[Occupymendocino] Fwd: Dawn of the Nuclear Age

Sat Aug 1 10:00:42 PDT 2020

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> Summer 2020 Issue
> Seventy-five years ago today – July 16, 1945, the United States detonated the first atomic bomb, which was named “Trinity,” in New Mexico. In less than one month's time, the first three nuclear weapons had blasted the planet, unleashing a destructive force with consequences that will linger for thousands of years.
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> This issue of the Golden Rule eNews is devoted to remembering those horrible events and to educating ourselves about the continuing impact U.S. militarism in the Pacific, with particular focus on Hawaii. 
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> The Golden Rule peace boat is currently in Honolulu, sheltering-in-place until Covid-19 restrictions can be safely lifted in the Marshall Islands and throughout the Pacific. In the meantime, we remain committed to our mission to rid the world of nuclear weapons and to sail for a peaceful, sustainable future. Thank you for all your support.
> Seventy Five Years Ago - July 16, 1945 The Atomic Era Began with the Trinity Test in Alamagordo, New Mexico.  It Changed the World Forever.
> Both the yield (21 kilotons) and the fallout exceeded expectations of the scientists by far. Wind carried the fallout over a hundred miles and rolls of film as far away as Indiana was ruined. "If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds.", said Robert Oppenheimer afterwards. Survivors and their descendants are still trying to get health care and compensation. Downwinders of that blast are still trying to get health care and compensation for the injuries to themselves and their descendants.
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> Because ten of the thirteen pounds of plutonium did not fission but were drawn seven miles into the stratosphere and rained back down on the planet, a huge area of the Southwest will be contaminated for 240,000 years with the most toxic poison known to man.
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> Just 3 weeks later, On August 6, Hiroshima, Japan was destroyed and 180,000 civilians died by the end of the year.
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> In five square miles of the city, 92% of the buildings were destroyed or damaged by the blast and fires.
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> On August 9, Nagasaki
> was bombed, with over 80,000 killed. 
> Tens of thousands died instantaneously and others died slowly and agonizingly as a result of burns and radiation. Survivors are still susceptible to leukemia, tumors, and post-traumatic stress. But the damage didn't stop there - children and grandchildren of survivors had increased chances of small brain sizes, delayed development, blindness and increased susceptibility to leukemia and other cancers.
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> Atomic bomb survivors have worked hard all of their lives to assure that NEVER AGAIN will nuclear weapons be used!
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> Many have written about why these weapons were developed and used - and why bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki was unnecessary and immoral United States intelligence broke the Japanese code early in the war. Truman's diary confirms that he knew Japan was trying desperately to get out of the war by opening a negotiating channel through Moscow.- see articles here  <x-msg://160/#edit/activity/_blank>and here. <x-msg://160/#edit/activity/_blank>
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> Veterans For Peace and the Golden Rule Project work to educate the public about the danger that nuclear weapons poses to humanity and the environment. We participate in local, national and international efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons - the major reason that the Golden Rule was rebuilt.  We work to build support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and a framework of policies to reduce the possibility of nuclear war.
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> This year, the Veterans For Peace National eConvention is themed around nuclear disarmament and acknowledgment of the harm done by the whole nuclear chain, from uranium to nuclear annihilation.
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> The Golden Rule Project will sail to commemorate 75 years since the horrific US nuclear bombing of the civilian populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
> We will sail Golden Rule from Ko Olina marina, past Pearl Harbor, and offshore from Waikiki Beach in Honolulu with big banners, “Ban Nuclear Weapons” and “Hiroshima: Never Again”. If you’re on O’ahu, please let us know - we’ll sail by Ala Moana Park and Magic Island the afternoons of August 6 and 9.
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> Golden Rule is in Ko Olina Marina near Honolulu
> Ko Olina is a new, modern marina only 1/2 hour drive from Honolulu. Although a bit more expensive than the public docks, it is more secure and has very nice facilities. 
> Maintenance, Repairs, and Haul Out
> Captain Milosz Kaczorowski returned to Hawaii in late May and worked really hard during his two weeks of quarantine on the Golden Rule, with special permission from the Hawaii State Coronavirus Exceptions team. 
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> From June 11 - 15 Golden Rule was hauled out of the water at Keehi Marine Center near Honolulu for repair of a rib, replacement of zinc anodes (corrosion protection) and greasing the thru-hull fittings.  
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> Many thanks to Barbara Cooney, Bob Broderick, Michelle Russo and others for your help with Captain Milosz’ quarantine, the haul out and other work. This project survives with the help of our many volunteers!
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> Captain Milosz is now safely back in Poland. However, due to a problem with his visa, he cannot continue as Golden Rule’s captain. We are looking for another captain.
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> You Are the Wind in Our Sails
> We want to thank the many people who have contributed their love, their time and their money to the unique mission of the historic Golden Rule anti-nuclear sailboat. Because of you we have made many friends and educated tens of thousands of people about the continuing dangers of nuclear war, and we have helped build support for the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 
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> The worldwide Covid-19 pandemic has temporarily halted our Pacific voyage, but we continue to remain dedicated – along with Veterans For Peace – to our mission to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all. As you know, maintaining a boat is expensive as is the preparation for our Pacific voyage. Dock fees in Hawaii are rather steep too. So, the Golden Rule relies on your continuing financial support. This would be a great time for an infusion of cash and a vote of confidence for our continuing mission. Thank you so much for being part of the Golden Rule family! 
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> HOW TO GIVE:
> Through the web site, https://vfpgoldenrule.org <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JRnP_wcKqEh57sB_e7eFzYKb33BqFCt8S8XfRfT29x276shbkmSsKJglHfDLz78EZHIwG4gadTfUWrE1_zZwo4w==&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>
> Paypal: Click Here <x-msg://160/#edit/activity/_blank>
> 
> Check:
> VFP Golden Rule Project
> PO Box 87
> Samoa, CA 95564
> 
> Press Coverage
> Lee Cataluna wrote a great article in Hawaii's most-read newspaper, the Star Advertiser <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JWuL2NO9VIEP7mCw7lOYX_Ms8drgws4rSlyJ6oznrRAV_H7ZoKrQMTIh3TXIaysgaAKkhphlQIu2NwReqYgq_FyLVd-VyieQK9WhHnJsEcqp0WsG3TaCWKBP5QCLEETgzuyY0VtsKpzIUIUMvWMc1ozeZ9m_X4YcHHSKivPweDA1hGqE-wSuSaKgTjH_YCHZ40UPcf4UX4XV-rf8akqg_mxFW9utdTdFW8X3VsiBc8jmmXx6KxxweYGvoGCIwSzlFmI5wQ4Lux4E=&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==> based on an interview with Captain Milosz Kaczorowski. 
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> '“People did bold things on this very boat,” Kaczorowski said. Last year Kaczorowski sailed the Golden Rule from San Diego to … Hawaii island. Kaczorowski flew from Poland in early March to the U.S. to prepare for a cross-Pacific sail from Hawaii to Japan. He was in California with the project manager of the Golden Rule when the COVID-19 pandemic escalated. Guam, one of the planned stopping points in the journey, closed its borders. The Marshall Islands had closed its borders even earlier due to the measles outbreak. The Japan trip had to be postponed.’
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> Thanks to Lee and Milosz, and to Barbara Cooney for arranging the interview! Read more <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JWuL2NO9VIEP7mCw7lOYX_Ms8drgws4rSlyJ6oznrRAV_H7ZoKrQMTIh3TXIaysgaAKkhphlQIu2NwReqYgq_FyLVd-VyieQK9WhHnJsEcqp0WsG3TaCWKBP5QCLEETgzuyY0VtsKpzIUIUMvWMc1ozeZ9m_X4YcHHSKivPweDA1hGqE-wSuSaKgTjH_YCHZ40UPcf4UX4XV-rf8akqg_mxFW9utdTdFW8X3VsiBc8jmmXx6KxxweYGvoGCIwSzlFmI5wQ4Lux4E=&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>...
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> From August 17 - 31, Hawaii’s skies will be filled with rockets, mortars, missiles, and drones. Warships, fighter jets, destroyers, and submarines will maneuver, and more than 25,000 military personnel from over 20 countries will gather in Hawaii for “Rim of the Pacific” (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest international maritime war practice. RIMPAC sinks <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5J-CpQTdpwBHMUWhszSHh60PwcdXa3WkMFhu8m87tj_Gdg20qRqxReN3Cwl0fSQOp2b6Db4NCuajcw2S4RRajzqK8ukGTw8-epbO6lNlcm8-GZTLPdQZ8qveHR9YDTduZ-nL2YhfRHgmZySV-PJb-y4AAa1hM-7n3sQf9NwuNjvBMbS_3gGV6fOw==&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==> decommissioned ships, which releases toxic chemicals. 
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> There has long been opposition to RIMPAC from Native Hawaiians and peace and environmental activists. “Every two years, RIMPAC has destroyed our island resources while naturalizing the imperial violence that underlines these encounters,” said activist Kyle Kajihiro.  Activists have called on the military to cancel this year due to coronavirus.  Making matters worse this year,military personnel and their families will not have to observe quarantine rules that have helped protect Hawaiians up to now.    
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> Hawaiian activists have done what they could to stop RIMPAC. Now it’s time to protest against it. The Golden Rule will sail from Ko Olina, past Pearl Harbor, and on to the tourist destination of Waikiki Beach to protest against this horrific, dangerous “exercise” and show of force. Further reading:
> Cancel RIMPAC, Protect Hawai'i <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5J_mgfy02QvlfnHE2wtN1TPQmqqAM2so9uZopJzq6Q6V2vetHACmKsjwjTo3Fx3_HxIcHw3vcB5iifsOdJR4mjmAyajOY09xSdwM3BrIIxHznLNtV8dopl8l4WbwsMw8DUlpmwKv5W5q0JEk2wtAzKV1wHMNe6bv3d&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==> Despite the danger of COVID 19, the US Military Continues War Practice in Europe and Pacific and plans for more in 2021 <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JhUgCqyiCLG_cyQN8__rmmjp3roaQWxXgKp1SW0VH7Bquc_81FGoSuYObl-219W8bqf1bAf63fp8Q9jEdblUVipWXxUScNNaSz0eTU0qfJu-RxQDNRHsR3h4cmZmeLiR_JISh6MiVALOMA4boynT4FsKDP3dugzcI-LoEz_gCNSQNG1csyVZ9s8fUNHVqZvndykRbY7wwsa_5RF-YrJwvoWjPBSanHWp1i7o_bBvdRKQ=&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==> 
> As the Coronavirus Spreads, RIMPAC Planners Face Grim Facts <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JhMeS3aFnvOhMJYsqAJ1jYmOIW8ZknRPtlY0ipky8DDa1cqMvoXXAKRxzxuHJnv_uUpvi5a7RqnpKAVjz53jPe6ALiz5LjrWbi1_cS5EX01syYTdz4UDHKcxeb5IsGTRwoNZs-qfy7fC-ZyL_kFR8VnXZGC8NdsW69InElrTYT_U-T30zTJhEQA==&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>
> Veterans For Peace National eConvention
> On August 2, Helen Jaccard, Golden Rule Project Manager, will speak at the VFP National Convention, which is online this year. She will update VFP members on the Golden Rule Project and introduce the Opening Plenary, themed “The nuclear weapons industry – creating victims – more than 75 years and counting” The Plenary will cover all aspects of harm - Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, uranium mining / processing and nuclear bomb tests.
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> On August 4 at 3 pm Central Time, the Golden Rule Project will host a workshop, “Resisting Nuclear War and Militarism in the Pacific”, featuring presentations from Pacific Islanders where the Golden Rule will sail to on her way to Japan. Panelists will address how U.S. militarization, colonization and nuclear testing impacts indigenous people and the environment in Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, Guam and Okinawa. (**Link to VFP Convention Schedule)
> Whale for Peace Sculpture
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> Golden Rule Representatives Zoe Byrd and Barbara Cooney, on the right, assist in creation of a whale sculpture at the Mauna Arts and Cultural Village.
> In Hawaiian culture the Koholā (Humpback Whale) are sacred for grace, intelligence, and beauty. They live in peaceful co-existence and community. As they swim they bring energy of harmony to all of us. Their songs teach us that we can live with aloha, love each other, and understand our oneness, and take care of Mother Earth. This project brings awareness to all of us the importance of protecting and preserving the whales and the oceans.
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> https://koholaolapeaceproject.org/project/ <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGztLJWvRD47eHqnLG0a3bQkPKE0Z3tM5T-pLdfr7VpGbxZ7mLbHnKJPQKx9nwTZa-X1-rS5LdvT1-ghkSV05KsKTuAUIk6YUz2F_ZVS5b--GNdzAyyzsxGRs=&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>
> https://www.facebook.com/FarmandArts/ <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGztLJWvRD47eHF7g1XsIB3dw7_rSDXPTiXFn1cBPbh_IJCt23EydDNUgCv-jmyZgYfXI7EiDPMqnDXXqwkFrYvK5IcE5p8Sapp755AadXOxkZ1R-PETcWB98=&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>
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> Zoe Byrd said, "Sooriya's copper sculpture Whale for Peace is a wonder to behold (when complete it will grace the new local Community Center in Waianae.) As is the community involvement in the creation of the life size Koholā (Humpback Whale) mother and baby. It was an honor to participate in the event and to join in "pounding" the mother whale into shape. Read more... <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JACwv6vTUyPtT5M6BoIgSB1S2BpKM6z9e8y8kW7cyHtapQJOBWOaPWahnHmPtebV9PbzWRWbP9tlQMXW_Hc_wUpjN_xzmUD7zeb6bRGewecP3wxCLgc8v9DvHyHiynLbsEzPvIRm9qhnpFXEM4EUW27WFo6fH9zD6tht0gOuq_Hg=&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>
> Focus on Hawai'i - Occupied Land Desecrated by the US Military
> All of the islands of Hawai'i <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JcqyI8gLsOgsTDv7xOiL1xpbISP20lAAvC0YzRo9BmfbPynk0Irt-Lbn6eR2I8dyizOgo9WcVfpx3qUqNVdyd77b0sjeQxPBw&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==> suffer from the abuse of the U.S. military. Hawaiians continue to rise up against the destruction of their culture and lands. Here are some of the things we learned during our visit in Hawai'i.
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> Occupied land: In 1898 the US Congress illegally annexed Hawai'i, for which they apologized in 1993. If that wasn't bad enough, the US military continues to abuse the land in ways that are difficult to remediate. Stopping their destructive, careless activities has been nearly impossible - no matter how many Hawaiians, cities, counties, and the State object, the US military continues to treat all of Hawai’i as though it was their war games playground. In 2019, the military announced that they would practice land invasions of other countries by invading public beaches and parks all over Hawai’i. Maui County objected, but their objections fell on deaf ears. So Hawai’i is not just a colony of the US, it is in particular a colony of the US military.
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> The number and area of US military bases and firing/bombing ranges that are or were destroyed to the point that they can’t be used by Native Hawaiians is staggering. The military takes up 20.6% of the total land area of the State of Hawai’i (about 200,000 acres). As of 1995 there were 405 toxic military sites in 122 facilities, with 6 of them on the “Superfund” National Priorities List.
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> Occupied O'ahu: The military takes up 22.2% O’ahu (about 85,000 acres). More info - click here <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JcqyI8gLsOgsTDv7xOiL1xpbISP20lAAvC0YzRo9BmfbPynk0Irt-Lbn6eR2I8dyizOgo9WcVfpx3qUqNVdyd77b0sjeQxPBw&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>
> When the Golden Rule sailed to Kane’ohe, our Hawaiian captain warned us about the bombing / firing ranges on our route - Bellows Air Force Base and Marine Base Kane’ohe Bay. Sailors need to watch for red flags on certain hills that indicate that they are actively using live munitions.
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> Koho'olawe:The small island of Koho'olawe was bombed from World War II to 1990. From 1994 to 2003 the US Navy performed some cleanup of the unexploded ordnance (UXO), but the island remains unsafe for habitation. It took years of dangerous protests to get the bombing of Koho’olawe stopped. The island’s fresh water lens was destroyed by the bombs, so there is no longer a source of water on the island. 
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> Navy's Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility: Near Honolulu, sitting atop an aquifer that provides drinking water to residents from Moanalua to Hawaii Kai, are twenty underground fuel storage tanks which are not repairable nor inspectable. They were uilt in 1943, with a total capacity of 250 million gallons. In January 2014, the U.S. Navy reported a 27,000 gallon leak of jet fuel from Tank 5. But what the military tried to deny at the County Council meeting that Helen Jaccard attended is that over 200,000 gallons <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JprTUObbQR62MVQqRSycc6gidvhk73d8L_txwlBZlJhUIDXkpneIMW6oNz5-YdJjqG7Cg9Thn9JRrkyFuXfU6aBx-g0SSnBsSQ-mPXRVtrhbAYWQW2fDPzC7jIWIUHjA0MUOIxEK7HVl7caOhN49tpg==&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==> of fuel have leaked from these tanks already. The Red Hill tanks were supposed be upgraded by 2037 under the Administrative Order on Consent between the Environmental Protection Agency, the state and the Navy. Despite this agreement, the Navy proposes no changes until 2045.
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> Molikini Crater:  Another small island, Molokini, was used for bombing practice during World War II. Two unexploded bombs discovered buried in the sand last year, and the military plans to bomb the bombs rather than do the right thing - detonate them in a chamber where the explosive chemicals can be contained and removed. The Navy proposal to explode the bombs angers local activists, who point out the damage this will do to local wildlife. “It is unacceptable that this has progressed this far without proper consultations and public input”, Rep. Tina Wildberger said, “I beseech the Navy to use imagination, thought, care and consideration, and not take the easy way out and detonate this ordnance.” Similar explosions in the 1970s and 80s inflicted a great amount of damage on the nearby coral and local fish.
> Pohakuloa: The US military continues to conduct war practice at the Pohakuloa Training Base on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Hawai'i State Supreme Court recently ruled that after live fire ammunition training, the military must clean up the land to the state it was before the exercise. 
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> Depleted uranium weapons have been used at Schofield Barracks on O’ahu and Pohakuloa on the Big Island - and the weapons casings remain on the bases with no intention on the military’s part to find and remove them. 
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> Missile “Defense” including radar: The US Senate approved FY2021 funding for the $1.9 billion “Homeland Defense Radar - Hawaii”. The radar is slated for O’ahu at Kahuku Training Area or Kuaokala Ridge at Kaena Point. It is coupled with ship- and/or shore-based ability to fire SM-3 IIA missiles from Pearl Harbor destroyers and the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex on Kaua’i. Testing is scheduled to begin this summer.
> Local activists oppose the project on grounds that the construction could threaten cultural sites and harm the environment. In addition, missile defense systems can’t work, according to activist and physicist Lynda Williams <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5JTppgIJpeOnqXvuk7q7qahTAMoxwbc9_QZe0GWMg6VBfcHKH89lZKuuCrTYN5JaZrXKgO2_m_kAXJa1EQlasTvM4yB5heqLPVio2b14gzIwQbsztwhPyoRMa7y8o1QqqEXhGJ6fuZ4iUCN7WUrbnKPEBHDIfM1G5eDWSMxrZu4KI=&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>. 
> Mauna Kea Protectors - It’s not just about a telescope!
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> Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain from sea floor to summit in the world and is the most sacred place in Hawaii. It is where Hawaiian cosmology puts the creation of the Hawaiian people. It is also ecologically sensitive, with unique bio-geo-climatic zones and an aquifer that is the source of freshwater for the Big Island. For decades there has been concern over mismanagement of the observatories, including waste management and mercury spills. 
> 
> The proposed Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) would be much larger than the 13 telescopes already on Mauna Kea. Eighteen stories high, it will require more electrical, water, transportation and other infrastructure. Many of the old telescopes were built without proper permits and against the wishes of the local communities, so it is not surprising that but to many Hawaiians, it felt like the decision was thrust upon them without their permission, as has happened many times before.
> For over a year, Elder “Protectors” blocked the road to the summit where the new, HUGE, thirty meter telescope (TMT) is to be built. Not only is the TMT “One too many, One too big”. Five of the are no longer in use, but until recently, there was no effort to acknowledge they must be removed and the land brought back to pre-telescope condition. Recently, the University of Hawaii has promised to remove the five unused telescopes. But until they do, and completely restore the land, it is unlikely that the Native Hawaiians will allow the new huge telescope to be built. According to Nature.com <http://nature.com/>, “The island chain — one of the world’s best platforms for stargazing — has become a testing ground for the ethics of conducting research in a place full of injustice towards Indigenous peoples.” The fight over the TMT is a symbol of historical inequities in Hawaii. “This is a political issue rooted in historical injustice,” says Greg Chun, executive director of Mauna Kea stewardship for the University of Hawaii, which manages the mountaintop land on which the observatories sit. 
> 
> The TMT advocates say that the telescope will bring a lot of good jobs. But Kealoha Pisciotta, one of the kiaʻi or protectors of Mauna Kea, says if the state wants to create jobs, it should enforce the law requiring fair market rent on existing telescopes, instead of collecting just $1.00 a year <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e6pS49Rt95Mz89uYp_ZpAtLRrfGQv17Tqg3nIzFsuc6u2lMMgAIGzg0an3jRu-5J4fBqSXTjnQcEiH6HVL8OXOpsOKcLRCxUrGT2TCBFPJyIBnRomK-WvaB-UCGHfBRvRNbOV10tzevP2E_CmvfQW0uEE6eusNbTgRh4e8YuhRS1NftkUEDhVrKR0iXohler&c=RN5d8VF_RhpEou2poj_S0d9ncc7BSiaJXXhtUSMdE_9EFpGkdm_Blw==&ch=vW98_5NSmglih2YYQ-Ph1stk4TyjHeOIMLp7eS8ceamUMYDTCcfU5g==>.
> 
> “That would allow many jobs where we start hiring people to restore the environment, take care of Mauna Kea,” says Pisciotta, “rather than jobs based on destruction. How’s about jobs based on building ʻāina momona - making the land abundant and fruitful?”
> 
> The $1.4 billion project has been unable to proceed. Both times it tried — in 2015, and then again in July 2019 — the kia’i (protectors) blocked the road to Mauna Kea’s summit.
> 
> Soon after we arrived on the Big Island, we had a gathering where Kealoha Pisciotta, Desmon Haumea and Ruth Aloa, all Hawaiian leaders and Mauna Kea Protectors, welcomed us to Hawaii. Soon thereafter, Ann Wright, Gerry Condon and Helen Jaccard were honored to be able to present the Protectors with a Veterans For Peace flag and a Statement of Support. The scene reminded us of our visit to Standing Rock to protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline. These visits change your life, as a new understanding of the effects of colonialism sinks in.
> 
> Last fall, as weather turned bitter cold and everyone was concerned about the health of the elders blocking the road, a truce was called. There would be no attempt at construction so that the elders could go home and no one would have to be out in the weather. The camping gear and elders came down. Even this summer, the truce holds. The future of the TMT is still uncertain, as politicians try to figure out what to do and Native Hawaiian resistance continues.
> 
> Rather than disappearing, the threat of nuclear war is only increasing, as the US ramps up tensions with China and Russia. 
> This is a time for people all over the world to come together as never before, and to push our governments to abolish nuclear weapons. The Golden Rule peace boat will continue to 
> Sail for a Nuclear-Free World and a Peaceful, Sustainable Future!
>  
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