The strange mentality of some nuclear commentators
In a week of dubious comments from fossil-fuel and nuclear industry puppets, it’s been hard to choose the weirdest comment.
But I like the one from Northern Territory Labor MP Damien Hale. Apparently, Hale’s view is that if a state is already contaminated with radioactive pollution, then it’s just fine to go ahead there and add more pollution. Is South Australia stuffed already, as far as radioactive contamination goes – so it can be open slather for nuclear waste in S.A.?
The Labor Member for Solomon, Damien Hale, .. says there is political support for the dump to be built in South Australia.”Now we all know there’s areas of Australia that are already contaminated through radioactivity,”Territory MP wants nuke waste dumped in SA – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Job losses at BHP’s uranium mine
Olympic mine job losses The Age BARRY FITZGERALD November 7, 2009 BHP Billiton has warned of job losses among its contractor workforce at the damaged Olympic Dam copper-gold-uranium mine in South Australia Continue reading
Paid puppets spout ‘climate scepticism’
I know who I prefer to believe in debate TheAge Lynne Holroyd, 6 Nov 09
AL GORE is right when he points to the phoney war of the climate science ”debate”. On one hand is the scientific consensus and on the other are the loony theories financed by those with the most to lose if we cut carbon emissions.
The mouthpieces and puppets of the big polluters are just as hard at work in Australia as they are in the US, where there are four industry lobbyists working against climate change action for every member of the US Congress. Funny how the handful of ventriloquist dolls of Australia’s big polluters tend to be geologists who study rocks – not climate, atmosphere and oceans. Geologists are typically employed by big mining companies. Think the carbon lobby – coal, oil, gas – those fighting the Government-proposed carbon pollution bill tooth and nail.
On the other hand, warning us about the imminent dangers of climate change are the thousands of independent, disinterested climate experts of high repute who checked one another’s findings and published their report in 2007, a report signed off and agreed to by more than 100 countries. I know who I would prefer to believe.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/letters/guilty-until-proven-innocent-20091105-i04s.html
Powerful influence of big polluting industries
revealed-polluters-fear-tactics-on-climate Brisbane Times MARIAN WILKINSON AND FLINT DUXFIELD
November 6, 2009
BIG greenhouse polluting companies around the world, employing thousands of lobbyists, are exerting heavy pressure on governments to weaken climate change laws at home and slow progress on an international climate agreement in Copenhagen, a global investigation reveals.
In Australia, 20 companies who have already won the most concessions from the Rudd Government’s emissions trading scheme employ 28 lobbying firms with well over 100 staff, many of them former politicians, political advisers or government officials.
In the US there are more than 2800 climate lobbyists, five for every member of Congress, an increase of more than 400 per cent over the past six years. From Washington to Canberra and New Delhi to Brussels, companies and their lobbyists are often raising the same widespread fears about jobs, power blackouts and economic losses unless governments weaken commitments to combat climate change.The report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists examined the climate lobby in eight countries including the US, Canada, Australia, India, Japan, China, Belgium and Brazil. It relied on more than 200 interviews, lobbying registers and political donation records. ………………In the US, chief executives of coal and power companies have hosted a public campaign against climate legislation which is being blocked in the Senate……….
Industry lobby groups have also carved out a permanent role at the UN talks as representatives of the so-called BINGOS – Business and Industry Non-Government Organisations.
While lobbyists for the renewable energy industry, the carbon traders and environmental groups are also becoming more prominent, the report finds that their voices ”can barely be heard above the clamour of the older, well-capitalised and deeply entrenched industries that have been lobbying on climate change for more than 20 years”.http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/revealed-polluters-fear-tactics-on-climate-20091106-i0ju.html
Australians against nuclear power – latest poll results
An opinion poll by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technnology Organisation (ANSTO) shows the latest results on Australians’ attitude to nuclear power. Poll results as at 5 November 2009
NT politician claims that South Australia wants nuclear waste dump
Territory MP wants nuke waste dumped in SA ABC News By Michael Coggan Nov 4, 2009 Darwin A Northern Territory federal politician is arguing for a national nuclear waste dump to be built in South Australia. Continue reading
Nuclear power for Australia? – a definite NO
Australia’s Future Power Sources Won’t Include Nuclear – PM CANBERRA -By Ray Brindal, Dow Jones Newswires 4 November 09 – The future sources for Australia’s power needs include coal, natural gas and a range of renewables rather than nuclear, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Wednesday. Continue reading
Northern Territory targeted as the only place for nuclear waste dump
Nuclear dump sites ‘all in the Territory’ NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS NICK CALACOURAS November 3rd, 2009 THE Federal Government has been sitting on a report on the decision to build a nuclear waste dump in the Territory for the past nine months. Continue reading
Review: BHP under scrutiny, ANSTO rigs poll
Australia. Lucas Heights nuclear waste has to be returned to Australia; Rudd govt pretty sure to dump it on aboriginal land. China buying up big into Australian uranium mining. S.A. govt very little restriction likely for Marathon’s uranium mining in Arkaroola, and no obligation for Four Mile to clean up after u-mining ends. . Melbourne and Perth protest rallies mark BHP’s AGM. ANSTO caught out crookedly rigging opinion poll.
International. Iran avoids international agreement to prevent it developing nuclear weapons.
US Hanford nuclear workers to be compensated for their cancers. Alternative annual report launched for BHP Billiton’s AGM. Iraq now seeking to have nuclear power. French nuclear plant has critical buildup of plutonium. – the week that has been
Rudd govt cowardly about nuclear waste obligations
Australia is contractually obliged to take back from France the reprocessed nuclear waste from ANSTO’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.
The Rudd government, like the Howard government is just too cowardly to explain this truth to the Australian people, and then to act sensibly and honorably.
The government could choose Commonwealth land, take back the existing waste, close down Lucas Heights, and finish this problem.
But, no. The Rudd government will con and bribe the citizens least able to resist, – the aborigines, – in the Territory least able to resit, the Northern Territory.
If that were not enough of cowardice and hypocrisy, the Rudd government is then likely to use ANSTO to open the door to the return of radioactive wastes to Australia. A very lucrative industry for a few big players, including the uranium mining companies.
No sensible housewife would even plan a meal in the knowledge that the house would be left with permanent, unfixable, toxic waste. But then what government would ask the opinion of a sensible housewife?
Why Ziggy Spinowski doesn’t mention radioactive wastes
Have you noticed how nuclear spruikers, such as Ziggy Spinowski, never talk about the “back end” of the uranium and nuclear industries? It’s all about the “front end” – the wonderful “cheap, “clean” “best practice” mining and reactors. But what does everybody do with their wastes, (apart from shutting up about them)?
Well, that’s a mystery. Mountains of radioactive uranium tailings – Polluted towns and areas – Dead reactors – too “hot” to move for decades, perhaps centuries?
Mostly – radioactive wastes just sit there – in cooling ponds, in containers. But then where to? Dumped in some “Third World” country? Or in the ocean- but always in or near the land of some indigenous peoples, who won’t have the financial, legal, media or whatever sort of resources you need to stand up to nuclear corporations.
Warning on China’s uranium mining in Australia
Chinese buy up NT uranium stake NICK CALACOURAS October 31st, 2009 The Commonwealth has signed off on a $140 million deal to allow a Territory company to provide uranium to Chinese nuclear power plants. Continue reading
Uranium miner squanders Australia’s precious water – for FREE!
South Australia: Olympic Dam mine BHP Billiton 30 Oct 09 Watch Western Mining Corporation first developed the Olympic Dam (Roxby Downs) Uranium Mine in 1983, despite strong and sustained opposition from Kokatha and Arabunna Traditional Owners and environmentalists. BHP Billiton purchased the underground Olympic Dam mine in 2005.
In May 2009 BHP Billiton released an Environmental Impact Statement detailing plans to turn Olympic Dam into a massive open pit mine. With this expansion uranium production is expected to increase from 4,000 tonnes to 19,000 tonnes per year and copper production from 200,000 to 750,000 tonnes a year. Continue reading
Australia’s blind eye to China’s abuse of anti-nuclear protesters
Australia is complicit in China’s uranium and human rights abuses Crikey.com Oct 2009 by James Norman
| :……………. Australia’s role in supplying China with uranium and the associated impacts of the nuclear industry, within China and in terms of Australia’s non-proliferation commitments. | |
The expanded Roxby Downs uranium and copper mine being proposed by BHP Continue reading
SA government not protecting sanctuary against uranium pollution
Arkaroola plan ‘not strong enough’ ABC News 28 Oct 09 A Greens’ legislative councillor says a South Australian Government plan to manage mining and conservation in the Northern Flinders fails to protect the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.
The plan is a response to the discovery of illegally dumped exploration waste at Arkaroola but Mark Parnell says the response is not strong enough.
“The Government should have just made the announcement that they were not going to allow future exploration or mining anywhere in the wilderness sanctuary,” he said.
“Instead, they have produced a map for discussion that shows most of the wilderness sanctuary still available for mining and only one tiny area close to Mount Painter which is designated as off limits.”…………… The State Government draft framework is currently open for public comment. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/28/2726287.htm
1 This month
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