Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

High Level Nuclear Waste: Believe Canavan’s Queensland mate or official sources?

Kim Mavromatis  Nuclear Fuel Cycle Watch Australia, 4 Feb 2029 

DEFINITION OF HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE :

Source : US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) :
High-level radioactive wastes are the highly radioactive materials produced as a byproduct of the reactions that occur inside nuclear reactors. High-level wastes take one of two forms:
1) Spent (used) reactor fuel when it is accepted for disposal.
2) Waste materials remaining after spent fuel is reprocessed.

Source : International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) :
High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) is produced from the burning of uranium fuel in nuclear power reactors. It is of two kinds:
1) Spent nuclear fuel.
2) Waste resulting from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.
Due to its high radioactivity and very long half-life, HLW has to be well contained and isolated from the human environment.

RADIOACTIVE WASTE 10,000 X MORE RADIOACTIVE THAN URANIUM ORE
Source: Nuclear Waste Management Org , Canada :

Even after 30 years, spent nuclear fuel from nuclear reactors is still 10,000 times more radioactive than uranium ore. And the waste that is shipped back to Australia from France from the reprocessed spent nuclear fuel, still contains 95% of the radioactivity.

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, reference, wastes | Leave a comment

#ScottyFromMarketing has no climate target, because he is controlled by climate denialists

 

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics | Leave a comment

Pro nuclear stooge Minister Matt Canavan faces conflict-of-interest inquiry

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics | Leave a comment

Strong rally in Kimba, South Australia, against nuclear dump plan

SA community calls on government to scrap planned nuclear waste dump, SBS, 2 Feb 2020  Protesters are venting their anger at a nuclear waste dump proposed on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Protesters are calling on the federal government to scrap a proposed nuclear waste dump on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula at a rally on Sunday.

The farming property Napandee near the town of Kimba was announced as the site of the radioactive facility on Saturday.

But the No Radioactive Waste on Agricultural Land in Kimba or SA committee says the community consultation process was flawed.

“Those opposed to the facility have had no choice but to fight, at every opportunity, for our legitimate concerns to be heard,” president Peter Woolford said…..

Federal Resources Minister Matthew Canavan said a decision on the site would be announced soon. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/sa-community-calls-on-government-to-scrap-planned-nuclear-waste-dump

February 3, 2020 Posted by | Federal nuclear waste dump, South Australia | Leave a comment

A clear path to climate action for Australia

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming | 1 Comment

Australian govt’s dodgy process, with “jobs promises” for getting support for Kimba nuclear waste dump.

Megan Jo I  Fight To Stop A Nuclear Waste Dump In South Australia 3 Feb 2020  I feel empathy for the people that voted yes. I think they truly believe that the promises of jobs, safety and prosperity are going to materialise. Sure, the government has promised 45 jobs….. but the current definition of ‘employed’ is 1 hour per week.
This whole process has been slippery politics from beginning to end. The greatest feat of these slimy pollies was to convince the yes and no voters that the enemy is your neighbour, not a government that holds the healthcare and funding of rural communities for ransom. I prefer the term ‘extortion money’ rather than ‘bribe money’ so we don’t lose sight of who the real bastards are.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/941313402573199/

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Federal nuclear waste dump | 1 Comment

Australia’s extreme bushfires – forests might not recover

Wildfires have spread dramatically—and some forests may not recover. An explosion in the frequency and extent of wildfires worldwide is hindering recovery even in ecosystems that rely on natural blazes to survive. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/01/extreme-wildfires-reshaping-forests-worldwide-recovery-australia-climate/

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, environment, reference | Leave a comment

Federal Government chooses Kimba farm Napandee on the Eyre Peninsula for nuclear dump

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Federal nuclear waste dump | Leave a comment

Bushfire state of emergency in Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Times 2nd Feb 2020, An inferno was raging near the Australian capital, Canberra, yesterday as a  heatwave combined with high winds to prolong the country’s devastating bushfire season. The tiny Australian Capital Territory (ACT), between Sydney and Melbourne, declared a state of emergency as the fire, covering 140 square miles, threatened Canberra’s southern suburbs.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/australia-bushfires-are-being-blown-towards-canberra-zgm6z393l

February 3, 2020 Posted by | ACT, climate change - global warming | Leave a comment

Drinking water threatened by forest fires

As forests burn around the world, drinking water is at risk  https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2020/01/31/features/as-forests-burn-around-the-world-drinking-water-is-at-risk/

By TAMMY WEBBER Associated Press | Friday, January 31, 2020 Fabric curtains stretch across the huge Warragamba Dam to trap ash and sediment expected to wash off wildfire-scorched slopes and into the reservoir that holds 80% of untreated drinking water for the Greater Sydney area.

In Australia’s national capital of Canberra, where a state of emergency was declared on Friday because of an out-of-control forest fire to its south, authorities are hoping a new water treatment plant and other measures will prevent a repeat of water quality problems and disruption that followed deadly wildfires 17 years ago.

February 3, 2020 Posted by | ACT, climate change - global warming, water | Leave a comment

Scott Morrison, in the grip of fossil fuel lobby, is wrong about more gas for Australia

 The latest gas forecasts – not yet updated for the ISP – show no increase in industrial, commercial and residential demand. Further, many energy experts are banking on reduced gas demand as users switch from gas heating to heat pumps and induction cooking. Increasingly Australians are building houses without gas connections.
A quick look at the data shows that if we need to get the gas out from under our feet, it’s not for us, but for gas exporters — many of whom are generous political donors and stingy taxpayers.

So, Scott Morrison, let’s come clean and let the public know that there’s no domestic case for increasing gas extraction. Given that gas extraction threatens landscapes and has a major problem with emissions, it’s better we leave it in the ground

Scott Morrison is stuck in a time warp – more gas is not the answer, Guardian, Simon Holmes à Court  2 Feb 2020, Let’s come clean and let the public know that there’s no domestic case for increasing gas extraction. It’s better we leave it in the ground

   The prime minister, Scott Morrison, surrounded by advisers out of the fossil fuel industry, is stuck in a time warp.

His claim that “there is no credible energy transition plan, for an economy like Australia in particular, that does not involve the greater use of gas as an important transition fuel” is demonstrably wrong. There are many. Continue reading

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy, politics | Leave a comment

225 $billion for Australia’s submarine plan – a fleet of B-21 bombers would be better

February 3, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Australia’s options for climate change action

What is ‘real’ action on climate change? SMH , What form would greater climate change action take – and what would it cost?   By Staff reporters
JANUARY 16, 2020  Polls suggest that Australians want to take action on climate change, and business leaders have joined the call for emissions cuts. ….. Pressure is growing on the federal government to take more decisive action.But what form would greater climate change action take – and what would it cost?

What does climate action actually mean?

Climate change action takes two forms: mitigation, which means reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a rate fast enough to prevent massive damage to our environment in the future; and adaptation, which means bracing and preparing for the changes that are happening and which will intensify.

Adapting to climate change is essential and there are many ways to do so, such as beefing up emergency services and strengthening farms and infrastructure against fires, storms and rising sea levels.

But the source of the problem is the rising emissions that are trapping heat in the atmosphere and oceans. In Australia, emissions come from electricity, industry, transport and agriculture as well as other sectors.

If we are serious about tackling climate change, we must reduce emissions faster than we are doing now. That’s the view of the world’s leading scientific bodies as well as the key expert bodies in Australia, including the CSIRO and the Australian Academy of Science. Their advice is clear: Australia needs to be close to carbon neutral by the middle of the century.

It would be nice to be able to flick a switch and change to zero emissions next week. In practice, decarbonising the nation will be a long, complex process.

The Garnaut Review, led by senior economist Ross Garnaut almost a decade ago, is still the most comprehensive assessment of Australia’s options for climate change action. It drew on leading Australian research on bushfire impacts to forecast an increase in bushfire danger by 2020. On our current trajectory, we are on track to see catastrophic fire days increase by 300 per cent by the second half of this century. 

The review outlines various types of policy that can help cut emissions, both “carrots” and “sticks”. There are public subsidies, such as government funding for wind and solar farms; or special tariffs to pay householders with solar panels. Then there are systems for making polluters pay, such as a carbon price implemented through a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme. There are also policies that rely on regulating an industry, such as the now-abandoned National Energy Guarantee policy, under which companies would be required by law to use a mix of different technologies.

Several types of policy can operate at the same time. Australia had a carbon price from 2012 to 2014 before it was repealed after a change of government. Currently, it has some direct subsidies for emissions reduction projects but no mechanism for cutting greenhouse gases at the speed required.

The Garnaut Review found – and other studies, including by the OECD and by the Australian National University, have since agreed – that a carbon price coupled with an emissions trading scheme and a cap on greenhouse gas emissions would be the most effective and efficient way of cutting emissions.

The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has ruled out a “carbon tax” or other action that would raise electricity prices or affect polluting industries. In the wake of the fires, Mr Morrison has flagged “resilience” and “adaptation” as the areas he wants to focus on……..

Australia currently has no mechanism for controlling its greenhouse gas emissions and may not meet its Paris commitments……. https://www.smh.com.au/national/what-is-real-action-on-climate-change-20200115-p53rok.html

February 1, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming | Leave a comment

Matt Canavan. Minister for Nuclear Promotion, announces nuclear waste dump for Kimba, South Australia

This farce must be stopped.  One white farmer offers his land for substantial gain. Aboriginal traditional group were denied a voice in this decision. Bribes given to the local white community looked attractive, but would nowhere near compensate for the loss of the area’s clean green image for agriculture.
Indeed, this dump would be a blight on South Australia’s present fine reputation for agriculture, environment, and tourism.  The “medical” argument is a lie. The real purpose is to dump some foul nuclear toxins from Woomera, and the really high-level spent nuclear fuel rods from the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor – 1700 km away, in Sydney.
What about the transport dangers to communities along the way?    South Australians did not get a say. The rest of Australia did not get a say. Only a tiny community, bribed and indoctrinated by ANSTO, got to vote.

February 1, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Federal nuclear waste dump | Leave a comment

Nuclear waste dump on farming land? NOT A DONE DEAL!

Barb Walker Fight To Stop A Nuclear Waste Dump In South Australia, 1 Feb 2020

THIS IS NOT A DONE DEAL!!! A site has been selected but the process is FAR FROM OVER!!!

The whole state of South Australia needs to get behind our KIMBA FARMERS and say, SOUTH AUSTRALIA IS TOO GOOD TO WASTE!!!

KIMBA IS PART OF A HUGE GRAIN GROWING FOOD BOWL – NOT A PLACE FOR A NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP!!!

Please come and join the bus-loads of people coming from all over the Eyre Peninsula and SA regions tomorrow: KIMBA RALLY tomorrow Sunday 2nd Feb, at 11am.

SAY NO TO A NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP IN KIMBA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Please contact South Australia’s Premier, Steven Marshall, and remind him that under our South Australian state legislation we have a PROHIBITION ACT AGAINST THE STORAGE OF NUCLEAR WASTE !!!

https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/…/NUCLEAR%20WASTE…
LEGISLATION.SA.GOV.AU
South Australian Legislation   https://www.facebook.com/groups/941313402573199

February 1, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Federal nuclear waste dump | Leave a comment