Commonwealth land is best for Australia’s radioactive trash, not bribed Aboriginal areas
The Australian government has absolutely no moral compass. Never mind that they boast about the inhuman condition they impose on refugees – so they can “stop the boats” – and other heartless policies.
But this page is “anti-nuclear”. So – what about their latest cybnical ploy – “allowing” Australian s to “offer their land” for a radioactive trash dump?
This is exactly like their welfare provisions that the government claims are aimed at “all Australians” – but we know damn well that the target is the Aboriginal communities.
The Abbott government (with Labor support no doubt) is determined to make the Aborigines cop the radioactive trash that Australia is obligated to take back – it originated from the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.
Never mind that studies years ago found that there were suitable sites on Commonwealth land.
Muckaty’s heroic Aboriginal women resisted the pressure.
Can we expect impoverished Aboriginal communities to resist government bribery? Do Australians care?
Australian government will “let” residents offer their land as radioactive waste dump!
PUT IT IN THE BACKYARD: Government Considers Letting Australians Nominate Their Land As A Radioactive Waste Dump http://www.businessinsider.com.au/put-it-in-the-backyard-government-considers-letting-australians-nominate-their-land-as-a-radioactive-waste-dump-2014-9
The government has flagged it intends to open a nationwide volunteer process, similar to what is currently open to Aboriginal Land Councils in the Northern Territory, under the National Radioactive Waste Management Act.
If nominations are opened, land owners in all states and territories would be able to volunteer their properties for technical consideration.
“A site will only be selected if it can fulfil strict environmental requirements,” minister for industry, Ian Macfarlane said in a statement.
Those interested in having a radioactive facility built out the back have until November 10 to submit a proposal.
Macfarlane said all submissions will be considered before a decision is made to widen to selection criteria.
Australian government actively setting up bribes to Aboriginal communities to host nuclear waste dump
Government ‘not short of choice’ for nuke dump site ABC Online Indigenous By Gail Liston and staff writers September 08, 2014 Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane is “confident” nuclear waste being stored under buildings in Sydney and Melbourne could still be headed for the NT.
The ABC understands traditional owners from central Australia are in talks to nominate a site in the Tanami Desert, 540 kilometres west of Alice Springs for a facility to house nuclear waste, in the wake of a site near Tennant Creek being withdrawn in the middle of a federal court challenge.
Earlier this year the Minister offered NT Aboriginal land councils an opportunity to nominate a site, which he said would be “worth millions and millions of dollars to whoever is successful”, after the Federal Government withdrew its nomination of Muckaty Station north of Tennant Creek.
Mr Macfarlane said he would only consider nominations that were uncontested, after theMuckaty nomination process which he later described as a disaster.
Asked if he was aware of a group from the Tanami offering land to build the site, Mr Macfarlane refused to answer directly.
“I am not going to talk about potential applications while the existing process is in operation. The Central and Northern Land Councils still have the best part of 20 days to supply me with a site,” he said.
“I can say I won’t be short of choice if this process goes beyond the current process with the Central and Northern Land Councils.”
I am receiving offers from potential sites from right across Australia,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“I am confident that if we don’t succeed in the current process we’ll succeed in the subsequent process to identify a site and build a repository so that nuclear waste that is currently being stored in shipping containers and car parks underneath CBD buildings in Sydney and Melbourne will have a proper place to be stored.”
The ABC has been told a delegation from the Central Land Council will start consultations with the traditional owners later this week.
The Tanami Road is the only way to access the site, but a 254 kilometre stretch remains unsealed.
Sealing the road is one of the key recommendations in the Federal Government’s plans for developing Northern Australia but could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Nat Wasley from the Beyond Nuclear Initiative says the Minister is trying to bribe desperate people into accepting nuclear waste. “He gave till the end of September, so it is not surprising that people are looking to have meetings and find out more information before that deadline,” he said.
“We are also seeing the situation where the Minister is dangling a carrot yet again in front of communities who desperately do need funding for outstations, roads and housing.
“I’m not sure of the exact location of the site that is being looked but it would be a concern if the Government is considering taking nuclear waste along unsealed roads for the very reason that it can’t find other ways to manage nuclear waste.”
Government keen to avoid another Muckaty……….
Mr Macfarlane later said the process to nominate Muckaty Station was “a disaster” but there was interest from Aboriginal land owners elsewhere.
He said if there were no takers for a dump in the NT by September he would open the bidding to the rest of the country, but warned any potential site would need to be undisputed.
“I’ll throw it open to anyone in Australia who can provide me with a block of land free of dispute and challenge that is environmentally suitable and that will be keenly sought after by a whole range of people – individuals, private property owners.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-08/new-push-for-nt-nuke-dump-site/5727496/?site=indigenous&topic=latest
In selling uranium to India, Australia is blatantly violating Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
Australia blatantly violates the NPT, Iran held to different standard http://www.iranaffairs.com/iran_affairs/2014/09/australia-blatantly-violates-the-npt-iran-held-to-different-standard.html
As if we needed any more proof that the “Iranian nuclear threat” is just a cooked-up pretextwhich is unrelated to any actual nuclear threat, Australia (which holds about 1/3rd of the world’s uranium reserves) has decided to sell uranium to India. That such a deal violates the terms of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, doesn’t seem to be an issue to anyone. Note the absence of handwringing editorials at the Washington Post and NY Times about the sanctity of international arms treaties etc.
And why should it be a problem, considering that a few years ago the US agreed to violate the same NPT by sharing nuclear technology with India in exchange for buying India’s vote against Iran at the IAEA Board (which sent Iran’s file to the UN Security Council even though Iran had not breached the NPT?)
On the eve of his visit to New Delhi, US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns has said that with India voting in favour of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] resolution on Iran’s nuclear programme, Congressional opposition to the Indo-US nuclear agreement has disappeared and both sides would meet their commitments before President George W. Bush visits India next year.
Of course the US and Australia claim that this stuff is going to non-military use in India but all that means is that the deal would free-up India’s other resources to be used for non-civilian use. There’s nothing in the NPT which allows signatories to make such exceptions anyway.
Now in the meantime, while the US (and Australia) are blatantly violating their own obligations under the NPT, they’re demanding that Iran apply even greater restrictions on its nuclear program than the NPT requires, by for example giving up uranium enrichment. These excessive demands that violate Iran’s legal rights are clearly intended to scuttle the talks, and to keep the “crisis” alive. The US has no intention of peacefully resolving the nuclear dispute with Iran, no matter what.
If Ukraine joins NATO this will bring about nuclear war
Ukraine joining NATO will lead to nuclear war: US expert http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/08/378045/ukraine-joining-nato-means-nuclear-war/American scholar of Russian studies Stephen Cohen has said that if Ukraine joins NATO, it will lead to a “nuclear war.”
“First of all, by NATO’s own rules, Ukraine cannot join NATO, a country that does not control its own territory. In this case, Kiev controls less and less by the day. It’s lost Crimea. It’s losing the Donbas—I just described why—to the war,” he said.
“Secondly, you have to meet certain economic, political and military criteria to join NATO. Ukraine meets none of them.”
“Thirdly, and most importantly, Ukraine is linked to Russia not only in terms of being Russia’s essential security zone, but it’s linked conjugally, so to speak, intermarriage. There are millions, if not tens of millions, of Russian and Ukrainians married together. Put it in NATO, and you’re going to put a barricade through millions of families. Russia will react militarily,” the scholar explained.
Cohen also noted that the West is mainly to blame for the crisis in Ukraine, Washington’s Blog reported.
“This is a horrific, tragic, completely unnecessary war in eastern Ukraine,” one of America’s top experts on Russia said.
“In my own judgment, we have contributed mightily to this tragedy. I would say that historians one day will look back and say that America has blood on its hands. Three thousand people have died, most of them civilians who couldn’t move quickly. That’s women with small children, older women. A million refugees,” Cohen added.
“If they go ahead with this NATO decision, right plunk on Russia’s borders. Russia will then leave the historic nuclear agreement that Reagan and Gorbachev signed in 1987 to abolish short-range nuclear missiles.”
Tensions between Washington and Moscow have escalated over the crisis in Ukraine.
President Barack Obama on Friday warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the United States will not tolerate an attack on any NATO member state, although Ukraine is not a NATO state.
On 21st September – the Biggest Climate March ever
Activists promise biggest climate march in history People’s Climate March in New York and cities worldwide hopes to put pressure on heads of state at Ban Ki-moon summit Adam Vaughan theguardian.com, Monday 8 September 2014 Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of New York, London and eight other cities worldwide in a fortnight to pressure world leaders to take action on global warming, in what organisers claim will be the biggest climate march in history.
On 23 September, heads of state will join a New York summit on climate change organised by Ban Ki-moon, the first time world leaders have come together on the issue since the landmark Copenhagen summit in 2009, which was seen as a failure.
The UN secretary general hopes the meeting will inject momentum into efforts to reach a global deal on cutting greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2015, at a conference in Paris.
Ricken Patel, executive director of digital campaign group Avaaz, one of the organisers of the People’s Climate March on 21 September, said the demonstration was intended to send a signal to those world leaders, who are expected to include David Cameron and Barack Obama, though not heads of state from China and India…….
Save Solar event in Sydney on September 17
Save Solar Forum In Sydney On September 17 http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=4483 The Australian Council is taking no prisoners in its battle to help retain Australia’s Renewable Energy Target and ruffling government feathers in the process.
The next destination for its very successful Save Solar marginal seats campaign is in Sydney.
The Council’s CEO, John Grimes says the government is becoming increasingly desperate.
“Their next tactic will be to try and vilify the Australian Solar Council and me personally,” he says. “The more they come after us, the more we know our campaign is working. We will not sell out on the 21,000 solar workers of Australia, or the 4,500 business that employ them. We will not sell out on the developers of large solar projects. But most of all, we will not sell out on the people of Australia who want to slash their power bills by installing solar PV and solar hot water.”
The recent forum in Queanbeyan was extremely well-attended – solar supporters were being turned away after the venue reached capacity; reflecting the findings of a recent survey that shows a vast majority of Australians have a passion for renewable energy.
“It is time to turn up the pressure – as we bring Save Solar to Sydney,” said Mr. Grimes.
The Sydney forum will focus on the Federal Electorate of Barton. It will be held at Wednesday, 17 September; from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Ramsgate RSL Club; on the corner of Ramsgate Road and Chuter Avenue, Sans Souci (Map).
In related news, the Clean Energy Council has released a new report stating New South Wales and Queensland would suffer the most if the Federal Government adopts the Warburton report recommendations to slash the Renewable Energy Target. New South Wales alone would lose $4.24 billion in projected investment out to 2020, and 4410 jobs would be at risk.
The Clean Energy Council briefing paper titled “The impact of cutting the Renewable Energy Target on state jobs and investment”, can be downloaded her
The 3 demands at the top of the IPA’s 75-strong wish list for a “better Australia” were the repeal of the carbon price, the abolition of the Department of Climate Change and clean energy funds.
Tony Abbott’s Year of Leading Dangerously, REneweconomy By Giles Parkinson on 8 September 2014 Just over a year ago, after it became clear that Tony Abbott’s Coalition would sweep to a federal election victory, the predominant thought among many in the clean energy and climate policy space was: Well, he won’t be that bad, will he?
Yes, he will, and he has been. As we noted in our pre-election summary on September 6 last year, there was every reason to believe that anAbbott government could be worse than people feared. And not it should be noted, by doing anything Abbott hadn’t already flagged, but by doing exactly what he said he would do.
Several months earlier, RenewEconomy flagged Five ways Abbott could kill renewables in Australia. They were: Kill the carbon price, the Clean Energy Finance Corp and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, make the renewable energy target unworkable, and disband the Climate Change Authority.
He has acted on all five. Here’s how he has progressed.
Can the carbon price. Tick.
Can or dilute the Renewable Energy Target, and make it unworkable. Tick. The Abbott government now has the recommendation it needs, from the controversial Warburton Review, now it just a matter of implementing them. The uncertainty in the industry has brought all large-scale investment to a halt.
Axe the Climate Change Authority. This was one of the government’s first acts. It hasn’t yet succeeded, but the CCA has been gutted by the departure of many key personal. It has been sidelined from the RET Review, and its key findings on climate policies and emissions targets are ignored by the government, and ipso facto by mainstream media.
Can the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. It’s still trying, with a vote to be presented to the Senate later this month. Funding has already been cut, but Abbott wants to cut all future funds and absorb the running of the committed projects back within a government department.
Can the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. It tried, but once again the Senate has stymied its attempts. Still, the CEFC can be directed where to direct its funds, and it is increasingly likely it will be given modified mandates to help out with the discredited Emissions Reduction Fund, the key plank of Direct Action policy.
A lot of what Abbott has sought to achieve in his first year was mandated by the Institute of Public Affairs, the conservative think tank that has become a voice for extreme right views and vested interests. Continue reading
Non profit ASSET OWNERS DISCLOSURE PROJECT scrutinises funds investments and climate change
ASSET OWNERS DISCLOSURE PROJECT
The Asset Owners Disclosure Project is an independent global not-for-profit organisation whose objective is to protect members’ retirement savings from the risks posed by climate change. We aim to do this by helping funds to redress the huge imbalance in their investments between high-carbon assets (50-60% of a portfolio) and low-carbon assets (typically less than 2%) and realigning the investment chain to adopt long-term investment practices. Key elements of the initiative are:
- Conducting an annual survey and assessment of the world’s 1000 largest asset owners pertaining to their management of climate change risks and opportunities.
- Publishing rankings of the world’s 1000 largest asset owners to allow members, stakeholders and industry to see which funds are better than others at managing climate risk.
- Providing and promoting climate change best practice to drive and improve climate change management and capability of asset owners.
- Developing consumer-facing programs to educate asset owner’s members or stakeholders of the financial risks associated with climate change.
- Researching trends in climate risk, member behaviour and institutional investment.
- Creating frameworks to encourage active ownership………..http://aodproject.net/about/about-us.html
Christopher Pyne has opposite view to Abbott, on Renewable Energy Target
Government increasingly divided over plan to scrap renewable energy target Christopher Pyne said to have given full support to RET scheme at a private meeting, amid signs cabinet at odds over issue Oliver Milman theguardian.com, Monday 8 September 2014 The government appears to be edging away from the closure of the renewable energy target (RET) scheme, with the education minister, Christopher Pyne, reportedly giving his full support to the scheme at a private meeting.This comes as pressure mounts on Labor to reach a “compromise” position on the issue. However, Labor appears unlikely to compromise its opposition to any change to the RET.
“The Abbott government shattered any notion of bipartisanship on the RET when it walked away from its election commitment to keep the existing 41,000 gigawatt hours by 2020 target,” said Mark Butler, Labor’s environment spokesman.
Guardian Australia understands that Pyne told a group of solar panel installers that he did not want to see any change to the RET, which requires that 41,000 gigawatt hours of Australia’s energy comes from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2020.
Cabinet is divided over what to do with the RET, with Tony Abbott understood to favour its closure, while others, such as the environment minister, Greg Hunt, advocating that it be scaled back……
Analysis released by the Clean Energy Council on Monday showed that $15bn in investment would be lost if the RET was cut. The NSW economy would be worst off among the states, according to the analysis, losing $4bn, while Victoria would lose out on nearly $1bn. Queensland leads the way in terms of clean energy employment, with 4,600 jobs in solar power and more than 6,500 across the state’s renewable energy sector. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/08/government-retreats-on-renewable-energy-target-closure
South Carolina brings new law to promote solar energy
With New Law, South Carolina Sets a Foundation for More Solar Energy The Energy Collective Jim Pierobon 8 Sept 14 Another state in the Southeast U.S. is recognizing the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy as commissioners, utilities and stakeholders in South Carolina are ironing out details of a new solar law that enables third-party leasing and contemplates the state’s two investor owned-utilities utilities, collectively, installing an estimated 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy by 2021, up from about 8 megawatts currently.
South Carolina joins North Carolina and Georgia in showing it can begin to turn a new leaf to toward cleaner energy development. The new law is the South Carolina Distributed Energy Resource Program Act (S.B. 1189), which lawmakers in both the House and Senate passed unanimously and Gov. Nikki Hale (R), signed into law in June. Curiously, she waited until August to start promoting it.
The state’s two large investor-owned utilities – South Carolina Electric & Gas and Duke Power (including the former Progress Energy) – have the option to opt in, or out, of the program. If they opt in, they’ll get full rate recovery for meeting at least 2% of their five-year average peak power demand from renewable sources, most of which will likely be solar. If they opt out, no rate recovery for whatever path they pursue.
At this writing there appeared to be a significant and growing amount of public and lawmaker pressure to opt in. It was that public pressure that had been building for years which kicked off serious deliberations leading to the new law, according to Kenneth Sercy, Utility Regulation Specialist, and Hamilton Davis, Climate and Energy Director, at the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, one of the bill’s biggest backers.
“What you’ve seen here is growing public interest in policies that boost investments in clean energy options,” Davis said. “The tide of public opinion is garnering more media coverage and that’s getting the attention of lawmakers.”……http://theenergycollective.com/jimpierobon/484721/new-law-south-carolina-sets-foundation-more-solar-energy
Labor will not agree with Abbott on changing Renewable Energy Target
Labor rejects Tony Abbott’s renewable energy olive branch September 8, 2014 Peter Hannam Environment Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald Hopes of a bipartisan accord to break an impasse over the renewable energy target have dimmed, with Labor saying it won’t be a party to a broken election promise by the government.
The stance comes as a new report showed Australia leading the world over the past two years in achieving economic growth while shrinking greenhouse gas emissions – a standing now at risk without a price on carbon and uncertainty all but halting new investment in large-scale renewable energy.
Mark Butler, Labor’s climate change spokesman, said the government had reneged on its promise to leave the renewable energy target unchanged.
“The Abbott government shattered any notion of bipartisanship on the RET when it walked away from its election commitment to keep the existing 41,000 [gigawatt-hour] by 2020 target,” Mr Butler said………
Popular support for renewables, particularly rooftop solar, has made any retreat on renewables politically risky, while the Palmer United Party has vowed to block any changes until after the next election.
Industry supporters also point to the Warburton review’s own findings that consumers will be better off under the current setting from about 2020. They also highlight the potential to further cut carbon emissions from the electricity sector – a source of one-third of Australia’s total – while also attracting $15 billion in investment by the decade’s end….
A freeze in renewable energy would also undermine Australia’s efforts to reduce the carbon-intensity of the economy.
A new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers named Australia as the world’s “unexpected champion”, leading efforts for a second year running to cut emissions even as the economy expanded.
Australia managed a 7.2 per cent cut in the amount of carbon-dioxide emissions per dollar of economic activity in 2013, compared with a global cut of 1.2 per cent, according to PwC’s Low Carbon Economy Index.
Last year Australia was the only country to exceed the estimated 6.2 per cent cut in carbon intensity needed each year globally until 2100 if the world is to keep global warming to within the 2 degrees most nations have agreed to, PwC said.
USA and Russia to discuss Nuclear Arms Treaty
US and Russia to Meet Over Nuclear Arms Treaty The treaty for the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles signed by Gorbachev and Reagan is under threat. http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/US-and-Russia-to-Meet-Over-Nuclear-Arms-Treaty-20140908-0023.html
Top ranking United States and Russian officials are due to meet on Thursday to discuss a 1987 arms control treaty.
The treaty, which put a block on Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces has been questioned in recent months with the Ukraine crisis, and NATO threats on Russia.
“We believe that this is an important agreement and that it should be properly executed,” Interfax new agency quoted Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s non-proliferation and arms control department, as saying of the treaty.
He said talks on compliance with the treaty would take place this week involving Rose Gottemoeller, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
The original treaty has put a ban on nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500-5,500 km.
Last month, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov had said his nation was committed to the treaty, but President Putin had previously questioned if it is in Russia’s best interests.
Moscow has also said that U.S. use of armed drones amounted to a violation of the treaty.
India closes uranium mines – no reason given
Uranium Corporation stops mining at Jadugora after 47 years B Sridhar,TNN | Sep 8, 2014 JAMSHEDPUR: Uranium Corporation of India stopped all mining activities at Jadugora in East Singhbhum from Sunday after 47 years. following a ministry order in July.
The Centre, following a Supreme Court order in May on amendment of Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, issued a directive to all mineral-rich states on July 12 asking them to stop mining by corporate entities under deemed extension. The state then ordered closure of the decades-old uranium mines. “We have served the notice to UCIL (Uranium Corporation of India) informing the company about the directive of the state government,” said district mining officer Ratnesh Kumar Sinha…….http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Uranium-Corp-stops-mining-at-Jadugora-after-47-years/articleshow/41970997.cms
1 This month
7 April – WEBINAR – Australia and the Doomsday Clock – Preventing nuclear war through NoFirstUse and other policies
Online | Tuesday April 7, 4:00-5:30pm, Australian Eastern Time / 8:00-9:30am Central Europe Time
– Access the registration link
15 April – Zoom –Nuclear Power is Not the Solution
Apr 15, 2026 01:00 AM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) on Tuesday, April 14th for a timely webinar exploring the risks associated with nuclear power and challenging the myth that it offers a simple, safe, carbon-free solution to the climate crisis
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
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