Australia’s media ignores the severity of Japan’s nuclear crisis
the vast majority of Australians who get their news from newspapers or commercial television or radio have no idea about the severity of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, or the danger to human health posed by this ongoing crisis.
VIDEOS Fukushima: Caldicott says Japan may become uninhabitable – media silent | Independent Australia Independent Australia David Donovan 31 May 11
Yesterday – the same day Germany announced it would close all its nuclear plants because of Fukushima, and dangerous levels of radiation were reported in Japanese clean-up workers – Independent Australia did a straw poll of 50 random people at a metropolitan shopping centre in Queensland. Each of them was asked: “were you aware that there had been a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima in Japan”. Almost all of these respondents recognised the name Fukushima but only 4 of the 50 – a mere 8 per cent – said they had heard of any meltdown. Continue reading
How big money buys the media,and threatens democracy
Rupert has indicated very clearly, he is coming to buy the alternative forms of media, not only to have control, but to make money out of it.
I liked a little thing I saw in the paper where Gina Rinehart’s Dad, good old Lang Hancock, said decades ago that if we’re going to get anywhere, we have to buy the media. And Gina is dutifully moving to do [that] just now and what a difference that has made.
Bob Brown and the media: ‘I’ll take them on … they’ve crossed the line’ THE CONVERSATION, by John Keane 4 June 11, , “……Brown:’…it ought to be for the people to make and break governments and it is for the Fourth Estate to be informing them. …. I think it goes back to Jefferson, the very simple dictum: that information is the currency of democracy. So that information is gold and it is very important that the public has a right to be informed. But what they are getting it now is opined. They are getting an opinion coming from a multi-billionaire who cashed in his Australian citizenship because Australia didn’t serve accumulation of money well enough….. Continue reading
International Atomic Energy Agency’s conflict of interest
it controls research on health issues surrounding radiation that should then feed into its safety standards…. it promotes nuclear power. According to the statutes of the agency, the objective of the IAEA is to ‘accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy’.
Can you begin to see the conflicts of interest here? An organisation charged with promoting nuclear power around the world also controls nuclear safety and health standards. It’s like expecting a tobacco company to prevent lung cancer.
No confidence in the International Atomic Energy Agency, Greenpeace International by Justin – June 3, 2011 The IAEA was at Fukushima to assess the situation at the disaster site in its role as the global nuclear watchdog and regulator. The problem is that that’s not the organisations only role. The IAEA is a four-headed beast. Continue reading
Most Japanese do not trust TEPCO’s information on Fukushima and radiation
It is easy to see why controlling radiation readings and reports of leakage of radioactive water in to the sea is to TEPCO’s advantage.
Report From Tokyo: How Long Should TEPCO Call the Shots?,THE HUFFINGTON POST, David Wagner: 4 June 11 Since the tragic March 11th earthquake in Japan, Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) has been allowed to manage information flow related to the nuclear crisis at Fukushima. And ever since that date, there have been multiple examples of inaccurate information being released to the public.
So one has to wonder how long TEPCO should call the shots. There is something inherently wrong with allowing the hen to rule the hen house. Yet that is what is happening…….. Continue reading
ERA’s hidden agenda for expanding Ranger uranium mine
Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) spokesman Dave Sweeney says ERA has its eyes on a bigger prize than just expanding its existing Ranger Uranium Mine operations.
“It wants to stay active and in the region and wear people down, and wait for times to change,” he said….
A new report prepared for the Federal Government shows climate change could damage mine infrastructure and pose challenges to its processing systems over the next 60 years.
Mr Sweeney says Ranger Uranium Mine’s location within the boundaries of Kakadu National Park makes it too risky to expand.
Critics turn up heat on uranium miner – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Lucy McNally, Jano Gibson and Rick Hind Jun 3, 2011 Environmental groups are warning Territorians to pay attention to a plan by Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) to expand its uranium mine in Kakadu National Park.
They say they believe the ultimate goal of the company is still to mine Jabiluka. Continue reading
Explaining Australia’s ineffective solar energy policies
Australia has no policies to build the market for large-scale solar power.The carbon price, if it is ever introduced, will be too low for at least a decade to assist significantly….
Flagships will subsidise initially only one large CPV and one large CST power station by 2014.
Cuts to this program in the 2011 federal budget make it unlikely that a second round of grants will be made….
There is really only one plausible explanation for Australia’s piecemeal and ineffective set of solar policies: the immense political power of Australia’s big greenhouse polluters.
Australia’s confused solar policy June 1, 2011, PHYSORG.com By Mark Diesendorf Solar collectors spread out over a square 50 km could generate all of Australia’s current electricity demand. Continue reading
Danger and deception in Lynas’ plan to leave radioactive wastes in Malaysia
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, experts will evaluate this plant, BUT only for radiation, and that, during normal operations! They are the same experts who declared Fukushima safe, even with NO protective wall around the cooling pumps.
The Lynas chairman Nicholas Curtis claims that they have permission from the government to store the waste onsite forever. On the other hand, AELB’s (Atomic Energy Licensing Board) director general Raja Datuk Abdul Aziz Raja refutes that claim in saying that the plant can only store waste temporarily
Rigmarole : The Star Online: May 30, 2011 An Australian Co., Lynas, is building the REE refinery in Malaysia. However, that refinery can never be deemed as safe, because accidents happen. It is not only the thorium 232 radioactive alpha particles, those from the ores and the waste, that could accidentally be released into the air as dust, (lung cancer), and into water, (liver cancers etc.), but there is the possiblility of accidental release of highly toxic gases that are REE refining by-products, such as fluorine, radon, (radio-active), and sulphur dioxide. Continue reading
About cancer risk from mobile phones
I usually steer clear of this issue, as this site focuses on ionising radiation- a proven cause of cancer. Still, the issue of electromagnetic radiation – from mobile phones,and WiFi could well turn out to be a public health scandal like the asbestos,and nuclear ones. –Christina Macpherson
AUDIO Mobile phone radiation – Lyn McLean – ABC Queensland – Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)- 01 June 2011 , by Peter GoochJust when you thought it was safe to hold that mobile phone up to your ear again, a new report from the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has said that radiation from mobile phones could possibly be carcinogenic to humans…possibly leading to the increased risk of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer.The main conclusions of this report will be published in The Lancet Oncology in its July 1 issue, and already one of Australia’s leading brain surgeons has said the report should serve as a wake-up call to users and the telecommunications industry…..
Mobile phone radiation – Lyn McLean – ABC Queensland – Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
Health dangers of electromagnetic radiation
The first time that cell phones were associated with cancer risk was in 1997, following a study conducted by Michael Repacholi and his colleagues from the Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia that showed an increase in the occurrence of lymphoma in mice exposed to cell phone radiation over a long term.
WHO Rings The Alarm Bell On Mobile Phone? RTT News 2 June “………Mobile phones emit electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range.Over the last few years, there has been a growing concern over the possible health hazards of mobile phone radiation. Continue reading
How Australia could be powered by solar technology
Australia’s confused solar policy June 1, 2011 PHYSORG.com By Mark Diesendorf “…….Scaling up to industrial-size solar The residential and commercial sectors are together responsible for about half of Australia’s electricity consumption. Almost the entire other half is industrial.If this demand were supplied by solar, it would need large solar power stations. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 