Lies and blind greed about Australia’s carbon price, and uranium sales
Oh dear, oh dear -Have you noticed what is going on in Australian politics, and in the marketing of uranium?
First there are the blatant lies against carbon pricing. We have the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott all out to stop Australia “leading the world” on a carbon price. Yet a carbon price has been operating very well in 30 countries, creating jobs and saving $millions of Euros,
Then there’s the amazing disregard for the danger of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. We have the Australian government touting for uranium sales to United Arab Emirates, and an Australian company helping Egypt to get a nuclear reactor. Yet the Middle East is in uproar, and there’s no knowing what kinds of regimes are going to result there. –
There’s also Rio Rinto’s ERA uranium mine at Ranger – desperately being kept going despite climate threats of flooding, in the hopes of expanding and of booming sales to the Middle East. Christina Macpherson
Australia keen to sell uranium to Middle East, never mind the unrest there
“Doesn’t matter whether you’re a Communist dictatorship or a Middle Eastern Emirate” … “it seems Australia is more than happy to do the bidding of the uranium mining companies….a bad time to start selling uranium to the Middle East, given the unrest sweeping the area.”
Australia may sell uranium to UAE, Ipswich Queensland Times, Adam Gartrell, 9th March 2011 .Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said the move was “profoundly unhelpful” to global non-proliferation efforts. AUSTRALIA is paving the way to sell uranium to the United Arab Emirates. Continue reading
political tightrope in Egypt – but its nuclear power to go ahead
Egypt says to press ahead with nuclear tender Mar 9, 2011 CAIRO, March 9 (Reuters) – Egypt’s Electricity Minister said the country would go ahead with a tender for the construction of its first nuclear power plant despite recent political unrest, a government Facebook page reported on Wednesday……. Egypt says to press ahead with nuclear tender | Energy & Oil | Reuters
Can Ranger uranium mine continue, with increased rainfall?
Wet weather threatens NT uranium mine, Sky News:, 10 March 11, Wet weather in the north is causing serious headaches for Energy Resources Australia. Heavy rain is pushing water levels at its Ranger Mine dam past the wet season limit,……potential for radioactively contaminated water to flow into Kakadu National Park.ERA – which is majority owned by Rio Tinto….Sky News: Wet weather threatens NT uranium mine
30 European countries successfully managing a carbon price
“The thing that struck me is how the debate has changed here and also that wide perception that I keep hearing that Australia shouldn’t go first,”
“Coming from Europe, that sounds slightly bizarre because there are 30 countries in Europe that have had a carbon price … since the beginning of 2005.”
Aussie carbon tax revolt ‘bizarre’: expert, Sydney Morning Herald, 9 March 11, A European Union climate expert has described Australian opposition to a carbon tax as bizarre, diplomatically pointing out Britain’s Conservatives were more co-operative in opposition. Jill Duggan, who managed Britain’s initial emissions trading scheme (ETS), said there was an incorrect perception that Australia would be going it alone if it put a price on carbon. Continue reading
Australia’s democracy at risk in carbon tax fight
The carbon debate is a test for our democracy, Sydney Morning Herald, March 10, 2011 THE carbon tax debate shapes as a turning point in Australian politics. Continue reading
$10 billion Euros saved annually in Europe’s renewable energy
Nine countries (the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Lithuania, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, and Sweden) currently expect to exceed their 2020 targets, and could therefore have a surplus available…..preliminary estimates indicate that across the economic bloc such measures could lead to 10 billion Euro in annual savings.
EU likely to meet 2020 renewable energy policy goals, London, England –– ESI-AFRICA.COM — 07 March 2011 – Latest figures on the progress of renewable energy in the European Union (EU) show that its 2020 renewable energy policy goals are likely to be met and exceeded, Continue reading
Quiet optimistic lesson from Obam on renewable energy
The President is achieving through energy and defence policy, what he cannot do as climate policy…..Secretary Chu’s “SunShot initiative” will fund solar so that it provides electricity for the same cost as coal in 9 years. That means that between now and 2020, a wave of new investment in solar power will wash over the USA.
Gillard in Washington: Using energy on climate is the big story, Unleashed (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), Dan Cass, 9 March 11, Coverage of the meetings between Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the administration of US President Barack Obama is missing one of the biggest stories of them all. Continue reading
Radiation danger warning to Chernobyl tourists
Visitors have to sign a waiver, exempting the tour operator from all responsibility in the event that they later suffer radiation-related health problems…..”it is very dangerous to be here,” ….. “There are huge holes in the sarcophagus covering the reactor,”
Chernobyl: The toxic tourist attraction – Telegraph, Andrew Osborne 6 Mar 11, “………Chernobyl itself and Pripyat, the Soviet model town that has now become a ghostly monument to humankind’s incompetence, have become ghoulish tourist attractions open to anyone ready to spend the equivalent of about £100 for a day trip. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 