A little primer on ionising radiation
Radiation Poisoning, Sickness (Radioactivity) Symptoms | Health Articles, 28 June 2010, Radiation can simply be divided into ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Radioactive materials are a source of ionizing radiation because they emit particles (particulate radiation) and waves that can penetrate certain substances. There are three types of ionizing radiation that are of concern in terms of a person’s health : Continue reading
Aboriginals to get basic rights in exchange for their land for uranium mining
For access to essential goods, services and infrastructure — a basic right for white Australia — communities are being forced to sign over their land rights. It’s a policy of starving people out to take their land…………
Youth candidates to witness NT intervention , Green Left Weekly, June 26, 2010 In July, Socialist Alliance election candidates…..— Jess Moore, Zane Alcorn and Ewan Saunders will join Indigenous activists, students, community groups and campaigners from across the country in Alice Springs for an important gathering of intervention-affected Aboriginal communities………….. Continue reading
Ewan Saunders comments on Northern Territory intervention
Ewan Saunders, candidate for Brisbane, Green Left Weekly, 26 June 2010, As Socialist Alliance candidates visit the NT in July to attend a national Indigenous and non-Indigenous convergence, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott will be sitting a very comfortable distance away from the communities affected by the NT intervention.
It makes for a revealing comparison: they can disagree on taxing the mining mega-corporations, but they can agree on stripping away the hard-won land rights of Aboriginal people in this country to hand over the land to mining interests.………Youth candidates to witness NT intervention | Green Left Weekly
In Finland, France, UK, nuclear resuscitation is stalling
Generation III nuclear reactors: late again, Greenpeace International, by jmckeati – June 25, 2010T he continuing and farcical story of the state of the art European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) being built by AREVA at Olkiluoto in Finland. The many, many diverse delays incompetence in the project have led to it being (at the time of writing) four years behind schedule and 2.3 billion euros over-budget. It’s not just in Finland, however, where the reactor that was supposed to relaunch the nuclear ‘renaissance’ is struggling. Continue reading
Will Gillard toe Ferguson’s line on Muckaty nuclear waste dump?
“In no way can we allow any state or Territory
government to get in the way of establishing a repository,” said Martin Ferguson
Hendo urges Gillard to dump Muckaty, Northern Territory News, NICK CALACOURAS June 26th, 2010 AUSTRALIA’S new Prime Minister Julia Gillard should rethink her predecessor’s decision to build a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory, Chief Minister Paul Henderson said. Continue reading
Plutonium powered nuclear facilities in space?
We have been seeing — for two months now — the damage of technology run amok in the Gulf of Mexico. Consider the consequences of dangerous, expensive, unnecessary nuclear-powered technology running amok above our heads.
Obama Seeks to Revive Space Nuclear Power, Karl Grossman, June 25, 2010 Despite its huge dangers, the Obama administration is seeking to revive the use of nuclear power in space. Continue reading
Highly Enriched Uranium (for a bomb) easy to get from commercial nuclear reactors
Every nuclear-powered nation on the planet has nuclear material, and not all of it’s under lock and key. Civilian stockpiles in Europe and Japan aren’t staffed by armed guards, nor are most nuclear research reactors on U.S. college campuses. But if you’re looking for a truly easy score, try Russia.
What’s It Take to Build a Nuclear Weapon? | TakePart, by Adam Trunell, 25 June 2010, “…………..The Nuclear Material The most important ingredient in a nuclear bomb is the nuclear stuff itself, which is also the hardest to get. No way can you find nuclear material like plutonium or highly enriched uranium stockpiled in a tool shed behind some half-hearted padlock. Right? Wrong Continue reading
Australia’s nuclear waste danger
Obama’s visit later this year may well lead to Australia becoming an international nuclear waste dump – THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY and RADIOACTIVE WASTES – our theme for June 2010 With the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill, the Australian government is setting Australia up for a possible later step in the sorry story of nuclear wastes.
The decision to impose a nuclear waste dump on Northern Territory Aboriginal land has been followed quickly by an agreement between the Australian government and President Obama, on sharing nuclear technology. And this will now be followed by Obama’s visit to Australia – just at the time when 
Obama is in deep trouble over the USA’s growing mass of nuclear wastes.
At the same time, Obama has set up a (somewhat pro-nuclear industry) “Blue Ribbon Panel” to find out what on earth to do with USA’s nuclear wastes
Australia is still signed up to the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation , (that’s the new name for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership), by which uranium -selling countries agree to take back nuclear wastes from overseas countries
Rudd undermined, but the Resources Tax idea spreads
Pressure from mining corporations like BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, combined with the political ambitions of right-wingers, Bill Shorten and Paul Howe must have played a part in the undermining of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Kevin Rudd might not be a cuddly, warm and fuzzy person, but Rudd had the interests of Australians and their children and grandchildren at heart, in promoting the Super Profit Resources Tax.
BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto etc had at heart the interests of corporate profit, in Australia, but also in other countries. They worried that other government’s might put their people’s future ahead of those corporate profits.
Well – the undermining of Rudd might have come too late – the idea lives and spreads- as for example in Germany – “The German Ministry of Finance, for example, has envisaged an additional €2.3 billion annual “windfall tax” on nuclear operators as part of the 2011 Federal Budget and its financial plan up to 2014.” – Wall street Journal
Mining corporations expecting Gillard to retreat on the Resources Tax
Australian Miners Won’t Mourn Rudd’s Departure, Wall Street Journal, by David Cottle, 25 June 2010, It’s safe to say the vast Australian mining industry isn’t going to miss ousted prime minister Kevin Rudd……. It looks as though a watered-down version of the levy is on the cards now, if not a total return to the drawing board……………………
Rocketing nuclear reactor costs send AREVA into the red!
While the rocketing costs of the OL3 EPR have dragged down AREVA’s results for years, this is the first time that they have sent the company into the red…..AREVA’s losses are ultimately borne by French taxpayers.
AREVA covers up extent of massive nuclear reactor cost overrun Greenpeace International by jmckeati – June 24, 2010 French nuclear giant AREVA were force to issue a profit warning yesterday. It has had to find an extra 400 million euros to cover the additional costs of building its so-called flagship European Pressurised Reactor at Olkiluoto in Finland. Continue reading
Veterans die as UK govt delays nuclear compensation case
“The Ministry of Defense is spending lots of money to fight this as it now realises that it will not only have to apologise and admit what happened, but will also have to compensate a lot more people than they originally expected.
(UK) Nuclear test veteran fears he may not live to see final decision, Burton News & Staffordshire Newspaper by ROB SMYTH, 24 June 2010, A NUCLEAR test veteran has described how he believes his battle for compensation from the Government may not be won in his lifetime. Continue reading
Was nuclear salesman Paul Howes behind Julia Gillard’s rise?
(I hope this is not true – Christina Macpherson)
The Left, the Right and union heavies; 
Julia’s rise to the top, Crikey.com 24 June 2010, ” The shocking idea that a 28-old-year-old right-wing unionist in the form of Howes can put the wheels in motion to dump the nation’s leader, even if acting as cover for Rudd-rival Shorten, has left the Victorian Left incredulous……..Howes won’t escape scrutiny for his role either.
“This was a loathsome performance … what the hell is Paul Howes doing instructing the caucus?,” one senior Victorian left faction source told Crikey this morning.
Julia Gillard – an unknown quantity on nuclear issues?
Writing as the uninformed peasant that I am, I pose the question: “what can we expect from Prime Minister Julia Gillard.?”
I understand that Gillard is supposed to be a member of the “left wing” faction, but that her cause has been promoted by the “right wing”
What does it all mean? As Kevin Rudd vacates the throne, I am reminded of Hilaire Belloc’s Cautionary Tale ” Always keep a hold of Nurse, for fear of finding something worse”.
Not perfect, but better: why we’re going for Gillard. « The Green Hat, 24 June 2010, What policies does she support for forestry in Tasmania, management of the Murray-Darling Basin, subsidising renewable energy and nuclear power, increasing high-density livingNot perfect, but better: why we’re going for Gillard. « The Green Hat
“…….February 25, 2007 .…….Earlier that day, deputy ALP leader Julia Gillard told the Ten Network that she supported ALP leader Kevin Rudd’s push to dump the ‘no new mines policy”, arguing that an expansion of uranium mining would bring “economic prosperity” to South Australia in particular. Uranium: Leave it in the ground! | Green Left Weekly
Renewable energy the right mix for South East Asia
Greenpeace urge SE Asian to invest in renewable energy, WikiPeers.com 23 June 2010, “……Greenpeace International senior energy expert Sven Teske explained in his report, Energy (R)evolution: A Sustainable World Energy Outlook, that if the Southeast Asian nations will engage in producing renewable energy from the sources he mentioned, it would bring almost 100 percent boost in their economy by 2050 as it would certainly generate 700,000 jobs and 30 percent more jobs up until by 2020. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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