March 2012 is “March Against Nuclear Madness” and Beyond Nuclear has created a new March Against Nuclear Madness Facebook page. We will be helping to coordinate, organize and promote events around the country throughout the month of March to commemorate the March 11, 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe in Japan. We encourage you to post your events and ideas on this page.
We are inspired by the opposition to nuclear power in Japan where today only four of the country’s 54 nuclear power plants are still operating. As nuclear power plants there shut down for routine refueling, local government and citizen opposition are refusing to allow them to restart.
We are further inspired by the principled democratic action being taken in Vermont. Here in the United States, the nuclear industry and the federal government look to pre-empt a state’s right to self determination for an energy future in the public good. In Vermont, where the Fukushima-style Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant should have closed by a state legislative vote when its operating license expires on March 21, 2012, a lower court federal judge has ruled that Entergy can extend its nuclear madness by another 20 years – for now.
We invite you to take action in solidarity with the State and the people of Vermont and participate – in person – in any of their events listed below (additional events will be added soon). Or consider hosting your own event to oppose nuclear power as part of the call for a March Against Nuclear Madness.
In the coming weeks, Beyond Nuclear will be promoting and posting other events around the country at March Against Nuclear Madness, a part of the Beyond Nuclear nationwide Freeze our Fukushimas campaign to close down the country’s dangerous GE Mark I Boiling Water Reactors and phase out of nuclear power.
The Vermont Actions
March 11: Fukushima mock evacuation march. Contact: Safe & Green.
March 21. Vermont Yankee retirement party at the statehouse in Montpelier. Contact: Chris Williams with the Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance.
March 22. Non-violent civil disobedience and direct action at the Vermont Yankee reactor site by affinity groups. CORRECTION: THE MARCH 22 DATE FOR NON-VIOLENT DIRECT ACTION IS FIRM. HOWEVER, THE SPECIFIC LOCATION(S) OF THE ACTION(S) BY AFFINITY GROUPS HAVE NOT YET BEEN FINALIZED. Contact: The Sage Alliance.