Alcoa: A Nuclear Threat to Victorian Towns
Rei Yoshii, Siena Lentini, Claire Hawdon, & Peiran Liu
With nuclear power being promoted once again as an energy solution for Australia, considering past debates is instructive both because it illustrates nuclear uses enduring danger and how many people have historically mobilised against it. It was in this spirit that we sifted through materials from the University of Melbourne Archives relating to Alcoa’s Portland aluminium smelter.
In the late 1970s/early 1980s the involvement of Alcoa, a leading international provider of aluminium, in the West Victorian town of Portland, became a flashpoint for environmental activists. The controversy can be summed up as follows: looking to boost an ailing economy after the 1970s oil shock Victoria’s then-Liberal government struck a deal with Alcoa to build an aluminium smelter in Portland. There were several problems with this, including the increased price of electricity for Victorians and the risk of nuclear power being introduced in the state. Such concerns animated a vociferous campaign in opposition to Alcoa’s presence in Portland. Two leaflets produced by this campaign piqued our interest because of their evocative and interesting use of imagery.
Alcoa: A Disaster for Victoria
The leaflet Alcoa: A Disaster for Victoria (AADFV) concisely summarised the numerous criticisms sparked by the development of an aluminium smelter in Portland, Victoria. It begins by highlighting how Victorian consumers would be forced to pay more for electricity because the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SEC) “had to borrow millions of dollars in the expectation of projects like Alcoa”. In other words, the Liberal government committed to using taxpayer funds to create the infrastructure and conditions with would entice international capital to Victoria to support this project. The leaflet also raised the possibility that the energy-intensive nature of aluminium smelting would consume so much electricity that it would lead to blackouts across Victoria.
Regarding its social impacts, AADFV argued that the influx of smelting workers into Portland would strain the community and its resources. In particular, that what is often limited community funds, would be spent creating housing (for prospective Alcoa workers) instead of supporting crucial services like healthcare, schooling, and welfare programs. The detrimental environmental impacts of the smelter are also stressed in the leaflet, specifically its impacts on vegetation, marine life and water supplies.
An evocative caricature in this leaflet is critical of the development of an aluminium smelter in Portland. As displayed above (figure 1), the pig trough represents the aluminium industry. The five pigs at the trough symbolise the five supposed beneficiaries of the aluminium industry. However, only three pigs, representing big business are smiling (promotion, construction, and financing), while one (unemployment), unable to get to the trough, looks noticeably unhappy. The three smiling pigs also seem to be squeezing out another pig (energy costs). The taxes and savings of a disgruntled-looking worker provide the fodder for the ravenous, smiling pigs. Overseeing this entire process is a farmer who seems to represent the SEC, judging by the unsubtle use of its logo as the farmer’s face. Through this cartoon, the authors are likely attempting to convey that the Portland aluminium smelter, developed using the taxes and savings of workers, would ultimately be to the exclusive benefit of big business.
Nuclear Power for Portland
The second leaflet we delved into, titled Nuclear Power for Portland, considers the dangerous possibility that an aluminium smelter in Portland may provide a foundation for the introduction of nuclear power plants. The imagery (figure 2) embedded within the pamphlet directly questions and humours its audience. Upon first glance, one’s eyes are drawn to the bold and daunting imagery of a nuclear power plant, lit only by a small, inconspicuous sign stating, “another safe nuclear power plant”. The pamphlet engages with its audience from the outset, through the looming question posed on the cover, “but would you want to live next to one?”. Through literary devices, along with the dark and daunting imagery of the power plant in the background, the pamphlet heightens the impact of the rhetorical question posed, who would want to live next to a nuclear power plant?
In contrast, the second illustration (figure 3) within the pamphlet employs humour and sarcasm to engage with its audience. For instance, the electricity commission is seemingly personified within the pamphlet by the electrocution of a gormless-looking “suit”. This imagery may also be intended to convey to the audience the ridiculous nature of nuclear power plants and how the SEC was ‘fried’ for endorsing them. Though decades have passed since the publication of this leaflet, the points raised within it nevertheless highlight why the current Liberal-led push for nuclear power is similarly ‘fried’. Looking back at such imagery reiterates not only why we should steer clear of nuclear energy but also some of the techniques an anti-nuclear movement could employ moving forward.