Camp Concern: protestors recall and reactivate anti nuclear campaign in Kakadu
“The mining company that has benefited and profited from the use of this area and the mining lease now needs to move towards a comprehensive clean-up.
“We’re still not completely aware of contamination problems that need to be rehabilitated.
“What’s promising is the protest from Aboriginal communities against the mining is as strong as ever. There’s a lesson [from Camp Concern] in partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous activists sharing information together.”
Camp Concern: Activists reunite for anti-uranium mining protest 40 years later inside Kakadu 105.7 ABC Darwin By Emilia Terzon and Lisa Pellegrino , 27 Oct 15 As uranium mining near Kakadu faces an uncertain future, activists calling themselves Camp Concern have reunited inside the Northern Territory park to mark 40 years on from the launch of an anti-mining protest. Continue reading
100% renewable energy electricity company launched in South Australia
South Australian company to launch country’s first 100 per cent renewable energy utility provider, ABC News By Alex Mann, 26 Oct 15 A South Australian company will launch the country’s first 100 per cent renewable energy utility company, with the author of the 2008 Climate Change Review signalling his support.
Professor Ross Garnaut has been appointed chairman of Zen Energy and said the company’s launch would be a game changer.
“I’ve been disappointed that the established energy companies have not taken the opportunity that’s there,” he said.
The company will use a combination of solar power generation, battery storage, and localised energy grids to create self-sustained communities that will buy back the power they generate.
For years, Zen Energy has been putting battery units in people’s homes.
Now its chief executive Richard Turner plans to take entire communities off the grid — from social housing stock, to apartment buildings and regional communities.
He said he will generate the power, then sell it back to users at a fraction of the current costs.
“We’re looking at a spot in the market very soon where we’re going to be almost half the cost of the grid,” he said.
It could be the end of the power grid as we know it
It is just the latest disruption in an energy revolution sweeping across Australia which could spell the end of the power grid as we know it……….http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-26/sa-company-launch-renewable-energy-utility-company/6886578
Queensland’s huge wind solar plant goes ahead
Australia’s First Wind/Solar Plant To Be Built In Queensland October 28, 2015 Energy Matters Construction of a $140 million combined wind and solar energy facility in North Queensland is expected to begin within a year.
Kennedy Energy Park will go ahead as a result of a 50/50 joint venture agreement between Canberra-based Windlab Limited and Japan’s Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation.
The first stage of the Kennedy Energy Park will see 6 wind turbines and 64,000 solar panels installed. The wind turbines used will have the largest span in Australia – 136 metres in diameter. The first stage of the park will generate enough power to supply more than 25,000 Queensland homes.
The second stage will involve 1200 MW of renewable energy capacity; enough to meet most of the state’s contribution to Australia’s Renewable Energy Target.
Windlab Chief Executive Officer, Roger Price, says Kennedy Energy Park will be able to match North Queensland’s’ current energy demand profile more than 80% of the time.
“This particular site has been carefully mapped and we know it is predominantly windy through the afternoon and into the evening, and obviously experiences sunlight during daylight hours. This resource profile ensures almost constant energy production,” he said.
Flinders Shire Council has backed the project…….. http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-news/kennedy-energy-park-em5153/
PM Turnbull appoints a nuclear energy enthusiast as Chief Scientist
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to appoint nuclear power advocate Dr Alan Finkel as chief scientist http://m.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/prime-minister-malcolm-turnbull-to-appoint-nuclear-power-advocate-dr-alan-finkel-as-chief-scientist/story-fnpp4dj5-1227581950975 October 26, 2015
The Herald Sun has learned that Dr Alan Finkel, a respected engineer who has long called for nuclear to be part of the nation’s energy mix, will this week be named as Australia’s chief scientist.
The appointment by Malcolm Turnbull could reignite public and political divisions over a nuclear industry, which has been debated since the mid-1970s and spawned a political and environment movement in the 1980s.
Dr Finkel, the outgoing chancellor of Monash University, has argued nuclear power is needed for Australia to achieve an “abundant, reliable supply of low-emissions electricity”.
The Prime Minister vowed last week to put science “right at the centre” of his Government’s agenda and at the “very heart” of its future.
As president of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Dr Finkel said Australia had a proud record for regulatory oversight and would “without doubt” be able to manage a nuclear electricity system at “very high safety levels” . Dr Finkel’s pending appointment comes as Labor leader Bill Shorten yesterday ruled out supporting a switch to nuclear energy, despite a push from state governments.
A divide within the party was reopened at the weekend, when Mr Shorten said he was prepared to assess the outcome of South Australia’s nuclear inquiry but federal Labor’s priority was renewable energy.
Mr Turnbull, as environment minister in the Howard government, said in order to deal with climate change, a “nuclear option” must be on the table while Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said last year nuclear was an “obvious direction” for Australia as it considered how to cut carbon dioxide emissions after 2020.
Dr Finkel will replace Professor Ian Chubb after his five-year stint as chief scientist.
Labor Leader Bill Shorten opposes nuclear industry mainly because it is ‘not viable’
Labor reopens nuclear divide at South Australian state ALP convention, Advertiser October 24, 2015 PAUL STARICK CHIEF REPORTER LABOR’S long-running nuclear energy divide reopened yesterday when federal leader Bill Shorten declared his opposition to reactors in Australia.
Speaking after the State Labor Convention, Mr Shorten said he was prepared to assess the outcome of South Australia’s present nuclear Royal Commission but federal Labor’s priority was renewable energy.
But Premier Jay Weatherill said SA had to take charge of creating future jobs — the state’s jobless rate is a nation-leading 7.7 per cent — and this included seriously considering a nuclear future…….
Asked whether he had an open mind about nuclear energy, Mr Shorten said he had always believed the cost outweighed the economic benefits, even before considering environmental safeguards.
“At this point, I don’t support nuclear energy. I don’t see it as a viable prospect — obviously I’ll see what the Royal Commission says,” Mr Shorten said………
State Labor president Peter Malinauskas told the conference it was right for the government to pursue jobs growth by “planting the seeds of new industries, like the clean and virtually carbon-free nuclear industry”…….
Tentative nuclear Royal Commission findings are expected to be released in February for public consultation, ahead of a final report in May…..http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/labor-reopens-nuclear-divide-at-south-australian-state-alp-convention/story-fni6uo1m-1227581198474?sv=89f1a1c2a3348d615bf8cb1f04ad75b0
Tourism industry at Maralinga – but how safe is Maralinga nuclear bomb site?
from THE AUSTRALIAN, 26 Oct 15 …… Robin Matthews, the weathered caretaker of Maralinga nuclear test site, welcomes his visitors with some soothing words: the endless expanse of red gibber plain is safe — just as long as you do not dig.
Concealed under the rusty soil lies 60-year-old secrets of the British Empire, where seven nuclear bombs were detonated and hundreds of minor trials using plutonium and other radioactive materials contaminated kilometres of land.
But look close enough and the remnants of the tests are there — from the salt bush that refuses to grow any taller than 30cm and marks out a wide circle in the blast zones to scattered shrapnel and dark-green glass scattered across ground zero at the Breakaway nuclear test site, created by the heat of the explosion……
Most of the land was handed back to the Maralinga Tjarutja Aboriginal people in 2009 after rehabilitation work was finished, but Defence held on to the weapons-testing range in the Woomera Prohibited Area. In November last year, the 1782sq km site was officially handed back to the Aboriginal people.
Government papers released in 2011 show the site had required further remediation, with the topsoil over the massive Taranaki trench — four football fields wide and three storeys deep and now the burial site for contaminated topsoil and machinery — eroding over time.
Maralinga-Tjarutja general manager Richard Preece said the traditional owners of the land still did not want anything to do with the area, which they described as mamu (devil) country…..
Mr Preece said Maralinga was not only a legacy for Aboriginal people, but also for all Australians who had to remediate the site and were now left with buried radioactive material.
“I find it incredible that somehow it was all right for the British government on foreign soil to create a radioactive mess that was completely left to Australia,” he said.
Poll shows Australians overwhelmingly reject coal and nuclear- solar is tops
“Most (84 per cent, up 2 points) prefer solar amongst their top three energy sources, followed by wind (69 per cent, up 5 points). Gas and nuclear both crashed 7 points to 21 and 13 per cent respectively, with nuclear and coal now tied as least preferred,” said John Connor, CEO of The Climate Institute in a press release.
Australians support renewables? Absolutely, all we need now is a federal government that reflects the electorate’s view. The survey shows both the government and the Opposition need to “join mainstream Australian attitudes with climate commitments and policies” that promote clean energy
Climate Institute poll finds Australians support renewables August 18, 2015 Rich Bowden http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/climate-institute-poll-finds-australians-support-renewables/
Renewables appear to be a vote winner. Someone may want to tell our government. Continue reading
Australia’s PM Malcolm Turnbull will attend Paris UN climate conference
Turnbull to attend UN climate conference Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is expected to attend December’s United Nations climate change conference in Paris. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/10/25/turnbull-attend-un-climate-conference Source: AAP
He has told the Guardian Australia he will head to Paris for the December conference after the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta, armed with the coalition’s 2030 emissions reduction target of 26 to 28 per cent on 2005 levels.
His predecessor Tony Abbott was not expected to attend the conference after he scrapped the carbon tax, reduced Australia’s renewable energy target and criticised wind farms for being ugly.
Before Turnbull became prime minister, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had been expected to represent Australia at the UN meeting instead of Abbott.
With its heavy use of coal-fired power, Australia is considered one of the world’s worst per capita greenhouse gas polluters.
Australia’s carbon emission targets criticised Continue reading
Transport of nuclear waste is dangerous. Lucas Heights reactor should be closed
Nuclear waste likely to be transported through the Illawarra, ABC News, 23 Oct 15 Ainslie Drewitt-Smith, Nuclear waste shipped from France to Australia is likely to land at Port Kembla.The ABC understands the 25 tonnes of treated waste is being returned to the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in November, and is already on a cargo ship bound for the port.
It’s expected the intermediate-level waste will be transferred to trucks, before being transported to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).
Greens MLC John Kaye said transporting the waste through the Illawarra is risky. “It’s a very low probability event that there would be an accident, but if there is, it’s a very high consequence accident,” Dr Kaye said.
“Our concern with the nuclear cycle has always been nine times out of ten it’s fine, but then there’s one episode, and when that one episode happens, the results are totally catastrophic.”
The waste was sent to France in the 1990s to be processed, but its return to Australia was inevitable.While there were no issues with the original movement of the waste more than a decade ago, Dr Kaye said it’s not worth trying it again.
“The nuclear waste is set in a kind of glass, it’s then encased in a stainless steel vessel, but you can never keep anything 100 per cent safe,” he said. “The problem is, if there is an accident and one of those caskets is breached, the consequences for the local population are huge.”
Dr Kaye said ANSTO should be shut.
“This is a legacy of some very bad decision making that’s been happening in relation to Lucas Heights. It should have been shut ages ago,” he said.
“There should have been serious money invested into the alternative for isotopes used in medicine. Instead, we’ve continued with the same out of date process for creating these isotopes. It’s created this legacy of waste……..
ANSTO has confirmed in a statement on its website, the waste is on its way to Australia, but hasn’t said whether the material will land at Port Kembla, or be trucked through the Illawarra.
“Spent nuclear fuel was sent to France for reprocessing over four shipments in the 1990s and early 2000s, and the waste arising from that reprocessing operation is required under French law to have left that country by the end of 2015……..http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-23/nuclear-waste-likely-to-be-transported-through-the-illawarra/6878860
Australia’s military not up to date on climate change threats
Australia’s military stuck in the ‘wilderness’ over climate change, former ADF chief says, The Age, October 24, 2015 Peter Hannam Australia’s military planners have neglected climate change threats to the country and neighbours, leaving forces under-prepared for imminent and far-ranging challenges, say two retired senior officers – including a former Australian Defence Force chief………..
Michael Thomas, an army major who retired in June after 22 years of service, said the politicisation of climate change had been “a huge distraction to defence”.
“There are pockets of interest within the military on the subject but it’s not something that has captured the attention of our senior leadership,” Major Thomas said.
Both former military leaders outlined concerns in a recent report they wrote for the Climate Council and will lead a two-day panel at the Australian Defence Force Academy next week. They also detect a change of policy under new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
A Defence spokesperson said the department “has been actively monitoring and addressing the impacts of climate change for a number of years”.
The upcoming Defence White Paper – originally due for completion last September – will address the full ranges of challenges facing the ADF out to 2035 “including the security implications of climate variability and extreme weather events in our region and beyond”, the spokesperson said.http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/australias-military-stuck-in-the-wilderness-over-climate-change-former-adf-chief-says-20151023-gkgl20.html#ixzz3piGfAcFI
Turnbull Government defending Abbott plan to stop community from enforcing environment law
Greens Senators Larissa Waters & Nick McKim:
http://larissa-waters.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/turnbull-government-defending-abbott-plan-stop-community-enforcing-environmen
21 Oct 15: “The Attorney-General last night in Senate Estimates confirmed the Turnbull Government was still pushing Abbott’s plan to remove community rights to protect the environment.
Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and environment spokesperson, said:
“Trying to silence communities, farmers and everyone who cares about the environment is an atrocious idea and, if the Turnbull Government brings this on in the Senate, it will be defeated. …
“What’s the point of having environmental laws if government can ignore them, or allow huge coal companies to ignore them, and only allow people to complain about that if they live next door? …
Greens Senator for Tasmania and legal affairs spokesperson, Nick McKim said climate change was a global problem with implications for all Australians. …
“They [Citizens] are entitled to have a say about the massive coal mines that are helping to drive climate change, threatening groundwater and driving threatened species to extinction.”
“Only a tiny fraction of developments have been blocked through legal action under the EPBC Act, yet the Government wants to water down the small protections we have.” “Our judicial system does not exist to serve the sold-out coal interests of this government. It exists to uphold the law,” Senator McKim said.”
Western Australia’s Wave powered Desalination Plant Now Operational
ASX Announcement Friday, 23rd October, 2015 Wave Powered Desalination Plant • Wave powered desalination plant operational • First bottle presented to WA Water Minister Hon Mia Davies at AWA Conference http://carnegiewave.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/151023_DPP-ASX.pdf • MAK Water agency agreement extended to remote islands, first opportunities underway
Wave energy developer Carnegie Wave Energy Limited (ASX: CWE) is pleased to announce the world’s first wave energy powered seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant is fully integrated and operational. Carnegie’s desalination pilot plant on Garden Island (co-located with the Perth Wave Energy Project) was successfully commissioned off the electricity grid earlier this year, and is now fully integrated with the CETO wave energy power plant, meaning that the desalination plant is capable of running both off the grid and directly off hydraulic power from Carnegie’s wave project, or a combination of both.
The first bottle of wave-powered desalinated water produced was presented by Carnegie’s Chief Operating Officer, Greg Allen, to the Western Australian Minister for Water the Honourable Mia Davies MLA at the Australian Water Association’s (AWA) Annual Western Australian Conference today. Mr Allen presented on wave energy integrated desalination at the Conference timed to coincide with National Water Week (presentation attached). Carnegie’s Wave Powered Desalination Project won the 2014 AWA Innovation award.
Australian Conservation Foundation debunks argument for Mount Isa radioactive trash dump bid
Australian Conservation Foundation questions Mount Isa radioactive waste dump bid http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-20/environmentalists-question-mount-isa-radioactive-waste-dump-bid/6868404 By Zara Margolis The Australian Conservation Foundation says the creation a radioactive waste management facility in north-west Queensland will not be the economic saviour the region is looking for.
Last week, Mount Isa City Council voted to make a submission to the Federal Government to safely store Australia’s radioactive waste. Mayor Tony McGrady said the creation of a waste facility was timely given recent mining job cuts and could help secure future jobs.
However, nuclear-free campaigner Dave Sweeney said that would not happen and he was concerned pressure to secure the region’s economic future was clouding the council’s judgment.
“Mount Isa will not get the full information because people are already either ideologically leaning towards all things nuclear or so desperate to get a job in the door that they won’t look at the downside,” he said. “So our concern is that ideology, plus desperation, plus misleading or misinformation doesn’t make for a clear and considered basis.
“There’s a lot of misinformation, or missing information, about this process. This is not a big earner. We’re talking six long-term jobs and a small amount of money to be spread over a region or possibly a state in a community benefit package. “This is not a solution to the resource downturn or economic decline in Mount Isa.” The Commonwealth said other locations for the site could be considered, despite nominations having closed in May.
Energy resources of Australia abandons plan to expand Ranger uranium mine
Energy Resources of Australia Accepts Defeat on Ranger Uranium Mine Extension, http://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/energy-investing/uranium-investing/energy-resources-of-australia-accepts-defeat-on-ranger-uranium-mine-extension/ Uranium Investing News, Kristen Moran • October 19, 2015 Mining Australia reported that Energy Resources of Australia (ASX:ERA) has decided to accept defeat on plan to extend Ranger uranium mine beyond 2021.
As quoted in the market news:
A statement from ERA this afternoon revealed the Mirrar Traditional Owners and Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation do not support an extension to the authority to mine at Ranger, in Kakadu National Park.
A statement from ERA said the company respected the views of the Traditional Owners, and would undertake a business review in light of their decision.
“In light of this development, ERA has commenced a process of assessing whether the company’s assets may be impaired,” the company said.
The news was welcomed by Environment Centre NT, where Nuclear Free campaigner Lauren Mellor said it was time for “the era of rehabilitation and a staged and managed exit from Kakadu to begin”.
“ERA must now accept full financial responsibility for the costly and complex task of rehabilitation, accept Rio’s funding offer and cooperate with all stakeholders in the transition to a post-mining phase of operations,” Mellor said.
Hallelujah! Political Oblivion for climate villains Abbott and Harper
Canada’s Harper follows fellow “climate villain” Abbott into political oblivion, REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 20 October 2015
It is good news for the upcoming Paris climate change talks. Both countries, under their former leaders,
ranked at the bottom of the 34 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for their efforts on climate change. Among G20 countries, only Saudi Arabia ranked lower than them.
Since their elections – Harper in 2006, and Abbott in 2013 – they had applied the brakes on climate change and renewable energy policy, despite some strong efforts at sub-national levels (the provinces in Canada and states and territories in Australia).
During a visit to Canada last year, Abbott and Harper decided to create a “conservative alliance among ‘like-minded’ countries” to try to dismantle global efforts on climate change.
At a press conference, Harper applauded Abbott’s efforts to dump Australia’s carbon tax. Indeed, Abbott had borrowed the “axe the tax” slogan from an earlier Canadian campaign.
Now, both have gone…….http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/canadas-harper-follows-fellow-climate-villain-abbott-into-political-oblivion-43745
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