Re: React magazine

[Ruth Weiner <rfweine@sandia.gov>]

"nirs.org," eh?  Let me tell all you RADSAFERs something about NIRS, the Nuclear
Information Resource Service.  This is what used to be known as a nuclear 
intervenor organization: they intervene on behalf of challengers to nuclear 
power plant siting, and generally on behalf of anti-nuclear groups, in 
administrative and legal proceedings.  In 1984 (believe it or not) I was 
interviewed for the position of Executive Director of NIRS. During the course of
the interview, I learned that 70% of the NIRS budget came from a member of the 
Rockfeller family. An eye-opener to me, as a naive academic, but probably not 
news to those who realize that oil money funds anti-nukes. Needless to say, I 
didn't take the job (I had no intention of taking it, but was curious about the 
organization). The NIRS budget, while not huge, is certainly not small.  I am 
absolutely appalled that NIRS propaganda should be treated as informative.  To 
the best of my knowledge, they have (or at least had in 1984) no technical or 
scientific expertise at all -- they generally tried to hire it. 


Clearly only my own opinion

Ruth F. Weiner
Transportation Systems Department
Sandia National Laboratories
505-844-4791
fax 505-844-0244
rfweine@sandia.gov
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: React magazine
Author:  DGILMORE@navajo.astate.edu at hubsmtp
Date:    4/23/98 12:37 PM


Colleagues,
Frequently on this listserve we discuss the importance of educating 
the young about nuclear matters.  It's time to spring into action. Our 
newspaper (and I'm sure many others) has an insert on Thursdays for 
youth called REact.  This week they have an article related to earth 
day which includes a section on radioactive waste with a web site to 
check out.  I surfed it, and it looks like another anti-nuke 
propaganda site.  I was really annoyed and emailed React magazine and 
told them what I thought about feeding our children more junk instead 
of facts.
I encourage any of you to check this out, and if possible, provide 
the magazine with web sites that would provide balanced information 
that would be understandable to youth.
The junk site they provided is probably familiar to many of you: 
http://nirs.org
I'm just a microbiologist; I've done what I can.  You guys are more 
in the field.  Jump in.
HANDBELL PEOPLE have all gone campan-
     
David F. Gilmore
Assistant Professor of Environmental Biology 
P.O. Box 599, Dept. of Biological Sciences 
Arkansas State University
State University, AR 72467
dgilmore@navajo.astate.edu
ph  870-972-3082    fax 870-972-2638