Review: Nuke waste, media silence, environmental causes of cancer
Australia: Strangely absent from the mainstream media was the Senate’s Report,giving green light to Martin Ferguson’s Muckaty nuclear waste dump plan. Also strangely absent, a new agreement between Obama and Rudd on nuclear technology co-operation. But – lots of coverage given to BHP’s objections to a super profit resource tax. Tony Abbott ‘educates’ kids towards Climate Change scepticism. Federal govt might compensate Maralinga vets, perhaps to prevent legal case.
International: U.S. President’s Cancer Panel Report spells out environmental causes, including ionising radiation. Israel under pressure to admit to its nuclear weapons. Germany less likely now to restart nuclear power. India’s Parliament in turmoil over nuclear insurance to help foreign nuclear companies. Uranium prices and revenues low. World Bank finds nuclear power uneconomic. – the week that has been
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
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
Mothers against uranium mining
Lila Watson, Australian aboriginal leader, said: “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come here because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”………
A Mother’s Day Call to Protect the Earth, Care 2, 9 May 2010, Our team of eight dynamic women – legal, policy, and business experts -convened in Elko, Nevada, to begin our journey……….. Finally, we traveled to the magnificent Grand Canyon, where Havasupai leader Carletta Tilousi explained the grave threat of uranium mining to the tribe’s sacred Red Butte mountain, to the community’s health, and to the safety of the regional aquifer. 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.
Australia’s nuclear waste dump plan affects all Australians
Once again, Australia’s Aboriginal land rights are to be trampled by White Australia’s ignorance and apathy, (helped along by the subservient mass media), and by corporate greed. Not much comfort for Aboriginal owners of the Muckaty area – but eventually, even White Australians will suffer from this.
BUT – the fight is not over – as support for the Muckaty land owners and national resistance build among Australians of any colour.
Senate Report toes govt line on dumping nuclear waste on Northern Territory
Senator Ludlam criticised the Bill for its “heavy handed” overriding of Territory and Aboriginal heritage protection laws, and the reliance on secret documents for the nomination of Muckaty.
[The Report]t said an objects clause should be inserted as should an explanation of the minister’s “absolute discretion” on site selection.
Inquiry dumps on Northern Territory, Northern Territory News BEN LANGFORDMay 7th, 2010 THE Senate inquiry into laws which could put a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory has recommended the new legislation be passed.But the inquiry’s report was immediately criticised as “an unbalanced and closed-minded justification for a foregone conclusion” by one of the committee members. Continue reading
Australia: Flawed Senate Report into Radioactive Waste Plan
“This proposed legislation remains controversial and contested. Minister Ferguson’s legislation is a bad deal, not a done deal.”
Senate radioactive dump inquiry deeply flawed, Australian Conservation Foundation, 8 May 2010 A Senate report into laws to authorise a controversial planned nuclear waste in the Northern Territory has failed to make any progress towards responsible radioactive waste management in Australia, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today… Continue reading
Uranium tailings inflict cancer on a town in Utah
A town under siege from Cancer, ABC 4.com – Salt Lake City, Utah Newsby: Brent Hunsaker
MONTICELLO, Utah 7 May 2010, – The Uranium mill was big for little Monticello. Still, not everyone worked there. So why would people who never set foot on mill property still get cancer? Continue reading
Environmentally induced cancer, including by radiation “grossly underestimated”
White Australia urged to join Aboriginal fightback
Uranium, gold, oil, iron ore — these are the reasons why Aboriginal people are being humiliated…..And a lot of money is to be made in contracts for the dumping of foreign toxic waste in the Northern Territory………
If we had a free media in Australia, this would be exposed.
“Support NT Indigenous fightback.” Togs’s Place.Com.: John Pilger:, 7 May 2010, We are celebrating once more the resolve and courage and political determination, and imagination, of a group of Indigenous Australians. Continue reading
AREVA’s radioactive water contamination in Niger
VIDEOLeft in the Dust – Areva’s uranium mining in Niger | Greenpeace International
Left in the Dust – Areva’s uranium mining in Niger | Greenpeace International 6 May 2010, Operations of Nuclear giant AREVA put lives at risk in Niger Uranium mines in Niger operated by the state-owned French nuclear giant AREVA continue to create a radioactive hazard for the people living nearby.
A new report released today by Greenpeace reveals contamination levels in the air, water and soil above internationally accepted limits.“Radioactivity increases poverty because it creates more victims. With each day passes we are exposed to radiation and continue to be surrounded by poisoned air, polluted water and earth – while AREVA makes hundreds of millions from our natural resources.”
said Almoustapha Alhacen, President of the local Nigerian NGO Aghir in’ Man (which means “the shield of the soul” in the Touareg language, is a local environmental and human rights organization).Last November, Greenpeace carried out soil, water and air tests in Arlit and Akokan, located a few kilometers from the mines.
The samples were studied in collaboration with the France-based Research and Independent Information on Radioactivity Commission (CRIIRAD).“The analysis we have performed show that the uranium contamination in four out of five water samples exceed World Health Organisation safety limits*. We found evidence of radon, a radioactive gas dissolved in water and also chemical elements. Even so, this water is still being distributed to the population and the workers for consumption” said Bruno Chareyron, an engineer in Nuclear Physics from CRIIRAD. Left in the Dust – Areva’s uranium mining in Niger | Greenpeace International
Controversial U.S. nuclear reactor – fuelled by Australian uranium
“Australians feel a deep responsibility,” said Atkinson. “We are sending this poison around the world.” Of the 12,000 tons of uranium exported, one-third ends up in the United States. “The United States is one of the major consumers of our uranium,” he said.
(USA) Uranium: The Australia-Vt. connection, Brattleboro Reformer, By BOB AUDETTE , May 6, 2010 BRATTLEBORO — Australia and Vermont are connected in a way not many people think about — through uranium.”We are pretty sure that some of the uranium mined in Australia is being used in the fuel rods at Vermont Yankee,” Continue reading
Greens again call for safety audit of Lucas Heights Nuclear Reactor
Audit nuke risk at Lucas Heights: Greens, Sydney Morning Herald, GABRIELLE DUNLEVY, May 6, 2010 – There are new calls for an independent audit into the Lucas Heights nuclear facility, with a whistleblower claiming staff are at risk from serious safety breaches. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 