PSR chapters continue to make powerful strides to get the U.S. off of coal and onto clean, healthy, renewable energy sources. Just in the past week, PSR activists in Oregon, Iowa and Michigan conducted an impressive series of public events, media visits and Grand Rounds presentations.

PSR Board President Dr. John Rachow, a native Nebraskan and physician in Iowa, is featured talking about the impact of the pipeline on Nebraska.

"Worst of all about the pipeline is it will deepen our dependency on oil, contributing to ever-worsening climate chaos," said Peter Wilk, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility.

The request by Friends of the Earth and other environmental groups including PSR was the latest skirmish in a long-running battle over a plan by Calgary-based TransCanada to build a massive pipeline to carry crude oil extracted from tar sands in Alberta to refineries in Texas.

An op-ed on tar sands oil co-authored by PSR board member Dr. Cindy Parker.

Do you know where your electricity comes from? In Tucson, a lot of people don’t really know if you ask them. Actually, the power grid draws electricity from a lot of places. But our own power plant is right here in the South side of our City and it burns coal (in addition to natural gas) to produce electricity. In fact, more than 40% of the electricity in the United States comes from burning coal.

10 Minute presentation for public Access TV on the human halth effects of coal burning waste and emissions

Arizona PSR President Dr. Barbara Warren urges the adoption of solar power.

DR. Roberta Richardson calls on Pueblo County Commissioners to vote down the re-zoning of land for a nuclear plant in Pueblo, Colorado

As the number of coal fired power plants worldwide has increased, so too has the demand for coal. A coal export facility has been proposed for Longview, Washington, and health experts and environmentalists are expressing grave concern.

Colorado PSR Board Member Bob Kinsey speaks out against a proposed nuclear plant in Pueblo County. Area residents do not want commissioners to rezone land in the eastern county as a possible site.

Kristen Welker-Hood, ScD MSN, Director of Environmental Health Programs provided expert testimony at the Maryland House of Delegates and the Senate this month.

Thanks to a negotiated agreement, Washington State’s only coal-fired power plant is now scheduled to slash its generating capacity in half by 2020 and close entirely by 2025.

A recent report estimates that coal’s impacts – including its effects on health and the damage in inflicts on the environment -- cost the U.S. about $345 billion annually. According to the report, a full rendering of coal’s costs would double to triple the price of coal-generated electricity.

Sheep Mountain Alliance alleges that the state of Colorado did not hold adequate public hearings and that the licensing violates a state law prohibiting uranium mills near areas that already have high levels of heavy metals in their water.

A bill introduced Thursday in the state House will protect Washington families from the harmful health effects of burning coal for electricity and help build the economy of the community now hosting the state’s lone coal-burning power plant.

If Congress and the White House intend to move forward with a “clean energy standard” (CES), it will be a huge contradiction to include nuclear reactors and coal-fired power plants, according to three experts.

The Piñon Ridge plant, located in southwestern Colorado, was recently approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment project and will be the first new uranium processing mill in the U.S. in more than 25 years. Filmmaker Richard Linnett is following the issue for in order to document the community impact.

This article quotes PSR on the dangers of deregulating nuclear reactors, as proposed in the American Power Act.

Dr. Steven Gilbert of Washington PSR discusses the health effects of mercury emissions from coal plants.