Antinuclear

The nuclear week that was, in Australia

Aboriginal issues to the fore this week. Yesterday an deal was announced between the Mirrar Aboriginal and Energy Resources of Australia, (ERA) after 14 years of negotiations, over the Ranger uranium mine.  Highly respected senior traditional owner  Ms Yvonne Margarula, has welcomed the agreements, and that’s good enough for me.

Still, this could herald the start of a persuasion process, by ERA, leading into their planned  new underground mine,   “Ranger 3 Deeps”.  This project is not covered by the new agreements.  Mining companies have been known  to mine underground, in order to avoid the responsibility of native title issues on the surface.

Julia Gillard parachuted Aboriginal sports star Nova Peris-Kneebone into pre-selection for the Northern Territory Senate seat.  Ms Peris joine dthe Labor Party only on Wednesday. Overlooked was a real Aboriginal fighter for Territory Aboriginal rights, Marion Scrymgour.  The suspicion remains that Julia is expecting Peris to toe the Party line, while giving Labor a good “Aboriginal look”

Maralinga veterans and Aboriginal victims of the atomic tests have now been told that they have no case for compensation, in British courts. Yet there Is evidence of radiation harm, much of it covered up by teh Australian and British governments. Paul Langley has covered this extensively in his Nuclear History blog – http://nuclearhistory.wordpress.com/

Cyber Security was  a big theme of Gillard’s latest speech. While there are certainly legitimate concerns  for national security on the Internet, Senator Ludlam warned about “overkill”  – the implications for privacy, copyright, and freedom of communication

Uranium to India. Bob Carr announced progress in these negotiations, as usual, oblivious to the way that India is ramping up its nuclear weapons, and cracking down on the thousands of rural anti nuclear protestors.

Victoria. Mildura area is to get two solar farms at  Koorlong an Carwarp.

January 25, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews