from Buzz Davis,
Save Our VA – Vets for Peace in Tucson
Category Archives: Justice and Sustainability
No to Nuclear ~ Help Strengthen the Treaty
Roxane Assaf-Lynn “ATTENTION STUDENT GROUP LEADERS: You’re invited to sign on as a co-sponsor to “Defuse Nuclear War” on the 40th anniversary of a history-making event in Central Park, New York.
Thanks from RootsAction.org CONTACT: Rox@RootsAction.org
Sign Up Your Organization to Co-Sponsor the “Defuse Nuclear War” Live Stream Event June 12
sign on, if you agree
STATEMENT ON THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
AND ON THE TREATY ON THE PROHIBITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
The power to initiate a global apocalypse lies in the hands of the leaders of nine nations.
As 122 nations of the world indicated when they adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in July, 2017, this is unacceptable.
As concerns about the threat of nuclear weapons re-enter the public consciousness, it is important to know that humankind is not without an answer to the nuclear threat. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force on January 22, 2021, provides a clear pathway to the elimination of the nuclear threat.
We call on all nuclear armed states to take immediate steps to:
- engage the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,
- attend the First Meeting of States Parties, and
- sign, ratify and implement the Treaty.
We also call on the US media to recognize the existence of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and to include the Treaty in discussions, articles, and editorials regarding the nuclear threat and methods available to address it.
Talk World Radio:
Norman Solomon on Defusing Nuclear War
David Swanson: “This week on Talk World Radio, we’re talking about Ukraine and nuclear weapons with Norman Solomon who is Co-Founder and National Director of RootsAction.org. Norman also founded the Institute for Public Accuracy in 1997 and is its executive director. Immersed in anti-war, social justice, and environmental movements since the late 1960s, he is the author of a dozen books including “War Made Easy” and “Made Love, Got War.”
artist: Yoshitomo Nara
Milwaukee Area Water Poisoned by Military PFAS Forever Chemicals
original article Laura Schulte
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1 Sep 2021
‘Forever chemicals’ from a military installation at Mitchell Airport are a risk to nearby drinking wells, Lake Michigan, a report says
also PFAS Timeline and History – EWG
“Despite testing that found “forever chemicals” at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport two years ago, the Department of Defense has yet to move forward with a plan to address the contamination, putting nearby residents with private drinking wells at risk.
The Department of Defense was notified by the state Department of Natural Resources that it was the responsible party for contamination from PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — in ground and surface water near the airport in 2019, but no action has yet been taken, according to a new report by the Environmental Working Group.
The environmental advocacy group looked at publicly available data related to PFAS testing at DOD sites across the Great Lakes region and found that several sites, including Mitchell Airport, could be contaminating not only groundwater but the lakes that give the area its name.
Some of the highest levels of the chemicals were found in private drinking wells along the borders of the Milwaukee airport, said Jared Hayes, a policy analyst with the Environmental Working Group. And because no aggressive action has been taken since the discovery of the compounds, some residents in the area may not even know they’re at risk.
The department ordered that the airport needed to determine the source of the contamination, prevent future discharges and develop a cleanup plan. At the time, levels were not high enough to be considered a public health concern, but the department wanted the water utility to monitor levels.
Included in the testing results in 2019 were about six compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, two of the most researched PFAS chemicals.
Though recommendations at the time called for wastewater utilities to start measuring for PFAS, no such rules have yet been instituted, because the utilities are not the source of chemicals but merely a receiver as the chemicals are washed down drains across the state.
Milwaukee isn’t the only city to face a PFAS contamination stemming from its airport. In Madison, contamination stemming from the Dane County Regional Airport — where the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard is stationed — has been linked to high levels of PFAS in a nearby lake and some nearby wells.
On French Island, which is home to the La Crosse Regional Airport on one side and the Town of Campbell on the other, over a thousand people are receiving bottled water after PFAS were found in private drinking water across the island. Research into the airport’s past has shown that ongoing testing of PFAS-containing firefighting foam and foam used to put out blazes caused by plane crashes are likely responsible for most of the contamination.
PFAS are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and the human body over time.
Afghanistan Appeal (Peace Project)
This short piece sums up what is going on in Afghanistan, and it also includes a way to contribute to a fund that helps people in Afghanistan to escape the violence.
Please consider giving.
“The Taliban take all major cities in Afghanistan ~ The Presidential Palace has fallen ~ President Ghani flees the country ~ US pledge to redeploy 5,000 troops ~ All embassy staff leave the country ~ We are now looking at a Taliban led Government ~ The Taliban say they want to take power without violence.”
Pictures by Maya Evans.
Over the last ten years we have been working in solidarity with young Afghan peace activists in Kabul, supporting their grassroots projects and encouraging efforts to promote peace. We have made a number of trips to Kabul and seen first hand their incredible work, while also meeting and collecting the stories of ordinary Afghans and how their lives have been impacted by 40 years of war and conflict.Over the last few weeks, the Taliban have moved rapidly, taking provinces and cities overnight. At the time of writing, Kabul has just been taken, President Ghani has fled the country, foreign embassy staff are being evacuated, and the Taliban have closed the airport. Many of the boarders, such as the one to Iran, have been closed. There are now 4 million internally displaced Afghans with nowhere to run.
young Afghan peace campaigners climbing a mountain.
The Taliban have been targeting and making examples of anyone who has been working with the Afghan Government, foreign military or international organisations. Our friends feel that their high-profile campaigning has made them potential targets within their neighbourhoods.
Refugee Camp
We are running a collection so that our young friends can, if needed, flee quickly. Many Afghans are now escaping to the mountains. This appeal is about protecting the lives of young Afghans who have worked tirelessly for peace and non-violence.
Street kids school.
Donate via PayPal: paypal.me/vcnvuk
Direct Debit:
Voices for Creative Non-Violence UK
Community/ Business Account
The Co-operative Bank
Account: 65583025
Sort: 089299
Cheques payable to: VCNV UK
31 Carisbrooke Road
St Leonards on Sea
TN38 0JN
With thanks and solidarity,
Maya, Mary & Henrietta
Afghanistan Peace Project
Formerly Voices for Creative Non-Violence UK