From: Russell David Hoffman, very concerned citizen
Re: May God Save Britain: STOP CASSINI #208
Date: October 15th, 1999
"There can be no democracy without truth, no justice without mercy, and no nuclear dispersals without ill consequences."
This issue's subjects:
We received the following emails and think Woody Smith will appreciate the thoughtfulness of our managing to give him a "dishonorable mention" once again.
We are completing another Cassini-related debate as well, which will be published in a day or two, assuming no meltdowns occur. (Many people use that word -- meltdowns -- euphemistically. I am not.)
NOTE: I have not yet visited this person's web site, but the links are provided and I will try to do so myself soon.
-- rdh
From: "Sergey Borovik"
sergey@bigwig.net
To:
rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com
Subject: Subscribe to Stop Cassini Newsletter
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 22:55:42 -0000
X-UIDL: d551965fa02e82d798e76c33f0918d1c
Hello Mr. Hoffman.
I have been visiting your website for a couple
of years and have added a link to it to my
site. It is always important to include a
contrasting opinion. I would like to subscribe
to your newsletter and, as you appear to be
allowing me to do so, explain why I am
subscribing to it.
This is, to some extent, a case of "It is wise
to know one's enemy". But I am not pro-
nuclear: in fact, I am against the use of
nuclear energy in any form on Earth and
within the orbit of the asteroid belt. But
beyond the asteroid belt, RTGs are the only
option that is currently feasible. In a few
decades time, I am confident that RTGs will be
superseeded (sic) by something more acceptable
to the public. But unlike you, I don't believe
that planetary science should wait.
I feel that their use in the outer solar system
should be continued, but elsewhere, nuclear
technology be scrapped. Maybe you should
be campaigning against the use of RTGs in
a more sinister application. The USA and
Russia use sonar buoys to scan certain areas
of ocean for submarines. They need to
function deep underwater for very long periods
of time. Guess what power source they use.
I wonder how many have gone adrift. You see,
the real threat is on Earth in the form of rusting
ex-Soviet fleets and dilapidated nuclear plants.
They are always one error away from a meltdown.
Space is merely a relatively unimportant
sideshow in a far greater issue.
Sergey Borovik
___________________________________
http://www.bigwig.net/sergey/index.htm
PAX SCIENTIA
(I forgot to mention I don't speak Latin, so I hope Pax Scientia says science is a good thing, somehow. -- rdh)
Dear Sir,
Thank you for subscribing to the (free, electronic) STOP CASSINI newsletter, and I appreciate your link and your comments, and I'll publish our correspondence soon in an upcoming issue (which will, of course, thus provide a link back to your site (which I will also visit when I get a chance, but for the sake of debate (and perhaps some expediency), I have chosen to answer your letter on its own merits, without visiting your site first.).
I must guess, from your comments, or rather lack thereof, that you are not currently overly concerned about the dangers of Y2K and nukes. I say this because it has been such an important part of my most recent 30 or 40 newsletters. I would hope that anyone who says they are opposed to nuclear this and that (but not deep-space RTGs) would be very, very concerned about that particular nuclear threat -- it's like an asteroid whose density and exact point(s) of impact we cannot determine, but we know when exactly when it will it. We don't know how many craters it will leave, and whether any (or all) of them will be radioactive. But we do know that no government on the planet is doing nearly enough about the dangers that lurk. This is unequivocal to anyone paying the least bit of attention! It is a mathematical certainty that if we do not shut the nukes down for Y2K, if we do not de-alert the weapons, we will be in a more precarious state than ever before. How much more precarious? 1000 times? A million times? This is not your average blizzard. This is not your average SCRAM, or your average scramble.
Yet I hear not a word from you. You should be telling your friends to tell their friends to tell their friends to tell Clinton that he MUST -- along with Yeltzin and Blair and all the others -- de-alert the weapons and close the nuclear power plants! If not forever, at least for Y2K. If not for Y2K, then when?
I hope you are preparing yourself and your family for this coming event, which may be a small nightmare, a big one, or possibly none at all. But in any event, it could also be a trigger event for destroying ALL the nuclear weapons you say you oppose. PLEASE write to Clinton about it today!
But going back to the RTG issue, I would agree with you. I think you know that -- I would agree with you completely, if only. If only there were some safe way to get the RTG from HERE to THERE! Solve that, and you might have my cooperation, but you cannot possibly solve that, and why not? Because of the space debris space pioneers before you put in outer space around Earth already! Millions of pieces, but only about 8,000 to 9,000 are tracked (and those not very well). Also because of the rocket failures that are NOT due to space debris but are a constant in the industry. And also because of the lies that have accompanied the RTG solution, which neither you nor anyone else who supports the RTGs have lifted a finger to stop.
These are not all side issues, they are crucial. And these "deep space" (a misnomer anyway, if you ask me) missions are not a side show themselves, I believe there is ample evidence to show that they are a cover so that the military can continue to make plutonium RTGs for their own use in spy satellites which remain in orbit around Earth (which, in fact, is WORSE than the deep space probes (unless the probes do flybys of Earth) and utterly useless -- war is not a useful end of science, when you come right down to it.
As for the other uses of plutonium (again, virtually entirely military), I have told people about them in my newsletters and of course I oppose them, and your willingness to speak out in opposition to them is good too. But there is a crucial difference, which is that those devices do not run the risk of vaporization upon reentry through Earth's atmosphere!
I guess that is enough of an answer for now. Perhaps you suspected these would be my initial areas of concern regarding your comments. In any event, I don't see how you can answer them, but I would welcome your attempts.
Sincerely,
Russell Hoffman
From: "Sergey Borovik"
sergey@bigwig.net
To:
rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com
Subject: More on RTGs
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 19:48:14 -0000
Dear Mr. Hoffman.
I am concerned about the effects of Y2K on
nuclear weapons and power plants, but the
governments of the US, UK and France have
taken measures against this. Here in the UK
independent surveys have been done on these
and all other computer systems (with the
obvious exception of businesses, which have
done it on their own). Britain is in no danger
of a Y2K-related nuclear catastrophe, and I'm
sure that it is the same for other Western
nuclear powers. It is in the less developed
East where the real threat of such an accident
lies, and I'm not sure what I can do about it.
I tend to treat nuclear technology on Earth and
in space as two different issues. Apart from
civilian physics and medical research, I don't
think that the use of nuclear technology on Earth
is wise, but have have so far lacked the time to
join an organisation like CND or write
repeatedly to the MPs. As for space, well, I
agree that it is inappropriate to use RTGs for
anything but missions to beyond the asteroid
belt. The military's use of RTGs in spy satellites
is pointless, as they can just as easily use
solar panels. And having this stuff orbiting for
a couple of decades isn't a good idea either,
as it massively increases the risk of an accident.
I support you in your criticism of this policy.
But it isn't often that space probes are sent
to beyond the asteroid belt (once every few
years), and they don't hang around for long: a
total of a few hours. An explosion during launch
won't damage a modern RTG casing in any
way because the temperatures and pressures
just aren't great enough. RTGs are even rated
to survive re-entries, although in the past not
all were shielded in such a manner, which
was stupid.
There is a strong case to be made against
other uses of RTGs and nuclear technology,
but outer solar system exploration should, in
my opinion, remain the only exception.
I will forward copies of your newsletter to my
friends, but whether they care or not (a couple
will) it is hard to predict.
Sergey Borovik
___________________________________
http://www.bigwig.net/sergey/index.htm
PAX SCIENTIA
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your follow-up email. I have interspersed answers inside of [[[ triple brackets ]]] below:
At 07:48 PM 10/15/99 +0000, Sergey Borovik wrote:
Dear Mr. Hoffman.
I am concerned about the effects of Y2K on nuclear weapons and power plants, but the governments of the US, UK and France have taken measures against this.
[[[ Yes, they have prepared! They have done propaganda announcements! Is there any particular reason that Japan, with 35 or 45 nukes, is not included in your list? -- rdh ]]]
Here in the UK
independent surveys have been done on these
and all other computer systems (with the
obvious exception of businesses, which have
done it on their own). Britain is in no danger
of a Y2K-related nuclear catastrophe, and I'm
sure that it is the same for other Western
nuclear powers. It is in the less developed
East where the real threat of such an accident
lies, and I'm not sure what I can do about it.
[[[ I have been in debate with pro-nuclear folks from Britain, and am quite convinced this assessment of the situation there is incorrect or at best unprovable and unlikely. Your nuclear power plants can be destroyed, and have been destroyed in the past. Your leaks have been covered up, your deaths have been denied. You have nuclear waste dumps on your lands, in your lakes and in the oceans near your shores. You threaten the world with nuclear weapons you do not need, must not use, and cannot pay for when the full bill falls due.
Y2K represents a uniquely dangerous moment, but it is not all that different in character from every other day. Software and hardware systems fail. That is a fact. People do bone-headed things. British people are no different from anyone else -- you can and do make mistakes.
But beyond that fallacy you live under regarding Y2K and every day, it is very simple what YOU can do to reduce the dangers we face. First of all, you could read up on the facts. The dangers outside the "West" are unquestionably far greater than those in America, France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Canada or Britain, where, one hopes, better government controls pushed by more effective watchdog groups have led to SLIGHTLY safer situations. But safe enough? I contend that is impossible with -- not only current technology -- but even with any conceivable technology based on known technologies!
There are definitely things YOU can do. You can choose not to rest until the threats YOUR COUNTRY MAKES upon the rest of the world are reduced. Instead you complain to me? Complain to Blair! At least once each day, until Y2K, I'd say. About what?
It seems to me Britain is one of the countries which is LEAST like a "police state" in the traditional sense of the word -- what do you think prevents a terrorist from destroying one of your nuclear power plants or a fuel pool near it?
If there is a leak, what protects you? Have YOU studied it? Have you looked into the number of monitors around each nuclear power plant, the state of repair they are in, the definition of an allowable release? Did you know that they are less likely to call for an evacuation if it's snowing? Maybe you think that makes sense, but I think that THE PEOPLE should be allowed to decide for themselves if they want to get out of town whenever there is a leak. That's how democracy functions: On truth. Period. You can't decide not to announce a leak just because it's snowing! Just because you are afraid the people will panic! It's bloody dishonest, as you Brits might say. It's immoral. It's wrong. People have a right to know what kills them, what might, and to what measure.
In fact, the current readings of all the monitors should be available on the Internet instantly for everyone to read as they see fit -- or to complain that there are not enough monitors around the nuke factory, as I discussed in detail with someone on the Y2K-nuclear forum recently.
You should be able to set your computer to check the monitors every two minutes if you like! Why not? There is no honest reason why that information should not, in 1999, be required to be posted on the Internet.
But I am sure there is not a single nuclear power plant operates that way anywhere in the world, putting real-time monitor reports on the web so that local residents, reporters, scientists and anyone else who is interested can have the raw and vital data. Why must a polit-bureau member guard the data, if it's really safe? Oh I'm sorry, I mean a qualified health physicist. Same thing. A member of a cult who will not present the facts to the public. A person who is allowed to release death-particles to the environment as long as it is done in drips and drabs, not all at once. Then, a slap on the wrist is in order.
But yet in your much-ballyhooed Britain, you tell me that all is well. I don't believe it for a minute.
What are you basing that on? Some studies, you say, which you trust? Have you trusted everyone, then, who brought you everything from Sellafield/Windscale to Dounreay on Scotland's northern coast -- where waste storage units have been leaking onto local beaches, and which is now in the national press even here in the United States, as well as all over the Internet -- and 1000 other accidents?
Every one of these accidents are the very things we were assured wouldn't happen -- and worse. Chernobyl was NEVER supposed to happen. Tokaimura was impossible -- but did you read what Jack Shannon had to say in STOP CASSINI newsletter #201?
One hasn't got to wonder much, to expect you'll just tell me Britain's reprocessing plants are geometry safe" or if not, that they are safe because they are staffed with Brits.
And yet there is more -- because we in the "West" have a little more freedom than they have in many other countries (where all the Western countries have been selling nukes) and we hope we are a little more capable of free thought -- because of these things, it is OUR DUTY to do something to help those other countries. Besides, a nuke meltdown anywhere eventually spreads around to everyone else, so for the sake of our children, it is our duty AGAIN -- to stop this madness. Who do you think is really in charge of all this stuff, anyway? YOU ARE! Have YOU complained to Tony Blair that he has not given enough money to allow foreign nuclear power plants to be shut down from now through New Years, and perhaps forever? Have you planned to send these correspondences to him, to show him the details of the debate, so he can tell Clinton a thing or two (like: "Hey Bill: We've both been had; we're idiots for supporting these crazy nuke projects! Let's stop doing it!" which is what I think he would conclude if he considers your arguments against mine (of course, I realize you may still see things differently; but remember that you are not obliged to stand by any opinion you formerly held, at any time in your life!))
If you like technology so much, have you supported the building of TIDE-BASED ENERGY SYSTEMS? The Moon, the closest celestial body to Earth, exerts an enormous force upon this planet, which could be directly converted into electricity through a series of baffles, pumps, turbines, etc. -- this is practically kid's stuff now. Yet it's not being done, because folks like you think everything is alright with the nuclear giant that's spewing its deadly "demon hot atom".
Britain is not safe.
But even if she were, even if everything you have written claiming things are cool there for Y2K is true, she is still threatening other countries with nuclear weapons. So the other countries threaten her, and everyone else. And when a nuclear weapon is finally set off in a city somewhere, and no one knows who did it or why (I'm sure it's quite amazing what a nuclear explosion does to destroy the evidence of its design or designers) what will you say then? If we don't get rid of the weapons, sooner or later there will be a terrorist action or an accident or an accident during a terrorist action.
In fact, the best terrorist action is the most obvious: Place a nuclear device in the center of a major city, don't set it off, and tell the press and everyone (via the Internet, of course) where it is and how to approach it to disarm it.
Would this cause a panic of people trying to get out of town? You would think so, wouldn't you? Assuming the device existed (any reporter would of course, want to check something like this carefully before announcing it, both with the police and by going to the site) what would this do for the terrorist organization that does the deed?
I don't know. I can't think of any good that would come of it. Considering that many of the so-called "terrorist organizations" prove in the end to be little more than a determined band of rebel "freedom fighters" trying to establish self-government (or hadn't you noticed?) this seems a useless act that goes beyond desperation all the way to depravation. It is depraved to threaten people with nuclear weapons. Even if you are an established democracy, it is still depraved. Maybe more so, eh?
Maybe that's why it's never been done. But other than that, what else can you do with one besides set one off? Store it? Take it apart and try to put it together again, which is what most guys do with stuff they don't know what else to do with (and a lot of stuff they know better than to play with, too). What if it has an electronic guard so that if you try to take it apart it blows up in your face? In short, considering all these problems, who would steal one of these things? What can you do with it? Tell people you have it so they can try to find it?
Nuclear weapons seem like just about the most useless thing on Earth to me, and that's if you're a terrorist and don't even have to abide by "the rules". Civilized nations have rules against genocide. I would think those rules would apply to nuclear weapons most of all, since most of the deaths they cause are random, and occur long after the bomb is exploded. Tell me, where is the human decency in using a nuclear device, even as a response to some dictator with a few dozen henchmen or small terrorist group, who somehow managed to procure a nuclear device and then successfully use it on you? The radioactive particles from the nuke you explode in the other nation will spread around the world -- our small fragile planet, which we do not own, as the Native American Indians say, we borrow it from our children -- even if they are the farthest country from you, or even if they are the nearest but downwind from you, eventually the radiation will kill people in your own country. First, though, it will kill people, randomly, silently, and torturously (and without leaving a marker), in all the countries between the country you bombed and your country. You will not suffer, perhaps, but your children, or their children, will. How many foreigners visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki other than to pay homage or tribute? Who would ever visit there for any other reason? Who would ever visit London for any other reason were it nuked into oblivion? Even if it was an accident on the part of the Royal Navy? (They would never admit it, of course. They would claim it was a terrorist group, probably a previously unheard-of one, since all the others will try to account for their actions (a strange thing for them to do, indeed) to prove it was not them.)
Surely you see the uselessness of these things; but yet Britain goes headstrong against the worst terrorist ever to strike the world -- called Y2K -- and you remain oblivious, thanks to a few government platitudes.
(Oh, sure, I must say, lest there be another day past Y2K: All may go well, you may be swell, on Y2K, for who can tell? But preparations are not being made, and admission that dangers loom are not played to the public, anyway. Maybe, inside the hallowed halls and the hollow heads of the MI5 or whoever is in charge of the covert lies over there, they are terrified because they know that more should be done. Maybe they blame someone else. But I blame them, the keepers of the secrets. And I suspect most of them support nuclear power without a shred of understanding of the physiological effects or the moral objections.)
There are numerous reports of missing nuclear devices, though I suppose, none from Britain are reported missing, but do you think they'd tell you? But what good is a nuclear device to anyone? Just because it is possible to have something, doesn't mean you have to have it!
If Britain pit-stuffs her nuclear weapons and separates them from the launch vehicles, and shuts down her power plants, she will still be threatening herself with nuclear disaster, but at least others might then be able to do the same and disarm the world a little bit. It's not like the step would end war or anything. It would just be admitting that the nuclear option has been overplayed. However, you asked what you could do.
As long as your country continues to deny the truth (and censor some great television programs I've heard have been produced there, which give the truth), and as long as she continues to build and threaten the planet with nuclear holocaust, there is a lot you can do. -- rdh ]]]
I tend to treat nuclear technology on Earth and
in space as two different issues.
[[[ It's nice in theory to do that, and I would too, but it denies the reality of transporting the nuclear material around Earth prior to launch, the dangers of the launch, the dangers of mining the stuff, and the dangers of reentry after launch. -- rdh ]]]
Apart from
civilian physics and medical research, I don't
think that the use of nuclear technology on Earth
is wise, but have have so far lacked the time to
join an organisation like CND or write
repeatedly to the MPs.
[[[ There are less than three months left before Y2K. I cannot urge you more strongly that you begin such a campaign of your own NOW! Please send letters to all your MPs, and to Tony Blair and to Clinton! Please "cc" any letters you send them to me, too! -- rdh ]]]
As for space, well, I
agree that it is inappropriate to use RTGs for
anything but missions to beyond the asteroid
belt. The military's use of RTGs in spy satellites
is pointless, as they can just as easily use
solar panels.
[[[ No, there are some very real but relatively minor advantages to using RTGs. Since those in the military completely (or nearly completely) deny the dangers (as do their tacit supporters such as yourself), the small advantages the RTGs offer are undoubtedly enough to make them go with the RTG option. If you agree it's pointless, why not write Clinton and tell him the U. S. military should not do it? Ask him to tell you exactly which military missions have been plutonium-powered. Specifically ask him if the Titan IVA which exploded August 12th, 1998 less than a minute into launch was plutonium-equipped. I am absolutely convinced he has three options:
1) Lie
2) Not answer
3) Admit that it did, indeed have at least one RTG on it.
1 and 2 should not be available options in a Democracy. Remember, the "Cold War" supposedly ended ten years ago, and I want the truth. Don't you? -- rdh ]]]
And having this stuff orbiting for
a couple of decades isn't a good idea either,
as it massively increases the risk of an accident.
I support you in your criticism of this policy.
[[[ Worse yet are the nuclear power plants Russia launched by the dozens during the "Cold War" which supposedly ended, but have you seen any peace dividends? -- rdh ]]]
But it isn't often that space probes are sent
to beyond the asteroid belt (once every few
years), and they don't hang around for long: a
total of a few hours.
[[[ Cassini was around the Earth's orbital area for TWO YEARS! -- rdh ]]]
An explosion during launch
won't damage a modern RTG casing in any
way because the temperatures and pressures
just aren't great enough.
[[[ Dr. Horst Poehler has written a rather extensive article which disagrees completely with this assessment, which you should try to answer if you are so sure of what you have just written. It's available here:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/hp9708ps.htm
And he isn't even talking about an accidental powered-crash into Earth, something that is always a possibility with today's rockets! -- rdh ]]]
RTGs are even rated
to survive re-entries, although in the past not
all were shielded in such a manner, which
was stupid.
[[[ They are NOT rated to survive re-entries. Look at the data more carefully: Only a percentage of the GPHSs will survive. Not all. And NASA skewed the data terribly by mixing all the possible reentry modes into one figure. "Skipping" is the most dangerous; the RTGs probably wouldn't have survived that at all. -- rdh ]]]
There is a strong case to be made against
other uses of RTGs and nuclear technology,
but outer solar system exploration should, in
my opinion, remain the only exception.
[[[ You may not believe this, but I really do WISH that I could agree with you! I wish that the transport, mining, processing, launching, and all the other steps were not overriding concerns, because then, those that want to play with RTGs, could do so. It's not like I enjoy wanting to take away people's toys. But just like nuclear weapons, RTGs are nuclear holocausts waiting to happen. They are dangerous beyond description. The deaths from cancer, leukemia, and birth defects are horrific and burdening this planet with the hundreds of thousands of Curies that RTGs contain is decidedly unfair -- most people here cannot afford ANY health care, have never been to ANY doctor in their life -- yet you want to burden them with MORE cancers and other ailments? And for what? Really, there is only a very limited amount of money that can be spent on all outer space ventures -- mainly, I must add, because the world has bankrupted itself on the nuclear options instead, wasting untold trillions on nuclear weapons it can never use and nuclear power plants which have never made a single watt of cost-effective energy. THERE is the money for research into better solar panels, more efficient fuel cells, magnetic-levitation launch vehicles, and so on. Not to mention colonization of the moon, Mars and other planets. Not to mention an asteroid-searching system based in outer space. All these things, and the afore-mentioned tidal energy solutions, await only the realization that the current efforts are doomed to failure. They are doomed because the truth about Low Level Radiation Dangers is well known, and the nuclear Mafia, made of people like Woody Smith, Curator of the Internet at NASA, and the editors of Scientific American, IEEE Spectrum, Astronomy Magazine, and others, is crumbling. Their excuses are failing.
Didn't anyone in the space industry learn anything from the failure of the Mars Climate Observer? -- rdh ]]]
I will forward copies of your newsletter to my
friends, but whether they care or not (a couple
will) it is hard to predict.
[[[ I cannot thank you enough and appreciate that you would do this. I hope I have not said anything here which you cannot see the logic of. As I said, I really do wish I could agree with your views, because it would be the last bastion of nuclear energy for me (did I mention most medical uses of radiation can be replaced with other solutions?). But the trail of steps to get there is too long. -- rdh ]]]
Sergey Borovik
___________________________________
http://www.bigwig.net/sergey/index.htm
PAX SCIENTIA
[[[ Sincerely,
Russell D. Hoffman
Carlsbad, CA ]]]
May God save Britain, since obviously, nobody else is minding the home front. Mind you, I have read scores of books on the Battle of Britain. Lend-Lease, Spitfires, Hurricanes, Douglas Bader, Johnnie Johnson, and not to mention Adolf Galland, Me-109's and Folke-Wolfs. Radar, night bombing, buzz-bombs, eight machine guns aimed at a point a couple of hundred yards ahead of you, a few thousand rounds of ammo, Central Intelligence, and the dreaded V2 rockets. Thank God parachutes were allowed in WWII. In the first world war, it was feared men would jump out of perfectly good airplanes if they gave them parachutes. (Reference: A book called "NO PARACHUTES" written by a airman of the day, and if anyone can find me a copy, I will be forever grateful. (There used to be one in the Stratford, Connecticut Library. I hope it's still there but American libraries tend to think old books should be thrown out or sold.)
None of the war machines of either World War are insidious like the "demon hot atom", which comes into people's homes silently and invisibly, and strikes at us singly, randomly, without leaving a marker. At least in WWII we knew our enemy. I've been to the Imperial War Museum and a dozen other museums in Europe, and a hundred war museums, and countless others, here in America. No past war horror exceeds the awful threat posed by the "demon hot atom". Y2K really only makes everyday things worse. -- rdh
Normally there is nothing more enjoyable than receiving a few URLs which match up with the day's topics perfectly, as has just happened, but it is my wish that these facts were not so, and that the things I write about were not really problems at all, but alas, all evidence points otherwise. -- rdh
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 02:18:54 -0500 (CDT)
From:
smirnowb@ix.netcom.com
To: y2k-nuclear@egroups.com
To: nukenet@envirolink.org
Subject: [y2k-nuclear] 2 Great Web Sites
See http://www.tmia.com/y2k.htm check out among the many offerings the incredible failure rate of emergency diesel generators for nuclear power plants in the USA just since January 1, 1999.
Also see http://www.pipeline.com/~happen/threat.html on sabotage and terrorism at nuclear power plants. Both put together by Scott Portzline of Three Mile Island Alert.
-Bill Smirnow
These are the addresses of British MPs to whom we have been sending the STOP CASSINI newsletter: If you live in Britain, PLEASE contact these people yourselves and tell them to read the newsletters I've been sending, especially this issue! We would also appreciate hearing from anyone who can add to this list. THANKS!!! -- rdh
"Ainsworth Robert"
ainsworthr@parliament.uk
"Allan Richard"
allanr@parliament.co.uk
"Allen Graham"
alleng@parliament.uk
"Anderson Janet"
andersonj@parliament.uk
"Arbuthnot James"
arbuthnotj@parliament.uk
"Armstrong Hilary"
armstrongh@parliament.uk
"Ashdown Rt. Hon. Paddy"
paddyashdown@cix.compulink.co.uk
"Atherton Candy"
athertonc@parliament.uk
"Atkins Charlotte"
atkinsc@parliament.uk
"Baldry Tony"
baldryt@parliament.uk
"Bayley Hugh"
bayleyh@parliament.co.uk
"Bell Martin"
bellm@parliament.uk
"Bell Stuart"
bells@parliament.uk
"Benn Rt. Hon Tony"
bennt@parliament.co.uk
"Bercow John"
bercowj@parliament.uk
"Berry Roger"
berryr@parliament.co.uk
"Blair Rt. Hon. Tony"
blairt@parliament.uk
"Blunt Crispin"
bluntc@parliament.uk
"Boateng Paul"
boatengp@parliament.co.uk
"Borrow David"
borrowd@parliament.uk
"Bottomley Rt. Hon. Virginia"
bottomleyv@parliament.uk
"Brake Thomas"
braket@parliament.uk
"Brazier Julian"
brazierj@parliament.uk
"Brown Rt Hon Gordon"
browng@parliament.uk
"Bruce Ian"
brucei@parliament.uk
"Buck Karen"
buckk@parliament.co.uk
"Burden Richard"
burdenr@parliament.uk
"Campbell Alan"
campbella@parliament.uk
"Campbell Menzies CBE QC"
nefifelibdem@cix.compulink.co.uk
"Campbell Anne"
anne.campbell.mp@dial.pipex.com
"Caton Martin"
catonm@parliament.uk
"Chaytor David"
chaytord@parliament.uk
"Chidgey David"
eastleighldp@cix.co.uk
"Church Judith"
churchj@parliament.uk
"Clark Rt. Hon. Dr David"
clarkd@parliament.uk
"Clark Dr Michael"
clarkm@parliament.uk
"Clarke Rt. Hon. Tom"
clarket@parliament.uk
"Clelland David"
clellandd@parliament.uk
"Collins Tim"
collinst@parliament.uk
"Connarty Michael"
connartym@parliament.uk
"Cook Frank"
cookf@parliament.uk
"Cooper Yvette"
coopery@parliament.uk
"Corbett Robin"
corbettr@parliament.uk
"Corston Jean"
corstonj@parliament.uk
"Cotter Brian"
westonlibdems@cix.co.uk
"Crausby David"
crausbyd@parliament.uk
"Cunningham Jim"
cunninghamj@parliament.uk
"Cunningham Roseanna"
rcmp.perth@snp.org.uk
"Davey Edward"
daveye@parliament.uk
"Davies Geraint"
daviesg@parliament.uk
"Davis Rt. Hon. David"
davisd@parliament.uk
"Dawson Hilton"
dawsonh@parliament.uk
"Denham John"
denhamj@parliament.uk
"Drew David"
drewd@parliament.uk
"Eagle Angela"
eaglea@parliament.uk
"Eagle Maria"
eaglem@parliament.uk
"Evans Nigel"
ribblevalley@dial.pipex.com
"Faber David"
faberd@parliament.uk
"Fallon Michael"
fallonm@parliament.uk
"Flint Caroline"
flintc@parliament.uk
"Flynn Paul"
flynnp@parliament.uk
"Follett Barbara"
follettb@parliament.uk
"Forsythe Clifford"
forsythec@parliament.uk
"Foster Don"
donfostermp@cix.co.uk
"Fraser Christopher"
fraserc@parliament.uk
"Galbraith Sam"
galbraiths@parliament.uk
"Garnier Edward QC"
garniere@parliament.uk
"George Bruce"
georgeb@parliament.uk
"Gerrard Neil"
gerrardn@parliament.uk
"Golding Llin"
goldingl@parliament.uk
"Greenway John"
greenwayj@parliament.uk
"Griffiths Jane"
griffithsj@parliament.uk
"Griffiths Nigel"
ngriffithsmp@dial.pipex.com
"Gummer Rt. Hon. John"
gummerj@parliament.uk
"Gunnell John"
gunnellj@parliament.uk
"Hall Patrick"
hallp@parliament.uk
"Hamilton Fabian"
hamiltonf@parliament.uk
"Harman Rt. Hon. Harriet"
harmanh@parliament.uk
"Healey John"
healeyj@parliament.uk
"Heathcoat Amory Rt. Hon. David"
david@wells.tory.org.uk
"Hewitt Patricia"
hewittp@parliament.uk
"Hoey Kate"
hoeyk@parliament.uk
"Hood Jimmy"
hoodj@parliament.uk
"Hope Phil"
hopep@parliament.uk
"Hopkins Kelvin"
hopkinsk@parliament.uk
"Howells Dr Kim"
howellsk@parliament.uk
"Hughes Beverley"
hughesb@parliament.uk
"Hughes Kevin"
hughesk@parliament.uk
"Hutton John"
huttonj@parliament.uk
"Iddon Dr Brian"
iddonb@parliament.uk
"Ingram Adam JP"
ingrama@parliament.uk
"Jenkin Hon Bernard"
bernard.jenkin@northessex.tory.org.uk
"Jones Dr Lynne"
jonesl@parliament.uk
"Jones Nigel"
nigeljonesmp@cix.co.uk
"Keeble Sally"
keebles@parliament.uk
"Kelly Ruth"
kellyr@parliament.uk
"Kennedy Jane"
kennedyj@parliament.uk
"Kidney David"
kidneyd@parliament.uk
"Kingham Tess"
kinghamt@parliament.uk
"Kirkwood Archy"
archykirkwood@cix.compulink.co.uk
"Ladyman Stephen"
ladymans@parliament.uk
"Livingstone Ken"
105277.3653@compuserve.com
"Lawrence Jackie"
lawrencej@parliament.uk
"Levitt Tom"
levittt@parliament.uk
"Lewis Dr Julian"
lewisj@parliament.uk
"Lidington David"
lidingtond@parliament.uk
"Lilley Rt. Hon. Peter"
lilleyp@parliament.uk
"Linton Martin"
lintonm@parliament.uk
"Lock David"
lockd@parliament.uk
"Loughton Tim"
loughtont@parliament.uk
"Love Andrew"
lovea@parliament.uk
"McCafferty Chris"
mccaffertyc@parliament.uk
"MacDonald Calum"
macdonaldc@parliament.uk
"McFall John"
mcfallj@parliament.uk
"McNulty Tony"
mcnultyt@parliament.uk
"MacShane Denis"
macshaned@parliament.uk
"MacTaggart Fiona"
mactaggartf@parliament.uk
"McWalter Tony"
mcwaltert@parliament.uk
"Mahon Alice"
mahona@parliament.uk
"Mallaber Judy"
mallaberj@parliament.uk
"Maples John"
maplesj@parliament.uk
"Mates Michael"
matesm@parliament.uk
"Maxton John"
maxtonj@parliament.uk
"McCarthy Arlene"
arlene.mccarthy@geo2.poptel.org.uk
"Meale Alan"
alan.meale@geo2.poptel.org.uk
"Michael Alun"
michaela@parliament.uk
"Miller Andrew"
andrew.miller@geo2.poptel.org.uk
"Moffatt Laura"
moffattl@parliament.uk
"Moran Margaret"
moranm@parliament.uk
"Morgan Alasdair"
morgana@parliament.uk
"Morley Elliot"
morleye@parliament.uk
"Morris Estelle"
morrise@parliament.uk
"Mudie George"
mudieg@parliament.uk
"Murphy Jim"
murphyj@parliament.uk
"Naysmith Dr Douglas"
naysmithd@parliament.uk
"Norman Archie"
normana@parliament.uk
"Organ Diana"
organd@parliament.uk
"Paisley Rev Ian"
paisleyi@parliament.uk
"Pearson Ian"
pearsoni@parliament.uk
"Pendry Tom"
pendryt@parliament.uk
"Pickles Eric"
picklese@parliament.uk
"Plaskitt James"
plaskittj@parliament.uk
"Pope Greg"
popeg@parliament.uk
"Prentice Bridget"
prenticeb@parliament.uk
"Primarolo Dawn"
primarolod@parliament.uk
"Quinn Lawrie"
quinnl@parliament.uk
"Raysnford Nick"
seabeckaj@parliament.uk
"Rowe Andrew"
rowea@parliament.uk
"Roy Frank"
royf@parliament.uk
"Russell Bob"
russellb@parliament.uk
"Salter Martin"
salterm@parliament.uk
"Savidge Malcolm"
savidgem@parliament.uk
"Sawford Phil"
sawfordp@parliament.uk
"Sayeed Jonathon"
sayeedj@parliament.uk
"Sheerman Barry"
sheermanb@parliament.uk
"Simpson Alan"
simpsona@parliament.uk
"Simpson Keith"
simpsonk@parliament.uk
"Smith Sir Robert"
smithr@parliament.uk
"Spellar John"
spellarj@parliament.uk
"Starkey Dr Phyllis"
starkeyp@parliament.uk
"Stewart David"
stewartd@parliament.uk
"Stewart Ian"
stewarti@parliament.uk
"Stoate Dr Howard"
stoateh@parliament.uk
"Swayne Desmond"
swayned@parliament.uk
"Syms Robert"
agent@poole.tory.org.uk
"Taylor John M"
taylorjm@parliament.uk
"Taylor Matthew"
taylorm@parliament.uk
"Thomas Gareth R"
thomasgr@parliament.uk
"Timms Stephen C"
100746.2456@compuserve.com
"Todd Mark"
toddm@parliament.uk
"Tredinnick David"
tredinnickd@parliament.uk
"Trimble David"
trimbled@parliament.uk
"Truswell Paul"
truswellp@parliament.uk
"Turner Dr George"
turnerg@parliament.uk
"Tyler Paul"
paultylermp@cix.compulink.co.uk
"Vaz Keith"
vazk@parliament.uk
"Wallace Jim"
paultylermp@cix.compulink.co.uk
"Walter Robert"
walterr@parliament.uk
"Ward Claire"
wardc@parliament.uk
"Welsh Andrew"
welsha@parliament.uk
"White Brian"
whiteb@parliament.uk
"Whitney Sir Raymond OBE"
whitneyr@parliament.uk
"Williams Alan"
williamsa@parliament.uk
"Williams Betty"
williamsb@parliament.uk
"Wilshire David"
wilshired@parliament.uk
"Winterton Rosie"
wintertonr@parliament.uk
"Wise Audrey"
wisea@parliament.uk
"Wood Mike"
woodm@parliament.uk
"Wyatt Derek"
wyattd@parliament.uk
"Young Rt. Hon Sir. George"
youngg@parliament.uk
NASA needs to be told in no uncertain terms they have lied too often to the public and we want a SEA CHANGE away from their nuclear policies!
To learn about the absurd excuses NASA used to launch Cassini and its 72.3 pounds of plutonium 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
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.
NASA should never have been allowed to launch monstrosities like Cassini and Galileo (which recently suffered a nine-hour "lost in space" anomoly (NASA calls it "safe mode" which is the opposite of what it really is) just before it did a flyby of Io), but the next breed -- such as Europa Orbiter and Pluto-Kuiper Express are not much better and the policy is being set for greatly increased rates of missions! The danger continues! To complain to NASA about their future nuclear space probes, here are two addresses you can use:
For Europa Orbiter:
Europa Orbiter comments"
osseuropa@hq.nasa.gov
For Pluto-Kuiper Express:
"Pluto-Kuiper Express comments"
osspluto@hq.nasa.gov
Be sure to "cc" the president and VP and your senators and congresspeople, too.
President Bill Clinton
White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20500
Phone -- (202) 456-1111
Fax -- (202) 456-2461
e-mail -- president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Albert Gore
White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,
N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20500
Phone -- (202) 456-1414
Fax -- (202) 456-2461
e-mail -- vicepresident@whitehouse.gov
Secretary William Cohen
1000 Defense
The Pentagon
Washington D.C. 20301
Phone -- (703) 695-6352
Secretary Bill Richardson
Department of Energy (DoE)
1000 Independence Avenue SW
Washington D.C. 20585
Phone -- (202) 586-6210
fax -- (202) 586-4403
Always include your full name and postal address in all correspondence to any Government official of any country, because otherwise they will throw it out unread, or hand it directly to their police force to try to identify the author. (Thus, nothing good will come of it.) Also, ALWAYS include a personal message of some sort, indicating YOUR OWN VIEWS, even if you include a lot of material written by other people (me, for instance).
Thanks for reading! Welcome new subscribers!
Home page of our STOP CASSINI movement:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/cassini.htm
(Accept NO imitations!)
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.
This newsletter is free and is not distributed for profit.
Please distribute these newsletters EVERYWHERE!
**************************************************************
Many of the issues presented by Russell Hoffman in this letter are based on conversations with Dr. John W. Gofman (who isolated the first working quantities of plutonium), the late Dr. Karl Z. Morgan (who was known as the "father of health physics"), Dr. Ernest Sternglass (who has done statistical studies about LLR), Dr. Jay Gould (ditto), Dr. Horst Poehler, Dr. Helen Caldicott, Dr. Ross Wilcock and dozens of activists, as well as many others on both sides of the nuclear debates, including ex military nuke expert Jack Shannon (responsible for the design of the D2G Navy reactor, the most widely used reactor in the U. S. navy), award-winning investigative reporter Karl Grossman, ecologist and human rights advocate Pamela Blockey-O'Brien, etc. Also, I've read a few dozen books on the various subjects. And scads of government documents purporting to explain how something so dangerous can be safe. Professionally, my pump training software is used throughout the pump industry and even in some nuclear power plants around the world to train their staff about mechanical pumps. Any errors herein are regrettably my own, but I believe it would take an extremely unlikely preponderance of errors to invalidate my basic position on these issues.
*************************************************************
Russell D. Hoffman, Carlsbad, California, Peace Activist, Environmentalist, High Tech Guru:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/whoisrdh.htm
Hoffman's Y2K Preparedness Information:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/y2k/index.htm
Learn about The Effects of Nuclear War here:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/tenw/nuke_war.htm
************************************************************
** THE ANIMATED SOFTWARE COMPANY
** Russell D. Hoffman, Owner and Chief Programmer
** Carlsbad CA
** Visit the world's most eclectic web site:
** http://www.animatedsoftware.com
************************************************************
Next issue (#209)
Previous issue (#207)