Uranium miner ERA: costs high, profits low
‘This is expected to adversely impact ERA’s 2010 earnings, as the small price margin associated with the sale of the purchased material is more than offset by the ongoing costs of operation,’’ the company said.
ERA shares fall on production downgrade, Sydney Morning Herald, October 13, 2010 – 1 Uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia has downgraded its 2010 production guidance, saying ore grade in the September quarter was lower than expected. Continue reading
Australia’s Climate Change Minister not strong on Climate Change action on coal power
Federal Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said the Gillard government was not focused on committing taxpayers’ money to the Brumby government’s goal of closing a quarter of the Hazelwood coal-fired power plant within four years….Mr Combet said Victoria’s climate policy was ”very strong” but the federal government had different priorities.
Federal funding unlikely for state’s Hazelwood coal-reduction proposal, The Age, Adam Morton and Tom Arup, October 13, 2010 THE federal government has cast doubt over Victoria’s request for hundreds of millions of dollars to start closing Australia’s ”dirtiest” power station, Continue reading
Victoria determined to close down dirty Hazelwood coal power station
Greens MP Greg Barber said new climate change laws allowed the government to legislate Hazelwood out of existence without compensation being due.
Dirty coal station ‘will be closed’, Sydney Morning Herald, Richard Willingham, October 14, 2010 PREMIER John Brumby is ”completely confident” Australia’s dirtiest power station will be closed, with or without federal help. Continue reading
Lies about ethical investments, lies about Climate Change
Today’s news – articles about “ethical investments”. That turns out be an issue for “Secrets and Lies”. Some companies are described as ethical because they claim not to invest in uranium. But – read the fine print, where it sometimes goes on to say “where uranium is directly intended for nuclear weapons fuel”. Now that’s a nice copout, isn’t it?
Another issue for “Secrets and Lies” – the enormously successful push by fossil fuel companies to set up the incorrect story that scientific opinion is “equally” divided on Global Warming and Climate Change.
One silly part of this is that climate scientists are accused of having a secret agenda to promote “socialism”.
Strange – because the nuclear and fossil fuel lobbies also want governments to cover the costs of nuclear power setup, security, and waste disposal – apparently nuclear socialism is OK!
BHP Billiton- uranium and coal miner – not an ethical investment
the problems of decommissioning nuclear power plants and disposal of waste and proliferation, as well as BHP’s carbon footprint, – reasons for not holding the company.
Turbocharged: ethical investments beat the market, Sydney Morning Herald John Collett, October 13, 2010 “…….Some of the largest that run ”socially responsible” funds have BHP Billiton among their biggest shareholdings. It means their investors have more money in BHP than any other company. Continue reading
Greenwashing in Australian banks and “ethical” funds
Many ethical funds will claim to be committed to socially responsible investment but how green are they?…Australian banks investing in coal over renewable energy at a rate of seven to one. The banks invested $5.5 billion in the coal industry, as against $784 million in renewable energies.
Environmentally-friendly investments, How green are they really?, Sydney Morning Herald, Adam Courtenay, October 12, 2010 – The government may have rediscovered a political commitment to carbon containment but few investment houses have shown any signs of moving with the environmental zeitgeist. Green investing, in its purest environmental sense, remains anathema to financial advisers and mainstream fund managers, and investors with a deep green conscience are badly served by the sector.There are only a handful of truly green investment funds available in Australia and most struggle for subscriptions. Continue reading
Secret Pine Gap, the CIA’s largest facility outside USA
Pine Gap hosts the largest CIA facility outside America,…While visiting US lawmakers are taken on tours of Pine Gap, Federal MP’s are denied entry.
Strategic US Military Intel Base in Pine Gap, Australia,
Global Research, by Richard Neville Ground Truth: Pine Gap, Australia On the flight from Sydney to Alice Springs the desert unfolds for hours beneath the window. On descent it is possible to glimpse a space age compound on the sand backed by the MacDonnell Ranges and distinguished by a clump of enormous white pop art “golf balls”. This is Pine Gap, a US military base built on the traditional land of the indigenous Arrente people, Continue reading
Greens call to stop Marathon uranium mining in world renowned wilderness
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.. “This is an important area not just for South Australians but globally and it deserves the highest level of protection.”
Greens urge against mining licence renewal – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 11 Oct 10, Continue reading
Nuclear lobby’s puppet political hope, Paul Howes
Paul Howes has lately been speaking out against Julia Gillard’s policies. I guess that getting rid of Kevin Rudd was just the first part of the agenda of Howes’ corporate backers – Christina Macpherson
Paul Howes a headache for Julia Gillard Peter van Onselen The Australian * October 11, 2010 “…… Howes was one of the Labor powerbrokers who helped orchestrate the removal of Rudd from the prime ministership shortly before the federal election.
In Rudd’s first term he was a vocal critic of the government’s approach to issues such as nuclear power and the treatment of refugees…..
Nuclear Secrecy- Australia – theme for October
Australia has long been involved in the secrecy surrounding the nuclear industry, and still is today.
It started in the early 1940s, as Australia supplied uranium for the nuclear weapons of America and Britain. From 1952, the UK’s atomic weapons were tested in South Australia and Western Australia.
Australia’s Atomic Energy Commission was set up in 1953, with the purpose of developing nuclear power, and the later option of nuclear weapons. In the 1960s and ’70ssecret litary bases at North West Cape, Pine Gap and Nurrungar tied Australia to the US nuclear war-fighting machine.
It is generally accepted that the CIA engineered the dismissal of Australia’s Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, due to particular concern of the USA government to keep Australia in the dark over these bases, particularly Pine Gap. In America, Christopher Boyce was gaoled as a traitor, 1n 1977. He alleged that the CIA had engineered Whitlam’s downfall and had not honoured the 1966 agreement to share the military information gained at Pine Gap.
Manifesto pledges more nuclear weapons – USA Republicans
It was the Bush Republican administration that got us into Iraq and Afghanistan, dragging reluctant allies with them. If they win control of the House and Senate they plan on expanding the domestic stockpile of nuclear arms. Who these missiles are defending us from remains a question.
Missile Madness…….. – Dunfermline Press, 6th October, 2010 The Republican party released their political ‘Pledge to America’ manifesto and it is really disturbing. Rebuilding the US ballistic missile programme (ICBMs) is what caught my attention. Returning to the days of missile silos across the US is part of their planned defense initiative. Do we really need another Cold War? Continue reading
Nuclear power dead in the water, no chance in Australia
Nuclear,again, John Quiggin, 8 Oct 10, “……. Except in China (and maybe India) nuclear power isn’t getting bigger any time soon. Following the failure of Obama’s energy bill and the GFC, the US “nuclear renaissance” is dead in the water, and the same is true in Europe. Continue reading
Australia’s uranium – part of a dangerous nuclear cycle
There is no way the use of uranium purchased from countries such as Australia can be policed. Once another country owns the uranium it can use it for military purposes,
The Danger of Nuclear Power Stations, Adventure Australia, October 07, 2010 Countries are going ahead with investment in nuclear power despite very real dangers. Similar crises to Chernobyl and Three Mile Island will definitely occur in the future with catastrophic results for resident of neighboring nations of the country experiencing the problem. Continue reading
Broadcast Australia goes renewable energy
A 15kW wind turbine was installed, along with a 5kW solar power system. Surplus generated electricity is stored in two banks of deep cycle batteries, providing a total of 5800 amp hour storage; enough to provide full power autonomy for two days….The Broadcast Australia network covers approximately 580 transmission sites located throughout the metropolitan, regional and rural areas of Australia.
Broadcast Australia Powers Site With Wind And Solar Energy : Renewable Energy News, 7 Oct 10, Broadcast Australia has upgraded a broadcast transmission site in Tasmania to be powered by renewable energy. Continue reading
Australian govt can use carbon pricing to provide renewable energy infrastructure
The construction of new renewable energy grid infrastructure is one example of an investment-centred measure. Expanded electricity grid infrastructure would open up renewable resources for sustainable development and help overcome a non-market barrier to clean energy deployment……
The Gillard government and those in the parliament who support effective action on climate change can use carbon-pricing legislation to secure funding for an ambitious nation-building climate policy agenda.
Want to stop climate change? Move beyond carbon pricing, Rooted, Leigh Ewbank, October 7, 2010 by Crikey: Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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