Paul Howes, like Martin Ferguson, a Nuclear Salesman
A loyal class-war warrior | The Australian, 18 May 2010, “ THE Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union, Paul Howes, …….. Perhaps the most controversial position Howes has taken, one that puts him at odds with the Labor government, is his staunch support for nuclear energy in this country.He has spoken on the issue in a number of public forums, and received front-page newspaper coverage for the stance, including in The Australian. Continue reading
USA’s Nuclear Resuscitation failing in the States
“The public wants clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity, not dirty, dangerous and expensive nuclear power, and most state officials continue to show they understand that.”
Nuclear Loan Guarantees Will Meet State Resistance, Connecticut News, May 13, 2010 by Jonathan Kantrowitz It was front-page news across America this February when the Vermont Senate voted to shut down the troubled Vermont Yankee reactor in 2012. But what most Americans don’t know is that the nuclear industry also lost all of its seven other major state legislative pushes this year – going 0-8 and putting yet another nail in the coffin of the myth of the “nuclear renaissance” in the United States, Continue reading
Britain’s new coalition govt a big worry for nuclear industry
“No private sector investor has built a nuclear power station anywhere in the world without lashings of government subsidy since Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. The World Bank refuses to lend on nuclear projects because of the long history of overruns. Our message is clear, No to nuclear, as it is not a short cut, but a dead end.”
Britain’s nuclear industry wakes up to an explosive problem as Chris Huhne moves in – Telegraph Blogs, 14 May 2010, “…………there remains a sizeable threat that the Liberals could force a time-consuming and costly public inquiry that delays the new build. Continue reading
Methinks the uranium corporations do protest too much
Australia’s media is awash with the anger of BHP Billiton and other uranium miners, (even weird little Cauldron Energy), about the government’s super profit resources tax. Their threat is to wind down uranium mining, leave Australia etc.
But uranium mining is winding down anyway. BHP Billiton’s Grat Big New Mine is far from happening, as Olympic Dam still producing about a quarter capacity, with a damaged main shaft.
Recent Nuclear Non Proliferation arrangements mean that countries can get nuclear fuel from old nuclear weapons (no uranium mining needed for that). And the famous Nuclear Resuscitation (sorry, did I mean Renaissance?) – is not really happening.
And – it’s rude to mention this – but just one nuclear mishap like the current oil mishaps, and nuclear power is dead in the water forever.
Bad news for the uranium market
bad news for the uranium market.
Uranium threatened by political shake-ups FP Trading Desk May 12, 2010, by Peter Koven It has been a week of political overhaul in Europe, and one of the victims in the fallout could be the continent’s nuclear renaissance. Continue reading
Beware of Australian govts bearing small, hurried, gifts to Maralinga veterans
As Queen’s Counsel Cherie Blair leads the Australian atomic veterans into legal battle with the British government over compensation, the Australian government hurriedly decides to at last give some (pretty lousy) compensation to them
Could it be that there’s a little clause in there somewhere, about the veterans dropping their legal case in UK, if they want to get Australian govt recognition?
For solar technology, Australian govt backs nuclear company AREVA
short-listed for one of two projects to get substantial backing under the $1.5 billion solar flagships program….none of the big name US and Spanish proponents of the new generation solar tower technologies, such as BritghSource, e-Solar and Cobra, made the short-list.
The giant backing Australian solar, Giles Parkinson | Business Spectator, 12 May 2010, The French nuclear giant Areva might have made one of the deals of the year when it snapped up Ausra, the solar thermal energy company founded by Australian researcher David Mills. Continue reading
AREVA’s grand nuclear empire plans coming unstuck?
it is president Nicolas Sarkozy’s dream to streamline the nuclear power sector, from design to operation, working as a team to win high profile contracts around the world.
French Nuclear Industry Faces Meltdown, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, By Geraldine Amiel May 11, 2010,A much-awaited report on France’s nuclear industry — due out later this week — is understood to offer ways for France’s diverse nuclear industry to work together to garner big contracts around the globe. Continue reading
Australia’s Minerals Council ASKED for national profit based tax
The Australian media – ever true to its corporate masters, and 
its own slackness, is giving the big miners, and their mouthpiece, the Liberal Party, full sway with an attack on the Australian government’s newly announced super profit resource tax.
BHP Billiton’s CEO Marius Kloppers is the leader in this breath-taking hypocrisy.
1. The Minerals Council of Australia, in its submission to the government Dec. 2008 specifically requested a change to a national “profit-based” tax.
2. BHP and its ancillary industries now kick up a fuss about reduced activities, job losses, etc at the Olympic Dam uranium mine at Roxby Downs. But Olympic Dam has been functioning at about a quarter capacity for many months, due to a shaft accident, – nothing to do with the resource tax. And all probably quite convenient, in the present climate of low uranium prices.
World Bank has labelled nuclear power plants “large white elephants”
Nuclear power in developing countries: radioactive waste, proliferation and debt « Charles Santiago 6 May 2010, The World Bank view – Nuclear Power Plants s are large white elephants The World Bank has labeled nuclear plants “large white elephants”.. Its Environmental Assessment Source Book is unambiguous about nuclear’s problems: “Nuclear plants are thus uneconomic because at present and projected costs they are unlikely to be the least-cost alternative. Continue reading
Nuclear Power Agreement between Obama and Australia
The proposed Agreement permits the transfer of information, material, equipment (including reactors), and components for nuclear research and nuclear power production
Message to the Congress Concerning a Nuclear Agreement with Australia. THE WHITE HOUSE, BARACK OBAMA, 5 May 2010, Politics News, – “I am pleased to transmit to the Congress, pursuant to sections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b), (d)) (the “Act”), the text of a proposed Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Australia Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy……. Continue reading
Nuclear reactors shutting down faster than new ones are built
Last year saw the shutdown of four reactors but the start-up of only two.
Another drop in nuclear generation, World Nuclear News, 05 May 2010 “…Annual generation of nuclear power has continued on a slight downward trend, decreasing 2% last year to 2558 TWh, according to the latest estimates…… Continue reading
Australia at the Nuclear Non Proliferation Conference
as ever, Australia agrees with promoting nuclear technology. Australia keeps its focus on its own lucrative role, as uranium supplier, in the global nuclear cycle which makes nuclear weapons possible.
The U.N Nuclear Non Proliferation Conference in New York looks like becoming something of a non event. Continue reading
Central Australian uranium project not viable due to low prices
$57m uranium deal falls through in Central Australia, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Louisa Rebgetz May 4, 2010 Australian uranium producer Toro Energy has pulled out of a project in Central Australia.The company says a drop in uranium prices has made it unviable to go ahead with the Napperby uranium project, 160 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs.
Quiet progress of People for a Nuclear Free Australia
More than half the battle, in getting rid of the toxic uranium , nuclear power, and nuclear weapons industries, is in informing people, about the true nature of the dangers, and financial waste involved.
This is an uphill battle in Australia, as we head off into Third World colonial status, pursuing the short term greed of the “resources boom” . The major political parties are subservient to polluting corporations. The mainstream media is closely allied to mining interests. Australia still has its cultural, colonial cringe – resulting in public ignorance and apathy about the nuclear issue.
People for a Nuclear Free Australia (PFNA) are changing this. By well planned educational materials, the facts are being placed before doctors and other professionals, trade unionists, and members of parliament. The Australian Electrical Trades Union has just produced an excellent film which documents the health implications of uranium mining both to the miners and their families who live near the mines.
To learn more about PFNA, or to contribute to their educational effort, go to http://pnfa.com.au
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 