V i s i t P S R
o r g
PSR Reports
P h y s i c i a n s  
From the   Steps to Zero
Executive Director
Giving N
Our All
I t is my privilege and honor to
be serving as PSR’s executive
director. We are in the midst of
an amazing time, with enormous
possibilities before us. The new
leadership in our country has
created hope and promise for
a better world, and the chance
for real progress toward a world
free of nuclear weapons and less
threatened by global warming.
I was fortunate enough to be
able to attend President Obama’s
inauguration. It was a powerful
experience: to be surrounded by
almost 2 million people from all
over the country, full of open-
heartedness, generosity and
kindness for one another as we
waited in long lines and dealt
Continued on page 
PSR Executive Director Peter Wilk
and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) at a
pre-Inauguration Breakfast
The Call to Environmental Activism
P SR’s environmental health cam-
paigns hold the potential to lower
significantly the public health risks
associated with global warming and
exposure to toxic chemicals and air
pollutants. We are currently operating
three major campaigns:
1. Code Black: Coal’s Assault on
America’s Health. Through this
campaign, PSR is working to defeat
the permitting of more than 100
coal plants proposed in the U.S.
If built, these plants would emit
huge quantities of CO2 and other
dangerous air pollutants into the
atmosphere. PSR adds the unique
and knowledgeable voices of health
professionals to the debates about
these plants, providing scientific
detail on how coal combustion
o n t h e w e b a t w w w . p s r .
f o r   S o c i a l   R
PSR Builds Support for Eliminating Nuclear Weapons
ew U.S. leadership presents an
unparalleled opportunity to
make progress toward a world free of
nuclear weapons. President Obama
said he would:
Set a new direction in U.S. nuclear
weapons policy and show the world
that America believes in its existing
commitment under the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty to work
to ultimately eliminate all nuclear
weapons.
With decades of experience advo-
cating for nuclear disarmament and
communicating the threats to human
life and health that nuclear weapons
and materials pose, PSR is gearing
up to take advantage of this window
of opportunity. PSR is working with
chapters and members nationwide
to turn this vision of a world free of
nuclear weapons into reality.
The impending expiration of the
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
(START), the 2010 Non-Prolif-
eration Treaty review conference,
and concerns about the heightened
Albert Brown, Council for Livable World
tension between the United States
and Iran all increase the urgency of
PSR’s work. Last month PSR held a
forum in Washington, D.C., called
“Steps to Zero.” The event, held at
the ­Carnegie Endowment for Inter-
national Peace, attracted more than
100 policy advisors and arms control
experts to discuss steps towards zero
nuclear weapons, including: ratifica-
tion of the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT), negotiations with
Code Black Program Manager Barb Gottlieb
addresses members of the media in South
Carolina.
would increase global warming
and add to the extensive morbid-
ity and mortality caused by coal
plant pollution. Coupled with the
PSR is the U.S. affiliate of
International Physicians for
the Prevention of Nuclear War,
recipient of the 1985 Nobel
Prize for Peace.
Vol. 31 NO. 1 
e s p o n s i b i l i t y
Winter/Spring 2009
Russia toward treaties that reduce Jill Parillo (center)
both nations’ arsenals and verify these moderates Step to Zero panel
cuts, and measures to strengthen the featuring Dr. Edward Ifft,
nonproliferation regime, including School of Foreign Service
discussion of a treaty to end the pro- at Georgetown University;
duction of nuclear weapon material. Jenifer Mackby, Center for
We must keep in mind that real Strategic and International
change on these issues will not take Studies; Sharon Squassoni,
place without support from Congress. Carnegie Endowment for
To gain public and congressional International Peace; and
support, PSR needs to change the Dr. Jeffrey G. Lewis, New
terms of the debate so that ­taking America Foundation.
“Steps to Zero” is perceived as a
­serious, urgent public health matter.
To help us reach our goal, PSR has
launched new efforts and developed
new resources:
 PSR has a new PowerPoint pre-
sentation, designed for health
professional audiences, on
­current nuclear weapons issues:
“Steps to Zero: A Grand Rounds
Presentation.”  A version of the
presentation for the general public
will be available soon. To sched-
ule a presentation, or for more
Continued on page 
health warning that “there is no
such thing as clean coal,” Code
Black promotes the health benefits
Inside this issue
of an economy based on non-­fossil
fuel energy and centered on en- 2 Clean Energy Victorious
ergy conservation, ­efficiency and Over Nuclear Energy
­renewables.
2. Confronting Toxics. By prepar-
3 Student PSR to Hold
April Conference
ing health professionals to speak
about the chemical trespass of tox-
ic substances into our bodies, we 3 PSR Lobby Day in
are fostering the development of Washington, D.C.,
new and credible health messen- on April 2
gers, who call for chemical policy
reform in their states and in the
federal Toxic Substances Control
Act. Reforming chemical manage-
ment laws is an effective way to
reduce exposure to the hazardous
Continued on page 
 PSR REP ORTS 
w inter/ spr i n g 2 0 0 9

Safe Energy Claims Victory

at right: Michele Boyd,
PSR’s safe energy director, leads
a workshop on alternatives to
nuclear energy.
Over Nuclear Energy
P SR is leading a national campaign
to block subsidies for new nu-
clear reactors and oppose the repro-
cessing of nuclear waste. As the U.S.
seeks real solutions to climate change,
the nuclear industry continues to try
to redefine itself as “clean” and grab a
large chunk  of U.S. taxpayer dollars.  of PSR and other groups that drew
PSR’s safe energy program shines a
harsh light on the true dangers of
nuclear power, as well as its exorbi-
tant costs and unresolved radioactive
waste issue.  bill were intended to do, the loan
In February, PSR and its allies
scored a major victory when a provi-
sion was removed from the economic
stimulus bill that would have autho-
rized $50 billion in loan guarantees,
a significant portion of which would
have subsidized the construction of
new nuclear reactors. The provi-
sion was added to the Senate version
of the bill at the request of Sen. Bob
Bennett (R-UT) and likely would
have stayed, were it not for the efforts
attention to the risk these loan guar-
antees would pose for the American
people. Rather than creating jobs,
as the provisions in the stimulus
guarantees would have constituted a
bailout of the nuclear industry. PSR
drove home the message that there
are huge environmental liabilities and
financial risks associated with nuclear
development and that these risks
would have been borne by the U.S.
taxpayers. And new nuclear reactors
would mean more radioactive waste
piling up, with no plan for its long-
term management.
Our success in striking nuclear
energy subsidies from the stimu-
lus package should help the U.S.
focus on the right kinds of energy
­development. “We need to move ­
Continued on page 

PSR Reports
(ISSN‑0894-6264) is the
newsletter of Physicians for
Social ­Responsibility,
a nonprofit organization.
Guided by the values and ex‑
pertise of medicine and public
health, Physicians for Social
Responsibility works to protect
human life from the gravest
threats to health and survival.
To receive PSR Reports regularly,
we invite you to join PSR and
support our work. Write to PSR,
1875 Connecticut Ave., NW,
Suite 1012, Washington, DC
20009, or visit our website
at www.psr.org.
President:
Evan Kanter, M.D.
Executive Director
Peter Wilk, M.D.
Legislative Director, Policy and
Programs: Will Callaway
Environment and Health
Program Director:
Kristen Welker-Hood
Development Director and
Executive Editor:
Mary Dillon Kerwin
Editor: Sally James,
  Cutting Edge Design
© Copyright 2009 Physicians for
Social Responsibility
Printed on recycled paper with
vegetable-based inks.
 environmental activism
All three campaigns are educating slideshows, some intended for the
Continued from page 1
people and engaging them in actions general public and others for the
chemicals that are so pervasive in that will make a difference. Opportunities medical, nursing or public health
products we use in our homes and for PSR members to “prevent what we community. Health professionals can
workplaces, on our bodies and in cannot cure” range from the simple use the slideshows for Grand Rounds;
our food. Among the chemicals to the sophisticated. PSR provides re- in making presentations before medi-
we target: endocrine disruptors sources on our website for concerned cal, nursing and public health asso-
such as bisphenol A (found in citizens and health professionals. ciations or societies and to boards of
food containers) and persistent New offerings available soon will in- health; and in asking medical, nurs-
bioaccumulative toxins, those sub- clude reports on coal pollution and ing or public health organizations to
stances such as mercury that build human health, the alternatives to fos- pass resolutions on specific policies.
up over time in ­organisms and in sil fuel energy sources, and the results These slideshows will be available soon
the food chain. of a biomonitoring project conducted for download from our website.
on health professionals. We’re also The next important step you can
3. The “Pediatric Environmental developing several new slideshows. take, as a health professional or as a
Health Toolkit” (PEHT) These resources, like all of the ma- concerned citizen, is to communicate
Dissemination Project. The terials that PSR produces, are based to decision makers your concerns
PEHT, developed by PSR’s San on reputable scientific findings, care- about environmental issues. One way
Francisco and Boston chapters, is fully documented and presented in to do that is to participate in PSR’s
a tool to help pediatric providers objective terms. These high standards electronic activist listserv. You’ll find
and health educators incorpo- enable PSR to conduct science-based that opportunity on the homepage of
rate age-­appropriate intervention advocacy that carries the weight and our website (www.psr.org) in the box
guidance during well-child visits, authority of our expert sources. marked “Take action.” You can also
identifying potential environmen- After you have educated yourself, use PSR’s prepared talking points
tal hazards and providing inter- we invite you to spread the word. All and petitions to help colleagues or
ventions to help avoid exposures. our environmental campaigns ­offer slideshow audience members write
letters to policy makers, to health
officials or to the editor of your local
newspaper.
If you are a health professional,
you can incorporate environmental
health preventative education into
your clinical practice and institu-
tionalize it as standard of care. The
PEHT, endorsed by the American
Academy of Pediatrics, provides the
clinical tools to make this addition to
your practice seamless.
At the most sophisticated level of
engagement, some of PSR’s members
are scientific researchers. We call
upon those members to apply their
expertise and professional standing
to our work by providing expert testi-
Association leaders gather at PSR to develop recommendations for institutionalizing environment mony on issues relating to energy and
and health into clinical practice and health professional education. Standing: Kristin Stoime- to toxics, whether in regulatory hear-
noff, Farm Worker Health Inc; Jody Robyler, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; ings, court cases or testimony before
Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Children’s Environmental Health Network; Paula Davis, Association of ­legislative bodies.
Occupational and Environmental Clinics; Jerry Paulson, Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Whichever action you choose, it
Unit, Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health; Jean Fletcher, Maryland Chesapeake Chapter, will be one step more in the critically
important effort to increase human
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; Gillian Silver, American Schools of Public
Health; Leyla McCurdy, National Environmental Education Foundation; Nancy Hughes, Ameri- well-being and decrease environ-
can Nurses Association; Amanda Raziano, American Public Health Association. Sitting: PSR mental contamination and global
Staff: Coral Ellis; Marybeth Palmigiano; Kristen Welker-Hood, E & H program director. climate instability. PSR



 Invest Yourself
PLEASE CONSIDER…INCLUDING
PSR IN YOUR WILL
Leaving a bequest to PSR is a wonderful way to
help continue the work you believe in so strongly.
We suggest you check with an attorney or tax
advisor to see how a bequest to PSR would fit
into your estate plans. PSR’s Tax ID number and
office address are listed below for your conve-
nience.  Please contact Jill Hertzler by phone at
(202) 587-5247 or by e-mail at jhertzler@psr.org
for more information.
PSR Tax ID #:  23-7059731
Full Legal Name:
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Address: 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Suite 1012, Washington, DC 20009  April 2nd. The event is in co‑
…OR GIVING A GIFT OF STOCK
A gift of stock is also an excellent way to sup-
port PSR’s work. Listed below is PSR’s brokerage
information. Please contact Jill Hertzler by
phone at (202) 587-5247 or by e-mail at
jhertzler@psr.org for more information or to
confirm receipt of your gift.
Broker: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
DTC #: 0164 Code 40
PSR Acct #: 3106-0448
PSR Tax ID #: 23-7059731
Full Legal Name:
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Address:  1875 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Suite 1012, Washington, DC 20009  to all PSR members and activ‑
 Match Your Gift
Many companies provide matching gifts for em-
ployee charitable contributions. Please check to
determine whether your gift to PSR will be met,
doubled or tripled by your employer. It’s a great
way to make your gift go further to support PSR.
Just include your company’s matching gift form
with your contribution, and we’ll complete it,
send it in, and let you know when your gift has
been matched!
 Stay Active
Would you like to be more involved in PSR’s
advocacy efforts? A great place to start is PSR’s
Activist Updates. Each of PSR’s program areas
reaches out to members through Action Alerts
and e-mail. To learn more about the Activist
Updates, contact us here (information below)
and be sure to mention what issues interest you
most.
Coming to Washington, DC, and have an hour
to spare? How about visiting one of your elected
officials to talk about the issues of most concern
to you? Contact the PSR office at least a week in
advance, and we’ll help schedule a meeting, pro-
vide you with background materials, and possibly
even accompany you on your ­lobbying call.
Contact your elected officials:
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510
  ☎  (202) 224-3121
U.S. House of Representatives,
 Washington, DC 20515
  ☎  (202) 224-3121
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
 Washington, DC 20500
  ☎  (202)456-1414
 Keep in touch
Contact PSR at:
1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1012
Washington, DC 20009
  ☎  (202) 667-4260
    (202) 667-4201 fax
    www.psr.org
From the President
Peter Wilk, M.D., Assumes
Leadership of PSR
I first met Peter Wilk more than two
decades ago when I was a medi-
cal school student at the University
of Wisconsin and Peter was already
a leading physician activist in the
nuclear nonproliferation movement.
It was clear to me then, as it is today,
that he is one of the most dedicated
and knowledgeable physicians in the
country working on this and other
issues of global importance. He has
earned a reputation over the years as
a consummate diplomat, a politically
astute leader and an effective collabo-
rator who knows how to accomplish
change through consensus.
As a long-time chapter president
in Maine and a national board mem-
ber for 18 years, including two terms
as president, as well as someone who
has had held leadership positions
with IPPNW, Peter has a unique com-
bination of experience and skills that
makes him the ideal choice to lead
PSR. PSR/Maine boasts one of the
most robust and active chapters, due
in large part to Peter’s leadership.
Committed to increasing physician
involvement in environment and
security issues, Peter played a major
part in organizing several statewide
conferences to reach out to and
­engage physicians.
As a member of PSR’s national
board, he played a key role in de-
veloping the organization’s strategic
plan in 2007, and he is committed
to strengthening PSR by building its
membership and enhancing its chap-
ter network. As the speaker of the
International Council of IPPNW, he
was responsible for guiding complex
deliberations and bringing together
diverse groups of physicians from
across the world toward a common
purpose. For all of these reasons, I am
very pleased to welcome Peter to his
new role as PSR executive director.
 Safe energy
Continued from page 2
toward clean, renewable energy
sources that will also help mitigate
global warming, and it appears that
Congress and President Obama
will provide that leadership,” stated
Peter Wilk, PSR’s new executive
­director.
The effort to clean up the stimulus
bill was the result of a strong
collaboration among dozens of
advocacy groups, but it was just one
win in what is sure to be a long effort.
This spring, as the industry continues
to push its case for nuclear energy,
PSR will continue its campaign to
educate decision makers at every
level, as well as the public, that safer,
healthier alternatives should ­be
­pursued. PSR
PSR REPORTS 
Vol. 31, N o. 1
I want to take this opportunity, on
behalf of the board, to express my
deep gratitude to Mike McCally for
Save the Date:
PSR Lobby Day  
his outstanding leadership as PSR’s Thursday, April 2, 2009
executive director for the past two
years. Mike retired in February, cap-
ping an extraordinary 30-year in- PSR will be holding its annual
volvement with PSR, having played a
lobby day on Thursday,
key role in nearly every aspect of its
growth and success. During his ten-
ure as executive director, Mike guided
ordination with the annual
the implementation of PSR’s strategic
plan, including encouraging stronger Chapter meeting on April 1st,
collaboration between chapters and
and the semi-annual Board
PSR/National; launched cutting-
edge programs in climate change and meeting on April 3rd. The
energy; and helped to defeat propos-
als to expand our country’s nuclear focus will be on forthcoming
weapons complex. His many friends
global warming and energy
on the board and throughout the PSR
network wish him well as he settles bills in the House and Senate
in New Mexico for his well-earned
retirement. We are very happy to note respectively. This event is open
that he will continue to be involved
through PSR/New Mexico.
As PSR completes this transition, ists. If you’d like to attend,
I would like to extend a special invi-
tation to all of you to participate in
please contact Mae Stevens at
PSR’s work by contributing your time mstevens@psr.org or
and talents to advancing our shared
mission. Whether it’s working to pre- 202-667-4260 ext. 234.
vent the U.S. from ever conducting
nuclear test explosions again, testify-
ing about the negative health impacts
of coal-fired power plants or urging
greater regulation of chemicals in our
environment, PSR needs you to be
involved. Our website, psr.org, and
e-alert system provide up-to-date in-
formation on our campaigns and ac-
tivities and the many ways that you can
contribute your voice to our efforts.
Thank you for your confidence in
our mission.
Evan Kanter, M.D., Ph.D.
Student PSR Conference to Address  
Environmental Health, Nuclear Weapons
The National and Student Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR)
Conference, Prescription for a Healthy and Secure Planet,
will take place at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City on
April 3rd–5th, 2009. Several hundred participants, including the pub-
lic, community leaders, physicians and student activists, all concerned
about environmental health and nuclear non-proliferation, will gather
for this three-day event. The conference will feature plenary sessions
and workshops on issues including climate change, toxic chemical ex-
posures, ensuring national security through nuclear abolition, medical
activism and energy independence. To learn more about this exciting
event and register to attend, visit www.studentpsr.org.  Contact PSR
Student Coordinator Laicie Olson for more information at
(202) 587-5252 or lolson@psr.org.
 

 PSR REP ORTS 
Winter/ Spr i n g 2 0 0 9
  Giving our all
Continued from page 1
with all the other logistical ­challenges
of being in such a huge crowd.
Then we fell totally silent together as
Obama took the oath of office and
all of us there, and millions of view-
ers throughout the world, quietly
shared our positive aspirations for the
future. To witness this monumental
event, just as I was preparing to take
on the leadership of PSR, was both
inspiring and exciting.
I have greatly valued working with
Albert Brown, Council for Livable World
believes in its existing commitment
under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty to work to ultimately eliminate
all nuclear weapons.” In February,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton re-
iterated some of these same messages
in her confirmation hearing.
And just six days after taking of-
fice, the new president brought
leaders of national environmental
organizations — including our own
outgoing executive director, Michael
McCally — together with senior ad-
ministration officials and industry
… What is required of us now is
a new era of responsibility — a
recognition on the part of every
American, that we have duties to
ourselves, our nation, and the
world; duties that we do not grudg-
ingly accept, but rather seize gladly,
firm in the knowledge that there is
nothing so satisfying to the spirit,
so defining of our character than
giving our all to a difficult task.
That is exactly what PSR is all
about. We are striving to address

some of the greatest threats to human

many of you, having served since 1991
on PSR/National’s board of directors,
including two terms as national pres-
ident, and having led the Maine PSR
chapter for almost three decades. I
know PSR members are a thoughtful,
determined lot, with a unique medi-
Peter Wilk, Representative Betsy cal perspective and a variety of skills
Markey (D-CO), and Susan that will serve us well as we mobilize
Shaer, WAND executive direc- to take action in this new era.
tor, on Inauguration morning. After a long period of simply
striving to prevent the worst abuses
to our environment and the most
dangerous nuclear weapons poli-
cies, we finally can shift to a more
pro­active stance. The country is ready
for change. It’s time for everyone who
cares about the future of our fragile
planet to step up and help take ad-
vantage of the unique opportunities
that are now within our reach.
In anticipation of the changes in
Washington, we have spent several
months preparing to press the new
administration and Congress for
essential changes in national policy
regarding nuclear weapons, cli-
mate change, safe energy and toxic
pollution — issues that PSR has been
working on for decades. Now, we are
putting those plans into action.
Already, there are hopeful signs.
During his campaign, President
Obama pledged to “set a new direc-
tion in U.S. nuclear weapons policy
and show the world that America
representatives, to the White House
to witness his signing of a directive
committing the administration to
efforts to substantially reduce harm-
ful automobile emissions. As nations
around the world prepare for the next
round of climate change treaty nego-
tiations in Copenhagen in December
2009, much more U.S. leadership
must be demonstrated.
Some words from President
Obama’s inauguration speech still
echo in my mind.
  steps to zero
Continued from page 1
information, contact your local
PSR chapter or Ira Shorr, director
of outreach at the national office,
ishorr@psr.org.
 In a joint project with Interna-
tional Physicians for Prevention
of Nuclear War, PSR is collect-
ing signatures of senior medi-
cal professionals on a letter to be
delivered to Presidents Obama
and ­Medvedev urging them to im-
mediately initiate negotiations
on a convention for the global
­elimination of nuclear weapons. 
 As part of our work with the
Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons
Free World, PSR chapters are also
survival. Yes, the tasks are difficult.
But the threats are real. And the op-
portunities before us are real. We
must seize them.
Peter Wilk, M.D.
collecting signatures on letters to
Congress advocating for dramatic
reductions in U.S. and Russian
nuclear stockpiles, the ratification
of the Comprehensive Nuclear
Test Ban Treaty, and other critical
steps to zero nuclear weapons.
 Following up successful events in
2008, a number of PSR chapters
are planning major community
events on eliminating nuclear
weapons, in conjunction with lo-
cal universities and World Affairs
Councils.
For more information on PSR’s
approach to nuclear weapons issues,
contact Jill Parillo, deputy director of
security at jparillo@psr.org. PSR

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