ABC TV “Foreign Correspondent” Mark Willacy on cancer cluster at Fukushima
The Next Wave Broadcast: 03/11/2013 Reporter: Mark Willacy http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2013/s3881365.htm
“………..Tests commissioned by the local authorities have discerned an alarming spike in the incidence of thyroid cancer in Fukushima children and while specialists and experts are reluctant to draw a definitive link between the tumours and the nuclear radiation that erupted from the stricken power station, they’re nonetheless deeply concerned.
“The doctors in Fukushima say that it shouldn’t be coming out so soon, so it can’t be related to the nuclear accident. But that’s very unscientific, and it’s not a reason we can accept.” AKIRA SUGENOYA Former Thyroid Surgeon & Chernobyl Volunteer
From the day the waves came, to the now concluding days of his posting, North Asia Correspondent Mark Willacy has covered every corner of this epic, unfolding drama. Among his reporting some very powerful work for Foreign Correspondent including the award winning ‘The Boy On The Bike’ and ‘The Fukushima Syndrome’.
Mark’s book ‘Fukushima’ is also a finalist in this year’s Walkley Awards.
Now he returns a final time to investigate worrying new claims a cancer cluster has developed around the radiation zone and the victims are children.
Australia’s twin menaces – climate change and the nuclear industry
At times I feel like completely changing this website – to one dedicated to action on climate change. Australians, under the “leadership” of Tony Abbott, appear to be sleep-walking towards disaster. It is no comfort that Abbott will be remembered as this nation’s most disastrous Prime Minister – hated for leading us, without a qualm, into the horror of extreme bushfires, flood, and sea level rise – and the repression of Pacific Islands’ climate change refugees
Global warming, climate change – this is an international emergency. Sure – cutting our carbon emissions is not going to fix that.
BUT – action on climate change (and on refugees) shows Australia to be part of civilised world society. Nations are going to need to help each other – and on climate change – Australia used to be a leader.
Still – as climate change creeps up on us, (perhaps roars up on us) we must keep in mind that a nuclear war or disaster could bring almost instant climate change upon us, as well as other horrors. That threat is real.
The failing nuclear industry tries to con Australians that it has the solution to climate change, We must resist their lies, lest we invite upon ourselves another catastrophe on top of the climate change peril.
For these reasons – this website will stay “ANTINUCLEAR”.
Defeatism emerging in the Australian uranium industry
Uranium plunge clouds outlook ROBIN BROMBY THE AUSTRALIAN NOVEMBER 04, 2013 JUST as one quarterly report hit the screen proclaiming uranium was at a new eight-year low, the spot price promptly shed another US50c — and thus was born an even newer eight-year low.Spot uranium sank to $US34.75 a pound during the week, a long way from the record $US136/lb it hit in 2007 during the yellowcake frenzy.
Then we had about 260 listed companies that each boasted at least one uranium project. Now we are left with the brave few.
In this space exactly a year ago, we took a relatively upbeat view of the sector. Australia had finally begun uranium sale talks with India (the new federal government may sign the deal by year’s end) and the new Queensland government had lifted its uranium mining ban.
Wisely, this column said it was too early to make the call that the uranium market had bottomed, but that at least the remaining players in the sector were upbeat.
Ditto for this month: still too early, and the brave are still battling on.
And, if the price falls close to $US30/lb, defeatism could emerge. The quarterly report mentioned above came from Manhattan Corp (MHC), which has an inferred 7800 tonnes of uranium at its Ponton deposit in Western Australia. It’s run by Alan Eggers, who seems never to tire of arguing uranium’s story. –
……..Toro Energy (TOE) is positioning itself to be Western Australia’s first producer. But not at current prices. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/uranium-plunge-clouds-outlook/story-e6frg9if-1226752388347#sthash.Wv1Mhsta.dpuf
Australian uranium company Paladin – huge losses and never a dividend
Paladin chief calls for investor calm The Age, November 4, 2013 Peter Ker Resources reporter Paladin Energy chairman Rick Crabb has urged shareholders to cool their lust for executive scalps at the troubled uranium miner, saying that succession planning was in train and that board changes would be counterproductive while an asset sell-down was under way.
Mr Crabb and his managing director, John Borshoff, have been under extra pressure in recent times on the back of shareholder anger at the company’s direction.
An Asian hedge fund has been leading a group of Paladin shareholders that are trying to remove Mr Crabb and Mr Borshoff, and their rebel cause has been helped by proxy adviser ISS, which last week called for shareholders to reject a dilutive share placement that Paladin made in August.
The pressure is likely to continue before this month’s annual meeting, with the Australian Shareholders Association set to agree with ISS, plus name Mr Crabb at the top of its list of ASX chairmen who should stand down……..
Paladin failed to sell a stake in its Langer Heinrich mine in the September quarter, and Mr Crabb said sale negotiations were still under way, making it a bad time to overhaul the board…..
The ASA disagreed, with chairman Ian Curry saying that Paladin had not once delivered a dividend to shareholders since it started trading in 1994, yet had imposed billions of dollars worth of losses. : http://www.smh.com.au/business/paladin-chief-calls-for-investor-calm-20131103-2wusp.html#ixzz2jiZEkGKl
Hear Christine Milne on the carbon tax, and Abbott’s challenge for a double dissolution
AUDIO: Listen to the story (AM) Christine Milne says the Coalition will not call a double-dissolution election to scrap carbon tax ABC News, By Naomi Woodley 3 Nov 2013, Greens leader Christine Milne says Prime Minister Tony Abbott does not have the courage to call a double-dissolution election in order to scrap the carbon tax before next July……..
Ms Milne has confirmed that her party will not support the Government’s repeal legislation, even with Labor’s proposed amendments.
Labor’s stance and the Greens’ ongoing resistance means, in all likelihood, the Government will have to wait until the new Senate sits next July to pass the repeal bill, or risk going to a double-dissolution election before then.
However, the prospect of a fresh election does not bother Ms Milne. “I don’t think [Tony Abbott] would have the courage to go to a double-dissolution. There are plenty of governments who’ve had the trigger and not gone to a double-dissolution and I think Tony Abbott would not have the courage to do it frankly,” she said…… http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-02/milne-abbott-carbon-tax-double-dissolution/5065684
“Labor knows as well as I do that we have an emissions trading scheme already legislated. It is the law in Australia; it’s operating with a fixed price and will go to a flexible price.
“What people who care about climate change want to hear is that there is a serious effort in the Federal Parliament to maintain the only scheme we have which is bringing down emissions.
“And that’s especially in the week when the scientists are telling us that we have to do much more than we’re already doing.”
Labor’s stance and the Greens’ ongoing resistance means, in all likelihood, the Government will have to wait until the new Senate sits next July to pass the repeal bill, or risk going to a double-dissolution election before then.
However, the prospect of a fresh election does not bother Ms Milne.
“I don’t think [Tony Abbott] would have the courage to go to a double-dissolution. There are plenty of governments who’ve had the trigger and not gone to a double-dissolution and I think Tony Abbott would not have the courage to do it frankly,” she said…… http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-02/milne-abbott-carbon-tax-double-dissolution/5065684
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 