Newsletter VIII 2023 |
19 until 25. February
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Nuclear Power Accidents
This PDF file contains a list of accidents and releases of radioactivity. Some of this information was only made public under the most difficult of circumstances. As new information emerges, this list will be expanded and updated...
Excerpt for this month:
5. February 1958 (Broken Arrow) Tybee Island, USA
6. February 1974 (INES 5) NPP Sosnovy Bor, USSR
13. February 1950 (Broken Arrow) Princess Royal Island, CAN
16. February 2011 (INES 2) NPP Tricastin, FRA
22. February 1977 (INES 4) NPP Jaslovke Bohunice, SVK
February 2010 (INES ? Class.?) NPP Vermont Yankee, USA
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We are looking for current information. If you can help, please send a message to: nukleare-welt@reaktorpleite.de
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25. February
uprising for peace | Schwarzer | Wagenknecht
Thousands demonstrate in "Uprising for Peace" for negotiations with Russia
According to the police, at least 13.000 people demonstrated in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin for an end to the war in Ukraine and for negotiations with Russia. The event was largely trouble-free.
The left-wing politician Wagenknecht and the women's rights activist Schwarzer had called for the rally under the motto "uprising for peace". Schwarzer spoke of the beginning of a citizens' movement that was sorely needed. Wagenknecht criticized the discussion culture in Germany and complained about campaigns against the initiative. She accused the federal government - literally - of "war obsession". In her speech, Schwarzer warned that the great nuclear power Russia could not be defeated ...
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international law | War Crimes | double standards
The West's double standards when dealing with international law
The West also uses international law in relation to Putin in order to be able to pursue its own interests undisturbed, if necessary using military means.
Putin on trial – this electrifying perspective was already being worked on immediately after the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022. On February 28, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan announced an investigation into the situation in Ukraine. This is about the possible prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
[...]
International tribunals would certainly have been an option for the possible war criminals Scholz, Fischer, Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Blair, Obama and Trump. But at that time nobody called for international law and the ICC was only active against African despots and war criminals. In view of this one-eyedness, however, the question arises as to what legitimizes the USA in particular, but also the NATO countries, to now ask for the judge. And this is where the Göttingen criminal and international law expert Kai Ambos with his slim volume “Double standards. The West and the Ukraine" in the Westend-Verlag to ...
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UN Charter | duty to peace | war forbidden
The Ukraine War and Our Duty to Peace
In this country, only Russia's war against its neighbor is understood as a violation of the world order. But the West is also partly to blame. A look at the UN Charter shows this.
[...]
The preamble to the UN Charter states: "The peoples of the United Nations (are) determined to save future generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold suffering to mankind."
Unfortunately, this appeal of the UN Charter seems to have been forgotten today. This is mainly due to the fact that the actual protectors (and UN founding members) of the UN Charter – the USA, Great Britain, France and now also Russia – have continuously eroded the principles of the UN Charter, indeed have repeatedly ignored them altogether...
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February 2010 (INES Class.?!) NPP Vermont Yankee, VT, USA
AtomkraftwerkePlag
Vermont Yankees (USA)
https://atomkraftwerkeplag.fandom.com/de/wiki/Vermont_Yankee_(USA)
In 2010, it turned out that radioactive water containing tritium had leaked into the groundwater. The operator incurred $821 million in costs. In addition, cesium-137 was detected on the site. That same year, as a result of soil contamination, the state of Vermont decided to phase out nuclear power and shut down Vermont Yankee...
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US nuclear power plant - radioactive substances contaminate soil:
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Wikipedia
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernkraftwerk_Vermont_Yankee
In February 2010, traces of 137Cs were found on the nuclear power plant site at levels three to XNUMX times higher, according to the Vermont government, than would be expected from the impact of nuclear weapons testing and the Chernobyl disaster. The operator Entergy then announced that it would remove the soil and dispose of it as nuclear waste.
On August 27, 2013, the owner Entergy announced, despite the extended license, that the nuclear power plant should be decommissioned in 2014, as continued operation is no longer economically viable. The reason for the Senate decision was a Tritium leak in the underground of the factory ...
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24. February
WNISR | Security Nuclear War | Ukraine Aw | IAEA
Energy expert on nuclear safety in war:
"Trade relations are more important"
The energy expert Mycle Schneider criticizes the UN nuclear agency IAEA. Because of her work in the Ukraine, it will become normal to operate a nuclear power plant during the war.
taz: Mr. Schneider, how do you see the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in this conflict?
Mycle Schneider: I find them very problematic. Nowhere in the interpretation of safety standards for nuclear plants is there anything about how to deal with a war being waged around a nuclear plant. Or that a nuclear power plant is occupied by enemy troops. That the personnel are being forced by the opposing side to continue operating a multi-reactor power plant. That their relatives are allegedly kidnapped and tortured.
Why do you find the IAEA's role in this so problematic?
In an active war, no one can guarantee the safety of a nuclear power plant. It is based on a system of complex regulations, inspections, maintenance, regular checks and healthy, rested staff. But there have been no controls in Zaporizhia for months. The operating crews are certainly doing what they can, but without normal supervision and outside control they work under enormous stress. Nothing is known about the terms of spare parts deliveries and maintenance ...
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peace rally | Schwarzer | Wagenknecht
pure of heart
The initiators of the rally for peace would rather put off leftists than supporters of the AfD
War has raged in Ukraine for a year now, and those who do not want to respond with more arms to the mass slaughter and maiming, the suffering of civilians and the devastation of an entire country are on the defensive. A large demonstration against the logic of war and rearmament, for a ceasefire, negotiations and the withdrawal of Russian troops has been missing for a long time. But the peace rally by Alice Schwarzer and Sahra Wagenknecht is not.
Because the circle of initiators was deliberately communicated in such a contradictory way that the AfD can feel invited. This puts opponents of arms deliveries and rearmament in an oppressive situation: either they stay away from an event whose concerns they essentially support, or they demonstrate together with the AfD.
[...]
It would have been so easy for the initiators to draw the line to the right. Interview question: Are AfD members welcome? Answer: no. Instead: »Everyone is welcome.« »No test of attitude.« »Honest heart.« They should only please leave flags at home and if possible not push into the first row ...
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Russia | Ukraine war | UN resolution
UN resolution on the Ukraine war: No great triumph
141 countries demand Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine. But there is still no question of Russia's widespread international isolation.
It may be considered a diplomatic success for the West that once again a large majority of 141 states in the UN General Assembly approved a resolution demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from all of Ukraine's territory.
[...]
Nevertheless, even this result cannot hide the fact that Russia cannot be said to be globally isolated. China, India, South Africa and 29 other countries abstained, and XNUMX others did not vote at all. Not to mention the seven dictatorships that voted against it.
But not all of those who agreed are willing to draw further conclusions in order to implement the resolution's demands. Even NATO member Turkey has tended to expand economic relations with Russia since the beginning of the war ...
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Power outages Ukraine | environmental damage | climate damage
Toxic gases, forest fire, oil slick
Greenpeace, in cooperation with Ukrainian environmentalists, has presented an initial assessment of the environmental and climate damage in Ukraine one year after the start of the war. While the climate benefits in a cynical way, the ecological impact is devastating.
Almost a year ago, Putin's brutal war of aggression in Ukraine began. It is now becoming increasingly clear that it is not just people who suffer from the military attacks, there is also devastating damage to nature, the environment and the climate.
A recent Greenpeace report shows the extent of this. However, the conflict that has disrupted energy markets around the world could indirectly promote a faster transition to zero-carbon energies. That would be a push for climate protection.
The Greenpeace report documents almost 900 cases of serious environmental damage, including large-scale forest fires, the release of toxic gases from power plants and oil pollution in water bodies. It is based on a documentary by the Ukrainian environmental organization Ecoaction ...
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Greenpeace | Armament | defense budget
Alexander Lurz on the turning point and rearmament:
"There's a gold rush atmosphere right now"
In conversation The so-called turning point mean one thing above all: rearmament. Greenpeace expert Alexander Lurz warns against hectic, fatal waste of money
A year has passed since the Russian attack on Ukraine. At the time, Chancellor Olaf Scholz proclaimed a turning point: What does that mean for the German armaments industry and the Bundeswehr since then? A conversation with disarmament expert Alexander Lurz from Greenpeace Germany.
der Freitag: Mr. Lurz, you are an expert on disarmament. But since the so-called turning point proclaimed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a new era of rearmament has begun.
I view this with concern on several levels. We know that rearmament usually leads to even more rearmament and thus increases the risk of escalation and violence. And it consumes enormous financial resources. This money doesn't come out of nowhere, which means it has to be saved elsewhere. We already have significant social inequalities and distortions in Germany, but also beyond. There is supposedly no money to counteract this. It is similar with climate protection. If, like this federal government, you want to comply with the debt brake at the same time, rearmament must result in savings being made in the fight against social injustice, in climate protection and other important things...
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China | armistice negotiations | end the war in Ukraine
Twelve point plan
Cautious reactions to China's proposal to end the Ukraine war
China has published its plan to end the war in Ukraine. The twelve-point paper calls on Russia and Ukraine to lay down their arms and start negotiations. Initial reactions from Germany are cautious.
[...]
China calls for ceasefire and dialogue
The Chinese proposal literally speaks of a “political solution”. Dialogue between Russia and China is the only way to solve the "crisis," says the twelve-point plan. Neither nuclear weapons nor biological or chemical weapons should be used.
The paper goes on to say that the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be preserved and legitimate security interests must be taken seriously...
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Ukraine war | Fossil | weapon manufacturer
Winners and losers of the Ukraine war
After a year of war: who suffers, who benefits? A list that allows only one conclusion: every additional day is a catastrophe for Ukraine and the world.
Like any war, the Ukraine war produces many losers. But there are also profiteers who take advantage of the acts of war and gain influence.
An overview of the winners and losers after a year of war...
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23. February
Nuclear phase-out | Anti-Nuclear Spring
Call for an “anti-nuclear spring” in 2023
Nuclear phase-out now!
Actually, nuclear power should have been history in Germany on New Year's Eve. But instead of shutting down the last three nuclear power plants Neckarwestheim 2, Emsland and Isar 2 as planned on December 31.12.2022, 15, they can continue to run in so-called stretching operation until April 2023, XNUMX.
Well-known politicians from the FDP, CDU and CSU are already calling for further, long-term extensions. You still want to overturn the nuclear phase-out. We will protest against this with all our might. We are calling for a hot anti-nuclear spring to increase social pressure against longer nuclear power plant lifetimes. By April 15 at the latest, nuclear power in Germany must finally come to an end!
The winter has clearly shown that the three nuclear power plants are not needed for our power supply, even in times of crisis...
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Resistance | Blackout | fear campaign
Nuclear phase-out, blackout & perfect fear campaigns
"If the Wyhl nuclear power plant is not built, the lights will go out in Baden-Württemberg," said Prime Minister and retired naval staff judge Hans Filbinger in 1975. "If we shut down the last three nuclear power plants, the lights will go out in Germany," the nuclear-fossil threaten rope teams today. Times change, but the perfectly organized and always effective scare campaigns remain...
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Chemistry Lobby | refrigerant | propane
lobby fight
How much poison does the heat pump need?
The heat pump is considered an important lever against climate change and dependence on gas imports. But poison slumbers in many devices - for some, a necessary evil.
[...]
The refrigerant is crucial to the effectiveness of a heat pump. It flows in a circuit, absorbs heat from the outside, is then compressed - and thereby heated. The heat gained is then passed on to the heating system of the house. When it finally cools down, the cycle starts all over again.
But there is a problem: in most cases, the refrigerant today contains artificial gases from the group of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). These F-gases are considered to be so toxic and persistent that they are to be largely banned in Europe in just a few years.
[...]
The fact is that almost all major pump manufacturers now offer pumps with natural refrigerants. Propane is particularly popular - the gas that is familiar from the gas grill in the garden. It is environmentally friendly and available in almost unlimited quantities...
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Hydrogen | Efficiency | Heat pump
Series of studies on the potentials and limits of green hydrogen - first publication analyzes the heating sector
[...]
In order to economically evaluate various heating technologies against the background of the forecast market ramp-up of hydrogen, the authors compared the actual costs incurred over time in the study. They come to the conclusion that gas condensing boilers based on hydrogen do not make sense: "For reasons of efficiency, the use of hydrogen for the decentralized provision of heat should not be prioritized, since there is a multiple of green electrical energy for electrolysis compared to a scenario with heat pumps would be necessary,” says Felix Doucet, author of the study and research associate at CC4E. The direct comparison shows that the use of renewable electricity per kWh of heat to be generated when burning green hydrogen in condensing boilers is five to six times higher than when used directly in a heat pump.
If all building users were to rely on heat pumps and there were no restrictions on the electricity grid, large parts of the existing gas grid infrastructure in residential areas could become obsolete, the study goes on to say...
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Hydrogen | Hydrogen color theory
Gold rush mood: In search of hidden hydrogen in the earth
According to an American study, there is so much natural hydrogen deep underground that it could provide us with energy for thousands of years. How could this have been overlooked and where can you find it?
Hydrogen is considered an important driver for the energy transition - but if you make it from oil or gas, it's dirty. Producing green hydrogen has so far been quite expensive. Now, all of a sudden, natural hydrogen comes into play, the kind that hides in the ground. So far, researchers have assumed that funding is not worthwhile because there are too few of them or because it is too difficult to fund. That may have been a fallacy, the Earth may have vast reserves of the renewable, carbon-free fuel. It is now being sought all over the world. There is a gold rush atmosphere. Germany is also there and is involved in research into the natural occurrence of hydrogen in several African countries ...
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PFAS | Poison of eternity | Lobby | enrichment | Chemical industry
How Bayer, BASF & Co lobby for PFAS
For the first time, the EU could ban an entire group of substances with more than 10.000 chemicals. The resistance is correspondingly massive: According to NDR, WDR and SZ, more than 100 industrial organizations are fighting against it - with sometimes questionable arguments.
A good two weeks ago, five countries - including Germany - proposed a ban on the so-called PFAS. These water, grease and dirt-repellent alkyl substances have already spread all over the world and are becoming more and more common because they are practically indestructible. It is not for nothing that they are also referred to as "eternal chemicals". They have even been found in Antarctica, in rainwater, breast milk and in worryingly high doses in the blood of children...
Where PFAS are polluting everywhere Germany - Interactive Map
It is striking that the dark red dots (>100.000 nanograms per kilogram) on the interactive map often indicate military use. Accordingly, large amounts of PFAS can be found in the soil and groundwater of barracks, military training areas and military airfields.
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Human life | Ceasefire | UN Security Council
"Not a single Ukrainian or Russian life may be sacrificed anymore"
British musician and activist Roger Waters on Russia's war against Ukraine. UN Security Council calls for ceasefire. Speech had sparked debate.
Telepolis documents a speech by British musician and activist Roger Waters before the United Nations Security Council in a German translation. The co-founder of the band Pink Floyd joined the panel on February 8, 2023 via video. He was invited to the debate on "Threats to international peace and security" by the delegation of the Russian Federation.
This caused some harsh criticism in Western countries. Water's thesis that Russia's attack on Ukraine almost a year ago was "not unprovoked" was also criticized by politicians and the media.
[...]
What are your goals?
And now I'd probably better direct my questions to the five permanent members of this council.
What are your goals, what is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? More profit for the war industry, more power on a global scale, a bigger slice of the global pie? Is Mother Earth a cake to be devoured? A bigger piece of the pie for some means less for everyone else.
What if today, in this safe place, we found new ways to develop our capacity for empathy, for example to empathize with others, for example the other side? If we could sympathize with the speechless majority who are alien to compassion?
The majority without a voice is worried because they didn't want your wars - yes, your wars - these eternal wars. She is concerned that your wars are destroying the planet. That our homeland, which we share with all other living beings, is sacrificed on the altar of two gods: the profits of war, which flow into our pockets very, very little, and the hegemonic quest of one empire or another for unipolar world domination...
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22. February
negotiations | Ukraine War | Manifesto for Peace
War in Ukraine: stop all arms deliveries and surrender?
The "Manifesto for Peace" demands neither the one nor the other, says Trabert, the first signatory. He sees the debate about the initiative critically. He points to a key problem.
[...]
Gerhard Trabert: In the run-up to the war, NATO obviously made serious mistakes. Years ago, Putin explained where the red lines are for him. Perhaps the crucial issue of Ukraine's military neutrality was on the table as an option. All of this was ignored even after months of Russian troops deploying in front of the Ukrainian border. Negotiations appropriate to the gravity of the situation might have saved tens of thousands of lives.
This statement in no way puts into perspective the "brutal attack on the Ukrainian population," as the manifesto clearly states. But in order to shape the future, we have to recognize our own mistakes. You can learn from these mistakes - and learning here means that you put the topic "negotiations" right at the top of the agenda ...
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Nuclear phase-out | Runtime | Schleswig-Holstein
State parliament with a large majority against longer nuclear power plant terms
With a large majority, the state parliament spoke out on Wednesday against extending the service life of the last three German nuclear power plants that are still in operation - only the FDP took a different view. "It's an industry in the process of being processed," said Energy Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens). Such a debate only creates uncertainty. Because the contribution of the pile is negligible, there is no call for an extension from the energy industry. "Because the systems are old, they are geared towards dismantling." ...
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Municipal utilities | gas lobby | CORRECTIV
Natural gas: How municipal utilities finance the gas lobby
City utilities, of all people, are financing the work of the influential lobby association Zukunft Gas. However, the municipal companies do not want to disclose how much money they pay to the association – according to CORRECTIV research, it is about millions.
Anyone who asks municipal utilities how much money they are giving to support campaigns and advertising events in the gas industry will receive excuses. "Please understand that we do not provide any information on this," writes Mainova, the subsidiary of Stadtwerke Frankfurt am Main. The Stadtwerke Meerbusch also hope for understanding for their lack of transparency and write: "We would like to refrain from a further statement after consultation with the management."
Many municipal companies reacted to CORRECTIV's questions in this or something similar: almost 70 municipal utilities throughout Germany were asked to disclose why they are or were members of the gas industry's largest lobbying association, Zukunft Gas. And with what annual contributions they finance the association ...
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United States | train wreck | Polluters should pay
Leaked carcinogenic chemicals
Railroad to pay for cleanup after Ohio train crash
In early February, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and caught fire in Ohio. Local residents have since been evacuated. Now the US environmental agency wants to ask the rail company to pay.
Authorities have ordered the Norfolk Southern railroad company to pay for the cleanup after a freight train laden with toxic chemicals derailed in Ohio, US. "Norfolk Southern will pay to clean up the mess they've made and the trauma they've inflicted on this community," EPA chief Michael Regan said Tuesday.
Mandatory EPA orders require Norfolk Southern to identify and clean up contaminated soil and contaminated water sources. The company must also reimburse the EPA for cleaning up homes and businesses in the affected East Palestine community. If the railroad doesn't clean up the environmental damage, the EPA will take over the work and ask Norfolk Southern to pay "triple" the cost, the agency said.
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Renewables | Gas imports | reduce
Electricity from wind and solar energy
Renewable energies save the EU billions by avoiding gas imports
From March 2022 to the end of January, the EU produced ten percent more wind and solar power than in the same period from 2021 to 2022. This is a record - and will help the member states to save several billion euros. Because gas imports would have been significantly more expensive.
Brussels. According to a study, more electricity from wind and solar power has saved the EU twelve billion euros on gas imports since the outbreak of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
"Thanks to growing capacity and favorable weather conditions, wind and solar energy have produced a record amount of EU electricity since the beginning of the war," reads analysis by think tank Ember Climate published on Wednesday.
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Manifesto for Peace | Alice Schwarzer | Red line
Alice Schwarzer: "On the political side, the full extent of the danger has not yet been understood"
In conversation about the manifesto, the political climate in the country, warlike women and the demanded demarcation from the right.
Alice Schwarzer (journalist, author, feminist and publisher and editor-in-chief of the magazine Emma, together with Sahra Wagenknecht published the "Manifesto for Peace" to end the war in Ukraine started by Russia. The petition has so far been signed by almost 600.000 people. It is called to a rally “uprising for peace” on February 25 at 14 pm at the Brandenburg Gate, among others Alice Schwarzer, Sahra Wagenknecht and former Brigadier General Erich Vad will speak.
Florian Rotzer: You have published a new "Manifesto for Peace" with Sahra Wagenknecht and are calling for a rally. In April last year, you published an open letter to Scholz, which 500.000 people had already signed. I don't think much has happened apart from angry protests. Why the next attempt now?
Alice Schwarzer: Why this initiative now? On the one hand, because the war is escalating to the most threatening level for the people in Ukraine itself, for the soldiers on both sides, for the civilians, and because the country is being destroyed. On the other hand, the danger of a world war clearly looms. I can't understand why an opponent who should be taken so seriously like Putin shouldn't be taken seriously on this point too. The West doesn't decide where the red line is, Putin decides. We have already crossed several red lines and are now approaching very deep red lines like Crimea and increasingly heavy armament.
In January I thought something had to happen, it can't go on like this. Although the open letter received a great deal of attention, one shouldn't be megalomaniac: that's not why government policy is changing. I have the feeling that the political side has not yet understood the full extent of the danger. It's a very unsettling feeling. And above all, you don't understand that more than half of the German population is against this policy. With the manifesto and also the rally, we want to make this hitherto ignored and mute majority visible...
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22. February 1977 (INES 4) NPP Jaslovke Bohunice, SVK
AtomkraftwerkePlag
https://atomkraftwerkeplag.fandom.com/de/wiki/Bohunice
Partial meltdown in Bohunice A1
The two most dangerous nuclear incidents in 1976 and 1977, which occurred in what was then Czechoslovakia in the A1 reactor, twice brought the country to the brink of catastrophe.
In the spring of 1976 (January 5, 1976 - No INES classification?!) three workers died after the cover of a fuel channel came loose and a fuel assembly shot out. A major accident was only avoided due to a provisional sealing of the open canal.
Even more dangerous was a partial meltdown on February 22, 1977, which was assessed as an INES Level 4 accident. The cause of the accident was that "the packing and moisture absorption material silica gel had not been removed from a fuel assembly and then clogged the cooling duct." With the water vapor, radioactive radiation was released in the area. This was just the latest in a long line of events at this reactor. According to a statement by the German federal government in 1994, "a large part of the plant and the reactor building was contaminated" as a result of the accidents. The reactor was shut down forever on the day of the big accident in 1977...
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Wikipedia
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernkraftwerk_Bohunice
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21. February
India experiences heat wave as early as February
India is experiencing a record temperature - the El Niño phenomenon could exacerbate the situation
India is threatened with another "year without spring" after record temperatures were already reached in some regions in the winter month of February. The thermometer in the city of Bhuj in the state of Gujarat on the west coast of the subcontinent showed 40,3 degrees Celsius last Thursday - the earliest temperature of over 40 degrees that India has ever experienced. The situation is reminiscent of last year, when the country of 1,4 billion people suffered from one of the most severe heat waves in the country's history. And this year, the Pacific climate phenomenon El Niño could exacerbate the situation...
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Natural Gas Lobby | Electricity prices | Greenwashing
The natural gas lobby still has Germany under control
The natural gas lobby with its large corporations such as BASF, Wintershall Dea, Uniper, RWE and Total have made the EU and Germany heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies.
In addition, the lobby there promoted the decline of renewable energies and is therefore one of the main culprits in terms of the crises associated with it today - such as high natural gas prices, high electricity prices, inflation, war financing by Russia, global warming, among others.
Natural gas as the cause of the crises is propagated as a solution
But even in the crises they triggered, the corporations mentioned are once again influencing politics at all levels with enormous lobbying power. They now even dare to present natural gas as part of the solution, even though that's what caused the problems in the first place...
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Greenpeace | battery storage | seabed
Batteries do without deep-sea metals
Storage and other green technologies do not require metals from the deep sea. This is shown by a study by Greenpeace, which also warns of destruction caused by deep-sea mining.
Deep-sea metals are not necessary for batteries or other potentially green technologies. This is shown by a new study published by Greenpeace on the occasion of the UN conference in New York on the international marine protection agreement (BBNJ). According to Greenpeace, the study shows, among other things, that manganese nodules in the deep sea cannot provide key battery raw materials such as lithium and graphite. Relevant amounts for manganese, cobalt and nickel are possible. However, this will not happen until after 2030. However, the trend for batteries is moving away from cobalt and nickel. In addition, no shortage of manganese is to be expected for battery production.
"The deep-sea mining lobby is abusing the energy transition to justify their plans that are harmful to the climate and the environment," says Greenpeace marine expert Till Seidensticker ...
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France | Flamanville | EDF future
nuclear energy policy
Billion grave nuclear power plant
State French electricity giant EDF writes a loss of 2022 billion euros for 18. Government steadfastly adheres to the use of nuclear power
[...]
For around 15 years, the French have been watching with incredulous amazement as the aforementioned Flamanville 3 reactor, type EPR, on the Normandy Channel coast exhausts the technical and financial possibilities of the group. Construction work on the north-western tip of the department of Manche began in 2007, and the energy monster with a planned capacity of 1.650 megawatts was to go into operation five years later. In the meantime, completion has been delayed by twelve years, and the costs of the EPR, originally estimated at 3,3 billion euros, have quadrupled to 13,2 billion euros. The private industry is still following Macron's overall project "with great interest," said EDF boss Rémont.
This interest comes as no surprise to economic analysts; once the state pays the cost of creating and repairing it, private operating companies - with some new neoliberal leader - could enter into talks about privatizing the nuclear energy sector.
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Does the Kremlin want to annex Belarus?
An internal Kremlin strategy paper available to WDR, NDR and SZ describes in detail Moscow's plans for a creeping takeover of neighboring Belarus. Western security circles consider the paper to be authentic.
Alexander Lukashenko traveled to Moscow last Friday. In front of the cameras, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked the Belarusian head of state for his visit. He in turn replied with a grin: "As if I couldn't have agreed." ...
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20. February
United States | train wreck | Freight train derailed
Chemical train accident in the USA:
Profits instead of security
Two and a half weeks ago, a freight train carrying toxic chemicals caught fire in the US state of Ohio. Now the criticism of the operator is increasing.
NEW YORK taz | No one in East Palestine knows if the village, halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, still has a future. Local residents complain of symptoms ranging from headaches and breathing difficulties to skin rashes. Animals - including fish, chickens and foxes - die. The air smells of nail polish remover...
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Russia nuclear business | Rosatom | Sanctions
State company Rosatom
Russia's nuclear exports are apparently increasing sharply
The West has imposed sanctions on Russia's energy sector, but with the exception of the nuclear sector. Now the new figures show that the industry is making great money – also thanks to customers in Europe.
Energy exports are one of the Kremlin's most important sources of income - and the West has not been able to limit this through sanctions in all sectors. A new evaluation by the news agency "Bloomberg" and the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) even shows an increase in Russian nuclear exports for the past year ...
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Combustion engine ban | Company cars
Large companies are calling for a ban on combustion engines for company cars
From 2030, only e-service vehicles should be allowed to be newly registered in the EU. The demand for a ban on company cars with combustion engines comes from 30 companies that have written an open letter to the EU Commission.
[...]
They see a huge opportunity in the electrification of fleets. "6 out of 10 cars sold in Europe are company cars, with these vehicles driving twice as much as private cars," the letter reads. In doing so, the authors of the letter (including SAP, Coca-Cola, Ikea, Tesco, Unilever, Uber and Vattenfall) pointed out that fleet purchasing decisions have a significant effect on the rest of the market, as vehicles generally become available after only 3 -Enter the used car market for 5 years...
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Iran | uranium enrichment | IAEA
Report: IAEA apparently knows 84 percent enriched uranium in Iran
The uranium is said to have an almost weapon-grade purity. The UN Atomic Energy Agency is now examining how that came about.
According to a media report, the UN Atomic Energy Agency found uranium in Iran that had been enriched almost to a degree of purity suitable for weapons. The Bloomberg agency reported on Sunday, citing two high-ranking diplomats, that the IAEA is now trying to find out how the enrichment to 84 percent came about...
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Brazil | Flooding | landslides
Floods and landslides: deaths in Brazil due to heavy rain
In the state of São Paulo, dozens of houses have been destroyed by water masses. There had been heavy rain since Saturday.
São PAULO dpa | Floods and landslides claimed at least 36 lives in Brazil over the carnival weekend. In São Sebastião alone in the southeast of the country, 35 people died, as the government of the state of São Paulo announced on Sunday (local time). Another was reported from Ubatuba. Heavy rains had caused flooding and landslides along the state's Atlantic coast since Saturday...
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Manifesto for Peace | Wagenknecht | transverse front
Sahra Wagenknecht: "Most journalists live in the green bubble where enthusiasm for war is en vogue"
Talking about the "Manifesto for Peace", the demands for negotiations and the possible participation of right-wingers in the rally.
Together with Alice Schwarzer, Sahra Wagenknecht published the "Manifesto for Peace" to end the war in Ukraine, in which the Federal Chancellor is called upon to "stop the escalation of arms deliveries. Now! He should lead a strong alliance for a ceasefire and peace negotiations at both German and European level. Now! Because every lost day costs up to 1.000 more human lives - and brings us closer to a 3rd World War."
The petition has already been signed by more than 550.000 people. A call is made to a "Revolt for Peace" rally on February 25 from 14 p.m. at the Brandenburg Gate. Speakers will include Alice Schwarzer, Sahra Wagenknecht and Brigadier General a. D. Erich Vad.
[...]
Florian Rotzer: From the left side you are accused of trying to "close ranks with the right" at the rally or a transverse front is conjured up. Are AfD and rights invited to participate, as some media say? Or do you distance yourself from it?
Sahra Wagenknecht: This is a ludicrous debate. Of course, everyone is welcome at our rally who wants to demonstrate with an honest heart for peace and against arms deliveries. It goes without saying that right-wing extremists and Nazis, who are in the tradition of a regime that started the worst world war in living memory, have no place at a peace demonstration. That is why we will take consistent action against right-wing extremist flags and symbols of all kinds . Perhaps our critics should not forget, however, that it is not the call for peace, but the support of militarism and war that has been the hallmark of right-wing politics for ages ...
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
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19. February
Ukraine nuclear shelling | Zaporizhia | Disaster
Russians militarize nuclear power plant sites
Zaporizhia: Ukraine warns of "disaster such as Europe has never experienced"
Russia should block the change of independent IAEA experts in the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and further militarize the area. Ukraine is now warning of a catastrophe the likes of which has never happened in Europe. It was not until the weekend that cruise missiles are said to have come dangerously close to the nuclear facility.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accuses Russia of preventing the change of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. "Moscow must immediately enable the rotation of the IAEA experts and ensure that they immediately reach the nuclear power plant through the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine," says a letter that is available to the editorial network Germany (RND).
Russia is continuing the militarization of the nuclear power plant and is stationing military equipment and soldiers at the site, according to the Foreign Ministry. "If Russia's criminal activities in the Ukrainian nuclear power plant are not stopped, a catastrophe could ensue that Europe has never seen before." ...
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peace demo | Wagenknecht | transverse front
Manifesto for the Querfront - We will hunt them down
On 25.02/XNUMX Nazis like Elsässer, Chrupalla & Co. want to join Wagenknecht & Schwarzer's right-wing "peace demo". As part of the anti-fascist movement in Berlin, we call for the fascists not to be given a square meter in Berlin on this day either.
[...]
The mobilization (of the racist and anti-queer initiators) Wagenknecht and Schwarz next Saturday cannot be the standpoint of a left-wing peace movement. Your call is not one that is in solidarity with the population and those suffering most from the war. But if we can argue about this, we cannot argue about the fact that right-wing extremists are not involved in politics.
Not only in terms of content, the two initiators with their clumsy national war position are completely on the same track as the demands of the right. Oskar Lafontaine, whose left position was lost long ago, is also openly calling on AfD fascists to come to the demo...
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Energy policy | jobs | CO2 record | Combustion engines
»Conservative« energy policy
Full throttle in the wrong direction
The so-called bourgeois camp knows only one direction when it comes to energy and mobility: back to the past. This was shown again this week in a dramatic and comical way. It's not funny.
The year 2011 was a record year in terms of carbon dioxide emissions: 34 billion tons were emitted then, more than ever before. Unfortunately, CO₂ records on planet Earth never last more than a year. In 2022, emissions had already risen to over 40 billion tons...
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Renewables | Farmer | agricultural | land grabbing
Selling out of farms:
Stop land grabbing!
Agricultural land can yield returns. That's why a real estate company is trying to buy up land in Brandenburg. Politicians must prevent this.
The land grabbing in East Germany continues: A financial holding of the real estate group Deutsche Wohnen is currently trying to buy a large agricultural business in Brandenburg. The prices for fields and pastures are still rising rapidly because you can also install solar systems there, which promise a high return.
For the general public, the land grabbing by corporations and foreign rich is particularly problematic because money flows from economically weak rural regions into metropolises and affluent areas. Profits that are generated in Saxony-Anhalt, for example, ultimately end up in Starnberg, Hamburg or Leipzig. These profits are often based to a large extent on agricultural subsidies from the European Union, which are intended to strengthen rural areas. Farm regions also lose taxes. In the end, people who are already sitting on millions or billions will benefit. Land grabbing distributes the wealth among our society even more unequally...
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Switzerland | Nuclear lobby | voting costs
Swiss nuclear lobby buys votes:
CHF 7,50 per signature
The nuclear lobby in Switzerland wants to overturn the nuclear power plant ban in the country. A service provider organizes the votes for a vote.
FREIBURG taz | In Switzerland, a popular initiative called “Stop Blackout” wants to overturn the existing ban on building new nuclear power plants. Apparently dubious means are right for her. It has now become known that those responsible are having the necessary signatures obtained from a service provider at a price of 7,50 Swiss francs...
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Glacier | Antarctica | tipping point
Climate tipping point: Underwater drone finds cracks in "Doomsday Glacier".
An underwater robot has discovered cracks and fissures in the "doomsday glacier" in Antarctica. There the colossus melts faster. But there is also good news.
Thwaites Glacier in western Antarctica is melting at different rates in different places. With the help of a torpedo drone, scientists at Cornell University, led by Britney Elyce Schmidt, were able to study these processes in more detail. It turned out that crevasses and cracks run through the glacier. At these points, the colossus melts faster.
Overall, however, the ice is melting more slowly than calculated, according to the Study at Nature. Thwaites is nicknamed the "Doomsday Glacier" because of its importance at a crucial climate change tipping point...
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France | Flamanville | Hinkley Point | EDF debt
France's bankruptcy
Nuclear company deep in the red. The taxpayer should be liable for the debt while the wait for the next GAU begins.
News of cheap nuclear power, of which local liberals, right-wingers and right-wing extremists can't get enough: the French nuclear company EDF (Electricité de France), which is majority state-owned, made a loss of 17,9 billion euros last year. This is reported, among other things, by the Spiegel.
This increased the company's debt to 64,5 billion euros. Among other things, EDF owns the 56 mostly decrepit French nuclear power plants. The group is building a new kiln in Hinkley Point near Cardiff in the UK, although its permanent construction site in Flamanville on the west coast south of Brittany is still not complete after 15 years.
From there, shortly before Christmas 2022, it was said: further delays of another year. At the same time it was announced that the sum for the construction had risen by half a billion euros to 13,2 billion. Nevertheless, the government is adamantly sticking to its plans to build 14 new nuclear power plants...
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Capitalism | communism | Socialism | social market economy
Missing Link: Why still market capitalism at all?
We see the problems of capitalism every day. We take its advantages for granted. Can communism do it better?
In the "Fragile States Index" the USA is between Barbados and Panama, with recently increasing state fragility. Recently, the corona crisis hit our hegemon of Western culture badly, now the recession is pressing. The dispute over how to best deal with global warming divides society into ideological camps. But the USA is only experiencing what Europe is also going through (perhaps in a somewhat weaker form). Under these difficult circumstances, many young people believe that the capitalist market economy has had its day. For example, they are rediscovering socialism, which attracts with fair distribution, human values and reduced resource intensity. If you want to know in detail what this movement looks like, you can paddle across a wide, colorful bay from the Google search term "Millennial Socialism". But before we can talk about socialism, we have to look at what it is: market capitalism...
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Propaganda | Media | horror clown | Trumpl
Trump's lies spread - Fox News moderators privately admit everything
A media scandal shakes the United States. In the thick of it are the stars of Fox News: Tucker Carlson, Sean Hanity and Laura Ingraham. And of course Donald Trump.
New York - The largest media empire in the United States is deep in a credibility crisis. As now published court documents show, the protagonists of the right-wing conservative news channel Fox News knew very well that Donald Trump's allegations of election fraud in 2020 were nonsense - nevertheless, they offered the conspiracy theories a platform and spread the lies further.
Text messages exchanged between Fox News stars don't reflect well on the conservative broadcaster's handling of truth. Star presenter Tucker Carlson, for example, wrote to his colleague Laura Ingraham that he knew what nonsense Donald Trump's lawyer Sydney Powell would tell about voter fraud. "By the way, Sidney Powell is lying," Carlson wrote. "I caught her. It's insane." Ingraham replied, "Sidney is a total nutcase. Nobody will work with her. The same applies to Rudy.” This refers to Rudy Giuliani. The former mayor of New York was considered Trump's legal adviser and close confidant. He was a welcome guest with both Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham. The same goes for Powell. But neither her nor Giulianui were asked critical questions there …
| Current news+ | Background knowledge |
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Current news+
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Monk of Lützerath | Fossil Lobby | emission of greenhouse gases
Stoi Polipop... hold it mud monk!
Mönch von Lützerath: sympathizer of the climate movement
The "mud magician" talks about why he comes to the Rhenish lignite mining area, what inspires him and what makes him cry
Interview - Niels Siebert
The monk from Lützerath also calls himself the mud magician. He fights for the preservation of nature and farmland in various places in Europe. He is a vegetable farmer himself. Since he wishes to remain anonymous, the interview was conducted in writing via encrypted communication.
When there is a large demonstration against the nuclear waste repository planned there on June 3, 2023 in Bure in north-eastern France, he will be there again in a monk's habit. He invites everyone in this country to come along, as the prevailing winds mainly blow from west to east and Germany will therefore be more severely affected than France if, for example, there is a nuclear waste accident during delivery. He is one of the signers of the demo call, which is also available in German: dasnd.de/bure
Niels Siebert: The video of the police officers stuck in the mud, around which you danced, went around the world. How does it feel to be unintentionally the center of attention?
I am glad that my identity has remained anonymous. Oscar Wilde once said: “Man is least himself when he speaks in his own name. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.' I wanted to take this opportunity and sudden notoriety to spread messages we hear little about. So I set up the @MonchLutzi Twitter account, where I posted a first video about coal mining in Colombia. From there it is even exported to Germany. All this happens at the expense of the indigenous peoples, whose members are victims of displacement, enforced disappearances and killings.
You are not lost in the mud. Did supernatural forces help you walk on mud, like Jesus walked on water?
Few could move so easily. A video shot from a different angle shows the person who filmed the scene. She was also stuck in the mud, right behind me. I don't know if supernatural forces were at work that day. I think it was more a matter of weight.
Are you actually religious?
Religion is a human invention. One must not fall into dogma, but must remain open-minded and question more. We live in a society of illusions, as well illustrated in the science fiction film »Snowpiercer«. Only when one questions all things with an open mind will both lies and truth be revealed. We must embark on such an anarchist quest. Authors like Leo Tolstoy, who was a Christian anarchist, Ivan Illich or Jacques Ellul can inspire us.
Why are you wearing a monk's habit?
I wore them for the first time in 2018 during the attempted evacuation of the ZAD (German: »zone to be protected«) Notre-Dame-des-Landess. An airport was to be built there on agricultural land, which the state gave up after numerous political struggles and occupations. I am moved by the time of the Peasants' War around 1525. Large parts of this history were erased by the victors. Religious structures had allied themselves with the powerful of the world to oppress the weak. Martin Luther betrayed the poor peasants and spoke extremely violently: "You have to tear them to pieces, strangle them, cut their throats, secretly and publicly, as you shoot rabid dogs! Therefore, gentlemen, cut their throats, shoot them, choke them, set them free here, save them there! If you fall in battle you will never have a holy death.' These are the words of a fanatic. In the theological spheres, which are shaped by the stories of the victors, we are told that Thomas Müntzer was such a fanatic. At first he took part in peaceful demonstrations and sang songs of praise with the farmers. They demanded a social order outlined in the famous "Twelve Articles of the Peasantry." The knights of the German princes bloodily slaughtered these peasants with Luther's blessing.
Lesen Sie auch: »The media discourse is overheated« – Movement researcher Sebastian Koos on strategies of the climate movement and their perception.
The word "monk" stands for aloneness. The monk from Lützerath was also individually on the recordings. How important is being with others?
In fact, I am often alone. I want to love the world, even if that's easy to say. That's what I want to work towards. A group can become sectarian. She often builds her identity in demarcation from the group of others. There are also good associations, but rarely ones that are open to everyone, be it out of fear, hatred or disinterest. To illustrate: A group of like-minded people could be based on a shared criticism of another person who finds them "too small", for example. Each group should therefore ask itself the question: What are our connections actually based on? Having said that, a collective is important to facilitate our existence and help each other.
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| Current news+ | Background knowledge |
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Background knowledge
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Map of the nuclear world:
Each of these almost 1200 points on the map is reason enough for resistance...
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The internal search for
Nuclear power plant - WAK - WKA
brought the following results, among others:
January 05, 2023 - We've already won
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November 06, 2022 - Penalties for activists: And what about the climate?
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December 14, 2021 - Nobel Prize winners call for two percent disarmament for the climate
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November 01, 2021 - From now on, without delay
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YouTube
Keyword search: political resistance
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=politischer Widerstand
Videos:
Date taken: September 11, 1967 - 3:26
Tom Lehrer - We Will All Go Together When We Go
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climate:neutral - 11:24
War: Fatal for people and the climate!
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angel asks - hr - 29:32
Breaking laws for the climate?
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phoenix-2017-44:08
Wild West at the Wismut - atomic bombs from the Ore Mountains
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arte - 59:48
The True Story of the 1st Gulf War
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Raw data dump - arte documentation - 01:38:43
Documentary: Why We Fight - America's Wars - The Military-Industrial Complex
Playlist - radioactivity worldwide ...
This playlist contains over 150 videos on the topic
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Ecosia
This search engine is planting trees!
Keyword search: AKW - WAK - resistance Climate & Environment Atom
https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=Widerstand Klima Atom
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Wikipedia
resistance (politics)
Resistance is the refusal to obey or active opposition to the authorities or the government.
It is initially of secondary importance whether the rulers against whom resistance is being exercised exercise their rule legally, legitimately or illegally. Evaluations such as "justified resistance", goals and means of resistance, moral and legal concerns require an observer's point of view: it depends on who, where and at what time the evaluation is made. The resister will always evaluate the resistance differently than the one against whom the resistance is directed. The latter, however, is usually the "authority" who at the same time has the power to define law and order. Accordingly, resistance is outside the set order.
background and demarcation
Resistance as a form of social and political debate has been anchored in European political culture since ancient times. In almost all forms of society there was or is a consensus that resistance can be necessary and legitimate in certain cases. In specific cases, opinions sometimes differ.
Resistance must be distinguished from revolution because it is not fundamentally aimed at reforming the social order. In certain circumstances, the restoration of an old law or a legal system that has been repealed can be the central concern. Nevertheless, a movement that started as a resistance can lead to a revolution...
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Newsletter VII 2023 - February 12th to 18th
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