V i s i t P S R o n t h e w e b a t w w w . p s r .

o r g

PSR Reports
PSR is the U.S. affiliate of
International Physicians for
the Prevention of Nuclear War,
recipient of the 1985 Nobel
Prize for Peace.

Vol. 30 NO. 2 
P h y s i c i a n s   f o r   S o c i a l   R e s p o n s i b i l i t y
Fall 2008

PSR’s Code Black Campaign: Health

Concerns Spur Grassroots Opposition to New Coal Plants
P SR launched the Code Black
campaign last year to amplify the
medical and public health voice in an
aggressive grassroots effort to halt the
construction of new coal-fired power
plants. Through Code Black, PSR is
informing the broader health com-
munity and decision-makers— such
as local public utility districts, county
commissioners, and public health
boards—about the dangers inher-
ent in coal combustion, including its
contribution to global warming. By
voicing their concerns, health pro-
fessionals are blocking the licensing
and construction of new coal-fired
power plants.
As trusted stewards of public
health, doctors, nurses and other
health professionals have the cred-
ibility to call attention to health
threats and take a stand to protect
their communites. Most health pro-
fessionals know that coal-fired power
plants are a significant source of dan-
gerous pollutants such as mercury,
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and
particulate matter. Less widely recog-
nized is coal’s contribution to global
warming. Burning coal for electricity
generates a significant portion of our
atmospheric CO2, the most abundant
of the greenhouse gases. Once in the
air, CO2 and other greenhouse gases
surround the earth like a blanket and
trap heat. The results are rising tem-
­model testimo-
ny for medical
professionals
peratures, climate destabilization, to use when
and public health concerns, includ- making the case
ing accelerated ozone formation, against new
increases in infectious and vector- coal-burning
borne diseases, and death and injury plants, and a
due to extreme weather. Through model resolu-
the Code Black campaign, the health tion that PSR
community is drawing attention to all members can
these ills. introduce in
Code Black is currently focusing medical asso-
its efforts in Michigan, Wisconsin, ciations. PSR
Iowa, Texas, and Virginia. We are also plans to
asking PSR members in these states expand its web
to bolster local efforts to stop coal- site to include
fired plants that are still in the plan- online spaces
ning stage. As many as 10 additional where members
states will be added as the Code Black can describe
­campaign rolls out. their experi-
PSR recently released a compre- ences with local
hensive toolkit of Code Black educa- coalitions, post
tional and outreach materials, which locally devel-
includes reports on the health costs oped resources,
associated with coal-fired power and share tips A caption goes about the
plants and the medical and public and tactics. ad campaign could go
health impacts of global warming; Barbara Gottlieb, PSR’s new envi- here.
billboard and newspaper ads that ronment and health program manag-
communities can use to oppose new er, is leading the campaign. To obtain
coal plants; a poster of coal’s seven a copy of the toolkit or for more in-
deadly threats; bumper stickers; formation about Code Black, please
and t-shirts. PSR is also ­developing contact her at (202) 667-4260. PSR

U.S. and Iranian Physicians Take

a Step toward Diplomacy
I n keeping with its long-standing
tradition of using physician di-
plomacy to promote conflict resolu-
tion between countries, PSR hosted
a delegation of Iranian physicians
this spring. Their four-city tour
through the United States was meant
as a first step toward resolving the
impasse between our two nations. Dr.
­Mohammadreza Reza Soroush and
Dr. Shahriar Khateri, founders of
the Tehran-based non-governmental
Society for Chemical Weapons Vic-
tims Support, joined PSR doctors for
the two-week tour, which included
public discussions on the acute and
long-term health and environmental
impacts of chemical gas attacks during
the Iran-Iraq War; a traveling exhibi-
tion on the human costs of war and
chemical weapons; seminars at UCLA
and Harvard Medical Schools; press
events in California and Washington,
D.C.; and surgical and grand rounds
A caption goes here and could be two lines long
without throwing things off.
at George Washington ­University
Hospital in the District.
Accompanying Drs. Soroush and
Khateri were two of their patients
who were victims of chemical attacks
in the Iran-Iraq War. These patients
shared their stories and discussed
the ongoing health effects of their
exposures. At George Washington
University, they met with doctors
to discuss their further ­medical Inside this issue
­treatment.
Tensions between the United
States and Iran make it harder— 2 PSR Leadership Circle
and yet more imperative—to ­engage
physicians in such medical ex- 3 110th Congress Leaves
changes. During the tense Cold War Mixed Legacy
years of the Reagan administra-
tion, PSR hosted groundbreaking
exchanges with Soviet physicians.
3 From the President:
Consider California
It was for such direct citizen diplo-
macy, considered highly controver-
sial at the time, that PSR shared in 4 From the Director:
the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize awarded PSR Launches Safe Energy
to International Physicians for the Program
Prevention of Nuclear War. PSR will
continue to be deeply involved in
similar efforts to urge diplomatic
solutions with Iran. PSR

PSR REP ORTS 
F al l 2 0 0 8
PSR is grateful to
the many individuals
who provide generous
and critical support
for our programs.
Our Leadership
Circle members are
acknowledged at right.
Unfortunately, space
limits our ability to list
every PSR donor.
PSR Reports
(ISSN‑0894-6264) is the
newsletter of Physicians for
Social ­Responsibility,
a nonprofit organization.
Guided by the values and ex‑
pertise of medicine and public
health, Physicians for Social
Responsibility works to protect
human life from the gravest
threats to health and survival.
To receive PSR Reports regularly,
we invite you to join PSR and
support our work. Write to PSR,
1875 Connecticut Ave., NW,
Suite 1012, Washington, DC
20009, or visit our website
at www.psr.org.
President:
Erica Frank, M.D., M.P.H.
Executive Director
Michael McCally, M.D., Ph.D.
Legislative Director, Policy and
Programs: Will Callaway
Environment and Health
Program Director:
Kristen Welker-Hood
Director of Security
Programs:
Douglas B. Shaw
Development Director and
Executive Editor:
Mary Dillon Kerwin
Editor: Sally James,
  Cutting Edge Design
© Copyright 2008 Physicians for
Social Responsibility
Printed on recycled paper with

PSR’s Leadership Circle
Platinum   Jeanne Axler, M.D.
($10,000 and above)
Anonymous
Vita Barsky
Christine K. Cassel, M.D. and
Michael McCally, M.D., Ph.D.
Julie A. Fishman
Ira Helfand, M.D.
James E. Jones, M.D. and Sandra
L. Jones
The Stephen and
Tabitha King Foundation
Fred Segal
Gold   Peter Broner and Alice L. Broner
($5,000 to $9,999)
Anonymous (3)
Lynn P. Babicka
Robert Bernstein, M.D.
Kent J. Bransford, M.D.
Cathey Falvo, M.D. and
Kenneth Falvo, M.D
Dan and Anita Fine
Paul R. Fisher, M.D.
Paul Francis and Mimi Francis
Lee Francis, M.D., M.P.H.
Naomi C. Franklin
Edward and Verna Gerbic
Family Foundation
John C. Haas and Chara C. Haas
David L. Knierim
Knopf Family Foundation
Alan H. Lockwood, M.D. and
Anne Lockwood
Manfred Menking, M.D. and
Susan Menking, M.D.
Arnold Nestel
W.H. Oberteuffer
William H. Scheide
Ivan W. Sletten, M.D.
Judge John H. Sutter and
Dr. Elouise Sutter
Edgar Villchur and
Rosemary Villchur
Timothy Wolfe
Silver   Dorothy Dimont
($2,500 to $4,999)
Anonymous (2)
Richard Allen, M.D. and
Anke Wessels, Ph.D.
Stanley Eisenberg
Cathey Falvo, M.D., M.P.H.
and Dr. Kenneth Falvo
Nancy E. Gibbs, M.D.
Robert M. Gould, M.D.
Linda Headrick, M.D. and David
Setzer, Ph.D.
Lola L. Horwitz
Evan Kanter, M.D.
Charles Keil, Ph.D.
Margaret H. Kelley
Jonathan Otis Kerlin
Barbara Kingsolver
Amy Knopf
Manfred Menking, M.D.
and Susan Menking, M.D.
Janet Neuburg, M.D., M.P.H.
John D’Arcy Reinhard, M.D. and
Carol B. Reinhard
William H. Scheide
Steven A. Schroeder, M.D.
and Sally Schroeder
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Robert C. Wesley, M.D.
Sankey V. Williams, M.D.
Bronze   Peggy C. Fry, Ph.D, M.P.H.
($1,000 to $2,499)
Anonymous (5)
Jane E. Aaron
Arthur R. Ablin, M.D.
Rodney J. Addison
Harriet Albee
Sidney Alexander, M.D. and
Susan Alexander
Seth D. Ammerman, M.D.
Algienne Amrita
Bruce Amundson, M.D. and
Joann Amundson
John H. Anderson
Dorothy L. Anderson, M.D. and
Roy Hankins, M.D.
Ann Thacher Anderson
Gina Angiola, M.D. and
Steven Rappaport, M.D.
Elizabeth P. S. Anthony
Bascom F. Anthony, M.D.
Bryan Arling, M.D.
Marian Ashman
Daniel E. Austin, M.D.
Beth Bangert
Eric B. Bass
Susanna E. Bedell Andrew Harris, M.D.
Erma B. Bennett
Norma Z. Bennett
Vernon W. Berglund, M.D.
Rudolf A. Bergmann
Jerome Berner, M.D.
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Berry, Ph.D.
Margaret Best, Ph.D.
The BFK Foundation
Margaret Biggar
Henry R. Black, M.D. and
Benita Black
Eugenie Bradford
Christopher R. Brown and Susan
Urquhart-Brown
Earl Budin, M.D. Alfred L. Hurwitz, M.D.
Patricia A. Buffler, Ph.D., M.P.H
David Carliner
Kimberly Carter, M.D.
Church of the Ascension
F. Nelson Chaffin
Robert M. Chalfin, M.D.
Laura R. Chasin
Noam Chomsky
Ben Cohen
Leonard J. Comess, M.D.
Charles L. Conlon, M.D. and
Rosemary M. Conlon, M.D.
William E. Connor, M.D. and
Sonja L. Connor
F. Craig Conrath, M.D. and
Brooke Walker, A.P.N.
Eva Jane Coombe
John Corry and Betty Corry
Cynthia B. Cristofani, M.D. and
Daniel Cristofani, M.D.
Irwin Cromwell and Ms. Florence
Cromwell
Lawrence J. D’Angelo, M.D.
The Jane & Worth B. Daniels Fund
Mrs. Thomas G. Davis
Elizabeth B. Davis, M.D.
Lincoln H. Day and Alice T. Day
Eric Decker and Susan Stone
Jeffrey Dennis
Katherine B. Dickson
Leland W. Doan, M.D.
Richard F. Dodds
Linda Dow, M.D. and James
Morgenstern, M.D.
David M. Dressler, M.D. and
Deborah Dressler
Gwen L. Dubois, M.D. and
Terrence T. Fitzgerald, M.D.
Andrew D. Eastman
Julian Eligator, M.D. and Rhoda
S. Eligator
Montgomery J. Elmer, M.D.
Mrs. Peter Elvins
Dennis U. Evans, M.D.
Robert M. Factor, M.D.
John T. Farrar, M.D.
Roy G. Farrell, M.D. and
Leigh Farrell
Peter U. Feig, M.D. and
Andrea Feig
Leonard Florsheim, Jr.
John Fogarty, M.D., and
Lucy Boulanger, M.D.
Norman Foster
Charles J. Francis
Erica Frank, M.D. M.P.H.
John A. Frantz,M.D. and
Mary H. Frantz M.D.
David P. Frasz, M.D. and
Lesley M. Fernow, M.D.
Benno Friedman
Howard Frumkin, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Robert Furchgott, Ph.D.
Marie L. Gaillard
Robert Gilbert, M.D.
John R. Gillette, M.D.
Miriam Gingerich
The Elizabeth M. Gitt Foundation
Sarah and Seth Glickenhaus
Stanley M. Godshall, M.D.
Barbara Gold, M.D.
John M. Goldenring, M.D.,
M.P.H.
John W. Goppelt, M.D.
Rick F. Graap, M.D.
Martin C. Gregory, M.D.
Kurt Grovenburg, M.D. and
Luzlinda Grovenburg, M.D.
Cameron B. Gundersen, M.D.
and Rachel Gundersen
Jana Gunnell, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Douglas Hadley
David C. Hall, M.D. and
Rev. Anne S. Hall
Thomas L. Hall, M.D., M.P.H.
Peter R. Hammond, M.D.
Robin L. Hansen, M.D.
Jimmy H. Hara, M.D. and
Diane H. Hara
Cynthia O. Harris, M.D. and
Leo Harris
Daniel Hausman
Robert E. Haynes, M.D. and
Geraldine A. Haynes, R.N.
Scottie Held
Paul R. Herstein, M.D.
Alan D. Hoffman, M.D. and
Judith Hoffman
Maya Honda and Wayne O’Neil
Dewitt Hornor and
Edith S. Hornor
Herbert Horvitz and
Dr. Louise Horvitz
Mary T. Houghton
Leah Ice
James S. Irwin, M.D.
George T. Johnson, M.D. and
Kristina Johnson
Sylvia C. Johnson, M.D.
John P. Judson, M.D. and
Ann Marie Judson
Jane A. Kamm, M.D.
Andrew S. Kanter, M.D., M.P.H.
Stephen Kaplan, M.D.
Anand & Joyce Kasbekar
Ellen Z. Kaufman, M.D.
William Keener
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Keil, Ph.D.
Michael R. Kelly, M.D.
William Kessenich
R. Blake Kessler
Henry & Frances Kessler
Harry L. Keyserling, M.D.
Nathaniel C. Kirkland, M.D.
James Knopf
Frederic J. Kottke, M.D.
Emily H. Kunreuther
Philip J. Landrigan, M.D.
Nancy C. Lathrop, M.D.
Marta J. Lawrence
Phyllis L. Leaman, M.D.
Philip R. Lee, M.D.
Dana J. Lehman
Harold Blondin Lenhart, M.D.
and Pamela Lenhart Blondin
Ruth Lepie
John Mishel Leventhal, M.D.
Norman D. Levine, M.D., FACR
Robert M. Lichtenstein, M.D.
Mary Liebman and
Charles Liebman
Stan M. Lindenfeld, M.D.
Lilli Lippmann
Harold Lischner, M.D.
Randall Longennecker, M.D.
Beal Lowen, M.D. and
Hattie Barker
Amy Luciano
Rosemary Luke
Thomas Madden, M.D.
Gerald Mandell, M.D.
Ann Magdalin Markin
Jed Maker, M.D.
John B. Maxwell, M.D.
John P. May, M.D.
Anne McCammon, M.D.
Robert A. McFarlane, M.D. and
Betty H. McFarlane
Barbara J. Meislin
James R. Melloh, M.D.
Dorothy E. Millon, M.D.
Morton Mintz and Anita Mintz
John H. Morton, M.D.
Robert K. Musil, Ph.D., M.P.H.
and Caryn McTighe Musil,
Ph.D.
Mike Neigoff
Diana Nelson, M.D.
New York Community Trust-Lion
& Hare Fund
Amy R. Newell
Thomas B. Newman, M.D., M.P.H.
Roger Nittler
Herbert and Virginia Oedel
Eldor Omdahl
Paul Omelsky, M.D.
Gilbert S. Omenn, M.D. and
Martha Darling
Else Pappenheim, M.D. and
Stephen H. Frishauf
John O. Pastore, M.D.
Mr. and Mrs. John Paterson
Philip Y. Paterson, M.D.
Lewis E. Patrie, M.D. and
Jeanne Patrie
Jeffrey J. Patterson, D.O.
Ralph Perry
Joseph Pfendt
Leo W. Pierce
Stephen J. Plank, M.D.
William L. Price
Kirk Prindle, M.D.
Jose Quiroga, M.D.
John Rachow, M.D.
Robert B. Ragland, M.D.
Robert Railey, M.D.
Oscar M. Reinmuth, M.D.
John F. Reuwer, M.D.
Celestia June Reynolds, M.D.
Dr. Ronald Ribble
Diana Rich
Jay A. Richter, M.D. and
Elissa Ball, M.D.
Karin Ringler, Ph.D. and Richard
Ringler
Betsy Rivard
Larry S. Roberts and
Maria E. Roberts
Thomas H. Roberts, M.D. and
Lindsay Richards, M.D.
Newton Y. Robinson
A.A. Rockefeller and Lee Halperin
Allan Rosenfield, M.D. and Clare
Rosenfield
Mary M. Russell
Oswald T. Saavedra, M.D.
R. Bradley Sack, M.D.
Jean E. Sayre
Susan Sarandon
Margaret E. Saunders
James Scheuer, M.D. and Scheuer
Associates Foundation
Mark Schiffer, M.D.
Barton D. Schmitt, M.D.
Vicki J. Schnadig and
David Stein, M.D.
Robert E. Scully, M.D.
Sabah Servaes
Robert Seymour and
Pearl Seymour
Douglas R. Shanklin, M.D.
Bennett M. Shapiro, M.D. and
Fredericka F. Shapiro
Stephen Shefsky
John Shepherd,M.D. and Carolyn
Shepherd, M.D.
Steven M. Shields
Bernard Shore, M.D.
Jerry Shore
Martin Shuler
Cappy Silver
Murali Sivarajan, M.D.
A. Homer Skinner
Michael P. Sluss, M.D.
Harry B. Smith, Jr.
Lee Smith, Jr.
Cris Smith and Gail Gorlitz
Romaine Solbert
Walter St. Goar
Susan J. Stangeland
Theodore L. Steck, M.D. and
Yvonne Lange Steck
Kristine A. Steensma, M.D.
Robert Stein
Paul Steiner
Richard K. Stone, M.D.
Arthur Strauss, M.D.
Alexis Strongin, M.D.
Phillip G. Stubblefield, M.D.
Emanuel Suter, M.D.
Patricia L. Swedlow
Swimmer Family Foundation
Zia E. Taheri, M.D. and
Frances Taheri
Taupo Fund
William E. Taylor and
Villabeth Taylor
Brenda Thomason
Catherine Thomasson, M.D.
Sara D. Thompson, M.D.
Arina Van Breda, M.D.
John R. Van Buskirk, D.O.
Timothy Vellinga, M.D.
Polly N. Victor
Mark R. Vossler, M.D.
Richard D. Wachter, M.D. and
Madeleine Wachter
John A. Walker, M.D.
Curren Warf, M.D.
Audrey W. Warfield
Barbara H. Warren, M.D., M.P.H.
Felix E. Wassermann, Ph.D. and
Hannah D. Wassermann
David R. Webb, M.D.
Christopher Henry Wege
Clay Wertheimer, M.D.
John R. Wesley, M.D. and
Cornelia Wesley
Constance White, M.D.
David Wiemer
Peter Wilk, M.D. and Jan Wilk
Marc Williams
Nathaniel T. Winthrop
Josephine E. Wood
Martha Wright and Arthur Kuckes
Elizabeth Zeller
For information on joining PSR’s Leadership
Circle, please contact Mary Dillon Kerwin at
(202) 587-5231 or mkerwin@psr.org.

 Invest Yourself
PLEASE CONSIDER…INCLUDING
PSR IN YOUR WILL
Leaving a bequest to PSR is a wonderful way to
help continue the work you believe in so strongly.
We suggest you check with an attorney or tax
advisor to see how a bequest to PSR would fit
into your estate plans. PSR’s Tax ID number and
office address are listed below for your conve-
nience.  Please contact Jill Hertzler by phone at
(202) 587-5247 or by e-mail at jhertzler@psr.org
for more information.
PSR Tax ID #:  23-7059731
Full Legal Name:
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Address: 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Suite 1012, Washington, DC 20009  are tentative plans for the lawmakers
…OR GIVING A GIFT OF STOCK
A gift of stock is also an excellent way to sup-
port PSR’s work. Listed below is PSR’s brokerage
information. Please contact Jill Hertzler by
phone at (202) 587-5247 or by e-mail at
jhertzler@psr.org for more information or to
confirm receipt of your gift.
Broker: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
DTC #: 0164 Code 40
PSR Acct #: 3106-0448
PSR Tax ID #: 23-7059731
Full Legal Name:
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Address:  1875 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Suite 1012, Washington, DC 20009  You can use the network to
 Match Your Gift
Many companies provide matching gifts for em-
ployee charitable contributions. Please check to
determine whether your gift to PSR will be met,
doubled or tripled by your employer. It’s a great
way to make your gift go further to support PSR.
Just include your company’s matching gift form
with your contribution, and we’ll complete it,
send it in, and let you know when your gift has
been matched!
 Stay Active
Would you like to be more involved in PSR’s
advocacy efforts? A great place to start is PSR’s
Activist Updates. Each of PSR’s program areas
reaches out to members through Action Alerts
and e-mail. To learn more about the Activist
Updates, contact us here (information below)
and be sure to mention what issues interest you
most.
Coming to Washington, DC, and have an hour
to spare? How about visiting one of your elected
officials to talk about the issues of most concern
to you? Contact the PSR office at least a week in
advance, and we’ll help schedule a meeting, pro-
vide you with background materials, and possibly
even accompany you on your ­lobbying call.
Contact your elected officials:
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510
  ☎  (202) 224-3121
U.S. House of Representatives,
  Washington, DC 20515
  ☎  (202) 224-3121
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
  Washington, DC 20500
  ☎  (202)456-1414
 Keep in touch
Contact PSR at:
1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1012
Washington, DC 20009
  ☎  (202) 667-4260
    (202) 667-4201 fax
    www.psr.org
110th Congress Leaves
a Mixed Legacy
C ongress ended its 110th ses-
sion with a flurry of activity,
much of it directed at the economic
woes affecting the financial markets.
Lawmakers recessed on October 3
to prepare for the November elec-
tions. Before leaving Washington,
they wrapped their spending bills into
a continuing resolution (CR), which
will provide funding for the federal
government until March 2009. There
to return the week of November 17 for
a ‘lame duck’ session, but leadership
in both bodies did not confirm plans
for a return before next year. Last
minute Congressional votes addressed
nuclear weapons funding, nuclear
trade deals, and clean, renewable
­energy development.
Fortunately, both the defense au-
thorization bill and the CR eliminat-
ed funds for the reliable replacement
warhead—a major victory for those
of us opposed to the proliferation of
nuclear weapons and materials. The
From the President
Consider California
W e are at a remarkable mo-
ment in American history. An
economic crisis of trillion-dollar
magnitude and a fierce debate about
political leadership swirl around us,
while evidence of climate disrup-
tion continues to mount. We must
be careful not to avert our attention
from the major challenges to plan-
etary health: global warming, energy,
and the environment. How?
Consider California. The state
has a 30-year history of enacting the
country’s most stringent and effective
environmental laws.
Although California still struggles
to control pollution, the state is
enjoying significant payoffs in en-
ergy efficiency. Thirty years ago, the
California legislature passed energy
savings policies—against major en-
ergy industry opposition. In 2002,
California passed, and Governor
Schwarzenegger signed, a bill (AB
1493) directing automakers to reduce
by 30 percent the greenhouse gasses
emitted by passenger vehicles sold in
California by 2016. Even more dra-
matically, additional legislation (AB
32) directs industries to reduce all
greenhouse gas emissions by
30 ­percent by 2020.
California today uses 50 percent
less electricity per capita than the rest
of the U.S., reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and saving money.
Remarkable and noteworthy! Thirty
years of reasonable legislation has
paid off.
The moral of the California
story is that with concerned citizens,­
PSR REPORTS 
Vol. 30, No. 2
fate of this program to revitalize the
nuclear weapons complex will fall to
the next administration, and PSR
will be prepared to address the risks
of such programs, and to promote
genuine security through nuclear
disarmament
Although several senators attempt-
ed to delay consideration of the Bush
administration’s proposal to allow the
sale of nuclear technology to India, Become a PSR
the Senate approved the U.S.-India
nuclear deal on its last day in session.
The bill passed in the House by a vote
E-Activist
of 298-117 earlier the same week.
PSR opposed this agreement, which Stay connected to PSR’s
allows nuclear power technology to be
sold to India, despite that country’s legislative program by join‑
failure to sign the nuclear non-pro- ing our e-Activist network.
liferation treaty and the absence of
appropriate firewalls between its ci- With your help, we can
vilian and ­military nuclear sectors.
build a powerful, effective
Both the House and the Senate
passed comprehensive energy legisla- online activist network to
tion, but changes and amendments
Continued on page  help advance PSR’s agenda.
participate in action cam‑
paigns and contact your
representatives about issues
that affect the health and
safety of all people. When
you become a PSR ­
e-Activist, you will begin
receiving alerts as new ac‑
tion campaigns are added
to the online Legislative
Action Center. At the Action
Center you’ll find the tools
you need to help you be an
effective advocate for key
California’s auto standards will reduce by
30 percent the greenhouses gases emitted by pas- national and state policies.
senger vehicles sold in the state by 2016.
You can use the Action
o­ rganized advocacy, a strong legisla-
Center to comment on an
tive initiative, and political leader-
important public policy
ship, we can get the right things done.
We ought to study California’s lessons issue, e-mail your congres‑
for other states and the nation.
Early next year, the U.S. will have sional representatives, or
new leadership in Washington, so it
will be time to go back to work. For get important information
PSR, that means giving voice to pub-
about their views.
lic health concerns in campaigns on
Join today at www.psr.org.
coal, safe energy, and the elimination
of nuclear weapons. We need your
help, more than ever, to build a safer,
healthier, more sustainable future.
Please consider increasing the
value of your next gift to PSR. There
is so much to do.
Erica Frank, M.D., M.P.H.

 PSR REP ORTS 
F al l 2 0 0 8

From the Executive Director

PSR Launches Safe Energy Program

P SR has long held that nuclear
power is a threat to human health
and national security and not a viable
solution to climate change. The nu-
clear industry claims that nuclear en-
ergy is the United States’ best answer
to climate change and has proposed
building 34 new reactors. In response
to the renewed push for nuclear en-
ergy by the industry and its backers in
Congress, PSR has launched the Safe
Energy Program to help prevent the
construction of these new reactors;
draw attention to the risks and health
costs associated with nuclear power
plants and nuclear waste; and pro-
mote safe, clean energy as the lasting
solution to climate change.
PSR and its allies know that put-
ting our limited financial resources
into nuclear power will direct re-
sources away from the real solutions:
Michael McCally, M.D.
efficiency and renewable energy. In
fact, nuclear reactors are so costly that
utilities are demanding that taxpayers
and electricity ratepayers bear all the
financial risk, although all the profit
would go to utility shareholders. In
the past two years, cost estimates for
new nuclear power plants have sky-
rocketed from $2,000 per kilowatt to
more than $7,000 per kilowatt and
are only expected to increase, due to
rising costs for materials and labor.
Moreover, there is still no solution
for managing the nuclear waste, which
remains dangerous for hundreds
of thousands of years, nor have the
inherent safety and security threats
posed by reactors been resolved.
Safe, clean energy solutions are
better alternatives, and faster ones.
For example, wind-generated power
in the U.S. will increase 48 percent
in 2008 alone. A wind farm can be
built in one year, while a single reac-
tor could potentially be brought on-
line in six to ten years at best.
PSR’s Safe Energy program will
educate members of Congress, the
media, and the public about the
hazards posed by nuclear energy
and build support for sound federal
policy, both legislative and regulatory,
to protect the health and well-being
of our population. Working in con-
cert with other leading environmental
and nonproliferation organizations,
PSR is leading the effort to develop
a strategy to steer our country away
from nuclear energy.
One of the program’s goals is
to prevent the reprocessing of
nuclear waste. In 2006, the Bush
 110th Congress
Continued from page 3
to these bills made it difficult to rec-
oncile them into a single version for
the president‘s signature. Ultimately,
PSR and its allies succeeded in mak-
ing sure tax incentives for renewable
energy were included in the financial
bailout package, which was the final
order of Congressional business and
was signed into law by the president.
­administration introduced its Global
Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP),
which purports to solve our nuclear
waste problem and enable global ex-
pansion of nuclear power, but is, in
reality, a spent nuclear fuel repro-
cessing program that will undermine
global nonproliferation efforts,
harm public health and the environ-
ment, and cost taxpayers hundreds of
­billions of dollars.
We need to implement real solu-
tions to climate change and to stop
wasting money on antiquated tech-
nology that has proven to be unsafe
and uneconomical. We hope you
share our enthusiasm for our exciting
and necessary new program, and we
look forward to keeping you apprised
of its accomplishments.
Michael McCally, M.D.
PSR is preparing position papers
for the next administration on nucle-
ar proliferation and global warming.
Your participation in the coming
months will be crucial to our ability
to influence the administration on
these and other issues. You can keep
up to date on the latest developments
by visiting the PSR website and stay
involved by signing up to become a
PSR e-activist. PSR

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