Antinuclear

This week in nuclear news

Well, it’s amazing what terrific access the pro nuclear lobby has to Australia’s mainstream media.  We hear little about the precarious situation at Fukushima nuclear plant, or about the deplorable economics of nuclear power as evidenced right now in the UK,  or the European Union wanting mandatory disaster insurance for nuclear power plants.  … But I digress.

What Australians do hear about is the call by Tom Wigley, of Adelaide University, for nuclear power as the solution to climate change.  Wigley is  a member of the pro nuclear lobby group – Breakthrough Institute. (They’re the people who brought you that glossy nuclear advertising film “Pandora’s Promise”)  Wigley thinks that climate change is a severe problem (which puts him at odds with the prevailing public position of the Liberal Party)     And NSW Liberal MP  Jonathon O’Dea  came out with the same pro nuclear argument.

I’d say that Wigley and O’Dea got in just  a bit too soon.  They  really needed to wait until the Abbott government had demolished all effective action to combat climate change. Then, we will all be allowed to believe in climate change again, even the Liberals, as they need a reason to promote nuclear power.

But now – there’s John Howard, arising from the political dead, to:  (a)  pour  scorn on the “alarmist” scientific consensus on global warming in a speech to a gathering of British climate sceptics, comparing those calling for action on climate change to religious zealots.   And (b) promote  nuclear power.   – “as it becomes more economic to have nuclear power, we should entertain it.” (Howard thinks that nuclear will get cheaper!)

Media. The ABC did show Mark Willacy’s low key, but very touching video on people of Fukushima.   Much more radical will be John Pilger’s new film “Utopia”  – on Australia’s Aboriginal people    – to be shown on Invasion Day  – sorry, I mean Australia Day 26 January.

Other news – Paladin Energy in trouble, as usual – losses, never any dividends.   Trans Pacific Partnership  under secret negotiations with Abbott government.  Anti wind farm group trying every strategy to delay feasibility study on wind farm for King Island.

November 7, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews