Paul Howes defies ACTU policy on nuclear
Paul Howes and Bill Shorten are a couple of young gungho, publicity-seeking right-wing Labor politicians. They’re both bent on getting to the top, and know who to make friends with – the big powerful corporations.
Paul Howes doesn’t miss an opportunity to spruik pro-nuke. And, it doesn’t bother him if he has no sensible answers to the critics of the uranium/nuclear industry.
Paul is quite happy to use the time-honoured methods of the nuclear lobby – just denigrate your opponents – so much easier than addressing the issues.
The Age, 7 November 09, on Paul Howes: “He dumps on Labor’s opposition to nuclear power, describing the stance as ‘ancient, hypochondriac…superstitions of another age’ that ignore the evidence of its potential as a clean and viable source of long-term energy.
Howes advocacy of the nuclear option flies in the face of its staunch rejection by the ACTU – of which he is vice-president”
The strange mentality of some nuclear commentators
In a week of dubious comments from fossil-fuel and nuclear industry puppets, it’s been hard to choose the weirdest comment.
But I like the one from Northern Territory Labor MP Damien Hale. Apparently, Hale’s view is that if a state is already contaminated with radioactive pollution, then it’s just fine to go ahead there and add more pollution. Is South Australia stuffed already, as far as radioactive contamination goes – so it can be open slather for nuclear waste in S.A.?
The Labor Member for Solomon, Damien Hale, .. says there is political support for the dump to be built in South Australia.”Now we all know there’s areas of Australia that are already contaminated through radioactivity,”Territory MP wants nuke waste dumped in SA – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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
Australians against nuclear power – latest poll results
An opinion poll by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technnology Organisation (ANSTO) shows the latest results on Australians’ attitude to nuclear power. Poll results as at 5 November 2009
NT politician claims that South Australia wants nuclear waste dump
Territory MP wants nuke waste dumped in SA ABC News By Michael Coggan Nov 4, 2009 Darwin A Northern Territory federal politician is arguing for a national nuclear waste dump to be built in South Australia. Continue reading
Nuclear power for Australia? – a definite NO
Australia’s Future Power Sources Won’t Include Nuclear – PM CANBERRA -By Ray Brindal, Dow Jones Newswires 4 November 09 – The future sources for Australia’s power needs include coal, natural gas and a range of renewables rather than nuclear, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Wednesday. Continue reading
Northern Territory targeted as the only place for nuclear waste dump
Nuclear dump sites ‘all in the Territory’ NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS NICK CALACOURAS November 3rd, 2009 THE Federal Government has been sitting on a report on the decision to build a nuclear waste dump in the Territory for the past nine months. Continue reading
Review: BHP under scrutiny, ANSTO rigs poll
Australia. Lucas Heights nuclear waste has to be returned to Australia; Rudd govt pretty sure to dump it on aboriginal land. China buying up big into Australian uranium mining. S.A. govt very little restriction likely for Marathon’s uranium mining in Arkaroola, and no obligation for Four Mile to clean up after u-mining ends. . Melbourne and Perth protest rallies mark BHP’s AGM. ANSTO caught out crookedly rigging opinion poll.
International. Iran avoids international agreement to prevent it developing nuclear weapons.
US Hanford nuclear workers to be compensated for their cancers. Alternative annual report launched for BHP Billiton’s AGM. Iraq now seeking to have nuclear power. French nuclear plant has critical buildup of plutonium. – the week that has been
Australia’s conflict of interest: nuclear disarmament
Australia and Iran Pickled Politics Sandra Hajda 31st October, 2009
“…………….The meeting was in fact brokered by the International Commission on Nuclear Non- Proliferation and Disarmament, a body founded by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Continue reading
Need to prevent the spread of nuclear technology
The ICNND and Japanese Civil Society Policy Forum Online By Kawasaki Akira
Australia and Japan have two significant commonalities. One is that they are important allies for the United States within the Asia Pacific region, and that their security is based upon the so-called “nuclear umbrella,” dependent upon US nuclear weapons. Continue reading
Rudd govt cowardly about nuclear waste obligations
Australia is contractually obliged to take back from France the reprocessed nuclear waste from ANSTO’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.
The Rudd government, like the Howard government is just too cowardly to explain this truth to the Australian people, and then to act sensibly and honorably.
The government could choose Commonwealth land, take back the existing waste, close down Lucas Heights, and finish this problem.
But, no. The Rudd government will con and bribe the citizens least able to resist, – the aborigines, – in the Territory least able to resit, the Northern Territory.
If that were not enough of cowardice and hypocrisy, the Rudd government is then likely to use ANSTO to open the door to the return of radioactive wastes to Australia. A very lucrative industry for a few big players, including the uranium mining companies.
No sensible housewife would even plan a meal in the knowledge that the house would be left with permanent, unfixable, toxic waste. But then what government would ask the opinion of a sensible housewife?
Why Ziggy Spinowski doesn’t mention radioactive wastes
Have you noticed how nuclear spruikers, such as Ziggy Spinowski, never talk about the “back end” of the uranium and nuclear industries? It’s all about the “front end” – the wonderful “cheap, “clean” “best practice” mining and reactors. But what does everybody do with their wastes, (apart from shutting up about them)?
Well, that’s a mystery. Mountains of radioactive uranium tailings – Polluted towns and areas – Dead reactors – too “hot” to move for decades, perhaps centuries?
Mostly – radioactive wastes just sit there – in cooling ponds, in containers. But then where to? Dumped in some “Third World” country? Or in the ocean- but always in or near the land of some indigenous peoples, who won’t have the financial, legal, media or whatever sort of resources you need to stand up to nuclear corporations.
Australia obliged to dump nuke-waste, on aboriginal land?
Nuclear waste dump a must Adelaide Now MARK KENNY
October 31, 2009
THE search for a suitable site for a high-level nuclear waste dump in Australia is back on because radioactive material currently stored overseas will be returned to Australia in five years, it has been revealed.
The material, described as “spent fuel” from the Lucas Heights research reactor, had been sent to France for re-processing.
Under French law it must be repatriated to Australia by 2015.
Responding to questions from Opposition frontbencher, Nick Minchin in Senate estimates hearings, the Government confirmed Australia is under an obligation to “have a facility built in time to receive that waste from France in 2015”.
“There is waste from France, from reprocessing of ANSTO research reactor spent fuel, that will return to Australia in 2015,” a departmental official told the Economic Committee.
The admission means the Government is faced with a tight time frame in which to identify the preferred site, conduct consultations with affected parties, meet environmental and other planning requirements, and build the super-secure facility.
According to evidence tendered, three sites, all in the Northern Territory, “two in the Alice Springs region and one in the Katherine region”, are being considered.
The Government also confirmed another site, described as being “a volunteer site on Aboriginal land near Tennant Creek”, was being assessed. A site in the Northern Territory now seems inevitable where constitutional limits on Commonwealth power do not apply.http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26283381-5006301,00.html
Warning on China’s uranium mining in Australia
Chinese buy up NT uranium stake NICK CALACOURAS October 31st, 2009 The Commonwealth has signed off on a $140 million deal to allow a Territory company to provide uranium to Chinese nuclear power plants. Continue reading
Australia’s blind eye to China’s abuse of anti-nuclear protesters
Australia is complicit in China’s uranium and human rights abuses Crikey.com Oct 2009 by James Norman
| :……………. Australia’s role in supplying China with uranium and the associated impacts of the nuclear industry, within China and in terms of Australia’s non-proliferation commitments. | |
The expanded Roxby Downs uranium and copper mine being proposed by BHP Continue reading
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