Events
Link to Central Australian Nuclear Free Alliance
DOWNLOAD WOLLONGONG POSTER HERE
>>> Nuclear Free Events supported by the Sydney University Environment Collective <<<
The World Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference is meeting in Sydney April 21-23. This forum will be used to promote and further entrench Australia’s involvement in the global nuclear industry.
‘Nuclear Renaissance’?
As people around the world demand action on climate change, governments continue to use the climate crisis to push forward regressive and corporate driven policies.
In Australia, the Rudd ALP government is increasing funding for clean coal research, promoting an emissions trading scheme (the CPRS) which will reward big polluters and justifying an expansion of uranium mining as helping the world move toward “green energy” industries.
There is an aggressive global push to rebrand nuclear power as a ‘green, clean’ solution to climate change, with claims a ‘nuclear renaissance’ is ahead.
Nuclear Power is No Solution to Climate Change: too dirty, too dangerous.
However, the nuclear chain is a carbon emission intensive process when considered in its entirety; uranium mining, processing, transportation, construction and de-commissioning of reactors and radioactive waste disposal and management.
Electricity production accounts for only 25% of carbon emissions globally; doubling nuclear power would reduce greenhouse emissions by less than 5%. In Australia, building a nuclear reactor to supply the capital cities in all six states would reduce national emissions by just 4%.
Further, there is still no method for storage or disposal of high level radioactive waste that can guarantee to isolate it from the environment, workers and communities for the hundreds of thousand of years it remains dangerous.
And despite ‘safeguards’ on uranium exports, as Minister Anthony Albanese has said, “you can guarantee that uranium mining will lead to nuclear waste, but you can’t guarantee it won’t lead to nuclear weapons”.
Diverse renewable technologies and energy efficiency measures can address the energy needs of contemporary societies, yet governments and industry groups worldwide, in fora like the WNFC meeting in Sydney, continue to promote expansion of the dangerous nuclear fuel chain.
Australia’s Role: Beginning and Ending the Global Nuclear Fuel Chain
Since the ALP dropped its ‘no new uranium mines’ policy in April 2007, there has been a plethora of uranium exploration applications across the NT, SA and WA. Olympic Dam Uranium Mine in SA, is proposed to expand four – fold to become the biggest uranium mine in the world.
At APEC in 2007, the Australian government became a signatory to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), further entrenching its role in the global nuclear fuel chain. Australia has 38% of the world’s known uranium deposits and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson has expressed a wish for Australia to become “the largest miner and exporter of uranium in the world”.
Remaining a signatory of GNEP will increase pressure for Australia to take back high level radioactive waste produced in overseas reactors in a ‘lease’ style arrangement.
Nuclear Waste – Community Resistance
The ALP government is plowing ahead with the plan to force a radioactive waste dump on communities in the NT, despite promising to repeal Howard era legislation- the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act- that makes the dump possible.
Increasing economic disadvantage in remote areas means many Aboriginal communities are feeling pressure to accept nuclear projects on their country as a source of jobs and income- sometimes in exchange for essential infrastructure like roads and housing. Despite this pressure, communities continue to resist the expansion of the nuclear industry in Australia.
Successful community campaigns fought the uranium mine proposed for Jabiluka in Kakadu National Park. Traditonal Owners continue to resist the expansion of the Olympic Dam and Beverly uranium mines. Central Australian residents are mobilising against uranium exploration at Angela Pamela, 25 km south of Alice Springs in the town’s water catchment area. There is continued and strong opposition to the planned federal radioactive waste dump, already over a year behind schedule.
It is important for national awareness and mobilisation to support communities directly targeted by the industry and workers whose health has been impacted. The Rudd Government must be held accountable for its radioactive rollout.
Nuclear Policy in the Northern Territory:
Current proposals and community resistance
6pm February 20, 2009
Venue: Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, Junction King St / Enmore Road, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Guest speaker: Mitch- Arrernte/Luritja poet, author, artist
Film: Nowhere, here in the middle by Tara Jones
Photo Exhibition: We are not no-one, this is not nowhere (photos by Tim Bonham, Stephen Cherry, Steve Strike and Jessie Boylan)
Contact: Natalie Wasley 0429 900 774
Entry by gold coin donation
—————————————————————————–
Radioactive Rollout
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is continuing to roll out the Howard Government’s radioactive agenda for the Northern Territory.
After more than a year in office there has been no indication that the draconian NT waste dump laws, the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act, will be repealed. This is despite a clear election promise from the ALP to repeal and a Senate Inquiry that called for repeal in the first parliamentary sittings of 2009.
ALP Platform pledges to ‘establish a process for identifying suitable sites that is scientific, transparent, accountable, fair and allows access to appeal mechanisms.’ (ALP Platform 2007, Chapter 5). This is clearly in contrast to current ways of operating around the NT dump proposal.
Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson continues to ignore affected communities and national environment and health groups who have called for information and action from the government.
Australia is maintaining involvement in the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) agreement, which asserts that countries exporting uranium accept ‘stewardship’ over the metal. This will inevitably increase pressure for high-level radioactive waste to be returned from overseas after being ‘leased’ for use in reactors.
There is a plethora of uranium exploration applications across the Territory and support from both Federal and Territory governments for increased exploitation in return for short- term profit.
Cuts to Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) and the increasing economic disadvantage in remote areas means many Aboriginal communities are feeling pressure to accept uranium projects on their country as a source of jobs and income- sometimes in exchange for essential infrastructure like roads and housing.
Community resistance
Despite pressure from both industry and government, communities in the NT continue to be at the forefront of a major struggle against expansion of the nuclear industry in Australia.
Successful community campaigns fought the uranium mine proposed for Jabiluka in Kakadu National Park.
Central Australian residents are currently mobilising against the uranium exploration project at Angela Pamela, 25 km south of Alice Springs in the town’s water catchment area.
There is continued and strong opposition to the planned federal radioactive waste dump, already over a year behind schedule.
It is important for national awareness and mobilisation to support communities directly targeted by the industry.
The Rudd Government must be held accountable for its radioactive rollout.
Come along and hear from inspiring Arrernte/Luritja author, poet and artist Mitch, who is fighting the federal radioactive waste dump proposed for her country.
————————————————————————————————————————————————–
National Nuclear Free Planning and Strategy meeting
DATE: January 30, 2009
VENUE: Australian National University (ANU), Canberra.
Exact rooms and directions will be circulated soon.
AGENDA: A draft agenda is currently being compiled.
To suggest a topic or workshop you would like to run or see on the program, please contact Jim Green or Emma King (contact details below).
PLEASE RSVP BY JANUARY 20 TO ASSIST WITH PLANNING:
Jim Green jim.green@foe.org.au, 0417 183 368
Emma King, emmaq@octa4.net.au, 0428 818 109
——————————————————————————————–
2008 was another big year for the anti nuclear movement in Australia.
There have been some major challenges arise, with the pro-nuclear Liberal party back in office in WA and an increased push for exploration and uranium mine expansions across both SA and the NT.
On the other hand, we had a favourable outcome from the recent Senate Inquiry into radioactive waste dump laws and a greatly increased profile for the nuclear weapons and international treaty obligations campaigns.
The Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (ANFA) meeting saw the formation of an ANFA committee and a host of working groups to build and strengthen our communication and campaigns.
Its time to come together to celebrate the positive steps and plan against the ongoing and increased industry presence.
The national nuclear free planning meeting for 2009 will be an action packed one day meeting happening in Canberra in the lead up to the national climate summit.
The meeting is open to all people who want to actively campaign in 2009, but will focus on planning rather than information based sessions.
There will be an information-sharing workshop running at the National Climate Summit (Jan 31-Feb 3) on an array of nuclear issues.
Hope to see you there!
Neat article!! Will definitely come back soon..