Antinuclear

The week in Nuclear News – Australia

Oh it’s climate again! How can we ignore it?  This time, it’s not just the heat-waves across the Norther hemisphere, but the effects of that hot air moving to the Arctic. Greenland and the Arctic in general, are headed for a record sea ice melt.  It will be an unprecedented ice loss – ultimately rapid loss will lead to rising sea levels.

Nuclear news?   There doesn’t seem to be much. Is that because the important stuff is kept secret, or at best, pretty quiet?   Russia is the best at this.  Now it is revealed, by an international team of scientists, that in September 2017 there must have been a nuclear accident at the Mayak nuclear reprocessing facility in Southern Russia. It’s the only feasible explanation for the cloud of Ruthenium-106 across Europe in late September.

New economic research discusses nuclear power’s real costs – ‘seven decades of economic ruin’. (a brief report on this is here)

Bits of good news – International kindness to Chernobyl children from radiation-contaminated areas – but more help is needed.  For First Time Ever, Scientists Identify How Many Trees to Plant and Where to Plant Them to Stop Climate Crisis

AUSTRALIA

It’s climate here, too. Except that the current Australian government doesn’t believe that climate change is a serious problem. Australia is in an unprecedented drought – long-lasting, and across wide areas. With this government, “water shortage”is becoming an unmentionable political term like “climate change”. (Officially no human -caused climate change in Australia) but Queensland towns are running out of water. And Norther Territory towns are running out of water.

• Chair of the Energy Security Board, Kerry Schott says Feds “can’t get their act together” on climate, so states will step up.
• Papua New Guinea Prime Minister urges Australia to help island nations threatened by climate change.
• Noosa the first Queensland council to declare a climate emergency – Mayor explains why.
• Adani’s Carmichael coal mine surviving on lifeline from Indian parent company.

NUCLEAR.

• Australian Senate passes motion to retain Australia’s ban on nuclear power. Australia’s legal ban on nuclear power will remain, says Environment Minister Sussan Ley.  Flynn electorate, Queensland, would be happy to host nuclear power plant, National Party MP Ken O’Dowd says.
• Restrictions on operations of Lucas Heights nuclear reactor, following a litany of safety incidents. To add to its safety problems, ANSTO has had to increase prices for nuclear medicine from the Lucas Heights reactor.
•  New Minerals Council chair Helen Coonan speaks out for nuclear power, and for Adani coal mine. Australia’s right-wing push for nuclear power is really a ruse to promote the coal industry.
• News South Wales South Coast touted as the place to site a nuclear power plant.  Labor leader Anthony Albanese asks “Where would the Liberal Coalition like nuclear reactors to be placed“?  National Party Member for Gippsland Darren Chester makes reassuring, but rather ambiguous, noises against setting up nuclear power.
• State Development Minister Cameron Dick says that nuclear power would gut Queensland.  Union opposes nuclear power because it is uneconomic and dangerous.
• Senate moved to call on Senator Canavan to explain nuclear waste dump plan – size of dump, and types of wastes.
• “Smile With Kids”- Queensland welcomes Fukushima children for a much-needed holiday.
• URANIUM. Continuing problem of radioactive waste at Hunters Hill – contamination from old uranium processing site.  Rio Tinto moves to own Ranger uranium mine remediation.

RENEWABLE ENERGY.  Energy minister Angus Taylor a no-show at clean energy summit. Wind and solar turn up ramping pressure in South Australia and Queensland. Queensland drops bidding directions, says wind and solar less than $50/MWh.   Solar dominates day-time markets, lifting share and pushing down prices. CEFC looks to energy storage, grid stability, after record spend on renewables. Victoria drafts new guidelines to smooth way for solar farms.

BHP casts doubt on renewables as it commits $US400m to cut emissions  – via including nuclear power and carbon capture, 

Senate voted on Press Freedoms – Matter of Public importance.

INTERNATIONAL

‘Thermal limits’ – extreme heat effects on the body

The horrors of nuclear weapons testing – 460,000 premature deaths.

New report: nuclear energy cannot be classified as “clean”, nor as economic.

ARCTIC.  Unprecedented wildfires in the Arctic release huge CO2 to the atmosphere.

July 30, 2019 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews