Australian and International Nuclear News This Week, by Christina Macpherson

Sorry. Links exist. Can be seen on Australian site www.antinuclear.net and International site www.nuclear-news.net 

 

AUSTRALIA

National:  a new political party about to take off – the Renewable Energy Party - born in Lismore NSW, but destined for a national future.

Uranium to India. it gets to be a bit of a worry when Australian pro nuclear experts condemn this agreement as  dangerously inadequate.

The secretive Trans Pacific Partnership moves along. People WILL notice it when their pharmaceuticals suddenly rocket up in price, and when U.S. corporations start suing Australian State and Federal governments.

Tim Wright, the Australian who leads in international nuclear disarmament conferences , is off to New York, to join prestigious speakers at – Symposium – The Dynamics of  Possible Nuclear Extinction, Feb 28 – March 1. It’s co-ordinated by another Australian, Dr Helen Caldicott – a prophet without honour in her own country, if ever there was one. 

South Australia’s Royal Commission into Nuclear Power. Despite the very short time for submissions, comments, they did get 111 comments, – 70% against nuclear power, and with some excellent points. That page appears to have now disappeared from the Web.

Anyway, the South Australian government has no business in calling such a State Royal Commission on a matter that is clearly the province of the Federal government. It’s a national issue – a protected issue as a  “A Matter of National Environmental Significance” under the National Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

It’s a vastly expensive exercise – the motivations here are not clear. Just looks as if Premier Jay Weatherill panicked at South Australia’s economic woes, and saw importing nuclear waste as a multi-$billion financial solution.

Meanwhile – back in the real world, South Australia continues to star as the nation’s renewable energy leader. There are not only its wind power success, and innovative small solar projects for home and business, but now, big solar is happening there.

Western Australia:  World’s first wave-energy farm connected to grid is switched on.

 

INTERNATIONAL 

Belgium: Nuclear regulator there calls for global inspection of nuclear reactors, as 1000s of cracks found in pressure vessels of nuclear reactors – “This may be a global problem for the entire nuclear industry”.

Japan: Inspectors urge Japan to dump water from Fukushima  plant into ocean

India:  could develop thermonuclear weapons: it is secretly enriching uranium.

South Africa: All sorts of secret manipulations going on there, in regard to its nuclear agreement with Russia - and that is by no means a done deal. 

Canada:  Lavalin, the company promoting thorium nuclear reactors faces rare corporate fraud and bribery charges

USA: Documents show that US Navy knew that sailors on USS Reagan received dangerous radiation.   Another $8 billion added to the $14 billion cost of Nuclear Plant Vogtle.   Big Solar Energy is taking off, as corporations discover its advantages.  USA’s Tea Party – 85 groups join movement for solar energy!  “Clean Coal” not a goer, for White House –support withdrawn.

UK: Nuclear subsidies for Hinkley Point facility will cost far more than is claimed. Litvinenko radiation murder court case continues.

China’s delay in building reactors is watched in concern by US nuclear industry