Workers’ anger at BHP’s chief officer pay rise
Workers angry at BHP CEO’s pay rise: CFMEU
Ewin Hannan | September 17, 2009
BHP Billiton has strongly defended the remuneration package of its chief executive, Marius Kloppers, after the coalminers union used his salary to declare “open season” on pay rises……
…Union delegates representing 5000 BHP employees will meet today to consider a push for significant pay rises and improved conditions, with officials saying any call for pay restraint would be met with contempt.
Tony Maher, the national president of the CFMEU’s mining division, said workers were angry at the pay rise awarded to Mr Kloppers……………..
Uranium mining shareholders unaware of problems
Christina Macpherson 16 Sept 09
Mega uranium is to start operations in Western Australia, with some funding from the WA government
Commenting on this Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson, said that Australian was “committed to mining uranium with safe hands and only supplying uranium to countries which use it with safe hands”.
But just how safe is Mega?
Mega Shareholders
Megames, African September 15, 2009
Are the shareholders aware of the loses incurred by the public officers because of negligence :1. US$ 35,000 (LOSS) – Legal Fees – Lost court battle in SA and Mega Uranium subsidiary was liquidated
2. US$ 54,000.00 (LOSS) – Cash in bank – Mega Uranium subsidiary was liquidated
3. US$ 246,000.00 (LOSS) – Drilling Machine – Mega Uranium subsidiary was liquidated
This equates to a loss of more than US$ 335,000.00 LOSS which is a lot less than creditors were owed in SA for which Mega Uranium refused to settle.
So is this the way shareholders funds should be used?
Pro-nuclear Paul Howes seeking safe parliament seat
Union man may want my seat: retiring MP
Sydney Morning Herald September 15, 2009
Retiring Labor MP Julia Irwin has hinted that the leader of a major union may be gunning for her safe western Sydney electorat.She suggested Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes, an advocate of nuclear power, may be planning a parliamentary career.”While any seat might do, he will not doubt be salivating to have a safe Labor seat, built up by another, with a margin like that of Fowler,” Ms Irwin said in a statement on Tuesday.
But Ms Irwin, a critic of Israel, said she did not expect a “constructive contribution” from Mr Howes on foreign policy, “or any other policy for that matter”…………………
Mr Johnson told parliament on Tuesday of a “courageous” speech Mr Howes had made in support of nuclear energy……………….
Ms Irwin, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, announced on Monday she would not be contesting the next election.
Nuclear lobby in top gear, as nuclear “renaissance” failing
Review. Christina Macpherson 15 Sept 09
The nuclear lobby is pushing US and Chinese governments to get nuclear included, at Copenhagen, as a global warming solution. Meanwhile the development of nuclear power slows down, and uranium is in oversupply, with the price dropping.
In Australia, despite the anti-nuclear choice of the 2007 election, tax-payer money goes to an expensive survey of public opinion on nuclear power. No doubt the pro-uranium.nuclear media hype will be stepped up now, in preparation. John Howard planned a pro-nuke PR campaign. It seems that Rudd is carrying on the Howard agenda – review of the week that was
Leukaemia in young children near nuclear facilities
The medical and economic costs of nuclear power
OnLine opinion By Helen Caldicott – 14 September 2009A recent study sponsored by the German government (the KiKK study – Kaatsch P, Spix C, Schultze-Rath R, et al. Leukemia in young children living in the vicinity of German nuclear power plants. Int J Cancer. 2008; 1220:721-726,) examined children who lived near 16 of the country’s commercial nuclear power plants. The results revealed a strongly increased risk of all childhood cancers, particularly leukaemia, the closer the proximity of the children’s residence to the reactor. In particular, the study found that children less than the age five years, living within a 5km radius of the power plant exhaust stacks were more than twice as likely to develop leukaemia compared with those children residing more that 5km away. The KiKK team studied other carcinogenic factors which may be responsible for the cancer clusters but none were found.
Another large study (Baker PJ, Hoel DG. Meta-analysis of standardized incidence and mortality rates of childhood leukemia in proximity to nuclear facilities. Eur J Cancer Care. 2007:16:355-363) – a meta-analysis of the incidence and mortality rates of childhood leukaemia in children living near 138 nuclear facilities in Britain, Canada, Spain, Germany, the US and Japan also demonstrated a statistically significant rate of leukaemia in children less than nine years of age.
A further large review (Laurier D, Jacob S, Bernier MO, et al. Epidemiological studies of leukemia in children and young adults around nuclear facilities: A critical review. Rad Prot Dosim. 2008; 132:182- 190) of children and young adults living near 198 nuclear sites in 10 countries was found to be compatible with the study described above.
It is important to note that the sensitivity to the damaging effects of radiation in early embryonic and fetal life is much higher than in adults, and young children are also particularly vulnerable…………………….
In the light of these two studies it is difficult to understand how Kevin Rudd and the Labor Government can have no moral scruples about our uranium exports.
The medical and economic costs of nuclear power – On Line Opinion – 14/9/2009
Aboriginals exploited by new uranium laws
Uranium royalty changes ‘will exploit Aboriginals’
ABC News Sep 11, 2009Anti-nuclear activists in Alice Springs say changes to uranium royalties in the Northern Territory will make way for the exploitation of Aboriginal communities. Continue reading
Environment safeguards left out in new uranium laws
New uranium royalties a savage blow to environment
Trading Room (AAP) By Tara Ravens, Darwin, September 10 2009
A new royalty regime for the Northern Territory’s expanding uranium sector is a “king hit to the environment,” says the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). Continue reading
Australian protest against coal
Aussie Activists Target World’s Most-Polluting Coal Plant
solve climate by Leigh Ewbank – Sep 11th, 2009Hundreds of climate activists are descending on Australia’s Latrobe Valley this weekend with a message for the owner of the most-polluting coal-fired power plant in the industrialized world: Continue reading
A wasteful and very dubious nuclear opinion survey
The news item below is a bit of a worry.
by Christina Macpherson 11 Sept 09 Now why would the govt want to waste our tax money on the nuclear question, just 2 years after it was clearly answered by the voters?
Is the uranium/nuclear lobby is dictating government action here, in the same way that the fossil fuel industries are determining climate change policy?
Survey Project leader Daniela Stehlik may be very well intentioned, but her comments published today do not inspire confidence .
First of all, Stehlik is calling nuclear power the “more emissions-friendly option”. Doesn’t she know about the carbon emissions from the whole nuclear fuel cycle?
Then she says “… with nuclear, Australians can’t tell what it’s like … they haven’t actually seen a plant in operation …. No direct experience” (So, apparently we can’t have a valid opinion?)
Amazingly, Stehlik thinks that internationally, nuclear power is OK with communities. Doesn’t she know about the turmoil in USA and UK over the nuclear’s costs, and wastes.? About the fiasco of France’s new reactors? About the massive anti-nuclear protest in Germany?
And – Stehlik seems to brush off the (?silly) negative connotations of nuclear bombs and nuclear accidents- “it’s in our imagination”!
Oh dear – we are in for a wasteful tax-funded nuke-hype!
Australian govt to bankroll a nuclear opinion survey
Federal funds to test popular opinion on nuclear power
THE AUSTRALIAN : Jamie Walker | September 11, 2009
THE federal government will fund research to test public opinion on nuclear power, Continue reading
Uranium – bad news for Kimberley workers and environment
Uranium in the Kimberley
ABC radio Kimberley Mornings 01/09/2009 Development proposals for the Kimberley have been all about the Ord or the gas in the last year or so, but is uranium on the radar?
Robin Chapple, Greens MLC for the Pastoral and Mining Region thinks it is, and is giving a talk in Broome tonight.
“At a conservative estimate, there are 15 corporations currently operating in the Kimberley actively pursuing uranium and there are over 60 exploration lease, dotted all over the Kimberley. History shows us that anywhere else in the world where there has been uranium mining, we have health effects in workers and in the communities.”
Robin Chapple argues that the environmental legacy left by uranium mining is equally disturbing, with tailings dams and waste piles “which are radioactive for ten thousand odd years, and that’s not managed”.
Rudd govt uranium policy for miners, against environment
NT uranium royalty laws a king hit for environment
Dave Sweeney 10 Sept 09 New uranium mining laws passed by Federal Parliament yesterday put the interests of uranium mining companies ahead of the environment, Indigenous landowners and Australian taxpayers, the Australian Conservation Foundation said.
“The Uranium Royalty (Northern Territory) Act is biased towards Continue reading
Olympic Dam uranium mine: future uncertain
BHP’s dam dilemma: costs rise
The Age BARRY FITZGERALD September 9, 2009
BHP Billiton’s proposed expansion of the Olympic Dam copper/uranium/gold mine in South Australia’s outback is set to become the most expensive ever, with analysts estimating an all up cost of $US15-$US20 billion ($17.4-$23.2 billion)…… Continue reading
Australian a uranium colony of China?
Australian uranium firm wants Chinese takeover
ABC News By Louisa Rebget
An Australian-based uranium explorer says its proposed takeover by a Chinese company would open Australia up to the growing Chinese nuclear power market. Continue reading
China seeking strategic control of Australia’s uranium
Uranium follows rare earths as China eyes strategic control
Robin Bromby | September 08, 2009Article from: The AustralianFIRST rare earths, now uranium. It seems the Chinese are determined to get control of key strategic metals – and Australia seems to be welcoming the idea.
Chinese companies have effectively moved to take control of the two most advanced rare earths projects here (although one is still subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board).
And, as we saw this morning, uranium is also high on Beijing’s shopping list. It is proposed that China Guangdong Nuclear Power (CGNP) will acquire 70 per cent of Energy Metals (EME) which has the Bigrlyi uranium project in the Northern Territory, where there is already a JORC-compliant economic uranium resource (as well as vanadium). This is almost certain to succeed because Jindalee Resources (JRL) owns 40 per cent of EME and has agreed to the deal…………………..
it’s still cheap as chips for what could be Australia’s next uranium mine to be developed. CGNP has four operating nuclear power stations and what better for it than to control its own mines, rather than have to be at the mercy of the open market?
Uranium follows rare earths as China eyes strategic control | The Australian
1 This month
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 