South Australia ahead in renewable energy
SA a leading light in renewable energy, Climate Commission says http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sa-a-leading-light-in-renewable-energy-climate-commission-says/story-e6frea6u-1226530337471
December 05, 2012 SOUTH Australia is lighting the way to a brighter future powered by renewable energy, the Climate Commission says.A free public forum tonight at Adelaide High School will discuss the Commission’s recent report Generating a Renewable Australia.
Chief commissioner Professor Tim Flannery said SA had pioneered wind energy in Australia and solar thermal technology was likely to be the next big thing, cementing SA’s position as a leading state.
“We will at some point see a 100 per cent renewable future, not just for Australia but for the planet,” he said.
“It’s really the speed of the transition, from where we are now to a fully renewable future, that’s going to dictate whether we see warming beyond the dangerous threshold.”
Register for a free seat online at www.climatecommission.gov.au or by phone on 02 6159 7624.
Australians overspending on food, and wasting much of it
Audio: Revellers warned to limit Christmas food waste, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-03/revellers-warned-to-limit-christmas-food-waste/4405820 ABC News, By Lindy Kerin Dec 3, 2012 Australians are expected to spend about $10 billion on food over the Christmas period, but a staggering 35 per cent will be wasted and end up as landfill.Food rescue group Oz Harvest, which collects leftover food and distributes it to charities, says it will pick up about 150 tonnes of food throughout December.
Oz Harvest founder Ronnie Khan says the group is distributing to more than 400 charities and welfare agencies.She says waste increases significantly at this time of year. “From mid-October to the end of December, we call this our harvest period,” she said. “It’s the time to collect as much as we can, because there’s an abundance of food being shared around with those people who have……
The shocking level of waste is of great concern to environment group Planet Ark. It says every year Australians generate about 361 kilograms of food waste per person. Planet Ark recycling programs manager Janet Sparrow says 35 per cent of food is expected to be wasted this month….
Planet Ark has launched an education campaign to encourage Australians to think about how they can reduce their environmental impact over the festive season.
Electric cars no help to environment, if powered by coal [or nuclear] fired electricity
Electric cars make more emissions unless green-powered, SMH, December 4, 2012 VICTORIAN motorists who switch to an electric car can expect to produce less than half the greenhouse gas emissions than they would if driving a petrol-powered car – but only if they run it on 100 per cent green power, government research has found. If they don’t they will generate more emissions.
A new electric car run on renewable energy can also take as little as three years to recoup the carbon emissions generated in its manufacture, according to new evidence from the Victorian government’s electric vehicle trial.
The five-year trial, which is at its halfway point, is being held in the expectation that Victorians will switch to electric cars in their thousands in coming years, even though the number currently in use here is only 100 or so.
The Department of Transport expects plug-in cars will make up a quarter of new vehicle sales in Victoria by 2020. But an analysis of cars participating in the trial has found it is essential to charge them from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power to achieve any environmental good.
Victoria’s dependence on brown coal for energy is so high that any electric car that ran off the electricity grid would generate even more carbon emissions than one running on petrol…… http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/electric-cars-make-more-emissions-unless-greenpowered-20121203-2ar3x.html#ixzz2E9HnUt8N
Victoria’s planning adviser calls for discouraging huge houses – “Mc Mansions”
Row over McMansions divides Baillieu Government and its planning adviser, John Masanauskas Herald Sun November 28 A ROW over so-called McMansions on the city fringe has revealed a split between the Baillieu Government and its chief planning adviser.
Professor Roz Hansen, chair of the ministerial advisory committee for the Metropolitan Planning Strategy, has called for a campaign to discourage families from building huge homes in new estates. (subscribers only)
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/row-over-mcmansions-divides-baillieu-government-and-its-planning-adviser/story-e6frf7kx-1226525259254
Arrests of abseiling anti uranium protestors at BHP annual general meeting
Abseiling BHP protesters expected to be charged Financial Review 29 NOV 2012 Four abseilers who scaled the Sydney Convention Centre as part of an environmental protest outside BHP Billiton’s annual general meeting are expected to be charged…… Police at the scene told AAP they expected to charge the abseilers A Friends of the Earth spokeswoman told AAP the first pair of activists had been brought down by a police rescue team and taken to Surry Hills police station.
The last two had climbed back onto the roof voluntarily and had notyet been detained, she said.
Arabunna man Kevin Buzzacott was among protesters who gathered at Darling Harbour for the launch of an alternative annual report, Dirty Deeds, which was distributed to shareholders. The report focuses on the uranium and copper mine at Olympic Dam, South Australia, and the company’s proposed liquefied gas hub at James Price Point, in Western Australia. Continue reading
No Uranium Campaign Takes Off as Qld Parliament Rises
1 Dec 12 Concerned residents of Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns will unite to send a clear message of opposition to the Newman government’s backflip on uranium mining today – the last sitting day of Queensland Parliament.
Water, health and Fukushima concerns on agenda at BHP Billiton AGM protest
Members of Uranium Free NSW and the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (ANFA) will join a community protest outside BHP Billiton’s AGM today 10am at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre.
National and International environment groups are launching an alternative annual report for BHPB titled ‘Dirty Deeds’ which will be distributed to shareholders.
Peter Watts, an Arabana man who is co-chair of the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance has travelled from Adelaide to attend the AGM.
Mr Watts said, “Nowadays there is heightened awareness of the dangers of asbestos. People need to realise that devastating health effects are also occurring from the nuclear industry. We suffer intergenerational disruptions to family health, well-being and finances due to medical conditions and treatments related to the nuclear bomb tests. BHP and other mining companies do not take responsibility for the health of workers who leave their company, yet they have heightened risk of developing cancer from working in a uranium mine and being exposed to radioactive materials.” Continue reading
Greens motion to block Roxby uranium mine extension voted down
29 Nov 12, A motion in State Parliament moved by Mark Parnell MLC, Greens Parliamentary Leader, to block the four year extension to the controversial Olympic Dam Expansion Indenture has been defeated.
Ex-Treasurer Kevin Foley had also called publicly for the extension to be refused and former Premier, Mike Rann, said as recently as August:
‘We don’t believe there is a basis for an extension of the indenture arrangements’
“It’s not often I agree with Kevin Foley, but he is dead right on this one,” said Mark Parnell.
“We shouldn’t be extending the enormously generous concessions granted to the world’s richest resource company when it is abundantly clear BHP Billiton has no intention to start the Olympic Dam expansion for years.
“It’s in South Australia’s best interests to negotiate a better deal if and when the project gets resurrected,” he said.
In Parliament tonight, Labor combined with the Liberal party to defeat the Motion and ratify the 4 year extension.
On one of the most radioactive days in State Parliament for some time, the Greens also moved a motion calling on the Government to prevent the transport of uranium from Western Australia through our State. Adelaide-based Toro Energy Ltd is proposing to mine uranium in WA and ship the material to either Port Adelaide or Darwin through South Australia.
“It’s bad enough that SA uranium is being exported to facilities such as the crippled Fukushima reactor in Japan and hence into the broader environment through contamination. We shouldn’t be the conduit for WA uranium either. In both States, it’s best left in the ground”, concluded Mark Parnell
Western Australia’s uranium hopeful Toro Energy’s office locked down
There are currently people locked inside uranium miners, Toro Energy Ltd, West Perth office calling for a ban on uranium mining.
Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, and Canberra unite against nuclear industry
28 Nov 2012 Demonstrations will be held in Perth, Adelaide, and Darwin today to mark the Annual General Meeting of the company pursuing Western Australia’s first uranium mine.
In the Senate, the Australian Greens will move a motion calling on 
Environment Minister Tony Burke to stop the clock on the project.
Greens spokesperson for nuclear policy Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said Toro Energy’s Wiluna proposal united people across the country in opposition.
“This dangerous plan ignores the question of water supply for half the life of the mine, has virtually no provision for rehabilitation after the mine closes, and will expose a range of species to the risk of extinction.
“This plan also involves mining within a lake bed that floods periodically. The Western Australian Government has set a dangerously low standard for uranium mining.
“Australian uranium was in the four reactors of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan when the disaster began – and tens of thousands of people remain evacuated from their homes and their land 21 months on. It is time we got out of this industry.
“With the world uranium price plummeting by 65 per cent since its peak in 2007, this project makes no economic sense. The WA Government is placing our environment at huge risk for precious little prospective reward.”
The motion: http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/motions/senate-motion-toro-…
Toro’s WA uranium plan under the spotlight and under pressure
Protestors will attend the Toro AGM and launch an alternative annual report at a highly visual presence outside the company’s meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, from 9:15 am (Adelaide time).
The company is out of step with the fundamentals of the uranium sector, post-Fukushima. Toro wants a blank cheque but is heading for an abrupt reality check.
28 Nov 12, Junior uranium hopeful Toro Energy will be the focus of protest outside and questioning inside at the company’s annual meeting in Adelaide today. Toro hopes to develop Western Australia’s first uranium mine near Wiluna in the Murchison region. The project is currently undergoing federal assessment, requires a range of further state approvals and is actively contested.
“The Toro project is far from a done deal,” said Conservation Council WA nuclear free campaigner Mia Pepper. “There are serious flaws in the state assessment process and the studies Toro provided to the State Government. The project is a long way from being approved and the company faces serious financing constraints.
“Under new mine closure guidelines Toro has to find 100% of the mine closure costs in order to get approval to mine. So Toro needs $150 million to close a mine even before it has raised the $300 million to open it. The combination of a uranium price in free-fall and rising mine costs make this project increasingly unviable.”
Toro Energy’s uranium mining push comes as proven miners, including BHP Billiton and Cameco, defer or get out of planned uranium projects in WA. Continue reading
Australia’s opportunity to rapidly take up Renewable Energy – Climate Commission
Climate Commission Urges Rapid Uptake Of Renewables http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3487 by Energy Matters, 26 nov 12, The Climate Commission’s ‘The Critical Decade: Generating A Renewable Australia’ was released Monday, summarising the state of renewable energy in Australia and its potential. Continue reading
BHP Billiton ‘Dirty Deeds’ done dirt cheap
In August BHP Billiton canned the Olympic Dam expansion, but since then they have been busy negotiating with the South Australian Government about having the indenture agreement extended on the mine http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/bhp-gets-extension-to-indenture-agreement-with-south-australian-government-for-billion-dollar-olympic-dam-expansion-to-2016/story-e6frg6n6-1226515910321
They are also looking now into expanding Olympic Dam by using a method of mining known, as heap leach mining. It seems they may not even have to produce a seperate Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this type of operation. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/sa-business-journal/no-full-environmental-impact-study-needed-on-bhp-billitons-rejigged-olympic-dam-expansion-plan-says-sa-premier-jay-weatherill/story-e6fredel-1226516736376
Once again BHP Billiton say jump and the Government says how high.
BHP Billiton are the largest mining company in the world, worth over $160 billion according to its own annual report. It has operations in every continent except the Antarctica. Within its portfolio of resource extraction it produced over 222 million barrels of oil in the 2011/12 financial year. Some of that is from dangerous deep sea drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the sort of operation that led to the massive BP oil spill in May 2010. It also produces coal over 100 million tonnes of it in the past year . and 3,885 tonnes of uranium. Its products make a massive contribution to destructive climate change and to the profound WMD proliferation and safety risks associated with the nuclear fuel cycle.
FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/240677119387432/?fref=ts
Call to rally against BHP’s unethical mining operations across the globe
BHP Billiton ‘Dirty Deeds’ done dirt cheap BHP are holding their Annual General Meeting of shareholders at
10:30am on the 29th of November in Sydney.. Come stand in solidarity with uncle Kevin Buzzacott keeper of Lake
Eyre & Arabunna Elder, Peter Watts Arabunna man, Edwin Mejia Columbian unionist against operations at BHP Billitons 33% owned Cerrejon mine and all the campaigners and activists stronlgy opposed to BHP operations accross the globe. The time to act is now.
Australia world leader in solar panel installation
AUSTRALIA LEADING WORLD IN SOLAR INSTALLS: 7 news, FLANNERY ABC November 26, 2012, “….. As of July this year, almost 754,000 households and businesses in Australia had solar panels.
The report says Queensland is leading Australia in solar panel installations and has doubled its use of solar energy in less than two years…. ” http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/article/15480465/australia-leading-world-in-solar-installs-flannery/
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 