Nuclear Abolition Join the Action Group here
Convener: Bill Exner (billexner@gmail.com) Pam Moffat (jaymoffat@AOL.com)
“The Earth is the Lord’s and all who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24))
Late in the year it still amazes me how many serious discussions about developing alternative energy resources include the use of nuclear technology. Just a few months ago a high school student from my New Hampshire Episcopal parish went on a cultural exchange trip to Russia and came back reporting the that the extensive damage and wide ‘off limits’ area from the Chernobyl plant melt down back in 1987 remains an active concern there to this day. It should be here too. Quoting from her excellent new volume, In Mortal Hands: A Cautionary History of the Nuclear Age, author Stephanie Cooke writes, “The time interval between exposure to ionizing radiation and a diagnosis of cancer can be fifty to sixty years. A key longer-lived radionuclide like cesium 137 will not lose all its radioactivity for three hundred years, which means food pathways in certain areas might continue harming people well after we are all dead.” (Page 322).
Yes, I know a lot of bright people are saying nothing like Chernobyl could happen again with our modern technological know how. I don’t buy it, but a lot of bright people are saying it. What none of them are willing to talk about however is the death and destruction to the earth, workers, and nearby populations near the places where uranium is being mined across the globe this very hour. That alone makes the Nuclear industry NOT the answer. Please consider reading In Mortal Hands and stay tuned for a review of it by Pamela Moffat of EPF in an upcoming Episcopal Peace Witness. Also check out www.beyondnuclear.org for a host of cogent reasons to say no to the nuclear power industry.
In an era where alternative energy sources are in demand, we need to add words like ‘safe’ and ‘ecologically responsible’ to our goal. Additionally, in a time when jobs are needed and economic growth is imperative, perhaps a quick read from The Earth Policy Institute will encourage us to look to the wind and the sun. Ah, but that’s a subject for another day. Talk with your representatives. Recommend the aforementioned resources.
Pray for faithful innovations and responsible stewardship of God’s creation.
Rev. Bill Exner, EPF/National Executive Council
Letter to Senator – Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Dear Senator,
We of the Episcopal Diocese of __________________________ care deeply about the safety and security of our people and natural resources. Our vision for the well being of our people and the world is clouded by the threat of nuclear weapons at home and abroad. For decades the Episcopal Church has joined voices with many religious communities calling for measures to reduce the nuclear threat. Please accept this letter of encouragement to support the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty which is expected to come before you this year.
Recently a number of religious bodies, conventions and conferences have adopted resolutions in support of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Additionally, in July of 2009, the General Convention of The Episcopal Church adopted a strong resolution calling on our political leaders to dismantle existing nuclear weapons stockpiles, halt development of new nuclear weapons, and urge our nation and all nations to pave a less onerous path toward global security and eventual peace.
We the undersigned of The Episcopal Diocese of __________________
urge your support of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and we pledge our support of efforts you make to do so.
Please work within your party and across the aisle to ratify the Treaty this year for the peace and security of all God’s people and creation.
Sincerely,
NAME CHURCH ADDRESS E-MAIL
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Time to Ban Nuclear Testing
Speaking at the U.N. on September 24, President Obama explicitly affirmed the U.S. commitment, under international treaties, to eliminating nuclear weapons.
Now Congress needs to get on board. A first test will be whether the Senate will ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits all nuclear test explosions.
Act Now:
- Urge your senators to support ratification of the CTBT
- Distribute this flyer
- Organize in your community
- Get the attention of your elected officials through letters to the editor and op-eds in your local newspaper
Obama Seeks a World Without Nukes
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Used under the creative commons license
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“Today, I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.”
~ President Barack Obama, Prague, April 5, 2009
In April Barack Obama became the first U.S. president in history to declare U.S. commitment to seek peace and security in “a world without nuclear weapons.”
Find Out More
- Read or watch the president’s Prague speech.
- What does FCNL want the new administration to do to advance nuclear disarmament? See our wish list.
- Read a Wall Street Journal op-ed from George Shultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger and Sam Nunn urging a “global effort to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons, to prevent their spread into potentially dangerous hands, and ultimately to end them as a threat to the world.”
(from Friends Committee on National Legislation)
