Re: SETI Institute Web pages on Active SETI

Larry Klaes (lklaes@bbn.com)
Tue, 27 Jul 1999 15:04:38 -0400

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>Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 15:03:55 -0400
>To: Larry Klaes <lklaes@bbn.com>, seti@sni.net
>From: Yvan Dutil <Yvan.Dutil@drev.dnd.ca>
>Subject: Re: SETI Institute Web pages on Active SETI
>
>At 02:29 PM 7/27/99 -0400, Larry Klaes wrote:
>>Apparently due to the recent radio transmissions
>>to some nearby stars with Encounter 2001 and the
>>other plans for Active SETI, The SETI Institute
>>is addressing this with the following Web pages:
>>
>>http://www.seti-inst.edu/broadcast.html
>>
>>To quote in part:
>>
>>"The occasional short messages that are currently being
>>done as commercial "demo" projects do not substantially
>>contribute to the existing leakage radiation already
>>being pumped into space by television and radar.
>
>Well, this is not quite exact. Those active transmission
>are going well beyond the noise level of the Earth.
>Exactely, like someone use a micro to speak louder than
>a croud.
>
>I had the chance to speak with scientist which is a member
>of the Comitee for Peaceful Usage of Space. He agree with
>me than active SETI fall under the juridiction of the
>Outer Space Treaty and a minimal amount of care should be
>taken when designing a message since the transmitter become
>the ambassador of the Earth, and this notwistanding the
>Freedom of Speach granted by the Charter of Rights.
>
>However, he also stated than The CUPOUS will never address
>this issue unless they ask for by a Member State. It appear
>they fear to be closed by the Senator Helms is they do so.
>So until a country dare to ask this question, the active SETI
>will continu to operate in an perfectly illegal way, without
>any enforcement.
>
>Yvan Dutil
>
>