Making news all over America in the past couple of weeks was the reemergence of MUSE as stalwarts in the music industry Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and others launched a new movement to stop the $50 Billion Loan guarantees slated for the Commercial Nuclear Industry as they push for a Nuclear Renaissance here in America. With great fanfare a petition drive was launched, complete with a new web site and organization as Congressman John Hall's friends in the music industry rode into town on their white steeds. (http://www.nukefree.org)
It was a start, and many of us in the anti nuclear movement were anxiously awaiting ACT II...would MUSE finally do something to oppose the wrongful license renewal of 104 aging reactors such as Entergy's aging Indian Point? Would the music industry step up to bat, and beat back a wrongful Nuclear Renaissance, oppose the license renewal of trouble plagued plants, and oppose all new build applications being filed with the NRC...so many questions as we enjoyed the new video, as 120,000 anti nuclear folk poured out of the wood work to rush off and sign the petition!
The movement seemed to stumble badly at a Press Conference when everyone but Jackson Browne seemed to have the wrong answer...the most noticeable stumble came from Congressman John Hall, perhaps the most NOTABLE Anti Nuclear musician of his time, who ran for Congress on the promise of CLOSING DOWN INDIAN POINT. When asked if he would SUPPORT Pro-Nuclear Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama if they win the nod to carry the Democratic banner, he said he would support them! WHAT! wait a minute, say it ain't so John!
Whispers rushed through the grassroots community here in New York, telephones rang as conversations on this revelation began...with a certain sadness the consensus seemed to be that John Hall had to play politics, and was just doing what he had to do to keep his ducks in a row inside the beltway. With tears in our eyes, and a bit of doubt in our hearts, it was decided to give John Hall the benefit of the doubt. After all, he is only a Freshman, and besides, LOOK at what he is making happen with MUSE...120,000 signatures is NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT. Further, he, Nita Lowey and Maurice Hinchey are all in favor of shutting down Indian Point, they have told us so, have stated they are against NUCLEAR ENERGY.
Shaken, but reassured, we moved forward, taking solace in Jackson Browne's comments, and the incredible list of Music Titans who had signed onto the petition such as Herbie Hancock, Musician/Activist, David Crosby, Musician/Activist, Pearl Jam, Musicians/Activists and even Melissa Etheridge. Even more assuring at the time was the fact that long time environmentalist and anti nuclear legend Paul Harvey was in charge of the new web site. Surely the man who gave us Solartopia could would chart a safe path through dangerous waters.
Imagine the resurgence in our ranks these past few weeks as we began believing we had friends in high places who were TRUE TO OUR CAUSE, would carry our anti nuclear message into the Halls of Congress, work with us to stop the wrongful license renewal of trouble plagued nuclear reactors like Indian Point, Vermont Yankee, Pilgrim, Diablo Canyon and others. We had hope that the Nuclear Renaissance could be stopped in its tracks.
Then, the other shoe dropped when I was reading an article today found on the Nuke Workers web site about the Defense Appropriations bill passed by Congress for 2008. The House-passed measure would require the Navy to make its future fleet of surface combatants nuclear powered.
The movement seemed to stumble badly at a Press Conference when everyone but Jackson Browne seemed to have the wrong answer...the most noticeable stumble came from Congressman John Hall, perhaps the most NOTABLE Anti Nuclear musician of his time, who ran for Congress on the promise of CLOSING DOWN INDIAN POINT. When asked if he would SUPPORT Pro-Nuclear Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama if they win the nod to carry the Democratic banner, he said he would support them! WHAT! wait a minute, say it ain't so John!
Whispers rushed through the grassroots community here in New York, telephones rang as conversations on this revelation began...with a certain sadness the consensus seemed to be that John Hall had to play politics, and was just doing what he had to do to keep his ducks in a row inside the beltway. With tears in our eyes, and a bit of doubt in our hearts, it was decided to give John Hall the benefit of the doubt. After all, he is only a Freshman, and besides, LOOK at what he is making happen with MUSE...120,000 signatures is NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT. Further, he, Nita Lowey and Maurice Hinchey are all in favor of shutting down Indian Point, they have told us so, have stated they are against NUCLEAR ENERGY.
Imagine the resurgence in our ranks these past few weeks as we began believing we had friends in high places who were TRUE TO OUR CAUSE, would carry our anti nuclear message into the Halls of Congress, work with us to stop the wrongful license renewal of trouble plagued nuclear reactors like Indian Point, Vermont Yankee, Pilgrim, Diablo Canyon and others. We had hope that the Nuclear Renaissance could be stopped in its tracks.
Then, the other shoe dropped when I was reading an article today found on the Nuke Workers web site about the Defense Appropriations bill passed by Congress for 2008. The House-passed measure would require the Navy to make its future fleet of surface combatants nuclear powered.
WHAT? OH MY FREAKING GOD, a major expansion of nuclear propulsion cruising around the world's oceans! Thinking it was a mistake, I ran off to do some research into the bill.
GovTrack.us. H.R. 1585--110th Congress (2007): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation)
Sure as God makes little green apples it was true! From hence forth if the Congress has its way, all Naval ships will be floating Nuclear Reactors! My first thought was, "Does John Hall know about this?" My second thought was, "How did our anti nuclear members of Congress (Lowey, Hinchey and John Hall) vote on this? Sadly, even pathetically all three members supported this bill, voted in favor of an ALL NUCLEAR NAVY! What happened to standing by your principles, your core beliefs. How can someone like John Hall profess to be anti-nuclear cast a vote in the affirmative for any bill that includes something like this in it?
Such a vote, showing support for a bill that calls for a all Nuclear Navy is nothing short of treason to the Anti-Nuclear Movement. The very people we are counting on to help close down Indian Point, to stop the plant's leaking of tritium and strontium 90 into the Hudson River voted to have all future war ships powered by nuclear reactors! Looking at the numerous ocean going nuclear accidents of the past, it makes no sense whatsoever to have hundreds if not thousands of nuclear ships patrolling the world's oceans. Let's not kid ourselves, if America's Navy goes fully nuclear, nations like China and Russia will soon follow our course.
Are Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby and Harvey Wasserman aware of this betrayal? A call was made to Harvey Wasserman at his Bexley Ohio home, but he stated he was not prepared to make a comment at this time.
Perhaps he was uncomfortable making a statement without first clearing it through MUSE and NUKE FREE first, or wanted to wait, and put the right political spin on the situation in an article for the Huffington Post for which he contributes the occasional article. After all, how do you tell 120,000 people who signed the MUSE/NUKE FREE petition opposing 50 Billion in loan guarantees to the commercial nuclear industry, that one of the pillars of the Anti-Nuclear Movement, one of the founding members as it were of MUSE, Anti Nuclear activist and musician John Hall, used his vote in the United States Congress to bless a Nuclear Navy.
Lets be clear here...if Congress gets its way in committee, and this part of their bill remains intact, over a period of 20 or so years it will amount to the BIGGEST subsidy to the nuclear industry that ever came down the pike. 300-400 American Nuclear War Ships, each powered with a nuclear reactor is a staggering thought, and dwarfs our current fleet of 104 Commercial Reactors.
Once this Congressional paragraph is written into law, we will have forever changed America and the world's course through history. There are times, even in Washington, DC where a politician has to take a stand, vote their heart, rather than worrying about getting re-elected, and this was one of those moments, especially for John Hall. Sadly, it appears that politics over rode personal beliefs, as there is no other excuse that can be found for voting in favor of a Nuclear Navy when you are a Anti Nuclear activist. Lest people think Congressman John Hall is the only member of Congress with nuclear blood on their hands, think again...the vote was not even close:
(Sec. 1012) States that it is the policy of the United States to construct the major combatant vessels of the naval strike forces, including all new classes of such vessels, with integrated nuclear power systems. Requires the Secretary, with respect to a budget submission for construction of a new class of major combatant vessel for the naval strike force, to request a vessel with an integrated nuclear power system, unless the Secretary notifies Congress that an integrated system in such vessel is not in the national interest.
May 17, 2007: This bill passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote. The totals were 397 Ayes, 27 Nays, 8 Present/Not Voting.
View Votes (House of Representatives roll no. 373)
397 votes amounts to and unprecedented Super Majority. This begs the question, "How many other community's hosting nuclear facilities thought their elected official in Washington, DC were on their side, were firmly in the Anti Nuclear camp?" Do the citizens around Palo Verde, Diablo Canyon, Vermont Yankee, Pilgrim, Oyster Creek and other aging reactor host community's feel betrayed by such a massive pro-nuclear industry vote out of Congress? For those thinking a Nuclear Navy makes all the sense in the world, posted below are some examples of military nuclear mishaps, but we caution that the list is far from being complete.
December 12, 1971 – In the Thames River near New London, Connecticut, radioactive coolant water is being transferred from the submarine USS Dace to the submarine tender USS Fulton when 500 U.S. gallons (1,900 L) are spilled into the river.
