Hillary Clinton talks sweet nothings to a tame Australian youth audience
The venue was secret. The audience members were carefully selected. The questions to Hillary Clinton were pre-planned.
Hardly a surprise then that nothing of critical relevance to Australia was discussed. And certainly not a heckler in sight, – heaven forfend! – in this reverential audience.
Sad, isn’t it? As Australia already hosts the world’s biggest secret USA spy base (Pine Gap), we’re about to get another one. You’d think that would be a topic, wouldn’t you? (Well, it will be, today, in top level secret talks with Robert Gates, Clinton, Rudd, Gillard. That, and a lot more.)
But, bear in mind – USA is looking like going broke – so, they gotta sell a lot of military stuff to Australia, India, Asian countries – anyone, really.
It’s not about war, and the danger of naughty China. No, it is about America’s need to be the world’s military police, but mainly, it’s just the money, stupid!
By the way, one little U.S. worry that might be discussed – possible export of U.S nuclear wastes to Australia. Even trickier, now that Europe has decided than nuclear waste is too dangerous to export.
Hillary Clinton’s and Julia Gillard’s unconvincing spin about Solar Energy
But are Clinton and Gillard serious? I doubt it. The giveaway, as always, is the funding. Australia is investing $50 million in the project……. enough to transform the world’s energy supply and prevent climate change? I doubt it….Such a project needs billions, not millions.
More solar spin – Daily Telegraph Mark Mann , November 07, 2010 According to US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, speaking in Melbourne yesterday: “We [the US and Australia] have a common goal of making solar energy competitive with conventional sources by the middle of this decade, 2015,” Continue reading
BUSTING THE NUCLEAR SPIN – theme for November
The nuclear industry is, in reality, in quite a mess. As French, American, South Korean companies scramble to sell nuclear power to the “Third World” – the industry stalls at home. The nuclear emperor’s new clothes are starting to be revealed to the world.
So – loads of money pour into this desperate sales pitch – while it becomes ever clearer that the nuclear industry is expensive, dangerous, and produces long-lasting toxic wastes – for which there is no storage solution.
Meanwhile – technologies for energy efficiency, and renewable energy get cheaper and more practical. And – renewable energy can be operated both as large scale projects on the grid – or as small-scale decentralised forms – very suitable for developing countries.
New South Wales govt promotes coal, cuts back on renewables
“The more [greenhouse gases] you emit, the more subsidies you get.”……..
Canary in the NSW coal mine Business Spectator Giles ParkinsonPublished , 2 Nov 2010 Even as the NSW government is cracking down on subsidies for renewable energy generation such as rooftop solar, it is ramping up the level of subsidies provided to its coal-fired power stations Continue reading
Corporate front groups continuing campaign of climate change denial
Books such as Merchants of Doubt by science historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway have detailed how front groups for the fossil-fuel industry have been waging an orchestrated, well-funded campaign against climate science and climate scientists for more than two decades.
Professional climate change deniers’ crusade continues – 02 November 2010 – New Scientist, In the media and the courts, the battle to undermine climate science and its researchers hasn’t let up, warns climatologist Michael Mann Continue reading
Stacked nuclear discussion panel for Melbourne
In November Melbourne University is to grace the public with another stacked nuclear power panel. ( It’s been a while since Ziggy Switkowski was heckled at the last one)
Despite the fact that nuclear power involves issue such as the environment, health, atomic weapons, even economics, the panel will be dominated by pro nuclear interests, with just one (?token) speaker possibly having some knowledge of environment.
Speakers will be: Ziggy Spinowski – paid nuclear spruiker from ANSTO, Dr Selena Ng, from AREVA, Prof John Daley – background in stockbroking, with ANZ – from Grattan Institute which is largely funded by BHP Billiton, Prof Mike Sandford, geologist, from Pro nuclear Melbourne Energy Institute
None of your “soft” scientists there!
Except possibly Prof Lee Godden – ? token woman – lecturer in human rights, indigenous issues, environment
Australian Liberal MP wants “An Inconvenient Truth’ not shown in schools
The 2006 documentary, about former US vice-president Al Gore’s campaign to educate citizens about global warming, was a box-office success and won two Academy Awards.But Liberal MP Dennis Jensen, a well-known climate sceptic, is unhappy about its possible inclusion in the curriculum.”It’s a very popular work of fiction,” – Dr Jensen
MPs at odds over An Inconvenient Truth in school curriculum THE AUSTRALIAN, AAP * October 27, 2010 11:50AM FEDERAL MPs are divided over the proposal that a controversial climate change documentary be included in the national school curriculum.The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority reportedly has said An Inconvenient Truth had a place in modern history studies and English. Continue reading
New jobs in renewable energy for 10,000 Indian villages
10,000 villages to get power from renewable energy sources, The Hindu :Sujay Mehdudia, 27 oct 10, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday announced that 10,000 remote villages across the country would be electrified with renewable sources by March 2012 under an innovative initiative that will also generate employment.
“We will provide electricity to 10,000 villages at a cost of Rs. 500 crore by the end of the current plan period,” Dr. Abdullah said, while addressing a press conference to mark the start of the Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference (DIREC) here……… The Hindu : News / National : 10,000 villages to get power from renewable energy sources
Carbon offset scheme can be an economic winner for Australia’s Aborigines
Centrefarm has urged the Government to make new laws to enshrine Aboriginal ownership of the carbon stored on their land.
Carbon offset scheme aims to use Indigenous land – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Alex Johnson and Paul Serratore Oct 26, 2010 A not-for-profit group in Central Australia is establishing a scheme to encourage Australians to offset their carbon emissions on Indigenous land. Continue reading
Newcastle project for new solar energy technology
The main advantage of the technology is that, unlike current solar thermal plants, it can be used in areas with no water, which are often the sunniest places on the planet.
Magic of mirrors, Newcastle Herald, BY MATTHEW KELLY27 Oct, 2010 It is used to power jet engines, now the same principle of converting compressed air into energy will produce enough electricity for up to 200 houses.CSIRO’s energy centre at Mayfield West has become home to the southern hemisphere’s biggest Brayton cycle project, which uses only the sun and air to produce electricity. Continue reading
Renewable energy favoured by American voters
Americans in general are waking up to the possibilities of renewable energy sources and are ready to support positive change in energy legislation in the upcoming elections. ..
US Voters Warm Up to Renewable Energy Ecoinstitution, October 26, 2010 by z1nemo “….It looks like elections this year will hold good news for renewable energy. In a recent poll of voters conducted by Public Policy Polling for the NRDC Action Fund it was found that the majority of voters were in support of an energy bill with strong ties to renewable sources. Continue reading
Decentralised solar air conditioning system
Solar air conditioning for your home | All Cooling
Systems , October 20th, 2010 by coily Use the sun to cool your home or office will provide great cooling, savings and is environmentally friendly, this systems does not use the grid…….. Continue reading
Renewable energy to provide more jobs for coal-mining area
Because Wollongong is located in the middle of the Southern Coalfields, discussion focussed on the impact of the plan on jobs….Modelling in the plan shows that at least 80,000 jobs would be created in installation during peak construction, 30,000 in manufacturing, and 45,000 in operations and maintenance. This compares to the current 20,000 jobs in coal and gas energy production that would be lost over the same period, as a result of the transition.
Wollongong launch of 100% renewables plan, Green Left Weekly, October 24, 2010By Jess Moore, Wollongong More than 150 people packed into a Wollongong university lecture theatre on October 21 for the Wollongong launch of the Zero Carbon Australia 2020 Stationary Energy Plan (ZCA2020). Continue reading
Renewable Energy Powered Desalination Plants
U.S. based Engineering For The Earth‘s Aeolus system require minimal wind speeds and can produce drinking water for communities of up to 500 people per unit. The only additional energy input required is for telemetry, which can be supplied via small solar panels.
Wind Powered Desalination With A Twist Renewable Energy News, 22 Oct 10, With potable water becoming an increasingly scarce resource in some countries, governments are turning to solutions such as desalination. An energy-intensive process, desalination has been made “greener” through the use of renewable energy. Continue reading
Wind farm for Ararat, in Victoria
The 247.5 megawatt wind farm would include up to 75 turbines and produce enough energy to power more than 135,000 homes.
Vic wind farm gets green lightm Sydney Morning Herald, October 22, 2010 A wind farm with up to 75 turbines will be built in western Victoria after receiving planning approval.Planning Minister Justin Madden approved the $326 million development at Ararat Continue reading
1 This month
7 April – WEBINAR – Australia and the Doomsday Clock – Preventing nuclear war through NoFirstUse and other policies
Online | Tuesday April 7, 4:00-5:30pm, Australian Eastern Time / 8:00-9:30am Central Europe Time
– Access the registration link
15 April – Zoom –Nuclear Power is Not the Solution
Apr 15, 2026 01:00 AM in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) on Tuesday, April 14th for a timely webinar exploring the risks associated with nuclear power and challenging the myth that it offers a simple, safe, carbon-free solution to the climate crisis
21 April Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-04-21 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-04-21 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
Event Type: Virtual
A virtual link will be communicated before the event.
Host Contact Info: australia@icanw.org
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 