PSR Monitor

Climate Activists Rally at White House for Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day, PSR rallied with hundreds of others in front of the White House to urge President Biden and Congress to pass bold climate action NOW. The spirited rally was composed of a diverse group of climate activists and called for good-paying renewable energy jobs, public health prioritization, and investments in the communities most vulnerable to fossil fuel production and climate change. As Congress reconvenes from its recess, PSR will continue to make ambitious climate legislation a top priority.

Cost of Inaction Ticker

The cost of climate inaction is expensive. A new ticker displays the live 2022 costs of business-as-usual policies that fail to address climate change. From flooding and extreme storms to drought and heatwaves, billion-dollar climate events are becoming too frequent, accounting for over 80 percent of the weather and climate damage the U.S. has experienced. This has resulted in $742.1 billion in damages, with an annual average of $148.4 billion, over the past five years. To learn more about the cost of climate inaction, check out the ticker here.

Building Electrification: Climate, Health, Equity

You're invited to Building Electrification: Climate, Health, Equity, a panel hosted by San Francisco Bay PSR and co-sponsored by PSR National, RMI, Climate Health Now, and Local Clean Energy Alliance. Learn from experts about new research on the health effects of fossil fuel ("natural" gas) appliances in homes, how to protect your family, and how to advocate for a just transition to all-electric homes in California and beyond. The panel will be held on Wednesday, April 27 from 6:00-8:00pm PT.

Flood the Phones

Just because Earth Day has ended does not mean our push for climate action is over. Call your senators at 1-877-215-0983 to demand that they treat climate change like the urgent crisis it is. Our future does not have to mirror the extreme weather and polluting fossil fuels of today. Immediate investments in climate action can have profound economic and public health benefits while protecting those most vulnerable to fossil fuel pollution and climate change consequences. But we need Congress to take bold action now! Call 1-877-215-0983.

PSR Co-releases Latest Fracking Compendium

PSR proudly announces the eighth edition of the fracking “Compendium.” The Compendium is a collection of some 2,000 abstracts of, and links to, medical, scientific and investigative reports about the consequences of oil and gas drilling, fracking, and infrastructure, documenting harm to public health, the environment, and the climate. The 2022 edition includes a spotlight on liquefied natural gas (LNG). PSR collaborates with Concerned Health Professionals of NY to write, edit and distribute this go-to resource. It will be released April 28 with a live press conference in Denver, Colorado.

Budget Battle Looms Amidst War in Ukraine

On Monday, March 28, President Biden revealed his Fiscal Year 2023 budget request. Without fail, President Biden continued in his predecessors' footsteps and requested a disgustingly high military budget. The starting bid for the military is $813 billion, a 4% increase from last year and the highest military budget in U.S. history. The ongoing war in Ukraine was cited as one reason for such an astronomical request. However, the endless amount of money we throw at the military will not make us safer; it will only make profiteers of the military industrial complex richer.

REGISTER NOW: PSR to host Earth Day event with Reverse The Trend, Climate Cardinals and more

In honor of Earth Day this year, PSR's Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program is hosting an event alongside youth organization Reverse The Trend, Climate Cardinals, the Marshallese Educational Initiative, and Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. This event, titled "Reclaiming Our Futures" will be a discussion on seeking justice over the harm caused by climate change and nuclear weapons, and paths forward. Join us TOMORROW, April 27 at 1:30pm ET / 10:30am PT for an insightful event!

Register at this link and share with friends.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Support the Poor People's Campaign: A Poor People’s Pandemic Report and the June 18 Moral March on Washington

This month, the Poor People’s Campaign released A Poor People's Pandemic Report. This report maps the intersections of race, poverty and the Covid-19 pandemic. Take a look to learn about the many ways that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated social and economic disparities in the U.S.

And if you're feeling frustrated and angry with our government's mismanaged priorities, join the Poor People’s Campaign on June 18 for a Moral March on Washington and to the Polls. Buses are being prepared to bring people in from all over the country to let elected officials know that we will no longer be silent while they ignore our basic needs. If you can't make it, there are other ways you can support the march and the campaign overall.

Head over to poorpeoplescampaign.org/june18 to find out more about how you can get involved on June 18.

Reminder: Enhanced Self-Service Options

The PSR member portal has been enhanced with features that allow you to:

• Update your contact information
• Update email preferences and interest areas
• View contributions (and print contribution history)
• Update payment information (for recurring contributions)

Visit www.psr.org today and click "Manage My Account".

Upcoming Events

Reclaiming Our Futures: A Discussion on Environmental and Nuclear Justice, and Paths Forward
Wed. Apr. 27, 1:30 pm EDT / 10:30 am PDT
This insightful event will be a discussion on seeking justice over the harm caused by climate change and nuclear weapons, and paths forward. Presented by PSR National, Reverse The Trend, Climate Cardinals, the Marshallese Educational Initiative, and Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.Register

Building Electrification: Climate, Health, Equity
Wed. Apr. 27, 6:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm ET
Fossil fuel ("natural" gas) appliances harm climate and health. Learn how to protect your family and advocate for all-electric homes. Hosted by SF Bay PSR and co-sponsored by PSR National, RMI, Climate Health Now, and Local Clean Energy Alliance. Register

2022 Greenfield Peace Scholarship Awards Ceremony
Thu. Apr. 28, 6:00 – 7:00 pm PDT
Join Oregon PSR in celebrating the Oregon high school student winners of our annual peace scholarship opportunity, who responded to the question: "Half of the U.S. discretionary budget goes to the military every year. How would you spend it instead?" Livestreaming on Oregon PSR's YouTube channel and Facebook page.

PSR/Sacramento Scholarship Essay Contest Finals
Sun. May 1, 7:00 pm (PDT)
$15,000 in scholarships will be awarded to the ten student finalists who will present their essays based on this quote from William Grieder: "American cannot teach democracy to the world until they restore their own." Register

Greater Boston PSR Monthly Meeting
Mon. May 2, 7:00 pm EDT
Greater Boston PSR's monthly meeting — open to all. Please contact Anna Baker at abaker@gbpsr.org for Zoom information.

PA Health Check Up – Cooking with Gas: Health Harms from Gas Stoves
Fri. May 13, 1:00 – 2:00 pm EDT
This training exposes the harmful air pollutants produced by gas stoves, their negative impacts on the human body, the exacerbated impacts on vulnerable populations, and how health professionals can help their patients reduce their risk. CME credit will be offered: this activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Register

Cooking With Gas: Harms to Health from Gas Stoves (PSR Texas + PSR National Webinar)
Mon. May 16, 8:00 pm CT / 9:00 pm ET
This training exposes the harmful air pollutants produced by gas stoves, their negative impacts on the human body, the exacerbated impacts on vulnerable populations, and how health professionals can help their patients reduce their risk. CME credit will be offered: this activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Register

Cooking With Gas: Harms to Health from Gas Stoves (PSR Arizona + PSR National Webinar)
Wed. May 18, 7:00 pm PT
This training exposes the harmful air pollutants produced by gas stoves, their negative impacts on the human body, the exacerbated impacts on vulnerable populations, and how health professionals can help their patients reduce their risk. CME credit will be offered: this activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Register

Climate Emergency Feedback Loops: Introduction
Thu. May 19, 6:00 - 7:00 pm EDT
Fossil fuel-driven climate change has set in motion nature's own feedback loops which are raising temperatures even higher. The urgent question is: Are we approaching a point of no return, leading to an uninhabitable Earth, or do we have the vision and will to slow, halt, and reverse them? CME, CEU and CEs available. Sponsored by PSR Pennsylvania. Register

PSR Actions

Urge your U.S. Representative: oppose any moves to add to the military budget

In the news

Finding Hope in a World of Grief
Jasmine Owens, Lead Organizer and Policy Coordinator, PSR Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program, Inkstick - April 25

Study: Redlining tied to more oil, gas wells in urban areas
Associated Press - Apr 20
Quotes PSR-Los Angeles Executive Director Martha Dina Argüello

'They got money for war but can't feed the poor'
Mari Faines, former PSR Director of Communications, Inkstick - Apr 18

Colorado fracking chemical disclosure bill, bouyed by PFAS concerns, clears first hurdle
Denver Business Journal - Apr 15
Cites PSR's fracking in Colorado report.

Climate change is an existential emergency
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Apr 14
Op-ed citing PSR's recent carbon capture webinar

Fighting Off a Petrochemical Future in the Ohio River Valley
Yes! Magazine - Apr 12
Quotes PSR-Pennsylvania's Ned Ketyer, MD

"Either we do away with nuclear weapons, or they do away with us." What will happen to cities and civilization if an atomic war starts tomorrow
Onliner (Belarus) - Apr 12
Interview with PSR board member Ira Helfand, MD (in Russian; translation available here)

UNC med school students address new emerging public health threat: Climate change
North Carolina Health News - Apr 11
Quotes PSR Texas President Lisa Doggett, MD

What to know about a planned natural gas 'peaker' plant in Mass.
WBUR - Apr 8
Quotes Greater Boston PSR

The end of privacy could also mean the end of nuclear weapons
Matt Bivens, MD, PSR board member, The Boston Globe - Apr 7

LA City Council unanimously backs CA bill divesting public pension funds from fossil fuel cos.
Daily Kos - Apr 6
Mentions PSR-Los Angeles

Nuclear power: Negotiation is key
Joe Berkson, MD, Washington PSR board member, Seattle Times - Apr 1

Clean water is not negotiable it is a necessity
The Star News - Mar 30
Cites PSR's fracking chemicals report.

Coalition Urges Biden to 'Maximize' Efforts to Achieve Diplomatic End to Ukraine War
Common Dreams - Mar 29
Coverage of letter signed by PSR

California is Falling Behind Its Climate Goals. Big Oil Wants to Help.
Capital & Main - Mar 25
Quotes PSR-Los Angeles Executive Director Martha Dina Argüello