Significant nuclear news of the week
Australia’s nuclear news coincides with global news – in that Australia’s uranium industry is looking sick, and so is the world’s nuclear industry. BHP will not make a decision on expanding Olympic Dam uranium mine until 2014, and has lost interest in its previously planned Yeelirrie uranium project in WA. Cameco has shelved its Kyntire uranium project. ERA and Cameco made losses.Meanwhile General Electric’s chief Jeff Immelt, stunned the nuclear industry by stating that it was ‘hard to justify’ costly nuclear energy, and that the future energy would be gas, wind, solar.
In UK, French nuclear company EDF is trying to get funding partners for UK’s super expensive nuclear power plan.
Climate change news – a top scientist for a USA conservative think tank has embarassed his funding body by announcing that climate change is real, and is human caused. But that doesn’t bother Queensland’s Liberal Party – who voted for a policy of banning climate change education in schools.
But – that didn’t stop Australia’s Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, flogging uranium sales to that very unstable part of the world – the Middle East, – (and we might take back their radioactive wastes later on, as UAE hopes)
USA Militarism is in the air again, with nuclear expenditure rising to dizzying heights – for naval nuclear submarines $350 billion. USA Congress looking at a plan to base naval nuclear ships in Australia. Australia rejecting this plan, (but for how long, rejecting?) Both Obama and Romney going hawkish. The military -industrial complex getting enthused about drone weapons. To get some insight into the thinking of these people,check out the official logo of the USA company Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons . No, it is not a spoof. It is their real business logo.
In USA – a top secret nuclear weapons complex has closed temporarily, for security reasons. Yes, a naughty 82 year old anti nuclear nun got in there, and threw red paint on equipment, and offered the security staff coffee and prayers!. This dangerous terrorist is now in gaol, of course.
In Japan – a huge anti nuclear rally. Also – revelations coming out about how TEPCO has been ‘cooking’ the books and minimising the extent and seriousness of the radiation from Fukushima. Japanese Greens party formed.
Credibility gulf in Australia’s deal to sell uranium to United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The federal government’s decision to sell uranium to the United Arab Emirates lacks credibility and has the potential to undermine efforts towards nuclear non-proliferation in the Middle East, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today. “In the shadow of Fukushima – an ongoing crisis directly fuelled by Australian uranium – nuclear power is under a cloud as an energy source.
“Japan closed all its nuclear plants for safety testing, Germany has committed to get out of nuclear power within a decade and nations such as Switzerland, Belgium and Italy are moving away from nuclear power. “Plans for new nuclear power reactors in the UK and USA face increased community resistance and scrutiny and increased regulatory compliance costs.
“But despite repeated domestic and international calls, including from the UN Secretary General, the federal government has done nothing to review or enhance nuclear security regimes, bi-lateral safeguards or chain-of-custody arrangements.
“The United Arab Emirates, an alliance of seven monarchies in which each monarch retains absolute power, sits in the middle of an unstable region. “The Arab Spring has not fully sprung in the UAE. “To state that Australian uranium will not be misused because it is in the UAE’s interest not to misuse is naïve and lacks credibility.
“This move by the federal government has the potential to undermine efforts to advance nuclear non-proliferation in the Middle East. “Australia’s uranium export policy continues to be driven by commercial interests, not the national interest. “The Australian Conservation Foundation has serious concerns about the adequacy and capacity of the international nuclear safeguards regime.”
Australian govt rejects USA naval nuclear base, (FOR THE MOMENT ANYWAY)
Smith rejects proposal for US carrier base ABC Radio AM By Naomi Woodley August 02, 2012 Defence Minister Stephen Smith has flatly rejected a proposal to expand a naval base in Perth to accommodate US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier groups.
The idea for a $7 billion US carrier base on Australia’s Indian Ocean seaboard is one of many canvassed in a report commissioned by the US Defence Department from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
Mr Smith says while increased US access to the HMAS Stirling base is on the cards in the long term, American aircraft carriers will not be based in Australia. “The report is an independent report to the United States government. It’s not a United States government document,” he said.
“We don’t have United States military bases in Australia and we are not proposing to. What we have talked about in terms of either increased aerial access or naval access is precisely that – greater access to our facilities.” The West Australian Premier and Opposition Leader have also ruled out the aircraft carrier base idea………….
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-02/smith-rejects-us-base-proposal/4171086
Scientists report on radiation’s genetic damage to future generations
Researchers have been surprised to find that genetic damage, and above all perigenetic damage, which is responsible for genomic instability, to descendants is far worse than to parents; and this risk increases from one generation to the next.
In equal doses, external radiation is ten to a hundred times less damaging than chronic internal radiation, which essentially results from the oral absorption of radionuclides. These concentrate in organs like the thymus, the endocrine glands, the spleen, the bone surfaces and the heart.
Genetic mutations from radiation exposure are up to 100 times higher than 
anything we have encountered in the animal kingdom -Dr. Fernex, Former WHO Consultant http://enenews.com/genetic-mutations-from-radiation-exposure-are-up-to-100-times-higher-than-anything-we-have-encountered-in-the-animal-kingdom-dr-fernex-former-who-consultant July 31st, 2012 By ENENews : Fukushima: precious time has been lost
Author: Michel Fernex Date: June 7, 2012 Dr. Michel Fernex Emeritus Professor, Basel Faculty of Medecine Former Consultant, World Health Organization
“What should WHO have done after Chernobyl ?” asked Dr Nabarro in 2002 when he was Acting Director-General of the World Health Organization. I replied immediately, and then confirmed it in writing: “Convene a Scientific Working Group on Ionising Radiation and Genetics” like the one in 1956, and add the words “and Genomic Instability”…..
Since 1959, an agreement signed between WHO and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and then a number of additional legal texts, prohibit WHO from intervening in nuclear accidents…..
What genetic damage has been done to the population following the accident at Fukushima? Are the alterations already recorded in the cells of those workers who have exhausted themselves, over the last year, in an effort to reduce the dissemination of radionuclides into the environment. What about people who inhaled radioactive material and ate contaminated food ? Has this induced genomic instability? And the children that have been born since, or who will be born to fathers or mothers who have been irradiated. Have they inherited the fragile genomes of their parents? Are they, perhaps, going to be even worse affected than their parents ?
In fact, researchers have been surprised to find that genetic damage, and above all perigenetic damage, which is responsible for genomic instability, to descendants is far worse than to parents; and this risk increases from one generation to the next. Continue reading
A reminder of the disgraceful history of Beverley uranium mine in South Australia
police brutality against environmentalists and local Aboriginal people. An online video clip details this brutality. Heathgate applauded the police action (in a 2000 media release which is no longer available online). After a 10-year legal case, 10 people were awarded a total of $700,000 damages.
. At least 59 spills have been documented at the mine. The company sells uranium to nuclear weapons states (all of which are in breach of their disarmament obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty),
A refresher on who’s behind one of our uranium mines, Jim Green, The Punch, 2 Aug 2012http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-refresher-on-whos-behind-one-of-our-uranium-mines The story behind the corporation that owns the Beverley uranium mine in north-east South Australia is scarcely believable.
Heathgate Resources − a 100 per cent-owned subsidiary of General Atomics (GA) − owns and operates Beverley and has a stake in the adjacent Beverley Four Mile mine. Over the years GA CEO Neal Blue has had commercial interests in oil, Predator drones, uranium mining and nuclear reactors, cocoa, bananas and real estate. Continue reading
Australians, and China, concerned about USA militarism here
Canberra needs to come clean on what’s going on
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/politics/canberra-needs-to-come-clean-on-whats-going-on-20120801-23fp1.html#ixzz22Pt2puww August 2, 2012 Daniel Flitton Political correspondent for The Age ENOUGH of the cute codes and doublespeak. Making Perth home to a mammoth nuclear aircraft carrier fleet would amount to an American base in Australia, plain and simple.
The government needs to come clean with its military plans, given Australia has already agreed to host US marines near Darwin – and US bombers, spy drones and the existing ”joint facilities” often overlooked.
Time to stop pretending this is just business as usual. Are we preparing to help Washington use the threat of force to contain China in the region? That is certainly the impression. It is also the prevailing wisdom in Beijing. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 