Jim Green refutes Ziggy Spinowsky on nuclear weapons proliferation
“For eight years in the White House, every weapons-proliferation problem we dealt with was connected to a civilian reactor program. And if we ever got to the point where we wanted to use nuclear reactors to back out a lot of coal … we’d have to put them in so many places we’d run that proliferation risk right off the reasonability scale.” – former US
Vice President Al Gore……It is disingenuous for O’Neil, Switkowski and other apologists for the nuclear industry to deny the links between nuclear power and proliferation.
The myth of the peaceful atom, The Punch, by Jim Green, 6 Oct 2010, The connection between power and proliferation is the inconvenient truth of the nuclear industry. Articles in The Australian in recent weeks by Ziggy Switkowski and academic Andrew O’Neil trivialise the links between nuclear power and nuclear weapons… Continue reading
BHP Billiton and uranium mining – a bad investment
Across the globe from uranium mines to coal, nickel and copper BHP have a trail of bad human rights records, poor working conditions for workers, environmental damage and dodging responsibilities.
Tell BHP Billiton Uranium mining is bad investment! – Uranium Free, Oct 10, In 2006 BHP Billiton bought up Western Mining Corporation and with it their uranium mine assets at Olympic Dam in South Australia and Yeelirrie in Western Australia. Since then people around Australia and internationally have been calling on BHP to back out of uranium, an expensive, toxic industry which produces radioactive waste and weapons usable material. Continue reading
Uranium company ERA fined for radioactive pollution of workers
Twenty-eight workers had fallen ill with spontaneous vomiting, gastric upsets, headaches or skin rashes after drinking or showering in the water, which contained 400 times more uranium than recommended
When PR Goes Nuclear | Green Hybrid Cars , 29 Sept 10, Northern Territory based miner and producer of uranium oxide Energy Resources Of Australia Limited (ERA) were today fined $150,000 Continue reading
ANZ, National, CBA, Westpac hypocrites with their huge investment in coal
the ANZ, National, Commonwealth and Westpac are investing billions of dollars into the coal industry while promoting an image of community responsibility and environmental sustainability…
Greenpeace Slams Australia’s Big 4 Banks’ Coal Power Investment, Renewable Energy News, 4 Oct 10, A report prepared for Greenpeace Australia Pacific has found Australia’s big four banks are pouring huge amounts of money into the most polluting form of power generation: coal. Continue reading
Solar electricity in direct competition with coal
“Germany is a world leader in solar power but it has half as much sun per square metre as Australia,” he adds. … solar power is in direct competition with coal- generated electricity.
Solar Energy Gets a Boost, But Offers Much More, By Stephen de Tarczynski MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct 4, 2010 (IPS) – Proponents of renewable energy say that a planned large-scale solar power plant in Australia’s northern Victoria state, which will produce enough output to provide electricity to 60,000 homes, is just a fraction of what could be achieved if federal and state governments were fully committed to harnessing solar energy. Continue reading
Renewable energy is happening, and nuclear isn’t
I know that this is supposed to be an anti-nuclear blog. But I get bored with all the stuff in the media about nuclear. For one thing, it’s just not happening – the “nuclear renaissance”.
For another thing, the Australian media is full of hype about uranium. Today – several articles on how wonderfully well Paladin Energy is doing in Africa- oh you gotta invest! Nary a word about how Paladin is pulling out of Niger because uranium workers are getting kidnapped by al-Qaida.
But for the main thing – Renewable Energy is happening! It’s happening both on a big scale – how business and the media love BIG!
It’s happening on a small scale – where communities, schools and households are getting truly clean energy, and making a profit out of it.
Not apparently a scenario for Australia. Are we some sort of cultural outpost – where the idea of energy has to be always BIG, corporate-owned, and coal or uranium fueled?
Australia’s brain drain for solar, and now wave power
Clean energy advocates are concerned that wave power could experience the same sort of brain drain that has hit the Australian solar industry over the past decade.
Rough ride for sea power, Sydney Morning Herald, Mathew MurphyOctober 4, 2010 A LACK of government support for the fledgling wave-energy industry is forcing Australian companies to increasingly invest overseas despite having the world’s best wave resource off our coastline. Continue reading
How to lie about nuclear power funding and still sound “ethical”
In this month of focus on lies and secrets, we might ponder what Westpac Bank actually does mean when it promises to favour “clean” energy projects.
In the USA, the word “clean” is routinely applied to nuclear power. In China, even the word “renewable” is applied to nuclear power. We regularly hear of “green” nuclear power, along with other amazing lies like “cheap”.
Most (not all) of Australia’s “ethical” investments fund any uranium mining that is not specified as intended for nuclear weapons – in other words, they fund any uranium mining – and still call themselves “ethical”
A negative thought for Australian solar energy industry
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union is urging government incentives to promote Australian solar panel makers. Sounds good – BUT – as things stand now, such a plan would also indirectly promote the nuclear industry (ANSTO’s baby)
Call to foster local solar panel makers Ben Cubby, Sydney Morning Herald, October 2, 2010The main beneficiary of the union’s plan would be SilexSolar, a subsidiary of a nuclear energy research company, “……. which bought a photovoltaic manufacturing plant at Homebush from BP Solar last year, after BP decided to source its panels from China.The factory turns out less than 100 megawatts worth of panels a year, though that still makes it the largest in the southern hemisphere…” Call to foster Australian solar panel makers
A positive thought for Australian solar energy industry
”We have got a chance to get in at the start of a major new growth industry, and we have the smarts to make it work if the government signals that it will support local manufacturers.”
Call to foster local solar panel makers, Ben Cubby, Sydney Morning Herald, October 2, 2010 Australian solar panel makers are calling for industry protection to slow down a flood of cheap panels being manufactured in China, as the NSW government reviews its solar tariff scheme. Continue reading
Clean Energy Storage Law boosts renewable energy
California lawmakers have passed Energy Storage Bill California Enacts Energy Storage Bill | SmartMeters.com 1 Oct 10, The landmark legislation requires electric utilities to adopt energy storage technologies, making it easier to incorporate renewable energy sources into the state’s electric grid. Integrating energy storage technology will allow California’s electric distribution system to meet and accommodate the daily fluctuations of energy demand. In addition, increasing energy storage capacity is expected to help promote intermittent energy sources like wind and solar power and contribute to an overall more reliable smart grid. California Enacts Energy Storage Bill | SmartMeters.com™ The Smart Meter News Portal
Australian business can reduce costs through energy efficiencies, solar cooling
Such systems are relatively inexpensive (they don’t require large pieces of infrastructure), yet they can realise quite dramatic energy savings, whilst allowing business as usual….Solar cooling using heat from the sun as an energy source which can be used to generate cool air for use in buildings.
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES Business Review, 1 Oct 10, As well as renewable energy generation, businesses can make dramatic emissions and cost reductions through energy efficiency measures. Continue reading
Serious doubts on ANSTO and Silex Systems uranium enrichment technology
The technology in question was licensed from Silex Systems, an Australian company that’s been quietly conducting enrichment research at a small facility near Sydney for the last quarter century.But many experts are skeptical….a huge and extremely risky bet.”…..they also present a major headache for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other nuclear watchdog groups attempting to spot clandestine enrichment plants,
Laser Uranium Enrichment Makes a Comeback The controversial technology poses proliferation risks, but nuclear firms press on, IEEE Spectrum: By Sandra Upson / October 2010 Continue reading
Developing Renewable Energy in Australia
CSIRO (Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) is developing the next generation of technologies that produce energy from renewables including solar, wind, ocean and geothermal resources
The Future of Renewable Technologies – Business News – Dr Jim Smitham, 1 Oct 10, If Australia is to mitigate climate change, we will need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and transport fuels by finding ways to harness our clean, renewable resources like the sun and wind. Continue reading
Australian Greens support Aboriginal fight against Muckaty nuclear waste dump
He read a letter from traditional owners to Parliament – “We are the Aboriginal people who own the land and the dreamings you are talking about, we are asking that you reject this bill and scrap Muckaty as a site for the waste dump.”
Greens urge rethink of nuclear dump site – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Megan Lewis Sep 29, 2010 The Greens have urged the Federal Government to scrap plans to build a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory…… Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 