Jan. 15, 2010

Minutes of WNCPSR Meeting

Jan 15, 2010
NIRS Office, 43 Riverview Drive

 Present: Lew Patrie, Mary Olson, Stan and Brad Dienst, Leah Karpen, Pete Sutherland, Bob and Irma Howarth, John Joyner (9)      

Pete presented copy of resolution to AVL City Council to designate Asheville as a City of Peace. Lots of whereases. Mary noted prior fruitless effort re the nuclear transportation issue.   

Meeting Minutes of  Nov 20, 2009 were approved as written.

Treasurer's Report: John Joyner reported receipts of $580 toward the Karl Grossman program in March. Our present balance is $1791.99. It was agreed to renew our NC Conservation Network membership at $25.00

Dr. John Brock talk at Jubilee, Jan 17th at 7 PM, on global warming and related health issues, previously seen by Bob Howarth was very well received, and highly recommended.                      

Action Items

Karl Grossman program will be Thursday, March 25, 7 PM at the Reuter Center at UNCA. Mary displayed draft poster titled “Weaponization of Space”, which will be changed to “Weapons in Space” plus other changes. 8 1/2 x 11 inch posters will be put on <wncpsr.org> to be copied for wide distribution; cost $50 to be paid when posters completed.  We discussed groups we should contact for attendance, with many suggested. Leah reports one sponsor, despite many requests sent out; needs help with publicity.  Pete is to contact Ron ? re media & inform Lew. Leah reports Karl's airfare costs aren’t yet known. Karl Grossman wants to open with a 28 min. DVD presentation. This was not well received, but may be negotiable. Planners to have a pre-program mtg. at Leah's, Thurs, Feb 4 at 3 PM.

Leah announced meetings of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space to be May 9, at the Church Center in NYC, 2nd floor, 777 UN Plaza, and a later meeting in India on Sept. 12; proposed WNCPSR provide funds to help us go to meetings.

Mary Olson will attend NC Coal/Climate Strategy retreat - Feb 1 & 2.
 Mary plans to set up a roundtable of activists in Erwin, TN. Nuclear waste from commercial reactors is no longer going to Barnwell and may be coming through Asheville to Erwin. Date is pending arrangement with Erwin activists; she also reported on Duke Energy's coal program (Calvert Cliffs). Duke now wants to put two nukes in that area, within 60 miles of us. Mary has also been involved in challenging Progress Energy's proposed two nukes in FL. The NRC has denied funds for CWIP for this year, so the projects are on hold. However, they may try again next year. Eternal vigilance!

Lew and Errington Thompson have arranged for us docs and Mary to meet with state representative Susan Fisher on a number of our issues (Errington, Lew, Stan, Don, Richard Fireman) to be Tues., 1/26, 10 AM at NIRS office. PSR group will meet at 9 AM there to line up our ducks.

Lew ask that we again call our senator to defeat the Murkowski amendment (many of us have already done) as it would prevent EPA from taking action on global warming, the latest attack on the Clean Air Act (Not acting in the public interest is one definition of treason).

Leah showed copies of two NYT articles about films on nukes: The Dark Side of the Moon and Red Cloud at Dawn.

Lew suggested possibility of altering some of our meeting days, times and agenda with a view to getting more attendance. No decision made.

Brad Dienst introduced the "Wiser Earth" website, a database for a wide variety of issues, and offered to cite our website there. It's a public service bulletin board. We agreed to support Brad's effort.

Future monthly WNCPSR meetings  are Feb 19 and March 19 at NIRS, noon.
 
Meeting adjourned at 1:50 PM - Don Richardson, Secretary By Default