At the G20 meeting of 19 wealthy nations plus the European Union, in Germany, G20 President Angela Merkel planned for discussion of Africa and health to be a high priority. This is now overtaken by the concern over North Korea's latest test - of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Equally important, negotiators representing two-thirds of the 192-member United Nations finalised the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons this week after months of talks.
On climate change, at G20 the growing international isolation of the United States under President Trump was starkly apparent, with almost unanimous opposition to Trump's climate lack of policy. Meanwhile, a 2018 global summit on climate change is planned, led by California Governor Jerry Brown, -as the Donald Trump administration becomes rather irrelevant to international climate action.
Where will climate refugees find shelter and food?
AUSTRALIA
NUCLEAR. Australia now in reach of North Korea's new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Australia can play a role in promoting dialogue, not war, with North Korea. If North Korea attacks USA with nuclear warhead, Australia will join US in fight , says Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce (Joyce doesn't say what we'd do if USA were to attack North Korea). Former PM Kevin Rudd now suggesting missile defence system for Australia. PM Turnbull says THAAD anti- missile system is "not really suitable" for Australia.
The Australian government boycotted the UN nuclear weapons ban talks, but Greens Senator Scott Ludlam did attend, and regretted Australia's earlier actions, with diplomats instructed to break up and obstruct the talks.
Coalition pours scorn on Tony Abbott's call for nuclear submarines. Australia's nuclear lobby hoping for nuclear submarines as a 'foot in the door',
Australian uranium miner Paladin Energy going broke.
CLIMATE Australia's energy policy now under the control of the climate denying extreme right wing idealogues Climate Change Authority has now lost all of its climate scientists . Australia Institute takes up the challenge of climate change research and communication
Adani coal project - farmers deplore the unlimited access to precious groundwater, given by the Queensland government to Adani. Any loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (Naif) to Adani’s Carmichael coalmine project is probably illegal.
RENEWABLE ENERGY World's first solar-powered train - for Byron Bay. South Australia: Tesla to supply world's biggest battery But it's a pity that the Australian government did not support an Australian company, such as Zen Energy , which has been working for years on battery storage. Solar panels now on one quarter of Australian homes. Latest renewable energy news from REneweconomy.. and more. and still more. again more
INTERNATIONALAmid the escalating tension between USA and North Korea, calm calls for Engagement and Dialogue. Donald Trump has few real options in dealing with North Korea. Russia and China propose negotiation .
Global Covenant of Mayors to fight climate change.
Lithium use in batteries booming - need for recycling, and environmental protection
USA.
- New survey on American attitudes to climate change: majority agree on human caused changes.. Trump's Climate Policies leading planet to irreversible climate disaster -Stephen Hawking. All staff have now left science division of the White House's Office of Science and Technology. United States got more electricity from renewable sources than from nuclear power in March and April.
- Nuclear facilities targeted by hackers - say USA Homeland Security Dept. and F.B.I.
- Radioactive pollution “flowing freely” into the Columbia River, from the decommissioned Hanford nuclear facility.
- Nevada ready for the legal battle against Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump plan.
- NASA spending $millions on plan for nuclear reactors on Mars. NASA funding project for nuclear-powered travel to Mars.
- Watts Bar 2 nuclear power unit shut down after just 5 months in operation.
- US federal report that another Hanford radioactive waste tunnel has structural problems .
- Costs and dangers in "temporary" storage of San Onofre and others' nuclear wastes
CHINA. China calls for calm and restraint on North Korea.
RUSSIA.
- Russia test-fires cruise missile from nuclear submarine in Barents Sea.
- With international help, Russia starts to clean up Andreyeva Bay radioactive trash.
- Russia's global nuclear marketing falters: Rosatom switches attention to renewable energy. Russia now slowing down its plans for development in the Arctic, Nuclear marketing agreement between Russia and Vietnam, (but Vietnam turning away from nuclear)
JAPAN. Trial of former Tepco executives over 2011 disaster. Costs of building Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing plant now 4 times greater.
FRANCE. France plans to cut nuclear power's share of electricity from 75% to 50% by 2025. Sixth MOX nuclear shipment leaves France for Japan.
UKRAINE. Forest fire near Chernobyl Nuclear Plant.
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