Lindsay Soutar’s drive for renewable energy, making life uncomfortable for politicians
Her 100% Renewable campaign, which she began from scratch two years ago, now has about 100 groups with tens of thousands of members nationwide, making life uncomfortable for politicians with actions that go well beyond demonstrations and banner waving..
She argues some in the climate movement are naive because they think making a persuasive case without applying political pressure is enough, when ”massive vested interests” such as mining companies run counter-campaigns…..
Knocking on doors of change, SMH, February 4, 2012 No topic is off limits for the environmental optimist who thinks it’s time to stop ‘scaring the pants off people’, writes Debra Jopson. – Lindsay Soutar…. the Young Environmentalist of the Year…..Soutar, 30, is something of a legend in green circles for giving up her paid work advising local councils on emissions reductions and then creating a national campaign aimed at shifting Australia to 100 per cent renewable energy. …. Read more »
Tony Abbott insensitive to Aboriginals’ right to decide on future of their political protest
Why Abbott’s tent embassy comments were wrong, SMH, Russell Marks,February 2, 2012 “…….What was wrong with what Tony Abbott said? It was his assumption that he, as a non-indigenous man, could rightfully or usefully express an opinion on the way indigenous people conduct their politics of reform, protest and resistance. And it was that Abbott expressed such an opinion on a day many indigenous people mourn as commemorating a colonial invasion.
If non-indigenous Australians are to truly “work on our own racisms”, then we (my own ancestry is European) must not only acknowledge the problem, but we must also acknowledge indigenous people’s rights to determine their own
strategies in response to the problem…….
he remains blind to the racism that has informed nearly every policy in this area since European colonisation, from protectionism to assimilation to the Northern Territory intervention: the racism of paternalism, of “we know what’s best for you”.
Unfortunately, most of the media commentary since the incident has missed this core aspect of the protests.
The protesters’ rights to express their anger have been roundly dismissed. As the media chased the story down various rabbit holes,….. mainstream opinion is hostile to indigenous demands fortrue equality……
If non-indigenous Australians are to contribute towards improving those shameful epidemiological statistics and towards a true national reconciliation, then we must acknowledge the racism inherent in the kind of paternalism that allows Tony Abbott to express an opinion on the suitability of the tent embassy – and the racism inherent in our inability to see anything wrong with that. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/why-abbotts-tent-embassy-comments-were-wrong-20120201-1qssk.html#ixzz1lFoz8HD3
Australian Nuclear Free Alliance represented at Yokohama international conference
The lands of the Kookotha people, the group that are from the land next to mine, are currently occupied by the world’s biggest mining company, BHP Billiton.
The mine is called Olympic Dam and it use 33 million litres of ground water per day, for free. The water is drawn by pipe from my land. Since the beginning of time, Aboriginal people have taken care of our land Australia.
But the uranium mine poisons the water, land and life through releasing radiation….
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/49872 VIDEO Peter Watts: Uranium should stay in the ground, Green Left, , January 31, 2012 Arabunna man Peter Watts is the co-chair of ANFA, the Australian
Nuclear Free Alliance. Formed in 1997, ANFA (formerly the Alliance Against Uranium) brings together Aboriginal people and relevant NGO’s concerned about existing or proposed nuclear developments inAustralia, particularly on Aboriginal homelands.
In early 2012, Watts represented ANFA at the Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World, held in Yokohama, Japan, in the wake of the Fukushima disasters. Read more »
Economic forecasts cast doubt on Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion
BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam – To Go, Or No Go? Commodities and Futures, By Esther Tanquintic-Misa | January 31, 2012 The slowing global economy could potentially affect the construction and start-up operations of BHP Billiton Ltd.’s $20 billion expansion into the Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine.
On Monday night, executives of the Australian mining giant met with South Australian government and opposition leaders to thresh out concerns as the board of BHP Billiton Ltd. discusses on grating the ultimate approval that will push the multi-million Olympic Dam mine expansion and development.
SA Premier Jay Weatherill earlier said he had hoped BHP Billiton Ltd.’s approval would be released by middle of this year. However, Mr Weatherill was also quick to acknowledge the present and real danger affecting the world’s economy will likely push the board of the Australian miner to pause and stall its decision …….. the state parliament passed in 2011 the legislation to enable the expansion of the world’s largest open-cut mine,
Quiet discussions between Australia and Russia on nuclear technology
Lavrov to discuss space, nuclear cooperation in Australia, Ria Novosti 30 Jan 12 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss bilateral cooperation in high-tech industries, including space and nuclear power, during his one-day working visit to Australia on Tuesday. The talks with Australian officials will focus on bilateral cooperation in nuclear power, space and mining industries, information technologies and agriculture, the ministry said……
Russia and Australia signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement in September 2007. Australia, the global leader in uranium production, agreed to supply fuel to Russia for conversion and use in its nuclear reactors. http://en.ria.ru/russia/20120131/171037702.html
Slow move to sell Australian uranium to India
Australia to soon start talks with India on uranium supply IBN Live, 2012 New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) Australia 
will embark on commercial discussions with India on the nuclear commerce, a senior Australian High Commission officer said here today but did not give any time frame for it. Terming as “positive” the proposed move of 46th national
conference of the ruling Labour Party to export uranium to India, a resolution for which was moved by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Counsellor-Commercial in the High Commission Grayson Perry, said ”robust discussions (political and commercial) will take place between India and Australia. “It is a positive move because earlier there were no discussions”, … http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/australia-to-soon-start-talks-with-india-on-uranium-supply/958007.html
Preserving country and culture- Laurie Baymarrwangga – Senior Australian of the year
Protecting Australia – Senior ANinety-five-year-old Laurie Baymarrwangga from the Crocodile Islands in East Arnhem land is the senior Australian of the year. ABC Rural, By Liz Trevaskis , 26 January 2012 The Aboriginal elder has dedicated her life to the preservation of environment, culture and ecological knowledge, and has donated $400,0000 of her own money to establish projects including a local ranger program and a turtle sanctuary.ustralian of the Year fights for environment and culture…
. She has worked in enormously wonderful ways to create homelands, to put together dictionary projects, to aid livelihood projects like the Crocodile Islands rangers, and she’s worked to help bilingual education and help children learn their own
language on their own country. ….http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2012/s3416266.htm?site=darwin
An authoritative new renewable energy news site for Australia
An Aussie clean technology news site launches, Crikey.com January 24, 2012 , by Amber Jamieson, RenewEconomy, a new online publication created by former Climate Spectator editor Giles Parkinson, launched yesterday. The site aims to cover clean technology and a green economy, with new articles appearing daily and a free email newsletter available.
Prior to Climate Spectator, Parkinson served as business editor and deputy editor at The Australian Financial Review and penned columns for The Australian and The Bulletin.
There’ll be more of a focus on technology over the politics of climate policy in this new venture, Parkinson tells Crikey….. Parkinson predicts readers will come from industry, government, media, academia and think tanks, telling Crikey ”it’s a reasonably focused audience, it’s not the general public.” Having said that, Parkinson noted that topics like solar panels and electric cars are capturing the attention of the wider public and there’s a growing interest in the business community…… http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/2012/01/24/an-aussie-clean-technology-news-site-launches/
Aborigines will march for land rights on Invasion Day 26 January
Aborigines plan street protest to revive calls for sovereignty, SMH, Debra Jopson, January 21, 2012 ABORIGINES angry about having neither a place in the constitution nor a treaty are set to use Australia Day to revive street protests like those of 40 years ago that gave birth to the Canberra tent embassy, a leader of the nation’s peak indigenous body has warned.
”Next week people will be asked that question: will they want to start up political action, particularly with a hostile government, and go back to street demonstrations of 1972? And the answer is likely to be yes,” said Les Malezer, the co-chairman of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.
Mr Malezer, a firebrand who was elected as the co-chairman of the new body alongside the more moderate former NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs head Jody Broun, said that the report commissioned by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, recommending constitutional change would ignite a bigger debate.
But as thousands are expected to head to Canberra next week to commemorate the Australia Day occupation of the Parliament House lawns four decades ago, the government showed no intention of wanting to discuss wider issues of sovereignty, treaty and land rights, Mr Malezer said.
The congress, established by indigenous people themselves to succeed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission as a national voice, is reviving long-time calls for sovereignty and self-determination with a two-day Canberra ”people’s forum” from Tuesday to coincide with tent embassy anniversary celebrations……
grassroots activists are planning a fresh sovereignty campaign and will march for land rights in Canberra on Thursday morning, the 224th anniversary of the First Fleet’s landing.
”The government is in for serious confrontation from the Aboriginal people this year … The political movement will be ramped up and will be more aggressive,” said an organiser, the tent embassy veteran Michael Anderson.
The only man living of the four protesters who first squatted on Old Parliament House lawn on Australia Day in 1972, he will sleep on the ground again in the tent city that will spring up for the commemoration.
On Thursday and Friday, campers from all over Australia will join separate men’s and women’s ”talking circles” to discuss sovereignty, a treaty and land rights, and will issue a charter of demands, Mr Anderson said.
Mr Malezer said native title had produced only small results in recognising Aboriginal ownership over lands and instead had often resulted in agreements with other groups such as mining companies over shared management……..
New danger of Rupert Murdoch gaining even more control of Australia’s media
Murdoch’s Dream Come True , AVAAZ.org 18 Jan 12, Free reign to control every last newspaper, TV and radio station in Australia – Rupert Murdoch’s fantasy could become a frightening reality unless we stand in his way right now.
A government review is recommending we eliminate ownership limits — exactly what Murdoch asked for. But we have two weeks to flood the review with objections to their plan during the public comment period before they finalise the report. Unless thousands of us speak out, the recommendations could go forward unchallenged.
Nobody — especially not Rupert Murdoch — should be allowed to own all of our media. Let’s wake up the review with our call — and prevent the Murdoch Mafia from growing even larger. Send your urgent message directly to the review. https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_rupert_murdochs_dream_come_true/?cl=1513645046&v=12063
Dire economic outlook for Japan damaging Australia’s uranium industry
Japan Earthquake Update: Economic Outlook Now Appears Dire Oil Price.com, By Mad Hedge Fund Trader | Tue, 17 January 2012 ”….Japan’s economic outlook now appears far more dire than I anticipated only a day ago….. The Tokyo Stock Exchange absolutely took it on the nose on Monday morning…… Prime Minister Naoko Kan has asked the Bank of Japan “to save the country.” The central bank responded promptly with ¥15 trillion, or $187 billion worth of credit
market purchases….
Uranium miners in Australia took a particular pounding, as the nuclear crisis casts a long shadow over this reviving energy source…. It looks like we are seeing the first multiple partial nuclear meltdowns in history…. Small amounts of low radiation cesium and iodine have already been released, which should be measurable on American roof tops in about ten days. Neighboring countries are enforcing radiation testing of all food imports from Japan….
http://oilprice.com/Finance/the-Markets/Emergency-Japan-Earthquake-Update-Economic-Outlook-Now-Appears-Dire.html
Mining Corporations’ lackey Martin Ferguson undermining Australia’s democratic rights
His moves to spy on peaceful anti-coal protesters is a clear case of ideology politics trumping democratic principal.
Let’s hope that he comes to feel the impact of his political manoeuvres on Election Day.
Democratic freedoms under attack from Ferguson, The Drum, James Norman, 17 Jan 12, In Australia in 2012, it seems that all pernicious roads lead to Martin Ferguson. Whether it’s selling uranium to India, dumping radioactive waste on Indigenous people in the Northern Territory or spying on peaceful protesters – chances are it has his fingerprints all over it.
In a Machiavellian twist, it seems Mr Ferguson is better able to advance his rapacious anti-environmental, pro-resource extraction agenda within Gillard’s Labor Government than his counterparts on the other side of politics – even though the Coalition would seem a better fit.
The latest revelations that Martin Ferguson has authorised spying on environmental protesters is just his latest salvo to undermine the right and might of peaceful protesters to take a stand against Australia’s continued reliance on fossil fuels……. Read more »
Carbon emissions from Australia’s biggest polluting companies will be published
Biggest polluters face being named, SID MAHER , The Australian January 11, 2012 THE details on carbon emissions of about 500 of the nation’s biggest polluters will be published from July 1, when the carbon tax regime comes into operation.
The decision was enshrined in the legislation passed by parliament establishing the Clean Energy Future package and will be overseen by the Clean Energy Regulator….. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/biggest-polluters-face-being-named/story-e6frg6xf-1226241190799
Costly cleanup faced by mining company over Northern Territory train spill
Mining company ordered to clean up train spill, ABC Rural Radio By Matt Brann, 10/01/2012 A mining company has been ordered to clean up the site of a train de-railment on a river near Katherine in the Northern Territory. About 1,200 tonnes of copper concentrate was washed out of a freight train and into the Edith River during a flash flood a couple of weeks
ago.
NT WorkSafe has given Oz Minerals until the end of the month to clean up the mess and transport any remaining material to the South Australian border. Executive director Laurene Hull says materials which are not in the immediate vicinity of the de-railment site are not subject to the Direction. She says the company will face penalties if the job is not completed
by February.
“Yes they will be in breach of the law, but we didn’t make this direction without discussing it with them (Oz Minerals) and they’re confident they can do the job within that time.” The Country Hour has contacted Oz Minerals for comment.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201201/s3404912.htm
Australian energy lawyers advising on renewable energy enterprise in South Africa
Aus lawyers advise on South African renewable energy programme 11 January 2012 | by The New Lawyer Lawyers in DLA Piper’s Australian practice have advised more than half of the 28 successful bidders for Phase 1 of South Africa’s Independent Power Producers (IPP) Procurement Programme. DLA Piper is the only law firm to use lawyers from its Australian practice to advise on the programme.
The renewable energy IPP Procurement Programme is a landmark project for South Africa and has been designed to stimulate the country’s renewable energy sector. The goal is to generate 42 per cent of all new electricity from renewable energy sources over the next 20 years. Technologies under consideration include solar, wind, hydro, biomass and biogas.
In advising 16 of the successful bidders, DLA Piper’s Australian team worked in partnership with DLA Cliffe Decker Hofmeyr, a member of the DLA Piper Group and one of South Africa’s largest business law firms. The globally integrated team comprised lawyers from Melbourne, Sydney, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Damian McNair, head of finance and projects in Australia led the DLA Piper team, said the firm is delighted with the recent announcement of preferred energy bidders.
“This is a prime example of a global law firm providing clients with a truly international service by putting forward integrated international teams with specific energy expertise,” McNair said. DLA Piper’s Australian team will continue to advise bidders for Phases 2 and 3 of the programme.
http://www.thenewlawyer.com.au/article/Aus-lawyers-advise-on-South-African-renewable-energy-programme/533044.aspx
This month
For international news, go to nuclear-news
Check on the Ugly Australian company, Lynas, in Malaysia http://baddevelopers.nfshost.com/Docs/L.htm
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/49872 Peter Watts at Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World
Aboriginal protest in Canberra. Scroll down page. Video news shows no violence from protestors, only from police http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breaking-news-blog/the-referendum-died-today/20120126-1qj4x.html
of the week. http://www.radiationreport.com/effects-of-radiation/nuclear-apologists-play-shoot-the-messenger-on-radiation/
Energy Matters Video News – Episode 56 – February 1, 2012
http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3021
Anti nuclear action below: - more info at Action Australia « Antinuclear and at Event details « Antinuclear
EVENTS
- February 13 Adelaide Fukushima and the Future of Nuclear Power
- February 23 - Adelaide Nicole Foss – a Mentor For Turbulent Times. Nicole Foss speaks on Energy and the Economy http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=FqRGVNUK5x0
LATEST AUDIO & VIDEO ITEMS. arrive – so fast and so good – go to our audiovisual page Audiovisual « Antinuclear for information on these websites
Nuclear power and WATER – theme for February 2012
For Australia especially, Global warming means WATER shortage – drought over wide areas, more evaporation.
Nuclear power and uranium mining are water-intensive
Uranium mining is water intensive. Already outback communities are being hit by water shortage, as water is being extracted from the Great Arterial Basin faster than it is being replenished.
Yet BHP Billiton has open slather, at no cost whatever, to its daily guzzle of 35 million litres, and BHPB plans to extract an additional 120 million litres of publicly-owned artesian water per day, every day, for the next 70 years.)
Out of sight, out of mind
Groundwater is a major resource, but one that has been taken for granted for decades. In the past, groundwater supplies were treated as an infinite resource, and subject to an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude. But that’s changing. There’s now an enormous interest in the way our groundwater resources are measured, managed and utilised. There are also concerns over issues such as over-extraction of water, pollution, wastage, allocation and licensing issues, water pricing and groundwater salinisation.
The water source beneath one-fifth of Australia
The most well-known and important groundwater source in Australia is the Great Artesian Basin, or GAB. This is a vast groundwater source that underlies 22 per cent of Australia – extending beneath the arid and semi-arid regions of Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales. It covers about 1.7 million square kilometres, and contains an estimated 8700 million megalitres of water. Not surprisingly, it’s one of the largest artesian water basins in the world……
The sustainable yield of a groundwater source depends on balancing the use or discharge against recharge rates. Normally discharge of groundwater occurs through vegetation, into streams and lakes, or through evaporation into the atmosphere. Sustainable yield cannot simply be determined by a measure of the recharge rate. If water is extracted for human use at the recharge rate, discharge to other areas can be affected…..
Extraction of groundwater can also lead to salinity problems and have a negative impact on native vegetation with roots that tap into groundwater, as well as wetlands, rivers and streams. The full impact of using these aquifers as planned is not known, but is likely to reduce the rate of water flowing to support rivers and wetlands and other groundwater dependent ecosystems…. http://www.science.org.au/nova/100/100key.htm
Garlick said water from the Great Artesian Basin in Central Australia is being depleted to keep residual radioactive dust from uranium mining wet in order to keep it from blowing across the continent. Seven million gallons of water is being extracted from the basin per day to keep the radioactive dust in place, she said.
Despite its profits more than tripling in the last three years, BHP has never paid a cent for the vast amounts of water used by the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine near Roxby Downs. The mine currently uses approximately 35 million litres of water a day from the Great Artesian Basin. Under the Roxby Downs Indenture Act BHP is not required to pay for this water usage.
The Indenture Act applies specifically to the Olympic Dam mine, and provides for wide-ranging legal exemptions and overrides from environmental and Aboriginal heritage protection laws that apply elsewhere in the state, including the Environmental Protection Act and the Natural Resources Act (which incorporates water management issues).
“The Indenture Act means that the Olympic Dam mine is not subject to the same environmental regulatory framework as other industrial projects in the state,’ explained Nectaria Calan of Friends of the Earth Adelaide. “Additionally, by allowing BHP to take water from the Great Artesian Basin for free, the South Australian government is essentially providing BHP with a massive subsidy,” she continued.
The water intake from the Great Artesian Basin has already had adverse impacts on the unique Mound Springs found near Lake Eyre, which are fed by the underlying Artesian Basin, and are sacred to the Arabunna people, the traditional owners of the area.
As part of the proposed expansion of the Olympic Dam mine, BHP Billiton proposes to increase its water consumption by an additional 200 million litres per day. Water intake from the Great Artesian Basin will increase to up to 42 million litres per day, with the remainder to come from a proposed desalination plant at Point Lowly. This amounts to over 100,000 litres of water per minute.
“The vast water usage of uranium mines is often forgotten in the debate about uranium and nuclear energy. Here we are, in the driest state on the driest continent on earth, host to a mine which needs millions of litres of water each day. Due to the Indenture Act, we are essentially exporting our water overseas for free,” said Ms. Calan. (FOE)
