Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Still hope for Mallee solar energy, despite federal funds not available

“But we do have another solar power station under way with Silex Systems, as well as a number of other companies who have shown interest,”  

Lights fade: $700m Mallee solar park misses out on federal funding
http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/story/962578/lights-fade-700m-mallee-solar-park-misses-out-on-federal-funding/?cs=1259    By Allan Murphy Nov. 13, 2012 PLANS for a $700 million Mallee solar park, described as one of the largest solar power station projects in the world, may be scuttled after the proposal again failed to attract federal funding.

Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) yesterday said it would not pursue the EnergyAust-ralia (formerly TRUenergy) project despite an available funding increase of half a billion dollars.

The agency said it was forced to make “tough decisions” to increase renewable energy uptake in regional and remote Australia. Member for Mildura Peter Crisp last month said he was “genuinely worried” about EnergyAustralia’s bid to establish the Mallee Solar Park south of Mildura, despite the State Government committing $100 million towards
the proposal. Continue reading

November 15, 2012 Posted by | solar, Victoria | Leave a comment

Origin Energy’s push for gas, against renewabl eenergy

Origin Energy under scrutiny over anti-renewables stance (includes video) Indymedia  13 Nov 2012 By takver  Origin Energy, Australia’s largest energy retailer, came under intense scrutiny today from shareholders at the Annual General Meeting in Sydney over it’s energy portfolio placing great emphasis on development of gas, poor investment in wind and solar power, and a campaign by Managing Director Grant King to destabilise the Renewable Energy Target.

At one stage a banner was quickly unfurled infront of the board on the stage which said “Origin: Build wind and solar, not coal and gas”. Continue reading

November 15, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy | Leave a comment

India secretly diverted Canadian uranium to nuclear weapons

Harper in India: bad timing, bad mood Macleans, by Erica Alini , November 7, 2012″…….. there were three key deals on the table when Harper left for India on Saturday night:

1. A few administrative arrangements needed to be worked out in order for Canada to start shipping uranium and nuclear technologies to India after the two countries signed a Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in 2010. The crux of the matter here was that, after India surreptitiously diverted uranium produced at a Canadian plant to its first nuclear bomb in 1974, Ottawa wanted to be able to closely monitor the stuff this time around. India’s position, on the other hand, was that they report to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and that should be enough to keep us satisfied. Those differences have now been overcome, the Harper government announced on Tuesday . According to Reuters, we’ve beat Australia to this —they are still looking for assurances on nuclear safeguards—but it’s not clear yet whether Ottawa has had to make significant concessions to get the Indians on board…… http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/11/07/harper-in-india-this-is-the-trip-that-was/

November 15, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics international | Leave a comment

Podcast: ‘Souteigai’ or ‘beyond imagination’,

360 DOCUMENTARIES    21 OCTOBER 2012 http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/360/360documentaries-21-october-2012/4313156
‘Souteigai’ or ‘beyond imagination’, said the Japanese government spokesman when the tsunami waves rolled across a 300-kilometre-long strip of coastline. ‘Souteigai’ was also the word used in self-justification by nuclear plant owner TEPCO in reference to the meltdown at Fukushima. And ‘Souteigai’ was the thought on people’s minds as they were forced to watch the black water rolling over houses and people and flattening everything – and on the minds of the 80,000 evacuees who lost their homes because of Fukushima.

Malte Jaspersen has lived for 20 years in Kyoto. To the north of the city, there are 13 nuclear reactors. Not least because of this, he wanted to find out how the threefold catastrophe had altered the lives of those affected. He spoke with firemen who had seen unimaginable things, with parents from Fukushima who are trying to protect their children from radioactivity, with anti-nuclear activists, with priests and with people who, in the desolation and devastation of their towns and villages, are starting to rebuild their shattered communities. Since last year, Malte Jaspersen has included a Geiger counter among his household items.

Souteigai is winner of the 2012 Prix Italia President’s Cup, awarded to a radio program dedicated to important current issues.

The original feature was written and produced by Malte Jaspersen in Japanese and German for Deutschlandradio Kultur and the Bayerischer Rundfunk. This English language version of Souteigai was produced for 360documentaries by Nicole Steinke. The sound engineers were Andrei Shabunov and Phillip Ulman.

Japanese poems were written by Matsudaira Meiko and Ikura Chizu. The reader was Naomi Ota. Translations were read by Peter Kowitz (Malte Jaspersen), Asako Izawa, Eden Falk, David Rutledge and Nicole Steinke.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2012/10/tsy_20121021.mp3

 

 

November 15, 2012 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment