, nuclear free future from the deck of the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza today as the ship and crew continued their work in the run up to the Earth Summit next week.The Noble Peace Prize winner told the crew "Thank you for your work for peace and for a nuclear free world, it is wonderful and we thank you."

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

Nowhere to run to....nowhere to hide

Two British freighters with their cargo of weapons-usable plutonium, are now in the home straight of an 18,000 mile transport of terror. As the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal near the Irish Sea on their journey from Japan to Barrow on England's north west coast, the full glare of the public spotlight is being prepared for their arrival.

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.

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