Looking far beyond Australia’s muddled election
The nuclear industry banks on a world that continues on a path of ever more consumption of material “goods” and of energy. The “consumer society” with its rampant materialism will inevitably end, one way or another. There’s a hope that the change will be made in a co-operative, careful way, by human societies. – rather than by a ecological crash, or nuclear war.
Sometimes the ?corny words of songs come to mind – “you gotta have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?” – or John Lennon’s “You make think I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one”.
In the sorry mess of Australia’s election, the national swing to the Greens shows the hope of so many Australian for a more intelligent style of politics, and a movement towards caring for the planet. – Christina Macpherson 28 Aug 2010
Australia’s ABC tries hard to get the news out, including nuclear
I just want to dissociate myself and this website from the criticism of the ABC in the otherwise most worthy item below. Far from being “spineless and irresponsible” , Australia’s ABC is most often the only news media that covers controversial issues, especially in the uranium and nuclear area.
The ABC is obligated to cover news and opinion fully, including the conservative and right-wing views. It does this, yet still gets flak for its supposed “left-wing bias”. Yet research studies in recent times have shown that this bias does not exist.
By the ABC’s coverage of for example, pro-nuclear, pro-uranium views, it is enabled to also cover the anti-nuclear ones – and with credibility. Christina Macpherson, 25 Aug 2010
Australian Election -That Green Light on the Hill
Media commentators focus on the overall national swing against Labor, in the Australian election results.
But what about that other equally big, equally national, swing – towards the Greens?
I note that some mainstream media are describing the elected Greens as “extremists”, and as “completely irrational”.
But a swing to the Greens, across Australia, and the prospect of 9 Greens Senators – it’s hard to write off such a sizeable representation of the Australian public as “extremists” and “irrational”
In the more positive article, Paul Strangio’s ”post-materialist cosmopolitans” is mentioned, as the constituency for new Greens MP Richard di Natale. These people represent a growing new breed in Western culture – progressive, broad-minded, ready to lead a satisfying lifestyle with fewer material things, and less energy use.
It’s unfortunate that the newly elected Senators will not take their places until July 2011. This means that Australians will need to be aware of their politicians rushing bad laws through between now and then – Christina Macpherson 23 Aug 2010
Only the Greens dared mention nuclear issues
Australians watched in amazement and amusement, as the media and election campaigns focused on personalities, buzz words, mantras – “going forward” “real action”. If possible – anything but policies, it would seem.
Focus groups, daily opinion polls, and good old spin – these were the factors driving Australia’s ever dumber election campaigns by the major parties.
Some real policies got a mention, – seemingly in inverse relationship to their importance.
What got little mention is Global Warming, Climate Change.
What got no mention at all- the nuclear issue.
It must have come as a shock to Australia’s major political parties to realise that The Greens do have leaders of vision – Bob Brown, and Christine Milne. These leaders do have clear policies on Climate Change, uranium mining, and nuclear power.
Folksy, narrow focus in Australia’s election campaign
The politicians, the big corporations and their lapdog media have successfully managed to con Australians into a narrow, navel-gazing view of politics.
Especially with the “town hall meetings” with the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the Opposition leader, Tony Abbott – the campaign process has been transformed into a nice, folksy talkfest about each “real person” ‘s personal worries.
Oh for an “unreal person” – a good old-style political heckler – to bring reality into this.
I do not discount the genuine concerns of the community speakers. But each voter’s personal concern is not the whole story in this election.
The wider issues – climate change, pollution, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear waste dumping – these issues also concern each voter. The fact that they are global issues does not make them irrelevant to this election. – Christina Macpherson 19 August
Review of the nuclear and climate week
Australian Opposition leader Tony Abbott informs us that global warming, climate change, have “stopped’.
Australia’s pathetically irrelevant election campaign could make you laugh, – or cry.
The Northern hemisphere has a record heatwave, Russia having 769 wildfires, 500 of which are in radiation trouble spots. As of August 16 wildfires stillsurrounded Russia’s top secret nuclear centre at Sarov.
In China, floods and huge mudslides occur, in Sichuan province – where China locates nuclear facilities and nuclear waste dumps.
What a week! and Australia’s media still prattles on about our pathetic, insular political leaders, and their myopic policies.
Uranium and nuclear news under the radar in Australia
I do aim to post significant international news here. But – so much uranium and nuclear stuff is going on without media mention, here in Australia. Today we have two courageous Aboriginals – Michael Anderson, and Jeffrey Lee, standing up for their people and for Country, against the uranium industry.
The USA and Australia are soon to ratify a new nuclear agreement, – yet we Australians HAVE NOT HEARD A WORD ABOUT THIS.
Tony Abbott’s telling Catholic schoolkids how all we need to do is follow USA’s lead on selling uranium to India (never mind about the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty)
Anyway, I’ve had to confine myself today to mentioning the frightening events in Russia, where a very little amount of news is getting out about the wildfires around the nuclear facilities near Moscow, and the uncertain facts on radioactivity in smoke. Christina Macpherson 11 Aug 2010.
The coming battle for powering electric cars
I ponder that the nuclear and uranium lobbies are hyping their product in anticipation of fleets of electric cars – powered by their polluting products. They salivate as electric car charging stations are set up in USA.
It ain’t necessarily so!
Electric cars can be charged up by renewable energy.
Do have a listen to Bernie Hobbs’ amusing and enlightening radio interviews on The Science Show and Life Matters – both from ABC radio – see below.
Australia gambles on the dodgy uranium industry
You do wonder where Australian politics is heading. Clearly the big uranium miners BHP, Rio Tinto, ExStrata, are now dictating Labor policy on mining tax. (They have always dictated Liberal policy). Some ambitious union leaders are also hand in glove with those big miners, as are the South Australian and Western Australian governments.
Those States, and the Northern Territory are crawling with uranium explorers, and uranium mining is being hyped in the media. Yet uranium prices fall, and the nuclear industry stalls in USA, Europe, Britain.
Australia pitches its glowing uranium prospects on China. China is notorious for corruption, including in the nuclear industry, it has dubious safety and nuclear waste management, and a keen nuclear weapons program. But apart from all that – China might wake up to the financial and environmental negatives of nuclear power.
While China itself, and Europe, and soon, even USA, show the way on 21st Century renewable energy technologies, Australia is gambling on a very dodgy future of uranium sales.
AUSTRALIAN ELECTION and the NUCLEAR INDUSTRY – our theme for August 2010
Australia faces an election on August 21. The major political parties are united in one policy – that is –keeping quiet about nuclear power. And Julia Gillard – Labor, and Tony Abbott – Liberal-Coalition, have got plenty to shut up about.
Both Labor and Liberal are beholden to their corporate masters. In the case of Labor, this was shown in a dramatic way, as Prime Minister Julia Gillard kow towed over the planned Super Profit Resources tax. And, with the new, tamed, Resources Rent Tax – uranium mining is exempt even from that one.
The Liberal Coalition used to be blatantly in favour of a nuclear Australia. Now, with the election looming, only a few of their maverick MPs will state this out loud.
Under the radar, the powerful and well-funded nuclear lobby is working away at both parties – for uranium/nuclear policies to be revealed after the election is safely over.
Citizen’s Assembly on Climate Change could have a positive result
Just for once, can we drop all the negativity, and work with what opportunities do exist? The fossil fuel lobbies and mass media did a great job in rubbishing the science on Climate Change. Yet it’s becoming ever clearer that global warming is real, and Australia is already feeling the results.
In the cynical quagmire of Australian politics, Labor could not get any genuine action on carbon emissions through Parliament, anyway. OK – they let us down. That’s what politicians do, when they fear that their jobs are on the line.
The combination of the Citizens Assembly and of a scientists conference provides the opportunity to turn public opinion around, to counter the greedy spin of the fossil fuel industries. This could produce a political climate in which the government COULD get some effective Climate legislation through.
Nuclear’s Brave New Confidence Trick to hijack Walk Against Warming
August 15 will be the day for “Walk Against Warming”. The nuclear lobby will try to use this occasion to promote nuclear power as a solution to global warming.
I like their slogan – “Brave New Climate”. It has echoes of “Brave New World” – a book in which the State exercised complete surveillance over people’s lives. And that would be the scenario, in a nuclear Australia. It’s an aspect not often discussed – but nuclear power is so dangerous, that it requires huge surveillance, and secrecy – indeed a Brave New World style influence on our lives.
Nuclear power far from being any solution to Climate Change, simply creates a new and potentially greater problem.
At the website below, a Double-sided A4 flyer can be downloaded, for printing off, and used to counter this attempt by the nuclear lobby to hikack the Walk Against Warming.
Nuclear Power & Climate Change — Friends of the Earth Australia
Greed and stupidity in uranium investment world
You would think that investors would wake up to the hype! The so-called “nuclear renaissance” is just not happening.
Even the market for nuclear weapons is now looking dodgy – these being no protection whatever from terrorists, (in fact a target for them)
China is looking to slow down its economy.- China’s supposed great uranium binge is a BHP executives’ fantasy
There is a glut of uranium supply, made worse by the weapons reduction program, which now supplies uranium (mining not needed)
From today’s CTV News: “Despite the low spot and term prices, uranium producers have shown almost no discipline by reducing current or planned output,”…Despite falling uranium prices, worldwide spending on exploration and mine development grew 133 per cent to $1.6-billion in 2008 from 2006″
In sunny Australia, passing up the chance to develop 21st Century renewables, we are mindlessly letting banks, super funds etc, put our money into this gaping hole of impending loss – the almost certainly doomed uranium industry.
Nuclear Lobby active in Australia pre election, and opposing renewables
While Climate Change is acknowledged as an issue for the coming Australian election, the nuclear issue still goes on, pretty much under the radar, because it is not popular with the public.
Despite Tony Abbott’s protestations, the Liberal Party still is a pro-nuclear party. Meanwhile the nuclear industry’s corporate lobby is working hard on Labor, too.
The Australian: 20 July 2010 quotes Business Council of Australia president Graham Bradley – “We would consider that white paper to be deficient if it does not canvass the merits of nuclear power as one of the longer-term options for Australia for the future economic generation of electricity and reduction of carbon emissions.” He also warned that the renewable energy target, coupled with other rising input costs, could lead to the need for higher power prices.
Young Australians want action on Climate Change
As both major political parties dilly around, mouthing comforting statements about Climate Change, young people are turning to the Greens and Independents for any kind of sensible approach on Climate Change.
It is their future. One wonders about the baby boomer mining executives who put Julia Gillard into the role of prime Minister. One wonders about the baby boomer journalists, toeing the fossil fuel lobby’s line on Climate Scepticism.
Do they actually give a damn about their children and grandchildren?
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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