Conserving energy, reducing demand – no need for nuclear – theme for November 21
No, nuclear lobbyists – the world needs clean energy, smart energy , NOT endless nuclear energy ! The Cop26 climate conference is just underway. Too soon to know what directions the nations will be taking. Clean, renewable energy sources are needed.
But the most effective, cheapest and quickest measure is energy conservation
The nuclear industry is completely enmeshed in the energy -guzzling operations of space travel and militarism. Conservation of energy is a dirty phrase, not to be considered in their world view. You won’t find it in their propaganda films, like Pandora’s Promise’
The nuclear lobby spouts ”endless energy” as a noble goal to aspire to, – with a sort of religious fervour.
But that’s not what we need. We need a change of culture – a recognition that we live on the only known habitable planet, that has limited resources, and desperately needs to be cared for – not trashed any more..
Endless growth, endless consumerism is a the nuclear industry’s preferred, and suicidal, way for the human species to go.
Australia’s Foreign Minister off to South East Asian countries to try to soothe their worries about nuclear submarines
Australian foreign minister seeks to allay south-east Asia fears that nuclear submarines will stir up conflict
Marise Payne is visiting four countries in the region, including Malaysia and Indonesia, which have both raised concerns over Aukus deal, Guardian, Daniel Hurst Foreign affairs and defence correspondent Sat 6 Nov 2021 0 Australia’s foreign minister will attempt to reassure south-east Asian countries that the government’s plan for nuclear-powered submarines will “make us a more capable partner” and is not intended to stir up conflict.
Marise Payne flew out of Australia on Friday for a four-country trip that will include Malaysia and Indonesia – both of which have raised concerns the Aukus deal could add to a regional arms race and pose nuclear non-proliferation issues.
It is understood Payne will seek to reassure counterparts that Australia’s decision to acquire at least eight nuclear-propelled submarines is driven by a reassessment of its defence capability needs – not a change of Australia’s intentions in the region…………..
China is increasingly emphasising nuclear proliferation concerns as it condemns the “extremely irresponsible” Aukus arrangement.
Beijing also cited the increasingly messy diplomatic dispute between France and Australia, amid accusations the Morrison government failed to be upfront about its plans to dump the $90bn contract for 12 French-designed conventional submarines.
“I want to stress that the Aukus nuclear submarine cooperation is not just a diplomatic spat between a few countries, but a serious matter that will create risks of nuclear proliferation and undermine regional peace and stability,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said………………………… https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/06/australian-foreign-minister-seeks-to-allay-south-east-asia-fears-that-nuclear-submarines-will-stir-up-conflict
The need to stop population growth,and the way to go about this
There are loud voices calling for an acceleration of population growth as the only economic solution. Cries that ‘ageing population’ will be too expensive, and other stories that make no sense when examined properly.
But consider the comments of Jeff Bezos on returning from his trip to space. His wealth results from all the people in the world who buy from Amazon. If there were less people in the world, he would have less wealth.
But it not just those few billionaires for whom it is “more people equals more wealth”. The same applies to companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon. Not that any of these companies is in a position to influence how people think. And yes, you would think that in an equitable world, more people would also mean more shares and shareholders, so the individual share price and wealth of each shareholder would not change. But it just may be, we don’t live in that equitable world quite yet.
Why wait? We should end population growth NOW! One Finite Planet I have been asked on a few occasions, why not end population growth now? It is not like we need to get more people first? Japan has stopped population growth, why not the rest of us? What are we waiting for?
- What is needed to stop growth immediately: Births equals deaths.
- But Japan Has Managed It?
- Realistically? What Is Soonest Growth Could Stop?
- What Is The Ideal?
- Threatening Problem: What Could Prevent The Ideal?
What is needed to stop growth immediately: Births equals deaths.
Fail: Two parents, Two Children Families Takes 3 Generations To Stop.
At first glance, it would seem logical that families had one child for each parent, then population numbers would be stable.
Unfortunately, it is not that simple, and while this works eventually, it takes 3 generations to stop population growth………………..
But Japan Has Managed To Stop Growth?
Japan has already ended national population growth, and has not needed to reduce births to 1 child, but a more reasonable 1.4 average births per women.
How?
The secret is Japan achieved this by starting reducing family sizes earlier. While the two children per family model can take 3 generations, 1.4 children per family does reach the target of stopping growth much sooner, and has the benefit that it can then, if desired, provide a period of population correction. Note Japan has already had around 40 years of less children born every year.
The graphs on this page [on original] tell the story of ending population growth: ….
Realistically? What Is Soonest Growth Could Stop?
Globally, births per woman is currently still at around 2.3, having fallen from around 6.0 prior to 1900, when infant mortality was still high. We have had a population explosion triggered by a fall in infant mortality, but the explosion is now ending.
If the word follows the path of Japan, it could still take another 35 years before the population is decreasing, and if we follow some UN projections where having fallen to 2.3, births per woman stops falling, it population growth could persist until the end of the century, provided the resulting numbers themselves don’t cause a disaster.
Realistically, even if you do accept that the fact we are unable to exist sustainably means we are overpopulated , without a massive intervention, the very fact that population of elderly people is so much smaller because they were born when population was smaller, means population keeps growing for at least another 10 years.
What Is The Ideal.
Personally, despite the fact we are already overpopulated, I believe any disruption so severe as to halt growth right now is likely to reduce the planets carrying capacity of humans, and make overpopulation an even worse problem even without having more people.
Ending growth smoothly in 10 or even 20 years I think is the best we could hope to achieve.
Threatening Problem: What Could Prevent The Ideal?
There are loud voices calling for an acceleration of population growth as the only economic solution. Cries that ‘ageing population’ will be too expensive, and other stories that make no sense when examined properly.
But consider the comments of Jeff Bezos on returning from his trip to space. His wealth results from all the people in the world who buy from Amazon. If there were less people in the world, he would have less wealth.
But it not just those few billionaires for whom it is “more people equals more wealth”. The same applies to companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon. Not that any of these companies is in a position to influence how people think. And yes, you would think that in an equitable world, more people would also mean more shares and shareholders, so the individual share price and wealth of each shareholder would not change. But it just may be, we don’t live in that equitable world quite yet.
“Anyone who believes in indefinite growth in anything physical, on a physically finite planet, is either mad or an economist.”ATTRIBUTED TO KENNETH BOULDING IN: UNITED STATES. CONGRESS. HOUSE (1973) HTTPS://ONEFINITEPLANET.ORG/2021/11/05/END-POPULATION-GROWTH-NOW/COMMENT-PAGE-1/?UNAPPROVED=781&MODERATION-HASH=AA2A290874C6DDED0D00BF8B5DE29F79#COMMENT-781
China reprimands Australia on AUKUS and submarines that risk nuclear weapons proliferation, and make Australia target.
Chinese FM urges Australia to correct irresponsible moves, fulfill its nuclear non-proliferation obligations Global Times Nov 04, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Thursday commented on Australia’s signing of the AUKUS deal with the US and the UK, saying it is an “extremely irresponsible” move that create risks and undermine regional peace and stability, urging Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and fulfill its international nuclear non-proliferation obligations.
The French ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault lashed out on Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday over a scrapped $67 billion submarine deal previously signed between two countries. ….
Commenting on the French ambassador’s remarks on Australia, Wang noted that the AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation is not just a diplomatic spat between a few countries, but a serious matter that will create risks of nuclear proliferation and undermine regional peace and stability.
“It is extremely irresponsible for the Australian government to ignore its international nuclear non-proliferation obligations and the serious concerns of regional countries and the international community in pursuit of its own interests,” Wang said……..
Chinese military experts warned that Australia’s signing of the deal will potentially make itself a target of a nuclear strike if a nuclear war breaks out even when Washington said it won’t arm Canberra with nuclear weapons, because it’s easy for the US to equip Australia with nuclear weapons and submarine-launched ballistic missiles when Australia has the submarines. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1238189.shtml
Australia at COP26 – a damaging presence
COP26: it’s half-time at the crucial Glasgow climate change summit – and here’s the score, The Conversation, Wesley Morgan, 5 Nov 21, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute and Climate Council researcher, Griffith University
………………….Missing the moment: The Australian Way
While the rest of the world is getting on with the race to a net-zero emissions economy, Australia is barely out of the starting blocks. Australia brought to Glasgow the same 2030 emissions target that it took to Paris six years ago – even as key allies pledged much stronger targets.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived with scant plans to accompany his last-minute announcement on net-zero by 2050. The strategy titled The Australian Way, which comprised little more than a brochure, failed to provide a credible pathway to that target. It was met with derision across the world.
On the way to Glasgow, at the G20 leaders meeting in Rome, Australia blocked global momentum to reduce emissions by resisting calls for a phase out of coal power. Australia also refused to sign on to the global pledge on methane.
Worse still, Australia is using COP26 to actively promote fossil fuels. Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor says the summit is a chance to promote investment in Australian gas projects, and Australian fossil fuel company Santos was prominently branded at the venue’s Australia Pavilion.
The federal government is promoting carbon capture and storage as a climate solution, despite it being widely regarded as a licence to prolong the use of fossil fuels. The technology is also eye-wateringly expensive and not yet proven at scale……. https://theconversation.com/cop26-its-half-time-at-the-crucial-glasgow-climate-change-summit-and-heres-the-score-170869
Billionaires Not Morally Qualified to Shape Civilization
Billionaires Not Morally Qualified to Shape Civilization, Consortium News, November 3, 2021 We’re talking about a class which could easily put a complete halt to human beings dying of starvation, writes Caitlin Johnstone. But they don’t. By Caitlin JohnstoneCaitlinJohnstone.comHuman civilization is being engineered in myriad ways by an unfathomably wealthy class who are so emotionally and psychologically stunted that they refuse to end world hunger despite having the ability to easily do so.
The United Nations has estimated that world hunger could be ended for an additional expenditure of $30 billion a year, with other estimates considerably lower. The other day Elon Musk became the first person to attain a net worth of over $300 billion. A year ago his net worth was $115 billion. According to Inequality.org, America’s billionaires have a combined net worth of $5.1 trillion, which is a 70 percent increase from their combined net worth of under $3 trillion at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
So, we’re talking about a class which could easily put a complete halt to human beings dying of starvation on this planet by simply putting some of their vast fortunes toward making sure everyone gets enough to eat. But they don’t. This same class influences the policies, laws, and large-scale behavior of our species more than any other.
……….how absolutely insane it is that we allow this class to shape our civilization.
And we most certainly do allow them to shape our civilization.
Take Bill Gates. He spends a fortune on narrative control ranging from immense contributions to The Guardian to tens of billions of dollars in grants and he’s committed hundreds of millions of dollars to shady political influence groups as well. He’s been influencing Covid policies around the world, from intervening against the waiving of vaccine patent restrictions to facilitating the worldwide rollout of digital vaccine passports; he’s been giving countless media interviews about Covid-19 and vaccines despite having no medical degree or indeed any qualifications at all apart from a net worth of $136 billion. This is after falsely pledging to give his immense fortune away over a decade ago; his net worth has more than doubled in that time.
Jeff Bezos has been a contractor with the Pentagon, the CIA and the NSA, and experts have claimed that Amazon is trying to control the underlying infrastructure of the economy. As sole owner of The Washington Post he ensures that a hugely influential news outlet will always be staffed by people who will help manufacture consent for the status quo upon which his empire is built, and his grand vision for humanity involves shipping us offworld to breed in giant rotating space cylinders………
The World Economic Forum has laid out an agenda for giant corporations to move beyond their unofficial and unacknowledged role as unelected rulers of our world and become open partners in the governance of world affairs alongside our official elected governments, with more power than ever before.
There are almost infinite examples I could highlight, but I think my point is clear. Billionaires and billionaire corporations own our media, influence our thinking, manipulate our economies, interfere in our politics, determine the fate of our ecosystem and shape our world. And they are the very least qualified among us to be doing so……… https://consortiumnews.com/2021/11/03/billionaires-not-morally-qualified-to-shape-civilization/
Australian given a ‘Fail’ for first week performance in Glasgow — RenewEconomy
Climate groups give Australia a ‘fail’ score at the half-way point of COP26, after its failure to set a new interim target and its promotion of fossil fuels. The post Australian given a ‘Fail’ for first week performance in Glasgow appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Australian given a ‘Fail’ for first week performance in Glasgow — RenewEconomy
From solar duck to platypus: Ground-breaking energy shift changes demand curve — RenewEconomy
A ground-breaking trial that saw hundreds of WA businesses modify their energy use and solar output to help stabilise the grid is being extended. The post From solar duck to platypus: Ground-breaking energy shift changes demand curve appeared first on RenewEconomy.
From solar duck to platypus: Ground-breaking energy shift changes demand curve — RenewEconomy
Glasgow Brief: Big “anti-coal day” as Taylor gets a dressing down — RenewEconomy
Anti coal day but Poland does a back flip, 2°C global warming appears within reach, and Taylor buttonholed in Glasgow. The post Glasgow Brief: Big “anti-coal day” as Taylor gets a dressing down appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Glasgow Brief: Big “anti-coal day” as Taylor gets a dressing down — RenewEconomy
November 5 Energy News — geoharvey
Opinion: ¶ “More And More: Five Offshore Wind Stories I’m Watching” • I am a person who spends a lot of time thinking about climate change and consumption. Need a little clean energy pick-me-up? Offshore wind is offering more and more excitement as it looks to become a large-scale reality off our shores. Here’s what’s […]
November 5 Energy News — geoharvey
“Pacific Bully:” Australia accused of greenwashing climate finance commitments — RenewEconomy
A new report suggests Australia is a bad neighbour in the Pacific, using international aid to bully Pacific countries into silence over climate dissent. The post “Pacific Bully:” Australia accused of greenwashing climate finance commitments appeared first on RenewEconomy.
“Pacific Bully:” Australia accused of greenwashing climate finance commitments — RenewEconomy
Few realistic options for Defence to fill its submarine ‘capability gap’ before new nuclear fleet
Few realistic options for Defence to fill its submarine ‘capability gap’ before new nuclear fleet, ABC By defence correspondent Andrew Greene 4 Nov 21 In a blistering National Press Club address on Wednesday, France’s ambassador warned that Australia may have created a submarine capability gap of up to 20 years by cancelling the contentious $90 billion project with his nation.
Much of what Jean-Pierre Thebault said during his hour-long critique of the federal government is rigorously contested, but what is clear is that the navy faces a looming headache on how to replace its ageing Collins Class submarine fleet.
Acquiring nuclear submarines will take decades, and over the next year or so Defence is studying the numerous American
and British options available, as well as the various regulatory and workforce hurdles involved……………….
The scrapped French design was considered the best conventionally powered option, so now there are few options for the government if it wants to replace the operational capability provided by the ageing Collins Class submarines before nuclear-powered boats arrive.
Build, buy or borrow? None of the options are easy
Soon after the AUKUS bombshell was dropped in September, government ministers floated the prospect of Australia leasing submarines, but most military experts don’t believe this option is viable.
Very few nations have ever leased a submarine, and Australia’s AUKUS partners — the United States and United Kingdom — don’t appear to have any “spare” nuclear-powered boats lying around.
A similar option being discussed would be the forward deployment of one or two Virginia Class American submarines in Western Australia, or even the permanent basing of the US boats in Fremantle. ………………. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-04/few-realistic-options-to-fill-submarine-gap/100592100
Foreign Minister Marise Payne to visit South-East Asia to ease fears over AUKUS, submarine plan
Foreign Minister Marise Payne to visit South-East Asia to ease fears over AUKUS, submarine plan, ABC, By foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic, 3 Nov 21, Foreign Minister Marise Payne will conduct a major visit to South-East Asia in the coming days as the federal government moves to calm anxieties about Australia’s nuclear submarine program and bed down a new strategic partnership with peak regional body ASEAN.
Key points:
- Indonesia has raised concerns Australia’s submarine program could fuel an arms race in the region
- Chinese ministers and officials have been attempting to rally support for their stance
- Defence Minister Peter Dutton says nations are welcoming efforts to balance China’s military might
Senator Payne is expected to visit Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam on the trip.
Cambodia has just taken over the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while both Malaysia and Indonesia have sharply criticised Australia’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS technology pact with the United Kingdom and the United States.
The ABC has been told Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo “repeatedly and forcefully” raised concerns about the nuclear submarines program when Prime Minister Scott Morrison met virtually with ASEAN leaders last week, reiterating Indonesia’s concerns the program could fuel an arms race in South-East Asia…………………………. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-03/foreign-minister-marise-payne-in-se-asia-to-rally-aukus-support/100589452
More than 40 countries to make pledge to end coal generation, but not Australia — RenewEconomy
Around 190 countries and organisations, including subnational governments, banks and utilities, expected to sign pledge to end coal use. The post More than 40 countries to make pledge to end coal generation, but not Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.
More than 40 countries to make pledge to end coal generation, but not Australia — RenewEconomy
1 This month.
20 September –National Day of Action in Melbourne on the International Day of Peace
Help Aunty Sue Protect Her Land and Sacred Sites From Destructive Rocket Testing.
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Australians deserve the truth
about
AUKUS – https://aukuspublicinquiry.com/
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
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