Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Australia’s Greens tell it like it is on Uranium, Nuclear Industry

“Recently we have been hearing a lot about ‘surging uranium prices’ and a ‘global nuclear renaissance’ but you only need to chart uranium miners’ share prices and the world uranium price to see the reality is strangely at odds with the hype,” Senator Ludlam said……..”Worldwide, the global civil nuclear industry is in serious trouble and nuclear weapons disarmament negotiations are suppressing world uranium prices.


Greens step up anti-uranium mining campaign, 21st July 2010, Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam will deliver a straightforward message to uranium miners and investors at the Australian Uranium Summit in Fremantle today

“The industry remains unsafe, unwanted and uneconomic. Pursuing investments in this least sustainable of industries will end in tears,” Senator Ludlam said. Continue reading

July 21, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics, uranium | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

International plea to save Arkaroola wilderness from uranium mining

the region could take centuries to recover from any mining…..

Arkaroola wilderness bid for UN recognition, ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 20 July 2010, A bid has been made for Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary to be given United Nations recognition as an international geopark.

The sanctuary operators have been fighting to protect the Arkaroola area of the northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia from mining. Continue reading

July 21, 2010 Posted by | environment, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Still time to stop Muckaty nuclear waste dump

Country Liberals Senator Nigel Scullion says it is not too late to reconsider the most appropriate location for the waste dump.

Crossin rules out change to nuke dump stance – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Eleni Roussos  Jul 19, 2010 Northern Territory Labor Senator Trish Crossin says her party’s decision to build a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory will not change if it is returned to government. Continue reading

July 20, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, uranium, wastes | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In-situ leaching uranium mining contaminates groundwater

“It takes hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, to transform aquifer water back into a drinkable condition.

Scientists Back Navajos’ Uranium Mining Fight: Tribe fears contamination of drinking water BRENDA NORRELL Indian Country 19 July 2010Continue reading

July 20, 2010 Posted by | technology, uranium | , , , , | Leave a comment

Navajo’s fight to save water from uranium mining

They think in-situ mining will be done easily without contamination or accidents, but that is not the case.’

These wells are the sole source of drinking water for thousands of people that live in the area.”

Scientists Back Navajos’ Uranium Mining Fight: Tribe fears contamination of drinking water BRENDA NORRELL Indian Country 19 July 2010, RED ROCK, N.M. Continue reading

July 20, 2010 Posted by | uranium, water | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The nuclear fuel cycle and Climate Change

“When the Dust Settles” can now be viewed on You Tube

A final word on climate change | Coober Pedy Regional Times July 17, 2010 The ETU does not accept the argument that nuclear energy is an answer to the harmful impact on the world’s climate of burning fossil fuels.

Mr Simpson said you do not solve one problem by creating another, more dangerous one.

“How can anyone credibly argue that the answer to global warming or atmospheric pollution is to significantly increase the risk of people getting cancer or them giving birth to deformed babies? Continue reading

July 20, 2010 Posted by | Resources, uranium | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

$953 million spent to promote nuclear power as “climate solution”

there is real danger that the nuclear industry will continue to promote itself as a ‘silver-bullet’ solution to climate change

Nuclear Energy Steals Billions from Other Technologies « Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist, 20 July 2010, “……..This lavish lobbying effort by the energy and nuclear power sector has been ongoing since the mid-1990s, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a U.S. NGO and now totals at least 953 million dollars. Continue reading

July 20, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, energy, uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

World’s biggest uranium hole, BHP’s Olympic Dam. in doubt

“we are hearing from engineering circles that BHP has gone cold on the project. And it’s my gut feeling that the enthusiasm isn’t quite there any more.” – shadow mining minister Mitch Williams

Hole lot of trouble for BHP – The Independent  Weekly,  KEVIN NAUGHTON, 17 Jul, 2010 BHP Billiton’s Clark Shaft at Olympic Dam is set to return to full production, ending a nine-month lull in copper and uranium output.

But the news comes as speculation again surfaces about the company’s long-term plans for the mine…….

Continue reading

July 18, 2010 Posted by | business, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Young Australians want action on Climate Change

As both major political parties dilly around, mouthing comforting statements about Climate Change, young people are turning to the Greens and Independents for any kind of sensible approach on Climate Change.

It is their future. One wonders about the baby boomer mining executives who put Julia Gillard into the role of prime Minister.  One wonders about the baby boomer journalists, toeing the fossil fuel lobby’s line on Climate Scepticism.

Do they actually give  a damn about their children and grandchildren?

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

Stop BHP’s expansion of Olympic Dam Uranium Mine

Zane Alcorn, said their purpose was to highlight the catastrophic effects the mine and its planned expansion would have on traditional owners, their land and future generations…..tens of thousands of gigalitres of water per day is being sucked out of the Artesian Basin on Arabunna land to service the mine,”

Protesters gather at mine site, Sydney Morning Herald, July 16, 2010 An anti-nuclear protester has chained himself to a four-wheel-drive blocking the road to BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam uranium mine in South Australia’s far north. Continue reading

July 17, 2010 Posted by | Opposition to nuclear, South Australia, uranium | , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Deregulation of nuclear reactors increases risk of catastrophe

Federal lawmakers are weighing a BP-type deregulation of new nuclear reactors — the one energy source in which damage from a major accident could dwarf harm done by a ruptured offshore oil well.

Lessons from the Gulf for nuclear reactors – The Hill, By Dr. Jeffery Patterson,  07/16/10 One crucial lesson from the BP oil spill is that measures to speed licensing, cut corners on safety and undermine regulation can lead to tragic consequences. Yet Congress appears on the verge of repeating mistakes that led to the environmental catastrophe in the Gulf. Continue reading

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

What Australia’s nuclear company Silex Systems doesn’t tell you

Silex Systems jumps on the Climate Change bandwagon – presumably to draw in investors.  In fact, solar energy is but a small fraction of their basically nuclear business.  But – as the nuclear power industry languishes – well – a bit of solar can make you look good, for the moment.

What they don’t tell you is that while their nuclear laser technology awaits licensing, there are serious safety concerns about this technology. It will make the  uranium enrichment  process a lot faster and easier, but also easier to convert, without detection into nuclear weapons material. hence the Silex Systems laser uranium enrichment process is seen a s a nuclear weapons proliferation danger.

July 16, 2010 Posted by | Christina reviews, uranium | , , , , | 4 Comments

Free DVD on uranium mining danger to Australia’s workers

“When the dust settles” – a David Bradbury film If anyone wants a free copy of the dvd, all they have to do  is send  $5 bucks (postage costs) in an envelope to
PO Box 1250 Mullumbimby
NSW 2482 for a copy.
Or they they can go online and check it out for free (less quality) on youtube
at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSScncD3Ark

July 16, 2010 Posted by | Resources, uranium | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Northern Territory’s increased rainfall pattern hampering uranium mining

unstable pit wall conditions and the high rainfall level are considered to be the major factors affecting the decline of production volumes by the ERA.

Rainfalls hamper Uranium mine efficiency in Australia | Seer Press, 16 July 2010, Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) admits the high rainfall levels coupled with a slip of a pit wall have significantly hampered their production capacity Continue reading

July 16, 2010 Posted by | climate change - global warming, Northern Territory, uranium | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Germany to get euro billions from nuclear fuel tax

Revenue from the tax would help Germany cut its budget deficit and finance the clean-up of its repositories for nuclear waste.

German nuclear tax to raise 2.3 bln eur-draft law  BERLIN, July 15 (Reuters) – The proposed German tax on nuclear power station operators would likely raise 2.3 billion euros annually between 2011 and 2014, a finance ministry draft law obtained by Reuters said.Nuclear power station operators will face a levy of 220 euros per gramme of nuclear fuel (uranium or plutonium)…… Continue reading

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