Australia’s top nuclear business closes down – “a waste of time”
Top trio turn off N-switch
(for more Australian news go to nuclear news Australia )
Herald Sun Cameron England
July 23, 2009 12:00am
THREE of Australia’s best-known businessmen have abandoned plans to build the country’s first nuclear power plant in the face of Federal Government opposition to the controversial energy source.
Fairfax Media chairman and former Liberal Party treasurer Ron Walker has applied to deregister Australian Nuclear Energy — the company he set up with mining identities Robert Champion de Crespigny and Hugh Morgan — three years after its creation.
Mr Walker said yesterday a lack of government support had scuttled their ambitions. “Government was very clear that they would not allow nuclear energy in Australia,” he said.
“We decided that it was just a waste of our time…………
…………Mr Walker applied to shut down ANE, which investigated the possibility of building a nuclear plant in either Victoria or South Australia, on May 2
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25821675-664,00.html
Rio Tinto tries to steer Rudd towards nuclear power
Business Spectator , 22 Jul 2009
Rio Tinto tries to steer Rudd towards nuclear power“…………….The company laid out its position in a submission to the government’s Energy White Paper, signed by Rio Tinto Australia managing director Stephen Creese.
The submission raised particular concern about the government’s 20 per cent renewable energy target…………………..
Rio Tinto owns 68 per cent of Australia’s largest uranium exporter Energy Resources of Australia Ltd.
The miner also cast doubt on the viability of gas as a lower-emitting, base load alternative to coal.
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
edie.net news by David Gibbs 21 July 09-“……………..The decision to approve Australia’s fifth uranium mine sparked fierce criticism of Mr Garrett from political opponents and conservation groups.They accused the former anti-uranium activist, who once stood for the Nuclear Disarmament Party and penned anti-nuclear anthems for his band, of hypocrisy and argue the mine will harm the environment.
Federal opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull said: “This approval shows that Mr Garrett is as big a phoney as the prime minister.
“He spent his whole life denouncing uranium mining and wanting to shut it down. Now he’s opening a new one.” ………………Senator Scott Ludlam, nuclear spokesman for The Greens, said the claim the mine, 550km (340 miles) north of Adelaide, would be world’s best practice was “unfounded and bordered on delusional”.
He added: “This acid injection uranium mine will dump liquid radioactive waste into regional groundwater body and the minister is trying to argue this won’t damage the environment.”
Government minister in a hole over Australian uranium mine approval
Drowning island pins hopes on clean energy – CNN.com
(for more internatiomal news, go to http://www.nuclear-news.net)
(CNN) 21 July 09 — Tuvalu, the fourth smallest nation on the planet, has announced it aims to be totally powered by renewable energy sources by 2020.Located between Hawaii and Australia, the tiny Pacific nation is one of the world’s climate change hotspots and many believe it is already seeing the negative affects of rising sea levels.
The highest elevation on the island is just 4.5 meters (14.8 feet), and king tides have become increasingly damaging over the past 10 years, threatening the homes and livelihoods of its 12,000 inhabitants.
The government of Tuvalu is working with the e8, a consortium of 10 energy firms from the G8 nations that was set up after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit as a non-profit organization. The Tuvalu government estimates that it will take around $20 million in investment to reach the goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2020.
The first stage of the project has seen the roof of the country’s largest football stadium covered in solar panels, which supplies 5 percent of the electricity needed by the nation’s capital, Funafuti…………………………
“We thank those who are helping Tuvalu reduce its carbon footprint as it will strengthen our voice in upcoming international negotiations. And we look forward to the day when our nation offers an example to all — powered entirely by natural resources such as the sun and the wind,” said Kausea Natano, Tuvalu’s minister for public utilities and industries.
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 