Uranium mining’s threat to beautiful Australian animal
BHP Billiton’s plan to dig the world’s biggest uranium mining hole at Olympic Dam aspparently, (they say) requires them to have a desalination plant at Point lowly, Spencer Gulf , South Australia.
This will mean the extinction of Australia’s uniquely beautiful Sepia apama Giant Australian Cuttlefish. (photo by Helen Crawford from http://groups.google.com/group/point-lowly-action
by aussiecuttlefish -14 Jan 2010 – excerpt from comment on this site at Uranium and the giant cuttlefish « Antinuclear “…..The Giant Australian Cuttlefish is iconic to Australia, but more so it is endemic to the 8 kilometre section of coastline that has the most ideal conditions for placement of egg-sacs – the next generation. Continue reading
Uranium and the giant cuttlefish
Have you ever seen the giant cuttlefish? It is the most beautiful animal, of magically changing colours, and ballet-like gracious movement. It is unique to a special part of Spencer Gulf, where the delicate salt balance in the water provides its specialised habitat, the only one in the world.
Some people might think that to stand up for the Giant Cuttlefish, against the Giant BHP BIlliton’s plan for Olumpic Dam uranium mine, – that this is a petty argument, about some odd, unimportant little creature.
Well, think again. Australia’s giant cuttlefish is a special, unique, and iconic toAustralia as is the kangaroo or the koala. It’s a sad time when Australians let the short-term greed of a big corporation destroy our precious environmental heritage.
South Australian govt will put BHP Billiton’s welfare ahead of environment?
“Is the Premier saying that no matter what environmental impact there may be, he is giving BHP the go-ahead to put the desal plant there?”
BHP insists Point lowley best for desalination plant Adelaide Now SARAH MARTIN
January 08, 2010
BHP Billiton says building its proposed desalination plant anywhere but Point Lowly on the Spencer Gulf would cost “hundreds of millions” more dollars.
The desal plant’s location has divided the State Government and the Opposition, with the latter calling for BHP to investigate an alternative site on the West Coast beyond Ceduna.
Labor member for Giles, Lyn Breuer, also wants the plant built elsewhere, saying the risk to the giant cuttlefish population in the gulf is too great. Continue reading
Review: Nuke weapons, BHPB govt influence, Copenhagen
Review of past week
Australia: Embarassment for Rudd (disarmament hero) with new defense call to revive Australian nuclear weapons plan, and with Gareth Evans including ‘peaceful’ nuke power, just as Rudd launches the report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. BHP Billiton adviser Hamish Douglass is appointed to the Foreign Investment Review Board. Tony Abbott dancing around the Coalition’s enthusiasm for nuclear power. Australian company Paladin now mining uranium in earthquake prone area in Malawi.
International: Uranium price continues to fall, but don’t worry, in Copenhagen the industry is pushing for nuclear as the solution to climate change. Meanwhile huge world-wide poll shows growing popularity of renewable energy, majority of people prefer it.Parliament of World’s Religions opposing nuclear. Problems and delays in India’s nuke program, while Young Indian movement gathers opposition to nuclear.
Uranium industry piggy-backs on Copenhagen
Oil, uranium to ride global warming policy wave * Robin Bromby, The Australian * December 14, 2009 “………….the thing that sticks in the mind about the chatfest in Denmark is a report from nearby Brussels that predicts the climate meeting will lead to oil hitting more than $US160 a barrel next year and uranium heading for a new high………..The bank also says uranium will benefit from Copenhagen. More nuclear plants will be built in the fight to reduce carbon emissions
Oil, uranium to ride global warming policy wave | The Australian
ACF’s South Australian election call on uranium
ACF calls on all political parties in the South Australian State Election 2010 to act on:………….
Uranium
7. Prevent South Australia becoming the Radioactive State by requiring BHP Billiton’s Roxby mine to only trade in copper, to not export radioactive concentrates, and to leave the uranium and other radioactive waste at the mine site.
8. Require rehabilitation of the proposed Roxby open pit, with disposal of tailings in to the pit for the 10,000 year isolation period required under the Federal Government rehabilitation standards that apply to the Ranger uranium mine, and prevent liquid radioactive waste leakage from Roxby tailings piles….
www.acfonline.org.au
Price of uranium continues to drop
Half-hearted uranium price response to Olympic Dam incident
TORONTO – The uranium spot price firmed in October, after BHP Billiton reported an accident at its Olympic Dam copper/uranium mine mine, in Australia, but has failed to find support at the higher level, Australian equity research firm Resource Capital Research (RCR) commented on Friday. Continue reading
Uranium industry cosy with Australian government
It’s nice, how the world’s biggest uranium miner positions itself with the Australian government. For example BHP Billiton is a big funder of the Government’s new ‘independent’ think-tank – the Grattan Institute.
And now – we have a big BHP Billiton advisor on the Foreign Investment Review Board.
BHP Billiton advisor gets prime seat on foreign investment board
.….FIRB members provide advice to the treasurer on contentious investment proposals. Douglass joins expanded FIRB board Sydney Morning Herald JACOB SAULWICK December 11, 2009 Continue reading
New Liberal MP joins pro nuclear chorus
Higgins’ new MP warms to hot topic of climate change Sydney Morning Herald IAN MUNRO December 7, 2009 Ms O’Dwyer, whose two-party vote improved slightly on the 2007 general election result, declared herself a believer in climate change. She added that nuclear power should be considered in securing Australia’s energy future……………
While the Greens, who in the absence of the Labor Party lifted their vote by 24 per cent, proclaimed the outcome a ”remarkable setback for the Liberals”,
Shareholders protesting BHP’s uranium mining
BHP chief takes on shareholder activists ABC Radio PM Annie Guest reported this story on November 26, 2009
The protestors outside and shareholder activists inside raised concerns about uranium mining and storage……..PROTESTOR: Mr Argus… that would be millions of tonnes of radioactive waste… Continue reading
BHP shareholders challenged on ethics
Activists attack BHP’s ‘ugly side’ news.com.au 25 Nov 09
THE displacement of villages in Colombia, the destruction of sacred Aboriginal sites, human rights abuses and health concerns are the ugly side of BHP Billiton, environmental and human rights activists say. Continue reading
Job losses at BHP’s uranium mine
Olympic mine job losses The Age BARRY FITZGERALD November 7, 2009 BHP Billiton has warned of job losses among its contractor workforce at the damaged Olympic Dam copper-gold-uranium mine in South Australia Continue reading
Paid puppets spout ‘climate scepticism’
I know who I prefer to believe in debate TheAge Lynne Holroyd, 6 Nov 09
AL GORE is right when he points to the phoney war of the climate science ”debate”. On one hand is the scientific consensus and on the other are the loony theories financed by those with the most to lose if we cut carbon emissions.
The mouthpieces and puppets of the big polluters are just as hard at work in Australia as they are in the US, where there are four industry lobbyists working against climate change action for every member of the US Congress. Funny how the handful of ventriloquist dolls of Australia’s big polluters tend to be geologists who study rocks – not climate, atmosphere and oceans. Geologists are typically employed by big mining companies. Think the carbon lobby – coal, oil, gas – those fighting the Government-proposed carbon pollution bill tooth and nail.
On the other hand, warning us about the imminent dangers of climate change are the thousands of independent, disinterested climate experts of high repute who checked one another’s findings and published their report in 2007, a report signed off and agreed to by more than 100 countries. I know who I would prefer to believe.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/letters/guilty-until-proven-innocent-20091105-i04s.html
Powerful influence of big polluting industries
revealed-polluters-fear-tactics-on-climate Brisbane Times MARIAN WILKINSON AND FLINT DUXFIELD
November 6, 2009
BIG greenhouse polluting companies around the world, employing thousands of lobbyists, are exerting heavy pressure on governments to weaken climate change laws at home and slow progress on an international climate agreement in Copenhagen, a global investigation reveals.
In Australia, 20 companies who have already won the most concessions from the Rudd Government’s emissions trading scheme employ 28 lobbying firms with well over 100 staff, many of them former politicians, political advisers or government officials.
In the US there are more than 2800 climate lobbyists, five for every member of Congress, an increase of more than 400 per cent over the past six years. From Washington to Canberra and New Delhi to Brussels, companies and their lobbyists are often raising the same widespread fears about jobs, power blackouts and economic losses unless governments weaken commitments to combat climate change.The report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists examined the climate lobby in eight countries including the US, Canada, Australia, India, Japan, China, Belgium and Brazil. It relied on more than 200 interviews, lobbying registers and political donation records. ………………In the US, chief executives of coal and power companies have hosted a public campaign against climate legislation which is being blocked in the Senate……….
Industry lobby groups have also carved out a permanent role at the UN talks as representatives of the so-called BINGOS – Business and Industry Non-Government Organisations.
While lobbyists for the renewable energy industry, the carbon traders and environmental groups are also becoming more prominent, the report finds that their voices ”can barely be heard above the clamour of the older, well-capitalised and deeply entrenched industries that have been lobbying on climate change for more than 20 years”.http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/revealed-polluters-fear-tactics-on-climate-20091106-i0ju.html
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 