Villagers in India repel visit of nuclear promotional team
The district authorities had planned to organize an awareness meeting with the people, mostly fisherfolk, on Wednesday to discuss the feasibility of the nuclear plant. But it was cancelled following the revolt from the people of the area,
(India) Kovvada villagers stage protest against nuclear expert team – Hyderabad – City – The Times of India, 31 Aug 2010, RANASTALAM (SRIKAKULAM): The experts team of nuclear energy and oceanography faced the ire of the local fishermen when they visited the proposed nuclear power plant site at Kovvada Matyalesam here on Tuesday. Continue reading
Secret release of radioactive gases from Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) decided against releasing a public statement at the time to avoid causing alarm.
Poison gas leak cover up By LINDA SILMALIS : The Sunday Telegraph August 29, 2010 POTENTIALLY dangerous radioactive gases have been secretly pumped into the atmosphere from Lucas Heights and have spread hundreds of kilometres from the nuclear reactor – but the public have never been told. Continue reading
Uranium and nuclear economics – theme for September
Uranium is not even a good financial investment for Australians.
The nuclear energy business is teetering, world-wide, as nuclear reactors reach their closing date faster than new ones are built, and as nuclear building and nuclear waste costs escalate.
In Australia, uranium mining companies scramble on the gamble of China and other Asian and Middle Eastern countries “going nuclear”.
Meanwhile old nuclear weapons fuel combines with the worldwide glut of uranium, to make Australia’s uranium future look gloomy.
Strangely, uranium explorers crawl all over the country, in some sort of act of religious faith in an industry that is clearly failing. USA, UK, France, India all see their nuclear power industry stalling.
The great hope seems to be China – with a touching faith that the Chinese won’t wake up to the financial and environmental disaster that is nuclear power.
In the last quarter, despite the general ‘resource boom’, earnings for Australia’s uranium dropped 24%
Stop radioactive tests on squirrel monkeys -says Paul McCartney
The Former Beatle is unhappy about NASA using poor animals for outer space radiation testing.
Paul McCartney asks NASA to stop animal testing Oneindia , 27 Aug 2010, Beatles Superstar Sir Paul McCartney and NASA have a strong relationship but right now they are involved in some monkey business. Continue reading
Victorian energy company award winner
The company has set its goals high – to become the leading solar supply and install business in Australia and to play its part in ensuring all Australians have access to a cleaner, greener electricity supply
Energy Matters A Melbourne Awards Winner : Renewable Energy News, 30 Aug 2010, In a gala ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday night, Victoria-based national solar company Energy Matters emerged a winner in the Melbourne Awards. Continue reading
Stopping mindless consumption – no more ‘politics as usual’
all these issues – environmental, social and economic – have their source in a world view that sees the central purpose of our society as pursuing ever more material enrichment in order to allow us to consume more……….
Fiddling while the Earth burns, The Age, Richard Eckersley, August 27, 2010 No more ‘politics as usual’ should mean having enough courage to tackle the sickness of mindless consumption…… Continue reading
Aboriginals and Labor oppose uranium mining in Western Australia
Kade Muir, a Wongatha anthropologist who was born in Kalgoorlie but now resides elsewhere, says, “We don’t want this product disturbed from the ground. We don’t want to bequeath a legacy for future generations of a toxic environment.”
Enough of Uranium Mining, Say Aboriginal Communities. Galdu. Resource Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, August 2010, KALGOORLIE-BOULDER, Australia — As a mining giant prepares to open a major uranium mining site in Western Australia next year, the clamour for the state to once more ban mining of the radioactive mineral has become louder.
By Jessie Boylan, IPS Continue reading
Conflicts of interest in USA “independent” uranium study group
The Southern Environmental Law Center, for instance, objects to Henry A. Schnell, who is with the mining business unit of Areva, the French-owned nuclear services company.
Questions raised about Va. uranium study members, BusinessWeek, By STEVE SZKOTAKS, 27 Aug 2010, RICHMOND, Va. As an independent scientific panel is assembled to study the risks of uranium mining in Virginia, environmental groups are questioning whether some of its provisional members can be impartial because of their ties to the nuclear power industry or mining interests. Continue reading
Movement to protect the Great Lakes from radioactive waste shipments
In addition to the radiological risks of one of these barges sinking — including stigma impacts on economic sectors such as Great Lakes tourism and fisheries, even if there is not a radioactive release — there is also the precedent setting nature of this proposal.
(Canada) Resistance builds to radioactive waste shipments on Great Lakes, Beyond Nuclear, 26 Aug 2010, The Great Lakes United (GLU) Nuclear-Free/Green Energy Task Force has taken the lead in shining a spotlight on the proposal by Bruce Nuclear Power Complex in Ontario to barge 16 radioactive steam generators out the Great Lakes, and across the Atlantic, to Sweden for “recycling” the metal for un-restricted re-use in consumer products. Continue reading
Australia’s Parliament reported on degrading effect of uranium mining on Aboriginal people
The1997 Australian parliament report observes: ‘(The) history of uranium mining in Australia and its impact on Aboriginal people is deplorable. Past mining in places like Rum Jungle have left areas so degraded that traditional owners are unable to use them, while mines such as Ranger (also in the Northern Territory) have been forced on traditional owners against their will.” “Even at mines such as Olympic Dam,” it adds, “…there was deep concern at the reckless degradation of sacred sites and insensitivity to their culture.”
Enough of Uranium Mining, Say Aboriginal Communities. Galdu. Resource Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, August 2010, “……..For decades, uranium mining has been a touchy subject for Aboriginal people. Hundreds of Aboriginal communities were cleared out into cattle stations, towns and cities in the fifties and sixties, when Australian and British governments tested atomic weapons in the South Australian desert and off the coast of Western Australia. Continue reading
A waste dump mess of unknown types of radioactive wastes
Available records indicate the buried wastes include radiologically contaminated laboratory instruments, bottles, boxes, filters, aluminum cuttings, metallurgical samples, electrical equipment, lighting fixtures, barrels, laboratory equipment and hoods, and high-dose-rate wastes
(USA) Hazardous materials removed from burial ground in Hanford – KNDO/KNDU Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA , 27 Aug 2010, RICHLAND, Wash.— Workers are making their first entry into one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s most hazardous waste burial grounds containing radioactive and hazardous materials at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. Continue reading
Centre for Geomechanics to “scrutinise” Western Australia’s uranium mining
The tender was awarded to the Australian Centre for Geomechanics,…The new group comes as several resources companies including BHP Billiton and Toro Energy are vying to develop the state’s first uranium mine, which could be as early as 2013.
Experts appointed to scrutinise WA uranium , Rebecca Laws, on Perth Now , August 23, 2010 The State Government has appointed an independent group of experts to implement a regulatory framework for WA’s emerging uranium sector. Continue reading
Conflict of interest in uranium study group
“Unfortunately, it appears that several members of the provisional committee may have conflicts of interest….”
(USA) Regional groups voice concerns over uranium study committee, By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune, August 25, 2010 The Roanoke and Dan River basin associations want the National Academy of Sciences to investigate the backgrounds and professional relationships of several appointees to a provisional committee that will study uranium mining in Virginia. Continue reading
Australia going ahead with airport radiation scanning – no worries, mate?
US scientists have warned that radiation from controversial full-body airport scanners has been dangerously underestimated and could lead to an increased risk of skin cancer – particularly in children
Miss Ukraine backs full-body scanners at airports | The Australian, 25 Aug, 2010, “……….Due to be rolled out in Australia next year, the full-body scanners have raised privacy concerns Continue reading
U.S. Congress concerned over radiation dangers in airport scanning
certain travelers may be particularly vulnerable to emissions from the scanners including seniors, women prone to breast cancer, expectant mothers and children for which the impact hasn’t been fully evaluated….…
(USA) Lawmakers continue to voice concerns over whole-body imagers | Center for Investigative Reporting, G. W. Shultz, August 24, 2010, Continue reading
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