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
Recent nuclear news in Australia
The Northern Territory’s Labor Party lost the recent election, including several “safe” Labor seats. Just today, NT Labor’s conference unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Federal government’s Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan.
BHP is getting out of uranium mining altogether, shutting down its uranium section, due to the poor economic prospects for nuclear power. The mine at Olympic Dam will now focus on copper and base metals only. BHP is selling its Yeelirrie uranium project
Environmental Law. The Gillard government under great pressure from resource corporations, at the resecent COAG meeting, was all set to cave in, and relinquish its control over environmental protection – giving open slather to the States to permit projects. However, the government wavered, and now is delaying that decision (till after the Federal election?)
Toro Energy faces all sorts of obstacles in it Western Australian Wiluna uranium project, – not the least being the lousy market prospects for the product. They’re boasting about now having two women at the helm, with Dr Vanessa Guthrie as new CEO. A case of handing the poisoned chalice to a woman?
Coal Seam Gas, (CSG). Amid scary reports of runaway global warming, and a dismal Doha climate conference, – comes the news that Coal Seam Gas may well be an equally serious greenhouse gas emitter as coal – with its rapid release of methane affecting the atmosphere over a 20 year period
Toro Energy gives Dr Vanessa Guthrie the poisoned uranium chalice
It looks as if Toro Energy, with its planned uranium mine Wiluna, Western Australia might be following an Australian tradition – of giving “the poisoned chalice” to a woman.
Australia’s had quite a history of giving women impossible jobs – I’m thinking mainly here of some State Premiers – Carmel Lawrence, Joan Kirner, Kristina Keneally. But it can happen in industry, too.
At Toro Energy, Dr Vanessa Guthrie, with a background in environmental sustainability, joins nuclear enthusiast Dr Erica Smyth. Smyth has been advocating nuclear power for Australia, nuclear powered desalination plants, and she presided over Toro’s propaganda campaign, with Doug Boreham preaching low level radiation as beneficial to health.
“There are serious flaws in the state assessment process and the studies Toro provided to the State Government. The project is a long way from being approved and the company faces serious financing constraints.
“Under new mine closure guidelines Toro has to find 100% of the mine closure costs in order to get approval to mine. So Toro needs $150 million to close a mine even before it has raised the $300 million to open it. The combination of a uranium price in free-fall and rising mine costs make this project increasingly unviable.” – Mia Pepper
Toro Energy’s uranium mining push comes as proven miners, including BHP Billiton and Cameco, defer or get out of planned uranium projects in WA. – Christina Macpherson
Women lead in ASX first, The Age, Peter Ker, December 5, 2012 THE branding is positively male, but the executive ranks of Toro Energy are about to take on a feminine look. In what is believed to be a unique set of circumstances in Australia, Toro will soon have women occupying both the chief executive and chairman roles, after announcing the departure of long-serving chief executive Greg Hall on Tuesday.
The situation will be formalised on February 8, when Dr Vanessa Guthrie replaces Mr Hall in running the company that is close to developing Australia’s next uranium mine.
Her chairman will be Erica Smyth, who has led the Toro board for more than three years. While it is difficult to be certain, most gender diversity experts believe the change will make Toro the only ASX-listed company to boast the female quinella. Continue reading
The past week in nuclear news Australia
Climate Change news is very worrying, with latest research showing that the Arctic permafrost is thawing, and that this is likely to cause runaway releases of Co2, and irreversible global warming.
Uranium mining It has been a week of Annual General meetings for Australia’s uranium mining companies. Their announcements have been classic cases of ambivalence. Paladin uranium exploration company is the latest companies, to announce a freeze on exploration, stopping its plan to explore at Valhalla in Queensland. Paladin’s losses, ERA’s losses – don’t sound good. But all the uranium company CEO’s faithfully repeat the mantra of the “long term fundamentals: being so good.
Senior independent researcher Claire Aitchison talked up the great future for the uranium industry, But she made a bit of a boo boo, warning that another disaster on the scale of Fukushima could have a significant impact on the nuclear industry. The nuclear lobby all think such a thought, but you never should say it publicly!
Federal government and international politics. Well, Australia looks likely to obediently sign up to the Trans Pacific Partenership (TPP) – an American initiative to promote USA corporate and military power in South East Asia. Australia abstained from voting on a UN resolution on the dangers of depleted uranium. Julia Gillard, ever devoted to USA, was all for saying “No” to Palestine having a seat at a United Nations forum. To their credit, 10 Federal Ministers stood up for Palestine, and the result was that Australia abstained from voting. A small step, but one that heartens me that we are not yet ready to become the 51st State of USA.
Western Australia Rio Tinto and Paladin tried to scuttle Cameco’s uranium mining plans using their submissions to the Foreign Investment Review Board. As I write, Toro Energy is having its AGM, with a spirited anti-nuclear presence there, in Perth. Anti uranium demonstrations will follow in Darwin, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne.
Renewable energy – all sorts of ups and downs here, with the Victorian, NSW and Queensland State governments still impeding development. But good news, too, as renewable energy continues to go ahead, especially with initiatives in rural areas – e.g Whyalla, Port Augusta and Broken Hill.
The nuclear week that was, in Australia
This week, it’s been all about the Australian government’s confusion – over its nuclear waste dump plan, over renewable energy, even over climate change.
Nationally, it’s becoming clear that the Australian government is in a muddle over its plan to set up a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory. The legal case brought by traditional Aboriginal owners, against the dump, continues. Australia is obliged to take back from France and UK, its nuclear wastes that originated at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor. They could be stored at the Lucas Heights location. The nuclear reactor is not primarily for nuclear medicine, (that was always just an add-on) and medical radioisotopes could be obtained without that reactor.
The Muckaty site is uncomfortably close to an earthquake fault. Confused information is coming out about a plan to site the dump elsewhere, in the same area.The government’s nuclear illiteracy has come into focus lately – on this issue, among other muddles, such as its general ignorance about BHP’s intentions regarding a new Olympic Dam uranium mine, and the implications of Cameco’s plan to mine uranium close to Alice Springs.
USA military and corporate plans for South East Asia and the Pacific have been given two big boosts this week, at the AUSMIN talks in Perth. One boost was – strengthening the Trans Pacific Partnership (aimed at favouring USA business and excluding China ). The other – increasing USA’s military presence here – at the Stirling naval base, South of Perth, and increasing the already huge Talisman Sabre war games .
The federal government’s confusion is also shown in its approach to renewable energy policy. While it looks like keeping the Renewable Energy Target, it has caved in to the fossil fuel lobby, in abruptly closing its Solar Credits scheme, throwing investors into solar panel industry into uncertainty.
The uranium lobby continues its hype. Example, Marmota Energy’s chairman enthusing today about “clean nuclear energy’ and its “strong future”. Most of the hype now hangs solely on China – touted now as the great white hope for nuclear. Yet, its nuclear industry, like just about all of China’s business and politics, is mired in secrecy and corruption.
Lynas rare earths company faced Malaysian and Australian protestors, at its AGM in Sydney. Lynas’ plans for its Malaysian site’s radioactive waste management are still uncertain, though it has applied to regulators to return these wastes to Australia, (a statement probably mainly designed to try and pacify the Malaysians).
Climate change. Very worrying reports from the World Bank on impact of climate change on Australian agriculture. but what is our government doing? Well – it’s not sending a Minister to the international climate change negotiations. Sounds as if the government doesn’t see climate change as all that important.
Australia: recent nuclear news
I recently listened to Richard Broinowski, former Australian diplomat, describing Australia’s government policy makers as “illiterate about nuclear power”. I’m appalled to find out how true this is. As well as our Federal government’s schizoid attitude about uranium sales, and nuclear proliferation, we have today a very blatant example of ignorance, in South Australia granting approval for BHP to go ahead with a new and different type of uranium mining at Olympic Dam.
South Australia. The previous Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) applied to a new open cut mine, not the experimental heal leaching process, that BHP is now planning. That wasn’t even discussed in the EIS, but South Australia has still extended the Olympic Dam Indenture agreement, (which was always a bad deal for the State, anyway)
Fortunately, the economics of a new Olympic Dam uranium mine still do not stack up.
Northern Territory. Are some dirty deals going on here, between the NT government, and a panicky Federal Government? The Federal Government is panicking because the Aboriginal traditional owners might win their legal case against the planned Muckaty nuclear waste dump. NT’s Chief Minister Mills has met with Minister Martin Ferguson – cutting a deal in Canberra to the exclusion of the local community. Sounds like a half-baked plan to position the nuclear waste dump on some other part of Muckaty Station. All rather hush hush.
Queensland. Powerful Electrical trades Union has come out strongly against uranium mining, on the grounds of members’ health, saying that ‘Uranium will be the next asbestos.”.
New South Wales. Labor will oppose any move to allow uranium mining in that State, as stated at anti uranium protest rally at Parliament on 13 November. Broken Hill’s mayor expressed reservations on uranium mining “I don’t like uranium as it is because it causes a lot of cancer”
Federal: Energy White Paper acknowledged Australia’s need to shift to clean energy sources, and they didn’t include nuclear energy. That didn’t stop old Ziggy Spinowski coming out of the woodwork again, to declare nuclear energy asclean and predicting a rapid build of nuclear reactors in Australia, once it got started, Fukushima being just a “set-back”. Why the media keeps giving coverage to this snake oil salesman is beyond me.
Climate action. new hope for co-operative action with USA on climate change, as newly re-elected Obama states importance of acting on climate change.
ABC television showed “The Devil’s Dust” a truly brilliant documentary on the James Hardie company asbestos story – a tragedy that resulted from over 50 years of denial about the asbestos danger. Will uranium be the next?
The week in Nuclear News – Australia
The focus this week has been on The Renewable Energy Target, (RET) currently under review by the Climate Change Authority. The RET has been very successful, facilitating $18 billion in investment in clean energy, bringing down wholesale energy prices, and enabling Australia to meet its Kyoto emission-reduction goals.
Predictably, utility companies and the media’s fossil fuel lobby mouthpieces are bleating loudly that the RET should be dumped, or weakened. A Senate committee found that high electricity prices are mainly the result of the utilities over-investment in poles and wires (gold-plating), but the right-wing ( including Labor’s Joel Fitzgibbon) blames the RET. It’s probably the fossil fuel lobby’s last ditch fight against the RET.
Meanwhile, decentralised energy, solar rooftops, grows apace, and along with energy efficiency, reduces demand for coal-fired energy. Wind power in South Australia, being a free fuel source, is pushing coal energy out of competition,
Prestigious Australian film-maker David Bradbury was arrested in India, and barred from visiting the Tamil Nadu are of anti-nuclear protest. Senator Scott Ludlam is pursuing the matter with India’s Ambassador.
Queensland. Warnings on the likely impact of uranium mining on Aborigines – following the pattern of restricting Aboriginal rights in other uranium States and Territory. Sad to see the uranium industry’s Aboriginal poster boy, Warren Mundine, being drawn into the charade of hyping the industry. Warnings also on the very real possibility of uranium being transported through the Great Barrier Reef. Opposition to uranium mining is alive and well in Queensland, including from the Electrical Trades Union, and the the Mayor of Rockhampton. Premier Campbell Newman advises critics to “Vote Green” – (first sensible thing I’ve heard him say) Caloundra’s privately funded solar array is up and running.
Uranium market. As one market analyst after another warns on the plummeting price of uranium, one has to admire the touching religious fervour of uranium company spokesmen, and Premiers of the uranium mining States. They keep banging on about the long-term prospects, but these are in serious doubt now.
Australian uranium company Paladin just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. As if losing $squillions wasn’t enough, Paladin has made itself extremely unpopular in Malawi, with not keeping to the agreed conditions at the Kayerekera Uranium Mine.
Launching of Robert Drewe’s new book “Montebello” reveals the shameful history of atomic bombing of the Montebello Islands.
The past week in Australian nuclear news
AUSTRALIA
Uranium prices continue to plummet – with no indication of a recovery any time soon. Nuclear industry in decline, with more reactors closing than new ones starting.
Martin Ferguson, our Minister for Promoting Nuclear Power, excelled himself this week, telling beaut furphies to salivating uranium executives, in Perth. He reassured them that nuclear power was clean, and getting cheaper all the time!
Senators John Madigan and Nick Xenophon have come to the rescue of all those ailing people, laid low by wind energy – with the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Excessive Noise from Wind Farms ). What a relief! This Bill could help stop those evil wind farms. (But wait a minute – didn’t CSIRO find that they’re harmless?)
Kyoto Protocol – up for renewal. Australia, seen as a leader amongst the many countries acting on climate change, urged to join the new agreement.
Renewable Energy Target – under pressure from fossil fuel lobby, as the RET and carbon tax help to get Australia’s renewable energy up and running. Carbon tax not making much difference to prices. The first official consumer price figures show a far lower impact than predicted by the Treasury.
Falling demand for electricity highlights problems of utilities, and of regulation, and leads to suspension of Dalton coal-fired power station in NSW.
Australia joins a very wishy washy pact with New Zealand, supposed to strengthen the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT ). What we really need is a Nuclear Weapons Convention and get some teeth into the movement to stop nuclear weapons.
Queensland. Uranium lobby, mainstream media, and some politicians were ecstatic, when Premier Campbell Newman ditched his pre-election promises, and his recent statements that Queensland’s uranium ban would stay. A few others, like farmers, environmentalists, and people interested in renewable energy – weren’t so keen. Some thought it a bit of a pity to turn the “sunshine state” into the “radioactive state”. Watch out now, as Newman and the nuke lobby turn their attention to the Nuclear Facilities Prohibition Act, which requires a federal plebiscite to allow nuclear power plants.
South Australia: after years of internecine fighting, the partners in the Four Mile uranium project boast that the mine is now to go ahead. Australian should hang their heads in shame to have ever let nuclear weapons maker General Atomics get into this country to almost fully own these 2 mines – Beverley and Four Mile.
Western Australia Aboriginal opposition to Wiluna uranium mine continues. Toro’s mine is far from becoming a reality.
Nuclear news that was this week – Australia
Australian media , naturally, came up with joyous stories about our new great uranium-inspired relationship with India, and also about Julia Gillard falling over, due to her high heeled shoes. Apart from one admirable editorial in The Age, Australians would never read/hear about India’s nuclear unsafety, and its frantic nuclear arms race.
By the way, on the subject of India’s nuclear unsafety, I was surprised that few readers of antinuclear.net took an interest in the story about Canada sending back to India the radioactive kitchenware that arrived in Montreal I wonder if Australia is getting any radioactive imports from India – India is notorious for its poor control of radiation safety – perhaps that would be a modern example of “Pig Iron Bob”?
In the Australian Senate, Greens Senator Ludlam put ANSTO chief Adi Paterson on the spot, as Paterson wriggled and writhed trying coverup, and deny the 2007 radioactive spill incident at Lucas Heights. ANSTO hastily puts out more propaganda about Lucas’ Heights “purpose” being nuclear medicine. Other questions to Senate committees raised embarrassing matters like the shambles that is Australia’s nuclear non proliferation policy, and India’s poor record.
In harmony with the pro nuclear propaganda about India, Paladin CEO John Borshoff dismissed concerns about Fukushima. (No doubt this was part of his desperate effort to save Paladin uranium, following its disastrous losses.)
South Australia is to hold a Solar Thermal Energy Parliamentary Enquiry – following huge community enthusiasm to replace Port Augusta coal generators with solar power.
Coal power is in trouble, 2 coal generators shutting down in South Australia, one in New South Wales, one in Victoria. The causes – downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices due slumping electricity demand, the carbon tax and Australia’s Renewable Energy Target. Victoria’s Premier Bailllieu, (friend of Bog Coal) is very annoyed at this.
Western Australia’s utility scale solar energy 10-megawatt Greenough River project up and running. Nevertheless, Premier Barnett has this week attacked the Renewable Energy Target , and approved the Wiluna uranium project, though it has no adequate water plan, nor closure and cleanup plan – as well as being uneconomic.
Now, something to be proud of – Antarctica: AUSTRALIA and France have developed a plan to protect 1.9 million square kilometres of east Antarctica as new marine parks.
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