Nuclear lobby is really just a bunch of guys each squabbling over their pet project
There is an area of the “nuclear debate” that needs exploring. That is – the realm of contradictions and humour in it all.
People agonise, thinking that the “nuclear lobby” is one great monolith – too big to successfuly oppose.
But in reality, it’s more like a little bunch of squabbling bovver boys. One lot wants to build “Generation III” reactors, using uranium. Another lot want Gen IV reactors of various competing types, that are still not much more than a glint in the eye of the pro nukes. Then there are “fast breeder” and various types of reprocessing reactors (fraught with problems). Then there are the new geewhiz Bill Gates “travelling wave”. small reactors. Then there are the small “thorium” reactors (that would ruin the uranium industry).
The beauty of it all is that the proponents of each type are really in cut-throat competition with each other.. It shouldn’t take too much to show the public how damn silly they all are.
But I suppose that the winning argument will always boil down to money. Because it is so heinously expensive to properly shut down nuclear reactors, pro nukes might prevail over governments – to keep right on with nuclear power, so that the ever more expensive problem of burying it can be avoided, by passing it on to our grandchildren.
Good riddance Marius Kloppers, and let’s hope that Andrew McKenzie is not worse
Many reasonable people rejoiced at BHP’ Billiton’s decision to abandon the grandiose plan for a new uranium mine at Olympic Dam. We might rejoice also with the demise of its prime pusher, CEO Marius Kloppers.
Now BHP will have CEO Andrew McKenzie, who is also a fan of Olympic Dam expansion.
I am reminded of one old poem for children, by Hilaire Belloc – which ends – “But always keep a hold of Nurse, for. fear of finding Something Worse”
Australia – nuclear news for the past week
Perhaps the antinuclear website should change to “climate news”. I think about this often, because it is surely apparent to Australians that the climate is changing, and extreme events are happening more frequently here, and overseas – as well as the ‘creeping events’ of glacial and polar ice receding, sea level rise, and warming global average temperatures. Then there are the news items and forecasts of climate experts, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It’s all happening, and faster than we had anticipated.
In the light of this, I, for one, am glad that the Australian Greens, now led by (shock horror – a woman!) Christine Milne, have severed their bond with the Australian Labor Party. Of course, the fossil fuel puppets of Liberal and Labor are now even more scathing about the Greens. Labor is wobbling its way to the Right. Paul Howes, ambitious pro nuclear union spokesman, (and wannabe Prime Minister one day) is vitriolic in his condemnation of Christine Milne.
Yet, in today’s climate of climate change, Australia’s little children may have no future. And the Greens are the only political party facing up to this reality.
While the useless Australian media frolic about encouraging the pointless dance of Gillard versus Rudd, Abbott versus Turnbull – the issues that matter to our children are ignored.
Happenings
- Maraling nuclear veterans making legal appeal for compensation, to the Australian Human Rights Commission
- Aboriginal community leaders refute Marcia Langton’s claim that mining is the solution for Aboriginal progress
- Very mysterious circumstances surround the death in Israel of Australian citizen Ben Zygier, but Israel maintains secrecy on this.
- Engineers Australia urge for greater cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, and for development of renewable energy
- Victorian research on 20,000 breast cancer patients shows that genetics is not a factor for 75% of them. (time we looked at environmental causes
- Julian Assange getting organised for Senate bid in 2013 elections
- In Australia, renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuel energy.
Australia’s Labor Party lurches to the Right- example Paul Howes attack on The Greens
I always thought that Paul Howes had his own political career firmly in mind. Now, as the Greens sever their support from
Labor, Howes sees an opportunity to move up in the Party, as it wobbles its way further to the Right.
Howes has previously compared The Greens to the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) which brought about a traumatic split within Labor.
Howes does not seem to grasp the fact that The Greens have a very clear agenda for a sustainable economy, providing both jobs and the very basis of the economy, a clean environment. Today, Howes criticises the fact that the Greens support polices towards those aims, whether those polices are Labor’s or Liberals. They have no obligation to mindlessly support Labor, as Howes seems to think.
In an interview with Tony Jones, on ABC Lateline ( http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-20/howes-calls-for-greens-destruction/4530952?section=qld) Howes calls for Greens’ destruction,
In a fairly vitriolic attack on Greens leader, Christine Milne, Howes praises the Mineral Resources Rent Tax, but fails completely to refute Christine Milnes very clear exposition of the reasons why this tax is a failure.
“…..TONY JONES: Now in July of last year when the Labor/Green alliance was still very much alive you described the Greens as “extremists who threaten Australia’s democracy” and that the Labor Party, you said, “should concentrate its efforts on destroying them”. Will that now happen?
PAUL HOWES: Absolutely…….
TONY JONES:……this is what Bob Brown says, “the increasingly powerful Howesian Labor cause has a simple political recipe to prefer the Liberals over the Greens”. What do you say to that?
PAUL HOWES: Howesian! I’d rather be a Howesian than an Earthian…..
..the Greens are no different than the Liberals insomuch as they are a political party that stands for values that are fundamentally different to the values of the Labor Party…”
The nuclear week that was, in Australia
Once again, all the action is Australia is really about renewable energy. The nuclear/uranium lobby is very quiet – as well they might be, with the gloomy international news for their industry.
So – I might as well take this opportunity to report a little housekeeping news for my websites. They’re in a bit of peril. But I don’t really know how much, me being somewhat legally illiterate, and Luddite.
It’s a kind of tribute find myself on Roger Helbig’s “hit list” Lt. Col. RogerHelbig is part of a Pentagon disinformation campaign to prevent people from challenging the use of depleted uranium as a weapon. He specialises in discrediting some quite prestigious writers and in closing down anti nuclear websites. Yesterday Mr Helbig sent me a long email, threatening legal action, and he advised me that:
“I have already advised WordPress and I will make every possible effort to take down your WordPress blog and eliminate your ability to ever have another WordPress blog.”
Getting back to the real news:
- The Australian government has failed to exercise any duty of care, in the case of Australian citizen Ben Zygier, whoe died in gaol in Israel, in mysterious circumstances. As in the case of David Hicks, we were too scared to offend USA and Israel.
- 10 years after Australia undemocratically entered the Iraq war, highly regrded Australians now call for a Campaign for an Iraq War Inquiry – lest we make the same mistake again.
- Aboriginals’ status: Michael Anderson explains that what is needed is a Sovereign Treaty, not Act of Recognition
- Renewable Energy. Western Australian Greens release Energy 2029 – a plan for the State. Solar energy initiative in Kalgoorlie, calls for big solar initiatives solar in Port Augusta, and in Hunter Valley. Almost a million small solar panel systems in Australia. Australian solar consortium to develop 250 MW Indonesian project.
- Cameco admits that its Kintyre uranium project is not economically viable
Paladin, Ashurst – now Roger Helbig trys to shut down Antinuclear – we must be having an impact
Here’s what Roger Helbig sent me today: ” Your first immediate action is to take my name out of your
e-mail subject line. I have already advised WordPress and I will make
every possible effort to take down your WordPress blog and eliminate
your ability to ever have another WordPress blog.” along with a lot of other threats of legal action.
This humble little website is now in the company of some much more illustrious sites. For example – “It has come to our attention that an 
individual by the name of Roger Helbig, has been going to great effort to damage our reputation” http://www.salem-news.com/
There are dozens more .. you see, Roger Helbig makes a profession of harrassing and preferably shutting down, any voices that criticise the use of depleted uranium.
Also
Renewable energy is happening. Nuclear energy is not.
I think that I really ought to change the names of my websites (to Renewable Energy News). These websites are supposed to reflect the news – what is happening.
Well, nuclear power and uranium markets are just not happening. There’s a sorry sort of 21st Century colonialism going on. The over-developed countries, such as Australia, are trying to rip every resource, such as uranium, out of the ground in Africa, at the least benefit to the Africans that they can get away with. With France sending troops in, and Australia pondering on this – it’s a bit like the 19th Century “scramble for Africa”. Not that the uranium market is actually much good, anyway.
But the over-developed nations are pinning their hopes on selling nuclear reactors to the “developing” world – a colonial sort of version of Not In My Backyard. For all the hype – not much is actually happening there either. But then perhaps oil-rich, sun- rich United Arab Emirates figure that they might like to have nuclear weapons one day .
What is really happening globally is rapid growth in solar and wind energy, both centralised and decentralised. Worldwide surge in renewable energy, with costs falling http://nuclear-news.net/2013/01/25/worldwide-surge-in-
renewable-energy-with-costs-falling/
160 nations to double use of renewable energy http://nuclear-news.net/2013/01/19/160-nations-endorse-doubling-of-renewable-energy-irena/
Extraordinary that Australia, with its fawning subservience to America, is slow to pick up on what’s happening there in renewable energy USA: In 2012 49% of new energy capacity was renewable http://nuclear-news.net/2013/01/21/usa-in-2012-49-of-new-energy-capacity-was-renewable/
U.S. Establishes Renewable-Energy Zone on Public Land in Arizona http://nuclear-news.net/2013/01/19/renewable-energy192000-acres-of-government-owned-land-in-arizona/
While renewable energy grows in USA, Germany – in a big way, it’s also growing in many less powerful countries, especially in the use of small-scale power. http://nuclear-news.net/2013/02/09/local-solar-energy-making-a-huge-difference-in-rural-argentina/
Methinks Australia’s mining industry protests too much about corruption
Here is a strange headline.from The Australian Miners fear ‘dirt’ will hurt industry” Australia’s mining industry becoming very righteous about corruption in the NSW mining licences issue. They say it damages their international reputation.
Especially as regards Africa – one would wonder “What international reputation”.?
So many allegations, so many organisations critical of the way Australian companies do business in Africa. Especially Paladin uranium in Malawi, and Rio Tinto uranium in Namibia http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/miners-fear-dirt-will-hurt-industry/story-e6frgczx-1226574973649 (subscription only)
Latest nuclear news in Australia
Some good news. That rare event – all parties in the Australian Parliament support the Bill to include the beautiful World Heritage area of Koongarra into Kakadu National Park. JeffreyLees, traditional owner of Koongarra resolutely knocked back AREVA’s millions to mine uranium there. Lees donated his land to the National Park – “Money comes and goes, but the land is always here”.
Anti nuclear movement gaining strength as Australian Nuclear free Alliance kicks off with its National Nuclear Free Strategy conference, representing at least 20 national and state organisations across the country. I was lucky to be able to attend, and learn of the inspirational work of black and white Australians in these groups – that work on dedication and shoe-string budgets.
Queensland‘s Uranium Implementation Committee warns that uranium mining will not be happening any time soon – the major reason being the poor market prospects.
Climate Change. Al Gore warns that the Coalition’s climate action policy won’t work, and he praises Julia’s Gillard’s climate policy as an inspiration to the world.
Renewable energy. Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that renewable energy will take over in Australia, with wind power now cheaper than coal and gas, even without subsidy.
Wind power. Australia’s Environment Protection Authority’s study reported that infrasound from wind turbines was insignifican compared to infrasound from many other sources in the Australian environment
Paladin, Rio Tinto in Malawi and Namibia. Australia’s Foreign Minister Bob Carr has done it again! He really does excel in hypocrisy. Carr praised these uranium mining companies for strong corporate social responsibility. What a load of twaddle! With Paladin’s 10 years of no taxes in Malawi, as part of a deal all too favourable to Paladin, in this poverty-stricken country – with Rio Tinto’s environmental pollution in Namibia – with Australian overseas aid money going to Paladin for its public relations projects in Malawi – with many allegations against Paladin – these uranium companies look like the Ugliest Australians in Africa.
Worse – Australian Defence Force chief General David Hurley’s alarming indication that there might be a role for the ADF in protecting “Australian interests” in Africa?
Olympic Dam. The grandiose plans seem to have stuffed up badly, as BHP now cuts operations and slashes jobs.
Australian Nuclear Free Alliance – a force in the federal elections 2013
Christina Macpherson, 5 Feb 13 Australian politicians be warned! You’d better get clued up about uranium and nuclear issues. Because you will be put on the 
spot. These are not party political issues – they’re too important for that. The Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (ANFA) will be talking to, and scrutinising, politicians of all persuasions. And voters will want to know where the candidates stand , on these critical issues.
Yesterday I was privileged to attend Day 2 of the National Nuclear Free Strategy meeting, held in Melbourne by the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance. Quite an eye opener – to join these informed, capable and dedicated campaigners from many organisations, who came together from the Northern Territory and 5 States – all with the same goal – a nuclear free Australia.
I counted 19 different organisations represented, and in several cases, such as Friends of the Earth, and the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, several representatives and from different States.
Most of these organisations run on the proverbial shoe-string, yet have talented and competent members. and have already achieved much success.
ANFA now takes up the challenge of awakening Australia’s politicians, media, and public to critical matters for this election year:
- The Muckaty court case – and The ongoing saga of the Aboriginal traditional owners’ rights to oppose nuclear waste dumping on their land.
- The need to thoroughly review uranium mining, in the light of the continuing Fukushima radiation disaster, (not to mention the parlous state of the uranium industry), and to stop the development of uranium mining in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.
We will be hearing much more from ANFA, as the year progresses. And, we’ll be hearing, in each State, from the groups that make up ANFA – here are just a few:
- Gundjiheimi Aboriginal Corporation
- Western Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (strong Aboriginal presence)
- Japanese for Peace
- Environment Centre of Northern Territory
- Medical Association for the Prevention of War
- Australian Student Environment Network
- Radio 3CR – Radioactive Show
- Footprints for Peace
- Australian Conservation Foundation
- International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
- Friends of the Earth
- Beyond Nuclear Initiative
- Uranium Free New South Wales
- Conservation Council of Western Australia
- Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
- Electrical Trades Union
- Protest Barrick (Canada)
- Australian Greens – Senator Scott Ludlam
- another distinguished guest – Professor Richard Broinowski
The nuclear week that was, in Australia
Aboriginal issues to the fore this week. Yesterday an deal was announced between the Mirrar Aboriginal and Energy Resources of Australia, (ERA) after 14 years of negotiations, over the Ranger uranium mine. Highly respected senior traditional owner Ms Yvonne Margarula, has welcomed the agreements, and that’s good enough for me.
Still, this could herald the start of a persuasion process, by ERA, leading into their planned new underground mine, “Ranger 3 Deeps”. This project is not covered by the new agreements. Mining companies have been known to mine underground, in order to avoid the responsibility of native title issues on the surface.
Julia Gillard parachuted Aboriginal sports star Nova Peris-Kneebone into pre-selection for the Northern Territory Senate seat. Ms Peris joine dthe Labor Party only on Wednesday. Overlooked was a real Aboriginal fighter for Territory Aboriginal rights, Marion Scrymgour. The suspicion remains that Julia is expecting Peris to toe the Party line, while giving Labor a good “Aboriginal look”
Maralinga veterans and Aboriginal victims of the atomic tests have now been told that they have no case for compensation, in British courts. Yet there Is evidence of radiation harm, much of it covered up by teh Australian and British governments. Paul Langley has covered this extensively in his Nuclear History blog – http://nuclearhistory.wordpress.com/
Cyber Security was a big theme of Gillard’s latest speech. While there are certainly legitimate concerns for national security on the Internet, Senator Ludlam warned about “overkill” – the implications for privacy, copyright, and freedom of communication
Uranium to India. Bob Carr announced progress in these negotiations, as usual, oblivious to the way that India is ramping up its nuclear weapons, and cracking down on the thousands of rural anti nuclear protestors.
Victoria. Mildura area is to get two solar farms at Koorlong an Carwarp.
The nuclear week that was, in Australia
Nothing changes. In the 1950s, the Australian government allowed Britain to secretly test atomic bombs in South Australia. Today, The Australian government is again allowing Britain to secretly test in South Australia its 21st Century killing machines, the Taranis military drones.
Military testing – also in SouthAustralia. The Australian govt is said to be offering Aboriginal people, the Kokatha, $2 million to stop objecting to live firing in war games on their land
Australia’s unelected politician, Foreign Minister Bob Carr, gets my 2012 prize for hypocrisy in orchestrating votes for Australia’s seat on the UN Security Council. First, bribe other countries with the promise to increase funding for overseas aid. And, arrange to sell uranium to United Arab Emirates, so they vote for Australia. Having attained the UN seat, you then withdraw the funds for overseas aid. But you still will sell uranium to UAE, and Carr even hints at later taking back their nuclear wastes.
Australian government planning new submarines: they will not be nuclear powered.
ERA gearing up to start a new mine Ranger 3 Deeps tunnel apparently not needing a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), despite Ranger’s long history of leaks, spills and breaches
The ugly Australians? Malawi’s opposition Peoples Transformation Party (Petra) and the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) call for a better deal for Malawi between Australian uranium miner Paladin‘s and the Malawi government. on environmental and economic grounds.
Climate change. Despite compelling evidence, endorsed by reputable science bodies worldwide, Australia’s Liberal politicians, especially Campbell Newman, and the Murdoch press, continue to promote climate denialism. The newspaper THE AUSTRALIAN is prominent in this bias, but has had to admit its recent error about sea level rise.
Australia: Climate change action? Nuclear-free? 2013 is the critical year
Unless a new nuclear disaster occurs, the global nuclear lobby is set for a pretty successful 2013. Japan is to re-invigorate its nuclear industry, China is going ahead with a big nuclear plant, Fukushima is off the media radar, and the world is being subtly conned into loving low level radiation, and new gee-whiz nuclear reactors.
And yet – “If You Don’t Fight, You Lose” – so we antinukes press on, both against nuclear energy/nuclear weapons, and for real action on climate change. I, for one, want my grandchildren to know that I tried.
Matters nuclear would seem to be taking a holiday for the holiday season. Except for Lucas Heights Opal nuclear reactor being shut down due to the fire yesterday (08/01/13) – there would be little to report.
Bank hoax Am I the only one who wasn’t very keen on Johathan Moylan’s hoax pretending to be a press release from ANZ bank – about Whitehaven Coal share price? Seems to me that falsifying bank information, however daring, is a criminal offence, and can only lower public opinion of the environmental movement.
Climate The Australian media marks the new year with its usual huge emphasis on sport and trivia. Except now, for the bushfires, but we don’t connect them to global warming, now, do we? Especially as three East coast Liberal governments don’t really believe in global warming.
On the nuclear front – Australia now gets a new burst of pro nuke propaganda, with these main themes:
- Low level radiation is pitched as not harmful, (and nuclear solves global warming, too) – this headed by University of Adelaide’s pro nuclear front department “The Environment Institute” headed by Barry Brook and Ben Heard.
- China is touted as soaring away with new nuclear power, (though its own Environment Minister is dubious about its safety) Japan‘s government is all out for nuclear power – they’ll need Australian uranium again.
- New nuclear reactors touted. The Age Business section (8/01/13 )gives practically a full blown advertisement article on Thorium reactors – (no mention that they need plutonium fuel, too, and barely a mention , of their toxic wastes, their weapons proliferation danger, security hazards, – and not mentioned at all – their commercial non viability. Being small, they’re economic only if sold in mass quantities – which is highly unlikely)
The nuclear week that was, in Australia
First of all, thank you to all those supportive people who have sent messages, following my legal threat from Ashurst. I am grateful to investigative journalist Michael West. His knowledge of the law, and his passion for freedom of speech have helped me, and others, to be more secure in stating what we think, and what we believe in. http://www.theage.com.au/business/antinuke-campaigner-braces-for-legal-blast-20121219-2bm74.html
- Politics: Michael Angwin, of the Australian Uranium Association, is leading the charge, lobbying to get rid of Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act .
- Renewable Energy Target (RET) The government is standing firm on the RET, in spite of heavy pressure from the fossil fuel industries.This means that solar and wind energy still have that incentive needed to get these industries going strong in this country. But Bernie Fraser, former Governor of the Reserve Bank, warns that if Tony Abbott wins power, and is not able to get rid of the carbon tax, he will turn his attack on renewable energy, and close down the Climate Change Authority.
- The Coalition is now backing the anti wind energy Bill which Senators Nick Xenophon and John Madigan(DLP) are introducing in Parliament
- Julian Assange will start a Wikileaks political party in 2013, and stand for election to the Australian Senate.
The Lynas rare earths saga in Malaysia continues. There’s been a lot of propaganda saying that rare earths processing produces no radioactive waste Wendy Bacon has discussed the Lynas saga comprehensively http://aliran.com/11005.html
Uranium mining companies were jubilant about the (pro nuclear) result of Japan’s elections, but safety considerations and new regulatory system mean that it will be a long time before Japan restarts its nuclear industry, if it does at all.
Western Australia. Aboriginal groups in Western Australian Nuclear free Alliance were heartened by Minister Tony Burke’s refusal yet to approve Toro’s Wiluna uranium project. Toro’s newly appointed CEO Vanessa Guthrie is left to sort out the mess of Toro’s environmental plans.
Victoria. Two days after the USA’s school shooting massacre, Ballarat High School sent kids off to Beaufort Gun Club for shooting lessons. Great timing, doncha think?
Northern Territory. Mining exploration has dropped considerably, over 2012, with the poor market prospects for uranium.
Resuscitation of uranium market unlikely, despite Japan’s election result
Australia’s uranium lobby, ever ready to clutch at straws, already sees the Japanese election result as the signal for the salvation of that tottering industry.
There are many factors that make it unlikely that the poll result does mean resuscitation for the global nuclear industry.
In Japan, anti-nuclear opinion remains widespread. The nuclear regulator will not even start inspecting the shut-down reactors until June 2013. The LNG fuel supply is taking over in a big way in Japan. Renewable energy is developing there, (though the new government may succeed in stifling it). The Fukushima radiation problem does not go away.
Japan is not the be-all and end -all of nuclear power. The USA is more like that. USA has by far the greatest number of commercial (and military) nuclear reactors. Their commercial reactors are aging, and no sign of progress in new ones. USA – the world leader in nuclear power, has the potential to join China, as world leader in renewable energy.
Europe’s nuclear industry is well in decline, as Germany succeeds with renewable energy, and France wrestles with the difficult action of reducing its expensive dependence on its aged nuclear power fleet.
UK is in a very confused situation, as companies struggle to finance UK’s grand plan for new nuclear, and the government produces new, rather hidden, subsidies for this.
China’s much touted nuclear industry is slow to get going. (They’re not stupid. They see the problems elsewhere, and they’re racing ahead with renewables)
As for Asian, and Middle East countries – well, they saw what happened to Iraq – without nuclear weapons, and what is likely to happen , similarly, to Iran – so they want nuclear power -(the essential fore-runner to nuclear weapons).
So – why does Australia even want to sell uranium, increasing nuclear weapons proliferation – even if the uranium market does return from the grave? Christina Macpherson, 18 Dec 12
1 This month.
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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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