Ode to a Plutonian Ode

It’s practically beyond belief to see the initial stunning photographs of Pluto we’ve received through the 12-watt transmitter of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, 3 billion miles away. High resolutions of icy mountains as tall as Hyndman and a toy box full of planetary mysteries for mission astronomers to gleefully analyze in coming years – and this success merely 112 years after the Wright Brothers.

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Meanwhile, here on solid Earth, most people have forgotten the protests over the 24 pounds of Idaho made plutonium that’s powering this extraordinary mission. According to the January 16, 2006 N.Y Times: “NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy put the probability of an early-launch accident that would cause plutonium to be released at 1 in 350 chances.”

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The Times also reported in 2006 that NASA estimated the cost of decontamination, should there be a serious accident with plutonium released during the launch, at anywhere from $241 million to $1.3 billion per square mile, depending on the size of the area.

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 This is not a farfetched scenario. Of 28 U.S. space missions that used plutonium preceding 2006, three have had accidents, the worst in 1964 in which a plutonium-powered satellite broke up and spread toxic radioactivity wide over our planet.

Interestingly, soon after the European Space Agency begin using solar energy to power spacecraft past Jupiter, NASA retracted its earlier claims that plutonium would be needed for spacecraft to be operational beyond Mars and admitted that solar will work in deep space. This of course, affects the future of the highly profitable market of INL plutonium production.

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Recently, I read an interesting Reddit article that speculated about the increasing speeds we will probably achieve in future space travel. The author suggested that within a few generations, we may very well develop probes capable of reaching the Outer Oort Cloud within a few days. Not only that, but we could even possess the capability of capturing an earlier probe and then retrieving it for education purposes to a contemporary space museum.

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If humanity achieves this ability in another 112 years, I would suggest to future generations that they do not return the New Horizons spacecraft full of deadly plutonium back to a museum on fragile Earth, but rather create a safe outpost museum on faraway Pluto.

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And if you’ve read his book Plutonian Ode in which leading Beat Poet Alan Ginsberg spoke broadly about this most deadly element under the sun, I think you’ll agree he probably would have smiled at the idea. 

Nuclear satire fallout

Nuclear satire fallout

Last month, The Times-News was kind enough to print a letter I submitted suggesting that we dig deeper for more viable nuclear waste solutions. (Link) http://magicvalley.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letter-to-the-editor-an-idea-for-storing-nuclear-waste/article_fb339e1a-eb04-11e0-b8cc-001cc4c002e0.html

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Soon after, the same letter was brought up in a local discussion board, where a blogger named ‘Nukeworker’ tried to ridicule me, saying “I recently saw a "science show" that had 3 people going from a volcano in Iceland to the center of the earth where there are dinosaurs and they came out another volcano... Journey to the Center of the Earth... This nice tale has more scientific facts than anything in your letter.”

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‘Nukeworker’s’ terse response motivated me to explain: “My piece was meant to be read mostly as satire, although it also contained some radioactive elements of truth. Here in Idaho though, satire is often misunderstood, probably because there is not much need for it in such a beautiful paradise. However, if we don't soon come up with more feasible solutions to our severe nuclear waste disposal issues, there are strong chances that our whole region will revert back to a "hellish environment."
*On a related note, I find it interesting that our Congress now has a bill before them, which will make it a crime to poke fun at or satirize the TSA in any way. What will evolve next? Dehumanizing, joke-proof conditions for all nukes?”

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After diagramming the satire, it was refreshing to hear again from ‘Nukeworker’ who said he missed it at first, but now appreciates the humor. Now I imagine him gazing with new light, deeper into the idea of Mel’s bottomless pit; which after all is a faultless fit, for nuclear waste radiating comfortably in the center of the earth, as well as putrid plutonium propheteers, blowing their mad tops about volcanoes, while caught in tight blogging snits.

Nice Sandwich

I liked the way the Times-News editors threaded my letter, in between the one from Max Hatfield who also supported Lee Halper,and the one from Sun Valley's Martin Huebner, who proclaims to be mystified about nuclear plant opposition.

The original draft was somewhat longer, so I had to cut it down. I don't think it lost too much of it's good flow though; and am glad the Times-News allows 300 words. I find that for most subjects, 300 words is a good guideline -enough to make a succinct point, but not too long to lose the readers interest.

In fact, I've come accustomed to enjoying the monthly challenge, of giving readers something interesting to react to, within those blessed 300 words.

Beware of Putrid Plutonium Propheteers

The powerful politically connected nuclear industry has been consistently campaigning to construct new plants in Idaho and many are prepared to buy it. Some have written letters beseeching Idahoans to embrace nuclear power, so that we can be first in something for once.

To paraphrase environmental-watchman Lee Halper from a recent radioactive-hot forum:

“Idaho is already first in many things. We're almost first in cow crap. We're first in lack of ethics in the Legislature. We're first in ignoring what doesn't work in other states will work here and we're first in having the most NUCLEAR waste seeping into our drinking water. We could be first in geothermal, wind, solar, hydrogen and conservation of energy but people who look for the silver bullet like NUCLEAR, are those who want us to be first in line for Superfund status.”

I agree with Lee; let’s not be first in foolhardiness. The poisonous nuclear industry kills much more than charging windmills do birds. For the next 40,000 years, we will have to develop warning signs decipherable long after the English language has died out. Think about it; the proud legacy nuclear waste leaves, will endure an epoch tenfold longer than the most ancient Egyptian pyramid.

Now an experienced French company “committed to fueling the nuclear renaissance,” is on the verge of gaining generous tax breaks for mining Idaho uranium. While it’s true France uses 80 percent nuclear power, there is a big brouhaha going on over there about the wasteful thinking. And where do the elite French position their insidiously deadly toxins to rest for millennia? Why it’s being shoveled into poor (Muslim) peoples backyards, which leave long-term radioactive stains, that will stink ten million times worse than simple cow-crap.

Good feedback recently on the Fort Boise blog, regarding Putrid Plutonium Propheteers:


http://www.fortboise.org/blog/200803.html#p03150