Australia, especially indigenous Australia, vulnerable to climate change extremes
Australia shouldn’t be waiting for more evidence of climate change impacts,such as floods, fires and cyclones.
She says while adaptions can be made by future governments, there should be recognition now of the magnitude of the challenge and of the need to act.
AUDIO: New climate change warnings for Australia http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/10/15/new-climate-change-warnings-australia A leaked draft report by the IPCC outlines a sobering set of climate change challenges faced by Australia. By Ildi Amon (Transcript from World News Australia Radio)
In a report last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded it was more certain than ever that humans were responsible for global warming.That report focused mainly on the science of climate change, rather than on what to do about it.
Now, the Panel is working on a report on climate change impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation, due for release in March.
And, as Ildi Amon reports, a leaked draft of that report by the Panel outlines a sobering set of challenges faced by Australia.According to the leaked draft report, climate change will present Australia with significant heat stress, extreme weather events, and a higher rate of disease in the coming decades.
It says there is high agreement among scientists that Indigenous Australians will face disproportionate harm from climate change. Continue reading
Abbott Government puts renewable energy projects in jeopardy
Abbott risking renewables ‘hiatus‘Business Spectator, 16 Oct, By a staff reporterAcciona Energy chief Andrew Thomson says investment in large-scale renewable energy targets could be put on hold if the Abbott government delayed confirming the Renewable Energy Target, The Australian Financial Review reports.The government is planning to review the RET next year but Mr Thomson said certainty was required to meet the existing 20 per cent, or 41 terawatt hours, target, the newspaper reports….
..Mr Thomson said Acciona’s Spanish parents would redirect capital from Australia as uncertainty reigned.
“There’s no advantage for a country or a market to keep changing the goalposts.”http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2013/10/16/renewable-energy/abbott-risking-renewables-hiatus
Poor forecast for uranium miners ERA and Paladin
Little optimism in uranium market http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newscolumnists/greg/8739108/little-optimism-in-uranium-market 15 Oct 13 Olympic Dam is Australia’s largest uranium source but outside of the diversified resource conglomerate that is owner BHP Billiton, Australia’s two “big” pure-play uranium producers are Energy Resources of Australia, operating in the Northern Territory and Paladin Energy operating in Namibia. Continue reading
Poor results from uranium producer ERA
Expected slump in ERA results, THE AUSTRALIAN 13 Oct 13
RIO Tinto’s listed uranium subsidiary Energy Resources of Australia has kicked off the September quarter reporting period for the group on the sour note widely expected by investors.
Output from ERA’s Ranger operation in the Northern Territory fell sharply in the quarter because of the exhaustion of open-cut reserves, restricting operations to the processing of lower-grade stockpiles.
Uranium production plunged 51 per cent to 610 tonnes (1.34 million pounds) from the previous corresponding period…..
The new industry of nuclear radiation denial
Plenty of funding is available. The USA’s Department of Energy funds programs worldwide, (including in Australia) to research dodgy science about the safety ‒ even alleged benefits ‒ of low level ionising radiation. Nuclear physicists and others, quite inexpert in this field, pronounce solemnly about non-hazardous nature of low dose radiation.
The anti-science about ionising radiation Independent Australia Some people would have you believe that low level ionising radiation is perfectly safe; this is a sinister and troubling fallacy, says Noel Wauchope. 10 Oct 13 DENIAL OF THE HEALTH EFFECTS of ionising radiation is the latest of the lies against science……….none of these motivations would get “airplay” ‒ would prevail, if it were not for the money motive, – that’s the impetus behind public relations people, consultants, journalists, commentators, TV producers, film-makers, and so on who are paid by think tanks that are fronts for polluting industries and billionaires like the Koch Brothers. And don’t let’s forget the scientists and science media who are paid by governments that are financially beholden to polluting corporations and to the military industrial complex.
There is extensive literature in books and on the Internet about the campaigns of science denial regarding asbestos, tobacco and climate change. These are global campaigns, but Australia is well represented.
The climate sceptic campaign has followed the model of the tobacco lobby…….
neither the “old” nor the “new” media are properly addressing the issue of anti-science about ionising radiation. Continue reading
Former Northern Territory Chief Minister speaks out on nuclear waste dump plan
The Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 was a draconian piece of legislation that took overriding the territory to a new level. It gave the Commonwealth all the powers it needed to build a nuclear waste facility anywhere in the territory. Environment and heritage laws could be set aside, so could the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. This time Howard was determined to remove all possible resistance.
I argued that this was constitutional thuggery but my protests fell on deaf ears. My state colleagues developed temporary deafness as well. I could understand their logic; their state backyards were safe.
Trucking nuclear waste through Sydney a disaster waiting to happen October 11, 2013 Clare Martin (former chief minister of the Northern Territory.) http://www.smh.com.au/comment/trucking-nuclear-waste-through-sydney-a-disaster-waiting-to-happen-20131010-2vb0a.html
As I drove down Mona Vale Road this week on a visit to Sydney, I began to wonder what would have happened if the tanker involved in last week’s fatalities had been transporting nuclear waste. It is not a fanciful thought because that is the present federal proposal: trucking nuclear waste through Sydney streets to a new national storage facility thousands of kilometres away in central Australia.
The accident made me question yet again the sense of that proposal. Is one site for low- and medium-level nuclear waste preferable to many local? Does storing the waste in remote Australia make it safer, more secure? What are the known dangers inherent in nuclear waste storage? We need to discuss these issues. Continue reading
Greens urge Abbott govt to come clean on Trans Pacific Partnership
Greens will move to review flawed and dangerous Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) 08 Oct 2013 | Scott Ludlam Prime Minister Abbott should immediately stop the clock on negotiations over the secret text of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which threatens to further extend the power of foreign multinational companies.
In the event that Parliament ever resumes, the Australian Greens will move for the Joint Standing Treaties Committee to urgently review what the Abbott Government is proposing to sign us up to.
“Most Australians would be horrified if they knew what Tony Abbott might be about to sign away: Australia’s health, environmental and consumer protection laws are on the chopping block,” said Senator Scott Ludlam.
“The transnational tobacco, pharmaceutical and media corporations want to grant themselves the power to sue governments for passing laws they don’t like. Draft copies of the secret trade agreement have been provided to corporate lobbyists but not ordinary citizens. The TPP is an example of massive corporate overreach, and Australians would do well to join with people in other countries objecting to this agreement.
“We understand there are still significant areas of disagreement between governments on the TPP, but that it could be signed as early as the first week of December.
“Last year the Australian Greens secured a recommendation in a Treaties Report that: “prior to commencing negotiations for a new agreement, the Government table in Parliament a document setting out its priorities and objectives including independent analysis of the anticipated costs and benefits of the agreement”.
“Making a statement setting out the costs and benefits of such a dangerous treaty instrument is the very least the Government should do. In the meantime the Greens will work to force disclosure of what this secretive Government is actually up to,” said Senator Ludlam.
The JSCOT Report http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Represe…
Joint statement from Australian, New Zealand and Canadian Greens on TPPA issued August 2012 http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/news-stories/joint-statemen…
Australian government planning to commercialise planned Northern Territory nuclear waste dump?
The Greens say that treating a nuclear waste dump as a growth business is unwise and unwanted. ‘It seems that behind the scenes, (the Abbott government) are developing a business case for the dump with private operators,’ Senator Scott Ludlam said in a statement.
‘As soon as you commercialise a nuclear waste dump, it is in the operators’ interest to look at taking other waste, including other countries’.’
He supports calls for an independent public commission to determine how to safely and responsibly handle Australia’s nuclear waste. This ‘would enable a more sophisticated management regime than the current plan to dump the waste containers in a shed on a cattle station’, he said.
Nuclear tenders snub traditional owners http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=913283 , Tuesday October 8, 2013 The federal government’s plan to manage Australia’s long-term nuclear waste has excluded the stakeholder voices of traditional Aboriginal land owners, an anti-nuclear activist says.
A Federal Court case is set for June to hear the objections of traditional owners at Muckaty Station, who do not want their lands to become a repository for nuclear waste.
But on September 23 the Abbott government called for applications for an initial business case to identify and analyse capability options for the long-term management of Australia’s radioactive waste to ensure it is safely and securely managed.
Applications close on Friday. Continue reading
Australian rare earths company Lynas still on the nose in Malaysia
Residents though remain highly sceptical and opposition candidates running on an anti-Lynas platform won a raft of seats around the plant, in the May general election.
Lynas lost more than $107 million last financial year, and has informed the market that it’s set to report another quarter of reduced output, as it continues to work on the plant’s operational issues.
Deutsche Bank’s Chris Terry says the company’s share price is now around 40 cents, compared with its peak value of $2.30 in early 2011
Australian rare earths miner Lynas Corporation sparks fresh anger in Malaysia ABC News, Kate Arnott for Newsline 9 Oct 13Australian rare earths miner Lynas Corporation is refusing to publicly disclose the location of a permanent waste storage facility for its processing plant in Malaysia.
Earlier this year, Lynas started commercial production of rare earths, which are used in a wide range of high tech equipment, but the plant on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia has been plagued by operational problems. Continue reading
No new renewable energy for Western Australia – says State government
WA government says no to new renewable energy REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 8 October 2013 Western Australia has some of the best solar and wind resources in the world. But for the foreseeable future they are likely to go largely undeveloped because the state government has indicated that it will not support any new large scale renewable energy developments on its main grid. It will prefer instead to subsidise the construction of wind farms and solar farms in the eastern states.
The admission came in a series of speeches delivered recently by WA Energy Minister Mike Nahan which highlighted what a dog’s breakfast – and a very expensive dog’s breakfast at that – the state’s electricity grid had become. Continue reading
Australia becoming an international pariah of science denialism?
Australian Environmental Politics in Denial http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46514 Daniel Yeow, Worldwatch Institute, October 7, 2013 We interpret everything according to our own experiences. With that in mind, it would seem somewhat surprising that in Australia, of all places, a startlingly high number of people still deny climate change. Most Australians do believe in it, but in a country that no longer has a science minister, the newly-elected conservative government is populated by “leaders” who believe that it is some kind of conspiracy.The media that the average Australian consumes is overwhelmingly populated by sources which are owned by people of a highly conservative and libertarian belief. Libertarianism—the belief that people should be free to do as they wish so long as they do not impinge on the freedom of others, is a decidedly human-centric philosophy and as such, large-scale environmental problems are generally not well-handled. In the minds of people like Rupert Murdoch, among others, environmental regulations are an unnecessary burden on people’s freedom, and even if you don’t really believe that, if that’s what you read in the newspaper every day, then that’s what you will be led to believe. Continue reading
Australian Council of trade Unions warns government against Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan
ACTU against nuke tip http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/actu-against-nuke-tip/story-fn59noo3-1226734351992#sthash.sbragkQn.dpuf JOE KELLY OCTOBER 08, 2013 THE ACTU has warned the Coalition against proceeding with a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory. The move comes as green groups expressed concern the development of a new business case for the facility could see Australia become a radioactive tip for the rest of the world.Tribunal awards war widow pension regarding veteran harmed by Monte Bello nuclear radiation
A decision this month by the Veterans’ Appeals division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal upheld the finding that Mr Prior’s death was linked to his work with the British Nuclear Test Defence Service.
Relying on 57-year-old log books of Operation Mosaic – the code name given to the atomic weapons testing at the Monte Bello islands – as well as a witness account of the explosion and design points of the aircraft, the tribunal found Mr Prior would have suffered contamination.
The tribunal heard Mr Prior suffered from a very rare skin condition that could have been caused by ionising radiation.
Specialists said the itching and pain could be so severe as to lead to depression and suicidal thoughts, with itching permeating every aspect of live, including sleeping.
The court found “there was a connection between Mr Prior’s exposure to ionising radiation and his skin condition which caused chronic pain” and upheld the decision to award the pension.
Wife of veteran involved in Monte Bello Island nuclear test wins war widow pension JESSICA MARSZALEK NEWS LIMITED NETWORK OCTOBER 07, 2013 http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/wife-of-veteran-involved-in-monte-bello-island-nuclear-test-wins-war-widow-pension/story-fnihslxi-1226734294281A VETERAN’S wife has won a 10-year fight for the war widow’s pension after she successfully argued her husband committed suicide because of his involvement in atomic bomb testing in Australia.
The retired Air Commodore, who was stationed at Richmond in NSW and served in Vietnam, was 67 years old when he died in October 2001 – a death deemed not to attract the $840 fortnightly war widow payment. Continue reading
Influential Aboriginal leaders have doubts about Warren Mundine and the new Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC)
The establishment of the IAC, two thirds of which is directly aligned with the uranium industry, does not bode well for advancing a mature conversation around and action on the problems of Aboriginal disadvantage. At the very least there should be a diversity of communities and a diversity of views represented.
A lode of real action http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=15551 By Kado Muir, Mitch . and Peter Watts – 7 October 2013 This article was first published in the Koori Mail As the dust starts to settle and Australia reflects on the outcomes of the recent federal election, many Aboriginal people have growing concerns over Tony Abbott’s new Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) and the agenda behind its plans for real action for Indigenous Australians. Continue reading
Abbott govt accelerates sale of uranium to India, as India fires another nuclear-capable missile
India, Australia to hold third round of nuclear talks IANS | http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-australia-to-hold-third-round-of-nuclear-talks/427039-3.html?utm_source=ref_article Oct 07, 2013 New Delhi: India and Australia, under the new dispensation of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, are hoping to hold a third round of talks on nuclear cooperation in December this year, said a top official on Monday. Secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry Ashok K Kantha said Abbott has “made positive comments about the need for expediting, accelerating negotiations between India and Australia on nuclear cooperation”.
“We already have held two rounds of negotiations, and we are hoping to hold a third round of negotiations if possible in December this year. 
We have not yet firmed up the dates. But I believe there is a strong desire on both sides to try and bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion at an early date,” said Kantha at a briefing in New Delhi.
India test fires nuclear capable missile from Odisha Tribune, By Web Desk October 7, 2013 ODISHA: India test-fired a nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile from a test range at Chandipur, Odisha on Monday, Express News reported……The Prithvi II missile was inducted into India’s Strategic Forces Command in 2003 and is the first missile developed by DRDO under India’s IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program.
The missile is capable of carrying 500 to 1000 kilograms of warheads according to The Hindu.
On September 14, India successfully test-fired for a nuclear-capable missile that can reach Beijing and much of Europe. http://tribune.com.pk/story/614650/india-test-fires-nuclear-capable-missile-from-odisha/
1 This month
17 October, Free Public Talk on Nuclear Issues in South Australia
David Noonan will speak on public interest concerns over the new Roxby Downs Indenture Act 2026 on BHP copper-uranium mining and ore processing in SA, and on how AUKUS may face SA with a High-Level nuclear waste agenda.
Dr Jim Green will discuss international developments in the field of nuclear power including ‘small modular reactors’ and Generation 4 ‘advanced’ nuclear reactor concepts.
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