Kristin Zaitz and Heather Matteson, the founders of Mothers for Nuclear, sent the following message to their colleagues and other people that have signed up for their mailing list because they are deeply concerned about the fate of one of the best located, robustly designed, and carefully maintained power plants in the country.
Heather gave me permission to share this with Atomic Insights readers since some may not yet be on the Mothers for Nuclear mailing list.
Friends and co-workers,
We trust by now you have read Michael Shellenberger’s email from earlier today [May 30]. We all know that PG&E will soon need to announce whether or not Diablo Canyon will pursue re-licensing. We can only suspect that the path has been chosen, and that we are all being led down it. We do not know exactly when the path will end. But before we reach the end, even if it’s in sight, we still have time for a course-correct.
While all of us are upset to hear that PG&E may have made a decision, We hope you are also mad. Mad that our amazing plant could be shut down. And mad that there is still such controversy around the value that Diablo Canyon provides by cleanly powering nearly ten percent of our state.
Michael’s message may be a good indication of which direction the wind is blowing, but this is not over yet. PG&E has not announced a decision. There is still time to make a difference.
Diablo Canyon can still be saved, but only if Diablo Canyon workers and pro-nuclear environmentalists step it up. If we don’t stand up for Diablo, who will?
We are seeing a huge response to the upcoming March for Environmental Hope. Participants from threatened nuclear power plants across the country have already contacted us to register. Big names like Gwyneth Cravens and Richard Rhodes will take to the streets with us.
Governor Brown is the one we have to reach. He cares about climate change. He knows he was wrong to oppose Diablo. Now, Governor Brown can save Diablo. He’s not up for re-election. He’s not raising money. He’s in a position to do what’s right.
Why will we win? Because the universe bends toward justice. Because when Californians are asked to think about it, they love nature, and believe in science.
We can continue to speculate about the closure of Diablo Canyon, or we can do something about it. I know what I am going to do. I will march. Will you?
Please join us tomorrow evening [May 31 at Tap it Brewery at 5:30 pm] to find out more.
Best Regards,
Kristin & Heather
Mitch says
June 1, 2016 at 5:57 AMGood luck and best wishes for this! The shame of it is you have there a state that’s tipping over with stars and celebs who endorse anything under the moon but you’re hard put to scrape any up for the nuclear cause. Says it all.
Rod Adams says
June 1, 2016 at 7:46 AM@Mitch
Not exactly. Apparently Ironman (aka Robert Downey, Jr.) has decided that nuclear energy is worth supporting.
http://www.environmentalprogress.org/big-news/
One step forward.
Bryan Chesebrough says
June 1, 2016 at 7:46 AMHas there been any response by “Nuclear Matters”? Seems as though Big Names like Former Senators and Governors like Evan Bayh and Judd Gregg and former EPA Director Carol Browner, all of whom reside on the board of “Nuclear Matters” could demonstrate their resolve by participating.
Rich says
June 1, 2016 at 10:00 AM@Rod
You need to look back at why Zion was shut down. Scuttlebut in the industry was that they could sell electricity for more without that base load available. Zion’s owner is/was Com-Ed – an Exelon company [and now operator in reality of Ft. Calhoun NPP which is shutting down].
in the 90’s, before OPPD decided to build Nebraska City II, OPPD was building CCTG like daisies. At one management meeting I asked the wisdom building so many of these facilities with power prices of over $0.50 /kWh, how can you afford the cost of these facilities? I was told “Just one hot spell in the summer will pay for the facility.” I am no expert on pricing, economics, etc., but it seems to me that Senior Executives with NPPs have decided that, like Com-Ed & Zion, they will be on firmer pricing ground with less Nuclear Power. Just like TMI got low-balled on their auction for power, others feel the same pinch. Get rid of a few plants and the contract price will go up.
Again, if CO2 is really causing Global Warming this will go down as the USA’s biggest mistake in a century. Time will show that Renewables backed up with NG and all of its problems, including the methane leakage and wellhead flare offs where it is un economical to build a pipe line, like is happening now is going to result in More CO2 than coal. Remember it takes two pipelines from an oil field to get both oil and methane. Until the second one is built it is flared off. If the pipeline costs more that the projected NG recovery prediction – it will not even be proposed.
And the Envirowhacos are happy because they will get more wind turbines. And we get higher Electricity prices, forcing the reduction in use of Heat Pumps, possibly even geothermal HPs, and increased use of NG and Higher NG prices. And the cycle starts over.
James Greenidge says
June 1, 2016 at 3:06 PMA belated apology to Rod. Until I heard second-hand I had no ideal Atomic Insights had a GUI change because I primarily use Lynx with Mint Rosa on my warhorse Thinkpad R60 which doesn’t steal horsepower on graphics. On backup Opera the new look looks really sleek, but I lament the absence of the handy site topic index strip on the left side. Otherwise looks fine!
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To this topic, maybe it might be helpful to erect an “Endangered NPPs” blog as a single watering hole for all those affected by NPP closings to share info and intelligence and brainstorm solutions and otherwise commiserate by.
James Greenidge
Queens NY
Brian Mays says
June 1, 2016 at 4:55 PMIn other words, you’re a real man. I’m impressed!
Rod – You should consider branding your blog as “Lynx friendly.”
turnages says
June 2, 2016 at 7:55 AMI know I don’t live in the USA, but Mothers for Nuclear have inspired me to donate and support the upcoming March for Hope. Here’s where you can donate too:
https://secure.squarespace.com/commerce/donate?donatePageId=5716925a7da24f8e4c29df77
Why not cheer ourselves up by thinking up some good slogans for the campaign? Some that spring to mind are:
“We’re proud of our clean energy!”
“Our MOTHERS are PROUD of our power station”
“Happy to SLEEP with our nuclear waste”
“Stop the FOEs of our CLEAN ENERGY!”
“Diablo Canyon: 20g CO2 per kWh
Natural Gas: 400g CO2 per kWh”
“Natural gas is DIRTY”
“Aliso Canyon: DIRTY
Diablo Canyon: CLEAN”
Diablo Canyon –
The MORE you KNOW
the LESS you FEAR!
We LOVE
our ENVIRONMENT!
We LOVE DC!
NATURAL GAS
is
CLIMATE DISASTER!
DIABLO CANYON
POWER
when the
SUN goes DOWN
DIABLO CANYON
is 18 times
BETTER than IVANPAH
HATE CO2
LOVE DIABLO CANYON
Who’s got some more?
Simon
James Greenidge says
June 2, 2016 at 10:04 AMGood idea, but instead of run-of-the-mill cute sounding signs, how about hard-hitting edu-signs the media and fossils REALLY won’t like:
Total NPP deaths over 60 years worldwide: 80
Total Oil/Gas deaths over 60 years worldwide: 30,000+
Natural Gas IS a Greenhouse Gas = Global Warming.
NPPs emit No Greenhouse Gas = Fresh Air and Dry Coastal Cities!
Canadian Asthma Society Supports Nuclear. Hospitals Support Clean Pollution-less Nuclear
Nuclear Waste Is A Waste of Time. We Long Knew How To Do IT!
Every NPP-Closing Anti-Nuker Is Responsible For Three Respiratory Deaths a Year
NPPs Won’t Clutter Your Vistas With Monster Pinwheels
Greenpeace And FOE Won’t Debate With Nuclear Pros. Ask Why!!
Chernobyl Killed Less Than Major Oil and Gas and Coal Accidents
Fukushima Had Three RARE Meltdowns. No Doomsdays. No Deaths.
A Happy Forest Blooms in Chernobyl, Not A Radioactive Desert.
Is Nagasaki and Hiroshima A Radioactive Forbidden Zone?
Save Oil And Coal To Make Things From, Not Go Up In Smoke!
If You’re Fair, Ask Oil and Gas To Seal Up All Their Waste Like Nuclear Always Does!
Just seed ideas for starters… Good Luck!
James Greenidge
Queens NY
turnages says
June 2, 2016 at 5:41 PMThanks James. I think we really need both sorts of sign. Short punchy slogans are best while demonstrating or on the march: onlookers need to decipher things easily. Longer thinking-hooks work well on handouts and poster displays.
BTW, Mothers For Nuclear remind us that Governor Brown is a key person. So obviously some slogans need to be aimed at him. I dunno, something like:
DO THE RIGHT THING
GOVERNOR BROWN
SAVE US FROM THE ECO-BULLIES
GOVERNOR BROWN
SAVE OUR CLEAN POWER
GOVERNOR BROWN
And what sort of slogans can folks come up with for PG&E ?? Stuff about not betraying our children would seem to be relevant…
Mitch says
June 3, 2016 at 2:10 AMGood quotes. Impact tells a full story. The marchers just need to get bigger signs. This is the last chance to shake up the unwashed on the tube.
Mitch says
June 4, 2016 at 3:01 AMAny Pols endorsing this rally?
James Greenidge says
June 19, 2016 at 6:58 PMTake it or leave it, but I think it highly behooves the marchers and organizers to “embed” or have someone VERY literate and knowledgeable on nuclear energy stick close by the reporters throughout the march to field and “enhance” any replies from marchers that they might throw off-the-cuff questions at. Just a gut recommendation to help prevent any silly or unknowledgeable marcher replies from being a crippling news byte. Can’t hurt at this stage of the game.
James Greenidge
Queens NY