PM Turnbull appoints a nuclear energy enthusiast as Chief Scientist
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to appoint nuclear power advocate Dr Alan Finkel as chief scientist http://m.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/prime-minister-malcolm-turnbull-to-appoint-nuclear-power-advocate-dr-alan-finkel-as-chief-scientist/story-fnpp4dj5-1227581950975 October 26, 2015
The Herald Sun has learned that Dr Alan Finkel, a respected engineer who has long called for nuclear to be part of the nation’s energy mix, will this week be named as Australia’s chief scientist.
The appointment by Malcolm Turnbull could reignite public and political divisions over a nuclear industry, which has been debated since the mid-1970s and spawned a political and environment movement in the 1980s.
Dr Finkel, the outgoing chancellor of Monash University, has argued nuclear power is needed for Australia to achieve an “abundant, reliable supply of low-emissions electricity”.
The Prime Minister vowed last week to put science “right at the centre” of his Government’s agenda and at the “very heart” of its future.
As president of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Dr Finkel said Australia had a proud record for regulatory oversight and would “without doubt” be able to manage a nuclear electricity system at “very high safety levels” . Dr Finkel’s pending appointment comes as Labor leader Bill Shorten yesterday ruled out supporting a switch to nuclear energy, despite a push from state governments.
A divide within the party was reopened at the weekend, when Mr Shorten said he was prepared to assess the outcome of South Australia’s nuclear inquiry but federal Labor’s priority was renewable energy.
Mr Turnbull, as environment minister in the Howard government, said in order to deal with climate change, a “nuclear option” must be on the table while Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said last year nuclear was an “obvious direction” for Australia as it considered how to cut carbon dioxide emissions after 2020.
Dr Finkel will replace Professor Ian Chubb after his five-year stint as chief scientist.
Labor Leader Bill Shorten opposes nuclear industry mainly because it is ‘not viable’
Labor reopens nuclear divide at South Australian state ALP convention, Advertiser October 24, 2015 PAUL STARICK CHIEF REPORTER LABOR’S long-running nuclear energy divide reopened yesterday when federal leader Bill Shorten declared his opposition to reactors in Australia.
Speaking after the State Labor Convention, Mr Shorten said he was prepared to assess the outcome of South Australia’s present nuclear Royal Commission but federal Labor’s priority was renewable energy.
But Premier Jay Weatherill said SA had to take charge of creating future jobs — the state’s jobless rate is a nation-leading 7.7 per cent — and this included seriously considering a nuclear future…….
Asked whether he had an open mind about nuclear energy, Mr Shorten said he had always believed the cost outweighed the economic benefits, even before considering environmental safeguards.
“At this point, I don’t support nuclear energy. I don’t see it as a viable prospect — obviously I’ll see what the Royal Commission says,” Mr Shorten said………
State Labor president Peter Malinauskas told the conference it was right for the government to pursue jobs growth by “planting the seeds of new industries, like the clean and virtually carbon-free nuclear industry”…….
Tentative nuclear Royal Commission findings are expected to be released in February for public consultation, ahead of a final report in May…..http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/labor-reopens-nuclear-divide-at-south-australian-state-alp-convention/story-fni6uo1m-1227581198474?sv=89f1a1c2a3348d615bf8cb1f04ad75b0
Low level radiation – health effects – from WHO, Alice Stewart and Rosalie Bertell
W.H.O. IPHECA report 1995… areas over 5 mSv/year were designated mandatory EVACUATION zones.
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/41801/1/9241561815_eng.pdf
The international standard for external exposure has been 1mSv/year. With the advent of ‘modern medicine’, the use of nuclear chemicals, xrays, dental included, of course…… it is harder for exposure to be limited in this way, but all people should be aware and consider xrays for children especially only when absolutely necessary! Dr. Alice Stewart showed that very low doses for children is far worse and causes cancers in children a few years later! Leukemia being prevalent.
Low Level radiation exposure from Sister Doctor Rosalie Bertell:
“When you are talking about constant low radiation exposure, what you are doing is introducing mistakes into the gene-pool. And those mistakes will eventually turn up by killing that line, that cell line, that species line. The amount of damage determines whether this happens in two generations or in seven generations or 10 generations. So what we are doing by introducing more mistakes into the DNA or the gene pool is we are shortening the number of generations that will be viable on the planet.
We have shortened the number of generations that will follow us. We have shortened that already. So we reduced the viability of living systems on this planet, whether it can recover or not. We don’t have any outside source to get new DNA. So we have the DNA we have, whoever will live on this planet in the future is present right now in the DNA. So if we damage it, we don’t have another place to get it.
There will be no living thing on earth in the future that is not present now in a seed, in a sperm and the ovum of all living plants and animals. So it is all here now. It is not going to come from Mars or somewhere. Living things come from living things. So we carry this very precious seed for the future. And when you damage it you do two things. You produce an organism that is less viable, less harmonized with the environment. At the same time, we are leaving toxic and radioactive waste around. So you are going to have a more hazardous environment and a less capable organism. That is a death syndrome for the species, not only for the individual. It is going to be harder to live. The body will be less able to take stress, and you are increasing the stress at the same time.
We are responsible for what we turn over to the next generation. It is amazing to me because I am the daughter of people that came from Europe, migrated to Canada and the United States for a better life for their children. And it seems that our generation does not care for the future. It is not our heritage. Our heritage was to give something better to our children than what we received. And we seem not to care. I find this very strange, and I think most of our grandparents would turn over in their graves, if they knew what we are doing.”
Dr. Rosalie Bertell 2010 Interview
http://nf2045.blogspot.fr/2014/04/2010-interview-with-rosalie-bertell.html
Tourism industry at Maralinga – but how safe is Maralinga nuclear bomb site?
from THE AUSTRALIAN, 26 Oct 15 …… Robin Matthews, the weathered caretaker of Maralinga nuclear test site, welcomes his visitors with some soothing words: the endless expanse of red gibber plain is safe — just as long as you do not dig.
Concealed under the rusty soil lies 60-year-old secrets of the British Empire, where seven nuclear bombs were detonated and hundreds of minor trials using plutonium and other radioactive materials contaminated kilometres of land.
But look close enough and the remnants of the tests are there — from the salt bush that refuses to grow any taller than 30cm and marks out a wide circle in the blast zones to scattered shrapnel and dark-green glass scattered across ground zero at the Breakaway nuclear test site, created by the heat of the explosion……
Most of the land was handed back to the Maralinga Tjarutja Aboriginal people in 2009 after rehabilitation work was finished, but Defence held on to the weapons-testing range in the Woomera Prohibited Area. In November last year, the 1782sq km site was officially handed back to the Aboriginal people.
Government papers released in 2011 show the site had required further remediation, with the topsoil over the massive Taranaki trench — four football fields wide and three storeys deep and now the burial site for contaminated topsoil and machinery — eroding over time.
Maralinga-Tjarutja general manager Richard Preece said the traditional owners of the land still did not want anything to do with the area, which they described as mamu (devil) country…..
Mr Preece said Maralinga was not only a legacy for Aboriginal people, but also for all Australians who had to remediate the site and were now left with buried radioactive material.
“I find it incredible that somehow it was all right for the British government on foreign soil to create a radioactive mess that was completely left to Australia,” he said.
Poll shows Australians overwhelmingly reject coal and nuclear- solar is tops
“Most (84 per cent, up 2 points) prefer solar amongst their top three energy sources, followed by wind (69 per cent, up 5 points). Gas and nuclear both crashed 7 points to 21 and 13 per cent respectively, with nuclear and coal now tied as least preferred,” said John Connor, CEO of The Climate Institute in a press release.
Australians support renewables? Absolutely, all we need now is a federal government that reflects the electorate’s view. The survey shows both the government and the Opposition need to “join mainstream Australian attitudes with climate commitments and policies” that promote clean energy
Climate Institute poll finds Australians support renewables August 18, 2015 Rich Bowden http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/climate-institute-poll-finds-australians-support-renewables/
Renewables appear to be a vote winner. Someone may want to tell our government. Continue reading
Australia’s PM Malcolm Turnbull will attend Paris UN climate conference
Turnbull to attend UN climate conference Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is expected to attend December’s United Nations climate change conference in Paris. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/10/25/turnbull-attend-un-climate-conference Source: AAP
He has told the Guardian Australia he will head to Paris for the December conference after the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta, armed with the coalition’s 2030 emissions reduction target of 26 to 28 per cent on 2005 levels.
His predecessor Tony Abbott was not expected to attend the conference after he scrapped the carbon tax, reduced Australia’s renewable energy target and criticised wind farms for being ugly.
Before Turnbull became prime minister, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had been expected to represent Australia at the UN meeting instead of Abbott.
With its heavy use of coal-fired power, Australia is considered one of the world’s worst per capita greenhouse gas polluters.
Australia’s carbon emission targets criticised Continue reading
Kyoto Prefecture signs pact to replace nuclear power with gas and renewables
Kyoto advances nuclear-free agenda with Alaska LNG pact, Japan Times, BY ERIC JOHNSTON KYOTO, 25 OCT 15, – The Kyoto Prefectural Government signed an agreement with Alaska last month to explore the possibility of importing liquid natural gas from the state to Maizuru, a port city on the Sea of Japan.
While daunting financial and bureaucratic challenges mean it will still be a while before Alaskan LNG flows to Kyoto, the agreement represents a step forward for Kyoto to achieve a larger goal: ending prefectural dependence on nuclear power by 2040.
The strategy, as outlined by Kyoto Gov. Keiji Yamada, calls for building up LNG facilities at Maizuru and installing new LNG pipelines in the Kansai region. The prefecture envisions Maizuru supplying not only Kyoto, but other prefectures in the region with gas to replace Fukui Prefecture’s nuclear power plants as a major source of electricity.
Kyoto is not alone in seeking to replace atomic power with a combination of LNG imports and renewable energy. As of the end of 2014, more than 600 local governments nationwide had declared their intent to be nuclear-free, although not all of have set specific dates like Kyoto, and many lack a strategic plan for achieving that goal.
Yamada listed several reasons why the prefecture needs to end its usage of nuclear power, which comes mostly from 11 Kansai Electric Power Co. reactors in neighboring Fukui……..
Kyoto and Hyogo, along with Osaka Gas, Kepco, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, agreed in early September to formally research the cost of building an LNG pipeline from Maizuru to Sanda, Hyogo Prefecture, that could then supply other parts of Kansai and likely lead to other localities needing less nuclear power. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/25/national/kyoto-advances-nuclear-free-agenda-alaska-lng-pact/#.Vi0_ztIrLGh
Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor 1986
Failure Chernobyl nuclear power plant http://fotokomorka.com/czarnobyl/ translated here by Google Translate, 25 Oct 15 Chernobyl nuclear reactor No. 4 architecture RBMK 1000 was lekkowodnym graphite moderated reactor with a capacity of 1000 MW, which was adapted from the military reactor, once producing fissile material for nuclear weapons. It has not been equipped with properly reinforced shield to lessen the impact of any failure. Alarming is the fact that exactly the same reactors still used in Lithuania, Ukraine or Russia. Continue reading
Climate Inaction An Election-Losing Strategy
The Trudeau Effect: Has Climate Inaction Become An Election-Losing Strategy? Huffington Post, Suzanne Harter , 25 Oct 15 With the extraordinary victory of Canada’s progressive Liberal Party under Justin Trudeau, a new opportunity to carve out meaningful climate goals in Paris may have emerged just in the nick of time. In his first press conference since becoming Prime Minister, Trudeau said he is aware Canada has not played a constructive role in climate negotiations in recent years and promised: “We’re back.”…….The two had been described as the “bad boys” of global climate talks. We now see the results of such an irresponsible approach. Within the past months, both men have been forced from office. Could it be that the global tide of public opinion has firmly spoken? …….
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ought to take note and avoid similar mistakes. Another election policy of the Canadian Liberal government is to consider greenhouse gas emissions in approving any new oil pipelines and support phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. These policies have extra resonance in Australia today as we contemplate the irresponsible approval of the Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin.
A recent Lowy poll found that if Mr Turnbull or Mr Shorten pledged to take stronger climate targets to Paris they would have the overwhelming weight of support of the Australian population behind them. Continue reading
Australia’s pathetic squabbling over climate change
Everything beats optimal for climate policy, The Age, Richard Denniss October 23, 2015 The debate about climate change policy in Australia is almost completely broken. Indeed, the only positive thing about the last 10 years of squabbling is that it is virtually impossible for the debate to deteriorate further. An optimist might argue it has no option but to improve.
Prime Minister Turnbull said this week that, in relation to climate policy, we should be more concerned with the ends than the means. Put another way, the only way to minimise dangerous climate change is by reducing emissions. The only thing that makes such a statement of the obvious seem remarkable is the ten years of gobbledygook to which it was said in response.
Since the world agreed in 1992 to stop dangerous global warming, the world’s CO2 emissions have risen by 60 per cent and Australia’s by 18 per cent, despite agreeing, with other wealthy countries, to act first on reducing emissions. Europe’s long experiment with emissions trading has been plagued with problems resulting in limited impact on emissions. The US has seen a similar emissions trajectory, despite lacking a carbon price.
The two year run of the Labor/Green carbon price was effective at reducing emissions, as is the Renewable Energy Target. Less well known are energy efficiency regulations for appliances and houses, which both reduced the nation’s emissions and saved household’s money.
Alternatively, while Greg Hunt’s ‘direct action’ policy is yet to act directly on Australia’s emissions, President Obama’s direct approach, including regulating emissions from coal fired power stations, is set to reduce US emissions by 32 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030………http://www.theage.com.au/comment/everything-beats-optimal-for-climate-policy-20151021-gkfdur.html
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 