Nuclear news in Australia for the past week
It has been a seemingly quiet week in Australian nuclear news. But then, in the Australian media, it’s always a quiet nuclear week. I have got a bit of a shock, in studying the media as a theme for September, that in fact – the norm for Australia is just to not know anything about nuclear issues. That’s how the nuclear lobby, government and mainstream media like it.
That doesn’t mean that nothing is going on. Alas no. The nuke lobby keeps on. A whole lot of hype about the great future for uranium mining – (despite all the evidence to the contrary). Then there’s the subtle move for nuclear power in Australia. For example, in today’s news Utility Products praises “low carbon” (not necessarily renewable) energy.
– “For non-renewable energy technologies, combined cycle gas and nuclear power are considered the cheapest and will stay cost competitive with the lower cost renewable technologies also up until 2050.”
considered by whom? I’d like to know. On the less subtle pitch, Barry Brook continues his promotion of nuclear power for Australia, also despite evidence that this would be economically disastrous, as well as environmentally.
In Western Australia the great walk against uranium mining continues – the nuke lobby would never admit it, but such brave protests have their impact, as they did with Olympic Dam, too, in South Australia. Lynas rare earths company is jubilant about getting a temporary operating license in Malaysia. But no mention of whether their radioactive waste plan is yet accepted by Malaysia.
In Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria the Liberal governments clamp down on renewable energy while in South Australia over 50% of electricity is being supplied currently, through wind energy. The federal government disappoints in its backdown on closing down dirty coal plants.
Nuclear spinner Ziggy’s gone quiet, but the Brook keeps babbling on
A curious silence lately, from Australia’s top nuclear salesmen – Ziggy Spinowski, and Michael Angwin. One can only assume that Ziggy, always one to be on the side of the winners, is quietly moving away from nuclear lobbying. Michael Angwin, CEO of the Australian Uranium Association, is now lying low, in view of the disastrous state of Australia’s uranium industry.
So – it is left to Barry Brook now – Australia’s lone pro nuke spruiker to carry that pernicious torch . He’s not awfully good at it – but the nuclear lobby must rejoice that Brook keeps at it, anyway.
Congratulations to Ludwig Heinrich, for nailing Brook’s arguments so convincingly.
And also – to Independent Australia for providing that Brook video, reminding us of the repetitive and rambling Brook. I am indeed reminded of the poem “The Brook” – “I chatter, chatter as I go to join the brimming river, for men may come and men may go, but I go on forever”.
And Brook sure does go on forever – telling us:
– that the tsunami caused the Fukushima disaster, (when it now has been shown that it was set off by the earthquake, before the tsunami arrived.)
– that the Fukushima accident “hasn’t significantly damaged any person” (mmm throat lesions, leukaemia – not significant?)
– that “in the past renewables have not been able to replace fossil fuels”. (What about the present, and the future?)
– that we “need to overcome fear of radiation” (!!!!)
– that he’s morbidly fascinated that people have ignored other disasters – petro chemical industries. (but then, as Brook thinks that increased ionising radiation is fine, then, to him, a nuclear accident is at the same level as any other accident.)
Above all, Brook says that “we already have really safe nuclear power plants”
That statement really shows up Brook’s ignorance of risk analyis. In calculating risk , you weigh up the probability of the risk against the seriousness of the consequences if an accident happens.
That’s exactly what insurance companies all over the world have done, in relation to nuclear power. They’ve found it an unacceptable risk because – although the probability of accident is small, the consequences of a nuclear accident are huge.
Barry Brook just doesn’t get it. – C.M
Flinders University participates in USA Department of Energy’s pro nuclear propaganda
Christina Macpherson 3 Sept 12, 18 months after the Fukushima nuclear accident, the truth is filtering out, about the continuing release of radiation from the crippled reactors, as radioactive water seeps into the ground below them, and radiation levels linger in the Fukushima area. The Chernobyl disaster’s health effects on the Ukrainian population are becoming widely known, but the evacuation following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident was managed more swiftly, and permanently, than the Fukushima evacuation.
How important is the impact of continuing low level radiation on children’s health? We have our answer already in the high rate of thyroid disorders among Fukushma’s children.
It is shameful that an Australian university should participate in the USA’s Department of Energy’s propaganda to promote nuclear power, and whitewash the reality of ionising radiation’s harmful effect on human health:
Radiation response a meltdown in reason Flinders University News, July 14th, 2011 Published by FU Marketing and Communications. The possibility that low doses of radiation may prevent or delay the progression of cancer is being explored by a Flinders University research team led by Professor Pam Sykes in a move that runs counter to the widely held perception that exposure to any radiation is harmful.
Professor Sykes, recently appointed to the University’s Strategic Professorship in Preventive Cancer Biology in the Flinders Centre for Cancer Prevention and Control says the public panic in response to nuclear accidents such as that at Fukushima in Japan is the result of a general ignorance about radiation.
“…….. radiation is not the poison, the dose is,” Professor Sykes said……. “It’s now been accepted that they should not have evacuated so many people because the biggest detriment from Chernobyl was that they were dramatically disadvantaged, both economically and socially. Many suffered depression thinking they were going to die of cancer…..
Professor Sykes’ research, which involves doses of radiation that are up to three orders of magnitude lower than those used by other investigators, has been funded by the US Department of Energy Low Dose Radiation Research Program for almost 10 years…… Studies in Canada and Japan have also shown that low doses of radiation given to mice delay the onset of cancer, and reduce the symptoms of diabetes and atherosclerosis, improving the span and quality of life of the affected animals.
Professor Sykes and her team are currently examining low dose radiation therapy in reducing or preventing prostate cancer
A sad day for Australian media
Today we learn ( from Crikey.com http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/08/29/smh-business-scribes-join-flight-from-fairfax/ ) of the departure of a number of Australia’s top investigative journalists. They include The Sydney Morning Herald’s Ian Verrender, Elisabeth Sexton and Scott Rochfort . Other Fairfax journalists leaving – Debra Jopson, David Marr, Adele Horin , Andrew Stevenson and SMH science editor Deborah Smith .
From the Murdochracy departs science writer, Leigh Dayton – one of my favourites – she made science interesting and often amusing, and had the guts to write critically about ARPANSA – Australia’s radiation protection authority.
Just when we need good investigative journalism in teh mainstream media – Australia is losing these senior writers. Will their young replacements be able to withstand corporate and government pressures, or will they take the easy way out of just regurgitating press releases?
What a week in nuclear news Australia!
It has been a landmark week for Australia’s clean energy movement. The big news – BHP scrapping Marius Kloppers big dream for the world’s biggest uranium mine, and biggest man-made hole, at Olympic Dam in South Australia. Former Premier Mike Rann, who entered Australian politics as Labor’s big anti uranium campaigner, but then became the uranium lobby’s best friend – is now looking at his legacy shredded. He will be remembered as Labor’s turncoat of the century.
While Tony Abbott tries to blame the failure of the Olympic Dam dream on the Labor government, the truth is that the Gillard government bent over backward to help the dream, with BHP man Don Argus practically dictating policy – as copper and uranium were exempted from the carbon tax. Yesterday TV viewers had the unedifying sight of Tony Abbott scrambling to cover up his ignorance of the facts, under the piercing questioning of the ABC’s Leigh Sales.
The news from India is probably not immediately related to BHP’s decision – and yet? India’s nuclear company NTPC and Nuclear Power Corporation of India have announced the halting of India’s nuclear power project. So – all that effort on Australia’s part – to go for selling uranium to India – that’s looking like a dead end market right now, for BHP’s or anybody else’s uranium sales.
In New South Wales, the Uranium Free Charter gathers strength. So in Northern Territory, does the movement against the Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan, and uranium mining near Alice Springs, – both becoming issues for the NT elections. Meanwhile, despite poor political/corporate support overall, Australians are turning to solar power in a big way – leading the world in home photovoltaic solar installation.
The Australian government is letting Julian Assange down badly, while he gets the support of the “Latin” nations of South America, and a strong freedom of speech movement in UK. Assange’s case may now go to the International Court of Justice. In Melbourne, shock jock radio gives Assange’s mother a Nazi taunt.
On the world scene, Fukushima dominates the nuclear news. Record radiation levels in fish off the Fukushima coast. Fukushima nuclear plant still releasing radiation. Growing dissatisfaction of many Japanese as their government fails to really take action to close down the nuclear industry, and elections approach. Decontamination efforts meet intractable problems, for example, in Japan’s irradiated forest areas. Media and government silence on children’s thyroid abnormalities, and on birth statistics.
USA. As in UK, the nuclear lobby is pitching the dangerous MOX nuclear reprocessing as the solution to nuclear waste. The San Onofre nuclear plant is likely to remain closed permanently. In Louisiana sinkhole, now 400 feet wide and over 400 feet deep in spots, risks explosion and possible release of radiation. Many USA nuclear reactors are the same type and age as Belgium’s – which are now estimated to have probably thousands of cracks. In Louisiana, a sinkhole, now 400 feet wide and over 400 feet deep in spots, risks explosion and possible release of radiation.UK government revealed as having colluded with big nuclear companies to downplay and obscure the seriousness of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
India. Meanwhile the work of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a global NGO, is bringing decentralised solar electricity to millions of villagers in rural India.
A great week for hypocrisy, uranium lobby, Jay Weatherill, and the Assange case
It’s been a great week for hypocrisy, especially in Australia. The uranium industry, facing the continuing dizzying fall in prices, and investment, and the backdown of several projects in Australia – nevertheless comes up with a load of propaganda about its coming great future. ( Google “uranium” and you’ll see loads of this). Today we learn that ‘community education’ is about to happen – so uranium mining will become popular. And Paladin Energy’s Matthew Keane agrees, ( never mind that Paladin lost $39 over the 9 months to March 12).
South Australia’s Premier Jay Weatherill deserves a medal for hypocrisy. Today he’s saying that uranium sales are beneficial to the world, cutting carbon emissions. And says Weatherill, (THE AUSTRALIAN, 16/08/12) “”we should join others in the world in respecting India’s reasons for not signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and in respecting India as an international citizen.” Meanwhile India is going gung ho testing nuclear missiles, and launching nuclear attack submarines.
But – let’s give the top medal to Bob Carr, Julia Gillard‘s government, and all who sail in it. Not a peep out of them, as UK is about to raid the ecuador Embassy, to make sure that Australian citizen Julian Assange can be delivered unto the USA – to be made an example of – a la the atrocious treatment of Bradley Manning?
On the world scene – Japan is very quiet on the health effects of Fukushima radiation. Nuclear lobby writers are out in force – attempting to discredit ionising radiation “low levl” as a cause of cancers and genetic malformations. Indeed they’re still pushing the “hormesis” idea – (“low level” radiation is good for you) meanwhile scientific findings on butterflies in Japan reveal the harmful effects of low level radiation, that are passed down through generations.
In USA the mainstream media are putting a calm face on the decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to halt licensing of nuclear reactors, because – well, a court has ruled that there’s no confidence in the NRC’s Waste Confidence Rule. That rule has allowed nuclear reactors to be licensed, even though nobody knows what to do with the radioactive wastes. There is also a calm face on the USA’s current extreme heat wave, which is causing one nuclear reactor after another to slow down , or shut down – due to problems of hot cooling water.
I hope we can now trust Tim Flannery on energy issues for Australia
Well – I don’t know if we can, but I hope so. Flannery was chosen as Climate Change Commissioner because he’s been very outspoken on that issue. Good, but also perhaps, chosen because he was toeing the political Establishment line. (Labor being pretty watery about nuclear power, Liberal being all for it.)
Tim Flannery’s credentials as an environmentalist would be improved if he completely repudiated his 2006 statements on nuclear power:
“Over the next two decades, Australians could use nuclear power to replace all our coal-fired power plants. We would then have a power infrastructure like that of France, and in doing so we would have done something great for the world, for whatever risks go with a domestic nuclear power industry are local, while greenhouse gas pollution is global in its impact…..” (The Age 30/5/06)
However, there is hope that Flannery has learned something, in addition to these, his later comments:
“Why should we take the most expensive option in this country, which has always been recognized as having the most expensive and difficult option.
We are going to see a whole lot of other technologies and innovations which are now well under way which we could use instead of nuclear power……. Such as concentrated PV technology, geothermal technology, wave power, wind power.” 20 June 2010
A new spanner in the works for the “nuclear renaissance”
In Australia, the gloom for uranium miners continues, with the spot price uranium market “at a standstill” ,and no improvement in sight. Martin Ferguson pushes for tenders for his pet project, a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty, in NT, even though that plan is still under court action. Electricity generation future prospects – not so much will be needed. Photovoltaic solar panels are one factor in this, and the solar panel revolution is taking politicians by surprise.
The nuclear ‘ renaissance’ really looks like a stillbirth today, as the USA Nuclear Regulatory Commission is forced, by an Appeals Court ruling, to suspend all new licensing of nuclear reactors. That applies to both new reactors, and old ones that seek relicensing.
The appeals court struck down the NRC’s Waste Confidence Rule, which stated that there was “reasonable assurance” a permanent waste site would be created “when needed, and also the Temporary Storage Rule , which allowed he storage of nuclear waste at nuclear power facilities for an indefinite period.
This has effectively frozen at least 19 final reactor licensing decisions – and must have repercussions for the global nuclear industry – and for Australia’s uranium industry.
Japan – many revelations of deception in the struggle to come to terms with the continuing nuclear disaster. TEPCO cheating by radiation doses being doctored, videos being doctored. Failure of the “Balloon Survey” to try to find out what’s going on inside Fukushima reactor No 1. Management of Fukushima area population is inept – “worse than in Chernobyl”.
India: Prime Minister Singh not happy with Russia’s immunity from accountability, regarding the nuclear reactors they are selling for Kudankulam nuclear power plant – Russia would get off scot free of costs, in the event of a nuclear accident.
Tanzania: Does anybody care? UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee caved in to commercial and government lobbyists – allowing a boundary change that will permit uranium mining at the magnificent Tanzania Selous Game Reserve. Environmental groups urging WHC to rethink this.
USA. That naughty 82 year old Catholic anti nuclear nun – described as “violent’ and a “danger to the community” – now facing court felony charges that call for 10 years in prison! And she’s out on bail – heavens, we’re all in danger.
BHP Billiton chief Marius Kloppers dug himself into a hole over Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion
Rather gloomy tidings, in the business pages lately, about BHP Billiton, about the huge expenses it was all set yo embark on, about the uncertainties of BHP’s share price. Very soft-pedalled – is the news about CEO Marius Kloppers pet project – to develop the world’s biggest man made hole, -also being the world’s biggest uranium mine.
Seems as though Mr Kloppers has dug himself into a bit of a hole, about this project. Even the South Australian government is now back-pedalling about its future – C.M
Write-down ‘not enough’ The Age, August 4, 2012 Paddy Manning “…. Mr Kloppers’ leadership has been questioned lately, with The Australian Financial Review reporting that a confidential, influential Corporate Confidence Index showed investors’ ratings of his performance had declined. His once sky-high rating in the category of CEO effectiveness is now down to a bit below average…..” http://www.theage.com.au/business/writedown-not-enough-20120803-23kz9.html#ixzz22cduUHyV
Significant nuclear news of the week
Australia’s nuclear news coincides with global news – in that Australia’s uranium industry is looking sick, and so is the world’s nuclear industry. BHP will not make a decision on expanding Olympic Dam uranium mine until 2014, and has lost interest in its previously planned Yeelirrie uranium project in WA. Cameco has shelved its Kyntire uranium project. ERA and Cameco made losses.Meanwhile General Electric’s chief Jeff Immelt, stunned the nuclear industry by stating that it was ‘hard to justify’ costly nuclear energy, and that the future energy would be gas, wind, solar.
In UK, French nuclear company EDF is trying to get funding partners for UK’s super expensive nuclear power plan.
Climate change news – a top scientist for a USA conservative think tank has embarassed his funding body by announcing that climate change is real, and is human caused. But that doesn’t bother Queensland’s Liberal Party – who voted for a policy of banning climate change education in schools.
But – that didn’t stop Australia’s Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, flogging uranium sales to that very unstable part of the world – the Middle East, – (and we might take back their radioactive wastes later on, as UAE hopes)
USA Militarism is in the air again, with nuclear expenditure rising to dizzying heights – for naval nuclear submarines $350 billion. USA Congress looking at a plan to base naval nuclear ships in Australia. Australia rejecting this plan, (but for how long, rejecting?) Both Obama and Romney going hawkish. The military -industrial complex getting enthused about drone weapons. To get some insight into the thinking of these people,check out the official logo of the USA company Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons . No, it is not a spoof. It is their real business logo.
In USA – a top secret nuclear weapons complex has closed temporarily, for security reasons. Yes, a naughty 82 year old anti nuclear nun got in there, and threw red paint on equipment, and offered the security staff coffee and prayers!. This dangerous terrorist is now in gaol, of course.
In Japan – a huge anti nuclear rally. Also – revelations coming out about how TEPCO has been ‘cooking’ the books and minimising the extent and seriousness of the radiation from Fukushima. Japanese Greens party formed.
Makes ya proud to be Australian – recent nuclear news
AUSTRALIA and INTERNATIONAL
Makes ya proud to be Australian! The latest computer worm success – an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities – featured Australian band AC/DC, making computers play “Thunderstruck” at full volume in the middle of the night.
In Australia and in UK and in USA – a big push by the nuclear lobby to sell the public on a new gimmick. It’s a kind of alchemy. The plan is to turn plutonium into gold, and involves nuclear reprocessing, and new PRISM nuclear reactors (Power Reactor Innovative Small Module). Barry Brook and Robin Batterham, (Chief technologist for Rio Tinto) have been spruiking Small Modular Nuclear Reactros and “fast breeder” reactors for Australia. Meanwhile in UK and USA, Richard Branson (of Virgin fame) and Bill Gates are also promoting these technologies , (which still exist only as blueprints). But they are being touted as a supposed solution to Britain’s huge and worrying nuclear waste problem.
Still in the news – BHP Billiton and the planned new uranium megamine at Olympic Dam. The grand effort of the Lizard’s Revenge anti-nuclear protest wound up. Dr Helen Caldicott ‘s talk at Roxby Downs was attended by a few brave souls, (under the watchful eyes of BHP Billiton’s film crew.)
But the Olympic Dam project has been newsworthy for a different reason – doubts about its future. South Australia’s Treasurer revealed that the project would have little impact on the State’s revenues, whether or not it goes ahead. Meanwhile the engineering company, Jacobs Engineering, that has been doing the feasibility studies, is now laying off workers, realising that the project’s future is in doubt.
Japan’s anti-nuclear protests continue, and grow in numbers, while the government gets anxious about coming elections. 51 religious leaders call for an end to nuclear power. Revelations that some Fukushima workers have been wearing lead shields over their radiation dose monitors – to produce a lower radiation reading.
Reflections on the past week in nuclear news
It has been a week of protests – so intense that the mainstream media has felt obliged to actually cover them. In Australia, the Lizards Revenge http://lizardsrevenge.net/ brought hundreds of protestors for a festival of music, entertainment and information to the very heart of the uranium industry – BHP’s Olympic Dam mine in South Australia. A massive police and security presence did not bring about the violence (that the media might have enjoyed).
The Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia led the protest in Fremantle, targeting the Australian uranium conference, an particularly, Toro Energy.
In Japan, in the sweltering heat, 170,000 people rallied outside Prime Minister Noda’s residence peacefully voicing their protest at the restart of one nuclear reactor. As in Australia, this protest was peaceful.
In other developments, the rise of thyroid abnormalities in Fukushima children indicates the continuing seriousness of the health effects of Fukushima. The nuclear lobby continues to push the completely unproven and scientifically unaccepted theories of low doses of radiation being “good for you”, or at least harmless. The USA’s nuclear revival well and truly stalled, due to the growing recognition that “new nuclear” can’t go ahead without a real plan for waste disposal. Meanwhile Britain struggles with the unacceptable costs of its planned nuclear expansion, and even more, with its dilemma over what to do with its huge plutonium waste pile at Sellafield.
Mainstream media distortion of the Olympic Damn uranium mine issue
Christina Macpherson 18 July 12, Today is the officially final day of the anti uranium protest – the Lizard’s Revenge, at Olympic Dam. The mainstream media has given scant coverage to this large well-organised, and peaceful festival of the movement for clean energy, and for closing down BHP Billiton’s planned behemoth – the largest uranium mine in the world. But no doubt the media will be able to highlight the arrests of 13 protestors – (6 of them for the dangerous activity of playing cricket!)
I saw some coverage on SBS televison, and was fascinated to see the time given to the BHP spokesman, who stated the “authentic” Aboriginal landowners’ agreement about the mine expansion. Just who were these Aboriginal spokespeople? BHP will claim that they are the true traditional owners – the Kokatha people.
But – when you look back to the and not very far past – you find that the Kokatha people rejected uranium mining. There was never a genuine consultation with either the Kokatha or Arabunna peoples, the real traditional owners. Then a new, never before known group, appeared – the Kokatha Mula. and they formed Kokatha Mula Land Nations Council Inc and the Kokatha Olympic Dam Agreement Association Inc. This group emanated from the West Coast of South Australia, and simply – did a deal with BHP.
It’s not hard to realise that for many Aboriginals – it’s a very desirable thing to get the same living standards as the rest of Australians. Just a pity that they have to kow tow to an unethical company like BHP to get what the rest of Australians already have, without us having to see our land poisoned by uranium mining.
The Lizard’s Revenge – protest against Olympic Damn Uranium Mine – HOT NEWS
This is a special week for Australia. Pretty much ignored by the mainstream media, BHP Billiton prepares to
squander $30 billion of their investors’ money on an economically dubious Biggest Man-Made Hole in the world – Olympic Dam open cut uranium mine, at Roxby Downs, South Australia.
To be the biggest uranium mine in the world – the project also puts BHP above the law in Australia – exempted from laws in Aboriginal Heritage, Environment, Water Management, and Freedom of Information.
All this barely touches public awareness, in Australia’s media Murdochracy.
But this week, BHP will not enjoy its usual freedom from public scrutiny.
Across the Generations. At anti-nuclear rallies in South Australia, Japan, and Taiwan, there’s an interesting mix of the young and the old. As with Climate Change, it is youth who will later pay the price of the world’s polluting nuclear industry. It is “Generation Y” who are actively opposing nuclear power, along with older generations, who remember Chernobyl, even Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
A bit like the nuclear lobby – that tries on the one hand to convince the world that old, “Generation II” nuclear reactors can keep ongoing safely, and that new untested “Generation IV” nuclear reactors will be safe. Neither of those human generations believe these nuclear lobby lies Christina Macpherson
Olympic Dam copper/uranium mine is an economic flop: BHP will try to blame this on the protestors
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people who care about Australia’s environment, and about our children’s future are heading for South Australia’s Olympic Dam mine, to voice their peaceful protest against the dirty, dangerous, nuclear/uranium industry.
They will be met by mounted police, police on dirt bikes, and by the police STAR group. This is the special anti-terrorist unit – Special Tasks & Rescue Force. While STAR Group officers rarely have to fire their weapon, there have been some incidents in which STAR group officers have fired upon an armed suspect and killed their target as per operation guidelines.
What will be the outcome of this peaceful protest? How comfortable BHP BIlliton will be – if somehow it can be made to look like a violent, anti patriotic gathering?
Of course, BHP would love to blame the dwindling prospects for Olympic Dam going ahead – not on their own gargantuan fantasy about the world’s biggest man-made hole, but on these anti nuclear protestors.
Marius Kloppers, BHP BIlliton, even their disgraceful lackey, South Australian government know that the real reason for the gloomy forecast for big new Olympic Dam mine is that it’s not going to be a profitable investment. – Christina Macpherson
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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