TODAY. The Australian election – yawn! Where the most important issues are not mentioned by the major parties
Yay -it’s all about interest rate rises, the deficit, house prices, wages – yes these ARE important matters. (Maybe not the deficit so much – because good, positive policies would bring about community confidence and effort, resulting in a productive economy – leading to reducing the deficit.}
But what are Liberal and Labor NOT TALKING about? THE PANDEMIC, CLIMATE CHANGE (Labor – a bit) THE MILITARISATION of this country in the service of American weapons companies.
Intelligent Australians are hoping that The Greens and the Independents will make their mark, in this election on 21 May. And fearing that the ultra-right groups might also do so.
A new climate politics: The 47th parliament must be a contest of ideas for a hotter, low-carbon Australia — RenewEconomy
Climate change has figured little in the 2022 federal election campaign. But the need for sensible, long-term measures is now dire. The post A new climate politics: The 47th parliament must be a contest of ideas for a hotter, low-carbon Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.
A new climate politics: The 47th parliament must be a contest of ideas for a hotter, low-carbon Australia — RenewEconomy
Albanese pledges to get Australia out of climate ‘naughty corner’ — RenewEconomy
Making his last major speech before the election, Anthony Albanese says stronger climate action could help repair Australia’s diplomatic relationships. The post Albanese pledges to get Australia out of climate ‘naughty corner’ appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Albanese pledges to get Australia out of climate ‘naughty corner’ — RenewEconomy
Say No to Nuclear Power.
Our energy future should consist of modern solar, wind, battery and LED/efficiency technologies, not nuclear reactors. https://progressive.org/op-eds/say-no-to-nuclear-power-wasserman-220518/ BY HARVEY WASSERMAN , MAY 18, 2022
Desperate atomic cultists including Bill Gates are now touting small modular reactors. But they’re unproven, can’t deploy for years to come, can’t be guarded against terrorists and can’t beat renewables in safety, speed to build, climate impacts, price or job creation.
The nuclear power industry has been pushing the fantasy of yet another “renaissance” of nuclear power, based on the absurd idea that atomic reactors — which operate at 571 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in substantial greenhouse gas emissions and, periodically, explosions — can somehow cool the planet.
But the fact is that no more big, old-style light water reactors are likely to be built in the United States. And the current 93 licensed reactors in this country (there are 400-plus worldwide) grow increasingly dangerous every day.
As a green power advocate since 1973, I’ve visited dozens of reactor sites throughout the U.S. and Japan. The industry’s backers portray them as high-tech black boxes that are uniformly safe, efficient and reliable, ready to hum for decades without melt-downs, blow-ups or the constant emissions of heat, radiation, chemical pollution and eco-devastation that plague us all.
In reality, the global reactor fleet is riddled with widely varied and increasingly dangerous defects. These range from inherent design flaws to original construction errors, faulty components, fake replacement parts, stress-damaged (“embrittled”) pressure vessels, cracked piping, inoperable safety systems, crumbling concrete, lethal vulnerabilities to floods, storms and earthquakes, corporate greed and unmanageable radioactive emissions and wastes — to name a few.
Heat, radiation and steam have pounded every reactor’s internal components. They are cracked, warped, morphed and transmuted into rickety fossils virtually certain to shatter in the next meltdown.
Twice-bankrupt Pacific Gas & Electric of California has been found guilty in the 2010 burning deaths of eight San Bruno residents caused by under-maintained gas pipes. The company was also convicted in the deaths of more than eighty people when its faulty wires ignited whole northern California forests and towns in a series of fires.
In 2003, the Perry and Davis-Besse power plants’ operators blacked out 50 million homes in southern Canada and the northeastern United States. The FBI has linked them to a $61-million-bribe handed to the majority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives, and possibly tens of thousands more to the former chair of the state Public Utilities Commission.
The industry’s “regulators” have turned blind eyes to crumbling concrete at the Seabrook and Davis-Besse facilities, whose “hole-in-the-head” defects almost brought Chernobyl to the shores of Lake Erie. When Diablo Canyon’s resident site inspector warned the plant could not withstand a likely seismic shock, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shut him up and moved him out.
The industry’s four most recent reactor construction projects include two at South Carolina’s Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station— totally abandoned after over $10 billion was spent — and two at Georgia’s Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, years late and costing more than $30 billion. Plagued by corruption and incompetence, design flaws and labor problems, Plant Vogtle might never open, especially in light of the astonishing advances in renewable and efficiency technologies, which have completely buried any economic or ecological justification for atomic power, new or old.
Desperate atomic cultists including Bill Gates are now touting small modular reactors. But they’re unproven, can’t deploy for years to come, can’t be guarded against terrorists and can’t beat renewables in safety, speed to build, climate impacts, price or job creation.
Our energy future should consist of modern solar, wind, battery and LED/efficiency technologies, not nuclear reactors. Let’s work to guarantee that none of them explode before we get there.
Two more NSW solar farms start sending power to the grid – and Amazon — RenewEconomy
Two solar farms contracted to help decarbonise the Australian power supply of global online retail giant Amazon have begun delivering energy to the grid. The post Two more NSW solar farms start sending power to the grid – and Amazon appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Two more NSW solar farms start sending power to the grid – and Amazon — RenewEconomy
Australian researchers harvest “night-time solar” to provide power in the dark — RenewEconomy
Researchers reveal a major breakthrough in renewable energy technology by using Earth’s radiant infrared heat to generate solar electricity in the dark. The post Australian researchers harvest “night-time solar” to provide power in the dark appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Australian researchers harvest “night-time solar” to provide power in the dark — RenewEconomy
A vote for a few “moderate Liberals” is a vote for more climate obstruction — RenewEconomy
After bushfires, floods and numerous IPCC reports, the Morrison-Joyce government still has a 2030 emissions reduction target set by Tony Abbott. The post A vote for a few “moderate Liberals” is a vote for more climate obstruction appeared first on RenewEconomy.
A vote for a few “moderate Liberals” is a vote for more climate obstruction — RenewEconomy
Fossil fuel industry says it understands climate risks. But just doesn’t care — RenewEconomy
“Decarbonisation, not defossilisation” is the new catchcry of the fossil fuel industry as new research highlights risks of climate tipping points. The post Fossil fuel industry says it understands climate risks. But just doesn’t care appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Fossil fuel industry says it understands climate risks. But just doesn’t care — RenewEconomy
EU hits fast forward on renewables, including “massive deployment” of solar — RenewEconomy
Spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European Commission unveils massive scaling-up and speeding-up of renewable energy, with solar as the “kingpin.” The post EU hits fast forward on renewables, including “massive deployment” of solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.
EU hits fast forward on renewables, including “massive deployment” of solar — RenewEconomy
Ukraine controlled by US and UK – Russia
Rt.com 17 May 22, The stalling of the peace talks is a result of the wish of London and Washington to drag out the Ukraine conflict, Lavrov claimed. London and Washington have been exercising their control over the Ukrainian negotiators with the aim of dragging out the conflict, and this policy has led to the suspension of peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on Tuesday.
Speaking at the New Horizons educational marathon, Lavrov said that Ukraine may have made its own decision in Istanbul, when it came up with some “acceptable principles for reaching agreements” during negotiations with Russia. However, according to the minister, these ideas were apparently not supported by the West.
“We have information coming through various channels that Washington and especially London ‘lead’ the Ukrainian negotiators and control their freedom of maneuver. They want to drag out the conflict, and it seems to them that the longer it will last, the more damage they will inflict on Russian servicemen,” Lavrov said.
The foreign minister doubts, however, that “transferring the conversation to the level of Washington or London” would be able to change anything in terms of the progress.
“Anyway, neither London, nor Washington, nor the West as a whole has put forward any proposals,” Lavrov said.
The West actually acknowledged that Ukraine is “expendable in a hybrid total war against the Russian Federation,” Lavrov claimed, citing remarks by the EU, UK and US officials who have said on multiple occasions that Russia should not be allowed to win in the Ukrainian conflict.
“The war was declared by them. And not at all between Ukraine and Russia, but between the West and Russia,” Lavrov said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said that diplomatic dialogue between Moscow and Kiev had been completely suspended after Kiev withdrew from negotiations without providing any response to the latest Russian proposals.
A Ukrainian presidential adviser, Mikhail Podolyak, later confirmed that “after the Istanbul communiqué [in March], there have been no changes, no progress.”……. https://www.rt.com/russia/555640-russia-lavrov-west-ukraine/
Climate change makes record-breaking heatwaves in northwest India and Pakistan 100 times more likely
Climate change makes record-breaking heatwaves in northwest India and
Pakistan 100 times more likely, a Met Office study finds. The region should
now expect a heatwave that exceeds the record temperatures seen in 2010
once every three years.
Without climate change, such extreme temperatures
would occur only once every 312 years, the Met Office says. The report
comes as forecasters say temperatures in north-west India could reach new
highs in the coming days. The extreme pre-monsoon heatwave the region has
suffered in recent weeks eased a little after peak temperatures reached 51C
in Pakistan on Saturday.
But the heat looks likely to build again towards
the end of this week and into the weekend, the Met Office’s Global Guidance
Unit warns. It says maximum temperatures are likely to reach 50C in some
spots, with continued very high overnight temperatures.
BBC 18th May 2022
1.2 billion people threatened by escalating heat due to climate change
Rolling out cooling technologies to the 1.2 billion people most at risk
from extreme heat incidents should be a global priority, according to the
global Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) campaign.
In a new report, titled Chilling Prospects, SEforALL reveals the escalating threat
communities are facing from extreme heatwaves and warns that the world is
entering a decisive decade when sustainable cooling solutions must be
deployed at pace if increasingly common heatwaves are not to have
catastrophic and deadly consequences.
The report assesses 76 countries with
cooling access challenges and found that, globally, 1.2 billion people do
not have adequate access to cooling, threatening their ability to survive
extreme heat, store nutritious food, or secure access to safe vaccines.
Business Green 17th May 2022
COP26: No countries have delivered on promise to improve climate plans.
COP26: No countries have delivered on promise to improve climate plans. In
Glasgow, 196 countries promised to “revisit and strengthen” their plans for
curbing emissions, but there is little sign of this happening before the
next talks in November.
Sebastian Mernild’s presentation pulled no
punches. As more than 40 countries met in Copenhagen last week to discuss
progress since 2021’s COP26 climate summit, the University of Southern
Denmark glaciologist greeted ministers with jagged red lines showing rising
global temperatures. He reminded them that emissions are still growing.
And he told them their goal of holding temperature rises to 1.5°C needs
nothing less than “rapid, deep and sustained” emissions cuts. “They
all know what we are facing scientifically regarding 1.5°C,” says
Mernild. Whether they are acting on that knowledge is another question.
Half a year on from a deal at COP26 in Glasgow, it is far from clear if
countries are delivering on the commitments they made. COP26 president Alok
Sharma said today that failure by world leaders to deliver on their pledges
would be a “monstrous act of self-harm”. Speaking in Glasgow, he said
he could understand why action to cut emissions had been pushed out of the
spotlight by the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis, but reminded
his audience that “climate change is a chronic danger” the world
couldn’t ignore.
New Scientist 16th May 2022
Up to 100 U.S. nuclear weapons surround Russia’s border
Putin’s worst nightmare MAPPED as ‘up to 100’ US nuclear weapons surround Russia’s border https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1611678/putin-nuclear-weapons-nato-europe-russia-us
AS MANY as 100 of the US’s nuclear weapons are reportedly stationed surrounding Russia in European NATO territories in a nightmare situation for Vladimir Putin.
By JACOB PAUL, May 17, 2022 While Russia has the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, at nearly 6,000, none of these are anywhere near the US. But the US reportedly keeps many of its nuclear weapons at sites in Europe. The estimate comes from experts Miles A. Pomper and Vasilii Tuganov, both from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. They wrote in a piece for The Conversation: “About half of the roughly 200 US shorter-range weapons are believed to be deployed in five NATO countries in Europe.”
It is thought that the Volkel Airbase in the Netherlands, Kleine Brogel Air Base, in Belgium and Buchel Air base in Germany house the US’s B61-3 and -4 gravity bombs.
The same goes for Ghendi and Aviano bases, both in Italy, and the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.
Several NATO countries do have their own arsenals too, but this refers specifically to US weapons. The B61 nuclear bomb is the US’ main type of thermonuclear gravity bomb, meaning it is even more destructive than the first-generation atomic bombs. The weapon has been operational with the US military since 1968.
The weapons can be dropped by dual aircraft, which is likely why they are kept at air bases.
And these bombs might not only stay limited to continental Europe.
According to US government budget documents, RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk is set to be upgraded – and some believe that will hand it the ability to store B61-12 nuclear bombs.
But the Ministry of Defence has so-far refused to clarify whether US nuclear weapons would be returning to the UK.
Back in the 1990s, RAF Lakenheath had 33 underground storage vaults, where 110 B61 bombs were stored, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).
The American weapons on NATO territories are thought to be kept in underground vaults of the airbases, with a Permissive Action Link (PAL) code restricting their use to the US.
While there are thought to be 100 US nuclear bombs in NATO territory today, back at the peak of Cold War tensions there were thought to be a staggering 7,300 or so.
But the US does not have a shortage of bases on its own territory, where thousands of weapons are kept.
US strategic bombers are kept at the Minot Air Force base in North Dakota and the Whiteman Air Force base in Missouri .
The US also has ICBM silo fields in its Frances E. Warren Air Force base in Wyoming and its Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. There are submarine bases in Kings Bay in Georgia and Kitsap in Washington.
While Russia does possess more weapons than the US in total, the 2011 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty limits both sides to 1,600 weapons on standby each.
These weapons include intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICMBs), and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, missiles launched from specialized aircraft.
Many of these have nuclear warheads attached.
Despite being surrounded by US weapons, Russian nuclear warheads can travel at alarming speeds to strike targets large distances away. This includes the recently unveiled Sarmat 2, dubbed Satan 2 by the West.
The ICBM is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and can even hit targets in the US and Europe.
Prof Andrew Futter, a nuclear weapons expert from the University of Leicester, warned that if Putin did launch an attack on London, it would have around 15 minutes to prepare.
He told MyLondon: “It wouldn’t give us time to do anything. Government officials might be OK, there is a bunker under Whitehall and some places VIPs can hide.”
1 This month.
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
19 May – Webinar- Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-05-19 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-05-19 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent
National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action
Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,
Facilitator Kelley Tranter.
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 