A Tribute to Pioneers in Nuclear Energy (Mary Claire Birdsong)

A Tribute To Pioneers in Nuclear Energy

By M.C. Birdsong June 26, 2012

I read in my comfy chair

on Knollcrest Circle North.

My optimism builds As a nuclear promise rises gradually from Georgia clay.

The critics and the curious Spark fear and iodine sales.

The tv and the world wide web obscure truth with unfettered abandon.

Behold Daichi: its myth offends the summer eve.

Accurate scholarship can

Into this carbon air

reveal the whole offense,

where blind advisors invoke

from Fermi until now,

their full strength to proclaim

that caused mankind’s dread,

rendered truth on Collective Man,

and trust in algae, or

each nation, save a few,

in things that do not fission.

pours its vain, dismal excuse.

The culture demands it.

Who can withstand the assault,

Find what occurred in Japan,

Oppressed by atomic fear?

I and the public must know,

The dream of the next great thing

what all school children learn: the truth is better than a dystopic sci-fi flick.

knocks technology aside.

And the plunderbund smiles.

Who possesses the courage

Confounded under the skies

To undo error bred in bone?

Our world in stupor lies

All I have is a voice

Yet dotted everywhere,

To undo the folded lie

Ironic nuclear plants of light

The romantic lie in the brain

And nuclear plants-to-be

Of the sensual man-in-the street

exchange their messages.

And the lie of Authority.

Empowered over the night,

Hunger allows no choice

God made nuclear energy

to the citizen or party

And It was good for all.

Disease allows no choice.

‘tho beset by deception,

And no one exists alone.

this energy brings light and life.*

* Based upon W.H. Auden’s September 1, 1939

Happy 90th Birthday, Dr. Rockwell From your Friends, Colleagues, Supporters, and those you have inspired I'm an engineer and an author. I like to stir up spirited discussions on important issues.

Socially, I like to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. - Ted Rockwell I.K. Abu-Shumays, U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (Ret.) – Oceanside, CA CDR Rod Adams, USN (Ret.) – Forest, VA Olufemi Ajewole- Frederick, MD Wade Allison - Keble College, University of Oxford, UK Meredith Joan Angwin - Wilder, VT

Mary Claire Birdsong, “Thank you for inspiring me: ‘There is no place in the universe without radiation. Radiation is essential to Life. God created a highly radioactive world and pronounced it good.’ ”TR. – Augusta, GA Tom Blees – Woodland, CA

Howard Arnold - Macatawa, MI

Roger N. Blomquist, Captain USN (Ret.) – Naperville, IL

Julie Bachmann Kulik - Philadelphia, PA

Charles E. Boardman – Saratoga, CA

Richard A. Bajura, – Morgantown, WV Larry Baxter – Provo, UT Denis Beller – Henderson, NV

Susan Brissette, Founder, Women in Nuclear Canada. – Kincardine, Ontario, Canada

Theodore Beresovski – Rockville, MD

Edgar T. Brooks - Prescott, AZ

John and Lisa Birdsong– Augusta, GA

Dave Bufalo– Denver, CO Kevin T. Casey - Carlsbad, CA

Happy 90th Birthday, Dr. Rockwell From your Friends, Colleagues, Supporters, and those you have inspired God’s good green earth was created out of the radioactive waste products of the great nuclear reactions that spawned the galaxies and the planets.

Life arose out of, and adapted to, a much higher level of natural radiation than exists today. - Ted Rockwell

Paul D. Chamberlin - Littleton, CO

John Dendahl - Littleton, CO

Yoon Chang, ANL (Ret.) - Naperville, IL

John Droz, Jr. - Morehead City, NC

Bruno Comby, President of Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy – worldwide. - Houilles, France

John Dudas, USN (Ret.) – Chino Valley, AZ

Eugene Cramer, BETTIS Shippingport Production Test Facility, – San Clemente, CA

John F. Elter – Latham, NY

Lisa Dudas – Columbia, SC

Gwyneth Cravens - East Hampton, NY

Mohammed Fadous, Nuclear Engineering student. Jordan University of Science and Technology - Irbid, Jordan

Jerry Cuttler, Acting President of Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Joseph A. Falcon, Past President, ASME – Los Angeles, CA

Frank D’Ascensio - Bethlehem, PA Christopher Demetriou – Ottowa, IL

Amelia Frahm - Apex, NC

Willard C. (Bill) Gekler, “A favorite engineering quote, ‘Water has no cracks!’ In your excellent shielding manual.”

– Los Alamitos, CA

Happy 90th Birthday, Dr. Rockwell From your Friends, Colleagues, Supporters, and those you have inspired The Navy has built 220 nuclear powered ships so far, and they have steamed over 145,000,000 miles, with no significant radiological incidents, no radiation deaths or injuries, and no detrimental environmental impact. - Ted Rockwell

Jerry Grandey - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Leonard J. Koch, ASME, EBR II – Oro Valley, AZ

Thomas Hafera, ASME – Mohnton, PA

Kenneth Kok , ASME - Richland, WA

Bob Hanfling - Denver, CO Marjorie Mazel Hecht – Leesburg, VA

Greggory Laberge. Director Forensics and Evidence Division Denver Police Department. “Both Rickover’s leadership and Rockwell getting the story out extended the “Rickover Effect” to the world and is making America stronger.” – Denver, CO

Laurence Hecht – Leesburg, VA

Conrad Ladd, ASME – Centennial, CO

Bob Herzog, “A grateful citizen” – St Louis, MO

John W. Landis, Past President ANS – Roanoke, VA

Nate Hurt , Past President ASME – Lake Havasu City, AZ

David H. Lester – Fox Island, WA

Bob Johannesen - Amarillo, TX

Gary D. Lewis – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Reed Johnson , “Shielding Group at Electric Boat for startup and sea trials of the Nautilus (1954-55)” – Lancaster, VA

H. Douglas Lightfoot – Baie D'Urfe, Quebec, Canada

William Hannum , ANL (Ret.) – Naperville, IL

Happy 90th Birthday, Dr. Rockwell From your Friends, Colleagues, Supporters, and those you have inspired Energy is defined as “the capability to take action, to do work, to bring about change.” Access to energy is what distinguishes living organisms from non-living entities, and allows the organisms some control over their destinies. - Ted Rockwell

Eric Loewen, Past President ANS. “Ted, Thank you for leading us to follow science not politics .” - Hampstead, NC

Kate D. Oyster – Bridgeman, MI

Donald E. Lutz – Sacramento, CA

Philip Pluta – Saratoga, CA

Gerald E. Marsh, ANL (Ret.) - Chicago, IL

Dale Reaves – Golden, CO

Joseph P. Martino – Sidney, OH

Felix Meissner – Windsor, CT

Donald Riley, “Lived in Oak Ridge in 1945 when Ted was there. Happy Birthday Ted .” – Knoxville, TN

Dan Meneley, Past Chief Eng., AECL – Lakefield, Ontario, Canada

Duncan Robinson, President, North American – Young Generation in Nuclear, NA-YGN – Baltimore, MD

Scott Meyer – Chattanooga, TN

Dave and Sandy Rossin, Past President ANS. “Ted, stay as sharp as you are!” – University Park, FL

Joe Miller – Vienna, VA Phillip O. Moor – Rockaway, NJ

Servais Pilate – Enghien, Belgium

Ben Rouben – Toronto, ON, Canada

Happy 90th Birthday, Dr. Rockwell From your Friends, Colleagues, Supporters, and those you have inspired The fact is, “nuclear waste” is a misnomer for the valuable materials that compose used fuel, which will be recycled in breeder reactors, to use most of the remaining fissionable uranium, and use also the fertile uranium that creates more fissionable material while generating electricity . - Ted Rockwell Robert E. Schenter – Hillsboro, OR

CDR Eugene B. Veek , USN (Ret.) – Prescott, AZ

Ken Schultz – Leucadia, CA

Alan Waltar, Past President ANS. “Ted , I know of no other person with the combined technical expertise, passion for reason in the nuclear field, and gift of communication skills that you have. We need you for at least another 90 years!! Congratulations!!” – Peshastin, WA

John A. Shanahan – Denver, CO Joseph M. Shuster – New Prague, MN S. Fred Singer – Arlington, VA Ben Slone – Maidens, VA George S. Stanford, ANL (Ret.)– Downers Grove, IL Willism R. Stratton, Former Chairman of Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards - Los Alamos, NM Charles E. Till, ANL (Ret.) IFR – Idaho Falls, ID Matthijs van den Engh – Thalwil, Switzerland Edward A. Veek – Atascadero, CA

VADM Eugene P. (Dennis) Wilkinson, USN (Ret) Initial Commanding Officer of USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear submarine. On January 17, 1955 issued historic message aboard USS Nautilus, “Underway on Nuclear Power,” ushering in the nuclear age for the US Navy. – Del Mar, CA. Natalie Wood – St. Francisville, LA G. W. Woodcock – Richland, WA