Australia’s mining companies sink to the Lord Monckton level of low credibility
I was amazed to read that the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) are having Lord Monckton as speaker at their conference next week. I was also amazed that Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott is to appear on the same platform. Also sadly the Independent, Rob Oakeshott – a man who seemed to have a bit of that rare quality , integrity. (Perhaps Oakeshott is simply naive?)
Don’t Tony and Rob know what sort of a person Lord Monckton is?
Monckton is the chief proponent of a very far-fetched conspiracy theory, and he has been thoroughly discredited in this, in his home country, England.
Monckton’s theory is uncannily like the extremist theories of Australia’s Eric Butler and the League of Rights, – and, yes, it has echoes of Nazi theory, too. Just as Hitler adopted the idea of the “Jewish Conspiracy” – that the Jews were plotting world domination, so Monckton also sees a shadowy group plotting world domination.
In Monckton’s belief, this evil group has managed to manipulate all the (?stupid) scientists into proposing man-made Climate Change. According to Monckton, there is no truth in man-made Climate Change, but the scientists push it, so that governments will adopt regulations and carbon taxes – and these will lead to World Government, and a global slave state for all of us.
Australia’s mining companies have apparently been quite duped into taking Monckton seriously. Surely they are not so calculatedly greedy as to use this crackpot in order to fight the government’s carbon tax. As for Abbott – well, clearly Abbott will do whatever it takes to promote Abbott. But this time, I think he’s made a wrong choice, don’t you? – Christina Macpherson
This week: uranium gloom, Nebraska, and Australia’s Lynas embarrassment
This week – something of a change in the nuclear ‘climate of opinion’ . Channel 9’s “60 Minutes” surprised, with a pretty damning report on Fukushima. SBS TV covered the gloomy outlook for the nuclear industry.
BHP Billiton pulls out of Yeelirrie uranium mining – a decision that reflects the growing gloom in the uranium industry.
Today, the USA waits, quietly, as workers struggle to shore up the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant in Nebraska – it’s now an island, surrounded by the rising Missouri River. Not a good look for the nuclear industry.
For Australia, a really bad look, is the continuing drama in Malaysia. Australian company Lynas looks to make a (financial) killing, – while Malaysians fear it could result in a slower killing – of groundwater, land, and people , with the long-lasting radioactive wastes. 
Lynas rare earth’s facility plan doesn’t get much coverage in the Australian media.
Ziggy Switkowski is a Director of Lynas. – That’s not surprising – he’s never worried at all about radioactive wastes – Christina Macpherson
Australia’s top hypocrite? Uranium prince Mike Rann
Today, South Australia’s Premier Mike Rann, is reported in The Advertiser – “a well-placed party source said the Premier was “just trying to limp through until next March when he can sign off on the Olympic Dam expansion as his grand legacy, and then he’ll quit”. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/from-media-mike-to-mr-invisible-the-premiers-new-style/story-e6frea83-1226077387415
In 1982, Mike Rann, evidently always driven by personal ambition, , wrote “Play it Safe”, a pamphlet released by the ALP to explain its opposition to uranium mining.
But that was before he saw the light – the light of where he could get influential backing to become important. Soon, Rann was pushing for ALP policy change on uranium mining – calling uranium “the fuel of the future”. But Rann did make one concession to anti-uranium feeling amongst wealthy consituents, opposing uranium mining in the Fleurieu Peninsula .
Otherwise – it’s been “All The Way ” with the Nuclear Lobby – for our top hypocrite, Mike Rann. – Christina Macpherson
Time that Australia dumped its Nuclear Energy Minister, Martin Ferguson
Today’s Age -( print edition, but not online?) tells us “Australians turning away from nuclear power, but minister still going fission” – by Ellen Coulter – bottom of page 13 of course – but still it’s in there. The main drift:
A Lowy Institute report will show that now only 35% of Australian s are willing to consider nuclear power. A clear slide in public support for nuclear.
Meanwhile, Martin Ferguson predicts that the Fukushima disaster will produce the outcome of better safety standards.
(sounds almost glad – like – Fukushima is going to cause safer nukes, hooray!) Even Rio Tinto uranium expert Andy Lloyd said that Fukushima had affected uranium prices, and warned thatnuranium is a “volatile” commodity.
Martin Ferguson is supposed to be Australia’s Minister for Energy – not just nuclear energy. He is also not Australia’s Foreign Minister. Yet at every turn, ferguson sabotages Australia’s chance to develop Renewable Energy. And, he pronounces on Australia’s relationship with india – indeed Ferguson purports to know more about selling uranium to India than does our real Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd.
Even in Ferguson’s advocacy of the nuclear industry – he is leading WesternnAustralians up the garden path – promising a great booming prosperity with uranium mining – at a time when it is becoming obvious that the uranium mining industry is in a state of collapse – Christina Macpherson
Australia’s billionaires revolting again? Gina Rinehart and Ivan Glasenberg?
Last year, Australians nearly wept, as they saw poor Gina Rinehart, and other underprivileged mining billionaires out in the streets, rallying to save ASustralia from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s super profits mining tax. Their pain was relieved, as with the help of the media and a few Labor heavies, this cruel threat to their $billions was removed. Indeed, Kevin Rudd was removed, to the mining lobby’s great relief.
But now, poor Gina is threatened with a Carbon Tax. She will have torarlly the media and public back out into the streets again.
But this year, Gina, and Clive Palmer, and BHP and Rio Tinto will have help.
For now, out of the shadows emerges Ivan Glasenberg. You didn’t know that he is Australian, did you? This CEO of Glencore , despite being South African, and living in Switzerland, did adopt Australian nationality.
As international company Glencore gets set to take over Xstrata Australia, it’s had to become a public company. Perhaps a good thing for all that dodgy Glencore is now (more or less) a little more visible
Ivan Glasenberg will very likely be happy to spend just a little of his $8.8 billion, to join Gina and her $10.3 billion, to fight the Australian government in its efforts to do something about Climate Change. – Christina Macpherson
BHP’s planned Olympic Dam uranium mine – a monstrosity
THIS WEEK:- The Climate Commission reported on the urgency of the need to act now on Climate Change, while politicians squabble about the proposed carbon tax, and little is done to promote renewable energy.
- The Australian government introduces legislation to make illegal the activities of Julian Assange abroad – (I mean Julia said he acted illegally, and she was wrong – so let’s try and change things so that Julia looks right?)
- Australian government and our mass media pretend they don’t notice that an Australian company, Lynas, is going to dump radioactive wastes on Malaysia – where the environment rules aren’t so strong.
- BHP Billiton releases its wonderful Environmental mpact statement on the new Olympic Dam copper/uranium mine. But
Australia seems to be sleeping on – not recognising the gigantism of this plan – the world’s biggest man-made hole, and probably the world’s biggerst mountain of radioactive tailings. – Christina Macpherson
Expanded Olympic Dam uranium mine – South Australia: the waste dump AREA will cover 6720 hectares –
that is , an area that would fit 3360 Melbourne Cricket Grounds
The PIT will be – 4.1 km long , 3.5 km wide. 1 km deep
Nuclear Spin – theme for May 2011
Now the Fukushima nuclear disaster is sort of “off the radar”, as far as the mainstream media is concerned. (even though Fukushima is now turning into a health, environmental and economic continuing catastrophe ) A great relief to the nuclear lobby. They must be getting tired of telling us that ionising radiation is quite OK really, and that now we can look forward to those wonderfully safe new nuclear reactor designs.
Now the nuclear lobby can go back to its historically tried and tested spin themes
Australia’s Week: goodbye Penny Sackett, hello Ian Chubb
A busy week on many fronts:
- Dissension in Australian Liberal party over Climate Change
- Australian company Lynas chooses Malaysia for its Thorium wastes, because Malaysian environmental law is weaker than Australia’s
- As the take-up of small solar power has blossomed in rural and working class areas – State governments pull the plug on the solar feed-in tariff
- Australia gets a new Chief Scientist – a word now about this:
How long is Australia going to take Ziggy seriously?
I used to think that Ziggy Spinowski was quite bright. Then I heard him, 2 years ago, at Melbourne University, trying to answer questions on Climate Change. It was clear that he knew little about it. Perhaps he’s taken a few lessons since then.
Now, Ziggy is on about China selling nukes to Australia. Cheap! lovely!
Ziggy is apparently unaware that China is regarded as very unsafe in relation to its siting of nuclear plants, and lack of emergency procedures. China is planning nuclear reprocessing – a technology that the USA rejected years ago because of its danger, proliferation risks, and exorbitant cost. China has a murky record on selling nuclear materials, to places such as Iran. And an even murkier record on its treatment of nuclear workers, and communities where it chooses to dump radioactive wastes. And of course,there’s the little problem of secrecy, poor civil rights, and China’s deplorable treatment of dissenters.
And anyway, China’s now having second thoughts – it probably will need nuclear only for its growing nuclear weapons program. For civil energy, China is turning to renewables, especially solar power, in a big way.
Why does the Australian media adopt such a reverent attitude to this absurd spruiker, Ziggy Switkowski – treating his every spruik as “gospel truth”?
Deplorable nuclear/uranium developments as Australia ignores the renewable energy revolution
Under cover of the Budget brouhaha, the Australian government will next week continue its quiet, below the public radar, push to pass the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill – a draconion piece of legislation that will allow them to impose a nuclear waste dump on the Aboriginal community near Muckaty station. It will also give the Minister for Resources, Martin Ferguson, pretty much unfettered power to make the rules on the nuclera waste dumping process.
Meanwhile, BHP Billiton now trots out the same old flawed Environmental Impact statement, so that the South Australian Government can push through approval for BHP to make Olympic Dam the world’s biggest man-made hole – the world’s biggest uranium mine.
The sad part about this is that not only has uranium now got a very poor prospects as a profitable industry, but BHP BIlliton DOESN’T CARE IF ITS URANIUM LOSES MONEY! As long as the copper outlook looks good – BHP will flog off the uranium at a losing price. That’s easier for them than to undertake measures to keep our precious Australian environment safe from toxic radioactive wastes.
The backdrop to all this is the failing nuclear industry, and the rising renewable energy revolution. Germany leads the way. Now Japan seem set to follow, with European countries wavering, and USA and UK mired in nuclear waste problems.
Nuclear Waste Bill, BHP spin, Glencore
It’s a pivotal time for Australia, with the government now trying to get its draconian nuclear National Radioactive Waste Management Bill passed very quietly.
Nuclear spin continues, with today’s Age reporting BHP chairman Mr Nasser joining the pro nuclear chorus.
But BHP CEO Marius Kloppers has been strangely silent lately. It is rumoured that Kloppers might move to Glencore. Glencore plans to take over Australian coal and uranium miner Xstrata. Friends of the Earth has a legal action against Xstrata
Australia Sleeps on, While Nuclear Decisions are Made
Hardly a whisper in the mass media, as:
1. the Australian government moves to pass its National Radioactive Waste Management Bill – paving the way for Australia to impose a radioactive waste dump on Aboriginal land – and who knows, on any land later on.
2. the South Australian and Federal governments move to approve BHP Billiton’s grandiose plan for the world’s biggest uranium mine and uranium waste tailings mountain
3. Western Australian company Lynas continues plan to process Rare Earths in Malaysia – following in the good old Australian tradition of putting toxic radioactive wastes in another country- preferably one with weak environmental legislation. See below the effects of such an industry on the people of inner Mongolia.
Martin Ferguson, Rio Tinto – doublespeak on nuclear and uranium
Australia’s Nuclear Heirarchy are twisting themselves in knots as they urgently try to promote nuclear power and uranium mining, while at the same time pretending to look as if they care about Fukushima, the public good, and the environment.
Today’s news – perfect examples:
Martin Ferguson (who by the way, is also Minister for Tourism – and what a 
conflict of interest THAT is!) – anyway – Martin Ferguson still pushes the antique line that Australia can flog off uranium to anybody – who cares if they use it for weapons or to wreck the environment – not our problem.
Today, Ferguson piously pretends to support renewable energy, and assures us that Australia doesn’t need nuclear – but on the same day, also he champions the use of nuclear power.
Meanwhile as ERA’s Ranger uranium mine turns out to be an investment and economic, (as well as environmental) disaster, ) its ultimate owner, Rio Tinto predicts a nuclear future for Australia, and ERA struggles on with plans to expand the Ranger mine. – Christina Macpherson
Australians had better wake up FAST to the nuclear lies
In today’s news, we have the USA-Australia agreement that Australia can import nuclear technology from USA. And we have Martin Ferguson pushing
his nuclear masters’ barrow on uranium to India, against his own government’s policy.
We learn that sea levels are rising much faster than climate scientists had anticipated. Doesn’t sound like a good omen for Australia’s planned nuclear reactors – along the Eastern coast.
Australians are being conned big time, by the fossil fuel lobby and their political lackeys, as Climate Denial wins in the public airwaves.
But, under the radar of the carbon tax uproar, the nuclear lobby is working overtime.
The nuclear/uranium lobby must be pretty desperate. Interestingly, their
former top spinner, Ziggy Switkowski, has been strangely silent lately. Well,
that could be because Ziggy does like to be sure that he’s on the winning side.
Meanwhile Australia’s new top Nuclear Archbishop, Paul Greenfield, is already doing doublespeak as he regrets Fukushima, but pushes for “safer” new nuclear…Christina Macpherson
Risk of Al Qaida revenge – they seek nuclear materials
Yesterday, Australia’s Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, had a
long article in THE AUSTRALIAN, pushing for nuclear safety. ” The time has come – 25 years after the tragic accident at Chernobyl – to do all we can to prevent nuclear incidents” – says Kevin All very worthy, no doubt.
But there is a doubt.
Today, we learn that Osama bin Laden has been killed.
And – 9/11 Mastermind Reportedly Warned of ‘Nuclear Hellstorm’ if Bin Laden Killed – “…. Wikileaks cables show U.S. authorities uncovered a
number of attempts by Al Qaeda to obtain nuclear materials,….”- http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/05/02/11-mastermind-warns-nuclear-hellstorm-bin-laden-killed/
Now where do these world-wide “nuclear materials” come from? Why – Uranium – which Kevin Rudd’s Australia is selling as much as it can! – Christina Macpherson
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