Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

How US Dependence is Not in Our Best Interest

Real Example: The AUKUS submarine deal, projected to cost over $368 billion, ties Australia into US military logistics for decades – yet those funds could be spent on domestic defence innovation, regional aid, or green manufacturing.

Real Example: The AUKUS submarine deal, projected to cost over $368 billion, ties Australia into US military logistics for decades – yet those funds could be spent on domestic defence innovation, regional aid, or green manufacturing.

April 9, 2025 AIMN Editorial By Denis Hay

Description

US dependence. Discover real steps Australia can take to diversify defence, diplomacy & trade while using its currency power to reclaim sovereignty.

Introduction: A Turning Point for Australia

Location: Canberra, 2024. The Defence Minister stands before cameras, repeating familiar rhetoric: “The US alliance is central to Australia’s security.” But in community halls, cafés, and public forums across the nation, a growing number of Australians are beginning to ask: What if it’s not?

Thoughts: Many Australians feel a quiet unease about our nation’s strategic direction. We’ve followed the US into war zones, hosted its military bases, and allowed our foreign policy to align too closely with American interests. Yet few alternative paths are ever seriously discussed in public debate.

Emotions: There’s frustration, even disillusionment. Australia is a sovereign nation. Why then do we act like a client state?

Dialogue: “It’s not anti-American to want independence,” says Jenny, a retired diplomat. “It’s just good strategy.”

Problem: The Australia-US alliance has become a crutch. While it served a purpose post-WWII, the world has changed. The Indo-Pacific is more multipolar than ever. To secure a peaceful, just future, Australia must explore new defence partnerships, deepen regional diplomacy, and reshape trade alliances. Critically, we must use our monetary sovereignty to do this independently, not through the profit-driven mechanisms of public-private partnerships.

The Problem: Locked into a Narrow Strategic Path

Following WWII, Australia signed onto ANZUS, believing American power would guarantee our safety. But since then, Australia has:

• Participated in every major US-led conflict since Vietnam.

• Spent billions hosting US military infrastructure (like Pine Gap).

• Aligned its foreign policy with US military objectives, often at odds with neighbours.

Meanwhile, the security landscape has shifted:

• China, India, and ASEAN nations now influence the Indo-Pacific.

• US influence is declining, with unpredictable leadership changes.

• Regional cooperation, not superpower allegiance, is the new path to peace.

Real Example: The AUKUS submarine deal, projected to cost over $368 billion, ties Australia into US military logistics for decades – yet those funds could be spent on domestic defence innovation, regional aid, or green manufacturing.

Internal Reflections: “Why are we borrowing American power when we have the capacity to build our own?”

Note on Defence Think Tanks: When assessing defence strategies, it’s important to consider the source. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), often referenced by the government and media, receives funding from the Australian Department of Defence, foreign governments, and major US arms manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

These financial ties raise serious concerns about bias in ASPI’s advocacy for militarised solutions and deepening reliance on the US military-industrial complex.

Heightened Risk Through US Dependence: By embedding ourselves in the strategic priorities of the United States, Australia risks becoming a target in conflicts that are not of our making.

Should tensions escalate between the US and China, Australia’s hosting of American military bases, integration into US-led command systems, and participation in initiatives like AUKUS make us more – not less – vulnerable to retaliation.

Instead of ensuring protection, over reliance on US dependence could make Australia a frontline state in the event of a major geopolitical confrontation. The risk is amplified when one considers the United States’ long and well-documented history of military interventions, regime change operations, and aggressive foreign policy – often justified under the banner of “freedom” but resulting in destabilisation, displacement, and long-term suffering in regions such as Iraq, Vietnam, Libya, and Afghanistan.

The Consequences of Strategic US Dependence

Imagine you’re a young Pacific Island leader sitting across from an Australian diplomat in 2030. Rising seas threaten your nation, yet Australia prioritises nuclear submarines over climate aid. “You talk about friendship,” she says, “but you act like a US outpost.”

This isn’t just geopolitical optics:

• Australia risks alienating regional neighbours.

• We are perceived as an extension of Western military ambitions.

• The economic burden of defence decisions like AUKUS will fall on future generations.

Stat: 56% of Australians in a 2024 Lowy Institute poll said Australia should remain neutral in a US-China conflict. The people are ahead of the policymakers.

Diversifying Alliances Through Sovereign Action

Diversifying Defence Partnerships………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. https://theaimn.net/how-us-dependence-is-not-in-our-best-interest/

April 11, 2025 Posted by | politics international | Leave a comment

Declassified MoD document reveals US Visiting Forces across Britain are exempt from nuclear safety rules

THIS MIGHT APPLY IN AUSTRALIA, TOO?

 CND 7th April 2025

At a time of heightened nuclear dangers, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has uncovered shocking evidence that US military bases across Britain are exempt from UK emergency radiation regulations.

This means that bases like RAF Lakenheath, which is being prepared to host deadly new US nuclear weapons, is under no legal obligation to have emergency radiation plans in case of nuclear accidents.

A declassified exemption order shows that the government is putting so-called ‘national security’ before people’s safety.

CND is calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to announce in Parliament that no US nuclear weapons will be welcomed in Britain and that the exemption on adhering to legally required safety standards is revoked.

A letter from CND’s lawyers Leigh Day has forced the Ministry of Defence to declassify a significant nationwide exemption certificate, issued in March 2021 by former Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, on the grounds of ‘national security’. 

The certificate exempts Visiting Forces – primarily US military personnel – engaged in work with ionising radiations, from any legal enforcement of safety standards, using powers under Regulation 40 of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 and Regulation 25 of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulation 2019. This means they are not legally bound to have in place plans and measures for emergency situations involving radioactive materials and nuclear weapons.

This is particularly dangerous given US preparations at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk for a new nuclear weapons mission. However, the exemption not only covers RAF Lakenheath but all US military bases across Britain. 

There are at least 10,000 US Department of Defence personnel stationed at 13 RAF bases. Nuclear material for Britain’s own nuclear weapons programme is regularly transported through RAF Brize Norton and RAF Fairford regularly hosts the US B2 nuclear-capable stealth bomber. 

The government’s exemption means that local councils will never be told about the presence of nuclear weapons at these bases – and are therefore not obliged to produce their own emergency plans for a radiological accident. This puts the British population at even greater risk.

CND is calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to announce in Parliament that no US nuclear weapons will be welcomed in Britain and that the exemption on adhering to legally required safety standards is revoked. The majority of the British public don’t want US nuclear weapons in this country. 

CND is upping pressure on the government, supporting two weeks of protest actions from Monday 14 April, culminating in a blockade of the base on Saturday 26 April. The peace camp and actions are organised by the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, of which CND is a member………………………………………………………………………………………………. https://cnduk.org/declassified-mod-document-reveals-us-visiting-forces-across-britain-are-exempt-from-nuclear-safety-rules/

April 11, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Why can’t Iran have nuclear weapons?

8 Apr 25,  https://theaimn.net/why-cant-iran-have-nuclear-weapons/

Yes. Shock horror! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw

We can’t have Muslims getting The Bomb, can we?

Although, if you look at their philosophy – they might be safer with it than some others are –

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic considers the pursuit and possession of nuclear weapons “a grave sin” from every logical, religious and theoretical standpoint.

Christian countries see nuclear weapons as tools for maintaining peace through deterrence, to be used as a last resort – (blah blah). Exception – The Catholic church regards nuclear weapons as inherently immoral.

 The Jewish state of Israel views nuclear weapons as necessary to prevent the recurrence of the Holocaust.

The history of the development of nuclear weapons begins with the Nazi period in Germany, but moves quickly to the UK and USA. Jewish scientists promoted The Bomb, including Leo Szilard and Albert Einstein, (who both later fought against the bomb project,) believing that the USA would never actually use the bomb.

Despite the fact that Hitler’s onslaught on Europe was defeated by Russian troops, the international politics of the Allies after World War 2 was dominated by Russophobia. That was well understood by the Russians – so the inevitable next step was The Russian Bomb. An uneasy situation developed -peace through stalemate? -with the doctrine of MAD – Mutually Assured Destruction. And onward – as those two nations escalated their nuclear weapons – Fear of other nations led to this quasi-religious belief in Deterrence. International fears spread, and consequently other nations acquired The Bomb .

Deterrence clearly doesn’t work, to prevent war in one sense, as attacks and wars continue.

But you could ponder that Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan might have been safe from USA attack, had they possessed nuclear weapons. However odious the North Korean regime may be, it is certainly safer from USA attack because they have nuclear weapons.

Israel has at least 90 nuclear weapons:

“Above all else, our submarine fleet acts as a deterrent to our enemies who want to destroy us. – They need to know that Israel can attack, with great might, anyone who tries to harm it.” – Benjamin Netanyahu.

Zionist Jews consider the Samson option –  the D-Day strategy to annihilate the whole region by employing nuclear weapons in case Israel as a state is on the verge of collapse.  Unlike MAD, Israel’s Samson Option specifically threatens its non-nuclear opponents.

Is it any wonder, with Israel’s paranoid fear of Iran, that now, some Iranian ministers are arguing for Iran to get nuclear weapons? And of course, the Western world is in an anxious dither about this, and Donald Trump is threatening Iran with bombing, “if a deal is not reached”. All this is despite the fact that the Iranian Supreme Leader maintains the fatwa, and US intelligence agencies reaffirmed that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.

Given the stupidity of the species, it is a miracle that nuclear weapons have not yet been used, since 1945. There really is a good argument for Iran to have nuclear weapons, seeing that Iran has for a long time been lined up by Christian American patriots for “regime change”, and by Israeli extremists for existing at all.

However, still the Iranian leadership is sticking to their religious belief against having nuclear weapons. And – oh dear – it mightn’t matter, because even if Iran did have “the deterrent”, it might not deter Israel, if the Samson option were to be put into action.

The military atom was never envisaged as a classic form of deterrence, but as an assurance that Israel would not hesitate to commit suicide to kill its enemies rather than be defeated. This is the Masada complex . This way of thinking is in line with the “Hannibal Directive”, according to which the IDF must kill its own soldiers rather than let them become prisoners of the enemy . – Is the possibility of a World War real?

So, we’d better hope there will soon be a new Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement between Iran, the United States, and five other global powers, even if Donald Trump is urging for this, in his customary bullying way.

April 10, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

As the debate around renewables and nuclear continues, here is what the experts say

It’s ludicrous to suppose that nuclear energy will have a resurrection. It’s akin to saying that film cameras will take over from digital cameras.“

“Nuclear is being deployed at about two gigawatts per year around the world. Solar and wind last year did 700 gigawatts,”

By Adam Shirley, Stateline, ABC News 10 Apr 25

Russell Mowbray lives in one of the 39 per cent of all Australian homes that have solar panels. 

His house renovation doesn’t include loads of energy features, that are in his words “the bee’s knees”, but what his growing family can afford. 

Installing solar was a priority.

“That’s the big one. As soon as you go and do all these new fancy things they come with bills, but offsetting those costs helps massively,” Mr Mowbray said.

“Most of the roof is covered, apart from the odd skylight here and there, but most of that’s covered with panels … We’re getting a fair bit [of power] and not paying a great deal.

“We’re not actually paying anything in summer. So summers are free!”

On how his energy use has changed, Mr Mowbray is blunt.

“It’s not like a conscious decision now that we have to go and turn the air conditioning off or … we can’t use the heating,” he said.

Mr Mowbray runs a house extension and renovation company. 

He said every single customer asked him about solar power and electricity.

“There’s limits of costs on what [customers] want to put into their solar and energy efficiencies … Most are pretty comfortable putting solar on because that’s a nice, easy, quick way to help them out with bills. That’s the end game,” he said.

A heated debate

Modern day solar panels have their origins in suburban Canberra.

When ANU professor of engineering Andrew Blakers switched to studying solar energy in the 1980s, it was a little-known niche industry.

“When I started, solar energy was a very small endeavour, small panels in remote areas and on satellites … and today, it is a global juggernaut,” he said.

Professor Blakers has been a key influence in that industry. 

He’s watched Australia’s current and future energy needs become a very hot topic. 

The source — and cost — of our power is a key federal election issue, with the opposition arguing nuclear must be a key component of our energy mix.

It’s an issue Professor Blakers has a clear position on.

“Pure politics is driving the so-called debate on nuclear energy,” he said.

“It’s ludicrous to suppose that nuclear energy will have a resurrection. It’s akin to saying that film cameras will take over from digital cameras.”

Australian households don’t have the choice of nuclear power right now, and it’s unclear if there will ever be an option of household nuclear systems anywhere in the world.

Household solar systems have been around for a while, and costs have reduced significantly in the past 10 years.

Depending on which state or territory you live in, the payback period for a fully installed system is four-and-a-half to eight years. 

And depending on the size of the system, a household will save anywhere from $510 to $1,120 every year on power bills.

……. UNSW associate professor Edward Obbard has decades of experience in nuclear engineering and design.  He acknowledges that compared to other sources, nuclear power is “an expensive form of electricity”…………………..

We have renewable technology ‘that works’

Alison Reeve is the deputy program director of energy at the Grattan Institute. 

Part of her job is to assess the most practical, cheapest and reliable energy that Australians need. 

She said the vast majority of energy in Australia should come from solar and wind plus storage, with a small amount — two to 10 per cent — of gas……………………

“Two things to understand about nuclear power. One is that it’s the most expensive form of generation, and the second one, that it takes a long time to build.”

‘We’re going to live in a changed climate’

A challenge is the need to lay cables and connections for new power sources across the country. 

Both Professor Blakers and Ms Reeve acknowledge this, but argue it’s a problem that can be solved. 

They say that if Australia continues to follow the renewable path it’s on, there are significant economic benefits………………………………………………………..

The unstoppable momentum of solar

As Australians make day-to-day decisions about how to reduce their bills, Russell Mowbray says renovations and rebuilds are all going in one direction.

“It’s always part of the conversation with the clients we’re dealing with,” he said…………………

And Professor Blakers points to the broader numbers to illustrate what he says is unstoppable momentum.

“Nuclear is being deployed at about two gigawatts per year around the world. Solar and wind last year did 700 gigawatts,” he said.

“It’s game over.”

What Australians are saying about energy prices……………………………..https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-10/act-solar-and-nuclear-experts/105155684

April 10, 2025 Posted by | energy | Leave a comment

Lambie Promises Senate Inquiry into USA Relations

Lambie & Patrick AUS/US Senate Inquiry,

8 April 25 – Tasmanian Times

Jacqui Lambie, Senator for Tasmania and her South Australian Senate candidate, Rex Patrick, today announced that if returned to the Senate, they will establish a wide-ranging Senate inquiry into Australia’s relations with the United States, including the ANZUS Treaty and the AUKUS nuclear submarine scheme.

“Australia is facing global economic disruption on a scale not seen since WW2, it’s essential the Australian parliament do a top to bottom review of Australia’s relationship with the United States,” Senator Lambie said.

“For too long debate on Australia foreign and defence policy has been constrained by bureaucratic orthodoxy and the bipartisan straitjacket imposed by Labor and the Liberal National Coalition. However the international scene is now changing rapidly and radically in ways that destroy past assumptions, especially the notion that Australia can enjoy defence on the cheap while relying on the USA for protection. Those days are gone.” said former Senator Rex Patrick.

“President Trump’s tariff attack, in open violation of the Australia/ US Free Trade Agreement, calls into question the value of the ANZUS alliance, the cornerstone of Australian defence policy for more than 70 years. The AUKUS project, acknowledged by the Defence Department to be “very high risk”, now looks like a huge mistake.” said Senator Lambie

“It isn’t often a great power self-immolates through rank stupidity, but that’s the grim spectacle we’re now witnessing. Australia must be much more independent and self-reliant to successfully navigate the geopolitical turbulence that lies ahead.” Rex Patrick said.

The establishment of a Senate Select Committee inquiry into Australia’s alliance with the United States including the ANZUS alliance and the AUKUS nuclear submarine scheme will be moved in the first sitting week of the 48th Parliament. This will ensure an open and honest debate about Australia’s foreign affairs, defence and trade policies starting with a focus on the United States.

The recent strategic policy experts forum convened by former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was a valuable beginning, but we must carry this debate forward through the next Parliament.

The terms of reference will be broad and representation on the Select Committee should span political opinion across the Senate……………………………………………………………….. https://tasmaniantimes.com/2025/04/lambie-promises-senate-inquiry-into-usa-relations/

April 10, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Israeli Defence Force courts Australian universities amid anti-war protests

Michael West Media, by Wendy Bacon and Yaakov Aharon | Apr 5, 2025

Hundreds of university staff and students in Melbourne and Sydney called on their Vice-Chancellors to cancel pro-Israel events this week. Wendy Bacon and Yaakov Aharon with the story.

While Australia’s universities continue to repress pro-Palestine peace protests, they gave the green light to pro-Israel events this week, sparking outrage from anti-war protestors.

Israeli lobby groups ‘StandWithUs Australia’ (SWU) and ‘Israel-IS’ organised a series of university events this week which featured Israel Defense Force (IDF) reservists who served during the war in Gaza, two of whom lost family members in Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023.

The events were promoted as “an immersive VR experience with an inspiring interfaith panel” discussing the importance of social cohesion, on and off campus.”

Hundreds of staff and students at Monash, Sydney Uni, UNSW and UTS signed letters calling on their universities to “act swiftly to cancel the SWU event and make clear that organisations and individuals who worked with the Israel Defense Forces did not have a place on UNSW campuses.”

SWU is a global charity organisation which supports Israel and fights all conduct it perceives to be ‘antisemitic’. It campaigns against the United Nations and International NGOs’ findings against Israel and is currently supporting actions to suspend United States students supporting Palestine. It established an office in Sydney in 2022 and Michael Gencher, who previously worked at the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, was appointed as CEO.

The event’s co-sponsor Israel-IS is a similar propaganda outfit whose mission is to “connect with people before they connect with ideas” particularly through “cutting edge technologies like VR and AI.” Among their eighteen staff, one employee’s role is ‘IDF coordinator’’ by while two employees serve as ‘Heads of Influencer Academy’.

The events were a test for management at Monash, UTS, UNSW and USyd to see how far each would go in cooperating with the Israel lobby.

Events cancelled

At Monash, an open letter criticising the event was circulated by staff and students. The event was then cancelled without explanation.

At UNSW, 51 staff and postgraduate students signed an open letter to Vice Chancellor Atilla Brungs, calling for the event’s cancellation. It was signed on their behalf by Jessica Whyte, an Associate Professor of Philosophy in Arts and Law and Noam Peleg, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice.

Prior to Wednesday morning’s scheduled event, MWM sent questions to UNSW. After the event was scheduled to occur, the university responded to MWM, informing us that it had not taken place.

As of today, two days after the event was scheduled, Vice-Chancellor Brungs has not responded to the letter.

UTS warning to students

The UTS branch of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students partnered with Israel-IS in organising the UTS event, in alignment with their core ‘pillars’ of Zionism and activism. The student group seeks to “promote a positive image of Israel on campus” to achieve its vision of a world where Jewish students are committed to Israel.

UTS Students’ Association, Palestinian Youth Society and UTS Muslim Student Society wrote to management but Deputy Vice-Chancellor Kylie Readman rejected pleas. She replied that the event’s organisers had guaranteed it would be “a small private event focused on minority Israeli perspectives” and that speakers would only speak in a personal capacity.

While acknowledging the conflict in the Middle East was stressful for many at UTS, she then warned students, “UTS has not received formal notification of any intent to protest, as is required under the campus policy. As such, I must advise that any protest activity planned for 2nd April will be unauthorised. I would urge you to encourage students not to participate in an unauthorised protest.”

Students who allegedly breach campus policies can face disciplinary proceedings that can lead to suspension.

UTS Student Association President Mia Campbell told MWM, “The warning given by UTS about protesting definitely felt intimidating and frightening to a number of students, including myself. Especially as a Law student, misconduct allegations can affect your admission to the profession… but with all other avenues of communication exhausted between us and the university, it felt like we didn’t have a choice.

“I don’t want to look back on what I was doing during this genocide and have done any less than what was possible at the time.“

A UTS student reads the names of Gaza children killed in Israel’s War on Gaza. Photo by Wendy Bacon.

The UTS protest was sombre but quietly angry. Speakers read from lists naming dead Palestinian children.

One speaker, who has lost 120 members of his extended family in Gaza, explained why he protested. We have to “be backed into a corner, told we can’t protest, told we can’t do anything. We’ve exhausted every single policy…Add to all that we are threatened with misconduct.”

“Do you think we can stay silent while there are people on campus who may have played a part in the killings in Gaza?”

SWU at University of Sydney

University of Sydney staff and students who signed an open letter received no reply before the event. 


Activists from USyd staff in support of Palestine, Students Against War and Jews Against the Occupation ‘48 began protesting outside the Michael Spence building that houses the university’s senior executives on Wednesday evening.  

Escorted by UTS security, three SWU representatives arrived. A small group was admitted. Soon afterwards, the participants could be seen from below in the building’s meeting room. A few protesters remained and booed the attendees as they left. These included Mark Leach, a far right Christian Zionist and founder of pro-Israeli group Never Again is Now. Later on X, he condemned the protesters and described Israel as a “multi-ethnic enclave of civilisation.”

Several student activists have received letters recently warning them about breaching the new USyd code of conduct regulating protests. USyd has also adopted a definition of anti-semitism which critics say could restrict criticism of Israel. It has been slammed by the Jewish Council of Australia as “dangerous” and “unworkable”.

A Jews against Occupation ’48 speaker, Judith Treanor, said, “Welcoming this organisation makes a mockery of this university’s stated values of respect, non-harassment, and anti-racism. In the context of this university’s adoption of draconian measures to stifle freedom of expression in relation to Palestine, the decision to host this event promoting Israel reveals a shocking level of hypocrisy and a huge abuse of power.”………………………………………………………………………. https://michaelwest.com.au/idf-courts-australian-universities-amid-anti-war-protests/

April 10, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Australian nuclear news 7 – 14 April

Headlines as they come in:

April 10, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Australia’s submarine deal under scrutiny as global alliances shift

The Age Rob Harris, April 9, 2025

London: Britain will scrutinise Australia’s nuclear submarines deal with the UK and the United States, as concerns are raised on the other side of the Atlantic about the continued reliability of the US as a security partner.

The UK House of Commons Defence Committee quietly announced a parliamentary inquiry last week into the contentious AUKUS defence pact, signed in 2021, which will cost Australian taxpayers $368 billion over the next 30 years. The inquiry – the first of its kind – will evaluate whether the program remains on track and consider the impact of global geopolitical shifts since the deal was signed.

With none of the original signatories – former leaders Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and Scott Morrison – still in office, the inquiry also reflects the changing dynamics in global alliances. Notably, the US recently distanced itself from its European NATO allies, complicating the context of the pact.

At a US Senate hearing on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), Democrat senator Mark Warner said President Donald Trump’s decision last week to impose tariffs on US allies, including on Australia and the United Kingdom, “undermines our national security and frankly makes us not a good partner”.

“We’re supposed to be doing this major deal around jointly building submarines,” Warner said after the hearing. “I think [Australia] and all of our allies are rethinking whether we can be counted on as a partner.”………………………………………………………………………………

While AUKUS aims to strengthen defence ties in the Indo-Pacific, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has voiced concerns, questioning whether Australia would ever receive a US nuclear-powered submarine. The US faces challenges in its own naval capabilities, with senior Pentagon officials also questioning the feasibility of the submarine deal, given current shipbuilding limitations………………………………………………………….

London-based foreign policy analyst Sophia Gaston, a senior fellow at the Australia Strategic Policy Institute, said the secret origins of AUKUS had “proven an impediment to building a wider scope of engagement around the pact”.

“This inquiry will bring new voices and energy into the conversation … but also confront the rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape in which AUKUS is seeking to make its mark,” she said……………………………………………………..https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/australia-s-submarine-deal-under-scrutiny-as-global-alliances-shift-20250409-p5lqcq.html

April 10, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What if a Fukushima-sized nuclear accident happened near you?

On March 11 we commemorated 14 years since the terrible nuclear disaster in Fukushima. The impacts of this event are felt to this day with tens of thousands of people still displaced and tens of thousands of tonnes of contaminated liquid being routinely dumped in the Pacific.

Japan is a rich, technically sophisticated and modern country with high safety standards., In these ways it is comparable to Australia – except that unlike Australia Japan has decades of nuclear experience. If the Coalition’s nuclear power proposal were to go ahead, the risk of a nuclear accident is always present. It is simply not worth the risk.

The interactive map at nuclearplume.au uses a directo overlay of the Fukushima radiation plume, based on research originally peer reviewed and published by the European Geosciences Union. It shows the deposition of radioactive caesium-137 from the Fukushima disaster as of July 2011. The darker the shading, the higher the level of radioactive contamination and the higher the radiation exposures for people in those areas. At distances far from the Fukushima plant, radiation exposures were low but even low radiation doses can cause negative health impacts including fatal cancers and cardiovascular disease.

April 9, 2025 Posted by | Audiovisual, safety | Leave a comment

Not enough water available for Coalition’s nuclear proposal to run safely, report finds

Analyst says nuclear is the ‘thirstiest’ energy source, as report commissioned by Liberal supporters throws doubt on plan’s feasibility.

Guardian, Petra Stock, 9 Apr 25

About 90% of the nuclear generation capacity the Coalition proposes to build would not have access to enough water to run safely, according to a report commissioned by Liberals Against Nuclear.

The report authored by Prof Andrew Campbell, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University, assessed nuclear energy’s water needs and the available supply across the seven sites where the Coalition has proposed new reactors.

Campbell found replacing coal generation with “off the shelf” nuclear technology as proposed by the Coalition would require 200 gigalitres of water annually.

He found half of the proposed nuclear capacity was already unfeasible given insufficient water, while a further 40% of the capacity would need to be curtailed during dry seasons.

“At Loy Yang in Victoria, Mt Piper in NSW and Muja in Western Australia, existing water availability is already so constrained that new nuclear power stations of the capacities proposed would lack sufficient cooling water to provide reliable power now, let alone for 80 years into the future, even if the majority of existing irrigation water entitlements were acquired,” the report said.

The volumes required at Callide in Queensland and Liddell in New South Wales would be so significant the demands could place pressure on other water users, including agriculture, industry, urban residents and the environment.

Dave Sweeney, a nuclear policy analyst at the Australian Conservation Foundation, described nuclear energy as the “thirstiest of the energy sources”, which required reliable access to large volumes of water for steam to drive a turbine as well as to cool the reactor core.

On a per-kilowatt hour basis, nuclear power used more water than coal, and “massively more than renewables”, he said……………………………………

Dr Mark Diesendorf, an expert in sustainable energy at the University of NSW, said nuclear power stations were typically larger than coal generators and used more water as a result. “In comparison, solar and wind don’t use any water during operation at all,” he said.

“Australia is the driest continent in the world, apart from Antarctica,” he noted. That meant water use was an important issue, alongside other concerns such as the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the difficulty and expense of managing radioactive waste and the danger of low-level radiation as well as accidents…………………………………………………………….

Andrew Gregson, the spokesperson for Liberals Against Nuclear and a former state director of the Liberal party in Tasmania, said the nuclear water grab threatened to “sever the trust between the Coalition and agricultural communities permanently”.

“We’ve spent decades building our reputation as champions of farmers’ rights – particularly water access. Why would we throw away that political capital for nuclear plants that most Australians don’t want?” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/09/not-enough-water-available-for-coalitions-nuclear-proposal-to-run-safely-report-finds?fbclid=IwY2xjawJj08VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsr4gCWoCyIIPdf_Pd5L89YMaJnymCsNl3F3wcT-YgT7oP1C5Bl9U_fpxYsf_aem_RVvJw4Qzs8w3lNw7HHFP9g

April 9, 2025 Posted by | environment | Leave a comment

Uranium stocks dumped as market ‘paralysis’ intensifies

The ASX’s beaten-up uranium sector is braced for a fresh blow from US President Donald Trump’s next round of tariffs, which threaten to dislocate physical markets and further delay a hotly anticipated bull run.

The sell-off is feeding into the hands of hedge funds, which are heavily shorting the industry in Australia, including about a quarter of the shares outstanding on Boss Energy.

Traders have been preparing for Trump’s 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy exports to kick in tonight (Thursday AEDT) as part of his so-called Liberation Day. Despite the president initially threatening 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian uranium, the levies are still expected to rock the physical market, given the US is the world’s largest uranium buyer.

The anxiety accelerated a sell-off in ASX uranium stocks on Wednesday that sent Paladin Energy plunging 3.3 per cent to $4.66. Boss Energy fell 3.4 per cent to $2.30 and Peninsula Energy 5.9 per cent to 63.5¢.

Prices of the nuclear fuel have already collapsed 40 per cent from a 16-year-high above $US106 a pound last year to now sit at $US64.25 a pound.

And uncertainty about the scope and duration of Trump’s coming levies has intensified concerns about demand for the metal, given US nuclear power plants rely on Canada for more than a quarter of their uranium requirements – more than any other source, according to Bloomberg.

That has caused US utilities – nuclear power plant operators that are the primary buyers of uranium – to halt purchases of the nuclear fuel, sparking concerns that they will eventually run out of inventory……………………………………….

Uranium stocks have been under fire since January when reports emerged that Chinese artificial intelligence disruptor DeepSeek was developed at a fraction of the cost and computing power of OpenAI’s equivalent model.

Investors were concerned that if AI became more efficient, it would reduce overall power consumption and therefore demand for uranium – a key ingredient in nuclear reactors being developed by tech giants such as Google, Meta and Amazon.

That price weakness has attracted the attention of hedge funds, and the ASX’s largest uranium producers – Boss Energy and Paladin Energy – are the most shorted stocks in Australia.……………………………………


Uranium stocks went on a tear in late 2023 and early last year amid concerns about supply shortages and renewed demand from Western countries turning to the energy source to meet their net zero commitments.

That dynamic led to a flood of bets that the uranium sector would be stuck in a deficit for years to come, which would boost prices………………………………………https://www.afr.com/markets/commodities/uranium-stocks-dumped-as-trump-fears-intensify-market-paralysis-20250402-p5lofe

April 8, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nuclear news this week – not industry handouts

Some bits of good news. 

Girl Goals: What Has Changed for Girls?Adolescent girls’ rights over 30 Years 

Fighting malnutrition in Burundi: Mothers of Light are rays of hope . 

A study found we underestimate how kind the world really is

TOP STORIES. Once seen as a symbolic protest, the nuclear ban treaty is growing teeth. Nuclear war threat: why Africa’s pushing for a complete ban. 

Nuclear Threat Beneath The Seas. 

Walt Zlotow – Why do so many leaders remain stupid about Ukraine war?  

SMRs most expensive of all electricity technologies per kW generation. 

PLANT VOGTLE The True Cost of Nuclear Power in the United States –Extract at ​
https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/04/plant-vogtle-the-true-cost-of-nuclear-power-in-the-united-states/

Climate. Global warming is ‘exposing’ new coastlines and islands as Arctic glaciers shrink . Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer. Average person will be 40% poorer if world warms by 4C, new research shows.

AUSTRALIA. Trump tariffs spark questions over US alliance. This ain’t no April fools: Nuclear support melts down in proposed nuclear communities. More Australian nuclear news at https://antinuclear.net/2025/04/01/australian-nuclear-news-april-1st-7th/

NUCLEAR ITEMS.

ATROCITIES. International pressure forces Israel to change account of Gaza medics’ killing. What really happened in Bucha? The questions Western media won’t ask.

ECONOMICS.

EDUCATION. Hinkley C nuclear power station site teaches A Level students about “clean” energy !!
ENVIRONMENT. ‘They’re everywhere’: workers warn of rat infestation at Somerset nuclear plant.
EVENTS. Local Communities Say NO to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL Expansion); Public Comments Due on Thursday, April 10th.
“Getting people to do what they can from where they are”: NFLAs support Democracy Day inspiring peace activists to make Councils anti-nuke allies-14-26 April – Lakenheath Peace Camp https://nuclearactive.org/
HISTORY. ‘Bringing calm and hope’: President Carter’s role at Three Mile Island
LEGAL. Deloitte seeks to avoid liability over US nuclear fiasco – ALSO AT https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/06/2-b1-deloitte-seeks-to-avoid-liability-over-us-nuclear-fiasco/   Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) rejects intervenors’ Palisades “zombie” nuke reactor restart petition & hearing request.
MEDIA. Canada supplied uranium for atomic bombs in WWII — 80 years later, the cleanup continues – film Atomic Reaction.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR . The great trek for justice.

Resistance to nuke dump grows in South Copeland.

POLITICS. 

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. Iran rejects ‘meaningless’ direct talks with US. With US bombers at the ready, can Trump cut a deal with Iran and avoid a war? Trump’s bombing threat over Iran nuclear programme prompts backlash. Military confrontation ‘almost inevitable‘ if Iran nuclear talks fail: French FM. Iran rejects direct talks with the US over its nuclear programme. Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Bombing’ If Nuclear Deal Is Not Reached. 

EUROPE’S DESPERATE GAMBIT. If the Europeans are serious about peace, they should invite Zelensky to fewer meetings. TRUMP’S PURSUIT OF A UKRAINIAN PEACE: Early Results and Future Prospects. 

Why Ontario won’t consider the nuclear option in its fight over Trump’s tariffs. 

China or America-Who is the warmonger? 

The West has big plans for nuclear power: Will geopolitics play ball

SAFETY.  Unsafe for Russia to restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, says Ukraine energy chief.

Pearl Harbor update brings nuclear risk. 

Nuclear site given more time to fix safety breach.

SECRETS and LIES. 

SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. Swarms of satellites are harming astronomy. Here’s how researchers are fighting back.

TECHNOLOGY. Bavarian SMRs & Hydrogen Vans: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
URANIUM. Uranium stocks dumped as market ‘paralysis’ intensifies.
WASTES Inside the bizarre race to secure Earth’s nuclear tombs.  Cumbria could be only option for nuclear disposal.  Millom nuclear waste plans ‘currently detrimental’ to locals-ALSO AT  https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/06/2-b1-millom-nuclear-waste-plans-currently-detrimental-to-locals/  
Recycling Nuclear Waste: A Win-Win or a Dangerous Gamble? 
Plutonium The true story of the demon core – https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9FEFGlBZBwg
WAR and CONFLICT. It’s Official: Ukraine Conflict is British ‘Proxy War‘. Germany deploys troops to Russia’s doorstep for first time since the Nazis. 
Hegseth Orders Pentagon To Focus on Preparing for War With China Over Taiwan. Hegseth Circulated Secret Pentagon Memo On Preparing For War With China.
WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. The future of Europe won’t be shaped by mushroom clouds – why nuclear weapons don’t provide security – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Cx5O1yfoo 
Britain is aiding Israel’s nuclear force. UK nuclear deterrent: the mutual defense agreement is at risk in a Trumpian age.

April 8, 2025 Posted by | Weekly Newsletter | Leave a comment

Dutton’s ‘nuclear thought bubble’ needs to be popped

The Age, April 6, 2025

Nuclear disaster

Thank you, Peter Garrett, for telling it like it is in his take-down of the Coalition’s ill-conceived, expensive and dangerous nuclear energy policy (“I’ve spent my life fighting nuclear: Here’s what Dutton isn’t telling you about his reactors” March 30). Peter Dutton and his cronies have been allowed to get away with their ridiculous nuclear thought bubble for too long. The Labor Party has been relatively weak in its criticism of what is essentially a “smoke and mirrors” idea to present an alternative to developing renewable energy and to appease the fossil fuel lobby in the bargain. The anti-nuclear energy message needs to be hammered out to all Australians before the election. It is simply a backward and disastrous way to go.
Robert Hickey, Green Point

Thank you so much, Peter Garrett, for your insightful article. You have most eloquently summed up my thoughts and fear of Australia going down the rabbit hole of nuclear power. As a kid, I witnessed the psychological stress of the Cold War when it was thought that our world could end any day, with Russia and America in full conflict. It’s why Australians turned its back on nuclear all those years ago. For those of my era that have read Peter’s article, please share it with your children and get them to share among their friends. I’ve yet to see a mushroom cloud of destruction coming from a solar panel or pumped hydro. Ray Gilmour, Blaxland

Peter Garrett’s article makes very convincing points. Another negative aspect of these proposed nuclear reactors is the amount of cooling water which is required for them to function. These hypothetical nuclear reactors would require at least twice as much water as the existing coal-fired power stations use, and yet we live on the driest inhabited continent. These reactors sound like another thought bubble from Mr Dutton.
Evan Bailey, Glebe

Now in my late 80s, it seems that I must again join demonstrations against proposal for nuclear energy in Australia. Still, the crucial question is: where in Australia will the nuclear waste be stored for hundreds of years? Like Peter Garrett, I thought that we had won this argument decades ago. Else Gelling, Merimbula https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/dutton-s-nuclear-thought-bubble-needs-to-be-popped-20250330-p5lnlg.html

April 7, 2025 Posted by | politics | Leave a comment

Nuclear Threat Beneath The Seas

this development will not enhance Hawai‘i’s security; instead, it will place residents, ecosystems, and future generations in direct danger by turning the islands into a priority target in any potential nuclear conflict.

Housing nuclear submarines does not enhance security—it increases risk. These vessels carry dozens of thermonuclear warheads, and their presence in densely populated areas like Faslane and Pearl Harbor makes those regions high-priority targets in any potential conflict. But that’s not the only danger. Accidents happen.

By Lynda Williams, Popular Resistance, April 3, 2025, https://popularresistance.org/nuclear-threat-beneath-the-seas/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR08tn1TsnqxjAIg6qVp8KCYV3x9pW42zmP8114Fxte0qPxU_54NVNPraYU_aem_U7nVrPbu5zG5fwkqLnioDA

The Rising Danger of the Global Submarine Nuclear Arms Race.

Right now, beneath the world’s oceans, approximately 30 nuclear-armed submarines patrol silently, virtually undetectable. These submarines represent humanity’s deadliest doomsday machines: stealthy, always on alert, and capable of launching thousands of nuclear warheads at a moment’s notice. At any given time, an estimated 10 to 15 of them are deployed, carrying roughly 500 to 900 warheads—enough to kill hundreds of millions and trigger a nuclear winter with potentially irreversible global consequences. With this capacity to destroy life on Earth many times over, the world’s nuclear states aren’t scaling back — they’re building more, pushing the Doomsday Clock ever closer to midnight.

The Current and Growing Nuclear Submarine Global Arsenal

Six nations currently operate nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), nuclear-powered vessels designed to launch ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads from beneath the sea, each with the kill power of thousands of Hiroshima bombs. The United States and Russia maintain the largest fleets, each fielding more than a dozen SSBNs capable of carrying hundreds of warheads, with several submarines on constant patrol. China, the United Kingdom, and France operate smaller fleets of four to six submarines, keeping at least one deployed at all times. India, a more recent entrant, has one operational nuclear-armed submarine with more in development. The cost of building and maintaining these underwater arsenals is estimated at $300–400 billion. Together, the current global fleet of about 40 SSBNs carries over 1,500 nuclear warheads—enough destructive power to kill hundreds of millions within hours and trigger a nuclear winter that could collapse the Earth’s biosphere. 

All six nations are now developing next-generation nuclear-armed submarines: the Columbia-class in the U.S., the Dreadnought in the UK, the SNLE 3G in France, the Type 096 in China, successors to the Arihant in India, and the Borei-A in Russia—at a collective cost of hundreds of billions of dollars. The other three nuclear-armed states—Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea—do not currently operate nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines, though all three are exploring submarine-based nuclear delivery systems to varying degrees.

New Nuclear Arms Race Under the Sea 

On March 20, 2025, the United Kingdom formally began construction of its new Dreadnought-class nuclear submarine at BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presided over the ceremonial blessing, praising the program as essential for national security. Outside the shipyard, members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) protested the event, condemning the Dreadnought program as a reckless escalation of the global nuclear arms race. The Dreadnought will replace the UK’s aging Vanguard-class submarines and carry Trident II D5 ballistic missiles, each capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads with enormous destructive potential.

Although the submarines are built in England, they are based in Scotland, at HMNB Clyde (Faslane)—the home port of the UK’s entire nuclear-armed submarine fleet. Opposition to Trident is strongest in Scotland, where public opinion and the Scottish Parliament have consistently rejected nuclear weapons. Scottish CND, the country’s leading anti-nuclear organization, has organized decades of protests at Faslane, calling for disarmament and the removal of Trident from Scottish waters. For many Scots, the continued deployment of nuclear weapons on Scottish soil—against the will of its people—is not only a democratic violation but a threat to their safety and sovereignty. The issue remains a central point of tension in the ongoing debate over Scottish independence. For many Scots, the continued deployment of nuclear weapons on Scottish soil—against the will of its people—is not only a democratic violation but a threat to their safety and sovereignty. 

Meanwhile in the Pacific, the United States is dramatically expanding its nuclear infrastructure at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawai‘i. A $3.4 billion construction project is underway to build Dry Dock 5, which for the first time will enable Hawai‘i to host and service the Navy’s nuclear-armed submarines. Specifically designed for the maintenance and deployment of the next-generation Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines—the largest and most heavily armed submarines ever built by the U.S.—this marks a dangerous turning point for the islands, transforming Hawai‘i into an active nuclear-weapons port. This escalation is part of the Pentagon’s increased focus on the Indo-Pacific region, aimed largely at countering China’s growing military presence. Critics warn this development will not enhance Hawai‘i’s security; instead, it will place residents, ecosystems, and future generations in direct danger by turning the islands into a priority target in any potential nuclear conflict.

Current Ports for US Nuclear-Armed Submarines, Expansions and Resistance

The U.S. Navy currently houses its nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarines at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia. In preparation for the arrival of the Columbia-class submarines, the Navy is expanding these facilities, including significant upgrades at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to accommodate the larger submarines. Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is also undergoing extensive modifications, set to be completed by 2028. These expansions are part of the ongoing effort to bolster the U.S. nuclear arsenal—an approach that increases global risk, while the argument for nuclear deterrence remains a dangerous, outdated belief that only exacerbates global instability.

The Environmental Cost of Stealth: Active Sonar Assault on Marine Life

Nuclear submarines are engineered to be nearly undetectable—silent, mobile, and invisible to satellites and radar. This stealth makes them the most prized assets of nuclear deterrence strategy, designed to guarantee a second-strike capability even if a country’s land-based forces are destroyed. But their very elusiveness has triggered a massive and expanding global network of submarine detection systems composed primarily of sonar—Sound Navigation and Ranging—which floods the oceans with high-intensity sound waves and has a devastating impact on marine life.

To track nuclear-armed submarines, nations have constructed vast undersea surveillance systems. The United States, Russia, China, and NATO allies operate continuous detection efforts across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, relying on networks of fixed sonar arrays, underwater drones, mobile surveillance ships, and anti-submarine aircraft. These systems—particularly those using active sonar, which emits powerful blasts of sound—flood the oceans with intense noise. These pulses bounce off underwater objects and return to the detector, allowing operators to locate submarines through echolocation. But they also bounce marine mammals like whales and dolphins, potentially causing damage to their hearing, impairing their ability to navigate, and in some cases, leading to death. Scientific studies have linked active sonar to mass strandings, behavioral changes, and hearing loss. Environmental organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity, warn that submarine detection efforts pose “a hidden but severe environmental threat to marine life.” The Natural Resources Defense Council has challenged military sonar in court, while Greenpeace’s Defending Our Oceans campaign has called for an end to sonar use in sensitive marine habitats.

The Nuclear Triad and the Arms Race

Nuclear-armed submarines represent one leg of the nuclear triad, alongside land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and strategic bombers like the B-52 and the new B-21 Raider. Together, these three delivery systems sustain a global arsenal of over 13,000 nuclear warheads owned by nine countries, including Russia (5,889), the U.S. (5,244), and China (410) (SIPRI). The global nuclear arsenal, with the combined destructive power of 417,067 Hiroshima bombs, could cause 58.4 billion deaths—more than seven times the current global population—demonstrating the staggering overkill potential of the triad. This estimate is based on the average number of casualties from the 15-kiloton Hiroshima bomb (approximately 140,000 deaths), assuming similar effects from modern nuclear warheads.

The United States alone is investing $1.7 trillion in its Nuclear Modernization Plan., which includes new Columbia-class submarines, Sentinel ICBMs, and the B-21 Raider bombers, along with new or upgraded warheads. The cost of maintaining and modernizing nuclear arsenals is astronomical. Since the Manhattan Project in 1942, the U.S. has spent over $10 trillion (adjusted for inflation) on nuclear weapons development, maintenance, and cleanup (Brookings Institution). Globally, estimates suggest that over $20 trillion has been spent on nuclear weapons programs in the last 80 years.

The return of Donald Trump to the presidency has intensified global tensions, particularly within NATO and in conflict zones like Ukraine and Gaza. His threats to withdraw U.S. support for NATO and end military aid to Ukraine have destabilized European security, prompting some leaders to consider expanding their own nuclear arsenals  (The Guardian). The Doomsday Clock was moved to 89 seconds to midnight in January 2025—the closest it has ever been. As the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warns:

“Continuing on the current trajectory is nothing less than a form of madness.” Without urgent action through disarmament, diplomacy, and arms control, humanity risks slipping beyond the point of no return.

Rising Tide of Resistance

The resistance to these doomsday ships has been long and ongoing, with local groups such as Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action in Bremerton, Washington, and the Kings Bay Plowshares in St. Marys, Georgia, actively opposing the operations of nuclear-armed submarine bases. Ground Zero, established in 1977 adjacent to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, engages in peaceful protests and civil disobedience to challenge the presence of nuclear weapons in their community. Similarly, the Kings Bay Plowshares, a group of seven Catholic peace activists, gained attention for their 2018 action at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, where they symbolically disarmed nuclear weapons to protest their existence. In response to escalating dangers posed by the expanding submarine nuclear arms race, a growing global movement is demanding disarmament. Organizations like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in the UK, Veterans For Peace in the U.S., the Australian Anti-AUKUS Coalition, and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) are mobilizing to oppose the new nuclear arms race and advocate for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). As Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright of Veterans For Peace recently stated:

“The bottom line on nuclear weapons is that it will take only one nuke to kill us all! If any nation fires just one nuclear weapon at any target, then the U.S. and Russia will respond thinking the next nuke might be coming toward them. And that one nuke will trigger a nuclear weapons exchange that will be the end of our planet as we now know it.”

In April 2025, the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace is organizing a Peace Camp at RAF Lakenheath. This camp aims to protest the proposed return of U.S. nuclear weapons, specifically the B61-12 bombs, to the base. Echoing sentiments from the historic Greenham Common protests, the camp will feature workshops, vigils, and nonviolent direct actions. Kate Hudson, General Secretary of CND, echoed this urgency during the protest at Barrow-in-Furness on March 20, 2025:

“Nuclear weapons do not make us safe. In fact, they are weapons of mass destruction that put us all at risk of annihilation. Britain should be leading the way towards disarmament, not escalating this deadly arms race.”

According to Laulani Teale, coordinator of Hoʻopae Pono Peace Project in Hawaii,

“The construction of a war dock for nuclear submarines in the very home of our sacred shark goddess, Ka’ahupahau, who is the protector of O’ahu and the keeper of peace itself, should not be acceptable to anyone. It is time to end colonialism everywhere, before we all die of it.”

As we mark the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this is a pivotal moment for global action. These groups are calling for renewed international pressure, public education, and grassroots mobilization. The risks we face are immense, but so too is the potential for a unified global movement to prevent catastrophe.

Lynda Williams is a physicist, performance artist and activist based in Hilo, Hawaii. More of her reporting here. https://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/ Lynda is going on tour this summer in the UK with her one woman show ATOMIC CABARET commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the US Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

April 5, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Trump tariffs spark questions over US alliance

Andrew Tillett, AFR, Foreign affairs, defence correspondent, 3 Apr 25

The alliance with the United States is facing its toughest test in decades after Donald Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on Australian exports as part of his escalating trade war, which has sent shockwaves around the world and heightened the risk of a global recession.

Markets plunged on news of Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs, with Australian stocks shedding more than $21 billion, while traders bet the Reserve Bank could cut interest rates up to four times this year.

Australia escaped Trump’s tariffs relatively unscathed, with just the minimum baseline of 10 per cent applied to goods exported to the US, although the President singled out the longstanding ban on American beef as a grievance.

A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivities, said there had been indications from the US that it was willing to negotiate to reduce or remove tariffs on Australian exports.

However, the government remains on alert for more tariff hikes after pharmaceuticals, copper and gold were among a select few commodities exempted from Trump’s “liberation day” executive order.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the tariffs were totally unwarranted and would prompt some Australians to question the relationship with the US. Former prime minister Paul Keating suggested Trump’s tariff campaign cast doubt on the value of the ANZUS alliance, the cornerstone of Australian defence policy for more than 70 years.

“The administration’s tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the basis of our two nations’ partnership. This is not the act of a friend,” Albanese said.

The Australian people have every right to view this action by the Trump administration as undermining our free and fair trading relationship and counter to the shared values that have always been at the heart of our two nations’ long-standing friendship. This will have consequences for how Australians see this relationship.”

Keating said the announcement was effectively the death knell of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the US-led military alliance with Europe, a decision which would inform other allied relationships with the US.

“Australia’s clutch of Austral-Americans, that phalanx of American acolytes,
must have choked on their breakfasts, as Donald Trump laid out his blitzkrieg on globalisation, with all its implications for the rupture of cooperation and goodwill among nations,” he said.

“If NATO, America’s principal strategic alliance, is expendable, what credible rationale could underpin US fidelity to ANZUS and with it, to Australia?”

Former foreign minister Bob Carr said the alliance with the US “counts for nothing” and was reason to axe the AUKUS pact, Australia’s agreement to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK…………………………………………………………………………………

a mining industry source, speaking anonymously, said the government could buy up critical minerals and stockpile them to use as leverage in future trade negotiations.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said if he won the May 3 election he would use access to Australia’s critical minerals and deeper defence cooperation, particularly in defence industry, as bargaining chips to get tariffs lifted…………………….https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/trump-tariffs-spark-questions-over-us-alliance-20250403-p5lox9

April 4, 2025 Posted by | politics international | Leave a comment

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