Saturday, March 10, 2007

Join GNB & Rock The Reactors March 28th at Cortland Manor

On March 28th, from 3:00pm to 6:30pm, at Colonial Terrace, 119 Oregon Road, the same Cortland Manor where John Hall was sworn in as Rockland County's new Congressman a few weeks ago, Entergy is co-hosting the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce's 2007 Business Expo.
The website states:
"Hosted by WHUD’s Mike Bennett, it is shaping up to be fabulous day. There will be door prizes, raffles and entertainment throughout the day. Since last year’s Expo was so popular this year there will be “complimentary valet parking” and from 5:00pm – 6:30pm complimentary Hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. This is an event you want to see for yourself!"
There will be a preliminary networking event on March 14th from 6pm to 8pm. Both Kathleen McMullin and James F.X. Steets of Entergy sit on the board of directors of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce. James F.X. Steets is also its Vice Chairman.
Kathleen McMullin
Entergy
(914) 271-7132
James F.X. Steets
440 Hamilton Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
Green Nuclear Butterfly supports Congressman John Hall, who as a member of Musicians United for Safe Energy, co-wrote the anthem "Power", in his effort to open a renewable energy center on the land now occupied by Entergy. John J. Curran, Peekskill's official city historian, president of the Peekskill Museum, told GNB that a coalition of Native Americans tribes want to buy back the land on which Indian Point sits!
Entergy has NOT been a good neighbor. Their Indian Point facility is contaminating surrounding waters, animal and plant life with radioactive isotopes. Cancer rates around Indian Point are documented much higher than normal. Yet, Senator Hillary Clinton, who sits on the board of directors at Cornell University's Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors, still has not officially associated the rise in breast cancer rates with the nuclear industry's reign of radioactive terror.
We urge you to contact the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, write to them, call them... explain to them that Entergy is no longer welcome in this community. That the people of Rockland County have spoken by electing John Hall as their Congressman. That the people of Peekskill want Entergy out of its chamber of commerce, as well as out of the Paramount Center.
Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce
One South Division Street
Peekskill, NY 10566
914-737-3600 Fax 914-737-0541
Green Nuclear Butterfly will be handing out literature about the real dangers of Indian Point and the risk of aging nuclear reactors at the 2007 Business Expo, as well as educating the community about alternative sources of investment, business opportunities and capital available to the region which GNB and Rock The Reactors are developing with executives from HSBC's sustainable investment division.
The best and easiest way to close down Indian Point, is to quietly, gently, kindly escort Entergy outside the Peekskill city limits, bid them fairwell, and a good day.

Friday, March 9, 2007

What Channel 12 Did Not Want You To See...

NRC...DoE...DoD... Back to Square One!


The Greening of the U.S. Military: Environmental Policy, National Security, and Organizational Change
(Public Management and Change)
by Robert F. Durant

$29.95 Paperback 256 pages
Publishing Date: June 15, 2007
ISBN-10: 1589011538
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-687-5889 Fax: 202-687-6340
Publicist - Kimberly Wilson
202-687-9298
Order from Amazon

Robert F. Durant is professor of public administration and policy at American University. He has received numerous research awards, including the 2000 Best Book Award from the Public and Nonprofit Division of the Academy of Management; the Gladys M. Kammerer Award for the best book on U.S. national policy from the American Political Science Association; and the Charles H. Levine Memorial Award given jointly by the American Society for Public Administration and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. He is a fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration.

Dr. Robert F. Durant
American University
School of Public Affairs
Ward Circle Building 345
4400 Mass. Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016
(202) 885-2509
durant@american.edu

By the Cold War's end, U.S. military bases harbored nearly 20,000 toxic waste sites. All told, cleaning the approximately 27 million acres is projected to cost hundreds of billions of dollars. And yet while progress has been made, efforts to integrate environmental and national security concerns into the military's operations have proven a daunting and intrigue-filled task that has fallen short of professed goals in the post-Cold War era.

In The Greening of the U.S. Military, Robert F. Durant delves into this too-little understood world of defense environmental policy to uncover the epic and ongoing struggle to build an environmentally sensitive culture within the post-Cold War military. Through over 100 interviews and thousands of pages of documents, reports, and trade newsletter accounts, he offers a telling tale of political, bureaucratic, and intergovernmental combat over the pace, scope, and methods of applying environmental and natural resource laws while ensuring military readiness. He then discerns from these clashes over principle, competing values, and narrow self-interest a theoretical framework for studying and understanding organizational change in public organizations.

From Dick Cheney's days as Defense Secretary under President George H. W. Bush to William Cohen's Clinton-era-tenure and on to Donald Rumsfeld's Pentagon, the battle over "greening" the military has been one with high-stakes consequences for both national defense and public health, safety, and the environment. Durant's polity-centered perspective and arguments will evoke needed scrutiny, debate, and dialogue over these issues in environmental, military, policymaking, and academic circles.

"The Greening of the U.S. Military helps to add energy, depth, and luster to academic studies of policy history, bureaucratic politics, and public management."-Michael Barzelay, professor of public management, London School of Economics and Political Science"For those who may have formed impressions of the Pentagon's progress, or lack thereof, in becoming greener, this highly readable and accessible book is an indispensable resource."
-Kent E. Portney, professor of political science, Tufts University

"A very well-written book describing the attempts to instill a 'beyond compliance' environmental culture in the military and the forces that shape these efforts. In short, no book is as up-to-date and extensive or as theoretical. The scholarship is superior."
-Denise Scheberle, professor of public and environmental affairs, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay"

[A] highly significant contribution to analysis and understanding of organizational change in government."
-Hal G. Rainey, Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor, The University of Georgia

Table of Contents

1. A World Apart?
2. Greening, National Security, and the Postmodern Military
3. About Face at the Pentagon?
4. Base Cleanups, Sovereign Impunity, and the Expansion of the Beaten Zone
5. Guns, Dogs, Fences, and Base Transfers
6. Missiles, Mayhem, and the Munitions Rule7. Natural Resources Management, Miltary Training, and the Greening of the Drone Zone
8. Safety, Security, and Chemical Weapons Demilitarization
9. Pollution Prevention, Energy Conservation, and the Perils of Châteaux Generalship
10. Avoiding the Harder Right in the Post-Clinton Era?
11. Lessons for Practice and Theory

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Bob Weir's Publicist Dances Around Indian Point Issue

Seems yesterday was a BIG DAY where Indian Point was concerned, and the Green Nuclear Butterfly was out making waves in front of the Paramount Center as Bob Weir's publicist did the two step boogie trying to dance around the Entergy/Indian Point issue. Green Nuclear Butterfly had tracted the band down early in the day by getting to the theatre and speaking with members of the road crew who were STUNNED that the theatre is incestously tied to the Entergy corporation that is polluting the Hudson River with 10 Million gallons of irradiated water each and every year...THOSE BASTARDS.
Dennis McNally, publicist for Bob Weir and his band RatDog, came out of Bob's tan colored tour bus long enough to speak with us in the sub artic temperatures for about three minutes. He said that both he and Bob Weir are anti nuclear, and continued on to say that the band was not aware of Entergy's financial ties to the theatre, and thus RatDog's appearance there. He further stated that the band had a long talk on the issue, and would probably not play said venue in the future as long as Entergy was funding the theatre...Green Nuclear Butterfly will be handing out boycott fliers at numerous events at the Paramount to bring attention to this situation...the Paramount needs to tell Entergy Goodbye to be more in line with the public who supports it...we want Indian Point GONE, and that means Entergy.
Green Nuclear Butterfly was interviewed at the Peekskill Coffee House across from theatre by Channel 12, but the spot was not aired due to other important Indian Point news:
1. The NRC released their grade for the year...as was/is to be expected, the NRC gave Indian Point a passing grade, mitigating horrid issues of non compliance (leaking fuel pools) with the comment that Entergy is working on them.
2. Reactor 3 is closing down for one month to REFUEL the reactor...in short, another perilous and dangerous time for the community as the bungling staff of Indian Point plays with their fuel rods while thinking of Betcee.
3. Unless they postpone it, Indian Point today (March 7th) is supposed to file their application for license renew with the NRC...chances, just like with the new siren installation, the application will be LATE in being filed.
Green Nuclear Butterfly in conjunction with Rock The Reactors were successful yesterday in interacting with over 1200 people, and we distributed over 500 fliers and CD Roms. Total financial costs for this community out reach was $150.00, so if any one wants to contribute to the cause, your donations would be appreciated.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Wang Chung Monkey Poop and Indian Point Noogies

Let's have LESS CUTE, and more serious BALL BUSTING talk about protests and civil disobedience...you are CUTE Manna, but cute rots the brain while accomplishing little of serious merit.
OH MY FREAKING GAWD...it's Monday night, and I am just now getting around to putting my pen to work on Friday's BIG EVENT that was not so BIG, but which Clearwater will swear was the proverbial TIPPING POINT in closing down Indian Point...yeah, for sure and a big whatever there Manna...curious here....were you ever a member of the Glee/Pep Club? OK, never mind and scratch that.

First big startling news...Andrew Spano made NO APPEARANCE at this monumental Round Table discussion. In short, the man with a plan, Mr. Robo Caller himself is pinning his hopes on jumping through the NRC's LEGAL HOOPS, and it is NOT GOING TO WORK. Andy, you really need to educate yourself on the NRC/DOE/GNEP Nuclear 2010 plan...call me, we'll do lunch at my house and I'll fill you in on what you are too important to bother learning.

Congressman John Hall was at Manna/Clearwater's Round Table discussion, and looking anything but Congressional...he even borrowed a line from the campaign trail used by another Congressman...get a new writer there John! Now supposed, John Hall had a private meeting in his Washington office with one Commissioner Kline from the NRC, and said commissioner let it be known that the NRC has no intention whatsoever of denying Indian Point a license for both their reactors on the Hudson...curious John Hall, have you heard of the word collusion, and are you by chance thinking RICO LAW SUIT? He trotted out Maurice Hinchey's tired legislation that he introduced in Congress as his own a few weeks ago, and told us it was going to pass...no, your bill will not pass Congressman John Hall, and it is sad to see you more concerned with getting re-elected than doing your job...so nice too to see you stayed around for the evening session when REAL CITIZENS would be there! (Only kidding folks, he bailed leaving behind a harried staffer as he headed into New York City for and evening fund raising party.)

The punching bag of the day award has to go to Barbara Youngberg with the New York DEC...but then, hardly a wonder since she freely admitted that DEC could take Entergy into court on the leaks, but instead felt they could get more accomplished working with/cooperating with the company...ARE YOU NUTS? The audience was/is not happy, and let her know it, as did more than a few voices on the panel including self important Mark Jacobs who loves to hear himself wax poetic, Lisa Rainwater who did a very good job of looking hot and sultry, but seemed lacking of substance when the time counted...I was though impressed with Susan Shapiro who a couple of times serious nailed the members of the regulatory up on stage.

BOTTOM LINE...the leaks, and thus this round table DO NOT MATTER...you see, if you bother following the NRC's game plan, the spent fuel pools, and thus the leaks are NOT UP FOR DISCUSSION in the license renewal application, amount to an issue we cannot even bring up.

SO...when can we expect, Clearwater, Riverkeeper, IPSEC and the various local governments to get a CLUE, and begin taking REAL STEPS to close down Indian Point? We have already learned that Governor Elliot Spitzer is so full of shit his eyes are brown, and that he intends to SELL US OUT...read the fine print.
1) He took money more than once from an ENTERGY PAC, and
2) has a caveat in his rhetoric that amounts to giving ENTERGY a green light to relicense...he expects that ANTI INDIAN POINT Folks to FIRST REPLACE the power from Indian Point...uhhhh....excuse me Mr. Elliot, if that was/is your plan, new alternatives should have been being introduced YEARS AGO...bottom line Governor...you are an asshole and a hypocrite, and Indian Point, the risk it poses to our community are simply too GREAT, and the reactors have to be closed, even if you have to order our National Guard to do so...GET IT THERE SPITZER BOY? DOE, NRC and ENTERGY are not going to let these reactors go without a fight, and it might take ARMED FORCES ordered onto the sight to bring about the closing of these two failing plants, so get your pen ready.

Some interesting factoids on Indian Point:

1. It sits atop FRACTURED Bedrock.
2. The various regulatory agencies in charge of Indian Point allow it to LEGALLY dump over 10 MILLION gallons of radioactively contaminated water into the Hudson each year...oh, and the air as well, lets not forget the air.
3. We have an invisible underground radioative Plumb at Indian Point...isn't that special?
4. Indian Points efforts to stop the leaks in the spent fuel pools are EXPERIMENTAL at best, and so far do not seem to be working.
5. All regulatory agencies involved at Indian Point admitted that none of the testing at these failing reactors is EXTENSIVE, nor adequate, but justified it by saying Entergy has assured them they CANNOT AFFORD more testing....uhhhh....last I looked, last year saw record profits for ENTERGY, so how can they not afford adequate testing?

I give Manna and Clearwater a passing grade for their effort. I give IPSEC, Riverkeeper and Clearwater FAILING GRADES for wasting a lot of effort and money hosting an even on LEAKS that are not even eligible for inclusion in NRC's review of the the relicense renewal application. Sorry guys, but the time has come to have REAL DISCUSSION about what it will take to CLOSE DOWN THE REACTORS, and you had best include protests, sit ins and civil disobedience on that discussion list when you are finally ready to have talks about CLOSURE, instead of LEAKS.