Radiation Alerts

Autumn Actions for a Nuclear-Free World....

FIND ONE NEAR YOU, OR START ONE OF YOUR OWN!

September 13, 2011

Dear Friends,

It's been exactly six months--almost to the hour as I write this--that the explosion at Fukushima Daiichi's plutonium-powered Unit-3 reactor ripped apart its fuel pool and reactor building, sending black smoke high into the air and radiation across the globe.

That explosion and the accompanying three meltdowns at Fukushima forever destroyed any semblance of the myth that nuclear power is safe or clean, or even has a place on our planet.

We've had six months of radiation releases, six months of changing stories about how much radiation has been released--stories that change only in one direction: upwards; six months of the Japanese government failing to protect its people, going so far as to increase allowable radiation standards in order to avoid compensating people who should be evacuated.

And we've had six months in the U.S. of close calls and unfortunate proof of our own unreadiness to cope with a nuclear accident. We've had floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, all of which have tested U.S. reactors and served as additional warnings of the follies of nuclear technology--just in case we were heedless of the warning of Fukushima. We've had a government proving itself incapable of coordinated and effective radiation monitoring from a distant accident--setting up new alarm bells about our ability to monitor an accident much closer to home.

We've had six months, and we've had enough.

This Autumn, we urge you to bring your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues and come out to the streets with a simple message: No More Nuclear Power.

A group that formed on Facebook following Fukushima is making it easy for you. The group, called Coalition Against Nukes, is already organizing rallies and other events in many cities for October 1, including a major rally in New York City with Helen Caldicott, John Hall, Harvey Wasserman and many more. You can find a full list of actions already planned, along with contact information, on NIRS website here. We're updating it as more actions are announced (and don't forget to send us your updates!).

We're sure a lot of these local actions could use some additional volunteer help, so don't hesitate to contact them!

Don't see an action near enough to you? Then start one. Seriously. It's not that hard. Get some friends together. Decide on a location. Write a quick press release and get it to your local media. Print a leaflet and start handing them out. Post them on websites and blogs. Send the info to NIRS and we'll add it to the Actions page.

Need a hand? If you use Facebook, you can contact Coalition Against Nukes here. If you don't, contact NIRS and we'll help too.

It's been six months. It's time for us all to act.

Thanks for all you do; right now, we ask that you do just a little more...

Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnet@nirs.org
www.nirs.org

Note: Many people still have not yet signed the latest petition to Japan's government, calling for stricter radiation standards and more evacuation of people living in contaminated zones. If you haven't yet signed, please do so now here. The people of Japan are asking for our support!


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