Solartopia Green Power & Wellness Hour

Election theft has run rampant through the primary season as electronic irregularities, precinct elimination, racially unbalanced long lines and much more have again made a mockery of our alleged democracy. Myla Reson of southern California opens the show with descriptions of the upcoming Golden State primary.  She also tells us of a major upcoming election protection event in Santa Monica Sunday, May 29, at 3pm, featured at www.Solartopia.org. John Brakey tells us of his lawsuit attempting to force a new primary in Arizona where precinct elimination resulted in long lines, massive disenfranchisement and an unlikely victory for Hillary Clinton. Lori Grace of the Sunrise Center in the Bay Area tells of an attempt to establish independent exit polling in California, where it has been abolished for this critical primary. Attorney Cliff Arnebeck discusses the new lawsuit filed in Columbus, Ohio, demanding original raw exit polling data to find out who actually did win the Buckeye State’s primary. Attorney Bob Fitrakis, my co-author of The Strip Flip Selection of 2016: Five Jim Crows Electronic Election Theft, explains how at least 10 of this year’s primaries would be disqualified under international law, and how Bernie Sanders should probably be the legitimate democratic presidential nominee. If you care at all about a real democratic process in this country, don’t miss this show….

Solartopia celebrates the amazing life unmatched activism of the legendary MICHAEL MARIOTTE, a truly one-of-a-kind No Nukes activist, pamphleteer, researcher and strategist who recently passed away from pancreatic cancer. Michael’s legendary career as a nuke-buster, grassroots organizer, writer, speaker, rock drummer and husband/parent/friend has inspired a whole generation.  For decades he has been at the core of fighting the nuke industry in general, with particularly powerful impact at Calvert Cliffs in Maryland, the uranium project in Louisiana he helped defeat, and much much more. Our tributes begin with MARY OLSON from the NUCLEAR INFORMATION RESOURCE SERVICE, which Michael has helped lead since the 1980s.  PAUL GUNTER then joins us, along with KEVIN KAMPS, both from BEYOND NUCLEAR.   ALFRED MEYER chimes in from PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY along with BOB BACKUS from the Seabrook fight, ROCHELLE BECKER from Diablo Canyon, TIM JUDSON (the new Executive Director of NIRS), DIANE D’ARRIGO of NIRS, ALLISON FISHER from PUBLIC CITIZEN, attorney DIANE CURREN, Michael’s band-mate and more.   For those of us who knew him, the hole Michael leaves in our movement and in our hearts will be impossible to fill.   There are few greater things one can do to further our power and wellness than what Michael accomplished in his lifetime.   Thank you, brother.  We hope you enjoy the show….

The Prospects Business of Marijuana Legalization are center stage in Solartopia.   We talk with the great Eric Stirling, legendary long-time pioneer activist and founder of numerous key groups in the struggle to end pot prohibition. We also speak with David Dinenberg, a founder of KIND Financial, a Los Angeles-based company providing “seed-to-market” services for the marijuana industry. At the heart of the discussion is the question of how to navigate toward full legalization of an industry that is now illegal federally, legal for medical purposes in a number of states, and fully legal in others.  It’s also a schedule one drug where a number of insiders believe it’d be better to stay that way than to downscale to level two.   In other words, we look at a multi-billion-dollar industry with a wide range of unique and very high stakes challenges, ranging from mass incarceration to mass marketing and mass cash flow. From a hot button political issue to a major financial entity, this is a fascinating case study in cultural transition.  Turn on, tune in and join the brave new world of legal pot. 

The Trans Pacific Partnership is a catastrophe poised to kill what’s left of our nation, says Dr. Margaret Flowers. Long-time activist and Green Party candidate for Senator from Maryland, Margaret works to FLUSH THE TPP and warns that this proposed trade deal is “NAFTA on steroids”. These terrible trade deals turn every ounce power over to giant corporations who rig our economies to the benefit of the super rich. NAFTA utterly destroyed America’s industrial base, and the TPP will be even worse, says Flowers. We’re joined 30 minutes in by Bob Fitrakis, who recalls the dynamics of the Democratic campaign of 1992, when NAFTA was downplayed by candidate Bill Clinton, only to have him pass it once in the White House. The question then becomes: now that Donald Trump has labelled NAFTA “the worst trade deal ever signed,” how will Hillary duck the issue in the upcoming presidential contest. And would she, once in the White House, stick it to the American economy the way she and Bill did in the 1990s. Sadly, the question answers itself. Is the only answer that Bernie Sanders must now run as a Green with Jill Stein?  Stay tuned!!!!

From victim to victorious, we hear the astounding story of Dee McMillan a young Texas student who at age 14 is bullied by her classmates and then turns that into an energy to help save the world.  Called a “fat whale” she decides to take it head on.  She prints up “fat whale” t-shirts and starts a campaign to—you guessed it—save the whales.  It’s an inspiring, energizing story told to us by Maris Stidenstecker of Monterey, California, whose long-standing organization used more than $10,000 raised by Dee to help clean the oceans. We’re then joined by the great Libbe Halevy, long-time No Nukes activist and radio host who spoke with me at the Uranium Film Festival in Los Angeles, on a panel that included the actress Mimi Kennedy, actors Esai Morales and Lou Gossett, JR. along with actress/organizer Kat Kramer. Among the films we saw were NUCLEAR SAVAGES, THE LAST PICTURE, and THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD. The MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD features Kevin Costner in one of the most interesting and powerful films about the near-avoidance of nuke war one could ever image. Libbe is a fascinating host discussing a great important topic.  Please do join us to save the world…

ATOMIC RADIATION is threatening us all as we hear from a great documentary filmmaker and two of America’s most important health researchers. Adam Horowitz tells us of his award-winning documentary NUCLEAR SAVAGE focused on the atomic bombing of the Marshall Islands and the horrifying death toll that followed. When the US tested a nuclear weapon on Bikini atoll in the South Pacific it caused the death and destruction of hundreds of lives of native people it dismissed as “nuclear savages.” Adams’ devastating film was fined in part by PBS, which then pulled it from a nationwide showing that might have informed millions of Americans of this horrible tragedy.  Adam’s film will show at the Uranium Film Festival at Los Angeles’s Raleigh Theater on April 27. Legendary health researchers DR. Janette Sherman and Joe Mangano then tell us about the terrifying death toll from the Chernobyl accident, which happened, 30 years ago. In 2009 three Russian scientists published studies indicating a million people have been killed by this fallout from this 1986 catastrophe. Working through the Radiation and Health Project, Mangano and Sherman now estimate a similar death toll resulting from the disaster at Fukushima. They also show that when a nuclear power plant opens, death rates in the area rise; when they shut, death rates go down, especially among children. In the four counties around Indian Point, near New York City, the thyroid cancer rate is 70% higher than normal, a plague we’re now seeing around Fukushima. These tragic findings demand our action to shut down ALL reactors. We are in debt to Adam, Janette and Joe for their great work, and for their eloquence on this important Solartopian show. 

The URANIUM Film Festival in Los Angeles will feature a number of important full-length movies about atomic power on April 27 at the Raleigh Theater. We hear all about it from publicist Alexandra Radlovic and from the legendary Kat Kramer, who will be co-hosting (with me) an after-film panel on shutting the Diablo Canyon nuclear power reactors that will feature Mimi Kennedy, Lou Gosset, Jr., Libbe Halevy and others. Also at the festival will be the deeply moving full-length feature The Last Picture by noted German filmmaker Micael Von Hohenberg who talks to us from Germany about this major anti-nuclear work and all it has to say about the atomic madness. We’re then joined by Lori Grace, noted election protection organizer and activist from the northern California Sunrise Center.  Lori tells us about webinars, public talks and other important contributions she is making to the desperate attempt to stop the theft of yet another presidential election.  Without this critical work, we are guaranteed to have another stripped and flipped outcome, driving our nation further down into the corporate sinkhole. 

Election theft in SOLARTOPIA is our vital concern as we talk with Bob Koehler, Mimi Kennedy and John Brakey about how the 2016 primaries are being rendered dubious by the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of citizens. Bob’s recent Commonwonders column calls attention to the 300,000 citizens deprived of their vote in Wisconsin. Mimi tells us of the struggles in Los Angeles for even a semblance of democracy. John paints us a beautiful picture of how democracy can work with his narration of an election on an Apache Reservation. Meanwhile, we confront the realities of a political system dominated by corporate money and the electronic manipulation of our precious right to vote. If you are concerned about our democracy (or what’s left of it) don’t miss this show.

Can terrorists radiate all of New York by attacking Indian Point? This devastating question is answered by the great Karl Grossman, lifelong journalist and professor, expert on atomic energy and author of numerous books on the catastrophic issues surrounding atomic energy. A Long Island resident, Karl gives us a complete excursion through the terrifying possibilities of how the Indian Point reactors could release huge quantities of radiation into the New York City environment, ultimately killing millions of innocent human beings and other living things. In the wake of terror attacks in Belgium, Karl has authored a major article circulating through the internet on how all the world's reactors are profoundly vulnerable to such assaults.   Indian Point is also at risk from earthquakes, and is situated at the juncture of two large seismic fault-lines. The unmistakable message:  SHUT ALL NUKES NOW.  Coming from Karl Grossman, the reasons are obvious and unmistakable.

Strip Flip Election Theft will keep us from getting to Solartopia. We discuss this with three great experts: Brent Blackwelder and Randy Hayes, both legends of the environmental movement; and Bob Fitrakis, co-author of the upcoming "STRIP FLIP SELECTION OF 2016: FIVE JIM CROWS ELECTRONIC ELECTION THEFT." We start with the Arizona primary, where long lines and major irregularities are deja vu for what happened in Ohio 2004, when the presidential election was stolen from John Kerry (who did nothing about it) for George W. Bush. We delve further into the dark realities of electronic voting machines and their primary function as tools to steal elections. We list the likely culprits: Big Money, the corporate parties, and so many more. If you care at all about the future of our democracy, don’t miss this show.

GOVERNOR JOHN KASICH, CLEAN ENERGY ELECTION PROTECTION are with us in Solartopia this time. We’re joined by KEVIN KAMPS of Beyond Nuclear who tells us that Ohio’s Davis-Besse nuke is in dire straits.  The question is:  will the national attention focused on “the sane Republican” make a difference.  Will media scrutiny to the $4 billion bailout FirstEnergy wants for its dying nukes and coal burners prove too big an embarrassment for the Ohioan who would be president? Then BOB FITRAKIS of www.freepress.org gives us the inside scoop on Kasich’s sorry record as a corporate toady.  Despite all the campaign trail hugs, Kasich is always ready to hand billions to his fellow millionaires while dumping on the rest of us. Finally RICHARD CHARNIN gives us the latest reports on election theft, warning that all those primaries Hillary allegedly won just might not be real.  BERNIE, he says, is doing way better than we think.  

MAJOR DEFECT AT 98 OF 99 US NUKES revealed by 7 US Nuclear Regulatory Commission experts.  The “NRC7” has filed a rare public report warning that the electrical defect threatens the safety of virtually all US nukes.  We talk about it with the great DAVID LOCHBAUM of the Union of Concerned Scientists.  The “regulatory” agency responsible for our safety has ignored this for years.   We then ask statistician RICHARD CHARNIN whether Bernie Sanders was in fact the rightful winner of the Massachusetts Primary.  We’re joined by BOB FITRAKIS to investigate a key primary which, if Bernie had been given credit for it, would’ve shifted the entire race for the Democratic Presidential nomination.  According to Charnin, the evidence is pretty clear the Bernie was, in fact, the victor, a shocking conclusion that casts doubt on the entire electoral process.

Election madness continues in the aftermath of Super Tuesday. Bernie Sanders defies the odds by carrying four states (and almost Massachusetts). Donald Trump blows away the GOP. But what does it all mean? How do we expand a successful cultural revolution into a strategy to beat the corporations that are killing us all? We're joined in Solartopia to talk about this with David Akadjian a columnist for Daily Kos and author of The Little Book of Revolution. David's approach to social change is, he says, "a way to make the seemingly impossible task of restoring democracy possible."

SHUTTING THE DIABLO CANYON NUKE is essential to the survival of human beings in North America.  We discuss developments at this twin reactor complex sitting on a dozen earthquakes faults with key experts in the fight. JIM HEDDLE and MARY BETH BRANGAN of the ENVIRONMENTAL OPTIONS NETWORK of northern California are joined by DONNA GILMORE of SAN ONOFRE SAFETY and CYNTHIA PAPERMASTER OF CODE PINK. We discuss the criminal negligence by Pacific Gas Electric that blew up 50 houses in the town of San Bruno and killed 8 people.  Such irresponsible safety abuse is everywhere evident at Diablo Canyon, where radioactive fuel canisters are leaking, critical security features can’t be inspected and major operating components have been installed upside-down. Thankfully, the BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL has joined the movement for sanity by passing a resolution to shut Diablo Canyon as soon as possible. This deep exploration with four great activists will tell you much you need to know to push ahead for the shut-down of these truly horrifying nukes.

THE WAR AGAINST SOLAR POWER comes to Solartopia today with three great expert/activists.Pulitzer-nominee JACQUES LESLIE opens with his powerful NYTimes article on Nevada’s attempt to crush the massive, successful spread of rooftop panels.  Jacques’ unique, distinguished journalistic career has spanned the field from Vietnam to a marquee book on big dams and much more.Long-time nuclear opponent JUDY TREICHEL reports to us from Nevada on the Public Utilities Commission decision to assault homeowners like herself who have installed highly productive solar panels.  The corrupt state government is now waging war to protect the fossil/nuke investments of the Koch Brothers against the clean, cheap, job-producing power of the sun.By contrast, activist PAUL KANGAS joins us to talk about the California Public Utilities Commission decision to guarantee a 15 cent/kilowatt-hour payment to homeowners pumping juice into the grid from their own solar panels.  The city of Berkeley has now resolved to shut the Diablo Canyon nuke, upping the ante on the race between renewables and the likelihood of a catastrophic explosion at the state’s last reactors.  All-in-all, this is a program sure to make the sun shine in your heart…and on your roof.