Australian uranium miner Paladin continues its downward plunge
Paladin continues uranium plunge, Yahoo 7 News, Nick Evans November 14, 2014 A surge in the uranium spot price failed to help Paladin Energy’s bottom line, with the company declaring a net after-tax loss from operations of $US45.8 million for the September quarter.
According to Paladin’s latest financial results, released late yesterday, revenue for the quarter crashed 43 per cent to $US39.3 million………
The unexpectedly big loss will put further pressure on Paladin’s balance sheet, despite the completion of a $US190 million company-saving deal with China National Nuclear Corporation for the sale of a 25 per cent stake in Langer Heinrich. Closure of the deal left Paladin with cash holdings worth $US209.5 million at September 30.
Paladin also refinanced its existing $US110 million project finance loan and $US20 million working capital facility in the quarter, and used some of the CNNC cash to pay down debt.
But the company still faces the task of refinancing $US300 million of convertible bonds maturing next November, as well as paying $US40.4 million in interest and principal repayments before next September…….https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/wa/a/25512522/paladin-continues-uranium-plunge/
Tony Abbott urged by United Nations chief to support climate change fund
UN chief urges Australian PM to support climate change fund, SMH, November 15, 2014 Tom Allard National Affairs Editor UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has revealed that world leaders at the G20 are “actively discussing” climate change as he called on Australia to contribute to a UN fund supporting developing nations to combat global warming.
Describing climate change as the “defining challenge of our times”, Mr Ban’s comments cut across prime minister Tony Abbott’s push to keep discussions on climate change off the agenda at the G20.
And, while the US has pledged $3 billion to the UN’s Green Climate Fund, Mr Abbott has previously said Australia won’t contribute, describing it as “socialism masquerading as environmentalism”.
“Climate change is the defining issue of our times so it’s only natural that G20 leaders should focus much more on this as part of making this world sustainable,” said Mr Ban said in Brisbane on Saturday..
The world, he added, was looking to the G20 to take the lead on climate change, and he asked for more “ambitious pledges” towards the Global Climate Fund. As well as the US, Denmark, Mexico, South Korea, Germany, France, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland are other nations to support the fund………… http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/un-chief-urges-australian-pm-to-support-climate-change-fund-20141115-11ndeh.html#ixzz3JO6LJjnx
Tons of radioactive wastes for incineration in Japan
Even if Japan opts for the best technique (rejection of one radionuclide in 100,000 to 1 million, according to Areva) this operation will lead to significant emissions into the atmosphere. As to incinerate waste will not remove the radioaction . Reconquérir le territoire reste une tâche titanesque. To reconquer that territory from radiation will remain a gigantic task.
Fukushima: Japan has chosen to incinerate tons of radioactive waste By Marc Cherki 11/09/2014 Translation by D’un Renard
In Kawauchi, a small village located on both sides of of 20 kilometers division line around the Fukushima plant, many one cubic meter bags, are filled by the decontaminators with radioactive vegetal waste. Plants, grasses, lichens, shrubs that lined the road are now piled into these big bags.
Thus, the radiation received by persons traveling on this path is reduced. The plants are also removed within 20 meters around houses.
With Date and Minamisoma, Kawauchi is one of the “model villages” exemplified by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the Japanese government.
The committed efforts are huge . In less than a year, since the nuclear accident in March 2011, projects funded by the government were already valued at 10 billion euros only for the decontamination of soils, houses and a microscopic part of the forests.
At present, the kariokiba, the temporary storage sites, are overfull of waste.
About 43 million cubic meters (43 million tons), as plastic bags of blue, black or gray colors depending on the choice of the town, are piling into a thousand temporary sites.
The bags are half filled with plants.
The others contain the contaminated soil removed from the surface of rice fields and schoolyards, materials polluted by radioactive fallout cloud or dust collected in houses gutters,
The Japanese government has pledged to deal with the waste from 1 January 2015. But nobody believes this possible in such a short time. Continue reading
Australia under Abbott government is missing huge job opportunities in renewable energy
Does this government like creating jobs? The huge opportunities we’re missing in renewable energy, Perth Now, ANTHONY SHARWOOD NEWS.COM.AU NOVEMBER 17, 2014
THIS is a story about thousands of jobs the Abbott government could be helping to create, but which may never come into being. It is not a story about climate change, or any other issue which divides people along ideological lines, despite the divide between Australia and the the rest of the world becoming much clearer over the weekend.Quite simply, it is about something we all believe in — Australia’s prosperity.
Let’s break this thing down into 25 quick, easily digestible points.
1. Two Aussie employers spoke exclusively this week to news.com.au about their extreme dissatisfaction with the Abbott government’s stance on renewable energy. They want to create jobs and wealth in the renewable energy industry. They say the government is making it virtually impossible for them.
2. First a little background. The renewable energy industry is by any measure is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries. Other countries understand this. For example, China this year for the first time installed more renewable energy capacity than fossil fuels.
3. But the Australian government is scaling back its commitment to renewable energy. Up until recently, Australia had a bipartisan agreement to a 20 per cent renewable energy target (RET) by the year 2020.
Seems we once understood that the holy trinity of jobs, investment and a cleaner environment was well worth chasing. But the Abbott government no longer buys this. It says we should be working towards a new target of 26,000 gigawatt hours of green power instead of the agreed 41,000. This massive reduction has created an environment of great uncertainty for investors. Many of these investors come from overseas and would sink money into Australian projects. But they are now worried the industry has no future here. Continue reading
Tony Abbott’s insensitive remarks spark Aboriginal protest at G20
‘Imagine having your whole history erased’: Indigenous rights activists burn Australian flag during G20 protests 9 News 16 Nov Indigenous rights protesters have burned Australian flags during a demonstration outside the G20 summit convention centre in Brisbane.
A man at the forefront of the protests at the Roma Street Parklands told 9NEWS the act was a direct response to Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s comments on Friday that Australia pre-white colonisation was “extraordinarily basic and raw”.
“We had no choice when Abbott declared once again there was no semblance of any government [before white colonisation],” the demonstrator Woolombi said.
“This land for 67,000 years was the greatest biodiversity land management estate ever seen on the face of the world.
“We can’t afford to have that removed from our genetic memory.”………http://www.9news.com.au/national/2014/11/16/14/36/indigenous-rights-activists-burn-australian-flag-during-g20-protests
Planning different nuclear reactor models may become financial drain for UK
“Unless we can learn to build nuclear on schedule and on budget it will be a financial drain. ………
“That is true of all industries. If you build exactly the same its get cheaper, cheaper, cheaper. ……..
Atomic plants being built in Finland and France are much more expensive than forecast and are suffering significant delays but EDF, the company planning to build Hinkley Point C reactors in Somerset, says it will learn from those mistakes. While EDF plans to use an “EPR” design at Hinkley and possibly at Sizewell in Suffolk, other developers in Britain are planning different models……….
Huge increase in radiation in groundwater below Fukushima nuclear reactors 1 & 2
Massive radiation spike at Fukushima: 40,000% increase below ground between Units 1 & 2 this month — Order of magnitude above record high set last year http://enenews.com/massive-radiation-spike-fukushima-40000-increase-month-below-ground-between-units-1-2-order-magnitude-higher-previous-records?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ENENews+%28Energy+News%29
TEPCO: Monitoring at the East Side of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1-4 Turbine Buildings:
Groundwater pumped up from the well point (between Unit 1 and 2)
- Cs-134 @ 920 Bq/L
Up over 40,000% in 10 days
Previous record @ 110 Bq/L
- Cs-137 @ 3,000 Bq/L
Up over 40,000% in 10 days
Previous record @ 250 Bq/L
- Mn-54 @ 110 Bq/L
Up over 2,000% in 10 days - Gross β @ 3,200,000 Bq/L
Up over 1,000% in 10 days
- Cs-134 @ ND (MDA=2)
- Cs-137 @ 6.3 Bq/L
- Mn-54 @ 5 Bq/L
- Gross β @ 230,000 Bq/L
Underground water observation hole No.1-17 (near well point between Unit 1 and 2)
- Nov 13, 2014: Gross β @ 280,000 Bq/L
Up over 10,000% in 3 days - Nov 10, 2014: Gross β @ 2,700 Bq/L
Wake up Australians: that Lucas Heights nuclear reactor is NOT NEEDED for medical isotopes
Saskatoon scientists make medical isotopes without nuclear reactor 
http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/saskatoon-scientists-make-medical-isotopes-without-nuclear-reactor-1.2102945#ixzz3JBjS72AU November 14, 2014 Canadian Light Source scientists have developed a way to produce medical isotopes without the use of a nuclear reactor.
The Saskatoon-based facility announced Friday they recently shipped isotopes made by powerful X-rays to Winnipeg for clinical trials.
“To be part of a project that will meet the health needs of so many Canadians, that is the most gratifying element,” said Canadian Light Source CEO Rob Lamb in a media release. Medical isotopes are used in medical imaging to diagnose cancer and heart disease. According to Health Canada, energy emitted by the isotope is detected by a special camera during a scan.
The Medical Isotope Project facility in Saskatoon is the first of its kind in the world, light source officials said. A particle accelerator hits molybdenum-100 metals — which resemble dimes — with high-energy X-rays. The rays knock a neutron from the nuclei and convert the molybdenum-100 to molybdenum-99, which then decays into a medically useful isotope — technetium-99m. Leftover metals are recovered and recycled. A nuclear reactor is not needed and no nuclear waste is created. Continue reading
Loonpond – a refreshing critique of the Australian media and the G20
loonpond November 17, 2014 In which the pond puts the G20 to rest, and begins the march to Paris … in company with the denialist dunderheads clutching at their coal for coal comfort …
Abbott confirmed yet again that he was a lightweight – a man with an introductory speech so bemusing that even the hagiographers were bemused – and then it was left to that other lightweight Joe Hockey to attempt to mop up the consequences of climate change stances presented with all the gravity, depth and nuance of three word slogans. Poor Joe. Revealed as a flake, and so early in his career. Who’d have thought anyone could make Wayne Swan seem like a treasurer of substance?
Now the rest of the week will be spent with others scurrying from their bunk holes to explain how Australia is up with the rest of the world in the matter of responding to climate change, and how we have the very best policies for this grave matter, except – nudge, nudge, wink wink – it’s not that grave, not really…
In short, it’s pretty much business as usual, with the exceptional weather the gravy on the roast, seeing as how denialists just love climate change meetings that take place in unusually heavy snow storms… even these cocooned politicians must have noticed the heat, coming as it does as a furnace blast when you step out of the air-conditioning …
So how did the morons at the Currish Snail see the proceedings this morning?……
But that’s as fair as the Murdoch crazies could go, in the tabloid-lite arena. In the world of the reptiles, faces were grim, the extent of the humiliation gravely noted – some had already been consternated by Abbott moaning and whingeing about a seven buck co-payment to a president facing a Republican congress – and then there was the shirt-fronting:……….http://loonpond.blogspot.com.au/
Tony Abbott’s negativity toward Aboriginal people blasted by Mick Dodson
Mick Dodson blasts Tony Abbott for ‘negativity’ towards Indigenous people Former Australian of the Year says the prime minister is contributing to the perception of ‘black failure’ The former Australian of the Year, Mick Dodson, has blasted Tony Abbott for his negativity towards Indigenous people, saying he’s contributing to the perception of “black failure”.
Speaking at the national press club in Canberra on Wednesday, Dodson said the prime minister’s Indigenous policy focuses on protecting children, securing communities and building jobs.
“It’s a three-trick pony and a very small pony at that. Stop the negativity. All of those three things are about our failure, supposedly. Because we’re Aboriginal,” said Dodson, who is chair of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (Aiatsis). “The reality is many, many of us are very successful.”
“We never hear about them from you guys [the media]. You’re too busy on the entertainment of black failure and that’s where the government’s mind seems to be and where the public discourse seems to be.”
Before taking office in 2013, Abbott promised to be the prime minister for Indigenous affairs, and moved the portfolio into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Dodson warns that certain government policies, like moves to weaken the Northern Territory Land Rights Act, will be detrimental to reconciliation.
“I think the present government is picking fights on a number of fronts that don’t help reconciliation and certainly aren’t conducive to an atmosphere that would enable a successful referendum.”………http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/nov/12/mick-dodson-blasts-tony-abbott-for-negativity-towards-indigenous-people
Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman cannot be trusted about the true economics of coal
Will Abbott and Newman show us their coal portfolios? Will they hold their investments until 2020? olddogthoughts November 16, 2014 Standing up for coal – Abbott and Newman give investment advice November 16, 2014 by: Kaye Lee
Tony Abbott has told a G20 leaders’ discussion on energy he was “standing up for coal” as the Queensland government prepares to unveil new infrastructure spending to help the development of Australia’s largest coal mine.Abbott, who recently said coal was “good for humanity”, also endorsed the mine, proposed by the Indian company Adani, to the meeting.
The Australian government has given all environmental and regulatory clearances for the $7.5 billion coal mining, rail and port project, said Gautam Adani, chairman, Adani Group, in an interview to The Indian Express.
And Campbell Newman is happy to put your money where his mouth is. “We are prepared to invest in core, common-user infrastructure,” Mr Newman said. “The role of government is to make targeted investments to get something going and exit in a few years’ time.”
Despite poor market conditions, high costs and the massive outpouring of concern over the environmental impacts of their projects, Indian companies GVK and Adani remain hell-bent on opening up the Galilee Basin in Queensland. The smallest mine is as large as Australia’s biggest operating coal mine and the largest, twice the size. All of the proposals in the Galilee Basin would produce enough coal to chew up 7% of the world’s remaining carbon budget, drastically reducing our chances of keeping a lid on global warming.
Adani and fellow Indian company GVK are pushing their projects and Adani wants to start construction early next year, but the key problem is access to funds.
Few banks are willing to lend when coal prices are so low and the industry is facing issues with climate change.
There are also issues with both companies………………….. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 