Nuclear Free Future Awards event 2020

Nov. 25 online event celebrates winners 

Since 1998, the Nuclear-Free Future Award has honored people worldwide committed to a future free of nuclear power and nuclear weapons. An international jury of activists and scientists selected the winners of the 2020 awards in three categories. Each prize comes with $5,000. The winners are: Resistance: Fedor Maryasov and Andrey Talevlin, Russia; Education: Felice and Jack Cohen-Joppa, USA; Solution: Ray Acheson, Canada/Ireland. Due to Covid-19, this year’s award ceremony will be held online via Zoom on Nov. 25 at 10am Eastern US time. This event is organized by the Nuclear Free Future Foundation with ICAN Germany. Beyond Nuclear is the NFFA North American affiliate. The participants will tell their stories followed by Q&A. Register here to join. 

Cimate Warriors: Free screening and discussion

The documentary, Climate Warriors, showcases climate activists, scientists and entrepreneurs in Europe and the US from diverse backgrounds who are resisting and fighting against the climate crisis. The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Washington, DC, in collaboration with Beyond Nuclear and other partners, cordially invite you to the US launch of the film. Watch it for free, and join us on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm Eastern US time for a virtual transatlantic discussion on climate activism with the filmmaker Carl-A. Fechner and some of the film’s protagonists. Click here to RSVP, then register to receive a link to the film. And join us on Nov. 24 for the discussion!

Brookhaven caused cancers. Now it must answer in court

By Karl Grossman:

"After nearly 25 years, a lawsuit charging that radioactive discharges from Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York have caused cancers and other illnesses in people in nearby communities is moving forward—still slowly.

"BNL after negotiations agreed to settlements of approximately $600,000 for the first two groups of plaintiffs, each with about 18 persons. However, last month a settlement was not agreed to involving the final group of 18 plaintiffs, and New York State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Farneti ordered that a trial be scheduled.

"The class action lawsuit, begun in January 1996, charges that the “actions of the defendant were grossly, recklessly and wantonly negligent and were done with an utter disregard for the health, safety, well-being and rights of the plaintiffs.”" Read the full article.

Three more Kings Bay Plowshares activists sentenced

Martha Hennessy, Clare Grady and Carmen Trotta were sentenced last week for their part in the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 action that took place on April 4/5 2018 on the Georgia submarine base. Hennessy, the sixth of the Kings Bay Plowshares defendants to be sentenced, was ordered to serve 10 months incarceration as well as three years supervised probation and restitution. This was a downward departure from the guidelines of 18 to 24 months recommended by the probation department. The day before, Trotta was sentenced to 14 months, also a downgrade from the expected sentence. Grady was sentenced to one year and one day which is also well below the guidelines. The remaining defendant, Mark Colville, will be sentenced in December. Earlier this year, Liz McAlister was sentenced to time served. Fr. Steve Kelly was sentenced to 33 months incarceration, three years of supervised release and restitution. He has served 30 months in pretrial confinement so should have completed this sentence with the addition of good time. O’Neill was sentenced to 14 months in prison and the same probation and restitution. At the moment, prison sentences look unlikely to be served during the covid pandemic.

Beyond Nuclear board members on EnviroCloseup

Rachel Carson Council President & CEO, Bob Musil, is featured in this edition of Karl Grossman’s “Enviro Close-Up,” a progressive half-hour TV program broadcast nationwide and internationally since 1991. Musil discusses the work and politics of Rachel Carson and the role of the Rachel Carson Council in today’s environmental movement.

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter who is the author of six books and Professor of Journalism at the State University of New York at Old Westbury. Grossman is also a Board member of Beyond Nuclear and a regular contributor to Truthout, CounterPunch, and other publications.