NUCLEAR NOTES

1) Few of Pravda's readers know English, let alone what "dyke" means, so the caption above (11/2/79) brazenly reads "USA. A mass meeting protesting the growing US nuclear arsenal of death was held in New York. Participants voiced their demand to reduce US military expenditures and to give up the nuclear arms race. Photo shows police taking it out on one of the meeting's participants."

2) Rapid information on nuclear developments: Recorded messages from A.I.F's Infophone (301) 652-1078.

3) Internationally known scientists Bethe, Pigford, Seitz, Teller, Weinberg and Wigner have urged Carter by telegram to have the 6 completed plants caught in the NRC's licensing freeze operating as soon as possible. Carter merely expressed hope to resume licensing by May 1980, fired NRC chairman Hendrick, a competent nuclear expert, in a gesture to appease criticism of the NRC, but never touched the real wreckers in the NRC such as Naderite lawyer Bradford. As we go to press, Carter is expected to shut down the New Mexico WIPP project over the DoE's objections, thus raising yet another artificial obstacle in the "unsolved" problem of nuclear waste disposal.

4) Something must have happened in the Urals in 1957 or 1958, but it couldn't have been an "explosion of nuclear wastes" (see The Non-Problem of Nuclear Wastes, $2 from Golem Press, Box 1342, Boulder, CO 80306 -- $1.50 for AtE subscribers), but what was it? For a discussion, see Stratton et al., "Are portions of the Urals really contaminated?" Science, 26 Oct. 79.

5) The newsletter of the 18,000 member Power Engineering Society reprinted our September appeal for scientists' truth squads to help laymen refute antinuclear and anti-technological letters to the editor in the local press (thanks, PES!). These groups will not write letters for you, but they will help you with them and give technical information: Scientists for Accuracy in the Media, 1034 LaBrea, Pocatello, ID 83201 * Committee for Truth in the Public Interest, 1511 Denniston Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 * Committee for Science in the Public Interest, Box 480, La Jolla, CA 92038 * Montana Energy Education Council, Box 2693, Great Falls, MT 59403 * AREA, Box 11802, Albuqueque, NM 87192 * THINK, 430 Water St., Indiana, PA 15701. Keep your letters short!