Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
In this recording of the Charter for Compassion's Global Read, held on Wednesday, August 5, 2025, two powerful voices in the anti-nuclear movement came together to make the case that nuclear power is not the answer to the climate crisis — and that compassion, justice, and honest science must guide our energy future.
The Books Featured:
📗 No to Nuclear — by Linda Pentz Gunter
Linda Pentz Gunter, founder and executive director of Beyond Nuclear, made a compelling argument that the nuclear power industry has long relied on richly funded PR campaigns and an army of lobbyists to sway the public, politicians, and media — while the real costs and dangers remained hidden. Her book challenged the narrative that nuclear energy is a safe and green solution, exposing it as too slow, too expensive, too dangerous, and too deeply entangled with the nuclear weapons complex to serve as a rational energy choice. She also brought critical attention to the Indigenous peoples and communities of color who have borne the greatest harm from the nuclear sector, and raised urgent questions about environmental justice and what a truly equitable energy transition must look like.
Order "No to Nuclear" here: plutobooks.com/product/no-to-nuclear
Linda's work with Beyond Nuclear International (beyondnuclear.org/) has helped reframe the anti-nuclear message through a more human lens — connecting global climate and anti-nuclear movements through news, essays, and storytelling in multiple languages.
📘 Nuclear is Not the Solution — by M.V. Ramana
M.V. Ramana, Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security and Professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia, demonstrated why expanding nuclear power is not only naïve but dangerous. His research showed that nuclear energy cannot be scaled fast enough to meaningfully address the climate crisis, and that pursuing it diverts critical resources away from faster and more affordable solutions. He also explored the political economy of nuclear energy — how powerful organizations have socialized the risks and costs onto the public while privatizing profits — and laid out how nuclear expansion deepens the conditions for nuclear annihilation.
Order "Nuclear is Not the Solution" here: versobooks.com/products/3013-nuclear-is-not-the-solution
Together, these two authors and their books offered an urgent, evidence-based, and deeply compassionate call to choose safer, faster, and more just pathways out of the climate crisis — without nuclear power.
🌍 About the Charter for Compassion Global Read
The Global Read is a recurring series hosted by the Charter for Compassion that brings together authors, activists, and global citizens to explore books at the intersection of compassion, justice, and human flourishing. Learn more and explore past Global Reads at: charterforcompassion.org/featured/global-read
🕊️ About the Charter for Compassion
The Charter for Compassion is a global nonprofit dedicated to building a just and compassionate world across sectors including education, health, the environment, and justice. Sign the Charter at: charterforcompassion.org
In this recording of the Charter for Compassion's Global Read, held on Wednesday, August 5, 2025, two powerful voices in the anti-nuclear movement came together to make the case that nuclear power is not the answer to the climate crisis — and that compassion, justice, and honest science must guide our energy future.
The Books Featured:
📗 No to Nuclear — by Linda Pentz Gunter
Linda Pentz Gunter, founder and executive director of Beyond Nuclear, made a compelling argument that the nuclear power industry has long relied on richly funded PR campaigns and an army of lobbyists to sway the public, politicians, and media — while the real costs and dangers remained hidden. Her book challenged the narrative that nuclear energy is a safe and green solution, exposing it as too slow, too expensive, too dangerous, and too deeply entangled with the nuclear weapons complex to serve as a rational energy choice. She also brought critical attention to the Indigenous peoples and communities of color who have borne the greatest harm from the nuclear sector, and raised urgent questions about environmental justice and what a truly equitable energy transition must look like.
Order "No to Nuclear" here: plutobooks.com/product/no-to-nuclear
Linda's work with Beyond Nuclear International (beyondnuclear.org/) has helped reframe the anti-nuclear message through a more human lens — connecting global climate and anti-nuclear movements through news, essays, and storytelling in multiple languages.
📘 Nuclear is Not the Solution — by M.V. Ramana
M.V. Ramana, Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security and Professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia, demonstrated why expanding nuclear power is not only naïve but dangerous. His research showed that nuclear energy cannot be scaled fast enough to meaningfully address the climate crisis, and that pursuing it diverts critical resources away from faster and more affordable solutions. He also explored the political economy of nuclear energy — how powerful organizations have socialized the risks and costs onto the public while privatizing profits — and laid out how nuclear expansion deepens the conditions for nuclear annihilation.
Order "Nuclear is Not the Solution" here: versobooks.com/products/3013-nuclear-is-not-the-solution
Together, these two authors and their books offered an urgent, evidence-based, and deeply compassionate call to choose safer, faster, and more just pathways out of the climate crisis — without nuclear power.
🌍 About the Charter for Compassion Global Read
The Global Read is a recurring series hosted by the Charter for Compassion that brings together authors, activists, and global citizens to explore books at the intersection of compassion, justice, and human flourishing. Learn more and explore past Global Reads at: charterforcompassion.org/featured/global-read
🕊️ About the Charter for Compassion
The Charter for Compassion is a global nonprofit dedicated to building a just and compassionate world across sectors including education, health, the environment, and justice. Sign the Charter at: charterforcompassion.org
