Source items and links for (nearly) all of these items can be found at www.antinuclear.net and at www.nuclear-news.net
AUSTRALIA
Uranium mining It has been a week of Annual General meetings for Australia’s uranium mining companies. Their announcements have been classic cases of ambivalence. Paladin uranium exploration company is the latest companies, to announce a freeze on exploration, stopping its plan to explore at Valhalla in Queensland. Paladin’s losses, ERA’s losses – don’t sound good. But all the uranium company CEO’s faithfully repeat the mantra of the “long term fundamentals: being so good.
Senior independent researcher Claire Aitchison talked up the great future for the uranium industry, But she made a bit of a boo boo, warning that another disaster on the scale of Fukushima could have a significant impact on the nuclear industry. The nuclear lobby all think such a thought, but you never should say it publicly!
Federal government and international politics. Well, Australia looks likely to obediently sign up to the Trans Pacific Partenership (TPP) – an American initiative to promote USA corporate and military power in South East Asia. Australia abstained from voting on a UN resolution on the dangers of depleted uranium. Julia Gillard, ever devoted to USA, was all for saying “No” to Palestine having a seat at a United Nations forum. To their credit, 10 Federal Ministers stood up for Palestine, and the result was that Australia abstained from voting. A small step, but one that heartens me that we are not yet ready to become the 51st State of USA.
Western Australia Rio Tinto and Paladin tried to scuttle Cameco’s uranium mining plans using their submissions to the Foreign Investment Review Board. As I write, Toro Energy is having its AGM, with a spirited anti-nuclear presence there, in Perth. Anti uranium demonstrations will follow in Darwin, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne.
Renewable energy – all sorts of ups and downs here, with the Victorian, NSW and Queensland State governments still impeding development. But good news, too, as renewable energy continues to go ahead, especially with initiatives in rural areas – e.g Whyalla, Port Augusta and Broken Hill.
INTERNATIONAL
Climate Change news is very worrying, with latest research showing that the Arctic permafrost is thawing, and that this is likely to cause runaway releases of Co2, and irreversible global warming.
Japan is again the focus, as campaigning heats up for their December 16th elections. Nuclear power is the major issue, and Prime Minister Noda reaffirmed his plan to phase out nuclear power. Smaller political parties are uniting to form a stronger no-nuclear campaign.
Egypt is quite a worry at the moment, President Mohamed Morsi decided to give himself dictatorial power. In a volatile Middle Eastern country, (in which an Australian company is helping them to develop nuclear power) this is not a good look, not a safe look.
Investigation of remains of Yassa Arafat should shed light on whether or not he was murdered by use of radioactive polonium.
South Korea. To add to their worries about their planned nuclear export industry, and domestic safety, nearly 1000 more nuclear quality certificates have been found to be fakes.
UK govt boasts that it will not subsdise new nuclear power. But they craftily got around this, by promising electricity suppliers a definite price that consumers must pay for what they call “Low Carbon” energy. That lovely phrase, “Low Carbon” is code for nuclear power, with a bit of renewable energy chucked in, too.
USA. 60,000 homes near nuclear reactors in Illinois to be given Potassium Iodide pills, just in case of radiation exposure. Federal government casting around to find communities willing to host nuclear waste dump
India. Confusion and uproar over reported plan to dump Kudakulam nuclear waste into Kolar old gold mines.
Computer hackers got into International Atomic Energy Agency’s server, demanding an open investigation into Israel’s nuclear program.
Julian Assange’s book “Wikileaks” is published, with its warning on Internet surveillance
Rupert Murdoch might get big control of media in USA, as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering changes to media cross-ownership rules. He is likely start by taking over the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, if the rules are weakened.