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Takoma Park groups renew anti-nuclear push after Japanese crisis
Organizations spread message as Japanese plant's fate remains uncertain
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Takoma Park nuclear-free advocacy groups have redoubled their efforts in their battle against nuclear power in light of fears of a possible meltdown of a power plant in Japan.
Takoma Park has officially been designated nuclear-free for more than 25 years, which requires that no nuclear weapons be built in the city and that no business that works with nuclear weapons manufacturers can move into the city.
Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams said the city of Takoma Park has always been proud of its nuclear-free designation, even when others have thought it was "silly."
"You hate to say there is any joy or satisfaction in this situation [in Japan], but it does turn things around from the way things have been for years," Williams said. "When anyone mentioned nuclear-free Takoma Park, they said, ‘Isn't that crazy? There is no danger of nuclear weapons anymore.' With this, it brings it back to the fore, and it's like, ‘See, this is important.' "
Williams said the nuclear situation in Japan was an opportunity for anti-nuclear groups in the city to prove the messages they have advocated for decades.
"It makes those groups who are still around and still working the issue much more important, because they have the background on what the issues have always been," Williams said.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan was damaged during the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami and hit the country March 11 that has killed more than 9,000 people as of Tuesday, according to The Washington Post.
As the status of the plant's reactors continues to evolve, nuclear-free advocacy groups based in Takoma Park have used the crisis to educate the public about the deadly dangers that can be caused by nuclear energy.
"[The situation in Japan] is a great tragedy, and we are all concerned," said Robert Rini of the Nuclear-Free Takoma Park Committee, which formed to enforce the city's nuclear-free designation and has moved into advocating against nuclear energy in recent years. "We hope they can contain it. We hope it won't grow into a global humanitarian and financial disaster."
In the past few years, the five-member committee has been researching the possibility of nuclear waste being transported through the city on the CSX railroad. Since the crisis in Japan, members of the committee have also been keeping up a steady stream of information to the public about the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Rini said. They are constantly updating the committee blog and member Jacob Rini, Robert's son, has been tweeting breaking news about the crisis under the Twitter handle @NuclearFreeBoy.
"We have stepped up our efforts to reach out to the community and engage them in a dialogue about how it impacts us," Robert said. "This has never happened before. We are in uncharted territory."
Beyond Nuclear, a separate anti-nuke activist group based in Takoma Park, sent a press release the morning that news of the natural and potential nuclear disasters broke. Members of Beyond Nuclear have also been posting constant updates about the Japanese power plant's status on their website, said Linda Gunter, international specialist at Beyond Nuclear.
They are also continuously updating their Facebook and Twitter feed with news of developments in Japan.
"It takes a crisis, unfortunately, for people to pay attention to something like this," Gunter said.
They have been answering their phones and talking on news shows about their views on nuclear energy, as well, Gunter said.
"None of us [have] slept," Gunter said. "We are very much on the phone. I think we have all gone mad."
The group has been advocating against nuclear energy since 2007. Beyond Nuclear is made up of four staff members and six board members, who had all been pushing the nuclear-free cause at other organizations before forming Beyond Nuclear, Gunter said.
"What this tragedy has given us is a platform to start educating people about this, which was much harder to do before," Gunter added. "It is the issue of the day obviously."
The group advocates shutting down existing nuclear energy plants in the United States as well as preventing new ones from opening. They have advocated against the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland, which is just 90 miles from Washington, D.C. In the wake of the Japanese crisis, they have been encouraging people to write and call their local congressmen about closing this site and others like it.
"If something happened at Calvert Cliffs, something would happen in D.C." Gunter said.
Robert said the group is possibly planning to hold an event in the future focusing on current nuclear events and how they affect the Takoma Park community.
"If people are informed, they make better decisions and this is an issue that people are woefully uninformed about," Gunter said. "This is a chance now to get information out there."
ktousignant@gazette.net
Takoma Park has officially been designated nuclear-free for more than 25 years, which requires that no nuclear weapons be built in the city and that no business that works with nuclear weapons manufacturers can move into the city.
Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams said the city of Takoma Park has always been proud of its nuclear-free designation, even when others have thought it was "silly."
"You hate to say there is any joy or satisfaction in this situation [in Japan], but it does turn things around from the way things have been for years," Williams said. "When anyone mentioned nuclear-free Takoma Park, they said, ‘Isn't that crazy? There is no danger of nuclear weapons anymore.' With this, it brings it back to the fore, and it's like, ‘See, this is important.' "
Williams said the nuclear situation in Japan was an opportunity for anti-nuclear groups in the city to prove the messages they have advocated for decades.
"It makes those groups who are still around and still working the issue much more important, because they have the background on what the issues have always been," Williams said.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan was damaged during the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami and hit the country March 11 that has killed more than 9,000 people as of Tuesday, according to The Washington Post.
As the status of the plant's reactors continues to evolve, nuclear-free advocacy groups based in Takoma Park have used the crisis to educate the public about the deadly dangers that can be caused by nuclear energy.
"[The situation in Japan] is a great tragedy, and we are all concerned," said Robert Rini of the Nuclear-Free Takoma Park Committee, which formed to enforce the city's nuclear-free designation and has moved into advocating against nuclear energy in recent years. "We hope they can contain it. We hope it won't grow into a global humanitarian and financial disaster."
In the past few years, the five-member committee has been researching the possibility of nuclear waste being transported through the city on the CSX railroad. Since the crisis in Japan, members of the committee have also been keeping up a steady stream of information to the public about the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Rini said. They are constantly updating the committee blog and member Jacob Rini, Robert's son, has been tweeting breaking news about the crisis under the Twitter handle @NuclearFreeBoy.
"We have stepped up our efforts to reach out to the community and engage them in a dialogue about how it impacts us," Robert said. "This has never happened before. We are in uncharted territory."
Beyond Nuclear, a separate anti-nuke activist group based in Takoma Park, sent a press release the morning that news of the natural and potential nuclear disasters broke. Members of Beyond Nuclear have also been posting constant updates about the Japanese power plant's status on their website, said Linda Gunter, international specialist at Beyond Nuclear.
They are also continuously updating their Facebook and Twitter feed with news of developments in Japan.
"It takes a crisis, unfortunately, for people to pay attention to something like this," Gunter said.
They have been answering their phones and talking on news shows about their views on nuclear energy, as well, Gunter said.
"None of us [have] slept," Gunter said. "We are very much on the phone. I think we have all gone mad."
The group has been advocating against nuclear energy since 2007. Beyond Nuclear is made up of four staff members and six board members, who had all been pushing the nuclear-free cause at other organizations before forming Beyond Nuclear, Gunter said.
"What this tragedy has given us is a platform to start educating people about this, which was much harder to do before," Gunter added. "It is the issue of the day obviously."
The group advocates shutting down existing nuclear energy plants in the United States as well as preventing new ones from opening. They have advocated against the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland, which is just 90 miles from Washington, D.C. In the wake of the Japanese crisis, they have been encouraging people to write and call their local congressmen about closing this site and others like it.
"If something happened at Calvert Cliffs, something would happen in D.C." Gunter said.
Robert said the group is possibly planning to hold an event in the future focusing on current nuclear events and how they affect the Takoma Park community.
"If people are informed, they make better decisions and this is an issue that people are woefully uninformed about," Gunter said. "This is a chance now to get information out there."
ktousignant@gazette.net
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