Editing Union of Concerned Scientists (section)

==History==
The Union of Concerned Scientists was founded in 1969 by faculty and students of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. The organization's founding document says it was formed to "initiate a critical and continuing examination of governmental policy in areas where science and technology are of actual or potential significance" and to "devise means for turning research applications away from the present emphasis on military technology toward the solution of pressing environmental and social problems."<ref name=ucsabout>[http://www.ucsusa.org/about/founding-document-1968.html Founding Document: 1968 MIT Faculty Statement]. Ucsusa.org. Retrieved on 2015-12-26.</ref> The organization employs scientists, economists, and engineers engaged in environmental and security issues, as well as executive and support staff.<ref>[http://www.ucsusa.org/news/experts/ List of UCS experts] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019045614/http://www.ucsusa.org/news/experts/ |date=October 19, 2007 }}</ref>

One of the co-founders was physicist and [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel laureate]] [[Henry Way Kendall|Henry Kendall]], who served for many years as [[Board of directors|chairman of the board]] of UCS.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

In 1992, Kendall presided over the [[World Scientists' Warning to Humanity]], which called for "fundamental change" to address a range of security and environmental issues. The document was signed by 1700 scientists, including a majority of the Nobel prize winners in the sciences.<ref name=warning>[http://www.ucsusa.org/about/1992-world-scientists.html World Scientists' Warning to Humanity (1992)]. Ucsusa.org (2015-12-22). Retrieved on 2015-12-26.</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2024}}

In 1997, the UCS presented their "World Scientists Call For Action" petition to world leaders meeting to negotiate the [[Kyoto Protocol]]. The declaration asserted, "A broad consensus among the world's climatologists is that there is now 'a discernible human influence on global climate.{{'"}} It urged governments to make "legally binding commitments to reduce industrial nations' emissions of heat-trapping gases", and called global warming "one of the most serious threats to the planet and to future generations."<ref name=1997_Call_for_Action>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucsusa.org/ucs/about/1997-world-scientists-call-for-action.html|title=World Scientists Call For Action|author=Union of Concerned Scientists|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012163018/http://ucsusa.org/ucs/about/1997-world-scientists-call-for-action.html|archive-date=2007-10-12|quote=Projections indicate that demand for food in Asia will exceed the supply by 2010.}}</ref> The petition was signed by "more than 1,500 of the world's most distinguished senior scientists, including the majority of Nobel laureates in science."<ref>[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1997/10/971002070106.htm ''Science Daily''Oct. 2, 2007 article "World's Nobel Laureates And Preeminent Scientists Call On Government To Halt Global Warming"]. Sciencedaily.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-26.</ref><ref>[http://dieoff.org/page123.htm List of Selected Prominent Signatories with awards and affiliations]. Dieoff.org. Retrieved on 2015-12-26.</ref> When a petition that questioned the consensus was circulated by the [[Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine]], a small, privately-funded institute, was signed by more than 17,000 science graduates, UCS declared it a "deliberate attempt to deceive the scientific community with misinformation."<ref>{{cite journal|title=Petition strengthens hand of global warming sceptics|first=Colin|last=Macilwain|date=16 April 1998|journal=Nature|volume=392|issue=6677|pages=639|doi=10.1038/33487|bibcode=1998Natur.392Q.639M|doi-access=free}}</ref>

In August 2008, the UCS purchased billboards at the airports in [[Denver]], Colorado, and [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul]], Minnesota, where the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] presidential conventions were to be held. The two nearly identical billboards showed the downtown areas of each convention city in a cross hairs, with the message that "when only one nuclear bomb could destroy a city" like Minneapolis or Denver, "we don't need 6,000." The name of Senator [[John McCain]] or Senator [[Barack Obama]] follows, with this admonition: "It's time to get serious about reducing the nuclear threat." The billboards were removed after a complaint from [[Northwest Airlines]], the official airline of the Republican convention. The UCS has accused Northwest, whose headquarters were in [[Minnesota]], of "taking on a new role as censor" and of having acted because it regarded the Minneapolis advertisement as "scary" and "anti-McCain."<ref name=nyt3332>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/us/politics/22nuke.html|title=Ads on Nuclear Threat Removed From Convention Airports|first=Larry|last=Rohter|date=21 August 2008|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name=mplsstar>[http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/27115984.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUgOahccyiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU Ad critical of McCain doesn't fly with NWA]. Startribune.com (2008-08-18). Retrieved on 2015-12-26.</ref><ref name=twincities>Hoppin, Jason. (2008-08-19) [http://www.twincities.com/ci_10240155 Northwest bans ad from airport]. Twincities.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-26.</ref>

In June 2020, a UCS staffer named Ruth Tyson resigned and sent a 17-page open letter expressing her opinions on racial inequality in the organization, saying that ideas of black workers were routinely dismissed or given low priority. After reading the letter, UCS president [[Ken Kimmell]] responded by saying the criticism was fair, and that he believed it was reflective of a wider culture of white supremacy in society, vowing to address issues and diversify the UCS workforce.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/07/22/liberal-progressive-racist-sierra-club-faces-its-white-supremacist-history/ |title=Liberal, progressive — and racist? The Sierra Club faces its white-supremacist history. |last1=Fears |first1=Daryl |last2=Mufson |first2=Steven |date=July 22, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521170113/https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/07/22/liberal-progressive-racist-sierra-club-faces-its-white-supremacist-history/ |archive-date=May 21, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> His successor, [[Johanna Chao Kreilick]], was chosen in part for "her track record of integrating racial justice into the work and culture of complex organizations".<ref name="President">{{cite news |title=UCS Announces Incoming President Johanna Chao Kreilick |url=https://www.ucsusa.org/about/news/ucs-announces-incoming-president-johanna-chao-kreilick |access-date=11 March 2022 |work=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=April 6, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In February 2025, noted environmental scientist and policy advocate Dr. [[Gretchen Goldman]] became the organization's president.<ref name="Goldman president" />