WHEN SPIDERS UNITE, THEY CAN TIE DOWN A LION -- Ethiopian Proverb
----- END OF INCOMING EMAIL FROM "STRIDER" -----
(2) Plutonium is dangerous
The following is a letter published in the Calgary (Canada) Herald, written by Gordon Edward, president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility. It is followed by the STOP CASSINI newsletter editor's response.
----- ITEM FOUND IN ROGER HERRIED'S RADBULL -----
1 Plutonium is dangerous
Saturday 19 June 1999 Calgary Herald (Canada) http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/stories/990619/2747650.html
Plutonium safe to move
Calgary Herald, June 9.
To print that plutonium is safe to move is inaccurate. Transport of plutonium-based MOX fuel poses two types of hazards: (1) an unprecedented security risk; and (2) an unusual health risk, due to the toxicity of plutonium when inhaled.
On the subject of security, the U.S. Department of Energy states that: fresh MOX fuel remains a material in the most sensitive safeguards category because plutonium suitable for use in weapons could be separated from it relatively quickly and easily."
Noting that MOX is regulated as direct weapons-usable material by the International Atomic Energy Agency the DOE warns that the same "high standards of security" applied to "intact nuclear weapons" should be maintained for fresh MOX fuel shipments as well.
As for health concerns the Nobel Prize-winning organization International Physicians for Global Survival notes that 27 micrograms of weapons plutonium inhaled is enough to give an adult human a fatal lung cancer.
By this reckoning even the small amount of plutonium to be imported this summer equals 11 million lethal doses. True it is unlikely that any of it will be released into the environment but accidents do happen.
Gordon Edward
Montreal Que.
(Edward is president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.)
----- END OF LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE CALGARY HERALD, FOUND IN RADBULL -----
----- MY RESPONSE -----
To: Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility (CCNR)
CC: Peter Menzies, Editorial Page Editor, Calgary Herald
(menziesp@theherald.southam.ca)
From: Russell D. Hoffman, founder and editor, STOP CASSINI newsletter
Monday, June 21st, 1999
Subject: Additional information about plutonium
Hi!
I just noticed your excellent letter in the Calgary Herald (online).
You are of course referring to Pu 239, but you may want to know that NASA's Cassini spacecraft contains about 60 pounds of Pu 238 (in dioxide form), which can be vaporized in a reentry accident come this August 18th, 1999 (it also contains about 12 pounds of Pu 239).
Plutonium 238, the kind used in Cassini, has a decay rate which is about 280 times faster than Pu 239, meaning an individual like-sized particle is about 280 times MORE likely to cause cancer, leukemia, or a birth defect or other problem. Thus, where you say "27 micrograms" is sufficient, one must divide that by about 280 to get the size of a plutonium 238 particle which is sufficient to cause lung cancer.
Since Cassini has about 60 pounds of Pu 238 on board, we are talking about hundreds of billions of times the amount which is sufficient to cause lung cancer.
NASA's assurances that it will not be released in the event of an accident, NASA's assurances that there will not be an accident, and NASA's assurances that if there is an accident and the plutonium is released, it will spread out so finely through the environment that "only" 120 people worldwide will be hurt (at most) are hollow assurances; as hollow as NASA scientist's heads.
I hope you will help us to publicize this assault on humanity. NASA's reasons for using plutonium on board Cassini are stated as being necessary because solar options would not work for the particular mission to explore Saturn, but that is absurd! A slightly smaller solar mission would have worked fine, so at most TWO missions could have been made to replace this dangerous nuclear-powered (for electricity) mission.
So why did NASA go with nuclear? We believe it is because of the military connection. The "RTG" (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) technology that is used is also used to power military (spy) satellites. The whole civilian use is in short, just a cover for the military applications.
Please note that we have researched this matter very thoroughly and would be happy to provide what we believe is ample documentation of everything I have stated here; such documentation and references are all available at our STOP CASSINI web site, URL given below.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Sincerely,
Russell D. Hoffman
Peace Activist
Environmentalist
Read about THE EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS here:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/tenw/nuke_war.htm
STOP CASSINI HOME PAGE:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/cassini.htm
----- END OF MY RESPONSE -----
(3) THESE NASA EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE FIRST PEPPERED AND THEN FIRED:
NASA is risking PEPPERING us all with hundreds of billions of invisible flecks of plutonium from Cassini. In response, let's pepper them!
Each of the following persons at NASA has misrepresented Cassini and its dangers to the public in one way or another. All have been placed on the Stop Cassini newsletter distribution list and have been receiving the SC newsletter for some period of time; sometimes months, sometimes even years.
NOT ONE has responded in any way, to the charges we have presented. Rather, most who have responded to anything at all, have responded to other people's brief statements and inquiries instead, since after all, there is NO proper response to YH&OS's irrefutable logic and to take me on WILL MEAN CERTAIN HUMILIATION for that NASA employee.
And that's a fact.
So, since they have not responded to anything I have sent, I can only implore my readers to PEPPER these awful, evil people, who have abused their offices, the public trust, and humanity, with every conceivable complaint you can come up with! NOT ONE DESERVES A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP from now until August 18th, 1999 (or evermore, for that matter)! Make each morning's email review painful for them, as they are reminded of the evil deed they have condoned, either tacitly or explicitly.
"Daniel Goldin"
(dgoldin@hq.nasa.gov)
"Roger Launius"
(roger.launius@hq.nasa.gov)
"Steve Garber"
(steve.garber@hq.nasa.gov)
"Fred Gregory"
(fgregory@hq.nasa.gov)
(whill@hq.nasa.gov)
(prutledg@hq.nasa.gov)
"Woody Smith"
(woody.smith@hq.nasa.gov)
(woody@mail.hq.nasa.gov)
"Brian Welch, NASA HQ PAO"
(bwelch@mail.hq.nasa.gov)
"Douglas Isbell"
(disbell@hq.nasa.gov)
(OOSA@unov.un.or.at)
"Sandra M. Dawson"
(sandra.m.dawson@jpl.nasa.gov)
(Cassini@jpl.nasa.gov)
"Charles S. Morris"
(csm@encke.jpl.nasa.gov)
"David F. Doody"
(david.f.doody@jpl.nasa.gov)
(Note #1: Some of the email addresses are for entire offices filled with criminals.)
(Note #2: Be sure to observe the "rules of engagement" when sending email to these criminals: Each email to any one address MUST include a unique statement of your own (it can certainly include copies of statements from these newsletters as well), and each email MUST include your full name and physical (postal) address. Be sure to "cc" President Clinton and NASA head Dan Goldin with each email!)
(4) Free Grigory Pasko
Gee, I'm proud to be I'm an American, where at least I know I'm free. Free to complain, but not free to be listened too! But it could be worse -- Grigory Pasko is a prisoner of conscience being held in Russia for alerting the world to Russian dumping of military nuclear waste.
PLEASE DEMAND THE RELEASE OF GRIGORY PASKO!
Anyone who knows J. R. Nyquist (see newsletters #128, #129, #132, #133, #134 and #135) should tell him to tell his RUSSIAN GENERAL FRIENDS to LET PASKO GO! Pasko is a hero of the American People AND of the Russian People, and ALL right-thinking people around the world are watching and DEMAND HIS RELEASE!
We have heard this email address might work to send your demands:
"President Boris Yeltsin" (webmaster@gov.ru)
Be sure to "cc" President Clinton too, since he can probably have Pasko released tonight if he made the right "deal" (i.e., offered the proper "incentive"):
"President Bill Clinton" (president@whitehouse.gov)
Of course, the chance of Clinton doing the right thing today is slightly less than slim.
----- FROM RADBULL, June 21st, 1999 -----
1 Atomic Whistle-Blower Publishes Jail Guide
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Jun 21, 1999--(Agence France Presse) About to get sent to a Russian jail? Grigory Pasko has some advice.
"Don't panic and try to keep your spirits up, even if they beat your back off with rubber sticks," he wrote in a guide to Russian prison life which a newspaper published on Friday as "Jail University."
Pasko, a naval officer and military journalist, has spent over 18 months in jail awaiting trial since being arrested for spying after he filmed reports for Japanese television that accused the Russian navy of dumping nuclear waste.
Amnesty International calls him a prisoner of conscience. Prosecutors say he was trafficking state secrets.
But his guide, printed in a daily newspaper in his home town of Vladivostok, gives practical advice intended to be of use to less famous prisoners as well.
"Remember, if you land in jail [you will] rarely get out in under half a year, so you have to be prepared."
"It's worth having your own mattress and blanket ready. Our prisons are poor, and you're unlikely to get anything decent," he said. Potential inmates should also bring clothes, a spoon, a mug, a bowl, shaving kit, sewing needles and their own food.
Russia's prisons and pre-trial detention centers are often dangerously overcrowded and disease-ridden. International human rights organizations have called on Moscow to end beatings and overcrowding, improve medical care and cut the period spent waiting for trial.
Pasko's case is being handled by the Pacific Fleet Military Court, which has repeatedly postponed the trial over the past several months. He has been denied bail and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. ((C) 1999 AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE)
[*] [I] [I]c 1999 [*]European Internet Network Inc. All rights
----- END OF CLIP FROM RADBULL, JUNE 21st, 1999 -----
(5) Civilians were killed in the following towns and cities
This list, compiled by COUNTERPUNCH, is all the known cities in Yugoslavia in which civilian targets were hit by NATO bombs, which resulted in an estimated 2,000+ civilian casualties (NATO has admitted to less than 500 of these). Many of these cities were bombed multiple times:
ALEKSINAC, ARILJACA, BELGRADE, BOR, CACAK, CUPRIJA, DJAKOVICA, GNJILANE, GRDELICA, GUCEVO, ISTOK, JAGODINA, KORISA, KOSARE, KRAGUJEVAC, KRALJEVO, KRUSEVAC, KURSUMILJA, LABANE, LIPLJAN, LUZANE, MERDARE, MURINO, NIS, NOVI SAD, NOVI PAZAR, NOVI VAROS, PANCEVO, PARACIN, PRISTINA, PRIZREN-DJAKOVICA, SABAC, SAVINE VODE, SREMSKA MITROVICA, SUBOTICA, SURDULICA, TRSTENIK, UROSEVAC, UZICE, VAJEVO, VARVARIN, VRANJE
For more information:
* COUNTERPUNCH *
`Tells the Facts and Names the Names'
Edited by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair
3220 N Street, NW, Suite 346
Washington, DC 20007
Tel: 1-800-840-3683
E-mail: counterpunch@counterpunch.org
Web: http://www.counterpunch.org/
- June 1999 -
http://www.counterpunch.org/dead.html
(6) What you can do today to stop the Cassini flyby of Earth:
To stop NASA's dangerous upcoming August 17th (note new date!), 1999 flyby of Earth by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, with its deadly cargo of 72.3 pounds of plutonium 238 dioxide, arrogantly launched in 1997 amidst strong protests, please start by contacting NASA/JPL immediately and tell them you oppose Cassini:
Cassini Public Information
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena CA 91109
(818) 354-5011 or
(818) 354-6478
NASA states that they do not have the resources anymore to answer most emails they receive. Liars! They have $13 billion dollars to play with. They can answer the public's questions!
Here's NASA's "comments" email address:
comments@www.hq.nasa.gov
Daniel Goldin is the head of NASA. Here's his email address:
daniel.goldin@hq.nasa.gov
or
dgoldin@mail.hq.nasa.gov
Here's the NASA URL to find additional addresses to submit written questions to:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/facts/HTML/FS-002-HQ.html
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT NASA IS DOING TO YOUR HEALTH.
Be sure to "cc" the president and VP and your senators and congresspeople, too.
president@whitehouse.gov
vice.president@whitehouse.gov
Always include your full name and postal address in all correspondence to any Government official of any country.
After you have acquainted yourself with what NASA is doing, please:
READ OUR RESOLUTION AGAINST CASSINI!
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/petition/reso1999.htm
SIGN OUR PETITION!
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/petition/cass1999.htm
CANCEL CASSINI by JUNE 24th, 1999!
Subscription information
Thanks for reading! Welcome new subscribers!
Home page of our STOP CASSINI movement:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/cassini.htm (Accept no immitations!)
This newsletter is free and is not distributed for profit.
To subscribe, simply email the editor at
rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com and state:
SUBSCRIBE STOP CASSINI NEWSLETTER
Please include a personal message of any
length and subject matter. Thank you!
To unsubscribe email me and say
UNSUBSCRIBE STOP CASSINI NEWSLETTER
Published by Russell D. Hoffman electronically.
Written in U.S.A.
Please distribute these newsletters EVERYWHERE!
WHAT YOU DO NEXT MATTERS MOST OF ALL!
*** CANCEL CASSINI BY JUNE 24TH, 1999! ***
Next issue (#142)
Previous issue (#140)
CASSINI TABLE OF CONTENTS
This article has been presented on the World Wide Web by:
The Animated Software Company
http://www.animatedsoftware.com
rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com
First placed online June 22nd, 1999.
Last modified June 22nd, 1999.
Webwiz: Russell D. Hoffman
Copyright (c) Russell D. Hoffman