More dust storms predicted, may carry radiation
Dust storm born out of flooding rains
ABC Science 23 September 2009 Darren Osborne
“………………..with climate change set to bring more variability, Australia may experience more large scale dust storms in the future. Continue reading
pro-nuclear hype, Italy and France’s nuclear wastes
Review, by Christina Macpherson 22 Sept 09 Pro-nuclear hype stepped up over the past week, with the worrying connection being pushed that somehow “nuclear energy and nuclear disarmament” are goals that go together!
In Australia, Paul Howes the very right-wing union leader, and hopeful ALP politician, is to speak on nuclear power, at a Liberal Party seminar! ANU to pursue nuclear research with ANSTO. Ziggy Spinowski spruiking nuclear power for Australia.
Internationally, the push to include nuclear at climate talks continues. The nuke lobby, (including Ziggy) tout Italy and France as winning nuclear examples. But Italy is in the throes of a nuclear waste scandal – ships scuttled in the Mediterranean . In France AREVA’s finncial problems continue, and its nuke waste disposal is coming under scrutiny, too.
Exposing Ziggy’s spin
Ziggy Switkowski is pretty careful these days, on where he spouts his pro-nuke spin. He doesn’t want demonstrations and hecklers. So, it’s usually to the refined world of corporate Australia. Or at Lucas Heights, where he recently spruiked on the seemingly inevitable move to nuclear power.
Ziggy talks about Australian public pro-nuke opinion, without any evidence to support this. He does not mention cost, nor water use, nor waste disposal.
Ziggy continues to tout nuclear as the solution to global warming, ignoring the factors of nuclear fuel cycle carbon emissions, and the fact that even if it did work, nuclear power would supply only electricity, and would be years too late.
Ziggy prophesies a future of continued unbridled energy consumption while the world is waking up to newer ways, energy conservation, energy efficency, cogeneration. Of course, Ziggy dismisses renewable energy sources, rather as horse and buggy experts might have dismissed the automobile a century ago.
Uranium mining abuses Great Artesian Basin
‘Corporate abuse’ hits Great Artesian Basin
The Australian. Michael Owen, SA political reporter | September 21, 2009
THE Great Artesian Basin — one of the largest underground water reservoirs in the world — is in danger of going the same way as the ailing Murray-Darling Basin because of reckless corporate abuse, aided by political ignorance, says South Australian senator Nick Xenophon. Continue reading
Australian uranium company slack on safety in Africa
Miner accused on slack safety
The Age TOM HYLAND S eptember 20, 2009 AN AUSTRALIAN company has begun production at its uranium mine in Malawi amid renewed controversy over the operation in one of Africa’s poorest nations. Continue reading
Uranium for China, disadvantage for aborigines
Christina Macpherson 9 Sept 09
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?
Marathon uranium exploration waste dump was radioactive
Waste, 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
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
Staggering size of environmental problems for BHPB’s uranium mine expansion
Mega-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
DUMP FERGUSON NOT NUCLEAR WASTE
by Jim Green, 28 August 09
Four sites in the NT are under consideration by federal resources and energy
minister Martin Ferguson for a national nuclear waste dump. Not one of the
four sites was short-listed when a national site selection study was
undertaken in the 1990s, informed by scientific, environmental and social
criteria. Thus Labor’s commitment to handle the issue in a scientific manner
has gone out the window. As a 2008 Senate Committee report noted: “One of
the most disturbing features of the current legislation is that it severely
curtails the role of sound science in the process of choosing a site. It
abandons the Commonwealth’s commitment to basing the process on the best
science, in favour of basing it on choosing a location with the least legal
capacity to dispute the outcome.”
Later this year, Mr Ferguson is expected to wave around a consultant’s
report purporting to demonstrate that his favoured site – Continue reading
Beverly Four Mile uranium mine- “world’s worst practice”
Uranium mine called ‘World’s worst practice’
The Flinders News 21/08/2009
Uranium mining in the far north of South Australia at the Beverley location near Arkaroola Wilderness Resort is being openly challenged by Aboriginal Traditional Owner Mrs Enice Marsh. Continue reading
Ferguson: we choose nuclear waste dump site first, and consult afterwards
Govt won’t consult on nuclear waste site
WA Today Tara Ravens * August 21, 2009 –
Environmentalists are outraged federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson will not consult before deciding on the location of a nuclear waste dump site and have accused him of seeking a “short-term political fix” to the issue. Continue reading
Labor’s nuclear hypocrisy and ignorance
Christina Macpherson 19 August 09 Paul Howes, Bob Hawke, Marting Ferguson – Labor’s right wing is showing itself to be more ignorant than the Liberals . Don’t they know that no country in the world is willing to take in nuclear waste from overseas? Continue reading
Australia: a nuclear waste colony?
by Christina Macopherson 11 August 09
Australia started out as a colony of Britain. We became a strategic and cultural colony of Los Angeles. We’re sort of a beginning economic colony of China and others.
But hey! Australia can become a nuclear waste colony of everybody! This idea has been on the table since Pangea in the 1970’s , and since John White’s Australian Nuclear Fuel Leasing (ANFL)in more recent years.They spent $45 million up until Sept 2007 in promoting this.
“Such companies are effectively “middlemen” in the nuclear fuel industry and are likely to be sustained so long as the volume of Australian uranium exports is maintained or increased. …Herald Sun George Lekakis – February 28, 2007.……………”
Growing concern over the safety of Olympic Dam Expansion
(more Australian news at nuclear news Australia )
Greens growing concern over the safety of Olympic Dam Expansion
MINING SAFETY5 August 2009GREENS MLC Mark Parnell says that BHP Billiton ‘s Olympic Dam Expansion Environmental Impact Statement contains glaring omissions alongside startling impacts.
Parnell claims that there are holes in this EIS almost as big as the mine’s open pit. For example, there is a woeful description on the 242 million tonne waste rock heap – a heap that will be so large it will be visible 30 kms away, soar higher than the Santos building and contain millions of tonnes of uranium and acid.
Parnell says the EIS is also silent on long term dust management. More than 25,000,000 litres of water will be sprayed around the site each and every day to prevent toxic dust storms, but what happens when the mining stops?
In many sections of there statement there are reportedly ‘options’ given – some sound, but expensive; others cheap and nasty. The huge concern is that the Federal and State Governments will approve the mine first, and leave it to the company to decide which options they pursue later.
Greens growing concern over the safety of Olympic Dam Expansion – Mining Safety
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 