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Would you trust a craftsfair over 30 years old? 17 0 ''t4. PLOWSHARES DEC 2-3 SATURDAY 10-5PM SUNDAY NOON-5PM SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER 401 SOUTH AVENUE, SYRACUSE, NY Plowshares is a Syracuse community craftsfair celebrating a world where people enjoy their work and have control over it. It is one of the main fundraisers of the Syracuse Peace Council Published Monthly by the Syracuse Peace Council - Founded in 1936 - I55N 0735-41341 QP~te News(e(alz December 2000 PNL 697 Neer Yorke Voice for Peace and oeia: . ~etice Contents No Solution to Global Climate Change 3 Burma : Something Went Wrong 4 The Pesticide Wars Of Onondaga County 5 Teen: Animated Blood and Violence 5 Peaces 6 Plowshares Program 7 Even Bird Watching is Dangerous in Colombia 11 Calendar 15 About This Issue This issue is a kind of mixed bag with a clear focus Remembering Joan Goldberg on the Peace Council's annual Plowhares Craftsfair. Feb. 13, 1935 - Dec. 14, 1999 Included as well are articles about Light Work/Commu- nity Darkroom's photo exhibit, the continuing threat of During recent weeks the local chapter of the Jewish Peace Fellow- nuclear power and the dangers of chemical pesticide ship (JPF) has engaged in a flurry of activity . As we have met and applications . You will also see a variety of advertise- vigiled to provide a Jewish voice for a just peace in Israel and Palestine, ments for goods and services, including a two page ad we have sorely missed Joan Goldberg's presence. Joan was an active from the Syracuse Real Food Co-op . What these dispar- member of New Jewish Agenda in the 1980's and was among a small ate pieces have in common is our work in developing, group of Jewish women who regularly demonstrated as "Women in strengthening and protecting our community economy. Black" against the Israeli occupation in the mid-1990's . Despite her These are examples of efforts to create, produce, distrib- illness, Joan played a valuable role in the formation of JPF and ute, earn credits for, barter, sell, and donate goods and supported our efforts right up until her death . At our vigil on November services within the community . While the definition of 16, we took a moment to remem- community may vary (the neighborhood, county, re- ber Joan's steady commitment to gion, etc.), the goal is the same : to increase the amount peace and justice for all people. of work over which we have control, and decrease the Andy Mager dependence on large corporations and institutions whose purpose is profit without sufficient concern for other human and social values. Since the December 18, 1999 Plowshares happens once a year. Decisions about memorial service, Joan's ashes what to consume, acquire, develop, and get rid of happen have been scattered in Califor- every day . How we do these things is a measure of our community vitality . Join us in celebration at Plowshares nia, New York State, and Maine. Some of her ashes are O n October 19'h a weeping where we share our creativity and knowledge . Learn cherry tree was planted at the Petit more about organic farming, community banking, and buried in Detroit (where she grew up) where we had an Library in memory of Joan as part of the many faces of activism. Treat your senses with art, unveiling in September. It has the library's garden project. textures, sounds, beauty, and delicious vegetarian cook- The tree will be dedicated on ing. Perhaps the experience and memory of Plowshares been a difficult year where intense grief has been bal- December 14'h at 5:30 pm in a short can serve as food for thought as we "grow" our commu- ceremony outside the library . All nity economy. anced by support from this social justice community as are welcome. well as organizations like The People's 60 Minutes Hope for the Bereaved and Hospice . I miss Joan's love, her energy, The Peace Council's TV show her enthusiasm, her devotion to the things she believed in. Seeing 8 pm every Sunday night Cable TV how much she cared for her friends, how well organized she was, Channel 3- City • 12- Suburbs how attentive she was. I am still amazed how she was able to look Watch it - Tape it - Share it! after me, even though I was the supposedly the "caregiver." Doug Igelsrud correction: The author of Rogue State, reviewed last month, is William Blum 2 Peace Newsletter 12/2000 Nuclear Power: :ltd: • No Solution to Global Climate Change Kyle Rabin While every energy technology has some environmental ramification, nuclear power is particularly non-sustainable for While many Americans assume that of the Clean Development Mechanism the following reasons: nuclear power is a dying technology, the (CDM), a worldwide pollution trading cred- Each nuclear plant can cost one to several nuclear industry is not ready to concede its scheme and a controversial aspect of the billion dollars in lifetime costs. To make a sub- defeat for this dangerous and costly power Kyoto Protocol . Under the Protocol, a devel- stantial reduction in CO2 emissions, commer- source. The current debate on climate change oped nation that builds an electric generat- cial reactors would have to replace many coal- is resurrecting the industry's hopes - by ing project in another country would receive fired plants as they are retired, requiring ap- opening the potential for large-scale nuclear a pollution credit if the new plant leads to proximately 2,000 nuclear power plants. The investment in developing countries. The lower greenhouse gas emissions. However, total cost penalty of using nuclear power would nuclear industry .is jockeying for a position the country receiving the credit does not amount to several trillion dollars. in energy markets in the developing world have to reduce their greenhouse gas produc- This approach would divert funds away by selling itself as sustainable energy tech- tion. The CDM allows nations in the devel- from renewable energy development and en- nology that can help mitigate global climate oping world to participate in meeting that ergy efficiency . In the past 50 years, the nuclear change. goal through "sustainable development" power industry has received 96 .3% of $150 Last month, the nuclear industry took projects. billion in US government subsidies according to their fight to The Hague which was host to Climate treaty negotiators grappled with the Renewable Energy Policy Project ; that's the sixth annual meeting (November 13 - 24) the question of how to definite sustainable $145 billion for nuclear reactors and only $5 of the Conference of the Parties (COP-6) to development. The European Union had billion for wind and solar projects . Energy the Climate Change Convention . COP-6 taken a position to exclude nuclear power efficiency is up to seven times more effective in was the most important meeting on interna- from the CDM by requiring COP-6 to adopt CO2 emissions reduction than nuclear power. tional climate negotiations since Kyoto. a positive list of environmentally sound Many more reactors would result in the Ministers from around the world engaged in projects based on renewable energy sources, creation of thousands of metric tons of spent discussions about how to implement the energy efficiency improvements and demand fuel, in addition to existing wastes . There is no Kyoto Protocol - an international trade side management . However, the United viable policy for the management of spent fuel, agreement designed to reduce greenhouse States opposed the development of a posi- which is dangerous for many thousands of gas emissions in both industrialized and tive list of eligible projects by arguing that years. industrializing nations. each country should determine for itself Plutonium in spent fuel can be used to Working through the United States, what qualifies as sustainable technologies. make nuclear weapons . Each current 1000- Japanese, and French delegations, a handful This negotiating tactic gave the appearance megawatt commercial reactor produces 40 of power companies, including General Elec- of flexibility, but in actuality was intended bombs worth of plutonium a year. tric (GE), Mitsubishi and Framatome, ar- to allow countries like China and India to Nuclear reactors threaten our health . In gued for the creation of massive interna- label nuclear power as sustainable develop- normal operation, reactors release radioactive tional subsidies for building new nuclear ment and to qualify for tradable credits un- substances to the air and water . Many human plants in countries like China, India and der the climate treaty. population studies demonstrate that additional, Vietnam. Western corporations, like GE, It is disturbing that at a time when new, low, constant levels of radiation can cause unable to construct new nuclear plants in cleaner energy technologies should be en- cancer and genetic mutations in this and future North America or Europe due to safety, en- couraged to enter the global energy market- generations. vironmental and costs concerns, attempted place, the nuclear power industry continues With nuclear power there is the very real to dump their unwanted and failing technol- to seek incentives to spread this doomed potential for serious accidents, as we have ogy on developing countries, at a time when technology throughout the world . Nuclear seen from Three Mile Island in the US, Chernobyl small scale and decentralized power plants power is not sustainable and is not the solu- in the Ukraine, and, most recently, the 1999 are becoming more economic. tion to global climate change, energy effi- critical event at the Tokaimura uranium pro- A key issue dealt with by COP-6 was ciency and renewable energy are. Any fur- cessing plant in Japan that released radiation whether or not nuclear power should be part ther subsidy to the nuclear industry will estimated at about 4,000 times the level consid- thwart cleaner and more sustainable tech- ered safe for a person to receive in a year.