Australia’s biggest private renewable energy firm has attacked Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s environmental agenda, saying his green power target is at risk of failing. Continue reading
Media ownership in Australia
Media ownership in Australia
28 Dec 2009 Australian media ownership is one of the most concentrated in the world. The last review of media ownership in Australia (1999) found that of 12 capital city and daily papers, seven are owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and three by John Fairfax Holdings. The West Australian and the Canberra Times were the only independently owned dailies, however, the Canberra Times is now part of the Farirfax group and The West Australian is now part of Kerry Stokes’ media group.
The Impact of Ownership on the Dissemination of Information Continue reading
Failure of Copenhagen – worst possible result for Australian business
The failure of Copenhagen to set global targets, let alone make them binding, was the worst possible result for Australian business,
Is that hot enough? Business Spectator Giles Parkinson 6 Jan 2010
Figures released by the Bureau of Meteorology have reminded us why it’s important to act on climate change. According to the bureau, the past decade was the hottest on record, with a rise of 0.4c over the 1960-1990 average. Continue reading
Copenhagen Accord allows for devastating temperature rise
At Copenhagen, the US and China, followed by India, decided they didn’t want an ambitious, strong, effective and equitable agreement which would sharply reduce emissions…
..Under the Copenhagen Accord, temperatures are likely to rise by nearly 4° C, aggravating climate change, wiping out small island countries and reducing billions of people to an insecure existence as sea levels inexorably rise, wind patterns abruptly change and glaciers rapidly melt, increasing hunger, displacement and devastation.
The cost of tailing the US DNA, Praful Bidwai , January 5, 2010 Continue reading
Review of the nuclear year that has been
Review of the nuclear year that has been Christina Macpherson 5 January 2010
Australia: An extraordinary year in which Climate Sceptics were allowed to dominate much of the media, turning Australia into a curious outpost of anti-science. Pro-nuclear hype revved up, too – sometimes promoted as cure for global warming, but, inexplicably, also promoted by climate change disbelievers.
BHP Billiton put out huge but inadequate Environmental Impact Statement for its planned Olympic Dam expansion. Uranium explorations all over the place, especially in South Australia, as govt and mining industry try to manipulate aboriginal owners. Awareness of radiation effects at last leads to Maralinga veterans’ legal bid for justice.
International: While the nuclear hype went on, the facts were otherwise. France’s “flagship” new nukes are still struggling, under construction, and ramping up huge debts to AREVA. UK and USA governments struggle with the reality that only the tax-payer can pay the costs of nuclear power. State-owned nuclear industry – e.g France, Russia, China are not troubled by having to reveal the costs.
USA in a turmoil over where to put nuclear wastes, as Yucca Mountain dump plan is dumped. Revelations of illegal waste-dumping by UK and European countries were quickly glossed over in mainstream media. China is secretive about its nuke wastes, in earthquake areas, and imprisons nuclear dissidents.
The world waits for a resolution of Iran and its nukes, with fear of attack on Iran by Israel or the USA.. Middle Eastern countries seek nuclear power “for peaceful purposes only”, while India revs up its nuke power and nuke weapons, and everyone eyes Pakistan with trepidation.
Quietly, the anti-nuclear and anti-uranium movements built up momentum, along with strengthening indigenous rights movement, and a strong presence at Copenhagen. Impediments occur to the growth of the nuclear industry, including for example, quite a few legal victories in USA.
Climate protestors released, but still face charges
Two climate prisoners released but still facing charges
Sydney Indymedia 05 Jan 2010
By takver Climate activists Australian Natasha Verco and American citizen Noah Weiss were released from a Copenhagen prison but are still facing charges of attempted assault of a police officer and planning to disturb public order. Continue reading
Australian climate activist gaoled in Copenhagen
Australian climate activist detained three weeks in Copenhagen gaol
Danish authorities detained an Australian, Natasha Verco, for over three weekd since the Copenhagen climate conference. She was detained in the Vestre Faengsel prison, to appear in court in Copenhagen on Monday January 4th 2010. Continue reading
Ziggy continues to spruik “safe, Clean” nuclear power
“It is far too expensive, much dearer than wind power. It is unnecessary because Australia has enormous renewable energy resources and in the long term it [nuclear energy] becomes a medium-level carbon dioxide emitter,“.Dr. Mark Diesendorf
Australia debates plan to build 10 nuclear reactors The National Phil Mercer, SYDNEY December 30, 2009 Conservationists have reacted with dismay and bewilderment to a call by Australia’s atomic industry to build 10 nuclear power stations by 2030. ….. Continue reading
Green energy from the grassroots in South Australia
The greening of SA’s councils Adelaide Now JILL PENGELLEY December 23, 2009 THINGS are greening up at the grassroots level. While climate change is debated on the world stage, local councils in South Australia are directing change………… Continue reading
Australia missing the renewable energy bus
PM’s green power approach ‘a fraud’ Big Pond News December 23, 2009
Glowing future for renewable energy
(USA) Surfing a wave of Californian sunshine as America looks for renewable future The Times December 23, 2009 “………….The US Energy Department has calculated that a 62-square-mile (160 sq km) parcel of the Mojave that straddles Nevada, Utah, California and Arizona receives enough sunlight to power the entire country. Continue reading
In defense of leaders at Copenhagen
Yes – I know that it was a crummy outcome. But what did you expect? If Obama, Rudd etc came up with even a half-decent agreement – they would be out of office in no time, with the domestic outcry. Then somebody worse would be in office.
(Shades of Hilaire Bellooc’s advice, on the boy who had his head bitten off by a lion – “always keep a hold of nurse, for fear of finding something worse”)
As long as the public, egged on by the media, see economic groswth and consumerism as the desirable lifestyle – there is no hope for reducing C02 emissions.
It’s Christmas – what a symptom of our public disease – with everybody rushing around buying more unnecessary stuff – to watch on their great plasma screens, in their McMansions etc. It’s US – the world public – who consume all the junk that keeps the factories and mines roaring.
I just hope that the world wakes up to this before catastrophe awakens us properly.
Look to the positives beyond Copenhagen
Obama Accord a good thing amid Copenhagen fiasco The Age ROSS GARNAUT December 22, 2009 The United Nations meeting on climate change at Copenhagen was a fiasco. The several months of intense discussion among leading economies that culminated in the Obama Accord in Copenhagen last weekend were not. Continue reading
Nuclear Energy specifically excluded under Kyoto Protocol
Copenhagen, nuclear power, and the Clean Development Mechanism Nuclear Reaction, by Justin, 18 Dec 09
“……..For those who don’t know it,the Clean Development Mechanism the CDM is a system set up under the Kyoto Protocol which allows industrialised countries committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to earn carbon credits by investing in low-carbon projects in developing countries rather than building more expensive projects in their own countries.
Nuclear energy was specifically excluded from the CDM at the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change conference in 2001. Needless to say, the nuclear industry and its supporters have been lobbying hard ever since for nuclear’s inclusion in the mechanism. Continue reading
Nuclear “cure” for climate change – a $10 trillion useless exercise
Greenpeace debunks nuclear benefit Malaysia Business Insight BY PAUL ICAMINA 18 Dec 09 NUCLEAR’S contribution in easing climate change is “too little, too late,” the anti-nuclear group Greenpeace said.
“Most of the hypothetical new big reactors would start to generate energy well beyond 2020, probably after 2025, Continue reading
Creation Science and Flat Earth for Australia!
Having watched Ian Plimer manipulating, evading, and repeating patently obvious untruths – I continue to marvel at Australia’s Climate Sceptics, and even more, I marvel at the media coverage they get! . Obviously, Australia’s Chief Scientist must be a complete fool, taken in by the global warming international conspiracy.
I want to join the denialist throng. Why shouldn’t Australia be a real leader in the field? Now I want to start my own movement, and get a showing on ABC TV. I want to start a Creation Science movement, and also a Flat Earther one.
We’ve added more C02 to the atmosphere. This diagram, showing how greenhouse gases, especially C02, trap heat in the atmosphere – why it’s all nonsense, isn’t it?
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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