Wiluna uranium scheme means high risk, no reward for Western Australia
Burke’s blunder on Wiluna uranium scheme 2 April 2013. The Australian Greens strongly condemned today’s decision of Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to allow the mining of uranium in Wiluna, Western Australia.
The Greens nuclear policy spokesperson, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam, (left) said the approval showed Labor could not be trusted to protect the environment or public health.
“Today marks the beginning of the campaign to stop Toro, and the Greens will remain a strong voice to prevent the expansion of uranium mining around Australia. With the government’s abandonment of environmental protection, the Greens will target the investment community to ensure that investors continue to shun this unwanted industry.
“While the Minister has placed 36 conditions on the approval, there is simply no safe way to mine uranium on a lake bed that floods. This is a rookie company with no operating mines. The WA Government got it badly wrong and the Federal Government just blew its chance to fix this mess.
“Under new mine closure guidelines, Toro has to find 100% of the mine closure cost, around $150 million, before it has raised the $300 million to open it. With uranium prices plummeting by more than two thirds since its peak in 2007, it is highly unlikely that Toro can open, maintain and close a mine abiding by the necessary conditions and environmental standards.
“150 nuclear power plants are scheduled for closure without replacement in Europe alone. Toro’s business case is based on wildly unrealistic assumptions, including the projection that the US dollar will suddenly strengthen against the Australian dollar. Tony Burke is placing our environment and public health at huge risk for precious little prospective reward.
“Australian uranium was in the four reactors of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan. After more than two years, large areas of Japan are toxic and 160,000 people remain evacuated from their homes. It is time Australians got out of this industry.”
Fossil fuel lobby- Liberal Party- Institute of Public Affairs’ plan to stop action on climate change
Moran’s document should be seen as a “chilling preview” of what was to come under a future Liberal government
The IPA’s plans to abolish climate change action in Australia Independent Australia 26 March 13 A LEADING Australian free-market think tank with close ties to the country’s conservative Liberal Party has revealed its plan for climate change – abolish it.
Aside from the current Labor-led government’s mud-wrestling over its leadership, all opinion polls point to a landslide victory for the Tony Abbott-led Liberal Party at the next election, which has been set for September.
The Institute of Public Affairs, a leading promoter of climate science denial and misrepresentation, has revealed its recommendations for the next government in a document outlining budget cuts. The plan was written by Alan Moran, director of the think tank’s deregulation unit.
The document made the pages of The Australian newspaper but the report did not mention the document’s detailed plans to obliterate all climate change functions in the country’s public sector. In one section the document outlines the think tank’s recommendations for public sector departments. In delaing with the future of the “Climate Change and Energy Efficiency” department, Moran writes simply: “Abolish”.
Pretty much every other federal government function to administer climate change policy, research global warming, ensure sustainable development or support renewable energy gets chopped under Moran’s plan. Many publicly-funded research programs and agencies are either chopped entirely or cut to the bone.
As well as abolishing the country’s climate change department, the IPA plan would also scrap the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and cut research into sustainable development and climate change carried out in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the IPA plan also suggested a departmental branch responsible for plain packaging legislation should also be abolished, not surprising given that British American Tobacco has been a recent funder of the IPA). Continue reading
Busting the nuclear lobby’s lies about “background radiation”
Fake Science Alert: Fukushima Radiation Can’t Be Compared to Bananas or X-Rays, Zero Hedge, April 2013
“…….Most “Background Radiation” Didn’t Exist Before Nuclear Weapons Testing and Nuclear Reactors
Nuclear apologists also pretend that we get a higher exposure from background radiation (when we fly, for example) and or x-rays then we get from nuclear accidents.
In fact, there was exactly zero background radioactive cesium or iodine before above-ground nuclear testing and nuclear accidents started.
Wikipedia provides some details on the distribution of cesium-137 due to human activities:
Small amounts of caesium-134 and caesium-137 were released into the environment during nearly all nuclear weapon tests and some nuclear accidents, most notably the Chernobyl disaster.Caesium-137 is unique in that it is totally anthropogenic. Unlike most other radioisotopes, caesium-137 is not produced from its non-radioactive isotope, but from uranium. It did not occur in nature before nuclear weapons testing began. By observing the characteristic gamma rays emitted by this isotope, it is possible to determine whether the contents of a given sealed container were made before or after the advent of atomic bomb explosions. This procedure has been used by researchers to check the authenticity of certain rare wines, most notably the purported “Jefferson bottles”.
As the EPA notes:
Cesium-133 is the only naturally occurring isotope and is non-radioactive; all other isotopes, including cesium-137, are produced by human activity.
Similarly, iodine-131 is not a naturally occurring isotope. As the Encyclopedia Britannica notes: (Fukushima has spewed much more radioactive cesium and iodine than Chernobyl. The amount of radioactive cesium released by Fukushima was some 20-30 times higher than initially admitted. Japanese experts say that Fukushima is currently releasing up to 93 billion becquerels of radioactive cesium into the ocean each day. And the cesium levels hitting the west coast of North America will keep increasing for several years. Fukushima is still spewing radiation into the environment, and the amount of radioactive fuel at Fukushima dwarfs Chernobyl.)
As such, the concept of “background radiation” is largely a misnomer. Most of the radiation we encounter today – especially the most dangerous types – did not even exist in nature before we started tinkering with nuclear weapons and reactors. In a sense, we are all guinea pigs ……. http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-04-01/fake-science-alert-fukushima-radiation-can%E2%80%99t-be-compared-bananas-or-x-rays
The pitfalls of geo-ingineering as a climate change solution
Chilling Out Globally, Craig K Comstock, 2 Apr 13 “…….A sulfur compound injected into the middle atmosphere would mimic a massive volcanic eruption, which is known to reduce the mean surface temperature.
Geo-engineering is what humans could do after they’ve been unable to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases adequately or are afraid to try or feel that a reduction is not “cost-effective.” ….
Clive Hamilton, in Earthmasters, brings the story up to date, with a special focus on ethics. In Australia, where he lives, Hamilton is branded as a public intellectual, which means he shares his extensive knowledge not only with his colleagues but with the educated public. A skeptic about humans, Hamilton called his prior book, Requiem for a Species, which devoted part of chapter 6 to geo-engineering, the subject of the entire new book…..
Most climate scientists prefer reducing the emission of greenhouse gases to any form of geo-engineering, but this isn’t happening (except as a result of economic recession). Fossil fuel firms warn that reducing emissions might wreck the economy, depressing the standard of living. So the carbon builds up, and geo-engineering waits as the potential savior.
Why not just do it? Let’s run through several difficulties. Continue reading
Undersea nuclear waste dumps now found to be affected by earthquakes off Japan’s coast
Off shore waste dumping sites hit by recent multiple earthquakes off coast of Japan
see http://nuclear-news.net/2013/04/02/just-released-japanese-maritime-research-finds-evidence-of-nuclear-undersea-dumps-contamination/ for pictures, maps , graphs, and a fuller story on this
……Regardless of how it got there, “there must be some loaded organic material somewhere in the sediment”, Kanda says…….
Extracts from December 2012 article…
There have been another 7 earthquakes reducing in intensity over the last couple of hours reducing to the 4.6 level so far.. “…..These dump areas have been getting a lot of strikes from off shore earthquakes during the last nearly 2 years. Why doesnt anyone talk about them?
The areas with dark hatchings are “special” waste sites likely for nuclear and biological wastes and the larger areas for lesser hazardous waste.. What effects are the effected dumps having on the sea life in the areas? How much damage to the seabed is occurring near these off shore dumps?
watch the visualisation video next to the above pictures to match hits on the dumps…..”
2011年の日本の地震 分布図 Japan earthquakes 2011 Visualization map
China to launch carbon trading scheme
China To Implement Carbon Trading Scheme http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3670 3 April 13 A senior Chinese official has told a conference on climate change that his nation faces a “horrific” future with unimaginable environmental consequences if China does not act now to establish a carbon trading scheme and install more renewable energy.
Dr Jiang Zhaoli made the comments at the Australia-China Climate Change Forum, held last week at the University of NSW (UNSW).
Federal Minister for Climate Change, Industry and Innovation, Greg Combet co-hosted the bi-lateral conference, alongside his Chinese counterpart, Vice-Chairman Xie Zhenhua, China’s most senior minister responsible for climate change. Mr. Zenhua said China planned to reduce carbon emissions by 40-45 percent by 2020.
Vice-Chairman Xie announced that China would soon introduce the world’s largest carbon trading scheme, saying there was a misunderstanding about China’s efforts to combat carbon emissions. Continue reading
Sunflower solar power at Byron Bay bluesfest
Solar Power At Byron Bay’s Bluesfest by Energy Matters 1 April 13 Byron Bay Bluesfest’s Lotus Palace sound system is powered by solar panels this year. Called the Sunflower, the 1.2 kilowatt solar power system’s panels are arranged in the shape of flower petal that can be tilted and positioned for optimum orientation to the sun.
The off grid system was created by Southern Cross University’s Doctor Barry Hill and SCU’s Visual Arts technicians and students, who incorporated cutting-edge latest digital audio amplification technology and a lithium battery bank.
“The aim of the project is to show the way sustainable design principles can be promoted within the Australian music industry, as well as promoting best practice in alternative power generation and energy efficient audio-visual technology,” said Dr. Hill.
The Sunflower project is ongoing and will further develop and refine a high efficiency audio visual production system…… http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3664
Renewable energy storage – it’s happening
Home Energy Storage Breakthrough http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3665 1 April 13
In the not-too-distant future, cutting ties to the grid may not have to involve traditional deep cycle batteries, or even new-generation lithium based devices.
Researchers at the University of Calgary, Canada have developed affordable and efficient catalysts for converting electricity into chemical energy; which could have major implications for home based energy storage. Continue reading
ABC calls you to get involved: Vote Compass
Vote Compass: Time to get engaged, ABC News Mar 26, 2013 ABC News is launching an interactive online application to help voters engage on important policy issues during the coming federal election campaign.
Called Vote Compass, the tool will allow ABC audiences to compare their views in a number of policy areas with the platforms of political parties. http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal/2013/votecompass/
Dr Helen Caldicott in Halifax, Canada
Caldicott …… is able to offer her audiences a potent mix of emotional and medical arguments.
VIDEO: Activist advocates for zero-radiation, maximum protest
By Frank Mand
Wicked Local Halifiax
Mar 30, 2013 “ world-renowned peace advocate and anti-nuclear activist Dr. Helen Caldicott at the First Parish Church in Plymouth.
Caldicott, who was in town at the invitation of several local anti-nuclear groups, began her talk by saying she was honored to be speaking at First Parish, founded by the Pilgrims. But she paused to interject, “I can’t believe they named the nuclear reactor Pilgrim. It’s a reactor of carcinogens, a reactor of death.”
Caldicott wrote on a white board with colored markers to explain the types of radiation humans are exposed to, almost always unnecessarily, she said, and what the consequences of these exposures will be.
She didn’t paint a pretty picture.
The Nobel Prize-nominated physician suggested, among other things, that even minor exposure to certain radionuclides can, eventually, affect our reproductive organs, lead to cancer and result in birth deformities and a host of other ailments. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 