Antinuclear

The week in Nuclear News – Australia

The focus this week has been on The Renewable Energy Target, (RET) currently under review by the Climate Change Authority.  The RET has been very successful, facilitating $18 billion in investment in clean energy, bringing down wholesale energy prices, and enabling Australia to meet its Kyoto emission-reduction goals.

Predictably, utility companies and the media’s fossil fuel lobby mouthpieces are bleating loudly that the RET should be dumped, or weakened. A Senate committee found that high electricity prices are mainly the result of the utilities over-investment in poles and wires (gold-plating), but the right-wing ( including Labor’s Joel Fitzgibbon) blames the RET.  It’s probably the fossil fuel lobby’s  last ditch fight against the RET.

Meanwhile, decentralised energy, solar rooftops, grows apace, and along with energy efficiency, reduces demand for coal-fired energy. Wind power in South Australia, being  a free fuel source, is pushing coal energy out of competition,

Prestigious Australian film-maker David Bradbury was arrested in India, and barred from visiting the Tamil Nadu are of anti-nuclear protest. Senator Scott Ludlam is pursuing the matter with India’s Ambassador.

Queensland.  Warnings on the likely impact of uranium mining on Aborigines – following the pattern of restricting Aboriginal rights in other uranium States and Territory. Sad to see the uranium industry’s Aboriginal poster boy, Warren Mundine, being drawn into the charade of hyping the industry. Warnings also on the very real possibility of uranium being transported through the Great Barrier Reef.  Opposition to uranium mining is alive and well in Queensland, including from the Electrical Trades Union, and the the Mayor of Rockhampton.  Premier Campbell Newman advises critics to “Vote Green” – (first sensible thing I’ve heard him say)     Caloundra’s  privately funded solar array is up and running.

Uranium market. As one market analyst after another warns on the plummeting price of uranium, one has to admire the touching religious fervour of uranium company spokesmen, and Premiers of the uranium mining States.  They keep banging on about the long-term prospects, but these are in serious doubt now.

Australian uranium company Paladin just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. As if losing $squillions wasn’t enough, Paladin has made itself extremely  unpopular in Malawi, with not keeping to the agreed conditions at the Kayerekera Uranium Mine.

Launching of  Robert Drewe’s new book “Montebello” reveals the shameful history of atomic bombing of the Montebello Islands.

November 2, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews