PSR-LA’s commitment to protect health from nuclear threats is as critical today as when we were founded over 40 years ago by doctors who recognized that there is little meaningful medical response to nuclear war, and that to protect health and the planet we must abolish nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons do not keep us safe - they are one of the greatest threats to our security. Nuclear weapons production, testing, and waste poisons the environment, often at the expense of low-income communities of color. The staggering costs of maintaining our arsenal, let alone a new arms race, diverts resources that could instead help to confront many social injustices and provide true human security. 

Today, the risk of nuclear war is real and growing--many experts believe the threat is greater now than it was during the Cold War. Geopolitical tensions are rising, and a dangerous new nuclear arms race is already underway. Amid uncertain times, we are teetering on the brink of a catastrophe that threatens our health, environment, and all we hold dear. We need to act now. 

PSR-LA is meeting this moment through our leadership in Back from the Brink: Bringing Communities Together to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a national grassroots campaign built on local community-based organizing. We’ve won the support of hundreds of organizations and elected officials, and over 80 local and state governments—including the City of Los Angeles and the California State Legislature—have adopted resolutions supporting our policy platform. 

Together, we are building an active, diverse constituency for nuclear disarmament and with it, the political will needed to change the nuclear status quo.

PSR-LA also advocates for policies that prevent exposure to radioactive waste and contamination, which are exceedingly toxic to health and remain so for millennia. We have worked for decades to ensure a full cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Lab (SSFL) which remains polluted with dangerous nuclear and chemical contamination that migrates offsite and puts nearby communities at risk.

If you’d like to learn more and get involved in our nuclear threats program, please contact Maylene Hughes, Grassroots Organizing and Policy Coordinator.