Home > The week’s nuclear news in brief
The week’s nuclear news in brief
by Christina Macpherson - Open-Publishing - Wednesday 15 February 2012Australia: Once again, the most serious, and the least covered in the media, is the issue of Martin Ferguson’s National Radioactive Waste Bill, under consideration by the Senate.
Mining companies bribing activities. Australian mining companies getting anxious about their operations in Africa and Asia; they might get caught bribing government officials, (as BHP Billiton, the Big Non Australian was caught with its "tea money" to Cambodia).
Wind energy: In country Australia, many are becoming aware of the financial loss to rural communities of governments preventing wind energy projects. Astroturfing pressure groups have prevailed over science, in the "debate" over wind power.
Media: Continuing angst about Gina Rinehart and her push to influence content on the Australian media.
Lynas: Continuing opposition to Australian company Lynas’ rare earths project in Malaysia - as it has no long term radioactive waste disposal plan. Temporary approval process by the Malaysian government has aroused much protest.
Renewable energy: Decentralised solar energy proving to be a winner for Queensland.
Energy efficiency: Australian government launches a series of energy efficiency programs.
International:
Nuclear "decommissioning" United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) is concerned about the global unsolved problem of dealing with dying and dead nuclear reactors
Japan - Fukushima nuclear reactor heating up again. Anti nuclear protests by thousands, in Japan. Japanese nuclear companies are happy, as they are getting lucrative contracts to do radiation cleanup work.
Poland: a refrendum in Baltic Sea resort Mielno results in 94% rejection of nuclear power plant.
USA: NRC approves 2 new nuclear reactors, and within aweek, it’s expected that an $8.3 billion tax-payer funded loan guarantee will be provided for them. Not everyone in Washington is happy about this.
Britain: Sellafield nuclear reprocessing project in trouble, especially financial.
Russia: government deception over the true danger of athe fire on a nuclear submarine. Medical science showing that exposure to ionising radiation to male foetuses increases the risk of cancer of the testicles.
France - Government is to pressing on with expensive safety upgrades of existing nuclear reactors, because that’s cheaper than new ones. Nuclear power becoming an election issue in France.
Christina Macpherson
Antinuclear Australia