International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons to receive Nobel Peace Prize on Deccember 10th
Nobel Peace Prize: Does an Australian-born anti-nuke group’s award achieve anything? ABC News By Europe correspondent James Glenday , 9 Dec 17 It has been dubbed an “ambassador boycott”, a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony snub.
When an Australian-born movement to ban nuclear weapons receives the world’s most prestigious award this weekend, Russia will be the only declared nuclear power with a top diplomat present.
Israel is sending an ambassador, though it does not confirm or deny it has nuclear warheads, while the US, the UK and France have chosen to make a statement — they will only be represented by deputies.
The prize winner, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), claims the “ambassador boycott” by western countries is aimed at undermining its work.
It has fought for a global treaty banning nuclear weapons, which now has 53 signatories.
But the document remains somewhat symbolic because no nuclear powers have signed it and neither have many of their close allies.
Australia, for example, has long argued banning the bomb outright — while emotionally appealing — will not lead to any meaningful reduction in nuclear weapons and may divert attention from existing treaties aimed at preventing nuclear proliferation.
Thus far, the Turnbull Government has stopped short of congratulating ICAN, which began in Melbourne……..
There has been controversy and contradictions surrounding the Nobel Peace Prize ever since it was founded by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish businessman who invented dynamite and traded arms……..
This year the award is worth 9 million Swedish kronor, more than $AU1.411 million. “That money helps a young NGO [like ICAN], one that doesn’t have much access to funds, one that is perhaps being denied funds because of some political problems,” Dr Lewis said.
“ICAN was founded in Australia. It’s something that Australians have achieved.”……..
ICAN is, of course, hoping the prize will convince more people to back its bomb ban.
But it also wants more public debate about the pace of nuclear disarmament — many nuclear experts agree things have moved too slowly, for too long.
“I would hope [ICAN’s work] generates some momentum within existing processes for disarmament,” Mr Dall said.
“If it doesn’t, then the long-term impact could be that nothing is going to happen and that really is the worst possible long-term impact.”
Regardless, the prize, the controversy and “ambassador boycott” is all invaluable for ICAN itself.
Anything that prompts more global coverage of nuclear weapons and the destruction they can unleash, is much more useful to it than any number of diplomatic niceties in Norway this weekend. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-09/does-the-nobel-peace-prize-achieve-anything/9242626
Nuclear and climate news to December 8th – Australia
Can Humans Survive? Nuclear weapons and climate change both threaten our existence, but with different time scales and probability.
Closer to the nuclear brink: American air drills begin over the Korean peninsula. The human consequences of nuclear war: a new medical plea against war.
Nuclear news in America is getting more intriguing – with more being revealed about the shady nuclear deals done by Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. It’s enough for Trump’s lawyers to be concerned, as Flynn is now co-operating with the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia.
On the climate front – when it comes to climate predictions – the most accurate ones are turning out to be the worst case scenarios. Even in rich countries, climate change is already costing us all financially, and it’s going to get worse.
AUSTRALIA
Turnbull govt might still try to restrict environmental groups.
NUCLEAR.
- Senator Claire Moore refutes arguments of Australia’s pro nuclear lobby.
- Over 1000 protest in Adelaide against Federal nuclear waste dump plan.
- Pine Gap: peaceful protestors sentenced to fines, not gaol.
- Significant wins by the Greens for the nuclear free cause in South Australia.
- Ipswich residents not all taken in by the pro nuclear hype. Salesman for Small ModularNuclear Reactors (SMRs) says Ipswich, Queensland, should have them operating by 2030. The ignorance of Australia’s nuclear pushers – Cory Bernardi and Co.
- Did thorium pollution cause cancers and deaths in the Tweed Valley?
CLIMATE. Banks warned of ‘regulatory action’ as climate change bites global economy. Climate change preoccupies the mind of Kevin Rudd.
Adani. Adani coal project in a financial pickle, as Australian and Chinese banks refuse funding. Greens Members of Parliament arrested at anti Adani coal mine protest. Greens MP to tour Queensland region to campaign against Adani coal plan. Adani referred to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) over its misleading job promises. Traditional owners aiming to block native title ruling on mine site. Wangan and Jagalingou Aboriginal claim that Adani paid people to stack meeting.
ENERGY. Australia’s first offshore wind farm in Victoria, wins international funding. Lots of renewable energy news at http://reneweconomy.com.au/
Did thorium pollution cause cancers and deaths in the Tweed Valley?
Cancer cluster fears after more than 20 deaths https://www.tweeddailynews.com.au/news/cancer-cluster-scare-black-sand-suspect-in-deaths/2748511/ by Alina Rylko 22nd Aug 2015 Updated: 14th Aug 2017 A MULTI-GENERATIONAL tragedy costing dozens of lives on a short stretch of road in the Tweed Valley is claimed to be evidence of a cancer cluster.
Adani coal project in a financial pickle, as Australian and Chinese banks refuse funding
Is this the end of the road for Adani’s Australian megamine?
Australian and Chinese banks have turned it down, and analysts say Adani’s failure to secure funding for the Carmichael mine leaves it high and dry, Guardian, Michael Slezak, 7 Dec 17 , Adani’s operations in Australia appear to be hanging on by a thread, as activists prove effective at undermining the company’s chances of getting the finance it needs.
China seems to have ruled out funding for the mine, which means it’s not just Adani’s proposed Carmichael coalmine that is under threat, but also its existing Abbot Point coal terminal, which sits near Bowen, behind the Great Barrier Reef.
The campaign against the mine has been long. Environmentalists first tried to use Australia’s environmental laws to block it from going ahead, and then failing that, focused on pressuring financial institutions, first here, and then around the world.
The news that Beijing has left Adani out to dry comes as on-the-ground protests against construction of the mine pick up. Two Greens MPs, Jeremy Buckingham and Dawn Walker, have been arrested in Queensland for disrupting the company’s activities.
Is China’s move the end of the road for Adani’s mega coalmine in Australia, and will the Adani Group be left with billions of dollars in stranded assets?
Environmental laws fail to halt mine
Despite the mine threatening to destroy some of the best remaining habitat of threatened species of birds and lizards, federal environmental laws proved unable to stop the mine in the face of a government that wanted it to go ahead.
The initial federal approval for the mine was overturned after it was revealed the then-minister for the environment, Greg Hunt, had ignored his own department’s advice about the mine’s impact on two vulnerable species, the yakka skink and the ornamental snake.
But Australia’s environmental law leaves very little opportunity for challenging the merits of a minister’s decision – it only allows for challenges on whether those decisions considered everything required by the law. As a result, the minister needed only approve it again, after formally considering the impact on the two species.
Another court challenge argued the approval was invalid because the emissions caused by the mine – which would be greater than those of New York City – were a threat to the Great Barrier Reef. Hunt argued in court, successfully, that there was no definite link between coal from Adani mine and climate change.
It became apparent Australia’s environmental laws were unable to stop a project like this if the government of the day was determined to push it through……. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/07/is-this-the-end-of-the-road-for-adanis-australian-megamine
Small Modular Nuclear Reactors would produce much more expensive electricity than large reactors
Power from mini nuclear plants ‘would cost more than from large ones’
UK government study finds electricity would be nearly one-third pricier than it would from plants such as Hinkley Point C, Guardian, Adam Vaughan, 7 Dec 17, Electricity from the first mini nuclear power stations in Britain would be likely to be more expensive than from large atomic plants such as Hinkley Point C, according to a government study.
Power from small modular reactors (SMRs) would cost nearly one-third more than conventional large ones in 2031, the report found, because of reduced economies of scale and the costs of deploying first-of-a-kind technology.
The analysis by the consultancy Atkins for the Department for Business, Energyand Industrial Strategy said there was “a great deal of uncertainty with regards to the economics” of the smaller reactors.
However, the authors said such reactors should be able to cut costs more quickly than large ones because they could be built and put into service in less time.
Advocates have argued that the reactors could be built in factories and achieve savings through their modular nature.
While the report covers the technology being used by several of the international companies seeking government support, it does not apply to the design being pushed by businesses including Rolls-Royce.
A government source said nuclear companies had told officials that the cost of the technology had come down since the report, which was finished in July last year but only published on Thursday.
As revealed by the Guardian earlier this week, ministers confirmed that SMR developers would receive £56m of public funding for research and development over three years. A further £86m was announced for work on nuclear fusion.
Greg Clark, the business secretary, said the backing would help the nuclear sector compete globally………
The government also defended Britain’s need for new nuclear power in the face of falling renewable costs.
Richard Harrington, the energy minister, said the record low subsidies recently awarded to offshore windfarms emphasised the challenge for the French, Korean, Chinese and Japanese companies building the UK’s new generation of nuclear plants to be competitive on price………
green groups and politicians accused the government of talking down renewables.
Doug Parr, the policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: “Instead of downplaying the rapid advancement of UK renewables, the government should concentrate on the export opportunities for this UK success story.”
Caroline Lucas, the Green party co-leader, called the UK’s energy policy a mess. “Ministers are ploughing huge sums of money into supporting overpriced nuclear, while retaining a de facto ban on onshore wind and failing to give solar the support the sector needs,” she said……. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/07/power-mini-nuclear-plants-cost-more-hinkley-point-c
Turnbull govt might still try to restrict environmental groups
Turnbull government drops plans to curb green groups but doubts remain, The Age, 6 Dec 17 Peter Hannam Environment groups have welcomed the Turnbull government’s retreat from plans to curb environmental advocacy but concerns remain about other proposals to restrict the charity sector.
Kelly O’Dwyer, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, announced the government would drop its intention to require environmental charities spend at least 50 per cent of donation income on “environmental remediation work” to retain their tax-deductible status.
“The government will not mandate a level of remediation by environmental organisations,” Ms O’Dwyer said.
The push for a required level of environmental work lost traction after BHP indicated it would oppose such curbs. The Australian Conservation Foundation welcomed the backdown of the government’s “anti-democratic proposal” to curb environmental advocacy.
The Minerals Council of Australia had sought as much as a 90 per cent requirement for remediation efforts, with only 10 per cent for advocacy for green groups to retain their tax-deductibility status.
Other worries emerge
But other moves by the Turnbull government are fanning uncertainty, including plans released on Tuesday to ban foreign donations to advocacy groups.
Samantha Hepburn, a law professor at Deakin University, said financial reporting requirements under the Annual Information Statement (AIS) collected by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission could pose other challenges for environmental groups.
Where an environmental group provided an AIS that revealed strong expenditure on political advocacy rather than remediation, it might be investigated by the Australian Taxation Office. The proposed changes increased funding for the ACNC and the ATO to review more groups for their ongoing eligibility for tax benefits, she said.
“This creates uncertainty for environmental organisations,” Professor Hepburn said. “It is unclear whether their public interest imperatives in pursuing political advocacy for such issues, such as climate change and matters of national environmental significance, will actually result in their ongoing eligibility being put at risk.”
‘Undue burdens’
“Charities are already highly regulated and scrutinised, much more so than other groups in public life such as industry lobbies,” Ms O’Shanassy said. “Any reforms should not put undue burdens on charities that would force them to use their limited resources on unnecessary red tape.”……http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/turnbull-government-drops-plans-to-curb-green-groups-but-doubts-remain-20171206-gzzs5s.html
More revelations about Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and his secretive nuclear deals
Michael Flynn’s involvement in a plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East is looking even shadier https://www.vox.com/2017/12/6/16743476/michael-flynn-russia-sanctions According to a whistleblower, a Flynn business associate bragged that Flynn would end sanctions on Russia to clear the way for this project. By On President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day, a former business parter of incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn allegedly bragged that Flynn told him Trump would quickly lift US sanctions on Russia — a move that would pave the way for a controversial plan to build nuclear plants across the Middle East, with Russian help.
That’s the explosive, but unverified, allegation of a whistleblower cooperating with House Democrats probing the myriad scandals surrounding Flynn, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a senior Russian diplomat.
The allegation has been made public by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee — who is demanding that his Republican counterpart on the committee investigate Flynn and others involved in the matter more aggressively.
The project in question — promoted by a group of former senior US military officers, and often described as a “Marshall Plan” of sorts — would involve US companies working with Russian companies to build and operate nuclear plants in the Middle East, and export spent fuel from those plants.
In June 2015, Flynn flew to Egypt and Israel to “gauge attitudes” on the proposal, Newsweek’s Jeff Stein has reported. And one of the companies involved in the project covered his travel expenses and wrote him a check for $25,000 for the trip, though it’s not clear if Flynn cashed the check.
But reports over the last few months have suggested that Flynn continued to promote the project after the election, and even after he had been sworn in as national security adviser.
One businessman involved in the project — Alex Copson of ACU Strategic Partners — even dubbed it the “Trump/Putin M.E. [Middle East] Marshall Plan,” according to an email obtained by Reuters.
Now, new allegations are coming from a whistleblower who says he met Copson at a Washington, DC, event on Inauguration Day — and that Copson had some very interesting things to say about the project.
Michael Flynn’s business partner allegedly said this project was a pretext for expanding the US military presence in the Middle East
According to the whistleblower, Copson flat-out said the following things:
- That he “just got” a text message from Flynn saying the nuclear plant project was “good to go,” and that his business colleagues should “put things in place”
- That Flynn was making sure sanctions on Russia would be “ripped up,” which would let the project go forward
- That this was the “best day” of his life, and that the project would “make a lot of very wealthy people”
- That the project would also provide a pretext for expanding a US military presence in the Middle East (the pretext of defending the nuclear plants)
- That citizens of Middle Eastern countries would be better off “when we recolonize the Middle East”
The whistleblower said that Copson quickly displayed what he claimed to be a text message from Flynn that appeared to have been sent during Trump’s inauguration speech. But the whistleblower says he or she could not read the actual message. Still, he or she claims to have been disturbed enough by the interaction to have documented it at the time.
Perhaps most intriguingly of all, Cummings writes that he told Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team about all this some time ago — and that they asked him to delay publicly revealing this information “until they completed certain investigation steps.”
Cummings added: “They have now informed us that they have done so.”
Greens Members of Parliament arrested at anti Adani coal mine protest
Greens MPs arrested and fined at Adani protest, as Indian miner is referred to consumer watchdog, The New Daily 6 Nov 17, Two NSW Greens MPs have been arrested and fined for protesting against the proposed Adani Carmichael coalmine, while another front was opened in the long-running battle against the development.
Jeremy Buckingham and Dawn Walker were among 17 people arrested on Wednesday morning for trespassing at the controversial site, 270 kilometres west of Bowen in Queensland.
Mr Buckingham and Ms Walker were fined $250 each after being issued with a police infringement notice for trespassing unlawfully at a place of business.
“I’m proud to stand with activists in defence of climate and country, and respect all those people around Australia and internationally who want to stop the Adani coal project,” Mr Buckingham said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Although we are MPs from NSW this is an issue of national and international significance. Adani represents a line in the sand for all those concerned about climate change who do not want to see a new coal precinct opened up in Australia.”
Ms Walker said the proposal was “tearing Indigenous communities apart” and was offering “a sub standard agreement to traditional owners for their land”.
About 5am on Wednesday, Queensland Police were alerted that 35 people were blockading the railway construction site near the proposed mine.
Fourteen protesters entered the site and climbed onto vehicles and machinery about 6am, a police spokesman told The New Daily.
A woman in her 60s locked herself to a boundary gate with a metal bike lock around her neck. Police were working to remove her.
Seventeen people were arrested for trespass and failure to comply with direction. Nine of those people were issued with infringement notices after moving on.
Eight people continued to fail to comply and they remained under arrest on Wednesday afternoon…… http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/qld/2017/12/06/adani-greens-mps-arrested-accc/
8 December More REneweconomy news
RenewEconomy-
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Rooftop solar: Australia’s greatest opportunity – and its greatest risk
Why rooftop solar could be one of the grid’s greatest assets but also one of its greatest threats if not properly managed. Here’s what AEMO thinks needs to be done. -
Coal versus cricket in IndiaWill the interruption of match in New Delhi between India and Sri Lanka by toxic smog finally spur the Indian Government to take coal plant pollution seriously?
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Campoona mining project approved to produce ultra-pure graphite for batteriesArcher Exploration has been granted approval for its Campoona graphite project, north of Cleve on the Eyre Peninsula.
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NSW signs LGC off-take deal with Neoen’s Dubbo solar farmNSW signs deal to buy LGC’s from Neoen’s Dubbo solar farm, and says “this lays the foundation for more renewable energy procurement.”
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Zen Energy gets retail licence to launch “base-load” renewable productZen Energy gets electricity retailer licence to offer “baseload renewable energy” product and proceed with 1GW solar and storage facility at the Whyalla Steelworks.
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Newcrest snubs solar for coal power, but was it a good deal?Gold miner Newcrest decides against solar farm to help power its Cadia mine in NSW, highlighting the challenges for renewable developers.
100% renewable grid with pumped hydro would use 1/4 the water of coal and gas — RenewEconomy
ANU’s Andrew Blakers says switching Australia to 100% solar, wind, pumped hydro energy storage would cut water use by a factor of four.
via 100% renewable grid with pumped hydro would use 1/4 the water of coal and gas — RenewEconomy
Winter is Supposedly Coming; So Why is California Burning?
As forecasters expect a warming climate will make Santa Ana winds more frequent and faster, that Santa Ana blowtorch is likely to do a lot more damage to the developed parts of the state. — One of the conclusions of a recent climate study.
You can only imagine the impact this weather is having. — Los Angeles Fire Chief.
*****
The popular refrain these days is that ‘winter is coming.’ But for California and the North American West, this is clearly not the case.
(Four large wildfires burn across Los Angeles in this December 5 satellite shot. Image source: NASA Worldview.)
Conditions across the West have been drier lately. Hotter lately. A lot less winter-like during the winter season lately. Add in the fact that climate change is expected to increase the strength of the wildfire-sparking Santa Ana winds and this trend of ebbing winter is a…
View original post 621 more words
The most accurate climate predictions appear to show worst case scenarios
The Worst-Case Climate Predictions Seem To Be the Most Accurate Ones http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a14380947/worst-case-scenario-climate-predictions/
The climate models that predict the most warming over the next century were the best at predicting climate change over the past decade. Avery Thompson, Dec 8, 2017
It’s hard to predict the exact effects of climate change over the course of a few decades. Even while broad trends appear, the litany complex interactions between the air, the water, polar ice, land masses, and so on, make exact predictions elusive. To deal with this problem, scientists develop models that simulate a few of these elements at one time and see which models are the most accurate.
This variety of climate models is the reason long-term predictions tend to be all over the place, with some models predicting only a few degrees of warming while other models predict a lot more. While some people have been pointing to the more milder predictions as evidence that climate change might not be that bad, there is some bad news. A team of researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science has found that the most accurate models so far also tend to be the most severe ones.
The new study, published in Nature, compared more than a decade’s worth of data from climate satellites to a wide range of different climate models. This data included the amount of sunlight reflected back into space, how much heat is leaving the Earth, and how much total energy is entering and leaving the atmosphere. Scientists then analyzed various climate models for that period to see which ones came closest to predicting reality.
The researchers found that the most accurate models were the ones that predicted the most warming over the next century. This means that rather than see only a few degrees of warming—as predicted by some of the milder models—we’re much more likely to see almost twice that.
According to the paper, there’s a good chance we could see 5 degrees C of warming by 2100, and a 95 percent chance of more than 4 degrees of warming, assuming we do nothing to stop it. The goal set by the Paris agreement in 2015—to keep warming below 2 degrees C by the end of the century—is looking increasingly impossible. Source: MIT Technology Review
Greens MP to campaign against Adani coal plan. NAIF considering funding. Bob Carr lobbying against coal investment
Interesting headlines – the content is available to “subscribers only”
Queensland Election 2017: Greens MP plans anti-Adani regional tour after Maiwar win
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/queensland-election-2017-greens-mp-plans-antiadani-regional-tour-after-maiwar-win/news-story/8d4c2983cdc24e62cfc31c02518bb61b
NAIF still assessing Adani loan
The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility will keep assessing a potential $1 billion loan to Adani until it is officially killed off by the Queensland government.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/naif-will-continue-to-assess-adani-loan-until-killed-off-by-qld-government-20171207-h00gut
Bob Carr a one-man lobbying effort to stop investment in Adani’s Carmichael mine
Courier Mail editorial:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/editorial-bob-carr-a-oneman-lobbying-effort-to-stop-investment-in-adanis-carmichael-mine/news-story/0cf2a660b087b6c75e762921907c1f59
ACCC asked to investigate Adani ‘10,000 jobs’ claim
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/accc-asked-to-investigate-adani-jobs-claim-20171206-p4yxfl.html Environmental lawyers have asked Australia’s consumer watchdog to investigate Adani’s claims that its controversial Queensland coal mine will create a jobs bonanza.
Environmental Justice Australia this week wrote to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission asking it to investigate what it says is “misleading or deceptive conduct” by the company relating to the Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin.
“Plenty of evidence suggests Adani’s representations about 10,000 direct and indirect jobs are seriously flawed, yet the company continues to mislead people looking for work,” said EJA lawyer David Barnden, who said the Queensland Land Court had already ruled the mine would create just 1464 jobs.
The future of the mine has suffered setbacks this week, with project funding from China looking increasingly unlikely.
The Bank of China on Tuesday issued a one-line press release saying it “has not, and does not intend to, provide funding for the Adani Carmichael Mine project”.
It is the third of the country’s “big four” banks to distance itself from the mine, following The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and China Construction Bank’s decision not to stump up cash.
Australia’s own big four banks have already ruled out supporting the project.
The Greens say it signals the end of the mine.
“Any financier with any sense doesn’t want Adani,” Greens senator Andrew Bartlett told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
“It’s time for Adani to give it up, save their money and for the politicians of Queensland to focus on the issues that will deliver genuine jobs for regional Queensland.”
Adani referred to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) over its misleading job promises
Greens MPs arrested and fined at Adani protest, as Indian miner is referred to consumer watchdog, The New Daily, 6 Dec 17 “………Adani referred to the ACCC
The protest comes after community legal service Environmental Justice Australia (EJA) referred the Indian miner to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) over its jobs spruiking.
Acting for Townsville jobseeker Chris McCoomb, a volunteer coordinator with the Australian Unemployed Workers Union, EJA is urging the ACCC to investigate Adani for “misleading vulnerable jobseekers”.
EJA says “inflated” claims its mine will create 10,000 jobs is leading jobseekers to spend thousands of dollars on training for “jobs that will never exist”.
Mr McCoomb’s 17-page complaint names at least one Queensland mining training outfit that is using Adani’s “inflated figures … to promote sometimes costly training courses and certifications” to cash-strapped jobseekers.
That company advertises a one day “mining induction course” for $650.
In 2015, Land Court of Queensland president Carmel MacDonald found Adani had significantly “overstated” its job figures in court evidence and to the State Government.
Ms MacDonald accepted testimony the project would “increase average annual employment by 1,206 jobs in Queensland and 1,464 jobs in Australia”, not by 10,000.
EJA lawyer David Barnden told the ACCC “the evidence for misleading and deceptive conduct … is strong”.
“ACCC is urged to take action to prevent the continued dissemination of Adani’s misleading or deceptive statements that are directed at jobseekers.
“Vulnerable jobseekers should not be misled into spending money or training courses or certification without the true number of expected direct and indirect jobs being published by Adani.”
An ACCC spokesman declined to comment on the Adani complaint. An Adani spokesman could not be reached for comment. http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/qld/2017/12/06/adani-greens-mps-arrested-accc/
1.This month.
Zoom webinar – “Nuclear Winter: The Environmental Consequences of a Nuclear Exchange.”
April 7th at 11:30 am PST / 2:30 pm EST
Nuclear Winter: The Environmental Consequences of a Nuclear Exchange”
Join us for an informative webinar with renowned atmospheric scientist, Professor Brian Toon, as he discusses the environmental risks and global impacts of a nuclear war. Despite the potential damage caused by the blast from even small nuclear weapons, many countries continue to invest in and expand nuclear arsenals. Professor Toon will provide a scientific assessment of civilian fatalities, agricultural failures, climate concerns, and complications with food supply that would follow any international nuclear conflict. We need to plan how to prevent nuclear conflict and avoid catastrophe. Politicians and military planners must be made aware of global climate and agricultural complications that would ensue. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from, and engage in, this vital conversation
The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.
The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.
Antinuclear 