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DNFSB hearing in Santa Fe tonight re plutonium in Los Alamos; LASG public discussion at UNM tomorrow night: renewable energy: necessary NOW, but hardly sufficient

June 7, 2017

Please forward this email to your friends!

Dear friends --

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) is holding its long-delayed hearing tonight on Understanding the Safety Posture of the Plutonium Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The agenda, some background material, and public participation guidelines are at the link. The hearing will be held at the Santa Fe Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy Street (map). It will be livestreamed. Our apologies for this late notice. We have been working around the clock.

The hearing will implicitly (Session 1) and explicitly (Session 2) discuss the future of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) plutonium operations.

Much will be said that is true, and some that doesn't, er, reach that standard. Crucial information will be left out. You have no need to know that, you see. William Blake's couplet comes to mind: "A truth that's told with bad intent/beats all the lies you can invent."

But we are in a post-truth age, are we not, where anything goes? Not in this shop, thank you.

We'll be there.

We've been busy "seven ways to Sunday." One recent product that may be of interest are these Comments on the “Draft Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons," working paper for negotiators, Jun 5, 2017.

Our Climate and Solar Ambassador program has well begun. We have a fantastic group of seven new people here. They have been working enthusiastically on preparations for lobbying and in trainings provided by our corporate partners (Sunpower by Positive Energy and McCune Solar Works -- thank you!).

Tomorrow night, as we mentioned in previous emails, we will be holding a public discussion at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Law School on Stanford Drive NE (map), in Room 2401. Our topic will be "Renewable energy: necessary NOW, but hardly sufficient." Our interns will be presenting. It is high time we got farther along with the constructive nonviolence, as well as resistance. We are not having the conversations we should be. Please come and meet our interns if you are in the Albuquerque area.

As we said in an earlier letter (and others, here and here for example), we want to meet with YOUR organization or church about our climate emergency – its opportunities and its dangers.

More meetings will follow. All will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 pm except July 8, as shown. 
June 15, UNM Law School, Room 2401: topics in renewable energy and climate LASG headquarters, 2901 Summit PL NE, Albuquerque: "Years of Living Dangerously," with discussion on climate change.

• June 22, UNM Law School, Room 2401: topics in renewable energy and climate
  
• June 29, location TBD: topics in renewable energy and climate
  
• July 6, UNM Law School, Room 2401: topics in renewable energy and climate
  
• July 8, Ashley Pond Park Pavilion, Los Alamos (map), 12 noon to 2 pm: topic: secret for now (meanwhile "Stay calm, have courage, and wait for signs.")
  
• July 13, UNM Law School, Room 2401: topics in renewable energy and climate
  
• July 20, UNM Law School, Room 2401: topics in renewable energy and climate
  
• July 27, UNM Law School, Room 2401: topics in renewable energy and climate
  
• August 3, location TBA: capstone presentation and news conference, climate and solar ambassadors 
  

Our calendar, for reference.

This summer's program is a financial stretch for us. Do you know others who can help? Solar referrals are our main source of funding for this program. We began canvassing last night. 

Looking forward to seeing some of you tonight and tomorrow night,

Greg and Trish, for the Study Group