Radioactive wastes are produced at all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle
The NUCLEAR INDUSTRY and the GLOBAL NUCLEAR WASTE PROBLEM – our theme for June 2010
From the uranium mine to the final destruction of the nuclear reactor….
Australia-Russia uranium dealings
The machinations have been going on for many years. One way or another, Australian uranium is getting under foreign control – take the current Russian situation. Negotiations with Russia’s Roasatom nuclear tsar, Sergei Kiryienko went on, secretly, between Kiriyenko and BHP Billiton. over many years.
Kiriyenko was to quietly visit Australia, but apparently did not. A former Prime Minister of Russia, Kiriyenko has, in recent years, guided the State nuclear agency, Rosatom, with the aim of becoming the world’s most powerful uranium and nuclear power company.
Review: resources tax, India’s dilemma, oil gusher
Australia: a seemingly quiet week. Obama cancels visit to Australia. Mainstream media continue to ignore Senator Scott Ludlam’s penetrating questioning on matters nuclear – (the taxpayer funded Uranium Council lobby, Muckaty nuclear waste plan, nuclear weapons proliferation..) BHP and Rio spend a sizable little of their massive profits to fight the govt’s super profit resources tax. These corporations fear that other countries might take up the idea too. Union push against health danger of uranium mining.
International: Dow Chemical Company escapes justice after 25 years, and hundreds of thousands of deaths from the Bhopal gas disaster. A portent for India’s nuclear energy future? Meanwhile USA seeks to prosecute BP over oil spill. U.S looks like getting useless Climate legislation. Pointless debate over nuclear bombing as a solution to BP’s oil gush .
The eternal danger of nuclear wastes
THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY AND RADIOACTIVE WASTES – our theme for June 2010. “The question whether one generation of men has a right to bind another, seems never to have been started either on this or our side of the water. Yet it is a question of such consequences as not only to merit decision, but place also, among the fundamental principles of every government.” – Thomas Jefferson, September 6, 1789
Half-life is the period of time it takes for a radioisotope atom to degrade to a state having half of its original intensity
As you can see the continued production, use, and dumping of such waste materials as depleted uranium and plutonium, into the world’s air, land, and water leaves a permanent problem for our children, grandchildren. great-grand-children ….
Secrecy about nuclear wastes, and Australia’s hypocrisy
This website might well give the impression that it is anti-American, anti-British etc, – especially on the subject of nuclear wastes.
But – spare a thought for those two countries. At least the nuclear waste subject is RAISED there. (That’s how we can publish it)
Very hard to get a few lines about Russia’s nuclear wastes.
As for China, France and also a few other countries (India, Korea, European states , Israel...) – well there’s nary a word about their nuclear wastes! What do they do with radioactive wastes? It’s a worry. And it seems to me to be complete lunacy for countries like Australia to piously claim safety policy, while selling uranium to such countries.
Review: hypocrisy on uranium and nuclear industry
Australia: what a load of hypocrisy is going on. about the Resources Tax! BHP saying that Olympic Dam uranium mine’s expansion is threatened. Of course it is! – By the collapse of the uranium market ! ANSTO forced to admit its safety failures. And, we wait to see if Peter Garrett will be able to promote AREVA’s uranium mining in Koongarra, while he still poses as Minister for Environment
International: hypocrisy as the closing Nuclear Non Proliferation conference promotes the nuclear industry, as pro-nukes suggest nuke bombing the oil spill, as the industry touts new, little, thorium reactors. All in a desperate bid to keep the “peaceful” nuclear industry afloat, as nuclear reactors age and close down, while new ones just aren’t getting built, except in secretive totalitarian states, such as China
The quack background of Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy
France has, rather unwisely, put a huge amount of its export eggs into the nuclear energy market. Its President Sarkozy spends much time and energy pushing nuclear sales around the world.
Helping in this French sales effort is Bruno Comby, who purports to be a health expert and 
environmental scientist. Among his many-faceted health promotion businesses is the Comby Stressometer. Rather like the Scientologist’s E-Meter, the Comby Stressometer can be sent to you from overseas, (for a price). and it purports to measure your stress levels and physical well-being.
Mr Comby is a quack.
He is also the founder and leading light of Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy, supposedly a worldwide organisation, but very secretive about its membership and its funding.
Also secretive is the background of Bruno Comby – who is in fact qualified only as a nuclear physicist.
Review: Kakadu, Israel’s nukes, UK’s muddle
Australia: Doubts on the future of uranium mining are really the result of the financial crisis in Europe. Still BHP, ERA etc grasp the opportunity to blame the Australian govt’s proposed new resources profit tax. BHP plans transporting uranium through W.A. towns. ERA’s uranium mine leaking into Kakadu National Park. Women peace walkers ,- part of Footprints For Peace International, arrive in Canberra. Lucas Heights about to close down old nuclear reactor.
International: Israel in awkward double standards over nuclear weapons. USA’s far right pushing for hawkish nuclear policy. World uranium stockpiling up, as its market in the doldrums. UK’s nuclear policy in a muddle. Marshall Islanders to be sent back to polluted islands.Native Americans fighting new uranium mining. Conflict of interest in USA’s Radiation Health Study
Review: Nuke waste resisted, Radiation and Breast Cancer
Australia: Muckaty Aboriginal owners take their fight internationally. To public outcry, Paul Howes pushes for uranium mining in Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. Martin Ferguson manages to avoid supporting real progress in renewable energy. Tony Abbott promises to slow renewable energy. Calls to phase out Victoria’s brown coal, and move to job intensive renewables.
International: Renewed concern over special cancer dangers for women and the young, from ionising radiation. Water issues threaten nuclear industry’s future. UK’s new govt raises doubts on new nuclear. Iran does uranium swap deal with Turkey. Cannes film festival launches “Countdown to Zero”. Indian community action stops uranium mining in National Park.
Methinks the uranium corporations do protest too much
Australia’s media is awash with the anger of BHP Billiton and other uranium miners, (even weird little Cauldron Energy), about the government’s super profit resources tax. Their threat is to wind down uranium mining, leave Australia etc.
But uranium mining is winding down anyway. BHP Billiton’s Grat Big New Mine is far from happening, as Olympic Dam still producing about a quarter capacity, with a damaged main shaft.
Recent Nuclear Non Proliferation arrangements mean that countries can get nuclear fuel from old nuclear weapons (no uranium mining needed for that). And the famous Nuclear Resuscitation (sorry, did I mean Renaissance?) – is not really happening.
And – it’s rude to mention this – but just one nuclear mishap like the current oil mishaps, and nuclear power is dead in the water forever.
Beware of Australian govts bearing small, hurried, gifts to Maralinga veterans
As Queen’s Counsel Cherie Blair leads the Australian atomic veterans into legal battle with the British government over compensation, the Australian government hurriedly decides to at last give some (pretty lousy) compensation to them
Could it be that there’s a little clause in there somewhere, about the veterans dropping their legal case in UK, if they want to get Australian govt recognition?
Review: Nuke waste, media silence, environmental causes of cancer
Australia: Strangely absent from the mainstream media was the Senate’s Report,giving green light to Martin Ferguson’s Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan. Also strangely absent, a new agreement between Obama and Rudd on nuclear technology co-operation. But – lots of coverage given to BHP’s objections to a super profit resource tax. Tony Abbott ‘educates’ kids towards Climate Change scepticism. Federal govt might compensate Maralinga vets, perhaps to prevent legal case.
International: U.S. President’s Cancer Panel Report spells out environmental causes, including ionising radiation. Israel under pressure to admit to its nuclear weapons. Germany less likely now to restart nuclear power. India’s Parliament in turmoil over nuclear insurance to help foreign nuclear companies. Uranium prices and revenues low. World Bank finds nuclear power uneconomic. – the week that has been
Women more affected by nuclear power and ionising radiation
NUCLEAR POWER and WOMEN – our focus for May 2010
Decisions on nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear wastes are almost exclusively made by men.
Yet the brunt of nuclear-caused cancer is suffered by women and children, as is the brunt of nuclear war, and of depleted uranium spread.
Opinion polls over many years, and in many countries, consistently show that women are opposed to nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
More women than men are concerned about health and environmental effects of the nuclear industry.
Yet they are consistently reassured by narrowly educated nuclear physicists, and other technocrats, that nuclear power is safe, and that they have nothing to worry about in regard to ionising radiation.
Australia’s nuclear waste dump plan affects all Australians
Once again, Australia’s Aboriginal land rights are to be trampled by White Australia’s ignorance and apathy, (helped along by the subservient mass media), and by corporate greed. Not much comfort for Aboriginal owners of the Muckaty area – but eventually, even White Australians will suffer from this.
BUT – the fight is not over – as support for the Muckaty land owners and national resistance build among Australians of any colour.
Muckaty Australia’s Nuclear Waste Dump now – but What’s Next?
The nuclear waste dump battle is far from over. The Rudd government got elected partly on its promise to overturn Howard’s Radioactive Waste Management Act. Now, a tame Senate Inquiry has endorsed Rudd’s even more draconic National Radioactive Waste Management Bill.
Orchestrated by Australia’s fine Minister For Promoting the Nuclear Industry, Martin Ferguson, the new Bill opens the way for a radioactive waste 
dump to be imposed on Aboriginal land, against the will of its traditional owners, of the regional community, and the Northern Territory Government.
But that’s not all. Along with the Northern Territory Intervention, this Bill opens the door to further encroachment on the rights of all Australians, not only Aboriginals.
And – yesterday’s announcement of an agreement between the Australian Government and the Obam administration on nuclear technology, 
will soon be followed by a Obama’s visit to Australia. The timing of all this is remarkable. The Muckaty nuclear waste dump is supposed to take the returned Lucas Heights nuclear waste.
But what’s next for Australia – which remains a signatory to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership?
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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