Australia’s government provides hasty, stingy compensation to its nuclear veterans
Nuclear veterans short-changed in Budget: Xenophon ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 12 May, 2010, Independent Senator Nick Xenophon says veterans of nuclear testing at Maralinga in outback South Australia have been short-changed in the federal Budget.There were atomic tests at Maralinga and Emu Plains about half a century ago.Senator Xenophon says test veterans will get improved benefits under veterans’ entitlements but no lump sum payments.”Russia, France, the US, even China have provided lump sum compensation for their nuclear test survivors but the Government has failed to do so,” he said.”I don’t think that’s good enough given these victims have waited something like half a century to try and get some justice in relation to what they’ve gone through.”Nuclear veterans short-changed in Budget: Xenophon – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
For solar technology, Australian govt backs nuclear company AREVA
short-listed for one of two projects to get substantial backing under the $1.5 billion solar flagships program….none of the big name US and Spanish proponents of the new generation solar tower technologies, such as BritghSource, e-Solar and Cobra, made the short-list.
The giant backing Australian solar, Giles Parkinson | Business Spectator, 12 May 2010, The French nuclear giant Areva might have made one of the deals of the year when it snapped up Ausra, the solar thermal energy company founded by Australian researcher David Mills. Continue reading
AREVA’s grand nuclear empire plans coming unstuck?
it is president Nicolas Sarkozy’s dream to streamline the nuclear power sector, from design to operation, working as a team to win high profile contracts around the world.
French Nuclear Industry Faces Meltdown, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, By Geraldine Amiel May 11, 2010,A much-awaited report on France’s nuclear industry — due out later this week — is understood to offer ways for France’s diverse nuclear industry to work together to garner big contracts around the globe. Continue reading
BHP blaming govt for uncertain future of uranium mining
he told an uranium summit in Perth that the project was “under review”,
BHP says Western Australia uranium project ‘under review’ Mining Weekly Esmarie Swanepoel 11th May 2010 Continue reading
Paladin makes it clear that regulations are slacker for uranium mining in Africa
Take your pick and get out of Africa | Herald Sun, Olga Galacho , 6 May 2010, IF THE flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause an effect on the other side of the world, then it should follow that certain mining activities in Africa should shame some Australian investors. “………..Details of the 150 ASX-listed or soon to be floated companies with mostly uranium mining interests in Africa have been kindly supplied in the Australia-Africa Mining Industry Group’s submission.It is available here: tinyurl.com/34xw9ez Australian companies now represent the third-largest category of miners in Africa and many of them have been attracted to that continent because of the poor governance of some of its regimes………. Continue reading
Revenue losses in Russian controlled Uranium One
Uranium One said two weeks ago that it had acquired a stake in uranium producer Paladin Energy
Uranium One posts loss on higher costs TORONTO, May 10 (Reuters) Reporting by , Euan Rocha; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Dave Zimmerman) – Uranium One reported a first-quarter net loss on Monday, citing falling revenues and higher operating expenses………. Revenue fell 17.4 percent to $35.5 million on lower sales volumes and a lower realized uranium price…….. Continue reading
Review: Nuke waste, media silence, environmental causes of cancer
Australia: Strangely absent from the mainstream media was the Senate’s Report,giving green light to Martin Ferguson’s Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan. Also strangely absent, a new agreement between Obama and Rudd on nuclear technology co-operation. But – lots of coverage given to BHP’s objections to a super profit resource tax. Tony Abbott ‘educates’ kids towards Climate Change scepticism. Federal govt might compensate Maralinga vets, perhaps to prevent legal case.
International: U.S. President’s Cancer Panel Report spells out environmental causes, including ionising radiation. Israel under pressure to admit to its nuclear weapons. Germany less likely now to restart nuclear power. India’s Parliament in turmoil over nuclear insurance to help foreign nuclear companies. Uranium prices and revenues low. World Bank finds nuclear power uneconomic. – the week that has been
Legal challenge preparing against Australia’s plan to dump nuclear waste on aboriginal land
“We find it quite astonishing when we compare their determination against the land commissioner’s report which clearly identifies the traditional owners we’re speaking to as owners of the land.”
Lawyers step in as waste dump gets nod, ABC Alice Springs – Australian Broadcasting Corporation, By Alex Johnson 11 May 2010, A team of solicitors will travel to Tennant Creek today to prepare their case against the Federal Government’s plan to build a nuclear waste dump north of the town. Continue reading
Cancer risks for young women in medical radiation
President’s Cancer Panel Report says “minimizing radiation dose to breast tissue is critically important, particularly in girls and young women.”…..
PCP:Medical radiation ups breast cancer risk, foodfconsumer.org, 08/05/2010 The President’s CancerPanel released this week an annual report on the cancer risks from the environment warning that medical radiation raises breast cancer risk. Continue reading
Australia’s proposed nuclear waste dump a target for terrorism
Nuclear waste site a target for terrorists, expert warns, Sydney Morning Herald, LINDSAY MURDOCH DARWIN May 11, 2010 A BRITISH nuclear risk expert has warned that terrorists could target radioactive waste being transported thousands of kilometres across Australia to a proposed waste dump in the Northern Territory. Continue reading
President’s Cancer Panel Report highlights Breast Cancer
the President’s Cancer Panel report is in general cautious and makes sensible policy recommendations. It also makes a number of (mostly) sensible recommendations for individual citizens. In general, it is cautious and highlights a neglected aspect of cancer research.
(USA) The President’s Cancer Panel steps into it : Respectful Insolence, 11 May 2010, Continue reading
Mothers against uranium mining
Lila Watson, Australian aboriginal leader, said: “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come here because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”………
A Mother’s Day Call to Protect the Earth, Care 2, 9 May 2010, Our team of eight dynamic women – legal, policy, and business experts -convened in Elko, Nevada, to begin our journey……….. Finally, we traveled to the magnificent Grand Canyon, where Havasupai leader Carletta Tilousi explained the grave threat of uranium mining to the tribe’s sacred Red Butte mountain, to the community’s health, and to the safety of the regional aquifer. Continue reading
Women more affected by nuclear power and ionising radiation
NUCLEAR POWER and WOMEN – our focus for May 2010
Decisions on nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear wastes are almost exclusively made by men.
Yet the brunt of nuclear-caused cancer is suffered by women and children, as is the brunt of nuclear war, and of depleted uranium spread.
Opinion polls over many years, and in many countries, consistently show that women are opposed to nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
More women than men are concerned about health and environmental effects of the nuclear industry.
Yet they are consistently reassured by narrowly educated nuclear physicists, and other technocrats, that nuclear power is safe, and that they have nothing to worry about in regard to ionising radiation.
Australia’s nuclear waste dump plan affects all Australians
Once again, Australia’s Aboriginal land rights are to be trampled by White Australia’s ignorance and apathy, (helped along by the subservient mass media), and by corporate greed. Not much comfort for Aboriginal owners of the Muckaty area – but eventually, even White Australians will suffer from this.
BUT – the fight is not over – as support for the Muckaty land owners and national resistance build among Australians of any colour.
Muckaty Australia’s Nuclear Waste Dump now – but What’s Next?
The nuclear waste dump battle is far from over. The Rudd government got elected partly on its promise to overturn Howard’s Radioactive Waste Management Act. Now, a tame Senate Inquiry has endorsed Rudd’s even more draconic National Radioactive Waste Management Bill.
Orchestrated by Australia’s fine Minister For Promoting the Nuclear Industry, Martin Ferguson, the new Bill opens the way for a radioactive waste 
dump to be imposed on Aboriginal land, against the will of its traditional owners, of the regional community, and the Northern Territory Government.
But that’s not all. Along with the Northern Territory Intervention, this Bill opens the door to further encroachment on the rights of all Australians, not only Aboriginals.
And – yesterday’s announcement of an agreement between the Australian Government and the Obam administration on nuclear technology, 
will soon be followed by a Obama’s visit to Australia. The timing of all this is remarkable. The Muckaty nuclear waste dump is supposed to take the returned Lucas Heights nuclear waste.
But what’s next for Australia – which remains a signatory to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership?
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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