ALP must come clean on waste dump: NT community calls for action

by asenkids Comment Closed
(ASEN kids' edit: This calls for national action! Not at all surprised that the ALP hasn't repealed the CRWMA... epic fail!) Northern Territory community members and environment groups have expressed extreme concern at the Government’s refusal to follow through with commitments to abandon the controversial radioactive waste dump proposed for the NT. A motion introduced yesterday to the Senate by the Australian Greens, calling for repeal of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act (CRWMA), was voted down by the Government. “It is national ALP platform to repeal this legislation. It was an election commitment to repeal this legislation, yet the Government is blatantly flouting its commitments and ignoring deep community concern over its inaction on this issue”, explained Natalie Wasley, from the Beyond Nuclear Initiative in Alice Springs. “The vote yesterday shows clear disrespect for the communities targeted for the radioactive dump, who been waiting over a year for the Government to come good on its promise.” Ms Wasley asked, “How much longer do people...
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Senator Ludlam to move motion on the repeal of the CRWMA

by asenkids Comment Closed
Today Senator Ludlam gave notice that tomorrow he will move the motion on the repeal of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 – below. He also gave a speech on nuclear issues in the Matters of Public Importance today. Motion on the repeal of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 To move - That the Senate- Notes that: i) An Environment Communication and the Arts (ECA) Committee Inquiry found numerous and fundamental flaws in the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 and recommended in December 2008 that it be repealed; ii) The Committee called for replacement legislation to be introduced into the Parliament in the autumn 2009 sittings that would be based on principles of rigorous consultation, voluntary consent, environmental credibility, and which utilises best practice models tested internationally. Calls on the Australian government to: i. Repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act and introduce replacement legislation as outlined in ALP policy and subsequently recommended by the Committee; ii. Deliver a process on radioactive waste that is...
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Xstrata threatens 5000 jobs, Australia Neglects 2.5 Million Jobs

by asenkids Comment Closed
Australia is still ignoring the 2.5 million jobs that could be created in green industries as Xstrata and Alcoa announced massive jobs cuts yesterday. Meanwhile climate scientist at an international conference in Copenhagen warn that the climate is warming faster than anticipated. A report by CSIRO indicated 2.5 million green jobs could be created by 2025 in Australia if we adopt ambitious emission reduction targets. “Rudd’s neo-liberal Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) will not work. It will fail to protect Australia from climate change and it will fail to protect jobs, workers and communities” says Shani Tager. “With coal companies now cutting jobs, Australia should be looking to realise the potential of our renewable industries to create jobs whilst restoring a safe climate” says Shani Tager. A report by the Australian Conservation Foundation and The Australian Council of Trade Unions released last October demonstrated that 500,000 jobs can be created in renewable energy generation alone with US$25-50 billion annual investment by 2030. Globally...
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the Newcastle SEAN gig approaches

by asenkids Comment Closed
The first SEAN gig for 2009 is coming up! Envirocats from all over the state are coming together in Newcastle from Friday 20th until Sunday 22nd March and on the Saturday we will go to the most beautiful flotilla, otherwise known as.... If you can, BYO flotation device although there will be some there. We are organising logistics like food, transport and accommodation for the whole weekend so we'd love to know if you're coming and for how much (hopefully all!). On Friday afternoon and on Sunday we'll be gathering in a community space in Newcastle to have workshops and SEAN chats, and there will also be an option open for those who want to head up to Bulahdelah to visit the mountain and be there in solidarity with the traditional owners and local activists who have been campaigning for years to stop the RTA bulldozing a road straight through it. More details and the plan will be coming very soon, but in...
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Could the trade union movement benefit from measures to tackle climate change?

by asenkids Comment Closed
By Asbjørn Wahl, Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees Most problems in society are mainly social and political, even if at first glance they seem purely technical or scientific. This is a hard-earned lesson for the labour and trade union movement.  For example, workplace technology can be developed to serve different interests: the shareholders, the customers, the workers… In the end it is the actual balance of power which decides the solution and who it will benefit. The threat of climate change is no exception. The solution of this problem requires, among other things, a huge amount of new technology. But the problem isn’t just about technology, it is a genuinely social and political issue. It is decisive, therefore, that the trade union movement develops its own climate change policies. We have to move from a reactive to a proactive position. In the end, it is a question of what kind of society we want to develop. Facing up to the issues So...
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