Australian Renewable Energy Agency ‘s strategy for hybrid renewable energy
ARENA looks to accelerate renewable hybrid power plants http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/arena-looks-accelerate-deployment-renewable-hybrid-generators-21110 By Giles Parkinson on 4 October 2013 The Australian Renewable Energy Agency says it will soon unveil its strategy for a widespread “hybridisation” of Australia’s fleet of fossil fuel power plants.
ARENA chair Greg Bourne says a report conducted by Parsons Brinkerhoff will be released later this month which will look at how quickly and widely renewable fuels such as geothermal, solar thermal and biomass can be added to existing plants, or used to exploit the infrastructure of plants which have closed.
Bourne sees hybridisation as a key strategy for the deployment of renewables in Australia, even if some argue that it may extend the life of dirty and inefficient coal plants. It is part of what he sees as a cautious and gradual approach to the greening of Australia’s electricity grid.
“We expect this study will inform the design of a new program in 2013/14 to encourage the broader deployment of utility scale, grid connected renewable energy in existing power stations,” he said in a speech to the Australian National Conference on Resources and Energy in Canberra. Continue reading
Anti-nuclear nun facing 30 years in gaol – her appeal denied
Nun faces up to 30 years in prison for protesting at nuclear weapons facility District judge denies appeal of Sister Megan Rice, 83, and two other activists, citing their intent to ‘disarm’ Oak Ridge Karen McVeigh theguardian.com, Saturday 5 October 2013 An octogenarian Roman Catholic nun, jailed for breaking into a nuclear weapons facility in Tennessee, is facing up to 30 years in prison after losing her plea for the most serious charge to be dropped.
Sister Megan Rice, 83, and two fellow peace activists staged a non-violent protest to symbolically disarm the Oak Ridge Y-12 nuclear weapons facility, home to the nation’s main supply of highly enriched uranium, in July. They were initially charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison, but felony charges quickly followed. They were eventually convicted of interfering with national security and damage to federal property.
This week, a judge denied a motion to acquit them of interfering with national security under the sabotage section of the US criminal code, which carries the harshest prison sentence of up to 20 years. Rice and her two fellow activists, Greg Boertje-Obed, 57, a carpenter, and Michael Walli, 68, a veteran, now face up to 30 years in prison, although the ruling by district judge Amul Thapar, in the eastern district of Tennessee, suggests their sentences will be more lenient than the maximum allowed. Continue reading
The four factors that are killing our oceans
We could act radioactive pollution to this” deadly trio”
The oceans are heating, acidifying and choking New Scientist, 04 October 2013 by Fred Pearce We know the oceans are warming. We know they are acidifying. And now, to cap it all, it turns out they are suffocating, too. A new health check on the state of the oceans warns that they will have lost as much as 7 per cent of their oxygen by the end of the century.
The cascade of chemical and biological changes now under way could see coral reefs irreversibly destroyed in 50 to 100 years, with marine ecosystems increasingly taken over by jellyfish and toxic algal blooms.The review is a repeat of a study two years ago by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), a coalition of scientists. It concludes that things have become worse since the first study.
“The health of the oceans is spiralling downwards far more rapidly than we had thought, exposing organisms to intolerable and unpredictable evolutionary pressure,” says Alex Rogers at the University of Oxford, the scientific director of IPSO.
Deadly trio
Rogers describes a “deadly trio” of linked global threats. The first is global warming: surface sea water has been warming almost as fast as the atmosphere. The second is acidification – a result of the water absorbing ever more CO2 from the atmosphere. The third is deoxygenation…….http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24351-the-oceans-are-heating-acidifying-and-choking.html#.UlByOdJwonE
How can psychology and the social sciences help us face the reality of climate change?
This conference will bring together researchers, practitioners and writers in psychology and the social sciences to examine these issues. The conference will include presentations and networking opportunities, including a dinner on Saturday evening.
Who should attend? Climate activists and professionals tackling community engagement in climate change.
Bookings: www.trybooking.com/DJGL Please book by October 6, 2013.
Venue: Community Room, Edinburgh Gardens, North Fitzroy
Date and time: Saturday October 12: 9.30am to 5.30pm, and Sunday October 13: 10 am to 3pm. Dinner on Saturday evening at nearby restaurant.
Cost: Full conference $110 ($60 concession), Single day $60 ($30 concession) Includes lunches and morning and afternoon teas. Conference dinner $30, excluding drinks. Haskins The North Fitzroy Arms http://psychologyforasafeclimate.org/events.php
Western Australian Aboriginal call for voices other than Warren Mundine’s
NACCHO health political update week 4: National and WA peak bodies express concerns about Indigenous voice NACCHO Aboriginal Health News Alerts 2 Oct 13
As we enter week 4 of the new Abbott led Government , the future of Aboriginal affairs and specifically Aboriginal health is still uncertain. Last week in Western Australia a number of Aboriginal organisations including NACCHO affiliate Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA), the Kimberly Land Council and the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples expressed concerns about “Indigenous voices”. Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA)
Western Australia’s peak Aboriginal health body says they agree wholeheartedly with recent statements by the Kimberly Land Council that 
Warren Mundine is not the only Indigenous voice but urges the government to remember that land isn’t the only Indigenous issue.
‘Tony Abbott’s Indigenous Advisory Council needs a strong voice from Western Australia, but that voice needs to represent all the interests and needs of Aboriginal people and their communities,’ says Des Martin, Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA)
While Mr Martin acknowledges land rights are an important issue, the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people cannot be forgotten, he says.
‘I agree wholeheartedly with Kirstie Parker’s statement that Warren Mundine isn’t the only voice for Indigenous people and I support what the Kimberley Land Council does, it is extremely important for all Aboriginal people to have their country and care for it to secure their future but if their health is still suffering then that isn’t a good thing for them or future generations,’ Mr Martin says.
‘We need broad representation on the Indigenous Advisory Council, not just land or business interests. Tony Abbott does need to take advice from more than one source when it comes to Aboriginal people. Continue reading
Tony Abbott’s Aboriginal stooge Warren Mundine wastes no time in pushing Abbott’s agenda
Aboriginal adviser Warren Mundines hits out at green campaigner Geoffrey Cousins October 4, 2013 Dan HarrisonHealth and Indigenous Affairs Correspondent Tony Abbott’s chief adviser on indigenous affairs has taken a swipe at businessman and environmentalist Geoffrey Cousins over his campaign against a gas hub at James Price Point in the Kimberley, suggesting he ”pull a bit of money out of his own pocket” to compensate Aboriginal people who will miss out on a $1.5 billion benefits package…….In an interview with Fairfax Media, Warren Mundine, the chairman of Mr Abbott’s advisory council on indigenous affairs, lashed Mr Cousins for his role in opposing the James Price Point development……
Mr Cousins said Mr Mundine was misguided, and he had not opposed the gas project but had argued James Price Point was the wrong location. He said processing the gas offshore would make the project even more profitable for Woodside and there was no reason why the company should not pay the promised benefits. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/aboriginal-adviser-warren-mundines-hits-out-at-green-campaigner-geoffrey-cousins-20131003-2uxg1.html#ixzz2gmwfZi94
Business analysts downgrade Paladin Energy’s uranium operations
Translating business language – “outperform” – means good to invest. “Sector Perform” mean s not so good
Outperform. The stock’s total return is projected to exceed the average return of the industry (or its sector or its peers). This means the stock will perform better than the competition and is likely rated a “Buy”.
Sector Perform). The stock is expected to perform in line with the average return of the market or sector or its peers. Similar to a “Hold” or a “Neutral” rating.
Paladin Energy Limited Downgraded to Sector Perform at RBC Capital (PDN) North fork vue.com October 2nd, 2013 Paladin Energy Limited (ASX:PDN) was downgraded by investment analysts at RBC Capital from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, American Banking News reports. They currently have a A$0.80 ($0.75) price target on the stock……..
A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on PDN. Analysts at TD Securities cut their price target on shares of Paladin Energy Limited (ASX:PDN) from A$0.90 ($0.84) to A$0.65 ($0.61) in a research note to investors on Friday, August 30th. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock. Separately, analysts at BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Paladin Energy Limited (ASX:PDN) from A$0.80 ($0.75) to A$0.60 ($0.56) in a research note to investors on Friday, August 30th. Finally, analysts at Raymond James downgraded shares of Paladin Energy Limited (ASX:PDN) from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note to investors on Monday, August 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of A$0.96 ($0.90).
Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX:PDN) is a uranium production company with projects in Australia and two operating mines in Africa. http://www.northforkvue.com/finance/10712/paladin-energy-limited-downgraded-to-sector-perform-at-rbc-capital-pdn/
5 charts show that nuclear power is gong nowhere
In 5 Charts, Here’s Why Nuclear Energy Is Going Nowhere BUSINESS INSIDER 3 Oct 13, AT LEAST FIVE U.S. NUCLEAR PLANTS HAVE BEEN SHUTTERED THIS YEAR, THE RESULT OF RUNAWAY EXPENSES AND AN INABILITY TO COMPETE WITH CHEAP NATURAL GAS PRODUCED BY THE SHALE BOOM.
So you may not need more reason to think nuclear is going nowhere.
But here are five more charts, via a Citi team led by Jason Channell, showing that nuclear is not only on the wane in America, but also around the world.
Nuclear now requires an up-front investment 5x greater than gas on a per Watt basis.
Capital costs comparison….
Operational costs comparison….
Nuclear investment already trailing solar….
Demand for renewables greater than for nuclear….
New power generation capacity in China …. And here’s team Citi’s take on why all this is so.
The capital cost of nuclear build has actually risen in recent decades in some developed markets, partly due to increased safety expenditure, and due to smaller construction programmes (i.e. lower economies of scale). Moreover the ‘fixed cost’ nature of nuclear generation in combination with its relatively high price (when back end liabilities are taken into account) also places the technology at a significant disadvantage; utilities are reluctant to enter into a very long term (20+ years of operation, and decades of aftercare provisioning) investment with almost no control over costs post commissioning, with the uncertainty and rates of change currently occurring in the energy mix. As an example, one need only look at the ongoing debate in the UK over the next generation of nuclear build, and the reluctance of most parties to commit.
A good run, but time to step aside. http://www.businessinsider.com.au/5-charts-that-show-nuclear-is-declining-2013-10
Paladin Energy cuts costs as uranium prices remain down the drain
Paladin cuts top-echelon base salaries, overall spending amid low uranium price TIMES COLONIST OCTOBER 2, 2013 PERTH, Australia – Paladin Energy Ltd (TSX:PDN) is cutting the base salaries of its board and management by 10 per cent as part of cost-saving measures due to low spot prices for uranium — its main commodity.
In total, the miner — which lists its shares on the Toronto and Australian stock markets — is aiming to reduce cash costs for its 2014 financial year by US$23 million.
The cuts include a $10.8-million reduction in spending on overhead and exploration and a US$12.4-million reduction in discretionary capital spending at two mines in southern Africa….The Langer Heinrich mine in central Namibia will see its capital spending cut by US$10 million compared with the 2013 financial year while a further $2 million will be cut from the capital budget for the Kayelekera mine in Malawi. http://www.timescolonist.com/business/paladin-cuts-top-echelon-base-salaries-overall-spending-amid-low-uranium-price-1.645930
It is time to learn the lessons from the past. Leave Queensland uranium in the ground.
57 Years since Maralinga: Australia’s uranium fuelling disaster since the 1950s http://qnfa.org/2013/09/28/57-years-since-maralinga-australias-uranium-fuelling-disaster-since-the-1950s/ SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 “DESPITE CLAIMS TO THE CONTRARY, ABORIGINAL PEOPLE DID WANDER THROUGH RADIATED LANDS. THEY CAMPED IN FRESH CRATERS, TO KEEP WARM AND TO TRAP RABBITS BLINDED BY COBALT PELLETS. WHEN DISCOVERED, THEY WERE COMPULSORILY SHOWERED, THEIR FINGER NAILS SCRUBBED WITH SOAP. THE WOMEN SUFFERED MISCARRIAGES. THEY WERE HERDED IN TRUCKS OR PUSHED ONTO TRAINS, EXPELLED FROM A SACRED SITE AT OOLDEA, A DAY’S WALK FROM MARALINGA AIRPORT. ALICE COX — AT 87, THE OLDEST SURVIVOR OF THE TESTS — REMEMBERS IT WELL. “SOLDIERS EVERYWHERE. GUNS. WE ALL CRY, CRY, CRYIN’. MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, ALL AFRAID.”
John Keane, “Maralinga’s afterlife” The Age May 11, 2003i
57 years ago today, uranium from the Northern Territory was used in the One Tree nuclear test at Maralinga in South Australia. The 12.9 kiloton bomb dropped on Maralinga-Tjaratja land was similar in size to the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.Fallout from Maralinga nuclear tests dispersed over most of Australia, reaching Townsville in the north and Lismore in the east. The people of the land and those exposed have never been compensated.
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2 years ago, uranium from the Australia fuelled the ongoing nuclear disaster at Fukushima. As the crisis continues to unfold, evacuees face a life of displacement and uncertainty, while environmental impacts remain incalculable.
Despite the misery caused by our uranium, one year ago, Premier Newman reneging on a pre-election commitment, announced that he would allow uranium mining to go ahead in Queensland.
Today, Maralinga serves as a reminder of the real risks posed by a uranium industry in this state. Uranium is a radioactive heavy metal, the mining of which exposes those involved and the environment to radiological hazards and contamination. Water used in mining is rendered radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years making it unusable for human consumption and toxic to plant and animal life. Uranium mines in Queensland could threaten significant waterways such as Settlement Creek and the Great Artesian Basin.
Australia’s uranium legacy already includes: nuclear weapons, nuclear meltdowns, water way contamination and radiation exposure of workers.
It is time to learn the lessons from the past. Leave Queensland uranium in the ground.
For more information:
Read the report “High Risk, Low Return” the case against uranium mining in Queensland” http://www.brisbane.foe.org.au/uploads/1/4/1/7/14174316/highcost-lowreturn-uinqld.pdf
Contact: Robin Taubenfeld Friends of the Earth Brisbane 0411 118 737
Cancer risk from fish due to Fukushima radiation – small, but real
the radiation detected can still cause cancer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s cancer-risk formula, a leading international standard for forecasting cancer risks from radiation.
Cancer risk linked to radiation levels in fish species after Fukushima http://www.straight.com/life/497651/cancer-risk-linked-radiation-levels-fish-species-after-fukushima
In July this year, a sea bass caught in Japan had 1,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium—10 times Japan’s ceiling of 100 becquerels per kilo in food. It was the second-highest amount found in a sea bass since the disaster occurred. Continue reading
Radioactivity released into water by fracking
Dangerous levels of radiation from fracking found in PA water http://www.salon.com/2013/10/02/dangerous_levels_of_radiation_from_fracking_found_in_pa_water/singleton/ Researchers found 200 times the normal amount of radium downstream of a treatment plant BY LINDSAY ABRAMS The wastewater released into a Pennsylvania river from a plant that processes fracking wastewater tested positive positive for dangerous contaminants — including radium levels elevated 200 times above normal — Duke University researchers found.
“The radioactivity levels we found in sediments near the outflow are above management regulations in the U.S. and would only be accepted at a licensed radioactive disposal facility,” Robert B. Jackson, one of the researchers, said in a statement.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, compared water and sediment samples from downstream of the Josephine Brine Treatment Facility, located on western Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale formation, to samples from above the plant. In addition to the extreme levels of radium, it also found two to ten times the amoung of chlorides and bromides in the downstream samples. As Smithsonian Magazine notes, Pennsylvania hosts 74 facilities that treat the radioactive water driven to the surface by fracking. Ostensibly, they’re supposed to remove radium and other contaminants from the water before releasing it into rivers and streams. No national standards, however, exist to regulate the plants, many of which, according to the EPA, “are not properly equipped to treat this type of wastewater.” They’re also not required to test to radiation — so until the Duke researchers stepped in, it’s likely no one was aware of just how poorly this plant was performing.
“Each day, oil and gas producers generate 2 billion gallons of wastewater,” Jackson told Climate Central. “They produce more wastewater than hydrocarbons. That’s the broader implication of this study. We have to do something with this wastewater.”
AUDIO: Australian government turning its back on climate change, says Kiribati president
AUDIO: President Anote Tong speaks to Pacific Beat (ABC News)
Kiribati president concerned with rolling back of Australian climate change focus http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-03/an-kiribati-president-concerned-with-rolling-back-of-australian/4995276 3 Oct 2013, Kiribati President Anote Tong says he is concerned by the new Australian government’s apparent backing away from the issue of climate change.
The Tony Abbott-led Coalition has scrapped the Climate Commission, begun work repealing the carbon tax, and has given indications it is prepared to listen to those who question climate change science.
President Tong told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beatthe Australian government’s approach to climate change appears to be a reversal of the previous administration’s position.”We are watching to see what the declared policy of the new Australian administration is, how it translates down, because there’s no question about it,” he said.
“Australia is not immediately under threat with climate change, but we the low-lying countries are and so we have no choice but to take seriously the scientific projections.”
Australian government not standing up for Colin Russell, imprisoned in Russia
Greens’ Senator Christine Milne says Australian Government must ‘stand up’ for rights of activists detained in Russia THE MERCURY AAP OCTOBER 03, 2013 THE Australian Government must stop looking the other way and stand up for the rights of environmental activists, Greens leader Christine Milne says.
Greenpeace protesters, including Tasmanian man Colin Russell, have been detained in Russia after authorities took against the crew of the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise.
Mr Russell, the ship’s radio room operator, is being held in the port city of Murmansk after his arrest at gunpoint on September 19 during a protest against oil drilling in the Arctic Circle.
“The Australian Government must stand up not only for Australian citizens but for all the activists and the right to non-violent protest,” Senator Milne told reporters in Hobart today.
The Arctic Sunrise was in international waters when it was boarded by Russian authorities, Senator Milne said. “On that basis I think the Australian Government needs to stop looking the other way and stand up for Australian citizens,” she said…….
Ms Bishop said Australians travelling overseas had to take responsibility for their own actions, adding she wouldn’t be running a regular commentary on high-profile consular cases. “Rarely is that in the interests of the person requiring assistance,” she said.
Senator Milne acknowledged the consular support received by Mr Russell but said the Australian Government should do more.
Why is Victorian government killing off renewable energy development?
Why are renewable energy projects being killed off by the Napthine govt? Yes2Renewables October 4, 2013 by Leigh Ewbank After appearing in The Geelong Advertiser expressing concern about the Napthine government’s energy policy–which has killed of another renewable energy project in the Geelong/Surf Coast region–Yes 2 Renewables received the following letter from Geelong and Surf Coast locals, Mik Aidt and Anthony Gleeson.
Aidt and Gleeson make a forceful argument about the need for the state government to support renewables and act on climate change:
Why is it decision makers in Australia think it is important to spend millions of dollars on building new and bigger roads, while investing in renewable energy, which can lead to improved health and a safer climate, is not important? Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 