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Open Letter To The Sierra Club Regarding Nuclear Energy - October 26, 2021
Open Letter To The Sierra Club Regarding Nuclear Energy - October 26, 2021
AnOpenLettertotheSierraClubanditsMembers
LikeallAmericans,wehavebenefitedfromthelegacyoftheSierraClub'scenturyofenvironmental
advocacy.Yourorganizationcanclaimamongitsvictoriesthepassageanddefenseofmanypiecesof
federallegislationwhichremainatthecoreofournation'senvironmentalprotection.TheSierraClub
anditsmembershavefoughttoexpandournationalparksandprotectourwildlands,safeguarding
thesenaturalplacesforcurrentandfuturegenerationstoenjoy.Weapplaudtheseimportant
historicalandongoingefforts.Asfellowgrassrootsorganizationsandconcernedenvironmentalists,
werecognizetherealityandurgencyoftheclimatecrisisandtheneedtorapidlyandpermanently
reducegreenhousegasemissions.WegreatlyappreciatetheSierraClub’seffortstoreducepollution
andCO2emissionsfromcoalthroughyourBeyondCoalCampaign.Wealsosharemanyofyour
values,includingthoseofmutualrespectandintegrity.
Whilewesharemanyofthesameprinciplesandgoals,wefindourselvesatoddswiththeSierra
Club’scurrentoppositiontotheuseofnucleartechnologiesinpursuitoftheeliminationof
fossil-basedfuels.Thedualchallengesofeliminatingglobalcarbonemissionsandensuringequitable
accesstosufficientenergyforallpeoplewillrequiretheuseofallcleanenergytechnologiesatour
disposal.Manyofuswereformerlyopposedtonuclearenergy,butovertheyears,wehavetakenthe
timeandefforttoreconsidertheroleofnuclearpowerinaddressingtheglobalchallengesand
threatsofthiscentury,notthelast.
WeurgetheSierraClubanditsmemberstoreevaluatetheiranti-nuclearstancealso;especiallywith
regardstoopposingsupportforexistingnuclearplants.Suchanendeavorrunsdirectlycountertothe
goalofcombatingclimatechange.Giventheclimateplightwefindourselvesin,allnewrenewable
generationmustbeusedtoreplacefossilfuels,asopposedtoothernon-emittingsourceslike
nuclear.Significantadditionaldataregardingtherelativerisksassociatedwithclimatechangeand
civiliannuclearpowerhaveemergedoverthepastdecadeswhichwarrantareexaminationof
previoussuppositionsandconcernsaboutfissiontechnology.TheSierraClubhasmadesucha
reassessmentbefore,andshoulddosoagain.
Theanti-nuclearpositionnowheldbytheClubwasadoptedover50yearsagoinarescissionofits
previoussupport.Earlyinthetechnology'shistory,theSierraClubrecognizednuclearenergy’s
power-denseandemission-freeenvironmentalbenefits.ManyoftheSierraClub’smembersatthe
timewerestrongadvocatesfortheenergysource.AmongthemwereWillSiri,theClub’spresidentat
thetime,andthephotographerandSierraClubboardmemberAnselAdams.Adamsoncenotedinan
interviewthat“thedangerofnuclearpowerisconjecturalandthepollutionpotential,comparedwith
theknownpollutionpotentialofburningcoalandoil,isminute.”Hewentontosay,“thereisgeneral
agreementthatnuclearweaponsareabsurd,butIdisagreewiththeviewthatnuclearpowerisbad”.
AttheheightoftheColdWar,whenconcernsoverthetechnology’ssharedrootswithweapons
intensified,theClub’spositionwasreversed,sparkinganintenseinternaldebateamongthe
organization’sleadership.Suchachangeinpositionisunderstandablegiventhethreatsofthetime.
Environmentalleadersofthe1970shadgrownuphidingunderdeskstoprotectthemselvesfrom
missileslaunchedfromtheSovietUnion.Hundredsofatmosphericatomicweaponswerebeing
testedintheskiesabove,rainingfalloutofunknownradiologicalriskuponfrightenedcitizens.
Thermonuclearwarwastheexistentialthreatoftheday,andglobalwarmingwasatheoryonlyof
interesttoselectatmosphericscientists.
Theworldhaschangedagreatdealsincethen.In1958,thefirstatmosphericmeasurementsfrom
theMaunaLoaobservatoryrecordedCO2concentrationsof313ppm.Thelastatmosphericweapon
testoccurredin1980,bywhichtimeconcentrationshadincreasedto335ppm.In1990,thefindings
ofthefirstIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC)assessmentwerereleased,statingthat
“emissionsresultingfromhumanactivitiesaresubstantiallyincreasingtheatmospheric
concentrationsofthegreenhousegases.” WhentheU.S.S.R.dissolvedin1991,CO2levelswere
measuredat350ppm.,In2021,MaunaLoameasuredCO2over420ppm,levelsnotseeninnearlya
millionyears.Anthropologicalclimatechangeisnowoneofthemostsignificantthreatshumanity
faces.
Auniversaloppositiontonuclearpowerisnolongertenableinthe21stcenturygiventhe
staggeringlydifficultchallengeofrapidandpermanentdecarbonization.Nucleargenerationis
carbon-free,low-impact,andmuchisalreadybuilt.The2018SpecialReportfromtheIPCCeven
suggeststhatthepathwayscompatiblewithlimitedwarmingwillrequireanincreaseinglobal
nuclearpowerproduction.Theprematureshutteringofexistingnuclearpowerplantsstandsinstark
oppositiontothestatedcarbongoalsandorganizationalvaluescitedbytheSierraClub.Suchclosures
threatentooffsettheclimatebenefitsofincreasedrenewablegeneration;generationthatshouldbe
usedtodisplacecoal,oil,andfossilgas.Giventhecriticalneedtoreducecarbonemissions,wehope
ourorganizationscanagreethatfossilgenerationmustbephasedoutfirst.
WeasknowthattheSierraClubanditsmembersembracethepossibilityofchangeagainand
reconsideryourstated“unequivocaloppositiontonuclearenergy”forthesakeofhumanityandthe
planet.
Sincerely,
Dr.JamesE.Hansen,EarthInstitute,ColumbiaUniversity
Dr.KenCaldeira,ProfessorEmeritus,Dept.ofGlobalEcology,CarnegieInstitutionofScience
Dr.KerryEmanuel,ProfessorofAtmosphericScience,MIT
Dr.PushkerKharecha,EarthInstitute,ColumbiaUniversity
Dr.RichardC.J.Somerville,DistinguishedProfessorEmeritus,ScrippsInstitutionofOceanography,UC-SanDiego
*Dr.JeanBernardMinster,DistinguishedProfessorEmeritus,ScrippsInstitutionofOceanography,UCSanDiego.
Dr.MichaelMcKinney,DirectorofEnvironmentalStudies,UT-Knoxville
Dr.StevenChu,SecretaryofEnergy(ObamaAdministration),NobelLaureate(Physics)
*JaredHuffman(D),CA-2UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentatives
RichardRhodes,ScienceHistorian,PulitzerPrizeLaureate
*MarcF.Hult,USGeologicalSurvey(retired),KentuckySierraClub
*RonGester,MD,Co-founder&CFO,ScienceCouncilforGlobalInitiatives,retiredgeologist&physician
RichardA.Muller,ProfessorofPhysics,UCBerkeley(Emeritus)
*FrançoisChristen,Ph.D.Psychology,formerSierraClubWestLosAngelesSectionLeader
Dr.CarolynPorco,PlanetaryScientist,CassiniImagingLead
ChristineKing,DirectorGatewayforAcceleratedInnovationinNuclear,INL
TomBlees,Author,Founder&President,ScienceCouncilforGlobalInitiatives
CarlPage,AnthropoceneInstitute
IsabelleBoemeke,ModelandInfluencer,Isodope
ZionLights,Author,ScienceCommunicator,FounderofEmergencyReactor
HeatherHoff,Mom,MaterialsEngineer,ReactorOperator,Co-founderMothersforNuclear
MeredithAngwin,EnergyAnalystandAuthor
ProfessorDavidN.Ruzic,"IllinoisEnergyProf"onYouTube
Dr.ZekeHausfather,DirectorofClimateandEnergy,TheBreakthroughInstitute
Dr.AdamStein,,SeniorEnergy&NuclearPowerAnalyst,TheBreakthroughInstitute
ReverendArranThorpe,EpiphanyAnglicanChurch
*AnasteriskdenotesthosesignatorieswhoaremembersoftheSierraClub
LukasAbelmann ChristinaBarron ScottBrook
ChristopherAbraham GregBarton SusanBrown
KelsaeAdame FrankBauer,MD EricBrundick
JillAdams MarkBeaman LoreeBryan
JarretAdams NathanBeard JerryBryan
AaronAdes FredBehringer,PhD CanonBryan
OzzieAeryFallick MonicaBeistlineBlock AnthonyBrzozowski
JohnAhlberg KenBell erikbuchel
JoannaAjdukiewicz SaharBenenson robertbudd
TylerAkers JackBennett TomBurley,PhD
AliAlbaaj ChristopherBergan KentBurnett
JoseAlvarellos SebastianBergenwall AndrewButler
NathanielAment-Stone StanBerger DavidButz
ThomasAndersen,PhD ElviraBertsche Dr.MargaretByers
CharlesAndersen JasonBiller JayakrishnanCD,LLM
DavidAnderson BobbyBilliam TobiasCabral
PeterAnderson AdamBłażowski JackCadogan
ConorAnderson RogerBlomquist,PhD EricCalheim
RhodAndrews InnaBochkova ColeCameron
PauAragon ScottBodell JimCampbell
OscarArcher GonzaloBolio BrianCampbell
JulianArnheim* FilippoBonetto JayCampion
CharlotteArnold* RichardBono AlexanderCannara,PhD
RyanAshey RivhardBono RobertCantando
LeeAstete MaraBorghini MelihCap
MatthewAyer IkeBottema,MBA MarcoCaracciolo
JeanBabinet JackBowen MichaelCarey
JohnBaez* LoganBowers JackCarlson*
MichaelBaker DrAdrianBowyer PhilipCarlson,MD
DavidBangley* ToddBoyle SteveCaron
MattBarber PatrickBozym CoreyCarr
DanBarber SimonBrabant JesseCarrie
KalmenBarkin ElizabethBramer CoryCasanave
DavidBarlow josephbrennan CoreyCasilio
RichardBarron* JessH.Brewer,PhD RaffaeleCastagno
GrantChalmers StevenCurtis ZacharyDeziel*
JohnChampagne SimonD'Alton DavidDiamond
LiRenChan JonahD’Alessio PaulDickman
TrevorCharles MarilynDahl JohnDickmann,PhD
ThomasCharleston SteveDalton SteveDinicol
RossCioffi Alundaniel MorleyDoerksen
RobertClark GregoryDaniel JohnDoherty,PhD
HarrisonClay AlisonDavenport JosephDolan
SarahCoady GeorgeDavidson MichaelDonovan
JamieCoble LewisDavis JorisDorp
MarkCojuangco BrierDavis JoeDoss
SandroColantoni RhysDavis JenniferDotson
MichaelCole MatthewDavis SamuelDotson
BrooksCole MarkDavis JennyDowding
CharlesColeman,PhD MickeyDavis PeterDrake
BenjaminCollison MickeyDavis MarkDrury
RobertCommerford Dr.MichaelDawson,MD* LeeDubois
MeganConnolly Dr.GrantDawson LeeDuBois
ShawnConnors DaviddeCairesWatson, JensPeterDueholm
CreightonCooper MPhys DenisDuff
JohnCork LuisadeCairesWatson ShayneDumbrell
DavidCornell,PhD MatthijsdeGroot DrRobertCDuncan
LeslieCorrice AJdeGuzman FrederickDunfey
JonathanCostello SalvatoreDeLuca samdunkley
JoeyCostello RobertoDePropris DorisDuong
JasonCottrell ToddDeRyck HelenDuquette
FrançoisCoutu PeterdeVietien,MEng SandraDykxhoorn
AndrewCox EddiDeWolf,PhD KristinDzhokova
DavidCozy KevinDea JanEbenholtz
DouglasCrawford JohnDeakin RoryEdelson
SarahCreasman BenDean RayEdmiston
Dr.CrisW.Barnes WouterDebois DanielEdwards
PiergiorgioCroce LucDefrere KellyEhrhart
SamCrothers DominickDelPonte StevenEllington
GaryCrowley,PE JulianDelValle KevinEngle
KristopherCummings VictorDeLibera AndrewEnglish
TommyCurran AntonioDemontis DinaraErmakova
WilliamEuell JamesGalt MalcolmGrimston
AbeEustice KatelynGao OliverGronowski
GöranFalemo FabioGarzena BrianGross
MeredithFaltin SteveGaspar JosephGrosso
WilliamFandrich KenGath JacekGroth
ValerieFaudon MattGeiger EthanGrundleger
CarolinaFautsch NeilGentile MattiaGualco
AlanFellman ThomasGeorge Jean-JacquesGubler
AndreasFellner JeffGerardot WilhelmGuggisberg
FrankieFenton RonGester* RahulGupta
PhilFerraro LeonardoGiannini DerekHaas
DavidFerrer CarlosGilPosadas YassineHaddad
DavidFetter TwylaGill TroelsHalken
BruceFetzer ChristianGill ChristopherHall
GiuseppeFilipponi DavidGiuliani MichaelHallman
ValdisFilks WilliamPeterGloege SydneyHamilton
MikeFines ScottGoebels BenjaminHammett,PhD*
RussFinley CliffGold BrianHanley
JasonFinney RemyGoldschmidt DanielHarp
StianFlage JoshuaGoldstein* ScottHart
TaoFlaherty RyanGomes BristolHartlage
JonathanFoise,PhD* JohnGomez StefanHasenohr
DiarmuidFoley FelipeGonzalez PeterHastings
GöstaForsum JoséGonzález GaleHauck
FraserForsythe JasonGould BrianHauck
MichaelFoscolo SethGrae ZekeHausfather,PhD
GordFountain,PE GlennGraham RobHaworth
BonnieFraser JeffGraham,PhD RobertHayes,PE
AllenFrechette* JonGrams RichardHays
EricFredback MatheusGrasselli,PhD BenjaminHeard,PhD
StevenFreel EugeneGrecheck KateHeaton*
AlessandroFrisoni MattGreene JoeHeffernan
ChrisG MatthewGreene JeffHeld
NrgneiloG KrisGreener ColinHélieharvey
AlexanderGabber TimGregoire NathanHenquinet
RegGagliardo TerryGreyland RuneHenvig
RobertoGalati JackGrimsdell ChristopherHerbert
MarkHeslep,PE EnriqueJex KevinKrause
JamesonHetrick,MEng johnjhin MoKravecas
PlinioHida LeviJohnstone PawelKrawczyk
JudyHigby GrantJoiner PaulKristensen
MartinHill ScottJones TomKueffer
ChrisHinson AndrewJones ErnestineKuhr,PE
SophieHitson NickJones ThomasKurhajetz
HeatherHoff JoãoJustino PeterLacovara
MikeHogberg GaryKahanak* EllwoodLaFleur
DavidHolden KennethKaminski LakyLaky
JimHollingworth,MD AnthonyKamm AdamLambert
AnsonHonegger MarkKane MarkLammertink
RossHorgan BrianKanney DavidLandau
LeonardHorowitz VideKarlsson AmandaLang,PE
ConstantineHorrell StojanKarlusic MattiasLantz,PhD
CraigHotrum ChrisKeckler,PhD LeonardoLanzano
CraigHotrum StephenKeen JørnLarsen*
DaleHowey DavidKelly DavidLarsen
KrisHubby CharlesKelsey ArnieLash
BrianHukari AnnetteKennedy FirstNameLastName
DouglasHunks KathyKenyon AndreasLauer
LaurenceHunt,PhD AmandaKershaw,M.Ed JohnLaw
TimHuntington ArunKhuttan MarkLeach
JesseHuth EmmyKillett DJLeClear
BenHuxham JayKim JoelLee
ArthurHyde ChristineKing MattLehman
OscarIglesias DanielKing* mattLehman
GabrielIgnetti DanielKing TapaniLehtinen
DanielIrvin lukissinger FredericoLemos
AntonioIvanovski WilliamKissinger DanielLevens-Lowery
AntonioIvanovski ClausKjølhede AlexLevinsky,PhD
JamesJackson JenniferKlay,PhD GaryLewis
JasonJamnik NateKlingenstein MTonyLewis
PrévostJasmin RainerKlute DanielLewis
NicholasJensen ErkkaKorolainen,MS JordanLewis
SuneJensen SeanKosslow JoshLeyshon
HansJensen StephenKraus MichaelLiesenfelt
JohnLindberg JohnMcCoy XavierMoreau
RobertLittle* CarolynMcCreary JuanPedroMoreno
PratikLokhande,PhD AndrewMcDonald FredericMoret,PhD
SimonLončarič GordonMcDowell Peter&BevMorgan
StuartLoPresti MatthewMcKean JaredMorgan
RobLoveday ChadMcKinley VivienneMorris
VirginiaLucas CodyMcMurtry Ulfmortensen
DennisLundy CaneronMcNaughton,PhD C.ErikaMoss
JoachimLusa BenjaminMcNeely RichardMotko
KiernanLynch RogerMedsker SteveMueller
MaryLynde-Maas,MS AlanMedsker LauriMueller
MatthewMacCaughey AlanMedsker AntonioMuller
BruceMacDonald JacobMeier* KatieMummah
DougMacDonald TerryMeier BrandonMunden
ConorMacfarlane ZachMeister DrAzrudiMustapha
MatthewMairinger PietroMele MikkoMuukki,M.Sc
CharlieMaitland RobertMelendez AnjaliNair
RyleyMajor JudithMellody Prof.Dr.DiegoNapp
RickMaltese ChrisMelville,PhD MarkNaughton
RickMaltese ChrisMelville,PhD NathenNavon
MaryManous RaviMenon,PhD AllisonNaylor
MaryManous PaulMenser ChristianNding’wa
BenMansfield EddieMeredith JeanNelson
RyanMarcum PeterMergen EdithNelson
NormaMargulies Hank&JennyMeyer* KathleenNelsonRomans
SergioMarquez MatthewMeyer SteveNesbit
BruceMartin AshleyMeyer CameronNevay
RyanMarx GregoryMeyerson DavidNicholls,PhD
MatthewMason CoreyMicallef MartinNieto-Perez
JohnMassari ZeoMilan HanjoNilsson
PaulinaMasternak DonMiley GohNishiyama
AlexandreMathieu MarkMiller OlofNordenstam
AlexandreMathieu PacoMok marknorris
MadelinMattli PeterMollatt RobertNorton
JimmyMay BruceMontgomery AaronNowack,PhD
JamesMcCollough,PhD JohnMoore JesusNunez
StokesMcConnell CaraMorand-Daniel GuidoNúñez-Mujica
MarkusNyman,PhD HannHPatenaude JoergenRaffnsoee
EricO'Bradovich CharlesPatterson RebeccaRamaley
PatrickO'Brien KarlPauls ChrisRamsden
FrancisO'Neill KimPedersen DinoRamzi,MD
HarryOduke LizPenfold BenRand
JonathanOetting MarkPeres JohnRandall
NiclasOhlsson JoelPerkes JeffreyRapp
IanOlsen JoelPerkes KentRasmussen
JohnOpilo ElanorPerry ThomasRausch*
DirkOpstaele RogerPeskett* AlexanderRead
LouisOpter BartPeters RandyReames*
HansOrrje JessicaPeters DonRedfoot
TylerOrtolano EdPheil AlexRees
JesseOtto JeanPiche DanRegan
DaniemPaavola JeanPiché NicolasReginelli,MS
TomášPačíska ReedPicton PeterReid
TrevorPadgett,PhD AndrePieck CalebReidhead
MaxPagani MichaelPienciak EricaReven
philippepaget MichaelPienciak JeffReynolds*
StevePallatroni PaulPinney CharlesRhodes
LeviPalmer RobertPiper RyanRhodes
MarkPalmquist MattPlickert MarkRichards
DickPapazian,PhD StevenPodgurski KenRicklin
TerryPapineau jasonpolansky JohnRingle,PhD
EvanPapp JohnPosey RobRinner
WmScottPappert DylanPrevost LarsRise
NormanPaprakis TracyPrimeau ThomasRisvik
LeoParascondola PatrickProctor TrevorRix
KevinPare SimonProwse,MD AndyRobinson
AlfredParish AdrianPrzekora LauraRobinson
LannyParker,MD* KosarQorbani AdamRodman
LannyParker,MD* IllyaQuandt DennisRodriguez
LawrenceParker ChrisQuartly SteveRoemer
CalvinParkin EvaQuiñones LisaRoessler
MiguelPascual RandorRadakovits JaredRogos
BenjaminPataki MikiRadivojevic JRos
AmitPatel ChrisRadmand PedroRosario-Barbosa,PhD
DinoRosati StevenShowalter AidanSwanson
KennethRosenberg EugeneShwageraus,PhD DermotSwanson
NathanRoser FrisoSikkema YoeriSwers
MarcoRosaireRossi TonySling CharlesSydney
ArundhatiRoy SandraSloan EthanT.
AlessandroRusso JohnSmillie ChiCheungTang
MaryRynski JamesSmit ErikTedesco
AlexSagady IanSmith* BillTemmink
YosefSahler JacobSmith* ElinaTeplinsky
MikkoSalmi RobinSmith* TylerTerhune
LeslieSand BenSmith RyanThier
DonnaSanders LoganSmith PeterThompson*
StephenSatkowski KhalilSmith CaseyThormahlen
JustinSattler,MS TigheSmith ArranThorpe
RobertSaudelli,MBA RhodriSmith ColinTindall
RobertSaudelli,MBA KurtSmithpeters LollyTindol*
JosephSauer ClarkSnelgrove KennethTobin,PhD
RafaelSavastürk SusanSola AnthonyTom
DanScharf EricSorg EdTompkins
JoeSchiewe HerschelSpecter LizaToth
EricSchmitz* CherylSpensieri NickTouran,PhD
MattSchrader JordanSprenz ScottTravis
MadisonSchroder StephenD.Stearns* DavidTremain
KyleSchutter RolandStearns,PhD JordanTrimble
JoeSchwager* DanielStedman WillieTruong
AlanScott RichardSteeves StephanieTucker
WillSearight rudyStefenel StephanieTucker
DanSee AdamStein,PhD MikeTucker
ClareSeguin RyanStewart MaceTyrrell
EdwardSendrea RobertStilwell RyanTyson
IsuruSeneviratne AndrewStinson EricUhrhane
MarkSerreze StuartStrand ChristinaUnger
NicholasSeymour AdamStreets BrianUrban*
StephenSheetz IanStringer AryanVafadar
MatthewSheridan AndrzejStrupczewski StephenVajk
SeanShillington RaySundby ArminVallazza
RaymondShillito ErikSundell JanvanDoorn
PaulvanLindenTol ScottWahlstrom StephenWilliams
ChristopherVanNorden SimonWakter LyndaWilliams
RoscoeVanNuys StevenWalter EugeneWilson
BramVanderelst MarkWalther GriffinWilson
PeterVarga RobWard MichaelWinegart
MatthewVarley MatthewWaring MartWolbert
AsgerVarming MelodyWatson JanelleWolf
JamesVaughn PhillipWatts NathanielWykstra
ChristopherVelsey* KevanWeaver,PhD ClaireYang
KeithVermillion BrandonWeber MarkYelland
JamesViall AlexWeinstein,MBA DanielYoung
RachelVicario MikeWells ChristianYoung
PaulViehmann GarretWeng claireyoung
DanieleVisioni StefanWestman DavidYoung
LarsVisscher PhilipWeyenberg DanYurman
GeertVisser MarkWhitwill MarieZabell
FredrikVitabäck MiroslawWiater TomažŽagar
ValdisVitolins PatriciaWieland NirZahavi
PavlosVlasopoulos BernhardtWier NicholasZajciw
FrancescoVolpe DavidWilburn JohnZeller
SusanvonBorstel TrevorWilcox ThomasZiegler
KaivonFrese JaimeWild AlessandroZoboli
KeithvonBorstel RolandWilhelm AdamZukaitis
JohnWagner EvanWilliams BrankoZurkovic
SeanWagner,MS AaronWilliams,PE
LetterOrganizers
PhilipHult,DirectorGovernmentTeam,GenerationAtomic
AlyssaHayes,NuclearEngineeringPh.Dcandidate
JamesHopf,NuclearEngineer,(retired)
EricMeyer,ExecutiveDirector,GenerationAtomic