As the debate around renewables and nuclear continues, here is what the experts say
It’s ludicrous to suppose that nuclear energy will have a resurrection. It’s akin to saying that film cameras will take over from digital cameras.“
“Nuclear is being deployed at about two gigawatts per year around the world. Solar and wind last year did 700 gigawatts,”
By Adam Shirley, Stateline, ABC News 10 Apr 25
Russell Mowbray lives in one of the 39 per cent of all Australian homes that have solar panels.
His house renovation doesn’t include loads of energy features, that are in his words “the bee’s knees”, but what his growing family can afford.
Installing solar was a priority.
“That’s the big one. As soon as you go and do all these new fancy things they come with bills, but offsetting those costs helps massively,” Mr Mowbray said.
“Most of the roof is covered, apart from the odd skylight here and there, but most of that’s covered with panels … We’re getting a fair bit [of power] and not paying a great deal.
“We’re not actually paying anything in summer. So summers are free!”
On how his energy use has changed, Mr Mowbray is blunt.
“It’s not like a conscious decision now that we have to go and turn the air conditioning off or … we can’t use the heating,” he said.
Mr Mowbray runs a house extension and renovation company.
He said every single customer asked him about solar power and electricity.
“There’s limits of costs on what [customers] want to put into their solar and energy efficiencies … Most are pretty comfortable putting solar on because that’s a nice, easy, quick way to help them out with bills. That’s the end game,” he said.
A heated debate
Modern day solar panels have their origins in suburban Canberra.
When ANU professor of engineering Andrew Blakers switched to studying solar energy in the 1980s, it was a little-known niche industry.
“When I started, solar energy was a very small endeavour, small panels in remote areas and on satellites … and today, it is a global juggernaut,” he said.
Professor Blakers has been a key influence in that industry.
He’s watched Australia’s current and future energy needs become a very hot topic.
The source — and cost — of our power is a key federal election issue, with the opposition arguing nuclear must be a key component of our energy mix.
It’s an issue Professor Blakers has a clear position on.
“Pure politics is driving the so-called debate on nuclear energy,” he said.
“It’s ludicrous to suppose that nuclear energy will have a resurrection. It’s akin to saying that film cameras will take over from digital cameras.”
Australian households don’t have the choice of nuclear power right now, and it’s unclear if there will ever be an option of household nuclear systems anywhere in the world.
Household solar systems have been around for a while, and costs have reduced significantly in the past 10 years.
Depending on which state or territory you live in, the payback period for a fully installed system is four-and-a-half to eight years.
And depending on the size of the system, a household will save anywhere from $510 to $1,120 every year on power bills.
……. UNSW associate professor Edward Obbard has decades of experience in nuclear engineering and design. He acknowledges that compared to other sources, nuclear power is “an expensive form of electricity”…………………..
We have renewable technology ‘that works’
Alison Reeve is the deputy program director of energy at the Grattan Institute.
Part of her job is to assess the most practical, cheapest and reliable energy that Australians need.
She said the vast majority of energy in Australia should come from solar and wind plus storage, with a small amount — two to 10 per cent — of gas……………………
“Two things to understand about nuclear power. One is that it’s the most expensive form of generation, and the second one, that it takes a long time to build.”
‘We’re going to live in a changed climate’
A challenge is the need to lay cables and connections for new power sources across the country.
Both Professor Blakers and Ms Reeve acknowledge this, but argue it’s a problem that can be solved.
They say that if Australia continues to follow the renewable path it’s on, there are significant economic benefits………………………………………………………..
The unstoppable momentum of solar
As Australians make day-to-day decisions about how to reduce their bills, Russell Mowbray says renovations and rebuilds are all going in one direction.
“It’s always part of the conversation with the clients we’re dealing with,” he said…………………
And Professor Blakers points to the broader numbers to illustrate what he says is unstoppable momentum.
“Nuclear is being deployed at about two gigawatts per year around the world. Solar and wind last year did 700 gigawatts,” he said.
“It’s game over.”
What Australians are saying about energy prices……………………………..https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-10/act-solar-and-nuclear-experts/105155684
Lambie Promises Senate Inquiry into USA Relations
Lambie & Patrick AUS/US Senate Inquiry,
8 April 25 – Tasmanian Times
Jacqui Lambie, Senator for Tasmania and her South Australian Senate candidate, Rex Patrick, today announced that if returned to the Senate, they will establish a wide-ranging Senate inquiry into Australia’s relations with the United States, including the ANZUS Treaty and the AUKUS nuclear submarine scheme.
“Australia is facing global economic disruption on a scale not seen since WW2, it’s essential the Australian parliament do a top to bottom review of Australia’s relationship with the United States,” Senator Lambie said.
“For too long debate on Australia foreign and defence policy has been constrained by bureaucratic orthodoxy and the bipartisan straitjacket imposed by Labor and the Liberal National Coalition. However the international scene is now changing rapidly and radically in ways that destroy past assumptions, especially the notion that Australia can enjoy defence on the cheap while relying on the USA for protection. Those days are gone.” said former Senator Rex Patrick.
“President Trump’s tariff attack, in open violation of the Australia/ US Free Trade Agreement, calls into question the value of the ANZUS alliance, the cornerstone of Australian defence policy for more than 70 years. The AUKUS project, acknowledged by the Defence Department to be “very high risk”, now looks like a huge mistake.” said Senator Lambie
“It isn’t often a great power self-immolates through rank stupidity, but that’s the grim spectacle we’re now witnessing. Australia must be much more independent and self-reliant to successfully navigate the geopolitical turbulence that lies ahead.” Rex Patrick said.
The establishment of a Senate Select Committee inquiry into Australia’s alliance with the United States including the ANZUS alliance and the AUKUS nuclear submarine scheme will be moved in the first sitting week of the 48th Parliament. This will ensure an open and honest debate about Australia’s foreign affairs, defence and trade policies starting with a focus on the United States.
The recent strategic policy experts forum convened by former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was a valuable beginning, but we must carry this debate forward through the next Parliament.
The terms of reference will be broad and representation on the Select Committee should span political opinion across the Senate……………………………………………………………….. https://tasmaniantimes.com/2025/04/lambie-promises-senate-inquiry-into-usa-relations/
Israeli Defence Force courts Australian universities amid anti-war protests
Michael West Media, by Wendy Bacon and Yaakov Aharon | Apr 5, 2025
Hundreds of university staff and students in Melbourne and Sydney called on their Vice-Chancellors to cancel pro-Israel events this week. Wendy Bacon and Yaakov Aharon with the story.
While Australia’s universities continue to repress pro-Palestine peace protests, they gave the green light to pro-Israel events this week, sparking outrage from anti-war protestors.
Israeli lobby groups ‘StandWithUs Australia’ (SWU) and ‘Israel-IS’ organised a series of university events this week which featured Israel Defense Force (IDF) reservists who served during the war in Gaza, two of whom lost family members in Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023.
The events were promoted as “an immersive VR experience with an inspiring interfaith panel” discussing the importance of social cohesion, on and off campus.”
Hundreds of staff and students at Monash, Sydney Uni, UNSW and UTS signed letters calling on their universities to “act swiftly to cancel the SWU event and make clear that organisations and individuals who worked with the Israel Defense Forces did not have a place on UNSW campuses.”
SWU is a global charity organisation which supports Israel and fights all conduct it perceives to be ‘antisemitic’. It campaigns against the United Nations and International NGOs’ findings against Israel and is currently supporting actions to suspend United States students supporting Palestine. It established an office in Sydney in 2022 and Michael Gencher, who previously worked at the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, was appointed as CEO.
The event’s co-sponsor Israel-IS is a similar propaganda outfit whose mission is to “connect with people before they connect with ideas” particularly through “cutting edge technologies like VR and AI.” Among their eighteen staff, one employee’s role is ‘IDF coordinator’’ by while two employees serve as ‘Heads of Influencer Academy’.
The events were a test for management at Monash, UTS, UNSW and USyd to see how far each would go in cooperating with the Israel lobby.
Events cancelled
At Monash, an open letter criticising the event was circulated by staff and students. The event was then cancelled without explanation.
At UNSW, 51 staff and postgraduate students signed an open letter to Vice Chancellor Atilla Brungs, calling for the event’s cancellation. It was signed on their behalf by Jessica Whyte, an Associate Professor of Philosophy in Arts and Law and Noam Peleg, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice.
Prior to Wednesday morning’s scheduled event, MWM sent questions to UNSW. After the event was scheduled to occur, the university responded to MWM, informing us that it had not taken place.
As of today, two days after the event was scheduled, Vice-Chancellor Brungs has not responded to the letter.
UTS warning to students
The UTS branch of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students partnered with Israel-IS in organising the UTS event, in alignment with their core ‘pillars’ of Zionism and activism. The student group seeks to “promote a positive image of Israel on campus” to achieve its vision of a world where Jewish students are committed to Israel.
UTS Students’ Association, Palestinian Youth Society and UTS Muslim Student Society wrote to management but Deputy Vice-Chancellor Kylie Readman rejected pleas. She replied that the event’s organisers had guaranteed it would be “a small private event focused on minority Israeli perspectives” and that speakers would only speak in a personal capacity.
While acknowledging the conflict in the Middle East was stressful for many at UTS, she then warned students, “UTS has not received formal notification of any intent to protest, as is required under the campus policy. As such, I must advise that any protest activity planned for 2nd April will be unauthorised. I would urge you to encourage students not to participate in an unauthorised protest.”
Students who allegedly breach campus policies can face disciplinary proceedings that can lead to suspension.
UTS Student Association President Mia Campbell told MWM, “The warning given by UTS about protesting definitely felt intimidating and frightening to a number of students, including myself. Especially as a Law student, misconduct allegations can affect your admission to the profession… but with all other avenues of communication exhausted between us and the university, it felt like we didn’t have a choice.
“I don’t want to look back on what I was doing during this genocide and have done any less than what was possible at the time.“
A UTS student reads the names of Gaza children killed in Israel’s War on Gaza. Photo by Wendy Bacon.
The UTS protest was sombre but quietly angry. Speakers read from lists naming dead Palestinian children.
One speaker, who has lost 120 members of his extended family in Gaza, explained why he protested. We have to “be backed into a corner, told we can’t protest, told we can’t do anything. We’ve exhausted every single policy…Add to all that we are threatened with misconduct.”
“Do you think we can stay silent while there are people on campus who may have played a part in the killings in Gaza?”
SWU at University of Sydney
University of Sydney staff and students who signed an open letter received no reply before the event.
Activists from USyd staff in support of Palestine, Students Against War and Jews Against the Occupation ‘48 began protesting outside the Michael Spence building that houses the university’s senior executives on Wednesday evening.
Escorted by UTS security, three SWU representatives arrived. A small group was admitted. Soon afterwards, the participants could be seen from below in the building’s meeting room. A few protesters remained and booed the attendees as they left. These included Mark Leach, a far right Christian Zionist and founder of pro-Israeli group Never Again is Now. Later on X, he condemned the protesters and described Israel as a “multi-ethnic enclave of civilisation.”
Several student activists have received letters recently warning them about breaching the new USyd code of conduct regulating protests. USyd has also adopted a definition of anti-semitism which critics say could restrict criticism of Israel. It has been slammed by the Jewish Council of Australia as “dangerous” and “unworkable”.
A Jews against Occupation ’48 speaker, Judith Treanor, said, “Welcoming this organisation makes a mockery of this university’s stated values of respect, non-harassment, and anti-racism. In the context of this university’s adoption of draconian measures to stifle freedom of expression in relation to Palestine, the decision to host this event promoting Israel reveals a shocking level of hypocrisy and a huge abuse of power.”………………………………………………………………………. https://michaelwest.com.au/idf-courts-australian-universities-amid-anti-war-protests/
Australian nuclear news 7 – 14 April
Headlines as they come in:
- Dump nuclear, restore momentum – new poll shows opportunity for Coalition.
- Community groups furious Coalition nuclear plan would go ahead even if locals oppose it.
- The irrational optimism of the nuclear power lobby.
- Going nuclear will decimate jobs in regions first, stop billions in new investment
- Why is Peter Dutton shying away from nuclear power? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12RE1WGl-VQ
- As the debate around renewables and nuclear continues, here is what the experts say.
- Coalition nuclear plan will plough $58bn wrecking ball through renewable energy projects, analysis warns.
- Lambie Promises Senate Inquiry into USA Relations
- Nuclear would funnel up to 200 Gigalitres away from Australian farms annually
- How US Dependence is Not in Our Best Interest.
- Australia’s submarine deal under scrutiny as global alliances shift.
- What if a Fukushima-sized nuclear accident happened near you? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIModFC_9kI
- Not enough water available for Coalition’s nuclear proposal to run safely, report finds.
Australia’s submarine deal under scrutiny as global alliances shift
The Age Rob Harris, April 9, 2025
London: Britain will scrutinise Australia’s nuclear submarines deal with the UK and the United States, as concerns are raised on the other side of the Atlantic about the continued reliability of the US as a security partner.
The UK House of Commons Defence Committee quietly announced a parliamentary inquiry last week into the contentious AUKUS defence pact, signed in 2021, which will cost Australian taxpayers $368 billion over the next 30 years. The inquiry – the first of its kind – will evaluate whether the program remains on track and consider the impact of global geopolitical shifts since the deal was signed.
With none of the original signatories – former leaders Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and Scott Morrison – still in office, the inquiry also reflects the changing dynamics in global alliances. Notably, the US recently distanced itself from its European NATO allies, complicating the context of the pact.
At a US Senate hearing on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), Democrat senator Mark Warner said President Donald Trump’s decision last week to impose tariffs on US allies, including on Australia and the United Kingdom, “undermines our national security and frankly makes us not a good partner”.
“We’re supposed to be doing this major deal around jointly building submarines,” Warner said after the hearing. “I think [Australia] and all of our allies are rethinking whether we can be counted on as a partner.”………………………………………………………………………………
While AUKUS aims to strengthen defence ties in the Indo-Pacific, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has voiced concerns, questioning whether Australia would ever receive a US nuclear-powered submarine. The US faces challenges in its own naval capabilities, with senior Pentagon officials also questioning the feasibility of the submarine deal, given current shipbuilding limitations………………………………………………………….
London-based foreign policy analyst Sophia Gaston, a senior fellow at the Australia Strategic Policy Institute, said the secret origins of AUKUS had “proven an impediment to building a wider scope of engagement around the pact”.
“This inquiry will bring new voices and energy into the conversation … but also confront the rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape in which AUKUS is seeking to make its mark,” she said……………………………………………………..https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/australia-s-submarine-deal-under-scrutiny-as-global-alliances-shift-20250409-p5lqcq.html
What if a Fukushima-sized nuclear accident happened near you?
On March 11 we commemorated 14 years since the terrible nuclear disaster in Fukushima. The impacts of this event are felt to this day with tens of thousands of people still displaced and tens of thousands of tonnes of contaminated liquid being routinely dumped in the Pacific.
Japan is a rich, technically sophisticated and modern country with high safety standards., In these ways it is comparable to Australia – except that unlike Australia Japan has decades of nuclear experience. If the Coalition’s nuclear power proposal were to go ahead, the risk of a nuclear accident is always present. It is simply not worth the risk.
The interactive map at nuclearplume.au uses a directo overlay of the Fukushima radiation plume, based on research originally peer reviewed and published by the European Geosciences Union. It shows the deposition of radioactive caesium-137 from the Fukushima disaster as of July 2011. The darker the shading, the higher the level of radioactive contamination and the higher the radiation exposures for people in those areas. At distances far from the Fukushima plant, radiation exposures were low but even low radiation doses can cause negative health impacts including fatal cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Not enough water available for Coalition’s nuclear proposal to run safely, report finds
Analyst says nuclear is the ‘thirstiest’ energy source, as report commissioned by Liberal supporters throws doubt on plan’s feasibility.
Guardian, Petra Stock, 9 Apr 25
About 90% of the nuclear generation capacity the Coalition proposes to build would not have access to enough water to run safely, according to a report commissioned by Liberals Against Nuclear.
The report authored by Prof Andrew Campbell, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University, assessed nuclear energy’s water needs and the available supply across the seven sites where the Coalition has proposed new reactors.
Campbell found replacing coal generation with “off the shelf” nuclear technology as proposed by the Coalition would require 200 gigalitres of water annually.
He found half of the proposed nuclear capacity was already unfeasible given insufficient water, while a further 40% of the capacity would need to be curtailed during dry seasons.
“At Loy Yang in Victoria, Mt Piper in NSW and Muja in Western Australia, existing water availability is already so constrained that new nuclear power stations of the capacities proposed would lack sufficient cooling water to provide reliable power now, let alone for 80 years into the future, even if the majority of existing irrigation water entitlements were acquired,” the report said.
The volumes required at Callide in Queensland and Liddell in New South Wales would be so significant the demands could place pressure on other water users, including agriculture, industry, urban residents and the environment.
Dave Sweeney, a nuclear policy analyst at the Australian Conservation Foundation, described nuclear energy as the “thirstiest of the energy sources”, which required reliable access to large volumes of water for steam to drive a turbine as well as to cool the reactor core.
On a per-kilowatt hour basis, nuclear power used more water than coal, and “massively more than renewables”, he said……………………………………
Dr Mark Diesendorf, an expert in sustainable energy at the University of NSW, said nuclear power stations were typically larger than coal generators and used more water as a result. “In comparison, solar and wind don’t use any water during operation at all,” he said.
“Australia is the driest continent in the world, apart from Antarctica,” he noted. That meant water use was an important issue, alongside other concerns such as the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the difficulty and expense of managing radioactive waste and the danger of low-level radiation as well as accidents…………………………………………………………….
Andrew Gregson, the spokesperson for Liberals Against Nuclear and a former state director of the Liberal party in Tasmania, said the nuclear water grab threatened to “sever the trust between the Coalition and agricultural communities permanently”.
“We’ve spent decades building our reputation as champions of farmers’ rights – particularly water access. Why would we throw away that political capital for nuclear plants that most Australians don’t want?” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/09/not-enough-water-available-for-coalitions-nuclear-proposal-to-run-safely-report-finds?fbclid=IwY2xjawJj08VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsr4gCWoCyIIPdf_Pd5L89YMaJnymCsNl3F3wcT-YgT7oP1C5Bl9U_fpxYsf_aem_RVvJw4Qzs8w3lNw7HHFP9g
Uranium stocks dumped as market ‘paralysis’ intensifies
The ASX’s beaten-up uranium sector is braced for a fresh blow from US President Donald Trump’s next round of tariffs, which threaten to dislocate physical markets and further delay a hotly anticipated bull run.
The sell-off is feeding into the hands of hedge funds, which are heavily shorting the industry in Australia, including about a quarter of the shares outstanding on Boss Energy.
Traders have been preparing for Trump’s 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy exports to kick in tonight (Thursday AEDT) as part of his so-called Liberation Day. Despite the president initially threatening 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian uranium, the levies are still expected to rock the physical market, given the US is the world’s largest uranium buyer.
The anxiety accelerated a sell-off in ASX uranium stocks on Wednesday that sent Paladin Energy plunging 3.3 per cent to $4.66. Boss Energy fell 3.4 per cent to $2.30 and Peninsula Energy 5.9 per cent to 63.5¢.
Prices of the nuclear fuel have already collapsed 40 per cent from a 16-year-high above $US106 a pound last year to now sit at $US64.25 a pound.
And uncertainty about the scope and duration of Trump’s coming levies has intensified concerns about demand for the metal, given US nuclear power plants rely on Canada for more than a quarter of their uranium requirements – more than any other source, according to Bloomberg.
That has caused US utilities – nuclear power plant operators that are the primary buyers of uranium – to halt purchases of the nuclear fuel, sparking concerns that they will eventually run out of inventory……………………………………….
Uranium stocks have been under fire since January when reports emerged that Chinese artificial intelligence disruptor DeepSeek was developed at a fraction of the cost and computing power of OpenAI’s equivalent model.
Investors were concerned that if AI became more efficient, it would reduce overall power consumption and therefore demand for uranium – a key ingredient in nuclear reactors being developed by tech giants such as Google, Meta and Amazon.
That price weakness has attracted the attention of hedge funds, and the ASX’s largest uranium producers – Boss Energy and Paladin Energy – are the most shorted stocks in Australia.……………………………………
Uranium stocks went on a tear in late 2023 and early last year amid concerns about supply shortages and renewed demand from Western countries turning to the energy source to meet their net zero commitments.
That dynamic led to a flood of bets that the uranium sector would be stuck in a deficit for years to come, which would boost prices………………………………………https://www.afr.com/markets/commodities/uranium-stocks-dumped-as-trump-fears-intensify-market-paralysis-20250402-p5lofe
Nuclear news this week – not industry handouts
Some bits of good news.
Girl Goals: What Has Changed for Girls?Adolescent girls’ rights over 30 Years
Fighting malnutrition in Burundi: Mothers of Light are rays of hope .
A study found we underestimate how kind the world really is
TOP STORIES. Once seen as a symbolic protest, the nuclear ban treaty is growing teeth. Nuclear war threat: why Africa’s pushing for a complete ban.
Nuclear Threat Beneath The Seas.
Walt Zlotow – Why do so many leaders remain stupid about Ukraine war?
SMRs most expensive of all electricity technologies per kW generation.
PLANT VOGTLE The True Cost of Nuclear Power in the United States –Extract at
https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/04/plant-vogtle-the-true-cost-of-nuclear-power-in-the-united-states/
Climate. Global warming is ‘exposing’ new coastlines and islands as Arctic glaciers shrink . Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer. Average person will be 40% poorer if world warms by 4C, new research shows.
AUSTRALIA. Trump tariffs spark questions over US alliance. This ain’t no April fools: Nuclear support melts down in proposed nuclear communities. More Australian nuclear news at https://antinuclear.net/2025/04/01/australian-nuclear-news-april-1st-7th/
NUCLEAR ITEMS.
ATROCITIES. International pressure forces Israel to change account of Gaza medics’ killing. What really happened in Bucha? The questions Western media won’t ask.
ECONOMICS.
- Cost of EPR2 : Reporterre publishes a censored alert. Mini nuclear reactor rush has a short half-life – ALSO AT https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/06/2-b1-cost-of-epr2-reporterre-publishes-a-censored-alert/
- Buyer sought for nuclear energy developer as it collapses into administration.
- Miliband pours £2.7bn into Sizewell nuclear power projectafter EDF cuts stake. https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/06/2-b1-cost-of-epr2-reporterre-publishes-a-censored-alert/ UK Treasury confident Sizewell C nuclear power investors will soon be ‘teed up’ – crunch time for Sizewell. ALSO AT https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/03/1-b1-uk-treasury-confident-sizewell-c-nuclear-power-investors-will-soon-beteed-up-crunch-time-for-sizewell/
- UPDATE ON THE BANKRUPTCY OF USNC – Ultra Safe Nuclear.
- ‘Greedy landlords are cashing in and forcing us out of town’.
| EDUCATION. Hinkley C nuclear power station site teaches A Level students about “clean” energy !! |
| ENVIRONMENT. ‘They’re everywhere’: workers warn of rat infestation at Somerset nuclear plant. |
| EVENTS. Local Communities Say NO to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL Expansion); Public Comments Due on Thursday, April 10th. “Getting people to do what they can from where they are”: NFLAs support Democracy Day inspiring peace activists to make Councils anti-nuke allies-14-26 April – Lakenheath Peace Camp https://nuclearactive.org/ |
| HISTORY. ‘Bringing calm and hope’: President Carter’s role at Three Mile Island |
| LEGAL. Deloitte seeks to avoid liability over US nuclear fiasco – ALSO AT https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/06/2-b1-deloitte-seeks-to-avoid-liability-over-us-nuclear-fiasco/ Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) rejects intervenors’ Palisades “zombie” nuke reactor restart petition & hearing request. |
| MEDIA. Canada supplied uranium for atomic bombs in WWII — 80 years later, the cleanup continues – film Atomic Reaction. |
OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR . The great trek for justice.
Resistance to nuke dump grows in South Copeland.
POLITICS.
- Germany’s Conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) mulls reactivation of nuclear power plants.
- Democracy should not be an April Fools’ Day Joke! ‘Another significant show of confidence’ in Sizewell C, – making the total of taxpayers’ money going into the project a staggering £6.4bn).
- Federal regulator approves Canada’s first small modular reactor.
POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. Iran rejects ‘meaningless’ direct talks with US. With US bombers at the ready, can Trump cut a deal with Iran and avoid a war? Trump’s bombing threat over Iran nuclear programme prompts backlash. Military confrontation ‘almost inevitable‘ if Iran nuclear talks fail: French FM. Iran rejects direct talks with the US over its nuclear programme. Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Bombing’ If Nuclear Deal Is Not Reached.
EUROPE’S DESPERATE GAMBIT. If the Europeans are serious about peace, they should invite Zelensky to fewer meetings. TRUMP’S PURSUIT OF A UKRAINIAN PEACE: Early Results and Future Prospects.
Why Ontario won’t consider the nuclear option in its fight over Trump’s tariffs.
China or America-Who is the warmonger?
The West has big plans for nuclear power: Will geopolitics play ball
SAFETY. Unsafe for Russia to restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, says Ukraine energy chief.
Pearl Harbor update brings nuclear risk.
Nuclear site given more time to fix safety breach.
SECRETS and LIES.
- Britain sent over 500 spy flights to Gaza.
- Biden Lied About Everything, Including Nuclear Risk, During Ukraine Operation.
- Meltdown: the toxic culture that helped destroy the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).
- Russian sensors suspected of attempting to spy on the UK’s nuclear submarines have been found hidden in the seas around Britain – ALSO AT https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/07/1-russian-sensors-suspected-of-attempting-to-spy-on-the-uks-nuclear-submarines-have-been-found-hidden-in-the-seas-around-britain/
SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. Swarms of satellites are harming astronomy. Here’s how researchers are fighting back.
| TECHNOLOGY. Bavarian SMRs & Hydrogen Vans: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? |
| URANIUM. Uranium stocks dumped as market ‘paralysis’ intensifies. |
| WASTES Inside the bizarre race to secure Earth’s nuclear tombs. Cumbria could be only option for nuclear disposal. Millom nuclear waste plans ‘currently detrimental’ to locals-ALSO AT https://nuclear-news.net/2025/04/06/2-b1-millom-nuclear-waste-plans-currently-detrimental-to-locals/ Recycling Nuclear Waste: A Win-Win or a Dangerous Gamble? Plutonium The true story of the demon core – https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9FEFGlBZBwg |
| WAR and CONFLICT. It’s Official: Ukraine Conflict is British ‘Proxy War‘. Germany deploys troops to Russia’s doorstep for first time since the Nazis. Hegseth Orders Pentagon To Focus on Preparing for War With China Over Taiwan. Hegseth Circulated Secret Pentagon Memo On Preparing For War With China. |
| WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. The future of Europe won’t be shaped by mushroom clouds – why nuclear weapons don’t provide security – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Cx5O1yfoo Britain is aiding Israel’s nuclear force. UK nuclear deterrent: the mutual defense agreement is at risk in a Trumpian age. |
Dutton’s ‘nuclear thought bubble’ needs to be popped
The Age, April 6, 2025
Nuclear disaster
Thank you, Peter Garrett, for telling it like it is in his take-down of the Coalition’s ill-conceived, expensive and dangerous nuclear energy policy (“I’ve spent my life fighting nuclear: Here’s what Dutton isn’t telling you about his reactors” March 30). Peter Dutton and his cronies have been allowed to get away with their ridiculous nuclear thought bubble for too long. The Labor Party has been relatively weak in its criticism of what is essentially a “smoke and mirrors” idea to present an alternative to developing renewable energy and to appease the fossil fuel lobby in the bargain. The anti-nuclear energy message needs to be hammered out to all Australians before the election. It is simply a backward and disastrous way to go.
Robert Hickey, Green Point
Thank you so much, Peter Garrett, for your insightful article. You have most eloquently summed up my thoughts and fear of Australia going down the rabbit hole of nuclear power. As a kid, I witnessed the psychological stress of the Cold War when it was thought that our world could end any day, with Russia and America in full conflict. It’s why Australians turned its back on nuclear all those years ago. For those of my era that have read Peter’s article, please share it with your children and get them to share among their friends. I’ve yet to see a mushroom cloud of destruction coming from a solar panel or pumped hydro. Ray Gilmour, Blaxland
Peter Garrett’s article makes very convincing points. Another negative aspect of these proposed nuclear reactors is the amount of cooling water which is required for them to function. These hypothetical nuclear reactors would require at least twice as much water as the existing coal-fired power stations use, and yet we live on the driest inhabited continent. These reactors sound like another thought bubble from Mr Dutton.
Evan Bailey, Glebe
Now in my late 80s, it seems that I must again join demonstrations against proposal for nuclear energy in Australia. Still, the crucial question is: where in Australia will the nuclear waste be stored for hundreds of years? Like Peter Garrett, I thought that we had won this argument decades ago. Else Gelling, Merimbula https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/dutton-s-nuclear-thought-bubble-needs-to-be-popped-20250330-p5lnlg.html
Nuclear Threat Beneath The Seas
this development will not enhance Hawai‘i’s security; instead, it will place residents, ecosystems, and future generations in direct danger by turning the islands into a priority target in any potential nuclear conflict.
Housing nuclear submarines does not enhance security—it increases risk. These vessels carry dozens of thermonuclear warheads, and their presence in densely populated areas like Faslane and Pearl Harbor makes those regions high-priority targets in any potential conflict. But that’s not the only danger. Accidents happen.
By Lynda Williams, Popular Resistance, April 3, 2025, https://popularresistance.org/nuclear-threat-beneath-the-seas/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR08tn1TsnqxjAIg6qVp8KCYV3x9pW42zmP8114Fxte0qPxU_54NVNPraYU_aem_U7nVrPbu5zG5fwkqLnioDA
The Rising Danger of the Global Submarine Nuclear Arms Race.
Right now, beneath the world’s oceans, approximately 30 nuclear-armed submarines patrol silently, virtually undetectable. These submarines represent humanity’s deadliest doomsday machines: stealthy, always on alert, and capable of launching thousands of nuclear warheads at a moment’s notice. At any given time, an estimated 10 to 15 of them are deployed, carrying roughly 500 to 900 warheads—enough to kill hundreds of millions and trigger a nuclear winter with potentially irreversible global consequences. With this capacity to destroy life on Earth many times over, the world’s nuclear states aren’t scaling back — they’re building more, pushing the Doomsday Clock ever closer to midnight.
The Current and Growing Nuclear Submarine Global Arsenal
Six nations currently operate nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), nuclear-powered vessels designed to launch ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads from beneath the sea, each with the kill power of thousands of Hiroshima bombs. The United States and Russia maintain the largest fleets, each fielding more than a dozen SSBNs capable of carrying hundreds of warheads, with several submarines on constant patrol. China, the United Kingdom, and France operate smaller fleets of four to six submarines, keeping at least one deployed at all times. India, a more recent entrant, has one operational nuclear-armed submarine with more in development. The cost of building and maintaining these underwater arsenals is estimated at $300–400 billion. Together, the current global fleet of about 40 SSBNs carries over 1,500 nuclear warheads—enough destructive power to kill hundreds of millions within hours and trigger a nuclear winter that could collapse the Earth’s biosphere.
All six nations are now developing next-generation nuclear-armed submarines: the Columbia-class in the U.S., the Dreadnought in the UK, the SNLE 3G in France, the Type 096 in China, successors to the Arihant in India, and the Borei-A in Russia—at a collective cost of hundreds of billions of dollars. The other three nuclear-armed states—Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea—do not currently operate nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines, though all three are exploring submarine-based nuclear delivery systems to varying degrees.
New Nuclear Arms Race Under the Sea
On March 20, 2025, the United Kingdom formally began construction of its new Dreadnought-class nuclear submarine at BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presided over the ceremonial blessing, praising the program as essential for national security. Outside the shipyard, members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) protested the event, condemning the Dreadnought program as a reckless escalation of the global nuclear arms race. The Dreadnought will replace the UK’s aging Vanguard-class submarines and carry Trident II D5 ballistic missiles, each capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads with enormous destructive potential.
Although the submarines are built in England, they are based in Scotland, at HMNB Clyde (Faslane)—the home port of the UK’s entire nuclear-armed submarine fleet. Opposition to Trident is strongest in Scotland, where public opinion and the Scottish Parliament have consistently rejected nuclear weapons. Scottish CND, the country’s leading anti-nuclear organization, has organized decades of protests at Faslane, calling for disarmament and the removal of Trident from Scottish waters. For many Scots, the continued deployment of nuclear weapons on Scottish soil—against the will of its people—is not only a democratic violation but a threat to their safety and sovereignty. The issue remains a central point of tension in the ongoing debate over Scottish independence. For many Scots, the continued deployment of nuclear weapons on Scottish soil—against the will of its people—is not only a democratic violation but a threat to their safety and sovereignty.
Meanwhile in the Pacific, the United States is dramatically expanding its nuclear infrastructure at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawai‘i. A $3.4 billion construction project is underway to build Dry Dock 5, which for the first time will enable Hawai‘i to host and service the Navy’s nuclear-armed submarines. Specifically designed for the maintenance and deployment of the next-generation Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines—the largest and most heavily armed submarines ever built by the U.S.—this marks a dangerous turning point for the islands, transforming Hawai‘i into an active nuclear-weapons port. This escalation is part of the Pentagon’s increased focus on the Indo-Pacific region, aimed largely at countering China’s growing military presence. Critics warn this development will not enhance Hawai‘i’s security; instead, it will place residents, ecosystems, and future generations in direct danger by turning the islands into a priority target in any potential nuclear conflict.
Current Ports for US Nuclear-Armed Submarines, Expansions and Resistance
The U.S. Navy currently houses its nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarines at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia. In preparation for the arrival of the Columbia-class submarines, the Navy is expanding these facilities, including significant upgrades at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to accommodate the larger submarines. Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is also undergoing extensive modifications, set to be completed by 2028. These expansions are part of the ongoing effort to bolster the U.S. nuclear arsenal—an approach that increases global risk, while the argument for nuclear deterrence remains a dangerous, outdated belief that only exacerbates global instability.
The Environmental Cost of Stealth: Active Sonar Assault on Marine Life
Nuclear submarines are engineered to be nearly undetectable—silent, mobile, and invisible to satellites and radar. This stealth makes them the most prized assets of nuclear deterrence strategy, designed to guarantee a second-strike capability even if a country’s land-based forces are destroyed. But their very elusiveness has triggered a massive and expanding global network of submarine detection systems composed primarily of sonar—Sound Navigation and Ranging—which floods the oceans with high-intensity sound waves and has a devastating impact on marine life.
To track nuclear-armed submarines, nations have constructed vast undersea surveillance systems. The United States, Russia, China, and NATO allies operate continuous detection efforts across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, relying on networks of fixed sonar arrays, underwater drones, mobile surveillance ships, and anti-submarine aircraft. These systems—particularly those using active sonar, which emits powerful blasts of sound—flood the oceans with intense noise. These pulses bounce off underwater objects and return to the detector, allowing operators to locate submarines through echolocation. But they also bounce marine mammals like whales and dolphins, potentially causing damage to their hearing, impairing their ability to navigate, and in some cases, leading to death. Scientific studies have linked active sonar to mass strandings, behavioral changes, and hearing loss. Environmental organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity, warn that submarine detection efforts pose “a hidden but severe environmental threat to marine life.” The Natural Resources Defense Council has challenged military sonar in court, while Greenpeace’s Defending Our Oceans campaign has called for an end to sonar use in sensitive marine habitats.
The Nuclear Triad and the Arms Race
Nuclear-armed submarines represent one leg of the nuclear triad, alongside land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and strategic bombers like the B-52 and the new B-21 Raider. Together, these three delivery systems sustain a global arsenal of over 13,000 nuclear warheads owned by nine countries, including Russia (5,889), the U.S. (5,244), and China (410) (SIPRI). The global nuclear arsenal, with the combined destructive power of 417,067 Hiroshima bombs, could cause 58.4 billion deaths—more than seven times the current global population—demonstrating the staggering overkill potential of the triad. This estimate is based on the average number of casualties from the 15-kiloton Hiroshima bomb (approximately 140,000 deaths), assuming similar effects from modern nuclear warheads.
The United States alone is investing $1.7 trillion in its Nuclear Modernization Plan., which includes new Columbia-class submarines, Sentinel ICBMs, and the B-21 Raider bombers, along with new or upgraded warheads. The cost of maintaining and modernizing nuclear arsenals is astronomical. Since the Manhattan Project in 1942, the U.S. has spent over $10 trillion (adjusted for inflation) on nuclear weapons development, maintenance, and cleanup (Brookings Institution). Globally, estimates suggest that over $20 trillion has been spent on nuclear weapons programs in the last 80 years.
The return of Donald Trump to the presidency has intensified global tensions, particularly within NATO and in conflict zones like Ukraine and Gaza. His threats to withdraw U.S. support for NATO and end military aid to Ukraine have destabilized European security, prompting some leaders to consider expanding their own nuclear arsenals (The Guardian). The Doomsday Clock was moved to 89 seconds to midnight in January 2025—the closest it has ever been. As the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warns:
“Continuing on the current trajectory is nothing less than a form of madness.” Without urgent action through disarmament, diplomacy, and arms control, humanity risks slipping beyond the point of no return.
Rising Tide of Resistance
The resistance to these doomsday ships has been long and ongoing, with local groups such as Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action in Bremerton, Washington, and the Kings Bay Plowshares in St. Marys, Georgia, actively opposing the operations of nuclear-armed submarine bases. Ground Zero, established in 1977 adjacent to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, engages in peaceful protests and civil disobedience to challenge the presence of nuclear weapons in their community. Similarly, the Kings Bay Plowshares, a group of seven Catholic peace activists, gained attention for their 2018 action at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, where they symbolically disarmed nuclear weapons to protest their existence. In response to escalating dangers posed by the expanding submarine nuclear arms race, a growing global movement is demanding disarmament. Organizations like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in the UK, Veterans For Peace in the U.S., the Australian Anti-AUKUS Coalition, and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) are mobilizing to oppose the new nuclear arms race and advocate for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). As Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright of Veterans For Peace recently stated:
“The bottom line on nuclear weapons is that it will take only one nuke to kill us all! If any nation fires just one nuclear weapon at any target, then the U.S. and Russia will respond thinking the next nuke might be coming toward them. And that one nuke will trigger a nuclear weapons exchange that will be the end of our planet as we now know it.”
In April 2025, the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace is organizing a Peace Camp at RAF Lakenheath. This camp aims to protest the proposed return of U.S. nuclear weapons, specifically the B61-12 bombs, to the base. Echoing sentiments from the historic Greenham Common protests, the camp will feature workshops, vigils, and nonviolent direct actions. Kate Hudson, General Secretary of CND, echoed this urgency during the protest at Barrow-in-Furness on March 20, 2025:
“Nuclear weapons do not make us safe. In fact, they are weapons of mass destruction that put us all at risk of annihilation. Britain should be leading the way towards disarmament, not escalating this deadly arms race.”
According to Laulani Teale, coordinator of Hoʻopae Pono Peace Project in Hawaii,
“The construction of a war dock for nuclear submarines in the very home of our sacred shark goddess, Ka’ahupahau, who is the protector of O’ahu and the keeper of peace itself, should not be acceptable to anyone. It is time to end colonialism everywhere, before we all die of it.”
As we mark the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this is a pivotal moment for global action. These groups are calling for renewed international pressure, public education, and grassroots mobilization. The risks we face are immense, but so too is the potential for a unified global movement to prevent catastrophe.
Lynda Williams is a physicist, performance artist and activist based in Hilo, Hawaii. More of her reporting here. https://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/ Lynda is going on tour this summer in the UK with her one woman show ATOMIC CABARET commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the US Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Trump tariffs spark questions over US alliance
Andrew Tillett, AFR, Foreign affairs, defence correspondent, 3 Apr 25
The alliance with the United States is facing its toughest test in decades after Donald Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on Australian exports as part of his escalating trade war, which has sent shockwaves around the world and heightened the risk of a global recession.
Markets plunged on news of Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs, with Australian stocks shedding more than $21 billion, while traders bet the Reserve Bank could cut interest rates up to four times this year.
Australia escaped Trump’s tariffs relatively unscathed, with just the minimum baseline of 10 per cent applied to goods exported to the US, although the President singled out the longstanding ban on American beef as a grievance.
A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivities, said there had been indications from the US that it was willing to negotiate to reduce or remove tariffs on Australian exports.
However, the government remains on alert for more tariff hikes after pharmaceuticals, copper and gold were among a select few commodities exempted from Trump’s “liberation day” executive order.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the tariffs were totally unwarranted and would prompt some Australians to question the relationship with the US. Former prime minister Paul Keating suggested Trump’s tariff campaign cast doubt on the value of the ANZUS alliance, the cornerstone of Australian defence policy for more than 70 years.
“The administration’s tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the basis of our two nations’ partnership. This is not the act of a friend,” Albanese said.
The Australian people have every right to view this action by the Trump administration as undermining our free and fair trading relationship and counter to the shared values that have always been at the heart of our two nations’ long-standing friendship. This will have consequences for how Australians see this relationship.”
Keating said the announcement was effectively the death knell of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the US-led military alliance with Europe, a decision which would inform other allied relationships with the US.
“Australia’s clutch of Austral-Americans, that phalanx of American acolytes,
must have choked on their breakfasts, as Donald Trump laid out his blitzkrieg on globalisation, with all its implications for the rupture of cooperation and goodwill among nations,” he said.
“If NATO, America’s principal strategic alliance, is expendable, what credible rationale could underpin US fidelity to ANZUS and with it, to Australia?”
Former foreign minister Bob Carr said the alliance with the US “counts for nothing” and was reason to axe the AUKUS pact, Australia’s agreement to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK…………………………………………………………………………………
a mining industry source, speaking anonymously, said the government could buy up critical minerals and stockpile them to use as leverage in future trade negotiations.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said if he won the May 3 election he would use access to Australia’s critical minerals and deeper defence cooperation, particularly in defence industry, as bargaining chips to get tariffs lifted…………………….https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/trump-tariffs-spark-questions-over-us-alliance-20250403-p5lox9
Responses to “Australia’s MUMS FOR NUCLEAR – propaganda wheels within wheels”
Heather Hoff says: March 31, 2025 (extract)
I am Heather Hoff, cofounder of Mothers For Nuclear, and nonprofit based in California, but with informal chapters or groups of mothers and mums around the country and around the world…………………….
Heather Hoff continues (extract)
We are separate and different from the recent organizing Mums for Nuclear under the umbrella of Nuclear for Australia. …………….. As for the mums in Australia, we have already shared some of their stories on our website, and now the same mothers are also speaking up on behalf of Nuclear for Australia.
Terry Mills says: 31 Mar 25
Heather thank you for your contribution.
In Australia we want answers on several fundamental points ranging from where waste will be dumped/stored ?
Is the exemplar for the SMR the Westinghouse model or if not is it a Chinese or Russian alternative (very important)?
What is the delivery/installation/commissioning time frame from time an order is placed ?
What is the fixed cost for acquisition/assembly/installation/commissioning (within ten percent)?
What is the energy output of the small modular reactor (SMR) under consideration : i.e. how many conventional dwellings would be fully serviced and what could an average householder (four persons) expect to pay for that energy over a 12 month period ?
Answers to some of these fundamental questions would certainly assist us in Australia as our politicians have been less than forthcoming.
ThankYou
Bert Hetebry says: 31 Mar 25
Heather, the only question I have is WHY?
Why when we have an abundance of solar power
Why when we have an abundance of wind power
Why when we have battery technology to store energy when wind and sun are not providing that power
Why when nuclear is so hellishly expensive to build
Why when nuclear is not just expensive to build but seems to be too difficult to build in a timely manner
Why when the waste produced becomes a time bomb for future environmental problems.
So yes, Heather, Why?
Roswell says:
Thank you for your comment, Heather. Much appreciated.
Terry speaks for the most of us: we do have questions.
Bert Hetebry says:
Our contributor Roswell has a wonderfully understated sense of humour, an Australian sense of humour which at times is layered with soft, gentle sarcasm.
As he so clearly points out, the mums and mothers he cites have a vested interest in promoting nuclear power.
Kathryn says:
I wonder if these foolish pro-nuclear women and the RWNJs (like that short-sighted political psychopath, Peter Dutton) have STOPPED and given any thought about what the hell our government is going to do with the MASSIVE amount of NUCLEAR WASTE nuclear energy inevitably produces?
Do they realise that nuclear waste is, in fact, RADIOACTIVE for THOUSANDS OF YEARS posing a REAL, perpetual danger and deadly health risk for future GENERATIONS of future Australians? Have they STOPPED – even for a minute – to consider WHERE an inhumane, racist and self-serving LNP regime are likely to DUMP not only the nuclear waste of Australian-generated nuclear power but, likely, to import nuclear waste from other nations (such as America, the UK and/or other European nations) in order to make a “fast buck” at OUR expense?
No doubt, the likes of Dutton et al will consider it quite OK to dump toxic waste in what THEY consider to be “remote” areas of the outback trying to convince themselves (and anyone who will listen) that “nobody lives there” when, in fact, such areas are inhabited by communities of vulnerable indigenous aboriginals and remote farming communities!
Nuclear power = RADIOACTIVE NUCLEAR WASTE and, as such, will NEVER be a safe, acceptable alternative for our children, our grandchildren and our descendants! Australians live in the SUNNIEST continent on the planet. As such, the intensive further research and refinement of SOLAR POWER is the SENSIBLE choice because it can be accessed so easily, is inexpensive to process and, by far, the best, safest and cleanest form of energy available!
Canguro says: 30 Mar 2025
Unlikely to find any MUMS FOR NUCLEAR in Japan, in particular around such districts as Fukushima, Nagasaki, or Hiroshima, along with the Ukrainian mothers in proximity to Chernobyl, or moms close to the Three Mile Island in the USA, or indeed many other moms in the target areas of radiation fallout from a raft of similar incidents of varying severity and the associated human toll.
As Noel Wauchope’s essay implies, selling the sizzle is as equally important as the charred sausage; ironic doesn’t even begin to cover the potential horrors of human endeavour gone awry, as is so often the case and in particular in this instance of the allure of nuclear-fission based energy sources; tens of thousands of highly trained and knowledgeable engineers & technicians and still, things can and do go disastrously wrong.
Much to the distress of early implementers, Oppenheimer & Einstein for example, the lament was that the nuclear genie has well and truly been released and now mankind must find a way to manage this monstrous entity. The attraction persists, and the list of commercial nuclear reactors is extensive across many countries.
I guess the MUMS FOR NUCLEAR are acting out of self-interest as opposed to a detached rational assessment of the pros & cons of nuclear-derived energy for the general benefit of the wider population, given the range of non-potentially lethal options within the renewables sector. Do they hold hen’s parties, where they sit around fondling lumps of uranium or radium… lights out and enjoy the glow?
Average person will be 40% poorer if world warms by 4C, new research shows
Economic models have systematically underestimated how global heating will
affect people’s wealth, according to a new study that finds 4C warming
will make the average person 40% poorer – an almost four-fold increase on
some estimates.
The study by Australian scientists suggests average per
person GDP across the globe will be reduced by 16% even if warming is kept
to 2C above pre-industrial levels. This is a much greater reduction than
previous estimates, which found the reduction would be 1.4%. Scientists now
estimate global temperatures will rise by 2.1C even if countries hit
short-term and long-term climate targets.
Guardian 1st April 2025,
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/01/average-person-will-be-40-poorer-if-world-warms-by-4c-new-research-shows
China or America. Who is the warmonger?
by Richard Cullen | Mar 28, 2025, https://michaelwest.com.au/china-or-america-who-is-the-warmonger/
The US wants us to believe we should be scared of China, buy nuclear subs to help fight her, and increase our military spending to 3% of GDP. But who is the real warmonger, asks historian ,
One way to get a brisk fix on who is most scary is to look back over the last decade or so. And then consider what has unfolded over the last few months.
America, with its Gothic military budget greater than the next nine nations combined and with close to 800 worldwide military bases, has been involved in non-stop global warfare over the last decade in the Middle East and beyond. In Afghanistan, the US spent over $2 trillion to replace the Taliban with the Taliban.
Any doubt about this war-mongering obsession (notwithstanding recent White House attempts to wind back the Ukraine war) has been comprehensively erased by the continuing mass homicidal horror stories emerging, month after month, from the hellscape created by Israel in Gaza, backed with obscene fervour by the US.
Over the same period, the drum-beat mantra for China has been, “let’s go to work” rather than “let’s go to war.”
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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