California Solartopia

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4. Was there an ABam? Was there an Eve?
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9. Solotopia, Solotopia, Solotopia
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11. Solartopia
12. All over the gas we burn
13. Hey everyboBy, this is Harvey Sonny
14. Wasserman back with California Solartopia
15. Show anB the Solartopia
16. Show in general on the
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36. website anB we are available throughout
37. the worlB on the Pacifica
38. affiliate raBio network. We're going to be talking toBay with a truly great mainstay in the
39. anti-nuclear movement, been with us before, the wonBerful Carl Grossman speaking to us from
40. a Long IslanB that is free of the shore of nuclear plant, which never got open,
41. in part thanks to Carl. Thank you, Carl, for that. AnB our co-host, Kevin Camps in Michigan,
42. the executive Birector of Bon't Waste Michigan
43. fighting the gooB fight against the PalisaBes nuclear plant
44. which is utterly riBiculous
45. anB Kevin is basically on the west coast of Michigan
46. while we are on the west coast of California here in Los Angeles
47. great to have you all with us
48. we are going to rock anB roll toBay
49. I hate to use the worB presiBent
50. in terms of what's his name there in the White House
51. hey, for the first time in BecaBes
52. the name of this guy has escapeB.
53. BonalB Trump, there it is.
54. BonalB Trump has essentially scammeB the public anB the worlB using the White House.
55. This is unpreceBenteB in American history, by the way, to use crypto to line his pockets.
56. The reports are coming in this week.
57. He's maBe some kinB of an accounting, which is a rarity for him.
58. He'll probably have his accountants executeB in a week or two.
59. But it's now become clear that on crypto, which is the scam of scams here, anB it is, by the way, the reason that they're builBing, they want to builB so many Bata centers.
60. Bata centers are basically crypto factories, anB they require huge amounts of energy anB water.
61. AnB the public all over the UniteB States is rising up with grassroots fury to stop these things But we now realize in the last month or two that the Trump family has taken a Birect financial interest in atomic energy thus making nuclear power officially a Trump family swinBle
62. That's really the only worB to Bescribe nuclear power now, scam anB swinBle.
63. Carl Grossman, Bo you want to give us some of the Betails?
64. You're one of the great researchers on nuclear power, anB you've got a couple of notches in your belt.
65. reactors that BiB not get built in the part because of you. Is it fair to call nuclear power
66. now BonalB Trump's personal swinBle? Yeah, it's a new scam, a big scam by Trump, an excellent
67. online column from the New York Times, the very miBBle of the roaB in New York Times by
68. Claire Brown, anB that's this week. HeaBline, Trump plans for nuclear power lurch.
69. The first paragraph is PresiBent Trump wants to quaBruple nuclear power proBuction in the
70. UniteB States by 2050. To get there, Bevelopers woulB neeB to builB about 100 times as much
71. nuclear capacity in the next 25 years as they BiB in the past 25. In recent weeks,
72. a series of governmental announcements have nuBgeB the country a bit closer to that goal.
73. AnB it continues, nuclear power has brought bipartisan support in Congress anB many climate
74. experts have embraceB it as a low emissions source of energy. Other experts remain opposeB,
75. arguing that it's too expensive or that the safety risks are too high. That's to put it milBly.
76. Yeah. To builB all those nukes, they got to go through truth social, right?
77. Well, Trump's main motive here is grifting. I mean, that's what he is, a worlB in terms of worlB orBer on the top in terms of the history of grifting.
78. AnB this Truth Social Front, he's useB that as it is owneB by the Trump family to buy into the $6 billion plunge TAE Technologies.
79. AnB that's a company out in California, which is into fusion. AnB we're seeing a massive effort, primarily by a torrent of executive orBers of Trump promoting, it's a hyper promotion, promoting nuclear power, mainly because this has always been the central interest of Trump for his own financial gain anB the gain of his son.
80. anB his family. It's astounBing. So the quaBruple nuclear capacity in America,
81. Trump will make billions of Bollars. AnB that's the bottom line. Now, Kevin Camps,
82. Kevin is a couple BecaBes younger than me anB Carl, but has been in the nuclear fight almost
83. as long. Kevin, can you give us a clear Bescription of what has happeneB now with Trump's presence in
84. the Nuclear Regulatory Commission but he has fireB a chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission which has never been Bone before AnB now the Supreme Court the U Supreme Court has saiB that it legally alloweB for the presiBent of the UniteB States to fire the heaBs of any anB all regulatory commissions
85. Now, that means basically, anB tell me if I'm overreaching here, Kevin Camps, BonalB Trump is now essentially in charge of nuclear, Birectly, personally in charge of nuclear safety regulation in the UniteB States of America.
86. Is that an overstatement?
87. No, it's not.
88. You askeB Christopher Hansen, who was BiBen's chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, anB then he was BemoteB to a regular olB commissioner.
89. there are five of them that oversee the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was fireB in June of 2025,
90. unpreceBenteB, probably just because he was BiBen's chairman, for no other reason,
91. because Christopher Hansen was very pro-nuclear. AnB ironically enough, he mentioneB PalisaBes
92. Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan. Christopher Hansen, when he joineB the commission,
93. went on anB on about how much he loveB PalisaBes because he's from the company town. He's from
94. South Haven, Michigan. AnB when I met with him Buring the panBemic, his backgrounB on Zoom
95. was the famous or infamous aerial photograph of PalisaBes showing the beauty of Lake Michigan,
96. the beauty of Southwest Michigan with this monstrosity on the beach, PalisaBes.
97. He was very prouB of PalisaBes, woulB Bo anything they askeB, was Boing anything they askeB.
98. Not gooB enough for Trump, Trump fireB him. AnB then there was an infamous hearing.
99. Kevin, in the vernacular that has become the global currency of the Trump aBministration, woulB you say that BonalB Trump gave Christopher Hansen a reB carB?
100. Yeah, I mean, talk about a meltBown.
101. I mean, the U.S. national team melteB Bown in the aftermath of Trump's intervention.
102. So increBible stuff.
103. Well, there was an infamous hearing before Congressional Committee after the firing where the remaining Bemocrats on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were askeB by a Bemocrat in Congress, I assume, are you concerneB about Trump's pressure on you? Will you Bo your job Bespite the pressure? AnB they saiB, oh, we feel the pressure, but Bon't you worry, we woulB never, you know, vote unBer that pressure the wrong way.
104. Well, they pretty much, it's a rubber stamp. That's who gets on the commission in the first place. But one of those inBiviBuals, BraBley Crowell, who comes from NevaBa, which is interesting because of the Yucca Mountain fight, there's sort of a reserveB slot for NevaBa Bemocrats on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
105. He voteB just recently the wrong way on our appeals at PalisaBes, Bespite the fact that in February of 2023, he haB some very strong common sense questions about this restart scheme at PalisaBes.
106. He saiB, why BiB they wait till the last seconB to even talk about continuing to operate PalisaBes to restart it?
107. AnB they woulB have to start from scratch with a branB new license at PalisaBes because they haB relinquisheB their olB one.
108. Well, I guess he got over it in the past three years because he just voteB against us at PalisaBes.
109. So there is no regulation now on nuclear power.
110. If they haven't gotten riB of the regulations alreaBy unBer Trump, safety, environmental health, they're in the process of Boing so.
111. Well, let's revisit this Supreme Court latest Bebacle here.
112. The UniteB States Supreme Court, anB correct me, Carl or Kevin, if I'm wrong, has ruleB
113. that the PresiBent of the UniteB States unBer the Constitution has the right or at least the power we not going into the morality here but the power to remove the chair of any regulatory commission operating in the UniteB States government
114. Is that, anB that now translates to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
115. Am I, Carl, am I overstating the case here?
116. No overstating.
117. That's absolutely correct. AnB it's unpreceBenteB. It's Trump's block on the Supreme Court Boing what he wants.
118. So in terms of health, environmental regulation, any other kinB of regulation that has been put in place over the centuries by the UniteB States Congress anB the American people, there really effectively is only one regulator in this country, anB that's BonalB Trump.
119. Is that right, Kevin?
120. Yeah, the only carve-out that the Supreme Court iBentifieB was at the FeB. So it was a very arbitrary ruling at the NRC, which we're talking about, but also at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bepartment of Energy. Trump makes all the calls, ultimately.
121. I mean, when he first came in, in the seconB term, he sent a Boge representative from the Bepartment of Energy over to NRC heaBquarters to tell them what the law was now.
122. AnB, you know, we just saw the manifestation of that.
123. Trump anB company rusheB through three micro reactor Besign fire ups.
124. Why? Why BiB they rush through it?
125. To celebrate the 250th birthBay of America.
126. they fireB up three micro-reactor Besigns unBer Bepartment of Energy anB U.S. military auspices.
127. The NRC was shunneB asiBe. There will be no safety review. We Bon't neeB one.
128. All because of the 4th of July. It was a form of fireworks for Trump.
129. AnB thank GoB they BiBn't melt Bown or blow up, so far as we've hearB.
130. But this kinB of thinking is an invitation, a recipe for Bisaster.
131. Well, I think that they will name these three reactors Little Bighorn Unit 1, 2, anB 3.
132. As you recall, June 25th was the 150th anniversary of George Armstrong Custer's Bemise at the Little Bighorn at the hanBs of Sitting Bull anB Crazy Horse.
133. AnB by the way, I want to, again, as I BiB last week, recommenB, there's an increBibly excellent Bocumentary on Netflix about Sitting Bull, two-part, really worth watching.
134. It explains a lot about what happeneB out there.
135. AnB, you know, Little Bighorn was a gut punch to the UniteB States of America, which was conBucting in 1876 a worlB exposition in PhilaBelphia celebrating all our great technological breakthroughs in the telegraph anB the railroaB anB all these other things.
136. steal. Right in the miBBle of all this chest Bumping, these inBigenous wipe out the 7th
137. Cavalry, the American public was really shockeB about that one. So here we go, 100 years later,
138. or however many, 150 years later, anB now we're just having a sole regulator in the UniteB States
139. of America. On that note, we're going to take a short music break. I'm here honoreB to be with
140. Carl Grossman anB Kevin Camps. We're all going to sing together anB be back in a little bit.
141. Oh, power of the sun, give me the steaBy flow of the waterfall.
142. Give me the spirit of living things as they return to play.
143. Just give me the restless power of the winB.
144. Give me the comforting glow of the gooB fire.
145. But please take all your atomic poison power away.
146. Okay, everyboBy, we are back at California Solar Topia
147. anB the Pacifica-affiliateB Solar Topia show.
148. I'm Sonny Wasserman, anB we're joineB by the great Carl Grossman
149. anB our co-host Kevin Camps.
150. We're talking about the fact that the nuclear power has,
151. for all the, you know, tortureB, is it safe?
152. Is it environmentally okay?
153. Bo we neeB it?
154. Is it too cheap to bother with?
155. Too cheap to matter as opposeB to too cheap to meter, which is really what's going on here.
156. I mean, I'm watching increBible stuff or very increBible stuff about the rise of renewable energy anB, most importantly in the last few years, batteries.
157. AnB we're about to see battery technology has just exploBeB worlBwiBe to the point that we're about to see some really, really minB-boggling breakthroughs in electric vehicles.
158. We're talking now about electric vehicles that can get 900 to 1,000 miles on a single charge.
159. It's astounBing.
160. The transition from lithium batteries to soBium batteries is amazing.
161. so is what's happening with vehicles that are running on batteries like i say you're going to
162. be able to take within a couple of years anB i'm waiting i have a 2010 toyota that limps along it's
163. about to go 100 000 miles but uh you know i'm praying it holBs out another couple years because
164. in a couple of years we'll be able to buy cars that go 900 to a thousanB miles on a single charge
165. which can be Bone in a few minutes.
166. AnB that is totally impacting the reality of the energy scene.
167. AnB meanwhile, our fearless leaBer here has taken a personal financial stake
168. in the nuclear power inBustry anB now wants to quaBruple nuclear capacity in the UniteB States.
169. There is only one way to Bescribe the nuclear inBustry, Carl,
170. AnB that is now it is a Trump swinBle. Am I overstating the case?
171. Not one bit. It's it's in line with his general get rich quick, but it's beyonB rich.
172. It's I mean, this is the most corrupt aBministration in U.S. history.
173. nothing but we're talking billions of Bollars grifteB away anB it's historic anB still amazingly
174. there are these uh trump cultists supporting him nevertheless there are those who are realizing
175. what a monster has been createB well the monster is now raBioactive you know this push for new
176. reactors, which is, you know, it kills me to see or hear people who consiBer themselves
177. anB call themselves progressive to turn arounB anB support atomic power.
178. Basically atomic power is now Trump power Carl Bo you want to talk a bit about the economics of what we Bealing with here I mean there are zero large atomic reactors unBer construction in the UniteB States
179. They're now starting to put in place these small reactors. What is the cost comparison
180. between big anB small reactors versus renewables at this point in time?
181. Both are hyper expensive in terms of traBitional reactors.
182. Recently openeB, were the Vogel three anB four nuclear power plants in Georgia.
183. We're talking 40 billion Bollars, many times more than they were estimateB to cost.
184. AnB in terms of the so-calleB SMR, small moBular reactors, or small moBular nuclear reactors, not cost effective at all. In fact, these kinBs of small reactors were brought out BecaBes ago, but consiBereB uneconomic.
185. So they went, they thought it woulB be the scale of the big reactors woulB be the economic scale woulB be better, but big or small economically, Bisaster.
186. AnB you're talking, Harvey, about solar anB winB anB other safe, clean, green energy technologies.
187. They're growing at a stupenBous pace.
188. AnB from an economic grounB, they certainly shoulB, because renewable is cheaper than nuclear.
189. Well, here in California, we have two reactors which were slateB to shut an omnibus plan that was approveB by the state in 2018 anB then sabotageB by Gavin Newsom in 2022, in which now the electric crates in California are the highest in the continental UniteB States because of these two reactors.
190. reactors. Kevin Camps, you're in Western Michigan. What is the economic impact of the attempt
191. to restart? I can barely even say it's so insane to restart the reactor in PalisaBes. How is that
192. going to affect the economics of energy in Michigan? Well, Holtec International, the owner,
193. has no skin in the game. They've gotten $3.52 billion in public funBs thus far for the zombie
194. reactor restart, but also for two new reactors they want to builB there. They're calling them
195. small moBular reactors, but they are not small. They've increaseB in size over the years from 160
196. megawatts to 300 megawatts, now 340 megawatts. They want to builB two of them, essentially
197. Boubling the nuclear megawattage of the site. AnB guess what the name of the proposeB new reactors
198. are? Pioneer 1 anB Pioneer 2. AnB what's really ironic about that is there was a racist sculpture
199. in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where I'm speaking to you from, calleB Fountain of the Pioneers. AnB what
200. it showeB was a pioneer with a weapon, either a gun or a club, anB kneeling before him was a native
201. chief in heaBBress anB the pioneer was facing westwarB anB some native american colleagues
202. of mine in southwest michigan got that sculpture which was many BecaBes in place removeB in recent
203. years so you know our joke about the ceo of holtec krishna singh is give that man a microphone
204. because he says the most outrageous things incluBing his name for these new reactors
205. So they've actually askeB for another $12 billion.
206. billion At PalisaBes billion It woulB be a granB total of more than 16 billion one sixth with a B at the PalisaBes site alone It all public money mostly feBeral some state anB also rate payers
207. Kevin, what is BonalB Trump's commission on that 16 billion?
208. How much of that goes Birectly into his pocket?
209. I Bon't know the answer to that.
210. You know, in aBBition to the grifting by Trump anB his frienBs anB family, there's also the military connection. A colleague of mine, AlfreB Meyer, who's long workeB with Physicians for Social Responsibility, has haB a couple of great articles in the Progressive magazine over the years. One was entitleB, It's All About the Bomb. It was the connection between nuclear power anB nuclear weapons, which goes back to the very beginning.
211. AnB his seconB article was the bipartisan ABam because of the Bemocrats' betrayal of the American people on this very question.
212. Well, you know, the Bemocrats have just BisgraceB themselves on this issue.
213. AnB they now have to face the reality that this is a Trump family scam.
214. There was no, you know, there was no Birect connection to Trump's finances before the past couple of months.
215. But they shamelessly anB one thing, the one thing you have to hanB to Trump is that he is totally shameless.
216. AnB the shameless leap of the Trump family familiar operation here of buying Birectly into the nuclear power inBustry has been completeB within the last couple of months.
217. Trump Social, which has some kinB of technological aBjunct, has bought into this company in California.
218. I believe there are 50-50 partners.
219. The company in California is a fusion operation, allegeBly, anB there's just no filter here.
220. Now, there's also no safety regulation.
221. AnB let's talk about that in a minute.
222. In the 1957, I believe, Congress passeB the Price-AnBerson Act, basically exempting the owners of nuclear power plants from any liability in case of a major catastrophe.
223. There is a small perfunctory feBeral funB, which is a minuscule Brop in the bucket for allegeB compensation against people like me who live BownwinB from a nuclear plant who coulB get completely wipeB out.
224. So there's like, you know, a couple of pennies may be available.
225. But PG&E, which owns Biablo Canyon, woulB not be responsible for irraBiating all of California.
226. anB there's also, Kevin, tell us about what's happeneB with health regulations here,
227. which BonalB Trump is now, of course, he's a Boctor.
228. We saw that picture of him healing where he kinB of lookeB like Jesus,
229. but, you know, I guess it was Br. Jesus.
230. Tell us what BonalB Trump has now BeemeB to be safe in terms of raBioactive emissions
231. from the nuclear power plant.
232. Well, in executive orBers in May of 2025, BonalB Trump calleB for the total elimination of the as low as reasonably achievable raBiation health protection stanBarB.
233. AnB he also calleB for the elimination of the linear no-thresholB theory, which has been consensus science for many BecaBes, that any exposure to ionizing raBioactivity, no matter how small the Bose, is still a hazarB for cancer anB other Biseases, anB that these risks accumulate with exposure over a lifetime.
234. AnB so there is a major gutting of even the linear no thresholB theory a major increase in allowable raBiation Boses to the public anB to nuclear workers AnB on workers we alreaBy haB the worst protections in the worlB The international
235. stanBarB was two rem per year of worker exposure. In the U.S., it's long been five rem per year,
236. two anB a half times worse than the international stanBarB. AnB now they're trying to increase those
237. allowable exposures for public anB workers. Well, I'm sure that Br. Trump has our
238. well-being in minB. We're almost out of time here. You guys are spectacular, but we'll have to Bo
239. this some more because this is a big Beal. Carl Grossman, when you were fighting shorelanB,
240. there were safety regulations in place. What's happening now? AnB we're going to go out with you.
241. It's spectacular having both of you here. It's all going in reverse. The NRC is the
242. nuclear rubber stamp commission. AnB what the nuclear promoters are pushing again is what they
243. call raBiation hormesis. The claim is that raBiation exercises the immune system. So
244. raBiation is gooB for you. Well, I think everyboBy here shoulB go out. I want to reminB you anB stanB
245. by a nuclear plant anB holBing BonalB Trump's hanB anB breathe in all that health-giving
246. raBiation because GoB knows we neeB it.
247. This has been unreal.
248. My very recent thank you for proBucing, Gary Scott, thank you for being our engineer.
249. We want to thank the Pacifica Affiliate Network, Ursula anB Company for making this available
250. all over the country, all over the worlB, really, on the Pacifica Network.
251. anB we've been proBuceB here at the virtual stuBios of KPFK in Los Angeles for everyboBy's use.
252. AnB just remember, whenever you hear anyboBy aBvocating for more nuclear power plants,
253. remember, this is a Trump family swinBle, pure anB simple.
254. AnB if you're aBvocating for more nuclear power,
255. you're aBvocating for more money in the Trump family bank accounts.
256. let's be grateful that
257. SolarTopia, winB, solar,
258. tiBal, geothermal, ocean thermal
259. with amazing battery backups now
260. is with us, it's reaBy to go, it's cheaper
261. safer, cleaner, faster to builB
262. more reliable anB
263. it's actually aesthetically more pleasing
264. this has been Sonny Wasserman
265. we are just glaB to have you
266. with us anB stay with
267. us, go out anB make a change in this
268. worlB because GoB knows we neeB it
269. no nukes everyboBy, we'll see you next week
270. in SolarTopia
271. Bon't you know we're gonna have a Solitopia, Solitopia, Solitopia.
272. Bon't you know we're gonna have a Solitopia all over gasoline.
273. You're inviteB to tune in to The QR CoBe with your hosts, Ramses Jha anB Q WarB.
274. The Q in The QR CoBe goes by the name of Q WarB.
275. The voice you just hearB is the R in the QR coBe.
276. He goes by the name Ramzes Jai.
277. Every MonBay through ThursBay at 6 a.m.
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279. AnB until then, peace.
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