tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31761569147662695232024-02-06T19:10:26.443-08:00Lynda LovonSassy musings and reporting on science, art, politics, and culture.Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-8619877669775987472023-09-08T18:00:00.000-07:002023-09-08T18:00:14.582-07:00Elon Musk Has a License to Crash Land & Sink SpaceX Starships off the Coast of Hawaii<p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><h3 style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></h3><div><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Star Advertiser April 27 2023</span></span></b></div><div><h1 class="post-title mb-3" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: mrs-eaves-xl-serif-narrow, Times, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 2.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Island Voices: Hawaii needs input on SpaceX ocean-landing plans</h1></div><h4 style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">by Lynda Williams</span></span></b></h4><div><a href="https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/04/27/editorial/island-voices/column-hawaii-needs-input-on-spacex-ocean-landing-plan/" target="_blank">Star Advertiser Article (Paywall)</a><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><h3 style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Take away points:</span></h3><div style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">On April 14, 2023, Elon Musk's private spaceship company, SpaceX, was granted an experimental launch permit by the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) to crash land the world's largest spacecraft, Starship, into the ocean 62 miles north of Kauai and a few hundred miles east of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">For the environmental review for the permit, the FAA did not require the more rigorous Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) but only a nominal Environmental Assessment (EA) that did not require consultation with stakeholders or input from Hawaiian residents or agencies like OHA. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">The EA concluded that "less than one" of the more than 30 marine mammals protected by the Endangered Species Act would be harmed when the 100 ton steel ship explodes from 14 tons of rocket fuel onboard with a ton of TNT force or from the debris and shrapnel sinking or drifting in the ocean.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It is recommended that Hawaii demand the FAA suspend the SpaceX license, conduct a full EIS and include the residents of Hawaii in the review process. </span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Starship is a spacecraft under development by Elon Musk's space company SpaceX, At 120 meters and a liftoff mass of 5000 metric tons, it is the largest & most powerful spacecraft ever built. It is intended to carry crew and cargo to Earth's orbit, the Moon and Mars. SpaceX has multi-billion dollar contracts with both NASA and the Pentagon for civilian and military projects. </span></span></li></ul></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Note: This is the original article I submitted. SA edited and omitted the photos. </span></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The world watched aghast as SpaceX blew up it’s own spaceship on April 20,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>four minutes after launch due engine failure. Even though the mission was not completed, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, claimed it was a success because the real goal was for the rocket to clear the launch pad at the spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What most folks don’t know realize is that Starship was always going to blow up when it crash landed in the Pacific Ocean, just 62 nautical miles north of Kauai and a few hundred miles east of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.</span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHXVzC0XlkHhRQU6_kul95m2VqDw_k0lGAy6Qb9-Mt_-wodPJ7GmTVzzMrsL1VjPFwLN5v4WcazUljDhYmz2N3a19Icx63VlPcbm3T51MwRIaTqpu4gnkpd8-OrG_EpJK4M-i_bKugm1w61sc89R4tF9UpB_GFGT7t4TQzeyaB5AGwxn4SViy7UPut1c/s1170/IMG_4835.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1170" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHXVzC0XlkHhRQU6_kul95m2VqDw_k0lGAy6Qb9-Mt_-wodPJ7GmTVzzMrsL1VjPFwLN5v4WcazUljDhYmz2N3a19Icx63VlPcbm3T51MwRIaTqpu4gnkpd8-OrG_EpJK4M-i_bKugm1w61sc89R4tF9UpB_GFGT7t4TQzeyaB5AGwxn4SViy7UPut1c/w640-h514/IMG_4835.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the next test launch, which Musk boasted will happen in the next few months, the world’s largest spaceship will descend towards the Earth in free fall and blow up upon impact with a force of a ton of TNT as fuel ignites in a great explosion. On a second and third launch test, Starship will breakup in the atmosphere and tumble down and crash land in a debris field several hundred miles long Southwest of the island chain as shown in the red swath on the map.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwkO_ECzq4STuydyoOIXNPnus7zdIxHd-zxjRF5uSon0KIO2w2hurHnsfeIN9ndrMeIx82TqqmAcQIwVl3ju78frvHW8tYO_XYfn9c_bNKRUb9FhZ07S5UNw_kICE3LgRPlAAcbszFFrSV2h6vTJE-yHTHcPAqnCDqQiSAzZdr_f0aEhubLMa9KAXS1g/s1170/IMG_4836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="1170" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwkO_ECzq4STuydyoOIXNPnus7zdIxHd-zxjRF5uSon0KIO2w2hurHnsfeIN9ndrMeIx82TqqmAcQIwVl3ju78frvHW8tYO_XYfn9c_bNKRUb9FhZ07S5UNw_kICE3LgRPlAAcbszFFrSV2h6vTJE-yHTHcPAqnCDqQiSAzZdr_f0aEhubLMa9KAXS1g/w640-h506/IMG_4836.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">SpaceX obtained a Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) commercial space launch license rubber stamped by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) without any consultation of the Hawaiian people because according to an email I received from the FAA, “No in-person public outreach was conducted in Hawaii as the Starship vehicle was planned to land outside of range for impacts to the residents of Hawaii.” <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First of all, that is assuming everything goes exactly according to the plan, which we have all just witnessed doesn’t always happen. If the Starship goes off course by even a few degrees the consequences could be catastrophic to Hawaii.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Secondly, I think most folks in Hawaii would agree that 62 miles north of Kauai is considered Hawaii culturally if not legally and that is way too close for what is essentially a rocket bomb to crash land.</span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">SpaceX was not required to do a full EIS or Environmental Impact Study, only a much weaker Environmental Assessment (EA) that only requires the analysis of ‘nominal operations’ or best case scenarios. Why was that allowed when the worst case scenarios are so catastrophic?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For example, rather than doing a detailed analysis of the potential impact to Marine Mammals protected by the Endangered Species Act, NOAA wrote a “Biological Opinion” for the EA that argued “less than one” animal would be harmed by a 100 metric ton steel rocket with the energy of a small nuclear bomb.</span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It came to that conclusion because they only one “nominal” scenario that the Starship would hit the water exactly horizontal to the surface with the fuel tanks orientated on the top, which is impossible to control or predict. If the explosion is above water, NOAA argues, only a fraction of the energy will be transmitted into the ocean travel<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deep enough to harm to any of the 30 endangered species of whale, shark, turtle, monk seal, dolphin and rays protected in Hawaii.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The EA has many unsubstantiated claims, such as no animals would be near the surface of the water during the crash - even though most are mammals that surface to breather air.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It ignored the fact that Humpback whales migrate through the “action area.” It assumed that most of the debris will be large enough to sink to the bottom of the ocean without encountering and injuring animals - but if it any does drift into the PapahanauMokuakea Marine National Monument, then the Coast Guard would be sent to clean it up.</span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This alone is reason to contest the EA and demand an EIS since NOAA and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs co -manage Papahanaumokuakea and OHA should have been consulted, but was not.</span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p4" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The FAA and NOAA analyses are flawed, and both are failing in the their duty to protect the people of Hawaii extreme corporate and federal abuse.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p3" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hawaii must not become collateral damage and a colonized sacrifice zone for the government’s privatization of teh space program and a billionaire’s personal ambition and corporate profits.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>At minimum, the FAA must suspend the license, conduct a full EIS and include the residents of Hawaiian in the review process. The best plan is to ban SpaceX from trashing people and planet in Musk’s ego trip to Mars.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">References: Every document cited can be found on this FAA website: </span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship" target="_blank">https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship</a><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynda Williams is an environmental activist and investigative science journalist living in Hilo.</span></p></div>Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0Hawaii, USA19.8967662 -155.5827818-8.4134676361788472 169.2609682 48.20700003617884 -120.42653179999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-61609951759288387902023-07-12T15:24:00.001-07:002023-07-12T16:28:19.450-07:00Online Resume<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Lynda Williams aka Lynda Lovon aka The Physics Chanteuse</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@lyndalovon" target="_blank">Youtube Channel</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/einsteinangel/videos" target="_blank">Music Videos</a> <a href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AtomicCabaret" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="@thelyndalovon" target="_blank">TikTok</a> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span>I am a science educator and communicator, </span>performance media artist, singer songwriter, science writer, political activist and organizer. </i></span></div>
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkEs3OWwEjg38pmzz7MZLCw6aS4iL23-rdz79R2HEZ8ygudFNPckqhKwD1ujPX5K5cEXqbEqI5S7o1pCzucdzWoy0GBdHX93XrSiUPtMbi5Qce__TOKr8YnxAlr-_lc3mVYAgRxDO-Dw/s1600/scimaglw.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkEs3OWwEjg38pmzz7MZLCw6aS4iL23-rdz79R2HEZ8ygudFNPckqhKwD1ujPX5K5cEXqbEqI5S7o1pCzucdzWoy0GBdHX93XrSiUPtMbi5Qce__TOKr8YnxAlr-_lc3mVYAgRxDO-Dw/s1600/scimaglw.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><u>Education:</u> </b> BS in Applied Math, MS in Physics, Post Graduate Research in Physics Pedagogy</span></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Work:</span></b></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Physics Faculty</b>: Santa Rosa Junior College, San Francisco State University, 2000-2022</span></div>
<div><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div>
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Media Production Instructor & Visiting Physics Faculty</b>, San Francisco Art Institute</span></div>
<div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><u><b>Selected Performance & Media Works:</b></u></h3><div><i><b> </b></i></div><div><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTURzG1xSnENf1BzFHFDGVDY_gzJemJl2Yca__9bi4sezKCPzrjxLvbtSlhLc8VXyE-W907EwFBG-uqmVQIIghOPAL_kN2oL9WXTCQlcIzDoADeqCuds5_KA1EymAwzxwkIt76gUoWOSUOeRGVz7eAdPo-zAL9ZWwMribL4eMYx_D2k4LLxb9XD2b086E/s497/people.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="355" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTURzG1xSnENf1BzFHFDGVDY_gzJemJl2Yca__9bi4sezKCPzrjxLvbtSlhLc8VXyE-W907EwFBG-uqmVQIIghOPAL_kN2oL9WXTCQlcIzDoADeqCuds5_KA1EymAwzxwkIt76gUoWOSUOeRGVz7eAdPo-zAL9ZWwMribL4eMYx_D2k4LLxb9XD2b086E/w143-h200/people.gif" width="143" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Physics Chanteuse: Science Cabaret</span></b></i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><i><span></span></i></b><br />
I produce and perform custom science cabaret shows for scientists at conferences and events. Past clients include: <a href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=1" target="_blank">American Geophysical Union</a>, Academy of Forensic Sciences, <span>The
National Association of Science Writers, <a href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Stephen Hawking Birthday Bash</a>, Kip Thorne 60</span><span><span>th</span></span><span> Birthday
“KipFest” at CalTech, American Physical Society Centennial Celebration, US Science Festival, Swedish
Science Festival, CERN, IEEE, AAAS, AAS, INSAP, PBS. Featured in the </span><i>NY Times</i><span>, <i>LA Times</i>, <i>Chronicle of Higher Education</i>, <i>Physics Today</i>, </span><i>People Magazine</i><span> and on </span><i>NPR,</i><span> and featured guest on </span><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8D3s2pzYpc&list=TLMeOUbhMV6_Us1ZBEb_eWCpDuAI2GB-Yv" target="_blank">To Tell the Truth</a>. </i><span> </span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHBtg5zhrg-cVj_tIFtH1EFkd6f0Uy5z8YOHcFhmyvj_wjc-QAlPuil5Fl7v0meL57woWgvmHFqe_nwHJsvcgylWs_z2ey6WkmntiLNTeZpF1RP2TAnAG2EYech3l0SznyfaLzVHqpeqfIJGmGajzh4xS98sGLrS-dKh0FhXSXhJAeFaRVkZFm0BLv6E/s324/pv.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="324" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHBtg5zhrg-cVj_tIFtH1EFkd6f0Uy5z8YOHcFhmyvj_wjc-QAlPuil5Fl7v0meL57woWgvmHFqe_nwHJsvcgylWs_z2ey6WkmntiLNTeZpF1RP2TAnAG2EYech3l0SznyfaLzVHqpeqfIJGmGajzh4xS98sGLrS-dKh0FhXSXhJAeFaRVkZFm0BLv6E/w200-h171/pv.gif" width="200" /></a></div><br />Science Media Content Producer</span></span></i></b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">, <i>Science Entertainment,1986- </i>current. Produce and perform science multimedia content and performances for s stage, the internet, planetaria, CDs, and DVDs: <i>Maxwell's Equations</i>, <i>Parody Violation</i> and <i>Cosmic Cabaret</i>. Theater Projects include <i>The Birth of Venus</i>, <i>UniLang</i>, <i>Cyberstein,</i> <i>The Physics Chanteuse</i> and <i>Cosmic Cabaret.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHg8N81EgG50wg2QqZrQTQpa8QP4xfHzWnSw0qVOIR-0EdIrSpv4vIoK_klN2ABdIwXB-Rhv9GsSen0YJEH-REL_iDoBIPQ06W6najJ96X-rIoReAB0u04bmdHaLd5uR0hTEC2PHY8Y35oJih7CszecS76nlJ2hd1UL2E3oOC-EEZCcUYA1Vz0Tf1EOXo/s432/sseweb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="432" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHg8N81EgG50wg2QqZrQTQpa8QP4xfHzWnSw0qVOIR-0EdIrSpv4vIoK_klN2ABdIwXB-Rhv9GsSen0YJEH-REL_iDoBIPQ06W6najJ96X-rIoReAB0u04bmdHaLd5uR0hTEC2PHY8Y35oJih7CszecS76nlJ2hd1UL2E3oOC-EEZCcUYA1Vz0Tf1EOXo/w200-h161/sseweb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">S</span><span style="font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">tarship Earth: The Search for Life</span></i></b><span style="font-size: medium;">, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Junior College</st1:placetype></st1:place> Planetarium, Produced, wrote and performed an original science musical planetarium show on the evolution and meaning of life in the cosmos. Film, slide and video projection combined with live music, spoken word and song. Funded in part by the <i>Astrobiology and the Sacred</i> project at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Arizona</st1:placename></st1:place>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div>
</div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuMI_JzbFfhY49hvBZIzKD95d9iIpCktXqXpvbdXTVhqHZv0HQK2tvGLPpySpvNThvYQaMHWHBuOq8DaDEiyMYQUXUJDDA4yvIdZluCezunvHs2sZgUiRmOxg2wauufbnKNR4W2gXKyY/s1600/fevobig.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuMI_JzbFfhY49hvBZIzKD95d9iIpCktXqXpvbdXTVhqHZv0HQK2tvGLPpySpvNThvYQaMHWHBuOq8DaDEiyMYQUXUJDDA4yvIdZluCezunvHs2sZgUiRmOxg2wauufbnKNR4W2gXKyY/s1600/fevobig.jpg" width="157" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Starship
Earth: Future Evolution</span></i></b><span>, Santa Rosa Junior College Newman Theater, Produced, wrote and performed an original
science musical one-woman show on the future evolution of life on Earth and the
environmental impact of humans on the biosphere. Large screen slide and video
projection combined with spoken word, music and song. Funded in part by the <i>Astrobiology and the Sacred</i> project at
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of
<st1:placename w:st="on">Arizona</st1:placename></st1:place>, and the Arts and
Lectures Series at SRJC. </span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div></blockquote><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #515151; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #515151; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG94zQI15-zInEz_HEoNRBH6u547L-FBALxueIf7fmokxiLEsEbQpnmaaS_uxY0HeRn4fqVlelzlYoKLAzDaWYYVIG7BW154yCi1d8fPV-tT6wbhpRV5Z3_Wl87N9H-SlcVIXCxYMSx0bYTDbWAjIXFnpF3gs-tQCOq9vjpV5HT4SUJhtnPvM1W2v9a1E/s677/summerposter.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG94zQI15-zInEz_HEoNRBH6u547L-FBALxueIf7fmokxiLEsEbQpnmaaS_uxY0HeRn4fqVlelzlYoKLAzDaWYYVIG7BW154yCi1d8fPV-tT6wbhpRV5Z3_Wl87N9H-SlcVIXCxYMSx0bYTDbWAjIXFnpF3gs-tQCOq9vjpV5HT4SUJhtnPvM1W2v9a1E/s320/summerposter.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;">Star Compass: Polynesian Wayfinding</span></b></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #515151; font-family: times; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span></span><st1:place style="font-family: times; font-size: large;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Junior College</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Planetarium, Produced, wrote and performed an original science musical planetarium show </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #515151; font-family: times; white-space: pre-wrap;">exploring and celebrating the science and art of Polynesian Wayfinding. Funded by a Newman Grant. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">
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<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u>Political Activist and Organizer, Speaker and Writer</u></b></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><u>More posters, shows, images, etc:</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOdnUWzG6LJh8eiFWPSl-rg70YCEF_w-eUlKH2tIeQU7wN65k5OHbMFA_deFdZ5y2ARklV2mFd1_xYrvqxllG1Gbdy_XzTLG_0cb7iXpX-pMBh3k0gnwwSqtQUl5m5abf54fDygHBYTg/s1600/bang5.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOdnUWzG6LJh8eiFWPSl-rg70YCEF_w-eUlKH2tIeQU7wN65k5OHbMFA_deFdZ5y2ARklV2mFd1_xYrvqxllG1Gbdy_XzTLG_0cb7iXpX-pMBh3k0gnwwSqtQUl5m5abf54fDygHBYTg/s1600/bang5.jpg" width="231" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9DSbHIvE71_ioVcqFMyh8xqnpmlxgYM3taP96MQcPQH9-A3HB7rSI5LCJ-VvWBAKqv3CAOaKG_OvvryDiYHE4g7k1U3QssYEtjpVbLvLbPNXK1Zj7BUlhoaEXGngORfaPLyotNk0I8Y/s1600/liu.gif" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9DSbHIvE71_ioVcqFMyh8xqnpmlxgYM3taP96MQcPQH9-A3HB7rSI5LCJ-VvWBAKqv3CAOaKG_OvvryDiYHE4g7k1U3QssYEtjpVbLvLbPNXK1Zj7BUlhoaEXGngORfaPLyotNk0I8Y/s1600/liu.gif" width="252" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Original Art for first Cosmic Cabaret Show<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unilang with Pamela Consulo</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Cyberset: with Joel Kohn</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Birth of Venus with Marco Fuoco</span></td></tr>
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Buy the Hype: Fusion is a Dangerous Delusion</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">By Lynda
Williams</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">A bipartisan group of Hawaii legislators have submitted bill
HB927 to create a task force to ‘determine the feasibility of amending the
Hawaii State Constitution to include provisions to allow for fusion-powered
reactors.” Everything in this Bill is wrong or a lie and it must be stopped in
committee. Let me break it down line by line. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYIGVPXHs0b6mI_ziEIFcSLJZ2k9I32x5wmzH5mMgHnBr_1UTs4pwW1c9-kgDY8F74Md7dEn05d1BxVjJVVL9x07WJR2Sa6zb4N_n-8NeUbAqYEC6qDy1m4QwDWh5vFCGgjYJ9mD1_heK0k69qolfHOveEWc9JV8Sr01T5jzhk85WZH39NRJaNlbY/s600/fig8-demo-fusion-worksite-illustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYIGVPXHs0b6mI_ziEIFcSLJZ2k9I32x5wmzH5mMgHnBr_1UTs4pwW1c9-kgDY8F74Md7dEn05d1BxVjJVVL9x07WJR2Sa6zb4N_n-8NeUbAqYEC6qDy1m4QwDWh5vFCGgjYJ9mD1_heK0k69qolfHOveEWc9JV8Sr01T5jzhk85WZH39NRJaNlbY/w419-h206/fig8-demo-fusion-worksite-illustration.jpg" width="419" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nuclear fusion power plant is a giant facility that consumes tremendous amounts of energy and water and produces radioactive waste in the breeding of tritium fuel and in the reactor building. </td></tr></tbody></table><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">The legislature finds that in December 2022, the
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced that it had achieved fusion
ignition, producing more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to
initiate the ignition.</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a lot of media hoopla about this ‘breakthrough’
but it is misleading propaganda. The nuclear fusion reaction lasted less than a
billionth of a second and it took much more energy to make the laser beam and
the tritium fuel source than was released. The term ‘ignition’ doesn’t mean
efficient or self-sustaining – it’s a milestone word invented by the Fusion
industry who have been in a failed business for over 70 years and have sucked
nearly 50 billion dollars from US taxpayers to try to reproduce on Earth fusion
that makes the Sun and stars shine. “Achieving ignition” is pure engineering
hype and the Hawaii State Legislature should not be perpetuating such
pseudoscience & misinformation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">The legislature recognizes that once fully realized as
a source of power, fusion could allow the State to more efficiently meet the
State's net-zero emission goals.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Being decades if not centuries away from being practical,
efficient, and affordable, Nuclear Fusion Power cannot address the urgent clean
energy needs of the world in time to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of
Climate Change. Although fusion reactions do not release CO2, every aspect of
the fuel cycle, from breeding tritium fuel with fission reactors at $30,000 per
gram, to building the $30 billion football field sized reactor buildings, to
decommissioning what will end up to be a highly radioactive building, produces
tremendous amounts of greenhouse gases. Nuclear power, be it fission or fusion,
is not a zero-emission power source. The Hawaii Legislature should not
‘recognize’ what are in fact, absolute lies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">The legislature notes that, unlike fission reactors,
fusion reactors produce shorter-lived radioactive byproducts and are a safer
and cleaner alternative to nuclear-powered fission reactors.</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GIzltbqzm7gr5WbNdoALJDsYpAlM1Y5FE_w5S9-hqvEPJUjQQsig0LRnYgIkvre5P0ZkTq4E5AzhYNYpfpxovyubL2JmUf0d-ELgMabrm79Lre2ZIGBtUwkYuBLuxmT-_iBoNvZUBj1qTfAT94SvRE7VcxtOKIjFnYiR_Mo3n7dlA2s63BSr9-Qy/s708/fig2-deuterium-tritium-fusion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GIzltbqzm7gr5WbNdoALJDsYpAlM1Y5FE_w5S9-hqvEPJUjQQsig0LRnYgIkvre5P0ZkTq4E5AzhYNYpfpxovyubL2JmUf0d-ELgMabrm79Lre2ZIGBtUwkYuBLuxmT-_iBoNvZUBj1qTfAT94SvRE7VcxtOKIjFnYiR_Mo3n7dlA2s63BSr9-Qy/s320/fig2-deuterium-tritium-fusion.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fusion reaction fuses deuterium and tritium into helium and releases radioactive neutrons that decay by beta emission and when absorbed by uranium produce Plutonium used in nuclear weapons. </td></tr></tbody></table></i></b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the biggest lie in the bill. As stated above, the
fuel source for fusion reactions is the rare and short-lived radioactive
isotope of hydrogen, tritium, which must be created or ‘bred’ in a fission
reactor.</span><span style="font-family: arial; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">You cannot have fusion on Earth
without fission to breed tritium. Tritium behaves chemically like atomic
hydrogen and bonds with oxygen to form radioactive “tritiated water” and then decays to regular hydrogen by very dangerous beta emission so
if it is ingested it is carcinogenic. Released or leaked into the environment,
tritiated water is very dangerous because biologically it behaves like regular
water. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Power generated from fusion reactors still boil water to turn a turbine. Since it is hot power plant, the generator needs a lot of water to boil and to cool the plant. Hot water is released back into the environment. Tritiated water leaks and releases are common at fusion reactor sites. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Hawaii is already facing severe droughts and water contamination from the military, does it really want to invest in and risk more contamination to the water and ecosystem?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Short lived radioactive atoms are MORE dangerous because they are more
active and decay more often! The fusion reaction also releases neutrons which
make everything they come into contact highly radioactive. If you put uranium
inside the reactor building it will create plutonium, the main ingredient in
nuclear bombs and the deadliest substance ever created by humans. Fusion
reactors therefore have a very high risk of nuclear weapons proliferation and
must be guarded by the US military. Because of this security risk, fusion power
will never be distributed and democratized and must be operated by militarized
corporate state control. There is nothing safe and clean about nuclear fusion
or fission. Again, the Hawaii Legislature should not ‘note’ such dangerous
lies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></b><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a
future fusion task force to:</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Determine
the feasibility of amending the Hawaii State Constitution to include provisions
to allow for fusion-powered reactors;<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Why amend the Hawaii State Constitution? Because during the
1978 Constitutional Convention a provision prohibiting fission power or
radioactive waste disposal in Hawaii was added to the constitution. The reactor
and housing will become radioactive and would most likely have to remain &
stored on site effectively forever. Fusion power produces radioactive waste and
is therefore illegal in the state of Hawaii.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">(2)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evaluate
potential sites that may be reserved for fusion reactors; and<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial;">(3)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Identify
ways for the State to accelerate the progress of fusion development.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">We should not waste a penny or an ounce of human energy
establishing a ‘future fusion task force’ to evaluate potential sites or
accelerate the progress of fusion technology when Nuclear Fusion Power is a
dirty dangerous militarized expensive and unviable power source that cannot
solve our energy needs or mitigate the climate crisis and is currently illegal
in the state of Hawaii. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Hawaii Legislature Energy & Environmental Protection
(EPP) committee will hear testimony on February 14<sup>th</sup> at 9:10
am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Testimony can be submitted here by :
<a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=927">https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=927</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">More info on Fusion Delusion:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://thebulletin.org/2017/04/fusion-reactors-not-what-theyre-cracked-up-to-be">https://thebulletin.org/2017/04/fusion-reactors-not-what-theyre-cracked-up-to-be</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/opinion/nuclear-fusion-renewable-energy-climate-crisis-b2018073.htm">https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/opinion/nuclear-fusion-renewable-energy-climate-crisis-b2018073.htm</a>l</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lynda Williams is a physicist and peace activist living in
Hilo Hawaii. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<br />Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-72609949703392746852022-04-23T18:06:00.003-07:002022-04-23T18:09:17.997-07:00Earth Day 2022 Stop The Homeland Defense Radar in Hawaii<p> Here is a speech I wrote for the Earth Day LA HONUA 2022 in Kahuku. It was read by <a href="https://vimeo.com/702025863/f96acfba08" target="_blank">Lynell DaMate</a> of the Koʻolau Waialua Alliance. 💓</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Aloha Kahuku! Happy Earth Day! My
name is Lynda Williams and I am a lifelong</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VV_Q3xPP2BaItdJTaUlpcFkmlOJkxGE7wgAG9M1WeiUh53G5l3L72anltRU5cI5Oq1XSJdCzaUWvfw8n-eIZoXl4PcMelERGY1N6T-MwLKAtMRw7zjDF65WgQ734vIhv--I7ekj3_DNhXoNMAz2g7tzuy68Huw6Z1sFx1LSORXBbCkW-c-peMggD/s834/EarthDayKahuku.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="834" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VV_Q3xPP2BaItdJTaUlpcFkmlOJkxGE7wgAG9M1WeiUh53G5l3L72anltRU5cI5Oq1XSJdCzaUWvfw8n-eIZoXl4PcMelERGY1N6T-MwLKAtMRw7zjDF65WgQ734vIhv--I7ekj3_DNhXoNMAz2g7tzuy68Huw6Z1sFx1LSORXBbCkW-c-peMggD/s320/EarthDayKahuku.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>activist for peace, social justice
and the demilitarization of Planet Earth. I am sorry I cannot be with you today
in person but I am with you in spirit and in the fight to protect Hawaii from
US militant imperialism. By profession I am a physics professor but my passion
is to empower people with scientific knowledge to save Planet Earth from the
ravages of capitalism, imperialism and militarism. I have been working as a
science advisor with the GLOBAL NETWORK for over 25 years and one of my areas
of expertise is Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense and Space Weapon systems. From
my years of experience, I can assure you that it is a scientific fact the
Missile Defense systems will not and cannot protect Hawaii or anyone, anywhere,
from nuclear attack. That is why<b><span style="color: red;"> I VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE
THE HOMELAND DEFENSE RADAR </span>i</b>n Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Alaska – or
anywhere on Earth or in Heaven – because the technology of WAR cannot protect
us from WAR. The reasons are simple: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">First of all, the HDRH works with a ground-based
interceptor system – that means that if an intercontinental ballistic missile
or ICBM is launched from an ‘enemy” towards Hawaii, the HDRH would detect it and
then interceptor missiles would be launched from California and Alaska to
intercept and destroy the missiles before they hit their target. Sounds reasonable
but it is insanely DIFFICULT – like hitting a bullet with a bullet moving at
supersonic speeds! THE SYSTEM HAS NEVER BEEN PROVEN TO WORK OR ACTUALLY TESTED
IN REAL WORD SCENARIOS! This is why scientific organizations such as the Union
of Concerned Scientists oppose wasting hundreds of billions of dollars on
missile defense systems – they will never work. It only provides a false hope
of safety that prevents humans from resolving conflicts through peaceful means
and bleeds money away from desperately needed social programs and restoring the
Aina.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Secondly, WE ONLY HAVE 44
INTERCEPTORS. That’s it folks! Russia alone has about 1000 ICBMS! China has
about 100! And we have only 44 shots at intercepting them? This is what we have
wasted a hundred billion dollars on? This is obscene waste and stupidity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">But what REALLY blows my mind is that
the very GOAL of Missile Defense is to intercept and BLOW UP the nuclear
missiles in SPACE while on their way to the target. Even if they were
successful, which is highly unlikely, such an intercept would create so much
radioactive space debris it would have a catastrophic snowball effect to ALL
the satellites in space! HOW STUPID IS THAT? And that is the BEST PLAN they
came up with?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If the interceptors don’t work, then
they will launch interceptors from ships while the bombs are on the way down to
the target – and if that were successful, which is highly unlikely, that would
also have catastrophic effects to the region. How is that going to protect
Hawaii? Furthermore, if HDRH is built in Hawaii then you can be sure
interceptor systems like Aegis Ashore will be deployed in Kauai and Hawaii will
then become an even greater target than it already is, if that is even possible!! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There is no scenario in which HDRH or
Missile Defense makes Hawaii or the world a safer place! HDRH will intensify an
already out of control global arms race! Next its hypersonic missiles and space-based
interceptors! And now the US is going to spend another hundred billion on NEXT
GENERATION INTERCEPTORS that will also never work to protect us! This cycle of
technological weapon war profiteering that is bleeding us and Mother Earth dry will
never end unless we stop it!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">HDRH will never work to protect or
defend Hawaii because the Missile Defense system it is a part of is fundamentally
flawed and will never work – except for the one goal it is really intended to
serve – and that is to perpetuate endless weapon and war profiteering of the
military industrial complex and the continued oppression of the people by the
imperial capitalist patriarchy raping and pillaging Mother Earth!!!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="line-height: 150%;">The ONLY way to protect Hawaii and
Mother Earth from nuclear weapons is to ABOLISH nuclear weapons! There is no other alternative. Nuclear
weapons must go extinct or else humanity will. As Martin Luther King so wisely
said long ago, </span><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Roboto; line-height: 150%;">“<b>Our
scientific power has outrun our spiritual power.</b> <b>We have guided
missiles and misguided men.</b>”</span><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Instead of putting our precious resources and brainpower into
new technologies of killing machines destroying Mother Earth, humanity must
EVOLVE socially and culturally, and develop tools of restorative environmental
justice to SAVE Mother Earth. That cultural knowledge exists and is called <span style="color: red;"><i>Aloha Aina</i></span>. <b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="color: red; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="color: red; line-height: 150%;">Aloha Aina can save the
world!</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Happy Earth Day!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Mahalo! Aloha hui ho!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Love, lynda</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> More info:</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p><b><span style="color: red;">My writings on HDRH: </span> </b></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p>http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2020/06/homeland-defense-radar-system-will-not.html</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 150%;"><o:p>http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2020/06/space-alert-article-on-homeland-defense.html</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 150%;"><o:p>http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-pentagon-plans-to-build-billion.html</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="color: red;">Brilliant Videos on HDRH:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 150%;"><o:p>https://vimeo.com/702025863/f96acfba08</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 150%;"><o:p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFuKr4ST0w8</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 150%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-45479034156306114192020-07-16T18:27:00.003-07:002020-07-16T18:30:28.092-07:00The Department of Energy Should be Called the Department of Nuclear Weapons! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<font color="#2d3b45" face="" size="5"><b>What we need now is a Department of Green Energy</b></font></div>
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by Lynda Williams</div>
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Much like how the “Department of Defense” sounds like an innocuous organization meant for the protection and safety of the US but is actually a Department of War, so too does the name “Department of Energy” grossly misrepresent the toxic business of the agency. The Department of Energy (DOE) is the great grandchild of the Manhattan Project that developed the first Atomic bomb and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) that inherited the nuclear weapons programs after World War 2. Back in 1977 during the oil crisis, the Carter administration consolidated several department via <em style="margin-bottom: 0px;">The Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977,<span style="margin-bottom: 0px;"> </span></em>into what is now the DOE including the AEC and other federal agencies that oversee oil, coal and power infrastructure such as the grid and pipelines. Perhaps surprisingly, the DOE also took on the responsibility of managing the entire national complex of Nuclear Weapons labs such as Los Alamos and Livermore which is responsible for maintaining the nuclear stockpile and now for executing the trillion dollar nuclear weapons upgrade mandated by the Obama administration. The DOE also manages the nations nuclear waste as well as the legacy nuclear weapons superfund sites. The DOE should really be called the Department of Nuclear Weapons, or better, for a more snazzy apropos acronym, the DONE: Department of Nuclear Energy.</div>
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A quick look at the proposed 2021 budget for the DOE clearly shows the projects and programs the DOE is mostly involved in managing. Of the $35.4 Billion dollar request, the majority of the money goes into maintaining nuclear weapons labs and to modernize the nuclear stockpile. $19.8 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) which according to Wikipedia “is a United States federal agency responsible for safeguarding national security through the military application of nuclear science.” The NNSA owns and operates the main nuclear weapons facilities such as the dangerous Pantex Plant which is the primary United States nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, the ‘birthplace of the Atomic Bomb’ and a top secret nuclear weapons facility. The NNSA also own and operates Los Alamos and Livermore National Labs. These are not “ENERGY” laboratories – these are WEAPONS labs. There is even $1.7 billion allocated to maintain nuclear reactors on Navy ships. If these weapons and military expenditures are included in the Pentagon budget, it inflates it up towards a trillion dollars! The DOE is also developing directed energy weapons that would be used for space based weapons for the Space Force. Here is a list of all the nuclear weapons labs in the US complex: <a class="external" href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/us-nuclear-weapons-complex" style="margin-bottom: 0px;" target="_blank">https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/us-nuclear-weapons-complex<span class="screenreader-only" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px -1px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; transform: translateZ(0px); width: 1px;"> (Links to an external site.)</span></a></div>
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Six billion dollars is allocated to clean up nuclear weapons superfund sites like at Hanford, Oakridge and Savannah River Nuclear labs. (Here is an interactive map of the superfund nuclear weapons sites: <a class="external" href="https://www.energy.gov/em/mission/cleanup-sites" target="_blank">https://www.energy.gov/em/mission/cleanup-sites<span class="screenreader-only" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px -1px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; transform: translateZ(0px); width: 1px;"> (Links to an external site.)</span></a><span style="margin-bottom: 0px;"> </span>) If the Pentagon made the mess then why are they not charged with cleaning up and paying for it within their budget? It is a shell game to cover up more taxpayer money being funneled into nuclear weapons programs and cleaning up their toxic radiating legacy. </div>
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The DOE also subsidizes the private nuclear power industry under the guise of research and development. There is $1.3 billion allocated for the Office of Nuclear Energy, including $295 million in funding for the Versatile Advanced Test Reactor project and $150 million to establish a Uranium reserve to address challenges to the production of domestic uranium for nuclear power. This is a clearly a taxpayer subsidy for the corporate nuclear industry! There is also nearly a billion dollar investments in developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Computing for cybersecurity. Where are the billions of dollars for developing new green and sustainable technologies to mitigate the Climate Crisis? There isn’t any. In fact, the 2021 funding request for renewables is down 74% from 2020! The Trump Administration cut the DOE’s budget – by 8 percent overall, and by an astounding 35 percent in non-defense programs. You can see the 2021 budget proposal here: <a class="external" href="https://www.energy.gov/cfo/downloads/fy-2021-budget-justification" style="margin-bottom: 0px;" target="_blank">https://www.energy.gov/cfo/downloads/fy-2021-budget-justification<span class="screenreader-only" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px -1px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; transform: translateZ(0px); width: 1px;"> (Links to an external site.)</span></a></div>
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The Congressional Research Service recently did a study on the Research and Development (R&D) part of the DOE budget which is primarily ‘science’ for new energy technologies. funding history of the DOE comparing funding for different energy sources. For the 71 year period from 1948 through 2018, nearly 13% went to renewables, compared with nearly 5% for electric systems, 11% for energy efficiency, 24% for fossil, and 48% for nuclear. The DOE is a department of nuclear energy, weapons and waste, not a Department of ENERGY.</div>
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<img alt="DOEpie.JPG" data-api-endpoint="https://canvas.instructure.com/api/v1/users/27049243/files/101280657" data-api-returntype="File" height="326" src="https://canvas.instructure.com/users/27049243/files/101280657/preview?verifier=IItJmPRfqoOIcdMfw1qkxlao03Mh0aZpWGYbDV1i" style="border: 0px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; max-width: 498px; vertical-align: middle;" width="498" /></div>
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Ref: <a class="external" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RS/RS22858/17" style="margin-bottom: 0px;" target="_blank">https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RS/RS22858/17<span class="screenreader-only" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px -1px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; transform: translateZ(0px); width: 1px;"> (Links to an external site.)</span></a></div>
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What would an actual Department of Energy look like? We need a Department of Green Energy: DOGE! The DOGE would focus on developing green technologies to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions and toxic waste. It would work on rebuilding the electrical grid to prevent accidental fires during climate exasperated fire seasons. The DOGE would NOT be in the business of maintaining, modernizing and making nuclear weapons. That job needs to go back to the Department of War where it belongs out in the open for all to see, not hidden behind the innocuous name of a DOE like a sweet young deer in the woods. The current DOE is part of the war machine and it needs to be DONE.</div>
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uclear Weapons Complex the DOE manages: <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/R45306.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">https://fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/R45306.pdf</a></div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-84429363665523922502020-06-12T17:31:00.001-07:002020-06-12T17:40:49.864-07:00Homeland Defense Radar System Will Not Protect Hawaii From a Nuclear Attack<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Senator Mazie Hirono
is Wrong and Needs a Lesson on Missile Defense: Homeland Defense Radar System Will
Not Protect Hawaii From a Nuclear Attack <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">by Lynda Williams <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">After more than a year
of meetings with Neighborhood Boards and local Native Hawaiian groups, the
Missile Defense Agency (MDA) effectively cancelled the proposed Homeland
Defense Radar for Hawaii (HDR-H) by not funding it in the 2021 Pentagon budget,
the National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA. In addition to facing fierce
local protest, MDA cancelled the 2 billion-dollar HDR-H discrimination radar system
because the technology is obsolete. Rather than constructing more limited land-based
radar systems, the Pentagon is planning to move missile surveillance into space
with a Space Based Sensor Layer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So why is Senator
Mazie Hirono fighting so desperately to keep the HDR-H project alive? Hirono, a
member of the Senate Armed Services Committee that marks up its own version of
the NDAA claims that “HDR-H is part of our country’s critical, layered defense.
As the United States continues to confront a range of strategic threats in the
Indo-Asia-Pacific region, it is imperative that all Americans are protected by
our ballistic missile defense system.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These claims made in a <a href="https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/06/11/breaking-news/1-9b-homeland-defense-radar-for-hawaii-back-on-track-in-defense-bill" target="_blank">Star Advertiser article</a> are false on many grounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">First and foremost, “layered
defense,” the MDA strategy to defend the homeland and allies from nuclear
missile attack using multiple stages of missile defense, has never been tested
in real world scenarios. There is no guarantee that layered missile defense can
protect anyone from a nuclear attack but since many of the layers are based in
Hawaii, it actually makes Hawaii a greater target.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mMxAzyTqxsTIP-2OAWN8ItK4iOHsNTpFOreNitDbbmwn-jMZ5Hk4verI41n2LYY5oCk4H7Xe-Yrf8Cs3LPar4vTj5t5_WRqU_oU4ENK6pJLS49yYt14x150itsn7nXXGtSsvn8aPczs/s1600/bmds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1578" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mMxAzyTqxsTIP-2OAWN8ItK4iOHsNTpFOreNitDbbmwn-jMZ5Hk4verI41n2LYY5oCk4H7Xe-Yrf8Cs3LPar4vTj5t5_WRqU_oU4ENK6pJLS49yYt14x150itsn7nXXGtSsvn8aPczs/s640/bmds.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">During first ‘boost
phase’ when a missile is launched from enemy territory, the first layer of
defense would be to destroy the missile near launch with drone bombs but this
technology does not yet exist. Secondly, in the ‘midcourse phase,’ Ground Based
Midcourse (GMD) long range interceptors launched from Alaska or California would
attempt to destroy the nuclear missiles in space. If these two attempts fail,
as the missile approaches its target in its “terminal phase,” medium range SM3-Block
2 interceptors launched from Aegis warships or Aegis ashore systems like the
one stationed at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) would be deployed. The
Aegis SM3-Block 2 interceptor was designed for short and intermediate range
targets, not intercontinental-range ballistic missiles (ICBM) so the MDA is
currently trying to extend their reach ICBMs in their midcourse phase. They are
currently planning to test the extended SM3 in Hawaii in 2020 to intercept an
ICBM launched from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. SM3
interceptors are cheaper than GMD interceptors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The final layer of
defense would be to use Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD)
interceptors, also stationed at PRMF and used to intercept missiles just before
they hit their targets. Radar systems like the troubled Sea based X Band Radar
stationed in Hawaii and the proposed HDR-H radars are tasked with tracking the
missiles but they have limited range and that is why the Pentagon wants to
replace ground based radars with a space based sensor layer. Furthermore, layered
missile defense can’t defend against hypersonic (at least five times faster
than sound) missiles currently being developed by China and Russia (and the US)
in response to US deployment of missile defense systems. The layered missile
defense strategy and HDR-H - all of which has cost US taxpayers more than a
hundred billion dollars are already obsolete and cannot keep Hawaii safe from
nuclear attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to the Union
of Concerned Scientists “In its current form, strategic missile defense is a
waste of resources at best and dangerous at worst. It is not a reliable defense
under real-world conditions; by promoting it as a solution to nuclear conflict,
US officials complicate diplomatic efforts abroad, and perpetuate a false sense
of security that could harm the US public.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Senator Hirono doesn’t
seem to understand why HDR-H is a bad investment. She is unrelenting in her
lobbying effort: </span><span style="background: white; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Securing full funding authorization for HDR-H
was my top priority in the NDAA this year because it will help keep Hawaii safe
from external threats. I will continue to advocate for its inclusion in the
final, approved package.”</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In this time of grave
economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as unprecedented
protests around the country are demanding that the government redirect spending
from the police and military to more urgent social needs such as healthcare,
education, and the environment, Congress must cut this wasteful, unessential,
and dangerous weapon system from the NDAA. We must pursue diplomatic strategies
for resolving conflict in the Pacific. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I would be very happy
to give Senator Hirono a private lesson on why we must cancel HDR-H.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lynda <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Please sign and share our petition to <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/cancel-the-homeland-defense-radar-hawaii/" target="_blank">CANCEL THE HDRH!</a> Thanks!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lynda Williams is a
Physicist & Science Educator with the Global Network Against Weapons and
Nuclear Power in Space (<a href="http://space4peace.org/">space4peace.org</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-85599672313273311902020-06-12T13:56:00.003-07:002020-06-12T18:25:38.920-07:00Space Alert Article on the Homeland Defense Radar - Hawaii <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-35502742621718269802019-10-12T18:45:00.001-07:002020-07-16T18:27:26.053-07:00The Pentagon Plans to Build a Billion Dollar Radar on Sacred Hawaiian Ground for a Missile Defense System that Doesn't Work and Will Never Work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; line-height: 115%;">The Pentagon Plans to Build a Billion Dollar Radar on </span><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; line-height: 115%;">Sacred Hawaiian Ground for a Missile Defense System that Doesn't Work and Will Never Work</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; line-height: 115%;">by <a href="https://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lynda Williams </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.space4peace.org/" target="_blank">Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Summary:</b> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Pentagon is planning to build a billion dollar radar system called the </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-12-18-Missile-Defense-Agency-Awards-Lockheed-Martin-Contract-to-Design-Manufacture-and-Construct-Homeland-Defense-Radar-Hawaii" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Homeland
Defense Radar –Hawaii</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> (HDR-H) on Oahu, Hawaii, to track incoming ballistic
nuclear missiles as a part of the US Missile Defense system. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/EA_EIS_Library/2018-06-08-OA-EISPN-Homeland-Defense-Radar-Hawaii.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">preliminary
Environmental Impact Statement</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> (EIS) names two possible locations for the
8-story-tall-by-8-story-wide radar station that would take up approximated
160-acres of land: </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/06/02/kaena-point-ridge-could-see-new-missile-defense-radar.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kuaokala
Ridge,</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
adjacent to the </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaena_Point_Satellite_Tracking_Station" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kaena
Point Satellite Tracking Station</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> (KPSTS) which is used for tracking satellites and
space debris, and two possible sites in the </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/kahuku.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kahuku
Training Area</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
(KTA) on the North shore. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">An </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.mda.mil/news/NHPA_consultation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Archeological Survey</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> of the Kauokala Ridge required by </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/historic-preservation/historic-preservation-policy-tools/legislation-policy-and-reports/section-106-national-historic-preservation-act-of-1966" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
National Historic Preservation Act</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> (NHPA) conducted by </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://keala-pono.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Keala Pono Consulting
Firm</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">,
identified </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">several sites that are of historical and cultural significance
in the proposed locations including the Moka’ena Heiau located on the
highest elevation on Kaena point. The
HDR-H is part of a larger constellation of missile defense radar systems
covering the </span><a href="https://mostlymissiledefense.com/2019/02/12/https-mostlymissiledefense-com-new-s-band-missile-defense-radars-in-the-pacific-february-11-2018/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pacific</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
that will cost over $4 billion. Lockheed Martin won the contract to design and
build the HDR-H. However, scientific organizations such as</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://thebulletin.org/2019/06/congress-is-not-asking-the-right-questions-about-missile-defense/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> and </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/us-missile-defense/shielded-from-oversight" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Union
of Concerned Scientists</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> (UCS) have recently </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">claimed that missile defense has a poor testing track
record and is ineffective to protect the US homeland. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The final EIS is due in 2020 with construction slated to begin
in 2021.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Billion
Dollar Expansion of Missile Defense in Hawaii and the Pacific</span></b></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Pentagon is planning to build a
billion dollar radar system called the </span><a href="https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-12-18-Missile-Defense-Agency-Awards-Lockheed-Martin-Contract-to-Design-Manufacture-and-Construct-Homeland-Defense-Radar-Hawaii" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Homeland Defense Radar
–Hawaii</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (HDR-H) on Oahu, Hawaii, to track incoming
ballistic nuclear missiles as a part of the US Missile Defense system. </span><a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2943/text" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The 2017 National Defense
Authorization Act</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> required the </span><a href="https://www.mda.mil/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Missile Defense Agency</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
(MDA) to develop and field a “discrimination radar” to improve the defense of
Hawaii from ballistic missile threats. “Discrimination” refers to the ability
to distinguish actual warheads from rocket debris, countermeasures and decoys,
which, according to the </span><a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/us-missile-defense/shielded-from-oversight" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Union of Concerned
Scientists</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (UCS), such radar systems are not
capable of doing and have never been tested for under real life scenarios. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The HDR-H would be used to support
missile defense systems at the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Missile_Range_Facility" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pacific Missile Range
Test Facility</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (PMRF Barking Sands) on the west
side of Kauai that houses an </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegis_Ballistic_Missile_Defense_System" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aegis “Ashore” Ballistic Missile Defense System</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">s (Aegis BMD)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. Although
the Aegis Ashore system is not currently ‘deployed’ on Kauai for use in
warfare, the Pentagon is </span><a href="https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Interactive/2018/11-2019-Missile-Defense-Review/The%202019%20MDR_Executive%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">pushing</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> to “operationalize” it. PMRF has also houses a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_High_Altitude_Area_Defense" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Terminal High Altitude
Area Defense System</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (THAAD) used to defend against
incoming short and medium range missiles possibly from North Korea or China. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Proposed Locations for Radar Construction and Development</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Department of Defense </span><a href="https://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/NOI_HDR_H_EIS_Public_Scoping.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">announced</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> the intention to build the HDR-H June 1, 2018 and initiated
a scoping process for determining potential sites in Hawaii. A </span><a href="http://oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/EA_EIS_Library/2018-06-08-OA-EISPN-Homeland-Defense-Radar-Hawaii.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">preliminary Environmental
Impact Statement</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (EIS) names three possible sites
for the 8-story-tall-by-8-story-wide radar station that would take up
approximated 160-acres of land: </span><a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/06/02/kaena-point-ridge-could-see-new-missile-defense-radar.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kuaokala Ridge,</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> adjacent to the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaena_Point_Satellite_Tracking_Station" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kaena Point Satellite
Tracking Station</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (KPSTS) which is used for tracking
satellites and space debris, and two possible sites in the </span><a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/kahuku.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kahuku Training Area</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (KTA) on the North shore. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The preliminary EIS states that if
the Kuaokala Ridge site is selected for HDR-H, existing facilities at KPSTS
such as the Solar Electro-Optical Observatory would be blocking the radar’s
view and would have to be relocated. Additional infrastructure development would also be required. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Hawaiian State Legislature proposed
a bill </span><a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2019/bills/HB1396_.HTM" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(H.B N0. 1396</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">) in 2019 to assist providing the tremendous amounts of
energy required for HDR-H with renewable energy sources. The bill is in
committee for further action when the legislature reconvenes next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Sacred Hawaiian Sites on Proposed Radar Locations</span></span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMESj8vV7mIAK1ibnACo565LEb6DE4MosFu9VWv2Px_6C7XfEJsuzwhycdHOcDkpyMClY_3XrkU7OGdEO9E1FQ-TVT-a_jT7nkwhAEqi39TwwbzxUf4MqyxKS-66VH4JIzuM6KfuTnxiE/s1600/64856754_2774924099188983_7402400375451418624_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMESj8vV7mIAK1ibnACo565LEb6DE4MosFu9VWv2Px_6C7XfEJsuzwhycdHOcDkpyMClY_3XrkU7OGdEO9E1FQ-TVT-a_jT7nkwhAEqi39TwwbzxUf4MqyxKS-66VH4JIzuM6KfuTnxiE/s320/64856754_2774924099188983_7402400375451418624_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">An </span><a href="https://www.mda.mil/news/NHPA_consultation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Archeological Survey</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> of the Kauokala Ridge required by </span><a href="https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/historic-preservation/historic-preservation-policy-tools/legislation-policy-and-reports/section-106-national-historic-preservation-act-of-1966" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The National Historic
Preservation Act</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (NHPA) conducted by </span><a href="http://keala-pono.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Keala Pono Consulting Firm</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">,
identified </span><a href="http://ulukau.org/cgi-bin/hpn?e=d-0mahele--00-0-0--010---4----dtx--0-0l--1en-Zz-1---20-about-p%F6hakuloa--00031-00010escapewin-00&cl=CL2.10&d=HASH01193dff7936e2569162935c&x=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Moka‘ena Heiau</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> in the Area of Potential Effect (APE) and </span><a href="https://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/AIS_Report_Kuaokala_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">recommended</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> that it be registered with both the </span><a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">National</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
and </span><a href="https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/shpd/home/state-register/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hawai‘i Register of
Historic Places.</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The survey also recommended
protecting the Moka’ena Heiau (site 188) with a buffer zone and that access
should be made available to the heiau for cultural practitioners and other interested
community members. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Kaena Point on Kuaokala Ridge has both cultural and historical significance to the Hawaiian people and is the site of several sacred sun and wind Heiaus, as described in the </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 17.12px;"><a href="https://www.mda.mil/news/NHPA_consultation.html" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Archeological Survey</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> . Historically, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">it was where the prophet Kaanaana first predicted that Hawaii would lose sovereignty to foreigners in the future.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> Situated at 1,200 ft. above sea level, this is the highest documented heiau on O‘ahu and its position affords sweeping views of the landscape and ocean. According to the survey, “the Moka’ena Heiau was especially important to the population during the time of Kamehemeha I’s impending invasion of Kaua‘i. The heiau was used as an observation point and early warning place to notify the people of Kaua‘i of Kamehameha’s movement. Following the peace treaty between Kamehameha I and Chief Kaumuali‘i of Kaua‘i, there was no longer a need to use Moka‘ena as a place to sound a warning for the Kaua‘i people. Therefore, the heiau was abandoned. Cultural practitioners shared that the heiau was, and still is, used by people of the indigenous religion, Kānenuiākea, a Native Hawaiian religion recognized by the United Nations International Association for Religious Freedom.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The MDA integrated the
recommendations of the Archeological Survey into their plans as shown in this </span><a href="https://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/HDR_H_EIS_Posters_5June2018.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">scoping posters</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> available online.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">An Archeological Survey has not yet
been conducted for the KTA alternative sites and Keala Pono Consulting and DLNR
did not respond to requests for information about the KTA sites. It is well
documented that the Hanakaoe Burial Platform is a heiau site located in Kahuku,
possibly in the project area which was added to the National Register of
Historic Places on August 14, 1973. A full survey would need to be conducted to
determine if it and other sites are located in the APE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">What is Missile Defense and Why Doesn't it Work?</span></span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFywH20Je_YX2vjH7lAYlxGVXAK6y7jXh7ZS0_C59bEN71cQsofEKaE8r6lQzlMi-nLkrRX_WpDB7UXIP2pXF4C9kmrazCNmTtTGpPBxlbX5cgHpVNr5brz7B7Tv-aG7zm4Hn1JUBjFrI/s1600/aegis+ashore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="619" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFywH20Je_YX2vjH7lAYlxGVXAK6y7jXh7ZS0_C59bEN71cQsofEKaE8r6lQzlMi-nLkrRX_WpDB7UXIP2pXF4C9kmrazCNmTtTGpPBxlbX5cgHpVNr5brz7B7Tv-aG7zm4Hn1JUBjFrI/s320/aegis+ashore.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The HDR-H is part of a larger
constellation of missile defense radar systems covering the </span><a href="https://mostlymissiledefense.com/2019/02/12/https-mostlymissiledefense-com-new-s-band-missile-defense-radars-in-the-pacific-february-11-2018/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pacific</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that will cost over $4 billion. Lockheed Martin won the
contract to design and build the HDR-H which is a technological spin off of
their $1.5 billion </span><a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/07/Shielded-from-Oversight-appendix-3.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Long Range Discrimination
Radar</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (LRDR) system being built at </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear_Air_Force_Station" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Clear Air Force Station</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in Alaska, to be operational by 2020. A third billion
dollar radar system, HDR-P will be deployed somewhere in the Pacific, most
likely in Japan in order to complement their recent </span><a href="https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/01/30/Japan-approved-for-215B-buy-of-Aegis-Ashore-missile-defense-systems/7771548858507/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">$2.15 billion purchase</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> of two land based </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegis_Ballistic_Missile_Defense_System" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Aegis “Ashore” Ballistic
Missile Defense System</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">s (Aegis
BMD), also made by Lockheed Martin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Both the LRDR and HDR radar systems,
along with the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea-based_X-band_Radar" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sea-based X-Band Radar</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (SBX), will </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">support</span> <a href="https://www.mda.mil/system/gmd.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ground-Based Midcourse Defense</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (GMD), the basis of $70 billion US Missile Defense System
to protect the US and allies from enemy intercontinental nuclear ballistic
missiles (ICBMs). The “Midcourse” part of GMD means that the nuclear missile
would be intercepted while it is in space on approach to its target. The MDA
GMD system uses 44 ground-based interceptor missiles launched from </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Vandenberg Air Force Base</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in California or </span><a href="https://www.deltawindonline.com/news/local/a-look-inside-the-missile-defense-complex-at-fort-greely/article_ae65f33c-4ed3-11e8-b2a1-0b6737596f22.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fort Greely, Alaska</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">. These interceptors are also ICBMs but instead of carrying
nuclear warheads they carry “</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exoatmospheric_Kill_Vehicle" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kill Vehicles</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">”
intended to ram the nuclear warheads and destroy them in space before returning
to Earth and reaching their targets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Pentagon </span><a href="https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Interactive/2018/11-2019-Missile-Defense-Review/MDR-Fact-Sheet-15-Jan-2019-UPDATED.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">claims</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> that the new generation of LRDR and HDR-H radar systems
will be able to discriminate between war heads and decoys but there have never
been any tests in real-world scenarios with countermeasures and decoys. In the
aftermath of 9–11, President Bush withdrew from the </span><a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/abmtreaty" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Antiballistic Missile Treaty</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (ABM) which was keeping nations from deploying missile
defense systems. Bush exempted Missile Defense systems from the oversight and
accountability process required by other major high cost military systems.
Hence there is no experimental evidence that these massive and expensive radar
systems will even work when 'deployed' without testing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Recently, U</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">n</span>ion of Concerned Scientists </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(UCS)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> claimed that missile defense has a
poor testing track record and is ineffective to protect the US homeland. In
their 2016 report </span><a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/us-missile-defense/shielded-from-oversight" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shielded from Oversight:
The Disastrous US Approach to Strategic Missile Defense</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">the UCS states “In its current form,
strategic missile defense is a waste of resources at best and dangerous at
worst. It is <b>not </b>a reliable defense under real-world conditions; by
promoting it as a solution to nuclear conflict, US officials complicate
diplomatic efforts abroad, and perpetuate a false sense of security that could
harm the US public.” Here is a <a href="https://youtu.be/gNSR7dXHdCY" target="_blank">video</a> produced by the UCS that demonstrates the problem with US missile defense managing simple countermeasures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h4 style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Space Based Missile Defense and Weapons</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Missile Defense Agency knows these shortcomings to the existing system land and sea based systems which has meant billions in profits for defense Aerospace contractors Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Raytheon over the past few decades. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">HDR-H would also be used with a </span><a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/us-missile-defense/how-space-interceptors-work" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">space-based missile defense system</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> being proposed to counter </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/magazine/hypersonic-missiles.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">hypersonic missiles</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> currently being developed by the US, China and Russia. The US is proposing a </span><a href="https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/smd/2018/08/14/space-based-laser-weapons-could-ultimately-take-out-missile-threats-in-boost-phase/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Space-Based Missile Defense system</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> consisting of over 600 satellites equipped with laser weapons at the cost of hundreds of billions of dollars to counter hypersonic missiles. Although Space Command is based on the mainland critical components to space war combat are based in Hawaii and the Pacific. Here is another <a href="https://youtu.be/fEkXTV69yo4" target="_blank">video</a> produced by UCS explaining why Space Based Missile Defense is not a good idea for planet Earth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Whether Missile Defense remains on the Earth or is developed in space, Hawaii will be ground </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">zero</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> for MD missions, though there is plenty evidence it will not be able to protect the Homeland. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Local Government and Community Response to HDR-H</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Following the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Hawaii_false_missile_alert" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt;">false missile alert</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> in January 2018, Hawaiian Representative and presidential candidate </span><a href="https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-tulsi-gabbard-statement-false-hawaii-missile-alert-and-calls-accountability" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt;">Tulsi Gabbard</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> called for increased spending on missile defense systems in Hawaii and voted to pass the FY 2019 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Department of Defense </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Appropriations</span> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">bill that provided critical funding for HDR-H missile defense for Hawai‘i, </span><a href="https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/reps-tulsi-gabbard-colleen-hanabusa-vote-strengthen-hawai-i-missile-defense" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt;">stating</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> “This bipartisan legislation provides funding for the Homeland Defense Radar — Hawai‘i which will help defend against complex threats by improving the Department of Defense’s capability to intercept an incoming ballistic missile headed towards our state.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/memberpage.aspx?member=perruso&year=2019" target="_blank">Amy </a><a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/memberpage.aspx?member=perruso&year=2019" target="_blank">Perruso</a>, Hawaiian State Legislature representing District 46 recently sent a letter to the MDA director of Facilities and Deployment, Martin F. Duke, regarding geotechnical testing at the proposed sites: "Yesterday, my office sent a letter to the Missile Defense Agency about geotechnical testing at Kuaokalā Ridge. While people struggle to afford shelter and Hawaiians fight to protect the 'āina, we should ask: when it comes to the militarization of Hawai'i, when will it be enough?"<br />In her letter Perruso asked, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I am concerned about the continued l</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">oss of Hawaii's land for military purposes. Currently, our state is facing a housing shortage of over 60,000 units. Our </span><a href="https://www.thegardenisland.com/2018/12/18/hawaii-news/hawaii-homeless-rates-among-highest/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">homeless population</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> remains the highest in the nation per capita. Most importantly, Native Hawaiians remain alienated within their homeland. As evidenced by the recent demonstrations on </span><a href="http://kahea.org/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Mauna Kea</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> regarding the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope, the Hawaiian community is rightly seeking to redress their historic disenfranchisement and dispossession from their ancestral lands. One must ask, When it comes to the </span><a href="https://registremblay.com/kyle-kajihiro-interview-on-history-of-u-s-militarism-in-hawaii/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">militarization of the 'aina</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, when will it be enough?" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The MDA held <a href="https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/community-hears-proposals-new-missile-defense-radar" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">public meetings</span></a> in June 2018 to invite members of the community to participate
in the scoping process to prepare a <a href="https://www.mda.mil/news/hawaii_eis.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">final EIS</span></a>
which is expected to be done at the end of 2020. <span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Long-time Native Hawaiian activist and <a href="https://www.malamamakua.org/" target="_blank">Mālama Mākua</a> founding member </span><a href="https://www.malamamakua.org/archives/through-the-eyes-of-a-kpuna-in-the-face-of-impending-arrest-at-maunakea" style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Sparky Rodrigue</a><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">s was present at a public meeting. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sparky:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"The USA military continues the attack and <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/12/100_years_of_us_interference_regime" target="_blank">invasion of Hawaii</a>. Another state and DLNR sanctioned abuse of conservation lands and sacred cultural sites. Desecration of Hawaii national treasures destroyed forever."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">If a permit is granted by <a href="http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">DLNR</span></a> construction is slated to start in
2021, with a completion date in 2023. More rounds of public meetings will be
held on Oahu in 2020 after the final EIS is released.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">To get a glimpse of what the final
EIS might include in regards to health and environmental risks of the HDR-H
system, the <a href="https://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/env_LRDR_proposed_finalEA_CAFS_2016_04_29.pdf?fbclid=IwAR19B8gNxX822Tql0_bLVRSHpmF2HQB3oJVSDr_u7LOvcEc0UBS0NWTDjUI" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">LRDR final EIS</span></a> was completed in 2016. The World Health Organization has a
report on electromagnetic fields and public health: <a href="https://www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/facts/fs226/en/?fbclid=IwAR00kBLBPxbaPu5yee5gf1T9CAI9F91azMz_jVqjIsTKxT3ZfjcJYrfyvPU" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">radars and human health</span></a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">For more information visit the HDR-H
visit the MDA <a href="https://www.mda.mil/news/hawaii_eis.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">website</span></a>: <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.mda.mil/news/hawaii_eis.html" target="_blank">https://www.mda.mil/news/hawaii_eis.html</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Follow Lynda on Twitter at: <a href="http://twitter.com/@atomiccabaret" target="_blank">@atomiccabaret</a> and Instagram @lyndalovon</span></div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-70781317955491363002016-05-14T16:35:00.000-07:002016-05-14T17:55:25.922-07:00Space Ecology: The Final Frontier of Environmentalism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mining Space? Space Tourism? Space Debris? ASAT Tests? Weapons in Space?</h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">As humans venture into space to advance both commercial and government interests, it is vital that we also develop rules of the road to protect the environment and access to space for all inhabitants of the planet. Pollution in circum-terrestrial space due to space debris is an international concern for all nations and corporations with space assets at risk and yet few binding international laws governing the protection of the space environment exist. There is also very little public oversight or participation in policy making for this booming new private business sector that enjoys tax breaks, liability indemnities and other government incentives and protections. Space-Ecology.net is an information and news outlet dedicated to environmental and public policy issues related to space development. Here are some articles I have written on space issues. More to come! </span></h4>
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Natural Living Magazine</h4>
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<a href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2016/05/space-ecology-final-frontier-of_14.html">Full Article</a></div>
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Space Alert!</h4>
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<a href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2016/04/us-gold-rush-in-space-given-go-with.html">Full Article</a></div>
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Peace Review, a Journal of Social Justice, 22.1, Spring 2010</h4>
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<a href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2016/05/irrational-dreams-of-space-colonization.html">Full Article</a></div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-5456931187979143522016-04-13T17:52:00.000-07:002016-05-14T17:54:51.208-07:00US Gold Rush in Space Given A GO with the Space Act of 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Published in <i>Space Alert!</i> Spring 2016</div>
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This past November 25, while US citizens embarked upon
holiday festivities, President Obama quietly signed into law the US SPACE Act
of 2015 (The U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, H.R. 2262), granting
property rights to materials that U.S. companies mine from asteroids, the moon
and other celestial bodies. With no public
debate or international negotiation, the act unilaterally promotes and empowers
the private US space industry to develop and test technologies for exploration
and extraction of space resources with little regulatory oversight and tax
payer economic incentives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to granting property rights, the act extends for
another ten years the "learning period" for commercial spaceflight
companies prohibiting the FAA from imposing any new safety regulations on the
industry, the exception being rules that specifically respond to fatal
accidents or near misses. The act also extends indemnification for space
companies from third party claims in the event of a launch accident. Space
companies must carry insurance to cover $500 million in damages but US taxpayers
will cover any costs above that up to $1.5 billion. US private space flight
companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Bigelow benefit from indemnity
protection and claim that without indemnity the risks are too high to develop
the private space industry. Other space faring nations such as the UK also cut
liability caps with their private space and satellite corporations in order to
keep them operating in their countries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Experts in Space Law are debating whether the Space Act is
in violation of international agreements such as the 1967 Outer Space Treaty
(OST) or if the space grab has a dangerous potential for fueling future
conflict in space and on Earth. The OST
does not allow any nation to claim territorial sovereignty in space and
establishes space as a global commons to be shared by all humankind. In accordance with the OST, the Space Act does
not allow U.S. companies to own asteroids, only whatever materials they mine
from them. The exact wording is: "A United States citizen engaged in
commercial recovery of an asteroid resource or a space resource under this
chapter shall be entitled to any asteroid resource or space resource obtained,
including to possess, own, transport, use, and sell the asteroid resource or
space resource obtained in accordance with applicable law, including the
international obligations of the United States." How exactly the US will license asteroid
claims or ensure the corporate entitlement to those claims is not spelled out in
the Space Act and is yet to be determined. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With thousands of near earth asteroids containing possibly
trillions of dollars’ worth of rare metals such as platinum, the industry
celebrated the passing of the Space Act as a green light to start staking
claims in space with the backing and protection of the US government and
military which is expanding its space war fighting capabilities through the US
Space Command. “This is the single greatest recognition of property rights in
history,” said Eric Anderson, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Planetary Resources,
Inc., an asteroid mining startup backed by Google billionaires Larry Page, Eric
Schmidt and movie mogul James Cameron. “In the future humanity will look back
at this bill being passed as one of the hallmarks of the opening of space to
the people,” said Rick Tumlinson, Chair of Deep Space Industries, another start
up with deep pockets. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Not everyone in the space business is as eager to celebrate.
“Russia and China might consider using this as another example of the economic
aggression of the U.S. and going ahead of the international law,” says Frans
von der Dunk, a space law professor at the University of Nebraska. In an interview with Bloomberg Law, von der
Dunk laid out possible scenarios not covered by any existing law which could
lead to serious international conflicts. “What if the company mining an
asteroid inadvertently causes a part of that asteroid to get into the orbit of
a valuable communications satellite from another nation? Does a liability
regime which was not developed for those types of circumstances, apply? Or
worse what if an asteroid where to change its original trajectory and starts
heading to earth, is there any liability or responsibility involved with
that?” What would happen if a mining
company from one nation jumps the claim of another? Who would intervene to
resolve the situation? Looking to the future, space mining companies plan to
set up factories on asteroids or the moon to manufacture goods or to
electrolyze water for rocket fuel, which would very likely involve nuclear
powered thermal and energy production. There are no laws in place to regulate
or mitigate those risks. According to many legal experts, the Space Act is
dangerously incomplete and by signing the act into law, Obama may be granting
rights and indemnities to US corporations that he doesn’t have the legal right
to give. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With hopes of hitting asteroid pay dirt, the nation of Luxembourg
announced on February 3, 2016, that it will be funding research in space mining
and directly investing in companies active in the field. The space race to
enable private corporations to mine the heavens is now international. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The rush to profit from mining space puts the very legal
framework of international space law at risk. Signatories to the OST can withdraw
at any time with one year’s notice. If corporate and military interests lobby
for the US to withdraw from the OST in order to claim space territories, what
will be the consequences? We have seen the missile defense industry explode
after the US withdrew from the Antiballistic Treaty (ABM) in 2002. If the US
withdraws from the OST, which prohibits weapons in space, will it ignite an
arms race in space? <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is yet to be seen how the other 102 signatories of the
OST respond to the Space Act and it will surely be high on the agenda when the United
Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) meets in June 2016 in
Vienna, Austria. With growing corporate
high stakes in space and the willingness of the US government to unilaterally
grant and protect those interests with its military might, it is more urgent
than ever for the UN and COPOUOS to expand upon the OST and negotiate a space
peace treaty like the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-1927114686884980482016-02-12T12:42:00.004-08:002022-05-16T17:18:17.909-07:00#AstroSH: Geoff Marcy and the Physics Showgirl <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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By Lynda Williams </div>
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<b>Geoff Marcy is a serial sexual harasser and I feel ashamed for not doing more to stop him for twenty years. </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_CTW5P9mY3xTAbWKM-MfdGFxjxT5DqM50wPhs7idDWNppUtQRs533LB25G4cNDedmWiKhapxtyT8yI4kMTq_w2zpNDlUGo3rd91pkomuRB6WQSZNvduLpIKkNho2MXJyZOH39Dc8sc8/s1600/marcykiss.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_CTW5P9mY3xTAbWKM-MfdGFxjxT5DqM50wPhs7idDWNppUtQRs533LB25G4cNDedmWiKhapxtyT8yI4kMTq_w2zpNDlUGo3rd91pkomuRB6WQSZNvduLpIKkNho2MXJyZOH39Dc8sc8/s320/marcykiss.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add <span color="windowtext">Geoff Marcy and me at the premiere of my<br /> Cosmic
Cabaret Show, 1995</span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoCaption">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="graf--p" name="2ba9">
Marcy’s evil deeds have only recently come to light, but the pattern started long before the current disintegration of his meteoric career, long before he was The Planet Hunter. Because we were friends and colleagues, I may have helped enable Marcy’s behavior, like many other women who don’t stand up and demand more than a slap on the wrist for what would be a criminal offense outside the academy. What follows is a kind of “I knew him when” tell-all of events only partially revealed on <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/geoff-marcy-at-sfsu" href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/geoff-marcy-at-sfsu">Buzzfeed</a>. It’s an object lesson in what not to do if you realize a friend or mentor can’t keep his hands — or other body parts — to himself.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="2ba9">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekYg5GVYlSVfwbW8XwPjAvSkeI1c1faiAutc9Kegw10pHVOSP8omUOc2hHKzFTL2YAZn9N5bXCJ8Uwt6dpxmAtTIpzWfj6ZIW6s6bxXoo5hDSGAw6POCjmSX_YlNBIDy4Dnwpi_uLFbI/s1600/longform-original-10053-1444340409-20.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekYg5GVYlSVfwbW8XwPjAvSkeI1c1faiAutc9Kegw10pHVOSP8omUOc2hHKzFTL2YAZn9N5bXCJ8Uwt6dpxmAtTIpzWfj6ZIW6s6bxXoo5hDSGAw6POCjmSX_YlNBIDy4Dnwpi_uLFbI/s320/longform-original-10053-1444340409-20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcy BUSTED by Buzzfeed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="graf--p" name="5ccd">
In case you haven’t heard the back story, Geoff Marcy enjoyed great fame and fortune as the world’s best planet hunter searching for exoplanets — planets outside our solar system. He was even on the short list for a Nobel Prize, but instead of winning this year, he was outed as a sexual predator. As first reported by<a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/famous-astronomer-allegedly-sexually-harassed-students" href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/famous-astronomer-allegedly-sexually-harassed-students"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Buzzfeed</em></a>, Marcy was found guilty by the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) of violating sexual harassment policies with female students for more than a decade, dating back to 2001. In fact, it goes back much farther than that. Engaging in everything from flirting to kissing to crotch grabbing, Marcy was a known problem on campus and in the international astronomical community, but nothing serious was ever done about it. Senior women and men warned younger women to watch out for him while Marcy continued his douchebaggery without consequence. Even UCB, after finding him guilty, gave him merely a warning.<br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekYg5GVYlSVfwbW8XwPjAvSkeI1c1faiAutc9Kegw10pHVOSP8omUOc2hHKzFTL2YAZn9N5bXCJ8Uwt6dpxmAtTIpzWfj6ZIW6s6bxXoo5hDSGAw6POCjmSX_YlNBIDy4Dnwpi_uLFbI/s1600/longform-original-10053-1444340409-20.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
After the <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Buzzfeed</em> article, Marcy published a <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://w.astro.berkeley.edu/~gmarcy/MarcyLetter_October7.pdf" href="http://w.astro.berkeley.edu/~gmarcy/MarcyLetter_October7.pdf">lame non-apology</a>, but thousands of astronomers signed a<a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q4oKqbMh4YplZkuBDs2VoUOL0xJQt-uVYwZ5-Fa_G0I/pubhtml" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q4oKqbMh4YplZkuBDs2VoUOL0xJQt-uVYwZ5-Fa_G0I/pubhtml"> petition</a> supporting the victims for coming out and a majority of his colleagues at UCB <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/14/science/updated-berkeley-astronomy-statement.html" href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/14/science/updated-berkeley-astronomy-statement.html">called</a> for Marcy to be fired. Shortly after, Marcy <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.space.com/30830-exoplanet-hunter-geoff-marcy-resigns.html" href="http://www.space.com/30830-exoplanet-hunter-geoff-marcy-resigns.html">resigned </a>his position at UCB, as well his position as principal investigator of a <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.breakthroughinitiatives.org/" href="http://www.breakthroughinitiatives.org/">$100 million SETI</a> search paid for by a <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.wired.com/2015/07/russian-tycoon-spending-100-million-hunt-aliens/" href="http://www.wired.com/2015/07/russian-tycoon-spending-100-million-hunt-aliens/">Russian tycoon.</a> The blog- and twitter spheres went supernova with <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/astrosh" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/astrosh">#astroSH</a> emerging as the dominant hashtag and meme for astronomy sexual harassment. Almost immediately after the Buzzfeed story broke, several women, including myself, tweeted that Marcy’s sexual harassment went further back than the UCB incidents — back at least 20 years to when he taught at San Francisco State University (SFSU). And that brings us to my story.<br />
<div class="graf--p" name="9a18">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5QjIsj-n1Z1XtsFEpukzLlRa_arEZH6gkK9UOagyLeH4j6hMwrCIadm0Y-UIT8tvn2y5N7AuREiPzUDuNYkbMxzpEHC6cdidYVM-OqdZfHf2-C7mqMUKGOSOnkIoEMkrfkbp9yX108g/s1600/marcylickscope.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5QjIsj-n1Z1XtsFEpukzLlRa_arEZH6gkK9UOagyLeH4j6hMwrCIadm0Y-UIT8tvn2y5N7AuREiPzUDuNYkbMxzpEHC6cdidYVM-OqdZfHf2-C7mqMUKGOSOnkIoEMkrfkbp9yX108g/s320/marcylickscope.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span color="windowtext">Marcy at Lick Observatory
during a field trip <br />with the SFSU Physics and Astronomy Club, <br /> 1995 </span><span color="windowtext">Photo by Lynda Williams</span><br />
<div class="MsoCaption">
<span color="windowtext"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="graf--p" name="34aa">
I met Geoff at SFSU in 1994 when I took “Introduction to Astrophysics” with him. While his student, I didn’t observe any inappropriate sexual behavior. He was a fantastic teacher, articulate and passionate, rigorous but fair, and he genuinely cared about his students and their successes. His lecture style had a theatrical flair that made me imagine him wearing one of those puffy Shakespearean costumes and writing with a feather quill pen. He was magnanimous and a little pompous in a classic way that I really enjoyed. Geoff gave me some of the best academic advice of my career: “Determine the time of day in which your brain works the best and study during that time. Arrange your whole life around maximizing your peak brain time for studying.” Not only have I followed that advice but have also passed it down to my own students for decades. Soon after the astrophysics course, Geoff and I became friends. He was only a little older than I and we got along really well, having a similar sense of humor and political ethos. He was friendlier than other professors, but I thought it was because we were becoming friends. As a woman in physics I have many platonic male friends simply because of the lack of gender parity in the field — another factor in the prevalence of sexual harassment. Geoff was no longer my professor nor my advisor and it seemed perfectly appropriate to become friends.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="9ea3">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU3o24vLI9yqoNURfD1CvX7uXo_yVzlEWl-9goP4-9oe9zr9ChMyvfAhi_W1f2v6XkvqdwZWV9c6Oaad_CF-ecFimPz-Ll_snsJn58HWXhV19ZUxQFTtiEsLCkhZrY2aGZdKjn7NrgyE/s1600/future.gif" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU3o24vLI9yqoNURfD1CvX7uXo_yVzlEWl-9goP4-9oe9zr9ChMyvfAhi_W1f2v6XkvqdwZWV9c6Oaad_CF-ecFimPz-Ll_snsJn58HWXhV19ZUxQFTtiEsLCkhZrY2aGZdKjn7NrgyE/s1600/future.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoCaption">
<span color="windowtext">Performing<i>
Unilang</i>, </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoCaption">
<span color="windowtext">Berlin, 1988<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="graf--p" name="f354">
An important side note: I was not your traditional nontraditional student. By the time I came to SFSU to pursue my MS in physics, I was, at 32, a mature, female re-entry student who had already spent almost a decade earning my BA in the avant-garde world of <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0uRfNrxk2o" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0uRfNrxk2o">performance art</a> where sexism and overt sexual crudeness are pretty commonplace. In that atmosphere, I grew a thick skin and told offensive people to fuck off. In the early 90s, I worked at The San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) in the New Genre Department where I managed the media studios and taught production classes. At SFAI, faculty openly dated students, and sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll were just an ordinary part of the milieu. Seriously, I’ve seen it all under the guise of artistic expression and First Amendment protections: from a performance artist pulling toy soldiers out of her vagina to protest militarism and sexism, to a male student biting off the head of a live chicken and then ejaculating on it, because, lacking any artistic talent, he couldn’t think of anything better to do. By the time I landed at SFSU and met Geoff Marcy, I had seen quite a bit of the world and had some street smarts. My career goal was to produce and perform musicals based on science and politics, and I needed more knowledge and academic background to do it.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="f354">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMAZuRYjCDudQ2eUkm7BkBr6sPuEnZ-uoJu_NzD0IHD772f6it9r3xGdZHHYyPMR9czqgjZDLel-heAGtrMrE0OxH3y-gPwHT_dqKEwdCb7GTVZnK-RmQ-E0_Cfe7rWGTf2pMBUToaw4/s1600/bang5.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMAZuRYjCDudQ2eUkm7BkBr6sPuEnZ-uoJu_NzD0IHD772f6it9r3xGdZHHYyPMR9czqgjZDLel-heAGtrMrE0OxH3y-gPwHT_dqKEwdCb7GTVZnK-RmQ-E0_Cfe7rWGTf2pMBUToaw4/s200/bang5.jpg" width="144" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoCaption">
<span color="windowtext">Cosmic Cabaret, 1995</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</tbody></table>
<div class="graf--p" name="ac25">
So Geoff and I became friends. When he took interest in my <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/" href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/">artistic work</a> and personal life, it didn’t seem inappropriate. His crude sense of humor seemed tame by comparison to my experience in the art world. I didn’t feel sexually harassed. He never copped a feel or transgressed my personal boundaries, and if he had I think he knew I would have bitch-slapped him. I thought Geoff was brilliant and progressive and clearly headed for great success. Geoff was always very supportive of my creative work, attending my <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Cosmic Cabaret</em> performances and Planetarium shows. He was supportive of the Physics and Astronomy Club (PAC) I started and participated in educational events for the community. He hired me to build a <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Um7ldhxC0" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Um7ldhxC0">website</a> for the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Committee on the Status of Women (<a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.aas.org/cswa/" href="http://www.aas.org/cswa/">CSWA</a>), of which he was a board member, on the history of women in astronomy. We worked closely together on that. I interviewed him several times for the school paper, on his discovery of a brown dwarf star and for his breakthrough detection of the exoplanet 51-Pegasus b. We joked about how astronomers struggle to find military spinoffs for DOE grants and we talked about the dual use of science in the military. We also talked about the challenges women face in STEM and he was genuinely concerned and working to make more parity in science. He asked about my personal relationships and I asked him about his too. I was thrilled with our blossoming platonic friendship and looked forward to future mutually rewarding collaborations, weaving together the worlds of art and science.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="f974">
And then everything changed.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="f974">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4XCePVLkLrmmj5HjunMF_Vy_sPOsZcPhB2XDJDwN7sY6Wr0MxZ1sj1-DwcRLasg9opVWCwrwsTUbpUEpZkQSb_PsRAW_lcgmoFsFdkR5xPgOQombY43-41Q9ndrDkl4GEznWJWS_pQU/s1600/bdwarfarticle.tif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4XCePVLkLrmmj5HjunMF_Vy_sPOsZcPhB2XDJDwN7sY6Wr0MxZ1sj1-DwcRLasg9opVWCwrwsTUbpUEpZkQSb_PsRAW_lcgmoFsFdkR5xPgOQombY43-41Q9ndrDkl4GEznWJWS_pQU/s640/bdwarfarticle.tif" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="f974">
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<div class="graf--p" name="f974">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Fyzitja-2T306EntmLEkr7yfKEQ-luilvz37P6H2KQDW0BaS-nJmiXGwBms9O1FvzcpWhZQ195hTqL3rmNsWxj2NuRTCb51eFHf5I0iCfu73UHrl_iN07FW7375XWvqbUN4kLbcBwqo/s1600/Eanglels.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Fyzitja-2T306EntmLEkr7yfKEQ-luilvz37P6H2KQDW0BaS-nJmiXGwBms9O1FvzcpWhZQ195hTqL3rmNsWxj2NuRTCb51eFHf5I0iCfu73UHrl_iN07FW7375XWvqbUN4kLbcBwqo/s320/Eanglels.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elender Wall, Heather Hauser, & me, 1995</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="graf--p" name="f450">
Heather Hauser was a fellow female graduate student who was working with Geoff Marcy. She was smart, arty, cool, and gorgeous, so I enlisted her to co-star in my video production of <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vIHr1gYHA" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5vIHr1gYHA"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Einstein’s Angels</em></a>, a parody of the TV show <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Charlie’s Angels</em>. The short video starred Heather, myself, and SFSU physics undergrad and opera singer Elender Wall as crime-solving physics babes. Heather was much younger than I, but we became friends and I felt like a big sister or aunty to her and many other younger women in the department. As president of the PAC, I was a student leader and outspoken feminist in the department, and that is why I think Marcy’s victims approached me for help. </div>
<br />
<div class="graf--p" name="ed65">
Early in November 1995, Heather confided to me that Geoff Marcy was behaving towards her and other female students in overtly sexual ways that felt upsetting and inappropriate, as described in this <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/geoff-marcy-at-sfsu" href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/geoff-marcy-at-sfsu"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Buzzfeed</em> article</a>. She was clearly distraught, confused and angry. She told me that she wondered what the fuck was wrong with him and why he was doing this to her. “I don’t want to come to school. It creeps me out to be in that small windowless lab with him. I can’t sleep. I’m sick. I don’t know what to do.” Suddenly I felt sick too. It is disturbing to learn that your friend is a sexual predator who is hurting people you care about. She knew I was friends with Geoff and hoped I could help. I told Heather I would talk to Geoff and try to find out what action could be taken through the school to make him stop.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8833">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8833">
I was reeling, rewinding all the conversations I had ever had with Geoff, re-evaluating and trying to assess if he had also transgressed with me, questioning my own actions and behavior. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. A few nights earlier, on Halloween, he had told me on the phone, “I wish you were a piece of chocolate so I could melt you in my mouth.” At the time I didn’t think much of it. I probably said, “Oh you are such a perv!’’ But with the new data his victims had just shared with me, his clever candy line made me cringe. It put all of his behavior towards me in an entirely new context. I feared I had unwittingly enabled a sexual harasser and I felt a personal responsibility to do something to put a stop to it.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8833">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="b06b">
I immediately called Geoff. What I said, as best I can recall after twenty years, is essentially that a few female students came to me for help about his sexual harassment. He denied it. He told me that they misinterpreted his actions. He was trying to be friendly, to make them feel comfortable. He was only trying to boost their self-esteem by paying attention to them. I explained to him what sexual harassment was and read him the definition. He dismissed it, claiming he knew all about it because he was on <a href="http://www.aas.org/cswa/">CSWA</a>, after all!</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="b06b">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="b8a9">
I asked him why he was doing this, when he had just announced the <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/51_Pegasi_b" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/51_Pegasi_b">detection of 51-Peg b</a>, on the eve of becoming world-famous. I asked him if he suffered from imposter syndrome, or if he wanted to get caught because he felt he didn’t deserve his success, or if his success was triggering sexual misconduct or bolstering his sense of being invincible. I told him that no matter what the reason for his illegal and unethical transgressions, he needed to admit he had a problem, take responsibility, and get help. He continued to deny and dismiss my accusations. It was becoming clear to me that I would not be able to convince him to do the right thing unless I threatened him with legal action. The next day I sent him this email:</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="b8a9">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="1f27">
<i><b>From: lwilliam</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="84a7">
<i><b>Date: Wed Nov 15 13:51:58 1995</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="bd4f">
<i><b>To: gmarcy </b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="bd4f">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="6dc6">
<i><b>GM,</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="0e56">
<i><b>After much thought, I feel very uncomfortable with our talk yesterday. I was so upset that I couldn’t really express myself. But I don’t think that I needed to apologize to you for being angry.</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="0e56">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="d3f4">
<i><b>I know that I am not the first or the only one. I think you have a serious problem and you need to face it. I just don’t understand why at such a high point in your career you would carry on in such a negative and potentially self destructive way. You remind me of Bob Packwood…. you are such an active “feminist” and yet you sexually harass female students! Maybe you are not aware of what sexual harassment is.…</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="d3f4">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="b537">
<i><b>You know that you have done this and more and I think you don’t have a clue as</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="81f2">
<i><b>to what kind of emotional trauma this causes. I really think you are a great teacher and scientist and I think it would be a great loss to the community and to students if you do not deal with this behavior problem. I think that it is because I think so much of you that I was easily manipulated.</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="81f2">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="07d2">
<i><b>I am sorry it has come to this. I really enjoy working with you and looked forward to continuing to do so in the future. I hope that we can all grow and learn from this and move on. But you have to deal with it. You have to change. I know I have.</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="07d2">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="e32d">
<i><b>lynda</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="e32d">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="0586">
Heather and I decided to go directly to the sexual harassment officer at SFSU to make our complaint. I didn’t want to report Geoff to the chair of the department or to his colleagues because I didn’t fully understand how serious the problem was and I didn’t want to be a “trouble maker” or suffer any retaliation from other people. I was hoping the administration would be able to deal with Geoff and force him to face his problem and get help.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="0586">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="1edd">
We met with Penny Nixon, the sexual harassment officer at the time, and made our complaint. She told us she would speak with Geoff. She explained the grievance process and that we could file a formal complaint, which involves a much longer process and investigation, or just stop at this point with an informal complaint. She assured us she would take our complaint very seriously. We trusted her and stopped at the informal complaint level.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="1edd">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="e416">
It took several weeks for Penny to meet with Geoff. Interviews on TV and for the international press got in the way. As Penny says in the <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/geoff-marcy-at-sfsu" href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi/geoff-marcy-at-sfsu">Buzzfeed article</a>: <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">“</em>‘I distinctly remember sitting down and talking to him,’ said Nixon, who is now a reverend in San Mateo. ‘I told him, you can’t do this, and if you continue, your career will end — it’s that serious. I don’t remember how he responded to that.’”After the first confrontational phone call, Geoff and I continued to have a few more communications via phone and email. It’s clear from some of these that he was realizing that he had a problem, or at least he was pretending as if he did.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="a522">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="a522">
<i><b>From: gmarcy</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="9fbd">
<i><b>Date: Sun Dec 10 13:20:18 1995</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="a771">
<i><b>To: lwilliams</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="a771">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="67b7">
<i><b>Hi Lynda,</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="67b7">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="7fe5">
<i><b>It is quite hard for me to reveal my thoughts to you at this time. The pain I am experiencing is intense, and I’m very scared. I also feel extremely vulnerable and quite powerless….</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="7fe5">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8eee">
<i><b>I am thinking very hard about my behavior with other female students. I promise to give this subject my most careful consideration, with a resulting change in light of your thoughtful reports and analyses.</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8eee">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="b30e">
<i><b>Geoff</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="b30e">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="b30e">
(I stopped emailing him, preferring to talk on the phone instead. Oddly, he kept emailing me, not fearing that I might accumulate evidence.) A few hours later, after talking on the phone, this arrived:</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="775b">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="2ac1">
<i><b>From: gmarcy</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8e91">
<i><b>Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 17:36:32 -0800</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="31b1">
<i><b>To: lwilliams</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="31b1">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="4747">
<i><b>Hi LW,</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="4747">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="982d">
<i><b>Thanks again for your precious thoughts.</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="10f7">
<i><b>First, I do feel that I “have a problem” in dealing with female students. I promise to work very hard on it. Please trust me that I will dig deep to change and improve. I will be careful about initiating suggestive language or communication of any kind. I will look hard at the many other related subtleties too….</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="10f7">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="e92d">
<i><b>I do really understand that your respect for me deteriorated as you received complaints from others. I understand that, and empathize. You have behaved wonderfully, given the pressure you were under….</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="5e6a">
<i><b>Please respond, as I couldn’t bear not hearing your feelings.</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="3012">
<i><b>With many thanks for your honesty,</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="3012">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="0db6">
<i><b>Geoff</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="0db6">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8968">
I suppose we talked on the phone again after that. The next day, I received his last email.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8968">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="8968">
<i><b>Date: Mon Dec 11 10:45:37 1995</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="266f">
<i><b>From: gmarcy</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="2e3a">
<i><b>Subject: Re: thanks</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="e915">
<i><b>To: lwilliams</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="e915">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="d4f4">
<i><b>Hi Lynda,</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="d4f4">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="075d">
<i><b>Yes, I learned a huge amount from talking to you. </b></i><br />
<i><b>I met with the sexual harassment officer, Penny Nixon, </b></i><br />
<i><b>today and got good feedback from her. So, I’m on the road.</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="7a82">
<i><b>Thanks,</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="7a82">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="4f82">
<i><b>Geoff</b></i></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="4f82">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="4f82">
Apparently on the road to UC Berkeley to harass more women!</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="692b">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="f45e">
As far as I could tell, SFSU made Geoff watch a video on sexual harassment and let it go at that, because a month after his last email to me he was on PBS News Hour. He quickly became a <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Marcy#In_the_media" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Marcy#In_the_media">media darling</a> featured in <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Time</em> Magazine, the <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">New York Times, NOVA</em> and all the astronomy and science press. Within a few years he would be offered and accept an endowed chair at UC Berkeley. His success was meteoric and global and, as we all know now, regardless of his confessions acknowledging his problem, his sexual predatory behavior continued. But at the time, I had hoped that he was dealing with it and was sincere about being “on the road” to recovery and rehabilitation. At the very least, I hoped that he would learn coping skills and behavior to keep his impulses under control.</div>
<div class="graf--p" name="87e3">
<br /></div>
<div class="graf--p" name="87e3">
At the time, I didn’t really understand the grievance process like I do now, after working in academia for nearly two decades. Had I known at the time that nothing substantial results from an informal complaint or that there is a statute of limitations on sexual harassment, I would have immediately proceeded with a formal complaint and I would have pushed Geoff harder to face his problem, possibly even publically, because I had many opportunities to do so in the following years. The thing about sexual harassment or any hostile work environment is that you don’t have to be the victim to be victimized by it. It has <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J135v01n01_05" href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J135v01n01_05">long been known</a> that witnessing sexual harassment or any kind of discrimination in the work place constitutes a hostile work environment. I confess that for years I regretted ever confronting him because it didn't do him any good and mostly it negatively impacted my career. And then there is never-ending fear of retaliation while remaining in the Astronomy Universe Marcy ruled over. That stress is real and has followed me for many years and still does to this day. Retelling this story now makes me sick to my stomach. </div>
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In 1996, I started a PhD program in physics pedagogy as an NSF research fellow at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, during which time I invented <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.scientainment.com/" href="http://www.scientainment.com/">The Physics Chanteuse</a> and started doing custom cabaret-style shows for science conferences and events. After an unacceptable “bait and switch” from the director of the program at UNL, I returned home to SF and taught physics and astronomy classes part time at SFSU as an adjunct, while at the same time doing a lot of <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzUWM0X0HQw" href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2014/09/lynda-williams-brief-resume.html">shows</a> as The Physics Chanteuse for different physics organizations. I started getting press and more <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzUWM0X0HQw">gigs</a>. My career seemed to be taking off. Marcy was still an adjunct at SFSU while at UCB and we avoided each other.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnP8TLc-nPPzcDbGqomnxEdYXYwj_XkxXEk8tIaKqSdpyJ6uvXYLkXSTQy8pjG6_TWneK3ifW47xEtF5nOQXbXKdJe3UmpuUWPh9aLzF-w8cYe7wg7Y0eHQGHqgvYbTr-xdBXEdl95Nec/s1600/ptstory.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnP8TLc-nPPzcDbGqomnxEdYXYwj_XkxXEk8tIaKqSdpyJ6uvXYLkXSTQy8pjG6_TWneK3ifW47xEtF5nOQXbXKdJe3UmpuUWPh9aLzF-w8cYe7wg7Y0eHQGHqgvYbTr-xdBXEdl95Nec/s200/ptstory.gif" width="143" /></a>During this time, my friend and colleague <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.exploratorium.edu/about/staff/scientists/ron-hipschman" href="http://www.exploratorium.edu/about/staff/scientists/ron-hipschman">Ron Hipschman</a> was invited to a party at Geoff’s house honoring <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.seti.org/users/jill-tarter" href="http://www.seti.org/users/jill-tarter">Jill Tarter</a>, the great <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.seti.org" href="http://www.seti.org/">SETI</a> astronomer, who is a big hero of mine. When Ron asked if I wanted to tag along I jumped at the opportunity to meet my hero. Ron didn’t know about the sexual harassment at SFSU and I didn’t tell him. I think when Geoff saw me at his party he nearly shit his pants. It was very uncomfortable for both of us. I sang my <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GivK-rFbMPU" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GivK-rFbMPU">SETI@HOME</a> song acapella to the party but it was one of the most nerve-wracking performances I had done to date because I knew I was not welcome by Geoff, who must have been terrified I was going to say something about his sexually harassing ways. But I don’t know for sure. Should I have outed him at his own party? That would have been tacky and caused a scene, and women are taught not to make scenes.</div>
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In 1997, I was invited to perform at the <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://www.spaceagenda.com/events/detail/2016-06-06_the-19th-cambridge-workshop-on-cool-stars-stellar-systems-and-the-sun" href="http://www.spaceagenda.com/events/detail/2016-06-06_the-19th-cambridge-workshop-on-cool-stars-stellar-systems-and-the-sun">Harvard-Smithsonian 10th Conference on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun</a>. I knew Geoff would be there and I struggled with how to deal with it, whether I should risk outing him in my show somehow, and just how to deal with him in this very public arena. I had a constant fear of his retaliating against me in covert or overt ways. I was the headliner act for the banquet and I would be in front of all his colleagues and the press. I tried to come up with jokes and double-entendres or someway to say something but I was afraid. I did have a moment on stage when I knew he, too, was terrified because I could have said something but I chickened out and instead sang a song praising his work. My career was taking off and I was afraid he would sabotage it. So I kissed his ass instead of outing him and I did not feel good about it.<br />
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The last time I spoke to Geoff was shortly after the Cool Stars Conference. Back at SFSU, the rumor mill in the Physics and Astronomy department was churning gossip about me. An undergrad astronomy student confronted me and told me that Geoff had told her that I made the sexual harassment complaint against him because I hit on him and he rejected me. She told me that everyone thought that. I was mortified. I called Geoff immediately and told him to fix the situation. I don’t know what he did, but she quickly apologized to me and promised to try to quell the rumors. I could have made another complaint then but decided against it because it seemed pointless — and perhaps dangerous, career-wise. Ironically, soon after Geoff was interviewed for a profile on me in the SFSU Science newsletter and said:<br />
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<br />
I guess one good ass kiss deserves another. Or maybe he believes what he said. I don't know. The problem is that you can never believe anything a sexual harasser tells you.<br />
<br />
I had another weird opportunity to out Geoff in public. In 2000, I was interviewed by <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/d/claudia_dreifus/index.html" target="_blank">Claudia Dreifus </a>for the <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">New York Times</em>. She persistently asked me to give her dirt on scientists: who was sexy, who slept around, and so on. I guess she assumed that because of the way I looked and what I did that I was a slut who slept with the scientists at my shows, which I never did. I could have told her about Geoff. I had the evidence — the emails. By then he was world-famous and I was being <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">asked</em> if I knew about anyone who was nasty. She was so persistent that I wondered if she knew about Geoff’s sexual harassment and was trying to give me an opportunity to out him. She even called me at one point and said something to the effect of: “Look, Lynda, I hate to tell you this but the story is looking pretty boring. Unless you give me something juicy I don’t think it is going to run.” It was bizarre. I told her no, I don’t have any dirt on anyone. I knew what a career changer a feature in the <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">New York Times</em> could be and I didn’t want it to be about sleazy male scientists; I wanted it to be about my work as a science entertainer and educator. Luckily the <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">New York Times</em> ran the<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/19/science/conversation-with-lynda-jeanne-williams-come-cosmic-cabaret-with-physics.html" target="_blank"> story </a>anyway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd5pLNY64-_LJLukj0fmQz_OA8Y7k8O2lPF88y45fYya7fGZxD9ahu2uUTgSVVnX-PFXB2f6gJmTCyDLr3NmcKUDVAUOrt8mkaROc6AD4WatGYNM_PNJoqDcPhPn4R2TqAogEgn8O3c8/s1600/people.gif" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd5pLNY64-_LJLukj0fmQz_OA8Y7k8O2lPF88y45fYya7fGZxD9ahu2uUTgSVVnX-PFXB2f6gJmTCyDLr3NmcKUDVAUOrt8mkaROc6AD4WatGYNM_PNJoqDcPhPn4R2TqAogEgn8O3c8/s200/people.gif" width="142" /></a>Over the next decade, there were more conferences Geoff and I both attended but I avoided him. I did tell a few close friends and colleagues about what happened on a promise of confidentiality. I hoped that Geoff had rehabilitated himself, but I didn’t know because I was not privy to his world. Ironically, I received a lot negative criticism from women in physics for wearing cabaret style clothes in my shows, even being barred from performing at American Physical Society (APS) conferences by women leaders in APS. But that’s another story for another time.<br />
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<div class="graf--p" name="c380">
It is difficult to convey in mere words the emotions that came up when the <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Buzzfeed</em> story broke about Geoff in October 2015. Hearing all the awful stories of abuse, I felt sick to my stomach. Watching his stellar career disintegrate also made me nauseated. Such a waste. Rather than feeling vindicated, I felt ashamed that I did not do more to stop him and to help him stop himself. I regret not filing a formal complaint at SFSU and telling the chair of the department and the dean about Geoff’s abuses. Had I more skill and courage perhaps I could have helped Geoff get the help he needed to stop him from abusing more women for another 20 more years.</div>
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Although this is a classic mistake women make — blaming themselves for other people’s actions that they think they could somehow have prevented — we do have a responsibility to speak out, and the institutions we speak to have a responsibility to take action. But the abuser himself has the responsibility to change. When the problem arises between student and teacher, it can be terrifying and almost impossible to speak out, though. Scholarships, grants, careers are on the line. Which is why those senior professors who knew about Marcy’s behavior had a responsibility to do more than just warn the “fresh meat” on campus. The reports of victims don’t change the fundamental nature of the abuser, but repeated reports indicate a pattern of behavior that requires serious consequences, not a slap on the wrist or a warning to possible future victims. I wasn’t alone in being derelict in my community duty to do something about Geoff Marcy’s destructive predatory behavior. As <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://twitter.com/astrojohnjohn" href="https://twitter.com/astrojohnjohn">John Asher Johnson</a> shares in his <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://mahalonottrash.blogspot.com/" href="http://mahalonottrash.blogspot.com/">blog Mahalo.ne.Trash</a> in the post “<a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://mahalonottrash.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-long-con.html" href="http://mahalonottrash.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-long-con.html">The Long Con</a>”:</div>
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<i><b>Geoff’s inappropriate actions toward and around women in astronomy is one of the biggest “open secrets” at any exoplanets or AAS meeting. “Underground” networks of women pass information about Geoff to junior scientists in an attempt to keep them safe. Sometimes it works. Other times it hasn’t, and cognizant members of the community receive additional emails, phone calls and Facebook messages from new victims.</b></i></div>
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Why didn’t leaders in the Astronomical Community do more to confront and stop Geoff? I feel that the leaders are, to a small but significant degree, complicit in his crimes and must share in the responsibility. We can’t allow predators to prey on our students. The system failed Marcy's victims. And yet people will argue that he alone is to blame for his actions. Is he? </div>
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Faculty are required by law to report any knowledge of sexual harassment. Why didn’t the leaders in AAS or CSWA file complaints, reports, and stop him? Were they afraid of retaliation or risk to their own careers? Why does the community allow it to go on? As one of his colleagues told me in confidence "It goes on because we are data-driven and extracting the data is really difficult - the women feel embarrassed and ashamed... He is vindictive and they are right to worry that he will use his power over them." </div>
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So now what? Clearly the pervasiveness of sexual harassment (and racism and misogyny and other forms of discrimination) is not exclusive to the field of astronomy or STEM in general. As our society struggles with creating gender and racial equity in a culture that is based sexism and racism, we need to learn how to address behaviors that lead to hostile work environments so we can all be empowered agents of change.</div>
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We need to train people to defend themselves and not be victims. I know that is not popular either because, in theory, women should be able to walk down the street in a thong and not be catcalled, and women should be able to go college and not be welcomed with a dildo at the door. But that isn’t the reality we live in yet and until we do, we need to learn how to defend ourselves. And teachers need to learn how to behave.</div>
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We also need to learn how to use <a href="https://www.cnvc.org/" target="_blank">compassionate nonviolent conflict resolution</a> to rehabilitate members of our communities who transgress social norms. I wish Geoff Marcy would use this as an opportunity to be an agent of positive social change. He could go cry on <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Oprah</em> and then devote his life to making reparations to his victims and working for social justice. Instead, rumor has it that he is claiming to be rehabilitated and is marginalizing the recent complaints at UCB as being outdated and overblown. That doesn't sound rehabilitated to me. </div>
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We are so smart about science and technology but so utterly stupid when it comes to culture and society. As Martin Luther King said “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” Bringing parity and balance between scientific knowledge and social intelligence is perhaps the single most important problem we face as a species. With the technological capacity to destroy life on our planet we need to urgently develop a science and culture of peace and social justice. We need a <a href="http://lyndalovon.com/" target="_blank">love boson</a> more than the Higgs because the greatest mystery in the Universe isn't exoplanets or dark energy, it is how we as a species are going to live peacefully and sustainably on this tiny spaceship called Earth. Lovon!<br />
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FREE LOVON Valentine Cards at <a href="http://lyndalovon.com/">lyndalovon.com</a></div>
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<i>Next up in the series: #AstroSH Part 2: Tim Slater </i></div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-56643934839573283972016-02-11T13:49:00.000-08:002016-02-12T09:51:00.951-08:00Gravity Wave Chirp Songs by The Physics Chanteuse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span data-offset-key="3kqih-0-0" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Feburary 11, 2016, Kip Thorne and his physics team at <a href="https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211" target="_blank">LIGO announced</a> the first ever detection of gravitational waves - elusive ripples in space-time predicted to exist over 100 years ago by Albert Einstein in his General </span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Theory of </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Relativity. What the physicists detected with their Laser Interferometer is a gravity wave 'chirp' that is produced when two black holes inspiral and collide with each other. </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The frequency of the gravity waves of colliding black holes are within the range of frequencies of audible sound waves (100-1000Hz). If you represent the gravity wave with a sound wave, you get a 'chirp' sound. </span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">f you want to learn more about the monumental discovery, check out this fantastic </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/science/ligo-gravitational-waves-black-holes-einstein.html" target="_blank">article</a> in the NY Times written by my friend Dennis Overbye.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3kqih-0-0"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2000 I was commissioned to produce and perform a Physics Chanteuse show for Kip Thorne at his 60th birthday bash at Caltech, "</span><a href="http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~cmw/KipFest/kipmain.html" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Kip Fest</a><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">" which featured all the great gravity physicists and other famous scientists like Kip's best friend Stephen Hawking. There was a group of us working on the event and GR physicist </span><a href="http://web.mit.edu/sahughes/www/" style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Scott A. Hughes</a><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> gave me a computer simulated gravity wave chirp to use in my songs. I used that gravity chirp in three songs - two parodies and one original song. I also edited the back drop videos that are projected behind me when I perform. Most of the scientific v</span></span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">isualizations were produced by NCSA/:CA – Potsdam – WashU </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.aei.mpg.de/" target="_blank">International Numerical Relativity Group</a>. </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think these are the first songs in the Universe to be written using gravitational wave chirps! I They are karaoke style so you can sing and chirp along. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">All the science is correct in the songs and it was a lot of fun putting words like "perturbation" and "Einstein-Rosen Bridge" into songs for Kip. The best part of the Kip Fest was that Kip and I became fast and dear friends. I am so happy for him and the LIGO team! Join in the celebration and h</span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ave fun singing along! Chirp! Chirp!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Hole Bird Gravity Wave Chirp Song</span></span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Black Holes spinning in the dead of night</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Spiraling around, out of sight, u</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">ntil you collide.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">We are waiting for your waves to arrive.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Black Holes singing in the silent night</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">dancing around space-time torques and tides</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Until you collide</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">We are waiting for your song to arrive.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Black holes collide!</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Black holes collide!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Into the night little black holes collide!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">(Chirp interlude- Chirp Along!) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Black Holes spinning in the dead of night</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Spiraling around, out of sight</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Until you collide.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">We are waiting for your waves to arrive.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Black holes collide!</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Black holes collide!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Into the night little black holes collide!</span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Black Holes singing in the dead of night</span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Spiraling around, out of sight</span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Until you collide.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">We are waiting for you song to arrive.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">We are waiting for your waves to arrive.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">(Chirp! Chirp!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Black Hole Disco</span></h4>
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<br /></div>
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<i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/os5Xrh0gG4o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/os5Xrh0gG4o?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i><span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Gravity Waves
Penetrate My Brain
Black Hole Colliding
Light years Away
Gravity Waves
Gravity Waves
Give me infinite density
Naked Singularities
Charged and Spinning
Groove Me with Gravity!
At the Black Hole Disco!
You'll never know where you'll go!
But it will warp you mind!
Playing flippy floppy with your
Space and Time!
Quantum Wormhole!
Hyperspace Tunnel!
Put your head into its mouth
instantly you will pop out
into the Black Hole Disco!
You'll never know where you'll go!
But it will warp your mind!
Gravity Waves!</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Gravity Wave Vibrations</span></h4>
</div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e3Opqc5mii4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e3Opqc5mii4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<div class="" id="eow-description" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; padding: 2px;" title="">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="eow-description" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; padding: 2px;" title="">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A parody of the Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” by Lynda Williams</span></span></div>
<div class="" id="eow-description" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; padding: 2px;" title="">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><br /></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I, I love the way they radiate</i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="" id="eow-description" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; padding: 2px;" title="">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">from a hundred million light years away. </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="" id="eow-description" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; padding: 2px;" title="">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hear the sound of two black holes </span></i></span></div>
<div class="" id="eow-description" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; padding: 2px;" title="">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">as they do their final inspiral</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m making simulations, gravitational radiation.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m making simulations, second order perturbations.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m doing simulations, analytical approximations.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m making simulations, quasi-normal excitations.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="" id="eow-description" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; padding: 2px;" title="">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;" /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Close my eyes. I see them evolving now.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So slow and smooth into their ringdown.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can see two black holes merge</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and how the real data fits my Zerilli curve.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="" id="eow-description" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; padding: 2px;" title="">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;" /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m making simulations, close limit calculations.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m making simulations, quantifying excitations.</span></span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m doing simulations, quasi-normal excitations.</span></span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m making simulations, gravitational radiation.</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0">
</span></h4>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><b>This is another song I wrote and performed for Kip.<br /><span style="background-color: transparent;">No gravity chirps but one of my favorite songs!!! </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Kip Warp</span></h4>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VQ3p5HYqkf0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VQ3p5HYqkf0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><i style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A Parody of Rocky Horror "Time Warp" by Lynda Williams for Kip Thorne. </span></i></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><i style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Science
fact is stranger than fiction<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">when
you work with Kip.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He'll
warp your logic with matters exotic<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and
strip away your cosmic censorship!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jumpin
into Wormholes! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And
hyperspace tunnels!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Building
an Einstein-Rosen Bridge<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with
exotic matter made up of <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NEGATIVE
ENERGY!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(chorus)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's
do the Time Warp with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's
do the Time Warp with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You
don't need a space ship!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or go
faster than light!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To
take a time trip with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All
you need is Einstein! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You'll
remember your future!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Riding
on a closed time-time curve!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's
do the Time Warp with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's
do the Time Warp with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's
all so dreamy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But
the vacuum is seething<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with a
fluctuating quantum foam.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if
you are from a civilization<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that
is infinitely advanced and very, very quick<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you
can pull a wormhole right out of it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put
your head into it's mouth <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">instantly
you will pop out<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">into
another space and time!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But
you better take care on the other side<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">not to
commit matricide!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's
do the time warp with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Chorus)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well I
was taking a nap in my emedding sheet<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">when a
mini-wormhole opened up next to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I
could see on through to the other side<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kip
was looking back and he was waving Hi!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
hole exposed my naked singularity<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">so I
sewed it back up with some Super Strings!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's
do the time warp with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You
don't need a space ship!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or go
faster than light!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To
take a time trip with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All
you need is Einstein! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You'll
remember your future!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Riding
on a closed time-time curve!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's
do the Time Warp with Kip!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's<i> </i>do the Time Warp with Kip!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span data-offset-key="c02f1-0-0"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More Photos from the Kip Fest. I have many more stories to share from that amazing event. Here are a few brief ones. More to come! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kip Thorne and his beautiful wife Carolee Winstein. They made a sash with badges for all his accomplishments on it because he is such a good boy scout of science. </span><br />
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Kip with the 'family tree' of all his academic "descendants" or children - all his graduate students and their graduate students and so on. I am proud to say that this was my idea and I am also happy to know that this tradition has popular! I didn't make the tree, I just had the idea to do it. It is pretty amazing to see how many lives and careers one person can really impact. Kip was very moved by it, as we all were. </div>
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Kip's thesis adviser and mentor, the great late <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Archibald_Wheeler" target="_blank">John Wheeler</a> spoke a the banquet. I had a very interesting experience with Wheeler. The morning after the banquet we all had brunch in the Caltech dining hall. I was lucky to be sat next to Wheeler who was quite old (88) and a bit feeble at this time. Oddly, everyone got up and went on their way but I was staying put next to this physics genius hero. I was hoping to ask him about his work on the Manhattan project. I had been reading his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Geons-Black-Holes-Quantum-Foam/dp/0393319911" target="_blank">autobiography</a> and was disheartened to learn that he was an advocate for building and using the bomb on Japan. I hoped to respectfully talk with him about that. An assistant asked if I would stay with him until his niece came and picked him up and of course I agreed. I asked him about his niece and he grabbed my hand and leaned in and became physically and emotionally upset and he said to me "I waited on that corner in NYC for my brother to come down the street in the parade but he never came. We had to build it! We had to end the war to save my brother!" He started weeping with shame and regret and I put my arm around him and let him weep on my shoulder. I wept with him. People swooped in and took him away. I had my answer to the question I didn't need to ask.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Big party at Kip and Carolee's house Friday night. What a party! More stories to come...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Getting cozy with Kip, Carolee, KC Cole, Elender Wall and someone else. Elender is a good friend I met in college. She is an opera singer, physicist and belly dancer. She has danced many times for Stephen Hawking at one of his favorite restaurants in Pasadena. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Years later...back at Caltech for another show!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is that story: <a href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/2011/01/stephen-hawking-and-physics-showgirl.html" target="_blank">Stephen Hawking and the Physics Showgirl</a></span></div>
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Kip is a super star of massive black hole proportions! </div>
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Lovon! </div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-46738622092964125702014-02-02T12:38:00.000-08:002015-01-19T09:41:38.386-08:00Communicating Climate Science in Music and Theater<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">I gave a talk on <b>Communicating Climate Science in Music, Theater and Film</b> last week at the SRJC Environmental Forum. This was a similar talk I gave at the <a href="http://chapman.agu.org/climatescience/" target="_blank">AGU Chapman Conference</a> on Communicating Climate Science in June 2013, but a bit longer. I dedicated the talk to Pete Seeger who just passed. Some students asked for my powerpoint lecture that has links to great resources including arts programs and artists working on climate change. The only way I could get it uploaded into this blog is by making it a video. I included a Pete Seeger's song <i>One Blue Sky</i> as a soundtrack. It doesn't have a narration so the flow might not make sense but the good info is in there. Maybe I'll add narration so it can stand alone but I wanted to post this ASAP so students could do a project on it. So here it is....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I also created a youtube playlist <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaSHX1Y3kE0yqRjnOxIp9fB-EmZbkb0qU" target="_blank">Climate Change Songs</a> with over 70 music videos on climate change from around the world that is public. All the songs in my presentation, plus many more, can be found there. Here is a song on Greenhouse Gases I covered by Hy Zaret: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some of my favorites Climate Change Songs from other artists:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My favorites from the PNG. They hit the nail with Pete Seeger's proverbial hammer:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">There is one major cause of climate change-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">greed and selfishness."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzuqVJJ4YRyz8kmB33M5X5eDor4JRYmxod0h2TAxc0nYUF77Qo2jh1Zb-quHPDogyFCndh1Ma9wL61wj0QZsw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">A Climate Change Song, written and performed by the Ponai String Band from Ahus Island, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">LYRICS (translated to English):</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">In the world today there is a big problem</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">of climate change,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">In the world today there is a big problem</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">of climate change</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">It is a big concern for the government, non-government organisations and grassroots movements,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Weather patterns are changing and the sea is rising,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">sea level rise will affect men and women and their land</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">There is one major cause of climate change-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">greed and selfishness cause climate change,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">big factories contribute to climate change</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">We ask the national government create the policies and guidelines to limit human activities,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">and therefore look after the people of Manus and of course Ahus Island people too!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">There is one major cause of climate change-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">greed and selfishness cause climate change,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">big factories contribute to climate change...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">BACKGROUND:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Ahus Island in Manus Province of Papua New Guinea is a very low-lying sand island severely affected by climate change impacts. Sand erosion is shrinking their island, their freshwater wells are becoming brackish and changing weather patterns and oceanic currents are making finding fish difficult. Their very survival on this island is threatened.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Filmed and edited by Kat Gawlik of 'For Greenies' with support from AusAID - "Building the resilience of communities and their ecosystems to the impacts of climate change in the Pacific", The Nature Conservancy and WWF</span><br />
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With great love, to Pete Seeger:<br />
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-31723996510139711492013-06-03T16:46:00.002-07:002013-06-03T18:59:44.800-07:00Fukushima Radiation Risk Media Deception<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Y</b>et again, the nuclear power spin doctors are claiming that the only health risk from ionizing radiation is the stress caused by an irrational fear of the risk. Two scientific reports came out this week that predict no health risks or effects from the ionizing radiation released by the Fukushima nuclear accident and the corporate nuclear gangsters driving the media blitz bandwagon have been having a field day with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">During a recent UN meeting on atomic radiation, UNSCEAR released a preliminary assessment of their research on the heath and cancer risk in Japan due to the Fukushima accident, and surprise, what they have found is that there is no risk. According to their <a href="http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2013/unisinf475.html" target="_blank">press release</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"Radiation exposure following the nuclear accident at Fukushima-Daiichi did not cause any immediate health effects. It is unlikely to be able to attribute any health effects in the future among the general public and the vast majority of workers," concluded the 60 th session of the Vienna-based United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effect of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It didn't take long for <a href="http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Fear_and_stress_outweigh_Fukushima_radiation_risk_3105131.html" target="_blank">World Nuclear News</a>, the megaphone of the nuclear biz to blitz the good news. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #585858;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"The most extensive international report to date has concluded that the only observable health effects from the Fukushima accident stem from the stresses of evacuation and unwarranted fear of radiation."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/japan-fukushima-cancer-rates-nuclear-disaster_n_3366073.html" target="_blank">Huffington post</a> carried a Reuters story </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; line-height: 36px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>No Rise In Cancer Seen From Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, UN Says </i>in which they q</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">uote a senior member of the committee</span><span style="font-size: large;">, Dr.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: large; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wolfgang Weiss:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>"Weiss, who chairs work on UNSCEAR's Fukushima report, told reporters that dose levels were "so low that we don't expect to see any increase in cancer in the future in the population"."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;">But who is this Weiss Guy? Who is UNSCEAR and why should I believe what they report? </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">UNSCEAR is subservient to </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global pimp of nuclear power. UNSCEAR, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">which I like to pronounce "unscare" as it seems that their main purpose is to dispel any concerns about nuclear radiation,</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">are not an autonomous independent agency. Not only is UNSCEAR loaded with scientists in the nuclear industry, every report must be approved by the IAEA. </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">UNSCEAR w</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">as strongly criticized by the international scientific community a few years ago with its assessment of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident in which they claimed only 31 people died as a result of radiation. <span style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on that coverup, read my blog about it </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://lyndalovon.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=3" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.unscear.org/images/w_weiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Dr. Wolfgang Weiss" border="0" src="http://www.unscear.org/images/w_weiss.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Who is this Weiss guy? </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/about_us/bio_w-weiss.html" target="_blank">Wolfgang Weiss</a> is a boss on <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/euratom/euratom_en.htm" target="_blank">Euratom</a> which, according to Wikipedia<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">is an </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">international organisation</i><span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"> founded in 1958 with the purpose of creating a specialist market for </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">nuclear power</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"><i> in Europe, developing nuclear energy and distributing it to its member states while selling the surplus to non-member states. </i>Weiss is in the business of promoting nuclear power! Do you trust his opinion on the health effects or consequences of ionizing radiation and nuclear accidents? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">More importantly, why didn't Reuters or Huff Post point this out? They have access to google too. It is unethical and irresponsible for the media to not expose the bias and conflict of interest with these nuclear agencies and agents. It is irresponsible for the media to perpetuate the lie and illusion of neutrality of scientists. But it doesn't end there. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today, the US National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published a study </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/05/30/1221834110" target="_blank">Evaluation of radiation doses and associated risk from the Fukushima nuclear accident to marine biota and human consumers of seafood</a> </i>that claims that, although radioactive Pacific Bluefin Tuna (PBFT) </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: left;">from Fukushima have been detected on the west coast, there is little health risk to eating them:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.trbimg.com/img-51a80876/turbine/la-la-sci-sn-fukushima-radiation-seafood-20130-001/600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Bluefin tuna at a Tokyo fish market" border="0" height="219" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-51a80876/turbine/la-la-sci-sn-fukushima-radiation-seafood-20130-001/600" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Although uncertainties remain regarding the assessment of cancer risk at low doses of ionizing radiation to humans, the dose received from PBFT consumption by subsistence fishermen can be estimated to result in two</span></i></span><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> additional fatal cancer cases per 10,000,000 similarly exposed people."</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">In today's LA Times article </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Scientists to eaters: </i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white;">Don't freak out over Fukushima fish</i><span style="text-align: justify;">,</span></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"> they quote Nicholas Fisher, one of the authors of the study: </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><i>"Fears regarding
environmental radioactivity, often a legacy of Cold War activities and distrust
of governmental and scientific authorities, have resulted in perception of
risks by the public that are not commensurate with actual risks,"</i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the usual tact of the nuclear spin masters: claim that any and all concern over ionizing radiation is due to an irrational fear of everything atomic. We are too scared and stupid to do the science. And the mainstream media is more than eager to perpetuate that fallacy. But who is this Fisher man? From his website at </span><a href="http://www.somas.stonybrook.edu/people/fisher.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Stonybrook</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> he clearly is an expert of contamination in marine organisms. However, nowhere do I see any work or background in psychology that would qualify a statement quoted above. And</span></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"> he goes on: </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>"This study shows
that the committed effective dose received by humans based on a year's average
consumption of contaminated Pacific bluefin tuna from the Fukushima accident is
comparable to, or less than, the dose we routinely obtain from naturally
occuring radionuclides in many food items, medical treatments, air travel and
other background sources," Fisher and his co-authors wrote.</i></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what he seems to be saying is that if you eat the fish for a year you will DOUBLE the your exposure due to background radiation. Is that supposed to be a good thing? It is very deceptive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The TRUTH is that is impossible to predict risk due to low level radiation. The TRUTH is that more radiation necessarily implies more risk. How much more? You can never say for certain because the dose is calculated by adding the the total energy per decay over some period of time and then divide that by the mass of the body or organ. Then you multiply that number by a 'dose coefficient' that amplifies or reduces the risk - depending on who did the calculation. It is complicated and worth another blog post for me to try to explain it. But it is really bad science. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In reality, radiation doesn't work like that. Calculating dose does not calculate real risk. It is some crazy mathematical average. It is like saying that if a shooter goes into a theater and opens fire, nobody will statistically get hurt because the energy of the bullets will be added up and then shared among all of the people. </span><span style="font-size: large;">An alpha particle slicing through a DNA molecule or cell membrane doesn't distribute its energy like a flame to a pot of water.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">It is madness. And stupid science. The dose calculation is a ruse for the scientific-nuclear empire to appear in control of the consequences of its toxic technology so they can continue to propagate more of it. And the corporate media is all too eager to help them spread their lies and deceptions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">******</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">New news just out on the wire: </span><br />
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<a href="http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/17724-epa-dramatically-weakens-radiation-protection" target="_blank">EPA Dramatically Weakens Radiation Protection</a></h1>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;">The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing in the Federal Register today controversial new Protective Action Guides (PAGs) for responding to radioactive releases. EPA says it solicits public comment but is nonetheless making the PAGs immediately effective.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The new PAGs eliminate requirements to evacuate people in the face of high projected thyroid, skin, or lifetime whole body doses; recommend dumping radioactive waste in municipal garbage dumps not designed for such waste; propose five options for drinking water, which would dramatically increase the permitted concentrations of radioactivity in drinking water, by as much as 27,000 times, compared to EPA's current Safe Drinking Water Act limits; and suggest markedly relaxing long-term cleanup standards."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is it coincidence or orchestration that the announcement that the EPA is weakening radiation protection comes at the same time as the 'reports' and 'studies' that there is no heath risk or consequence from the Fukushima nuclear disaster? It isn't conspiracy theory, it is media theory and business as usual. </span></div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-44743204501619332962012-04-08T16:16:00.011-07:002012-04-11T19:40:37.286-07:00Peace Activist Bruce Gagnon is Coming to Santa Rosa!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcaBDTyuy3wE4NoSniTX9UGqYn8RHvwzVTeNnZOAoLZUzKDS4iA3iM1gK_AgPnhcETWToQuPi4GcS3Y2KWKer5FzwbDSloL7Xhv9X85q5a-VDM2HSyWoucqDxA_hl8pMNwXYFW0iZrzw/s1600/Bruce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcaBDTyuy3wE4NoSniTX9UGqYn8RHvwzVTeNnZOAoLZUzKDS4iA3iM1gK_AgPnhcETWToQuPi4GcS3Y2KWKer5FzwbDSloL7Xhv9X85q5a-VDM2HSyWoucqDxA_hl8pMNwXYFW0iZrzw/s320/Bruce.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bruce Gagnon is on a speaking tour on the west coast this month and we are lucky to get him to speak at two events in Santa Rosa. Bruce is a FANTASTIC speaker and is one of the most fun and fabulous people I've ever met in my life. Don't miss him! Here are the two events in Santa Rosa:<br />
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<b><span class="text_exposed_show">Thursday April 12th, 7pm <br />
Newman Auditorium <br />
Santa Rosa Junior College</span></b><br />
<div class="fsm fwn fcg"><div class="uiCollapsedList uiCollapsedListHidden" id="uocdhw_2"><b><span class="visible"><span class="fsm fwn fcg">1501 Mendocino Ave</span>, <span class="fsm fwn fcg">Santa Rosa</span></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />
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<b><span class="text_exposed_show">Friday, April 13th, </span><span class="event-when"> 6pm – 9pm</span></b><br />
<b><span class="event-when">POTLUCK! Bring something to share! </span></b> <br />
<div class="detail-item"><b><span class="event-where">The Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County</span></b></div><div class="detail-item"><b><span class="event-where">467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa </span></b></div><b><span class="text_exposed_show">More Info: <a href="http://pjc.drupalgardens.com/%20">http://pjc.drupalgardens.com/ </a></span></b><br />
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He has speaking stops through California, Oregon and Washington States. For a full itinerary, go here: t<a href="http://www.space4peace.org/actions/bg_speaking_tour_2012.htm">http://www.space4peace.org/actions/bg_speaking_tour_2012.htm</a><br />
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Bruce is the coordinator of the international Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space (<a href="http://www.space4peace.org/">www.space4peace.org</a>) and as such works as a full time peace activist, organizer, and writer. He is a Veteran for Peace who served in the Army during the Vietnam War. He also has an awesome blog here in blogger land <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%28http://space4peace.blogspot.com/">(http://space4peace.blogspot.com/</a>).<br />
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Bruce Robinson interviewed Bruce for his KRCB (91 FM) radio show "North Bay Report" to be aired on Thursday, April 12th. But you can listen to it now here on their website: <a href="http://krcb.org/201204123137/north-bay-report/the-new-cold-war">http://krcb.org/201204123137/north-bay-report/the-new-cold-war</a>. Bruce will be interviewed live on KPFA (94.1 FM) Friday, April 13th, at 8am on the radio show "Project Censored" with Peter Phillips and Mickey Huff. Listen Live or the show will be archived here: <a href="http://www.projectcensored.org/radio-archive/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.projectcensored.org/radio-archive/. </a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_lNuqyeJu0kOaCyzexfBpj3mlEiAgLZY7b1ne9oD1VA6ztONJgArifN6i-NlAek5-B2eEhPNUQJR97ZbqTrsE0C-e4JBWsMf5jZbheZLqizMcDqqdlRV_KPlFL9Xm8xUOn-2oThe9ok/s1600/2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_lNuqyeJu0kOaCyzexfBpj3mlEiAgLZY7b1ne9oD1VA6ztONJgArifN6i-NlAek5-B2eEhPNUQJR97ZbqTrsE0C-e4JBWsMf5jZbheZLqizMcDqqdlRV_KPlFL9Xm8xUOn-2oThe9ok/s320/2020.jpg" width="243" /></a>I joined the Global Network over a decade ago because of its focus on space issues - weaponization and militarism of space, missile defense, nuclear power and weapons and space debris. The GN was a natural fit for me as a space ecologist and peace activist and I've been on the board for a several years, attending their conferences and actions over the years around the world. The common goal of the member organizations in the Global Network is <i><b>"To Keep Space for Peace" </b></i>and to end the extension of endless war on Earth into space. Unfortunately, the US government, its allies and the corporate aerospace military industrial complex have been working towards "Full Spectrum Dominance" of the planet as shown in this brochure produced by the US Space Command. Below is a parody song I wrote on the matter showing more images from this brochure and other sources from aerospace corporations, "War in Heaven."</div><span id="goog_1082311299"></span><span id="goog_1082311300"></span><br />
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Recently I organized a speaking tour in Hawaii, where GN members Bruce Gagnon, Dave Webb from the UK (<a href="http://www.caab.org.uk/">http://www.caab.org.uk/</a>) and myself, met with peace activists in Hawaii (<a href="http://hawaiipeaceandjustice.org/%29">http://hawaiipeaceandjustice.org/)</a> who are working to end (or live with) the expanding militarism in the Pacific Region. Bruce and Dave then traveled from Hawaii to Jeju Island in South Korea (Santa Rosa's sister city!) to give support to the people there who are peacefully resisting the destruction of their island paradise to build a naval base to house US Aegis cruisers. (<a href="http://www.savejejuisland.org/">http://www.savejejuisland.org</a>).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIk1-6M04OUEvmOtLCq6ssCbN4lQQtquwLcdLkJ9sHF3YMg6yAcecwS39LtH69DlZLHoG6ZovpAtKCvCCa2Rf6gyP90u385-rFYSVkvl-xDen8xJ_ogzvFZFltQ_QRKkm4Ucl91eeEEU/s1600/402607_3302871651537_1260331528_33365055_153478674_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIk1-6M04OUEvmOtLCq6ssCbN4lQQtquwLcdLkJ9sHF3YMg6yAcecwS39LtH69DlZLHoG6ZovpAtKCvCCa2Rf6gyP90u385-rFYSVkvl-xDen8xJ_ogzvFZFltQ_QRKkm4Ucl91eeEEU/s320/402607_3302871651537_1260331528_33365055_153478674_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRzZkhL8OilPWT28qq6lNM05gtEMyQiFtK75yKYweDBmxymy7YrUsCevxtMZFDzg_nIfFB_u3u5igTievoa7I9N1Qsvj68LDxDkDmrNrtVC6PbNXKFmTDdJiXbCBtZcONLJoIFooBqFA/s1600/BruceGagnonSRJC12v1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Bruce's interest and knowledge in space, war and peace is very impressive but even more than that, his devotion to peace, to cross the line, get arrested, risk his life and liberty for global peace and social justice is a true inspiration. Please share! <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRzZkhL8OilPWT28qq6lNM05gtEMyQiFtK75yKYweDBmxymy7YrUsCevxtMZFDzg_nIfFB_u3u5igTievoa7I9N1Qsvj68LDxDkDmrNrtVC6PbNXKFmTDdJiXbCBtZcONLJoIFooBqFA/s1600/BruceGagnonSRJC12v1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRzZkhL8OilPWT28qq6lNM05gtEMyQiFtK75yKYweDBmxymy7YrUsCevxtMZFDzg_nIfFB_u3u5igTievoa7I9N1Qsvj68LDxDkDmrNrtVC6PbNXKFmTDdJiXbCBtZcONLJoIFooBqFA/s640/BruceGagnonSRJC12v1.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><span class="text_exposed_show"><br />
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</span></div>Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-37564414751102870882011-04-02T18:31:00.000-07:002011-04-03T08:32:37.002-07:00The UN Coverup on the Health FX of Nuclear Radiation<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix" style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; word-wrap: break-word; zoom: 1;"><div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I watched this video </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">earlier today on Russian TV in which Dr.Chris Busby, British scientist and expert on the health effects of ionizing radiation, says that what is most similar between Fukushima and Chernobyl is how much we are being lied to about the seriousness of the consequences. He actually said that Fukushima may be worse because of the high population in the area. </span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have sadly spent the rest of the day learning about one of the most evil and horrific scientific and political coverups of all time.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">First stop I found this article by Dr. Busby on the Fukushima Radiation Risks: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.thepowerhour.com/news4/busby_radiation.htm</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In it he says that an independent european group of scientists working on the The Low Level Radiation Campaign </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(http://www.llrc.org) predict that </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Radioactivity form the Fukushima Catastrophe is now reaching centres of population like Tokyo and will appear in the USA. Authorities are downplaying the risk on the basis of absorbed dose levels using the dose coefficients of the International Commission on Radiological Protection the ICRP. These dose coefficients and the ICRP radiation risk model is unsafe for this purpose. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Times; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">17,000 cancers will be caused by Fukushima within the 200 km contamination zone by 2061.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e2323; font-family: Times; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So why do we keep hearing 'experts' say that ''the radiation levels are safe' " It is because they are basing the risk on an old outdated and wrong model. It is the ICRP (</span><a href="http://www.icrp.org/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.icrp.org/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) risk model that the UN and its organizations such as IAEA and UNSCEAR uses to determine the risk due to low level radiation. The ICRP risk model was developed after the Hiroshima nuclear blast and includes exposures and dosages due only to EXTERNAL gamma radiation, not any INTERNAL RADIATION!! It is an entirely outdated model and has been falsified over and over again but these scientific results are suppressed. So. every time you see a chart that shows the health consequences of radiation doses, they are all WRONG because they are based on the ICRP model which is what IAEA and every agency at the UN uses and as well as text book, every reporter and every educator, including me. Up until today. I will no longer perpetuate the lies and coverup. </span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Euopean Commitee on Radiation Risk (ECRR) (</span><a href="http://www.euradcom.org/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.euradcom.org/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) has developed and tested a new risk model that is based on internal absorption and exposure to radiation. Their model correlates higher cancer rates due to low dosages that are 100x greater than the ICRP model. They have made their study available online free due to Fukushima. </span><a href="http://www.euradcom.org/2011/ecrr2010.pdf" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.euradcom.org/2011/ecrr2010.pdf</span></a></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here is what Dr. Busby says about the different models: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Take the dose which is published by the authorities. Multiply it by 600. This is the approximate ECRR dose for the mixture of internal radionuclides released from Fukushima. Then multiply this number by 0.1. This is the ECRR 2010 cancer risk.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Most of this is clearly explained in this video </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/15382750" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://vimeo.com/15382750</span></a></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">which took place in Stockholm, 22nd April 2009. The recently resigned Scientific Secretary of the ICRP, Dr Jack Valentin conceeds to Dr. Chris Busby, that the ICRP model can not be used to predict the health effects of exposures and that for certain internal exposures it is underestimates the risk by up to two orders of magnitude (100 times). He also said that as he was no longer employed by ICRP he could agree that the ICRP and the United Nations committee on radiation protection (UNSCEAR) had been wrong in not examining the evidence from the Chernobyl accident, and other evidence outlined below, which shows large errors in the ICRP risk model. Transcript of the video:</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">euradcom.org/2009/lesvostranscript.htm</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The UN's report on the health consequences of Chernobyl from UNSCEAR is here:</span><a href="http://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/chernobyl.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/chernobyl.html</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is full of lies: 31 workers dead, 2000 children from leukemia. What is astounding to learn is that the IAEA only counts deaths that have been verified by Los Alamos and its equivalent in France - two nuclear bomb makers!! This is madness. Did you know that? </span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The independent European Group published a study you can download for free</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.euradcom.org/publications/chernobylbook2009.htm" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.euradcom.org/publications/chernobylbook2009.htm</span></a></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and the New York Academy of Science published a study based on Russian science research that claims that some 985,000 people died, mainly of cancer, as a result of the Chernobyl accident. That is between when the accident occurred in 1986 and 2004. More deaths, it projects, will follow.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment </span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">you can read on google books or here is a review</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23745" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23745</span></a></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another VERY important video to watch is "Nuclear Controversies"</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8746168177815160826" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8746168177815160826</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">#</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">a film made by acclaimed Swiss journalist </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wladimir Tchertkoff </span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">in which he shows scientists debating the science at the UN regarding the health consequences of the Chernobyl accident. If you are a self proclaimed 'realist' or 'rationalist' you may not like this video because it does show sick children. Many of you all think that this somehow disqualifies an argument, if there is anything emotional or human about it. So get over it. We are all human. Buck up and watch the Russian scientists rage at the UN liars. THey know the consequences. Their families are dying. And Russian scientists are jailed for publishing their scientific studies that dispute the political line. It doesn't make them irrational. It makes them passionate. And there is a huge real difference. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Why is this information suppressed? Why do these agencies keep using the ICRP model when it is clearly false and underestimates risk? I think it is partly due to greed and technology worship. We want to believe that technology and science can save us. We are in a nuclear quagmire. And who is going to pay to clean up the radioactive mess around the world? We are in a nuclear quagmire and we have no idea how to get out of it. So the UN underestimates the risk and promotes</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And BTW, let us never overlook that GE, who pays no taxes, built the Fukushima reactor and 23 'sister' reactors in the US. Are they liable for any of this? No. You can see here if there is one near you. http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-power-reactor-units.html</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Please spread the word. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After I posted this, I found this brilliant OpEd piece </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><h1 class="articletitle" style="color: navy; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-U-N-Would-Never-Lie-t-by-Joe-Giambrone-110401-482.html">The U.N. Would Never Lie to George Monbiot</a></span></span></h1></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">by Joe Giambrone that deconstructs the recent debate between long time anti-nuclear activist, Dr. Helen Caldicott, and pro-nuke 'environmentalist' George Monbiot. The debate video is also posted there. </span><br />
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</span></div></div></div>Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-60305147742891319672011-03-03T06:31:00.000-08:002011-03-03T06:40:48.711-08:00Women's History MonthMarch is Women's History Month! Quick - name a famous woman scientist! Can you? Well, I asked my physics class yesterday to name a woman dead or alive who has made a contribution to science and the only name any one could drum up without racing to their cell phones to look it up was of course: Marie Curie - and that was a struggle, I had to give hints. And then I asked them to name men and, you betcha, the names flew out. Why the discrepancy? Is it because there are no women in history who have made a contribution to science? The answer of course is an emphatic NO. Without getting on my feminist high horse and arguing that women have been written out of history by the dominant group to perpetuate marginalization, blah blah blah....let me just point you to a few songs I wrote to try to bring some parity to our history.<br />
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</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Hi Tech Girl: A Brief History of Women in Science</b></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1RbOTV-nRc8" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Annie Jump Cannon</b></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F1Um7ldhxC0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>And for fun: Einstein's Angels</b></div><br />
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And here is an excellent website: 4000 Years of Women in Science:<br />
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<a href="http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/">http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/</a><br />
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And here is a website that I helped Geoff Marcy make a million years ago on the History of Women in Astronomy: <a href="http://astro.berkeley.edu/%7Egmarcy/women/history.html">http://astro.berkeley.edu/~gmarcy/women/history.html</a><br />
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Lovon!Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-38818523090142625602011-01-22T16:11:00.000-08:002015-02-25T13:34:50.067-08:00Stephen Hawking and the Physics Showgirl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week after returning from a lovely vacation in Hawaii, I got an email from one of my favorite physicists (and fans) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kip_Thorne">Kip Thorne</a>, asking me to fly down to Pasadena to perform at a private party for Stephen Hawking. The party was to be held at a local jazz club for about 20 close friends and family after his public talk at Caltech on Tuesday, January 18th. Just what The Physics Chanteuse likes best: emergency performance requests from and for the ROCK STARS of physics!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span><br />
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Stephen, who is Kip's best friend, spends a month each year at Caltech to work with his relativity buddies, always gives a big public talk. The crowd of hopeful fans some of whom waited all day to see the rock star of physics, stretched in a long line across the Caltech Campus. I felt sorry for them because the VIP seats filled up at least half of the auditorium. I nabbed two seats inside the roped off area in the second row for my self and my sister Bergen. Fans who didn't make it in watched outdoors on the lawn with large screen projections of the talk blasting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-90Ovp0mbXwtSnnSIpcvwu8YETrARFB738hi1h_Yw2ABEMDiuJ5CaaXpPtrM7JJn7UKCe3yKhUqci6BlXoRzkUxd3NvXJZ73xx7cVVl7B98mFMP1a2tyQBq12vHvnNujUmCradXJCWWQ/s1600/hawking%2526lynda.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-90Ovp0mbXwtSnnSIpcvwu8YETrARFB738hi1h_Yw2ABEMDiuJ5CaaXpPtrM7JJn7UKCe3yKhUqci6BlXoRzkUxd3NvXJZ73xx7cVVl7B98mFMP1a2tyQBq12vHvnNujUmCradXJCWWQ/s320/hawking%2526lynda.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565184392868000706" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 181px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsNCdgFtjrOvCUgpuZnLj4axfacnEfqfIC4SFwy6upT4cWxRabtbRtVFZVoq5XL8ViRCDGTGc1Ma2F2p4wvOSpmxn1CIEs6N8OZCVW6RRWP5Vev-kWz9rmMmwfhxlLx94wVOO1RKjDOU/s320/hawkingcaltech.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565184395393709810" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 225px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify; width: 320px;" />Beckman auditorium was packed with so many super smart people you could feel the collective brain power buzzing like a 60 hertz hum in a Best Buy store. The energy was so intense it felt like the place might collapse in on itself into a black brain hole due to the gravitational force of the collective IQ there. If a bomb had dropped on the place, relativity and quantum gravity theory would be set back for years to come. Stephen was pushed down the red carpet amidst a cheering standing ovation by one of his hot blonde bombshell assistants wearing a little black dress and stiletto heels. In the photo I'm blurred out behind Stephen's right shoulder, clapping.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">Stephen gave a biographical talk "A Brief History of My Life," that included tales and photos of his humble origins and how he got into physics. To tell you the truth, I was going through such crazed pre-performance anxiety that I didn't absorb most of the talk. I remember him telling us that he was bored through most of school in his youth, that his home was almost bombed by a V-2 in London in WW2, that his father did not want him to study math, and that he holds a chair at Cambridge in math, though he never had any formal training past high school - he is self taught. I remember his metallic voice confessing that he was grateful for his illness because it forced him to focus on his research. You can read more details about his talk here at the<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-stephen-hawking-20110119,0,223171.story?track=rss"> LA Times. </a> Being nervous and anxious, I welcomed the hypnotic distraction provided by the sign language interpreters who had the most fantastic signs for physics phrases such as 'big bang,' 'collapse,' 'imaginary time' and 'no boundary birth' and the like. Caltech has the most kick ass science signers I've ever seen. The elegant hula-bali-kathac-moudra inspired hand jestures dancing to Stephen's harsh mechanical robot voice was mesmerizing and performance art in and of itself. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">I thought the best part of the talk was when Kip took the stage and shared some insights into how Stephen communicates and does physics. Kip has known Stephen for over 45 years as both a fellow relativist black hole time warper physicist and best friend. Kip showed us how Stephen uses his eye brows to communicate: raising them means yes; doing nothing means no. He told us that since Stephen lost the use of his hands years ago, and thus the ability to write formulas and equations - the hammer and chisels of a theoretical physicist - he has reinterpreted the algebraic theories into geometrical representations that he sees and solves in his mind. Kip told us that Stephen can solve many problems faster in his mind than others can do with their pencils and paper. Kip's love and respect for his friend was palpable, inspiring. Kip later told me that Stephen is the longest survivor of ALS and that he has outlived his prognosis by some 40 years due to sheer joie la vivre. And perhaps his longevity is in part due to the mega doses of Vitamin B he has taken since being diagnosed, as suggested by his father who was a biologist specializing in parasitic diseases from Africa. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">After the talk, Kip and Stephen, along with his sextet of assistants, flew out of auditorium at light speed to the after party location where I was slated to perform. Kip's wife <a href="http://www.usc.edu/programs/neuroscience/faculty/profile.php?fid=22">Carolee Winstein</a>, a professor of Neuroscience at USC and a wonderfully kind fun woman, drove me to the venue: <a href="http://www.redwhitebluezz.com/">RedWhite and Bluezz</a> - a wine and jazz club in Pasadena. We had the back room which was about the size of my living room. Kip, the host, stood on a chair and welcomed the guests and invited everyone to order food and drink. Stephen was lovingly spoon fed by another buxom assistant.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">After about an hour of partying, Kip introduced me. It was very casual: I controlled the boom box playing my CD with a remote control while I sang so I could pause and start the songs and adjust the volume. There was no microphone so I just belted the songs which wasn't a problem in the small room. I thanked Stephen and Kip for being my 'muses' (am I worthy? eek gads ;-) and sang three short songs that I wrote with their inspiration: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/einsteinangel#p/u/15/51ILVTYMre8">Big Bang</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYAX3Y7HukI&feature=related">Black Hole Disco,</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtlutzAgJEY&feature=BF&playnext=1&list=QL&index=1">Lovon Boson</a>. I shimmied and sashayed around the room, around Stephen, trying to keep it sultry but not too sexy, out of respect to Stephen's son and daughter in-law who were present, and out of sheer intimidation. I mean! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">During Big Bang, something happened and Stephen's assistants jumped into action, turning on a respirator or some machine and swarming around him. Although Stephen can breathe on his own, he requires assisted respiration several hours per day and while he is sleeping to give his body sufficient oxygen. I looked to Kip for cues and kept on singing and dancing. In such situations, the show must definitely go on. After the third song, I was given an ovation and calls for an encore, so I sang one of my favorite songs, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/einsteinangel#p/u/21/oOiJEOn6tV8">Kip Warp,</a> which is a parody of the song <i>Time Warp</i> from Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was a big hit and a great way to end the show. I gave hugs and kisses to everyone who wanted them and finally relaxed with a glass of Chardonnay and mingled. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">One very interesting person I chatted with was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Mlodinow">Leonard Mlodinow</a>, a physicist who recently co-wrote a book with Stephen, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Design-Stephen-Hawking/dp/0553805371">The Grand Design</a>, currently at the top of the NYTimes best sellar's list, about how a 'designer' is not needed for the creation of the Universe. I'm waiting to get a signed copy to read it but even more interesting than that, is the new book he is co-writing with that quantum blasphemer, Depak Chopra! The two will 'debate' in print the claims Chopra makes about quantum phenomena as applied to human consciousness, psychology and paranormal phenomena. That should be a fun read! Len has also written quite a bit for TV including many of my favorite shows such as Next Generation. All dressed in NYC black, the dude is one cool geek!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH4seN3bhcdalm3m4KCLKBRZ8lcHOR7aM0WK6QnxitUWDbNX8672zwwqw86wDGwc_d5wTExhsG887Bqmg91VGKa9LOtXQjjbWT7JeSpRaXrd9uzmmevxQHz6G-Nlbks4UmFO8J_hmVuU/s1600/kiplynda.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirH4seN3bhcdalm3m4KCLKBRZ8lcHOR7aM0WK6QnxitUWDbNX8672zwwqw86wDGwc_d5wTExhsG887Bqmg91VGKa9LOtXQjjbWT7JeSpRaXrd9uzmmevxQHz6G-Nlbks4UmFO8J_hmVuU/s400/kiplynda.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565200904126837698" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 226px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">All in all, it was a fascinating evening filled with a very interesting eclectic group of people: physicists, billionaires, authors, actresses, nurses, lawyers, neuroscientists, torch singers, and party crashers all partying and mingling with and around that super famous miracle man and rock star of science: Stephen Hawking. I've performed for many famous scientists, billionaires and nobel prize winners at all sorts of straight and bizarre gigs and venues all over the world - from CERN where the LHC lives to a medieval castle in Sweden during a IT boar hunt, but this one took the proverbial cake! I think this gig will rank as one of the best I will ever have - an opportunity of a lifetime. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">Of course, one never knows who will need an emergency performance from the Physics Chanteuse next! You? Give me a call! Stay tuned!</span></div>
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-10233186623997447002010-07-21T10:07:00.000-07:002010-07-21T11:21:20.623-07:00To Boldly Go Unbiased!Maybe it is because I'm a feminist, or because I've experienced decades of gender bias in the sciences, or because as a science songwriter, I work diligently to be gender sensitive and inclusive in my lyrics, I don't know why, but when I came across explicitly gender biased lyrics in a kid's science song yesterday, I got pissed and had to take action. <a href="http://www.montyharper.com/">Monty Harper </a>is a children's science songwriter and performer who is doing good work in science outreach to kids in Oklahoma where he is based. I learned about him yesterday when I received an email he posted to a <a href="http://science-groove.org/SSA/">listserv of science songsters</a> requesting financial support for a CD music project he is working on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/montyharper/songs-from-the-science-frontier">"Songs from the Science Frontiers" </a>featuring his original songs about science research in Oklahoma. The project sounds worthy of support and I was even more impressed with his using the online funding service <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/montyharper/songs-from-the-science-frontier">Kickstarter</a> to try to fund the production costs. I was ready to click and fund, until I listened to the sample song, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMUNbi-oIII">"Ain't it Beautiful, "</a> a cute diddy about USDA scientists in Oklahoma trying to combat the Russian wheat aphid which is a major pest worldwide of wheat, barley, and other cereal crops. The gender bias was in the hook:<br /><br /><i>Ain't it beautiful; Ain't it clever<br />Ain't it just about the best news ever<br />How science feeds our global needs<br />When man and nature work together</i><br /><br />Man and nature? Just hearing and seeing that antiquated generic gender biased word representing all humanity made my stomach turn. This is a new song. This song was not written in 1955 before civil rights or gender bias and equity issues became part of our common social knowledge. So I contacted Mr. Harper and told him I was interested in his project and possibly supporting it but that I had an issue with his gender biased lyrics and suggested that he change the lyrics to be more gender neutral. After all, girls and women are at least half of the global population and girls and women are severely underrepresented in the sciences, it seems like a no brainer to try to be as inclusive in educational lyrics as possible. Why not change the lyric to "When humans and nature work together" or use the term 'people' or 'we.' Mr. Harper was as resilient as the modified wheat grain. He replied:<br /><br /><i>Unfortunately our language has gender bias built into it. The word<br />"man" in "Ain't It Beautiful" is meant in the sense of "mankind." I<br />think most people get that....I'm not sure using the word equates to perpetuating a bias.</i><br /><br />Well Mr Harper, scientific research would suggest otherwise. In a quick online search I found a <a href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119489101/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0">study</a> on gender bias in the english language which concluded:<br /><br /><i>This evidence demonstrates that the use of "generic" masculine and even other grammatically neutral terms in effect serves to exclude women from the English language. The resulting masculine bias in our language reflects and reinforces the pattern of male dominance in society.</i><br /><br />We need to err on the side of perpetuating inclusion and not exclusion in education and especially in the sciences. In my opinion it is lame and sexist to continue to use such outdated and biased lyrics in a science song for kids! I can't support a project that perpetuates gender bias in any form. Look, even Star Trek the Next Generation changed the famous final frontier motto from:<br /><br />"...to boldly go where no MAN has gone before." <div>to<br />"...to boldly go where no ONE has gone before."<br /><br />Star Trek is so universally inclusive, "one" includes ALIENS!!!! We should aspire to be as inclusive with our species. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Harper, please modify your lyrics so they are gender neutral and inclusive so that all children can be inspired and included in the final frontier of science. That is a project I can and will support. </div>Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-8540002766228279212010-05-14T16:33:00.000-07:002016-05-14T16:37:04.594-07:00Irrational Dreams of Space Colonization<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Irrational
Dreams of Space Colonization<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lynda
Williams<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Peace
Review, a Journal of Social Justice<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
New Arms Race in Outer Space (22.1, Spring 2010)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since Sputnik was
launched over 50 years ago and the first human walked on the moon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">12 years later, we
have associated the exploration and colonization of space, specifically<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">the Moon and Mars, as
a necessary pursuit to guarantee our survival as a species, and to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">satisfy an
evolutionary drive to explore and inhabit worlds beyond our own. Space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">enthusiasts claim
that it is our manifest destiny, an expression of the human spirit, to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">explore and colonize
the solar system. World-renowned scientists such as Stephen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hawking have made
calls to colonize the Moon and Mars in order to preserve the species<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">due to the
inevitability of certain future doom on Earth by environmental destruction,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">plague or warfare.
Commercial space developers promise private trips to space and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">beyond, infusing
dreams of space wanderlust and enthusiasm for space travel in citizens<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">who could never even
afford such expensive and lofty excursions. Corporate space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">interests promise the
certainty of achieving these goals along with new technological<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">advances and resource
riches from space exploration that will rival those gained from the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Apollo moon missions.
This article will examine the validity of these threats and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">promises, and their
environmental and ethical consequences to life on Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Destruction of Earth Threat<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to
scientific theory, the destruction of Earth is a certainty. About five billion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">years from now, when
our sun exhausts its nuclear fuel, it will expand in size and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">envelope the inner
planets, including the Earth, and burn them into oblivion. So yes, we<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">are doomed, but we
have 5 billion years, plus or minus a few hund red million, to plan our<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">extraterrestrial
escape. The need to colonize the Moon or Mars to guarantee our survival<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">based on this fact is
not pressing. There are also real risks due to collisions with asteroids<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">and comets, though
none are of immediate threat and do not necessitate extraterrestrial<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">colonization. There
are many Earth-based technological strategies that can be developed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">in time to mediate
such astronomical threats such as gravitational tugboats that drag the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">objects out of range.
The solar system could also potentially be exposed to galactic<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">sources of
high-energy gamma ray bursts that could fry all life on Earth, but any Moon or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mars base would face
a similar fate. Thus, Moon or Mars human based colonies would<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">not protect us from
any of these astronomical threats in the near future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Destruction of Earth’s Biosphere<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Life on Earth is more
urgently threatened by the destruction of the biosphere and its life<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">sustaining habitat
due environmental catastrophes such as climate change, ocean<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">acidification,
disruption of the food chain, bio-warfare, nuclear war, nuclear winter, and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">myriads of other man-
made doomsday prophesies. If we accept these threats as<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">inevitabilities on
par with real astronomical dangers and divert our natural, intellectual,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">political and
technological resources from solving these problems into escaping them,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">will we playing into
a self- fulfilling prophesy of our own planetary doom? Seeking space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">based solutions to
our Earthly problems may indeed exacerbate the planetary threats we<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">face. This is the
core of the ethical dilemma posed by space colonization: should we put<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">our recourses and
bets on developing human colonies on other worlds to survive natural<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">and man-made
catastrophes or should we focus all of our energies on solving the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">problems that create
these threats on Earth?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Human Life on The Moon and Mars<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">What do the prospects
of colonies or bases on the Moon and Mars offer? Both the Moon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">and Mars host extreme
environments that are uninhabitable to humans without very<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">sophisticated
technological life supporting systems beyond any that are feasible now or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">will be available in
the near future. Both bodies are subjected to deadly levels of solar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">radiation and are
void of atmospheres that could sustain oxygen-based life forms such as<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">humans. Terra-
forming either body is not feasible with current technologies or within any<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">reasonable time
frames so any colony or base would be restricted to living in space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">capsules or trailer
park like structures which could not support a sufficient number of<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">humans to perpetuate
and sustain the species in any long term manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although evidence of
water has been discovered on both bodies, it exists in a form that is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">trapped in minerals,
which would require huge amounts of energy to access. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Water
can be<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">converted into fuel
either as hydrogen or oxygen, which would eliminate the need to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">transport vast
amounts of fuel from Earth. However, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">according to </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Britain's
leading<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">spaceflight expert,
Professor Colin Pillinger, "You would need to heat up a lot of lunar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">soil to 200C to get
yourself a glass of water." </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The promise of helium as an
energy source<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">on the moon to is
mostly hype. Helium-3 could be used in the production of nuclear<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">fusion energy, a
process we have yet to prove viable or efficient on Earth. Mining helium<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">would require digging
dozens of meters into the lunar surface and processing hundreds of<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">thousands of tons of
soil to produce 1 ton of helium-3. (25 tons of helium-3 is required to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">power the US for 1
year.) Fusion also requires the very rare element tritium, which does<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">not exist naturally
on the Moon, Mars or on Earth in abundances needed to facilitate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">nuclear fusion energy
production. There are no current means for generating the energy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">on the Moon to
extract the helium-3 to produce the promised endless source of energy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">from helium-3 on the
Moon. Similar energy problems exist for using solar power on the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Moon, which has the
additional problem of being sunlit two weeks a month and dark for<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">the other two weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">A Moon base is
envisioned as serving as a launch pad for Martian expeditions, so the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">infeasibility of a
lunar base may prohibit trips to Mars, unless they are launched directly<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">from Earth. Mars is,
in its closest approach, 36 million miles from Earth and would<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">require a nine-month
journey with astronauts exposed to deadly solar cosmic rays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Providing sufficient
shielding would require a spacecraft that weighs so much it becomes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">prohibitive to carry
enough fuel for a roundtrip. Either the astronauts get exposed to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">lethal doses on a
roundtrip, or they make a safe one-way journey and never return. Either<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">way, no one can
survive a trip to Mars and whether or not people are willing to make that<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">sacrifice for the
sake of scientific exploration, human missions to Mars do not guarantee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">the survival of the
species, but rather, only the death of any member who attempts the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Space Law and Space Ethics<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The technological
hurdles prohibiting practical space colonization of the Moon and Mars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">in the near future
are stratospherically high. The environmental and political<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">consequences of
pursuing these lofty dreams are even higher. There are no international<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">laws governing the
Moon or the protection of the space environment. The Moon Treaty,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">created in 1979 by
the United Nations, declares that the Moon shall be developed to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">benefit all nations
and that no military bases could be placed on the moon or on any<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">celestial body, and
bans altering the environment of celestial bodies. To date, no space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">faring nation has
ratified this treaty, meaning, the moon, and all celestial bodies,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">including Mars and
asteroids are up for the taking. If a nation did place a military base on<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">the moon, they could
potentially control all launches from Earth. The Moon is the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">ultimate military
high ground. How should we, as a species, control the exploration,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">exploitation and
control of the Moon and other celestial bodies if we can not even agree<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">on a legal regime to
protect and share its resources?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since the space race
began 50 years ago with the launch of Sputnik, the space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">environment around
Earth has become overcrowded with satellites and space debris, so<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">much so, that
circumterrestrial space has become a dangerous place with an increasing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">risk of collision and
destruction. Thousands of pieces of space junk created from launches<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">orbit the Earth in
the same orbit as satellites, putting them at risk of collision. Every time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">a rocket is launched,
debris from the rocket stages are put into orbital space. In 2009<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">there was a
disastrous collision between an Iridium satellite and a piece of space junk
that<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">destroyed the
satellite. In 2007 China blew up one of its defunct satellites to demonstrate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">its antiballistic
missile capabilities, increasing the debris field by 15%. There are no<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">international laws
prohibiting anti-satellite actions. Every year, since the mid 1980s, a<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">treaty has been
introduced into the UN for a Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">(PAROS), with all
parties including Russia and China voting for it except for the US.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">How can we hope to
pursue a peaceful and environmentally sound route of space<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">exploration without
international laws in place that protect space and Earth environments<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">and guarantee that
the space race to the moon and beyond does not foster a war over<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">space resources?
Indeed, if the space debris problem continues to grow unfettered or if<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">there is war in
space, space will become too trashed for launches to take place without<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">risk of destruction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The private
development of space is growing at a flurried rate. Competitions such as the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">X-Prize for companies
to reach orbit and the Google Prize to land a robot on the Moon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">has launched space
wanderlust in citizens throughout the country who dream of traveling<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">to space. The reality
is that there are few protections for the environment and the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">passengers of these
flights of fancy. The FAA, which regulates space launches, is under a<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Congressional mandate
to foster the industry. It is difficult if not impossible to have<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">objective regulation
of an industry when it enjoys government incentives to profit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">We have much to
determine on planet Earth before we launch willy nilly into another<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">race into space and a
potential environmental disaster and arms race in outer space.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Spaceship Earth<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">If we direct our
intellectual and technological resources toward space exploration without<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">consideration of the
environmental and political consequences, what is left behind in the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">wake? The hype
surrounding space exploration leaves a dangerous vacuum in the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">collective
consciousness of solving the problems on Earth. If we accept the inevitability<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">of Earth’s
destruction and its biosphere, we are left looking toward the heavens for our<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">solutions and
resolution. Young scientists, rather than working on serious environmental<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">challenges on Earth,
dream of Moon or Martian bases to save humanity, fueling the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">prophesy of our
planetary destruction, rather than working on solutions to solve the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">problems on Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Every space faring
entity, be they governmental or corporate, face the same challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Star Trek emboldened
us all to dream of space, the final frontier. The reality is that our<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">planet Earth is a
perfect spaceship. We travel around our star the sun once every year, and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">the sun pull us with
her gravitational force around the galaxy once every 250 million<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">years through star
systems, star clusters and all the possible exosolar planets that may<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">host life or be
habitable for us to colonize. The sun will be around for billions of years<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">and we have ample
time to explore the stars. It woukd be wise and prudent for us as a<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">species to focus our
intellectual and technological knowledge now into preserving our<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">spaceship for the
long voyage through the stars, so that once we have figured out how to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">make life on Earth
work in an environmentally and politically sustainable way, we can<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">then venture off the
planet into the final frontier of our dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lynda Williams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Physics Instructor, Santa Rosa Junior
College</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-69426350228327120222010-03-21T07:14:00.000-07:002011-01-28T12:48:27.552-08:00Expanding Your Horizons: Tween Science Pep RallyYesterday I performed a science pep rally for about 200 tween girls at the annual Expanding Your Horizons conference held at Sonoma State University. According the the EYH <a href="http://www.expandingyourhorizons.org/">website</a>, "Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics™ conferences nurture girls' interest in science and math courses to encourage them to consider careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.' Girls (and some boys too) are bussed in from several counties for a half day of workshops with fun hands-on activities lead by real live female scientists and engineers. The conference ends with a motivational talk by a woman scientist - an astronaut if they are really lucky - who shares their story of how they beat the odds and became a successful scientist. Or, on a few rare occasions, they get a science singer, me, who does something entirely different.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>I couldn't tell them the true story of how I got into physics, because quite frankly, I am not a good role model. I hated school, never studied, and math and science bored me to tears. I flunked algebra, got a D in physics and refused to take biology because I would not dissect animals. I didn't get turned on to science and math until I was in college and it was through my own curiosity that brought me to it, not a graduation requirement. In retrospect, I regret not studying math and science (and music) in high school because being a delayed science learner created a real and permanent mental handicap for me. If the parts of a young forming brain involved in 'higher' mathematical reasoning are not used, then the neural pathways in those areas are not established or are <a href="http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/plast.html">pruned</a> away: <i>If you don't use it, you lose it. </i> I surmise that since I wasn't using those parts of my brain, I'm missing some essential neural connections for doing math and science. My neural net connections are seriously twisted and though I'm still smart and able to do science, it takes me more time to work problems through my funky mental wiring, which is a serious handicap in the academic world of timed exams and cognitive conformity. Luckily, my plastic brain compensated by giving me a holistic intuition about nature and a crazy knack for putting science into song and theater. My brain is so weirdly wired that I prepped for my graduate oral exams by writing songs about <a href="http://www.scientainment.com/maxinfo.html">Maxwell's equations</a> (no, I did not sing during the exams but I wish I had!) </div><div><br />
</div><div>I use multiple <a href="http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/">learning styles</a> for my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences">multiple intelligences</a> but I wonder what value that has in academia because by the time I sing, dance, write, mime and paint the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/einsteinangel#p/u/16/YLlvGh6aEIs">derivation of electromagnetic waves in vacuum</a>, the proverbial bell has rung and time has run out. Sadly, our educational system doesn't allow time for true<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquiry-based_learning"> inquiry based learning</a> or for 'different learners' to think differently if that means to take more time to think. Hence, I do believe that had I studied math and science in high school while my brain was forming or pruning those fast neural connections that process higher math reasoning, I would have suffered less about <a href="http://mathforum.org/~sarah/Discussion.Sessions/Tobias.html">feeling too dumb to do science</a> and done better in academia. Would I still be a freaky-artist-science-geek? I believe so but the point is, my story is way too messy and complicated to tell tweens in a 30 minute science pep rally. So I gave the following talk instead, this is part of it, as best as I can recall, and with some editing. </div><div><br />
</div><div>(I'm taking out he call and response type pep rally yelling that helps to engage and settle down seat twitching tweens such as 'Shout if you are having fun,' "Shout if you are from Napa County," etc. Every question in my talk is actually a call to the audience to shout the answer back, but I don't know how to make that work in a writing. Note: call and response is critical for a successful tween science pep rally!) </div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>Hi everybody! It is great to be here today to celebrate Expanding Your Horizons! Hey! Do you know what that phrase means? What to they mean by 'your horizon'? They mean your future! And this conference is all about expanding your future potential by learning math, science and engineering. At the workshops today, you learned about science and technology and the many exciting careers you can have in those fields. You heard that if you want to purse a career in science or engineering, it is absolutely necessary for you to study math and science, right? It is true - if you want to be a research scientist, or environmental engineer, or an astronaut, or a doctor, or a math teacher, or a CSI chemist, or any science or tech job, you have to know math and science. Well what I want to talk with you about today is that even if you don't pursue a career in science or engineering, you still need to know math and science. EVERYBODY needs to know math and science, even if you want to be a professional football player or dancer. Every person needs to know math and science in order to live in our high tech scientific world.</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>Now many of you may be thinking or saying: "I like science but I am not good at it. I can't do math because it is too hard. My brain doesn't think that way." Well you are partly right, math and science are hard and anyone who tells you differently is lying to you. But what isn't hard that is worth pursuing? Is it easy to be a great dancer? Do you wake up one day and instantly you can play the guitar? Of course not. It takes practice, practice and more practice to do anything difficult well. But you'd be wrong in saying that your brain doesn't think mathematically. Every one's brain is mathematical. It is a fact. Every time you reach your arm out to catch a ball, your brain is doing a zillion calculations to put your hand in the right place at the right time. Math was invented by human brains just like your brains. But it takes practice to learn it, to figure out how the language of math, of how our brains reason, and put it on a piece of paper as an algebraic equation. Do you wake up one day and -bang- you can speak another language perfectly? Of course not! It takes practice and a lot of embarrassing mistakes to learn a new language, but you do it, so you can live in a world where that language is spoken. Math is like that. If you learn math, then you can live in the world of science, which is the world we live in. And math and science are like sports. The more you practice, the stronger and smarter you get. But it isn't easy and it takes time. So be kind and patient with yourself as you would be learning any other challenging and worthwhile thing. </i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>OK, so what if all that doesn't mean beans to you. You are just not interested in math and science and couldn't care less about it. Well let me try to make it more personal, and more scary. There are real and serious problems you will face in your life, whether you like it or want it or not that will involve science, and if you do not become scientifically literate, and by 'literate' I mean to be able to read, speak and engage in conversation and debate about science, you will be in trouble. Our modern high tech world is dependent on science and technology, isn't it? As an adult you will have to make many decisions that require scientific literacy. For example, what if a big company wants to build a factor in your neighborhood that puts waste into the air and water? They say it is safe but others say it is toxic especially children. How do you figure it out? Who do you believe? Or, what if there is a new experimental drug your grandma can try to cure her cancer, how can you decide if it is worth the risks? Or what if people tell you nuclear power plants are safe and you should vote to pay for them? Should you eat genetically modified food? What about giving your children vaccines? What science should our tax dollars pay for? What would you vote for? Solving global warming? Cancer research? Finding life on other planets? What about building big solar energy collectors in space? Good idea or bad idea? What if you are on a jury and have to decide if the crime scene evidence warrant putting a criminal to death? And a million other scientific questions you will face in the future that are indeed a matter of life and death. A sad fact of our times is that people lie to sell stuff and get rich. You know it is true. And so I ask you, how are you going to know who is lying or telling the truth? How are you going to handle these complicated issues if you are scientifically illiterate? Will you just believe the white guy in the white coat? Turn over all your power to the so called 'experts'? "Oh, my brain doesn't think that way, you decide for what is safe for me and my baby." Come on! Do you want to live that way? You don't have to. </i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>I think it would be GREAT if you decide to pursue a career in science and engineering, it is a very rewarding job and I encourage you to consider it. But quite frankly, I don't care what career you choose, you still need to know math and science. What I do care about is that you become smart, well educated empowered citizens who have the knowledge and ability to understand the complicated scientific world world you live in, so that you can make educated decisions, and if necessary speak scientific truth to power, to protect yourself, your family, your community and our planet. If you want to be a player in the expanding horizon of this high tech scientific world, you need to be scientifically literate and that means you need to study math and science at least through high school. You need to study math and science NOW. And here is why. </i></div><div><br />
</div><div><i>Let me tell you a little about how brains work. Right now your brain is growing and forming. As far as we know, it does most of the growing and forming until you are in your early 20s so now is a critical time in your brain development. What you lean now, will affect the way your brain works for the rest of your life. When you learn something, neural pathways and connections are formed for that sort of thinking to happen. The more you use those connections, the stronger they become. It is sort of like muscles - the more you exercise them, the stronger they get. It may hurt at first but the more you lift weights, the easier it gets. Similarly, the more you think about math, the stronger those neural connections get and the easier math gets. Learning math hurts at first because your brain is changing shape, just like your muscles in your arm! That is why it is so important that you are patient with yourself and trust that the more you do math, the easier and less painful it will get. However, there is a very significant way in which brains are not like muscles. With muscles, if you stop exercising and get weak, you can just work out again and build the muscles back up. You don't permanently lose your strength. With brains on the other hand, if you stop using the neural connections to do math, the brain literally prunes them away. If you don't use it, you lose it! Now, clearly you can still learn math as an older adult, but, trust me, it is so much more difficult. The brain is less plastic when it is older - it is harder to teach an old dog new tricks! Therefore, it is very important FOR THE REST OF YOUR THINKING LIVES that you learn math and science NOW while your brains are forming these neural connections of complex reasoning. Learning math and science while you are young will make you smarter for the rest of your lives, whether or not you become scientists and engineers. </i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>You are growing up in very exciting and complicated times. On one hand, technological development and scientific discoveries are occurring at what seems to be speed of light rates - it is hard to keep up and make sense of it all! And at the same time, we are swamped with a lot of bad news of doom and gloom about our environment: global climate change, polluted air and oceans, fish too toxic to eat, species extinction, the list goes on and on - it can be overwhelming and downright depressing! And it is perplexing: if science and technology are so advanced and are progressing so quickly, why do we still have so many environmental problems? If we are so smart, why are we so stupid?</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>The fact is, very little science and technology is used to solve our environmental problems today. Most science and technology is used to make stuff to sell and make money for corporations. Your cellphones, computers, video games, the internet, all those high tech goodies come at a very high environmental price. For the past hundred years or so since the beginning of the industrial revolution, our species, humans, have been living like a locust on this planet, consuming everything in our path towards so-called "progress." We chop down forests, over fish the oceans, consume all the natural resources we can to build stuff to sell to get rich, and then dump our waste in the air and water. These natural resources will not last forever and the environment can not absorb pollution forever. We have belched so much carbon dioxide into the air from cars and factory smoke stacks that we are changing the planet. Global climate change threatens the health and habitats of not only humans but also of all the other creatures who live on Earth: plants, animals & insects. The cost for keeping the high tech engine of capitalism going is the degradation of our environment. Although the irresponsible use of technology is largely to blame for our environmental problems, we must use science and technology in new creative and responsible ways to solve them. </i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><div><i>It is a very sad fact is that even though you didn't cause any of these problems, you are the ones who will inherit them, and either your generation will fix them (if they can be fixed) or you will pass them down to your own children. And that is why is so very vital for you to be scientifically literate, so you can understand science and technology and how we can use it responsibly to help solve the environmental problems facing us. So whether you become a scientist or an engineer, or a dancer or farmer or cook, every person in this room must learn math and science and become scientifically literate. It will make you smarter and it will empower you with the knowledge you will need in the expanding horizons of our future. </i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>Well, that's about all I have time to recall for now. I also talked about lovons and spaceship earth, and hell, I also sang 7 songs! It takes much longer to write this than it does to say it, that is for sure. Stay tuned, maybe someday I'll video tape one of these shows and put it online. For some of the songs I did perform, check out my youtube channel: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/einsteinangel">einsteinangel</a></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>Lovon!</i></div></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176156914766269523.post-44398192791760790122008-05-14T16:24:00.000-07:002016-05-14T16:38:39.843-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Space Ecology:<br />The Final Frontier of Environmentalism</h2>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">By Lynda
Williams<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b>Published in <i>Natural Living Magazine</i></b></div>
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LEO stands for low Earth orbit and is the region of
space within 2,000 km of the Earth's surface. It is the most concentrated
area for orbital debris.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hDfdm1y0NGbqfeogAF3-8S0dt2t9axGI0XAfcD6mkvin_Zm78g5oSt28Y-_2pQ_CpWwBGDGuYkrDA-UBnekJqQh83oHxIKIt-tssW2089Jb5Wyg1HNY9coN6ZXEJzKsA1RVRSiKBh0c/s1600/spaceeco1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hDfdm1y0NGbqfeogAF3-8S0dt2t9axGI0XAfcD6mkvin_Zm78g5oSt28Y-_2pQ_CpWwBGDGuYkrDA-UBnekJqQh83oHxIKIt-tssW2089Jb5Wyg1HNY9coN6ZXEJzKsA1RVRSiKBh0c/s320/spaceeco1.PNG" width="241" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The space age began 50 years
ago with the launch of Sputnik by the <st1:place w:st="on">Soviet Union</st1:place>.
Since then the world has come to enjoy and depend upon space technologies
including satellite communications, earth observation and early warning
systems, search and rescue, traffic and resource management, GPS, global
security and entertainment. However, like so many other environments humans
exploit, space has become so trashed with space junk that it is at risk of
becoming too polluted to use. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The
U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN tracks over 12,000 objects in orbit larger
than an apple (5 cm), including 850 active satellites. Space debris– dead
satellites, exploded rockets, nuts, bolts and other pieces of junk – travel at
over 7 km/s in crowded regions of space where satellites operate. A collision
with debris 1cm or larger can seriously damage or even destroy a satellite. A
collision with a chunk of junk larger than a grapefruit (10 cm) could not only
destroy the satellite, but also create large amounts of additional debris,
creating a chain reaction of collisions between satellites and debris, making
the orbit unusable for years and possibly decades.<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfksFe9iND55ktJkknTB7mv3eFQKrpXfkroktlTfXXlseZXV8Vb_YdIokv5kHrLPYtCN-xjY0FqJnSNx0FZ9-_Tfpu29BNIP135xl7LrbSPzGBD-EUB-5tpm4RUDJNrGQPt2-WXqii8og/s1600/spaceeco2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfksFe9iND55ktJkknTB7mv3eFQKrpXfkroktlTfXXlseZXV8Vb_YdIokv5kHrLPYtCN-xjY0FqJnSNx0FZ9-_Tfpu29BNIP135xl7LrbSPzGBD-EUB-5tpm4RUDJNrGQPt2-WXqii8og/s1600/spaceeco2.PNG" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">Although
the risk of such a catastrophic collision is relatively low, as human activity
in space increases in the coming years,
the risks will also increase. Collisions between defunct satellites and debris
have been observed and some mysterious breakups and explosions may have been
due to collisions with debris too small to track. In February of 2007, the
‘Breeze-M’ upper stage of a Russian Proton Rocket mysteriously exploded over <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>,
littering space with more than 1000 pieces of junk. In the same month, a retired China-Brazil
spacecraft mysteriously broke into dozens of pieces, possibly due to a
collision with space debris. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Worldwide,
50-100 new satellites are launched every year, all of which produce space
debris. Missions to the moon and beyond by the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region>, and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> promise
to increase space traffic and trash. Missile defense and anti-satellite testing
has the greatest potential of trashing space. Detonating a nuclear weapon in
low earth orbit would destroy all the satellites in the orbit. The booming
space tourism industry, spurred on by X-Prize incentives, NASA design contests
and lax government regulations will increase the number of launches and amount
of space litter. Space-based geo-engineering schemes to combat global warming
are being studied, which would invariably contribute to the space debris
problem. Ironically, if space becomes sufficiently trashed, the reflection of
sunlight by the junk could possibly have a net cooling effect on the Earth and
solve the global warming problem!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even
if no further space junk is put into space, the existing debris will break up
in time and dangerously increase the amount of trash. A piece of space debris
can have an orbital lifetime of days to hundreds of years depending on its size
and altitude. There are currently no
means to remove or mitigate space waste, though schemes for ‘space garbage
ships’ are being studied. The costs for such programs are astronomical and,
ultimately, would be paid for by taxpayers.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">People
on the ground are already paying for the legacy of our space age with their
health. Ammonium perchlorate, a toxic ingredient of solid rocket propellant is
increasingly being discovered in soil and water throughout the country. Recent studies by the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention have shown detectable levels of perchlorate in all
adults tested, and higher levels in children and in breast milk. Perchlorate
decreases thyroid hormone levels and can affect the brain development of
fetuses. The EPA are balking at plans to
set a national cleanup standard for perchlorate.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kazakhstan</st1:place></st1:country-region> has the unfortunate luck to
be directly under the flight path for Russian Proton Rockets which have on
several occasions exploded over their countryside. In September of 2007 a Proton Rocket exploded
two minutes after takeoff, showering central <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Kazakhstan</st1:place></st1:country-region> with debris and toxic
heptyl rocket fuel, rendering thousands of acres of farmland useless for
agriculture. Contact or digestion of heptyl rocket fuel can kill a person.
Authorities have blocked access to the land to farmers and shepherds. The <st1:placetype w:st="on">village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Ploskoye</st1:placename>,
in <st1:place w:st="on">Siberia</st1:place>, is also under the flight path of
Russian launch vehicles. When the first stage of the rockets separates, a large
amount of unused rocket fuel explodes and rains down on the village. Ploskoye
and its neighbors report cancer rates 15 times higher than the national
average.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There
are 32 defunct nuclear reactors circling the Earth. In total, about a ton of
radioactive fuel is orbiting the Earth. In order to prevent radioactive
material from re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere and endangering life on the
planet, most of the nuclear satellites were moved into higher orbits where they
will remain for hundreds of years. Although no nuclear-powered satellites have
been launched into Earth orbit since 1988, nuclear propulsion is being
considered for spacecraft for long missions to other planets which may increase
the amount of radioactive debris in space. In 1978 the Soviet satellite <i>Cosmos 954 </i>disintegrated over <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
scattering across a vast area thousands of radioactive pieces of radioactive
debris.</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveyQ_uJ3P5P7favExg3U0RdBVF9aEqxJdIyxxke2GlWyc51CO3bpigGOJd9lH068FCBagkUb2F3S0Fac_gKRP6-mk3BM0PXV9AJrCbL2FzFxxbXNy5tzT-7dFYgdiKlIxCS50TIpDMcI/s1600/spaceeco3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveyQ_uJ3P5P7favExg3U0RdBVF9aEqxJdIyxxke2GlWyc51CO3bpigGOJd9lH068FCBagkUb2F3S0Fac_gKRP6-mk3BM0PXV9AJrCbL2FzFxxbXNy5tzT-7dFYgdiKlIxCS50TIpDMcI/s320/spaceeco3.PNG" width="320" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGAw_MHxqU5RnYsqeaDfFtovmyH0JpuMfam6Y7d5Wr3BKQELLcvSUxW5yaZTN-lt3vOoGH1CN8Upl_DnSEQeJ2R4exLqHNNSBe09g-P7yf7cV5M5W0EAkPSxhvDwFX-cY3NLuB2ur3Zs/s1600/spaceeco4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is also a hazardous
risk on the ground from satellites and space debris that re-enter the
atmosphere and do not burn up completely during reentry and land on Earth. Some
satellites may be navigated into a ‘safe’ landing in an uninhabited region of
an ocean but most often the satellite randomly renters the atmosphere and it
very difficult to predict where it will hit Earth. Although nobody has been
killed by falling space debris, as the number of intended reentry events and
accidents increase, so will the risk. “Of course,” says
Ken Hodgkins, of the office of Space and Advanced Technology at the US State
Department , “the probability of real damage being caused is low, but if
something does happen, the consequences could be catastrophic for everybody.”</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Air
traffic is also a possible target for space rashing hurling though space. In
March of 2007 pieces of space junk from
a Russian satellite coming out of orbit narrowly missed hitting a jetliner over
the <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific Ocean</st1:place>. A pilot of a Lan Chile
Airbus A340, which was travelling between Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New
Zealand, notified air traffic controllers at Auckland Oceanic Centre after
seeing flaming space junk hurtling across the sky just five nautical miles in front
of and behind his plane.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The greatest threat to the space environment is the
testing and deployment of missile defense and anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. In
January of 2007 <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>
launched a ground-based missile into space and blew up one of its defunct
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGAw_MHxqU5RnYsqeaDfFtovmyH0JpuMfam6Y7d5Wr3BKQELLcvSUxW5yaZTN-lt3vOoGH1CN8Upl_DnSEQeJ2R4exLqHNNSBe09g-P7yf7cV5M5W0EAkPSxhvDwFX-cY3NLuB2ur3Zs/s1600/spaceeco4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGAw_MHxqU5RnYsqeaDfFtovmyH0JpuMfam6Y7d5Wr3BKQELLcvSUxW5yaZTN-lt3vOoGH1CN8Upl_DnSEQeJ2R4exLqHNNSBe09g-P7yf7cV5M5W0EAkPSxhvDwFX-cY3NLuB2ur3Zs/s1600/spaceeco4.PNG" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">weather satellites, producing over 2,000
pieces of debris larger than 5 cm, thereby increasing the total amount of space trash in low Earth orbit by 20% in the
worst space debris incident ever. The single explosion increased the risk of
debris collision by over 15%. Currently,
there are no international laws restricting the testing of ground based
anti-satellite systems. Anyone can blow up their own satellite in space without
any legal ramifications.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Traffic
in space is getting so congested with space trash that satellites must be
periodically nudged in their orbits in order to avoid collisions with debris.
More likely, predictions made by space monitoring systems are not accurate
enough for any action to be taken by satellite operators: an adjustment might
inadvertently place an endangered satellite directly into the path of an
oncoming piece of junk, rather than away from it. According to John Campbell, a
VP of Iridium Satellite, “We grit our teeth and hold our breath; that’s our
action.”</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Space
industry folks have been keeping faith in the “Big Sky Theory” of aviation,
namely, that space is so big that the risk of collision is insignificant. But
this theory, like the “Big Ocean” and “Big Atmosphere” versions that came
before it, is clearly growing defunct as space fills up with trash. Industry
has been free of space debris regulations, primarily because it is in their
best interest to keep space clean so they can continue to do business in it.
However, with <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
ASAT test and the recent rocket breakups, private sector space experts are
realizing that space trash is becoming a serious liability to space assets and
that something needs to be done about it on an international scale.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some
progress towards regulating space debris is being made both on a national and
international scale. The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has implemented policies and practices for debris mitigation in the form of
NASA and DOD policy statements. The FAA and FCC require that licensees
demonstrate plans for space debris mitigation and end-of-life disposal of
satellites so you can’t get permission to launch a satellite unless you can
show that you will remove your satellite from space at the end of its life.
This usually entails moving the satellite into a lower orbit where it will
eventually re-enter the earth’s atmosphere and be destroyed either by burning
up or crashing to Earth within 25 years of deactivation. But changing the orbit
of a satellite requires fuel to carry out the maneuver, which increases the
payload weight and thereby increasing launch costs significantly. Private
industry has been reluctant in the past to cover these costs because they claim
it makes an unfair playing field with foreign competitors who do no have to
abide by such regulations.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In
1967 the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) negotiated
the Outer Space Treaty (OST) which promotes peaceful uses of outer and the
prevention of "a new form of colonial competition” in space. It also prohibits putting in orbit around the
Earth, or on the moon or any other celestial body, nuclear or any other weapons
of mass destruction. Not included in the treaty are restrictions for
anti-satellite weapons. States are ultimately responsible and liable for any
damage caused by any entity, whether it is governmental or private. Recently
the general assembly of the UN adopted CUPUOS guidelines on space debris
mitigation, which are largely based on <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> policy, although they are
non-binding and unenforceable. Hence, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> has suffered no legal
ramifications from trashing space with its ASAT test, although the political
fall out from the test has been severe.
Interestingly, the NY Times reported that the Bush Administration knew
about the test before hand but didn’t take any actions to negotiate with <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> to stop
it.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">International
laws, which are binding and enforceable, are needed in order to guarantee that
all space faring nations follow good environmental practices in space. The
Outer Space Treaty must be strengthened so that it prohibits anti-satellite
weapons on the ground or in space. International negotiations are needed to
halt an already looming arms race in space.
Over the past decade many countries, including the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>, have
thwarted efforts to begin negotiations to ban a weapons race in space.
According to David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the
Union of Concerned Scientists, “the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> should be promoting negotiations
to protect our future in space as well as security on Earth.”</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is time for all the
passengers on space ship Earth to embrace an ethic of space ecology, now,
before space becomes too trashed for us to reach the final frontier of our
dreams. </span></span></div>
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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
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Lynda Lovonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07090293854050613903noreply@blogger.com0