Publications – Page 11 – Friends of the Earth Adelaide

Nuclear Submarines: answers to common questions

roman September 20, 2021

Following secret deliberations, this week, the Morrison government has announced that Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Anti-nuclear movement stalwart, and Friends of the Earth National Nuclear campaigner, Dr. Jim Green, had these comments to common questions about the decision.

Are there alternatives?

Apart from the French built, fossil fuel diesel options already on the table, because the process has been entirely secret, we have no way of knowing whether alternative options have been properly considered. These include the options of building fewer submarines (or none at all), and advanced lithium-ion battery technology to power submarines (South Korea’s choice after 30 months of comprehensive evaluation).

What about nuclear weapons and security?

Nuclear powered submarines typically use highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel. This would undermine global efforts to phase out the use of HEU because of WMD proliferation and security concerns.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons notes: “Military nuclear reactors in Australia would present a clear nuclear weapons proliferation risk and become potential sites for nuclear accidents and radiological contamination long into the future.”

Sign our petition to say no to nuclear subs

Take Action

The government wants to build nuclear submarines in suburban Adelaide. Does that put a target on our back? Is it prudent to build nuclear submarines in a city of 1.3 million people? What alternative locations have been considered, if any?

Does the government secretly want to bring Australia closer to a nuclear weapons capability with a nuclear submarine program? Do such deliberations explain why the Morrison government refuses to sign the UN’s Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and has actively undermined the Treaty at every step? (In the late 1960s, John Gorton’s government actively pursued a nuclear power program and Gorton later acknowledged a hidden weapons agenda. Gorton actively opposed Australia signing the UN’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.) … Read more >>

Nuclear, Old_Notes

Stop the nuclear dump! Don’t dump on SA!

roman July 1, 2021

Please join us this Friday, July 2 to voice opposition to the Morrison government’s plan to impose a national nuclear waste dump near Kimba in SA.
The nuclear dump is unwanted, unnecessary and unsafe.
It is unanimously opposed by Barngarla Traditional Owners and many other South Australians.

When: Friday July 2, 1 pm for 1.30 start to 3pm

Where: Steps of Parliament House on North Terrace

Some things you can do to help stop the imposition of the proposed nuclear dump:

* Donate to the Barngarla crowdfunder to fund a legal challenge (judicial review).

* Sign the Barngarla petition

* Sign the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) petition

* Join the Adelaide-based ‘Don’t Dump on SA’ group, we meet on zoom every Tuesday (or sometimes every second Tuesday). Contact: jim.green@foe.org.au, 0417 318368

Actions, Nuclear, Old_Notes

A Law Against Ecocide

roman June 29, 2021

From the Press Release by the Stop Ecocide Foundation:

The Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide convened by the Stop Ecocide Foundation has completed its deliberations. The proposed definition of ecocide as a 5th crime under the Rome Statute is now available for states to consider – and for civil society to demand. We think the drafting panel has achieved something remarkable – we love this legal definition! It’s well pitched between what needs to be done to protect ecosystems and what will be acceptable to states – it’s both bold and workable at same time. Governments and activists alike will take it seriously.

You can find the full text of the definition with accompanying commentary HERE and on the newly launched Ecocide Law website, an academic and legal resource hub we are co-managing with the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law. There is also an additional FAQ page.

Earth Jurisprudence, Environmental Law, Old_Notes

Traditional owners can challenge nuclear waste dump on Country

roman June 29, 2021

In 2019, the Australian Electoral Commission conducted a month-long community ballot, asking the question ‘Do you support the proposed National Radioactive Waste Management Facility being located at one of the nominated sites in the community of Kimba?’
The ballot returned a 61.58 per cent ‘yes’ vote.
Barngarla conducted their own poll, saying they had been excluded from the AEC’s postal ballot.
100 per cent of the votes returned from Native Title holders said ‘no’ to the proposed nuclear facility.
Barngarla said the site selection process had been “completely and utterly miscarried”.
“No proper heritage assessment of the site was ever undertaken,” read the statement.
“… the most obvious and appalling example of this failed process was when the Government allowed the gerrymandering of the Kimba ‘community ballot’ in order to manipulate the vote.
“The simple fact remains that even though the Barngarla hold Native Title land closer to the proposed facility than the town of Kimba, the First Peoples for the area were not allowed to vote.
“…Mistakes have been made and the process needs to start again.”
“Traditional owners can challenge nuclear waste dump on Country”, Keira Jenkins, NITV News, SBS

Environmental Law, Nuclear, Old_Notes

Barngarla: Help us Have a Say on Kimba

roman June 29, 2021

22 June 2021 Joint Press Release:
Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation and No Radioactive Waste on Agricultural Land in Kimba or SA

The issue of the nuclear waste facility is something which provokes significant emotion, and community opposition. However, no one else is as affected by it like we are. We issue this joint press release as the First Peoples for the Kimba area, and the farming communities who make their livelihood from the land because we are having our home, our land and our heritage threatened. We are the groups of people whose lives will be permanently damaged, if a waste facility is placed on our home.

We have fought hard and will continue to fight against a nuclear waste facility being placed on our home. We do not want it, and we will never support it. Our voices and views have been ignored by the Government. Local member Rowan Ramsey has been one of the main influences in pushing the Government to place a nuclear waste facility at Kimba. If you do not want this facility in SA or in the Eyre Peninsula or the Mid-North, then you must vote out Rowan Ramsey. We will never end this issue, whilst he is a local member.

The Government has completely and utterly miscarried the site selection process. There are many examples of this. No proper heritage assessment of the site was ever undertaken, and they have marginalised the voices of the farming community throughout the entire process.
However, the most obvious and appalling example of this failed process was when the Government allowed the gerrymandering of the Kimba “community ballot”, in order to manipulate the vote. The simple fact remains that even though the Barngarla hold native title land closer to the proposed facility than the town of Kimba, the First Peoples for the area were not allowed to vote.

Nuclear, Old_Notes