The nuclear week that was

AUSTRALIA: this week, it’s been all about the Australian government’s confusion – over its nuclear waste dump plan, over renewable energy, even over climate change.

Nationally, it’s becoming clear that the Australian government is in a muddle over its plan to set up a nuclear waste dump at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory. The legal case brought by traditional Aboriginal owners, against the dump, continues. Australia is obliged to take back from France and UK, its nuclear wastes that originated at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor. They could be stored at the Lucas Heights location. The nuclear reactor is not primarily for nuclear medicine, (that was always just an add-on) and medical radioisotopes could be obtained without that reactor.

The Muckaty site is uncomfortably close to an earthquake fault. Confused information is coming out about a plan to site the dump elsewhere, in the same area.The government’s nuclear illiteracy has come into focus lately – on this issue, among other muddles, such as its general ignorance about BHP’s intentions regarding a new Olympic Dam uranium mine, and the implications of Cameco’s plan to mine uranium close to Alice Springs.

USA military and corporate plans for South East Asia and the Pacific have been given two big boosts this week, at the AUSMIN talks in Perth. One boost was - strengthening the Trans Pacific Partnership (aimed at favouring USA business and excluding China ). The other – increasing USA’s military presence here – at the Stirling naval base, South of Perth, and increasing the already huge Talisman Sabre war games .

The federal government’s confusion is also shown in its approach to renewable energy policy. While it looks like keeping the Renewable Energy Target, it has caved in to the fossil fuel lobby, in abruptly closing its Solar Credits scheme, throwing investors into solar panel industry into uncertainty.

The uranium lobby continues its hype. Example, Marmota Energy’s chairman enthusing today about “clean nuclear energy’ and its “strong future”. Most of the hype now hangs solely on China – touted now as the great white hope for nuclear. Yet, its nuclear industry, like just about all of China’s business and politics, is mired in secrecy and corruption.

Lynas rare earths company faced Malaysian and Australian protestors, at its AGM in Sydney. Lynas’ plans for its Malaysian site’s radioactive waste management are still uncertain, though it has applied to regulators to return these wastes to Australia, (a statement probably mainly designed to try and pacify the Malaysians).

Climate change. Very worrying reports from the World Bank on impact of climate change on Australian agriculture. but what is our government doing? Well – it’s not sending a Minister to the international climate change negotiations. Sounds as if the government doesn’t see climate change as all that important.

INTERNATIONAL

Japan remains the centre of concern. The news coming out of Japan is not good. As they approach elections, the major parties waver, and now support continuing nuclear power. But the public and minor parties are not convinced. Emigration from Japan is increasing, particularly among young adults, with the news of continuing radiation from Fukushima – both on land , (in the soil at Tokyo) and in the sea, and in seafoods. The government and Tepco deny this, but the evidence is provided by Tokyo University, and U.S.’s Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a respected research group, among other reputable sources. More than 42% of 57,000 tested Fukushima children have thyroid nodules or cysts.

South Korea‘s nuclear waste storage is nearly full. They do not know what to do with it, but like all the nuclear proponents, it doesn’t occur to them to stop making the stuff.

Iran continues to enrich uranium, regardless of the economic sanctions against it. Meanwhile fears of an Israeli attack on Iran are rising, to add to the Middle East’s tension, with the conflict going on between Israel and Palestine.

Egypt‘s nuclear power plans are hampered by a determined and growing anti nuclear protest movement.

Europe. Concern is growing over the need to get rid of aging nuclear reactors, and the realisation that this “decommissioning” (lovely euphemism, isn’t it?) will be hugely expensive. Shut-down nuclear reactors are just another facet of the looming nuclear waste problem for UK, Jap, USA, – everybody really, who has the toxic monsters.

Christina Macpherson
Antinuclear Australia
www.antinuclear.net
www.nuclear-news.net