NIRS Southeast Regional Coordinator, Mary Olson will be traveling across the State of Florida in the first 2.5 weeks of January 2008. Olson will be giving a series of talks -- "Expanding Nuclear Power is NOT a Solution to the Climate Crisis" (see dates and locals below)

I hope to also meet informally with activists as well -- to discuss how to stop the nuclear "relapse" in Florida!!! If you would like to hook up -- be in touch:
email: nirs@main.nc.us phone before Jan 1: 828-675-1792
cell Jan 1 and after: 828-301-8818

NOTE: The Public Service Commission is holding a hearing in Miami on the planned nuclear expansion of Turkey Point (units 6 & 7) on Wednesday January 9th -- see below. It is important for folks in the area to turn out for this and help get documents into the record that can be used by interveners in this PSC process.

Download small flyer with talking points about this hearing.

NIRS Florida Tour Dates info available now --
please call Mary --even on on the road for more details!

January 3 -- Fort Myers -- Calusa Sierra Club group -- meeting is at the Unitarian church
January 4 -- open, in Fort Myers / Naples area
January 5 & 6 attending the Florida Greens statewide gathering
January 7 -- open, in St Lucie area
January 8, evening, speaking in St. Lucie area -- location to be determined
January 9 -- attending Florida PSC hearing, 4 pm Miami Dade College (Building 1000 rm 1261) 300 NE 2nd Ave Miami FL 33132 -- if you are in the area please attend! There is going to be a pre-meeting -- call for details.
January 10 -- open in Miami area -- then drive to Fort Myers
January 11 -- 13 Everglades Coalition Annual Conference Captiva Island -- Friday a.m. panel on energy and the everglades
January 14 -- 17 open to meeting with folks -- including Central Florida University and Levy County -- times and place to be determined.

No New Nukes Southeast Speaking Tour – Fall 2007/ Winter 2008

Mary Olson, Director of the NIRS Southeast Office will be visiting college campuses, meeting and working with grassroots groups to conduct briefings for local officials, emergency responders, the medical community and the media across the region. Plans are still being set – territory to be covered includes VA, NC, TN, SC, FL, and GA.

Send a message to Mary if you are interested in helping to plan these events.

If you would like to hear about the tour events once planned, please sign-up for the NIRS Alert list.

   August 8 – 14, 2007
   Southeast Convergence for Climate Action.

NIRS is a proud sponsor of the Southeast Convergence for Climate Action that happened in Western North Carolina (near NIRS Southeast) August 8 – 13. The week-long educational event was a super-success in providing new skills and perspectives that sprang largely from the diversity of the group that attended: ages from 2 years to 76 and the combination of activists focused on the problems of coal and petroleum energy and activists focused on the problems of nuclear energy. Together we focused on energy and climate justice and the sustainable world we want to build together. We shared a lot of information, perspective, storied, community life, great food and then headed out to do a spirited visit to Bank of America by a crew of angry canaries who were “passing the torch” to the polar bears – who are now the new “canaries” of climate change. The decision to visit Bank of America was in support of campaigns lead by Rising Tide North America and and Rainforest Action Network since this financial institution makes enormous loans for new coal development. To see pictures of the action: http://asheville.indymedia.org/article/236

Want to be part of this picture? Do you have accounts with Bank of America? How about including a comment in your next credit card payment – or a gentle chat with the Bank Manager when you go in – expressing concern for climate change, climate justice – reference the visit to the Asheville Branch by Polar Bears and Canaries – and ask that BOA get out of coal AND NUKES!