Articles on weapons and disarmament dominate the nuclear news this week. On Monday 29 August, an international conference entitled ‘Building a Nuclear Weapons Free World’ will take place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. That day will also be the 25th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site - largest in the world, where 456 weapons tests happened, leaving a terrible legacy for the people.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for eradication of nuclear weapons. The nuclear working group at the UN concluded its work in Geneva, and the majority of governments voted to recommended that the UN General Assembly set up a conference in 2017 to negotiate a new treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, despite the Australian government's best efforts to sabotage this. This is one of those times when I am ashamed to be Australian.
CLIMATE
A new study declares that human-caused climate change began at around 1830. (I've always thought that it was 1801, because of the 1801 painting Coalbrookdale by Night.) Research indicates that the difference between 1.5 C and 2C rise in global temperatures will be significant, and in only 20 years' time. Huge volume of Greenland Ice Sheet lost each year, due to global warming. Again this year, Indonesia's blanket of smoke is back.
India floods: Over 300 dead, millions affected Louisiana National Guard Rescues 19,000
in Flood-Affected Areas.
AUSTRALIA
NUCLEAR. Details on Australia's
disgraceful performance at UN in Geneva can be read here
and here.
It was pretty stupid and counter-productive, too - made
Australia unpopular, and cemented the resolve of other countries for a
disarmament conference in 2017. Secretive
Pine Gap remains an integral part of USA's nuclear 'star wars' plans (an
old newspaper article, still relevant, but now removed from their website).
SOUTH AUSTRALIA's nuclear waste dump plan not economically viable? The global nuclear lobby doesn't care. Roger Cross: Reasons to Reject a Medium and High Level
Radioactive Waste Dump in South Australia. SA govt going all out with pro nuclear propaganda
forums.
Energy Resources of Australia unable to meet costs of cleaning up
Ranger uranium mine.
(What a surprise - *not*)
In Greenland, Indigenous
people oppose Australian company's plan for massive uranium mine in Greenland.
CLIMATE CHANGE
154 scientists press Australian
government for urgent action on climate change.
Australia in grave danger if global warming exceeds 2
C. Adaptation - South Australia in the lead.
Australian Government quietly removes Clive Hamilton's page that listed climate deniers. Adani
court decision: Traditional
Owners say fight to stop QLD’s Carmichael mine continues.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
South
Australia: Future Business Council calls for National smart energy grid.
Canberra heads to 100% renewable energy, helped by wind power from South Australia.
Community solar fund shares sold
out in nine minutes!
Landmark payout for Aboriginal custodians who
have lost their native title rights. BUT
Suppression of native title for the Mirarr people= extinguishment of rights?
INTERNATIONAL
UN Security Council warned on danger of nuclear drone terror
attacks.
Global nuclear industry ponders ways to get taxpayers to pay up for Small Modular Nuclear
Reactors
(SMRs).
USA
- America could take a practical first step towards
nuclear disarmament.
America's nuclear weapons policy remains dangerously stuck in the
past.
USA's National Nuclear Security Administration approves controversial B61-12 nuclear bomb.
USA pushes India and Pakistan to join nuclear testy ban treaty.
Groundwater
infiltrates turbine building in Vermont Yankee nuclear station.
Preparing
for hurricane risk to Turkey Point nuclear reactor.
US Border Patrol Spots EnergyFuels Uranium
Mine Fire in Texas. Fire
at Vogtle Nuclear Power Station on the Savannah River in Georgia, USA (23 Aug. 2016)? Three
More Fires at the Savannah River Nuclear Site: August 16, 17, 18
USA govt censoring
severity of WIPP nuclear waste problem $2 Billion Cleanup. 3.7 million documents now publicly available on Yucca
nuclear waste dump plan.
UK
New report shows that Britain's Hinkley Point C nuclear
station is not essential. UK
figuring out
how
to get out of the Hinkley nuclear power deal. Britain's nuclear industry in
turmoil over
botched
contracts.
Nuclear Submarine HMS Ambush: Smashing
Collision With Merchant Vessel
JAPAN
Anti-nuclear activists’ tents
forcibly removed from economy ministry premises after years long battle.
Halt Sendai nuclear reactors says Kagoshima Governor, following
nearby earthquakes.
10,000 tons of toxic water pools in Fukushima nuclear plant trenches.
Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s “frozen wall of
earth” failing at Fukushima. Succession
of earthquakes in the Sanriku Oki area (epicenter in the
ocean off Fukushima).
Tokyo 2020 Games prep beset with
problems.
NORTH KOREA's submarine - launched missile.
North Korea's 'Military First' celebration enhanced by
nuclear missile test.
SOUTH KOREA's nuclear weapons advocates are now more vocal
since North Korea's missile test.
CHINA
Public opposition
threatens China's grandiose nuclear power plans. China really part
of the global nuclear marketing conglomerate.
TAIWAN's first
nuclear decommissioning project
SOUTH AFRICA’s nuclear electricity company non-compliant
with govt rules on advertising. Nuclear is not the cheapest source of
electricity for South Africa. African countries are the
least compliant in
implementing global nuclear security safeguards.
FRANCE to
launch 6 tenders for solar energy projects
GERMANY's green power going strong, with more
renewable energy than it
ever had nuclear.
BULGARIA seeks solution for costly
blowout for Belene nuclear power plant.
UKRAINE: Westinghouse puts
on hold plans to build nuclear fuel plant in Ukraine
Following items posted by "Libby"
Dimity Hawkins & Julie Kimber: Australia's stance on
nuclear deterrence leaves it on the wrong side of history
August 26, 2016. Is Australia's reliance on nuclear defence agreements keeping
us on the wrong side of history?
Hamish McDonald: People's tribunal finds Australia
guilty over nuclear weapons
Weasel words at UN working group.