A mixed “blessing” for Australia in radiation cleanup breakthrough
It is comforting that Queensland’s Professor Zhu tells us that radiation cleanup will still be needed, even if the world abandons nuclear power. In that case, it is good that Australia might provide other parts of the world with a technology to help in this.
On the other hand, Professor Zhu tells us “we have the technology to do the cleaning up for the world.” This is far from comforting, especially when we realise that the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation is involved. ANSTO is well known as a promoter of nuclear technology. There are some in Australia, like John White, Ron Walker and Robert Champion de Crespigny, and others – who would just love to make several $billion out of importing foreign nuclear wastes into Australia.
This new “radiation absorbent’ might be just the technology they want? – Christina Macpherson
Breakthrough to help clean up contaminated water, Brisbane Time s, 2 Nov 11 Brisbane scientists have helped developed an intelligent absorbent, which they hope will solve the problem of how to clean up water contaminated with radioactive waste. The research team believes the technology will benefit industries rangingfrom mining to medicine, plus assist in clean-up efforts after nuclear disasters.
One gram of the absorbent can “effectively purify at least one tonne of polluted water”, according to Professor Huai-Yong Zhu from Queensland University of Technology Chemistry. The absorbent, developed in collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and Pennsylvania State University in the United States, effectively locks in the dangerous radioactive material and extracts it from the water.
It uses titanate nanofibre and nanotube technology. Professor Zhu said the technology would run the contaminated water through fine nanotubes and fibres, trapping radioactive ions.
The absorbent could then be safely disposed without the risk of leakage, even if the material became wet. “This saves large amounts of dangerous water needing to be stored somewhere and also prevents the risk of contaminated products leaking into the soil,” Professor Zhu said……Even if we decide that nuclear energy is not the way we want to go, we will still need to clean-up what’s been produced so far and store it safely.
“Australia is one of the largest producers of titania that are the raw materials used for fabricating the absorbents of titanate nanofibres and nanotubes. Now with the knowledge to produce the absorbents, we have the technology to do the cleaning up for the world.”
Christina Macpherson It all might be rather fanciful anyway. If you go to “comments” on this item, you will see a comment from a radiation expert, who throws cold water on the whole proposal, anyway, and wonders why, if it’s so great “why this breakthrough is not on the front page of the IAEA “?
Aboriginal culture may yet save Australia for European pastoralists, Aborigines and environmentalists
Honour invasion warriors’, Canberra Times, BY BREANNA TUCKER, 04 Nov, 2011 “…………..Professor Flannery pointed out that Australia would do well to take lessons from its elders.
He said technology had made the world smaller, and communication and building strong links had become the key to successful business. But far from being covered in dust in the history books, Aboriginal people had pioneered the structure in which such relationships needed to be build.
”Aborigines were the only people who, without the assistance of any transport, forged a community of knowledge and interconnectedness that spanned an entire continent,” Professor Flannery said. ”If you look at the records, people from the Kimberley knew the names of people living in the Great Australian Bight.
”They did not trade in physical goods, they traded in intellectual property, in songs and knowledge. The maintenance of that connectedness is an echo of the world we’re now moving into because knowledge is everything in the modern world.”
Professor Flannery ended by reflecting on Australian politics, in which he said Aboriginal people and Australians were perhaps more aligned than they realised. Where the nation was once divided between European pastoralists, Aborigines and environmentalists, the interests of all three groups were now merging.
”There is a thirst out there for a new sort of partnership, reflecting a new reality and that reality is that Europeans on the land, Aboriginal people and environmentalists now have a very strong common thread.
”But unless we acknowledge and really come to terms with our past, we won’t be able to fully take the benefits of the diverse place Australia has become.” http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/honour-invasion-warriors/2346731.aspx
Secretive and inadequate plan for Toro Energy’s uranium mining project at Wiluna, Western Australia
Toro Energy acknowledges that it has not fully verified the accuracy or completeness of its own application, and does not accept responsibility or liability for its application.….A mining agreement with Traditional Owners has not yet been negotiated…Uranium mining and tailings disposal in this region would occur below the water-table and be connected to aquatic ecosystems. There is a risk of contaminating the aquatic ecosystems….The mine rehabilitation plans are incomplete and Toro Energy’s preliminary costing for rehabilitation is being kept secret.
Submission to the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia on behalf of the Conservation Council of WA, the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Wilderness Society and the Anti Nuclear Alliance of WA. This submission was prepared with the help and advice from Dr Jim Green, Dr Gavin Mudd and Dr Nic Dunlop.
re: Toro Energy Ltd Wiluna uranium project Environmental Review and Management Programme (ERMP) Wiluna ERMP Submission_Final.doc
Australian uranium mines have a history of leaks, safety breaches and failed rehabilitation. Accordingly a 2004 report by a Senate References and Legislation Committee found “a pattern of under-performance and non-compliance” in the uranium mining industry and identified many gaps in knowledge. To date, not a single uranium mine in Australia has been rehabilitated to the point that radiological conditions are stable and ongoing monitoring is no longer required.
The history of the wider mining sector in WA has also been problematic as detailed in a recent Auditor General’s report . Continue reading
Australia’s civil liberties under threat – the case of Julian Assange
Assange’s extradition will have broad implications, not only for the exercise of free speech, but also for
all Australians — as it will bring into stark relief our own government’s commitment to our rights as citizens…
If he is sent to Sweden, Assange’s extradition must be conditional on him not being subject to the “temporary surrender” clauses in the bilateral treaty between the USA and Sweden….
Kevin Rudd.., unlike the Prime Minister and Attorney General, knew he was obliged to presume Julian Assange innocent
before proven guilty. Instead of threatening to cancel this Australian passport, the Foreign Minister said publicly that his responsibility was to attend to his legal and consular rights.
While the world watches events unfold in London, we have a singular responsibility here in Australia for the protection the citizenship entitlements of one of our own. The next move is squarely in the court of the Australian Government.
Why Julian Assange Could Be You, New Matilda.com, By Scott Ludlam, 3 Nov Australians should watch closely how the Gillard Government responds to Julian Assange’s extradition . It will test Labor’s commitment to all of our rights as citizens Continue reading
Big losses at Paladin uranium mine
Heavens to Betsy! – Australian Red Cross has gone anti nuclear!
Australian Red Cross Launches a Campaign against Nuclear Weapons, PopsOp 2 November 2011 | By Anna Rudenko Greenpeace is known for taking bold and extravagant actions to protect environment and help jumpstart the conversation about ecological dangers, but this organization is not the only one to persuade people to take actions for the planet protection. Australian Red Cross has teamed up with Belgiovane Williams Mackay (BWM) Sydney and digital agency Pollen to launch a social campaign Target Nucler Weapons aiming primarily at younger generation—the aim of this initiative is to start conversation about the legitimacy of the use of nuclear weapon and get more supporters to raise awareness of the devastating consequences of this weapon of massive destruction and advocate for banning it. Continue reading People power effective against New South Wales government plan to dump radioactive waste on Kemps Creek
People power stops Kemps Creek toxic waste plan Liverpool Leader, 1 Nov 11 RADIOACTIVE waste will not be dumped on Kemps Creek following an outpouring of community anger. The state government announced on Monday that more than 5000 tonnes of radioactive material will now be treated on-site by a federal agency at Hunters Hill before it will be removed.
Previous coverage: Kemps Creek dumping ground for radioactive waste
It ends a week of speculation after Finance Minister Greg Pearce agreed there were “no alternative waste sites in NSW”, during budget estimate hearings. Angry that the material from the former Hunters Hill uranium smelter seemed destined to be dumped at the SITA Environmental Solutions site, Kemps Creek residents last week kicked off a campaign to get a 10,000 signature petition to be debated in Parliament…. http://liverpool-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/heated-local-reaction/
Toro Energy has no credible plan for radioactive waste in its Western Australian Wiluna project
Greens says uranium mine plan flawed ABC News, 1 Nov 11 WA Greens Senator Scott Ludlum says Toro Energy’s proposal to the Environmental Protection Authority for its planned Wiluna uranium mine is full of gaping holes. In his public submission as part of the EPA approval process Mr Ludlum says there are a series of unanswered questions regarding the company’s proposed mine in the northern Goldfields.
Toro Energy is seeking environmental approval for what could become WA’s first uranium mine. Scott Ludlum says there are serious flaws in the company’s plans.
“The company is proposing to leave behind in the landscape tens of millions of tonnes of very finely powered carcinogenic radioactive waste and they are asking the tax payer to take on that liability ten years after the mine closes.” “To do that they need to put up a credible proposal for how that material is going to be isolated from people and the environment for tens of thousands of years and they haven’t even made an attempt to do that.” Toro Energy has declined to comment. http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/11/01/3353209.htm
International and Australian walkers join Aboriginal struggle against uranium mining
Australia: Anti-uranium mine marchers reach Perth Summit County Citizens Voice November 1, 2011 by Bob Berwyn, Groups show solidarity with indigenous people, call for halt to mining, By Summit Voice SUMMIT COUNTY — After nine weeks walking through rain, wind and dust across a big chunk of Australia, 50 protest marchers arrived in Perth to call for an end to uranium mining in Australia.
“Footprints for Peace have organized international walks against uranium mining for seven years. On each walk we hear
the same stories about the broken promises from the nuclear industry. said march coordinator Marcus Atkinson. “This industry … divides communities and leaves people uncertain and afraid about the future.”
The group has been walking in solidarity with the Traditional Custodians of theWiluna and Yeelirrie areas where uranium mines have been proposed; many are opposed to the mines but have no legal recourse.
Bilbo Taylor, spokesperson for Walk Away from Uranium Mining, said, “Although we are walking into the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, this is not about the Queen or any other heads of government, this is about common people from around the world who have walked together with the indigenous peoples of this land in respect for their sovereign rights, and with a simple message ‘Irati Wanti – uranium, leave it in the ground “
Jocelyn Peyret, from the Resau Sortir du Nucleaire– an anti-nuclear federation of 915 organisation and 54,109 individual members, has been with the walk since the beginning. He has witnessed the way the nuclear industry works both in France and Australia.
“We support the indigenous people in their fight because it’s the same in France,” Peyret said. “They arrive with a lot of money and promises of jobs, but when they’re done, they just leave problems. It’s the same fight. The nuclear industry take’s your land and your future”
“For an indigenous person of North America, it simply means no more exploitation and colonization,” said
Ammon Russell, an indigenous person from the Dine/Navajo reservation in Arizona. “Australians can begin by simply respecting what the original caretakers of this land maintained in culture, language and belief systems.” http://summitcountyvoice.com/2011/11/01/australia-anti-uranium-mine-marchers-reach-perth/
Fossil fuel subsidies prevent the development of renewable energy – says IAE
Renewable Energy Being Held Back by Fossil Fuel Subsidies – IEA. Oil Price.com by By. Carin Hall,Energy Digital, 01 November 2011‘ Recent reports show a massive increase in coal dependency caused by fossil fuel subsidies to be addressed at World Climate Summit.
According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest findings, coal and oil subsidies pose the greatest challenge to the renewable energy market. As the world’s largest exporter of coal, Australia’s carbon emissions have grown nearly 300 percent since 1970, according to the IEA’s last annual report on CO2 emissions. Worse, that percentage is regional, excluding the huge amounts of coal shipped overseas to some 20 dependent countries. Continue reading
NSW government does not know what to do with Hunter’s Hill radioactive uranium waste
Kemps Creek spared radioactive waste, but contaminated soil may be dumped elsewhere in NSW, Henry Budd , The Daily Telegraph October 31, 2011 RADIOACTIVE waste dug up in Hunters Hill will not be dumped at Kemps Creek, the NSW Government announced today, but the opposition says another NSW community could now be the site where material will be dumped.Up to 5000 tonnes of contaminated soil from the site of a former uranium smelter at Hunters Hillwas to have been trucked to Kemps Creek, near Penrith, allowing the sale of three blocks of land in the waterside suburb….
NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson said: “The Premier is treating the people of NSW with contempt if he thinks it is OK to dump radioactive waste in someone’s backyard and keep it a secret.”The Premier is clearly trying to avoid a second backlash by refusing to tell residents their community is about to become a radioactive dumping ground.”….http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/kemps-creek-spared-radioactive-waste-but-contaminated-soil-may-be-dumped-elsewhere-in-nsw/story-e6freuzi-1226181281010
Send radioactive waste offshore: NSW Labor 9 News 1 Nov 11 Radioactive waste from the north shore should be sent offshore and not trucked to western Sydney, says NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson. The government on Monday announced that radioactive waste from the former Hunters Hill uranium smelter would be stored at a secret Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) facility at Lidcombe….. Continue reading
Paladin uranium miner struggles with continued losses and share price falls
Paladin chief slashes his pay, SMH, Peter Ker,November 1, 2011 PALADIN Energy boss John Borshoff has taken the knife to his $2.5 million salary, in the latest chapter of a miserable year for the struggling uranium miner.
Barely 10 months after enjoying a 5 per cent pay rise, Mr Borshoff has agreed to reduce his pay by 25 per cent as part of a drive to reduce administration costs at the Africa-focused company. The pay cut coincided with a lacklustre quarterly report from Paladin, which has earned a reputation for over-promising and under-delivering. ……… mine production targets were missed by 15 per cent over the past three months, while the company’s forecasts for the uranium price also proved too optimistic.
But the cut to Mr Borshoff’s pay was the stand-out item in the report, and comes after much agitation from investors who have watched the share price plummet since the Japanese nuclear disaster in March. Mr Borshoff’s remuneration package was worth $2.522 million in the year to June 2011, up from $1.9 million the year before.
That increase to his remuneration, which included a 5 per cent rise in fixed pay, came in a year when Paladin made an increased trading loss of $US82.3 million. The company sought to justify Mr Borshoff’s remuneration by describing him as a ”recognised global authority” on nuclear power, whose expertise was in ”extremely limited supply” around the world….
Paladin shares fell 6.5¢ to $1.50 yesterday. The stock was fetching $5 in March before the Fukushima nuclear disaster damaged investor confidence in the uranium sector…. http://www.smh.com.au/business/paladin-chief-slashes-his-pay-20111031-1ms4l.html#ixzz1cV3q88BL
The growing positive and anti nuclear message of the Occupy Movement
“The future of the human race requires the co-operation of its members.”
our planet can no longer withstand the assaults of an increasingly destructive industrial civilisation.
Learning To Shine Through The Ruins, By Vincent Di Stefano, 30 October,2011, Countercurrents.org “…….The cultural awakening of the 1960s had made many aware of the presence of deepening flaws within industrial civilisation: Of the rampant militarism that had unleashed two unspeakably destructive World Wars; of the atomic slaying of the inhabitants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; of the slash and burn methods of US imperialism that disgorged blistering gifts of napalm and poisonous defoliants into the wasted landscapes of Indo-China;
……..this abundance and the freedoms it has bestowed appear to have benumbed rather than sharpened our capacity to perceive and to interpret the divided reality that underlies our illusions of comfort and prosperity.
Despite the fact that the Chernobyl melt-down 25 years ago has already cost nearly a million lives , and despite the fact that hot Strontium from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant has been detected on the rooftops of houses in Yokohama 250 kilometers away, the nuclear industry, together with its marketing arm, the International Atomic Energy Commission continues to aggressively pursue their deadly interests….. Continue reading
Redlight for Yellowcake: National spotlight on WA uranium plan
31 Oct 11 Environment groups from around Australia have joined West Australian trade unions, environment groups and civil society organisations to call for no uranium mining in WA. The groups have submitted a formal submission to the WA Environmental Protection Agency detailing their concerns over plans by Toro Energy for uranium mining near Wiluna in WA’s central desert.
Leading national and international groups including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Wilderness Society, the Australian Conservation Foundation and a number of States and Territory peak environment groups have urged the EPA not to approve the controversial Wiluna uranium mine and to instead support an independent public inquiry into plans for uranium mining in WA.
Public comment on the application for the Wiluna project, planned to be WA’s first uranium mine, closes today. Around two thousand submissions opposing uranium mining have been sent to the EPA. “There is growing national concern about the Barnett governments move to fast track uranium projects in WA,” said Conservation Council of Western Australia nuclear free campaigner Mia Pepper. “Many of the groups that support our call have a close experience of the costs and consequences of the nuclear industry and there is growing attention and resistance to this toxic industry in the West”.
The joint groups have identified fundamental deficiencies in the Toro Energy application including in such key areas as water, transport, cumulative pollution impact, Aboriginal heritage and radiation protection. These deficiencies are so significant that they preclude any credible approval of the Wiluna project.
“Many West Australians are opposed or have deep concerns about this planned industry, particularly in the shadow of Fukushima and the EPA should not sign off on this flawed project on the basis of this deficient application,” said Mia Pepper.“Radioactive waste lasts longer than a mining company and a lot longer than a Premier’s assurance. West Australian’s deserve no less than an independent public inquiry into plans for this contested industry.”
Australian government not seriously opposed to nuclear weapons proliferation?
Christina Macpherson 31 Oct 11. These two motions to strengthen Australia’s stand against nuclear weapons proliferation were soundly defeated in the Senate today. It would seem that both Labor and Liberal parties are well in the grip of the nuclear corporate lobby. (However, the Government did reaffirm the current policy of not selling uranium to countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty)
In the Australian Senate today Senator Scott Ludlam moved:
That the Senate: welcomes efforts taken by the Government to advance nuclear disarmament diplomacy, including the establishment of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and the request for the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties to undertake an inquiry into the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament treaties involving Australia; and
calls on the Government to support the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons.
That the Senate— (a) congratulates the Government for maintaining Australia’s longstanding policy of predicating bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements on the condition of membership to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; and (b) calls on the Government to identify the countries to which it will not permit the sale of uranium.
1 This month
Help Aunty Sue Protect Her Land and Sacred Sites From Destructive Rocket Testing.
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PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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