The Berkeley Nuclear Free Act was passed as a voter initiative in 1986 and established the City of Berkeley as a Nuclear Free Zone. This had ramifications on the City of Berkeley’s relationships with the University of California and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab as well as the City’s investments and business contracts. Since global politics and the number of nuclear weapons states have changed since the original law passed, this law should be updated for the current global political climate. Therefore, we are planning on putting a voter initiative on the 2018 ballot for the City of Berkeley that updates the law and shifts its focus to the existential threat of nuclear weapons and to promoting nonproliferation.
Gordan and Andrew invite you to stay after the Colloquium to discuss getting involved in the voter initiative.
In 1966 Gordon moved to Berkeley from Iowa to attend graduate school. He received his PhD from UC Berkeley in Nuclear Chemistry and worked as a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for over 30 years, where he co-authored over 200 nuclear physics papers.
While pursuing his research career, he served on several city commissions: Planning, Parks & Recreation, and Environmental. In December 2002, he was elected to Berkeley's City Council and served for three terms before retiring in 2014.
During his retirement, he spends his time babysitting his three grandchildren and traveling with his wife to historic sites, including Captain James T. Kirk’s future birthplace in Riverside, Iowa. Currently, he serves on a Citizens Budget Group, which is tasked with advising the Mayor and City Council on how to make the City’s budget more transparent. He is also involved with the Infrastructure2050 group that is advocating for modernizing Berkeley’s infrastructure by 2050 so that Berkeley can meet its Resilience and Climate Action Goals.
Andrew Greenop's Biography
Andrew Greenop is currently a PhD candidate for Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.S. in Mathematics from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN in 2012. He then obtained his M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from UC Berkeley in May of 2016. He currently works in the Thermal Hydraulics labs in the Nuclear Department at UC Berkeley, which focuses on the development and design of the Mark 1 Pebble-Bed Fluoride Salt Cooled High Temperature Reactor (Mk1 PB-FHR). His focus is specifically on heat exchanger simulation, design optimization, and experimental modeling. Andrew has been active with nuclear policy and outreach throughout his graduate career. He has been a delegate for the Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation in Washington D.C. the past 2 summers. This delegation meets with members of Congress and their staff to advocate for bills and policy that support the funding and growth of nuclear education and technology. He has marched with environmental groups in both San Francisco and Chicago to prevent the premature closing of nuclear power plants in those areas. He is also involved in the Nuclear Environmental Outreach Group, an on-campus club that focuses on educating the public about the safety and necessity of nuclear power and advocate for nuclear technology.
