In 1947 Albert Einstein wrote:
"Through the release of atomic energy, our generation has brought into the world the
most revolutionary force since the prehistoric discovery of fire. This basic power of the universe cannot be fitted into the outmoded concept of narrow nationalisms. For there is no secret and there is no defense, there is no possibility of control except through the aroused understanding and insistence of the peoples of the world.
"We scientists recognize our inescapable responsibility to carry to our fellow citizens an understanding of the simple facts of atomic energy and its implications for society. In this lies our only security and our only hope—we believe that an informed citizenry will act for life and not death."
It is to that faith in an informed citizenry that we dedicate this book.
Harvey Wasserman
Norman Solomon
Robert Alvarez
Eleanor Walters
Notes
In researching this book, we have conducted more than two hundred interviews, many of which do not appear in the footnotes. In a number of cases we have interviewed the same person several times, but have denoted our talks with them with a single date. In denoting our printed sources, we have used a number of
abbreviations, primarily for U.S. Government agencies. They are:
ABCC: Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission
AEC: Atomic Energy Commission
CDC: Center for Disease Control
DOD: Department of Defense
DOE: Department of Energy
DHEW: Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
FRC: Federal Radiation Council
FDA: Food and Drug Administration
GAO: General Accounting Office
ICRP: International Commission on Radiological Protection
JCAE: Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
NAS: National Academy of Sciences
NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NRC: Nuclear Regulatory Commission
OTA: Office of Technology Assessment
PHS: Public Health Service
USMC: U.S. Marine Corps
VA: Veterans Administration