Safe Energy Now
Artist
Milton Glaser
United States, 1929 - 2020
Date1979
MediumOffset Lithograph
Dimensions36 x 24 in. (91.4 x 61 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.5904
DescriptionA nuclear meltdown occurs when a nuclear reactor overheats, causing its core to melt and potentially release radioactive material. In March 1979, the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania experienced a partial meltdown in one of its two reactors. While the accident was ultimately contained, the fear of an explosion at the plant resulted in a proliferation of antinuclear activism around the world. Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) was formed shortly after the Three Mile Island incident with the goal of raising funds in favor of a nonnuclear future.
This poster advertises one from a series of five sequential concerts held at Madison Square Garden in support of the cause, featuring such notable musicians as Bruce Springsteen; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Carly Simon; James Taylor; Jackson Browne; Chaka Khan; and Tom Petty. The damaged reactor at Three Mile Island was closed and entombed in concrete; the other unit continued to produce power until 2019. While site cleanup and demolition was scheduled to continue through 2052, it was announced in September 2024 that the plant will reopen in 2028 to power Microsoft’s cloud and AI services.
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