Nexus - 0101 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

£. 7 Dr Michael O'Sullivan, an Auckland engineering professor, told the inaugural Asian-Pacific symposium of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (the group which won the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize) in February that serious radioactivity with a half-life of 4,000 years would leak into the ocean from the atoll’s lagoon within 10 to 100 years. He said Mururoa was the “worst possible nuclear test site in the world" averaging less than 2.5 metres above sea level. He said it was suitable because it was "just about as far away from France as you could get.” Dr Tilman Ruff of the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital in Melbourne also told the symposium that a mystery fish poison called ciguatera is linked to Pacific nuclear tests. The disease, which is spreading through the Pacific, is produced in fish which eat a type of plankton and passes harmlessly up the food chain until eaten by humans. It can then lead to a slow, agonising death, attacking the nervous, cardiac and muscular systems. France has detonated 123 bombs in the Pacific since 1966. Mae keene vaay ora we France is about to leave Mururoa Atoll 4,000 years would leak into the ocean from for sunnier shores. The world’s most the atoll's lagoon within 10 to 100 years. nuclear nation is looking for a new test He said Mururoa was the “worst possible site, either at Fangataufa Atoll, 25 nautical nuclear test site in the world" averaging miles from Mururoa or in the sub-Antarctic less than 2.5 metres above sea level. He Kerguelen Islands, 3400km south-west of said it was suitable because it was "just SAVE WATER - Westem Australia. This is not because of about as far away from France as you could DUST THE DESERT any political or environmental outcry, but get.” - because Mururoa is breaking up and Dr Tilman Ruff of the Fairfield A revolutionary Australian discovery ‘unsafe’ for further nuclear tests after 22 Infectious Diseases Hospital in Melbourne can save drought-stricken crops and could years of nuclear explosions. also told the symposium that a mystery pave the way to the farming of deserts. If France relocates to the southem fish poison called ciguatera is linked to Colin Anderton, a former cabinet Indian Ocean highly toxic nuclear debris Pacific nuclear tests. The disease, which is maker from Perth, accidently discovered would be carried to Australia. The spreading through the Pacific, is produced last May that by combining two types of Kerguelens are a 300-island archipelago in fish which eat a type of plankton and moisture retention soils he could cut sitting astride the “Roaring Forties’ wind passes harmlessly up the food chain until watering requirements by two-thirds, currents. They are noted for their prolific eaten by humans. It can then lead to a prevent wind crosion and stop surface soils wildlife and are volcanic, containing hot slow, agonising death, attacking the from being completely leached of water and springs. There is a French research station nervous, cardiac and muscular systems. becoming desert. on the largest island, called Desolation, France has detonated 123 bombs in the The non-toxic soil treatment, marketed which is partly covered by snowfieicds and Pacific since 1966. as Aqua-Save, is ploughed in to existing glaciers; France has occupied the islands since 1949. According to Mr Ted Phillips, regional director of the Tasmanian Bureau of Meteorology, toxic radioactive debris could be carried to Western Australia within 24 hours and Tasmania in 36, even from leaky underground tests on the Kerguelens. They would precipitate over the southem half of the continent in concentrated form, while underwater leaks would lead to radioactivity being brought to Wester Australia on predominant tides. “France wil] abandon Mururoa perhaps in the next few months or 1988, because it is so leaky and contaminated,” said Dr Abraham Behar, biophysics professor at the cropland. It originates in Wester Australia where a unique combination of soils were Jaid down in a vast area millions of years ago. "Because Aqua-Save is non-toxic itcan be used-in any agricultural situation for private or.commercial gardens and in light soils for wheat farming. And it cannot damuge the environment in any way", says Mr Anderton. “If sand where nothing has grown for centuries is treated with Aqua-Save, trees and other forms of vegetation could be grown, "I will shortly be germinating 1800 hectares of industrial dust hills around Kalgoolie with a by-product of Aqua-Save Curie Institute at the University of Paris. which I've called Dustoff and this will stop "It will be an ideal opportunity for the the dust blowing constantly through the French people to make a stand against SING IN. STRINE town.” further nuclear testing,” he said. France If a teaspeon of Aqua-Save is tipped tested smaller (neutron) bombs on the atoll Southem Humpback Whales, whose into a glass of water, the glass can be last year as they caused less damage. numbers are markedly jncreasing since the inverted without the water — spilling; whaling moratorium, sing in a different although transformed to a jelly-like ‘dialect’ in Western Australian waters to substance within a few minutes, the water their East Coast cousins as they migrate up is readily usable by plants and still feels and down the coast each year. wet. Their song is an endlessly repeated, He has been given $2 million backing incredibly complex sequence lasting about to develop the project by a Perth industrial ten minutes which can be heard at least enteprencur. The Departmentof Agriculture 20km away. The song evolves gradually has promised all the support he needs and year by year and is sung by all members of inquiries have poured in from the US, Asia a migrating group. and the Middle East. The number of humpbacks in eastern There is no other area in the world Oz waters doubled in the last decade after where the soils which make up Aqua-Save the humpback was previously hunted to near are known to exist, and Mr Anderton is not extinction. disclosing the location of his find. WHALES SING IN STRINE Southem Humpback Whales, whose numbers are markedly jncreasing since the whaling moratorium, sing in a different ‘dialect’ in Western Australian waters to their East Coast cousins as they migrate up and down the coast cach year. Their song is an endlessly repeated, incredibly complex sequence lasting about ten minutes which can be heard at least 20km away. The song evolves gradually year by year and is sung by all members of a migrating group. The number of humpbacks in eastern Oz waters doubled in the last decade after the humpback was previously hunted to near extinction. SAVE WATER - DUST THE DESERT A revolutionary Australian discovery can save drought-stricken crops and could pave the way to the farming of deserts. Colin Anderton, a former cabinet maker from Perth, accidently discovered last May that by combining two types of moisture retention soils he could cut watering requirements by two-thirds, prevent wind erosion and stop surface soils from being completely leached of water and becoming desert. The non-toxic soil treatment, marketed as Aqua-Save, is ploughed in to existing cropland. It originates in Westem Australia where a unique combination of soils were laid down in a vast area millions of years grown, "I will shortly be germinating 1800 hectares of industrial dust hills around Kalgoolie with a by-product of Aqua-Save which I've called Dustoff and this will stop the dust blowing constantly through the town.” If a teaspeon of Aqua-Save is tipped into a glass of water, the glass can be inverted without the water — spilling; although transformed to a_ jelly-like substance within a few minutes, the water is readily usable by plants and still feels wel. He has been given $2 million backing to develop the project by a Perth industrial entepreneur. The Department of Agriculture has promised all the support he needs and inquiries have poured in from the US, Asia and the Middle East. There is no other area in the world where the soils which make up Aqua-Save are known to exist, and Mr Anderton is not disclosing the location of his find. 13 FRANCE NEEDS NEW ISLAND TO DESTROY Nexus New Times