Just a step to the Right – Australia’s new govt on environment
It’s a bit of a worry. No Education Ministry for Australia -( it’s as if education is just about training kids for jobs – not about an informed, creative minded society in all age groups). As for Environment, – tucked away in a new portfolio (Sustainable Population, Communities, Environment and Water) under Tony Burke. He could be good – we don’t yet know.
Meanwhile, higher in the Ministerial food chain, are Martin Ferguson, Minister for Resources and Energy and Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Combet was a coal engineer, degrees in mining engineering and economics.
Lurking in the wings, Bill Shorten, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation, a leader of the putsch that elevated Julia Gillard, and an ardent pro-nuclear advocate. – Christina Macpherson
Greens bring anti-nuclear muscle to Canberra
the Greens’ strong election result – and its Senate balance-of-power role from next July – had strengthened its push to ban uranium mining and stop a nuclear power industry emerging in Australia.
Greens fight Labor on uranium Andrew Burrell and Sid Maher The Australian September 14, 2010 THE Greens have threatened to use their historic alliance with Labor to stop billions of dollars of planned uranium projects from securing government approval…
Greens nuclear spokesman Scott Ludlam told The Australian his party would use its new-found leverage to attempt to stop all new uranium mines, including those planned in the next few years by BHP Billiton and Canadian giant Cameco. Continue reading
Greg Combet, Australia’s new Climate Minister keen on coal
how we can achieve in the longer term things like carbon capture and storage for coal-fired power stations.”
New Australia climate minister backs coal – Sept 13 (Reuters) – Australia’s new climate change minister, Greg Combet, believes the country’s coal sector has a future under government policies, .. Continue reading
Australian Capital Territory leads the way on solar feed-in tariffs
“This is the most progressive policy reform for renewable energy in Australia, from any state or territory government,”
ACT ‘has got it right’ on solar, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Julie Doyle and Jessica Nairn 14 Sept 10, The solar industry says the ACT is the first jurisdiction to put forward such a comprehensive plan.: Simon Corbell speaks with 666 presenter Louise Maher (ABC Canberra) The solar energy industry has welcomed the ACT Government’s decision to dramatically expand the solar feed-in tariff scheme. Continue reading
Western Australian Aboriginals to Canberra to stop compulsory acquistion of their land
compulsory acquisition ……, is about taking away Aboriginal people’s Native Title rights and interest in a piece of land for the purpose of a big mining company making loads, lots and lots of money.
Indigenous leaders take land grab complaint to Canberra Radio Australia, September 14, 2010 The Kimberley Land Council has taken its campaign against the James Price liquified natural gas project in Western Australia to Canberra.
Two weeks ago the Western Australian government began a compulsory acquisition process for land in the Kimberley region in the north-west of the state. Continue reading
Racism in Australia- Northern Territory Intervention, Western Australian land grab
events that revealed the level of racism in Australia: the compulsory acquisition of Aboriginal land for mining in WA; the ongoing NT intervention
NT intervention ‘a big lie’ , Green Left, September 11, 2010,By Peter Robson, Jeff McMullen , 14 Sept 10, Journalist Jeff McMullen used his speech at the September 8 Building Bridges forum at Parramatta Town Hall to condemn ongoing government support for the NT intervention. Continue reading
Australian, New Zealand, UK, veterans were guinea pigs for nuclear radiation
In total, 25,000 forces members from the UK, Australia and New Zealand were stationed near the blast sites.
Their lawyers claim many were there simply as guinea pigs to gauge the impact of nuclear explosions on human health.
LibDem Armed Forces minister betrayed us by dropping U.S support, say atom-test veterans, Daily mail, By Ian Drury 11th September 2010 The Armed Forces minister was last night condemned as a hypocrite who has betrayed nuclear test veterans by dropping his support after getting into power. Continue reading
Renewed call for Australian national Feed-In Tariff for solar power
National solar power solutions provider Energy Matters is running a petition at FeedInTariff.com.au calling for a national gross feed in tariff program for solar power that has collected over 20,000 signatures so far.
WA SEA Calls For National Feed In Tariff : Renewable Energy News, 12 Sept 10, The WA Sustainable Energy Association has called on the new Gillard Government to work with the Council Of Australian Governments (COAG) to develop a nationally consistent gross feed-in tariff (FiT) for renewable energy. Continue reading
Carbon price, and rural renewable energy now likely in Australia
The process agreed between the Greens and Labor, the Climate Change Committee, will likely provide the pathway forward…rural communities in Australia will see greater development in renewable energy and clean energy infrastructure
Election briefing – climate wrap. Lexology, Norton Rose Elisa de Wit and Dominic Adams, AustraliaSeptember 9 2010 The outcome of the election means that Australia may again move towards putting a price on carbon….. Continue reading
Australian Greens should avoid Peter Garrett’s fate
the experien
ce of Peter Garrett shows that the Greens should be wary ……If a Greens MP or senator were to accept a ministerial position related to the environment or climate change, they would inevitably be forced to compromise….For the sake of the party’s future success, the Greens should decline an environment ministry in the Gillard government.
Peter Garrett: a cautionary tale for the Greens, By Sara Phillips, ABC Environment | 10 Sep 2010 “………speculation that one of the Greens may be given an environment-related ministry in a show of rainbow-coalition unity – much in the way that the Tasmanian Greens have assumed cabinet positions in that state’s minority government. Continue reading
Cameco, BHP, Toro, planning uranium transport through Kalgoorlie and South Australia
Cameco may join with BHP Billiton and others…From there, the product may be sent by train to a port in South Australia,
Cameco May Work With BHP, Toro for Uranium Transport Hub in West Australia, Bloomberg, By James Paton – Sep 10, 2010 Cameco Corp. said it seeks to cooperate with companies including BHP Billiton Ltd. and Toro Energy Ltd. on transporting uranium oxide, potentially through a hub near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia…… Continue reading
BHP, Rio Tinto, Paladin want uranium sales to Russia, and no mining tax
The Australian Uranium Association says one of the first tests of Labor’s continuing support for the industry will be whether it goes ahead with uranium sales to Russia,…..also sought reassurances from the new Gillard government that her proposed 30 percent tax on iron ore and coal mines will not be extended to the uranium industry.
Australia uranium industry concerned over new govt Sep 9, 2010 SYDNEY, Sept 9 (Reuters) by Mark Bendeich Continue reading
U.S. Nuclear Agency’s grisly tests on monkeys
The experiments, conducted for the US Defense Nuclear Agency…….
Monkeys blown up in grisly tests, Northern Territory News, BEN LANGFORD, September 10th, 2010 INPEX is relying on experiments where monkeys, dogs, sheep and ducks were suspended in water and blown up by explosives to test the effects of marine blasting. Continue reading
29% voter swing to Greens in Northern Territory’s proposed nuke waste dump area
with many of the intervention’s most controversial elements still in place during Labor’s first term, some voters chose not to vote for either major party. Other issues, like the proposed Muckaty Station nuclear waste dump, seemed to have an effect.
The shifting tide of Territory politics, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Katrina Bolton – Sep 9, 2010 Continue reading
Poor economic outlook adds to opposition to Angela Pamela uranium mine
Arid Lands Environment Centre, Jess Abrahams, 9 Sept 10, On the eve of the Federal election in Alice Springs, incumbent local member Warren Snowdon made an announcement that if they were re-elected, Labor would fund a study into the threat to Alice Springs’s groundwater supplies from a uranium mine at Angela Pamela.1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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