Nuclear waste dump proposal divides rural communities in South Australia
Why is this writer accepting the nuclear lobby line that ibtermediate level wastes would be stored at Kimba or wherever for only “a few decades” ?
Does she not know that there is no plan for final disposal of the wastes, and that they are most likely to be stuck at Kimba or wherever for hundreds of years?
Will Australia finally get a national nuclear waste facility? ABC, 28 Mar 19, 7.30 , By Angelique Donnellan For 40 years Australia has sought to centralise its nuclear waste, but the question of where to put it remains unanswered because of bitter division.
Key points:
- The Federal Government wants to store the nation’s nuclear waste in South Australia
- Three sites have been shortlisted, two in Kimba and one in Hawker
- The proposal has divided both communities
……… The Howard government dropped its proposal after it lost a fight with the South Australian Labor government in the High Court……
n 2007, a property called Mukaty Station in the Northern Territory was put forward to host the nuclear waste facility.
The plan was abandoned, again because of legal action, this time by the area’s traditional owners.
Tightknit communities divided
The current proposal has three sites in regional South Australia shortlisted — two in Kimba, five hours north-west of Adelaide, and one in Hawker, near the Flinders Ranges.
Landholder Jeff Baldock has volunteered a portion of his property in Kimba for the proposed facility, which would store low-level nuclear waste for up to 400 years, and intermediate-level waste for a few decades before that is moved to another location.
“Kimba is no different to any other small rural community where we have a shrinking population,” Mr Baldock said.
“It’s just a good opportunity for us to find another industry which doesn’t rely on agriculture.
“I don’t seriously think there is any risk of this having an effect on our crops [or] livestock.”
But Kimba resident Barry Wakelin is not so sure. Despite being a federal Liberal MP when the Howard government pushed for a national nuclear waste facility in the early 2000s, Mr Wakelin now opposes one near his town.
And is it a waste facility or a dump? Even what it is called has caused a rift.
Local business owner and teacher Meagan Lienert said she expected it to be a well managed “high-class, world-class facility” and “very different to a dump”.
“What the hell are they talking about? Everyone knows what a nuclear dump is. It’s rubbish,” Mr Wakelin said.
The Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association is one group taking legal action.
They are the traditional owners of land around Hawker.
Regina McKenzie said her people had been unfairly excluded from a community vote on the dump and claimed preparatory work at the site had desecrated a sacred women’s area.
“I know they need a site, but not here. Don’t impact our sites, don’t impact our culture, don’t impact us,” Ms McKenzie said.
“I love my country and I don’t want to see a waste dump on it.”
The issue is further complicated because some members of the Adnyamathanha support the facility, including Regina’s brother, Malcolm McKenzie.
“I’m supporting this because our culture can co-exist with economic development,” Mr McKenzie said.
Adnyamathanha woman Angela Stuart backed the facility because she wanted more opportunities for young Aboriginal people.
“We need a change. I’m sick of seeing young people drinking and wasting their lives away on alcohol and drugs,” she said.
“There might be a chance out there even if one person gets a job.”
The Native Title holders around Kimba, the Barngarla people, are taking legal action.
It is unclear when the Federal Court will hand down its judgement in that case.
Trump handed Kim a piece of paper, ordering him to hand over nuclear weapons to USA
With a piece of paper, Trump called on Kim to hand over nuclear weaponshttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-document-exclusive/exclusive-with-a-piece-of-paper-trump-called-on-kim-to-hand-over-nuclear-weapons-idUSKCN1RA2NR, Lesley Wroughton, David Brunnstrom, WASHINGTON (Reuters) 30 Mar 19– On the day that their talks in Hanoi collapsed last month, U.S. President Donald Trump handed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a piece of paper that included a blunt call for the transfer of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States, according to the document seen by Reuters.
Trump gave Kim both Korean and English-language versions of the U.S. position at Hanoi’s Metropole hotel on Feb. 28, according to a source familiar with the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was the first time that Trump himself had explicitly defined what he meant by denuclearization directly to Kim, the source said.
A lunch between the two leaders was canceled the same day. While neither side has presented a complete account of why the summit collapsed, the document may help explain it.
The document’s existence was first mentioned by White House national security adviser John Bolton in television interviews he gave after the two-day summit. Bolton did not disclose in those interviews the pivotal U.S. expectation contained in the document that North Korea should transfer its nuclear weapons and fissile material to the United States.
The document appeared to represent Bolton’s long-held and hardline “Libya model” of denuclearization that North Korea has rejected repeatedly. It probably would have been seen by Kim as insulting and provocative, analysts said.
Trump had previously distanced himself in public comments from Bolton’s approach and said a “Libya model” would be employed only if a deal could not be reached.
Mr Coal, or Eco Warrior? Frydenberg’s climate hypocrisy won’t fool voters — RenewEconomy
After singing the virtues of coal as minister for environment, Josh Frydenberg is writing to voters about the importance of “addressing climate change.” The post Mr Coal, or Eco Warrior? Frydenberg’s climate hypocrisy won’t fool voters appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Mr Coal, or Eco Warrior? Frydenberg’s climate hypocrisy won’t fool voters — RenewEconomy
It took just two summers for renewables to replace Hazelwood — RenewEconomy
Over just two summers, both the amount of energy lost since Hazelwood’s closure, and the capacity it provided during peak demand, have been replaced largely by wind and solar. The post It took just two summers for renewables to replace Hazelwood appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via It took just two summers for renewables to replace Hazelwood — RenewEconomy
Australia’s plunging wind, solar, storage costs stun fossil fuel industry — RenewEconomy
BloombergNEF data shows increasing advantage for wind, solar and storage costs over traditional fossil fuel generators. The post Australia’s plunging wind, solar, storage costs stun fossil fuel industry appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Australia’s plunging wind, solar, storage costs stun fossil fuel industry — RenewEconomy
BHP has rights; why shouldn’t the Great Barrier Reef? New paper explores “Rebalancing Rights” — RenewEconomy
What would change if we decided that the natural world we are part of had rights of its own – the right to exist, to habitat, to be free from pollution? The post BHP has rights; why shouldn’t the Great Barrier Reef? New paper explores “Rebalancing Rights” appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Coalition grants permit for Australia’s first offshore wind farm — RenewEconomy
After months of delay, and accusations of “ideological” opposition, the Coalition grants a permit to developers of 2000MW offshore wind farm – but only to explore, not to build. The post Coalition grants permit for Australia’s first offshore wind farm appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Coalition grants permit for Australia’s first offshore wind farm — RenewEconomy
March 29 Energy News — geoharvey
Opinion: ¶ “The Young Minds Solving Climate Change” • People of the younger generations understand that there are solutions to the problems of climate change. “The climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions. All we have to do is to wake up and change,” said Nobel Prize nominee […]
Trump and Israel helping Saudi Arabia towards getting nuclear weapons
Trump Admin Complementing Israeli Effort to Give Nuclear Weapons to Saudi Arabia https://www.mintpressnews.com/israel-saudi-arabia-nuclear-weapons-2/256761/
Already seven of the 10 countries in the world with the highest military budgets are in the Middle East. The development of nuclear weapons in Saudi Arabia has many speculating that it could mark the beginning of an even more dangerous era for the war-torn region. March 29th, 2019By Alan Macleodby Alan Macleod
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump’s energy secretary, Rick Perry, has secretly approved the sale of nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia, Reuters revealed this week. Saudi Arabia is reportedly attempting to construct at least two nuclear power plants as part of its effort to diversify its energy sector and its economy as a whole. As part of this plan it has accepted bids from Russia, South Korea and the U.S. for the lucrative contract. Perry’s approval is known as a Part 810 authorization, which allows energy companies to begin the process of planning and starting preliminary work in anticipation of the closing of a formal deal in the future.
While the Saudi proposals are presented as civilian and do not mention nuclear weaponry, U.S. approval and sale of nuclear technology has been seen by many as a prelude to the development of a Saudi nuclear weapon, which could potentially spark anuclear arms race in the region. Riyadh has long coveted atomic weaponry and has considered developing its own in its quest to maintain military dominance in the region. “If Iran develops a nuclear weapon, that will be unacceptable to us and we will have to follow suit” Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi ambassador to the United States, told the Guardian in 2011, noting that the kingdom may feel “compelled” to pursue the option in the future, if tensions with Iran remain high.
In reality, Iran does not have, nor is it trying to acquire, nuclear weapons technology (something quietly conceded by both the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and the CIA), and has lived up to its commitments to the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, any such move from Saudi Arabia might provoke a response in kind from Iran, its chief adversary in the region and would sound a death knell for the hopes of the establishment of a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East. The United States has long accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons technology and has placed sanctions on the country.
The Israeli connection
An important nuclear player in the region is Israel, one of the few nations in the world that has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Israel is estimated to possess 100 to 200 nuclear weapons and has taken a strongly adversarial position towards Iran. In 2015, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before a joint session of Congress with a cartoon image of a bomb to give a speech denouncing Iran and warning of an Iranian military threat. Israel has been key in pushing the United States into a more confrontational stance on Iran through a continuous public-relations drive to present the country as a menace.
Last year Mint Press News reported that the Israeli government had begun selling Saudi Arabia nuclear weapons secrets. Ami Dor-on, a senior official and nuclear specialist at the organization Israel’s Homeland Security, blew the whistle on the clandestine practice. The Israeli actions were the latest evidence of a growing cooperation between the two nations. However, the prospect of a nuclear Saudi Arabia has many concerned.
The threat of a nuclear Saudi Arabia
For some time, Saudi Arabia has been making its presence felt in the Middle East, leading to the destabilization of the entire region. In 2011 Saudi tanks rolled into Bahrain to crush the Arab Spring uprising in the island country, and it continues to be a primary driver of the war in Yemen, labeled by some as genocide. At least 22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the Saudi bombardment of the country.
Riyadh also continues to fund various jihadist groups in Syria and is one of the largest financiers of terrorism in the world. Before his election, Trump claimed Saudi Arabia was behind the 9/11 attacks and the White House more recently insisted it would hold the kingdom responsible for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. However, as with unabated American support for the Saudi war in Yemen, these proclamations have fallen short.
The Saudi armed services are already a formidable force. Saudi Arabia spends the third most of any country in the world on the military, behind only the U.S. and China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The Saudi military’s size is estimated at nearly a quarter-million active personnel, who are equipped with the most advanced weapons available.
Already seven of the 10 countries in the world with the highest military burden are in the Middle East. The development of nuclear weapons in Saudi Arabia has many speculating that it could mark the beginning of an even more dangerous era for the war-torn region.
Alan MacLeod is an academic and writer for Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. His book, Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting was published in April.
New wind farm to be New Zealand’s first large-scale generation since 2014 — RenewEconomy
The project is billed as “a key milestone in New Zealand’s renewable energy development” as it looks to achieve 100% renewable energy generation by 2035. The post New wind farm to be New Zealand’s first large-scale generation since 2014 appeared first on RenewEconomy.
New wind farm to be New Zealand’s first large-scale generation since 2014 — RenewEconomy
AusNet: We’ve been swamped by the solar boom, and we’ve made some mistakes — RenewEconomy
Making sure Victoria’s network can cope with residential demand for batteries and solar is a complicated business – but we’re not sitting on our hands. The post AusNet: We’ve been swamped by the solar boom, and we’ve made some mistakes appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via AusNet: We’ve been swamped by the solar boom, and we’ve made some mistakes — RenewEconomy
40 Years Ago: US President Jimmy Carter Pushed For Renewable Energy Funding After Three Mile Island Nuclear Disaster — Mining Awareness +
Probably because he knew so much about nuclear power from the US nuclear Navy; had helped clean-up the Chalk River Nuclear Disaster in Canada, while serving in the US Navy, and was US President during the Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown, Jimmy Carter tried to get massive investment in renewables research (NREL). He even had […]
Construction begins on Australia’s biggest lithium processing plant — RenewEconomy
Premier Mark McGowan turns sod on Albemarle lithium plant in Kemerton. The post Construction begins on Australia’s biggest lithium processing plant appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Construction begins on Australia’s biggest lithium processing plant — RenewEconomy
Queensland delivers first “solar hydrogen” exports to Japan, backs pilot plant — RenewEconomy
State announces $250k for establishment of renewable hydrogen pilot plant on the Gold Coast, on same day it marks state’s “first ever” delivery of green hydrogen. The post Queensland delivers first “solar hydrogen” exports to Japan, backs pilot plant appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Queensland delivers first “solar hydrogen” exports to Japan, backs pilot plant — RenewEconomy
Huge wind farm planned for Victoria’s coal centre, overlooking closed Hazelwood plant — RenewEconomy
A 300MW wind farm has been proposed for development on forestry plantation land in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, overlooking the site of the now closed Hazelwood coal-fired power station. The post Huge wind farm planned for Victoria’s coal centre, overlooking closed Hazelwood plant appeared first on RenewEconomy.
via Huge wind farm planned for Victoria’s coal centre, overlooking closed Hazelwood plant — RenewEconomy
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 