dls@mtgzz.UUCP (d.l.skran) (02/14/86)
*DISCLAIMER* This statement is being made by Dale L. Skran. It does not in any sense represent an official statement of either the L5 Society or the NJL5. *DISCLAIMER* *********************************************************** * * * WHAT IS THE L5 SOCIETY, ANYWAY? * * * *********************************************************** The L5 Society's official purpose is to dissolve itself-- somewhere in space, probably at the L5 point, as rapidly as possible. A goal like this makes it one of the most radical and interesting groups of all time. It consists of roughly 10,000 people; students, engineers, housewives, businessmen, scientists, auto mechanics, etc all dedicated to moving mankind into space in a big way as quickly as possible. Prominent members include Congressmen Don Fuqua and Newt Gingrich, Marvin Minsky, Robert Heinlein, C.J. Cherryh, Charles Sheffield, Philip Chapman(former astronaut, Current President), Ben Bova, Barry Goldwater, and John Glenn. However, the society is mainly run on a shoestring by poor slobs like you and me. It DOES NOT represent any large, well funded corporate interests. Likewise, the society is a non-political, tax-deductible organization. The L5 Society is neither Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal, merely(!) pro-space. The International headquarters is located at 1060 E. Elm St, Tucson, Arizona, 85719. A Student membership is $15 and a regular membership is $30. For all this you get the following: 1) A subscription to the L5 News, and 2) A chance to participate in the most active pro-space organization. The L5 News concentrates on information of interest to its members, rather than on up to the minute space shuttle reports. The art work tends to be excellent and the stories spotty. Since the L5 news is a non-paying market, it cannot have articles by Arthur C. Clarke every month. In spite of this handicap, it is generally pretty interesting, and holds to high standards of accuracy. It also provides a forum in which controversial space related issues can be debated. Of course, you can buy numerous books, posters, etc from the L5 Society, but the two things that make it stand out among pro-space organizations are 1)the phone tree, and 2) the chapter organization. The phone tree consists of about 10,000 people connected in a tree pattern(of course) so that in an emergency(ie a critical vote in Congress on the NASA budget) everyone in the tree can be contacted quickly and asked to flood Congress with letters and phone calls. Unlike other pro-space organizations such as the Planetary Society and the NSI, the L5 Society has strong local chapters. The local chapters carry on much of the actual pro-space educational work, bringing in speakers, having booths at fairs, and supporting Space Week activities. In fact, local chapter activities are limited only by the imagination and available time of its members. In New Jersy the most convenient chapter is probably the North Jersey one. Meetings are held at the Middlesex County Museum, Mettlar House, on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00. You can join for $8 by writing to NJL5, PO Box 674, Holmdel, NJ 07733. It should be noted that although the L5 Society seeks to influence congress via mobilizing public opinion, and indeed was very successful in defeating the so-called "Moon Treaty," it does not endorse candidates or provide money to campaigns. This task is left to an associated(but separate) PAC(Political Action Committee). The primary goal of the L5 Society is to educate(in the broadest sense) the public as to the critical importance of space development to mankind's future. The short term goal of the L5 Society is to support the construction of a manned space operations center at the earliest possible date. The long term goals include encouraging the commercial exploitation of space. In the near future this will involve the manufacture of electronic equipment and drugs, but in the might expand to include the construction of solar power satellites. The L5 Society envisions a future in which primary resources(energy, metals) can be derived from space leaving the Earth green and verdant. At the same time, development of space resources will buoy the entire economy, and result in a reduction of the unemployment rate. This is a vision to which both technologists and environmentalists can aspire. The L5 Society supports planetary exploration, especially expeditions to the moon and asteroids, but believes that the commercial development of space resources should play a much larger role in our national space program. *DISCLAIMER* This statement by Dale L. Skran. It does not in any sense represent an official statement of either the L5 Society or the NJL5. *DISCLAIMER*