The Injustice of Nuclear Power - with S.D. Smith
The debate over nuclear power often centers around ratepayer costs, health impacts, risks of terrorism and cradle-to-grave emissions, but often overlooked is the impact that nuclear power has had, and continues to have, on indigenous people.
In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about the Trump administration relaxing hundreds of rules and regulations around cancer-causing chemicals, and the plan by officials in Boulder, Colorado, to begin drone spraying of a new pesticide from Bayer called Indaziflam. Then lawyer, teacher, and Native American advocate S.D.Smith (“Owl”) talks about the on-going impact and historical legacy of the nuclear industry on indigenous people in the Southwest.
Links from the Interview
• The website of Cultural Survival with information about the legacy of nuclear power: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/nuclear-war-uranium-mining-and-nuclear-tests-indigenous
• Read the Sierra Club's page on this issue: https://www.sierraclub.org/atlantic/blog/2020/08/violence-nuclear-energy-against-indigenous-peoples-land-water-and-air
• Watch the video webinar with S.D. Smith and Leona Morgan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kH11Nn5_ug
Links from the News
• The Trump administration relaxes regulations on cancer-causing chemicals: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/05/trump-cancer-carcinogen-regulation
• Colorado community fights drone spraying of new pesticide: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/01/colorado-drones-weed-killer
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