Bulletin #108

March 25, 2011

Dear Members and Friends,

As usual there is much too much to send to you, but we just found out about tonight's program a few hours ago and want to rush this out to you.  So -- quickly:

1. A huge thank you to everyone that came out in support of the Study Group by attending the recent presentations by Dr. Helen Caldicott .  Many of you purchased either one or more of Dr. Caldicott's books at the events and we want to thank Collected Works Bookstore and Coffee House in Santa Fe for ordering the books and their assistance in making that possible!  Many of you helped out with ticket and book sales and other logistics.  Without you we couldn't have had these events.  A special thanks is also due to Mike Swick and Susan Schuurman for their video work in Albuquerque. 

2. During Dr. Caldicott's visit she was interviewed by Lorene Mills in her "Report from Santa Fe."  Her interview with Dr. Caldicott will be airing tonight at 10:30pm on Ch 5, KNME.  Or you can also watch the show at 6pm this coming Saturday (tomorrow) on Direct TV or Dish Network on Ch 3.

Dr. Caldicott's Albuquerque talk ("If You Love This Planet: A Plan to Save the Earth") will be broadcast on Channel 27 Monday, March 28, at 2 pm, or if you don't have Comcast cable, you can watch live streaming at www.quote-unquote.org.

3. Greg has been interviewed by media several times since the March 11th earthquake, tsunami, and ensuing and ongoing catastrophe at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  In general, nuclear energy is a topic that the Study Group has addressed many times over the years and we are very willing to come and speak to your group if you or your friends organize a meeting and invite us.  You might have seen Greg recently on "Hardball" with Chris Matthews (for about what --1 minute?).  We have a deep "bench" at the Study Group as well.  It is essential to understand the converging crises of our time together in order to prepare and to educate our lawmakers. 

4. Many in New Mexico might not be aware of the fact that nuclear energy is again being promoted here in our state -- even as the Fukushima disaster continues.  There is a conference, "Will New Mexico Lead the Way in Nuclear Energy?" to be held in Hobbs Wednesday and Thursday, April 27 & 28, to "focus on potential developments and implementation of small-scale reactors" in New Mexico.  This gawdawful proposal should not be treated lightly.  We assume it is serious.  

It is important that as many of you as possible attend this conference, in protest of this SLAP in the face of this monumental catastrophe in Japan.  How dare our elected officials fail to strenuously and creatively promote the abundant wind and solar energy which could lift up our towns and rural areas, build careers for tens of thousands of New Mexicans and quickly retire most coal burning.  Instead they are prostituting themselves to mendacious nuclear corporations who are in a position to give them abundant cash now.  Think Martin Heinrich, for one, who is working overtime to promote nuclear weapons in Congress and is emerging as a national spokesperson for the nuclear weapons establishment . 

Please feel free to send this notice out to any and all listserves that you belong to!  New Mexico should be a leader in sustainable energy, NOT nuclear energy.  This catastrophe in Japan is a very good example of just what can happen, and the back story -- of deception and denial of risk -- is the way this industry has always operated, not to put too fine a point on the matter.  We must be very BOLD.  We can be civil, but let's not be victims of misplaced civility.  Everything in its place. 

5. The Study Group's litigation to stop the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility (CMRR-NF) at Los Alamos continues.  A hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 27th, 9am, here in Albuquerque at the Pete Domenici Federal Court House on Lomas.  Because of this hearing, key Study Group people will not be able to attend the nuclear energy conference in Hobbs, inside or outside.  We are depending on our supporters and colleagues.  Meanwhile we are in very close communication with decisionmakers in Washington and anticipate meeting with many actors in Washington in April. 

6.  To repeat, we urge you to gather a group of your friends and colleagues and invite us to come and speak about these converging crises, especially nuclear weapons issues here in NM.  We have a lot of experience and could speak on many threads in the evolving tapestry of nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, climate change, fossil fuel depletion and related economic issues, and we can give you an update on what is happening in Washington on some of these matters. 

7.  As many of our close associates realize, the Study Group operates the majority of the time on fumes.  There are many of you out there that could help with that situation and we would genuinely appreciate any funds that you could contribute.  In these desperate times it is even more important that the majority of our work focus on policy and program, not on fundraising.  Please help us out any way that you can!  There are many of you that are already sustaining donors and it is a blessing to be able to count on that coming in every month.  We would like to challenge each of you to find one more sustaining donor.  Find a match for your contributions!  If you lead the way it may surprise you how many will follow!  You can always mail us a check to our address below here, or you can donate on-line here.  There are also many other options to contribute that you can discuss with Trish by calling our Albuquerque office at 505-265-1200, or by email.

It is the responsibility of every one of us to act, be BOLD.  Do NOT remain quiet and polite!  We need to be successful, not nice.  Get in the face of those legislators, the media, the nuclear energy advocates!  Do not sit by and remain complacent allowing our beautiful state of New Mexico to be prostituted and sacrificed to the military, nuclear weapons, and now nuclear energy!   And call on us to come and speak to your organization, your friends, colleagues, businesses, and anyone that you can gather together!  Don't bury your head in the sand!  Don't continue to just stand by and hand over our state!

Thank you in advance for your strength and fortitude!  We have to all band together and nonviolently FIGHT!  It takes skills, but this is a road we can only build as we travel it together.  Please, don't wait. 

In solidarity,

Trish, Greg, Peter, Rosamund, Willem, Andy, Darwin and all the gang here at LASG