Solar and wind fuels emit no carbon, but “low carbon” nuclear fuel- it’s a lie! theme for November 18
Solar and wind energy both flow directly to the generating system.
Not only are these fuels carbon-free, but, unlike nuclear, they leave no wastes
Only one step in that uranium-nuclear chain is low emission – though all nuclear lobbyists claim that this step is “no emission” – the reactor’s operation. BUT – Carbon-14 is produced in coolant at boiling water reactors (BWRs) and pressurized water reactors (PWRs). It is typically released to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide at BWRs, and methane at PWRs.
Australia’s 60 Minutes – on Fukushima – a nuclear infomercial
 The 60 Minutes Fukushima nuclear infomercial, Independent AustraliaNoel Wauchope 23 October 2018 A FEW YEARS AGO, Channel 9’s 60 Minutes did an excellent investigation of the Fukushima nuclear accident.
This Fukushima investigation was compered by Liz Hayes. I recall that, at the time, the program was a much more thorough, serious and well-resourced presentation than anything put forward by even the ABC or SBS. However, I was pretty appalled at the latest 60 Minutes coverage of the Fukushima issue, which screened on Sunday (21 October) titled, Is nuclear power the solution to our energy crisis? The main message of this program is a call to scrap Australia’s legislation against establishing the nuclear industry. The argument given is that we need nuclear power because it is supposedly cheap and dependable. We also need it because it is supposedly essential to combat climate change. This time, the reporter is not Liz Hayes. It’s Tom Steinfort, who is described as a “seasoned Channel 9 star”. Does a seasoned Channel 9 star just accept without question the claims made in this episode? Among claims made:
If Mr Steinfort really is a star reporter, I would expect him to have done his homework before swallowing these claims hook line and sinker. ………
So, what do we make of this latest offering about Fukushima, from 60 Minutes? It must have taken a lot of money and a lot of negotiation to get a 60 Minutes camera team inside the Fukushima nuclear station. I assume that the negotiations were largely arranged by Ben Heard, who has influential nuclear contacts overseas — particularly in Russia and South Africa, where he has been a prominent nuclear spokesperson. In Russia, Heard launched Rosatom National Geographic — a nuclear soft sell environmental program. I think that we can be sure of one thing. As Japan plans for the 2020 Olympics – some sections of which are to take place in Fukushima Prefecture – the Japanese Government is not likely to permit a team with any anti-nuclear perspective access to the crippled nuclear power plant. The 60 Minutes media team would have had to have the Japanese authorities on side. I would bet, some companies keen to set up the nuclear industry in Australia would also be on side and keen to assist. There have been rumblings, too, of yet another resurgence for nuclear energy in Australia, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison declaring that he is ‘open to the idea of nuclear power’ and that ‘the source of Australia’s energy doesn’t bother him and he isn’t interested in an ideological debate’. Is it too much to hope that Channel 9 might do something to correct this nuclear infomercial and give us a different, more comprehensive view, rather than one blessed by Japanese authorities and the nuclear power lobby? https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/the-60-minutes-fukushima-nuclear-infomercial,12023 |
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Australian business urged to join global embrace of 100% renewables — RenewEconomy
More than 150 global companies with combined demand nearly as big as Australia’s main grid have committed to 100% renewable energy supply. But none from Australia – yet. The post Australian business urged to join global embrace of 100% renewables appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Australian business urged to join global embrace of 100% renewables — RenewEconomy
Another radiation contamination incident at Australia’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in another contamination scare amid calls for safety review, By John Stewart and Rebecca Trigger, ABC Investigations 24 Oct 18 There has been another contamination scare at Australia’s only nuclear reactor in southern Sydney, in the same week a report was released recommending immediate action to review safety procedures at the site.
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) confirmed five workers reported receiving a dose of radiation, but it was not above allowable limits.
………The Australian Manufacturers and Workers Union (AMWU) told the ABC at 11:30am on Tuesday, five employees working in the industrial handling bay inside building 23 were contaminated by an airborne iodine isotope.
The AMWU said one employee had been sent for thyroid scans, and another had to shave part of his beard off as it was carrying contaminates.
The scare came in the same week as a report into the ageing facility found it failed modern nuclear safety standards, and needed to be replaced, after another worker was exposed to radioactive material last year.
The union said Tuesday’s contamination was a result of comprehensive and repeated failures to protect the safety of workers at the site.
……….‘Legacy’ buildings at nuclear site need action, report finds
A worker was exposed to hazardous material after dropping a vial in an area of the facility known as building 23 in August last year.
The event was deemed the most serious in the world in 2017, according to the International Nuclear Event Scale.
A review conducted by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPNSA) following this incident, found two buildings at the site — 23 and 54 — were relatively old “legacy” facilities designed to meet 1950s-era standards, “and therefore may not fully meet modern standards of nuclear design, safety and operational workflows”.
“However, it should be noted that both facilities have met the safety requirements of the applicable regulators,” the report said.
The report also noted concerns around “unacceptable” behaviours including allegations of bullying and harassment of ANSTO staff.
ARPNSA made 85 recommendations, and directed ANSTO to “take immediate steps to initiate an independent review of the approach to occupational radiation safety of processes and operational procedures in B23″……..https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-24/contamination-scare-at-australias-lucas-heights-nuclear-reactor/10422476
Nuclear weapons for Australia? – at what cost?
The reactor would have been able to generate plutonium which, under the auspices of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission, could be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
But the project did not survive an abrupt change of leadership and Australia ended up riding out the remainder of the Cold War as a non-nuclear player.
Five decades later the nuclear anxieties which coloured Mr Gorton’s foreign policy outlook are creeping their way back into international relations.
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will pull the US from the Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia, as both countries expand their nuclear arsenals.
India is locked in a nuclear tit-for-tat with neighbouring Pakistan, while China has developed nuclear weapons capable of reaching anywhere in the US.
Historically Australia has sought shelter under the US ‘nuclear umbrella’, but is it time for that to change?
In a recent essay, Dr Stephan Fruhling, the Associate Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the ANU, contemplated the “unthinkable option”, and suggested that a nuclear-armed Australia is more likely than ever before.
Fortress Australia
According to Dr Fruhling, Australia’s continuous coastline makes it uniquely positioned to ‘spike the moat’ with tactical, short-range nuclear weapons that could be used against air and maritime forces.
“In air and naval battle on the high seas, nukes can now be employed without significant risk of collateral damage, much like conventional war heads,” he told Late Night Live.
“Australia could establish a maritime exclusion zone in wartime, to increase the military risk for any country planning a major attack against the continent.”
But what would be the cost?
The strategic benefits of any nuclear capability would have to be balanced against the possible implications of breaking out of the US nuclear umbrella.
Australia’s access to US intelligence, technology, and weapons systems may be compromised if it chose to take on a defence strategy that was less reliant on the US.
“Before investing in a nuclear program I think we would have to make a genuine attempt at trying to draw closer to the United States and its nuclear arsenal,” Dr Fruhling said.
If Australia chooses to remain under the US nuclear umbrella, Indonesia presents a unique case in which American and Australian interests may not intersect.
Indonesia is also a US ally, and if it decided to begin its own nuclear program, the implications for the US security guarantee for Australia are not clear.
“Should Indonesia acquire nuclear weapons, relying on US deterrence against a nuclear attack would require a leap of faith about the alignment of Australian and US interests,” Dr Fruhling said..
An Australian nuclear program could lead to Indonesia following suit.
“Indonesia has regional leadership ambitions, and a strong sense of independence and will, in coming years, tower over Australia economically as well as in population terms,” Dr Fruhling said.
“Australian acquisition of nuclear weapons would strengthen Indonesia’s reasons to reciprocate, for status as well as security.”
In the meantime, however, Australia’s non-nuclear status is important in discouraging Indonesia and other regional players from going down the nuclear path……..https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-24/should-australia-have-a-nuclear-weapons-program/10407610
CSIRO expands rooftop solar rollout to slash energy costs — RenewEconomy
CSIRO reveals plans to add further 1MW of rooftop solar at Canberra Black Mountain facility, and another 1.2MW across sites in Queensland and South Australia. The post CSIRO expands rooftop solar rollout to slash energy costs appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via CSIRO expands rooftop solar rollout to slash energy costs — RenewEconomy
Labor backing of Liberal coal plan outrageous: Bandt — RenewEconomy
Adam Bandt MP today slammed revelations from Labor that they would allow the construction or refurbishment of coal-fired power stations if the contracts were signed under the Liberals before the election. The post Labor backing of Liberal coal plan outrageous: Bandt appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Labor backing of Liberal coal plan outrageous: Bandt — RenewEconomy
USA govt cancels regulation to limit uranium pollution of groundwater
 Federal Uranium Contamination Rule Withdrawn, Wyoming Public Media By COOPER MCKIM • OCT 23, 2018 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has withdrawn a proposed rule that would limit contamination of groundwater from uranium mining long-term. The regulation was proposed on former President Barack Obama’s last day in office.The form of mining is called in-situ recovery (ISR); it’s the only technique used in Wyoming. It retrieves uranium from aquifers by drilling an injection well and then using liquid to mobilize it and produce it. The problem is that same mobilization technique brings out other chemicals and heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury. Those contaminate the aquifer water and potentially seep into other groundwaters.
The proposed rule under Obama would have set standards requiring operators to do long-term monitoring of groundwater conditions while lowering how much of eachchemical is allowed. Both would be stricter than Wyoming’s current standards. The federal version would require quarterly monitoring over three years rather than one ensuring contaminant concentrations remained at pre-mine levels. …… The National Resource Defense Council found no groundwater near ISR mines have been returned to pre-mine conditions.http://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/federal-uranium-contamination-rule-withdrawn#stream/0 |
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Australia losing all credibility with Pacific neighbours, as Morrison pulls out of global climate fund
 Poor nations castigate Australia for abandoning global climate fund, Canberra Times, By Nicole Hasham, 24 October 2018 Developing nations say a Morrison government snub of the world’s biggest climate change fund hampers efforts to cut global carbon pollution and erodes Australia’s international reputation……
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Australia will cease payments to the United Nations-backed Green Climate Fund, a mechanism under the Paris treaty to help poor nations cut emissions and respond to extreme weather and rising seas. Australia’s high per-capita emissions and coal dependence mean it was expected to be a generous benefactor. However, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has pressured the government to abandon the fund and it is unpopular with conservative Coalition MPs, including Tony Abbott. Australia contributed $200 million in the first funding round and took a leadership role in 2016 when it co-chaired the fund. But in a radio interview last month Mr Morrison, when asked if Australia would be bound to its climate targets under the Paris agreement, said: “No, we won’t … nor are we bound to go and tip money into that big climate fund. We’re not going to do that either. I’m not going to spend money on global climate conferences and all that nonsense.” Fund board member Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said Australia’s stance was “beyond frustrating”, particularly in the wake of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that this month warned of devastating planetary damage without radical action. “This backtracking from [the] previous commitment by Australia is disappointing,” he told Fairfax Media. “Australia is the world’s biggest coal exporter … it has a major responsibility to provide financial support for developing countries to adapt to and mitigate climate change.” Mr Mpanu-Mpanu suggested abandoning the fund was in contravention of the Paris accord and said commitments by developing nations to lower emissions under the treaty relied on financial support from nations such as Australia. Parties to the Paris deal will meet in Poland in December to finalise the rules of the treaty and “this decision by Australia will cast a shadow on the process of reaching an agreement”, he said……. The condemnation from the developing world further cements Australia’s position as a global outlier on climate action after the government indicated it would not ramp up emissions reduction efforts under the Paris treaty and rejected the IPCC’s call for a coal phase-out by 2050. Developed countries originally pledged $US10 billion to the fund but it was left short after US President Donald Trump withheld $US2 billion of the $US3 billion his nation promised…… https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/poor-nations-castigate-australia-for-abandoning-global-climate-fund-20181023-p50beh.html |
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Young will ‘abandon us’ Liberals: Smith
Young will ‘abandon us’: Smith
Lib Dean Smith has warned that the government risks losing the next generation by failing to address climate change. …. (subscribers only)
Holy See urges ratification of Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty
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Holy See urges ratification of Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-10/holy-see-united-nations-auza-prohibition-nuclear-weapons.htmlSpeaking on behalf of Archbishop Bernadito Auza, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN in New York, Second Counsellor, Father David Charters addressed a UN General Assembly discussion on nuclear disarmament on October 22.
By Robin Gomes
The Holy See has once more expressed grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental effects of the use of nuclear weapons , and called on all governments of states who adopted the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) to sign and ratify it. Speaking on behalf of Archbishop Bernadito Auza, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN in New York, Second Counsellor, Father David Charters made the call in an address on Monday at a UN General Assembly discussion on nuclear disarmament. The TPNW, or the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty, that prohibits the use, threat of use, development, testing, production, manufacturing and possession of nuclear weapons, will enter into force when 50 states have signed and ratified it. Fr. Charters warned that a nuclear war or even a limited use of nuclear weapons would be a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions, and would kill untold numbers of people and cause tremendous environmental damage and famine. Holy See vs nuclear weaponsThe Holy See official pointed out that the continued existence of over 14,000 nuclear weaponsheld by a handful of countries is one of the greatest moral challenges of our time. Fr. Charters said that the Catholic Church has been opposing nuclear weapons since 1943. St. John XXIII called for its ban in his encyclical “Peace on Earth” and the later popes have consistently called for the “abolition of these evil instruments of warfare that create both a false sense of security and foster distrust and disharmony”. Wasted resourcesFr. Charters pointed out that the Second Vatican Council condemned nuclear arms race as “an utterly treacherous trap for humanity, and one that injures the poor to an intolerable degree.” Fr. Charters noted that maintenance of nuclear weapons continues to siphon off immense resources that could be devoted, among other things, to the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. The Holy See the concern of Pope Francis according to whom “nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutually assured destruction cannot be the basis for an ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence.” |
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The 1950’s Promise of Safe Nuclear Powered Cars. What Happened? — Nuclear Exhaust
Edward Teller in the USA and Ernest Titterton (the Englander with a pretend “She’ll be Right Mate” for Australians – he was the head of the British Bomb Test Safety Committee. Perfectly safe at Maralinga. Wrong.) promised their respective populations electricity too cheap to meter and atomic powered cars. (I’ll leave their promises of atomic […]
via The 1950’s Promise of Safe Nuclear Powered Cars. What Happened? — Nuclear Exhaust
Perth’s Scotch College installs 512kW solar, cuts grid power usage by 25% — RenewEconomy
WA private school expects to save around $235,000 a year on energy costs after installing 512kW of rooftop solar. The post Perth’s Scotch College installs 512kW solar, cuts grid power usage by 25% appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Perth’s Scotch College installs 512kW solar, cuts grid power usage by 25% — RenewEconomy
Coalition digs deeper into coal and climate denial — RenewEconomy
In a staggering mix of ideology and incompetence, Morrison and Taylor are back “at work” on energy. Just don’t expect a good outcome for consumers. Or emissions. The post Coalition digs deeper into coal and climate denial appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Coalition digs deeper into coal and climate denial — RenewEconomy
Will Victoria Liberal get serious on climate, or haemorrhage votes on a sleeper issue? — RenewEconomy
Pressure is mounting on Matthew Guy to show he takes climate change seriously – or else risk seeing the Wentworth effect play out in Victoria. The post Will Victoria Liberal get serious on climate, or haemorrhage votes on a sleeper issue? appeared first on RenewEconomy.
