“Nobel prize but PM has no time for peaceniks”, Dimity Hawkins and Tilman Ruff. The Australian, October 9, 2017, Sean Parnell Melbourne doctor Tilman Ruff might have helped initiate a global movement awarded the Nobel Peace Prize but that doesn’t mean he will be congratulated by the Australian Prime Minister.
Indeed, last night, about 48 hours after the announcement, Professor Ruff had still not received a call from Malcolm Turnbull nor anyone acting on his behalf.
“I’m a little disappointed that this is the first time that an organisation founded in Australia has been recognised with the highest global award in the world for peace and I would have hoped that would warrant some acknowledgments or congratulations,” Professor Ruff said.
“I haven’t had the phone calls, but I guess that’s the nature of the beast.”
The beast, on this occasion, is the nuclear bomb. Professor Ruff was one of the founders of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, awarded the Nobel prize as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump all but threaten nuclear war. Continue reading →
October 11, 2017
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Tony Abbott’s climate frolic is strange and sad – and all about 
politics https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/10/tony-abbotts-climate-frolic-is-strange-and-sad-and-all-about-politics Katharine Murphy
The pitch behind the London speech was that a climate ruckus aids the Coalition. He should have been laughed out of the room It would be tempting to laugh at Tony Abbott’s feelings about how carbon dioxide is secretly good for humanity, and his insights into the goat sacrificing habits of primitives subduing volcano gods – except it isn’t that funny.
The London outing is more strange and sad, and the strangeness and the sadness manifests itself on multiple fronts.
Let’s start with strange.
The bloke who hobnobbed with the climate sceptics at Global Warming Policy Foundation is the same bloke who took a decision as prime minister to sign Australia up to the Paris international climate agreement.
He’s also the same bloke who produced a set of initiatives in government which was badged as a policy to incentivise emissions reductions.
That policy still exists and it’s called Direct Action.
He’s also the same bloke who kept Australia’s renewable energy target, while abolishing the mechanism designed to give the market certainty to make future investments in baseload power generation.
Abbott has a whole lot of feelings, and some loyal media megaphones to help him spread his singular insights, but these are basic facts he can’t escape.
Abbott’s record in government points to him being a “warmist” (as Andrew Bolt is fond of characterising the modest band of weirdos who don’t think they know better than the world’s most eminent climate scientists).
London’s hardcore climate sceptics, frankly, should have laughed him out of the room.
Now let’s get to sad. Abbott’s climate frolic isn’t about a substantive issue. It’s about politics, because Australians haven’t had quite enough of politics, right?
Abbott wants to cause a ruckus. He wants to make enough ruckus to constrain Malcolm Turnbull from producing a sensible energy policy.
The lightbulb moment he’s trying to manufacture for colleagues is simple: the Abbott rationale is we can win the next election like I won the election in 2013 – by belting Labor on climate and energy policy.
The country, the national interest, actually needs the major parties to come to terms and settle the climate wars which have generated the current problems we are all experiencing in the energy market, and settle them in sensible fashion.
But politicians behind in the polls like to win elections.
Put simply, Abbott’s pitch is an appeal to baser instincts – a pitch that prolonged polarisation serves the Coalition’s immediate interests.
The former prime minister has also positioned himself in the public domain as a critical player in Turnbull’s ultimate settlement of energy policy, when the truth is all the heavy lifting on the new policy is happening completely outside Abbott’s orbit.
The actual decision makers in the government are heads down bums up on the new investment framework, swerving around the many obstacles, trying to land something vaguely credible, which doesn’t blow up the Coalition.
That’s the objective. Whether the government can produce something credible, given one of the core objectives has to be not blowing up the Coalition, is at this point seriously moot.
Meanwhile, Abbott’s persistent wrecking tactics allow Labor to claim with a veneer of truth and credibility that the former prime minister is driving the government’s energy policy rather than Turnbull – elevating his status from fringe agitprop activist to centre-stage.
In politics that sort of caper is called frontrunning, but I struggle for a word to adequately characterise that behaviour.
Perhaps we can just keep it nice, and say cynical?
October 11, 2017
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Australia blocks North Korean youth football team over nuclear program, http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/10/10/australia-blocks-north-korean-youth-football-team-over-nuclear-program A youth football qualifying fixture is likely to be moved offshore after the government moved to stop the North Korean team from entering Australia. The federal government has prevented a North Korean youth football team from coming to Australia to play in a tournament, saying allowing them would be contrary to its opposition to the rogue nation’s nuclear program.
The North Korean U19 team was due to play in the Asian Football Confederation championship qualifiers in November, amongst a group consisting of Australia, Hong Kong, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The North Korean team was due to play Australia on November 8 in Shepparton, Victoria. A Victorian Government spokesman said the fixture will now be moved to a “neutral venue”.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed she stopped the group from arriving.
“The government has decided to not allow the North Korean U19 soccer team to enter Australia for the Asian Football Confederation U19 Championship Qualifiers,” Ms Bishop told SBS World News in a statement.
“Hosting the team would be contrary to the Government’s strong opposition to North Korea’s illegal nuclear and missile development programs.
“It would also be inconsistent with our efforts to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Pyongyang to comply with UN Security Council resolutions.”
Football Federation Australia said it was disappointed that the qualifying fixtures would now be played elsewhere.
“Football Federation Australia is disappointed that qualifying fixtures for the Asian Football Confederation U-19 Championship … are now likely to be relocated outside Australia due to the Federal Government’s decision not to grant visas to the team from DPR Korea,” a spokesman told SBS World News.
“FFA respects the Australian Government’s responsibility to make decisions on visa applications.”
It’s understood the potential financial losses from the hosting rights would be minimal but the decision would cost the Australian youth team competitive advantage.
Earlier this year, Malaysia’s qualifying match against North Korea for the 2019 Asian Cup was postponed after the two countries were involved in a tiff over the assassination of the estranged half-brother of Pyongyang ruler Kim Jong-un.
October 11, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics, politics international |
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Chief Scientist Alan Finkel makes last ditch plea for clean energy target, SMH, James Massola, Cole Latimer, 9 Oct 17 Australia’s Chief Scientist Alan Finkel has made a last-ditch plea to save the proposed clean energy target, even as the Turnbull government signalled it will reject the proposal by the end of the year.
South Australian premier Jay Weatherill responded on Monday to the apparent standstill, saying the states should “bypass the federal government and provide investment certainty for the electricity sector” by adopting their own target.
The Turnbull government asked Dr Finkel to review Australia’s electricity market to set a policy path that would ensure reliability in the electricity system while also providing clear policy settings to drive investment in generation – something the business community has been demanding.
But in the face of strong opposition from sections of the Coalition backbench to the clean energy target, the Turnbull government delayed any decision on the target while adopting the other 49 recommendations in the Finkel review.
Now, it appears all but certain the target is dead in the water. The expectation is that by the end of the year, an alternative policy proposal that will focus on energy affordability and reliability – and removes incentives for renewable energy – will be brought by Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg to the cabinet and party room for approval.
That proposal could be put forward as soon as next week, when Parliament returns, though government insiders said that was unlikely at this stage.
Speaking at the Australian Financial Review‘s energy summit on Monday, Dr Finkel said his proposal offered a mechanism to solve the energy crisis and was still needed, while arguing that going back to coal was not the answer as Australia was making the transition away from fossil fuel energy………
The Australian Conservation Foundation’s chief executive, Kelly O’Shanassy, said: “Australia’s climate policy is now looking more and more like Donald Trump’s.” http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/chief-scientist-alan-finkel-makes-last-ditch-plea-for-clean-energy-target-20171008-gyww1o.html
October 11, 2017
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AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics |
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Abbott went for the whole canon of tired climate science denial talking points – carbon dioxide is just food for plants, the climate has always changed, it’s the sun –
Abbott’s speech was also chock-full of internal contradictions. He suggested a conspiracy to tamper with temperature readings, but admitted the globe was warming. He described carbon dioxide as a “trace gas” and dismissed its role in warming, but elsewhere thought warming (which might not be happening) would be good. And the “trace gas” is insignificant, but not when it comes to its ability to “green the planet” and help plants grow.
Tony Abbott dares us to reject evidence on climate, but reveals a coward https://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2017/oct/11/tony-abbott-dares-us-to-reject-evidence-on-climate-but-reveals-a-coward Graham Readfearn
The former Australian prime minister’s misleading speech to a London thinktank was full of climate denial mythology @readfearn
Go on, I dare you.
Throughout his speech, the former Australian prime minister urged listeners to think that dismissing decades of research backed by the world’s leading scientific institutions required bravery and fortitude, rather than other less celebrated human attributes.
But what would constitute bravery for a conservative politician like Abbott? Changing your mind when the evidence tells you you’re dead wrong, or saying what you’ve always said, using the logical fallacies that you’ve always used? One step is brave, the other is cowardly.
Abbott was giving the Global Warming Policy Foundation’s annual lecture – an “honour” previously bestowed on his spiritual and political mentors John Howard and Cardinal George Pell.
October 11, 2017
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AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics |
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RenewEconomy
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SolarEdge presenting large-capacity commercial inverters at Australia’s All Energy
SolarEdge is presenting its new large-capacity commercial inverters at All Energy.
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600MW pumped hydro project proposed for northern NSW
A 600MW pumped hydro facility with six hours storage – a $1 billion project – proposed to tap into renewable energy hub in northern NSW.
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Netherlands to close all coal-fired generation by 2030
Netherlands decision to close coal plants include those only completed in 2015 – the phase-out combines with rise of renewables and the impact of improved efficiency that put old models at risk.
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Adani signs PPA for Rugby Run solar plant, but won’t say with who
Adani Australia says it has a contract with Rugby Run solar farm in Queensland, but does not reveal who.
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Liddell extension could be more expensive than solar plus storage
RepuTex says extending life of ageing Liddell coal generator would result in higher costs than new large scale solar project with battery storage.
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Get smart: AEMO unveils 200MW “virtual power plant”
AEMO and ARENA unveil a 200MW “virtual power plant” from demand response initiatives featuring incentives for commercial and household users, battery storage, and a range of Australian monitoring, smart meters and voltage control devices,
October 11, 2017
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Nobel Peace Prize winners ICAN urge Australia to sign nuclear weapons treaty, SBS News 7 Oct 17 An Australian-born group that was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize says Australia needs to join global efforts to abolish nuclear weapons.A Victorian-born international group that was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize says it’s a shame the Australian government has not signed the treaty banning nuclear weapons that led to its award……
The organisation worked on negotiations for the Treaty on the United Nations Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted by 122 countries in July.
However, the treaty was shunned by nuclear powers the US, Britain, Russia and China. Australia also did not sign the treaty.
“It is a matter of deep regret that the Australian government has thus far refused to join the treaty, and boycotted the conference to negotiate it,” the group said in a statement on Saturday.
ICAN says Australia led a small group of nations who tried to derail efforts in 2016 to secure a UN mandate to launch treaty negotiations.
“Our government’s belief that nuclear weapons, for a select few, are a legitimate and essential source of security is not only misguided, but also dangerous, for it incites proliferation and undermines disarmament,” the group said.
ICAN hopes the federal government will change its stance on nuclear weapons given Australia’s commitment to other treaties prohibiting chemical and biological weapons, anti-personnel landmines and cluster munition.
“For the sake of our collective security, the government must now embrace the global ban on nuclear weapons. “Greater public pressure is needed, along with enlightened leadership.” ICAN founder Tilman Ruff AM says being awarded the Nobel Prize was “quite humbling” and “unbelievably joyful” http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/10/07/nobel-peace-prize-winners-ican-urge-australia-sign-nuclear-weapons-treaty
October 9, 2017
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ICAN now has 468 partner organisations in 101 countries. It was pivotal to the UN adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on July 7 this year
A Nobel Peace Prize born in Australia http://www.smh.com.au/comment/a-nobel-peace-prize-born-in-australia-20171007-gyw93r.html, Margaret Beavis Australians can be very proud. The winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), started in Melbourne. It began when the Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW) recognised that nuclear weapons, the very worst of the weapons of mass destruction, were still “legitimate”. This contrasted with chemical weapons, biological weapons, cluster munitions, land mines – even dumdum bullets, which all have been made illegal by UN treaty, with impressive results. Continue reading →
October 9, 2017
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AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, weapons and war |
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Richard di Natale targets Adani at Greens’ Queensland campaign launch https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/07/greens-leader-targets-adani-queensland-campaign-launch
Leader attacks connection between lobbyists and politicians, saying democratic rules are ‘rigged’ in the state, Guardian, Gareth Hutchens and Katharine Murphy, 7 Oct 17 The Greens say they will offer Queensland voters a chance to clean up politics at the looming state election, and send a clear message that they don’t want the controversial Adani mine to proceed.
The federal Greens leader, Richard di Natale, will launch their campaign on Saturday with a speech declaring the state has a democratic deficit because of lobbying and political connections, with “a revolving door between politicians, their staff and the companies that profit from government decisions”.
Di Natale will declare that “the rules in Queensland are rigged”.
The Greens leader will criticise the practice of political staff from the major parties going on to work as corporate lobbyists, and point out that Adani’s lobbyists in Queensland, Next Level Strategic Services, also “act for property developers, gambling firms and Broadspectrum – the company running Manus and Nauru detention centres”.
Federal leaders from all parties have been highly attentive to Queensland in recent months, preparing the ground for when the Labor premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, fires the starting gun.
One Nation is likely to be the kingmaker, with neither Labor nor the LNP guaranteed to win the 47 seats required for power in the unicameral parliament.
The Greens will also be in fierce competition with Labor for inner Brisbane seats. The Adani project provides a major point of difference between the two parties, and one the Greens will run hard on, as they have done in Melbourne.
Di Natale on Saturday will zero in on Labor’s assistance for the project. “Despite Queensland Labor’s election promise not to give any public money to Adani, they ultimately were able to secure a loan from the Queensland government so Adani don’t have to pay coal royalties that would go towards vital public infrastructure, schools and hospitals.”
The Greens leader will say the company was assisted in securing support from the state government by lobbyists, who were in frequent contact with the state government in the lead up to the royalties decision.
“We still don’t know what is in this contract, because the Palaszczuk government refuses to release it,” the text of Di Natale’s speech says.
“But what we do know through Queensland’s lobbyist contact register is that Next Level lobbyists were in contact with the premier’s office and her chief of staff every single day in the lead-up to the royalties announcement.”
The Queensland lobbyists contact register shows Next Level had daily contact with senior members of the Queensland government from 25 May to 30 May, when the final decision was made.
“We also know that up until that point the premier had had only 10 appointments with lobbyists – six of them were with Adani’s handlers.”
October 9, 2017
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Adani: Thousands turn out across Australia to protest against Carmichael coal mine, ABC News 8 Oct 17 A national day of action to oppose the proposed Carmichael coal mine has seen thousands of protesters turn out in locations across Australia.
Rallies in locations including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Port Douglas in North Queensland heard messages against Indian company Adani’s proposed mine in the Galilee Basin.
Adani has promised thousands of local jobs but opponents say the project will fuel global warming and destroy the Great Barrier Reef.
The ABC’s Four Corners program on Monday revealed alleged cases of bribery, corruption and environmentally destructive behaviour by the Adani Group in India.
Adani is seeking a $900-million loan from taxpayers so it can build the railway line from the proposed mine site in the Galilee Basin to the Abbot Point coal port.
“If this mine does go ahead it drives us into a dirty future and Australia is a country that’s smarter than that,” said Simon Fosterling, a Bondi surf life saver at the Sydney protest, which attracted about 2,000 people.
Protesters spelled out ‘#STOP ADANI’ by standing in formation on the sand………
Sydney Stop Adani campaigner Isaac Astill called the construction of the mine an international issue.
“It’s going to be the biggest coal mine in the southern hemisphere at a time when our climate is crumbling,” Mr Astill said.
It’s an international issue and that’s why we’re seeing people around the world and in Australia coming out in their thousands to say no to Adani.”
About 2,000 people rallied in Melbourne’s Princes Park carrying placards reading ‘Coal=CO2!!!’ and ‘Protect Our Future’.
Australian Conservation Foundation CEO Kelly O’Shanassy said she hoped the “big day of action” would send a strong message that taxpayers did not want their money subsidising the project…..
At Miami on the Gold Coast around 200 people turned out to oppose the mine.
“We know how important this is and we know there’s a growing movement and more and more people are realising how desperately we need this to stop,” said Shane Primrose of the Stop Adani Gold Coast group…….
The protests were organised by the Stop Adani Alliance, which is made up of 31 organisations.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-07/thousands-protest-adani-mine-across-australia/9026336
October 9, 2017
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AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming |
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Australians don’t like Adani: Poll shows majority oppose coal mine, https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/international/australians-dont-like-adani-poll-shows-majority-oppose-coal-mine, Oct 08th 2017, demonstration at 45 different locations across the island continent on Saturday
Thousands of Australians also participated in protests against Adani at 45 locations across the country
Most Australians don’t want work on the Adani Group’s coal mine to go ahead, a new poll commissioned by Australia Institute has found.
As per the poll findings released on Saturday and Sunday, even more Australians oppose the proposed government assistance of $1 billion to the Adani Group. The borrowed money would reportedly be used to build a railway line to nearby Abbott Point coal port.
The poll findings were published in Guardian Australia.
The survey, conducted by market research agency ReachTel, interviewed 2,200 people across Australia. While 55.4 per cent opposed the mine, 18.4 per cent of the respondents remained undecided.
Meanwhile, thousands of Australians on Saturday across 45 locations also protested against Adani’s mine, forming human signs reading “Stop Adani.” The protests were reportedly organised by Stop Adani Alliance, a community group comprised of at least 31 environment organisations aimed at keeping the Carmichael Coal Mine from operating. The group has cited destructive environmental impact that the proposed mine could have on the waters of the Great Barrier Reef as a primary reason behind its reservations about the mine.
According to the Australia Institute survey, the opposition to Adani’s mine cut across political persuasions, with the findings showing that majority of Liberal and Labor voters opposed the project. While the Liberals are in power at the national level in a coalition, a Labor government is at the helm in Queensland.
Nearly 65.8 per cent of those polled stated that Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier of Queensland, the state where the mine is proposed to come up, should veto the $1 billion loan being mulled for Adani’s project.
The Adani Group has been saying that the mine would generate thousands of jobs and help the troubled economy of Queensland, a claim endorsed by both the state and national governments. Critics, on the other hand, say that the claims are overrated, and the mine would spell disaster for the environment besides hitting the tourism revenue.
October 9, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming |
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European energy giant Enel to build $400m solar plant in Port Augusta http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/european-energy-giant-enel-to-build-400m-solar-plant-in-port-augusta/news-story/94dfb0cd8 Adam Langenberg, Political reporter, The Advertiser, October 9, 2017 EUROPEAN energy giant Enel has received final approval for a $400 million solar farm on the outskirts of Port Augusta.
Enel and the Dutch Infrastucture Fund plan to have the 275MW facility — which is already under construction — operating on Bungala Aboriginal Corporation land, in early 2019.
The company expects about 200 jobs to be created during the construction period — which will see 860,000 solar panel built across 585 hectares.
Enel Green Power head Antonio Cammisecra said Bungala Solar would be the first step towards the company becoming a “key player” in Australia’s renewable energy industry.“The project marks the first step of our growth strategy in a country which boasts such an abundant resource base and whose renewable capacity is expected to surge in the next years,” Mr Cammisecra said.
October 9, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
solar, South Australia |
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“We’re calling on all countries to sign the new UN treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, which offers a powerful alternative to a world in which threats of mass destruction are allowed to prevail.
“We will work in coming months to persuade more nations to sign this landmark treaty.
“One of our priorities will be to bring the Australian government on board.
What is ICAN and how did it win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-07/who-is-ican/9026326
So how did a campaign from Melbourne make its way to the international stage?
Key points:
- Group honoured for “ground-breaking efforts” to achieve nuclear ban treaty
- ICAN also awarded for drawing “attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences” of nuclear weapons
- 215 individuals and 103 organisations were nominated for the prize
So what is ICAN?
ICAN describes itself as a coalition of non-governmental organisations in 100 countries promoting adherence to and implementation of the United Nations nuclear weapon ban treaty.
That global agreement was adopted by 122 countries — but not by Australia — in New York on July 7 this year.
It has advocated at the United Nations and in parliaments around the world, bringing the stories of those impacted by nuclear testing and survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings to a world stage.
How did it form?
ICAN set up its first office in Melbourne, with disarmament campaigner Felicity Hill as the coordinator.
It officially launched in Vienna, Austria in April 2007 during the Non-Proliferation Treaty preparatory committee meeting.
ICAN campaign director Tim Wright said it was inspired by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which had played a major role in the negotiation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa treaty. Continue reading →
October 9, 2017
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Slow progress on key $12 million Queensland climate change policy, SMH, Tony Moore , 7 Oct 17, Progress appears slow on one of Labor’s key climate change policies to encourage coastal Queensland councils to formally adopt a 0.8-metre higher sea level to combat beach erosion and storm surge problems.
The state government cannot say how many of the 41 coastal councils in Queensland have formally adopted the higher sea level, despite two departments being given four days to answer.
However, funds from the $12 million set aside by the state government has now gone to 21 of the 41 oceanside councils to develop plans.
Gold Coast City Council last week formally adopted the higher sea level when they updated their Gold Coast City Plan last week, as part of Queensland’s Climate Adaption Strategy.
Fairfax Media believes Cairns and Townsville councils have adopted the 0.8-metre higher sea level but it remains unclear if Moreton Bay Regional Council has accepted the higher sea level.
The policy allows coastal communities to better prepare homes and businesses for sea erosion and storm surge damage from increasingly frequent storms and cyclones as temperatures warm by 2100.
Gold Coast City Council last week formally adopted the higher sea level when they updated their Gold Coast City Plan last week, as part of Queensland’s Climate Adaption Strategy.
Maps produced by Geoscience Australia for the Australian government show localised flooding in three scenarios: a 50-centimetre sea level rise, an 80-centimetre rise and a 1.1-metre rise.
The Geoscience maps show a considerable flood impact on the Gold Coast’s northern suburbs and in the canal estates…….
Earlier this year Local Government Association president Mark Jamieson said more than 30 Queensland councils would be gradually affected by rising sea levels.
“More than half of Queensland’s 77 councils will be exposed to coastal hazards in the future,” Cr Jamieson said.
“It’s vital that local governments work together to assess risks and identify practical solutions that will help coastal communities prepare for serious issues such as storm tide flooding, coastal erosion and sea level rise.”
On Sunday evening, a Local Government Department spokeswoman said the department had provided funding to 20 of the 41 Queensland councils to begin planning how to cope with higher sea levels……http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/slow-progress-on-12-million-climate-change-beach-erosion-projects-20171008-p4ywcm.html
October 9, 2017
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Indigenous anti-nuclear activist tells of her personal work with Nobel Prize-winning ICAN http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-07/ican-and-a-personal-battle-against-nuclear-weapons/9026846 By Karen Percy For Karina Lester 2017 has been a mixed bag — the loss of her beloved father, but a big win as part of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
Ms Lester’s anti-nuclear stance is a very personal one.
Her father was Yami Lester, an Aboriginal elder who was blinded by nuclear fallout when he was a child.
Mr Lester died just two weeks after the United Nations agreed to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons thanks to ICAN’s work, which was last night named by the Norwegian Nobel Committee as the Peace Prize winner for 2017.
He was 75 and had spent a lifetime raising awareness of the dangers of nuclear weapons, having been blinded during British weapons testing in Maralinga in South Australia in the 1950s.
“I think he’d be really pleased and very proud to know but also grateful that ICAN was able to provide that platform for us and that his story was so powerful,” Ms Lester said.
On July 7 the United Nations adopted the treaty. Mr Lester died on July 21.
Ms Lester has become as passionate about the anti-nuclear movement as her father. “It’s not a happy story, it’s quite a sad and tragic story, but ICAN has certainly been a wonderful platform for us Anangu and Aboriginal people of Australia to really talk up strongly about what happened to us back in those days,” she said.
When she was younger, she did not know what had caused her father’s blindness.
“It wasn’t until later in life that I realised it was such a sad story … with the doings of the British Government and our Australian Government as well … allowing for tests to happen in South Australia in the 1950s and 60s.
“[And] that they were responsible for taking my father’s sight.
“There were a lot of people affected by this, not only Aboriginal people, there were non-Aboriginal people, ex-servicemen and women who were exposed to this as well.”
As a representative of Indigenous voices within ICAN’s 400-strong organisations around the world, she has told her father’s story to audiences around the Asia-Pacific region, including the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which was struck by an American nuclear bomb in 1945.
A later attack on the Japanese city of Nagasaki prompted an end to World War II.
Ms Lester has also exchanged stories with the people of the Marshall Islands and Tahiti affected by nuclear testing by French authorities from the 1960s until the 1990s.
“Many tests have taken place or nuclear issues have occurred in Indigenous countries around the world, so it’s a global issue for sure,” said Ms Lester, a Western Desert Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara woman.
Her grandparents were part of efforts to prevent the establishment of a nuclear waste facility in SA.
She took her daughters to Hiroshima in November 2015 where Yami Lester’s experience was well understood.
“It’s important for us to continue on sharing that story for the next generation to know the story and [then] the next generation to know the story,” she said.
The historic treaty pushed by ICAN needs 50 nations to sign on before it will be activated.
Australia has yet to join the treaty.
October 9, 2017
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AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, personal stories |
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Antinuclear 