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or 76KB JPG. Picture of radar screen on board the Solo. ©Greenpeace/Sims
The position of the Pacific Pintail at 0700 GMT was 27 degrees and 12 minutes South and 40 degrees and 30 minutes West, on a distance of 280 miles southeast of the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro. We are sailing on a compass course of 204 degrees and at a speed of 13 knots.
29KB GIF
or 76KB JPG. Picture of radar screen on board the Solo. ©Greenpeace/Sims
Instead of a traditional Solo update, today a Japanese story that was told by Tony Danhakl, crew member on board Greenpeace's ship Solo now tracking the nuclear waste ship Pintail from France to Japan. The original Japanese short story was published in the late 1960s in the US magazine "Fantasy and Science Fiction".
"A man is walking near his village in Japan, and comes upon an old shrine. The very weathered statue is so old that he can't even tell what religious concept it was used for. Behind the shrine he sees a hole. He throws a small pebble into the hole, which he can't hear hitting the bottom, and next he shouts into it "Hello, is anybody down there?" He doesn't even hear the echo of his voice, and thinking that all this is very curious indeed he walks back to his village to tell his friends. Soon thereafter many people come to take a look at the amazing hole. They throw bigger rocks down, lower ropes, and even shine lights into it but also they fail to discern the bottom of the hole.
Then somebody has the bright idea to use the hole for local garbage, and no matter what they put in, the hole does not seem to fill up. Not before long, other villages hear about it and send their garbage over as well. Eventually all of Japan is sending garbage, toxic and even radioactive waste over to be thrown into this special hole. The hole seems to be the perfect solution to everybody's problems. It is conveniently located, economically sound and thus popular with all. In fact, it is such good business for Japan that other countries start to export all their wastes to Japan until not before long every country in the world sends all their waste to this amazing, special hole.
Years later, the same man who found the hole is walking near his village. He reflects that the world looks much cleaner and brighter than when he was young. The earth, the water, the air and the people, all have benefitted from his discovery of the amazing hole. Suddenly something small hits his head. He looks up and a very loud, booming voice shouts to him from out of the sky "Hello is anybody down there?"
Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP://WWW.greenpeace.org/
Best regards and No Nukes!
Ulf Birgander (Captain)
Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)
The position of the Pacific Pintail at 1900 GMT was 29 degrees and 28 minutes South and 41 degrees and 50 minutes West, on a distance of 380 miles east of the Brazilian city Florianapolis. We are sailing on a compass course of 204 degrees and at a speed of 13 knots.
If additional information on the Pacific Pintail's voyage or it's cargo of plutonium waste is required, please contact Bas Bruyne on the Solo (phone: ++871-1301166--warning $10 per minute), or Karen Richardson at Greenpeace UK (phone: ++44-171-226-3151). Photo, video or other media requests should be made to Blair Palese or Mark Warford at Greenpeace Communications (phone: ++44-171-8330-600).
Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP://WWW.greenpeace.org/
Best regards and No Nukes!
Ulf Birgander (Captain)
Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)
