politics

AUSTRALIAN  POLITICS and the NUCLEAR INDUSTRY

Australia’s place in global nuclear politics. Australia is an island – yes –  but no country is a political or environmental island on this planet.

Australia has the choice to be part of a 21st Century global movement into a positive environmental and social future. Australia’s has huge resources of sun, wind, ocean waves – and of an affluent and educated public. The opportunity is there, to join other countries in leading the way to a clean environment, addressing Climate Change,  and to a future for our children and grandchildren.

Or Australia can take a short-term view of quick money profits, in becoming the world’s quarry and waste dump. That way our present middle-aged population can enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle, and leave the mess for our children and grandchildren.

The present situation. Australia – the corporate colony Australia’s political future is being directed largely by multinational mining corporations.  We have the undue influence of the Big Non Australian (BHP Billiton), and of Rio Tinto with its “pretend” Australian company Energy Resources of Australia.

Go getting entrepreneurs such as John White (Australia Nuclear Fuel Leasing) Ron Walker and Robert Champion de Crespigny,   (Australian Nuclear Energy) push for their plans for nuclear power and nuclear waste importing.

The mining “boom” is over-rated as Australia’s economic champion.Mining contributes about 5.6% of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product. Mining is approx 30% of Australia’s exports, employing approx 8% of workers, (compared to services industries employing 67%)

Of all Australia’s mineral exports, uranium is only 14%. If we compared this export stream with say, Australia’s education services, uranium becomes quite minimal to Australia’s economy.

Australians are being told by BHP etc, that the great boom will be selling uranium to China. This is nothing but a future dream. The present state of Australia’s uranium sales shows how very small a part of Australia’s economy is involved in uranium sales to China

Other small exports go to South Korea, Taiwan and Canada.

What is the future for Australia’s uranium exports?  Europe is winding down its nuclear plants.

The uranium industry’s big dreams are:

China – notorious for corruption, includng in the nuclear industry, known for its secrecy and low safety in its nuclear industry. Developing nuclear weapons.

Russia – notorious for its nuclear environmental failures, supplies nuclear materials to Iran, known for secrecy and corruption.

USA – in a desperate plight to deal with its existing huge nuclear wastes – ready and anxious to find a place – (?such as Australia) to dump these radioactive wastes.

Australia cannot  afford to gamble its children’s future by selling uranium in  a system that will inevitably result in Australia taking back radioactive wastes. Australia is signed up to this system