When you don’t have the facts, go nuclear or lie.  At least that’s what some people think is appropriate.

A reader sent me a link to this short video posted on Facebook. It obviously wasn’t put out very high budget so I wouldn’t attribute it to any legitimate environmental group (note the year 20011 and the misspellings.) But rather than present any facts to explain why they are upset by the Richardson Grove project, they state

The plan calls for cutting ancient Redwood Trees in and around the park

Then the video goes for the nuclear option to a background of a mushroom cloud followed by a large truck presumably hauling nuclear waste.

Mean while the DOE (Department of Energy) needs to get waste out of the county

PG & E needs to haul spent nuclear material away from Humboldt Bay for disposal via Highway 101

Now I understand the nuclear symbol on the tank in the anti project poster. Apparently the concern is that widening the Grove is going to allow PG&E to take out nuclear waste from our decommissioned nuclear power plant on Humboldt Bay.

First, to the best I have been able to determine, there is no plan to remove the fuel. But, if there were a plan that 1) required moving south and 2) required it being moved on STAA trucks, the government could just close the road down temporarily to allow the long vehicles through.  This is done now to move large equipment through.  But it is expensive and not practical for regular use.  However, a one time shut down or even a dozen shutdowns to move fuel would not cost as much as the project does.  According to the video,

If Caltrans is not stopped, not only will redwoods be cut but thousands of tons of nuclear waste will be traveling on Hwy 101.

Look, if you have great facts on why this project shouldn’t go forward, put them out there.  But this kind of outright lying and conflating the project with violent imagery has to stop—for the sake of the future environmental movement especially.  Reputable environmentalists need to step forward and repudiate this kind of nonsense.  Your credibility is being destroyed.  And your credibility is crucial to lead us forward in ongoing and future efforts to save our planet.