Martin Ferguson touts Radiation Register – but half of Australia’s uranium workers are not included
National radiation register for workers Sydney Morning Herald, June 9, 2011For the first time, workers in the uranium industry will have their exposure to radiation recorded on a national database, the federal government has announced.
Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson announced the Australian National Dose Register on Thursday at an International Uranium Conference in Perth……..http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/national-radiation-register-for-workers-20110609-1fu4a.html
Radiation dose register fails Northern Territory, Andrea Hayward May 31, 2011 Sydney Morning Herald Half of Australia’s uranium mine workers have been left off the National Radiation Dose Register, a Senate hearing has heard.
Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam said it was revealed in Senate estimates that workers at uranium mines in the Northern Territory had not been included on the register.
The workers account for half of those working in the uranium industry….. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/radiation-dose-register-fails-nt-20110531-1fega.html
Australian govt energy policy results in drop in renewable energy investment
Australia Drops In Renewable Energy Attractiveness Rankings (Again), Renewable Energy News,by Energy Matters, 9 June 11 The latest Ernst & Young Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices have seen Australia drop in ranking for the second time this year……Ernst & Young says Australia’s latest decreased ranking was due to a reduction in Government spending on renewable energy by AU$1.8b. The major cut to clean energy spending will reduce investment demand for wind power in Australia says the company, which has fallen four points in the wind index.
Australia also lost two points in the solar index after the Government announced plans to reduce the Solar Flagships Program by AU$250m and the capping of the Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme that provides incentives for solar hot water systems, saving AU$160m…….http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=1561
Martin Ferguson gives ultimatum on solar energy
Feds give states ultimatum on solar, SMH Josh Jerga, June 10, 2011 Federal Energy Minister Martin Ferguson will tell his state counterparts they can either have a national solar feed-in tariff scheme or a renewable energy target, but they can’t have both.
At the Ministerial Council on Energy meeting in Perth on Friday, a plan for a national solar feed-in tariff is expected to be on the table, with West Australian Energy Minister Peter Collier backing the move.
Mr Collier has said the current situation is a “balls-up” with each state having a different feed-in tariff system and there was merit in introducing uniformity…http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/feds-give-states-ultimatum-on-solar-20110610-1fvx7.html
South Australia’s Legislative Council votes to protect Arkaroola from uranium mining
SA Upper House votes for permanent Arkaroola protection, Australian Conservation Foundation, 9 June 11, The SA Upper House has tonight passed a Greens
motion calling on the SA Government to permanently protect the mountains of Arkaroola from mining.
This is the first time, after three previous attempts, that either chamber of the SA Parliament has voted in favour of protecting the iconic Arkaroola Wilderness sanctuary in the Northern Flinders Ranges.
Greens Parliamentary leader Mark Parnell, who moved the motion, said he was delighted it had passed.
“It’s clear that the Rann Government must now act to permanently protect this iconic part of South Australia.
“No longer can they ignore the overwhelming support in the South Australian community. I strongly urge them to get on with the task,” he said. Continue reading
Australia’s nuclear salesmen at Canadian “clean” energy talks
Australian scientists tops in international talks about CLEAN ENERGY . Sounds great, doesn’t it? But what are these talks, and who are Australia’s scientific representatives?
Well, the (poorly attended) talks were in Canada, (another uranium producing country), and of Australia’s four representatives, two look very like nuclear salesmen.
There’s Barry Brook, well known nuclear power enthusiast, and Robin Batterham, formerly of giant uranium mining company, Rio Tinto
Fortunately the other two have more believable credentials on clean energy.- Christina Macpherson
Aussie scientists dominate global energy talks ABC News By Sara Phillips, Jun 7, 2011 Australian scientists represent almost a quarter of invited guests at an international energy conference that aims to “reboot the global dialogue on energy”. The Equinox Summit 2030 in Waterloo, Canada has gathered 17 international experts in energy generation, storage and distribution to map a path to a clean energy future.
With the world in dire need of an alternative to fossil fuels to prevent further climate changing greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere, the race is on to develop and roll out cleaner technologies. Continue reading
Australia’s nuclear salesmen dream on, in secluded comfort in Perth hotel
In the safe and comfortable ambience of the Pan Pacific Hotel, Perth, the nuclear salesmen dream on.
Nuclear reactor by 2022, uranium body says, Sydney Morning Herald, Josh Jerga June 8, 2011 Australia should try to get its first electricity generating nuclear reactor up by 2022, despite the Fukushima nuclear plant accident in Japan, the head of the Australian Uranium Association says.
Michael Angwin, CEO of the AUA, told an International Uranium Conference in Perth on Wednesday he was puzzled why the country was debating a carbon price without talking about…….
Who runs Australia’s foreign uranium sales policy? Foreign Affairs Dept or Martin Ferguson?
From Australian parliament Estimates Transcripts | 8th June 2011 Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade 2 June 2011Senator LUDLAM: Can you confirm for us that the Australian government policy still precludes uranium supply to countries that lie outside the NPT framework?
Dr Floyd: The current Australian government policy is that we do not. We must have a bilateral agreement for nuclear cooperation and one of the conditions of that is that they are a member of the non-proliferation treaty.
Senator LUDLAM: Has ASNO at any time supplied any advice to any Australian government minister or the Prime Minister on a bilateral nuclear deal with India?
Dr Floyd: No, we have not.
Senator LUDLAM: I understand that resources minister, Martin Ferguson, has told the United States embassy in Canberra that a deal to supply India with nuclear fuel could be reached in three to five years. But your office has not been approached to provide advice in that regard?
Mr Paterson: We have no comment in respect of any reports relating to another minister’s communication with an embassy.
Legal challenge to Rio Tinto’s tactics in negotiations with Aboriginals
the clans of the Dhurili nation consider that their rights under Australian and traditional Aboriginal law have been breached, and that they have been improperly excluded from the negotiation process.
“Colonisation is still happening today, creating disharmony, by people ignoring due process.
RIO DIDN’T CONSULT US ABOUT MINING: NT TRADITIONAL LAND OWNERS, Australian Mining By Jessica Burke 8 June 2011, Mining giant Rio Tinto has been accused of failing to consult with several traditional land owners over a new lease agreement in the Northern Territory.
The Datiwuy, Golumala, Marrakula and Marranga clans, which make up the Dhurili nation may take legal action against the federal government and the Northern Land Council (NLC), the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
They plan to boycott the official ceremonial signing of the agreement between Rio Tinto and the traditional owners, set to take place in Arnhem Land today. Continue reading
Beware the uses and misuses of opinion polls, like Galaxy’s on carbon tax
The problem lies with the following: “Does the PM have a mandate to introduce the tax or should she call an early election?” This gives respondents no outlet for the obvious third alternative: that while the Prime Minister does not have a mandate for a carbon tax (and given her position during the election campaign, it could hardly be argued otherwise), the government should nonetheless govern as it sees fit and face the music at the end of its term…
Considerably exacerbating the problem is that the poll was conducted for Australia’s most brazenly partisan metropolitan newspaper, the Daily Telegraph (UPDATE: The Herald-Sun is also selling it as its own work). And true to form, the Telegraph has today used the opportunity to run an editorial headlined “voters demand a carbon tax ballot”, in which it argues that “an election now is very necessary”.
Taxing credulity, June 6, 2011 – by William Bowe “….. today’s Galaxy poll, .. targeted a small sample of 500 respondents on behalf of the Daily Telegraph. For the most part, its results are of genuine concern for the government.
Northern Land Council did not consult Aboriginal landowners on Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan
COMMENT “Real Fella – Anthropologists can effecitvely make up whatever they like to suit their employer. It’s not an objective process. If they go to one Traditional Owner who says its his land, and ignore 20 other Traditional Owners s saying its not, then he can produce a report saying its the land of the 1 Traditional Owner despite all the conflicting evidence. This is exactly what the NLC did in this case, it didnt actually talk to most TOs, and worst it didn’t even show people the report once it was written so that they could confirm it or not.”.
Nuclear dump in question, Northern Territory News, BONNY SYMONS-BROWN | June 7th, 2011 NORTHERN Land Council chief executive Kim Hill has not met with traditional owners of the area earmarked for Australia’s first nuclear waste dump. Continue reading
Toro talks up uranium, as its shares slump
UP AND ATOM Sydney Morning Herald, Colin Kruger June 7, 2011 Human catastrophe and financial markets are never a pretty mix. Just ask the uranium explorer Toro Energy, which dedicated yesterday’s shareholder update to clearing the air on some of the ”sensationalist” media coverage of the Fukushima nuclear plant accident.
Toro’s concern is understandable. Its share price nose-dived after the incident and the stock is retracing recent lows following Germany’s promise to close down all its nuclear facilities by 2022.
The company says ”a sequence of extraordinary forces unleashed by an unprecedented natural disaster” caused the accident at the reactors, ”not an operating failure, human error or design fault of the reactors themselves”.
Your columnist feels safer already.
”The lessons learnt from this incident will make nuclear power even safer than its already impressive record would attest,” the company says, while noting that the precautionary radiation checks provided ”plenty of sensationalist film footage” for the media and anti-nuclear groups.
It was not enough to cheer up its share price yesterday. The stock continued its slide, closing 0.3¢ lower at 8¢…http://www.smh.com.au/business/taking-on-water-and-headed-for-the-rocks-20110606-1fpa2.html
Former Liberal leader attacks both Australian parties on Climate Change
…The ‘Say Yes’ coalition wants the government to cut emissions by much more than the proposed 5 per cent by 2020 and make significant investments in renewable energy
Hewson takes swipe at parties over climate ABC News 6 June 11, Thousands of people turned out at rallies in support of action on carbon pollution yesterday, with former Liberal leader John Hewson attacking both sides of politics for their handling of the issue. Continue reading
Australian Conservation Foundation call to govt about Olympic Dam uranium mine
The debate over BHP Billiton’s proposed new Olympic Dam open pit mine is entering a new phase as the Minister for Environment assesses and makes a decision on the company’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in response to over 4000 public submissions.
The ALP Federal government should require BHP to address key public interests to avoid nuclear risks, to prevent environmental impacts and to commit to on-site copper processing.
BHP Billiton uranium impacts to drive down standards Australian Conservation Foundation, June 2011 BHP Biliton’s proposed new Olympic Dam open pit mine fails to comply with ALP policy commitments for the most stringent conditions
and to ensure world’s best practice standards in uranium mining. ACF calls on the Federal government to:
1. assess the option of copper mining and processing on-site, without uranium sales;
2. prevent leakage of tailings and isolate radioactive waste for at least 10 000 years;
3. extend the use of renewable energy from the desalination plant to all new operations;
4. re-locate the proposed desalination plant to prevent ecological impact from brine waste Continue reading
Big Tobacco shows the way for Australia’s Coal and Nuclear Lobbies
Australia’s Institute of Public Affairs does a fine job of fronting for the “Free Market No Regulation” philosophy of big corporations. Tobacco, for example, as THE AGE reports today.
You might wonder “Who cares, if Australia puts cigarette packets into plain colours?” Well, Big Tobacco cares. They devoted most of their recent international convention in Uruguay to Australia’s proposed new law on cigarette packaging. Not that they care too much about Australia’s relatively tiny market. It’s just that they know that this law would be effective in lessening the attraction of kids towards cigarettes – and heck, China or India might notice, and follow Australia’s lead.
As the Age reports, the Alliance of Australian Retailers, The Civic Group, and the IPA all front for the Tobacco Industry. And it’s good practice for the fossil fuel and nuclear industries to follow suit. – Christina Macpherson
Former Turnbull adviser heads tobacco laws fight, THE AGE, Melissa Fyfe, 5 June 11 A FORMER Liberal staff member and adviser to Malcolm Turnbull is spearheading a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to help the tobacco industry fight the federal government’s plain packaging reforms Continue reading
Australia’s media ignores the severity of Japan’s nuclear crisis
the vast majority of Australians who get their news from newspapers or commercial television or radio have no idea about the severity of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, or the danger to human health posed by this ongoing crisis.
VIDEOS Fukushima: Caldicott says Japan may become uninhabitable – media silent | Independent Australia Independent Australia David Donovan 31 May 11
Yesterday – the same day Germany announced it would close all its nuclear plants because of Fukushima, and dangerous levels of radiation were reported in Japanese clean-up workers – Independent Australia did a straw poll of 50 random people at a metropolitan shopping centre in Queensland. Each of them was asked: “were you aware that there had been a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima in Japan”. Almost all of these respondents recognised the name Fukushima but only 4 of the 50 – a mere 8 per cent – said they had heard of any meltdown. Continue reading
1 This month
Help Aunty Sue Protect Her Land and Sacred Sites From Destructive Rocket Testing.
.
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
Antinuclear 