Autumn Bordner was a panelist at the Natural History Museum of LA County discussing nuclear and climate justice in the Marshall Islands. NHMLAC and the Los Angeles Times invite you to join journalists, scholars, activists and community leaders in a discussion at the NHM about nuclear contamination and climate change in the Marshall Islands, a Pacific nation spread across more than 800,000 square miles of ocean in the central Pacific. Attendees will also be able to view Godzilla: A Living Atomic Bomb, a small exhibition that focuses on the real-life nuclear tests carried out on Bikini Atoll that inspired the monster, which is on display on the second floor of NHM through April 19, 2020, as well as special collections from the Museum’s Anthropology Department.
It was in the Marshall Islands that the United States detonated 67 nuclear bombs, between 1946 and 1958—resulting in the exile of entire communities from their homelands, widespread radioactive contamination, thousands of sickened people, and the beginnings of a shared history of mistrust and betrayal. Now an independent nation, “freely associated” with the United States, the Republic of the Marshall Islands continues to grapple with that legacy while fighting for the right to survive in a changing climate. Many Marshallese now live in the United States—including nearby Costa Mesa—where they face a number of unique challenges, including lack of access to social welfare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Despite these challenges, the Marshallese are survivors. Today, they continue to fight—here and back home—for nuclear justice. And they are recognized as global leaders in the push for climate action.
Check out the event here: https://nhm.org/calendar/nuclear-contamination-and-climate-change