Senator Ludlam gets evasive answers on Toro Energy’s uranium mining plans
Senator LUDLAM: The company [Toro Energy] may be telling markets one thing and regulators another, which is a dangerous situation for it to be in, if that is the case.
Senator LUDLAM: If I understood your colleague correctly, the assessment of uranium mines is being delegated to states and you are leaving the door open for approvals of uranium mining to also be conducted by states. If these powers go ahead, what will our environment minister actually do? What would be left for the minister to do? Would we even need one?
Senator LUDLAM: This is a 30-year ark of Commonwealth environmental law being dissolved and handed back to the states.
Senator Ludlam asks questions about WA uranium mining approvals
WA uranium mining approvals Senate estimates committee 18 Nov 2013 | Scott Ludlam
Senator LUDLAM: I presume one of the 48 is the Toro uranium proposal, which was on the minister’s desk when the government changed hands. The former minister had made a number of quite extensive and complex requests of Toro. Would you provide us with an update as to whether officers of agencies have met with the company or exactly where that proposal is up to.
Senator LUDLAM: No, it has not-or it was approved, but the minister would not sign off until quite a large number of conditions had been met, and they had not yet been met. Continue reading
Japan’s gangster gangs exploit homeless people in cleaning up Fukushima nuclear plant
TV: Mentally disabled are working at Fukushima Daiichi, says journalist — Many men forced to go to plant — Homeless treated like ‘disposable people’ (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/tv-journalist-says-theres-mentally-disabled-workers-at-fukushima-many-men-forced-to-work-at-plant-homeless-treated-like-disposable-people-video
Atomic Mafia? Yakuza cleans up Fukushima, neglects basic worker
RT News, , Nov. 20, 2013: Homeless men employed cleaning up the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, including those brought in by Japan’s yakuza gangsters, were not aware of the health risks they were taking and say their bosses treated them like “disposable people.” […] While some workers voluntarily agreed to take jobs on the nuclear clean-up project, many others simply didn’t have a choice […] many of the workers were brought into the nuclear plant by Japan’s organized crime syndicates, the yakuza. […] Although a special task force to keep organized crime out of the nuclear clean-up project has been set up, investigators say they need first-hand reports from those forced to work by the yakuza […]
Anonymous former Fukushima worker: We were given no insurance for health risks, no radiation meters even. We were treated like nothing, like disposable people — promised things, and then kicked us out when we received a large radiation dose.
Tomohiko Suzuki, journalist who worked at Fukushima plant: The government called Tepco to take urgent action, Tepco relayed it to subcontractors — and they, eventually, as they had a shortage of available workers, called the Yakuza for help. […] They were given very general information about radiation and most were not even given radiation meters. They could have exposed themselves to large doses without even knowing it. Even the so-called Fukushima 50 […] at least three of them were enrolled by the yakuza.
Aleksey Yaroshevsky, RT: : There are 25% more openings for jobs at Fukushima plant than applicants, according to government data. Gaps filled, says Suzuki, by the homeless, the desperately unemployed and even those with mental disabilities. Watch the broadcast here
Senator Waters gets no straight answers on the Government’s plan to hand uranium assessment to the States
Senator WATERS: …..Am I clear in that you will attempt to retain Commonwealth land and water but will not attempt to retain jurisdiction over state-run projects?
The hand over of EPBC nuclear approvals to states, Senate estimates committee 18 Nov 2013 | Scott Ludlam
“……...Senator WATERS: “…….Could you please explain to me: what is the intended effect of the alteration to the scope of the bilateral agreement as regards nuclear actions and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park waters and Commonwealth waters? What is the effective change? It is on page 7, particularly clause 12.3. ……..
TEPCO plans to restart 4 nuclear reactors
TEPCO eyes restarting 4 reactors by 2015 November 23, 2013 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN by Mari Fujisaki and Takashi Ebuchi.) Tokyo Electric Power Co. hopes to have four nuclear reactors in Niigata Prefecture back online by 2015, including two planned for next summer, despite the crisis at its hobbled Fukushima nuclear plant.
The company intends to reactivate the No. 1 and No. 5 reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant during the first half of 2015 after restarting the No. 6 and No. 7 reactors as early as July 2014, sources said. Both plans will be included in the utility’s rehabilitation program when it is revised toward the end of this year.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has seven reactors. TEPCO estimates that for each reactor restart its annual profit will increase by about 100 billion yen ($1 billion)……
it remains unclear whether TEPCO can restart the reactors under its proposed time frame. NRA screenings could drag on if regulators demand detailed investigations to confirm that no active faults run immediately under the reactors.
Consent of local communities is also essential, but Niigata Governor Hirohiko Izumida remains cautious. He has criticized plans to restart the two reactors next summer as a pipe dream.
Meanwhile, TEPCO will speed up streamlining its operations while expanding investments, the sources said……http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201311230052
Japan govt to buy 15 sq.km of land to store radioactive soil
Fukushima land grab eyed State wants to purchase 15-sq.-km track around No. 1 plant for waste storage sites JAPAN TIMES, KYODO NOV 23, 2013 The state plans to buy 15 sq. km of land around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant to build facilities to store radioactive soil and other waste generated by decontamination operations, government sources said….. (registered readers only) http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/11/23/national/fukushima-land-grab-eyed/#.UpJz29Jwo7p
Individual energy choices are steadily driving the renewable energy revolution
China’s romance with coal has ended. Recent announcements, including a cap on coal use and a reduction in coal burning around Chinas largest population centres of 5% in the next four years, signal a dramatic turnabout. Chinese investment in renewables reached $63bn in 2011.
There is little individuals can do about global negotiations, but a huge amount they can do about renewable energy. . One million Australian households now generate their own electricity with solar power, and two community owned wind-farms have been set up, supplying electricity to thousands. Energy efficiency is also having an impact.
Cleaner energy: a revolution that ordinary people can drive http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/22/cleaner-energy-revolution-warsaw There will be no decisive moment in the climate battle. Rather, it’s a war of attrition, being won one solar panel, one wind turbine, and one electric car at a time Tim Flannery theguardian.com, Friday 22 November 2013
The fully electric Tesla S sedan. Electric vehicles are to oil what solar panels and wind turbines are to coal – disruptive technologies that even in small volume present a severe challenge to the fossil fuel industries.
All too often people judge progress on climate change by treaties.Warsaw marks the 19th year of negotiation of a global climate treaty, and with nations in charge the prospect of brokering a strong treaty in 2015 seems limited. It would appear that there will be no decisive moment in the climate battle. Rather, it’s a war of attrition, being won one solar panel, one wind turbine, and one electric car at a time.
Government policy is important in setting the pace. The Cancun agreements in 2010 saw 98 countries representing 80% of global emissions, set their own targets to reduce emissions by 2020, have been vital in fostering the uptake of renewables. But so too has the astonishing cost reductions that have occurred in wind and solar. The cost of production of solar panels has reduced 80% in the past four years, while the cost of electricity from wind will half in the next five years. Continue reading
Tasmania’s electricity fully supplied by renewable energy
Renewables completely supply Tasmania’s electricity https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/news/renewables-completely-supplies-tasmania-s-electricity According to the latest Carbon Emissions Index (Cedex) released by pitt&sherry, Tasmania’s electricity is now virtually 100% provided from renewable sources.
Prior to July, hydro was already producing the majority of the state’s electricity at about 11TWh, followed by gas and wind, both around 1TWh. However, the state’s major gas fired generator – the Tamar Valley Power Station – was shut down for an indefinite period in July. Hydro output is now at its highest ever annual level and wind is growing, while gas output has fallen essentially to zero.
Dr Hugh Saddler, principal consultant, energy strategies at pitt&sherry said: “There are striking changes in Tasmanian generation. Prior to the commissioning of BassLink in 2005, hydro output was constrained to the level of demand within the state. While energy regularly flows in both directions across BassLink, the net flow is now strongly from Tasmania to Victoria.”
In addition, there is evidence the impact of higher wholesale gas prices, triggered by the linkage of eastern Australia gas markets to international prices through the LNG export projects in Queensland, is beginning to be felt in the national electricity market. The decline in gas fired generation appears to be accelerating throughout Australia, Saddler added, and is particularly marked in South Australia and Tasmania.
As has been the case for some months, all growth in the national energy market generation came from hydro, wind and other renewables; their combined share of total energy send out generation was over 17% in October, and for the year to October was approaching 14%.
The report is a monthly benchmark for Australia’s carbon emissions from the energy sectors based on electricity, petroleum and natural gas data. The report is available here.
Tepco president admits that nuclear power is not safe
Tepco President: “Be prepared for the worst” — Fukushima is “a warning to the world” — “We made a lot of excuses to ourselves”http://enenews.com/tepco-president-be-prepared-for-the-worst-fukushima-is-a-warning-to-the-world-we-made-a-lot-of-excuses-to-ourselves
Guardian, Nov. 19, 2013: The catastrophic triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March 2011 was “a warning to the world” about the hazards of nuclear power […] the man with overall responsibility for the operation in Japan has told the Guardian. Speaking at his Tokyo corporate headquarters, Naomi Hirose, president of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), which runs the stricken Fukushima plant, said Britain’s nuclear managers “should be prepared for the worst” […] “What happened at Fukushima was, yes, a warning to the world,” he said. The resulting lesson was clear: “Try to examine all the possibilities, no matter how small they are, and don’t think any single counter-measure is foolproof” […]
Telegraph, Nov. 19, 2013: [Hirose] said that despite what the nuclear industry and the public wanted to believe, nuclear power was not 100 per cent safe. […] Mr Hirose said that small measures could have been adopted at Fukushima that would have prevented the meltdown following the March 2011 tsunami being so severe. He said Tepco was willing to share the lessons it had learned since the disaster […] “We made a lot of excuses to ourselves […]
See also: US Energy Secretary: Fukushima disaster has “global consequences”
South Africa joins the critics of Australia’s anti climate action performance
South Africa adds voice to Australia critics at climate change talks SMH, November 22, 2013 Tom Arup Environment editor, The Age South Africa’s environment minister has joined the chorus of voices attacking Australia for being obstructionist at the latest United Nations climate change negotiations.In a speech on the conference floor in Warsaw, South African Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said her country was deeply concerned that Australia and Japan were reducing their climate change commitments. South Africa is part of a powerful negotiating bloc of developing countries, known as BASIC, that includes Brazil, India, and China.
Australia has also been blamed for a brief “walkout” by developing countries including China at a important meeting earlier in the week. The complaints ranged from Australian representatives moving to block any parts of the conference negotiating text to the delegates wearing T-shirts and giggling during the talks.
Australia did not send a minister to the conference, and observers say the delegation of diplomats have been forced to stick to a limited negotiating brief set down by Canberra. That includes not making any new commitments to financially help poor nations deal with climate change – a critical issue at the talks.
Countries have also been concerned about statements by Prime Minister Tony Abbott last week that appeared to narrow conditions under which Australia would adopt a more ambitious 2020 emissions target than the 5 per cent cut currently offered…….http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/south-africa-adds-voice-to-australia-critics-at-climate-change-talks-20131122-2y0yt.html
Australia gets praise from climate change denialists!
Graham Readfearn: Climate denialists congratulate Australia during Warsaw talks
Independent Australia, 22 Nov 13 Australia finally has a vocal cheerleader at the COP19 United Nations climate talks currently taking place in Warsaw — a climate denial activist think tank
http://www.independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/climate-denialists-applaud-australia-during-warsaw-talks,5910
UN climate talks kept alive – just!
Rich vs poor deadlock broken at UN climate talks Reuters –
* Agreement keeps hopes for 2015 climate deal alive
* Warsaw talks go into overtime due to deadlock
* Delegates still discussing “climate aid”
By Alister Doyle and Nina Chestney WARSAW, Nov 23 (Reuters) – Almost 200 nations kept a plan to reach a new U.N. climate pact in 2015 alive on Saturday when rich and poor countries reached a compromise on sharing out the efforts needed to slow global warming.
A two-week negotiation in Warsaw had been due to end on Friday, but was blocked over a timetable for the first U.N. climate accord that would set greenhouse gas emissions requirements for all nations. The pact is due to be agreed in 2015 and come into force after 2020.
Negotiators finally agreed that all countries should work to curb emissions – a process described in the jargon as “intended nationally determined contributions” – as soon as possible and ideally by the first quarter of 2015.
The agreement ended deadlock between rich and poor about sharing out the burden of limiting emissions blamed for causing more heatwaves, floods, droughts and rising sea levels.
Under the last climate pact, the Kyoto Protocol, only the most developed countries were required to limit their emissions – one of the main reasons the United States refused to accept it, saying rapidly growing economies like China and India must also take part.
“Just in the nick of time, the negotiators in Warsaw delivered enough to keep the process moving,” said Jennifer Morgan of the World Resources Institute think-tank…..http://www.trust.org/item/20131123161140-rkh7z
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 