The Cycle of Nuclear Foolishness

Our friends at FoE Adelaide gave us some shrewd feedback about the name of the ride. The Nuclear fuel cycle is no cycle at all, but a chain of events that creates environmental destruction, waste and weapons. The term cycle is brought to us by the nuclear industry in an effort to portray it as some sort of recycling process. This prompted me to write a wee bit about the cycle we are really riding against.

Cycle Against the Nuclear Cycle (CANC) is happening for the 3rd time in 2007. CANC are a group of people concerned about the use of nuclear power to steer debate away from the real solutions to climate change. They will be riding against the nuclear foolishness driven by fossil fuel addicted politicians and corporations. Like the bike ride, this madness has happened before. Beck Pearse will ride in CANC this June to September as part of a strong history of anti-nuclear and bike activism in Australia. She sees the current moves toward expansion of the nuclear industry as another signal for activists to get on their bikes and ride.

On the 25th June we’ll be riding against the cycle of nuclear foolishness. It has a 60 year history of war, environmental devastation, and corporate greed. Meanwhile, the anti-nuclear bike ride has a 30 year history as part of a powerful movement against all facets of the nuclear industry. Like, those before us we wish to act positively against the expansion of the nuclear industry in Australia. Bike activism has proven a fun and vibrant way to act against the cycle of deceit and destruction forged by nuclear proponents.

The first Ride Against Uranium in 1975 was part of a campaign to oppose the commencement of uranium mining in Australia and celebrate the potential for solar and renewable energy. In the hearts and minds of these activists was the shadow of the cold war and the growing significance of climate change. Three more Rides Against Uranium (1976, 1977 and 1981) followed keeping the spotlight on uranium mining and the risk of weapons proliferation. The rides converged upon Canberra to create alternative energy displays, a mass of crawling mutations and the Atom Free Embassy. And then there was the epic World Bike Ride for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament. Fifty dedicated bike nerds left Canberra in 1982 to travel over 6,000km up the East Coast via Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville, and Mt Isa to Darwin. Five months later 44 rode in to Darwin. The ride continued through Asia and Japan and in Europe during 1982 and 1983.

In 1982 cyclists organised to ride 500 km from Broken Hill to Roxby Downs, meeting Adelaide cyclists midway, to join the Roxby Downs Uranium Mine blockade. In August 1983, several hundred people gathered to express their opposition and hinder mining operations. Fifteen years later the first Cycle Against the Nuclear Cycle left from Melbourne with about 15 cyclists on the 20th of June 1998. They took on the ambitious task of riding to the Jabiluka Blockade. Here they met a 5000 strong group who successfully forced Rio Tinto to cease mining operations. And lastly, CANC2 left from Darwin/Jabiluka to Perth in 2000.

CANC07 will be composed of 2 rides, Rockhampton to Canberra and Port Augusta to Canberra. Over 72 days we will clamber into coastal towns that are the nuclear reactor sites. We plan to hold public meetings, meet local indigenous groups and hear their experiences of the nuclear industry and visit schools.

From the content of these campaigns we can see that it is not a new trick for governments to use nuclear power as a divergence from the issue of global warming. Malcolm Fraser was adamant that there was little industrial potential for solar energy in the 70s. Today this idea is reincarnated through the base load myth: the claim that renewable energies cannot provide base load power. Nor is it a new trick for debate about nuclear power plants to be stirred whilst mining operations are quietly begun. When debating the Ranger report nearly 30 years ago, then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser claimed that "an energy-starved world" needed our uranium. Painting nuclear power as a viable energy source has routinely been used to divert public attention from the inception of uranium mines. Howard’s nuclear debate is convenient given the planned $5 billion expansion of Roxby Downs.

In 2007 it is particularly concerning that nuclear power is being presented as part of the solution of climate change. Climate change is on the political plate like never before. Solutions to climate change are now finally being discussed rather than toiling over sceptical political spin. The snag over recent months is that ‘clean coal’ and nuclear power are becoming the dichotomous choice for future energy production. The task for our campaign is to expose the myth that nuclear power is a clean and green energy source and to enable people to imagine and demand truly sustainable energy solutions.

The story of the nuclear federal election so far.

In May 2006 John Howard called for a ‘full-blooded debate’ about the nuclear industry in Australia (ABC, 2006). Since then he has established a Prime Ministerial taskforce to review the viability of domestic nuclear power in Australia as well as uranium mining, enriching and reprocessing. The task force reported that 25 nuclear power plants in Australia by 2030 with a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gases are tenable. In addition, their review of mining industries and reactors at home and abroad satisfied the group that all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle were safe. The taskforce chair Ziggy Switkowsky, reported to the National Press Club in November 2006 that ‘radiation risks associated with nuclear power stations, and indeed the nuclear fuel cycle as a whole, are very low.’

Ziggy Switkowsky is director of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the company operating the reactor at Lucas Heights, Sydney. After concerns about his conflict of interest were raised he assured the public he would exercise his rational and scientific credentials when contributing to this review. Meanwhile, John Howard offered a peer review, set up by own chief scientist Jim Peacock. Peacock is also known to support nuclear energy.

Howard continues to talk about how Australian’s views on nuclear power are changing. Polls continue to ask loaded questions linking the words nuclear power to solution and climate change. On Jan. 4, 2007, SXR Uranium One Inc. announced that the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Resources of Australia has approved their request to mine the Honeymoon Uranium Project, SA. Hugh Morgan (former head of Western Mining Coorporation) has recently revealed his ‘vision’ for the nuclear industry in Australia (The Age, 04/03/06). And of course, this cycle of nuclear madness will continue 27-29th April at the ALP national conference.

It is this whirlwind of spin that we will confront along the ride. Like our predecessors we will seek to expose the foolishness of nuclear power. We will be armed with novelty value and insight into the systemic change needed to combat global warming. Ride with us 25th June from Port Augusta or Rockhampton, or any part of the leg you can do.