Clean Futures

Nuclear ports for SA or Darwin?

Nuclear Ports brief by David Noonan, Independent Environment Campaigner

“Nuclear port in Australia to store High level Nuclear wastes and receive waste ships every 24 to 30 days for decades”

Nuclear Port Brief David Noonan May2016

Premier Jay W can’t credibly call on SA ‘to decide’ without our knowing basic key relevant information – like what region in SA is targeted for a Nuclear port?

Is the coastal region south of Whyalla – potentially Cape Hardy or other sites – the only regional option to bring High level Nuclear wastes into SA?

Or does Premier thinks Darwin & down through NT is his (only other?) option – a surprise to NT in this Federal election & in having their own NT election in August…

As pre-requisites to any so called ‘decision’ and as key initial implications of any proposed decision.

There are lots of hurdles in International nuclear dumpers way – the SA Parliament legislated to prohibit international nuclear waste, the import, transport, storage and disposal of High level Spent Nuclear fuel, back in 2000 under Liberal Premier John Olsen.

Presumably at a minimum Premier Weatherill intends to repeal this legislation in November…

The NT Parliament also legislated to prohibit International nuclear wastes and that would have to be repealed before NT could be linked into any Inter dump agenda.

Hon. Mark Butler MP restated ALP National Platform position: “Labor will Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste” at recent National Press Club

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/labor-national-president-mark-butler-raises-doubts-about-international-nuclear-waste-dump-proposed-for-south-australia/news-story/12626f088948b5b9e72953e65ac2dd30

The State Government intends to make a decision on the international waste dump proposal by the end of the year after an extensive community consultation process.

2015 National Policy Platform states:
154. Labor will:
· Vigorously and totally oppose the ocean dumping of radioactive waste;
· Prohibit the establishment of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle in Australia;
· Fully meet all Australia’s obligations as a party to the NPT; and
· Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste that is sourced from overseas in Australia.

CSIRO buries its futures forecast in fossil fuel technologies

Sophie Vorrath, writing on renewEconomy.com, notes the problems with the recent CSIRO report:

The final scenario, called Weathering the Storm, pictures a world where geopolitical instability has increased, driven by climate change and regional conflicts over access to land, food and water – all of which leads to prolonged global economic stagnation.
Under this latter, nightmarish scenario – something that may well emerge given the slow pace of decarbonisation and the rapid changes in climate – the report heralds an energy future for Australia that still revolves around fossil fuels.
“With volatility and uncertainty surrounding most industries, the energy market relies on tried and tested energy sources such as coal rather than further developing the potential of renewables,” it predicts.
“High oil and gas prices coupled with regional conflicts in oil supplying areas like the Middle East has also increased the attractiveness of coal.”
These conditions, the report says, will mean that “technologies that allow coal to replace oil or gas as a fuel will facilitate heightened demand for Australian coal.”

The full article: http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/csiro-buries-its-futures-forecast-in-fossil-fuel-technologies-30556

“Free trade” as corporate freedom is a threat to the planet and our freedoms

“Free trade” has substituted the freedom of the planet and its diverse species to evolve and nourish, with freedom for corporations to destroy the planet and the living economies that sustain people. The ecological and social destabilisation of the world in the last two decades is a result of the deregulation of commerce through the “free trade” agreements of the World Trade Organization, engineered and written by corporations for the benefit of corporations.

We commit ourselves to resisting the attempts to push new “free trade” agreements based on corporate rights and corporate personhood, which dismantle human rights and our democracies and constitutions. We do not recognise corporations as persons. They are legal entities that society gives permission to exist within the limits of social, ecological and ethical responsibility; corporations having responsibility for climate change are subject to the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

—- from “A New pact with the planet”, Vandana Shiva, from resurgence magazine, March/April 2016

 

FOE Adelaide International High Level Nuclear Waste Dump flyer

The Friends of the Earth Adelaide International High Level Nuclear Waste Dump flyer is designed to be printed in Landscape format on both sides of an A4 page and folded in half. We can supply printed copies on request.

FoE International Waste Dump flyer

For printed copies contact adelaide.office@foe.org.au or Robyn on 0423 219 096