Listening to the news last night, a U.S. pro-nuclear spokesperson was explaining how Japan supposedly had possibly worked out some of the flaws of reactor design that the U.S. had not achieved in the past. This person made it sound like each country's nuclear energy program is an independent nationalist venture and that we need to give the Japanese nuclear engineers a chance to "prove" themselves and their newer techniques. Nothing could be more ridiculous and disinformed or further from the truth. The nuclear establishment is an international network that all industrial governments "who can play" are mutually involved in and connected with thru agencies like the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), and the U.S. National Academy of Science committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR). These organizations are the ones that decide what is a "safe" level of exposure by humans to radioactive materials. Simply put, national governments collaborate through organizations like ICRP, UNSCEAR and BEIR to standardize their "story" relative to the health trade off (risks) of their nuclear activities (benefits).

This first boatload of more than one ton of plutonium from the uranium enrichment plant in southern France to Japan heralds an unprecedented and horrendous new turn in the history of nuclear energy--it is no less than an attempt to formalize a global plutonium economy of commerce and trade in the most dangerous and deadly physical matter known to humankind.

i interviewed Doctor Ernest Sternglass on the phone this past Wednesday. He is a noted physicist who has been attempting to inform the public for decades about the dangers and threat of nuclear technology. At one point he was discussing how the French produced the plutonium now on it's way to Japan by chopping up huge amounts of uranium fuel and in the process releasing radioactive elements like krypton-85 and zenon-137 into the stratosphere. He went on to describe how these radioactive gases are actually accelerating the disintegration of the ozone layer:

So that what we're creating you see is instead of nuclear reactors helping and fighting the ozone hole, it now looks as if it is helping to accelerate the destruction of the ozone hole. And again the nations of the world do not want to admit this because France was just paid four billion dollars for producing the plutonium that is now on its way to Japan. The British are in the process of expanding Sellafield so that they can process more of the uranium that's being mined by Rio Tinto which is one of the largest uranium mining companies in the world and it's owned by the Queen of England. So there is every incentive to lie and coverup to protect the wealth of the British crown. The same is true of many of the banks of Europe and the United States that invested in uranium and they will do anything and fight anybody and lie and coverup in order to protect these tens and hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in uranium and uranium processing facilities. [1]

i am about to begin posting a LARGE presentation of information about the nuclear establishment. It is absolutely critical that increased development of this technology cease if all cellular life is to be able to continue evolving on Mother Earth. What you say? --impossible to stop employing this kind of technology? Not at all--unless we want to truly do the lemming dance crescendoing in oblivion. We DO have a choice to make.

--ratitor

Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 09:16:57 PST
Sender: Activists Mailing List <ACTIV-L%MIZZOU1.BITNET@pucc.Princeton.EDU>
From: Jym Dyer <jym@mica.berkeley.edu>
Subject: NEWS: Japanese Plutonium Escort Rams Greenpeace Ship on High Seas
To: Multiple recipients of ACTIV-L <ACTIV-L%MIZZOU1.BITNET@pucc.Princeton.EDU>

According to the SOLO's captain, Albert Kuiken, the Shikishima crashed into the port side of SOLO while the two ships were running at a cruising speed of around 14 knots in shipping lanes off the French Brittany coast island of Ouessant. This followed a night of intimidation during which the Japanese vessel came dangerously close to SOLO, beaming huge searchlights into the bridge, and threatening to board the Greenpeace ship. Soldiers in riot gear lined the Shikishima's decks.

Mid morning, a French warship, tug and naval plane also started following the SOLO.

The SOLO has been following the Japanese plutonium freighter Akatsuki Maru since it left the French port of Cherbourg at 20:00 GMT, bound for Japan carrying the world's largest cargo of radioactive plutonium (1.7 tonnes).

"This is an outrageous attack on a peaceful mission," said Greenpeace's Eloi Glorieux from the SOLO. "If these are the sorts of lengths the Japanese are prepared to take to protect the secrecy around this deadly cargo, then the world has much to fear."

Captain Albert Kuiken said the Shikishima had constantly broken several maritime laws. The SOLO had, at all times, maintained a safe distance of at least three miles from the Akatsuki Maru and was adhering to all maritime laws. Last night, Kuiken contacted the English coastguard to report the Shikishima's dangerous manoevers.

"In more than 20 years at sea, I have never seen behaviour like this from another ship," he said.

While the SOLO, a former Dutch salvage tug, sustained only minor damage, the Shikishima was badly dented on her starboard side, had her helicopter hangar punctured, staircase bent and aft side railing ripped off.

Greenpeace intends to follow the Akatsuki Maru on its 17,000 mile voyage to Japan to alert countries along the still secret route. Many countries have already banned the ship from their territorial waters.

Greenpeace said that the Smit New York has been shadowing its ship SOLO throughout its pursuit of the plutonium freighter since Saturday. Captain Harm Jongman and his crew witnessed the Japanese plutonium escort vessel's harassment of SOLO throughout Saturday night and its subsequent violent ramming of SOLO on Sunday morning.

Jongman, 20 years a skipper with the prestigious Dutch company Smit Wys, said the Shikishima was clearly in breach of maritime laws in its dangerous manoevering near the SOLO which was peacefully following the Akatsuki Maru at a safe distance.

Greenpeace has secured the services of the Smit New York due to the extreme requirements of the plutonium freighter's perilous voyage. As the freighter may travel a route of over 20,000 miles through some of the most dangerous seas in the world, Greenpeace had to choose a very tough ship. The Smit New York, an ocean-going salvage tug, has extensive fuel and provision capacity and the capacity to weather the most extreme weather and sea conditions.

"We are committed to following this outrageous voyage in order to notify countries along the still secret route," said Greenpeace's Damon Moglen. "The 1.7 tonne shipment represents an unprecedented threat to the environment and human health around the world."

The Smit New York, a salvage tug and the sister ship of Greenpeace's SOLO, is owned by the Dutch salvage company, Smit Wys.

In other developments today, Greenpeace said it was formally notifying the Japanese Government that it holds it liable for all the consequences of Sunday morning's ramming which resulted in some damage to SOLO.

Greenpeace sent a letter to the Japanese embassy in The Hague holding the Japanese Government fully responsible for the incident. This notification is the first step towards legal action against the Japanese Government.

"We're willing to produce all the evidence relating to this incident," said Greenpeace International lawyer, Duncan Currie. "We hope the Japanese are equally willing."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Technical details Smit New York :

   Motor Tug

   length o.a. 67.50m
   breadth mld. 14.20m
   Depth 6.90m
   Draft 5.80m
   Bruto tonnage 1872 tonnes

   Year of construction: 1977
   Identical sister ship of MV Solo

   This 16,000 ihp (horse-power) ocean-going salvage tug has been designed especially to perform towages with very heavy objects over long distances and for salvage assistance to ships in distress.

2. Smit New York has a crew of 20 people including four Greenpeace campaign people.

"This shipment could be just the beginning of the worldwide trade in weapons capable plutonium," said Greenpeace campaigner Chris Zimmer. "Greenpeace will follow this shipment on its 17,000 mile voyage to Japan to notify countries along the still secret route. Plutonium shipments represent an unacceptable danger to the environment and to human health."

The plutonium was extracted from Japanese spent nuclear fuel at the French reprocessing plant at La Hague and will be used to fuel Japanese nuclear reactors. This shipment is seen as a trial run for future shipments from France and the UK to Japan. Although more than 100 countries and territories are in danger, Japan and France have refused to disclose details about the transport route and emergency preparations in case of accident.

"Japan and France are attempting to ship this deadly cargo under a veil of secrecy even though many countries have expressed concern about accidents in or near their waters," said Greenpeace representative Bruce Hall. "If the Japanese are willing to ram a peaceful protest boat on the high seas to protect the secrecy of the shipment, than the world has much to fear."

Hall presented a letter addressed to Ambassador Takakazu Kuriyama which outlined international opposition to use and transport of plutonium. "There is just no room in this world of ours for an energy policy built upon the use of the deadly fuel of atomic weapons," the letter reads. "We urge you to ask your government to reject the dangerous and expensive plutonium path."

"We are able to inform you that ancient grandfathers, the great stands of cedar and redwoods, are in danger of extinction by chainsaws. The maple, chief of trees, is dying from the top down, as was prophesied by Ganiodaiio, Handsome Lake, in 1799. Great rivers and streams are filled with chemicals and filth, and these great veins of life are being used as sewers.

"We were told the female is sacred and carries the gift of life as our Mother Earth, the family is the center of our life and that we must build our communities with life and respect for one another.

"We were told the Creator loves children the most, and we can tell the state of affairs of the nation by how the children are being treated.

"When we return to Onondaga, we will begin our Great Midwinter ceremonies. We will tie the past year in a bundle and give thanks once again for another year on this earth.

"This was given to us, and we have despoiled and polluted it. If we are to survive, dear friends and colleagues, we must clean it up now or suffer its consequences.

. . . But Lyons also remembered turning to Leon Shenandoah, chief of the Grand Council of the Six Nations Confederacy. "My chief, he doesn't say much, but I asked and he said, `They're not taking it serious enough. I don't think they realize what's going to happen to them. What's coming.' He would have liked to see less posturing. We have our procphecies. We know what is coming down the road.'"

-- Onondaga Chief Oren Lyons, on the Global Forum he helped organize on Environment and Development for Survival held in Moscow, January 15 to 19, 1990.