Australian govt debates nuclear waste dump, as Aboriginal opposition continues
Six years of ‘long, hard struggle’: Communities call for a new approach on radioactive waste management, Beyond Nuclear, 15 July 11, Today marks six years since the Howard federal government announced plans for a radioactive waste dump in the Northern Territory. There was immediate and resolute opposition from the Northern Territory Government and Traditional Owners and communities near all of the targeted sites.
Three Department of Defence sites were initially announced, with a site in the Muckaty Land Trust added to the short list after a controversial nomination by the Northern Land Council.
New legislation tabled by Resources Minister Martin Ferguson names the contentious Muckaty site as the only area to be further assessed, even though a federal court case by Traditional Owners is underway to challenge the nomination. Continue reading
Time that Australian govts stepped in to protect Kakadu from ERA’s dangerous uranium mining plans
little wonder that Ranger has been hammered by the market and described as Rio Tinto’s ”major shame in this country”…. the cold hard fact remains that no modern uranium mine has ever undertaken large-scale acid heap leaching let alone in the monsoonal tropics surrounded by a renowned World-Heritage site…
The time has come for the Northern Territory regulator the Department of Resources and the Commonwealth adviser, the Office of the Supervising Scientist, to ensure that ERA and the Ranger site addresses the systemic failures in tailings and water management and ends the habit of unnecessary risk taking. .
Need for greater mining rules to protect Kakadu, Canberra Times, BY GAVIN MUDD, 15 Jul, 2011 Plans to expand the Ranger uranium operations pose big dangers. Inside Australia’s largest national park lies one of the country’s most controversial mines. Earlier this year it came close to a serious failure that would have contaminated Kakadu, effectively forever. Now, instead of heeding the warning signs, it wants to expand. Continue reading
Japan not really dealing with irradiated areas
Fukushima Prefecture has announced it will shut down the official shelters within Fukushima, which will force the evacuees to go back to their own homes.- Minami-Soma City has issued a notice to all 32,000 city residents who have been living in the shelters, temporary housing outside Fukushima Prefecture that they must return to Minami-Soma, high radiation or not.
Radiation in Japan: As It Is Being Spread Almost Wilfully, The Country Is Getting Unhinged, EX-SKF.BLOGSPOTJULY 13, 2011 “….Consider these news summaries. Consider them together. Do they make sense to you? Yes they do, don’t they? The combined message is this: Let’s all rejoice in the radiation, it’s good for you and your children. If we all have it everywhere, millions of becquerels of it, that’s only fair and equitable. Continue reading
Australia’s carbon tax plan – leadership on tackling climate change
I think it will give momentum to the global talks to know that a country as resource-dependent in terms of fossil fuels as Australia is, is now prepared to adopt emissions trading, is prepared to go with an economywide approach and is prepared to lift its level of ambition for 2050 to an 80% reduction……
The main problem is that the same people who run
campaigns for Big Oil and Big Tobacco have been involved in a campaign of climate denial, really post-the U.N. Copenhagenconference — we had the climate denial before then, but it’s really taken on a life of its own since then. And so we’ve had massive investment by the big fossil fuel lobby in Australia in generating doubt and undermining the science.
Australia’s carbon tax plan ‘a big turning point’, By Jennifer Bennett, Los Angeles Times, July 15, 2011, Greens party Sen. Christine Milne says plans for a carbon tax of $24.65 a ton, aimed at discouraging the use of fossil fuels and increasing investment in renewable energy, could blaze a trail for other nations in lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading
Queensland University leads in research for solar distributed energy
“In future, it will need to accommodate many, many more, smaller input sources in diverse locations, from renewable resources such as solar, geothermal and wind,” Professor Meredith says.
He says mid-size, commercial-scale renewable power generating systems like UQ’s will become increasingly common in urban and remote areas.
UQ powers up $7m solar array QBR, July 15, 2011, Brisbane has today stepped up its renewable energy research capabilities with the official launch of the University of Queensland’s $7.75 million solar array – the largest power system of its kind in Australia. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 
