Australian anti nuclear activists meet in Alice Springs
Waste dump to top agenda at anti-nuclear forum http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-05/waste-dump-to-top-agenda-at-anti-nuclear-forum/4297944 By Ruby Jones and Allyson Horn Oct 5, 2012 More than 100 anti-nuclear activists from around the country are gathering in Alice Springs for the annual conference of the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance.
Nat Wasley from the Alliance says one of the big issues that will be discussed is the proposed nuclear dump at Muckaty Station near Tennant Creek. She says the Alliance will use the conference to devise its action plan for the next year.
“We know that the uranium industry is toxic at every stage of the nuclear chain from uranium exploration to nuclear waste, nuclear reactors and of course nuclear weapons as well,” she said.
“So it’s a chance for us to meet face-to-face, plan what we’re going to do for the year ahead and then put those plans into action.
“This annual gathering is really important for people to … share their experiences and what happens when the company comes out to speak to traditional owners and also strategise how to work across the many thousands of kilometres that people live to come together and stand united against this industry.”
Australian youth marching for a sustainable renewable energy future
Long walk with Australian Youth Climate Coalition in support of renewable energy http://northern-district-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/long-walk-with-australian-youth-climate-coalition-in-support-of-renewable-energy/ 6 OCT 12 TWO YOUNG ADULTS FROM EPPING ARE THINKING WITH THEIR FEET WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Cameron Wheatley, from 1st Epping Rover Scouts, and Georgia Munro, from the Australian Youth Climate Coalition in Epping, have walked 325km from Port Augusta to Adelaide to show support for renewable energy in South Australia.
“Current coal, gas and oil energy reliance is not sustainable and is a great threat to Australian jobs, health and our beautiful natural wonders,” Ms Munro said.
Joined by 100 other walkers, Mr Wheatley and Ms Munro have been calling for Port Augusta’s coal stations to be replaced with Australia’s first solar thermal plant.
The walk is part of the “Repower Port Augusta” campaign that is in favour of solar energy rather than a gas pipeline through the town.
“I would like to see Australia rally behind the problems of sustainability and climate change in a positive manner,” Mr Wheatley said.
“There are real opportunities to embrace jobs in new and expanding sustainable industries, and solve the difficult problems we face.”
As Gillard off to sell uranium, India launches yet another nuclear missile test
Nuclear-capable Prithvi II ballistic missile test-fired http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-10-04/news/34260438_1_sleek-missile-strike-range-ballistic-missile Oct 4, 2012, BALASORE (Odisha): Sharpening its missile prowess, India today successfully test-fired its nuclear- capable Prithvi-II ballistic missile with a strike range of 350 km from a test range near here as part of a user trial by the army.
“The surface-to-surface missile was flight tested at around 0907 hrs from a mobile launcher from Integrated Test Range’s launch complex-3 at Chandipur,” defence sources said.
Solar plant construction in Victoria moves on
Solar plant work heats up with latest funding http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-05/waste-dump-to-top-agenda-at-anti-nuclear-forum/4297944 Oct 5, 2012 Victoria’s Energy Minister has launched the second funding round for a new 1.5 megawatt solar power plant near Mildura.
Work started on the $400 million Solar Systems power station at Carwarp, south of Mildura, earlier this year.
The latest round of $10 million in funding from the State Government will allow the plant’s construction to begin in earnest.
Minister Michael O’Brien says he expects the project to showcase solar energy.
“This new 1.5 megawatt power plant will really demonstrate its scale – that large scale solar can work, the technology works and establishing these plants is actually proving on the ground that they work,” he said.
“[It] is really a massive step forward towards creating a new solar industry for that part of Victoria.”
The Member for Mildura, Peter Crisp, has welcomed the announcement and says it is a milestone in the plant’s development.
“Part of that development that makes it so critical at this stage is that they are now getting ready to start construction in Mildura,” he said.
“Those who have been out will see that it’s fenced, there’s a road area, there’s loading bays – there’s a whole lot of work being done but now you’ll start to see the parabolic dishes being assembled on site, as it now starts to move into that larger scale project.”
Uranium market getting ever sourer
Miners pressured as uncertainty sours uranium market Reuters Oct 5, 2012
* Uranium spot price hits new 2-year low, miners’ shares sag
* Idled Japan reactors weigh as politics unclear
* Uranium price seen stagnant to lower over next months By Julie Gordon…
TORONTO, Oct 5 – Eighteen months after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, the spot price for uranium hit a two-year low this week, putting the squeeze on the already depressed shares of uranium miners.
With a looming election keeping Japan from making a decision on how much, if any, of its nuclear reactor fleet it will keep, and slowing growth inChina weighing on the broader resource sector, it will likely be months before uranium prices start moving back toward pre-Fukushima levels.
“In the near term, the price of uranium is going to go sideways to down,” said Raymond Goldie, a senior mining analyst at Salman Partners in Toronto, adding that the spot price is not likely to start recovering until March or April 2013.
That is bad news for producers Cameco Corp, Uranium One Inc and Paladin Energy Inc, which have watched their shares plummet since a massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan in March 2011, crippling the Fukushima-Daiichi atomic power plant.
Cameco, the world’s largest publicly listed uranium producer, has lost more than 48 percent of its market value in the aftermath of the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Uranium One is down 62 percent, while Paladin has fallen 72 percent. Continue reading
Just another example of Australian uranium companies mentally in La La land
Australian miner optimistic about prospect of Botswana’s first uranium mine Equities.com GABORONE, Oct 05, 2012 – Australian mining company A-Cap Resources developing Botswana’s first uranium mine said on Friday that it remains optimistic following the recent update of the Letlhakane project, 190 km west of the country’s second city Francistown.
The company announced the results from heap leach metallurgical optimization indicating recoveries of up to 77 percent of primary ore at Letlhakane.
A-Cap has invested considerable time and money into the metallurgical test work program and latest results demonstrated the high level of recoveries that can be expected, said Paul Thomson, chief executive officer of A-Cap Resources.
Fukushma crisis continues; Japan’s government dithers as elections approach
In addition, many areas lack the infrastructure to conduct such large-scale evacuations. In some towns, roads are inadequate; in others, there are not enough vehicles to quickly evacuate all residents. For example, 930,000 residents live in Ibaraki Prefecture’s Urgent Protective Action Planning Zone (UPZ) near the Tokai #2 Power Station, but the prefecture only owns enough buses to transport 240,000 people. Although some residents could escape in their own cars, roads are inadequate and officials fear complete gridlock in the case of a nuclear crisis. The NRA is also mandating that emergency response centers be no closer than 5 km to a nuclear power plant, and no further than 30 km away. Analysts point out that the increased burden on local communities may make it more difficult for nuclear plant operators, who hope to restart idled reactors, to get permission from municipal officials.Tanaka continues to insist that although the NRA is responsible for determining safety at the nation’s nuclear power plants, it will not make the final decision about whether or not idled reactors should be restarted. “We are responsible for confirming whether safety standards are met from a scientific and technological standpoint. We will not be involved in [decisions regarding] electricity supply and demand and socioeconomic issues.” He added that determining whether or not the reactors should be restarted “is a major decision that must be made by somebody, and I believe that our safety assessment plays an important role in making that judgment. But to reactivate the reactors, there are various issues to consider, including gaining permission from local residents and municipal officials, and that is beyond the bounds of our authority.” Continue reading
The week that has been in Australian nuclear news
Federal. Julia Gillard is off to India, to seal the deal on selling uranium there, even though they won’t sign the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. No doubt the government, especially Martin Ferguson, want this shameful deal to be done quietly – unhappy Labor Ministers to shut up about it. Australian Uranium Association’s Michael Angwin urges pressure on Ministers Stephen Conroy, Peter Garrett and Anthony Albanese to come into line on this issue. Greens Senator Scott Ludlam has urged the Prime Minister to raise the issue of human rights in India, as India is now repressing antinuclear protestors – 10,000 of them have been charged withsedition and waging war against the nation.
Lynas rare earths company faces more uncertainty, as the Malaysian court delays hearing on appeal against its reprocessing plan.
Rural and regional Australians adopting solar energy at a fast rate.
The world’s most notorious and secretive company, Glencore ia about to get a controlling share in Australian mining company Xstrata
The Green Party of the United States has joined Green Parties of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand in a “Joint Statement on Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement” that strongly criticizes the proposed international trade pact.
South Australian Premier Weatherill mouths platitudes about not pandering to BHP Bulletin, possibly not extending their Indenture Agreement. At the same time, South Australian government is busy helping miners to beast any Aboriginal objections to new mines – ‘Mine project appeals set to be scrapped MINING companies are being promised speedy Aboriginal heritage approvals’ – says THE AUSTRALIAN -(subscription only, and I don’t subscribe).
Renewable energy cutting energy prices for South Australians. Australian Youth Climate Coalition leads a long march to lobby for repowering Port Augusta with solar thermal .
New South Wales. That pesky Sydney mayor, Clover Moore, and the City Council have a plan for making Sydney energy efficient, and produce energy locally with solar, wind and trigeneration technology. While the State government salivates at the thought of selling uranium to India, its in danger of getting a renewable energy capital city.
As an aside. Pro nuke propaganda is all over the place. ABC’s TV program Catalyst will next week ask us “Are we ready for New Generation nuclear reactors”. Nuclear isotopes are being used to develop better crops. Crystal Palace: In Sydney you can see The Great Exhibition Of The Works Of Industry Of All Nuclear Nations, at Artereal Gallery,.
More delay and uncertainty for Australian company Lynas’ rare earths project in Malaysia
Activists and local residents have vowed to shut the plant – the biggest outside China – which has emerged as a controversial issue in the country’s national elections
opposition politicians and environmentalists have expressed fears that radioactive waste it produces can seep into the ground and water, harming the environment and people’s health.
Hearing on Lynas Malaysia plant postponed http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/hearing-on-lynas-malaysia-plant-postponed/story-fn3dxix6-1226488399907 THE AUSTRALIAN AAP October 04, 2012 A MALAYSIAN court has postponed until next week a hearing on a temporary operating licence granted to Australian miner Lynas Corp for a rare earths plant, an activist says.
Thursday’s decision to postpone hearing to next Wednesday further delays the start of operations at the $US800 million ($A786.82 million) facility, which has been dogged by environmental protests and concerns about radiation.
Lynas secured the operating licence in early September but Kuantan High Court in eastern Pahang state, where the plant is based, put it on hold later that month after an appeal by activists. Continue reading
India now makes anti nuclear protestors “enemies of the State”
A non-governmental fact finding team that visited area found that police personnel had seriously injured many protestors, inflicted physical and verbal sexual abuse on several women, and at least two children had been stripped and tortured
serious criminal charges have been slapped against more than 150,000, mostly unnamed villagers…. at least 10,000 people are charged with sedition and waging war against the state..
India Clamps Down on Villagers’ Anti-Nuclear Protests, Earth Island Journal, BY NITYANAND 
JAYARAMAN – OCTOBER 4, 2012 In their eagerness to power the country’s growing economy, 
Indian authorities are treating opponents of nuclear energy as enemies of the state
If the chief minister of Tamil Nadu has her way, democracy would be dispensed with in the southern Indian state. On two separate occasions this year, chief minister J. Jayalalithaa let loose battalions of armed police on thousands of fisherfolk and farmers to crush their months-long non-violent protest against the unfinished nuclear power plants in Koodankulam and Idinthakrai, two coastal villages in the state.
In March, when she sent out security personnel to quell the protests, police squads blocked roads leading to villages and stopped essential supplies like milk and drinking water from reaching the area. (Read our earlier report on the conflict here.) Continue reading
Business Council , Australian Industry Group,Origin, TRUenergy and AGL all now support Renewable Energy Target
The renewable energy target may be breaking our fossil-fuel path dependence, The Conversation, Neil Perry, 2 Oct 12 Submissions to the Climate Change Authority’s Issues Paper for the renewable energy target (RET) review have thrown up a few surprises. The renewable energy target ensures that 20% of Australia’s electricity supply comes from renewable sources by 2020. It does this by requiring electricity retailers to purchase renewable energy certificates which are created when clean generators, such as wind and solar farms, produce power.
In its submission, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) reverses its long-held objection to the target, citing the need for investment certainty. The Australian Industry Group (AIG), whose members now include renewable energy providers and equipment makers, also reverses its position, held only three years ago, that the target should be scrapped. Several energy companies with significant investments in fossil-fuel based energy supply, such as Origin, TRUenergy and AGL, also continue to support the target.
This could be evidence that the RET is successfully working to break the path-dependence and carbon lock-in in our energy-supply sector…… Continue reading
India’s Supreme Court hears of safety, waste, and liability problems of Kudankulam nuclear plant
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant suffers from ‘serious issues’: Anti-nuclear activists tell Supreme Court
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/kudankulam-nuclear-power-plant-suffers-from-serious-issues-anti-nuclear-activists-tell-supreme-court/articleshow/16670289.cms 4 OCT, 2012 NEW DELHI: Kudankulam nuclear power plant suffers from lack of safety measures and is plagued by several other “serious issues” and must not be commissioned till they are resolved, anti-nuclear activists told the Supreme Court today.
Appearing before a bench of justices K S Radhakrishanan and Deepak Misra, they submitted that the safety measures recommended by Atomic Energy Regulation Board (AERB) have not been put in place and government agencies have not determined till date the site for storing spent nuclear fuel.
“It is clear that KKNPP suffers from several serious issues that need to be resolved before the plant can be commissioned. Lakhs of people living in vicinity of the plant are bound to be apprehensive in such a situation.
“Instead of dealing with these issues and addressing the concerns in a meaningful way, the government has launched a wave of repression and has slapped 8000 sedition cases against peaceful protesters,” said advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners. He said the government has not complied with the statutory guidelines framed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) regarding nuclear safety and pleaded with the apex court to restrain the Centre
from commissioning the plant. The bench, however, refused to pass any order and asked the petitioners to implead NDMA.
The petitioners’ counsel also questioned the Centre’s decision of exempting Russian reactor manufacturer firm from liability in case of accident due to defect in the reactor.
$Multi million sale of Australia’s biggest solar power plant in Alice Springs
Australia’s biggest solar power station sold http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201210/s3604021.htm By Allyson Horn, 04/10/2012 Australia’s largest solar power plant has been sold in what’s believed to be a multi-million dollar deal.
The Uterne power plant in Alice Springs began operating last year. It was developed in partnership between internationally-based SunPower Corporation and the Northern Territory’s electricity provider, Power and Water Corporation, at a cost of $6.6 million.
It’s been sold to Australian-based alternative energy company Epuron for an unknown price. The terms of the deal are not yet known. Under a new arrangement, Power and Water will continue to buy electricity generated by the plant at an agreed rate for the next 20 years.
SunPower will continue to provide operational and maintenance services in conjunction with Ogden Power, which is based in Alice Springs. The venture was financed by the Commonwealth Bank, making it Australia’s first major bank to support a solar project of this size.
Epuron executive director Andrew Durran said the acquisition made the company one of the largest solar project owners and asset managers in Australia.
The solar station produces about 1 per cent of Alice Springs’ electricity a year and can meet 2 per cent of peak demand on a sunny day. Epuron, which was founded in 2003, has also been involved in the development of a large number of power-generating wind farms, particularly in NSW.
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 