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For Immediate Release
March, 23 2011, 02:02pm EDT
Contact:
Ken Bossong 301-270-6477 x.11
142 Groups/Businesses Call for End to U.S. Nuclear Power
In a group letter sent to President Obama, members of his Administration, and all the Members of the U.S. Congress, 142 organizations and businesses wrote that the Japanese nuclear accident is a tragic reminder that it is long past the time to end U.S. reliance on nuclear power.
The groups argued that nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential "acts of God," all instances of "human error," all types of "mechanical malfunction," and all forms of "terrorist attack."
WASHINGTON
In a group letter sent to President Obama, members of his Administration, and all the Members of the U.S. Congress, 142 organizations and businesses wrote that the Japanese nuclear accident is a tragic reminder that it is long past the time to end U.S. reliance on nuclear power.
The groups argued that nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential "acts of God," all instances of "human error," all types of "mechanical malfunction," and all forms of "terrorist attack."
Moreover, the still unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan once again underscores that there is no such thing as "safe" or "clean" or "cheap" nuclear power.
Consequently, no new reactors should be built in the Untied States and existing nuclear reactors should be phased out as rapidly as possible. Instead, national energy policy and funding should be refocused on greatly improved energy efficiency and the rapid deployment of renewable energy sources which are far cleaner, safer, and cheaper than nuclear power.
The text of the letter and list of signers follows.
# # # # # # #
March 23, 2011
President Barack Obama
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
U.S. Senator Harry Reid
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell
U.S. Representative John Boehner
U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi
Members, U.S. Congress
Dear Sir/Madam:
We, the 142 undersigned safe energy advocates, have been speaking out about the risks and dangers posed by nuclear power for years - for many of us, since before the 1986 Chornobyl and 1979 Three Mile Island accidents as well as the hundreds of other radioactive releases, unplanned shut-downs, and other mishaps that have continuously plagued both the U.S. and the international nuclear industries since their founding.
While nuclear power's unacceptable safety, environmental, public health, economic, and national security risks should have been self-evident long before now, the latest unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan once again underscores the following:
Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential "acts of God."
Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all instances of "human error."
Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all types of "mechanical malfunction."
Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all forms of "terrorist attack."
There is no such thing as "safe" nuclear power.
There is no such thing as "clean" nuclear power.
There is no such thing as "cheap" nuclear power.
Consequently, the Price-Anderson cap on liability in the event of an accident should be repealed, all proposed governmental financial and regulatory incentives for new nuclear plant construction - including loan guarantees, accelerated licensing, and inclusion in a "clean energy standard" - should be rejected, and no new reactors should be built.
Existing nuclear reactors should be phased out as rapidly as possible, beginning with the oldest and/or most unsafe, and no presently-licensed reactors should have their operating lives extended.
Safety standards for existing reactors should be substantially tightened while they continue to operate and federal nuclear funding should be redirected to the orderly phase-out of those reactors as well as the safe decommissioning of closed reactors and disposal of radioactive waste.
National energy policy and funding should be refocused on greatly improved energy efficiency and the rapid deployment of renewable energy sources which are far cleaner, safer, and cheaper than nuclear power.
Sincerely,
Michael Closson, Executive Director
Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet
Palo Alto, CA
Aur J. Beck, Chief Tech
Advanced Energy Solutions
Pomona, IL
Lesley Weinstock, Coordinator
Agua es Vida Action Team
Albuquerque, NM
Rochelle Becker, Executive Director
Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
San Luis Obispo, CA
Laura Filbert Zacher, CEO
ARE Systems, LLC
St. Louis, MO
Thea Paneth, Secretary
Arlington United for Justice with Peace
Arlington, MA
Mari Rose Taruc, State Organizing Director
Asian Pacific Environmental Network
Oakland, CA
Lara Morrison, Board Member
Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust
Los Angeles, CA
Kay Martin, Vice President
BioEnergy Producers Association
Gualala, CA
Kay Firor, President
Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.
Cove, OR
Sandra Gavutis, Executive Director
C-10 Research & Education Foundation
Newburyport, MA
Laurent Meillon, Director
Capitol Solar Energy LLC
Denver, CO
Elizabeth C. Battocletti, President
The Carmel Group, LLC
Reston, VA
Gwen Ingram, Vice President
The Carrie Dickerson Foundation
Tulsa, OK
Don Timmerman, Roberta Thurstin Timmerman
Casa Maria Catholic Worker Community
Milwaukee, WI
Kieran Suckling
Center for Biological Diversity
Washington, DC
Andy Kimbrell, Executive Director
Center for Food Safety
Washington DC
Lenny Siegel, Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
Mountain View, CA
Lucy Law Webster, Executive Director
Center for War/Peace Studies
New York, NY
David Hughes, Executive Director
Citizen Power
Pittsburgh, PA
Deb Katz
Citizens Awareness Network
Shelburne, MA
Janet Greenwald, Co-coordinator
Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping
Albuquerque, NM
Caroline Snyder
Citizens for Sludge-Free Land
North Sandwich, NH
Robert Singleton, Nuclear Issues Chair
Citizens Organized to Defend Austin
Austin, TX
Charlie Higley, Executive Director
Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
Pam Solo, President
(Co-convener, TheCLEAN.org)
The Civil Society Institute
Newton, MA
Norm Cohen
Coalition for Peace and Justice
Linwood, NJ
Cristina Castro, Coordinator
CODEPINK NYC
New York, NY
Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder
CODEPINK Women for Peace
Washington, DC
Bill Gallegos, Executive Director
Communities for a Better Environment
Huntington Park & Oakland, CA
Tam Hunt, J.D., President,
Community Renewable Solutions LLC
Santa Barbara, CA
John Calandrelli, Chapter Program Director
Connecticut Chapter of Sierra Club
Hartford, CT
Nancy Burton, Director
Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone
Redding, CT
Luke Lundemo, Director
Conscious Living Project
Jackson, MS
Lois Arkin, Executive Director
CRSP Institute for Urban Ecovillages
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen M. Brittle, President
Don't Waste Arizona, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ
Kathryn Barnes, Board of Directors
Don't Waste Michigan - Sherwood Chapter
Sherwood, MI
Lois Barber, Co-founder & Executive Director
EarthAction & 2020 Action
Amherst, MA
Jane E. Magers, Coordinator
Earth Care, Inc
Des Moines, IA
Chris Trepal, Executive Director
Earth Day Coalition
Cleveland, OH
Al Fritsch, SJ
Earth Healing
Ravenna, KY
Lester R. Brown
Earth Policy Institute
Washington, DC
Jim Bell, Director
Ecological Life Systems Inst. Inc.
San Diego, CA
Mahlon Aldridge, Vice President
Ecology Action
Santa Cruz, CA
Cara L. Campbell, Chair
Ecology Party of Florida
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Dan Stafford, Organizing Director
Environmental Action
Denver, CO
William Snape
Environmental Law Program
American University Law School
Washington, DC
Lillian K. Light, President
Environmental Priorities Network
Manhattan Beach, CA
Don Ogden, Producer
The Enviro Show-WXOJ-LP & WMCB
Florence, MA
Jennifer Barker
EORenew/SolWest Fair
Canyon City, OR
Ben Mancini, President
EV Solar Products, Inc.
Chino Valley, AZ
Judi Poulson, Chair
Fairmont, Minnesota USA Peace Group
Fairmont, MN
Linda S. Ochs, Director
Finger Lakes Citizens for the Environment
Waterloo, NY
Dan Brook, Ph.D.
Food for Thought---and Action
San Jose, CA
Jon Blickenstaff, Treasurer
Footprints for Peace
Cincinnati, OH
Nick Mann, Legislative Program Assistant-Environment
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Washington, DC
Richard V. Sidy, President
Gardens for Humanity
Sedona, AZ
Amanda Hill-Attkisson, Managing Director
Georgia Women's Action for New Directions
Atlanta, GA
Peter Meisen, President
Global Energy Network Institute
San Diego, CA
Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Brunswick, ME
Casey Coates Danson, President
Global Possibilities
Los Angeles, CA
Barbara Harris
Granny Peace Brigade NY
New York, NY
Vicky Steinitz
Greater Boston United for Justice with Peace Coalition
Boston, MA
Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director
Green America
Washington, DC
Jennifer Olaranna Viereck, Executive Director
HOME: Healing Ourselves & Mother Earth
N. Bennington, VT
Bonnie A. New, MD MPH; Director
Health Professionals for Clean Air
Houston, TX
Dr. Kathleen Sullivan, Program Director
Hibakusha Stories
New York, NY
David Morris, Vice President
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Minneapolis, MN
Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director
International Center for Technology Assessment
Washington, DC
Victor Menotti, Executive Director
International Forum on Globalization
San Francisco, CA
Christian May, Founder
iSupportSolar
Frederick, MD
Daniel Ziskin, PhD; President
Jews Of The Earth
Boulder, CO
Andy McDonald, Director
Kentucky Solar Partnership
Appalachia - Science in the Public Interest
Frankfurt, KY
Kay Tiffany, Steering Committee
Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition
Lexington, MA
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
Leicester, NC
Greg Mello
Los Alamos Study Group
Albuquerque, NM
Claudine Cremer, Owner
Meadow Cove Farm
Weaverville, NC
Linda Belgrave, Secretary
Miami for Peace & Justice
Coral Gables, FL
Barbara Jennings, CSJ, Coordinator
Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investment
St. Louis, MO
Mark Haim, Chair
Missourians for Safe Energy
Columbia, MO
Judy Treichel, Executive Director
Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force
Las Vegas, NV
Lilia Diaz, Outreach Director
New Energy Economy
Santa Fe, NM
Penelope McMullen, SL
New Mexico Justice and Peace Coordinator
Loretto Community
Santa Fe, NM
Carolyn Treadway
No New Nukes
Normal, IL
Wells Eddleman, Staff Scientist
North Carolina Citizens Research Group
Durham, NC
Larry Bell, President
North East Arizona Energy Services Company
Concho, AZ
Barbara Haack, Member
North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice
Ipswich, MA
David Borris, President
North Suburban Peace Initiative and Chicago Area Peace Action
Evanston, IL
Nina Bell, J.D., Executive Director
Northwest Environmental Advocates
Portland, OR
Alice Slater, NY Director
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
New York, NY
David Krieger, President
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Wendy Oser, Director
Nuclear Guardianship Project
Berkeley, CA
Jack & Felice Cohen-Joppa, editors
The Nuclear Resister
Tucson, AZ
Arn Specter, Editor
The Nuclear Review
Philadelphia, PA
Glenn Carroll, Coordinator
Nuclear Watch South
Atlanta, GA
Chris Daum, President
Oasis Montana Inc. Renewable Energy Supply & Design
Stevensville, MT
Philip Tymon, Administrative Director
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
Occidental, CA
Patricia A. Marida, Chair-Nuclear Issues Committee
Ohio Sierra Club
Columbus, OH
Dave Robinson, Executive Director
Pax Christi USA
Washington, DC
Judi Friedman, Chair
PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy, Inc.)
Canton, CT
Aviv Goldsmith, President
Precursor Systems, Inc.
Spotsylvania, VA
Launce Rake, Communications Director
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Carson City/Las Vegas/Reno, Nevada
Elizabeth O'Nan, Director
Protect All Children's Environment
Marion, NC
Joy Blackwood
Public Health Educator
Landover, MD
Anne Mitchell, General Secretary
Quaker Earthcare Witness
Burlington, VT
Tor Allen, Executive Director
The Rahus Institute
Sebastopol, CA
Michael Welch, volunteer
Redwood Alliance
Arcata, CA
Tena Willemsma
Religious Leaders for Coalfield Justice
Winchester, VA
Quintin Bullis, GC-Sales/Installer Solar Energy Systems
Renaissance Developers
Tunnel, NY
Ron Leonard, Founder
RenewableEnergyCoalition.org
Woodstock, NY
Gordian Raacke, Executive Director
Renewable Energy Long Island
East Hampton, NY
Andreas Karelas, Executive Director
RE-volv
San Francisco, CA
Peggy Kurtz, Co-coordinator
Rockland Sierra Club
Nyack, NY
Russell Lowes, Research Director
Tucson, AZ
Clare Ritchie, Chairperson
Salem Peace Committee
Salem, MA
Elaine Holder, President
San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace
Mothers for Peace Action Committee
San Luis Obispo, CA
David Brown Kinloch, President
Shaker Landing Hydro Associates, Inc.
Louisville, KY
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director
The Shalom Center
Philadelphia, PA
Dennis R. Winters, Chair
Sierra Club - Pennsylvania Chapter
Philadelphia, PA
Mark Dickson, Owner
Simple Power, LLC (Renewable Energy Design and Installation)
Stevensville, MT
Sr. Ellen Orf, CPPS; Leadership Team member
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood
O'Fallon, MO
Diana Oleskevich CSJA, Justice Coordinator
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province
St. Louis, MO
Scott Sklar, President
The Stella Group, Ltd.
Arlington, VA
Stuart Magruder, AIA, LEED, Principal
Studio Nova A Architects, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA
Erika Schneider, Outreach Coordinator
Sundance Power Systems
Weaverville, NC
Ken Bossong, Executive Director
SUN DAY Campaign
Takoma Park, MD
John F Neville, President
Sustainable Arizona
(statewide), AZ
Rona Fried, CEO
SustainableBusiness.com
Huntington Station, NY
Ron Hubert, President
Sustainable Economic Development Initiative of Northern Arizona
(Managing Director - Hozho International)
Flagstaff, AZ
Karen Hadden, Executive Director
Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) Coalition
Austin, TX
Melissa Everett, Ph.D., Executive Director
Sustainable Hudson Valley
Kingston, NY
Charles Jansen, Initiating Group Member
Transition Asheville
Asheville, NC
H. Patricia Hynes, Chair - Board
Traprock Center for Peace and Justice
Greenfield, MA
Chuck Learned, Director
Tri Local Returns
Madison, WI
Marylia Kelley, Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs
Livermore, CA
Dr. Brian Moench, President
Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment
Salt Lake City, UT
Dr. Don Richardson
Western NC Physicians For Social Responsibility
Brevard, NC
Chris Herman, Owner
Winter Sun Design
(Interim President - Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative)
Edmonds, WA
Diane Farsetta, PhD, Executive Director
Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice
Madison, WI
Virginia Pratt, Chair
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Boston, MA
Suzanne Maxx, Founder/President/Ex.Dir.
World Team Now
Malibu, CA
Nathalie Worthington, Owner
Worthington Studios
St. Petersburg, FL
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Extinction Rebellion and other climate groups held a funeral for the Paris agreement's 1.5°C temperature target in Cambridge, England on May 10, 2025. (Photo: Derek Langley)
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This is a developing story... Please check back for possible updates...
India and Pakistan accused each other of violating a cease-fire that had been announced Saturday by officials from both countries and U.S. President Donald Trump amid global fears of escalating tit-for-tat strikes between the nuclear-armed neighbors in the wake of last month's Pahalgam massacre in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
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