Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

China seeking strategic control of Australia’s uranium

Uranium follows rare earths as China eyes strategic control
Robin Bromby | September 08, 2009

Article from:  The Australian

FIRST rare earths, now uranium. It seems the Chinese are determined to get control of key strategic metals – and Australia seems to be welcoming the idea.

Chinese companies have effectively moved to take control of the two most advanced rare earths projects here (although one is still subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board).

And, as we saw this morning, uranium is also high on Beijing’s shopping list. It is proposed that China Guangdong Nuclear Power (CGNP) will acquire 70 per cent of Energy Metals (EME) which has the Bigrlyi uranium project in the Northern Territory, where there is already a JORC-compliant economic uranium resource (as well as vanadium). This is almost certain to succeed because Jindalee Resources (JRL) owns 40 per cent of EME and has agreed to the deal…………………..
it’s still cheap as chips for what could be Australia’s next uranium mine to be developed. CGNP has four operating nuclear power stations and what better for it than to control its own mines, rather than have to be at the mercy of the open market?

Uranium follows rare earths as China eyes strategic control | The Australian

September 10, 2009 Posted by | 1, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, business, uranium | , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium for China, disadvantage for aborigines

Christina Macpherson 9 Sept 09a-cat-CAN

Today’s news mix shows where the Rudd government’s priorities lie, and where they get their policy from.

I guess that the uranium mining companies designed the new uranium royalties bill. After all, everybody knows that the commercial nuclear power industry is in terminal illness. Also the uranium industry could collapse almost instantly, in the event of a nuclear accident. Therefore, let’s rip off the aborigines now, while the going’s good, and too bad, if the industry all goes sour for them later.

Only in nuclear weapons dictatorships like China is the nuclear industry more secure. As government and Ziggy Switkowski delight in China’s uranium appetite, the uranium salesmen conveniently ignore China’s nuclear weapons buildup.

And with the help of the mainstream media, the Australian public sleeps on – “She’ll be right, mate”. But will she?

September 9, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Christina reviews, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rudd Uranium Bill suits miners, disadvantages aborigines

handsoffRudd Uranium Bill will increase Aboriginal disadvantage
The Greens  Scott LudlamTuesday 8th September 2009

A Federal Bill that will apply a uniform royalty regime to all uranium mining projects in the Northern Territory will increase Aboriginal disadvantage, the Australian Greens say. Continue reading

September 9, 2009 Posted by | aboriginal issues, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, uranium | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ziggy Switkowski backs China’s push for control of Australian uranium

China makes power play for uranium
The Age BARRY FITZGERALD AND MATHEW MURP 9 Sept 09

A BEIJING directive to its mushrooming nuclear power industry to step up the acquisition of strategic uranium supplies has led to an agreed $85 million takeover bid for Energy Metals, the main partner in the Northern Territory Bigrlyi uranium deposit. Continue reading

September 9, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, business, uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: nuke news of the past week

a-cat-CANBy Christina Macpherson

Australia: ERA hypes up its image, by flying a Melbourne Age reporter to the Ranger uranium mine, to report on Rio Tinto’s drive to employ aboriginal uranium miners.

International: US residents near nuclear plants to get anti-radiation pills. France’s nuclear company AREVA in dire financial straits due to troubles of its ‘new generation’ reactors in Finland and France. America and China to push for nuclear to be part of Copenhagen climate program

September 8, 2009 Posted by | Christina reviews, uranium | , , , | Leave a comment

Marathon uranium exploration waste dump was radioactive

wastesWaste, not bags, the problem: Greens
ABC News 8 Sept 09
Greens MP Mark Parnell has challenged a claim by Marathon Resources that waste it dumped illegally at Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary was not radioactive……. Continue reading

September 8, 2009 Posted by | South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ionising radiation a risk in cancer screens

Cancer fear over early screens

The Australian Sean Parnell | September 08, 2009

MEDIA coverage of the cancer diagnoses of celebrities Belinda Emmett and Kylie Minogue convinced more younger women to have a mammogram but experts are recommending against its use as a screening tool. Continue reading

September 8, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, health | , , | Leave a comment

Protest against Marathon uranium explorer, but will South Aust govt listen?

Marathon fight over what lies beneath the Flinders Ranges
THE AUSTRALIAN Pia Akerman and Michael Owen |
September 07, 2009

“………………..The anti-Marathon lobby is made up of an array of strange bedfellows including greenies, scientists, tourists and politicians – most notably federal Liberal heavyweight Nick Minchin, who, as resources minister, approved the nearby Beverley uranium mine. Continue reading

September 7, 2009 Posted by | politics, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

All aboriginal land in Australia really controlled by whites

UN SUBMISSION- ABORIGINAL PEOPLE BECOMING REFUGEES IN THEIR OWN LAND
by Michael Anderson, leader of the Euahlayi Nation of northwest NSW and southwest Queensland and elected spokesman of the 16 tribes in the Gumilaroi nation

September 7, 2009 Posted by | aboriginal issues, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, uranium | , , , , , | 1 Comment

Staggering size of environmental problems for BHPB’s uranium mine expansion

uraniumholeMega-everything: the world’s biggest open cut mine

OnLine opinion By Sandra Kanck – 24 August 2009

The expansion of the Olympic Dam mine at Roxby Downs will see environment as the biggest loser. The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), for which public comment closed early in August 2009, has serious deficiencies. Continue reading

September 5, 2009 Posted by | environment, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium sales to China ramped up as China’s nuke weapons ramp up

weapons1China prepares to show off nuclear missiles- South Australia and China move forward together

China will parade five new missiles in a show of military prowess on the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule. Continue reading

September 4, 2009 Posted by | South Australia, uranium, weapons and war | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear power for Australia’s Northern Territory – ridiculous

NT nuclear power idea ridiculous, say greens

THE Territory has “cleaner, cheaper and greener” energy solutions than nuclear power, the Environment Centre said.

NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS 1 Sept 09

Centre co-ordinator Stuart Blanch said the suggestion by Alice Springs town councillor Murray Stewart a nuclear power station be built in Darwin or Katherine was “ridiculous”. He said the real issue was to develop renewable energy supplies that were as inexpensive as gas. Continue reading

September 4, 2009 Posted by | Northern Territory, politics, uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear disarmament policies: Japan at odds with Australia over ‘pre-emptive strike’ issue

Australia, Japan in nuclear rift

The Age DANIEL FLITTON

September 4, 2009

AUSTRALIA and Japan are at loggerheads over the use of nuclear weapons in war, with Japan – the only country to have suffered atomic attack – determined, for now, to keep a broad deterrent role for the world’s deadly arsenal. Continue reading

September 4, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics international | , , , | 1 Comment

Asbestos and Uranium

a-cat-CANChristina Macpherson 3 Sept 09

It’s hard to get your head around the magnitude of the asbestos scandal, world-wide. Phillip Adams covered this very recently, in ABC  Radio National’s Late Night Live  (podcast available at ABC Radio National – Late Night Live – Home

Matt Peacock’s new book “Killer Company” details the James Hardie asbestos story in Australia. Another author’s new book tells the world-wide, and continuing story of asbestos contamination, corporate cover-up, and huge profits gained by companies  which vanish long before they can be held accountable.

Meanwhile, the same process now kicks on, with uranium mining.  But with one significant difference.   It is actually easy to prove that a person’s nasty, fatal mesothelioma cancer was caused by asbestos. It is difficult to prove that invisible, unsmellable, tasteless radioactivity has caused a person’s nasty fatal cancer.

Hence the uranium mining corporations, and their investors, can relax. Their money will be made long before the scandalous health cost becomes public knowledge.

September 3, 2009 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Christina reviews, health, uranium | , , , , , | Leave a comment

As asbestos scandal is revealed, uranium threat develops

Radiation-Warning1Uranium mining ‘poses Wittenoom threat’ to Kimberley

ABC News 2 Sept 09

A Western Australian politician says the Kimberley is in danger of becoming the next Wittenoom if the Federal Government allows uranium mining to go ahead.There are between 30 and 40 uranium tenements in the Kimberley, in the state’s north, and Greens’ MP Robin Chapple says there are at least 12 proposed uranium mines in the region.

Mr Chapple was in Broome for a uranium mining forum last night and says the community has been lulled into a false sense of security about the practice.He says in some cases, uranium mining in the United States and India has wiped out all of the male members of some families.”In terms of the health effects we know there’s approximately a cohort of 10 per cent cancers in the workforce after about 20 years – so similar sort of effects as asbestos and Wittenoom [in WA’s Pilbara],” he said.

September 3, 2009 Posted by | 1, health, uranium, Western Australia | , , , , | Leave a comment