Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Australian govt doing publicity spin as it hands Woomera over to uranium miners

Woomera-Land of the Dispossessed-Open for Mining Paul Langley’s Nuclear History Blog, November 12, 2010 Government announces Review of Woomera Prohibited Area .http://www.defence.gov.au/woomerareview/
!. Remove Aboriginal People – 40s-50s.
2. Bomb the crap out of the joint.
3. Do a “clean up” sufficient for the mining industry\
4. Do a PR exersize prior to handing to area to miners.
5. Hand the area to miners.

Throughout all this step 1 remains in force over the larger Prohibited Area.

We are at step 4

“Today Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson released the Interim Report of the Government Review of the Woomera Prohibited Area.
Public Comment on the Interim Report is welcome. Please send any comments to woomera.reviewteam@defence.gov.au by 3 December 2010………nuclearhistory « Paul Langley’s Nuclear History Blog

November 12, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, spinbuster, uranium | , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Massive USA spending on nuclear weaponry, despite START Treaty

Regrettably, his words belie his actions. The fiscal year 2011 federal budget calls for increased funding for new nuclear production facilities,..

Close out the nuclear era Bennington Banner 11/11/2010 “………President Obama, at the signing of the START agreement, said: “So today, I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.” Continue reading

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Australian uranium sales to Russia, a backward step for peace and global safety

The Australian Greens have condemned the Federal Government for striking a deal to sell uranium to Russia’s power industry.Greens nuclear issues spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the deal announced today was environmentally irresponsible and a drastic step backwards for nuclear disarmament.

“Russia has a nuclear energy sector known for low safety and environmental standards, the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, is a key part of the Iranian nuclear programme and has not been visited by IAEA inspectors since 2001,” he said. “The case against selling uranium to Russia is undeniable.” Continue reading

November 12, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics, uranium | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia’s uranium to Russia, country with worst safety record!

New Risks from Australia Russia Uranium Deal
Melbourne, 12 November 2010: The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Australia is deeply disappointed at Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s ratification of a nuclear cooperation agreement that will see Australia selling uranium to Russia.

“The move will see Australia supplying uranium to a country with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, and the largest stockpile of weapons-usable material, much of it inadequately secured,” said ICAN Chair Associate Professor Tilman Ruff. Continue reading

November 12, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, safety, uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian govt disregards expert committee, in selling uranium to Russia

The Federal Government’s decision to sell uranium to Russia flies in the face of the recommendations of a parliamentary committee and fuels global nuclear insecurity,

Australian Conservation Foundation, David Noonan, David Sweeney, 12 Nov 2010, In 2008 the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties recommended the Government not proceed with a treaty to export uranium to Russia. Continue reading

November 12, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics international, uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

A program to expand nuclear industry, not deal with wastes

in its name, charter, membership, words, and actions, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (BRC) seems more devoted to the nuclear power industry’s continuation, and even expansion, than it is to solving the radioactive waste problem.

The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (BRC for short), Beyond Nuclear, 11 Nov 10,  It was created by President Obama and Energy Secretary Chu at the end of January, 2010. It was supposed to come up with “Plan B” for U.S. high-level radioactive waste management, now that they have so wisely and thankfully cancelled the geologically unsuitable and environmentally unjust Yucca Mountain, Nevada dumpsite proposal. Continue reading

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Australia’s leaders cave in to American power and militarism

will Australia be asked to store nuclear, chemical and biological weapons? Will we be asked to host facilities that can launch these weapons?…..It is to Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd that we look for leadership and this last week both disappointed……..Gillard and Rudd have caved in.

Too weak to take the middle ground – Unleashed (Australian Broadcasting Corporation),  Bruce Haigh 12 November 2010 A week of significant change has largely gone unnoticed by a star and bangle-struck Australian media. Still, perspicacity is not a strong point of a greying and self-satisfied Fourth Estate, more concerned with the state of the property market than the state. Continue reading

November 12, 2010 Posted by | General News | , , , , , | Leave a comment

America’s and Russia’s nuclear missiles still on hair trigger alert

.protocols have not changed since the end of the Cold War. America still keeps its missiles on launch-ready alert. In this posture, the bias is on ensuring that the missiles can be fired, rather than on making sure they are not launched accidentally. That’s a dangerous posture as we now live in an era of terrorism and cyber warfare.

Could Terrorists Launch America’s Nuclear Missiles? TIME, Bruce Blair , 12 Nov 10, The Air Force calls the situation “Launch Facilities Down.” On Oct. 23, a Wyoming-based squadron of 50 nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) — enough firepower to kill some 20 million people — lost computer communications with their human controllers for 45 minutes. Continue reading

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