German protestors from all walks of life inspire global anti-nuclear movement
The anti-CASTOR protestors have set an example for the whole world of the raw power of peaceful protest to challenge both government and the nuclear industry. Their historic resistance this weekend will no doubt continue to be an inspiration for all of us working towards a future where dangerous nuclear energy is a thing of the past.
Raw power of peaceful protest: 10,000 people take direct action against nuclear transport | Greenpeace International by Laura K. – November 8, 2010 From Australia to Canada, from India to the UK – the world is watching the ongoing protest of the CASTOR nuclear transport in Germany. Continue reading
Australian airline pilots will trust the government on radiation scanner safety
Australia is planning to introduce the full-body scanners at its international airports early next year….Australian International Pilots Association (AIPA) has no plans to boycott, it will continue to work with the Government to address safety issues.
Australian Pilots Negotiating Full-Body Scan with Government | TopNews United States, by Jatinder Kumar , 11/09/2010 -The American Allied Pilots Association has announced a boycott on new airport security devices that capture images of passengers’ naked bodies. Continue reading
Airport radiation scanners to be boycotted by world’s largest pilot union
In April, radiation experts from the University of California, San Francisco, warned President Obama’s science assistant that the machines pose potentially serious health risks……
World’s largest pilot union shuns full-body scanners The Register Warning cites radiation risk, By Dan Goodin in San Francisco , 9th November 2010 The world’s largest independent airline pilot association is warning its members to avoid security screening by full-body scanners out of concern the machines emit dangerous levels of radiation. Continue reading
Australia’s danger in closer military ties with USA
lf the primary justification is ”regional security”, why should Australia agree to even greater military ties with the US when it will make us more of a potential target for terrorism?
Questions Hillary wasn’t asked on her date with Australia, Sydney Morning Herald, Hamish Ford, November 10, 2010 – “…..Here, then, are the questions that weren’t asked of Hillary Clinton, but at least a couple of which should have been: ……….. Continue reading
Bad timing: Obama promotes nuclear power as its safety problems mount
The problems all occurred within days of President Obama’s post-election press conference in which he promoted restarting the U.S. nuclear power industry. His remarks came after heavy spending by the nuclear power industry during the recent election cycle.
As Obama pushes nuclear industry’s expansion, its safety troubles mount, FACING SOUTH, By Sue Sturgis on November 8, 2010, Continue reading
Water use, radiation hazard, in Cameco’s planned Pilbara uranium mine
Cameco’s Kintyre Uranium Project report details risks to mine workers from radiation exposure, the potential for groundwater contamination and the spread of radioactive dust and its potential to endanger flora and fauna.
Radiation fear for Pilbara uraium mine workers * Narelle Towie, The Sunday Times November 08, 2010 A CANADIAN company plans to draw five million litres of water a day – two Olympic-sized pools – to operate a uranium mine on the edge of a Pilbara national park. Continue reading
German anti-nuclear protest now a mainstream movement
“The main difference between the ’70s and ’80s, when this all started, is today it’s a mainstream issue at the centre of the society,” …… “It is not just the ecological fringe.”
Despite protests, nuclear waste arrives in northern Germany – thestar.com. Michael Slackman New York Times, 9 Nov 10, lBERLIN—After three days of protests and occasional violent clashes with the police, a train hauling 123 tonnes of nuclear waste arrived Monday in northern Germany. Continue reading
Massive protest in Germany highlights anti-nuclear feeling
What has made this particular demonstration so explosive is the coincidence of this transport of nuclear waste with the government’s decision to overturn former legislation aimed at phasing out nuclear power by around 2020.
Mounting disappointments boost anti-nuclear protests Deutsche Welle, Ben Knight, 08.11.2010 “……..The ongoing civil disobedience campaign against a train delivery of nuclear waste to a storage facility in Gorleben is being reported as one of the biggest of its kind ever in Germany. Continue reading
Cameco Paladin uranium companies having second thoughts on Alice Springs mine plan
Cameco Paladin says the Government’s decision to oppose any plans to mine the Angela Pamela site, despite granting the company an exploration licence, has created uncertainty for the project.
Mining company reconsiders scale of uranium project, – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Amy Marshall d Mon Nov 8, 2010 A mining company exploring for uranium at a site near Alice Springs says it will reconsider the scale of its project in light of opposition from the Northern Territory Government. Continue reading
Martin Ferguson can over-ride Northern Territory Govt on Cameco uranium mine
The Mining Act (NT) requires the relevant Northern Territory Minister to exercise his or her powers in accordance with, and give effect to, the advice of the relevant Federal Minister in relation to uranium …… The Federal Minister’s position is not known.- [oh yeah!]
Nt government opposes uranium mine Lexology Margaret Michaels November 3 2010 The Northern Territory Government is opposed to a uranium mine at Angela Pamela, but the decision is up to the Federal Government. Continue reading
Cameco uranium company’s profit tumbles
Cameco profit tumbles on higher costs – The Globe and Mail, 8 Nov 10, Cameco (CCO-T35.982.828.50%)says its profit tumbled 43 per cent in the third quarter as lower uranium deliveries weakened results.The Saskatoon-based company said net income was $98-million, or 25 cents per share, a drop from $172-million or 44 cents per share a year earlier…..
Big risks in U.S. nuclear warships in Australian ports
Greens MP to quiz Gillard on naval visits | The Australian Lanai Vasek , November 09, 2010 GREENS MP Adam Bandt will request top-level talks with Julia Gillard to review plans for more US naval visits to Australia.The proposals were outlined at the annual Ausmin conference this week.Mr Bandt said it was time for Australia to show more independence from the US, and there were “big risks” in having nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed warships in Australian ports.”I will be raising my concerns directly with the Prime Minister and seeking answers to my questions about the impact and safety of increased ship visits to Melbourne,” Mr Bandt told The Australian.”We want a strong relationship with the US, but one based on our recognised independence.”I am concerned that we are making decisions like troop deployment not on the basis of our national interest but simply because another country wants us to.”…
Woomera ‘prohibited’ zone to have both uranium mining and weapons testing
The region is synonymous with the testing of long range missiles and rockets during the Cold War and is still used by the military for weapons testing. The Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said that the new recommendation is that the miners and the military would be both operating at some sections of the land on a time share basis.
Australia May Tap Restricted Area of Woomera for Natural Resources [uranium mining] Azomining, By Joel Scanlon, 9 Nov 10, The Woomera weapons testing range in South Australia’s outback will be downsized to allow mining in the region as per a federal government report recommendation. Vast restricted areas of South Australia will be opened up to mining companies including foreign investors if the review is considered favourably. Continue reading
The nuclear industry’s close connection to bombs
The nuclear industry has been boasting in recent years that it is on the verge of a renaissance, with scores of new countries interested in nuclear power as part of an “energy mix” to decrease greenhouse gas emissions ….There’s a security concern associated with that. The nuclear fuel cycle for reactors begins by enriching uranium until it can sustain a nuclear reaction, and it ends with the production of plutonium. Both are processes that create material for bombs. There is a line between nuclear power and nuclear weapons, but it’s thinner than the nuclear industry would want us to believe.
Fissile Material Smuggling and the Nuclear Renaissance, TIME.com, by Eben Harrell , November 8, 2010 There was a very scary story out of Georgia today after two Armenian men pleaded guilty during a secret trial to smuggling highly enriched uranium into the former Soviet state and trying to sell it to an undercover agent posing as a representative of Islamic radicals. Continue reading