Kevin Kamps receives Josephine Butler Nuclear-Free Future Award for 2010

The Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Committee of the National Capitol Area has given its 2010 Josephine Butler Nuclear-Free Future Award to Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps. The award reads: "Through his work with Beyond Nuclear, Kevin tirelessly opposes nuclear power and nuclear weapons. His community work for Justice and Peace carries on the priceless legacy of Josephine Butler." The award was presented by John Steinbach and Everett Foy of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Committee at the Josephine Butler Parks Center of Washington, D.C. on July 16th -- the anniversary of the Trinity atomic bomb blast at Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1945. Past award recipients have included Arjun Makhijani of Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, atomic veteran AC Byrd, and Downdwinders Dennis and Denise Nelson.

The Committee plans its annual Hiroshima Commemoration and Memorial Candle Lantern Float on Thursday, August 5, 6:30pm, at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool: a moment of silence at 7:15pm will be followed by the candle lantern float at 8:30pm at Constitution Gardens. The Committee plans its annual Nagasaki Candlelight Vigil on Sunday, August 8, 9:45pm on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of White House, with a moment of silence at 10:02pm. For more information, contact John Steinbach at 703-822-3485 or johnsteinbach1@verizon.net. A flyer about the commemorations is here.

65 years into the Atomic Age

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation president, David Krieger, reminds us how the Atomic Age began, 65 years ago on July 16, 1945 with the first Atomic Test - known as Trinity. The explosion prompted the memorable quote from Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, recalling lines from the Bhagavad Gita: 

If the radiance of a thousand suns
Were to burst at once into the sky,
That would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...
I am become Death,
The shatterer of Worlds. 

Think Outside the Bomb to launch "Disarmament Summer"!

The youth-led anti-nuclear weapons movement Think Outside the Bomb is set to launch its "Disarmament Summer" (July 30 to August 9) campaign in New Mexico. TOTB will create a permaculture encampment installing gardens and energy efficiency and renewable energy systems that will serve the community of Chimayo, New Mexico long after this summer's activities have ended. "Disarmament Summer" will culminate with actions at the Los Alamos nuclear weapons lab on Nagasaki Day on August 9th. Beyond Nuclear is a proud endorser of Think Outside the Bomb, and thankful and inspired that resistance to nuclear power is included in the mission and vision of this youth-led, anti-nuclear movement!