Clean Futures

Friends of the Earth Adelaide > Clean Futures

SA LABOR ON NUCLEAR: WRONG WAY, GO BACK

November 3, 2015

Members of the SA antinuclear coalition gathered outside the ALP state conference on 24 October to ask Labor to maintain the ban on any expansion of the nuclear industry.  Friends of the Earth campaigner Nectaria Calan gave interviews to the ABC, Channel 9 and 10.

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 23rd October 2015

SA LABOR ON NUCLEAR: WRONG WAY, GO BACK

Members of South Australia’s anti-nuclear coalition will gather outside the South Australian Labor Party’s State Conference at Adelaide’s Festival Theatre tomorrow morning at 8am, calling on the SA Labor Party to keep legislation in place banning nuclear waste dumps in South Australia, and to keep the state on its path to becoming a global leader in renewable energy.

The State Government’s formation of a Royal Commission into the expansion of the nuclear industry in SA has led to concerns that a national or international nuclear waste dump is back on the cards for SA, a little over a decade after the last proposal for a waste dump near Woomera was defeated.  This followed an extended campaign opposing the project, spearheaded by senior Aboriginal women – the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta.

In 2000, in response to growing public opposition to the proposal, the then Liberal Government passed legislation banning the disposal of certain types of nuclear waste in the state.  This legislation was extended by the incoming Labor Government in 2003 to include all nuclear waste. The stated objective of the legislation is “to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of South Australia and to protect the environment in which they live…”

“We are calling on the Labor Party to honour this commitment to protecting the health, safety and environment of South Australia,” said Nectaria Calan of the anti-nuclear coalition and Friends of the Earth Adelaide.  ”Nuclear waste is not a business opportunity, it’s an intractable problem.”… Read more >>

Actions, Clean Futures, Nuclear

, , ,

Irati Wanti nuclear waste free SA exhibition 15 October

October 8, 2015

Dear Friend of the Irati Wanti campaign,

Emily Munyungka Austin, Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta, and Karina Lester, granddaughter of Eileen Kampakuta Brown, invite you to attend a special event:

Talking Straight Out: Images and insights from the campaign that stopped South Australia from becoming a nuclear waste dump.

The Lyrics Room, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, Kaurna Land

Thursday 15 October, 2015

Doors open at 5pm, Inma, stories and speakers from 6pm

irati wanti

October 15, 2015 marks 62 years since the first atomic bomb test at Emu Junction, South Australia.  The Kungka Tjuta remember, “All of us were living when the Government used the country for the bomb.  Everybody got sick… They thought they knew what they were doing then…

In February 1998 the federal government announced its plan to build a national radioactive waste dump in the South Australian desert. In March a council of senior Aboriginal women from Coober Pedy, the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta, made an announcement of their own. “We say no radioactive waste dump in our ngura—in our country.”

For six years the women travelled the country, talking straight out.  They called their campaign Irati Wanti. “We all say enough is enough. Irati wanti—the poison leave it.”

They explained, they demanded, they marched and sang.  They told of extraordinary personal histories.  They worked with greenies and wrote passionate letters to politicians.

They won.

They published a book to share these stories with you. Now we are sharing them again.

There is talk again about radioactive waste dumps in South Australia. When word got to Coober Pedy, women again got together to talk, “We know the stories from the bomb. We know the history. We know the country. And it is crying for us. We will talk over and over and we won’t stop.… Read more >>

Clean Futures, Old_Notes

, , ,

Nuclear Politics in the Pub Wed 16th September

September 8, 2015

The NUKE FREE SA COALITION invite you to attend:

Nuclear politics in the pub – Part1

Royal Commission submission session

The submissions are in, but what did people say? Come and hear a range of authors and contributors share in brief (5 mins!) the key point of their submissions, on a range of economic, cultural and environmental issues.

6.00pm – 8.30pm Wednesday 16 SEPTEMBER, 2015 Upstairs @ The Gov, Port Road, Hindmarsh.

Speakers include:

  • Chris Hannaford, Prospect Local Environment Group
  • Karina Lester, YNTAC Chairperson
  • Rose Lester, from Walatina and committee member of the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance
  • Tauto Sansbury, SA Congress
  • Cr Michelle Hogan, Port Adelaide Enfield Council
  • Dr Philip White, Friends of the Earth Adelaide
  • Dr Jim Green, Friends of the Earth Australia (via Skype)
  • Mark Parnell MLC, South Australia Greens
  • Melissa Ballantyne, Environmental Defenders Office SA
  • Philippa Rowland, Re-power South Australia

Check out the fb event HERE

RSVP via eventbrite HERE – this help us with catering or just rock up!

While submissions are closed for the Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Chain, the discussion is just getting started!

Special screening of short film ‘ Homelands’ with Bobby Brown .

Free event * Light snacks provided. * Drinks at bar prices

Hosted by the SA nuke free coalition – for more information call: Nectaria on: 0432 388 665 or Robyn on: 0423 219 096 or email adelaide.office@foe.org.au

Friends of the Earth Adelaide is a member group of the Nuke Free SA coalition.  We meet monthly in the city, all welcome.

Clean Futures, Nuclear, Old_Notes

Federal Government attacks on environmental groups

August 20, 2015

The Federal government is now attacking environmental groups on two fronts.

1. One inquiry well under way is the following attempt to remove tax free donation status of environmental charities like Friends of the Earth.

“The House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment will inquire into and report on the administration and transparency of the Register of Environmental Organisations (the Register) and its effectiveness in supporting communities to take practical action to improve the environment.” More information here.

Friends of the Earth Australia has made a submission and hearings are being held around the country. The Adelaide hearing is scheduled for September 1st – location to be announced. The hearing will be open to the public and we intend to have a representative monitor the Adelaide event.  Friends of the Earth are appearing before the inquiry in Melbourne on September 21st – location to be announced.

2. “The Abbott government has revealed plans to repeal a section of Australia’s environment laws that allows green groups to challenge approvals for mining projects and other large developments in the courts. Federal Attorney-General George Brandis said the government would seek to repeal section 487 (2) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and “return to the common law”, after it was used successfully by the Mackay Conservation Group to overturn the federal environment minister’s approval of the Carmichael mega-coal mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin.” Renew Economy: The six big lies in Tony Abbott’s attack on the environment

The Six Big Lies in Tony Abbott’s attack on the environment:

Lie 1. It’s the economy versus the environment

Lie 2. The parade of projects

Lie 3. Coal jobs at risk

Lie 4. Activists destroying the industry

Lie 5. The cost of emissions reductions

Lie 6. The sheer hypocrisy of it all

A good article at the Guardian article: George Brandis says vigilante green groups are destroying thousands of mining jobs

You are invited to sign the PETITION to Attorney George Brandis asking him to:

Stop Abbott government destroying Australia’s environmental laws.

… Read more >>

Clean Futures, Climate, Divestment, Environmental Law, FoE, Mining, Nuclear, Old_Notes, Sustainability

, , , , ,

100% Renewable Energy for SA – in just 15 years! Wed August 19th

August 18, 2015

100% Renewable Energy for SA – in just 15 years!

Wed August 19th 6:30pm

Kings Head Hotel, King William St Adelaide

SA is the standout state – today getting 40% of its electricity from renewable sources – at least 3 times more than any other mainland state in Australia. Great!

Did you know we could hit 100% renewable electricity? And in just 15 years?

This is one of the findings of the Conservation SA commissioned report by energy expert Dr Mark Diesendorf of the University of NSW.

It will not only clean up our environment to do our share to halt climate change, it will continue to bring down our state’s electricity costs.

Come and hear:

1. Julia Winefield of Conservation SA speak on the report together with

2. Margaret Hender of CORENA and

3. Nicki Ison of Community Power Agency

who will all indicate how we can fast track renewable energy projects in our own communities, plus what we each of us can do to ensure Dr Diesendorf’s report becomes a reality.

Order free tickets via Eventbrite

See you there!

Check out the 100% Renewables SA Facebook page

Clean Futures, Climate, Renewables, Sustainability

, , ,