Exploitation of impoverished Niger, by foreign uranium miners, including Australia
Uranium Major Niger Urged to Review Contracts, ABC News, NIAMEY (Reuters) 14 March 2010, – The new junta ruling in Niger, one of the world’s biggest uranium producers, should review and possibly renegotiate dozens of resource exploitation contracts, civil rights groups said on Saturday. Continue reading
Muckaty nuke waste site – earthquake risk, missing documents
one key document, an anthropological report, is missing.
Earthquake fears over nuclear dump site, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Jane Bardon and Emma Masters, Mar 12, 2010 Reports into the suitability of the site chosen by the Federal Government for a nuclear waste dump say more scientific investigation is needed into the threat of earthquakes around the Tennant Creek region. Continue reading
Australia’s young doctors ignorant about ionising radiation
Medical students unaware of radiation hazard, IBTHealth -15 Mar, 2010, Over half of medical students and junior doctors underestimate the amounts of radiation involved in regularly ordered scans with 25 per cent wrongly accept that magnetic resonance imaging emits radiation. Continue reading
Yearly, 400 new cases of cancer caused by CT scans
Radioactivity is radioactivity, whether from uranium or from nuclear power
Now here’s a new slant on a wobbly word! It’s “NUCLEAR” In the item below, we see the Parks authority reassuring us that the radioactive waste dumped in Kakadu National Park is OK, because, you see, it’s only radioactivity from uranium mining – it’s not from a nuclear reactor! Well, isn’t that reassuring!
Radioactive waste dumped in Kakadu National Park
Toxic waste dump in Kakadu, Northern Territory News , NIGEL ADLAM, March 13th, 2010
THE equivalent of six Olympic-size swimming pools of radioactive soil and mining equipment has been buried in Kakadu National Park.Parks Australia said it was not nuclear waste and the level of radioactivity was low.
The soil and equipment had been stored in shipping containers.
It has now been put in containers with a structural life of 1000 years and buried four metres down.
Nuclear spin intensifies in lead-up to Obama’s Australian visit
the PR teams of the nuclear industry have been hard at work trying to make the idea of a nuclear future more palatable. The same sorts of spin doctors that once sang the praises of asbestos and denied any link between smoking and cancer
En Passant » Nuclear power is no environmental alternative, by Andrew Cheeseman, Socialist Alternative online, 09 March 2010
Once more, the Rudd government is talking up a nuclear future. There are plans for a new nuclear waste dump and it’s quite likely that this month’s meeting between US President Barack Obama and the Australian parliament will see further discussions of so-called “uranium leasing”. [ The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership] Continue reading
Nuclear, Fossil Fuel, people stack Australia’s New Renewable Energy Centre
Members of the interim board for the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy include:
• Graeme Hunt (Chair) – formerly in charge of BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam expansion;
• Prof Mary O’Kane – former Vice Chancellor of Adelaide University;
• John Ryan – awarded the public service medal for his work on the PM’s Task Force into Development of Uranium Mining and Nuclear Energy in Australia;
• Emma Stein – has served on the boards of energy, oil and gas utilities;
• Dr John Wright – CSIRO Energy Transformed;
• Other members without clear relevant expertise in renewable energy development.
Centre for Renewable Energy welcome, but Greens amendments would have improved it | Greens MPs
Australia’s Renewable Energy Centre designed to fail
“You could almost say (the centre) was designed to fail.”
Greens slam new renewable energy body, Sydney Morning Herald, March 10, 2010 The Australian Greens have slammed a new body designed to develop renewable energy in Australia.Greens’ senator Christine Milne told parliament the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy was not independent, transparent or adequately qualified to carry out its duties Continue reading
Martin Ferguson’s hypocrisy about medical radiation
Here’s another example of Martin Ferguson’s duplicity. He’s promoting the planned radioactive waste dump on aboriginal land, as necessary for Australians because it’s for medical waste.
BUT: 1. There’s no scientific reason why the nuke waste dump has to be in the Northern Territory, let alone on aboriginal land.
2. The dump will also take highly radioactive spent fuel rods – conveniently opening the door for a future intake of high level nuclear waste from – well, perhaps the USA, as Howard and Bush had intended.
Planned NT nuclear waste dump will not be just for ‘medical’ waste
What will be stored at Muckaty? – ABC Darwin – Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 10 March, 2010 By Liz Trevaskis We’ve heard that medical waste will be stored at an Australian radioactive waste dump, either at Muckaty station or wherever else a site is chosen. But spent nuclear fuel rods, which are of a higher level of radioactivity, will also be stored in any waste dump that’s established.
Australia could reduce greenhouse gas without nuclear power
Nuclear does not have the answers we need, Sydney Morning Herald, SCOTT LUDLAM, March 10, 2010 -“…….Dr Hansen argues that energy efficiency and renewable energy sources are our first-line weapons in the battle against climate change. No arguments there. In the Australian context, we have a growing body of scientific research mapping out sustainable energy scenarios that would allow us to keep the lights on while also sharply reducing greenhouse emissions. Continue reading
Australian govt quietly planning expansion of ANSTO’s nuclear facility
Central Australia to get nuclear waste dump Herald Sun AAP * March 09, 2010 “…federal parliament’s public works committee is holding an inquiry into proposed extensions to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) facility at Lucas Heights, in Sydney’s south. Continue reading
Review: Nuclear waste dumping, nuclear’s costs and safety
Australia: Others join Maralinga veterans’ court case. Mounting opposition to NT nuclear waste dump, while both major parties push for it. Movement for sustainable energy becoming nationally organised
International: Questions in U.S. Congress about financial risks of Obama’s nukes policy, as States become anxious over costs and safety. Pro nukes enthuise over “clean”, “renewable” nuclear energy Safety risks raised over UK’s planned French nuclear reactors, while France mounts push to sell nuke reactors to 3rd World. Practicality and popularity of renewable energy continues to grow.
Melbourne’s big nuclear debate was a blow to the nuclear industry
“Should Australia Embrace Nuclear Power?” – The big debate at the Melbourne Town Hall, on March 4, – resulted in an audience swing of opinion against nuclear power
A poll before the debate found an eight percent margin in favour of nuclear power. A poll taken immediately after the debate revealed a margin of 24 percent against nuclear power – 34 percent in favour, 58 percent against. This 32 percent turn-around was all the more striking given that the pro-nuclear debating team included high-profile nuclear advocates Dr Ziggy Switkowski and Dr James Hansen.
The video will be posted sometime soon at:
http://www.iq2oz.com/events/event-details/2010-series-melbourne/01-march.php
ABC TV will broadcast the debate on “Big Ideas’, possibly on 23rd March.
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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