On the heels of Obama’s Nuclear Security Summit, we speak with Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group and Lillyanne Daigle and John Qua of Global Zero to cut through the propaganda about nuclear weapons, discuss which countries pose the greatest threat and what activists are doing to push for nuclear disarmament.
Listen here:
Relevant articles and websites:
No Significant Change Seen in Obama’s Nuclear Posture by Greg Mello
Global Zero Action at the Nuclear Security Summit 2016 by Liz Merrow
Irradiated (report on health impacts of nuclear weapons industry on workers) by Rob Hotakainen, Lindsay Wise, Frank Matt and Samantha Ehlinger
Guests:
Greg Mello is Executive Director and a co-founder of the Los Alamos Study Group and has led its varied activities since 1992, including policy research, environmental analysis, congressional education and lobbying, community organizing, litigation (FOIA, civil rights, NEPA), advertising, and the nuts and bolts of funding and running a small nonprofit. From time to time he has served as a consulting analyst, writer, and spokesperson for other nuclear policy organizations. Greg was educated as a systems engineer with a broad scientific background (Harvey Mudd College, 1971, with distinction) and as a regional planner with emphases in environmental planning and regional economics (Harvard, 1975, with distinction, HUD Fellow in Urban Studies). During the early 1980s Greg was a high school science and math teacher, then a hazardous waste inspector and statewide hazardous materials incident commander, and in the late 1980s a supervising hydrogeologist, for the New Mexico Environment Department. In 1984 Greg led the first regulatory enforcement at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). In the early 1990s Greg was a consulting hydrologist in parallel with the early Study Group, with cleanup projects in New Mexico and California. In 2002, Greg was a Visiting Research Fellow at Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security. Greg’s research, analysis, and opinions have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Issues in Science and Technology, in the New Mexico press, and elsewhere. He has been interviewed thousands of times by U.S. and international news media (print, radio, and television). Greg’s research has been the source or impetus of many of these media articles and programs. In addition to speaking at hundreds of public meetings and events in New Mexico, Greg has been a guest speaker at several international disarmament events here and abroad.
Lillyanne Daigle joined the Global Zero team in October 2014 as a U.S. field organizer. In her role, she will be spearheading Global Zero’s volunteer recruitment and mobilization across the United States. Lilly graduated from Warren Wilson College with a degree in Global Studies focusing on social justice and a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies. She is passionate about empowering individuals to fight for issues they care about. Before her time at Global Zero, Lilly organized with several grassroots campaigns and completed the Green Corps year-long training program in field organizing.
John Qua joined the Global Zero team in January 2016 as a U.S. field organizer. He is committed to fighting for a more equitable world, and empowering people to make change through political organizing and community building. In his role, he will be spearheading Global Zero’s volunteer recruitment and mobilization across the United States. John graduated from Brown University with a degree in International Relations focusing on the environment. Before his time at Global Zero, John completed the Green Corps year-long training program in field organizing and organized on several progressive political campaigns with the Sierra Club, MoveOn.org, and Food & Water Watch.