Tony Abbott soon off to India to sign uranium export deal
Tony Abbott expected to sign uranium deal with India on visit next month, The Guardian 19 Aug 14 PM’s scheduled visit follows completion of negotiations surrounding arrangements for the export of uranium Tony Abbott is expected to sign a deal to sell uranium to India during a visit to the country next month.
The Australian prime minister’s scheduled visit follows the completion of negotiations surrounding arrangements for the export of uranium, according to multiple news reports.
Indian officials convinced their Australian counterparts that the uranium would not be used for nuclear weapons, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Monday.
The Times of India reported earlier this month that negotiations between the two countries had concluded and the deal was likely to be signed during Abbott’s visit to India in early September
The Australian government would not confirm the reports on Monday, but the assistant minister for infrastructure, Jamie Briggs, told the ABC it would be a welcome development if true.
Labor’s treasury spokesman, Chris Bowen, said the former government had been working on arrangements to sell uranium to India.
“The Labor party put in place the policy framework to allow that to happen so if that has been progressed that’s something that’s welcomed,” Bowen said.
In 2012 the then prime minister, Julia Gillard, visited India and announced the two countries would begin negotiations for a nuclear safeguards agreement. ….http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/18/tony-abbott-expected-to-sign-uranium-deal-with-india-on-visit-next-month
Abbott facing trouble with Liberal Party in his zeal to kill the Renewable Energy Target
Coalition battle looms over new Renewable Energy Target THE AUSTRALIAN SID MAHER AUGUST 19, 2014
A BRUISING battle looms within the Coalition over the extent of cuts to the Renewable Energy Target as clean energy companies warn any weakening of the policy will cause projects to collapse and undermine international investor confidence in Australia.
A review of the RET headed by businessman Dick Warburton has been handed to Tony Abbott, igniting internal jockeying over the future of the policy, ahead of a decision expected within weeks.
Some senior members of the government want to scrap it completely while Environment Minister Greg Hunt and 25 backbenchers support reducing the target to a “true 20 per cent’’, which would see the large-scale scheme rolled back from its current 41,000GWh to about 25,000GWh.
Supporters of a “true 20 per cent’’ told The Australian yesterday abandoning the policy would amount to breaking an election promise and would risk a Senate stalemate that would entrench the current target.
With no legislative partner, the Prime Minister would be left in the same position as with his attempt to change Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, and be unable to act.
Labor environment spokesman Mark Butler, Greens leader Christine Milne and Clive Palmer yesterday ruled out allowing any weakening of the 41,000GWh target…….
Victorian Liberal backbencher Sarah Henderson also spoke out in support of maintaining the RET. “The RET is so important for local jobs and for regional prosperity. As a strong supporter of renewable energy, I will continue my campaign to ensure the RET remains in place,’’ Ms Henderson said.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen said apparent intentions to wind back the RET represented a sovereign risk.
“We have $11 billion of investment in renewable energy based on clear government policy, a policy which had been bipartisan, and we see the government floating, walking away from that target. That creates sovereign risk for Australia’s investors,’’ he said. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/coalition-battle-looms-over-new-renewable-energy-target/story-fn59niix-1227028613526
Northern Territory: Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion manouvres on behalf of mining companies
By removing powers from the statutory authorities of the land councils, Scullion will undermine the collective authority of traditional owners over huge tracts of land. This collective ownership is the Aboriginal way; Tjukurrpa defines our relationships with the land. These relationships will be diminished by the government attitude of divide and conquer.
Perhaps it is an easy sales pitch to the mainstream world, to claim that we, remote Aboriginal people, are holding ourselves back. Or to claim that there will be no progress unless we are split into smaller, more containable, groups. Why? Because smaller numbers are easier to buy off? Because the lack of an independent Environment Protection Authority or an independent Development Consent Authority in the Territory means that this is the prime time to rape and pillage the land, before anyone looks too closely?
For Aboriginal people, the value of our land is deeper than a simple market value. It is a lasting legacy for our families. That does not mean that no development is warranted, but it needs to be on our terms. The land has to last us forever, not just for a brief boom-and-bust cycle that mostly benefits people from elsewhere.
Disassembling the collective authority over our land will not drive development. ……..
If the white knights want to ride in from distant lands and heroically try to save us from ourselves, why don’t they start by offering our children access to a real education? Nothing more, nothing less. The chance for our children to compete with any other children across Australia. Without this step in remote communities, no other development will be sustainable or meaningful.
After years of skimming commonwealth funds earmarked to ameliorate Aboriginal disadvantage, the source is finally drying up. The Territory government is close to the precipice of economic stagnation. Now the government must try to leverage Aboriginal lands in a squalid bid to attract corporate money to the Territory. It is a strategy doomed to failure.
Uninspiring catchphrases such as “Creating Parity” and “Developing the North” cannot become a reality without the participation of Aboriginal people. The economic wealth of the Territory depends on Aboriginal participation, including that of Aboriginal lands. That responsibility is not one that we will give up lightly under pressure from the commonwealth, the Territory or vested interests.
The governments of the day have made their motivations clear. They fear the collective power of Aboriginal people. They fear the power of the very statutory authorities that they created. But they do not speak with us and they definitely do not speak for us. We will have the last word.
Alison Anderson is the member for Namatjira in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/nothing-for-aborigines-in-scullions-manoeuvres/story-e6frg6zo-1227029853648
Cyber attacks hit USA’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission
U.S. government’s nuclear watchdog victim of cyber attacks -report, Yahoo7 News
August 20, 2014, By Jim Finkle BOSTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was “successfully hacked” three times in recent years in attacks involving tainted emails, according to an internal investigation on cyber attacks at the agency, Nextgov.com reported on Tuesday.
At least two of the attacks originated overseas, according to the report obtained by Nextgov, a rare public report with details of a cyber attack on the energy sector.
The publication said it obtained a copy of a report by the NRC’s Office of the Inspector General, which reviewed 17 suspected breaches from 2010 to 2013.
The report did not name the countries where the attacks originated or say if data had been stolen from the regulatory agency, which holds sensitive data on the nuclear power industry.
Reuters was not immediately able to access the report, which Nextgov said it obtained through a Freedom of Information request……..https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/24757967/u-s-governments-nuclear-watchdog-victim-of-cyber-attacks-report/
Dinner 29 August: meet Mr Naoto Kan, former P.M. of Japan
The Australian Conservation Foundation and the Medical Association for the Prevention of War invite you to a very special evening with Mr Naoto Kan.
Mr Kan was Prime Minister of Japan when the Fukushima nuclear reactor crisis began in March 2011. He was forced to consider a full scale evacuation of Tokyo in response to the unfolding emergency and subsequently made the decision to shut down all of Japan’s nuclear reactors.
Since the meltdown Mr Kan has withdrawn his previous support for nuclear power and now strongly supports an energy future that is renewable, not radioactive.
In October 2011 it was formally confirmed that Australian uranium was fuelling the failed Fukushima reactor complex at the time of the accident.
We are pleased to have the unique opportunity to welcome Mr Kan in Melbourne for a just a few hours at the very end of his Australian tour.
Please join us to hear Mr Kan speak on his experience of the Fukushima crisis and reflections on subsequent energy policy. There will be the opportunity for mingling and discussion surrounded by the beautiful Flagstaff Gardens.
Where: City of Melbourne Bowls Club Lounge, Flagstaff Gardens, Dudley St, West Melbourne
When: Friday 29th August, 7pm-9.30pm. Mr Kan will speak at 8pm.
Cost: $60 per head includes finger food buffet. Drinks at bar prices.
All funds raised will be dedicated towards funding Mr Kan’s Australian speaking tour.
RSVP by Wednesday 27th August at www.acfonline.org.au/naotokan
Further information Kirsten Blair: 0412 853 641
Hype about Olympic Damn Uranium Mine – too good to be true?
Olympic Dam: mining’s double century resource, In Daily, KEVIN NAUGHTON | 20 AUGUST 2014 “…..Outlining its new corporate strategy in a global statement last night, BHP listed Olympic Dam as a core asset with a longer life than any other asset in his portfolio…….The limits of the mine’s mineralisation is yet to be determined; however, it remains a resource that is difficult to recover and process……..Shortly after picking up the asset, BHP began work on a major expansion of the mine.
It aimed to triple production by removing the dirt above the resource and building a massive open cut mine.
The capital cost of that project didn’t stack up when presented to the company’s board in 2012 and the project was cancelled.
BHP is now working on a longer, slower extraction process. It’s currently conducting research trials at geology laboratory Bureau Veritas’s Adelaide site.
The mining process called heap leaching is being tested in a three-year trial. The ore is “heaped” and a mix of acids and other chemicals drip through the ore.
It’s still in its experimental stage and any expansion of the mine is at least six years away……..http://indaily.com.au/business/2014/08/20/olympic-dam-mining/
Call to organisations to support Ecodefense against Russian government crackdown
Organisations are asked to endorse the solidarity statement immediately below.
Individuals and organisations are asked to write to the Russian government –
Solidarity Statement for Ecodefense
Organisations willing to endorse the following statement are asked to contact Friends of the Earth France (lucie.pinson@amisdelaterre.org) or WISE Amsterdam (info@wiseinternational.org) as soon as possible.
On July 21st, the Russian government included one the oldest environmental non-governmental organization Ecodefense on the Ministry of Justice “foreign agent” roster. As national and international organizations from many countries, we strongly condemn this decision that criminalizes environmental defenders and supporters of social and environmental justice.
We strongly condemn this decision of the Russian authorities that was taken while proceedings to determine their status have either not yet concluded or even started and that leaves some these organizations without any recourse to contest this labelling.
We are very concerned about the adoption of the “foreign agent” law in November 2012 and the motivations for this adoption as only this environmental organization – Ecodefense − and several more human rights groups are listed in the “foreign agents” roster right now.
While the Russian authorities should protect human rights and support the organizations that help it to do so by bringing human rights violations in Russia to light, this decision illustrates threaten even more democratic rights and leave Russian citizens under the threat of arbitrary choices.
We also particularly condemn the listing of the environmental association Ecodefense for the campaign against Baltic nuclear plant construction near Kaliningrad. Protesting nuclear power cannot be considered as a crime and discussing risks of nuclear is a democratic right. We have been working with Ecodefense for many years and acknowledged the quality of its work as an organization that works independently from any other political power for the people and the environment in Russia and elsewhere.
We urge you to stop repression and let Ecodefense as other environmental and human rights organizations work free in Russia. We called the Russian authorities to reverse their decision to include Ecodefense on the “foreign agent” roster and repeal the November 2012 “foreign agent” law, which brings under threat civil and democratic rights.
Australia’s uranium industry digging anew hole – for its coffin?
Australia’s uranium industry in a hole Nuclear Monitor #789, August 2014 Developments in South Australia highlight the uranium industry’s ongoing problems. The opening of the state’s latest uranium mine − the Beverley Four Mile in-situ leach mine − would normally be accompanied by considerable fanfare. The Advertiser − a Murdoch tabloid, and the only mass circulation newspaper in the state − might be expected to parrot industry lies about jobs and export revenue.[1,2]
But as The Advertiser said: “South Australia’s newest mine will lose money and won’t create any jobs.” Part of the problem is that the uranium price is well below the cost of production. And General Atomics has put the nearby Beverley mine into care-and-maintenance and shifted the workforce to Beverley Four Mile − so no jobs have been created. Alliance Resources Ltd. which holds a 25% stake in Beverley Four Mile, is seeking to sell out of the project.[1,2]
The Honeymoon uranium mining, also in the north-east of South Australia, was equally underwhelming. Just months after first production in 2011, project partner Mitsui announced its decision to withdraw as it “could not foresee sufficient economic return from the project”. And last year the mine owner − a subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom − put the mine into care-and-maintenance because it was running at a loss.
Another Murdoch newspaper, The Australian, says it may be years before uranium regains its “sexy sector”.[3]
In Western Australia, United Uranium, which holds several uranium exploration licences, has decided to get out of uranium exploration and instead focus on property development. The company said its strategic review “underlined a consistent theme, that junior resource companies and in particular uranium focussed companies, are currently ‘unloved’ by the investment community”.[4]
Also in Western Australia, Areva Resources Australia, a subsidiary of the French nuclear giant, has formally withdrawn from the North Canning exploration project because it was not viable. It is believed Areva spent up to A$5 million on the project. Aboriginal Traditional Owners in the region were opposed to the project and refused to negotiate with Areva.[5]
In June, RBC Capital Markets Analysts cut its 2014 spot price forecast to US$31.50 a pound, down from US$45. The 2015 target was cut to US$40 (from US$60), and targets for 2016−2018 fell to just US$40-US$45 from US$75-US$80. RBC believes the uranium market is going to be in surplus until 2021. “Active annual supply exceeds demand by a significant margin, and on top of that, significant excess inventories have been and continue to be accumulated post the Fukushima disaster, particularly in Japan,” RBC said, adding that it believes only four Japanese reactors will restart this year, and just 28 (out of 50) will be online by 2018.[6]
[2] www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-25/four-mile-becomes-newest-uranium-mine/5549648
[4] www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/price-collapse-sees-junior-miner-ditch-uranium-to
[5] https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/wa/a/24679387/areva-quits-nw-nuke-project/
[6] http://business.financialpost.com/2014/06/05/rbc-annihilates-uranium-price-outlook/
World Nuclear News stresses that the industry can survive only with tax-payer funding
Banking on nuclear, World Nuclear News, 18 August 2014 The nuclear industry needs to satisfy the multi-criteria approach to risk that banks take when they decide whether to invest in a large infrastructure project. Only then, can it expect to attract this form of financing to nuclear new build projects, writes Ron Cameron.
Specifically, banks look for long-term certainty on price, stable government policy, industry reputation, regulatory certainty, the process for addressing planning and environmental issues and public acceptance, in addition to the economics of the project.
European wholesale electricity markets are currently not favourable to nuclear power,……..
there is a real difficulty in seeing where nuclear new build is going to come from in Europe, without government action. ……the UK is trying to do something about the market disadvantage which is keeping investors away from nuclear. ……
Other countries, too, are making clear that the State is behind nuclear new build. For example, in the US, new nuclear power plants are being built with loan guarantees and tax credits. …….http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/E-Banking-on-nuclear-1808201401.html
Marshall Islands is moving ahead with lawsuits on nuclear non proliferation
AUDIO Marshall Islands standing strong against nuclear proliferation http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/marshall-islands-standing-strong-against-nuclear-proliferation/1358284 19 August 2014
The Marshall Islands is moving ahead with lawsuits against four nations it alleges are in breach of disarmament provisions of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Lawyers for the Pacific nation have until this week to respond to the US government’s motion to dismiss the case filed in US Federal Court.
At the same time, the International Court of Justice in The Hague has set out a briefing schedule on the issue of whether or not the court has jurisdiction to hear cases against the UK, India and Pakistan.
Marshall Islands Journal editor, Giff Johnson, says the Marshall Islands government is determined to go ahead with the lawsuits despite negative reactions from the other countries involved.
Presenter: Richard Ewart
Speaker: Giff Johnson, editor, Marshall Islands Journal
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 