Antinuclear

Australia this week- G20, Climate and Nuclear News

Last week I wrote about the IPCC latest report on Climate Change, and also about the coming G20 Summit in Brisbane. I thought at the time, that it was pretty crazy, letting a scientifically illiterate puppet of the fossil fuel and nuclear industries  (I refer to Tony Abbott) dictate the agenda for this meeting of world leaders.

This week – the whole thing is turning into a farce. The G20 is no doubt costing Australia $squillions. Now who would pay all that  tax-payer money to look like  a fool?  Alas, Abbott would.

Abbott has set agenda items like – no mention of Climate Change, – like cutting benefits to unemployed, especially those under 30 years – to get nothing for 6 months.  And of course, Abbott has been spruiking coal – “good for humanity”  But just as I write, comes the news that USA and China have made a deal for big cuts in carbon emissions.   I charitably omit here discussion of “shirt-fronting” Putin.

The G20 looks like being, at best, a nice talkfest for the attendees. Meanwhile  Indigenous people have set up their protest rally in Brisbane, and  the Alternative Summit – the C20 is sounding much more sensible than the G20.

Now – to nuclear . Public comments are now closed, on the government’s plan for a national nomination process for a radioactive waste dump site. National civil society groups are urging the government to hold an independent scientific inquiry on the matter of radioactive waste management.  In Western Australia citizens of Leonora joined in this call to Energy Minister Ian MacFarlane. after  the Leonora Shire offered their area as a dump site.

A new project has begun, to document the the health effects from atomic bomb testing in South Australia

War – very much a media item these days. Not just the current ones in Iraq and Ukraine, but a veritable barrage of memorabilia, including militaristic propaganda about World War 1.  It’s remarkable that one Melbourne woman, Geraldine Robertson,  has achieved the feat of exhibiting the story of Australia’s First World War Women – Working For Peace.

Renewable energy. There’s an awful lot of media coverage of this – hard to keep up. Importantly, the Labor Party has stood fast, will not negotiate any weakening of the Renewable Energy Target. The Business Council of Australia (BCA)  (a pro nuclear organisation) has offered a dodgy deal to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)  – in whichARENA must  include  Carbon Capture and Storage as a “low carbon” technology. Hmmm – BCA also call nuclear power a “low carbon technology.  The State of Victoria is soon to hold election – renewable energy is a bit of a worry for our anti-wind energy Liberal Premier Napthine – for example, in the Macedon electorate.

November 12, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews