Antinuclear

Today’s climate change and nuclear news – Australia

CLIMATE CHANGE. Australia ranked way down the bottom for climate change action.   Julie Bishop won ‘fossil of the day’ award for her coal-praising  speech at Paris climate talks. Australia is at this stage refusing to join the  ‘high ambition coalition’  of 100 nations wanting to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, to save our Pacific neighbours.  Important contribution of Australia’s indigenous people at Paris Climate Summit.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA NUCLEAR FUEL CHAIN ROYAL COMMISSION quietly pressing on, with public hearings in Adelaide dominated by nuclear proponents. Commission blocks lessons learned from Maralinga.

Royal Commission chief Kevin Scarce has been making ?soothing comments about nuclear industry for Australia being a long term project, and understanding opposition to it “ “I think (the fear) is probably a mixture of seeing the impact of accidents and perhaps not understanding the technology,”  (the good old argument – don’t worry – the technical experts know best) . At the same time, Scarce is clearly moving on to the next phase –  that of getting Australia’s environmental legislation overturned.

While Scarce clearly has his sights on this  National issue, and is discussing this with Australia’s pro nuclear Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, the propaganda spin goes on very quietly at the rural State level only, with “community information” sessions at Port Pirie Yacht club (3/12), at Port Lincoln and Whyalla this week.

The South Australian government has just granted an addition $3 million to the Royal Commission. Additional to how much already, we wonder? A super expensive exercise – submissions, months of hearings, and junkets around S Australia, and to Japan, France, South Korea, Canada etc for the predominantly pro nuclear Commission members.

Meanwhile a poll,finds that 72% of Australians oppose this nation becoming the world’s radioactive trash dump.

NUCLEAR WASTE  Even Right wing Senators Madigan and Bill Heffernan angry about unsafety of nuclear waste ship bringing back reprocessed Lucas Heights spent nuclear fuel rods.   Elaborate secret operation transports deadly nuclear wastes through Sydney.  Search goes for national site for Lucas Heights nuclear reactor wastes though they pretend that it is for “medical” wastes. Local communities are not fooled, for example, as expressed at a meeting at Hill End (NSW).

RENEWABLE ENERGY. Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore in Paris: upbeat about city’s climate change action. Increasing popularity of community solar energy projects in Australia. Govt talks big on renewables ‘innovation’, but will close Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funds CSIRO’s solar energy initiative.

December 11, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews