Australia: It is hard to resist the temptation to just laugh at Australia’s pathetic politics. I have to keep reminding myself that people laughed at Hitler – but that did not stop him. Still – we do need to see the lighter side from time to time – if only to keep our spirits up. So – our revered Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, (already the laughing stock of the world, anyway) has given Australians plenty to chuckle about, in this past week. My favourite is that he’s establishing a Wind Farm Commissioner– to investigate all those diseases caused by wind turbines – all none of them! As Sydney University’s Professor Simon Chapman put it – “This will be a world first commissioner for a non-disease. It’s like having a commissioner into reports of leprechauns”.
To get his legislation through the Senate, Abbott will need to make deals with extreme right-wing maverick politicians. Senators John Madigan, David Leyonhjelm, Bob Day, and my favourite – Jacqui Lambie. They want things like stopping concern about climate change, stopping nasty wind power, getting nice nuclear power, and more nice guns. As Senator Lambie put it, “We have got to become world leaders in nuclear. You are dangerously deluded … and you should be locked up, for helping enemies destroy our nation – if you think that wind energy will solve problems”.
In more positive news:
- Independent Senators Glenn Lazarus, and Ricky Muir support climate change action.
- Catholic bishops urge action on climate change. (Except Cardinal Pell very quiet these days).
- No more uranium mining in Kakadu National Park, as Rio Tinto pulls the plug on Ranger mine expansion plans.
- Northern Territory’s Environmental Defenders Office will stay open, despite federal funding cut.
- Rooftop solar taking over in South Australia – the test state for renewable energy.
- Western Australia’s White Gum Valley project: solar panels with battery storage.
- Canberra’s light rail to be powered by 100% renewable energy.
INTERNATIONAL
CLIMATE. Global campaign to ban nuclear from the Paris climate talks. Pope Francis encyclical on the environment: 10 key excerpts. Climate change and justice: Pope Francis connects these causes, in lead-up to Paris conference.
GREENS becoming a global force – The Asia Pacific Greens congress.
ENERGY. By 2030 renewables will have overtaken coal and nuclear power- IEA report.
It’s wearing thin: the pretence that the uranium market is healthy.
EUROPE. 25 EU countries on track to meet their interim renewable energy targets.
- GERMANY closes a nuclear power plant, moves ahead on renewable energy.
- UK‘s energy policy in a shambles as govt seeks China funding for new nuclear reactors. UK civil servants urged to speak out on the poor prospects for new nuclear power.
- UKRAINE. USA Congress bars US assistance going to Ukraine’s Nazi military unit.
CHINA Gangwon Province strongly opposes nuclear power.
JAPAN- no idea what to do with its nuclear trash now stored in France. Appeal filed for compensation for 7,000 Tochigi residents affected by Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Fukushima. The Chernobyl and Fukushima Research Initiative report – no evidence for complacency. Warning on buildup of radioactive materials in Pacific Ocean food chain – salmon, tuna and other species.
USA
- Government anticipates rise in thyroid cancer, due to Fukushima radiation.
- Top military expert warns that USA’s (or Russia’s) nuclear weapons could be launched by a cyber hacker. USA and Russia: top former generals plea to “de-alert” nuclear weapons. Pentagon presents depleted uranium weapons as legal and acceptable!
- Pentagon’s arms provider, and billionaires Bill Gates and Paul Allen in propaganda push for small nuclear reactors. Doubts on costs and safety as USA mulls small nuclear reactors.
- Trans Pacific Partnership US Democrats stall passage of TPP. Investor-State Dispute Settlement (I.S.D.S.) provisions should be removed from the Trans Pacific Partnership (these are the ones that mean that corporations can sue governments over laws on environment, workers' conditions, anything they think may impede their business).
INDIA‘s new nuclear insurance pool will not cover its research reactors.
Christina
Macpherson
Antinuclear Australia
www.antinuclear.net
www.nuclear-news.net