From: "J. Bosworth"
To: "Jonathan Haber"
Subject: Re: Lobbying U.S. Congress for Hearings on Cassini Earth flyby risks
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998
Thanks for this excellent set of advice!
Does your plan for Internet support of this coordinated lobbying effort
include a means of feedback reporting to us activists as to our collective
progress in winning over U.S. Reps & Senators? I think such feedback would
add additional info and incentives to our cooperative lobbying efforts, thus
making them more likely to succeed.
For global peace through justice and love,
Jerry
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At 12:34 7265 A1A SOUTH, D-1 8/4/98 -0500, you wrote:
I am concerned with Cassini myself but I am for it. Sure it is carrying
Plutonium, but it is giving us a chance to explore something. NASA will
make is safe I am sure.
There is a danger to walk the street and get hit by a car, there is a
danger of cancer, but you are taking risks. Just by living you take
risks. Now I am not a "tree hugger" but I am concerned about the
environment. If you want to save the earth stop the pollution or be pro
solar power, but there is far better things than to stop cassini.
Man has always had the vision of exploration ever since the dawn of
time and we have taken risks, and if we do not explore, than the hope of
mankind living is dead. There is a theory that one day the earth will
overpopulate and die, or be too dirty, or it will die in the sun during
a supernova....If we do not explore...then the earth is already dead.
Please support Cassini, exploration is our best hope towards living.
Pro Cassini Concerned-14 year old
PS-Also be concerned with more dangerous fuels burning in our car and
also Nuclear power is also here in america, it is more dangerous than
cassini....why don't you stop them.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for expressing your views about Cassini. I am one of the
founders and coordinators of the Action Site to Stop the Cassini Earth
Flyby. My main work is on solar technologies, which I agree with you is very
important and a positive approach to replacing the dirty technologies
contributing to global warming. I will send you a summary of this primary
work of mine. However, last fall I attended a seminar and slide
presentation by Karl Grossman. His evidence was very compelling on the
corruption of NASA by the defense department. Of course there is much
rationalization of building a strong defense, but, to me, it appears that
the nuclear and military industrial complex have underscored the dangers of
nuclear pollution, which lasts for hundreds of thousands of years and have
been shown to create cancers from alpha wave particles. It doesn't take
much to cause cancer, especially for poorer people with compromised immune
systems. There have already been 9 accidents by the space program and since
they could 1) either waited until 2001 for a launch to avoid an Earth flyby
or 2) developed solar to perform as well as their Radioisotope Thermal
Generator, which uses plutonium. This was cited by NASA in the 80's, but
because of the military link of wanting to use nuclear energy to power
deadly space weapons to control the world, the development of solar was
abandoned. Many civilizations have demonstrated a shortsightedness in their
development of technologies, which have back-fired to cause them to go
extinct. We are causing many species to go extinct every year. Nuclear
power is the wrong direction to advance our space program to benefit our
civilization. A Cassini or another nuclear power accident can do more damage
that it can solve problems. I am a proponent of a healthy space exploration
program, not one that risks doubling the human-made plutonium radiation on
our planet. New studies are alarming about the impact of low levels of
plutonium radiation. I will forward you the update on our press conference
and a report by Dr. Ernest Sternglass.
Please feel welcomed to respond again.
With Best Regards,
Jonathan
*******************************************
At 03:25 AM 8/29/98 EDT, you wrote:
my name is cari,
I am 15, although I am at a young age, I can still understand
what is going on today, and I do. I understand the danger that the mission
brings us, and I to would like so much to stop it before some one goes to far.
I would like not only to be on a mailing list but I would like to become a
known friend of this organization and do what ever I can to help, please write
me back and tell me what I can do, I would love that.
Thank you for your time.
hi cari,
it helps a lot just to receive your support and interest in this
work. There is lots to do, 1) check out the Plutonium NoFlyby Statement,
linked from our table of contents page and let me know if you want to
endorse it; you can also download any of the information on site and pass it
around. 2) check out the video Nukes in Space with Karl Grossman, info at
the site will give you directions, if you have any difficulties, I have
extra copies I can send you, 3) we will begin to lobby congress soon, I will
send you some emails on this relating to leonard peltier, we will be doing
something similar soon with lobbying all the members on Congress for
investigations on the risks of the flyby. Our other newsletter has some
ideas too, that is posted from contents too. Please write me anytime if you
have any questions or ideas; we may be setting up another UN press
conference etc and we will keep you posted.
take care, jonathan
ps a noflyby recent email will follow.
*******************************************
At 11:17 7265 A1A SOUTH, D-1 9/6/98 -0700, you wrote:
In response to your mail. If they don't do a earth sling shot the will not have
enough speed to complete the mission. I understand that plutonium radiation
is a
bad that. I would not want to debate that at all. But the chances of that
rocket
come crashing back to earth is slim. And that you have to agree on. But they
should try to find some other form of fuel for the craft instead of plutonium.
Charles Richmond
Yes, I agree that the chances for an accident are slim, but still possible.
Did you know that if NASA waited until 2001 for a launch date, they could
have avoided an Earth flyby on a path to reach Saturn. I lost trust in the
scientists of NASA, half their missions are funded by the military; the
influence for nuclear energy and nuclear powered weapons has influenced
NASA's nonmilitary missions, which may be the reason that they don't develop
solar, when they said they could have for Cassini, according to a NASA
repost back in the mid-eighties.. There is another agenda going on than pure
science and exploratory/learning interests. My concern is as great as to
what follows Cassini, 13 probes with Pu planned in the next 10 years, and
those are the ones not classified. In 1967 the U.S. signed the peaceful use
of space UN treaty, though it is obviously not living up to this prospect
and vision, and people all around the world are in jeopardy, including us in
the U.S. I believe greed, fear and self interest are the driving force
behind nukes in space, and Cassini, simply represents this policy
disregarding the safety of much of the world being polluted by a breathable
for of plutonium radiation.
jonathan
*******************************************
At 10:08 7265 A1A SOUTH, D-1 9/2/98 -0400, you wrote:
I've added a link to your site. I think what you are working on is good
and needed but I've always had one problem with the anti-cassini movement.
I've studied a fair amount of physics and space sciences and I think that
the chances of Cassini going off course and hitting earth in a fly by are
pretty remote. On the other hand if we continue to use nuclear powered
space craft like cassini the chances are pretty good that one or more of
them will explode on launch. It seems to me that the anti-cassini movement
should focus more on stopping future launches rather than stay focused on
cassini which we were all lucky in having it not explode.
just my two cents....
Rabble-Rouser
that is our basic feelings, too. the cassini is simply what is heralding the
future of the nuclear space program. it just happens to be carrying a record
amount of plutonium and traveling at record speeds for an Earth flyby. Why
even take a minimal risk with such catastrophic consequences? It shows their
disregard for life and arrogance to do what they want. Even worse than the
civilian use of nukes are the military ones, which we may never know what is
going on.. thanks for supporting noflyby..
jonathan
*******************************************
At 08:57 AM 9/10/98 -1000, you wrote:
Dear Jonathan,
I did not realize that Hawai'i Congressional delegation members Akaka and
Inouye were on the committee. I will forward the following message
throughout the State of Hawai'i to request our anti-nuclear friends
and allies that they lobby our Senators. I would appreciate any other
useful report that briefly sums up the stakes in this current fight.
Take care Jonathan and best wishes with all that you do.
Richard Salvador
University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Honolulu, Hawai'i
*******************************************
Dear Mr. haber,
Please take me off your list. You're scaring the hell
out of me. There's nothing that we can do about the
fly-by,
Sorry I can't support you.
john perez
hi john,
I removed you from our list, but hope you will visit the noflyby
site once in a while to check in. I disagree that there's nothing we can do
about the flyby. Our program can help educate many people, which could help
make the changes go smoother when they come about. I appreciate working on
this campaign because it is before the event, rather than in reaction to
something that had already occurred. And how many times do we have time to
question a 42,000 mph record plutonium load space probe come streaking by
Earth. If we were silent, then I would really be scared.
take care, jonathan
noflyby action site - http://www.nonviolence.org/noflyby
*******************************************
At 09:34 7265 A1A SOUTH, D-1 9/11/98 -0700, you wrote:
Hi Folks,
This is an interesting (AND SCARY!!) message, that came to me by way of
cannabis activist Ralph Sherrow, that you are no doubt interested in:
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 09:02:03 -0700 (PDT)
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
From: Max Obuszewski
Subject: Plutonium on board?
The person identifies himself twice as a "project engineer" but
does not specifically say he is an engineer on that particular project.
There's no way to verify or corroborate it. But if it's true, it's very
disturbing.
From: Karl Grossman
Subject: Titan 4 Launch Explosion
The following message was left on the answering machine of the
Durham, North Carolina-based group Waste Awareness and Reduction Network
on the afternoon of August 17, 1998. The transcript was made by Jim
Warren, the executive director of the group, who said that the "person
sounds credible." I listened to the tape and, indeed, he sure does.
There must be an effort to see if this information can be corroborated
-- but, considering that a secret military project was involved, I think
it will be very, very difficult.
The E-mail of WARN is nc-warn@pobox.com and its telephone number
is (919) 490-0747 if you would like more information from Warren.
"Hi,
"I'm calling in regards to the accident on Wednesday involving the
Vortex classified satellite being launched by the Titan. I'll make this
very brief. I'm a project engineer and I think the public needs to know
that was an RTG power device. When the Air Force issued the destruct
command after the initial explosion, they did so to reduce the
possibility of the public determining that there was, indeed, a
plutonium fuel cell. They reduced everything to particulate matter when
they issued the destruct sequence. Which means the twenty pounds of
plutonium went airborne at 20,000 feet off the coast of Florida on
Wednesday during a failed Titan launch of the Vortex. That plutonium
has now passed over the majority of the East Coast.
"This is the single largest nuclear accident in the history of the
United States. Its risks for public safety are unprecedented. And
major media sources are not reporting this. They are reporting the
accident but they are not including the critical piece of information
that the public needs to be aware of -- And that is an RTG power device
and the Air Force chose to detonate it after the initial explosion, and
thus ensuring the plutonium went to particulate and was dispersed
atmospherically across the East Coast.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, like I say, I am a
project engineer. We have all been affected by this. And I hope that
you or somebody in your organization can help get the word out.
"Please get on the Internet, contact foreign newspapers, contact
everybody you can because this has to get out. There are three more
Vortex launches scheduled.
"Thank you very much."
Hi Matt,
thanks for sending us this message. I was hoping that this incident
would propel a major effort to have monitoring equipment from people we
trust to confirm any Pu releases. However, we could not confirm this message
one way or the other, and our concern is that this "project engineer" was a
plant to discredit our efforts. If he was a serious whistleblower, he
probably would have gone to a mainstream news institution to expose this
story. Anyway, just the possibility of this being true is scary and we
should exert our efforts to support the global monitoring of releases of
nuclear radiation into our atmosphere. Below is other feedback on this
matter.
take care,
jonathan
*******************************************
At 12:20 AM 8/26/98 -0400, you wrote:
TO: Jonathan Haber, Coordinator, NoFlyby Site
FROM: Judith Johnsrud,
Director, Environmental Coalition on Nuclear Power;
Sierra Club National Nuclear Waste Task Force
Although many of us concur that the phone message
may not have been genuine, we should keep in mind
that the AEC had no qualms many years ago about
intentionally releasing I-131 from Hanford evidently
to test impacts on the surrounding population. I
would tend to expect as much from their grandchildren
DOD and DOE.
An important issue that you raise is monitoring
capability. It's nearly twenty years since the
accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2. We are all
essentially no better prepared today than we were,
then, nationwide, to have independent and trustworthy
radiation readings anywhere in the event of a
serious nuclear facility or transportation accident.
Moreover, the NRC and nuclear industry have adopted
new terminology in recent years that tends to give
a misimpression of the level of "background" radiation
we receive. The term "naturally-occurring background
radiation" has been replaced with just "background
radiation." They are not the same. The former
averages between about 100 and 200 millirem (mrem)
per year, depending on elevation above sealevel,
local bedrock composition, and some other natural
factors. The latter term is inclusive of essentially
all prior years' releases that remain decaying in the
biosphere, and includes "indoor radon" which is an
exposure problem because, though naturally-occurring
in origin, it's "technologically-enhanced" due to being
trapped indoors in a well-insulated building. NRC claims
that the "average annual background" effective dose is
360 mrem -- more than double our natural background level.
I've been monitoring in the environment and indoors for
most of the last ten years. The equipment is relatively
simple and inexpensive; I can only call the data anecdotal.
But, as the late Dr. Donnell W. Boardman once put it, "All
medical epidemiology begins with anecdotal responses to
the attending physician's questions." I find nothing
remotely akin to 360 mrem/yr. Only two or three places
in the eastern US have shown levels in counts per minute
that would come even close to 360 mrem that the NRC claims.
I hope to be able to work on disestablishing that 360 mrem
figure that I believe to be designed to state erroneously
what true radiation levels are -- in both locations: near
operating nuclear plants and in areas not known to have any
nuclear facilities at all. I think we'd find that on average
dose levels both indoor and outdoor in our part of the country
are about 120-150+/- mrem per year, a modest elevation in the
past half century, as more and more radioactive materials and
wastes are dumped into the air and water and soils.
Some joint efforts among many of us, who have a care about
radiation in the environment and its health effects, could
demonstrate to the public that the official figure is not
real, and empower more people to do their own radiation
monitor readings with low-cost (c. $250 for an instrument))
but reasonably accurate and priced equipment. If you're
interested in joining this project and trying this approach,
please stay in touch.
JHJ
From: Judith Johnsrud
Director, Environmental Coalition on Nuclear Power;
Sierra Club National Nuclear Waste Task Force
At 12:26 AM 9/15/98 -0400, you wrote:
Hi Carol,
I appreciate very much what you say and am taking the liberty of
forwarding your letter to Jonathan also to Bruce Gagnon who is also closely
involved with the "weaponization of space" issue through the Global Network.
I also found A CALL TO ALL WORLD CITIZENS AND LEADERS at
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/nltrs/nltr0042.htm
Looks real good.
Peace
Joe McIntire.
*******************************************
At 06:25 7265 A1A SOUTH, D-1 9/14/98 -0700, you wrote:
Hi Johathan-
Thank you so much for doing this incredible work.
As you may know, I'm the person who helped start the movement to prevent the
weaponization of space. An educator and formerly a corporate manager of an
aerospace industry, a space and missile defense consultant...founder of The
Institute for Security and Cooperation in Outer Space, ISCOS, which we shut
down (in D.C.) after 12 years just a couple of years ago. We, all who worked
at ISCOS for all those years, found relevant positions within the
gov/industry, etc., from which we could all work. I was known to be "the
original political architect of the move to stop the SDI and ASAT's," the
quote from Military Space Digest. But, in this context, I really prefer to
think of myself as on who carries a piece of the positive vision of our
space frontier...and what it means to our issues, our survival, and to every
aspect of our lives. I'm choosing to write books, now, and to work more from
behind the scenes.
I would like to ask if it would be possible for you to add something to your
efforts to stop the Cassini fly-by. Something that, after all my years of
experience on these types of issues, I believe to be a vitally important
element to our success. I'm going to talk to you about adding the ban on
space based weapons to your agenda, and to simultaneous add a positive
direction...a vision.
I believe that much of the nuclear space and weapons space R&D programs are
continuing because the plan (first defined in the Defense Guidance Plan of
the early 50's) is "to seize the high ground in order to control earth from
space." This Cassini fly-by is a practice step, the sling shot approach, and
a part of the plan to put battle stations and weapons in space...nukes and
weapons are included. Of course, in the way of thinking, obviously, this
fly-by and other dangerous wars (and the ID of potential enemies and the
stimulation of even more wars on earth) are needed for this big endeavor. At
least this is the way the game is seen from the perspective of those who
work in those space and nuclear arenas or from the perspective who benefit,
particularly those with vested financial interests, from them.
In all my years, since '74, of working this issue, I've been drawn to the
conclusion that if we begin to call for a ban on all space based weapons, we
will stop the nuke and weapons R&D program as we simultaneously call for
world cooperation on the R&D and exploration of space (for the benefits and
opportunities available to all).
This dual call, for a ban on space based weapons and for world space R&D
cooperation, would cause the entire nuke and weapons industry to re-evaluate
their direction, the need for these dangerous missions and technologies, and
would cause them to head into the space directions without weapons. We
could, then, after getting them to see that there is another way that
doesn't threaten their jobs and profits or our security, that, in fact,
enhances it all, get them to seriously take another look at how to do nukes
safely in space, if at all...as there are alternatives, obviously.
But with only a protest, they will listen and we will receive the usual
prepared answers as they proceed ahead. I've testified before more
Congressional committees in the House and Senate, before the President's
Commission on Space, etc.., about all this. I'm constantly asked how many
people support this perspective. When I can only describe the handful, they
agree that they could and would go in this direction, but with no public
support, they won't. Even Senator Harkin, who mentioned that he wants to
"Stop Star Wars" in the movie "DAVID" as a message, told me we don't have
enough support to do anything we are talking about.
But we could, IF we had enough people seeing the positive vision of space,
the alternative scenarios that would enhance everyone's
positions...particularly giving hope for our children of the world.
The boys in the industry and military don't care what they do ... they just
want money, mainly...and, of course, to be in service, make money, and do
something exciting and challenging...basically. There are some real killers,
of course, angry rapists and murderers who love blood and guts, who don't
care about the trees or the animals, and who don't give a crap if they
destroy and allow for more suffering. We'll never get to those people, not
in this lifetime, anyway, no matter how many sane facts or rationale or hugs
and love we present...on any issue.
But there are layers of people who can hear us IF we use the right language
and come from our highest states as we approach them, ways that are not
confrontational, but that are strong, and with ways that present what we DO
want that will keep them in their jobs, create more jobs and profits, more
products and services...etc.. And then there are the new entrepreneurs who
will help to create what our visions are.
As part of our plan, you've got this right, it's very important to get
people to watch Karl's videos and to read his book - especially to awaken
people to the dangers of nukes and weapons in space.
But presenting the dangers alone won't do much, unless we gather a ground
swell of support, to stop the Cassini fly-by. These guys just see us as a
bunch of "usual" protestors, and they have no intention of stopping Cassini
based on the facts. That doesn't mean we should stop. It just means we are
currently outnumbered and out- funded, and it's still in their best interest
to keep it going. (I was in the meeting in 1977 when they talked about using
"asteroids" as a way to get funding for space weapons. Now you hear it
everywhere. I laughed during that meeting...and they said "aliens" will be
the final card. It started with terrorists...and they used that one for
years and still do. Now they've added asteroids.)
Even the people who are pro-space are mostly pro-nukes and weapons in
space...as this is where their bread and butter, and often their expertise,
is. And, they see that the space weapons and nuclear programs are part of,
inexorably linked, among the civilian, commercial and military programs.
In our new scenario, the one we must all learn about just as we learned
about nukes, the military can keep their jobs, and the industry/businessmen
can make their money. The military has done, and is skilled and intelligent,
in the space frontier, so far. Over three-quarters of the satellites up are
of a military nature. Again, the military and civilian space programs are
inexorably linked, and they are not going to stop these programs or their
direction. But, you and I do not want space weapons or dangerous nuclear
technologies in space. So how do we stop them?
Congress is filled with right wing hawks, sorry to present such categories
and judgement, and with Clinton supporters who are wanting election votes so
much that they could turn on him and join the Republican votes. We are sunk
if this happens.
The ONLY way we can win this is to figure out a new way to AKIDO style steer
them into our direction. And I'm telling you, they don't care about the
safety factors of Cassini (I've talked to Dan Golden at NASA and many others
on high levels)...though we MUST continue to get Karl and Michio's and
others educational material into their hands and specifically give them what
we want them to do...talking points...actual samples of the legislation that
we want. These guys are smart, but they do not yet see, no one has presented
to them, a new vision that they could rally around.
I've only recently begun to re-emerge, and I'm not ready to, really, yet. I
stopped and have been re-evaluating my own direction during the past few
years. I stopped to observe others and myself, mostly.
There are so few who care about or who know anything about what you and I
are talking about, here or around our globe. But, as Bucky Fuller told me,
we don't need many. We do need, however, to put some energy out there and to
tap shoulders to see who is connected. If you are going the Congressional
route in your efforts, you need more numbers.
Most of all, we need to show people that there are great great benefits to
expanding the space program...but the Cassini kind of approach attracts
mostly those who want to cut it back, to cut technology programs back, in
general.
Many don't understand, yet, that space holds the key to peace on earth, that
it is the only game that the war game can be transformed into (this is the
only form of "conversion" that is big enough, expensive enough to replace
the war game and mentality...the space game is it), because it's big enough,
expensive enough, provides real security through new kinds of cooperation
including in information sharing only available through Space Age
communication technologies, education, health, environmental observations
and contributions...etc.. Not to mention that the military industrial
complex can continue, spin-offs will be greater, and jobs and profits, a
major motivator, will be stimulated.
In other words, we need to not only call for stopping or curbing the fly-by,
but we, simultaneously, or from my perspective, as a priority instead of
trying to just put bandaids on these hot spots like Cassini, need to FIRST
AND FOREMOST call for a comprehensive, verifiable ban on all space based
weapons with an acceleration of world meetings to agree on cooperative world
space R&D programs.
You could be a huge leader in this effort, and could help to really make the
dent, the movement move. Right now, except for a handful of us, it's I
believe Cassini is a dead deal and we may be too, though you are appreciated
so much.
This note to you is based on years of experience in the belly of the beast.
I'm re-emerging to make this contact with you because I see that even our
great speakers on this Cassini and nukes in space issue aren't getting
it...it's being left out of books and papers and speeches. Many of the peace
and justice activists are presenting the protest against nukes in space,
thank heavens, as that is where they have been for so many years, but with
only a sort of secondary emphasis or mentioning the space weapons part of
the issue...though, to me, seeing where these boys are going, into space
with warfare that will extend it on earth and into space, space based
weaponry is the "punch" line.
Perhaps you will be one who will get this and include this ban on space
weapons as a priority where it should be if we are going to win. But in the
same breath, you have got to present the positives of what you do want...or
these guys won't see it, either.
Too many of our experts haven't gotten it, yet, as they are mainly nuclear
experts so perhaps that is why they emphasize the nuclear threat, and
rightly so, it is one. Then there are the space experts who are so desperate
for funding that they won't open their mouths about their preference to ban
weapons from space for fear they won't get funding, and they DO get that the
nuke industry in space is totally related to this space weapons mentality
and the technologies that are created as a result of the mindsets, mainly.
That's why they support nukes in space, most of them, and because they have
been brainwashed to think that is the only available answer. And they don't
care about safety factors in near term space, around us on earth, as you
see. So, then it's up to the people out in the field like you to take the
issue on in it's whole form with all your knowledge, facts, positive energy
and from a loving and understanding place that the pro-nukes and weapons in
space come from. Again, we won't reach everyone, but I believe there are
enough out there who will hear us.
Most important of all is to oppose the "weaponization" of space not the
"militarization" of space. I mention this so that we will all get on the
same page on this one. The "militarization" of space has already occurred,
but, in space, the military has taken on a different role, so far...that we
can praise and help them to continue and expand. They will love you for this
approach, I've experienced this for years. The military has coordinated
many good things in space. Learn about them. Their role in our world neutral
sanctuary, the space frontier, can be different...as it is, now.
The guys who want to make profits and raise their stockholders reports will
love you, too, as you aren't protesting technology, space technology,
specifically. You have the attitude that you are loving what they are doing,
excited about our earth to space evolution, and that you just want to learn
more about it and want to help contribute to our evolutionary process....
Learn about the benefits that space offers to all of us, not only from the
spiritual awareness that it touches in all of us, but also in the unlimited
opportunities and the abundance of benefits for all world citizens and other
animals and our fragile environment.
What do you think of all this? I don't have time to re-read and edit, so I
hope I've articulated it well enough to make some points that will connect
with your heart and head.
Thanks again for all you are doing. I'll do all I can to help you.
My best,
Carol Rosin