Peace Action is a left-of-center advocacy organization that advocates left-of-center foreign, economic, and environmental policies. ¹ Peace Action advocates ending wars, reducing U.S. military spending, and promoting “diplomacy” with countries such as Iran, Russia, China, Rand North Korea. ²

Peace Action opposes the use of zero carbon nuclear energy. ^{3 4}

Background

Peace Action is a left-of-center 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that “for over 60 years” has advocated for ending wars and foreign intervention, promoting “diplomacy” with countries such as Iran, Russia, China and North Korea, and reducing U.S. military spending. ⁵

On North Korea, the organization claims that promoting “diplomacy” with North Korea is “the only realistic option.” ⁶ Accessed February 23, 2023.[/note] On Iran, the organization praised the Obama administration’s nuclear agreement with the regime and encouraged “giv[ing] diplomacy [with Iran] a chance.” The organization made thousands of calls, emails and letters to Congress to support the Iran agreement signed on July 14, 2015. Peace Action called President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the U.S. from the agreement “reckless” and claimed it could “put the U.S. back on the path to war.” ⁷

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

Peace Action is a member of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, a coalition that opposes the use of nuclear energy and refers to it as a “dirty” and “dangerous” power source that “makes climate change worse.” ^{8 9}

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 19 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. ¹⁰ An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. ¹¹

Associated Organizations

Peace Action has a charitable arm, Peace Action Education Fund, that supports its educational work. Peace Action Education Fund is also based in Silver Spring, Maryland and in 2016 declared revenue of $746,534, expenses of $529,016 and assets of $780,232. ¹²

Coalition Affiliations

Peace Action is a member of the Declaration for American Democracy, a coalition of left-leaning activist groups that advocates for a series of governmental and electoral administration policy changes. The coalition supports proposed federal legislation that would enact several left-leaning policy priorities surrounding elections such as automatic voter registration and restrictive regulations on political campaign-related speech acts. The organization is a project of Public Citizen Foundation, a left of center advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader. ¹³

Declaration for American Democracy advocates for bills in Congress and publicly promotes the need for left-leaning campaign and electoral administration policies. In May 2020, the organization sent an open letter to all 2020 presidential candidates urging them to adopt the coalition’s positions as part of their campaign platform and as policy priorities if elected. The coalition also launched a presidential candidate tracker to assess where each candidate stood on over 90 various policy issues. ¹⁴ Left-wing Democratic primary candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was listed as in support of the most of the policy positions on the Declaration for American Democracy’s platform. ¹⁵

People

The executive director of both Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund is Jon Rainwater. He has been involved in various left-leaning organizations including Greenpeace and the California League of Conservation Voters, as well as advocating for legislation advocating for greater government regulation of emissions. He has also worked on “dozens” of campaigns for left-wing candidates and ballot measures. ¹⁶

1. Peace Action. “We Are Today’s Peace Movement.” https://peaceaction.org/. Accessed February 23, 2023.
2.  Peace Action. “Who We Are.” https://www.peaceaction.org/who-we-are/our-mission/. Accessed February 23, 2023.
3. “Alliance Members: The heart and soul of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability.” Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://ananuclear.org/ana-members/
4. “Nuclear Power.” Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://ananuclear.org/nuclear-energy/
5. Peace Action. “Who We Are.” https://www.peaceaction.org/who-we-are/our-mission/. Accessed February 23, 2023.
6. Peace Action. “Promote Diplomacy with North Korea.” https://www.peaceaction.org/what-we-do/campaigns/promote-diplomacy-with-north-korea/.
7. Peace Action. “Promote Diplomacy with Iran.” https://www.peaceaction.org/what-we-do/campaigns/iran/.Accessed February 23, 2023.
8. “Alliance Members: The heart and soul of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability.” Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://ananuclear.org/ana-members/
9. “Nuclear Power.” Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://ananuclear.org/nuclear-energy/
10. “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
11. “The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability/
12.  Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2016. Peace Action Education Fund. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521554826/201743199349314764/full
13. “About.” Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://declarationforamericandemocracy.org/about/
14. “The Positions.” Democracy Platform 2020. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926055422/https://democracyplatform2020.org/the-positions/
15. “The Positions.” Democracy Platform 2020. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926055422/https://democracyplatform2020.org/the-positions/
16. Peace Action. “Jon Rainwater.” https://www.peaceaction.org/team/jon-rainwater/.Accessed February 23, 2023.