Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Review of the nuclear and climate week

Australian Opposition leader  Tony Abbott  informs  us that global warming, climate change, have “stopped’.

Australia’s pathetically irrelevant election campaign could make you laugh,  – or cry.

The Northern hemisphere has a record heatwave, Russia having 769 wildfires, 500 of which are in radiation trouble spots. As of August 16 wildfires stillsurrounded Russia’s top secret nuclear centre at Sarov.

In China, floods and huge mudslides occur, in Sichuan province – where China locates nuclear facilities and nuclear waste dumps.

What a week! and Australia’s media still prattles on about our  pathetic, insular political leaders, and their myopic policies.

August 17, 2010 Posted by | Christina reviews, climate change - global warming | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Long list of Labor and Liberal policy failures on nuclear issues

The government has failed to implement its policy of addressing radioactive waste management issues in a manner which is “scientific, transparent, accountable and fair”: Muckaty did not even make the short-list when scientific and environmental criteria informed a site-selection process in the 1990s.

Nuclear backflips and broken promises – On Line Opinion –   By Bill Williams and Jim Green 13 August 2010 The Medical Association for Prevention of War and Friends of the Earth have produced a “Choose Nuclear Free” policy scorecard and analysis ahead of the August 21 federal election. www.choosenuclearfree.net The two striking features of our analysis are the long list of broken promises and backflips by the Labor Government, and the unwillingness of the Opposition to oppose. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics, uranium | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Russia silences information on radiation and wildfires

Shoigu also demanded that those who reported on the spread of radiation fro fires burning in contaminated areas be made known to authorities.  As a consequence, public information about fires in areas posing a potential radiation hazard were ripped down from government websites,

Russia emergency minister threatens to ‘deal with’ those spreading radiation ‘rumours’ about wildfires in contaminated areas NEW YORK/ST PETERSBURG Charles Digges, and Alexander Shurshev , 17 Aug 2010, Russian emergency officials have come up with a novel tool to smother the spate of heat wave caused wildfires that threaten to tear through radioactively contaminated forests and lands during the country’s hottest summer, releasing radiation: pull information about fires in radioactively contaminated areas and threaten punishment for those spreading “rumours.” Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

South Australia could be renewable energy hub

According to the Greens South Australian Senate candidate Penny Wright, four potential wind energy projects on the Eyre Peninsula could more than double South Australia’s wind-sourced electricity generation capacity to 7500 megawatts if better transmission infrastructure were available.

Greens Envision South Australia As A Renewable Energy Exporter : Renewable Energy News, 16 AUGUST, 2010, The Australian Greens have proposed upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure across Australia that would see South Australia become a renewable energy exporter. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar, South Australia, wind | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Democrats say nuclear power is no solution to Climate Change

Climate change – Nuclear power still not a solution, Darren Churchill, 16 Aug 2010, Nuclear power still costs the earth and is not a solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions say the Australian Democrats.Australian Democrats’ lead candidate in the ACT, Darren Churchill says that only genuine ecologically sustainable energy sources can make the difference. Continue reading

August 16, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, General News, solar, wind | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In Brisbane thousands walk against global warming

Walkers send not-too-warm message to pollies on climate, Sydney Morning Herald, Tony Moore and Daniel Hurst, August 15, 2010 Thousands of supporters of the annual Walk Against Warming have wound their way through the streets of Brisbane in a stark reminder that tackling climate change remains a key issue for the 2010 Federal Election. Continue reading

August 16, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, General News, solar, wind | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Resources ‘boom’ failing Australia’s economic competitiveness

there are the fraught issues of energy and climate change…….The lack of investment [in new renewable energy technology] will only further harm Australia’s competitiveness.

Australia slow to wake up to reality, Stuff.co.nz, By ROD ORAM –  Star Times, 15 Aug 2010, IS THE great Australian boom, the longest in any developed country, over? Yes, said Ross Garnaut, one of the country’s most respected economists, in a seminal lecture last week. Continue reading

August 16, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, business, energy, solar, wind | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Video tells of Depleted Uranium and Iraqi child cancers

VIDEO SBS Dateline | Iraq s Deadly Legacy Iraqi child cancer  ‘linked to US weapons’  SBS World News 16 August 2010 The number of deformed babies and children with leukaemia is increasing in Iraq, with locals blaming Depleted Uranium weapons used in US attacks, SBS’S Dateline reports….World News Australia – Iraqi child cancer ‘linked to US weapons’

August 16, 2010 Posted by | uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia well placed to adopt American solar thermal plants

The International Energy Agency has found that renewable energy like household solar power systems and solar thermal power plants are competitive with traditional forms of power generation in the sunniest parts of the world, but a lack of financing is holding back investment in concentrated solar technologies.

Harness Solar Power To Minimise Coal Electricity Generation Emissions : Renewable Energy News, 14 Aug 2010, American plans to build large-scale solar thermal plants near coal-fired power stations should be duplicated in Australia says a local renewable energy industry figure. Continue reading

August 14, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Victoria, Australia, to lead the way in wind energy

The wind farm, situated between the towns of Macarthur, Hawkesdale and Penshurst in Victoria, is slated to become the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere

Vestas awarded order for the largest wind power project in Australia Industrial Fuels and Power August 13th, 2010 Denmark-based Vestas has successfully secured the order for the largest wind power projectd in Australia. Continue reading

August 14, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, Victoria, wind | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan

The price tag may make it sound like a pipedream but the scheme earned the endorsement of the federal Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull who added his support at a forum at Sydney Town Hall last night.

How to be fully renewable in 10 years, Sydney Morning Herald, BEN CUBBYAugust 13, 2010 AUSTRALIA could switch completely to renewable energy within a decade by building a dozen vast, new solar power stations and about 6500 wind turbines, according to a major new study. Continue reading

August 13, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, solar, wind | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Radiation fears rise as Russia downplays wildfire hazard

The Kremlin has a long history of downplaying disasters in a bid to appear in control. State-run television has focused on official efforts to battle the flames.

Russians fear worst as fires reach Chernobyl fallout zone –  NZ Herald News,  By Miriam Elderm 12 Aug 2010, Radiation levels near Chernobyl could rise and pose long-term health dangers as deadly forest fires spread to land contaminated by the world’s largest nuclear-reactor disaster, Russian environmentalists said yesterday Continue reading

August 12, 2010 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Greens commend Melbourne University’s Zero Carbon plan

how fast this technology can be rolled out across Australia, making use of sunny areas in convenient geographical areas.

Zero Carbon Australia plan sets the bar – On Line Opinion, Bob Brown,  – 12/8/2010 Zero Carbon Australia plan from Melbourne University and Beyond Zero Emissions is so important. By demonstrating that it is technically feasible to completely replace polluting coal power in Australia with currently available renewable energy technologies in as little as ten years, they have made the climate solution imaginable. Continue reading

August 12, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, solar, wind | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium and nuclear news under the radar in Australia

I do aim to post significant international news here. But – so much uranium and nuclear stuff is going on without media mention, here  in Australia.  Today we have two courageous Aboriginals –  Michael Anderson, and Jeffrey Lee, standing up for their people and for Country, against the uranium industry.

The USA and Australia are soon to ratify a new nuclear agreement, – yet we Australians HAVE NOT HEARD A WORD ABOUT THIS.

Tony Abbott’s telling Catholic schoolkids how all we need to do is follow USA’s lead on selling uranium to India (never mind about the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty)

Anyway, I’ve had to confine myself today to mentioning the frightening events in Russia, where a very little amount of news is getting out about the wildfires around the nuclear facilities near Moscow, and the uncertain facts on radioactivity in smoke. Christina Macpherson 11 Aug 2010.

August 11, 2010 Posted by | Christina reviews, uranium | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two soldiers killed fighting wildfires around Russia’s nuclear sites

..Two members of the Russian armed forces were killed Monday fighting wildfires around the major nuclear research centre in Sarov, a town still closed to foreigners as in Soviet times.

Russia battles to defend nuclear sites from fires, Google hosted news, By Stuart Williams (AFP) – 11 Aug 2010, MOSCOW — Russia fought a deadly battle Tuesday to prevent wildfires from engulfing key nuclear sites as alarm mounted over the impact on health of a toxic smoke cloud shrouded over Moscow. Continue reading

August 11, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming | , , , , , , | Leave a comment