Angus Taylor refuses to detail cost to taxpayers of 2050 climate plan
The federal
Angus Taylor refuses to detail cost to taxpayers of 2050 climate plan
The federal Energy Minister says funding for the government’s plan for net zero emissions by 2050 only stretches as far as 2030, saying what future governments do in the 2040s “is a matter for them”.
UK’s top climate adviser launches scathing attack on Australia on eve of Cop26
UK’s top climate adviser launches scathing attack on Australia on eve of Cop26
Lord Deben says there is ‘no indication’ Scott Morrison has a plan to deliver the net zero commitment ‘we’ve squeezed out of him
UK says Australia must do more to tackle climate change as G20 leaders gather
UK says Australia must do more to tackle climate change as G20 leaders gather
Britain wants Australia to commit more on tackling climate change, a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says, stepping up the pressure before the United Nations COP26 climate summit next week.
Minister confirms taxpayer will foot bill for UK nuclear power strategy
Minister confirms taxpayer will foot bill for UK nuclear power strategy LBC, TOM SWARBRICK, 31 October 2021 On the fourth time of asking, the Energy minister admitted energy bills will rise to fund the construction of nuclear plants in the UK.
As COP26 gets underway in Glasgow, Tom Swarbrick was joined by Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth Greg Hands to discuss the UK’s strategy to achieve net zero.
Tom asked Mr Hands about the Regulated Asset Base model for nuclear, which is the government’s plan to build “at least one large-scale nuclear project” by the end of parliament.
How much are bills going to go up to pay for that?” Tom asked for the first time. The Tory MP dodged the question and insisted that the RAB model “increases our level of choices” for energy production in future.
He repeated that the construction of nuclear plants “creates more options for us.”………..
Before it has been built, how much are prices going to go up as a result of this model?” Tom asked for the third time.
The Energy Minister insisted that “depends on the deals that are being done”, adding that energy bills will “be reduced by around £10.”
Can I just try one more time, and it can be a nod or a shake of the head for an answer,” a dejected Tom said.
“Can you guarantee that through this new way of funding nuclear, that bills will not go up prior to it being built?”
“No, we’re expecting that bill-payers will make a contribution based on the Regular Asset Base model” the Minister confirmed on the fourth time of asking.
“It will end up being cheaper overall for bill-payers by in the region of £10” he repeated, clarifying that the saving is “over the lifetime of that power station.” https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/tom-swarbrick/british-taxpayer-will-pay-for-nuclear-energy-program-minister-confirms/
A damning new confidential report on France’s future nuclear reactor plans.
| Nuclear. A damning confidential report on future EPRs. It is a real bomb that has just published the information site “Context” about the new generation of nuclear power plants EDF. These EPR2 that Emmanuel Macron is about to order. “Context” has obtained a confidential report from the government which expresses serious doubts about the design, feasibility, cost and timeframe of what should constitute the new wave of French nuclear power plants. Bercy and EDF make no comment. Ouest France 29th Oct 2021 https://www.ouest-france.fr/environnement/nucleaire/nucleaire-un-rapport-confidentiel-accablant-sur-les-futurs-epr-b54a63b8-37d7-11ec-9832-1d0e4716a307 |
Forrest strikes deal with UK billionaires for biggest renewable hydrogen play in UK — RenewEconomy
Andrew Forrest strikes deal with billionaire Bamford family to become biggest supplier of renewable hydrogen in UK, with focus on heavy transport. The post Forrest strikes deal with UK billionaires for biggest renewable hydrogen play in UK appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Forrest strikes deal with UK billionaires for biggest renewable hydrogen play in UK — RenewEconomy
New $1 billion-plus Project In Queensland To Double World’s Green Hydrogen Production Capacity — The Anonymous Widower
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on ABC News.
New $1 billion-plus Project In Queensland To Double World’s Green Hydrogen Production Capacity — The Anonymous Widower
France’s President Macron quite clear that Scott Morrison lied to him
I don’t think, I know’: French President Macron says Scott Morrison lied to him. SMH, By Bevan Shields, November 1, 2021 Rome: French President Emmanuel Macron says Scott Morrison lied to him over the cancellation of a mammoth submarine contract, in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two leaders.
Asked by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age at the G20 summit in Rome whether he could trust Morrison again, Macron replied: “We will see what he will deliver……..
When also asked whether Morrison lied, Macron said: “I don’t think, I know.”………
In Rome, Macron noted Australia had ditched a signed contract for a known submarine program in exchange for an 18-month review into how it can acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK……….
US President Joe Biden used a meeting with Macron on the eve of the G20 to claim he was unaware that France had not been given advance notice that Australia had resolved to tear up a $90 billion submarine contract……I was under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not going through…..https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/i-don-t-think-i-know-french-president-macron-says-scott-morrison-lied-to-him-20211101-p594sx.html
The myth of “newer, safer, less expensive” nuclear power to fix the climate
Denise Duffield, – associate director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles 30 Oct 21.
The myth of “newer, safer, less expensive” nuclear power has promised for decades to deliver a magical climate solution.
Unfortunately, despite billions of dollars in research and development, subsidies, loan guarantees and liability waivers, and countless promises that next-generation technology was “just around the corner,” nuclear power is not and will never be that solution. It is far too slow and costly to impact the climate crisis, and it presents insurmountable threats to public health that will worsen as the climate crisis grows.
Radioactive waste generated by nuclear power will remain dangerous for thousands of years, burdening future generations for our short-sighted gain. We need to stop wasting precious resources on false solutions that prop up uneconomical and polluting industries and invest instead in truly sustainable, community-driven solutions.
LA Times 30th Oct 2021
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-10-30/nuclear-power-climate-change
South Australia shortlists seven renewable hydrogen projects for massive export hub — RenewEconomy
South Australia shortlists seven projects that could deliver 1.5 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen to its proposed new hub. The post South Australia shortlists seven renewable hydrogen projects for massive export hub appeared first on RenewEconomy.
South Australia shortlists seven renewable hydrogen projects for massive export hub — RenewEconomy
Japan looks to renewables, role of nuclear elusive ahead of election — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Oct 29, 2021 Japan aims to increase its reliance on renewable energy in achieving net-zero emissions, but the role of nuclear power to be played toward that end appears to be elusive even in the government’s energy plan approved by the Cabinet about a week ahead of Sunday’s general election. The plan outlines ways to […]
Japan looks to renewables, role of nuclear elusive ahead of election — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Judges Visit Site for First Time in TEPCO Shareholders’ Derivative Suit — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Oct. 29, 2021In a lawsuit filed by shareholders of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) demanding compensation from the former management over the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, judges from the Tokyo District Court visited Fukushima Prefecture on March 29 and inspected the site of the plant. This is the first time that […]
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Judges Visit Site for First Time in TEPCO Shareholders’ Derivative Suit — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Japan PM’s nuclear push faces resistance ahead of election — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
Oct 28, 2021 KASHIWAZAKI, Japan – A decade after triple meltdowns at Fukushima forced mass evacuations and a shut-down of the nuclear industry, Japan has restarted only a third of its 33 operable reactors Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s push to restart Japanese nuclear power plants idled after the Fukushima disaster faces stiff opposition ahead of […]
Japan PM’s nuclear push faces resistance ahead of election — Fukushima 311 Watchdogs
October 31 Energy News — geoharvey
Opinion: ¶ “Here To Stay Or Gone In 30 Years? Inside The Fight Over The Future Of The Oil Industry” • Oil is back above $80 per barrel, but production has been on the decline since the turn of the century. Even without a need to stop use of fossil fuels, the oil industry cannot […]
October 31 Energy News — geoharvey
Health impacts of nuclear accidents
Too expensive, too slow: Even the baseload argument doesn’t work for nuclear. ReNeweconomy, Mark Diesendorf 29 October 2021
”’………………………………………Health impacts of nuclear accidents
Another misleading pro-nuclear statement revived following the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in 2011 is that no excess cancer incidence has been observed around Fukushima, implying that no cancers will be induced. The logical error is to assume that the absence of evidence implies no impact.
It is still too early for most types of cancer, which have latent periods of 20–60 years, to appear around Fukushima. The only cancers likely to appear within a decade after exposure are thyroid cancer and leukemia.
A large increase in thyroid cancers has been observed in the region, but their cause is debated by some on the grounds that the increase could be the result of better screening. Leukemia is an uncommon disease and so even a large percentage increase would be impossible to verify statistically with high confidence (see UNSCEAR 2020).
Fortunately for the citizens of Tokyo, the wind was mostly blowing offshore during the meltdowns of three of the six Fukushima reactors, sending about 80 per cent of the emitted radioactive material out over the Pacific.
Soon after the disaster an exclusion zone was established around the power station and more than 100,000 people evacuated. For these reasons, Fukushima tells us very little about radiation-induced cancers.
The Chernobyl Forum, a group dominated by the International Atomic Energy Agency, estimated that the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 could be responsible for “up to 4000 cancer deaths” in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. However, the disaster also sprayed radionuclides over large areas of Europe outside those countries.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (Cardis et al. 2006) estimated that the disaster would be responsible for 16,000 cancer deaths in Europe by 2065.
Another estimate, by a team of medical researchers and practitioners in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia (Yablokov et al. 2006), found that the total number of deaths in their countries could be an order of magnitude higher, but a quantitative estimate was probably impossible due to uncertainties in the total quantities of radionuclides emitted, geographic distribution of radioactivity, and limitations in medical diagnosis and monitoring.
Most of the evidence that low-level radiation is carcinogenic comes from detailed studies of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, medical professionals who worked with radiation, uranium miners, children who received CT scans, children living near nuclear power stations, and children who were exposed in utero in the bad old days when pregnant women were routinely x-rayed.
This is the basis of the linear-no-threshold model, the scientific understanding that the number of cancers induced by ionising radiation is proportional to the dose received and that there’s no threshold.
Was the Fukushima disaster “natural”?
Pro-nuclear campaigners claim that the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi was entirely the fault of the tsunami, that it was all just “a natural event”.
Yet the choice of technology cannot be exonerated, because it resulted in mass evacuation, compensation payments (huge in total but inadequate for individuals), destruction of the local agriculture and fishing industries, temporary loss of national tourism, temporary collapse of the electricity grid, massive removal of radioactive soil and vegetation, a multi-decades-long continuing process to decommission the reactors, and the need to import vast quantities of fossil fuels. (The latter would have been greatly reduced if the government’s prior commitment to nuclear energy hadn’t resulted in its neglect of renewables.)
Total costs have been estimated at over US$500 billion, while the nuclear power station was insured for only US$1.5 billion. …………………. https://reneweconomy.com.au/too-expensive-too-slow-even-the-baseload-argument-doesnt-work-for-nuclear/
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 