Climate Report Card – Australian politics
The Pollute-o-meter awarded the Greens four stars out of five, and found their policies could cut emissions by 26 per cent by 2020. The Greens want to put a price on carbon pollution.
Fails all round on climate report card, Herald Sun, 16/07/2010 With climate change shaping as a key election issue, both major parties have scored a fail from experts. Continue reading
Northern Territory’s increased rainfall pattern hampering uranium mining
unstable pit wall conditions and the high rainfall level are considered to be the major factors affecting the decline of production volumes by the ERA.
Rainfalls hamper Uranium mine efficiency in Australia | Seer Press, 16 July 2010, Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) admits the high rainfall levels coupled with a slip of a pit wall have significantly hampered their production capacity Continue reading
Despite Abbott, Liberal Coalition plans for nuclear power
“We believe people should be given facts, not hysteria”….So you’ll see
Australia under an Abbott government working with other countries as other countries develop their nuclear industries..”
Nuclear debate still open, Stock & Land, 14 July, 2010, “………… many in Australia’s uranium industry and the Coalition itself expect a debate about clean (?) energy supplies that will point towards developing a local nuclear capacity.
Opposition resources spokesman Ian Macfarlane has been open about the Coalition’s longer-term position. Continue reading
Anti-nuclear Aboriginal is Greens Senate candidate
He says he wants to represent Territorians in the fight against the proposed nuclear waste dump at Muckaty station and the federal intervention.
Greens choose entertainer as Senate candidate, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Kirsty Nancarrow Jul 14, 2010 The Greens have chosen the award-winning Central Australian entertainer Warren H. Williams as its Northern Territory Senate candidate for the upcoming federal election. Continue reading
USA-Australia Nuclear Co-operation Agreement
Does the Australian public know anything about this?
If not opposed by a joint resolution of disapproval or other legislation, then the agreement will be considered approved at the end of this time period.
U.S.-Australia Civilian Nuclear Cooperation: Issues for Congress, East Asia: , 14 July 2010, Mary Beth Nikitin, Bruce Vaughn Australia and the United States have cooperated in the peaceful use of nuclear energy since the mid-1950s. The framework for this cooperation is a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement as required by section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act. President Obama transmitted the proposed text of the latest renewal agreement to Congress on May 5, 2010, Continue reading
Australia’s uranium not looking like a good investment
Uranium Struggles FNArena News – July 13 2010 By Greg Peel “……..Given uranium being “out of favour” in Citi’s eyes, the broker last week downgraded its earnings forecasts for Australia’s two major pure-play uranium producers, Paladin Energy (PDN) and Energy Resources of Australia ((ERA)). Citi suggests the uranium market looks adequately supplied for now.
Paladin copped a 40% earnings forecast reduction in FY11-12 due to lower than expected spot prices and higher than expected costs, leading to a target price reduction from $5.40 to $4.40 (FNArena consensus $4.09). ERA’s cut is only 6-9% in FY11-12 given the offsetting drop in the Aussie dollar, but Citi’s target falls from $23.30 to $15.10 (consensus $16.92).
Row over nuclear compensation intended for Australian veterans
Last night, the Ministry of Defence accepted that the payment made by the British Government could have been used to pay off Australian servicemen but argued that Australian ministers had used it to decontaminate test sites.
£20m ‘betrayal’ of UK’s nuclear bomb test veterans Veterans are betrayed by double standards, This Is Derbyshire, 14 July 2010, BRITISH ex-servicemen have reacted angrily to news that ministers paid out £20 million to Australia to settle compensation claims arising from UK nuclear bomb tests – while continuing to deny them payouts for illnesses they say were caused by the same blasts. Continue reading
Pre election, Abbott dancing around on nuclear power
“We have no plans to promote nuclear power. We have no plans for local plebiscites. Nuclear power is not on the agenda at this time and I have no plans to put it on the agenda,” Mr Abbott said.
Poll-conscious Abbott dodges nuclear issue, Stock & Land, 13 Jul, 2010 OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has been forced to rule out going to the federal election with any plans to promote the use of nuclear power as a solution to climate change despite support by some Liberal and National members of Parliament. Continue reading
Australia waits for carbon price and action on renewable energy
Germany is aiming to provide between 80 and 100 per cent of
its energy needs through renewables by 2050. …even more ambitious than increasing the amount of renewable energy in Germany is its plan to phase out nuclear power.
Germany’s green light for energy, Sydney Morning Herald, July 14, 2010 Europe is baffled as to why Australia does not do more, writes Mathew Murphy. “…… Germany is so far ahead of countries such as Australia in terms of renewable energy and attitudes towards climate change.
”Australia is seen as a highly polluting country, yet it has so much sun and renewable resources. My question for you is why does it not do more?”………
It is a question that baffles many Europeans and one that now lies at the feet of Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Continue reading
Big Mining’s removal of Rudd may cost them backlash
Julia Gillard’s quick fix essentially gave the big miners open slather to rewrite the new tax to suit themselves……Both BHP and Rio Tinto have acted entirely logically and within the law by attempting to minimise their tax and maximise their profits for shareholders. But the win in Australia, with their very public display of power, may cost them dearly elsewhere.
Big-talking giants may come down with a thud, Sydney Morning Herald, Ian Verrender, July 13, 2010 f the European Union had reservations about the iron ore tie-up between the mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, it no doubt would have been stunned by Tom Albanese’s extraordinary remarks in London last week…….. Continue reading
Did Notre Dame University chicken out on Kimberley uranium debate?
a public forum was scheduled to run at Notre Dame University’s Broome campus but the university has since pulled out
Green group blasts Uni over forum pull-out ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Jul 13, 2010 The Australian Conservation Fund says it is disappointed by a university’s decision to pull out from hosting a forum on uranium mining in the Kimberley, amid controversy over the subject. Continue reading
Prices down and extreme weather affected uranium mine
Uranium output to fall 18 per cent: ERA | The Australian, 14 July 2010, ENERGY Resources of Australia (ERA) has flagged a drop in uranium oxide production of up to 18 per cent a year after its first-half output slumped, due largely to record rainfall affecting operations. Shares in ERA closed 68¢, or 4.62 per cent, lower at $14.05. Continue reading
Nuclear and fossil fuel lobby’s dilemma over carbon price
The big producers of fossil fuels and uranium, having safely disposed of Kevin Rudd and his resources profit tax, are now treading carefully on the Climate Change issue. They and the servile mass media did a good job on discrediting Climate Change – so we wouldn’t need to do anything about carbon emissions. The idea is to keep coal roaring on until it can be replaced by nuclear power.
The problem is that their pitch on nuclear power is that it’s the answer to 
global warming , (even though global warming isn’t supposed to be real or man-made). Therefore Australia would need a carbon price, shudder! a carbon tax!
No wonder Ziggy Spinowski’s being a bit quiet these pre-election days!
Australia’s nuclear lobby needs a carbon price – how embarassing!
John Howard asked Ziggy Switkowski in 2006 to look at nuclear power, and Switkowski told him it couldn’t happen without a carbon price. So, no nuclear power without a “great big new tax”………
No carbon price? You’re being conned | Crikey, 12 July, by Bernard Keane “……..The Coalition is dead keen on nuclear but won’t ever move without Labor giving them cover. But as Crikey showed in November last year, nuclear power is ludicrously expensive and needs massive taxpayer support, otherwise it costs a lot more to build and more to operate than renewables. And that’s before you figure out where to park the waste for a few hundreds of thousands of years or decommission reactors. Continue reading
In the crooked world of uranium mining deals
Alliance takes Four Mile partner to court, World Nuclear News, 12 July 2010 Australia’s Alliance Resources has taken Quasar Resources and Heathgate Resources to court over their failure to disclose information related to the exploration of the Four Mile uranium project in South Australia. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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