STOP CASSINI Newsletter #157 -- July 24th, 1999

Copyright (c) 1999

STOP CASSINI Newsletters Index


To: Subscribers, Press, Government Officials

Subject: Plutonium probe is pure pestilence: STOP CASSINI #157

Date: July 24th,1999

Time Frame: Cassini is scheduled to do the flyby of Earth August 18th, 1999 (August 17th in the USA) near Africa.

Today's Subjects:


(1) Solar Flares and Cassini: Some valid questions:


Ernie Measures is a Canadian World War Two veteran (wounded by shrapnel which was NOT Depleted Uranium, thank goodness!). He is an octogenarian who says he: "Spent 60 years in industrial engineering, designing furnaces, ovens, and so forth. Others would make the machines completely themselves, I would pick off-the-shelf components. You've got to be broad. The actually making of machinery -- the first thing you do, is go to the technical magazines and see what's close. You use other's knowledge."

Sounds like good advice to me. Here is something that Sandra Dawson at JPL should be able to answer for Ernie Measures and Hans Karow:

----- FAX FROM ERNIE MEASURES TO HANS KAROW: -----

Dear Hans -- re Cassini

Refer to Dr. Beckers book pages 173-182. [Robert O. Becker, M.D. "CROSS CURRENTS, The Perils of Electropollution", ISBN 0-87477-536-1 -- reference courtesy Hans Karow.]

He states that in the time of solar disturbance on the sun, a period that is happening at this moment, solar flares can disrupt all forms of radio communication.

Solar flares can also bend radiation and light to a greater degree than the normal radiation from the sun does.

At the distance that NASA will be trying to orient the Cassini space craft by radar and radio control the solar flare could effect the accuracy of the adjusting signal sent, TO THE WORLDS DETRIMENT. Before the war I was acquainted with the manufacture of torpedos, I was told that a dent in the control fin 1,000th of one inch deep could put the torpedoes off direction by a 100 yards at a distance of one mile which is certain to make it miss. Would the inaccuracy of one millionth of a degree at those distances be fatal for our world???

I also know that a cannon shell fired at a target 15,000 yds away with a 7 mile per hour crosswind will be off target by about 200 yards when it hits.

The pressure of a solar flare is much higher than the normal and could cause this type of trouble.

Am I crazy for thinking like this??

----- END OF FAX FROM ERNIE MEASURES TO HANS KAROW -----

When I spoke to Mr. Measures he added that those were of course, thumb-nail descriptions of the effects of "drift" on torpedoes and cannon shells (and plutonium space probes) but the examples given make the point that the solar wind is RIGHT NOW pushing on Cassini in varying amounts. NASA may have programmed Cassini to handle the effects correctly, but they could not possibly have anticipated what the effects would be at the time. They are varying and they are unpredictable RIGHT NOW.

Mr. Measures noted that Dr. Becker was one of the first men to alert the world to the dangers of EMPs, such as from cell phones, etc. As always seems to happen, poor Dr. Becker was subsequently demoted, fired, etc..

Multi-national corporations are doing most of the so-called "science" nowadays, and with the aid of highly paid lawyers, they always reserve the right to stop publication of any research results they don't like!

Although the "potential" dangers of various electrical pulses are still being "researched" by the endless studies of "established science", suspicious signs of real worry appear everywhere -- like forbidding their use on airplanes. The main worry is regarding cumulative effects; a single short pulse is far less important than a long pulse or a constantly repeating one. (However, that is not to negate the fact that a single strong EMP from a nuclear weapon can knock out all the modern electronics equipment in the country, even if it doesn't harm human tissue very much.)

Our thoughts -- what makes us each unique and valuable human beings -- are in our brains, and consist of trillions and trillions of tiny jolts of electricity jumping each second from dendrite to dendrite in endless and varying pathways that somehow become consciousness, memory and thought. And even within each individual human cell, of which there are trillions in your body, there is further electrical activity and delicate electrochemical processes. We are all little more than complex jolts of tiny volts.

It's almost absurd to assume that massive electrical signals beamed across such a physiological activity do not have some effect. Certainly, it might be foolhardy to make such an assumption.

Ernie Measures added that cancer rates have been going up and up and up since the second World War, and meanwhile the generation of electricity has gone up 100 times.

-- Russell D. Hoffman


(2) Letter from Hans Karow to Sandra Dawson, NASA/JPL


----- LETTER TO SANDRA DAWSON/ NASA/JPL FROM HANS KAROW: -----

From: Hans Karow
Reply-To: "core@vip.net"
To: "'Sandra M Dawson [Sandra.M.Dawson@jpl.nasa.gov]'"

Cc: "'Karl Grossman [kgrossman@hamptons.com]'"
,
"'carol rosin [rosin@west.net]'" ,
"'MKaku@aol.com'" ,
"'lanny@ilhawaii.net'" ,
"'smirnowb@ix.netcom.com'" ,
"'Kai Petzke [wpp@physik.tu-berlin.de]'"
Cc: "'hcaldic [hcaldic@ibm.net]'" ,
"'!EcoNews! Service [econews@ecologynews.com]'" ,
"'noflyby@nonviolence.org'" ,
"'rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com'" ,
"'mysticalstar@sprint.ca'" ,
"'newsdesk@envirolink.org'"
Cc: "'Rosalie Bertell [IICPH@compuserve.com]'"

Subject: CASSINI high risk Earth fly-by / Open letter to NASA
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 10:02:04 -0700

OPEN LETTER TO NASA

NASA Information Center of the Cassini Mission & Cassini Program Nuclear Safety

Attention: Mrs. Sandra M.Dawson

Tel.:(818) 354-1240.
Internet: Sandra.M.Dawson@jpl.nasa.gov

July 23, 1999

Dear Mrs. Dawson,

Re: Cassini high risk Earth fly-by due to its nuclear fueled payload

As you know I have become very concerned about the planned nuclear fueled Cassini swing-by after I have studied the Cassini's nuclear safety in depth not only by researching the different info sources from both sides of the controversial issue, but also by contacting myself eminent authorities within the medical and scientific groups (Dr. Helen Caldicott, Dr. Rosalie Bertell, Dr. Carol Rosin, Dr. John W. Gofman, Dr. Michio Kaku, Dr. Earl Budin, Dr. Kai Petzke, Francis Boyle, Lanny Sinkin, to name a few). I am also in steady contact with Professor Karl Grossman and I have seen his video " NUKES IN SPACE" and read his book "The Wrong Stuff".

I however did not succeed yet to contact any scientists or medical doctors from the pro-Cassini side or/and within NASA, who have taken part in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the Safety Evaluation Report (SER). In NASA's web site I do not see any referrals to scientists or doctors nor any references to specific safety tests and reports (peer reviewed) other than the generalized statements of EIS.

I expressly would like to note, that I DO NOT condemn any space missions, in the contrary I fully support them with great interest and enthusiasm as long as there is even NOT a minimal chance for a risk of further contaminating Earth and space with deadly radioactive materials.

Thanks to Grossman's documentary book "The Wrong Stuff" with excellent references I became aware that the Galileo Jupiter orbiting mission could have been performed with solar energy as a power supply instead of plutonium, according to the 1981 NASA-funded JPL report.

This clearly shows, that at that time the public had not been informed about this report before Galileo's launch. Years before the launch Karl Grossman was trying to obtain any of these kinds of reports with the help of the Freedom of Information Act but he was denied (why?) until shortly (about two weeks) after Galileo's launch he received the 1981 JPL report!

Something similar is happening with the Cassini mission, the general public has not been told the full and true story with regards of the nuclear safety issue, including to inform about the opponents specific concerns. But NASA is demanding from the general public to use NASA's own PR as the ONLY source for the "full" and "true" story of related issues.

Following are a few questions with referral to some Internet links I kindly ask you to open and read the indicated articles in those links.

QUESTIONS:

1 Mrs. Dawson, I kindly ask whether you / NASA are aware of and know about the contents of Karl Grossman's "The Wrong Stuff" book and "NUKES IN SPACE II" film. What is your / NASA's position to both these documentaries? Does NASA accept/agree with Grossman's findings and statements in both documentaries?

2. In an earlier e-mail to your office

From: Hans Karow [SMTP:core@vip.net]
Sent: June 1, 1999 5:45 PM
To: 'sdawson@mail1.jpl.nasa.gov'
Cc: kgrossman@hamptons.com; 'noflyby@nonviolence.org';
'rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com'; 'Elizabeth Picard'
Subject: RE: FW: Cassini mission

I asked you/NASA to please comment to Russell D. Hoffman's article "An Answer to a JPL document regarding Cassini's nuclear payload" (see http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/jpltruer.htm )

I again ask: "Is Mr. Hoffman right in his Truer statements? Please comment on these".

3. In my last e-mail

-----Original Message-----
From: Hans Karow [SMTP:core@vip.net]
Sent: July 19, 1999 2:06 PM
To: 'sdawson@mail1.jpl.nasa.gov'
Subject: RE: FW: Cassini mission

I referred to SER, which states contradictions to NASA's EISs. For instance, NASA's claims that the Plutonium containers "were designed to withstand re-entry" into our atmosphere (FEIS p. 2-17, 20 et al.), whereas SER noted that they were NOT designed to withstand the heat of an accidental re-entry at the planned fly-by speed of over 10 miles per second (p. 3-24).

a) Could you please comment on this contradiction and why NASA does not mention about the SER's findings with regards of the safety of the plutonium containers in case of Cassini's re-entry accident.

b) Could you please provide the web site where I can download the complete SER? My attempts over the phone to ask for a copy of SER are so far in vain. I was asked to come to NASA's library (I live in British Columbia, Canada).

Why are important information not made easily available via the Internet to the general public?

4. In your last e-mail (July 19, 1999 2:22 PM) you stated "These [EISs] studies, especially the one on the Earth Swingby, have been reviewed by several independent panels of nationally recognized experts in the fields such as spacecraft engineering, space physics, health physics, meteorology, astronomy, etc. They all agreed the risk is very low..."

I kindly ask for copies of/or web sites containing the reviewed work of all related Cassini safety issues of these panels and experts as soon as possible. At the same time I also ask for the names, phone/fax numbers as well as the e-mail addresses of these panels AND nationally recognized experts, so members of the concerned groups can contact them for more information and reassurance.

5. You are aware that I am a member of the Cassini Redirection Coalition (CRC). Our mission is, together with other Anti Cassini groups world-wide, to inform the public and to work towards the prevention of Cassini's Earth fly-by as well as ALL future nuclear fueled space missions (civilian/military) involving risks (never mind how small) of possibly contaminating Earth and space with nuclear materials. With the help of other authorities I was able to co-ordinate the UN Emergency Petition available at:
http://www.nonviolence.org/noflyby/alerts/petun.htm

http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/petition/cass1999.htm

and the UN Emergency Resolution available at
http://www:nonviolence.org/noflyby/alerts/reso1999.htm

http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/petition/reso1999.htm

I kindly ask you/NASA to inform me of any statements in the petition and resolution that are not correct.

6. Since the most important facts about plutonium were not easily available and understandable for the general public, with the help of others I have coordinated the article "Facts about Cassini's Plutonium" also available at http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/nltrs/nltr0139.htm

I kindly ask you/NASA to correct any wrong statements within this article.

7. As part of Dr. John W. Gofman's response to my letter to him I received his "Letter of Concern" (available at http://www.ratical.org/radiation/CNR/LetterOfConcern.html ).

Referring to Dr. Gofman's letter referring to "The probability of a single atom of Plutonium causing cancer" (SER 3-12), and also referring to a very important fact -omitted from the SER (and from all of the Environmental Impact Statements by NASA)- that each kilogram of Plutonium contains trillions of Plutonium atoms, it must be concluded that the estimated tens of fatal cancers (in SER, compared to nearly zero in NASA's EIS) could actually be millions of cancer deaths if the Plutonium enters a large metropolitan area. However, this is still understating the environmental impact of Plutonium: Plutonium-238 is radioactive for over 800 years (Plutonium-239: 240,000 years) harming any living, whether human, animal or plant, that it enters, also meaning as many times as it changes its living host (see "Facts about Cassini's Plutonium", question 6. above)

I kindly ask for your/NASA's position/comments to these facts.

8. The late Dr. Karl Z. Morgan stated in sworn testimony, that NASA has assured him that SNAP-9A had a "one in ten million" chance of a re-entry failure. Yet it happened, spewing 2.1 pounds of plutonium (mostly 238) into the environment.

Alan Kohn was Emergency Preparedness Officer on the Ulysses and Galileo missions. He spoke out against Cassini prior to the launch..

Dr. Michio Kaku calculated Cassini's failure at 10%, which failure rate increased with four other recent space missions. NASA predicts still a "one in a million" chance of re-entry, which was not calculated but purely guessed. ((Note again: SNAP-9A had a "one in ten million" chance of re-entry failure!)

I kindly ask your/NASA's position/comments to these statements .

9. In the case of the Galileo Jupiter orbiting mission and referring to the 1981 NASA-funded JPL report (which states that solar could have been used instead of plutonium) why did NASA not opt for the SAFE solar alternative?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I very much hope to have an open dialogue with you/NASA until I have been proved that my worries about the space missions' nuclear safety, especially within the Cassini mission, are unfounded, so I can -again- fully support and enjoy all space missions.

Looking forward for your immediate response,

Yours sincerely,

Hans Karow
Member, Cassini Redirection Coalition (CRC)
S 32 C 6 RR # 1
OLIVER BC CANADA VOH 1TO
Tel./Fax: (250) 498 3135
E-mail : core@vip.net

----- END OF LETTER TO SANDRA DAWSON/ NASA/JPL FROM HANS KAROW -----


(3) Dawson considers herself insignificant. So why doesn't she resign?


Several times, Hans Karow has pressed Sandra Dawson at NASA for definitive answers. This next item is as close as he has gotten to a response, but it could easily have been written by a robot. Dawson refuses to answer any questions, and in fact does not say anything which would prove that she herself knows ONE THING about the true dangers of Cassini! She apparently is just sure she is not being lied to by other NASA employees. I recommend to Hans that he ask her to answer the questions given in my previous newsletter, and also that she forward to him all information available on the possible environmental impacts of all upcoming plutonium-powered missions. (See item #5 in this newsletter, below).

The editor of the Stop Cassini newsletter is especially bothered by Ms Dawson's statement that, "Nothing I say will add significantly to what you can find on the website." That should not be true! It is her job to know what the public can know (which is everything about the project, theoretically)! Sandra Dawson could, with a few sentences, clearly indicate her own personal understanding of the dangers we face from 400,000 Curies of plutonium -- she could even mention the amount now and then herself, for instance, as if she wasn't afraid to say it. Instead of telling us some experts "all agreed the risk is very low", she could state, "I personally am satisfied that Cassini will not cause the cancers, leukemias and birth defects which 400,000 Curies of plutonium are acknowledged by all of medical science to be capable of causing".

In other words, Hans wishes to speak to an expert. Sandra Dawson, will not allow him to. She plays judge, jury and executioner to the truth. And she won't even take any blame or responsibility, herself! She has four possible answers that I can think of for Hans. She should pick one of the following, present it, and then explain why she feels that way:

A) "I like Cassini because I don't think the 400,000 Curies of plutonium will reenter Earth's atmosphere. I'm guessing, but hey, it's good enough for me."

B) "I don't think the containment system will breach and let the 400,000 Curies of plutonium out. Sure, the RHUs (Radioactive Heater Units) will breach but hey, what's 3/4ths of pound (or more) of plutonium scattered in fine particles among friends?"

C) "Even if the plutonium gets in YOUR lung, Mr. Karow, I don't think you will die because I just figure, you'll beat the odds like most people will. Not everyone, but I'm figuring you'll be lucky, so go away and don't bother NASA again."

D) "Even if you get the plutonium in your lungs and get cancer or leukemia or pass on a birth defect, NASA and I will disavow responsibility for your illness, so as with (C), Mr. Karow, please go away and don't bother us again. The blatant and worthless denials are at the web site. Go read them again, they're the best we're going to offer you."

Why should she feel compelled to do this (give an actual opinion of her own, and take some degree of responsibility for what NASA is doing)? Because she is the "point person" for NASA! If Cassini fails, she will owe the world HER explanation for why Hans has been denied.

Sandra Dawson supposedly answers questions for the public. Her answer should therefore fit into one of these groups, but instead, she indicates that she considers herself insignificant, and does not even point Hans to experts who can answer his questions. (Those "expert's" answers would also have to fit into one of these groups, of course.) But rather than be frank about the situation, Hans is directed to documents Hans already has indicated he has reason to believe are of questionable value.

Sandra Dawson should resign from NASA. She misunderstands the purpose of her position, which is to provide ANSWERS to the public, not direct traffic to previously unanswerable misstatements from her coworkers and bosses!

-- rdh

----- PRIOR CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN HANS KAROW AND SANDRA DAWSON -----

From: Hans Karow
Reply-To: "core@vip.net"
Subject: FW: FW: Cassini mission
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 13:25:34 -0700

-----Original Message----- From: Sandra M Dawson [SMTP:Sandra.M.Dawson@jpl.nasa.gov]
Sent: July 19, 1999 2:22 PM
To: core@vip.net
Subject: Re: FW: Cassini mission

Mr. Karow,

Please refer to our website at www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/rtg

You will find the entire Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the Final Environmental Impact Statement, the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, and all four volumes of the EIS Supporting Studies. These studies, especially the one on the Earth Swingby, have been reviewed by several independent panels of nationally recognized experts in the fields such as spacecraft engineering, space physics, health physics, meteorology, astronomy, etc. They all agreed the risk is very low. The Office of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive Office of the President reviewed these studies and gave approval to launch. Nothing I can say will add significantly to what you can find on the website.

Hans Karow wrote:

Dear Mrs. Dawson,

This is again a friendly reminder of my outstanding questions in my previous e-mails I asked you to respond please.

I have not received any note from the NASA Office of Space and Science yet.

Hans Karow, Dipl. Ing., Bauass.
Member, Cassini Redirection Coalition (CRC)
S 32 / C 6, RR # 1
OLIVER BC VOH 1TO CANADA
Tel./Fax: (250) 498 3135
E-mail: core@vip.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Sandra M Dawson [SMTP:Sandra.M.Dawson@jpl.nasa.gov]
Sent: June 1, 1999 12:31 PM
To: core@vip.net
Subject: Re: FW: Cassini mission

Dear Mr. Karow:

Since your questions address NASA's position on various Cassini issues, I have forwarded your concerns to the NASA Office of Space Science for response.

Hans Karow wrote:

Attention: Sandra Dawson, JPL

Dear Sandra, I knindly ask you by return e-mail, whether you are prepared to respond to my e-mails I have sent you a few days.

I hope very much you are open for a dialogue so I better can understand NASA's position if my concerns are unfounded.

Sincerely, Hans Karow.

-----Original Message----- From: Hans Karow [SMTP:core@vip.net]
Sent: May 27, 1999 12:19 PM
To: 'sandra.m.dawson@jpl.nasa.gov'
Cc: 'Karl Grossman'; 'noflyby@nonviolence.org'; 'rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com'
Subject: FW: Cassini mission

-----Original Message-----
From: Hans Karow [SMTP:core@vip.net]
Sent: May 26, 1999 10:11 AM
To: 'sdawson@mail1.jpl.nasa.gov'
Subject: FW: Cassini mission

-- Sandra Dawson Jet Propulsion Laboratory... -- Sandra Dawson
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
sandra.m.dawson@jpl.nasa.gov
(818) 354-1240 (voice)
(818) 393-6735 (faxboard)

----- END OF FORWARDED CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN HANS KAROW AND SANDRA DAWSON -----


(4) Probing questions for NASA from Maryann Rada, Coronado, CA


----- LETTER TO DAN GOLDIN/NASA FROM MARYANN RADA: -----

Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 21:49:48 -0700
Subject: Probing questions
From: "maryann rada"
To: daniel.goldin@hq.nasa.gov
CC: president@whitehouse.gov, vice.president@whitehouse.gov,
ggusa@globalgreen.org, rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com

First, I want to tell you that it's great to see what NASA's accomplished, and I applaud the success of the recent shuttle missions. I join the world in watching the skies become a reachable frontier--one we all hope and expect will be approached with peace foremost in our intent. As Lyndon Johnson said, "No national sovereignty rules in outer space. Those who venture there go as envoys of the entire human race. Their quest, therefore, must be for all mankind, and what they find should belong to all mankind."

I pray that the human thirst for power has not completely blinded us to the very real consequences of the Great Game.

My concern: I've been reading a lot about the "slingshot" probe that's hurtling towards us, which will approach through the clouds of cometary debris in the next month. I have to ask, what was the Agency thinking, using the Earth as part of this experiment, and with a vehicle loaded with toxic fuel??? Who was consulted on this? Not I, nor countless millions of us who, in disbelief, wait to see just what will happen with this great experiment. Like a transfixed Goliath, we all sit here to see if the rock we shot out will come knock us on our butts. And there we'll stay, if this thing goes wrong. But how could it, with all the know-how from your scientists? I am sure you've checked and re-checked everything--I am not implying "bad math" here. What about the field of rocks this thing is flying through? I know there's no way to calculate their effect, bouncing off Cassini.

Statistically impossible. Prove me wrong. Prove to me--an ordinary citizen but one who has a right to honest information and a guarantee that the government will not unnecessarily endanger my health or my ability to have healthy children -- prove to me that this thing will skim harmlessly along on its merry way to Saturn. Prove to me that it poses no danger whatsoever to any of us here--your family, your children, their children.... Many of us want to hear, and we need to believe that you knew what you were doing when you launched this little hunk of nuclear-powered metal on a near-collision course with our backyard.

Please, tell me if this keeps you up at night. If it isn't, maybe it should.

Thank you for your time. I wish you peace.

Maryann Rada
903 Sixth St.
Coronado, CA 92118

----- END OF LETTER TO DAN GOLDIN/NASA FROM MARYANN RADA -----

Our thanks for such a thoughtful letter (which Dan Goldin will ignore, for he cannot provide Maryann Rada with the proof she deserves).


(5) Plutonium powered probes portend pestilence; peculiar proponents (pariahs) perplex peaceful people on perfectmost planet:


The July/August 1999 Ad Astra (page 12), the magazine of the National Space Society (http://www.nss.org) contained an uncredited (and who can blame the author?) article titled "Plutonium Powered Probes Promise Progress, but Prod Opponents."

Nice try, fellas.

The article ignored all actual discussions about the dangers and merely repeated NASA's putrid prognostication that "the danger from plutonium is remote" (presumably any plutonium, all plutonium, no matter how much, no matter how often). Of course it also reasserted NASA's malarkey that "the radioactive material is the only practical power source for deep space missions". It ignored that these missions are not really "deep space" and worse, it ignored the harmless solar options other more civilized societies are using right now.

The article quoted Steve Edberg, a scientist on the Cassini mission, who proffered some placating idiocies about "Obviously, NASA people live on Earth, too, so we want to ensure that everything is safe for our families". He then mentioned "everyone else as well", evidently as an afterthought.

The article, despite the timing, completely ignored all mention of the upcoming flyby of Earth by Cassini, and referred only to launch accidents as the source of worry. And it assured us that "to quell such fears" NASA is developing "advanced radioisotope power systems" which NASA says and the article mimics, will "greatly reduce the amount of plutonium needed for future missions. The first models will be ready for flight in late 2003."

THEY ARE NOT MUCH BETTER! With the new ARPSs instead of the "old" RTGs, Cassini would carry roughly 150,000 Curies of plutonium 238 and Pu 239 (versus the 400,000 Curies it carries today) -- still a terrible burden which should NOT be permitted by compassionate humans!

The article stated that there are "strict safety measures in place" (without, going into detail, of course).

Of note, the article listed the following upcoming plutonium missions:

Pluto-Kuiper Express, Europa Orbiter (both in the 2003-2004 time frame) and one curiously called the Solar Probe, to be launched in 2007. What in inappropriate and confusing name! All readers of the Stop Cassini newsletter should contact Sandra Dawson at NASA/JPL (address given above) and demand to be put on the list to receive ALL documentation about these upcoming flights, ALL of which should be immediately canceled, delayed indefinitely, or redesigned with solar options.

-- Russell Hoffman


(6) Dr. Rosalie Bertell on Depleted Uranium dangers:


We have published a number of items about Depleted Uranium in the STOP CASSINI newsletter including comments by Dr. Rosalie Bertell (in newsletter #115). Here is another one of Dr. Bertell's insightful comments. (Note: the "34 who were investigated" refers to Gulf War veterans and the inadequate medical testing they have been receiving.)

----- INCOMING EMAIL FORWARDED BY WENDY MACLEOD-GILFORD: -----

Subject: DU
Sent: 19/7/19 11:23 pm
Received: 19/7/99 8:40 pm
From: Rosalie Bertell, IICPH@compuserve.com
To: Wendy MacLeod-Gilford, berg@mail.gn.apc.org

Dear Wendy,

Even the 34 who were investigated by DoD for DU, had no real testing for DU. They did have urine analysis for uranium, with no isotopic breakdown. These were the vets with shrapnel from friendly fire. They DoD judgement was that if they showed no massive kidney damage then the problems were not from DU. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that if the shrapnel is still in the vets body it has not yet passed through the kidneys!

When they say that there is not enough uranium to be "significant" they are referring to acute radiation sickness (which no one is claiming). It is only soluble uranium which passes through the body quickly and damages the kidney in passing. The DU breathed in the Gulf War was ceramic uranium, tiny particles of radioactive glass which was highly insoluble in water. It needs to be measured by its radioactive properties - especially long term residence time in the lungs, lymph nodes, pancreas, liver, spleen, bone marrow and kidney.

Best wishes,
Rosalie

Rosalie Bertell, Ph. D., GNSH
President, ACS (1998-2000)
President IICPH (1984+)
710-264 Queens Quay West
Toronto ON M5J 1B5 CANADA
Tel: 1-416-260-0575
Fax: 1-416-260-3404
Email: IICPH@compuserve.com

----- END OF INCOMING EMAIL FORWARDED BY WENDY MACLEOD-GILFORD -----

There are recent assertions by the authorities that they will study the possible effects of Depleted Uranium. But no one needs to study D. U. anymore to know it's cruel and inhumane and should be banned! That's as ridiculous as the idea that we need to study botulism to see if IT is a fair weapon of war. We don't. It isn't, and neither is D. U..

Even if, as one article in the London Times recently reported, "alarming evidence of contamination had yet to be found" there is no doubt what the evidence will show. So what are they waiting for? Deformed babies to prove it?

BAN DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS!

For more information, contact:

Blewbury Environmental Research Group
Wendy MacLeod-Gilford &
Mick Gilford, MA(Cantab), MSc, DIC
Lesmarie, Bessels Way, Blewbury
Oxon. OX11 9NN, UK
Tel+Fax: 01235 850711
E-mail: berg@gn.apc.org
WWW: http://www.gn.apc.org/pmhp/berg


(7) What you can do today to stop the Cassini flyby of Earth:


To learn about the absurd excuses NASA used to launch Cassini in 1997, ask them for the 1995 Environmental Impact Statement for the Cassini Mission, and all subsequent documentation. At the same time, be sure to ask them for ANY and ALL documentation available on future uses of plutonium in space, including MILITARY, CIVILIAN, or "OTHER" (just in case they make a new category somehow!). To get this information, contact:

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.


(8) Subscription information


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First placed online July 27th, 1999.
Last modified July 27th, 1999.
Webwiz: Russell D. Hoffman
Copyright (c) Russell D. Hoffman