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From: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com (abolition-usa-digest) To: abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: abolition-usa-digest V1 #363 Reply-To: abolition-usa-digest Sender: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk abolition-usa-digest Thursday, August 24 2000 Volume 01 : Number 363 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 15:44:09 -0400 From: Karl Grossman <kgrossman@hamptons.com> Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Fwd: NGO Registration Form I was unable to open attached document. Karl Grossman At 03:30 PM 8/23/00 EDT, you wrote: > Return-path: From: JGG786@aol.com Full-name: JGG786 Message-ID: Date: >Fri, 18 Aug 2000 13:45:33 EDT Subject: Fwd: NGO Registration Form To: >zack@gsinstitute.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; >boundary="part2_c1.6551902.26ced03d_boundary" X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows >95 sub 111 Please read and tell me what the price is, Jonathan >Return-Path: Received: from rly-st06.mail.aol.com (rly-st06.mail.aol.com >[172.31.34.5]) by air-yd01.mail.aol.com (v75_b3.11) with ESMTP; Thu, 17 Aug >2000 15:20:09 -0400 Received: from rly-zb05.mx.aol.com >(rly-zb05.mail.aol.com [172.31.41.5]) by rly-st06.mail.aol.com >(8.8.8/8.8.8/AOL-5.0.0) with ESMTP id PAA12030 for ; Thu, 17 Aug 2000 >15:04:16 -0400 (EDT) Received: from falcon.prod.itd.earthlink.net >(falcon.prod.itd.earthlink.net [207.217.120.74]) by rly-zb05.mx.aol.com >(v75_b3.9) with ESMTP; Thu, 17 Aug 2000 15:03:57 -0400 Received: from solo >(dialup-209.245.116.134.Weehawken1.Level3.net [209.245.116.134]) by >falcon.prod.itd.earthlink.net (8.9.3-EL_1_3/8.9.3) with SMTP id MAA29304; > Thu, 17 Aug 2000 12:03:42 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: Reply-To: "worldforum" >From: "worldforum" To: Subject: NGO Registration Form Date: Thu, 17 Aug >2000 15:05:36 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; > boundary="----=_NextPart_000_01E0_01C0085C.98D9D500" X-Priority: 3 >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express >5.00.2919.6600 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 > Thank You. Attachment Converted: "c:\attachments\Forum 2000 - NGO >Registration Form.pdf" - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 23:38:48 EDT From: JGG786@aol.com Subject: (abolition-usa) SHARE WITH NGO'S State of the World=20 Forum can be found at their website: www.worldforum.org. THERE IS A SPECIAL=20 $250 REGISTRATION FOR NGO'S AFFILIATED WITH THE UN. I THINK IT IS A GREAT=20 DEAL AND SUGGEST YOU GO. JONATHAN GRANOFF - --------------------------------------------------------------------- SHAPING GLOBALIZATION: Convening the Community of Stakeholders September 4-10, 2000 New York Hilton and Towers New York City, NY USA NGO * REGISTRATION FORM * for use only by NGOs accredited with the United Nations To register, please complete this form and return with payment to:=20 State of the World Forum, The Presidio, P.O. Box 29434, San Francisco,=20 CA 94129 or call 415-561-2345 or fax to 415-561-2323.=20 More information and updates to the schedule are available at=20 www.worldforum.org. NAME ____________________________________________=20 TITLE ______________________________________________ ORGANIZATION=20 ______________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS=20 ______________________________________________________________________ CITY _____________________STATE/PROV ________________=20 ZIP/POST CODE________________ COUNTRY ____________ TEL __________________________ FAX ____________________________ EMAIL=20 __________________________________ OPTION #1 special NGO* rate without meals (lunch, dinner, receptions)=20 is $250 OPTION #2 special NGO* rate with meals (lunch, dinner, receptions) is=20 $1,150 Both options allow you to attend all plenaries, breakout roundtable=20 sessions and Forum dialogues. As is the case with other registration=20 rates, the fee quoted does not cover lodging or travel. F O R M O F PAYMENT CHECK MONEY ORDER WIRE TRANSFER: we will send you details of our bank=20 account in case of wire transfer payment CREDIT CARD: VISA / MASTERCARD / AMERICAN EXPRESS #=20 _______________________________________________ EXPIRATION DATE ___________________________=20 SIGNATURE=20 _________________________________________________ ACCOMMODATIONS Participants are encouraged to stay at the New York Hilton and Towers=20 at a specially reduced Forum 2000 rate.=20 Check this box if you would like to receive hotel reservation=20 information INDIVIDUAL MEAL PRI CES Lunch $75 ! Dinner $125 !=20 NOTE:=20 If you opt for the "no meal" registration rate, you still have the=20 option to buy tickets for a given lunch or dinner =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=80=9C i= f there is a=20 particular lunch or dinner speaker you want to hear. There will be=20 limited numbers of these tickets available for purchase on site, and=20 we can not guarantee availa - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 10:48:18 -0400 From: Ellen Thomas <prop1@prop1.org> Subject: (abolition-usa) NucNews 00/08/24 - Daybook; Presidential Candidates; Announcements - --=====================_14414236==_.ALT Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 1) Washington Daybook - August 24, 2000 - Washington Times, Agence France-Presse http://www.washtimes.com/national/daybook-2000824213712.htm Welcoming ceremony =97 9:30 a.m. =97 The Defense Department holds an= honor cordon to welcome Prime Minister Ilir Meta of Albania to the Pentagon.= Deputy Secretary of Defense Rudy de Leon participates. Location: Pentagon River Entrance, the Pentagon. Contact: 703/695-0169. =20 Terrorism discussion =97 noon =97 The Potomac Institute for Policy= Studies hosts a discussion, "Counterterrorism Strategies for the 21st Century." Location: PIPS, 901 N. Stuart St., Suite 200, Ballston Metro Center Office Tower, Arlington. Contact: 703/562-4519. =20 - - Al Gore - Washington, D.C. August 24 10:30 a.m. =97 Meets with Mexican President-elect Vicente Fox, vice president's residence, Naval Observatory, 34th Street and Massachusetts= Avenue NW. 1:15 p.m. =97 Promotes plans to cut taxes to promote higher education, University of Maryland, Stamp Student Union, Colony Ballroom 6:30 p.m. =97 Attends a Democratic National Committee reception, Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW. 8 p.m. =97 Attends a Democratic National Committee dinner, Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW. - - George W. Bush=20 - New Orleans and Miami August 24 10:00 a.m. - Leadership Forum on Higher Education, Kearny Hall, Dillard University, 2601 Gentilly Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana, (504) 286-4868 12:25 p.m. - Louisiana Republican Party Luncheon, International Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel, 123 Baronne Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, (504) 522-2303 6:55 p.m - Miami, Florida: There will be an open airport arrival at Miami= =20 International Airport, at Signature Air Services, 3551 Northwest 59th= Avenue. - Miami on August 25 9:00 a.m. - Speech on Expanding Relations with Countries in the Western Hemisphere, Florida International University, Ernest R. Graham University Center Ballroom, 11200 Southwest 8th Street, Miami, Florida=20 4:50 p.m. - Meeting with Mexico's President-elect Vicente Fox: Cecil Auditorium, Karl Hoblitzelle Hall , University of Texas at Dallas= Intersection of Cambell Road and University Parkway, Richardson, Texas (972) 883-2111=20 - - Ralph Nader On the Road - This Week (*), Debates (**) * Thursday, August 24, Sacramento, CA=20 1:30 - 2:30 PM - Press Conference, State Capitol, Room 4203 6:00 - 7:30 PM - Reception and Fundraiser with Ralph, KZ=92s Gallery= and Caf=E9, 1630 K Street. more info mailto:darci@votenader.org 8:15 - 9:45 PM - Rally, Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street=20 * Friday, August 25, Portland, OR=20 12:30 - 1:30 PM - Press Conference, 320 South West Stark St. #202 7:00 - 9:30 PM - Memorial Coliseum Fundraiser, One Center Court (Downtown) * Saturday, August 26, Seattle, WA=20 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM - Press Conference, Seattle Green Office, 2215= East Union 2:00 - 3:00 PM - Labor Union Address, Labor Temple, Hall 1, 2800 1st= =20 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. - Fundraiser, Speakeasy Cafe 2222, Second Avenue, with gypsy swing band The Hot Club Sandwich. Contact mailto:leslie@votenader.org 7:30 - 9:00 PM - Speech, Moore Theater, 1932 2nd * Sunday, August 27, Hopland, CA 2:00 - 4:00 PM =B7 SOL Fest , Solar Living Center, Highway 101 * Sunday, August 27, Santa Rosa, CA 6:00 - 7:30 PM - Fundraiser, Luther Burbank Center for the= Performing Arts: Reception with Ralph and musical guest The Cadence String Quartet.= more info mailto:darci@votenader.org 8:00 - 9:00 PM - Speech Luther Burbank Center for the Performing= Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa=20 * Wednesday, August 30, Southhampton, NY=20 6:30 - 9:00 PM - Evening with Ralph Nader, Avram Fine Arts Theatre, Southampton College, 239 Montauk Highway, Southampton, NY, With musical= guests Thunder Bird Sisters. Please join us also for a post-event fundraiser with Ralph at Chancellors Hall. Please RSVP to Ron Stanchfield at 631-324-6655=20 ** Tuesday, October 3, Boston, MA, First Presidential Debate, John F. Kennedy Library at University of, Massachusetts=20 ** Wednesday, October 11, Winston-Salem, NC, Second Presidential Debate,= =20 Wake Forest University=20 ** Tuesday, October 17, St. Louis, MO, Third Presidential Debate,= Washington University=20 *** Tuesday, November 7 Your Home Town Election Day - Register to Vote!=20 - - President Clinton will travel to New York City September 6 - 8 to take= part in the United Nations Millennium Summit, expected to be the largest gathering of heads of state and government ever held. The President will address the Opening Plenary Session on September 6. During the Summit, the President= will also conduct bilateral meetings with foreign leaders. The theme of the Millennium Summit is "The Role of the United Nations in the 2lst Century."= It will provide a forum for heads of state and government to address the challenges facing the UN in the new Millennium. 3) Announcements - - Green Party Platform excerpts - from= http://www.gp.org/platform/gpp2000.html * The Green Party, recognizing the need for de-escalating the arms race= which continues unabated in spite of the end of the 'Cold War", strongly opposes putting nuclear weapons, lasers and other weapons in space in a new militarization policy that is in clear violation of international law. * The Green Party would press for the immediate start of the negotiation of= a treaty to abolish nuclear weapons, and for the completion of those= negotiations by the year 2002. We would cut off all funding for the development, testing, production, and deployment of nuclear weapons, and also cut off funding for nuclear weapons research. All nuclear weapons should be taken off alert and= all warheads removed from their delivery vehicles. [From: Alice Slater <mailto:aslater@gracelinks.org>] - - NAVY BOMBING RESUMES IN VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO; PROTEST FAST ENTERS 5TH WEEK. Contact: Michael F. Brown or Miriam Pi=F1eiro-Cort=E9s, 202-232-1999 mailto:viequesfast@mail.com - - DU Video Several people have been asking how they can get a copy of the video, "From Radioactive Mines to Radioactive Battlefields". I spoke with Daniel= Robicheau of Desert Concerns, the producer of the video, and he said people=20 can email him directly at danrobicheau@hotmail.com. The video cost $20 (US)= and that includes shipping costs, etc. Thanks, Tara Thornton <duorganizer@miltoxproj.org - - Response to yesterday's inquiry about Savannah River From: "Tom Clements" <clements@nci.org>, Nuclear Control Institute=20 1) SRP is the tritium consolidation site; all tritium canisters (from nuclear weapons) are brought to SRS to be recharged and service=20 2) all non-pit plutonium is being consolidated at SRP, in anticipation= of either using it as fuel (MOX) or in a new pit (bomb cores) production= facility; SRP is being considered for a big, new pit plants and getting all the Pu= there would speed this along=20 3) SRP is the site for the new plutonium fuel (MOX) plant=20 4) reprocessing of all sorts of fuels and materials continues in the F-= and H-Canyons (reprocessing plants); we are working for a halt to reprocessing= but management wants to reprocess all the aluminum-clad research reactor fuel, which contains highly enriched uranium (HEU, bomb-grade uranium)=20 5) the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), which is vitrifying (glassifying) the high-level waste from the storage tanks is having trouble= due to chemistry problems with the waste; an EIS is underway to address this problem; DWPF is needed to get the waste in a safer, solid form and also for any "immobilization" of weapons plutonium which takes place; SRP has been chosen for this Pu immobilization (the placement of Pu ceramic pucks into= the HLW canisters, then HLW is poured around them) - - Invitation to the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AGAINST DEPLETED URANIUM= WEAPONS 4-5 November, 2000 Manchester, UK - mailto:gmdcnd@gn.apc.org; http://www.cadu.org.uk - - Mini-Nukes Webpage http://www.fcnl.org/issues/arm/minnukeindx.htm The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has put up a web page= on "mini-nukes", with lots of links. The issue is urrently being debated in the U.S. Congress. [From: David Culp <mailto:davidculp@yahoo.com>] - - Mururoa Blues - new book by Lynn Pistoll - http://www.allpro.co.nz/moruroa - a story about ordinary people taking on the might of the French Government and its military. It begins in June of 1995 when French President Jacques Chirac decided to resume nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Shortly after the announcement, 14 yachts with their skippers and crew joined the New Zealand Peace Flotilla. With only 6 weeks' notice, and against strong odds, they managed to arrange finance, quit their jobs, prepare their vessels and sail some 3000 nautical miles in some of the world=92s roughest waters to protest against the French resumption of nuclear testing. - - Israel's Dimona Nuclear Weapons Plant - Photos Dimona Photographic Interpretation Report=20 Maintained by John Pike, Federation of American Scientists Updated Friday, August 18, 2000 2:00:00 AM=20 http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/israel/facility/dimona_pir.html Israel 'may have 200 nuclear weapons' Wednesday, 23 August, 2000, BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_892000/892941.stm= =20 - - http://Antiwar.com - updated throughout the day with the latest news and= =20 viewpoints important to the Antiwar Movement. - - Activists protest at VY offices=20 Brattleboro Reformer August 22, 2000 From: Rosemary & Sal / Citizens Awareness Network <ctcan@snet.net> Reformer Staff BRATTLEBORO -- Thirty-five protesters, wearing death masks= and carrying tulips and signs that read "No Nukes" and "Global Chenobyl,"= marched on Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.'s offices on Monday and demanded an immediate shutdown of the reactor.=20 - - Letter from Subscriber You may not have noticed that your latest post [23 Aug 2000] has an= unusually large number of odd items. Why is Janet Reno meeting with the Prime MInister= of Albania? What's going on there now? The CIA and the Mafia are heavily= involved with the drug trade in Columbia. Wouldn't it make more sense to simply pull= the CIA out of Columbia and stop the phony War On Drugs to the tune of $1.3 billion? Who is American Uranim and what are they doing in the visual bible business? Why mention them all in this report? What is a nuclear bomb doing= in Vieques waters? What is behind irradiating meat? Is there a grand conspiracy= to make us all sick like with fluoridation? Seems peculiar to degrade our= military strength, at great expense, by bombing just 14 tanks in the Yugoslavian war.= I have a separate report that the mass media reports of mass graves in= Yugoslavia where tens of thousands of people were executed by the Serbs in order to= stir up war hysteria and hate of the Serbs were phony. I like the three= fluoridation reports. I already forwarded them to a friend who is preparing to ask his California water supplier some questions about fluoridation. [From: "Gary Vesperman" <mailto:vman@skylink.net>] Reply to Gary: re "Who is American Uranim and what are they doing in the visual bible business? Why mention them all in this report?" =20 I mentioned them because I thought people should know that a uranium company= is hiding behind the name "Visual Bible," perhaps a shell they purchased= precisely for that purpose? "American Uranium," apparently, is not a popular name any more. I'd welcome information about the company. I think these people are prime targets for activists who want to raise public conscience. - - Final Announcement: Farewell to a dear friend.=20 I'm truly sorry to tell you that Winnie Gallant, long an activist in Washington, D.C., died early yesterday morning (August 23rd, 2:20 a.m.). = There will be a memorial this Sunday, August 27th, at 7:00 p.m. in Lafayette Park outside the White House. Winnie had a lot of friends, and we don't know who they all are, so it would be very helpful if you would call anyone you think would like to know about her passing and/or about the memorial. If have any photos or memories you would like to share, please bring them. [Ellen= Thomas, 202-462-0757 - mailto:prop1@prop1.org] ______________________________________________________________ * Peace Through Reason - http://prop1.org - Convert the War Machines! * Online Petition - http://www.PetitionOnline.com/prop1/petition.html ______________________________________________________________=20 - --=====================_14414236==_.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> 1) Washington Daybook - August 24, 2000 - Washington Times, Agence France-Presse <a href=3D"http://www.washtimes.com/national/daybook-2000824213712.ht= m"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.washtimes.com/national/daybook-2000824213712.= htm</a> Welcoming ceremony =97 9:30 a.m. =97 The Defense Department holds an honor cordon to welcome Prime Minister Ilir Meta of Albania to the Pentagon. Deputy Secretary of Defense Rudy de Leon participates. Location: Pentagon River Entrance, the Pentagon. Contact: 703/695-0169. Terrorism discussion =97 noon =97 The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies hosts a discussion, "Counterterrorism Strategies for the 21st Century." Location: PIPS, 901 N. Stuart St., Suite 200, Ballston Metro Center Office Tower, Arlington. Contact: 703/562-4519. - Al Gore - Washington, D.C. August 24 10:30 a.m. =97 Meets with Mexican President-elect Vicente Fox, vice president's residence, Naval Observatory, 34th Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW. 1:15 p.m. =97 Promotes plans to cut taxes to promote higher education, University of Maryland, Stamp Student Union, Colony Ballroom 6:30 p.m. =97 Attends a Democratic National Committee reception, Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW. 8 p.m. =97 Attends a Democratic National Committee dinner, Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW. - George W. Bush - New Orleans and Miami August 24 10:00 a.m. - Leadership Forum on Higher Education, Kearny Hall, Dillard University, 2601 Gentilly Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana, (504) 286-4868 12:25 p.m. - Louisiana Republican Party Luncheon, International Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel, 123 Baronne Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, (504) 522-2303 6:55 p.m - Miami, Florida: There will be an open airport arrival at Miami International Airport, at Signature Air Services, 3551 Northwest 59th Avenue. - Miami on August 25 9:00 a.m. - Speech on Expanding Relations with Countries in the Western Hemisphere, Florida International University, Ernest R. Graham University Center Ballroom, 11200 Southwest 8th Street, Miami, Florida 4:50 p.m. - Meeting with Mexico's President-elect Vicente Fox: Cecil Auditorium, Karl Hoblitzelle Hall , University of Texas at Dallas Intersection of Cambell Road and University Parkway, Richardson, Texas (972) 883-2111 - Ralph Nader On the Road - This Week (*), Debates (**) * Thursday, August 24, Sacramento, CA <x-tab> </x-tab>1:30 - 2:30 PM - Press Conference, State Capitol, Room 4203 <x-tab> </x-tab>6:00 - 7:30 PM - Reception and Fundraiser with Ralph, KZ=92s Gallery and Caf=E9, 1630 K Street. more info <a href=3D"mailto:darci@votenader.org"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:darci@votenader.org</a> <x-tab> </x-tab>8:15 - 9:45 PM - Rally, Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street * Friday, August 25, Portland, OR <x-tab> </x-tab>12:30 - - 1:30 PM - Press Conference, 320 South West Stark St. #202 <x-tab> </x-tab>7:00 - 9:30 PM - Memorial Coliseum Fundraiser, One Center Court (Downtown) * Saturday, August 26, Seattle, WA <x-tab> </x-tab>11:30 AM - 12:15 PM - Press Conference, Seattle Green Office, 2215 East Union <x-tab> </x-tab>2:00 - 3:00 PM - Labor Union Address, Labor Temple, Hall 1, 2800 1st <x-tab> </x-tab>6:00 to 7:15 p.m. - Fundraiser, Speakeasy Cafe 2222, Second Avenue, with gypsy swing band The Hot Club Sandwich. Contact <a href=3D"mailto:leslie@votenader.org"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:leslie@votenader.org</a> <x-tab> </x-tab>7:30 - 9:00 PM - Speech, Moore Theater, 1932 2nd * Sunday, August 27, Hopland, CA <x-tab> </x-tab>2:00 - 4:00 PM =B7 SOL Fest , Solar Living Center, Highway 101 * Sunday, August 27, Santa Rosa, CA <x-tab> </x-tab>6:00 - 7:30 PM - Fundraiser, Luther Burbank Center for the Performing Arts: Reception with Ralph and musical guest The Cadence String Quartet. more info <a href=3D"mailto:darci@votenader.org"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:darci@votenader.org</a> <x-tab> </x-tab>8:00 - 9:00 PM - Speech Luther Burbank Center for the Performing Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa * Wednesday, August 30, Southhampton, NY <x-tab> </x-tab>6:30 - 9:00 PM - Evening with Ralph Nader, Avram Fine Arts Theatre, Southampton College, 239 Montauk Highway, Southampton, NY, With musical guests Thunder Bird Sisters. Please join us also for a post-event fundraiser with Ralph at Chancellors Hall. Please RSVP to Ron Stanchfield at 631-324-6655 ** Tuesday, October 3, Boston, MA, First Presidential Debate, John F. Kennedy Library at University of, Massachusetts ** Wednesday, October 11, Winston-Salem, NC, Second Presidential Debate, Wake Forest University ** Tuesday, October 17, St. Louis, MO, Third Presidential Debate, Washington University *** Tuesday, November 7 Your Home Town Election Day - Register to Vote! - President Clinton will travel to New York City September 6 - 8 to take part in the United Nations Millennium Summit, expected to be the largest gathering of heads of state and government ever held. The President will address the Opening Plenary Session on September 6. During the Summit, the President will also conduct bilateral meetings with foreign leaders. The theme of the Millennium Summit is "The Role of the United Nations in the 2lst Century." It will provide a forum for heads of state and government to address the challenges facing the UN in the new Millennium. 3) Announcements - - Green Party Platform excerpts - from <a href=3D"http://www.gp.org/platform/gpp2000.html"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.gp.org/platform/gpp2000.html</a> * The Green Party, recognizing the need for de-escalating the arms race which continues unabated in spite of the end of the 'Cold War", strongly opposes putting nuclear weapons, lasers and other weapons in space in a new militarization policy that is in clear violation of international law. * The Green Party would press for the immediate start of the negotiation of a treaty to abolish nuclear weapons, and for the completion of those negotiations by the year 2002. We would cut off all funding for the development, testing, production, and deployment of nuclear weapons, and also cut off funding for nuclear weapons research. All nuclear weapons should be taken off alert and all warheads removed from their delivery vehicles. [From: Alice Slater <<a href=3D"mailto:aslater@gracelinks.org"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:aslater@gracelinks.org</a>>] - NAVY BOMBING RESUMES IN VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO; PROTEST FAST ENTERS 5TH WEEK. Contact: Michael F. Brown or Miriam Pi=F1eiro-Cort=E9s, 202-232-1999 <a href=3D"mailto:viequesfast@mail.com"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:viequesfast@mail.com</a> - DU Video Several people have been asking how they can get a copy of the video, "From Radioactive Mines to Radioactive Battlefields". I spoke with Daniel Robicheau of Desert Concerns, the producer of the video, and he said people can email him directly at danrobicheau@hotmail.com. The video cost $20 (US) and that includes shipping costs, etc. Thanks, Tara Thornton <duorganizer@miltoxproj.org - Response to yesterday's inquiry about Savannah River From: "Tom Clements" <clements@nci.org>, Nuclear Control Institute 1) SRP is the tritium consolidation site; all tritium canisters (from nuclear weapons) are brought to SRS to be recharged and service 2) all non-pit plutonium is being consolidated at SRP, in anticipation of either using it as fuel (MOX) or in a new pit (bomb cores) production facility; SRP is being considered for a big, new pit plants and getting all the Pu there would speed this along 3) SRP is the site for the new plutonium fuel (MOX) plant 4) reprocessing of all sorts of fuels and materials continues in the F- and H-Canyons (reprocessing plants); we are working for a halt to reprocessing but management wants to reprocess all the aluminum-clad research reactor fuel, which contains highly enriched uranium (HEU, bomb-grade uranium) 5) the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), which is vitrifying (glassifying) the high-level waste from the storage tanks is having trouble due to chemistry problems with the waste; an EIS is underway to address this problem; DWPF is needed to get the waste in a safer, solid form and also for any "immobilization" of weapons plutonium which takes place; SRP has been chosen for this Pu immobilization (the placement of Pu ceramic pucks into the HLW canisters, then HLW is poured around them) - Invitation to the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AGAINST DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS 4-5 November, 2000 Manchester, UK - <a href=3D"mailto:gmdcnd@gn.apc.org" eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:gmdcnd@gn.apc= .org</a>; <a href=3D"http://www.cadu.org.uk/" eudora=3D"autourl">http://</a><a= href=3D"http://www.cadu.org.uk/" eudora=3D"autourl"><font= color=3D"#0000FF">www.cadu.org.uk</a> - Mini-Nukes Webpage <a= href=3D"http://www.fcnl.org/issues/arm/minnukeindx.htm"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.fcnl.org/issues/arm/minnukeindx.htm</a> The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has put up a web page on "mini-nukes", with lots of links. The issue is urrently being debated in the U.S. Congress. [From: David Culp <<a href=3D"mailto:davidculp@yahoo.com"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:davidculp@yahoo.com</a>>] - Mururoa Blues - new book by Lynn Pistoll - <a href=3D"http://www.allpro.co.nz/moruroa" eudora=3D"autourl">http://</a><a= href=3D"http://www.allpro.co.nz/moruroa" eudora=3D"autourl">www.allpro.co.nz/moruroa</a> - - a story about ordinary people taking on the might of the French Government= and its military. It begins in June of 1995 when French President Jacques= Chirac decided to resume nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Shortly= after the announcement, 14 yachts with their skippers and crew joined the= New Zealand Peace Flotilla. With only 6 weeks' notice, and against strong= odds, they managed to arrange finance, quit their jobs, prepare their= vessels and sail some 3000 nautical miles in some of the world=92s roughest= waters to protest against the French resumption of nuclear testing. - Israel's Dimona Nuclear Weapons Plant - Photos Dimona Photographic Interpretation Report Maintained by John Pike, Federation of American Scientists Updated Friday, August 18, 2000 2:00:00 AM <a href=3D"http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/israel/facility/dimona_pir.html"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/israel/facility/dimona_pir= .html</a> Israel 'may have 200 nuclear weapons' Wednesday, 23 August, 2000, BBC <a= href=3D"http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_892000/89= 2941.stm"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsi= d_892000/892941.stm</a> - <a href=3D"http://antiwar.com/"= eudora=3D"autourl">http://Antiwar.com</a> - updated throughout the= day with the latest news and viewpoints important to the Antiwar Movement. - - Activists protest at VY offices Brattleboro Reformer August 22, 2000 From: Rosemary & Sal / Citizens Awareness Network= <ctcan@snet.net> Reformer Staff BRATTLEBORO -- Thirty-five protesters, wearing death masks and= carrying tulips and signs that read "No Nukes" and "Global= Chenobyl," marched on Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.'s offices on= Monday and demanded an immediate shutdown of the reactor. - Letter from Subscriber You may not have noticed that your latest post [23 Aug 2000] has= an unusually large number of odd items. Why is Janet Reno meeting with the= Prime MInister of Albania? What's going on there now? The CIA and the Mafia= are heavily involved with the drug trade in Columbia. Wouldn't it make more= sense to simply pull the CIA out of Columbia and stop the phony War On= Drugs to the tune of $1.3 billion? Who is American Uranim and what are they= doing in the visual bible business? Why mention them all in this report?= What is a nuclear bomb doing in Vieques waters? What is behind irradiating= meat? Is there a grand conspiracy to make us all sick like with= fluoridation? Seems peculiar to degrade our military strength, at great= expense, by bombing just 14 tanks in the Yugoslavian war. I have a separate= report that the mass media reports of mass graves in Yugoslavia where tens= of thousands of people were executed by the Serbs in order to stir up war= hysteria and hate of the Serbs were phony. I like the three fluoridation= reports. I already forwarded them to a friend who is preparing to ask his= California water supplier some questions about fluoridation. [From:= "Gary Vesperman" <<a href=3D"mailto:vman@skylink.net"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:vman@skylink.net</a>>] Reply to Gary: re "Who is American Uranim and what are they= doing in the visual bible business? Why mention them all in this= report?" I mentioned them because I thought people should know that a uranium company= is hiding behind the name "Visual Bible," perhaps a shell they= purchased precisely for that purpose? "American Uranium,"= apparently, is not a popular name any more. I'd welcome information= about the company. I think these people are prime targets for activists who= want to raise public conscience. - Final Announcement: Farewell to a dear friend. I'm truly sorry to tell you that Winnie Gallant, long an activist in= Washington, D.C., died early yesterday morning (August 23rd, 2:20= a.m.). There will be a memorial this Sunday, August 27th, at= 7:00 p.m. in Lafayette Park outside the White House. Winnie had a lot= of friends, and we don't know who they all are, so it would be very helpful= if you would call anyone you think would like to know about her passing= and/or about the memorial. If have any photos or memories you would like to= share, please bring them. [Ellen Thomas, 202-462-0757 - <a href=3D"mailto:prop1@prop1.org"= eudora=3D"autourl">mailto:prop1@prop1.org</a>] <div>______________________________________________________________</div> <div>* Peace Through Reason - <a href=3D"http://prop1.org/"= EUDORA=3DAUTOURL>http://prop1.org</a> - Convert the War Machines! = *</div> <div> Online Petition - <a= href=3D"http://www.petitiononline.com/prop1/petition.html"= EUDORA=3DAUTOURL>http://www.PetitionOnline.com/prop1/petition.html</a></div= > ______________________________________________________________ </html> - --=====================_14414236==_.ALT-- - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 07:39:47 -0700 From: "David Crockett Williams" <gear2000@lightspeed.net> Subject: (abolition-usa) Feds: Radioactivity in Coal burning power plants GeneralAgencyServices.com -- Announcement** This is an important bit of information authentication which should be used to further the more rapid development of the new-energy technologies to replace nuclear and fossil fuel power such as those referenced in our DOE Strategic Plan public input this year archived at http://www.egroups.com/group/strategic-plan and those we hope to develop at the proposed New-Energy Research Center here at Capital Hills in Tehachapi, as part of a globalwide researchers support network of such facilities, which I hope to get up an running on an interim basis at least by New Years via financial contacts now being made. Adam Trombly http://www.projectearth.com reported to me on the phone in May 1997 that he made a proposal in 1989 to install his fuel-less Zero Point Energy new-energy generators in the four corners coal fired power plants at a cost that would have been less than the cost of smoke scrubbers that still have not been installed. He said the response was his life being threatened (again). In that phone call he said he had a solid state oscillating electromagnetic ZPE fuel-less electric power generator then in constant over-unity operation for six years already and was moving towards manufacturing in Germany but he was still being oppressed, having survived over 40 assasination attempts by then since the early 1980's for his work in this area. He founded Project Earth with Buckminster Fuller years ago. He is the expert climatologist who predicted in 1988 that the combustion of oxygen by fossil fuels combined with the deforestation of trees that produce oxygen was reducing atmospheric oxygen levels critically thus drastically influencing ozone layer depletion (ozone layer is made from sunlight acting on oxygen) and that [not only is this little understood factor contributing to global climate change and polar ice meltings but] all the phytoplankton in the oceans (half of Earth's oxygen supply) are threatened with total destruction by the year 2009 due to increasing solar irradiation coming through the depleting protective ozone layer shield. On the phone in May 1997 he said all of their advance computer climate modeling predictions over the last decade were coming true as accurate and on target, witness the increasing storm severities and velocities as well as more forest fires, disease vectors, etc., due to global climate change. The gist of the piece below seems to be a promotion of the nuclear power alternative, not good. Please read important and valuable info at end of this post** - ------------begin forwarded post--------- From: <redorman@theofficenet.com> To: <BIGMTLIST@topica.com> Subject: [BIGMTLIST] Coal Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger Date: Thursday, August 24, 2000 2:41 AM From: http://www.ornl.gov/ORNLReview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html This page is from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory website. "Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts basic and applied research and development to create scientific knowledge and technological solutions that strengthen the nation's leadership in key areas of science; increase the availability of clean, abundant energy; restore and protect the environment; and contribute to national security." I would recommend going to the web site above if you want to view the photos and graphs. I am reproducing the article for those without web access (i.e.,email only). Coal Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger by Alex Gabbard Over the past few decades, the American public has become increasingly wary of nuclear power because of concern about radiation releases from normal plant operations, plant accidents, and nuclear waste. Except for Chernobyl and other nuclear accidents, releases have been found to be almost undetectable in comparison with natural background radiation. Another concern has been the cost of producing electricity at nuclear plants. It has increased largely for two reasons: compliance with stringent government regulations that restrict releases of radioactive substances from nuclear facilities into the environment and construction delays as a result of public opposition. * * * * Americans living near coal-fired plants are exposed to higher radiation doses than those living near nuclear power plants that meet government regulations. * * * * Partly because of these concerns about radioactivity and the cost of containing it, the American public and electric utilities have preferred coal combustion as a power source. Today 52% of the capacity for generating electricity in the United States is fueled by coal, compared with 14.8% for nuclear energy. Although there are economic justifications for this preference, it is surprising for two reasons. First, coal combustion produces carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are suspected to cause climatic warming, and it is a source of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, which are harmful to human health and may be largely responsible for acid rain. Second, although not as well known, releases from coal combustion contain naturally occurring radioactive materials--mainly, uranium and thorium. Former ORNL researchers J. P. McBride, R. E. Moore, J. P. Witherspoon, and R. E. Blanco made this point in their article "Radiological Impact of Airborne Effluents of Coal and Nuclear Plants" in the December 8, 1978, issue of Science magazine. They concluded that Americans living near coal-fired power plants are exposed to higher radiation doses than those living near nuclear power plants that meet government regulations. This ironic situation remains true today and is addressed in this article. The fact that coal-fired power plants throughout the world are the major sources of radioactive materials released to the environment has several implications. It suggests that coal combustion is more hazardous to health than nuclear power and that it adds to the background radiation burden even more than does nuclear power. It also suggests that if radiation emissions from coal plants were regulated, their capital and operating costs would increase, making coal-fired power less economically competitive. Finally, radioactive elements released in coal ash and exhaust produced by coal combustion contain fissionable fuels and much larger quantities of fertile materials that can be bred into fuels by absorption of neutrons, including those generated in the air by bombardment of oxygen, nitrogen, and other nuclei with cosmic rays; such fissionable and fertile materials can be recovered from coal ash using known technologies. These nuclear materials have growing value to private concerns and governments that may want to market them for fueling nuclear power plants. However, they are also available to those interested in accumulating material for nuclear weapons. A solution to this potential problem may be to encourage electric utilities to process coal ash and use new trapping technologies on coal combustion exhaust to isolate and collect valuable metals, such as iron and aluminum, and available nuclear fuels. Makeup of Coal and Ash Coal is one of the most impure of fuels. Its impurities range from trace quantities of many metals, including uranium and thorium, to much larger quantities of aluminum and iron to still larger quantities of impurities such as sulfur. Products of coal combustion include the oxides of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur; carcinogenic and mutagenic substances; and recoverable minerals of commercial value, including nuclear fuels naturally occurring in coal. * * * * The amount of thorium contained in coal is about 2.5 times greater than the amount of uranium * * * * Coal ash is composed primarily of oxides of silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium, titanium, sodium, potassium, arsenic, mercury, and sulfur plus small quantities of uranium and thorium. Fly ash is primarily composed of non-combustible silicon compounds (glass) melted during combustion. Tiny glass spheres form the bulk of the fly ash. Since the 1960s particulate precipitators have been used by U.S. coal-fired power plants to retain significant amounts of fly ash rather than letting it escape to the atmosphere. When functioning properly, these precipitators are approximately 99.5% efficient. Utilities also collect furnace ash, cinders, and slag, which are kept in cinder piles or deposited in ash ponds on coal-plant sites along with the captured fly ash. Trace quantities of uranium in coal range from less than 1 part per million (ppm) in some samples to around 10 ppm in others. Generally, the amount of thorium contained in coal is about 2.5 times greater than the amount of uranium. For a large number of coal samples, according to Environmental Protection Agency figures released in 1984, average values of uranium and thorium content have been determined to be 1.3 ppm and 3.2 ppm, respectively. Using these values along with reported consumption and projected consumption of coal by utilities provides a means of calculating the amounts of potentially recoverable breedable and fissionable elements (see sidebar). The concentration of fissionable uranium-235 (the current fuel for nuclear power plants) has been established to be 0.71% of uranium content. Uranium and Thorium in Coal and Coal Ash As population increases worldwide, coal combustion continues to be the dominant fuel source for electricity. Fossil fuels' share has decreased from 76.5% in 1970 to 66.3% in 1990, while nuclear energy's share in the worldwide electricity pie has climbed from 1.6% in 1970 to 17.4% in 1990. Although U.S. population growth is slower than worldwide growth, per capita consumption of energy in this country is among the world's highest. To meet the growing demand for electricity, the U.S. utility industry has continually expanded generating capacity. Thirty years ago, nuclear power appeared to be a viable replacement for fossil power, but today it represents less than 15% of U.S. generating capacity. However, as a result of low public support during recent decades and a reduction in the rate of expected power demand, no increase in nuclear power generation is expected in the foreseeable future. As current nuclear power plants age, many plants may be retired during the first quarter of the 21st century, although some may have their operation extended through license renewal. As a result, many nuclear plants are likely to be replaced with coal-fired plants unless it is considered feasible to replace them with fuel sources such as natural gas and solar energy. As the world's population increases, the demands for all resources, particularly fuel for electricity, is expected to increase. To meet the demand for electric power, the world population is expected to rely increasingly on combustion of fossil fuels, primarily coal. The world has about 1500 years of known coal resources at the current use rate. The graph above shows the growth in U.S. and world coal combustion for the 50 years preceding 1988, along with projections beyond the year 2040. Using the concentration of uranium and thorium indicated above, the graph below illustrates the historical release quantities of these elements and the releases that can be expected during the first half of the next century, given the predicted growth trends. Using these data, both U.S. and worldwide fissionable uranium-235 and fertile nuclear material releases from coal combustion can be calculated. Because existing coal-fired power plants vary in size and electrical output, to calculate the annual coal consumption of these facilities, assume that the typical plant has an electrical output of 1000 megawatts. Existing coal-fired plants of this capacity annually burn about 4 million tons of coal each year. Further, considering that in 1982 about 616 million short tons (2000 pounds per ton) of coal was burned in the United States (from 833 million short tons mined, or 74%), the number of typical coal-fired plants necessary to consume this quantity of coal is 154. Using these data, the releases of radioactive materials per typical plant can be calculated for any year. For the year 1982, assuming coal contains uranium and thorium concentrations of 1.3 ppm and 3.2 ppm, respectively, each typical plant released 5.2 tons of uranium (containing 74 pounds of uranium-235) and 12.8 tons of thorium that year. Total U.S. releases in 1982 (from 154 typical plants) amounted to 801 tons of uranium (containing 11,371 pounds of uranium-235) and 1971 tons of thorium. These figures account for only 74% of releases from combustion of coal from all sources. Releases in 1982 from worldwide combustion of 2800 million tons of coal totaled 3640 tons of uranium (containing 51,700 pounds of uranium-235) and 8960 tons of thorium. Based on the predicted combustion of 2516 million tons of coal in the United States and 12,580 million tons worldwide during the year 2040, cumulative releases for the 100 years of coal combustion following 1937 are predicted to be: U.S. release (from combustion of 111,716 million tons): Uranium: 145,230 tons (containing 1031 tons of uranium-235) Thorium: 357,491 tons Worldwide release (from combustion of 637,409 million tons): Uranium: 828,632 tons (containing 5883 tons of uranium-235) Thorium: 2,039,709 tons Radioactivity from Coal Combustion The main sources of radiation released from coal combustion include not only uranium and thorium but also daughter products produced by the decay of these isotopes, such as radium, radon, polonium, bismuth, and lead. Although not a decay product, naturally occurring radioactive potassium-40 is also a significant contributor. * * * * The population effective dose equivalent from coal plants is 100 times that from nuclear plants * * * * According to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), the average radioactivity per short ton of coal is 17,100 millicuries/4,000,000 tons, or 0.00427 millicuries/ton. This figure can be used to calculate the average expected radioactivity release from coal combustion. For 1982 the total release of radioactivity from 154 typical coal plants in the United States was, therefore, 2,630,230 millicuries. Thus, by combining U.S. coal combustion from 1937 (440 million tons) through 1987 (661 million tons) with an estimated total in the year 2040 (2516 million tons), the total expected U.S. radioactivity release to the environment by 2040 can be determined. That total comes from the expected combustion of 111,716 million tons of coal with the release of 477,027,320 millicuries in the United States. Global releases of radioactivity from the predicted combustion of 637,409 million tons of coal would be 2,721,736,430 millicuries. For comparison, according to NCRP Reports No. 92 and No. 95, population exposure from operation of 1000-MWe nuclear and coal-fired power plants amounts to 490 person-rem/year for coal plants and 4.8 person-rem/year for nuclear plants. Thus, the population effective dose equivalent from coal plants is 100 times that from nuclear plants. For the complete nuclear fuel cycle, from mining to reactor operation to waste disposal, the radiation dose is cited as 136 person-rem/year; the equivalent dose for coal use, from mining to power plant operation to waste disposal, is not listed in this report and is probably unknown. During combustion, the volume of coal is reduced by over 85%, which increases the concentration of the metals originally in the coal. Although significant quantities of ash are retained by precipitators, heavy metals such as uranium tend to concentrate on the tiny glass spheres that make up the bulk of fly ash. This uranium is released to the atmosphere with the escaping fly ash, at about 1.0% of the original amount, according to NCRP data. The retained ash is enriched in uranium several times over the original uranium concentration in the coal because the uranium, and thorium, content is not decreased as the volume of coal is reduced. All studies of potential health hazards associated with the release of radioactive elements from coal combustion conclude that the perturbation of natural background dose levels is almost negligible. However, because the half-lives of radioactive potassium-40, uranium, and thorium are practically infinite in terms of human lifetimes, the accumulation of these species in the biosphere is directly proportional to the length of time that a quantity of coal is burned. Although trace quantities of radioactive heavy metals are not nearly as likely to produce adverse health effects as the vast array of chemical by-products from coal combustion, the accumulated quantities of these isotopes over 150 or 250 years could pose a significant future ecological burden and potentially produce adverse health effects, especially if they are locally accumulated. Because coal is predicted to be the primary energy source for electric power production in the foreseeable future, the potential impact of long-term accumulation of by-products in the biosphere should be considered. * * * * The energy content of nuclear fuel released in coal combustion is greater than that of the coal consumed * * * * Energy Content: Coal vs Nuclear An average value for the thermal energy of coal is approximately 6150 kilowatt-hours(kWh)/ton. Thus, the expected cumulative thermal energy release from U.S. coal combustion over this period totals about 6.87 x 10E14 kilowatt-hours. The thermal energy released in nuclear fission produces about 2 109 kWh/ton. Consequently, the thermal energy from fission of uranium-235 released in coal combustion amounts to 2.1 x 10E12 kWh. If uranium-238 is bred to plutonium-239, using these data, the thermal energy from fission of this isotope alone constitutes about 2.9 x 10E14 kWh, or about half the anticipated energy of all the utility coal burned in this country through the year 2040. If the thorium-232 is bred to uranium-233 and fissioned, the thermal energy capacity of this isotope is approximately 7.2 x 10E14 kWh, or 105% of the thermal energy released from U.S. coal combustion for a century. The total of the thermal energy capacities from each of these three fissionable isotopes is about 10.1 x 10E14 kWh, 1.5 times more than the total from coal. World combustion of coal has the same ratio, similarly indicating that coal combustion wastes more energy than it produces. Consequently, the energy content of nuclear fuel released in coal combustion is more than that of the coal consumed! Clearly, coal-fired power plants are not only generating electricity but are also releasing nuclear fuels whose commercial value for electricity production by nuclear power plants is over $7 trillion, more than the U.S. national debt. This figure is based on current nuclear utility fuel costs of 7 mils per kWh, which is about half the cost for coal. Consequently, significant quantities of nuclear materials are being treated as coal waste, which might become the cleanup nightmare of the future, and their value is hardly recognized at all. How does the amount of nuclear material released by coal combustion compare to the amount consumed as fuel by the U.S. nuclear power industry? According to 1982 figures, 111 American nuclear plants consumed about 540 tons of nuclear fuel, generating almost 1.1 x 10E12 kWh of electricity. During the same year, about 801 tons of uranium alone were released from American coal-fired plants. Add 1971 tons of thorium, and the release of nuclear components from coal combustion far exceeds the entire U.S. consumption of nuclear fuels. The same conclusion applies for worldwide nuclear fuel and coal combustion. Another unrecognized problem is the gradual production of plutonium-239 through the exposure of uranium-238 in coal waste to neutrons from the air. These neutrons are produced primarily by bombardment of oxygen and nitrogen nuclei in the atmosphere by cosmic rays and from spontaneous fission of natural isotopes in soil. Because plutonium-239 is reportedly toxic in minute quantities, this process, however slow, is potentially worrisome. The radiotoxicity of plutonium-239 is 3.4 x 10E11 times that of uranium-238. Consequently, for 801 tons of uranium released in 1982, only 2.2 milligrams of plutonium-239 bred by natural processes, if those processes exist, is necessary to double the radiotoxicity estimated to be released into the biosphere that year. Only 0.075 times that amount in plutonium-240 doubles the radiotoxicity. Natural processes to produce both plutonium-239 and plutonium-240 appear to exist. Conclusions For the 100 years following 1937, U.S. and world use of coal as a heat source for electric power generation will result in the distribution of a variety of radioactive elements into the environment. This prospect raises several questions about the risks and benefits of coal combustion, the leading source of electricity production. First, the potential health effects of released naturally occurring radioactive elements are a long-term issue that has not been fully addressed. Even with improved efficiency in retaining stack emissions, the removal of coal from its shielding overburden in the earth and subsequent combustion releases large quantities of radioactive materials to the surface of the earth. The emissions by coal-fired power plants of greenhouse gases, a vast array of chemical by-products, and naturally occurring radioactive elements make coal much less desirable as an energy source than is generally accepted. Second, coal ash is rich in minerals, including large quantities of aluminum and iron. These and other products of commercial value have not been exploited. Third, large quantities of uranium and thorium and other radioactive species in coal ash are not being treated as radioactive waste. These products emit low-level radiation, but because of regulatory differences, coal-fired power plants are allowed to release quantities of radioactive material that would provoke enormous public outcry if such amounts were released from nuclear facilities. Nuclear waste products from coal combustion are allowed to be dispersed throughout the biosphere in an unregulated manner. Collected nuclear wastes that accumulate on electric utility sites are not protected from weathering, thus exposing people to increasing quantities of radioactive isotopes through air and water movement and the food chain. Fourth, by collecting the uranium residue from coal combustion, significant quantities of fissionable material can be accumulated. In a few year's time, the recovery of the uranium-235 released by coal combustion from a typical utility anywhere in the world could provide the equivalent of several World War II-type uranium-fueled weapons. Consequently, fissionable nuclear fuel is available to any country that either buys coal from outside sources or has its own reserves. The material is potentially employable as weapon fuel by any organization so inclined. Although technically complex, purification and enrichment technologies can provide high-purity, weapons-grade uranium-235. Fortunately, even though the technology is well known, the enrichment of uranium is an expensive and time-consuming process. Because electric utilities are not high-profile facilities, collection and processing of coal ash for recovery of minerals, including uranium for weapons or reactor fuel, can proceed without attracting outside attention, concern, or intervention. Any country with coal-fired plants could collect combustion by-products and amass sufficient nuclear weapons material to build up a very powerful arsenal, if it has or develops the technology to do so. Of far greater potential are the much larger quantities of thorium-232 and uranium-238 from coal combustion that can be used to breed fissionable isotopes. Chemical separation and purification of uranium-233 from thorium and plutonium-239 from uranium require far less effort than enrichment of isotopes. Only small fractions of these fertile elements in coal combustion residue are needed for clandestine breeding of fissionable fuels and weapons material by those nations that have nuclear reactor technology and the inclination to carry out this difficult task. Fifth, the fact that large quantities of uranium and thorium are released from coal-fired plants without restriction raises a paradoxical question. Considering that the U.S. nuclear power industry has been required to invest in expensive measures to greatly reduce releases of radioactivity from nuclear fuel and fission products to the environment, should coal-fired power plants be allowed to do so without constraints? This question has significant economic repercussions. Today nuclear power plants are not as economical to construct as coal-fired plants, largely because of the high cost of complying with regulations to restrict emissions of radioactivity. If coal-fired power plants were regulated in a similar manner, the added cost of handling nuclear waste from coal combustion would be significant and would, perhaps, make it difficult for coal-burning plants to compete economically with nuclear power. Because of increasing public concern about nuclear power and radioactivity in the environment, reduction of releases of nuclear materials from all sources has become a national priority known as "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA). If increased regulation of nuclear power plants is demanded, can we expect a significant redirection of national policy so that radioactive emissions from coal combustion are also regulated? Although adverse health effects from increased natural background radioactivity may seem unlikely for the near term, long-term accumulation of radioactive materials from continued worldwide combustion of coal could pose serious health hazards. Because coal combustion is projected to increase throughout the world during the next century, the increasing accumulation of coal combustion by-products, including radioactive components, should be discussed in the formulation of energy policy and plans for future energy use. One potential solution is improved technology for trapping the exhaust (gaseous emissions up the stack) from coal combustion. If and when such technology is developed, electric utilities may then be able both to recover useful elements, such as nuclear fuels, iron, and aluminum, and to trap greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging utilities to enter mineral markets that have been previously unavailable may or may not be desirable, but doing so appears to have the potential of expanding their economic base, thus offsetting some portion of their operating costs, which ultimately could reduce consumer costs for electricity. Both the benefits and hazards of coal combustion are more far-reaching than are generally recognized. Technologies exist to remove, store, and generate energy from the radioactive isotopes released to the environment by coal combustion. When considering the nuclear consequences of coal combustion, policymakers should look at the data and recognize that the amount of uranium-235 alone dispersed by coal combustion is the equivalent of dozens of nuclear reactor fuel loadings. They should also recognize that the nuclear fuel potential of the fertile isotopes of thorium-232 and uranium-238, which can be converted in reactors to fissionable elements by breeding, yields a virtually unlimited source of nuclear energy that is frequently overlooked as a natural resource. In short, naturally occurring radioactive species released by coal combustion are accumulating in the environment along with minerals such as mercury, arsenic, silicon, calcium, chlorine, and lead, sodium, as well as metals such as aluminum, iron, lead, magnesium, titanium, boron, chromium, and others that are continually dispersed in millions of tons of coal combustion by-products. The potential benefits and threats of these released materials will someday be of such significance that they should not now be ignored.--Alex Gabbard of the Metals and Ceramics Division References and Suggested Reading J. F. Ahearne, "The Future of Nuclear Power," American Scientist, Jan.-Feb 1993: 24-35. E. Brown and R. B. Firestone, Table of Radioactive Isotopes, Wiley Interscience, 1986. J. O. Corbett, "The Radiation Dose From Coal Burning: A Review of Pathways and Data," Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 4 (1): 5-19. R. R. Judkins and W. Fulkerson, "The Dilemma of Fossil Fuel Use and Global Climate Change," Energy & Fuels, 7 (1993) 14-22. National Council on Radiation Protection, Public Radiation Exposure From Nuclear Power Generation in the U.S., Report No. 92, 1987, 72-112. National Council on Radiation Protection, Exposure of the Population in the United States and Canada from Natural Background Radiation, Report No. 94, 1987, 90-128. National Council on Radiation Protection, Radiation Exposure of the U.S. Population from Consumer Products and Miscellaneous Sources, Report No. 95, 1987, 32-36 and 62-64. Serge A. Korff, "Fast Cosmic Ray Neutrons in the Atmosphere," Proceedings of International Conference on Cosmic Rays, Volume 5: High Energy Interactions, Jaipur, December 1963. C. B. A. McCusker, "Extensive Air Shower Studies in Australia," Proceedings of International Conference on Cosmic Rays, Volume 4: Extensive Air Showers, Jaipur, December 1963. T. L. Thoem, et al., Coal Fired Power Plant Trace Element Study, Volume 1: A Three Station Comparison, Radian Corp. for USEPA, Sept. 1975. W. Torrey, "Coal Ash Utilization: Fly Ash, Bottom Ash and Slag," Pollution Technology Review, 48 (1978) 136. Please visit http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/pagea~1.htm for more background on this relocation issue. To post to the list, email your message to redorman@theofficenet.com. To subscribe, send an email to BIGMTLIST-subscribe@topica.com. 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