By Gail Kansky

Winter 2017-2018

Dr. Bernard Lown, is a world-renowned cardiologist and a Professor Emeritus at the Harvard School of Public Health. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maine and went on to get his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He developed a defibrillator as well as a cardioverter along with introducing the medication called lidocaine to control heart disturbances. His discoveries have saved tens of thousands of lives. In the 60’s, he founded the Physicians for Social Responsibility. In the 80’s, along with a physician from the Soviet Union, he founded the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). His ongoing peace activities were recognized with a UNESCO Peace Prize, the Cardinal Medeiros Award, the Gandhi Peace Prize, over 20 other honorary prizes and the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr. Lown wrote books that were published. His third book was the book that led to a Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. The title of the book was Prescription for Survival: A Doctor’s Journey to end Nuclear Madness. It chronicles the years of the Cold War and offers readers lessons on how to inspire today and in their future for those who are courageous enough to work for peace and justice today and in the future. The very first sentence in the book reads, “How close we came to extinction, and it is forgotten now.”

In a note from a different book review that was on radiation, Karen Stern wrote, “Although there may be room for improvement in terms of readability, the importance of the subject matter bumps this rating up to 5 stars. The nuclear industry has been able to masquerade as safe for a number of reasons. One important one is people are not affected by it uniformly. It can kill one person in their lifetime or make them sick for 40 years, while another person will feel nothing, or may pass the effects on to future generations. I have been ill with CFIDS since 1988. I was living in Santa Fe, NM, just 12 air miles from Los Alamos National Lab which has not only been targeted by the EPA for radioactive air-emissions violations, but which has been blowing up depleted uranium in the open air for years… One of my friends from there is dead of suicide due to pain that wouldn't stop; another was fine herself but had a genetically damaged child that died at birth; several other semi well known artists and musicians from there had CFIDS for years.”

As this message was being written at the end of November, the Associated Press announced, “Japan poised to flood Pacific with 1 Million tons of nuclear water contaminated by Fukushima.” Newsweek said, “Experts want Japan to push a Million tons of radioactive water into ocean.” ENE posted both statements along with a video that explained that the release could kill the fishing industry.