What ONE THING will you do this week? Here are some suggestions:
1. Actions at the Companies:
Visit profiteering CORPORATIONS to get their attention and to raise public awareness. Do they have offices or facilities near you? They care about their reputations, and they have deep relationships with the government and its purse strings.
Note: For all of these ideas, one of the most important ways to have an impact is to try and get press or media coverage of the action! For sample press releases and other publicity resources see our media tools here!
Use these ideas as inspiration! Get as creative as you want! The more unique an event, the more likely for the media to be interested.
Whatever you choose to do, ask yourself: What makes this effective as well as fun? Am I working in coordination with others? Are my facts accurate? Is my behavior nonviolent? Do I have plans to follow up?
Engaging with employees
Visit corporate sites involved in making nuclear weapons with signs about what you are doing and leaflets to hand to employees or interested parties. Set up in the morning when employees are going to work, or at the end of the day when they are leaving. Try to engage in conversation on the dangers of Nuclear Weapons and how their skills are needed elsewhere, for example to address the climate crisis.
Handing out coffee and donuts to the employees is a good way to start the conversation. Even if no productive conversations are had, it is important to show the employees and the company that the community does not support their work.
Resources:
Jobs of Life, Jobs of Death
Standouts, Vigils, Demonstrations
Standouts at the companies, with cohesive signs and banners can help engage the rest of the community, informing them of the work the Nuclear Weapons Profiteers are doing. Make it clear that they are unwelcome in the community and we want them out of the Nuclear Weapons industry.
Pictured: A standout outside of a Raytheon Operated US Air Force weapons manufacturing facility in Tuscon, Arizona.
Photo Credit: Jack Cohen-Joppa
More Creative Actions
There are many ways you can draw attention to these companies beyond simply standing there with signs, if you want to get creative!
Die-ins, Street Theatre and other Actions
Dressing up as UN inspectors (see below), using puppets, reading out the text of the Nuclear Ban Treaty, or staging a “die-in” are just a few ways you can increase your visibility – and your likelihood of getting media attention.
Crime Scene Tape
“Symbolically” blocking an entrance or surrounding a building with crime scene tape makes it clear that it is the companies, not us, that are breaking international law and threatening the planet.
Nuclear Ban Treaty Compliance Units:
Visit corporate sites involved in making nuclear weapons as self-appointed “Treaty Compliance Units” or “UN Weapons Inspectors.” INFORM the staff that their company is engaged in activities prohibited under international law by the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. You may be able to get away with putting up signs on a fence, door, or even posted in the ground, declaring this site to be engaged in illegal activities under international law.
Learn more about visiting a site as a treaty compliance unit and find resources to use on your journey here:
https://treatyalignment.us/inspiration-for-on-site-visits/
Pictured: A Treaty Compliance Unit in action
Civil Disobedience Disruptions
There are many ways you can protest at company sites without risking arrest. And if the police come and tell you that you are on private property, you can always move. But if you really want media attention, there is nothing more powerful than nonviolent civil disobedience. This can involve blocking the entrances to the companies, staging a sit-in at an office and refusing to leave, or performing other acts of civil disobedience that are clearly illegal. These kinds of actions require a lot of planning and preparation. You need to know the risks and the potential consequences if you are performing civil disobedience, and it is always best to be part of a group, to get proper training, and to have a legal observer present.
See example of creative civil disobedience at L3Harris in Massachusetts:
For advice and further resources on civil disobedience and the law, see:
https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/what-can-the-police-arrest-you-for-at-a-protest.html
Find Your Nearest Nuclear Weapons Company:
2. Contact the Companies:
If you are unable to get out to an action at the companies, you can still put the pressure on! Campaigning virtually with letters, emails, and calls to the companies or with concentrated comments on their social media pages can be an effective tool to make the companies feel the pressure.
Alongside the in person actions, it is important to make sure the companies feel pressure from all sides on these days of action. We especially want concentrated efforts to write letters, spam their social media, and call them on each company’s Day of Action. See Calendar for more information about what is going on on each day.
Use these ideas and the tools below to put the pressure on!
Letter Writing Campaign
Using the tools below, anyone can easily send letters or emails to the corporate headquarters and CEOs of the Nuclear Weapons corporations.
Each company below has a sample letter written specifically about their work and lobbying in the industry. For each company you can click the blue button to send that letter through your email, or use the sample letter drop down to view the full message and send a physical letter.
This is a great easy activity you can do from your home and ask your friends to do as well!
AND you can step it up by holding a letter writing hour in your community. Maybe you can print out some of the sample letters and table in your community with stamps and envelopes, getting the community involved in the message to these corporate profiteers
You can also host a virtual letter writing hour with your group to send an email to the Profiteers.
If you can host an in person letter writing event, it would be extra effective to target a company/ local facility in your area or state. Check the map above to find the addresses of the corporations near you.
Nuclear Weapons Corporations Template Letters:
https://warheadstowindmills.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NW-Letters.zip
Stigmatize on Social Media
Take to social media to stigmatize these profiteering corporations! Criticize their work publicly, shame them and pile on the pressure to leave these deadly industries. Tweet at them! Leave comments on their Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages! Tag them in your own posts!
You can tailor your comments to specific work or posts of the companies or use some of our more generic samples below.
We want these companies to be constantly confronted with the ugly truth of their work. Everyone who goes to their pages should see our messages. We want to ruin their corporate reputations and make everyone confront the truth of what they are doing
You can do this alone OR make an event out of this by bringing your group or community together for an hour of concentrated spamming to shame these profiteers! This will be more likely to get noticed by the companies and the general public!
Be sure to use the #PressuretheProfiteers hashtag so we can see it and amplify your message!
Sample Comments:
See more examples and inspiration, including how to use the company’s slogan against them in our SHAME TOOLKIT!
The billions [Insert NW Company] makes from nuclear weapons are drenched in the blood of potential victims. How can you defend your financial gain when it’s tied to an industry that endangers the entire planet?
The existence of nuclear weapons is a global threat that casts a shadow over humanity. [Insert NW Company], do you not feel any shame in being part of an industry that prioritizes destruction over human welfare?
It’s appalling that [Insert NW Company] continues to cash in on nuclear weapons while the world teeters on the brink of disaster. Do you have any conscience about profiting from the threat of catastrophic global destruction?
Phone Banking
You can also call these corporations and try to talk to someone live about your demands. This pathway may be the most difficult to pursue with these big companies. But, if you can get through their phone tree, it could be the most impactful. Try to have a conversation with whoever you reach about the dangers of nuclear weapons and fossil fuels, and how they could be putting their energy to better use.
It may be more effective to call smaller local branches if you can and reach the corporations as concerned community members.
A coordinated hour with a group to bombard the company with calls and complaints can be especially effective at making them feel the pressure.
Write to the Newspaper
Another way to reach the company, and to do so in the public eye to gain attention from the community, is to write letters to the editor. Letters to the editor are one of the most read parts of the paper, and small, local newspapers especially are more likely to publish submissions. They are generally in response to a recent article or event. If you have a nuclear weapons company in your town, then you have a good hook to get the attention of your community.
Get letters to the editor about the nuclear weapons industry. Talk about all of the money and resources going into something so incredibly dangerous and where it could be better spent in your town and on a wider scale. You can talk about the power these companies have over congress with their money and influence. Exposing these corporations in the public eye is a great way to get others in your community involved in the movement and build momentum for the campaign. It is also likely the companies themselves will see your letter!
Use the template below to get started!
Letter to the Editor
Contact [YOUR NAME, EMAIL, ADDRESS, AND PHONE]
I [APPRECIATED / DIDN’T AGREE WITH] the article [“NAME OF ARTICLE,” DATE PUBLISHED], because [WHY].
Why are we still burning fossil fuels like it’s not wrecking the climate and endangering our very lives? Why do we tolerate the existence of nuclear weapons that could wipe us all out in an afternoon?
Follow the money. The top companies that profit from fossil fuels and nuclear weapons spend millions of dollars lobbying Congress, funding campaigns, sponsoring climate-denying and nuclear “deterrence” think tanks, and feeding lies to the media, and in return they get billions of dollars’ worth of profits from petroleum-friendly policies.
During the two “weeks of action” September 16-29, I’m using the warheadstowindmills.org website to pressure the profiteers. We can all divest, boycott, stigmatize, protest, and contact the companies directly. We can all demand that our legislators take much bolder action than ever before – which will be more effective if the profiteers who fund their campaigns are feeling the pressure too.
Use the tools below to contact the nuclear weapons profiteers.
- Click the button to edit and send a prewritten email to the CEO. MAKE SURE YOU EDIT YOUR SIGNATURE
- Click the social media links to leave a comment on their page. Samples in the “Social Media Campaign” drop down
- Use the “sample letter” drop down and their US headquarters address to send a physical letter
- Check if you are financially involved in the main U.S. investors with the “Main US Investors” drop down.
- Know what products and brands to boycott with the “Boycotting” drop down
Tell them: NO MONEY FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS!
CEO: Christopher Kastner
4101 Washington Ave.
Newport News, VA 23607
CEO, Christopher Kastner: [email protected]
Sample letter
Dear Mr. Kastner,
According to publicly available information, Huntington Ingalls is responsible for management and operations at three critical US nuclear weapons facilities. These weapons pose an existential threat to the planet. There is no conceivable justification for using these weapons – ever.
The belief that we can go on producing and stockpiling these weapons without them ever being used is only bringing us closer to the actual use of these weapons. Whether that happens on purpose or by accident, the consequences would be unthinkable. Most nations no longer accept this situation and are committed to ending it.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons rightly threatens your industry with enforceable legislative and regulatory risks for contributing to this extreme existential threat.
Investors and financial institutions representing trillions of dollars in assets have already divested from these controversial weapons. New York and other cities are divesting their pension funds. Global public condemnation and reputational risk will continue to drive more companies to leave the industry. It might be beneficial, for both profit and survival, to convert your resources to effective climate solutions.
I intend to ensure that I have no funds invested in your company and I will not buy products or services from you until you use your enormous power and influence on Congress and the White House to end this addiction to nuclear weapons.
I will be urging my city and state to do the same. Likewise all of my community, like my bank, hospital, investment firm, insurance provider, pension fund, faith community, local businesses, hospital, college, etc.
Yours sincerely,
Nuclear Weapons Work
- HII is involved in management and operations of three US nuclear weapons facilities through join ventures: Los Alamos National Laboratiries, Nevada Nuclear Security Site, and the Savannah River National Laboratory.
- Tritium production at the Savannah River Site, the only source of new tritium for the US nuclear arsenal.
- The Los Alamos National Laboratory is responsible for the nuclear design and engineering and life extension programmes for U.S. nuclear warheads.
- The Nevada National Security Site retains the capability to resume full-scale nuclear testing within a few years at the discretion of the U.S. President
- From Don’t Bank on the Bomb. Learn more here.
Main US Investors
If you do business with any of these companies consider reaching out to them about Nuclear Weapons Divestment. Or you can move your money! Learn more here.
- Bank of America
- Fidelity Investments
- JPMorgan Chase
- State Street
- US Bancorp
- Vanguard
- Wells Fargo
Boycotting
Huntington Ingalls mainly makes military ships – including extremely large ones, like aircraft carriers. Not an easy company for the average person to boycott. However, they do claim to make, for instance, unmanned underwater vehicles for marine research, AI systems for commercial use, and other non-military though highly specialized products. They also have thousands of small suppliers, providing them with everything from screws and toilet paper to lawn care and “bicycle services.”
In the case of Huntington Ingalls, therefore, apart from shaming and divestment, the most effective tool we have is to urge businesses not to supply goods or services to the company.
CEO: Chris Kubasik
1025 W. NASA Boulevard
Melbourne, FL 32919, USA
Emails:
CEO, Chris Kubasik: [email protected]
Media: [email protected]
Sample letter
Dear Mr. Kubasik,
According to publicly available information, L3 Harris provides critical support and services for the Trident II nuclear missile, and through your acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne is now heavily involved in the Sentinel ICBM program. These weapons pose an existential threat to the planet. There is no conceivable justification for using these weapons – ever.
The belief that we can go on producing and stockpiling these weapons without them ever being used is only bringing us closer to the actual use of these weapons. Whether that happens on purpose or by accident, the consequences would be unthinkable. Most nations no longer accept this situation and are committed to ending it.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons rightly threatens your industry with enforceable legislative and regulatory risks for contributing to this extreme existential threat.
Investors and financial institutions representing trillions of dollars in assets have already divested from these controversial weapons. New York and other cities are divesting their pension funds. Global public condemnation and reputational risk will continue to drive more companies to leave the industry. It might be beneficial, for both profit and survival, to convert your resources to effective climate solutions.
I intend to ensure that I have no funds invested in your company. I will not buy products or services from you until you use your enormous power and influence on Congress and the White House to end this addiction to nuclear weapons.
I will be urging my city and state to do the same. Likewise all of my community, like my bank, hospital, investment firm, insurance provider, pension fund, faith community, local businesses, hospital, college, etc.
Yours sincerely,
Social Media Campaign
Take to social media to stigmatize these profiteering corporations! Criticize their work publicly, shame them and pile on the pressure to leave these deadly industries. Leave comments on their Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin pages! Tag them in your own posts! Feel free to use the below inspiration, samples and ideas, or come up with something else yourself.
Be sure to use the #PressuretheProfiteers hashtag so we can see it and amplify your message!
Comments
Memes
Nuclear Weapons Work
- L3Harris Technologies provides critical support and services for the Trident II (D5) system.
- In July 2023, L3Harris completed its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, one of the members of Northrop Grumman’s nation-wide team that is building the new Sentinel
- Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of L3Harris, builds solid boost propulsion systems and has powered every U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ever fielded, including Trident II D5 missiles and the Minuteman III.
- From Don’t Bank on the Bomb. Learn more here.
Main US Investors
If you do business with any of these companies consider reaching out to them about Nuclear Weapons Divestment. Or you can move your money! Learn more here.
- Allspring Global Investments
- Bank of America
- Capital Group
- Citigroup
- Fidelity Investments
- Geode Capital Holdings
- JPMorgan Chase
- Morgan Stanley
- State Street
Boycotting
In addition to their nuclear weapons work, L3Harris produces a wide range of conventional military products and services, including night vision goggles and military grade binoculars, drones, submarine periscopes, missile warning systems, rocket motors, and battlefield IT systems. Their commercial products include weather satellites, police and fire radio systems, air traffic control systems and ambulance dispatch stations.
L3Harris binoculars start at around $4,000 and go up from there, so they are unlikely to be popular with bird watchers. L3Harris two-way radios, however, can be purchased for as little as $30. These are intended for use by police and first responders, but could well find their way into the hands of ordinary consumers.
CEO: Phebe Novakovic
11011 Sunset Hills Road
Reston, Virginia 20190
CEO Email: [email protected]
Media inquiries, GD Mission Systems:
Joseph Sowers. [email protected]
Sample letter
Dear Ms. Novakovic,
According to publicly available information, General Dynamics provides a range of engineering, development, and production activities to support US and UK Trident II Strategic Weapons Systems. These weapons pose an existential threat to the planet. There is no conceivable justification for using these weapons – ever.
The belief that we can go on producing and stockpiling these weapons without them ever being used is only bringing us closer to actual use, whether on purpose or by accident, with unthinkable consequences. Most nations no longer accept this situation and are prepared to stop it.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons rightly threatens your industry with enforceable legislative and regulatory risks for contributing to this extreme existential threat.
Investors and financial institutions representing trillions of dollars in assets have already divested from these controversial weapons. New York and other cities are divesting their pension funds. Global public condemnation and reputational risk will continue to drive more companies to leave the industry. It might be beneficial, for both profit and survival, to convert your resources to effective climate solutions.
I intend to ensure that I have no funds invested in your company. I will not buy products or services from you until you use your enormous power and influence on Congress and the White House to end this addiction to nuclear weapons.
I will be urging my city and state to do the same. Likewise all of my community, like my bank, hospital, investment firm, insurance provider, pension fund, faith community, local businesses, hospital, college, etc.
Yours sincerely,
Social Media Campaign
Take to social media to stigmatize these profiteering corporations! Criticize their work publicly, shame them and pile on the pressure to leave these deadly industries. Leave comments on their Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin pages! Tag them in your own posts! Feel free to use the below inspiration, samples and ideas, or come up with something else yourself.
Be sure to use the #PressuretheProfiteers hashtag so we can see it and amplify your message!
Comments
Memes
Nuclear Weapons Work
- Provides a range of engineering, development, and production activities to support US and UK Trident II Strategic Weapons Systems.
- Also involved in the guidance systems of the Trident II (D5) nuclear missiles of the US Navy.
- Responsible for integrating Trident nuclear weapons for the U.S. Columbia-class program and the UK Dreadnought-class submarines.
- General Dynamics Mission Systems has three additional outstanding contracts for U.S. and UK Trident II (D-5) Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines Fire Control System and other support, with a combined potential value of $885.9 million
- Building the new nuclear-armed submarines (Columbia class) for the U.S. Navy, under a 14-year contract through 2031
- General Dynamics is also part of the Northrop Grumman Sentinel team, working on command-and-control systems for these new U.S. nuclear missiles
- From Don’t Bank on the Bomb. Learn more here.
Main US Investors
If you do business with any of these companies consider reaching out to them about Nuclear Weapons Divestment. Or you can move your money! Learn more here.
- Bank of America
- BlackRock
- JPMorgan Chase
- PNC Financial Services
- Raven’s Wing Asset Management
- State Street
- Vanguard
- Wellington management
- Wells Fargo
Boycotting
General Dynamics makes tanks, warships and jets as well as nuclear missiles and submarines. Their non-military products include IT and communications systems, mainly for government and large commercial customers.
Their consumer products include phones, radios, computer chips, computer operating systems, secure communication systems, and other products designed primarily for military use but also widely used by emergency and rescue services, humanitarian aid organizations and war correspondents.
CEO: Gregory J. Hayes
Raytheon Technologies Corporation
1000 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22209 United States
CEO Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Media inquiries: [email protected]
Sample letter
Dear Mr. Hayes,
According to publicly available information, RTX is heavily involved in production of nuclear missile components for both the US and UK nuclear arsenals. These weapons pose an existential threat to the planet. There is no conceivable justification for using these weapons – ever.
The belief that we can go on producing and stockpiling these weapons without them ever being used is only bringing us closer to the actual use of these weapons. Whether that happens on purpose or by accident, the consequences would be unthinkable. Most nations no longer accept this situation and are committed to stopping it.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons rightly threatens your industry with enforceable legislative and regulatory risks for contributing to this extreme existential threat.
Investors and financial institutions representing trillions of dollars in assets have already divested from these controversial weapons. New York and other cities are divesting their pension funds. Global public condemnation and reputational risk will continue to drive more companies to leave the industry. It might be beneficial, for both profit and survival, to convert your resources to effective climate solutions.
I intend to ensure that I have no funds invested in your company. I will not buy products or services from you until you use your enormous power and influence on Congress and the White House to end this addiction to nuclear weapons.
I will be urging my city and state to do the same. Likewise all of my community, like my bank, hospital, investment firm, insurance provider, pension fund, faith community, local businesses, hospital, college, etc.
Yours sincerely,
Social Media Campaign
Take to social media to stigmatize these profiteering corporations! Criticize their work publicly, shame them and pile on the pressure to leave these deadly industries. Leave comments on their Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin pages! Tag them in your own posts! Feel free to use the below inspiration, samples and ideas, or come up with something else yourself.
Be sure to use the #PressuretheProfiteers hashtag so we can see it and amplify your message!
Comments
Memes
Nuclear Weapons Work
- Involved in the Minuteman III missile communications system for the US nuclear arsenal.
- Contracted for development and manufacture of the US Long Range Standoff weapon
- Raytheon subsidiary Collins Aerospace is building the secondary launch platform for the new Sentinel, formally the U.S. Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, which is also supposed to integrate with the existing Minuteman III system
- Raytheon is also involved in the UK’s new nuclear-armed submarines
- From Don’t Bank on the Bomb. Learn more here.
Main US Investors
If you do business with any of these companies consider reaching out to them about Nuclear Weapons Divestment. Or you can move your money! Learn more here.
- Bank of America
- BlackRock
- Capital Group
- CitiGroup
- Dodge & Cox
- JPMorgan Chase
- Morgan Stanley
- State Street
- Vanguard
- Wellington management
Boycotting
Raytheon mostly makes weapons and missiles – conventional as well as nuclear. They do also high-level IT products and services for other businesses and institutions. They provide cyber-security services, apparently even to nonprofits like Planned Parenthood.
Sample letter
Dear Mr. Calhoun,
According to publicly available information, Boeing has contracts to support the production of the Minuteman III and Trident II nuclear missiles and key components for the B61-12 gravity bombs and Long Range Standoff missiles. These weapons pose an existential threat to the planet. There is no conceivable justification for using these weapons – ever.
The belief that we can go on producing and stockpiling these weapons without them ever being used is only bringing us closer to actual use, whether on purpose or by accident, with unthinkable consequences. Most nations no longer accept this situation and are prepared to stop it.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons rightly threatens your industry with enforceable legislative and regulatory risks for contributing to this extreme existential threat.
Investors and financial institutions representing trillions of dollars in assets have already divested from these controversial weapons. New York and other cities are divesting their pension funds. Global public condemnation and reputational risk will continue to drive more companies to leave the industry. It might be beneficial, for both profit and survival, to convert your resources to effective climate solutions.
I intend to ensure that I have no funds invested in your company. I will not buy products or services from you until you use your enormous power and influence on Congress and the White House to end this addiction to nuclear weapons.
I will be urging my city and state to do the same. Likewise all of my community, like my bank, hospital, investment firm, insurance provider, pension fund, faith community, local businesses, hospital, college, etc.
Yours sincerely,
Social Media Campaign
Take to social media to stigmatize these profiteering corporations! Criticize their work publicly, shame them and pile on the pressure to leave these deadly industries. Leave comments on their Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin pages! Tag them in your own posts! Feel free to use the below inspiration, samples and ideas, or come up with something else yourself.
Be sure to use the #PressuretheProfiteers hashtag so we can see it and amplify your message!
Comments
Memes
Nuclear Weapons Work
- Since 1958, Boeing has been responsible for the development and production of the U.S. Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) system.
- Boeing supports the production of the Minuteman III and Trident II (D5) missiles and produces key components for the B61-12 gravity bombs.
- Boeing also has contracts related to the U.S. Long Range Standoff missiles.
- Boeing is in charge of guidance, flight controls, secure codes and ground subsystems, as well as designing, testing, modernizing and repairing ICBM systems and components. The modernization program is meant to extend the service life of Minuteman III through the year 2030.
- From Don’t Bank on the Bomb. Learn more here.
Main US Investors
If you do business with any of these companies consider reaching out to them about Nuclear Weapons Divestment. Or you can move your money! Learn more here.
- Bank of America
- BlackRock
- Capital Group
- Citigroup
- Fidelity Investments
- JPMorgan Chase
- Newport Group
- State Street
- Vanguard
- Wells Fargo
Boycotting
Boeing makes, of course, passenger planes as well as nuclear missiles. It is an option to refuse to fly on Boeing planes, however the only other major plane manufacturer is Airbus, which is another nuclear weapons company. The Canadian plane company, Bombardier, is now controlled by Airbus.
The only remaining major aircraft manufacture, Embraer of Brazil, was due to be bought by Boeing in 2019, but that transaction was cancelled. So for now, you can boycott Boeing and Airbus by insisting on flying only Embraer planes!
US airlines currently operating Embraer passenger planes are Alaska Airlines, Breeze Airlines, Envoy Air, JetBlue, Mesa Airlines, SkyWest and Republic Airways – and regional flights by American Airlines designated as American Eagle, by Delta as Delta Connection, and by United Airlines as United Express.
CEO: Vimal Kapur
Honeywell International
300 S Tryon St Suite 500,
Charlotte, NC 28202, United States
CEO Email: [email protected]
Media inquiries: [email protected]
Sample letter
Dear Mr. Kapur,
According to publicly available information, Honeywell is responsible for the management of three US nuclear weapons facilities, and produces critical components for US nuclear missiles. These weapons pose an existential threat to the planet. There is no conceivable justification for using these weapons – ever.
The belief that we can go on producing and stockpiling these weapons without them ever being used is only bringing us closer to the actual use of these weapons. Whether that happens on purpose or by accident, the consequences would be unthinkable. Most nations no longer accept this situation and are committed to ending it.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons rightly threatens your industry with enforceable legislative and regulatory risks for contributing to this extreme existential threat.
Investors and financial institutions representing trillions of dollars in assets have already divested from these controversial weapons. New York and other cities are divesting their pension funds. Global public condemnation and reputational risk will continue to drive more companies to leave the industry. It might be beneficial, for both profit and survival, to convert your resources to effective climate solutions.
I intend to ensure that I have no funds invested in your company and I will not buy products or services from you until you use your enormous power and influence on Congress and the White House to end this addiction to nuclear weapons.
I will be urging my city and state to do the same. Likewise all of my community, like my bank, hospital, investment firm, insurance provider, pension fund, faith community, local businesses, hospital, college, etc.
Yours sincerely,
Social Media Campaign
Take to social media to stigmatize these profiteering corporations! Criticize their work publicly, shame them and pile on the pressure to leave these deadly industries. Leave comments on their Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin pages! Tag them in your own posts! Feel free to use the below inspiration, samples and ideas, or come up with something else yourself.
Be sure to use the #PressuretheProfiteers hashtag so we can see it and amplify your message!
Comments
Memes
Nuclear Weapons Work
- Produced integrated circuits for Trident D5 nuclear missiles
- Manufacturer of the Pendulous Integrating Gyroscopic Accelerometer guidance instrument for the Minuteman III
- Guidance and missile electronics in developing the LGM-35A Sentinel, the new U.S. ICBM, also known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent.
- Today, Honeywell operates three sites for the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration through joint-venture partnerships: Kansas City National Security Campus, Nevada National Security Site, and Sandia National Laboratory
- Manages and operates National Security Campus in Kansas City, MI, where 80% of non-nuclear components for US nuclear weapons are produced.
- From Don’t Bank on the Bomb. Learn more here.
Main US Investors
If you do business with any of these companies consider reaching out to them about Nuclear Weapons Divestment. Or you can move your money! Learn more here.
- Bank of America
- BlackRock
- Citigroup
- Geode Capital Holdings
- Invesco
- JPMorgan Chase
- Morgan Stanley
- Newport Group
- State Street
- Vanguard
- Wellington Management
Boycotting
Honeywell makes a large number of products for the ordinary consumer as well as for other businesses and larger institutions, including cities and states. In 2018, Honeywell sold off its Home thermostat division to Resideo, which now produces a number of products under the Honeywell brand, including Honeywell thermostats and Honeywell home security systems.
Honeywell itself continues to produce all types of fans, portable heaters, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers. They also make gloves, boots, safety goggles, refrigerators, freezers, vacuum cleaners, beer coolers, artificial Christmas trees and numerous other household products.
Honeywell makes more specialist products for larger institutions, including hospitals, schools, businesses and government offices, including IT systems, computers, barcode scanners, and PPE.
Sample letter
Dear Mr. Taiclet,
According to publicly available information, Lockheed Martin is heavily involved in production of nuclear missile components for both the US and UK nuclear arsenals. These weapons pose an existential threat to the planet. There is no conceivable justification for using these weapons – ever.
The belief that we can go on producing and stockpiling these weapons without them ever being used is only bringing us closer to the actual use of these weapons. Whether that happens on purpose or by accident, the consequences would be unthinkable. Most nations no longer accept this situation and are committed to stopping it.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons rightly threatens your industry with enforceable legislative and regulatory risks for contributing to this extreme existential threat.
Investors and financial institutions representing trillions of dollars in assets have already divested from these controversial weapons. New York and other cities are divesting their pension funds. Global public condemnation and reputational risk will continue to drive more companies to leave the industry. It might be beneficial, for both profit and survival, to convert your resources to effective climate solutions.
I intend to ensure that I have no funds invested in your company. I will not buy products or services from you until you use your enormous power and influence on Congress and the White House to end this addiction to nuclear weapons.
I will be urging my city and state to do the same. Likewise all of my community, like my bank, hospital, investment firm, insurance provider, pension fund, faith community, local businesses, hospital, college, etc.
Yours sincerely,
Social Media Campaign
Take to social media to stigmatize these profiteering corporations! Criticize their work publicly, shame them and pile on the pressure to leave these deadly industries. Leave comments on their Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin pages! Tag them in your own posts! Feel free to use the below inspiration, samples and ideas, or come up with something else yourself.
Be sure to use the #PressuretheProfiteers hashtag so we can see it and amplify your message!
Comments
Memes
Nuclear Weapons Work
- Produces command and control systems and is part of the payload integration team for the Sentinel
- Responsible for the construction of the Trident II (D5) nuclear missiles for the US and UK
- Principal designer and manufacturer of the Minuteman III re-entry systems
- Contracted to design an Airborne Launch Control System Replacement to support the Minuteman III system
- From Don’t Bank on the Bomb. Learn more here.
Main US Investors
If you do business with any of these companies consider reaching out to them about Nuclear Weapons Divestment. Or you can move your money! Learn more here.
- Ameriprise Financial
- Bank of America
- BlackRock
- Capital Group
- Charles Schwab
- Fidelity Investment
- State Street
- Vanguard
Boycotting
Lockheed Martin produces products and services almost exclusively for the military. But it does also provide high level technical services for federal and state governments, medical establishments, and academic institutions. For instance, Lockheed Martin is helping California use AI technologies to fight wildfires. It provides cyber security services to the Department of Homeland Security. And it provides IT and data services to the University of Miami Health System and to the Miller School of Medicine.
3. Divestment Actions:
Rather than focus on a single company during the Weeks of Action (or in addition!), you can focus your activity on an organization or institution that you are connected to in your community: your bank, your school, your faith community, your town, local hospital, a business or any other kind of organization that has money and/or property.
Getting your target institution to divest is not something that will be achieved in one day, but you can launch your campaign (or join an existing one) with a day of action to rally support for divestment and/or other steps they might take to dissociate from the nuclear weapons and/or fossil fuel industries.
Check out these simple actions you can take during the Weeks of Action to get you started! And click here for more detailed resources on divestment. (Including sample letters and phone calling scripts!)
Handing a Letter to your Institution
Hand a letter to an institution you are involved with calling on them to publicly divest from nuclear weapons. Take pictures. Send a press release to your local newspaper. Find a local dignitary or well-known personality to hand in the letter. Warn the target institution (or not) that you are coming and arrange for them to accept the letter. Include in the letter a request for a meeting to discuss divestment. Bring a crowd!
Set up a meeting with your institution
Another option is to send a letter ahead of time or otherwise ask for meeting to discuss divestment take place during the Weeks of Action. Prepare some materials to distribute to the press as well as to the institution explaining the reasons for divestment. Take pictures, send a press release, bring a crowd to support outside the meeting as it takes place…
Rally for Divestment
Especially if you have already approached an institution about divestment, or if there is an existing campaign you can work with, you might consider stepping up your divestment actions with a rally or a sit in.
Again, remember to take pictures, let the media know, and use the hashtag #PressuretheProfiteers!
Financial Institutions are heavily invested in the nuclear weapons industry. Banks, credit card companies, insurance brokers, pension funds and other related institutions may have their own investments directly in those companies. They may also be investing other people’s money in these companies. And they may be offering them loans and other banking services.
The first step to getting a financial institution to divest from nuclear weapons is to find exactly what their policy is in relation to nuclear weapons and/or weapons in general and whether they have any such investments. They may have a written policy on their website. You can also check a number of other sources to see if their weapons policy and/or investments are listed there (see resources below). And you can write, phone or talk to your bank or other institution directly (though it won’t be easy to get the information!).
Many financial institutions are heavily implicated in both the fossil fuel industry and the nuclear weapons industry. Some of the worst offenders in both industries are:
- BlackRock
- Vanguard
- JP Morgan Chase
- Morgan Stanley
- Bank of America
- WellsFargo
- CitiGroup
Useful resources:
You can check on the status of your financial institution’s investments in Nuclear Weapons at Don’t Bank on the Bomb or Weapons Free Funds
Learn about transferring your funds to sustainable investment groups here: https://weaponfreefunds.org/action-toolkit
Many colleges and universities have investments that support the companies that make nuclear weapons. Many have contracts for products or services made by these companies. And some are undertaking research that supports the continued existence of nuclear weapons
Boycotting, divesting and prohibiting these activities can affect those companies directly, and it can also be a strong encouragement to other institutions to do the same. The bigger the institution, and the more money they have, the more powerful the impact can be on the nuclear weapons companies.
One way to get colleges and universities to divest from nuclear weapons is to join forces with existing campaigns to divest from fossil fuels, gun manufacturers, weapons for Israel and/or private prisons. One reason that many institutions hold off on a divestment decision is that they are worried more divestment requests are just around the corner. A joint campaign to divest from the twin existential threats to humanity at one and the same time might have more appeal in those cases. And many of the nuclear weapons companies (for instance Lockheed Martin, Boeing, RTX Raytheon, General Dynamics. BAE, L3 Harris, Northrup Grumman, Textron) also make weapons used against civilians in Gaza and/or in other wars, so there are clearly opportunities for collaboration when focusing on those companies.
Many faith communities have investments, and some of these may be financially supporting the companies that make nuclear weapons. Many faith communities have products or services made by these companies.
Boycotting, divesting and prohibiting these activities can affect those companies directly, and it can also be a strong encouragement to other faith communities to do the same. The bigger the institution, and the more money they have, the more powerful the impact can be on the nuclear weapons companies.
Many of the companies that manufacture nuclear weapons also have departments dedicated to healthcare.
For example, Honeywell boasts that 70% of the top 25 medical equipment manufacturers rely on Honeywell tech, and over 300 hospitals use their building technology and integration systems
Do you know if your hospital is one of those 300?
Alongside financial investments, many hospitals and clinics buy medical devices, IT services, and other products made by the same companies engineering unthinkable weapons of mass destruction.
Most of the medical community is on the same page about nuclear weapons, there is an opportunity here to take strong action against these corporations.
Whether you own a local business or you are a patron and community member, you can engage a dialogue for divestment and boycotting.
Your local businesses may have investments or financial holdings with the companies that make nuclear weapons or the banks that support them. Many local businesses could have products or services made by these companies. Along with nuclear weapons, many of these companies provide business solutions for retail, e-commerce, IT, and manufacturing.
Boycotting, divesting and prohibiting these activities can affect those companies directly, and it can also be a strong encouragement to other businesses to do the same. The bigger the institution, and the more money they have, the more powerful the impact can be on the nuclear weapons companies.
Many towns and cities have investments that support the companies that make nuclear weapons. Many have contracts for products or services made by these companies. And some have these companies researching, developing, building or transporting nuclear weapons through their jurisdiction.
Boycotting, divesting and prohibiting these activities can affect those companies directly, and can also be a strong encouragement to other cities – and states – to do the same.
Talk to your City Councilors, Mayor or other local officials to see what your town can do to be a part of the solution.
Planned Events!
Scroll Through Existing Events, email [email protected] to add yours!
Resources! (signs, banners, flyers)
