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Syndic Literary Journal No. 10, by poet Taki Yuriko and translated by John Saxon, Dec. 2013: Excerpts from ‘Fukushima has an Ongoing Melt-Out’ On March 11, 2011, Pandora’s Box was opened. Japan Times, Commentary by Prof. Christopher Hobson of Waseda University: Apr. 24, 2014: […] many serious challenges lie ahead. There will be more leaks and problems at the No. 1 plant. There will also have to be the controlled release of contaminated water into the ocean. Public support and understanding will be needed through these difficult processes. For this to happen, Tepco needs to begin to rebuild its credibility with the public […] Tepco’s regaining the trust of Japan’s public is just as difficult a task as resolving the technical challenges in decommissioning the plant. The only way this might happen is […] to be more honest and transparent about the problems in Fukushima. |
Australian uranium – a sorry history of failed predictions! (and it’s even worse now)
Dennis Matthews 26 April 14, The nuclear industry’s habit of talking up the uranium market and getting forecasts very wrong is nothing new. Here are some notes I made over 18 months and well before Fukushima.
Predictions about the Market for Uranium
7/3/07 Advertiser Higher Price tip for yellowcake.
ABARE – Uranium price is expected to peak at about $US103/lb next year (2008). It peaked at $US138/lb in June 2007.
Prices will start to decline after next year (ie in 2009). It peaked in June 2007.
World uranium production is projected to increase at an annual rate of 9% to exceed 78,000 tonnes in 2012.
This compares with a forecast for annual consumption of 90,700 tonnes of U3O8 by 2012.
Australia’s production is expected too remain relatively steady at11-12,000tonnes per year.
7/4/07 Australian Resource Capital Research – all indications are that $US140 will be reached by Sept 2008. It peaked at $US138 in June 2007. In Sept 2008 it was $US65 and then went into decline.
12/5/07 Advertiser Crossland Uranium Mines – Uranium has just reached a selling price of $US120/lb and there is nothing on the horizon to dampen the strong market demand for the power plant fuel. U prices peaked within a month and then fell rapidly from $US138/lb to $53/lb by Oct 2008.
6/6/07 Advertiser Macquarie (Australia’s biggest securities firm) – U price could reach $US200/lb within two years (by June 2009). Tipped $US150/lb by end of 2007. U prices peaked the previous week at $US 138/lb and then fell dramatically. By end of 2007 it had fallen to $US90/lb .
SXR Uranium One (Honeymoon mine) predicted the spot price could hit $US250/lb next year (2008). It peaked at $138US/lb in June 2007 and then fell sharply to $53/lb by Oct 2008.
2/7/07 Australian Resource Capital Research – Present U spot price is $US136/lb.
Indications are for $US148/lb in the near term and $US165/lb by Sept 2008. It actually peaked at $US138/lb and by Sept 2008 it was $US65.
28/7/07 Australian U prices fell from $US136/lb in mid-July to $US 120/lb this week. Analysts said prices would continue to trade higher than in the past and most said the price drop was a correction in an upward trend. It actually peaked at $US138/lb in June 2007 and then fell sharply to $US53/lb in Oct 2008.
UBS forecast that higher demand and slow supply increases would push prices to almost $US200/lb in 2008. It actually peaked at $US138/lb in June 2007 and then fell sharply to $US53/lb in Oct 2008.
5/12/07 Advertiser ERA – The price of uranium which was about $US93/lb could surge higher. We could see prices rise even beyond where they are now. From mid Dec 2007 to mid Feb 2008 it fell from $US93/lb to $US76/lb and to $US65/lb by Sept 2008.
15/12/07 Advertiser RCR Equity Research – Forward indicators currently suggest a flat outlook for uranium of around $US90/lb to $US100/lb over the next couple of months (mid Dec2007 to mid Feb 2008). Indicators currently suggest the uranium price market expectation is $US125/lb by Sept 2008. From mid Dec 2007 to mid Feb 2008 it fell from $US93/lb to $US76/lb and to $US65/lb by Sept 2008.
18/3/08 Advertiser Far East Capital – The worst of the fall in uranium price has already happened. The price could reasonably trade within the $US60-$US90/lb for the balance of this year (2008). It would be most surprising to see it fall any lower. By Oct 2008 it had fallen to $US53/lb.
27/3/08 Advertiser Resource Capital Research – Indicators suggest the uranium market expectation is $US105/lb by September 2008. It fell to $US65/lb by September 2008.
15/7/08 Goldman Sachs JB Were – Downgraded its 2009 U price forecast from $US90/lb to $US77.5/lb. It fell to $US53 by Oct 2008
18/8/08 Australian Foster Stockbroking – Expects the spot price to be back to $US75/lb by December (2008). It fell to $US53 by Oct 2008.
8/10/08 Advertiser Resource Capital Research (RCR) quarterly Global Uranium Companies – the spot price of uranium expected to trade in the $US50-$US65/lb range in the current quarter (Oct-Dec?). On the same day (8/10/08) the spot price fell to $US49/lb.
Australian right-wing politicians surprisingly may vote against Abbott’s “Direct Action” climate policy
Direct action could fail even without Palmer United Party April 26, 2014 Lisa Cox , 26 April 14 National political reporterTony Abbott’s “direct action” climate change policy is almost certain not to pass the Senate in its present form – even if the Palmer United Party were to change its position and vote for the plan.Independent senator Nick Xenophon said on Friday that he would not vote for the Coalition’s policy unless there were substantial changes, including measures to ensure companies comply with the scheme.
Fellow crossbench senator John Madigan, of the Democratic Labour Party, said he doubted whether the government was committed to the policy.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt on Thursday unveiled key details of the centrepiece of direct action, an emissions reduction fund, and declared the government would ”easily” reach an emissions reduction target of a 5 per cent cut below 2000 levels by 2020.
Senator Xenophon said he was not convinced by the white paper, which proposes a $2.55 billion fund to pay polluters to cut their emissions. Companies would bid for funding through a reverse auction process run by the Clean Energy Regulator……..
Fukushima “Disaster never seen in human history and imagined only in movies”
Journal: “Fukushima has an Ongoing Melt-Out” — “Is this not the worst possible outcome?” — “Nuclear fuel mixing with groundwater and leaking into sea” — “Disaster never seen in human history and imagined only in movies” — Tokyo Paper: “A situation in which massive accidents occur daily” 25 April 14
Taiwan 100 academics take to the streets, opposing nuclear power
Academics take to the streets against nuclear generation, Taipei Times, 25 April 14 By Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter About 100 academics yesterday staged a silent march from Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building to Gikong Presbyterian 
Church, where former Democratic Progressive Party chairman Lin Yi-xiong (林義雄) has been on a hunger strike since Tuesday, to urge the government to give up nuclear energy.
“Nuclear power is the most negative product of capitalism and imperialism, it’s a disaster for the disadvantaged,” said Cheng Fei-wen (鄭斐文), an associate professor of sociology at Tung Hai University. “When nuclear disaster occurs, it is the poor, the aged and children who will suffer the most. Even today, the Tao people on Orchid Island still suffer from nuclear waste storage,” he added.
National Chung Cheng University professor Chen Ruey-lin (陳瑞麟) said Taiwan was located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” where frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
“I don’t think Taiwan is qualified to use nuclear energy,” he added…………
Taiwan Association of University Professors president Lu Chung-chin (呂忠津), who teaches electrical engineering at National Tsing Hua University, said the government should not continue to threaten the public by saying that there may be a power shortage without the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
“It would be better if the government could use this critical time to develop a green energy system for our future,” he said.
The group marched in silence to the church after tying yellow ribbons with the slogan: “Stop the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant; return the power to the people” on police barricades that barred them from getting close to the Presidential Office Building…….http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/04/26/2003588934
Communities can earn cash from wind turbines – Scotland shows how
Scotland helps communities earn cash from onshore wind turbines by ClickGreen staff. Published Fri 25 Apr 2014 Scotland’s Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has announced a fresh set of principles designed to maximise community benefit from onshore renewable energy developments.
These principles will help the Scottish Government deliver the 500 megawatts of community and locally owned renewables target by 2020.
The finalised Good Practice Principles for Community Benefit from Onshore Renewable Developments have now been published, following a period of consultation.
The key principle is the promotion of a national community benefits package
rate equivalent to at least £5,000 per Megawatt per year, index linked to inflation for the operational lifetime of the development. So for example, a 20 Megawatt windfarm of eight turbines will generate at least £100,000 a year for the local community.
Another key component of the guidance encourages renewable energy developers to submit information on potential community benefits as early in the development process as possible. This is considered a vital step in allowing time for the community to consider properly and to develop ideas for implementation of the community benefit package.
In addition, as part of the principles Mr Ewing has announced that Government will work in partnership with Scottish Renewables to set up a short-term industry working group to develop guidance to encourage community investment in commercial renewables schemes. This is with a view to maximising the opportunity for communities to invest directly in local commercial schemes. To date communities involved in benefit schemes have reaped over £5.6 million for local projects and developments…….http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/news/national-news/124523-scotland-helps-communities-cash-in-with-onshore-wind-turbines.html
Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders unite in call for ending nuclear weapons
US Faith Groups Unite to Call for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Stressing Devastating Humanitarian Impact, Religion News Service April 25, 2014 Buddhist, Christian and Muslim Communities at US Institute of Peace in Advance of UN Non-Proliferation Conference
WASHINGTON DC: On April 24, 2014, Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International (SGI) sponsored “Making a Difference – Faith Communities and the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons,” a one-day interfaith symposium held at the US Institute of Peace in Washington DC.
Over 100 participants from diverse faiths including Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions came together with peace activists and experts to identify common concerns and refresh their determination to rid the world of these inhuman weapons.
At the symposium, representatives of 11 different faith groups adopted a joint statement pledging increased activism by religious communities toward nuclear weapons abolition. This statement will be presented to the chair of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York from April 28 to May 9.
The statement reads, “The continued existence of nuclear weapons forces humankind to live in the shadow of apocalyptic destruction…. The moral insights of our traditions teach us that this threat is unacceptable and must be eliminated.” See http://www.sgi.org/assets/pdf/Joint-Faith-Statement-Antinukes.pdf………
Cosponsors of the event included Abolition 2000, American Values Network, Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Arms Control Association (ACA), Global Zero, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Pax Christi International, Pax Christi-USA and Women’s Action for New Direction (WAND).
Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a grassroots Buddhist association with 12 million members around the world. Its activities to promote peace, culture and education are part of the longstanding tradition of Buddhist humanism. SGI-USA has 120,000 members throughout the U.S.A.
Contact
William Aiken
waiken@sgi-usa.org
301-346-0167
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 