AUSTRALIA
Western Australian election. It’ s interesting that despite a joint Liberal-Labor attempt, aided by the MSM (Main Stream Media) to make the Greens and Scott Ludlam invisible, it didn’t work out that way. On first preferences, a big swing to the Greens, and swings away from both Liberal and Labor. Also a big swing to Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party, (PUP) . The successful PUP candidate, Zhenya ‘Dio’ Wang had previously spoken in favour of keeping the Renewable Energy Target - ”the right scheme for maintaining and improving Australia’s environment”. However, Clive Palmer soon pulled Wang into line, though Clive did lose his cool in trying to explain the PUP’s true coal-promoting policy.
Climate change. Unfortunately, after preferences are sorted, the new Senate on July 1 will be amenable to Tony Abbott – the Government will be able to get its legislation through – undoing as much as possible all the legislation that meant taking action on climate change. Abbott’s business adviser, Maurice Newman, and the head of the panel to review the Renewable Energy Target, Dick Warburton are dyed in the wool opponents of renewable energy. Dick Warburton is a fervent believer in nuclear power for Australia.
Still more or less under the radar, are moves to get the full nuclear cycle in Australia. This is pretty secretive stuff. More about this later.
Nuclear submarines? The Liberal Party always keen for this - nuclear submarines for South Australia And, by chance? Tony Abbott, in Japan, has just been negotiating $40 billion expenditure on submarines and on joint research with Japan on submarine-related technology. Also joint military exercises with Japan (China wan’t like this)
International
I am struggling to keep up with news of the various machinations going on globally, in regard to nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
There’s the Iran – West talks – many points of view on this. I like Jimmy Carter’s idea – don’t bomb Iran.
There’s – most worrying – this global phenomenon – this spectrum of pressure, harassment, discrimination, ill-treatment, imprisonment, murder – of independent journalists and whistleblowers. Anti nuclear journalists are a frequent target, for example Mari Takenouchi , in Japan.
As existing nuclear reactors age, and need expensive safety upgrades, and new nuclear reactors can’t get going, much angst is going on . in USA, UK, and especially Japan. Nuclear corporations and their obedient governments are in a bit of a panic about this. USA – always the leader, is panicking most about what to do with nuclear wastes.
But – there’s a brighter side to all this, for the nuclear industry. Cleaning up radioactive trash, or “decommissioning’ (that’s a nicer word) is becoming a bonanza for the nuclear corporations. Westinghouse has just dumped its plans for making Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs – they left out the word ‘nuclear’ because it put people off even more than people were off already) Westinghouse is instead going to do decommissioning. Other nuclear companies are turning in that direction, too.
India soon to have elections. Despite pro nuclear major parties, there’s a growing young Aam Aadmi Party uniting in opposition to nuclear power
Renewable energy forges ahead, world-wide, – especially in China