Uranium salesman Paul Howes calls for Arkaroola mining
powerbroker and AWU national secretary Paul Howes said he had been convinced of the merits of mining during talks with Marathon Resources, a uranium explorer which had previously lost its licence over breaching of waste disposal conditions…………
Union calls for uranium mining in Arkaroola sanctuary | Adelaide Now, Christopher Russell, 14 May 2010, ONE of the nation’s most powerful unions says uranium miners should be allowed to exploit a huge deposit of the mineral in the Arkaroola reserve in the northern Flinders Ranges…..
the union and the miners face a bitter battle to develop the pristine wilderness and popular film setting known as one of the state’s natural geological wonders.
Lined up against developers are film-maker Rolf de Heer – who calls the site “the single most extraordinary piece of South Australia in existence” Continue reading
Labor breaks election promise to set up inappropriate nuclear waste dump
Medical experts – including nuclear medicine practitioners – confirm that Australians can continue to have unimpeded access to diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicines without the need for this dump.
Labor reneges on nuclear waste promise, The Age, DAVE SWEENEY, May 14, 2010 –Before the 2007 election, federal Labor promised a new approach to the management of radioactive waste, Continue reading
Ionising radiation double the cancer risk for the young
Younger Patients Face Double Radiation Risk from CT Scans: Study, Ethiopian Review, May 13th, 2010 Younger patients run a higher risk of health problems from radiation exposure caused by computed tomography (CT) scans, according to a new study. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina found that the radiation risk for younger patients were double those of older patients in a CT radiation exposure study presented last week at the American Roentgen Ray Society 2010 annual meeting in San Diego, CA. Scientists say that the findings indicate that age is another factor that doctors should consider when ordering CT scans. Younger Patients Face Double Radiation Risk from CT Scans: Study
Nuclear industry can no longer hide radiation danger to workers
The “Silkwood Syndrome” of denial by employers and governments has dogged Australia since the 1950s….the nuclear industry must realise it risks embarrassment on a global scale should it persist in these tactics.
Things are always officially perfectly safe – nuclearhistory « Paul Langley’s Nuclear History Blog, 14 May 2010, ….In late July l996 the Australian Democrats raised the issue of radiological safety in the SA State Parliament.The Democrats report that workers employed at Roxby Downs were contaminated while performing nuclear duties in relation to radioactive waste owned by the Commonwealth. 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.
Australian Government postpones Nuclear Waste Bill, Spurns Discussion with Greens
Ferguson’s response was “I don’t deal with the Greens, why would I deal with the Greens, we don’t deal with the Greens” and walked off.
The government’s strange flip flops on nuclear, Crikey, by Bernard Keane, 13 May 2010, “….This week it [the Australian Government] was preparing to speed its National Radioactive Waste Management Bill 2010 through parliament, with the aid of an unusually compliant opposition. The bill was scheduled for today but has been dropped ahead of higher priority bills. It is expected to return in June. Continue reading
Many doctors unaware of radiation cancer risks
Cancer Panel Report Cites Medical Radiation Concerns, News Inferno.com, May 12th, 2010 “…..the President’s Cancer Panel (PCP) pointed to the huge increase in Americans’ exposure to medical radiation. Continue reading
Australia’s government provides hasty, stingy compensation to its nuclear veterans
Nuclear veterans short-changed in Budget: Xenophon ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 12 May, 2010, Independent Senator Nick Xenophon says veterans of nuclear testing at Maralinga in outback South Australia have been short-changed in the federal Budget.There were atomic tests at Maralinga and Emu Plains about half a century ago.Senator Xenophon says test veterans will get improved benefits under veterans’ entitlements but no lump sum payments.”Russia, France, the US, even China have provided lump sum compensation for their nuclear test survivors but the Government has failed to do so,” he said.”I don’t think that’s good enough given these victims have waited something like half a century to try and get some justice in relation to what they’ve gone through.”Nuclear veterans short-changed in Budget: Xenophon – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
American Cancer Society misrepresented President’s Cancer Panel findings
why………did the ACS react so strongly and go on to misrepresent the findings of the Cancer Panel as if the NIH were an antagonist, rather than an ally?
the Chronicle of Philanthropy famously once blasted the ACS as being “more interested in accumulating wealth than in saving lives”
Every Cancer Counts, Carl Pope: Memo to the American Cancer Society, THE HUFFINGTON POST, May 11, 2010, “…..The ACS comment was widely and understandably reported as an attack on the scientific validity of the Cancer Panel’s findings. But in reality, the Cancer Panel never said that pollution is the major cause of cancer. 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
Legal challenge preparing against Australia’s plan to dump nuclear waste on aboriginal land
“We find it quite astonishing when we compare their determination against the land commissioner’s report which clearly identifies the traditional owners we’re speaking to as owners of the land.”
Lawyers step in as waste dump gets nod, ABC Alice Springs – Australian Broadcasting Corporation, By Alex Johnson 11 May 2010, A team of solicitors will travel to Tennant Creek today to prepare their case against the Federal Government’s plan to build a nuclear waste dump north of the town. Continue reading
Cancer risks for young women in medical radiation
President’s Cancer Panel Report says “minimizing radiation dose to breast tissue is critically important, particularly in girls and young women.”…..
PCP:Medical radiation ups breast cancer risk, foodfconsumer.org, 08/05/2010 The President’s CancerPanel released this week an annual report on the cancer risks from the environment warning that medical radiation raises breast cancer risk. Continue reading
Australia’s proposed nuclear waste dump a target for terrorism
Nuclear waste site a target for terrorists, expert warns, Sydney Morning Herald, LINDSAY MURDOCH DARWIN May 11, 2010 A BRITISH nuclear risk expert has warned that terrorists could target radioactive waste being transported thousands of kilometres across Australia to a proposed waste dump in the Northern Territory. Continue reading
President’s Cancer Panel Report highlights Breast Cancer
the President’s Cancer Panel report is in general cautious and makes sensible policy recommendations. It also makes a number of (mostly) sensible recommendations for individual citizens. In general, it is cautious and highlights a neglected aspect of cancer research.
(USA) The President’s Cancer Panel steps into it : Respectful Insolence, 11 May 2010, Continue reading
Women more affected by nuclear power and ionising radiation
NUCLEAR POWER and WOMEN – our focus for May 2010
Decisions on nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear wastes are almost exclusively made by men.
Yet the brunt of nuclear-caused cancer is suffered by women and children, as is the brunt of nuclear war, and of depleted uranium spread.
Opinion polls over many years, and in many countries, consistently show that women are opposed to nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
More women than men are concerned about health and environmental effects of the nuclear industry.
Yet they are consistently reassured by narrowly educated nuclear physicists, and other technocrats, that nuclear power is safe, and that they have nothing to worry about in regard to ionising radiation.
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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