(2 comments) SHARE        Saturday, June 8, 2013
The Closing of the San Onofre Nuclear Plant -- A Great Advance for Safe, Clean, Renewable Energy Technologies Southern California Edison's announcement that it will close its troubled twin-reactor San Onofre nuclear power plant--along with other recent setbacks for atomic energy in the United States--marks a downward spiral for nuclear power. And it could--and should--mean a great advance for the implementation of safe, clean, renewable energy technologies.

SHARE        Thursday, May 16, 2013
Fundamental IRS Change Called For President Obama got it right and wrong when he stated, "If you've got the IRS operating in anything less than a neutral and nonpartisan way, then that is outrageous, it is contrary to our traditions." He was incorrect in saying "it is contrary to our traditions" for the IRS has for decades gone after organizations and individuals that take stands in conflict with the government at the time. Fundamental change is called for.

(2 comments) SHARE        Monday, April 29, 2013
GMO Food in the U.S. and the Biotechnology Industry's Power Will New York be the first state to require the labeling of food containing what has become known as GMO--genetically modified organisms? More than 60 countries have enacted laws banning the use of GMO in producing food or requiring the labeling of food with ingredients that have utilized genetic modication. But because of heavy pressure by the biotechnology industry, there are no such laws or regulations in the United States.

(1 comments) SHARE        Monday, March 11, 2013
Nuclear Power/Nuclear Weapons -- and A Precarious Future With the second anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster this week, with North Korea having just threatened a "pre-emptive nuclear attack" against the United States and a U.S. senator saying this would result in "suicide" for North Korea, with Iran suspected of moving to build nuclear weapons, with the continuing spread of nuclear technology globally, the future looks precarious as to humankind and the atom.

(3 comments) SHARE        Friday, March 8, 2013
Ernest Moniz: A Pro-Nuclear, Pro-Fracking U.S. Energy Secretary With the nomination of Ernest Moniz to be the next U.S. secretary of Energy, President Barack Obama has selected a man who is not only a booster of nuclear power but a big proponent of fracking, too. What happened to Obama's call for "clean" energy in his 2013 State of the Union address?

(5 comments) SHARE        Saturday, February 23, 2013
On Mayor Bloomberg's Push to Ban Polystyrene Food Packaging New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg last week announced he would push for a ban on polystyrene food packaging. But he will face vested interests that will attempt to block his initiative. His proposed ban is not new in the New York area. Suffolk County on Long Island enacted a first-in-the-United States ban on the use of polystyrene food containers 25 years ago and what a battle it was!

(1 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Steven Chu, Supporter of Nuclear Power, Resigns as U.S. Energy Secretary U.S> Secretary of Energy announced his resignation last week after four years of pushing nuclar power, although he promotd energy efficiency and safe, renewabl energy technologies such as solar and wind, too. But nuclear power remained a major focus of Dr. Chu, a physicist out of the U.S. national nuclear laboratory system. Will his successor also be a nuclear booster?

SHARE        Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Will A Free Internet Continue? From seemingly out of nowhre has come the Intrnet -- to be, suddenly, the greatest clobal platform for free expression the world has ever seen. But will it last? Last month, an international conferenc was held that pitted nations seeking greatr governmntal control over the Internet -- led by Russia and China --against countries advocating a hands-off approach which included the United States.

(1 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Our Deeply Dysfunctional Congress No matter what may happen about the "fiscal cliff," the U.S. Congress is now widely seen as deeply dysfunction. Much this has to do with the public perception -- an accurate one -- that most members of Congress are bought and paid for notably via campaign contributions by special interests. Change -- major change -- is desperately needed!

SHARE        Thursday, December 20, 2012
Challenging the Gun Lobby, Changing the Culture of Violence We'll soon see whether the gun lobby can be successsfully challenged and the culture of violence that has been growing in the United States changed. President Barack Obama had it right this week in calling for not just words but action. However, it will take continued pressure from public officials and all people if we are to have meaningful results.

(3 comments) SHARE        Sunday, December 2, 2012
The Fiscal Cliff -- and Precipitous Fall of Tax Rates for the Rich President Obama's demand that taxes of the rich be raised is a key issue in the battle that could send the U.S. over a "fiscal cliff." Important in understanding the issue is how the tax rates for the richest Americans have fallen precipitously over the last several decades. They were 91% in the 1950s, 70% in the 1970s. Obama isn't seeking an increase even close -- only a return to what they were in the Clinton presidency.

(1 comments) SHARE        Sunday, November 11, 2012
Lessons of Hurricane Sandy What an ordeal the people of a good part of the United States have been because of Hurricane Sandy -- and many are still going through! What, at this stage, miht be econsidered some of the "lessons learned" from "Frankenstorm" Sandy?

(2 comments) SHARE        Friday, November 9, 2012
Radioactivity and Fracking Fracking for gas not only uses toxic chmicals that can contaminate drinking and groundwater -- it also releases quantities of radioactive poison from the ground that will remain hot and deadly for thousands of years. Just out with a report exposing major radioactive impacts of hydraulic fracturing -- known as fracking -- is Grassroots Environmental Education, an organization in New York, where extensive fracking is proposed.

SHARE        Sunday, October 21, 2012
Prescient About America: George McGovern George McGovern, who has jsut died, was prescient about America. WHen he ran for president 40 years ago, he well-understood what the federal government of the United States had become, among other national dysfunctions. It's a shame he wasn't given an opportunity to, as president, change things.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, August 17, 2012
The "Under 1 Percent" in Helicopters to the Hamptons Blanket Long Islanders With Raucous Noise It is the "under 1 percent" who come to the vaunted Hamptons by helicopter from Manhattan--and in the process blanket Long Islanders with raucous noise. And Long Islanders have been organizing to fight back.

SHARE        Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The Push for More Spaceborne Nuclear Russian Roulette With NASA's plutonium-energized Mars rover, which it calls Curiosity, slated to land on Monday, August 6, there is a push for more use of nuclear power in space. Nuclear boosters, despite the accidents that have already occurred involving space nuclear power, are promoting this game of spaceborne nuclear Russian roulette.

(3 comments) SHARE        Saturday, July 21, 2012
Poverty and Extreme Wealth on Long Island Poverty and extreme wealth on Long Island have been in the national spotlight -- with the airing of an HBO documentary "Hard Times: Lost on Long Island" and a series of lavish fundraisers in the Hamptons for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The lunch tab at one was $50,000-a-plate. Poverty increases -- while the 1% pay big to dominate the governmental system.

(1 comments) SHARE        Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Nuclear Foxes In Charge of the Nuclear Hen Houses The conclusion of a report of a Japanese parliamentary panel issued last week that the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster was rooted in government "collusion" and thus was "man-made" is mirrored throughout the world. The "regulatory capture" cited by the panel is the patern among nuclear agencies right up to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

(1 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Nuclear Worship Nuclear scientists and engineers embrace nuclear power like a religion. Why? They're being in such close proximity to power, literally? Their training and indoctrination -- in the U.S., many in the nuclear navy and/or the insular culture of the government's national nuclear laboratories. In any event. they have corrupted and distorted energy policy as they've pushed their deadly technology in the manner of religiouz zealots.

(4 comments) SHARE        Monday, June 4, 2012
Inviting Atomic Catastrophe The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will be holding a meeting this week to consider having nuclear power plants run 80 years--although they were never seen as running for more than 40 years because of radioactivity embrittling metal parts and otherwise causing safety problems. The NRC has already extended the operating licenses of most U.S. nuclear plants so they can run 60 years. The NRC is inviting atomic catastophe.