U.S. military base in Central Australian to remain (a nuclear target?)
Our bases retain role in US plan, The Age DANIEL FLITTON, April 12, 2010 TOP-SECRET military bases in Australia will remain a key part of America’s nuclear arsenal despite President Barack Obama’s sweeping changes to limit the use of atomic weapons…..Senator Faulkner – ” ..Australia supports that US nuclear deterrence posture by hosting the joint-facilities as well.”
The satellite communication base at Pine Gap near Alice Springs is the largest of the joint US-Australian facilities, believed to monitor possible nuclear missile launches from Russia and China…..
[Obama] stopped short of declaring that America would never again be the first to use nuclear weapons as some arms control activists had hoped….
Senator Faulkner – ”As a major uranium supplier, Australia has got a particular interest in the security of nuclear materials,’‘ he said. Our bases retain role in US plan
Tilman Ruff – an Australian anti nuclear hero
Nuclear nemesis, The Age, JO CHANDLER, April 10, 2010Ads WHAT makes an activist “……Associate Professor Tilman Ruff, part-time physician, full-time campaigner against nuclear arms, and cancer survivor – a doctor who considers protecting the world from nuclear arms as fundamental to public health as the vaccines he dispenses……. Continue reading
Uranium pollution continues in South Australia, but protestors gain legal victory
David Noonan, 10 April 2010, After 10 years a group of brave and resolute anti-nuclear protesters have won a major court case against SA police in defense of their rights to defend the environment, to protest against uranium mining and to protect their rights civil and human rights – after a range of police violence was inflicted on them including unlawful imprisonment in a shipping container at the Beverley acid in situ leach uranium mine in May 2000. Continue reading
Nuclear Power Lobby in a Bigger Mess Than I Thought
by Christina Macphers
on 9 April 2010, Some big corporations have an obvious interest in Australia promoting nuclear power. But which sort? Better not get Fourth Generation nuclear reactors – or the whole uranium industry is stuffed!
Today, thanks to Renfrey Clarke (3 items from him below) I learned about:
Second Generation Nuclear Reactors – those presently in use (Pressured Water Reactors – uranium-intensive and so ultimately producing lots of greenhouse gases, and not very safe, )
Third Generation Nuclear Reactors – still being built – updated versions of the Second Gen, super-expensive, a bit safer, but same waste and proliferation problems
‘Fast Breeder’ Reactors and Fourth Generation Nuclear Reactors – the latter still at the design stage, carry serious fire and radioactive waste risk. Worst of all, for Australia, they won’t need uranium mining , as they could use existing huge stockpiles of depleted uranium
Traditional Aboriginal Owners to Appear at Senate Inquiry on Australian Govt’s Nuclear Waste Dump Plan
The NRWM Bill is also strongly opposed by the NT Government, the ACTU and Unions NT and national public health, student and environment groups.
9 April 2010 Aboriginal Traditional Owners from the Muckaty Land Trust will appear at a Senate Inquiry hearing in Darwin on Monday April 12 to speak against the federal government’s new law that seeks to impose a radioactive waste dump on the NT – the National Radioactive Waste Management (NRWM) Bill. Continue reading
A worthwhile anti uranium protest, and protestors vindicated
9 April 2010 Greens MLC Mark Parnell has welcomed the decision to award ten protesters $724,550 in compensation for their treatment and detention by Star Force officers whilst protesting at the Beverley Uranium mine in 2000……
“These protesters had a right to express their concerns about the dangers of the nuclear industry and South Australia’s role in it. This is an industry that is implicated in nuclear weapons proliferation and an industry that still has no solution to its toxic waste. That is certainly worth protesting about,” he said.
Justice for South Australian anti uranium protestors
Justice Anderson also criticised SA Treasurer Kevin Foley and Police Minister Michael Wright for making antagonistic and provocative comments about the case.
Payout for protesters locked in shipping container – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 9 April 2010, The South Australian Government has been ordered to pay $724,000 to 10 people involved in a protest at the Beverley uranium mine a decade ago.
The Supreme Court has found the nine uranium protesters and a cameraman were assaulted and all but one falsely imprisoned in a shipping container. Continue reading
Gareth Evans – Australia’s uranium salesman
Is there any potential for Viet Nam and Australia to make co-operation in this issue?
Gareth Evans :Yes, there are because Australia has the biggest reserves of uranium in the world.
VietNam to play a clear role in nuclear non-proliferation Viet Nam News April, 08 2010 Gareth Evans speaks “…….Viet Nam also has an important role in the peaceful use of nuclear energy Continue reading
The rush to roll out ‘second generation’ nuclear reactors
Why James Hansen is wrong on nuclear power | Links April 8, 2010“…….With both third- and fourth-generation nuclear plants outside the time bracket, what is left for environmentalists who hanker after nuclear power? The only option for them is the one embraced by the French and Chinese governments, and now, it seems, by the Obama administration in the US: an accelerated roll-out of second-generation nuclear plants, built to standardised designs following rushed or non-existent consultation with the plants’ future neighbours. Continue reading
Australian mainstream media’s pro-nuclear bias
by Christina Macpherson 8 April 2010. Yesterday’ s National Press Club Debate between Ziggy Spinowski, (pro-nuclear) and Bob Brown (anti-nuclear) was duly reported by Australia’s mainstream media.
And all these reports covered both points of view, both arguments.
BUT – look how the mainstream media chose to headline these. You wouldn’t know that Bob Brown was even there, would you?
Ziggy Switkowski: we need nuclear power for climate – THE AUSTRALIAN
Nuclear power ‘won’t fuel arms race’ ABC Online The head of Australia’s nuclear science agency has rejected claims that nuclear power in Australia could lead to nuclear weapons in the region. (surprise, surprise!)
Nuclear technology safer than coal shipping: chief Sydney Morning Herald AN AUSTRALIAN nuclear power industry would bring little risk of an environmental disaster such as the potential oil spill on the Great Barrier Reef, Ziggy Switkowski says.
Nuclear shift ‘likely’ The Age Nuclear energy advocate Ziggy Switkowski says he expects the public mood to shift in favour of nuclear in the next three years.
Smart grid for huge wind farm in Western Australia
Smart grid gets green light in Western Australia$600 milllion wind farm to be built by Vestas Australian Wind Technology and is expected to generate 206MW of power * ARN Staff (ARN) * 07 April, 2010 Continue reading
Radiation-caused cancer a risk in Australia’s CT scans
Radiation too high in CT scans, says study The Age, MARK METHERELL, April 8, 2010 AUSTRALIAN CT scans have been found to generate up to a third more radiation than necessary to yield a clear diagnostic image, needlessly exposing patients to an increased risk of cancer. Continue reading
I do not mourn the death of Australia’s only pro-nuclear political party
by Christina Macpherson 7 April 2010, I don’t know whether you’ve noticed this – BUT – over the past year, just about every environmental news site for Australia has been carrying an advertisement for “Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy”.
Somebody must have spent many thousands of dollars on this publicity. It’s rather heartening to know, coming from this antinuclear angle, with no funding whatsoever – to see that money can’t always buy opinion and political support.
Lack of support closes political party”Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy”
Pro-nuclear party runs out of energy, The Canberra Times, BY PHILIP DORLING0, 7 Apr, 2010 Australia’s only strongly pro-nuclear power political party has exited the electoral stage with a whimper rather than a bang.The Australian Electoral Commission yesterday announced that it had accepted an application for voluntary party deregistration by Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy Australia. Continue reading
Legal action likely against Muckaty nuclear waste dump
that was the largest demonstration in the history of Tennant Creek,
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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