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No Nukes' Jackson Browne and Graham Nash Sign Open Letter Warning of Nuclear Weapons

Graham Nash and Jackson Browne perform during a No Nukes concert to commemorate the Hiroshima bombing at San Lorenzo park on August 5, 1995 in Santa Cruz, California. TIM MOSENFELDER/GETTY IMAGES

Billboard.com

Annie Lennox, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, and more add signatures to Make Nukes History letter tied to Oppenheimer

Jackson Browne and Graham Nash — co-founders of the Musicians United for Safe Energy and the famed No Nukes concert in 1979 — are among the artists, actors, and advocates who have signed an open letter warning of the dangers of nuclear weapons.

Annie Lennox, The China Syndrome‘s star and producer Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas, Julianne Moore, Bill Nye, and more also put their names to the Make Nukes History open letter, which is tied to Oppenheimer and its expected award windfall at the Oscars this weekend.

Oppenheimer depicts the origin story of nuclear weapons, the history of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Oppenheimer’s subsequent warnings against an arms race and the development of even more powerful weapons,” the open letter states. “Oppenheimer was right to warn us. Today, 13,000 nuclear weapons are held by nine countries. Some are 80 times more powerful than the ones that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.”

The open letter, put out by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, was also signed by Christoph Waltz, Lily Tomlin, Viggo Mortensen, Rosanna Arquette, Alan Cumming, Ellen Burstyn, and Charles Oppenheimer, the grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

"As artists and advocates, we want to raise our voices to remind people that while Oppenheimer is history, nuclear weapons are not,” the letter continued. "At a time of great uncertainty, even one nuclear weapon on — on land, under the sea, in the air, or in space — is too many. To protect our families, our communities, and our world, we must demand that global leaders work to make nuclear weapons history — and build a brighter future. Please join us — before our luck runs out.”

Annie Lennox, Jackson Browne, Barbra Streisand & More Sign Open Letter Warning of Nuclear Threat

Billboard that says: For your considerarion 13 Oppenheimer nominations. 13,000 nuclear weapons. Makenukeshistory.org

Billboard.com

The letter was timed to capitalize on the attention being focused on Oppenheimer, which won seven Oscars on March 10.

UPDATE (March 11): Many more celebrities have signed an open letter to Hollywood on the significance of Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer and the real-life threats of nuclear war. The letter was published in The Los Angeles Times March 7 in the run-up to the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday (March 10), where Oppenheimer won seven awards, including best picture.

The list of celebrities who have added their signatures to the letter includes Barbra Streisand, Ellen Burstyn, Alan Cumming, Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna, Kristen Stewart, Christoph Waltz, Bradley Whitford, Tony Goldwyn, Matthew Modine, Bill Nye, Bobby Shriver and Jerry and Janet Zucker.

PREVIOUSLY (March 6): In the run-up to the Oscars on Sunday (March 10), a coalition of actors, musicians and activists will issue an open letter to Hollywood on the significance of Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer and the real-life threats of nuclear war.

The coalition includes members of Oppenheimer‘s cast and crew, as well as such bold-faced names as Annie Lennox, Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, Emma Thompson, Jane Fonda, Julianne Moore, Lily Tomlin, Michael Douglas, Rosanna Arquette and Viggo Mortensen. J. Robert Oppenheimer’s grandson, activist Charles Oppenheimer, also joined this call-to-action. The letter will be posted on MakeNukesHistory.org Wednesday (March 6), and will be printed in a full page ad in Thursday’s Los Angeles Times

Under the headline "An Open Letter to Hollywood on Oppenheimer and Nuclear War," the ad says, in part:

"Oppenheimer depicts the origin story of nuclear weapons, the history of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Oppenheimer's subsequent warnings against an arms race and the development of even more powerful weapons. Oppenheimer was right to warn us.

"Today, 13,000 nuclear weapons are held by nine countries. Some are 80 times more powerful than the ones that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

"As artists and advocates, we want to raise our voices to remind people that while Oppenheimer is history, nuclear weapons are not.

"At a time of great uncertainty, even one nuclear weapon — on land, under the sea, in the air, or in space — is too many. To protect our families, our communities, and our world, we must demand that global leaders work to make nuclear weapons history—and build a brighter future. Please join us—before our luck runs out."

This is part of a multipronged "Make Nukes History” campaign launching this week, leveraging the attention on Oppenheimer to elevate the conversation about the nuclear threat.

This week, billboards, murals and wheatpastes are popping up around Hollywood, calling attention to the risks of nukes. In the coming days, there will be an art installation at the Original Farmers Market near The Grove in Los Angeles. Backed by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the risks posed by today's nuclear arsenals.

The campaign is taking place across LoFor more information on the campaign and to read the open letter, visit http://MakeNukesHistory.org

Some of these signees to the open letter have been anti-nuclear activists for decades. Nash and Browne were among the organizers of No Nukes/The MUSE Concerts for a Non-Nuclear Future, which were held in September 1979 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Fonda also participated in that event. A triple-disk live album from the concerts was released in late 1979 and made the top 20 on the Billboard 200.

Douglas and Fonda starred in the 1979 thriller The China Syndrome, about a fictional accident at a nuclear power plant. The film, which Douglas produced, was released theatrically on March 16, 1979, 12 days before the Three Mile Island nuclear accident proved that the film's premise was not far-fetched.

s Angeles and includes, in addition to billboards, a mural in West Hollywood and more than 1,000 street posters, proclaiming "Oppenheimer Started It, We Can End It" and "13 Oppenheimer Nominations; 13,000 Nuclear Weapons."

Bruce Springsteen to Release Legendary 1979 'No Nukes' Concert Film and Album

Variety.com

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's set during the 1979 all-star “No Nukes” concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden is legendary, but only one song from it had been released — until November of this year, when Sony Music Entertainment's Premium Content Division in partnership with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release “The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts.”

The film features ten never-before released Springsteen performances from the concerts, and full footage of the band's entire setlist for the first time. Edited by longtime Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny from the original 16mm film alongside remixed audio from Bob Clearmountain, the film will be released in HD on physical formats November 19, including on two CD with DVD, two CD with Blu-Ray and two LP formats. The film will be available globally in HD for digital download on November 16 and digital rental on November 23. As the trailer shows, the band was in rare form even by their standards on those nights.

A triple album from the four days of concerts was released in 1980 and featured one track from Springsteen — the “Detroit Medley” — along with tracks by the Doobie Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Carly Simon and others.

“A few years ago, I started re-examining the filmed archives for Bruce and the Band's appearances at the No Nukes concerts of 1979,” said Zimny. “I quickly realized that these were the best performances and best filming from the Band's legendary '70s, and dedicated myself to bringing out the full potential of the footage. Having worked as Bruce's principal director and editor for the last 20 years, I can say without reservation that this newly re-edited, re-mixed and restored 90-minute film is the gold standard for Bruce and the Band live during one of their greatest creative periods.”

“The Seventies were a golden period in the history of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and the Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts is the greatest document of that era we will ever have,” said Springsteen manager Jon Landau. “It's a pure rock show from beginning to end, the energy level is transcendent, and the mastery of the art and the craft of rock music is awe inspiring.”

A composite of two performances captured during the multi-day “No Nukes” concerts, the film packs a marathon Springsteen show into 90 minutes. Among the highlights are then-unreleased versions of “The River” and “Sherry Darling,” live staples “Badlands,” “Born To Run” and “Thunder Road,” plus covers of Buddy Holly's “Rave On” and a version of Maurice Williams' “Stay” featuring special guests Jackson Browne, Tom Petty and Rosemary Butler.

“The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts” Setlist

  1. Prove It All Night
  2. Badlands
  3. The Promised Land
  4. The River
  5. Sherry Darling
  6. Thunder Road
  7. Jungleland
  8. Rosalita Come Out Tonight
  9. Born To Run
  10. Stay
  11. Detroit Medley
  12. Quarter To Three
  13. Rave On

Bruce Springsteen recalls 'No Nukes' concert at film screening: 'We were showing off for the folks at home'

NY Daily News

“The Boss” took a trip down memory lane.

Bruce Springsteen shared some of his memories from the 1979 “No Nukes” concert at a film screening in New Jersey, Variety reported. Springsteen is known for his commanding performances, and the “No Nukes” set at Madison Square Garden is considered one of his best.

“We were showing off for the folks at home,” he said Friday. “We were young, we were kids, so what the film is packed with is youthful energy at a level that was surprising even for me when I saw it.”

That film is “The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts,” a concert film directed by longtime Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimmy. The movie was screened in Red Bank, N.J., as part of a SiriusXM series, according to Asbury Park Press.

“The shows were kind of a big deal because we had never played on a bill with a lot of our peers,” Springsteen said. “So that was exciting.”

“The Boss” and the E Street Band were one of several big names to take the stage over multiple nights in September 1979. They were joined by Jackson Browne; Bonnie Raitt; Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; Crosby, Stills & Nash; and James Taylor and Carly Simon, among others.

Raitt, Graham Nash and John Hall spearheaded the event, organized by their group Musicians United for Safe Energy. The entire concert was also turned into a 1980 documentary, titled “No Nukes.”

But Springsteen and the E Street Band's performance has endured as the peak of the concert, unsurprisingly given their penchant for unforgettable shows.

“What is lovely about the film that Thom sent me is you get to see Clarence (Clemons) at his absolute peak and Danny (Federici), so it's nice to have that on film,” Springsteen said of his late bandmates.

“The Boss,” now 72, famously turned 30 at the end of the original “No Nukes” concerts — and chucked a birthday cake into the crowd instead of celebrating.

Bruce Springsteen—What Makes Bruce Springsteen's No Nukes Performances Legendary?

What Makes Bruce Springsteen's No Nukes Performances Legendary?

Legendary performances by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the 1979 No Nukes concerts in NYC. Features all 13 songs newly edited from original film footage, restored and remixed in HD.

Listen to Bruce Springsteen: https://BruceSpringsteen.lnk.to/listenYD

No Nukes Awakens "Political Springsteen"

No nukes awakens 'political' Springsteen article

No nukes awakens 'political' Springsteen article

No nukes awakens 'political' Springsteen article

Download the pamphelet here

Join NIRS and activists across the nation on Monday, September 13 for a day of action to STOP the nuclear bailout

Our leaders need to hear from us: We want a clean, renewable energy future and the jobs that come with it. Tell them to STOP bailing out a failing, dirty, crooked industry that poisons our environment and vulnerable communities and start investing in a safe, healthy, sustainable American future.

Stop the Bailouts! Day of Action

Proposals from the White House and Congress would invest up to $50 billion dollars in subsidies for aging, uneconomical nuclear power plants over the next decade. The Biden Administration's infrastructure bill is our chance to take real, effective action on climate, economic renewal, and a just future. These nuclear bailouts would perpetuate environmental injustices while blocking effective progress towards climate action. We can't let the nuclear industry block actual climate solutions, economic prosperity, and justice to subsidize the dirty, unjust, and corrupt energy systems of the status quo.

Join us in mobilizing communities across the country to stand up and say NO to nuclear bailouts and YES to justice, jobs, and climate action. Call your elected officials, write a letter to the editor, change your Zoom background, and recruit your community to get involved.

Download the action checklist here!

NIRS tables at Jackson Browne / James Taylor 2021 Tour

Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) is a national non-profit organization devoted to a nuclear-free, carbon-free world. We serve as a networking, information hub for people and organizations concerned about nuclear power, radioactive waste, radiation, and sustainable energy issues since 1978.

NIRS was honored to be tabling at the James Taylor and Jackson Browne concert, MUSE event near Baltimore, MD and Washington DC. Although faced with a downpour during the concert opening, our NIRS team persevered, dried ourselves off and tidied up our table at intermission. We handed out fact sheets and action guides to the crowd, asking them to call their reps in Congress to oppose proposed bailout subsidies for a nuclear energy industry that is still dirty, dangerous, and audaciously expensive.

NIRS, with more than 240 organizations, sent a letter to Congressional leaders telling them to reject all proposals in infrastructure bills that subsidize nuclear energy. These subsidies would grant up to $50billion to prop up aging, increasingly uneconomical nuclear reactors for the next decade. Instead, federal dollars should be invested in a just and equitable transition to safe, clean, renewable energy. While fighting the bailouts, NIRS continues its commitment to bring awareness to the millions of tons of radioactive waste dumped around our nation and its long-range threats to human lives and our environment. NIRS is part of the National Radioactive Waste Coalition, opposing the creation of supposedly temporary high-level radioactive waste dumps in Texas and New Mexico and the proposed Yucca Mountain repository on Western Shoshone land in Nevada.

Additionally, NIRS is helping to push legislation to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) from 2022 until2045 and to compensate more people who were downwind of atom bomb blasts or worked in the uranium industry. NIRS also works for the full cleanup of the only commercial nuclear waste reprocessing site in the US in West Valley, NY, to prevent radioactive releases to international waterways and indigenous lands.NIRS thanks MUSE and all the anti-nuke musicians who continue to support the work we do.

Kudos to all of you!

240+ Organizations Sign Letter Opposing Subsidies for Nuclear Power in Infrastructure Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C -- Over 240 organizations, including Friends of the Earth, Indigenous Environmental Network, Food & Water Watch, The League of Women Voters, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Public Citizen, Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and hundreds more sent a letter to Congressional leaders telling them to reject all proposals in infrastructure bills that subsidize nuclear energy, and to instead invest in a just and equitable transition to safe, clean renewable energy.

The Letter opposes proposals in both the energy legislation for the larger reconciliation package (S.2291/H.R.4024) and the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which together would grant up to $50 billion to prop up aging, increasingly uneconomical nuclear reactors for the next decade.

The letter highlights climate, economic, and environmental justice concerns with proposed nuclear subsidies, in addition to evidence that nuclear power is too dirty, dangerous, expensive, and slow to be a viable solution to the climate crisis.

All of the proposed subsidies (up to $50 billion) are predicted to go to reactors owned by only eight corporations and located in only 19 counties across eight states. Over 50 organizations in each of these states - Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas - signed the letter.

Tim Judson, NIRS director said that “Despite the size of this extraordinarily inequitable investment of taxpayer dollars, to subsidize old nuclear power reactors, not one single new job would be created. Worse, allocating $50 billion to old reactors instead of renewable energy, efficiency, and other clean electricity infrastructure would prevent the creation of more than 60,000 new jobs.”

Hannah Smay with NIRS added, “Regarding environmental impacts, subsidizing nuclear reactors will result in the creation of more radioactive waste without mitigating any of the significant environmental justice, climate justice, economic justice, and nuclear weapons proliferation impacts.”

In response to the urgency of the recently released IPCC climate report, the hundreds of organizations call for federal investments in a transition to efficient, renewable, truly clean energy technologies that can scale up as rapidly and affordably as possible to reduce emissions as aggressively as possible. Not only does nuclear energy fail to meet any of those criteria, investing billions of dollars in subsidies for old reactors directly funnels public investment away from environmentally just, equitable, and sustainable solutions to the climate crisis.

The letter states “We cannot perpetuate false solutions that prolong our reliance on dirty energy industries and have any hope of ending the climate and environmental justice crises those industries create. Providing billions of dollars in subsidies to nuclear power will only put short-sighted economic interests ahead of human lives, racial justice, the health of our environment, safe drinking water, and a thriving, equitable economy.”

David Kraft, director of the Chicago-based Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS), points out an additional ominous dimension to the federal nuclear subsidies:

“The overwhelming amount of these subsidies and state-level nuclear bailout schemes would be going to utilities and an industry which have demonstrated a consistent penchant for corruption and criminal behavior in their business models,” Kraft points out.

“Exelon in Illinois, the former First Energy in Ohio, SCANA in South Carolina - all have been subject to FBI investigations, federal bribery and improper lobbying charges, and outright admissions of guilt, paying hundreds of millions of dollars in fines. These are neither the business partners nor the industry America can rely on to successfully fight and win against the climate crisis,” Kraft asserts.

“Politicians had better understand that subsidizing providing the nuclear industry with bailouts is rewarding and abetting these criminal behaviors; and that they will be judged by the company they keep in the upcoming mid-term elections,” Kraft concludes.

The 240+ organizations demand that these bailouts be omitted from the budget and funds be directed to investing in carbon-free, nuclear-free clean energy. Sixteen of the organizations are from Illinois, the most nuclear-reliant state in the U.S., and which is debating a $700 million Exelon nuclear bailout in upcoming state energy legislation.

Read the letter and list of organizations here.

The Nuclear Information and Resource Service is an organization devoted to the just energy transition from nuclear to clean, renewable energy sources and advocates for a nuclear-free, carbon-free future. They are located near Washington DC in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS), is a 40-year old, safe-energy advocacy, anti-nuclear power watchdog organization based in Chicago, IL, advocating for a carbon-free/nuclear-free energy future, and environmentally responsible solutions to radioactive waste management.

Proposed CPUC Decision in Diablo Canyon Decommissioning case confirms the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility's recommendations

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) finally released a Proposed Decision approving the 2019 Settlement Agreement between PG&E, the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility (A4NR) and multiple intervenors regarding the ratepayer costs for decommissioning the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. PG&E's original request of $4.8 billion has been pruned by nearly a billion dollars to $3.9 billion.

$300 million of those ratepayer savings are attributable to the Decision's confirmation that PG&E will seek a vendor to “enable the final offload of spent fuel from the Unit 1 and Unit 2 spent fuel pools within 4 years of the shutdown...” PG&E had previously insisted on a 7-year timeline for this work, but A4NR, through tenacious cross-examination and exhaustive testimony clearly demonstrated that this safety enhancing and money saving option was the right choice. As an extra benefit, the physical decommissioning of the reactor units can begin earlier, hastening the eventual restoration of the site.

“We are pleased to have achieved these savings for ratepayers as we bring the nuclear power era inCalifornia to a safe closure,” commented A4NR executive director Rochelle Becker. “Our attention and oversight now turn to the California Energy Commission as they become our eyes and ears in evaluating these proposals and bids for the expedited transfer of the spent nuclear fuel.”Other issues settled in the case include PG&E's determination of a decommissioning contracting strategy, anticipated before the end of the year. Options include: PG&E does the work internally;hiring an outside contractor; or a hybrid method. This choice has ramifications for the local reactor community—including workforce, liability and oversight issues—and has led to contentious legal challenges at reactor sites in other states. A4NR will be monitoring these developments.Likewise, A4NR also supported the proposal's decision to keep the facility's breakwaters intact(saving $400 million) and to extend the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee's role until such time as all the spent fuel has been moved from wet pools to dry storage.

The Proposed Decision can be downloaded at: http://a4nr.org/?p=4174

California forum letters: Bee Readers take on Destiy Church, Diablo Canyon, Recall

The Sacramento Bee

DIABLO IS DONE

“To fulfill promises of Diablo Canyon closure, California ignores fossil fuel emissions,” (sacbee.com, July 23)

Regardless of inexcusable delay and inaction by the California Public Utilities on replacement energy scenarios, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant won't be resurrected. Restarting from scratch would face years of studies; state and federal permitting and contentious hearings. Unit 2's expensive main generator replacement failed repeatedly in 2020, working only 30% of that year. PG&E estimates that Diablo cost ratepayers $1.25 billion in annual above-market costs in 2020.

While there is much planning and evaluation needed to secure California's emissions-free electricity future, nuclear power from Diablo Canyon will not be in that mix.

David Weisman, legislative director, Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility Legal Fund

Without opining on the various energy replacement strategies and schedules now ordered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility reiterates that extending the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is not an option.

The CPUC has known these megawatts were going to be phased out since retirement was proposed in 2016, and affirmed by their decision in 2018. That a replacement procurement order appears this late—and only upon entering a second summer of energy uncertainty—represents cascading inactions on the part of the gubernatorial appointees who lead that agency, not to mention the California Energy Commission and the California Independent System Operator.

Regardless of replacement scenarios, the following holds true: Diablo Canyon cannot be resurrected beyond the NRC license expiration dates in 2024/2025.

First, PG&E has made it quite clear that they have no interest in operating the facility beyond those dates. No third party has made a “bid” for the facility, nor would any who consulted with competent engineers and accountants.

Second, in April 2018 (per the U.S. Federal Register), “PG&E requested withdrawal of its license renewal application, including all associated correspondence and commitments, for DCPP, Unit Nos. 1 and 2.” Any subsequent attempt at NRC relicensing will require an entirely new environmental analysis, permitting procedures, CPUC approval of renewal funding, and be subject to likely years of contentious adjudicatory hearings, with no certainty for a positive outcome.

Third, there is no guarantee of “steady baseload power” from a 40-year-old nuclear power plant. Unit 2's failed main generator was replaced for nearly $100 million dollars in 2019, but failed again in 2020, working only 30% of that year and narrowly squeaking by during the peak load energy crunches. The complex and costly repairs of aging systems are likely to multiply in the ensuing years.

Finally, Diablo is too expensive, with $1.25 billion in annual above-market costs estimated by PG&E for 2020. Over a decade (minus inflation), that's $12.5 billion - or 62.5% of PG&E's proposal to underground distribution lines over the next 10 years. Combined with purchases of renewable energy and storage, are there not better values for California's energy customers?

While there is still much planning and evaluation needed in order to secure California's emissions-free electricity future, nuclear power from Diablo Canyon will not be in that mix.

Read more here:
https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-theeditor/article253328313.html#storylink=cpy

NEIS TABLES AT JACKSON BROWNE / JAMES TAYLOR CONCERT AT THE UNITED CENTER IN CHICAGO

Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS) is a Chicago-based, anti-nuclear, safe-energy advocacy and nuclear power watchdog organization. We celebrated our 40th anniversary of fighting for safe energy and a less-nuclear world in June 2021

NEIS recently tabled at a MUSE event with Jackson Browne and James Taylor in Chicago. At this event we passed out hundreds of fliers and gathered scores of postcards sent to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, urging him to reject a proposed $700 million bailout of two money-losing Exelon nuclear plants in Illinois; and to support both an aggressive build-out of renewable energy and provide “just-transitions” for the workers and communities whose nuclear plants Exelon proposes to close if they don't get their “nuclear extortion” money from the legislature. As we have warned legislators since 2013: "You can't build an energy future by bailing out the past.”

NEIS is also continuing our monthly “Night with the Experts” ZOOM program, a monthly online session on the last Thursday of each month, which was initiated during the COVID 2020 year when we were forced to stop face-to-face programming. NEIS is also part of a national anti-nuclear bailout coalition; and continues to spearhead ongoing development of the National Radioactive Waste Coalition, opposing the creation of high-level radioactive waste dumps in Texas and New Mexico; and the flawed Yucca Mt. project. It also has an ongoing program titled, “We Can't 'Nuke' Climate Change!”, designed to combat the fallacy that nuclear power is an effective way to combat the climate crisis.

NEIS thanks the musicians from MUSE -- Musicians United for Safe Energy -- like Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and others who have been promoting safe energy and supporting groups like ours since the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979

Bruce Springsteen, E Street Band to Appear in New Film on No Nukes Shows

New documentary will feature performances from legendary 1979 concerts

July 20, 2021 - By Claire Shaffer, Rolling Stone Magazine

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be the subjects of a new music documentary, The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts.

Distributed by Sony Music Entertainment, the film features a composite of two performances shot during the Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) benefit concerts, colloquially referred to as the No Nukes concerts, held at Madison Square Garden in September 1979. Three songs from Springsteen and the E Street Band's sets were included in the 1980 No Nukes documentary, including the first-ever appearance of the soon-to-be classic “The River”; the new documentary will be a greatly expanded look at their performances. (The events also hosted performances by Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne, Chaka Khan, the Doobie Brothers, Gil Scott-Heron, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, and more.)

The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts features remixed and remastered audio from the shows and was edited from the original 16mm film by longtime Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny.

Springsteen, along with Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson, will appear at the upcoming Central Park Homecoming Concert, scheduled for August at the Great Lawn of the New York City park. Clive Davis will serve as the booker for the mega-concert, the centerpiece of a weeklong slate of celebrations marking the return of New York City following the Covid-19 pandemic. The New York Times reported that Springsteen would likely perform with Patti Smith at the event.

CSN, BONNIE RAITT, JACKSON BROWNE ROCK AGAINST NUKES

Tom Morello, Jason Mraz join all-star benefit in wake of Japan disaster

August 19, 2011 - By Barry Walters, Rolling Stone Magazine

"I'm so happy to be here, my dimples are locked," a beaming Bonnie Raitt said during her set at the August 7th all-star concert benefiting MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), the activist group Raitt, Jackson Browne, Graham Nash and John Hall created in 1979 to promote alternatives to nuclear power.

Thirty-two years after they staged five legendary No Nukes shows at Madison Square Garden - with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, James Taylor and others - the foursome reunited at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View California, inspired by the nuclear disaster in Japan. "We saw the accident in Fukushima as an opportunity to reawaken the American people to the dangers of nuclear power," Nash said backstage during the seven-hour benefit. "The earthquake that caused Fukushima happened 100 kilometers offshore. A year ago they found an earthquake fault just a few hundred yards from the Diablo Canyon Power Plant."

The show, which was powered by renewable energy and streamed live online, had a joyfully collaborative vibe. Raitt, Browne, Nash and former Orleans guitarist Hall - who recently served two terms in Congress representing a New York District - were on and off the stage all day, singing and playing with their many guests.

Highlights abounded: The Doobie Brothers jammed on "Listen to the Music" with Raitt, Browne, Nash and David Crosby; Jason Mraz breezed through a medley of "I'm Yours" and Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds"; and Raitt shredded Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" before harmonizing with Crosby and Nash on a haunted version of "Angel From Montgomery."

Following an acoustic set of his folky Nightwatchman material, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello strapped on an electric for the night's heaviest moment, spitting Hendrix-y solos during a revved version of Springsteen's "Ghost of Tom Joad" with Browne and Raitt. "The sort of disaster that happened in Fukushima is inevitable as long as those who make decisions about energy and the planet are doing it for profit," Morello pointed out backstage as No Nukes vets Sweet Honey in the Rock delivered a lovely a capella version of the blues standard "Midnight Special" with Raitt. "I look at an event like today as a little bit of the world that I want to see. It's people coming together in solidarity to get their hands on the wheel of history and turn it to the correct direction.

Crosby, Stills and Nash closed the night, with an energetic set capped by a sing-along on "Teach Your Children" featuring the entire ensemble. "There's a real emotional tug in singing to power and playing in each other's sets," Raitt told Rolling Stone earlier in the day. "Anytime you put your lives aside to come together for a bigger cause, it opens your heart."

WATCH THE M.U.S.E CONCERT LIVE ONLINE

August 7th

If you can't make it to the M.U.S.E. concert on August 7th don't worry. You can watch the whole show live thanks to StageIt. For a $5 minimum donation you can pre-register at http://bit.ly/musebenefit to watch the concert.

StageIt will begin at 2PM (PST) on August 7, one hour before show-time. Viewers will have access to exclusive pre-show content including interviews and greetings from the performers, as well as the main feed of the entire concert.

You can help now by donating $10 with a simple text. Text MUSE to 80888. A one time $10 donation will be added to your mobile phone bill (messaging and data rates may apply. US only).

ALL-STAR MUSE BENEFIT CONCERT PARTNERS WITH StageIt FOR LIVE STREAMING AND MOBILE CAUSE FOR TEXT-2-GIVE TO SUPPORT DISASTER RELIEF IN JAPAN AND NON-NUCLEAR GROUPS WORLDWIDE

AUGUST 7 CONCERT AT SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA FEATURES CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, JACKSON BROWNE, BONNIE RAITT, JASON MRAZ, THE DOOBIE BROTHERS, TOM MORELLO, JOHN HALL, KITARO, SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK, AND JONATHAN WILSON

July 21 - Presenting Sponsor - Vantage Point: The Leading Global Investor in Energy Innovation

LOS ANGELES, CA, July 21: On Sunday August 7, an all-star line-up will perform a benefit concert for Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. To enhance fundraising efforts for disaster relief in Japan and for organizations worldwide promoting safe, non-nuclear energy, MUSE has partnered with StageIt for live streaming and global online donations, and MobileCause for text2give donations and concert updates in the U.S. Both StageIt (www.stageit.com) and MobileCause (www.mobilecause.com) are now live with the MUSE event, enabling people worldwide to register to view the show and support the cause on the Internet, and to text donations and receive updates via SMS, respectively.

The concert line-up for August 7 includes Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Morello, John Hall, Kitaro, Jonathan Wilson, Sweet Honey in the Rock—with special guests. The artists will be performing together throughout the show, with Browne and Raitt anchoring part the first set, and Crosby, Stills & Nash closing the show. The presenting sponsor of the day's events, VantagePoint Capital Partners (www.vpcp.com), is the leading global investor in energy innovation and efficiency.

"The MUSE concert will not only be a great show, it will hopefully entice the public to become better informed of the tremendous dangers of nuclear power," says Graham Nash. "We have to keep real and true information flowing so that people can act on it."

"I love the fact that we are able to reach out to everyone in our fan community via posts, tweets, blogs—most of the time this is great for all artists," says Jason Mraz. "It's also amazing that information can spread rapidly and donations can be taken quickly for Japan disaster victims."

Live-streaming of the MUSE event on StageIt will begin at 2PM (PST) on August 7, one hour before show-time. Viewers will have access to exclusive pre-show content including interviews and greetings from the performers, as well as the main feed of the entire concert. People around the globe can log on to http://bit.ly/musebenefit to pre-register for StageIt's live stream for a minimum $5 donation, with all proceeds benefiting MUSE. StageIt is also an online donation point for MUSE, and will have links for people—anywhere in the world—to give what they can even if they will not be viewing the stream. Launched in 2010 by CEO and music industry veteran Evan Lowenstein, StageIt is a web-based platform that allows artists to deliver and monetize live events, and offer unique online fan experiences that will not be archived or duplicated for distribution.

Mobile giving for MUSE is live via MobileCause through its text2give service (U.S. only). To support Musicians United for Safe Energy and Japan Disaster relief, people may donate by texting MUSE to 80888. A one-time $10 donation will be added to the user's mobile phone bill (messaging and data rates may apply); complete terms can be found at www.igfn.org/t. Additionally, people can access the latest MUSE concert updates by texting CONCERTNEWS to 27138. Founded in [year], Mobile Cause is the leading web-based software solution for mobile giving, and for empowering the non-profit community with innovative and user-friendly mobile communication, CRM, and fundraising technology. The company was was instrumental in disaster relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti, and has completed more than 4,200 campaigns for almost 1,000 non-profit organizations.

The MUSE benefit was planned shortly after the meltdowns at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Shoreline Amphitheatre—the U.S.'s largest green-certified concert venue—was chosen because of its proximity to the Pacific Rim, Northern California's deep association with Japan—and because nuclear reactors on the California coast store spent fuel rods similarly to Fukushima. The stage will be sustainably powered by an integrated system incorporating solar, biodiesel, wind, and LED technologies. In addition to raising money for disaster relief in Japan and groups worldwide working to promote safe, non-nuclear energy, the MUSE event was created to heighten awareness about the realities and dangers of nuclear power—and the many safe alternatives available.

For those able to attend the event at Shoreline Amphitheatre in person, reserved seats and lawn tickets are available at Livenation.com, Ticketmaster outlets or through 1-800-745-3000. Show-time is 3PM, with activities at a multi-exhibitor Clean & Safe Energy Village beginning at 1PM. Families can bring children 10 and under for free with the purchase of adult lawn tickets. Special Gold and Silver circle seats are available through the Guacamole Fund (www.guacfund.org).

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, JACKSON BROWNE, BONNIE RAITT, JOHN HALL, THE DOOBIE BROTHERS, JASON MRAZ, TOM MORELLO, KITARO, SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK, JONATHAN WILSON, AND OTHERS TO PERFORM A BENEFIT CONCERT TO SUPPORT DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS IN JAPAN AND NON-NUCLEAR GROUPS WORLDWIDE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7TH - SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE IN MOUNTAIN VIEW.

June 20 - Presenting Sponsor - Vantagepoint: The Leading Global Investor in Energy Innovation.

LOS ANGELES, CA, June 20: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Morello, John Hall, Kitaro, Jonathan Wilson, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and special guests are coming together for a special benefit event on Sunday, August 7, at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Proceeds from the concert will be distributed to Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) to support Japan disaster relief efforts, and organizations worldwide working to promote safe, alternative, non-nuclear energy. The presenting sponsor VantagePoint Capital Partners (www.vpcp.com) is the leading global investor in energy innovation and efficiency. The show will begin at 3 PM. Children 10 and under admitted free on the lawn with an adult ticket. Tickets go on sale Monday, June 27 at 10AM at Livenation.com, Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Reserved seats are $99.50, $50.00 and $35.00 and general admission lawn tickets are $19.50, plus applicable charges. Special Gold and Silver circle seats are available through the Guacamole Fund (www.guacfund.org).

“The disaster in Fukushima is not only a disaster for Japan. It is a global disaster. We come together now across cultural boundaries, political and generational boundaries, to call for changes in the way we use energy, and in the ways we conduct the search for solutions to the problems facing humanity,” says Jackson Browne. “We join with the people of Japan, and people everywhere who believe in a non-nuclear future.”

“From solar power plants and next-generation wind turbines to energy-efficient LED lighting and electric vehicles, we see technology innovations solving our most important energy needs," says Alan Salzman, Managing Partner of VantagePoint Capital Partners, a global leader in funding the transformative energy companies of the 21st century. "We join with the many artists involved in this concert to raise funds for the Japan disaster relief efforts and call for sensible and clean energy solutions."

It was shortly after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan that the decision was made to coordinate a benefit. Shoreline Amphitheatre was chosen because of its close proximity to the Pacific Rim, Northern California's history and deep association with Japan—and because nuclear reactors on the California coast store spent fuel rods in the same manner as at Fukushima. The concert date falls between the anniversaries of atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945).

“The MUSE concert will not only be a great show, it will hopefully entice the public to become better informed of the tremendous dangers of nuclear power,” says Graham Nash. “We have to keep real and true information flowing so that people can act on it.”

“We're so lucky to have been able to bring back some of the original MUSE team to collaborate with some new and younger artists for MUSE 2, so that we can immediately help with the Japan relief effort and raise funds and awareness for the no nukes issue,” says Bonnie Raitt. “I'm excited to be a part of this important and truly collaborative effort. It's going to be a very special, one of a kind event.”

Pat Simmons, of The Doobie Brothers, who performed at the original MUSE shows adds, "We are so proud to be reuniting with so many of our talented friends, who share our concern for the safety, and sustainable future of our fragile planet. Current events have brought us to a turning point in our human existence. It's time to consider alternatives to the present course of energy production that have been forced upon us by an aggressive corporate power structure. We join together to generate funds to help our Japanese friends, as they recover from the devastation that they have had to endure, due to man's careless use of nuclear energy, and nature's unpredictability. Through these efforts we also hope to raise public awareness of the challenges we are faced with, and the important responsibilities we share in moving us towards a safer, nuclear free future."

The concert stage will be powered by an integrated system of clean, alternative energy sources, using solar, biodiesel, and wind technologies. The energy-saving GRNLite LED lighting rig for the show has been donated by Bandit Lites, and Schubert Systems has donated the sound rig. In addition, Shoreline is the largest Green certified concert venue in the United States and is a founding member of the Green Music Group. One goal is that the concert will inspire musicians in other areas to organize shows that both employ and promote safe energy alternatives, and that raise funds for disaster relief efforts and for groups—local, regional, national, and international alike—advocating non-nuclear programs and initiatives.

“As Japan struggles to subdue meltdowns at Fukushima, and Ft. Calhoun Nuclear in Nebraska struggles to keep its reactor and spent fuel above the Missouri's floodwaters, we once again face a crucial choice,” says John Hall (who, in addition to being a musician, was a U.S. Representative from New York, 2007-2011). “Will we, as a country, invest in clean, renewable sources of energy, or will we continue to use taxpayer dollars to indemnify and subsidize the dirty, deadly old technologies that are making our planet unlivable?”

"Even though the news cycle has moved on from the Fukushima disaster, this is another massive world energy disaster from which there will be long-term effects,” adds Jason Mraz. “I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing show that will not only help those in Japan, but that will also call attention to the urgent need to embrace safe, clean energy alternatives."

Japanese musician and multi-instrumentalist, Kitaro, joined the bill as a way to give thanks “for all of the support for Japan from the world, and to all of the Japanese, who are helping each other.” He adds, “It is time to consider the change to alternative clean energy instead of nuclear power.”

For more information, please visit: www.musiciansunited4safeenergy.com and www.nukefree.org