Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Wind farm for Ararat, in Victoria

The 247.5 megawatt wind farm would include up to 75 turbines and produce enough energy to power more than 135,000 homes.

Vic wind farm gets green lightm Sydney Morning Herald, October 22, 2010 A wind farm with up to 75 turbines will be built in western Victoria after receiving planning approval.Planning Minister Justin Madden approved the $326 million development at Ararat Continue reading

October 22, 2010 Posted by | energy, Victoria, wind | , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency shamed into being honest

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam asked why it took a media story to prompt the agency into releasing the overdue Australian Radiation Incident Register summaries.

ARPANSA comes clean on annual reports Karen Dearne The Australian * October 22, 2010 DIAGNOSTIC radiology has emerged as the highest-risk area for medical radiation errors, according to five “missing” annual critical incident registers released by the nation’s peak radiation safety body yesterday. Continue reading

October 22, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, secrets and lies | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear power obsolete and unnecessary – Victorian Labor and Liberal agree

Nuclear power is not needed in Victoria because it is expensive, dangerous and obsolete given the state’s abundance of energy options, say Premier John Brumby and Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu.

Parties agree Victoria will remain nuclear-free state, The Age, RICHARD WILLINGHAM, October 20, 2010 VICTORIA will remain a nuclear-free state, regardless of who wins next month’s state election. Continue reading

October 19, 2010 Posted by | politics, uranium, Victoria | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Powerful union rubbishes Committee of Melbourne’s push for nuclear energy

One of the state’s most powerful unions, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), on Tuesday slammed a push from the Committee of Melbourne for nuclear energy to be on the agenda.

Nuclear too risky and costly: Brumby, Sydney Morning Herald, Melissa Jenkins and Catherine Best, October 19, 2010 –  Nuclear power is too risky and expensive to be an energy option for Victoria, Premier John Brumby says Continue reading

October 19, 2010 Posted by | energy, politics, uranium, Victoria | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Big polluters head Australia’s carbon tax advisory panel

For a carbon tax to truly make a significant difference on carbon emission levels, revenue raised from the tax needs to be funnelled back into renewable energy projects, not into concessions for energy intensive industries and big polluters,….Australia has vast solar power potential that is being neglected

Australia’s Carbon Tax And The Big Business Roundtable : Renewable Energy News :by Energy Matters, 19 Oct 10 Big business will head the discussion on how to implement a carbon tax in Australia; a situation causing concern in some sectors. Continue reading

October 18, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Solar powered desalination plants – small or large

the team hopes scale up the size of the solar module for use in disaster zones and desert areas where climate change has impacted on water stocks.

Portable Desalination System Powered By Solar Energy  Renewable Energy News, 18 Oct 10, A group of researcher s at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have unveiled a portable solar-powered desalination plant which they say will help provide access to clean drinking water in the developing world. Continue reading

October 18, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar, water | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Radioactive waste from posh suburb to the lower class

The new classification of ”restricted solid waste” allows the government, which has dithered for decades about what to do with the radioactive site, to transport waste to the western suburbs……

State sends radioactive waste west, Sydney Morning Herald, Heath Aston, October 17, 2010 MORE than 5000 tonnes of radioactive waste will be dug up from one of Sydney’s wealthiest harbourside suburbs, trucked across the city and dumped near Penrith. Continue reading

October 16, 2010 Posted by | New South Wales, wastes | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency secretive about reports

Other incidents related to unexplained high doses recorded by three mining company employees, radioactive contamination of drinking water at a uranium mine

Radiation reports are sadly lacking Karen Dearn, The Australian, 16 Oct 10,

THE Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, the nation’s peak radiation safety body, has failed to publish annual critical incident reports for the past six years, despite commitments to do so. Continue reading

October 16, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, secrets and lies, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA, Europe want wind power, but split on nuclear

Opinions on building more nuclear power plants are more mixed and vary by country. The public is more or less equally divided in the U.S., Britain and France but clear majorities are opposed in Italy (60%), Spain (63%) and even more strongly in Germany (77%)…….

U.S., Europe back wind farms but split on nuclear power – Green House , 14 Oct 10, The main findings of the poll, taken between Sept. 15 and 21, 2010, include: * Big majorities of the public in all six countries favor the building of more wind farms in their countries, Continue reading

October 14, 2010 Posted by | energy, wind | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Greenwashing in Australian banks and “ethical” funds

Many ethical funds will claim to be committed to socially responsible investment but how green are they?…Australian banks   investing in coal over renewable energy at a rate of seven to one. The banks invested $5.5 billion in the coal industry, as against $784 million in renewable energies.

Environmentally-friendly investments, How green are they really?, Sydney Morning Herald, Adam Courtenay, October 12, 2010 – The government may have rediscovered a political commitment to carbon containment but few investment houses have shown any signs of moving with the environmental zeitgeist. Green investing, in its purest environmental sense, remains anathema to financial advisers and mainstream fund managers, and investors with a deep green conscience are badly served by the sector.There are only a handful of truly green investment funds available in Australia and most struggle for subscriptions. Continue reading

October 13, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, religion and ethics | , | Leave a comment

Greenpeace demonstrates Europe’s unsoved nuclear waste problem

The nuclear sector has no idea what to do with this waste, let alone the far more dangerous and long-lived waste that also continues to pile up. As the vast majority comes from the power sector, the only logical step is to phase out nuclear power.

Greenpeace takes radioactive waste to the European Parliament, International Media-Newswire.com, by Jack Hunter, 8 Oct 2010,  – Greenpeace delivered radioactive waste to the door of the European Parliament today to remind MEPs in their last plenary session before considering a new nuclear waste law that there is no solution to nuclear waste. Continue reading

October 12, 2010 Posted by | uranium | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia’s big banks promote coal, not renewables

While they spend a huge amount of time and money creating an image of sustainability and environmental concern, they are quietly using billions of dollars of Australians’ money to pollute our future,”

Greenpeace slams banks for greenwashing, Brisbane Times, October 11, 2010 Australia’s big four banks financed more than $5 billion worth of coal projects in the past five years while promoting their green credentials, a report commissioned by Greenpeace has found.

The environmental lobby says the ANZ, National Australia, Commonwealth and Westpac banks loaned more than six times the amount of money to coal mining, power stations and exporting than to renewable energy projects……”While they spend a huge amount of time and money creating an image of sustainability and environmental concern, they are quietly using billions of dollars of Australians’ money to pollute our future,” Greenpeace’s John Hepburn said……

Mr Hepburn said there were 12 new coal power stations in the pipeline for Australia, that if built, would increase the nation’s emissions by seven per cent.

“Whether or not they are built depends largely on the big four banks,” he said.

“They need to put their money where their mouth is and not lock future generations into this dirty form of power.”

Greenpeace slams banks for greenwashing

October 11, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, General News | , , , | Leave a comment

Broadcast Australia goes renewable energy

A 15kW wind turbine was installed, along with a 5kW solar power system. Surplus generated electricity is stored in two banks of deep cycle batteries, providing a total of 5800 amp hour storage; enough to provide full power autonomy for two days….The Broadcast Australia network covers approximately 580 transmission sites located throughout the metropolitan, regional and rural areas of Australia.

Broadcast Australia Powers Site With Wind And Solar Energy : Renewable Energy News, 7 Oct 10, Broadcast Australia has upgraded a broadcast transmission site in Tasmania to be powered by renewable energy. Continue reading

October 7, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar, Tasmania, wind | , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Australian govt can use carbon pricing to provide renewable energy infrastructure

The construction of new renewable energy grid infrastructure is one example of an investment-centred measure. Expanded electricity grid infrastructure would open up renewable resources for sustainable development and help overcome a non-market barrier to clean energy deployment……

The Gillard government and those in the parliament who support effective action on climate change can use carbon-pricing legislation to secure funding for an ambitious nation-building climate policy agenda.

Want to stop climate change? Move beyond carbon pricing, Rooted, Leigh Ewbank, October 7, 2010 by Crikey: Continue reading

October 7, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA federal govt approves huge solar project on govt land

the projects in Southern California involve a square mile of glimmering solar panels near Victorville and a large array of satellite dish-like sun catchers covering about 10 square miles in the remote Imperial Valley.Both could start transmitting electricity to the state grid by the end of 2011 or early 2012.

Feds approve 2 Calif solar plants on public land, MontereyHerald.com :By JASON DEAREN Associated Press: 10/05/2010 SAN FRANCISCO—For the first time, federal land managers gave final approval Tuesday for the construction of two large solar installations on public lands that could power hundreds of thousands of homes with renewable energy. Continue reading

October 7, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, solar | , , , , , | Leave a comment