The week in nuclear news, by Christina Macpherson

Sources and links for these news items can be found at www.antinuclear.net and at www.nuclear-news.net

Australia

Aboriginal opposition to new Northern Territory Intervention laws. The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples is joined by more than 36,00 Australians, including church leaders and celebrities condemning the “Stronger Futures” laws as discriminatory, and as another step in the land grab for mining

Australia to get new non-nuclear submarines.

South Australia:

Aborigines’ High Court win against the State govt over land rights.
Olympic Damn uranium mine. Doubts about its economic viability Probably BHP CEO Marius Kloppers and others are hoping that so much money already spent – it has to go ahead. But share market analysts are not so comfortable with the $30 billion to be spent, in uncertain economic times. And Marius Kloppers might be out of a job. Meanwhile the S.A. govt backs BHP in pushing to make Kevin Buzzacott pay for opposing Olympic Dam expansion.
Huge Woomera weapons testing area to be opened up for uranium mining as well.

New South Wales.

ANSTO’s announcement of nuclear waste facility to be built at Lucas Heights arouses local opposition, and the questions – do we need this nuclear reactor at all, and is this the prelude to a nuclear waste import trade?
New South Wales Minister for Resources Peter Hartcher told India untruths about uranium mining being permitted in NSW and Queensland.
Victoria. why did Member for Northern Victoria Donna Petrovich assure Parliament that the region was against wind power, when it appears that the facts are quite the opposite? Wind energy industry puzzled at Australian State government’s insistence on recognising ” health dangers” of wind power, against all evidence.

Kyoto Protocol Australia delays signing Kyoto 2. U.N. climate negotiators will gather on May 14-25 in Bonn, Germany

Renewable energy. Despite the best efforts of Fossil fuel, nuclear lobbies, and their toadying media and governments, quite a lot of solar and wind initiatives going on. Includes sale of Australian solar technology to Bulgaria. And initiatives such as in Bega, Victoria’s solar library hub.

International

Japan. Thousands cheer in Tokyo as Japan’s last operating nuclear reactor shuts down. Moves to develop renewable energy, while government officials proclaim economic doom if the industry does not restart.

France elects new President, Socialist Francois Hollande, who is pledge to move France away from nuclear power – no new nuclear plants. Safety fears as Greenpeace hang glider show how easy it is to get inside a nuclear plant.

More safety fears - Italy and Canada. An attack on nuclera executive. A bizarre hijacking by a nuclear reactor operator.

Koodankulam. Anti nuclear fast resumes, with hundreds of women braving police harassment

North Korea. The world waits and worries about probable new nuclear weapons test.

UK : Chinese, US and Mid East firms jostle to sell their nuclear technology to Britain.

USA – wrangles continue over the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. New nuclear project Plant Vogtle goes over cost by $2 billion