PSR Monitor

In June: historic first Meeting of States Parties to the Ban Treaty

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) a.k.a. "the ban treaty", was adopted by 122 nations at the UN in July, 2017 and entered into force in January, 2021. June will be an excellent month to learn more about the TPNW and spread the word about it! In Vienna, the 61 nations who have ratified the treaty will meet to deliberate on how best to totally eliminate nuclear weapons from the planet. Our allies at International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons are providing us with opportunities to educate our fellow Americans on the importance of this treaty.

Save The Date: Poor People's Campaign June 18 Moral March on Washington and To The Polls

Are you frustrated with our government’s mismanaged priorities of spending valuable taxpayer dollars on the military and nuclear weapons over reinvesting those funds back into our communities? Then join the Poor People's Campaign and PSR June 18 for the Moral March on Washington and To The Polls.

"June 12" Legacy event commemorates historic NYC peace rally

To commemorate the largest peace demonstration in U.S. history, June 12, 1982 in New York City, you can tune in to the June 12 Legacy event, to commemorate this historic demonstration and support continuing efforts to rid the world of the nuclear weapons menace.

PSR Helps Clinch Statewide Win for Building Electrification

In a major success for our Building Electrification work, Washington State PSR helped secure a national first: passage of a statewide building code that requires that new construction of commercial buildings be all-electric. This climate-friendly policy facilitates the transition off methane ("natural") gas and creates a ready market for electricity generated by clean, healthy, renewable energy sources. Washington PSR mobilized health professionals on this issue for over a year, helped marshal over 100 health professionals to submit public comments, and presented its own compelling testimony at public hearings.

Why We Reject CCS

Oil- and gas-related companies are looking for ways to "decarbonize" fossil fuel use so they can keep selling their products. One of the false solutions they propose is carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), in which carbon dioxide released from fossil fuel combustion is captured, compressed, and piped to a presumably eternal storage site. Watch this powerful webinar to learn why this supposed techno-fix threatens human health, safety, and the climate. National PSR partnered with our Iowa and Los Angeles chapters and the Science and Environmental Health Network.

The Dangers of Shipping LNG

Shipping liquified natural gas (LNG) by train and truck through heavily populated areas is terribly dangerous. In the case of an accident, hundreds or even thousands of people could be killed or severely burned by the resulting explosion and fireball. This is the message PSR delivered as we participated in a press conference with our friends at Food & Water Watch, calling for an end to this practice in south Florida. For more details, see our earlier comments to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on this same topic.

Become a Climate Ambassador!

PSR is calling all health professionals! We want to amplify your voice in the fight for climate mitigation and the acceleration away from dirty fossil fuels. PSR's climate ambassador program provides you with the tools, resources, and learning opportunities necessary to feel confident in your ability to take a variety of actions, from submitting public comments on EPA rulemakings to attending a local climate rally. The climate crisis is a health crisis, and we want your voice heard.

PSR Meets with Senator Kelly's Office

PSR recently met with Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ)'s staff to convey support for a bold and ambitious congressional climate package. PSR hand-delivered letters (example here) from Arizona constituents addressed to Senator Kelly, voicing concerns about the impacts of climate change and fossil fuel usage on the state of Arizona and imploring him to take immediate action. Climate progress is stalled in Congress, and senators like Mark Kelly will be pivotal in making climate action a reality.

Next-Generation Climate & Health Ambassadors

Our Next-Gen Climate Ambassadors have been busy this month brainstorming and submitting proposals for local projects. One Ambassador, a medical student at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, will be implementing a project to divert waste by increasing composting sources in the local community. She will collaborate with the Energy Justice Collective of Baltimore to create composting maps and encourage more local food businesses in the area to compost. She plans to incorporate principles of environmental justice by including composting groups run by Black youth and veterans.

Health Harms From Gas Stoves Trainings Continue Across the Nation

PSR National thanks Texas PSR (webinar recording) and PSR Arizona (webinar recording) for hosting training sessions on the health effects of gas stove use this past month. There was great discussion about the impacts of other gas appliances in our homes and options for folks who can't replace their gas stove. If you're interested in scheduling a Physician CME- and Nurse CEU-accredited Gas Stove training at your chapter or organization, please contact Zach Williams (zwilliams@psr.org).

Environmental Justice and the Electric Transition

PSR National had the honor of being on the panel for PSR San Francisco Bay's Building Electrification: Climate, Health Equity event, along with RMI, Local Clean Energy Alliance, and Yale University. As we work towards the electrification transition, it's not just important but necessary to center the voices of the communities who have been harmed the most by fossil fuels – most often communities of color and low-income folks. The recording of the event can be found here, and a building electrification and health resource list can be found here.

Meet PSR's Summer Interns!

PSR is pleased to share that we're hosting four great interns for the summer! We'll be working alongside Madeline Berzak, Hope-Marie A. Delgado, Kylie Jones, and Shreya Tamma, each passionate about creating a safer, more just world for us all. Read on to learn more about PSR's summer interns.

Upcoming Events

Greater Boston PSR Monthly Meeting June 2022
Mon. Jun. 6, 7:00 pm EDT
Online meeting via Zoom – Open to All. Please contact Anna Baker at abaker@gbpsr.org for Zoom information.

1982 Peace March Commemoration
Sat. Jun. 11, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Lafayette Square, Washington, DC
The afternoon prior to June 12 Legacy, disarmament supporters in the DC Metro area will gather for a live and in-person commemoration in Lafayette Square, immediately adjacent to the White House. Chesapeake PSR's Gwen DuBois and PSR's Jasmine Owens will speak.

June 12 Legacy
Sun. Jun. 12, noon - 4:00 pm EDT
On June 12, 1982 one million people marched in New York City to demand an end to the injustice of the nuclear arms race. Join this virtual event to commemorate this historic demonstration and hear from march organizers and current activists, including PSR's Jasmine Owens. Learn more & Register

Poor People's Campaign June 18 Moral March on Washington and To The Polls
Sat. Jun. 18, gather at 9:00 am
3rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Join us to speak out against the government's mismanaged priorities of spending valuable taxpayer dollars on the military and nuclear weapons over reinvesting those funds back into our communities. PSR is an organizing partner of this event. Learn more & RSVP

Climate Emergency Film Club: Permafrost
Thu. Jul. 21, 6:00 - 7:00 pm EDT
Join PSR Pennsylvania for part two of five intriguing panel discussions over the next six months as we delve into the Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops. Register

Lanterns for Peace
Sun. Aug. 7, 6:30 pm CDT
Tenney Park, Madison, WI – Outside of the John Wall Family Pavilion
Join PSR Wisconsin for this family friendly event to commemorate the lives lost in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings 77 years ago and make sure that such nuclear attacks never again take place.

2022 Hiroshima & Nagasaki Memorial Event
Mon. Aug. 8, 6:00 – 7:15 pm PDT
Japanese American Historical Plaza, NW Naito Pkwy & Couch St, Portland, OR
Join Oregon PSR and community partners for the annual Portland-area memorial to the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Learn more

In the news

Oil and gas extraction is coming to Loveland
Loveland Reporter-Herald - May 25
Coverage of PSR's fracking Compendium

New Research Shows More Than Half a Million South Floridians At Risk from Liquefied Gas Transit
Food and Water Watch - May 25
Quotes Barbara Gottlieb, PSR Environment & Health Director

Activists and residents slam Sacramento for gutting a bill to shut SoCalGas in Aliso Canyon
Los Angeles Daily News - May 23
Mentions PSR-Los Angeles

Reasons to oppose fracking
Loveland Reporter-Herald - May 23
Letter to the editor citing PSR's fracking Compendium

Tactical nuclear war should never be normalized
Peter H. Gorman, Chesapeake PSR, Baltimore Sun - May 22

Proposed drilling could lead to more PFAS in water
Wausa Pilot & Review - May 17
Letter to the editor citing PSR's fracking chemicals report

Physician Says Momentum May Be Building to Ban Nuclear Weapons
BusinessWest - May 13
Interview with PSR Board Member Ira Helfand, MD

California regulators reject governor's pitch for carbon neutrality by 2035
Grist - May 12
Quotes Martha Dina Argüello, executive director of PSR-Los Angeles

Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' To Be Banned From Some Consumer Products Sold In Colorado, After Legislature Passes Bill
CBS Denver - May 11
Mentions PSR Colorado

Got Lungs? Berkeley's Got Your Back (and the Gas Industry Doesn't)
Earthjustice - May 10
Mentions San Francisco Bay Area PSR

Pregnant women increasingly at risk of being exposed to chemicals that may harm development
Philly Voice - May 10
Cites PSR's prenatal exposure to chemicals factsheet

Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner: Capitalism and cancer
Parkersburg News and Sentinel - May 7
Cites PSR's fracking chemicals report

It's time Russia and NATO stop playing games with nuclear war
PSR Board Member Ira Helfand, MD, and Michael Christ, IPPNW, CNN - May 3

Ukraine, Existential Threats, and Moving Back From the Brink
Robert Dodge, MD, Common Dreams - Apr 29

U.S. fracking is an "environmental injustice with impacts not felt equally" – new analysis
Drill or Drop - Apr 29
Coverage of PSR's fracking Compendium

Fracking Is Injustice: The High Human and Climate Toll of Fracking and LNG Expansion Exposed!
Daily Kos - Apr 29
Coverage of PSR's fracking Compendium

New Report Details Fracking's 'Widespread and Severe Harm' to Health and Climate
Common Dreams - Apr 28
Coverage of PSR's fracking Compendium

Girl's Cancer Leads Mom to 'Overwhelming' Discovery of More Than 50 Sick Kids Near Closed Nuclear Lab
People - Apr 28
Quotes PSR Board Member Robert Dodge, MD