Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

THE HEATING OCEANS

January 14, 2020 Posted by | General News | Leave a comment

Coalition right wing unhappy, as moderate Liberals seize on PM Morrison’s comments about cutting emissions.

Coalition MPs split over Scott Morrison’s apparent shift on climate policy, Moderate Liberals seize on PM’s comments to argue the government will do more to cut emissions but conservatives push back, Guardian  Sarah Martin 13 Jan 2020 Chief political correspondent   Moderate Liberals have seized on Scott Morrison’s apparent shift on climate change policy to argue the government will do more to cut emissions, as some conservatives push back against any “symbolism” that could damage the economy.

In a sign of the challenge facing the prime minister as he seeks to “evolve” climate change policy, government MPs have split over the prime minister’s comments on the weekend that the Coalition wanted to reduce emissions “even further” than current commitments.

While saying Australia’s 2030 emission reduction targets remain government policy, Morrison said he wanted to do “better” and would only rely on the use of carryover credits from the Kyoto protocol if needed.

Australia is the only country relying on carryover credits to meet its Paris 2030 target of 26% to 28% of 2005 levels by 2030, which critics say do not represent the cuts required to limit global warming to as close to 1.5C as possible.

Katie Allen, the Liberal MP for the Victorian seat of Higgins, welcomed Morrison’s remarks, telling her constituents that she would be a “strong voice” in the party room for stronger action on climate change…….

The self-styled modern Liberal MP Tim Wilson also endorsed Morrison’s comments, saying the commitment at the last election to “cut emissions, but not jobs” was a baseline for action.

“The prime minister has rightly identified there’ll be more evolution of policy to cut emissions, but not jobs, and I look forward to contributing to that important evolution,” Wilson told Guardian Australia.

Dave Sharma, the MP for Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat of Wentworth, said he was “pleased to hear” Morrison’s comments on the importance of responding to climate change and promoted the government’s plan to “continue to evolve our policies with a view to reducing our emissions further”…..

But as moderates welcomed the shift, conservative MPs were warning against a change in policy.

The Queensland Nationals MP Llew O’Brien told the Courier Mail that if Australia went beyond its current commitments, it would be “pure symbolism at the expense of the economy”.

The former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce also issued a thinly veiled warning that the government risked a backlash in the bush if it moved to ramp up emission reduction targets……..

The divide comes as Morrison insists the role of climate change is “not in dispute” within his ranks, despite several MPs denying the role of a warmer planet as an underlying cause of the severe bushfire season.

The Nationals MP George Christensen was the latest to promote his view that climate change was not a factor, telling his supporters on Facebook that climate change is not “a bogey man who can go around lighting bushfires”…..


The Liberal MP Craig Kelly last week caused a storm of controversy
 after appearing on UK television to argue that there was “no link” between climate change and Australia’s drought.

Following the appearance, Morrison told his MPs that backbenchers should not do any international media interviews. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/13/coalition-mps-split-over-scott-morrisons-apparent-shift-on-climate-policy

January 14, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics | Leave a comment

Australia can have zero emissions and still profit from minerals, says Ross Garnaut

January 14, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics | Leave a comment

It is a big MISTAKE to equate COAL MINING with jobs

Marie Paech- 13 Jan 2020

It is a big MISTAKE to equate COAL MINING with jobs
1. Australian Tourism employs 10 times more Australians than does mining
2. There are job vacancies in the setting up and maintaining renewables
3. Australia has an opportunity to Lead the World manufacturing and building the equipment and technological infrastructures and components required to set up renewable and sustainable community and economy e.g.. Let’s build Australian Made solar panels instead of importing them
4. Build our own iron ore processing plants run by green hydrogen/hydro/wind/solar/ To make aluminium Keeping profits and jobs in Australia
5. Build sustainable industry, farming, tourism, land management, water management and houses, towns and cities, Leed the world in recycling and green energy transport solutions Manufacture electric cars, buses, commercial vehicles There are so many jobs to be had and created in zero emissions
The world would flock here and pay us to advise and share our sustainable progressive technology and solutions
6. Eco tourism would not only create even more jobs for Austalians boosting the industries that benefit ie. restaurants, bakeries, farmers etc The tourism industry would bring even more billions of $$$$ into Australia

January 14, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, employment, energy | Leave a comment

Federal government seeks powers to regulate Australia’s offshore wind farms — RenewEconomy

Environment department launches consultation on proposed regulatory regime for offshore wind farms in Australian waters. The post Federal government seeks powers to regulate Australia’s offshore wind farms appeared first on RenewEconomy.

via Federal government seeks powers to regulate Australia’s offshore wind farms — RenewEconomy

January 14, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Australian carbon price jumps as climate policy pressure builds — RenewEconomy

The prospect of tighter emissions regulation may lead to a more bullish outlook for carbon prices over 2020. The post Australian carbon price jumps as climate policy pressure builds appeared first on RenewEconomy.

via Australian carbon price jumps as climate policy pressure builds — RenewEconomy

January 14, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Letter from Canberra: The apocalyptic fires in Australia signal another future — RenewEconomy

It’s impossible to suppress an incipient rage against the political leaders and coal lobbyists who have only pretended to take the scientific warnings seriously, or dismissed them as fantasies. The post Letter from Canberra: The apocalyptic fires in Australia signal another future appeared first on RenewEconomy.

via Letter from Canberra: The apocalyptic fires in Australia signal another future — RenewEconomy

January 14, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Cattle Hill wind farm begins production in Tasmania — RenewEconomy

Cattle Hill sends first regular output into the grid in Tasmania, adding a third producing wind farm to the island state’s grid. The post Cattle Hill wind farm begins production in Tasmania appeared first on RenewEconomy.

via Cattle Hill wind farm begins production in Tasmania — RenewEconomy

January 14, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

January 13 Energy News — geoharvey

Science and Technology: ¶ “Can solar geoengineering mitigate both climate change and income inequality?” • Research from the University of California San Diego finds that solar geoengineering – the intentional reflection of sunlight away from the Earth’s surface – may reduce income inequality between countries. The study was published in Nature Communications. [EurekAlert] World: ¶ “EIB […]

via January 13 Energy News — geoharvey

January 14, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

To 13 January – Climate and Nuclear News Australia

After days of denial from Iran, President Rouhani on Saturday admitted to “human error” in bringing down the Boeing 737, and the Guards’ aerospace commander General Amirali Hajizadeh accepted full responsibility. Rouhani agreed with Qatar and Pakistani leaders on de-escalation and dialogue as ‘only solution’ to solve the crisis with US. As Europe tries to preserve the Iran nuclear deal,  Donald Trump is currently a bigger headache for Europe than Iran is.

The global importance of Australia’s bushfires – climate impacts wildfires, and wildfires impact climate.  The concentration of climate-heating greenhouse gases is at a record high. Nations are not meeting their already inadequate climate commitments, and if Trump is re-elected in 2020, America will continue to lead the way in sabotage of action on climate.

A bit of good news – Fukushima Japan Vows to Achieve 100% Renewable Energy Use in 20 Years.

AUSTRALIA

Significant item of the week Australia needs to talk about, and plan for, our climate-changed future.
CLIMATE.
Massive fires merge across the New South Wales – Victoria border . The impact of bushfires on drinking water, rivers and fish.  The vastly different way that bushfires are experienced by Aboriginal people.  Australia just had its hottest, driest, year on record – Bureau of Meteorology.
Australia stuck in the climate spiral – producing pollution, burning from pollution. Australia’s $multi-billion climate whammy: Ross Garnaut was right. In 2008, the Garnaut Climate Change Review predicted this bushfire situation. The $billions cost of Australia’s climate disasters. Australia’s costly failure to address global warming risk mitigation.
Thousands protest in Sydney and other cities, against govt inaction on climate change.  Climate protests in London, Berlin, Madrid, Copenhagen and Stockholm target Australian government.
Dramatic drop in P.M. Scott Morrison’s popularity, over his climate stance.  Independent Australia on the Coalition’s toxic denial of climate change. Independent MP Zali Steggall calls on modern Liberals to support her proposed climate change bill.    Siemens sticks with Adani contract after intervention from Resources Minister Matt Canavan. Canavan.
The climate science deniers spreading misinformation about Australian bushfiresMurdoch media and climate change denial.  Climate change Australia, and the bizarre state of our national political conversation.
NUCLEAR.    Transporting nuclear wastes from Lucas Heights to Kimba in the age of bushfires.   Pyrphoricity – the spontaneous combustion of uranium and other nuclear materials: the unmentioned bushfire danger.   When traditional Aboriginal owners are included in the vote, support for Kimba nuclear waste dump drops to 43%. The risk of road closures, nuclear waste transport accidents.  Australia should go all-out for renewable energy, not nuclear – Dr Helen Caldicott.
RENEWABLE ENERGY. Wind, solar and batteries to slash emissions and costs in W.A.’s Esperance

INTERNATIONAL

The idea of a “Nuclear Second Strike”: NOT morally justifiable , NOT ‘acceptable.’
World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2019 dispels the illusion of nuclear power as a fix for climate change.
Small Modular Nuclear Reactors – a wasteful distraction from real efforts to combat climate change.
Expensive but necessary – protecting nuclear reactors from cyber threats.

January 13, 2020 Posted by | Christina reviews | 3 Comments

When traditional Aboriginal owners are included in the vote, support for Kimba nuclear waste dump drops to 43%

Kim Mavromatis   Fight To Stop A Nuclear Waste Dump In South Australia
KIMBA AND BARNGARLA SEPARATE VOTE COMBINED : “YES” 43.75% .
Scomo’s Fed Govnt Radioactive Nuclear Waste Dumps process excluded Barngarla traditional owners from the Kimba ballot – so Barngarla organized their own independent vote and this is the combined Broad Community Support Yes Vote %.
Barngarla traditional owners and Kimba Farmers Speak out – watch these short films :
“Barngarla Speak Out” : vimeo.com/382855709
“SAVE SA Farmland – Kimba, Eyre Peninsula” : vimeo.com/381938156

January 13, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Federal nuclear waste dump, politics | Leave a comment

Climate protests in London, Berlin, Madrid, Copenhagen and Stockholm target Australian government

Climate action protesters angry over Australia’s bushfires rally across Europe   https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/scott-morrison-labelled-laughing-stock-europe-climate-protests/11859988      BY EUROPE CORRESPONDENT BRIDGET BRENNAN AND ROSCOE WHALAN IN LONDON

Thousands of people have taken part in demonstrations across Europe, taking aim at what they say is the Australian Government’s lack of action on climate change during the bushfire crisis.


  • Demonstrations organised by Extinction Rebellion were held in London, Berlin, Madrid, Copenhagen and Stockholm
  • The protesters called for stronger action on climate change in response to the Australian bushfires
  • Protesters in London rallied outside Australia House, while protesters chanted outside the Australian embassy in Berlin

Protesters stopped traffic in London and turned out at rallies in Berlin, Madrid, Copenhagen and Stockholm to show their support for victims of the disasters.

At the Strand in London, hundreds gathered outside Australia House, where the High Commission of Australia is located, calling for stronger action on climate change as part of a protest organised by Extinction Rebellion.

Anne Coates travelled from Sheffield, north of London, to attend the rally.

She began to cry when she spoke about watching the effect of the disaster on people who had lost relatives and homes.

“It’s just too much for your heart. You just can’t live with it. It just gets worse and worse every day,” she said.”Absolutely devastating to watch it. It’s like hell. And it seems like governments around the world are in a race to drag us down to hell.”

She said Prime Minister Scott Morrison was “a laughing stock around the world”.

“We’re absolutely furious with him. And I don’t know what’s it going to take. Governments should be listening,” she said.

Many people wore koala hats to represent the massive loss of wildlife in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Fi Radford from Bristol carried a sign which said “koalas not coal”.

“We’re here to say to the Australian people, challenge your Government on the evidence they’re giving you,” she said.

“Australia, you are custodians of precious species that exist nowhere else in the world. Overturn your Government, they’re leading you to destruction.”
Among the protesters were some of the tens of thousands of Australians living in London.
Harley McDonald-Eckersall from Melbourne said she had been watching on in horror at what has been unfolding in Australia.

“It’s been so horrible being away … Australians are extraordinarily resilient — like our First Nations people who have survived genocide and are still caring for the environment,” she said.

Australian Dylan Berthier said he believed the catastrophic conditions in Australia were a wake-up call for the world.

“I think a crisis of this magnitude is a global crisis. I think world leaders have a responsibility to call on the Australian Government to enact new policy that will actually prevent this from happening in the future,” he said.

In Germany, protesters chanted outside the Australian embassy in Berlin.

One man carried a sign which read “Aloha from Berlin” in reference to Mr Morrison’s maligned trip to Hawaii when the bushfires were burning in December.

The climate action group Extinction Rebellion organised the protests across Europe.

They followed rallies around most capital cities of Australia on Friday, with thousands of protesters criticising Mr Morrison’s handling of the fire emergencies in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Bushfires ‘a warning to the whole world’: UK politicians

The bushfire emergency has been front-page news in the UK for weeks — and has forced Tourism Australia to temporarily pull its new $15 million advertising campaign, fronted by Kylie Minogue.

When the UK Parliament returned earlier this week, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said what had been happening in Australia should act as a “wake-up call for the world”.

Last year, the Conservative Government in the United Kingdom passed legislation to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 — one of the most ambitious targets set by a major economy.

But many environmental groups have said 2050 is not soon enough.

Labour leadership contender Clive Lewis told the House of Commons: “So as Australia burns, as millions in African states face climate-driven famine, and floods have swept the north of England, will this Government give a damn about this existential threat and act, not posture?”

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, who is vying to become the new opposition leader, has criticised the Morrison Government.

“I hope that the horrendous wildfires in Australia, brought on by record temperatures, with such devastating impacts for the human and animal populations in New South Wales, will not just wake up Scott Morrison’s Government to its wilful inaction over climate change, but serve as a warning to the whole world,” she said.

Earlier this week, outspoken British television presenter Piers Morgan cut short an interview with Liberal MP Craig Kelly on Good Morning Britain.

Climate change and global warming are real and Australia is right now showing the entire world just how devastating it is,” he said.

“And for senior politicians in Australia to still pretend there’s no protection is absolutely disgraceful.”

In an address to Vatican diplomats this week, Pope Francis also criticised climate inaction.

“Many young people have become active in calling the attention of political leaders to the issue of climate change. Care for our common home ought to be a concern of everyone,” he said.

“Sadly, the urgency of this ecological conversion seems not to have been grasped by international politics, where the response to the problems raised by global issues such as climate change remains very weak and a source of grave concern.”

January 13, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics international | Leave a comment

Australia should go all-out for renewable energy, not nuclear – Dr Helen Caldicott

Anti-nuclear campaigner Helen Caldicott alarmed at talk of nuclear power in Australia, Damon Cronshaw, The Standard , 12 Jan 2020  Australians should be terrified of the prospect of a nuclear power plant being built in their region, says Helen Caldicott, the world’s foremost anti-nuclear campaigner.

“There’s always the risk of a meltdown like Chernobyl, Fukushima or Three Mile Island,” said Dr Caldicott, who once lived at Matcham on the Central Coast.

“Living near a reactor will subject your children and grandchildren to the risk of leukaemia and cancer.”

Despite a strong push towards renewable energy, the nuclear question continues to be asked amid concern that the transition away from fossil fuels isn’t happening fast enough to save the world from catastrophic climate change.

The nuclear debate was reignited with a parliamentary inquiry in Australia last year.

A fortnight before Christmas, the energy committee running the inquiry released its report. It concluded that nuclear energy should be considered as part of Australia’s future energy mix.

“Australia should say a definite ‘No’ to old nuclear technologies but a conditional ‘Yes’ to new and emerging technologies such as small modular reactors,” committee chair and Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien said.

Dr Caldicott said opening the door to nuclear power was “madness”.

She said the so-called “nuclear renaissance” seemed dead and buried after the Fukushima catastrophe.

“One-sixth of the world’s nuclear reactors were closed after the accident,” she said.

She said the corporations that invest in making nuclear plants and radioactive waste had a “new strategy” to develop small modular reactors.

While corporations may claim such reactors could be sold without the dangers inherent in large reactors, she said “there are no safe nuclear power plants”.

If Australia proceeded towards nuclear power, some fear the Hunter could be earmarked as a site for reactors or waste dumps, given its history in the energy sector.

Shortland MP Pat Conroy, who is also Shadow Minister Assisting for Climate Change, has raised serious concerns about this.

“Several sites in our region have been floated as locations for nuclear power stations. I don’t know anyone who wants to live next door to one,” Mr Conroy said.

The Australian Energy Market Operator found that the cheapest new electricity for Australia was renewable energy – wind and solar – backed up by pumped hydro storage and gas.

“Those arguing for nuclear power are arguing for higher energy prices. Nuclear power just does not add up,” Mr Conroy said.

The committee’s report recommends a partial lift of Australia’s moratorium on nuclear energy.

It urged the federal government to keep its moratorium on Generations I, II and III reactors while lifting it for Generations III+ and IV reactors, so “only the newest and best” were considered.

Mr O’Brien said “the Australian people should be at the centre of any approval process”.

“If we’re serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we can’t simply ignore this zero-emissions baseload technology,” he said.

While nuclear plants don’t release emissions, greenhouse gases are emitted in creating and maintaining the infrastructure for nuclear energy, along with uranium mining and enrichment and nuclear waste disposal.

“We can do 100 per cent renewables,”DCr

“What the government should be doing right now is closing down the coal mines and re-employing those people and thousands of others to cover every house with solar panels.

“We should have electric cars powered by solar, not coal, and windmills everywhere including offshore.”

She said geothermal energy should also be tapped.

“South Australia has an enormous amount of geothermal energy,” she said.

“The solutions are there. They will empower the economy, employ millions of people and save the planet. Australia could become the energy superpower of the world.”……

Mr Conroy said there was clear evidence that nuclear power was “expensive, slow, inflexible and dangerous to the environment and human health”.

“In the absence of a coherent energy policy to lower prices and cut greenhouse emissions, Australians are taking matters into their own hands – installing solar panels and batteries,” he said.

“I doubt that any Australians think nuclear power is the way forward – especially those who might end up with it on their doorstep.”…… Mr Conroy said there was clear evidence that nuclear power was “expensive, slow, inflexible and dangerous to the environment and human health”.

“In the absence of a coherent energy policy to lower prices and cut greenhouse emissions, Australians are taking matters into their own hands – installing solar panels and batteries,” he said.

“I doubt that any Australians think nuclear power is the way forward – especially those who might end up with it on their doorstep.”……https://www.standard.net.au/story/6576818/opening-the-door-to-nuclear-power-madness-says-campaigner/?cs=10264

January 13, 2020 Posted by | General News | Leave a comment

Dramatic drop in P.M. Scott Morrison’s popularity, over his climate stance

January 13, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics | Leave a comment

Australia’s costly failure to address global warming risk mitigation

Paul Richards 13 Jan 2020, Failing to address global warming risk mitigation was always going be costly.

The sooner there is something started, the less it will cost.

From this perspective, the cost has already been far too high;

• 27 human deaths and
• 2,000 homes have been destroyed across
• 103,000 sq km [10.3 million hectares] burned out where a
• 1 billion wild mammals, birds and reptiles have perished

Bushfires started in late September 2019, and it will go until early April 2020, and that is just one extreme type of climate change event.

January 13, 2020 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming | Leave a comment