Author Archive: roman

Friends of the Earth Adelaide > Articles by: roman

New Chain Reaction out!

May 11, 2015

To download Chain Reaction #123 (April 2015) as a PDF file click here or read online …

Friends of the Earth Australia: 40 years young

and more at Chain Reaction

Old_Notes

(Another) attack on environment groups

May 11, 2015

Submitted by Cam Walker on Tue, 21/04/2015 – 15:41

The Coalition government is trying to silence anyone who stands up for the environment.

Some of their actions include:

  • The new Standing Committee on the Environment review of tax deductibility for environment groups listed on the Minister’s Register (see below).
  • The push by Minister Richard Colbeck for a secondary boycott ban to apply to environmental groups.
  • The recently released ‘Re:think, Better Tax system Better Australia’ discussion paper which calls for a review of the Not for Profit sector’s tax deductibility.
  • The cuts to the Environment Defenders Office (EDOs).
  • The government has axed the Grants to Voluntary Environment, Sustainability and Heritage Organisations to 150 groups in the 2014 budget. This program had bipartisan support since it was set up in the 1970s.

Old_Notes

Nuclear Royal Commission losing further credibility

April 26, 2015

Submitted by Cam Walker on Fri, 24/04/2015 – 10:55

Media Release

24 April 2015

Friends of the Earth, Australia has today written to Kevin Scarce, head of the SA government’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission, asking him to revisit his decision not to include weapons proliferation risks in the Royal Commission’s issues paper dealing with uranium mining.

Dr Jim Green, national nuclear campaigner with Friends of the Earth, Australia, said:

“Day by day, the Royal Commission is losing further credibility. Last week, we learned that the expert advisory panel is stacked with three nuclear advocates, with just one token critic. Kevin Scarce’s claim to be running a ‘balanced Royal Commission’ is demonstrably false.

“Now we learn that the Royal Commission wants to ignore weapons proliferation, the single greatest risk associated with uranium mining. The Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission clearly instruct Kevin Scarce to consider the risks associated with uranium mining yet he apparently wants to ignore weapons proliferation, the single greatest risk associated with the industry. He needs to rethink that decision.”

Nuclear, Old_Notes

Major flaw in largest nuclear reactor: too much carbon

April 26, 2015

LONDON, 13 April, 2015 ? The future of the world’s biggest nuclear reactor, under construction at Flamanville in northern France, is now in doubt after a serious flaw was found in its steel pressure vessel.

Examination has shown that the steel contains too much carbon, which can weaken the vessel’s structure and breaches safety rules. The Chinese, who have two similar 1,600 megawatt European Pressurised Reactors under construction, have been warned that they too may share the potentially catastrophic problem.

The news from the Climate News Network suggests this may have serious repercussions for the new proposed nuclear reactors in the UK (already notorious for the huge subsidy provided) and for the future of Areva, the french engineering firm constructing the reactor.

Old_Notes