Australia’s overseas aid used to promote image of Paladin and Bannerman uranium mining companies
Paladin, which has been the subject of some controversy in Malawi over job cuts, was last year linked to a funding application through its employees’ charity – Friends and Employees of Paladin for African Children.
Paladin’s (African) Ltd general manager, international affairs, Greg Walker, who was invited late last year to be Australia’s honorary consul to Malawi, was involved in the process, according to 2012 correspondence from Australia’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Matthew Neuhaus, to Mr Walker. The letter obtained under freedom of information confirmed Mr Walker’s successful application for the employees’ charity funding proposal.
The Aidwatch director Thulsi Narayanasamy said it was not the place of the Australian aid program to fund the corporate social responsibility programs of wealthy mining companies.
Firms use tax money for aid projects : http://www.smh.com.au/money/tax/firms-use-tax-money-for-aid-projects-20130129-2ditd.html#ixzz2Jbp0RzOT January 30, 2013 Rory Callinan
WEALTHY resource companies operating overseas are tapping into Australian taxpayer funds to set up aid projects potentially benefiting their corporate social responsibility credentials.
Aid and mining watchdogs have expressed concerns about the practice, arguing the corporations are wealthy enough to bankroll their own aid and that linking donations to controversial mine operations is a conflict of interest.
Nine mining companies all operating in Africa have been linked to the successful applications via the Foreign Affairs Department’s Direct Aid Program – a scheme that allows heads of missions to give up to $30,000 to local causes.
About $215,000 of taxpayers’ money went to the mining company-conceived projects last financial year, including a school for the deaf, providing trade skill training to local workers, establishing women’s groups and digging wells. Two applications involved uranium mining companies, Paladin Energy in Malawi and Bannerman Resources in Namibia. Continue reading
Arrest of animal rescuers inside Fukushima evacuation zone “they cannot be contacted and are being charged with crimes
“…Some 80,000 people have been forced to flee the evacuation zone, and in many cases they have left behind pets, which are now dying of thirst or starvation. About 5800 licensed dogs are believed to be in the evacuation zone, plus thousands of unregistered animals and cats, along with beef and dairy cattle, pigs and a handful of exotic animals, such as the ostrich.
The Japanese government has been slammed for failing to allow owners back to their homes within the evacuation zone frequently enough to care for their pets. The government has also failed to implement a program to kill doomed livestock humanely….”
Source: The Hachiko Coalition Page
Date: Jan 28, 2013
h/t Anonymous tip
BREAKING NEWS: Two of the Hoshi Family Have Been Arrested as of Yesterday and detained by the Futaba Fukushima Police. Of course it is none other than animal activists Hoshi Hiroshi and Leo Hoshi. They cannot be contacted and are being charged with crimes. The Hoshi Hiroshi Family has been rescuing animals each weekend inside the zone and surroundings for almost 2 years as a private volunteer rescue group. This is atrocious and we will be showing our support. Stay tuned as we learn more. Please share with your friends in English, Japanese and other languages.
More on the Hachiko Coalition here
Activist Hiroshi Hoshi defies fallout to pluck animals from Fukushima dead zone
- BY:RICK WALLACE, TOKYO CORRESPONDENT
- From:The Australian
- June 27, 2011 12:00AM
A SELF-DESCRIBED “animal rescue guerilla” has made a daring raid to the centre of Japan’s nuclear crisis to pluck to safety two dogs seen wandering around the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
In recent months, Hiroshi Hoshi has made a series of trips to the radioactive dead zone around the plant to rescue distressed and abandoned pets while dodging roadblocks and police patrols.
He has come across countless animal corpses, dogs that had become cannibals and even an ostrich strolling the streets of a village within the 20km perimeter around the plant.
But perhaps the most amazing was the discovery via a camera trained permanently on the Fukushima Daiichi plant of the pair of Japanese Shiba dogs prowling around the highly radioactive plant more than three months after the beginning of the tsunami and nuclear crisis.
In the footage, the two biscuit-coloured dogs stand out clearly against the grey backdrop of wrecked reactor buildings and tangled metal, and they were spotted by supporters of Mr Hoshi, who were monitoring the internet feed of the camera.
Dramatic success of Perth Solar City Program
Perth Solar City’s Stunning Success http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3573 by Energy Matters, 31 Jan 13, Over 16,000 households have participated in the Perth Solar City Program and collectively saved over a million dollars on their electricity bills last year. The most comprehensive energy efficiency initiative in Western Australia, the Perth Solar City Program developed and implemented more than 30 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects within Perth’s Eastern Region.
The Program together with SunPower installed 673 residential solar panel systems at an average size of 2.30kW, for a total installed capacity of 1.56MW. Analysis shows the average solar household used 41% less electricity from the network, or 8.15kWh per day. Continue reading
Standard used for “allowable” radiation geared to “adult white male”, not to women and children
The standard still used for “allowable” and “legal” radiation
doses is a chauvinistic and alarmingly dangerous method of calculating
risk.
The standard is called “reference man.” Created by the International
Commission on Radiological Protection in 1975, it defines humanity as
a 5-foot-7-inch, 154-pound “Caucasian” male, 20-to-30 years old, who
is “Western European or North American in habitat and custom.” Of
course, this set represents neither the most vulnerable population nor
the average person.
Women & Children First! (to be Harmed by Radiation)
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/01/30/women-children-first-to-be-harmed-by-radiation/
JANUARY 30, 2013
“Reference Man” Risk Model Lambasted as Obsolete,
Unscientific by JOHN LaFORGE
“Woman and children first” is redefined in the nuclear age, now that
science has shown that they are far more susceptible to the ravages of
radiation than men and boys. Continue reading
Tony Abbott selects anti-wind power, climate denialists, as top advisors
Abbott’s adviser hates wind farms, doubts climate change Crikey, TRISTAN EDIS | JAN 29, 2013 Tony Abbott’s latest Coalition policy statement remains short on climate policy detail. More worrying is his selection of a noted anti-wind farm advocate and climate change sceptic as lead business adviser.
Tony Abbott’s policy statement promised the direction, values and policy priorities of the next Coalition government. It contained no additional detail on climate change policy beyond what was outlined in the Coalition’s 2010 election policy, which was largely expected. But what was more unnerving was outlined under economic policy:
“We will establish a new Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council to advise the Executive Government on developing the economy. The Business Advisory Council will be chaired by leading Australian business leader Mr Maurice Newman.” ….
he [Newman] has also made a range of public statements that indicate his advice to Abbott will be detrimental to businesses focussed on clean energy and carbon abatement. On wind power, Newman wrote in the publication The Spectator on January 21 last year: Continue reading
Even pro nuclear advocates admit that the future for nuclear energy is dubious
Policy, cost pose challenges to future of nuclear energy Medill
Reports, BY KELLY PFLAUM JAN 30, 2013 “….. it will be 20 to 30
years before we can expect to see a major revival in the nuclear
energy industry, according to Rober Rosner, director of the Energy
Policy Institute at Chicago…….
Current policy and the safety and cost of operations all present
challenges to the future of nuclear energy, Rosner said at a recent
nuclear energy program sponsored by the Chicago Council on Science and
Technology……The cost of building new plants is enormous and
essentially unaffordable for utilities. Construction of two new
reactors at Plant Vogtle in Georgia, which are slated for commercial
operation by 2017, carries a $14 billion price tag and they are part
of an exisitng plant, according to Atlanta-based Southern Co., the
energy company behind the construction plans.
The reactors are the first to be approved for new construction in the
U.S. since the Three Mile Island accident…… There are a total of
104 reactors at several plants across multiple states, but no new
plants have been built in over 35 years, Rosner said. Nine of those
reactors are no longer producing electricity, but store spent fuel on
site……
Currently plants can operate for about 40 years, but there is
conversation now that, as long as safety standards are met, plants
could increase their licensing for up to 60 or more years.
40 USA nuclear reactors could be closed
Analyst: “The Slow Demise of U.S. Nuclear Power” — 40 reactors could be closed http://enenews.com/analyst-slow-demise-of-u-s-nuclear-power-40-reactors-at-risk-of-closing
Title: Are U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Going the Way of Coal Plants?
Source: Investment U
Author: David Fessler, Senior Analyst
Date: January 29, 2013: Issue #1958
Last October, Dominion Resources, Inc. (NYSE: D) announced it would be closing its Kewaunee nuclear power plant. Located in Wisconsin, this small, 566-megawatt (MW) unit is the first nuclear plant to succumb to cheap natural gas. […]
[…] According to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 40 [U.S. nuclear reactors] are smaller than one GW in size. They all could ultimately suffer the same fate as Dominion’s Kewaunee reactor.
Is There a Way to Play the Slow Demise of U.S. Nuclear Power?
[…] Regardless of how many plants are closed, or how quickly it happens, the pipeline companies will be the beneficiaries.
Three major nuclear power projects in China are likely to be abandoned
No nuclear restart in sight Global Times | 2013-1-29 By Liang Fei
China’s three largest major inland nuclear projects, operated by China
National Nuclear Corp, China Power Investment Corp and China Guangdong
Nuclear Power Holding Co respectively, are not likely to resume
construction any time soon, experts said Tuesday. ….
The three inland nuclear power projects, located in Taojiang county in
Central China’s Hunan Province, Tongshan county in Central China’s
Hubei Province, and Pengze county in East China’s Jiangxi Province,
have already invested around 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion), China
Economic Weekly reported Tuesday.
“It is very likely that these inland projects will ultimately be
abandoned,” Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy
Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times. Continue reading
Australian political parties’ policies on Climate Change
Where the major parties stand on clean energy and climate REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson 31 January 2013 The official party platforms have not yet been unveiled for the September 14 poll – and may not be until after the “official” campaign period begins on August 12. Still, it’s pretty clear where the three main parties stand, so we’ve outlined the principal issues.
CLIMATE CHANGE, IS IT REAL?
Coalition: Abbott is still haunted by his remark describing the science underpinning climate change as “crap”, and in his written campaign speech on Monday said nothing to suggest he has changed his mind. Quite the opposite, actually. Party policy still has no mention of “climate change” or the threat it poses, rather talk of “cleaning up the environment” via direct action to reduce carbon emissions and “a 15,000-strong Green Army charged with the clean-up and conservation of our environment – so that we can all enjoy a cleaner environment and a more sustainable future without the impost of the carbon tax.”
Abbott is also surrounded by climate denialists in own party, and on his Business Advisory Council, which is to be chaired by Maurice Newman, who also happens to be a vocal anti-wind energy campaigner. Joe Hockey has vowed to dismantle the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.
Labor: Yes. Federal climate change minister Greg Combet has repeatedly said that “the debate over whether climate change is real was decided long ago,” while the PM told the National Press Club on Wednesday that “climate change is not a future proposition. We are living through climate change.”
Greens: Yes, and they are the only party to propose policies that truly reflect the science.
CARBON PRICE…
RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET…..
EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET….
SOLAR:….
CARBON FARMING INITIATIVE….. http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/where-the-parties-stand-on-clean-energyclimate-82709
UV radiation and potentially fatal lip cancer
In Australia there are an estimated 900 cases of lip cancer diagnosed
each year, with 20 deaths. This type of cancer is known to be more
common in men than women.
Be smart under the sun
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/lifestyle/a/-/article/16027587/be-smart-under-the-sun/
PETA RASDIEN, The West Australian January 30, 2013 A lifetime spent in
the sun – 42 years as a pool builder – came back to haunt Arnold
Vervenne. Now the 56-year-old is hoping his run-in with lip cancer
will serve as a timely warning for others. Continue reading
January 26 – the day that dispossession of Aboriginal land began
January 26 is the day
Aboriginal dispossession began. It marks the beginning of a process of
genocide, of land-grabbing, unpaid wages, and the smashing of
traditional cultures to replace them with what we now know as
Australia.
Australia is a wealthy country because resource-rich Aboriginal land
was stolen; ….. Dispossession did not end — January 26 is not simply
an historical anniversary, it is a painful and sobering reminder of
the racism entrenched in mainstream Australian politics today…..
The struggle against racism in Australia, Green Left, January 29, 201
3 By Emma Murphy As often happens at this time of year, in the lead-up
to January 26, commentators and activists raised the suggestion that
Australia’s national day be moved to a different date.
Writing in the January 21 Sydney Morning Herald, Aboriginal MLA in the
ACT legislative assembly Chris Bourke said: “Which nation celebrates
its national day on the date it was invaded by a foreign power? … The
answer, of course, is Australia.” Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 