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Berkeley Library RFP Asks For Nuclear Free Vendor 25

Posted by samzenpus
from the radioactive-catalog dept.
beefsprocket writes "RFID tags are not new to libraries. Neither is 3M as one of the larger providers of the Checkpoint circulation and self-checkout system. What is new is a library discarding their current working system used for over 500,000 items because the vendor refuses to submit a required Nuclear Free Disclosure Form (PDF). The specific form is required for anyone wishing to do business with the City of Berkeley per the Nuclear Free Berkeley Act of 1986. This reverses a 2008 exemption that the Library applied for to be able to work with 3M."

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Berkeley Library RFP Asks For Nuclear Free Vendor

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  • A city that's powered by it's own sense of self-satisfaction.

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by pengin9 (1595865)
      Ironically they're most likely going to waste more paper and "destroy" the environment by denying obvious progress. The better question is: is someone at 3M just messing with the city to show Berkley how much more they need them than 3M needs Berkley, and get the law repealed.
      • Ironically they're most likely going to waste more paper and "destroy" the environment by denying obvious progress.

        Page 21 of the RFP: "D. Recycled Paper. All reports to the City shall be on recycled paper that contains at least 50% recycled product.... Written reports or studies shall be printed on both sides of the page..."

        Oh.

  • by Nutria (679911)

    in a different way, as School Boards denying Evolution.

    • by RockDoctor (15477)

      in a different way, as School Boards denying Evolution.

      Is it? Are they denying that the logic of nuclear science works, or that the facts of radioactive decay are not actually true? Or are they just being implausibly bull-shitty? I know almost nothing about the power systems in use in California (is that the right state?) except that they're under quite serious strain because Californians can't stand the heat and are unwilling to get out of the kitchen. But I'd be interested (possibly amused) to know how Be

      • by Nutria (679911)

        Is it?

        Yes, I think so.

        Are they denying that the logic of nuclear science works,

        That's why it's bad in a different way.

        Or are they just being implausibly bull-shitty?

        Stupid is as stupid does.

        Evolution Denial is one manifestation of gross stupidity, while the Nuclear Free Berkeley Act and the Oppressive States Compliance Resolution are others.

        • by dafing (753481)

          Evolution Denial is one manifestation of gross stupidity, while the Nuclear Free Berkeley Act and the Oppressive States Compliance Resolution are others.

          My whole country is Nuclear Free, [wikipedia.org] does that make us guilty of "gross stupidity"?

          I've always been fairly "pro nuclear", and NZ still has radioactive elements in smoke detectors, medical equipment etc....being "Nuclear Free" hasnt caused us to be terribly backwards in any way I can tell?

          • by Nutria (679911)

            My whole country is Nuclear Free, does that make us guilty of "gross stupidity"?

            Yes, as a matter of fact. It's cowardly anti-Americanism (man-up and say, "we don't want your Navy making port-calls" and "we're hypocritical bastards who actually love oppressive dictatorships" (the CND are one-sided pacifists, and I agree with Orwell about one-sided pacifists).

            • by coaxial (28297) on Friday February 19, 2010 @01:20PM (#31201174) Homepage

              Oh please, some group of foreigners does something you teabaggers don't like, and it immediately because of "anti-Americanism." I suspect you think that New Zealanders are "jealous of our freedom" too don't you.

              So they don't want nuclear power or nuclear weapons near them. That's they're right. A lot of people, including Oppenheimer, don't like the idea of nuclear weapons. A lot of people don't like nuclear power because of the issue of long lived waste. But hey, I guess Nevada hates America too because they don't want Yucca Mountain.

              • Re: (Score:2, Flamebait)

                by Nutria (679911)

                When did peace activists (aka "useful idiots") ever protest in front of the Soviet Embassy?

                And then there's this: Dietzel told Kliem he was a physicist working for an international research company committed to world peace [spymuseum.org].

                I suspect you think that New Zealanders are "jealous of our freedom" too don't you.

                The freedom to not have enough doctors and hospital beds?

                Last year, NZ (which doesn't pay it's own doctors enough to stay in NZ) paid My Cousin The Newly-minted Doctor to work there for 6 months. It harden

                • by dafing (753481)
                  I've got work soon so I'll keep this brief.

                  You have a problem with "peace activists"? Are you incredibly "hawkish" or something?

                  RE "socialised medicine", ooh, sounds scary doesnt it! Ha, why dont you just call it "soviet-ized medicine", since the whole point is to aggravate McCarthyism. Call it "universial healthcare", or better yet, call it "healthcare", as thats what pretty much every other country in the world would call it.

                  You really must understand this. In New Zealand we have the "public"
                  • by Nutria (679911)

                    Me introduce straw men? Quoting the government in context is not, and never will be, a straw man.

                    I give you evidence, and you give me sarcasm.

                    If you have the money, you can go "private" and beat the waiting lines!

                    Not according to the NZ Herald. Or are they also lying SOB Tea Partyers?

                    Immigration New Zealand has told one pregnant woman that - despite her financial stability - she would "be putting an additional strain on our already short services", which the department claimed were "stretched in most area

                • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

                  by Anonymous Coward

                  So, when Nevada doesn't want Nuclear waste stored there, that's just NIMBY, and seems to be ok in your opinion, but when New Zealand doesn't want ships carrying nuclear weapons docking in its ports (such as in Auckland, where close to half the population lives), it's 'cowardly'? I think I'm starting to understand your criteria. If USians do it, it's ok, no matter how horrible, hypocritical, or petty it is, whereas, if foreigners do it, even on their own soil, it's subjected to withering criticism if you don

                  • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

                    But the US is hardly a place I would hold up as an example of a friendly, welcoming approach to immigration
                    Please provide a country that does meet your expectations of a friendly, welcoming approach to immigration. Also, NIMBY is cowardly.
            • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

              by Anonymous Coward

              Speaking as a New Zealander currently living in the US, I'd like to say how interesting it is that standing up to USians on a matter of principle is 'cowardly'. USians tend to, on the whole, be pretty hypocritical in their dealings with the rest of the world. And yes, the law is largely about ships from nuclear-armed states making port calls. It's not that we won't let any US navy ships make port calls, just the nuclear armed or powered ones. It's not our fault if the USians won't say which of their ships c

              • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

                by dafing (753481)
                I agree with many of the things you have said, but would like to mention again the Rainbow Warrior. When that was sunk, by the French, presumably to prevent it being used to protest their nuclear tests "in the neighbourhood", it strengthened NZ public opinion almost infinitely against Nuclear anything.

                The Sinking Of The Rainbow Warrior was a life changing experience for many NZers, the feeling that we were invaded by a secret service from a much larger country, that they would come here and blow up a pe
              • Re: (Score:2, Flamebait)

                by Nutria (679911)

                t's not that we won't let any US navy ships make port calls, just the nuclear armed or powered ones. It's not our fault if the USians won't say which of their ships carry nukes.

                It's god damned obvious to anyone with more than a third of a pea brain why a Navy doesn't want to announce all of it's capabilities.

                But I guess I must: even though NZ is friendly, anyone at the Soviet Embassy simply drives down to the wharf, and then wires back to Moscow, "the USS Foobar does not carry nukes."

                • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

                  by MoonBuggy (611105)

                  Yes, that makes perfect sense, but there's no need for the hostility. It also makes perfect sense (within the context of their anti-nuke policies) that NZ's only available option is to ban all US Navy ships. Even though the impact is the same as having outright banned the US Navy, the fact that there are different reasons behind the move (and that they would be willing to accommodate them if they took the - admittedly stupid - move of identifying their nuke-armed ships) is significant.

                  I'm not remotely infor

  • I live in Italy, and I recall when a small town next to where I live voted a similar "nuclear free" resolution. It was late in the Carter Presidency, when the then USSR was building SS-20 missiles [missilethreat.com] hand over fist.
    Now this town sat about 20 miles away from a big city(pop. 1 million) and 100 miles east from the nearest French nuclear plant(prevailing winds in northwest Italy come from there). The SS20 was by its nature (min range 600 km, three 150 Kt MIRV warheads etc) a "Countercity" weapon, so I used to j
    • It's actually the same in Berkley. You see, Berkley, and other nuclear free zones in CA like Santa Cruz get about %16 or more of their electricity from nuclear power. That power comes from the south at Diablo Canyon. Only %9.4 of the electricity comes from non-hydro renewables (mostly wind and biomass). The result comes from dirty old gas and coal.

      ---
      The world will be dragged kicking and screaming into the atomic age.
  • by rnaiguy (1304181) on Saturday February 20, 2010 @02:31AM (#31208300)
    How can you possibly totally avoid doing business with 3M? Where do they get post-it notes, and the million other little things the company makes?
  • by Idarubicin (579475) <allsquiet&hotmail,com> on Saturday February 20, 2010 @05:42PM (#31213366) Journal
    Before we get too much further into hyperventilating about Berkeley's hypocrisy, perhaps it would be wise to actually read the RFP, neh? The City of Berkeley doesn't bar all contractors who do work that involves any nuclear technology, and they're not being hypocritical about taking dirty, nuclear-powered electricity. The restriction they impose is on contractors who do work to design, build, and construct nuclear weapons.

    Here's a copy (PDF) [berkeley.ca.us] of the form in question.

    The RFP also demands that contractors pay all of their employees a decent living minimum wage ($12.20 with medical benefits, or $14.23 without), and that domestic parters of workers receive the same benefits as are available to workers' spouses. There's even a provision that paper reports to the city be printed double-sided on recycled paper.

    The people of Berkeley are holding companies to higher ethical standards by the only means that are effective -- cash and contracts.

Beware of Programmers who carry screwdrivers. -- Leonard Brandwein

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