http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19220070-29277,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard was flagging a full-scale nuclear debate when he returned from overseas, as one of his ministers predicted a uranium processing industry is feasible in Australia within a decade.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19228565-29277,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard's push for a nuclear energy debate would become Australia's nightmare, Opposition environment spokesman Anthony Albanese said today.

 [ send green star]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19238766-601,00.html

KIM Beazley plans to fight the next election on nuclear energy by ruling out nuclear power stations in Australia as Labor also considers dumping its policy of no new uranium mines.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19240218-29277,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19240201-29277,00.html

http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19240388-31037,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard has said it was hypocritical of Opposition Leader Kim Beazley to rule out nuclear power in Australia – yet allow uranium to be exported to other countries.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19240863-29277,00.html

NEW South Wales has legislation banning the construction of nuclear power plants and that was not about to change, Premier Morris Iemma said today.

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19243222-29277,00.html

THE Federal Government would have a fight on its hands if it wants to build nuclear power plants on Australia's coastline.

The three states where potential sites have been suggested today warned there would be community uproar over any plans for nuclear power stations.

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A NUCLEAR reactor is being planned for Woomera, as debate continues to rage about the likelihood of South Australia becoming home to the nation's first nuclear power plant.

One of the world's leading nuclear physicists, Professor Leslie Kemeny, yesterday told The Advertiser he had been hired as a technical consultant for the project. Professor Kemeny, who also is the Australian foundation member of the International Nuclear Energy Academy, said a feasibility study was being conducted into building a $3 billion low pressure Generation IV reactor on Crown land at Woomera.

But he declined to name those involved in the Australian and international consortium behind the proposal, saying: "The regulatory aspects of it first have to be dealt with in Canberra and then by the state of South Australia."

Steve Sutton, the manager of the Outback Areas Community Development Trust that includes Woomera, said his personal opinion was that the reactor was a "wonderful idea".

Federal Liberal backbencher Dennis Jensen, a former CSIRO physicist, also told The Advertiser the reactor plan was ideal for SA.

Acting Premier Kevin Foley last night rejected the proposal

 [ accepted]

Here's the link to my previous posting

http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,19258221%255E2682,00.html

 [ accepted]

This is such an obvious attempt at NIMBYism. Shouldn't they be focussing on the national interest rather than scare tactics? And besides it's a stupid question. Why decide where to put them if we haven't really started debating whether to build them?

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19283713-29277,00.html

LABOR has renewed its call for the Federal Government to reveal where future nuclear power stations or waste dumps could be sited.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/ALP-appears-close-to-opposing-enrichment/2006/05/30/1148754962490.html

Labor appears to be moving closer to opposing any plan to enrich uranium in Australia.

The ALP is divided over the future of its current policy to ban any new uranium mines, but leader Kim Beazley has pulled the party into line in opposing nuclear power generation in Australia.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer last week raised the prospect of Australia enriching uranium.

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One thing that I have learnt about Little Johnnie , is that he usually has a hidden agenda.

You are right Freediver, he has ONLY said we should debate it...what scares the heck out of me however, is that so many of his fellow Sitting Members have been let loose like the Hounds of Hell, to try and convince 'us' that it is a good thing.

Big Kim has painted himself into a corner without even looking at alternatives and investigating the issue - or so it appears. Bob Brown , on the other hand, is at least presenting some valid thoughts.

Like I said, Howard is flagging this...what is going on that he wants to hide in the background?

 [ accepted]

I think he is just doing it because it will divide Labor.

What has Bob Brown put forward?

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19330189-29277,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard has spurned suggestions his enthusiasm for a national nuclear debate was an attempt to damage Labor, saying two ministers urged him to consider the matter months ago.

Nuclear issues dominated a trip by Mr Howard to North America and Europe last month, leading to questions about why the domestic matter was given such prominence during an overseas itinerary.

It was speculated Mr Howard's sudden interest was designed to create dissent among the opposition, which has differing views on expanded uranium mining, as well as the benefits of enrichment and nuclear energy.

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http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19351408-31037,00.html

FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer's push for a nuclear power station in South Australia is irrational, the opposition said today.

Labor's Foreign Affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd today slammed Mr Downer's call for a nuclear-powered desalination plant to curb demand on the Murray River.

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http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19366464-31037,00.html

IT was too early to begin debating sites for nuclear power plants, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19366457-1702,00.html

ANY nuclear power stations would need to be near major cities or towns on the east coast, the head of the nation's nuclear research group said today.

Four or five nuclear plants would have to be built to make an atomic energy industry viable.

"Because nuclear power produces large quantities of power, it would need to be on the major grid," Dr Smith told ABC radio.

An ANSTO report released yesterday found nuclear power would be competitive with gas- or coal-fired electricity - but only if taxpayers helped to pay for it or shouldered the risk of producing it.

"The (cost of) electricity produced, averaged over the lifetime of the (nuclear) power station is about the same, if not a little lower, than that of a coal-fired power station constructed at the same time."

"Australia, at the moment, is the highest emitter of carbon per head of any country in the world.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19360580-29277,00.html

A LIST of 14 possible sites for a nuclear power plant in Australia were a facade to soften up the West to accept a nuclear waste dump, the West Australian premier Alan Carpenter said today.

http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19359663-31037,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard will take a plan for an expert review of nuclear energy, including health, safety and environmental issues, to Cabinet this week.

Mr Beattie said much of Queensland's healthy financial state stemmed from coal industry royalties.

"It's dumb with a big D and it's going to get no with a big N."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19359567-29277,00.html

DEPUTY Opposition Leader Jenny Macklin is demanding the Federal Government come clean about 14 sites put to federal Cabinet for nuclear power stations.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19359563-29277,00.html

NEW South Wales Opposition Leader Peter Debnam has dodged questions about locating a nuclear power plant in his electorate, saying the nuclear debate is not an issue.

Four sites in NSW were all considered nine years ago as possible sites for a nuclear power plant, according to cabinet papers reported in a Sydney newspaper.

They include Broken Hill, Goulburn, and Holsworthy and Lucas Heights in Sydney, among 14 possible sites nationwide.

 [ send green star]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19367127-1702,00.html

FEDERAL Health Minister Tony Abbott said today he would have no problems with a nuclear power plant in his electorate.

Mr Abbott said he had no views beyond the economic debate on nuclear power in Australia.

http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19366670-31037,00.html

ANY debate or inquiry into nuclear power should consider the option of solar energy, a housing advisory group said today.

"Millions of hectares of rooftops exist in Australian suburbs and industrial estates that should be productive fields of efficient and non-polluting energy," Archicentre managing director Robert Caulfield said.

"Australia as a country should be moving towards making every home, via its roof and design, a net contributor to the electricity grid.

"One of the things that mass-produced solar technology would bring is affordability that would place clean solar energy within the reach of everyone."

He said that figure was forecast to rise to just 1.1 per cent by 2010.

 [ send green star]

http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19368022-31037,00.html

NUCLEAR energy in Australia did not make sense when the cost and problems of waste disposal were considered, Victoria's Energy Minister Theo Theophanous said today.

http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19367799-31037,00.html

NEW South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has vowed no nuclear power stations will be built in NSW as long as he is premier.

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19379843-29277,00.html

SCIENCE Minister Julie Bishop has rejected Labor's push to include reactor locations in a federal inquiry into nuclear power, saying debate about sites is premature.

FEDERAL Cabinet is expected to sign off on an inquiry into nuclear power today, but Prime Minister John Howard has ruled out confirming sites for the controversial power source.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19371326-29277,00.html

"I know there's going to be a fear campaign and people are going to be running around saying rule out this site, rule out that site," Mr Howard said.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19371556-29277,00.html

RESIDENTS of the mining city of Mt Isa in north-west Queensland should not be used as guinea pigs for any nuclear power plant, local MP Tony McGrady said today.

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19378253-601,00.html

THE coal industry believes power stations that do not produce greenhouse gases could be operating across Australia in the same time it takes to establish nuclear power stations.

Work will begin later this year in the US on the world's first zero-emissions coal-fired plant, which will be running by 2012, and Mr O'Neill said Australia's involvement in the project meant zero-emission plants could be operating in Australia within a decade.

"Between 2012 and 2020 the cost of this reduced and zero-emission technology will come down," Mr O'Neill said. "The technologies will be competitive with the alternatives."

Clean-coal technology involves removing carbon dioxide from the emissions of coal-fired power stations and burying it in the ground.

While the federal Government is putting $500 million into research, the coal industry has also put up $300 million and the Queensland Government a further $300 million through the sale of its two energy retailers, Ergon and Energex.

Victoria has pumped $106 million into clean-coal technology, with much of it going into a scheme to foster private-sector research into reducing emissions from coal plants.

A spokesman for state Energy Minister Theo Theophanous said Victoria was putting money into clean coal technology because nuclear power "doesn't stack up on environmental grounds, it doesn't stack up on economic grounds and doesn't have the acceptance of the community".

He said a Victorian study more than a year ago found it cost twice as much money to produce electricity through nuclear power.

 [ send green star]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19384082-29277,00.html

Mr Beazley said Mr Howard should be focusing on renewable energy, which Australia has in abundance, rather than narrowing the energy debate to the viability of nuclear options.

VICTORIA'S Labor government and its Liberal opponents have become unlikely bedfellows to fight off any moves to build a nuclear reactor in the state.

http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19382797-31037,00.html

FORMER Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski would chair a federal government inquiry into nuclear energy in Australia, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19392484-29277,00.html

AUSTRALIANS need to see beyond their own backyards when it comes to nuclear energy and other matters, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19390214-29277,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard denies he has stacked his hand-picked taskforce to investigate nuclear power in Australia with people in favour of the controversial energy source.

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another front page article:

A CARBON tax on coal will be considered as part of John Howard's inquiry into nuclear energy that could lead to more uranium mines and the introduction of nuclear power plants.

more info on carbon taxes:

http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=6314&pst=473986

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http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19394770-31037,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard has announced the remaining members of the nuclear industry inquiry.

Mr Howard has already announced the inquiry – which will examine uranium mining, enrichment and nuclear power – will be headed by nuclear scientist and former Telstra chief Dr Ziggy Switkowski.

New members announced today include nuclear safety expert Sylvia Kidziak, Dulhunty Power Ltd chairman Martin Thomas, and former supervising scientist with Environment Australia, Dr Arthur Johnston.

They will join professors George Dracoulis and Warwick McKibbin from the Australian National University on the taskforce.

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19403762-29277,00.html

THE Federal Government's inquiry into nuclear energy was still biased despite its head resigning from the board of Australia's peak nuclear organisation, the Greens claimed today.

Former Telstra boss and nuclear physicist Ziggy Switkowski last night decided to step down from the board of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), which supports the expansion of the nuclear industry.

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http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19467559-31037,00.html

A PIPE inside a radioactive hot cell at Sydney's Lucas Heights nuclear reactor has ruptured, halting the production of an isotope used in medical procedures.

 [ send green star]

http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc_post_reply.html?gpp=8948&pst=411994

THE nation's only nuclear reactor operator went out of its way to inform the public about an accident last week, Science Minister Julie Bishop said today

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19475935-2702,00.html

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19479987-29277,00.html

FOUR accidents have been reported at Sydney's Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in a week in what authorities say is an "extremely unusual" series of events.

A worker at Australia's only nuclear reactor received a low dose of radiation yesterday, while two more "minor" incidents occurred today, said the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19486837-29277,00.html

In the first a worker was splashed in the eye with radioactive material while cleaning up waste in a production area.

In the second a worker dropped a small glass vial containing a radiopharmaceutical.

"The normal pattern of these minor incidences would be one a month, so all I can comment is that in the last few days it's very unusual to have such a cluster," said ANSTO's chief of research Dr George Collins.

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19508228-29277,00.html

PUBLIC opinion on nuclear matters had shifted and Labor's current scare campaign would not be nearly as successful as it might expect, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

That was demonstrated by the ever-increasing number of voters backing New South Wales Liberal Danna Vale, whose electorate of Hughes includes the Lucas Heights nuclear research reactor, Mr Howard said.

 [ send green star]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19684484-1702,00.html

A PRIME ministerial task force on nuclear energy has released an issues paper outlining more than 100 points it will consider.

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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19704464-29277,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard has made a direct appeal to North Korea to consider its own self-interest and abandon its nuclear program, or face an increasingly angry world community.

LABOR has accused Prime Minister John Howard of interfering in the inquiry into nuclear energy.

http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19701787-31037,00.html

PRIME Minister John Howard has ruled out Australia taking nuclear waste from other countries.

 [ send green star]

If anyone is interested, Flannery's book 'The Weather Makers' is a great read for someone looking for an intro to global warming. He is one of the few scientific writers who can make his work appeal to a general audience (a bit like Jared Diamond).

Dr Flannery, who has recently indicated his support for expanding nuclear power, says Australia has a moral responsibility to take back radioactive waste created by the uranium it exports to reduce the risk of a "nuclear holocaust".

"To me, the nuclear waste issue is trivial relative to the (nuclear) proliferation issue," he said yesterday.

 [ send green star]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20026295-1702,00.html

THE Federal Government is undermining international efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) said today.

 [ send green star]

This looks like some pretty faulty logic to me - that the plan is flawed because it will not solve all of the problems. That is a reason to address those other problems, not to scrap the leasing plan. The leasing plan may not eliminate clandestine facilities, but scrapping it would certainly make it harder to keep a lid on everything.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20322026-2702,00.html

THE Howard Government's key adviser on nuclear safeguards has criticised the concept of leasing nuclear fuel to other countries as "unrealistic" and ineffective against the proliferation of atomic weapons.

He says cases such as Iraq, North Korea and Iran "show the danger lies, not with diversion of declared materials from safeguarded facilities, but with clandestine nuclear facilities and undeclared materials".

 [ send green star]

smh

But there are problems with the partnership idea. Because of booming energy demand and longstanding political divisions, not all customers may trust the chosen suppliers to meet their demand. Those countries lacking confidence in their ability to maintain a stable, long-term relationship with the suppliers would still have an incentive to continue to develop enrichment facilities.

 [ send green star]

smh

Australia has imposed sanctions on a number of companies and individuals involved with financing North Korea's nuclear regime.

 [ send green star]

Australian Drought Driving Farmers to Desperation. By Malcom Burgess, Agence France-Presse, October 18, 2006."Australia's worsening drought is driving desperate farmers to suicide and government funds should be used to help them leave increasingly unviable land, scientists and politicans have said. The side effects of the worst drought in living memory include mental illness, depression and suicide in rural communities, said opposition Labor Party health spokeswoman Julia Gillard on Tuesday. It had been estimated by the mental health organisation Beyond Blue that one Australian farmer commits suicide every four days, she said... South Australian Greens MP Mark Parnell said it was time to face up to the fact that climate change made some areas increasingly unable to sustain agriculture. 'We need to stop thinking that our current rainfall is fluky and exceptional,' he said. 'Experts have been saying for years we need to start adjusting to decreased rain and water runoff from climate change.'"

Drought Fires Up Global Warming, Nuclear Debate in Australia. Agence France-Presse, October 16, 2006. "Australia's worst drought in living memory is threatening the booming economy of the driest continent on earth, driving global warming and nuclear power to the forefront of political debate... Crop analysts and traders estimate the ?big dry? could halve this year's wheat crop in Australia -- the world's third largest producer -- to less than 11 million tonnes from 25 million tonnes the previous season... Soaring temperatures and bushfires marking the apparent early onset of another hot and dry summer have dragged Prime Minister John Howard's conservative government reluctantly into a fresh debate about the effects of global warming... Howard has said the government will not change its policy and sign the Kyoto accord, but has begun talking up the prospect of introducing another controversial energy source to Australia -- nuclear power. 'Those who say they are in favour of doing something about global warming but turn their faces against considering nuclear power are unreal,' he told Monday's news conference."

Australian Young People Organizing for November 4th Day of Climate Action. Alby Dallas & Simon Cunich, Green Left Weekly, Australia, October 25, 2006 issue. Around the country, campus and high-school environment activists are focusing on getting young people to participate in the November 4 Walk against Warming international day of action on climate change... [In a statement the Australian Youth Climate Coalition said] 'Climate change is quickly becoming the hottest issue for campus organising, and youth are poised to lead the way once again. A major united effort from Australian youth organisations now could unleash tremendous grassroots energy towards making local, state and national change... It's not too late to turn the political tide in Australia.'"

 [ send green star]

 [ accepted]

Ziggy's bias for nuclear is showing:

http://ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1164173429

 [ send green star]

Why nuclear will win the debate:

 [ send green star]