Indigenous Land & Rights
Campaigners vow to continue the fight to stop Canberra dumping nuclear waste in SA
Civil society groups and members of the communities affected by the federal government’s proposed National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF) are deeply disappointed with Justice White’s ruling that the exclusion of Barngarla Traditional Owners from a ballot intended to gauge community support was not a breach of the Racial Discrimination Act.
Food & Technology
Australian Government decision threatens 51 per cent of global organic land
Changes to the Gene Technology Regulations tabled in Federal Parliament threaten to undermine Australia’s status as the world leader in organic food production. These changes will become law unless the Senate disallows them. The decision would leave the majority of new CRISPR and other gene editing applications unregulated.
Economics for Earth
Nuclear war between super funds
Industry Super Australia (ISA) ‒ a research and advocacy body for Industry SuperFunds ‒ has published a report promoting nuclear power, prompting a sceptical response from Industry Super Holdings, which is controlled by super funds including AustralianSuper, Cbus, Hostplus and HESTA.
Land & water
Gippsland Lakes - No Monitoring of Toxicants into Australia's Largest Freshwater Ecosystem
“There is little recent published information on water quality in the rivers of the Gippsland Lakes catchment. Although data may be collected through a range of routine monitoring programs, it has not been consolidated or analysed. This provides little information on water quality trends in these river systems. The small amount of published information is related only to salinity, water clarity and total nutrient concentrations. There is no information on nutrient dynamics, and very little on toxicants in rivers and streams.” EPA Victoria. Gippsland Lakes and catchment literature review Report Publication 1585 February 2015.
Economics for Earth
New report uncovers Australian banks financing palm oil companies responsible for deforestation and human rights violations
Friends of the Earth Australia media release. June 26, 2019
The Big four banks who were found to be exploiting Australians in the royal commission have been exposed in new research by Friends of the Earth to be financing even worse practices overseas. During the 2010–2018 period, the big four Australian banks had a total financial involvement (across loans, underwriting, bond holdings and shareholdings) of at least US$6.4 billion(AUD $9.5 Billion) in six major companies involved in the palm oil supply chain. Approximately $928 million (AUD$1.3billion) of this would be directly exposed to the palm oil business, given that these companies are involved in a number of business sectors of which palm oil is one.
Land & water
Mafia Gunfight Over Control of Rinehart Concession in Ecuador
Media reports from Ecuador are highlighting a recent gunfight near the the community of Buenos Aires located in the north of the country. Reports suggest that rival mafia interests are fighting over control of a massive illegal mining operation that is located on a mining concession owned by the Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart.
Climate & Energy Justice
ABC's Media Watch takes aim at nuclear misinformation and bias
Media Release ‒ 25 June 2019 ‒ Friends of the Earth Australia
The ABC's Media Watch program last night took aim at Australia's pro-nuclear propagandists and the extreme bias of Australia's nuclear 'debate'.
Media Watch discussed HBO's hit miniseries 'Chernobyl', which tops IMDB's list of the greatest TV shows of all time, and took aim at Andrew Bolt and others for trivialising the death toll (discussed here) and for ignoring the broader impacts of the disaster such as the permanent relocation of 350,000 people and the thousands of children who suffered thyroid cancer due to exposure to radioactive fallout.
Climate & Energy Justice
Nuclear power and climate change
There are several problems with the nuclear “solution” to climate change — it is a blunt instrument, too slow, too dangerous, and it is unnecessary.
Climate & Energy Justice
Nuclear power exits Australia's energy debate, enters culture wars
What do these politicians and ex-politicians have in common: Clive Palmer, Tony Abbott, Cory Bernardi, Barnaby Joyce, Mark Latham, Jim Molan, Craig Kelly, Eric Abetz, and David Leyonhjelm?
Land & water
PFAS and other chemicals released back into the environment via recycled water and biosolids
Recent research has highlighted issues concerning waste water and other products from waste water treatment facilities which contain a range of contaminants including PFAS (Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances).