Remembering Nagasaki
This is perhaps the saddest photograph of the time of America’s August 1945 nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The dignity of this boy, as he waits, with his small dead brother strapped to his back, to include the brother in a mass grave.
We know that the bombing of people is unethical, immoral, and simply wrong.
We know that chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction are inhumane and immoral. The global human society knows this, too, and they are illegal under the United Nations Ban – the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and United Nations Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons(TPNW), or the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, is the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons, with the goal of leading towards their total elimination. … As of 4 July 2019, 23 nations have ratified the treaty, and it was passed by 120 countries at the United Nations in July 2017.
The nuclear lobby, and the “hawks” may scoff, but this Treaty is clear evidence that the world is coming to see that considering the humanitarian effects of nuclear war, – the treaty prohibits the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as assistance and encouragement to the prohibited activities.
The goal is the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Sounds too extreme to be taken seriously? It is not as extreme as the goal of using them, which is still actively being considered by the Pentagon.
In July – commentators, politicians, journalists went ecstatic on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. It’s rarely mentioned that USA’s original plan was to explode a nuclear bomb on the moon. It’s rarely mentioned in the current hype about Mars exploration, that the Trump administration’s plan is for nuclear weapons in space .
The humanitarian, the “emotional” side, of discussing nuclear weapons is now taken seriously, much as the nuclear proponents will pontificate about “strategy”, “security” etc. With the UN nuclear ban treaty – nuclear weapons are no longer “respectable”, and are headed towards eventual elimination.
Paying respect to the hibakusha, to Australian Aboriginals, and all people harmed by the nuclear industry
David Noonan: a new Submission to Senate Environment Inquiry – on BHP Olympic Dam
David Noonan, Independent Environment Campaigner and Consultant, has provided a “BHP Olympic Dam 
Case Study” submission to a federal parliament JSCNA Inquiry, which has now made public by the Committee: “A case study on BHP Olympic Dam mine in SA under the Prime Minister’s ‘fast track’ EPBC Act mine expansion Assessment and Approvals“.
FYI – This submission includes a Joint ENGO Briefing Paper “BHP LEGAL PRIVILEGES IN THE OLYMPIC DAM INDENTURE ACT 1982 OVERRIDE SA LAWS” (June 2019) and refers to the Joint ENO Recommendations & Submission to federal government on Olympic Dam mine in Dec 2019.
David Noonan will be variously distributing this submission over the weekend – welcome to discuss any related matter if and as may suit & as raised in the sub.
In addition to the 1982 Indenture over riding Aboriginal Heritage and the PM’s ‘fast track’ assessment & approvals to BHP, my submission raises required protection of GAB Springs and associated cultural heritage from BHP water mining and proposed doubling of GAB water extraction for Olympic Dam mine expansion to 50 million litres a day (annual average) for a 25 year period.
See the JSCNA Inquiry Home Page:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Northern_Australia/CavesatJuukanGorge
Submissions:
Submission No.73 Mr David Noonan B.Sc., M.Env.St. (PDF 330 KB)
https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=f6b111ae-8125-4cb0-8edb-6f64dbd613c2&subId=690802
Book review: Michael Shellenberger’s reheated critique of climate ‘alarmism’
Michael Shellenberger has been downplaying climate risks since 2010 if not earlier – his luke-warmism is reheated. The post Book review: Michael Shellenberger’s reheated critique of climate ‘alarmism’ appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Book review: Michael Shellenberger’s reheated critique of climate ‘alarmism’ — RenewEconomy
California-based Michael Shellenberger first courted controversy in 2004 with his ‘death of environmentalism’ critique of the environment movement and has continued to attract controversy by promoting nuclear power, demonising renewable energy (“renewables are worse for the environment than fossil fuels”) and demonising the environment movement that he claims to be part of.
Shellenberger’s is now into ‘luke-warmism’ — downplaying the risks associated with climate change and attacking environmentalists for climate and environmental ‘alarmism’.
That’s the focus of his new book, Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All. In fact, Shellenberger has been downplaying climate risks since 2010 if not earlier — his luke-warmism is reheated.
A number of factual rebuttals of Shellenberger’s claims about environmental alarmism have been written, and more will follow (1,2,3,4,5). Climate Feedback asked six scientists to review Shellenberger’s lengthy opinion piece which promotes his book.
They found its overall scientific credibility to be ‘low’ and most found it indulged in cherry-picking and misleading statements.
Shellenberger’s claim that “climate change is not making natural disasters worse” is inaccurate and contradicts numerous scientific studies linking climate change to temperature extremes, drought, precipitation patterns, and wildfires. Continue reading
Australia’s nuclear lobby targets young people, using Facebook and Instagram
Mining lobby pushes young people to embrace nuclear power , Financial Review, Aaron Patrick, 7 Aug 20,The mining industry has been wrestling for years with how to change one of the most entrenched rules in energy policy: a moratorium on nuclear power.Now, based on insights from a market researcher known for its political insights, the Minerals Council of Australia has begun a campaign to win over a group that could lead Australia to a nuclear industry: young people.
On Sunday, a week ago, 17 different ads started appearing on Facebook and Instagram promoting nuclear as safe, reliable and good for the environment.
Produced by the Mineral Council’s own staff, the ads are based on polling by JWS Research, which estimates support for nuclear power is 40 per cent, some 29 per cent of people are neutral or unsure, and women and people aged 18 to 34 are the least informed about nuclear power. Some aren’t even sure there is a connection between nuclear power and uranium, of which Australia is one of the world’s bigger producers.
After conducting focus groups and an online survey last year, JWS Research told the Minerals Council that support could rise to 55 per cent, or even higher, by providing more information to cou nter the reputational damage of the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents.
“There is an obvious opportunity to educate Australians about nuclear power’s credentials,” JWS said in a report for the lobby group. “Low-level concerns about the cost of nuclear could be countered and its reliability and zero-emissions credentials should be promoted.”
The ad campaign isn’t a slick, big-budget production. Six ads, each about 1½ minutes long, contain statistics and information in graphical form set to music. “What are we afraid of,” says nuclear energy is the safest source of baseload electricity based on output, and no one died of radiation poisoning in the Fukushima meltdown in Japan in 2011.
Eleven other ads feature interviews about one minute long with experts and advocates discussing nuclear waste, medicine and reactor design at a nuclear conference in Sydney…….
In December, a parliamentary committee urged the government to legalise modern nuclear reactors, and in May Energy Minister Angus Taylor included nuclear among energy sources the government will study for investment. https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/mining-lobby-pushes-young-people-to-embrace-nuclear-power-20200729-p55gp
August 7 Energy News — geoharvey
Opinion: ¶ “How Falling Solar Costs Have Renewed Clean Hydrogen Hopes” • The world is increasingly banking on green hydrogen fuel to fill some of the critical missing pieces in the clean-energy puzzle. For decades, researchers have heralded a new “hydrogen economy,” but it’s barely made a dent in fossil fuel demand, so far. Now, […]
August 7 Energy News — geoharvey
Billing Olympics as ‘pandemic recovery games’ unfeasible: ex-Fukushima mayor — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Former Minamisoma Mayor Katsunobu Sakurai is seen talking to the Mainichi Shimbun in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, on July 3, 2020 August 5, 2020 MINAMISOMA, Fukushima — Katsunobu Sakurai, former mayor of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, who was in office during the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, firmly stated during a recent interview with the […]
Billing Olympics as ‘pandemic recovery games’ unfeasible: ex-Fukushima mayor — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Particles from Fukushima meltdown contained plutonium — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Local residents who live around the 20km exclusion zone around the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant undergo a screening test for possible radiation at screening center on September 13, 2011 in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. August 6th, 2020 Posted by Stanford Microscopic particles emitted during the Fukushima nuclear disaster contained plutonium, according to a […]
Particles from Fukushima meltdown contained plutonium — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Japan’s plans for radioactive discharges violates principles of environmental protection and defies international maritime law — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Aug.4,2020 The threat of a million tonnes of highly contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi being discharged into the Pacific Ocean includes the potential environmental and human impacts, but also how a decision by the Japanese government relates to international law. What we conclude is that such a decision poses a direct threat to the […]
Japan’s plans for radioactive discharges violates principles of environmental protection and defies international maritime law — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Japan needs to halt its plan to dump contaminated water from Fukushima immediately — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
A TEPCO employee tells reporters about the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in June 2017. Aug.4,2020 With the world’s attention focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese government has been pushing forward with its preparations to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. After first announcing an initial plan […]
Japan needs to halt its plan to dump contaminated water from Fukushima immediately — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Peabody’s massive write-down concedes coal mines have little value, and a dim future — RenewEconomy
World’s largest privately owned coal company finally acknowledges a long-apparent reality: Thermal coal mines in US have little value and not much of a future. The post Peabody’s massive write-down concedes coal mines have little value, and a dim future appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Peabody’s massive write-down concedes coal mines have little value, and a dim future — RenewEconomy
Hung out to dry: The dark side of big solar — RenewEconomy
For all its success, there is a dark side to the big solar sector. And it came to the fore again this week when a leading sub-contractor filed for administration. The post Hung out to dry: The dark side of big solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Hung out to dry: The dark side of big solar — RenewEconomy
Hiroshima coverage from Richard Rhodes, Alex Wellerstein, Hidehiko Yuzaki — limitless life
Hiroshima coverage from Richard Rhodes, Alex Wellerstein, Hidehiko Yuzaki Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to stay current. August 6, 2020 HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI Counting the dead at Hiroshima and Nagasaki How many people died in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? It’s complicated. Historian Alex Wellerstein examines the conflicting reports, observing that various numbers […]
Hiroshima coverage from Richard Rhodes, Alex Wellerstein, Hidehiko Yuzaki — limitless life
Antinuclear 