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Indonesia goes cold on nuclear power |

Indonesia goes cold on nuclear power * The Age Tom Allard, Magelang, Central Java * April 6, 2009INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday backed away from a plan to build a nuclear reactor in one of the world’s most seismically active countries.Dr Yudhoyono said Indonesia would develop existing energy sources and explore renewable alternatives before pursuing the nuclear option………
………..”In 10 years to come, or 20 years or 30 years to come, Indonesia must really develop its existing resources and these should be environmentally friendly,” he said, adding that water and wind power options would also be explored.

Indonesia goes cold on nuclear power | theage.com.au

April 6, 2009 Posted by | Indonesia, politics | Leave a comment

Greens Blast Move to Repeal IL Nuclear Moratorium

Greens Blast Move to Repeal IL Nuclear Moratorium

April 3rd, 2009

Greens Blast Move to Repeal IL Nuclear MoratoriumApril 3rd, 2009 Green Party blasts legislative move to repeal Nuclear Moratorium; Calls attempt an effort to undermine Renewable EnergyGreen Party leaders condemned legislative attempts to repeal the Illinois moratorium against new nuclear production. House Bill 875 and Senate Bill 2162 would delete the provision in state law prohibiting the construction of new nuclear facilities until the nuclear waste storage issue is resolved.Nuclear power is bad for the economy, bad for the environment, and bad for the people of Illinois. We need to be phasing out nuclear production. It is completely irresponsible for legislators to champion it.”The Illinois Green Party pointed out that the expansion of nuclear production would undermine the 2007 Renewable Energy Portfolio standard law requiring that Illinois electric utilities produce 25% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025 – and in the process, would be bad for job growth in Illinois.“Renewable energy production and energy efficiency efforts create more jobs
than nuclear production,” said William Edgar, DuPage County Green Party Chair.  ”And nuclear is more expensive to produce than wind or geothermal.  Nuclear power is bad for workers and bad for consumers.”

Greens also pointed to the effort to repeal the nuclear moratorium as further evidence of the pernicious influence of Pay to Play in Illinois politics.  The Illinois State Board of Elections Campaign Disclosure site shows over 30 variations of the name Exelon having contributed over $2,500,000 to candidates in Illinois since 2001. Many of these legislators are now sponsoring the moratorium repeal legislation.

“Illinois needs to ban corporate contributions immediately,” said Mark Mallon, Green candidate for Urbana City Council (Ward 2).  ”Are we going to get real reform out of Springfield this year, or more of the same?”

The Illinois Green Party recommends the expertise of the Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS) for more information on the perils of nuclear power.  NEIS is online at www.neis.org.

Greens Blast Move to Repeal IL Nuclear Moratorium

April 6, 2009 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Energy Department presses for license as if nothing’s changed – Las Vegas Sun

YUCCA MOUNTAIN:

Energy Department presses for license as if nothing’s changed

LAS VEGAS SUN 5 April 09 “……………………………………….The biggest of the alleged holes in the Energy Department’s Yucca license application, according to Nevada, is that the project’s safety plans rely on installing 11,000 titanium drip shields 100 years from now, after the waste has been placed inside the mountain. Installing the drip shields would require technology that hasn’t been invented, the state says, and the application does not consider the effects if the drip shields cannot be installed.Nevada, several counties and others would like to bring forward hundreds of other concerns about the Energy Department’s science. They say it fails to take into account expected changes in precipitation tied to global warming, fails to use the right calculations for volcanic activity, fails to properly anticipate how fast waste canisters will corrode and fails to substantiate that the department could block air traffic over the mountain to avoid air crashes.

These groups also argue that environmental impact statements didn’t sufficiently consider the effect of transporting waste to the site.In all, there were 320 contentions from 14 groups.The Energy Department says none of these critiques should be heard because they all violate technical requirements of the regulations.

Energy Department presses for license as if nothing’s changed – Las Vegas Sun

April 6, 2009 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Google Earth now mapping sites for renewable energy developers

Google Earth now mapping sites for renewable energy developersPath to Green Energy tool could speed up solar, wind projects by avoiding environmentalist-developer fights.statesman.com By David R. BakerSAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLEMonday, April 06, 2009 – “………………………. A new mapping tool on Google Earth shows renewable power developers where they can — and can’t — build.

With grants from Google’s philanthropic wing, the National Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Defense Council pulled together maps of endangered species habitats, national parks and other forms of protected land and loaded all that data into Google Earth.

Zoom in on the Mojave Desert, a favorite spot for solar power projects, and you can see every bit of land that is off-limits to developers………………….
…………..The map includes habitat data for more than 170 species. Its creators want to add more states and species as well as information showing places that have the most sunshine and the strongest winds.

Google Earth now mapping sites for renewable energy developers

April 6, 2009 Posted by | 2 WORLD, ENERGY | Leave a comment

Barack Obama nuclear weapons ban

No nukes, vows Obama Sydney Morning Herald Jonathan Pearlman Foreign Affairs Correspondent * April 6, 2009THE US President, Barack Obama, has begun a push to rid the world of nuclear arms in a landmark speech that called for a ban on testing and a global summit to prevent criminals or terrorists acquiring weapons.As North Korea fired a missile over Japan, raising fears of proliferation, Mr Obama said the US was the only nation to have used a nuclear bomb and had a “moral responsibility” to seek a world without nuclear arms…………………….

“The threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up,” Mr Obama said.

“Testing has continued. Black market trade in nuclear secrets and nuclear material abound. The technology to build a bomb has spread. Terrorists are determined to buy, build or steal one … The world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons … I am not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly – perhaps not in my lifetime.”……………

……………..Mr Obama said nuclear energy could help combat climate change and every country had the right to develop peaceful programs. (This is a worry – Is Obama falling for the “nukes for peace” con idea of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership – setting up a cartel to expand the nuclear industry – Christina Macpherson))

Barack Obama nuclear weapons ban

April 6, 2009 Posted by | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Canada urged to sign up to UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights

OTTAWA, April 3 /CNW Telbec/ – Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine ……………………

 "I congratulate and commend the Australian government, Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd and the people of Australia for showing real leadership in endorsing
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," National
Chief Fontaine said. "First Nations call on the Canadian government to follow
Australia's lead.................Under the previous Howard government, Australia had opposed the UN
Declaration and was one of only four countries in the world to vote against it
at the United Nations. The other three were Canada, the United States and New
Zealand. There are indications that President Obama may reverse the United
States' position and sign-on to the Declaration.
    "Canada is increasingly marginalized and isolated on the international
stage because of its opposition to the UN Declaration," the National Chief
stated......................Adopting the UN Declaration is the next logical step towards creating a
comprehensive plan that will affirm our rightful place in Canada, give life to
our rights and our Treaties, and give substance to the government's Apology
and promise of reconciliation made on June 11th of last year. This was a
promise not only to First Nations, but to all Canadians. It is time for Canada
to move forward and join the international community in endorsing the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

CNW Group | ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS | AFN National Chief Encouraged by Australian Government’s Support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Urges Canada to Endorse the Declaration: “It is Never Too Late to Do the Right Thing”

April 6, 2009 Posted by | Canada, indigenous issues | Leave a comment