You see, the area around Chernobyl is not so different from that surrounding Indian Point.This blog went up over night, and when I checked the email around noon today, there was an email from someone who wants to remain invisible. The long and short of said correspondence was to suggest I should put my efforts into more productive pursuits within the movement, and went so far as to pose the questions, "Are you Crazy?" Respecting the writer's desire to remain secret, not posting the letter, but thought I would share my response here:
Hello:
First, thanks for the compliment...I once was one of the best EIS readers in the ANTI NUKE grassroots when I lived in Ohio.
As to my digging abilities...you might want to read the story that was just posted on another blog, as I think you would enjoy it. http://greennuclearbutterfly.blogspot.com/
We agree on one thing...Indian Point is the battle ground, it is where the grassroots needs to take their stand, but the question is perhaps, " will they?" I have been out of the movement FOR YEARS HERE, as I simply got TIRED, and went broke. It's how the other side wins....they use their money and time to simply WEAR YOU DOWN. I have NO IDEA what others are (or are not) doing, as I have been out of it, but made the decision about six weeks ago that I had to come out of hiding, and fight if you will, one last fight. Indian Point is wrong, wrong for our community, wrong for the environment, and wrong for America.
As for your suggestions about the direction I should head in, or the activities I should put my energies into. No one pays me, they never have...let's both be honest, contrary to popular myth, being a serious grassroots warrior is not fun, not profitable, sometimes puts your very life in danger, and rarely makes you famous. The movie, "Erin Brockovich" could have been written about me if the leading character were a male, except that I never got rich, never became famous...I did though have the death threats, did get run off the road, even went to a public hearing one night where they had stationed sharp shooters on the roof of the building as they (NRC) feared an incident. My efforts led to the NRC ordering a $70 Million Dollar clean up at the site of one of their licensees.
I would have liked to have had 1/10th of one percent of that money, as then I would have at least come close to recouping the life savings I invested into that fight. In short, I've seen too many in the movement be too nice, and spin their wheels while accomplishing NOTHING, and unless I have a real good reason to take orders from others, not about to do so. I've spent 50 years being a loose cannon, but a LETHAL ONE. I learned a long time ago, that most of those BIG ORGANIZATIONS like Riverkeeper, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club have their own Bureaucratic stupidity, and stiflingly set of rules intended to preserve themselves at all costs...they will NOT take on a fight unless they A) know there is a lot of GOOD publicity in it for them, and B) they have a 100 percent chance of winning. That's why they are not playing i"n your face smash mouth football" with Entergy, the NRC and the industry. In this game, the other side has far more resources than even these groups can bring to bear. It's WRONG THINKING, but it is the way they operate...once the cameras are gone, so are these big organizations.
As for ANSWERS...there are a lot of answers out there, problem is, they all require a paradigm shift in how people think, work and live. How many people who work in New York could actually do 90 percent of what they do AT HOME? How many people live in houses FAR BIGGER than they need (yes, myself included, but it's hard to find other people to share it with us). Why do so many people in Westchester County drive around in huge gas guzzling monsters? How much energy could be saved if we as a nation moved away from a consumption/consumer driven economy? STATUS, STATUS, STATUS as even the supposed GREEN FOLK drive 200 miles in their Volvo to attend some "make them feel good" seminar where nothing gets accomplished other than fleecing them out of their hard earned dollars. Driving 40 minutes through rush hour traffic to buy a FREE RANGE CHICKEN is not follow through and action! Don't get me started, as the Environmental Movement has lost its soul, and does not even know it.
You want to talk, I am always one to listen, but don't think I am one to quickly become a disciple of some plan I already know will not work. Sending off faxes to Congressmen/women, making phone calls and wringing ones hands is nothing more than wasted, "FEEL GOOD" nothingness. Shutting down Indian Point will take impassioned MASSES, it will take protests, it will take actions that have been seen in the past that just are not there right now, because people are too wrapped up in their ME, ME, ME thinking to make anything more than a token gesture at effecting change.
Am I crazy...I just might be, but I find my own insanity far more pleasant company than spending time with people that want to put band aids on bleeding arteries.
PEACE OUT
First, thanks for the compliment...I once was one of the best EIS readers in the ANTI NUKE grassroots when I lived in Ohio.
As to my digging abilities...you might want to read the story that was just posted on another blog, as I think you would enjoy it. http://greennuclearbutterfly.blogspot.com/
We agree on one thing...Indian Point is the battle ground, it is where the grassroots needs to take their stand, but the question is perhaps, " will they?" I have been out of the movement FOR YEARS HERE, as I simply got TIRED, and went broke. It's how the other side wins....they use their money and time to simply WEAR YOU DOWN. I have NO IDEA what others are (or are not) doing, as I have been out of it, but made the decision about six weeks ago that I had to come out of hiding, and fight if you will, one last fight. Indian Point is wrong, wrong for our community, wrong for the environment, and wrong for America.
As for your suggestions about the direction I should head in, or the activities I should put my energies into. No one pays me, they never have...let's both be honest, contrary to popular myth, being a serious grassroots warrior is not fun, not profitable, sometimes puts your very life in danger, and rarely makes you famous. The movie, "Erin Brockovich" could have been written about me if the leading character were a male, except that I never got rich, never became famous...I did though have the death threats, did get run off the road, even went to a public hearing one night where they had stationed sharp shooters on the roof of the building as they (NRC) feared an incident. My efforts led to the NRC ordering a $70 Million Dollar clean up at the site of one of their licensees.
I would have liked to have had 1/10th of one percent of that money, as then I would have at least come close to recouping the life savings I invested into that fight. In short, I've seen too many in the movement be too nice, and spin their wheels while accomplishing NOTHING, and unless I have a real good reason to take orders from others, not about to do so. I've spent 50 years being a loose cannon, but a LETHAL ONE. I learned a long time ago, that most of those BIG ORGANIZATIONS like Riverkeeper, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club have their own Bureaucratic stupidity, and stiflingly set of rules intended to preserve themselves at all costs...they will NOT take on a fight unless they A) know there is a lot of GOOD publicity in it for them, and B) they have a 100 percent chance of winning. That's why they are not playing i"n your face smash mouth football" with Entergy, the NRC and the industry. In this game, the other side has far more resources than even these groups can bring to bear. It's WRONG THINKING, but it is the way they operate...once the cameras are gone, so are these big organizations.
As for ANSWERS...there are a lot of answers out there, problem is, they all require a paradigm shift in how people think, work and live. How many people who work in New York could actually do 90 percent of what they do AT HOME? How many people live in houses FAR BIGGER than they need (yes, myself included, but it's hard to find other people to share it with us). Why do so many people in Westchester County drive around in huge gas guzzling monsters? How much energy could be saved if we as a nation moved away from a consumption/consumer driven economy? STATUS, STATUS, STATUS as even the supposed GREEN FOLK drive 200 miles in their Volvo to attend some "make them feel good" seminar where nothing gets accomplished other than fleecing them out of their hard earned dollars. Driving 40 minutes through rush hour traffic to buy a FREE RANGE CHICKEN is not follow through and action! Don't get me started, as the Environmental Movement has lost its soul, and does not even know it.
You want to talk, I am always one to listen, but don't think I am one to quickly become a disciple of some plan I already know will not work. Sending off faxes to Congressmen/women, making phone calls and wringing ones hands is nothing more than wasted, "FEEL GOOD" nothingness. Shutting down Indian Point will take impassioned MASSES, it will take protests, it will take actions that have been seen in the past that just are not there right now, because people are too wrapped up in their ME, ME, ME thinking to make anything more than a token gesture at effecting change.
Am I crazy...I just might be, but I find my own insanity far more pleasant company than spending time with people that want to put band aids on bleeding arteries.
PEACE OUT
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