Civic Engagement and Advocacy

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Swan SONGS: Nonprofit Warns Locals

The Samuel Lawrence Foundation screened the 2023 film "SOS: San Onofre Syndrome" for a crowd of concerned citizens at the La Paloma Theater on October 5, 2025. The film was made by James Heddle, Mary Beth Brangan, and Morgan Peterson, and it covers the various events that have led to the current state of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). 

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Ninety Million Metric Tons Fall On Deaf Ears

The Trump administration is fast-tracking the construction of nuclear reactors by promoting centers for nuclear recycling, according to Evan Halpert of the Washington Post. The Trump administration, working in concert with a company called Oklo, is preparing to build an “advanced fuel center” building on the same site “where uranium was enriched for the Manhattan project more than 80 [sic] years ago.” Oklo is investing $1.7 billion, according to an announcement by the company earlier this month.

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5 Oct

Film Screening – SOS: The San Onofre Syndrome

The Samuel Lawrence Foundation will host a screening of SOS: The San Onofre Syndrome – Nuclear Power’s Legacy as part of San Diego Climate Week.

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Surfing on the Edge: Recreation Meets Risk at San Onofre

San Onofre State Beach, known for its waves and wide sandy shores, draws surfers, campers, and families year-round. Yet few visitors realize that beneath the scenic cliffs lies one of the country’s largest nuclear waste storage sites. The decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station houses millions of pounds of spent nuclear fuel in canisters located just steps from the Pacific Ocean.

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Democracy and Disasters: Why Voting Matters in High-Risk Zone

Natural and man-made disasters often seem beyond local control. But in high-risk zones, from wildfire-prone hillsides to coastal nuclear sites, civic participation may be the strongest form of protection.

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Youth Powering Change: Inside the Climate Tech Classrooms of Tomorrow

In California, where climate change collides daily with droughts, wildfires, and rising seas, a new generation is stepping forward with innovation in hand. Across the state, classrooms are evolving into climate tech incubators, equipping young people not just to understand the crisis, but to engineer solutions.

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Sound the Alarm: What Your City Isn’t Telling You About Disaster Risk

We hear of natural disasters in other countries that take more lives because warnings systems don’t exist. We expect better across the United States. But many communities have public alert systems that are often flawed, outdated, and untested.

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Mental Health in the Shadow of Disaster

For communities living near high-risk industrial or environmental sites, the threat of disaster is not a distant possibility but a daily reality. The psychological toll of this proximity, a constant, low-grade fear that simmers beneath the surface, is often a forgotten consequence of environmental injustice.

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Global Citizen Concerts Mobilize $2B+ in Pledges, Artists Lead Sustainability

In a significant stride toward environmental action, Global Citizen’s climate-focused concerts have successfully mobilized over $2 billion in pledges. These efforts, timed strategically around events like COP29, underscore the powerful role of music in advocating for change.