Antinuclear

To 23 July – Nuclear and climate news Australia

Again – hard to focus on nuclear issues, as extreme climate events continue.  Africa is suffering from a crippling drought, as is Indonesia.  Europe Faces Another Record-Setting Heat Wave This Week . India cops both flooding and heatwaves. Record high temperatures in America. Australian writer Peter Boyer– outlines the plight not only of his country, but of countries across the globe.

Nuclear news – less  dramatic, but still important.    In USA and UK, how to fund nuclear development is the preoccupation of the industry. The State of Ohio is just about to finalise a vote for a dodgy plan that will subsidise its nuclear plants, while ending incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Meanwhile the UK plan is for consumers to pay upfront through energy bills, for new nuclear projects before they’re even built,  – and might not even be built.   Alas, we don’t have access to information on Russia and China, but it appears that both countries are more and more relying on selling nuclear reactors overseas, rather than making them economically viable at home.

AUSTRALIA

NUCLEAR. Energy Minister Angus Taylor grilled by Labor, says no to Barnaby’s “free” nuclear fantasy. MP Barnaby Joyce suggests free electricity as an incentive for communities to host nuclear power plants. The National Party’s Barnaby Joyce recommends nuclear power for impoverished rural Australians.  The probably insuperable hurdles to Australia getting nuclear reactors.    John Quiggan demolishes the case for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors in South Australia.

How the Mirrar Aboriginal people, helped by environmentalists stopped uranium mining at Jabiluka.

CLIMATE.

• Five years after carbon price repeal, Australia remains in policy abyss. Australian Greens are focusing on climate change – call for ‘climate emergency‘ this year.  Greens push bill to prohibit coal funding.
• Adani coal mine protest: French journalists arrested while filming anti-coal activities. Warning on the likely police surveillance of young climate protestors.  Federal Court Adani decision: Wangan and Jagalingou’s rights fight will continue.  Adani’s search for scientists’ names – pressure on scientists to shut up about climate change, water scarcity?

No clear answer in sight, for Lynas’radioactive waste problem in rare earths project in Malaysia.

RENEWABLE ENERGY. Electricity prices across the grid fall to zero as renewables reach 44% share. Melbourne’s tram network is set to be powered by the state’s largest solar farm. Northern Territory government backs 10GW solar and storage plant, biggest in world . Network plans for Victoria wind and solar sparks outrage from Federal Energy Minister Taylor.  Fourth huge solar and battery project approved for South Australia.  NSW to loan up to $14,000 to homes for rooftop solar and batteries.  Solar industry fights back against surge of climate trolls on social media.

INTERNATIONAL

America’s original moon plan was to explode a nuclear bomb on the moon.  A heightened solar cycle, by chance, reduced the exposure of Apollo astronauts to space radiation.   Future space travellers will be, in reality, radiation guinea pigs.

Dangerous nuclear arms race to follow, if New Start Treaty is not renewed. World security needs nuclear New Start agreement – USA-Russia, not a distraction about China.

July to be world’s hottest month on record.

UN nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano dies at 72.

New research shows how low dose ionising radiation promotes cancer.

The radioactively polluted oceans.

July 23, 2019 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews