[cdn-nucl-l] RE: Taking the bull by the horns

["Whitlock, Jeremy" <whitlockj@aecl.ca>]

Enough can't be said about the importance of letters to the media (print and
TV).  There are few better ways for knowledgeable citizens to leverage their
resources (another way is to join the CNS!).  Write every time a story ticks
you off.  Write proactive letters when times are quiet.  Don't wait for your
employer or the CNS or the CNA to write on your behalf -- people need to
know that there are real people out there who believe in this technology.
It's as easy as sending an email. 

Next time you find yourself saying, "Geez, someone should write these guys
and tell them the way it is." -- start typing.

Jeremy Whitlock

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brown, Morgan [mailto:brownmj@aecl.ca]
> Sent: Monday February 12, 2001 10:37 PM
> To: 'cdn-nucl-l'
> Subject: [cdn-nucl-l] RE: Taking the bull by the horns
> 
> 
> Who is the "we"?  Those of us who are determined not to let 
> exaggeration,
> incompleteness, ignorance, emotion  and downright lies take 
> the place of
> fact.  It is not a time to "defend" nuclear, but rather the 
> time to promote
> it, and do so ardently (yet remaining sensible about it, 
> maintaining our
> grip on the scientific approach).  
> 
> Why is it that newspapers report the nonsense of the Sierra 
> Club or Energy
> Probe?  Because those organizations are well-heeled and have placed
> themselves very conveniently to be "watchdogs" (dogs, anyhow) that are
> easily accessible by the media.  The anti-nuke orgs plant outrageous
> statements (short, clever, quotable sound-bites) in the media 
> (which lap
> them up, given that we aren't there to counter them).  Therefore the
> anti-nuclear organizations justify themselves to their 
> supporters ("See all
> the quotes we had in the news this year - we're doing a good 
> job so send us
> money.").  Look at Energy Probe, and other parts of Probe 
> Corp, which gets
> many op-eds in the National Post.  I counted five in a two 
> month period
> around Christmas.  Where are our op-eds?
> 
> I was amazed when, last week, David Bond, a professor in the commerce
> faculty at UBC, opined his positive thoughts regarding 
> nuclear power on CBC!
> He has taken the bull by the horns, ahead of us.
> 
> It is essential that we establish ourselves with the media 
> for exactly who
> we are - fact-based scientists/engineers/technologists/lay 
> people who are in
> favour of utilizing nuclear science and technology.  We need 
> to improve our
> visibility and credibility.  Some are already doing it, like 
> Jeremy and his
> Canadian Nuclear FAQ page on the internet.  Perhaps letters 
> to the editor
> are too responsive, too defensive, too apologetic.  Maybe we 
> need to write
> letters that take the lead.
> 
> my $0.02
> 
> Morgan Brown
> 
> > ----------
> > From: 	Jerry Cuttler[SMTP:jerrycuttler@home.com]
> > Sent: 	Monday, February 12, 2001 6:13 PM
> > To: 	cdn-nucl-l (E-mail)
> > Subject: 	[cdn-nucl-l] Taking the bull by the horns
> > 
> > Very good letter, Morgan!  I hope they publish it.
> > 
> > Who exactly is/are "we" taking the bull by the horns?  The 
> equivalent
> > organization in Canada would be the CNA.
> > If the CNA were to take on such a campaign, it would be 
> useful to speak
> > with
> > the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Association (ABEN) to 
> understand exactly how
> > they did it* and then develop an appropriate strategy to do 
> it here.  Then
> > the CNA would need to assign good people and the necessary 
> funds to attack
> > the rascals skilfully, without mercy, using facts and good 
> science.  It
> > would take a few years to win.
> > With the costs of energy rising, isn't it time to start to 
> play the game
> > with our own rules?  We don't have to play a fool's game 
> with their rules.
> > 
> > Jerry
> > 
> > -------------------------------------------------
> > *  The director of the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Association, nuclear
> > engineer Guilherme Camargo, tells the fascinating story of 
> how the truth
> > won
> > out over Greenpeace's lies, in an interview with Dr. 
> Jonathan Tennenbaum
> > which will appear in a future issue of 21st Century Science 
> & Technology
> > magazine.
> > 
> 
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