Fossil fuel economy in decline: climate campaigners are helping Australia’s fuure
How climate campaigners are protecting the economy PAUL GILDING ABC Environment 27 MAY 2013 The climate campaigners holding up new coal mines and coal seam gas projects are inadvertently preventing Australia from rushing headlong into economic collapse.
IRONY DOESN’T GET ANY better than this. Environmentalists and farmers fighting the expansion of coal mining and coal seam gas across
Australia are protecting the economy. If they are successful in slowing down or reversing these sectors in Australia, future governments will be spared an economic mess, Australian workers will have much improved employment prospects and our big banks will be
spared major losses.
That’s because, while not their intention, such campaigns are the only thing likely to moderate the rude economic awakening we face when the global carbon bubble bursts and the fossil fuel industries start their inevitable and terminal decline. Continue reading
National Reconciliation Week 27 May to 3 June
2013 Australia – Significant Aboriginal Dates in Aboriginal History 27052013Monday 27th May to Monday 3rd June 2013
This week is National Reconciliation Week. National Reconciliation Week celebrates the rich culture and history of Australia’s First Peoples. Initiated in 1996, the week aims to foster reconciliation discussion and activities.
Preceded by National Sorry Day on 26 May, National Reconciliation Week is framed by two key events in Australia’s history, which provide strong symbols for reconciliation:
- 27 May 1967 – the referendum that saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise them in the census.
- 3 June 1992 – the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, which recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a special relationship with the land. This paved the way for land rights known as native title.
National Reconciliation Week is an ideal time for everyone to join the reconciliation conversation and reflect on our shared histories, contributions and achievements. Reconciliation Australia Projects
Walkatjurra Walkabout ends and uranium battles begin
27 May 13, Over 70 people, including 12 Rangers from Leonora have just completed a three week walk from Yeelirrie to Leonora in opposition to uranium mining in the Goldfields, while celebrating an learning about culture and country. The Walk comes just months after the the Federal Government gave a significant but not final approval for the proposed Wiluna uranium mine – the first project to get this level of approval in WA.
State secretary of the Australian Manufacturers Workers Union, Steve McCartney came out to meet the walkers today in Leonora and said this “Today is the beginning of building a compact agreement between the union and the community in Leonora.” “We won’t be walking away from this fight against uranium mining,” he concluded.
Kado Muir, Chairperson of the West Australia Nuclear Free Alliance and Leonora local said “This walk has been about building alliances with the green movement, the union movement and Aboriginal communities. Each step we take is a step towards a nuclear free future for our communities.” Marcus Atkinson walk organiser, “The Wiluna uranium proposal is a bad deal but not a done deal. There is growing resistance to this toxic and dying industry across WA, across Australia and around the world.
“People from France, Finland, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Scotland and Germany have joined this walk as part of a growing and united international campaign against the whole nuclear industry. WA is in the spotlight and so is Toro this small, inexperienced and struggling company,” concluded Marcus Atkinson.
Economists at Large have published a report outlining the unstable economics of the Wiluna project it is available at www.ecolarge.com/work/osos-sobre-toro-assessment-of-wiluna-uranium-project.
Doctors speak out on conflict of interest between State economic priorites, and public health
Doctors say big South Australian projects show little regard for health , Adelaide Now, 23 May 13 STATES show “scant regard for human health” by letting polluting projects with potentially deadly consequences to go ahead, doctors say.
A report from Doctors for the Environment Australia points to the Port Augusta power station, the deferred Olympic Dam expansion and the Port Pirie lead smelter as examples of industrial developments approved without adequate checks.
Environment Minister Ian Hunter said the State Government was working on the National Plan for Clean Air and its own framework to manage air quality.
DEA spokesman Dr David Shearman said SA was listening to their concerns more than in other states…… The DEA report claims state governments have a “conflict of interest between budget bottom line and the health of their citizens” and calls for a federal environmental protection agency to oversee health impact assessments, or at least national laws that enforce a higher standard for the states.
Spokesman David Shearman said projects were given the go ahead without factoring in the social and financial costs of the pollution.
“It is clear that state government approvals of coal and coal seam gas projects are often influenced by potential economic gain without thorough assessment of potential harms,” he said. …. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/doctors-say-big-south-australian-projects-show-little-regard-for-health/story-e6frea83-1226649548350
Coal and gas energy providers losing out as Australian businesses go solar
Coal, gas profits suffer as business goes solar BY:MATT CHAMBERS The Australian May 22, 2013 SOLAR power systems are being installed by businesses at triple the rate they were a year ago as a glut of Chinese cells and rising Australian power prices combine to improve solar’s economics and threaten the profits of coal and gas-fired power providers.
Many of the photovoltaic cell systems used by businesses — which mostly need power during the day when solar cells work best — are being installed without major subsidies, the relative economics have improved so much…….(subscribers only) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/coal-gas-profits-suffer-as-business-goes-solar/story-e6frg8zx-1226647947538
Obama’s 31,541,507 readers learn about Climate Change from Australian John Cook – of SKEPTICAL SCIENCE
http://www.skepticalscience.com/
Obama gives Aussie researcher 31,541,507 reasons to celebrate, SMH, May 17, 2013 Peter Hannam It’s the social media equivalent of hitting the jackpot: having your study tweeted by US President Barack Obama.
Australian researcher John Cook, an expert in climate change communication, was inundated with requests for interviews by US media outlets after Obama took to Twitter to endorse his project’s final report….. A survey of scientific papers by a team led by Mr Cook and published by Fairfax Media this week found more than 97 per cent of researchers endorsed the view that humans are to blame for global warming. The peer-reviewed outcome flies in the face of public perception in countries such as the US or Australia that scientists are divided on the issue.
“One of the highest predictors of how important people think climate change is, is cues from political leaders,” Mr Cook said. “So if the leaders don’t seem to care, people don’t care either. “A cue from Obama is a big step,” he said. “The fact it goes to more than 31 million followers, it just raises the awareness of consensus.”
That’s 31,541,507 followers, to be precise. Retweets recently stood at 1,746 with Twitter carrying a long stream of comments…….
Mr Cook’s timing was fortuitous. The Obama administration is battling Republicans in Senate who are opposed to the president’s nomination of Gina McCarthy to lead the country’s Environmental Protection Agency.
Without sufficient Congressional support for a price on carbon, Mr Obama has used the EPA as his main tool for trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are blamed for warming the planet.
Mr Cook said reports on the scientific consensus linking humans to climate change “tend to bounce around the echo chamber”.“Something like what Obama did really helps in getting that information out into the general public,” he said.
Bullying
While most of the interest has been positive, Mr Cook expects some negative attention from those who reject the scientific consensus – something that some academics have found to their dismay.
“Generally the level of hate you get is in proportion to the impact you have,” he said.
“There’s an increase in academic bullying where climate deniers are sending complaints to journals or the university … and this actually works. “I’ve have anecdotal examples of academics who are scared of that kind of reaction and who are playing things close to their chest – which is a real shame,” he said.: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/obama-gives-aussie-researcher-31541507-reasons-to-celebrate-20130517-2jqrh.html#ixzz2TgUixcG8
An American soldier recalls Vivian Bullwinkel, and warns about a nuclear-armed Japan
Sister Bullwinkel and a Nuclear Japan, May 15, 2013 By Major Van Harl USAF Ret Wisconsin –(Ammoland.com)- Vivian Bullwinkel was a young Lieutenant in the Australian Army Nursing Service…… Bullwinkel hid her wound because she knew, if the Japanese found out she had survived the Bangka Island Massacre of twenty-one Army nurses, she would be shot. You cannot leave witnesses when you commit atrocities. Wartime atrocities were committed by the Japanese through out the Pacific region of WW II. Today’s problem is Japan is working hard to re-write history…..
Now North Korea has nuclear weapons and Japan is getting very worried. If Japan changes its constitution and builds up an offensive military they will take their world class missiles that we know about and marry them to their world class nukes that we act like we do not know about.They will then become a first world player in the nuclear game and the US is obligated by treaty to defend Japan if it is attacked.
Is a nuclear armed Japan really a good thing even if they are supposed to be our best ally in that part of the world?…. If they amend their constitution and go nuclear that is a game changer as far as I am concerned. The US should not be obligated to defend Japan if they push too hard and start a shooting war just so they can save “face” dealing with China. http://www.ammoland.com/2013/05/sister-bullwinkel-and-a-nuclear-japan/#ixzz2TVN7CNqo
Greens leader Milne confident of renewable energy future, despite Labor’s “green cuts”
Milne blasts cuts to green schemes, BY:LAUREN WILSON , The Australian May 16, 2013 GREENS leader Christine Milne remains confident the legislated carbon package can drive the economic transition from coal to renewable energy, despite the “deep cuts” Labor made in its budget to green schemes and the slump in the European carbon price.
Senator Milne accused Labor of “reneging” on the agreement it reached with the Greens and the regional independents through the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee, by making cutbacks of $685 million to renewable energy and energy-efficiency programs, as well as slashing $257m from the Biodiversity Fund.
“The Labor Party cannot be trusted with this critical area of transition to a low-carbon economy,” she said.
But despite declaring the cuts a “disgrace”, Senator Milne said the climate package legislated after the MPCCC clinched a deal in 2011 “will be effective into the future” despite the plummeting European carbon price and the cut to renewables funding. “Quite outside what this parliament does, the fact is that the technology for renewables is becoming cheaper and what we are seeing is greater competition for renewables,” she said.
Senator Milne, who has previously noted a high carbon price and significant and sustained investment in renewable energy would be essential to drive the transition away from brown coal, said: “I’m hoping that if the European price gets back to the floor price, $15 in 2015, then we’ll be on track, and with the technology prices coming down,” she said.
The minor party leader called on Tony Abbott to block the funding cuts to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency…. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/treasury/milne-blasts-cuts-to-green-schemes/story-fnhi8df6-1226643419221
Wiluna uranium mine by no means a goer, and Aboriginal resistance strong
We must note that approval for this project does not mean that the deal is done and dusted. Activists should take inspiration from the recent campaign at James Price Point which saw Woodside forced to shelve its plans for a gas hub there. In that case an organised community campaign pushed the big business interests back.
Labor approves WA’s first uranium mine, Socialist Party, 10 May 13, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke gave the go ahead to Toro’s $270 million uranium mining project in the Wiluna region of Western Australia last month. This decision has angered many people across the state especially the local aboriginal community – the Wiluna and Tarpla people.
Wiluna elder, Glen Cooke, said “Uranium should stay in the ground. It can hurt our Country, the environment, our people, our children, our children’s children”. Continue reading
Julian Assange’s Senate campaign for transparency in poltics
A bid for freedom: Why Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is running for a seat in the Australian Senate, TNT. 7th May 2013 By Carol Driver Honesty. That’s what Julian Assange’s campaign manager claims is driving the WikiLeaks founder’s bid for the Australian Senate in September’s election.
Greg Barnes, ex-head of the Australian Republican Movement, was last week announced as Assange’s main man for the WikiLeaks Party campaign for a seat in Victoria.
According to Barnes, who lives in Hobart, the “sorts of values” Assange brings to the political landscape include “greater transparency in decision making” and “an examination of the way that the state in Australia is encroaching on the rights of individuals”.
He added: “These are the sorts of issues which do concern Australians. And the current political parties in Australia don’t address either of those issues. Julian Assange certainly does. And he’s got runs on the board when it comes to walking the walk and talking the talk through WikiLeaks.“ http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/features/a-bid-for-freedom-why-julian-assange-is-running-for-a-seat-in-the-australian-senate
Good news from Victoria: a Good Samaritan story about solar energy
Donated Solar Power System Lights Up A Life http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3730 9 May 13, Julie Wood is the good Samaritan neighbour we all wish we had and some of us aspire to be. Julie recently donated an Energy Matters solar power system to her struggling next door neighbour.
A single mum, Julie currently works three jobs so she can put her son through college. A battler herself; Julie reached out to help her neighbour Joe, who is fighting cancer as well as dealing with multiple sclerosis.
Julie decided to go solar to help save for retirement and after much research and word-of-mouth referrals, she chose Energy Matters to install her system – the company had installed other solar arrays in her town of Katamatite in Victoria, situated halfway between Cobram and Shepparton. At the time of her purchase, Energy Matters was running a competition with a $2,000 cash prize that asked the question: ‘What would you do with the savings you will make by installing solar?’. Julie’s entry, which stated she would use the money to help her neighbour by installing solar to slash his electricity bill, was chosen as the winner by Energy Matters.
Julie has known Joe for around 7 years and she’s been aware he’s had mounting bills. For example, recent radiation treatment cost Joe $6,000. With cold weather rapidly approaching, Joe was concerned about heating his house this winter. Previously, Joe would chop wood to heat his home but he now understandably has no energy for the task – and his electricity bills have doubled over the past 5 years.
The 1.75kW system recently installed by Energy Matters will save Joe approximately $500 a year.
Even though the high-efficiency system was valued at more than the $2,000 Julie won, Energy Matters was more than happy to donate the difference so Joe’s life could be made a little more comfortable.
“For people who are hurting due to out of control electricity costs, solar can make a real difference,” says Nick Brass, co-founder of Energy Matters. “These days the biggest interest in solar is coming from Aussie battlers like Julie and Joe who are fed up with paying crazy electricity prices.” Both Julie and Joe will be saving on their bills for many years to come in a way that has also strengthened their friendship. While solar is certainly a good news element of this story; the more important aspect is the kindness and selflessness shown by Julie – something that Energy Matters applauds.
Australian government does USA’s bidding on uranium sales to India
Selling uranium is concerning Border Mail, MRS CHRIS SOBEY, Albury, May 6, 2013 THE recent news Australia will sell uranium to India is of enormous concern.
An extract from journalist Paul Cleary’s book Minefield: The Dark Side of Australia’s Resources Rush explains the “extensive lists of conditions make for impressive press releases .. yet mining companies don’t complain … because they know governments do not have the capacity to enforce them”. The Great Artesian Basin, Australia’s inland sea, is of enormous importance to us, yet BHP uses at least 30 million litres of water from this source every day, and at no cost.
But worse than that pillaging, I believe, is the state and federal governments’ recent approval of the expansion of the Olympic Dam mine, which is destined to become the world’s biggest man-made crater. The waste, in its 44-square kilometre storage facility, will remain active for 10,000 years, while the entire operation will leach up to 8 million litres of contaminated waste water into groundwater each day.
Australia joins USA and Canada in helping India’s arms race, through sale of uranium
Uranium sales to India fuel nuclear arms fears 6 MAY 2013, KAREN ASHFORD, SBS Critics of planned Australian uranium exports to India warn the deal will accelerate India’s nuclear arms race against Pakistan. Transcript from World News Australia Radio) “……The Gillard government is going down the same route as the US and Canada, circumventing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty y instead striking a bilateral agreement containing safeguards guaranteeing how Australian uranium will be used……
He says the world uranium price has gone from 140 U-S dollars a pound in 1997 to 40 U-S dollars a pound today, and some 150 nuclear stations in Europe are scheduled for closure… and that with nuclear in retreat worldwide, the industry is pursuing India.
The world uranium sector is in huge trouble at the moment so I think the Australian government at the behest of the mining industry who obviously are the loudest voices at the table are looking for any markets at all, because the sector is in such trouble. So they see India as an industrialising nation with a growing power sector, they see the dollar signs but they quite clearly don’t seem to be interested in the risks.”
Senator Ludlam says India has a history of nuclear accidents, near misses and misadventure, and it’s only a matter of time until a serious incident occurs – something he thinks Australia’s shouldn’t want to be implicated in.
But even more troubling he says is the escalating tension between India and its neighbour Pakistan.
“India is a nuclear weapons state and they’re on the record saying they’re trying to buy foreign sources of uranium so they can lock up their domestic reserves for a nuclear arms race with Pakistan. So it’s a very volatile and dangerous security situation into which to be selling uranium.”….. The negotiations for the export of Australian uranium to India are expected to take two years; Scott Ludlam says he’ll be using that time to push for an inquiry and stop the deal. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1763258/Uranium-sales-to-India-fuel-nuclear-arms-fears
Australia to supply uranium to an unsafe nuclear industry in India
Aust could fuel India ‘nuclear accident’ SBS WORLD NEWS, 21 MAR 2013, A nuclear disarmament group says an accident like Fukushima could happen in India with uranium sold from Australia.Anti-nuclear campaigners have raised concerns Australian uranium could fuel a nuclear accident in India similar to the Fukushima and Chernobyl disasters.
Negotiations are under way in New Delhi to establish nuclear safeguards before Australia begins selling uranium to India.
Last year India’s auditor-general warned that lax safety standards could lead to a nuclear disaster. It is a concern backed up by the Indian-based Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP). “A major catastrophic accident like Fukushima could happen in any of our 20 reactors,” CNDP spokesman Praful Bidwai told ABC television.
Workers in the reactors said they could not be relied upon to raise the alarm on an impending disaster because they were not kept informed by management.”We can be out there all day in the reactor and we wouldn’t know if we’ve been exposed to danger or not,” said Gulab Singh who works in a Rajasthan reactor.
Anti-nuclear activist Imran Khan said workers were bullied into working in the dangerous conditions. “They know that if they don’t do the job they won’t have work, so they accept all levels of radiation and keep on working,” he said……HTTP://WWW.SBS.COM.AU/NEWS/ARTICLE/1748734/AUST-COULD-FUEL-INDIA–NUCLEAR-ACCIDENT-
Uranium Paydirt Conference Only 35 turned up to hear the gloomy news
Uranium sales to India fuel nuclear arms fears 6 MAY 2013 KAREN ASHFORD, SBS Negotiations to launch Australian uranium exports to India have begun, a move welcomed by the industry at its annual conference in Adelaide…..
……The Gillard government is going down the same route as the US and Canada, circumventing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty y instead striking a bilateral agreement containing safeguards guaranteeing how Australian uranium will be used.
Delegates were scarce too – just 35 peppered the venue, the empty chairs reflective of the post-Fukushima doldrums that have gripped the sector.
A significant number of existing and planned reactors worldwide have been shut down or delayed in response to the disaster as nations reconsider their use of atomic energy, leading to depressed uranium prices and a general industry slowdown……http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1763258/Uranium-sales-to-India-fuel-nuclear-arms-fears
1 This month
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent
National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action
Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,
Facilitator Kelley Tranter.
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 