Nuclear news this week in Australia
Latest news is all about Lucas Heights nuclear wastes soon to arrive back from France. Many Australians do not realise that this is an exception to Australian law that makes it illegal to import nuclear waste. France took it to process, on condition that the resultant radioactive trash returns to Australia.
RADIOACTIVE TRASH:
- Govt releases 6 sites short-listed for Lucas Heights nuclear wastes returning from France.
- Scrutiny on the Australian govt’s plan for Lucas Heights nuclear waste.
- Govt announcement of South Australian sites for Lucas Heights wastes: is this a Trojan horse for international waste import plan?
- Yami Lester, victim of nuclear testing urges communities to fight nuclear waste dumping.
- Residents near Sally’s Flat, NSW, appalled at their area as potential radioactive trash site.
- Australian govt avoiding opposition from Aboriginals, as it selects nuclear waste dump sites.
- Why interim storage at Lucas Heights is the least worst solution for returning nuclear wastes.
- A Non-Reactor Future for Lucas Heights.
Nuclear fuel leasing – not economically viable for Australia.
University College London in Adelaide is key player/driver in South Australia nuclear push. Australia’s demonstrated incompetence on dealing with radioactive trash.
Uranium to India: Australian govt: slap in the face for its own Standing Committee, on uranium sales to India.
CLIMATE CHANGE. Malcolm Turnbull all tied up over Climate Change and Paris Conference. Australia’s obligations to Pacific climate migrants. Australia’s ’empty promises’ on phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. Pope’s climate cardinal to visit Australia.
This week today – in nuclear and climate news Australia
Apologies, everyone, because the Australian section is so lo oong. Also because the International section is practically non existent.
I find the International scene gloomy, as:
- Japan’s Fukushima disaster is unending.
- Britain’s govt is happily promoting the Hinkley Point nuclear boondoggle, with China’s help.
- Obama govt buying into the nuclear lobby’s climate lie. (Well, Obama does owe the nuclear industry, for all the campaign funding they’ve given him.)
- Trans Pacific Partnership fails the environment, ignores climate change.
March on Paris The Don’t Nuke the Climate campaign will be present in Paris to organise and
coordinate actions, gatherings and lobby efforts. On December 12 we organise a strong and visible anti-nuclear contingent in the Global Climate March. We call upon everyone to come to Paris for December 12 to make your point clear.
- 28 & 29 Nov, 2015: Mass demonstrations in European Capitals.
- 30 Nov – 11 Dec, 2015: The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC – Paris, France.
- 12 Dec 2015: Mass demonstration in Paris.
AUSTRALIA – well, the nation at large sleeps on, thinking that the removal of half-witted PM Abbott has fixed things. Well, it hasn’t!
FEDERAL POLITICS
- Turnbull backs Sen Edwards plan to make South Australia the world’s radioactive trash toilet. Senator Sean Edwards wants the whole toxic nuclear chain here, as well as the radioactive trash dump. Fact-checking Senator Sean Edwards’s claim on future nuclear bonanza. Nuclear waste dump idea is a political stinker: Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger is worried.
- MP Rowan Ramsey explains difference between Lucas Heights nuclear waste and the Sean Edwards import plan.
- Australia’s nuclear/uranium giants don’t want nuclear technology (just waste dumping).
- Why is Australia suddenly embracing both nuclear industry AND Green Climate Fund?
- Senator Scott Ludlam explains why nuclear power is ‘the dream that failed’.
- Australians would be ill-advised to accept Turnbull’s “green” credentials.
- Christopher Pyne joins Australia’s pro nuclear dance troupe. Matthias Cormann joins, too
On uranium sales to India, Malcolm Turnbull should heed Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Treaties.
Costs of new nuclear, high, higher, and astronomic – Australia, USA, South Africa, China.
CLIMATE CHANGE Australia has no environmental credibility, yet seeks to co-chair the Green Climate Fund. Banks NAB and CBA support climate action (but watch out for nuclear investment). Big companies urge action on climate change (but beware of BHP’s nuclear lobbying). Australian insurance companies must come clean about climate change.
Adelaide’s January heatwave attributed to climate change.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Forget climate change spin: Nuclear lobby’s aim is South Australia as radioactive trash dump – Helen Caldicott. South Australia’s Nuclear Royal Commission THE APPEARANCE OF BIAS – NOT A GOOD LOOK. Don’t let strident pro nuclear voices drown out alternative voices.
Karoonda Council, South Australia, considering floating solar plant.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Cameco’s uranium plans in Western Australia stalled indefinitely by low prices. But Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg expresses nuclear lobby’s religious belief in future uranium boom. Australian media continues to confuse return of Lucas Heights wastes with plan to import world’s radioactive trash.
Western Australia’s wave power microgrid – a world first.
VICTORIA Iluka Resources to subdivide West Victoria land with radioactive trash tomb.
QUEENSLAND State aims to prevent green ‘lawfare’. McKinley Shire, Queensland, promotes local business with renewable energy initiative.
RENEWABLE ENERGY Too good to be true? Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s new found enthusiasm for renewable energy. AUSTRALIA CAN GO GREEN AND HAVE ECONOMIC GROWTH. WHY WE SHOULD GO IT ALONE ON CLIMATE CHANGE. The Balunu Foundation’s healing programme of green energy with Aboriginal people.
Australia’s chance for a new “mining” boom – mining the sun. Council approval for central Queensland solar farm near Baralaba. Sunshine in your beer in Sydney.
Why is Australia suddenly embracing both nuclear industry AND Green Climate Fund?
The Australian government and the subservient mainstream media have just kept mum for many months about South Australia and its rather disgusting Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission.
Now, suddenly, it’s all the rage with the Prime Minister,Liberal politicians, (and under 
the cover – Labor, too) , and the new Chief Scientist Alan Finkel (who’s not even a scientist anyway), and the media.
At the same time the government is trying to become co chair of the International Green Climate Fund.
There is a connection. At the December UN climate talks, the very powerful and well funded nuclear lobby wants to get nuclear power classed as a ‘low emission’ industry – qualifying for financial incentives and tax breaks.
Our government has been bought. Malcolm Turnbull or Julie Bishop will front up at the Paris Climate 
Conference, assisting the nuclear industry to push its barrow. They might even be able to hold out the hope that saintly Australia will charitably take in the world’s radioactive trash – in the interests of resuscitating the nuclear industry (especially USA’s) by solving the industry’s trash problem.
If only the rest of the world would praise Australia’s ‘green credentials’!
They couldn’t do that while we had the apparently half-witted Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. Now we have a much smarter PM Turnbull – who is doing exactly the same things, but expressing it all more subtly.
This week. Climate and Nuclear News Australia
It would be funny if it were not so desperately serious. Today’s Age (print version, business section) tells us that the big corporate winner from the El Nino heat wave will be Coca Cola – yes, a double whammy as kids will get rotten teeth and diabetes, as well as heat exhaustion.
I could feel guilty that I bang on about nuclear, when climate change is the massive planetary threat. But if we let the nuclear lobby get away with its lies, true climate action (renewables + energy efficiency) will be stymied – along with the increased danger from every phase of the nuclear fuel chain.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA NUCLEAR FUEL CHAIN ROYAL COMMISSION Dr Caldicott was aggressively interrogated by Mr Jacobi – a veritable inquisition!. Dr Gordon Edwards explained the Conflict of interest in nuclear authorities
FEDERAL POLITICS: NUCLEAR PM Turnbull appoints a nuclear energy enthusiast as Chief Scientist. Malcolm Turnbull favours importing radioactive trash to Australia. Malcolm Turnbull not keen on nuclear power, but keen on nuclear waste import. Australia’s govt and Opposition swing towards the nuclear industry. Labor Leader Bill Shorten says he opposes nuclear industry mainly because it is ‘not viable’.
Josh Frydenberg, Australia’s Minister For Nuclear soon to release shortlist for waste dump site. – these wastes returning to Lucas Heights – not to be confused with the South Australian plan to import everybody’s radioactive trash.Time that Australia took a responsible attitude to radioactive trash management at Lucas Heights.
AUSTRALIA UNDER HEAVY CRITICISM FOR NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WITH INDIA.
Poll shows Australians overwhelmingly reject coal and nuclear- solar is tops.
Camp Concern: protestors recall and reactivate anti nuclear campaign in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory
Tourism industry at Maralinga – but how safe is Maralinga nuclear bomb site?
FEDERAL POLITICS: CLIMATE. Turnbull on a tricky tightrope. Fijian PM slams Turnbull for giving in to climate denialists. Turnbull tangled in knots over climate change and coal policy. PM Turnbull’s deceptive answers on coal and climate change – Senator Larissa Waters. Barrier Reef to become a fossil fuel highway .Prince Charles to Australia to speak on climate change. Turnbull will attend Paris UN climate conference.
Seed – Indigenous Youth Declaration for Climate Justice. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders‘ legal action against coal port at Abbot Point.
RENEWABLE ENERGY 100% renewable energy electricity company launched in South Australia. Opportunity for Port Augusta to be repowered with solar thermal energy. Queensland’s huge wind solar plant goes ahead.
Fed up with the #NuclearCommissionSAust
Yes, I am fed up with the charade of this Royal Commission – its pro nuclear bias is apparent from the very start – with nuclear enthusiasts strongly represented, starting from Commissioner Kevin Scarce.
Today I looked for the transcript of the hearing with Dr Helen Caldicott on 27 October. Well, it’s hard to find. When you go to the appropriate page on the Commission’s website – not a mention of Dr Caldicott, though she was the first speaker that day.
The one that they do mention is Professor Geraldine Thomas, Imperial College London. Prof Thomas is a very well known pro nuclear speaker. She appeared prominently on the nuclear dragon thing soft sell series on SBS. Thomas has spruiked about radioactive iodine, but conveniently has ignored other radioactive isotopes. (I’ve not read her latest spruik to the RC, but you can bet your boots that she is lobbying away there for the nuclear cause. Sadly Imperial College is becoming notorious for this.)
I have been reading through the transcript of Dr Caldicott’s speech, or more correctly, interrogation. by the redoubtable Mr Jacobi.
I am amazed at the aggressive questioning of Dr Caldicott – it seems to me to be aimed at discreditiing her.
Not long ago, Dr Margaret Chan of the World Health Organisation stated “There is no safe low level of radiation”
Yet when Dr Caldicott said that same thing, she was subjected to aggressive questioning and demand for exact sources.
I wonder whether Mr Jacobi would have subjected the head of the WHO to the same insulting inqusition.
Wrapup of Australian nuclear and climate news
SOUTH AUSTRALIA NUCLEAR FUEL CHAIN ROYAL COMMISSION. Aboriginal women will fight on against nuclear waste dumping in South Australia. Nuclear lobby plans to further override South Australia’s Aboriginal Heritage Act. Nuclear Royal Commission plans for radioactive trash dumping on Aboriginal land: a confusing issue
Radioactive trash returning to Lucas Heights by ship from France. Outcry in France over nuclear waste shipment to Australia. Safety concerns over transport of radioactive trash returning to Australia.
Australian Conservation Foundation debunks argument for Mount Isa radioactive trash dump bid.
Energy resources of Australia abandons plan to expand Ranger uranium mine.
Political Oblivion for climate villains Abbott and Harper. Australian government withdraws funding offer to Bjorn Lomborg’s anti climate action centre.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt full of praise for Clean Energy Finance Corporation Malcolm Turnbull won’t back Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Australia’s chance to become a renewable energy superpower. Queensland’s revolutionary solar energy systems – on carparks and other commercial buildings. Kerang, Victoria, gets economic boost from Lalbert solar farm. Wind farms seek contracts in Australian Capital Territory. With solar power, rooftop panels have exceeded grid parity.
3 compelling reasons why Adani’s Mega Coal Mine Is Still In Trouble. Deloitte Access Economics warning after Turnbull government approves Adani mine. Carmichael coal mine conditions are not ‘strict’. Traditional owners reject a Land Use Agreement with Adani for the Carmichael mine on our traditional lands. Conservationists consider a new appeal against Adani coal mine
5 million hectares of Northern Territory land joins Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). Indigenous owners will manage huge new protected area in New South Wales.
Quick roundup of Australia’s nuclear/climate news
Try as I may, I can’t seem to make this weekly news roundup shorter. I don’t expect that people will read it all, or go to all links. However, just the 3 top links here are very much worth reading. They deal with the subject of ionising radiation. On October 7 Dr Helen Caldicott is speaking at Sydney University on this subject. Meanwhile the global nuclear lobby is intensifying its propaganda lie that ionising radiation is harmless.
- Three Nobel Prize winners calculated the genetic damage of nuclear energy.
- Biological Consequences of Nuclear Disasters: From Chernobyl to Fukushima.
- Film ‘The Martian” gets it really wrong about ionising radiation.
AUSTRALIA
USA’s Small Nuclear Reactors lobby turns to Australia, as safety rules too strong in USA.
Australia needs a new national identity – blending black and white – Paul Keating. There needs to be a stronger framework for Aboriginal property rights.
CLIMATE CHANGE. Narrow chance left to prevent catastrophic collapse of Antarctic ice shelves. Adani coal mine approval ‘grossly irresponsible’. Turnbull govt postpones effort to stop environmentalists using legal avenues. To meet climate goals, Australia must double decarbonisation. Australia’s doctors campaign for action on climate change. Doctors plan global day of climate action.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA. South Australia Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission. Anti nuclear opinions excluded from #NuclearCommissionSAust’s hearings’ Eloquent Submission to #NuclearCommissionSAust – an Aboriginal Perspective. #NuclearCommissionSAust’s plan to bring radioactive trash to Australia – by Leasing. Dr Helen Caldicott’s submission concerning radiation #NuclearCommissionSAust.
NORTHERN TERRITORY. ERA concedes defeat on Ranger uranium mining extension. Fall in quarterly production for uranium miner ERA. ERA should be made accountable for fire in Kakadu National Park.
RENEWABLE ENERGY. A network of micro-grids for Australia’s energy future? Solar cars in Australia . South Australia: subsidy for large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.NSW. Broken Hill’s solar mega-plant operational this year. Australian Capital Territory inviting Tesla Motors to research renewable energy. Victoria. Australia’s govt urged to push renewable energy – ‘All Energy Australia’ in Melbourne.
Past week in nuclear news Australia
n.b. Australia’s top nuclear expert Jim Green on ABC Radio National “Ockham’s Razor” next Sunday 18 October at 7.45 a.m. EST (later available as podcast) Dr Helen Caldicott to speak at Sydney University on Sat 17th October.
Critical scrutiny on Australia’s stance on nuclear weapons.
Secrecy on nuclear waste plans, as Fed govt delays announcing site for radioactive trash dump.
Govt to investigate ERA’s Ranger uranium mine burnoff and subsequent Kakadu fire.
Unable to sell them at home, Westinghouse trying to flog uneconomic nuclear reactors to Australia.
Labor Party to launch a managed, predictable, energy transition process.
South Australia Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission -an Aboriginal group slams its processes. Is the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) a lemon? – a critical look at the public hearing held on October 7th. Royal Commissioner Kevin Scarce says South Australia as radioactive trash dump is our best nuclear bet.
CLIMATE CHANGE. AUSTRALIA’S SHAME: getting UN climate draft to drop action to help climate refugees. Displacement Solutions (NGO for climate refugees) targets Australia as worst climate offender. Climate draft for Paris leaves Australia further behind in its lack of climate plan. Climate Change Authority gets five new board members in possible reprieve. Talking about bushfires: we should be talking about climate change too.
Trans Pacific Partnership‘s Investor-State Dispute Settlement [ISDS] provisions are bad for environment.
RENEWABLE ENERGY PM Turnbull could end the govt’s war on wind farms; but will he? New South Wales town Uralla shows the way to 100% renewable energy. Perth home entirely powered by solar energy shows the way. New low-cost, high efficiency solar panel launched in Australia. Study finds that storage for solar energy can replace gas in our electricity networks.
Water. Australia’s Great Artesian Basin – what will its future be?
The week that has been in Australian nuclear and climate news
Leading up to Paris Climate talks, the nuclear lobby is still going hard at spinning Lie No. 1 – that New Nuclear technology solves the radioactive trash problem. But for October, the focus is on Lie No. 2, – that ionising radiation is harmless, indeed , good for you.
Their favourite tactic is to confuse the public, by comparing the harmless Potassium K in bananas (of very low radioactive intensity), with man-made Cesium 137 and Strontium 90 (of very high radioactive intensity). Their next favourite is to promote the quack theory of “hormesis” – the claim that ionising radiation is actually beneficial to health.
CLIMATE CHANGE. Still possible to contain climate change: Paris UN conference will be critical. Pope Francis’ US visit has triggered awareness of climate change as a moral issue. Bank of England warns on climate change’s threat to global stability. Coming refugee crisis as sea levels rise on Pacific Islands.
South Australia Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission. Analysis of the pro nuclear submissions shows that the major aim is to get South Australia to set up “New Generation” nuclear reactors. (yes, they’re the ones that still exist only on paper). The nuclear companies, not South Australia, would pay the costs of setup – because Australia would pay them back later from the proceeds of importing radioactive trash. The Commission is paying lip service only to renewable energy as a”low carbon’ option.
Of course most of these submissions come from nuclear companies, from individuals connected to nuclear technology, and from a couple of wannabe famous South Australian politicians.
However, the nuclear front group The Breakthrough Institute also has a submission published.
Meanwhile, at the public hearing in Adelaide , October 1st, Dr Arjun Makhijani explained the diseconomics of nuclear power, the irrelevance of it to climate action, (too slow), and the futility of the drive for Small Modular Nuclear reactors (SMRs).
Nuclear lobby aiming to overturn an Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act ban
BHP and Toro energy look to climate action as the reason why the uranium market ( now in doldrums) should have a ‘renaissance’, though, interestingly, BHP actually mentions the possibility of another nuclear disaster mucking things up for them. Toro’s Wiluna uranium project is now stalled indefinitely.
Renewable energy. Australian govt to promote battery storage, through Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). Australia world top in household solar panel installations. Canberra school Amaroo to get benefits from ACT’s largest rooftop solar system.
Another week in nuclear and climate news in Australia
The deck chairs at the Titanic Paris Climate Talks in December include a chair for EDF the giant French nuclear company, which is a sponsor of the conference. Meanwhile in UK, the Thorium Nuclear lobby has got itself charity status. The global nuclear lobby is working hard to win the world to its new, though yet non-existent, technologies. It is using 3 main lies:
LIE 1 “new nuclear solves the wastes problem”. For September www.antinuclear.net and www.nuclear-news.net have focused on that particular lie. LIE 2. “Low dose ionising radiation is harmless, even good for you” – a focus for October. LIE 3. “nuclear solves climate change” – the focus for November.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR FUEL CHAIN ROYAL COMMISSI0ON is beavering away, holding public hearings with interested parties, and with some who must be a nuisance to it. Sept 23rd they had to put up with Professor John Quiggin, telling them that renewables are happening, and CANDU nuclear reactors just aren’t. Rebecca Keane’s Submission didn’t help them either, spelling out South Australia’s potential as leader in renewable energy. Electrical trades Union of Australia dispelled the hype about Generation IV Nuclear Reactors.
Things change, things stay the same – nuclear news this week
Australian politics is in a pretty parlous state. We have just got rid of the worst Prime Minister in Australia’s history. We now have Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a more likable personality, with a better general intelligence. But the policies remain the same, especially on climate change, as Graham Readfern has shown, in a devastating critique. But, Malcolm Turnbull might move slowly and subtly on climate change. As PM Tony Abbott was the Labor Opposition’s best asset, we wait to see what happens in that camp.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA NUCLEAR FUEL CHAIN ROYAL COMMISSION
- Tactics of a Public Relations company Michels Warren were revealed on South Australia’s Nuclear Fuel Chain’s own website – the need to ‘soften up’ the South Australian community. (Posts stay up on that site for only a week).
- At Commission hearing, energy expert finds nuclear power too expensive , too inflexible. And economics professor demolishes the case for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors in South Australia
- A preliminary analysis of submissions
Uranium sales to India Government committee finds that it is too dangerous to sell uranium to India. Uranium deal with India is also bad for Australian business.
Nuclear disarmament Australian govt ‘sees no value’ in humanitarian pledge on nuclear disarmament. Australia, formerly a leader on nuclear disarmament, now a leper in the regional disarmament movement
CLIMATE CHANGE. Survey findings Rio Tinto, Business Council of Australia to be top climate hypocrites. Australia’s and New Zealand’s Prime Ministers just don’t care about Pacific Islands with sea levels rising.
Victorian Environment Protection Authority wants ILuka Resources to explain radioactive trash dump plan.
Renewable Energy: Companies looking for renewable energy investments in Australia
Aboriginal Issues. Aboriginal Freedom Summit 2 pushes for Treaty
Nuclear lobby’s latest schtick – “Acceptable Risk”
I studied the nuclear lobby’s schtick and came up with 3 main lies that they are pushing in the leadup to the December Paris conference:
- “new Generation IV will solve the nuclear waste problem”
- “low dose ionising rdaiation is OK – even good for you”
- “nuclear power will solve climate change”
BUT – I missed an important one. They’ve got a new gee-whiz idea – called “ACCEPTABLE RISK”. 
Australian nuclear propagandist Geoff Russell used this one in his submission to the South Australia Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission – as he argued that people falling off roofs with solar panels is a bigger health danger than Fukushima radiation.
They have another great way of confusing us (that’s the aim – confuse the world and delay action against a truly dangerous industry) – they call it ‘residual risk”:
it is not meaningful to say that an activity or facility is safe or unsafe. The proper way to say it is that the residual risk is tolerable or acceptable given the benefits that are derived from this activity or facility. The NRRC is helping Japanese utilities to accurately quantify the residual risk from nuclear power plants so that measures can be taken to reduce it to as small a number as possible. – (George Apostolakis, Japan News, 30/8/15)
The week that has been in Australian nuclear news
SBS TV showed “The Sugar Conspiracy” on 6th Sept. This documentary revealed the tactics of the International Sugar Association, in PR over decades, showing that fructose (sugar) does not cause dental decay, diabetes, obesity, heart disease. They convinced health authorities, governments, media, by spending $billions on propaganda that just shed doubt on medical facts about fructose.
Familiar story? the Tobacco corporations did the same thing – just shed doubt for decades, on the facts in cigarette smoking and lung cancer. The Asbestos companies did it for decades about mesothelioma. The Fossil Fuel companies successfully shed doubt on the science about global warming.
The Sugar documentary just reminded me that all the Nuclear lobby needs to do, is to shed doubt on the science about ionising radiation. Just delay the truth – and keep on with the business!
Well – I digress, but I enjoyed it!
AUSTRALIA
South Australia’s Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission. ( a few) SUBMISSIONS:
- Questionable Integrity of Royal Commission examined in Submission by Yurij Poetzl.
- ENUFF’s submission the the RC raises objections to its whole modus operandi.
- City of Port Adelaide Enfield notes poor prospects for New Nuclear Technology.
- Geoff Russell’s pro nuclear submission claims that falls from solar rooftop are a bigger danger than the Fukushima nuclear situation.
Hearing held on Sept 9th. Anna Skarbek told Commisison hearing about the opportunities for renewable energy. Ross Garnaut told Royal Commission of ever cheaper solar photovoltaic electricity, but got his facts wrong about uranium enrichment.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Walkatjurra Walkabout still on the road and going well.
CLIMATE CHANGE. Tony Abbott’s deceptive spin about the Paris Climate Targets. Tony Abbott has ‘a very good story to tell’ Pacific Islanders, about climate change Naomi Klein here , says “Australia is full of climate heroes”, also and calls new nuclear power plants a ‘distraction from real climate action‘
INTERNATIONAL
“Everything I was Dreaming of is Gone” — How Climate Change is Spurring a Global Refugee Crisis to Rapidly Worsen.
CSRP 2015 – The Fifth Citizen-Scientist International Symposium on Radiation Protection
International conferences in Hiroshima: call for disarmament measures is weakened by USA, Britain and Canada.
Nuclear lobby’s wishful thinking about Small Modular (SMR) and Generation IV reactors.
‘Climate Change Fix” chosen as 2015 theme by World Nuclear Association.
JAPAN.
- Record rain overwhelming Fukushima’s nuclear station’s drainage pumps.
- Fukushima Daiichi drainage system enters operation.
- Scrutinising Japan’s government PR about The Reopening Of Nahara Fukushima.
- Japan’s Monju nuclear reprocessing reactor, plagued by safety errors, offline for most of 20 years.
- Significant setback to Japan’s #nuclear revival.
- In Japan’s hot summer, solar power ramped up its contribution to electricity.
KAZAKHSTAN’s disaster of dead animals near Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.
FRANCE heading towards a nuclear industry phaseout?
USA. Outrageous decision of USA’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to cancel research on cancer-nuclear links. Nuclear Regulatory Commission prevents hearing on Fermi nuclear plant. Nuclear Regulatory Commission scraps public rulemaking on weak GE containments. St Louis suburb anger about radioactive landfill. Washington State sues US Energy Dept over Hanford workers made sick by toxic fumes.
UK. EDF admits Hinkley Point Nuclear Station won’t be ready by 2023.
CHINA. Anxieties in China over the safety of the nation’s nuclear power programme.
ISRAEL. Nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu again under house arrest. Vanunu discussed Israel’s nuclear program on primetime TV.
Nuclear news this week – and 3 months till Paris Climate Conference
Three months until the Paris United Nations Climate Conference – November 30 to December 11
The cashed up nuclear lobby will be there promoting themselves as the world’s saviour from climate change, and pollution.
They will base this claim on 3 lies:
- that new nuclear power will solve the wastes problem
- that low dose ionising rdaiation is harmless, even healthy
- that nuclear power is essential to combat climate change
I would love it if people would join in examining and exposing those 3 lies.
For September the focus is on Lie No. 1
I see that the Nuclear Information and Resource Center has already a website for this: http://www.nirs.org/cop21/dontnuketheclimate.htm
Much as I hate Facebook, I have started a Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Nuclear-for-Paris-Climate-Action/1490419381255842 The more the merrier- perhaps.
Another area for study is – the Submissions to South Australia’s Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission. As I plough through these at http://nuclearrc.sa.gov.au/submissions/?search=Submissions I find many excellent submissions for the public good. I would be grateful to anyone who sends me a good extract from one of these. I publish selected extracts from the good ones on antinuclear.net . For example – today’s –ADELAIDE HILLS CLIMATE ACTION GROUP unanimously opposes all nuclear industries.
Nuclear wastes: Importing nuclear waste is illegal in Australia. The Lucas Heights returning waste is an exception, due to legal obligations of the contracts with UK, France and Argentina. Abbott govt soon to give shortlist of sites for Lucas Heights nuclear waste dump. What’s the betting that it will be South Australia, as the nuclear lobby regards it as a foot in the door for making that State the world’s radioactive toilet?
Western Australian Labor holds firm to nuclear-free policies. Australian uranium company Paladin mothballing uneconomic project in Labrador, Canada. Rosatom now selling uneconomic Honeymoon uranium project in South Australia.
Importing #nuclear waste is illegal. The Lucas Heights returning waste is an exception
I hope that The Age and other media will make clear the fact that this radioactive trash returning from UK and France, emanates from radioactive trash that originated at Lucas Heights. Australia is legally obliged to take it back. A completely different proposition from the hare-brained idea of importing foreign nuclear wastes.
Under Commonwealth and State laws, no nuclear waste repository can be set up in Australia, with just this one exception.
The nuclear lobby, and the South Australian government will use this exception to confuse the public – so that this exception could become a foot in the door for the ill advised plan by some greedy Australian individuals, and by the desperate overseas nuclear companies, for South Australia to become the world’s nuclear toilet.
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
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