RE: Opportunity for response

["Somerville, Mark" <MOS3@PGE.COM>]

Folks,

Remember to keep the connections in view.



With the "California Energy Crisis" and general hand-wringing about energy

in the deregulated world, many newspapers and even (gasp) lawmakers started

to get on or at least offered to help build, well maybe design, well maybe

brainstorm, the new nuclear power plant band wagon.



The anti's blustered a bit in public while they looked for strategies to

head off a rise in public support for nuclear power.  They pulled out a lot

of their doom and gloom articles and made some headway.  But then 2 things

happened.  The power crisis went away as suddenly and mysteriously as it

came, and later, the trade center attack of 9/11 was launched.



Quickly the anti's steered the debate to power plants as targets.  And we

bought it and fought it out ourselves thus giving the story credibility.

Then it was, well, maybe the containments will make it but what about those

crazy spent fuel pools?



The anti's are trying to regain ground that they lost.  They lost it not

because people are less afraid, and not because they were ever really afraid

in the first place, but because the public doesn't like blackouts.  If they

did, they'd live in Iraq (no offense to Iraqis).  The public is just

conditioned to give half hearted, luke warm support to things that sound

like they are good things to support.  The anti's are good about making

anti-nuclear things sound sort of good.  If we make our side sound good,

we'll win.



Mark O. Somerville

Certified Health Physicist

Registered Environmental Assessor

Diablo Canyon Power Plant

(805) 545-4007

mailto: mos3@pge.com





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