It was November 1985. I was sitting in a St. Louis hotel room crying.

My tears came from the despair I felt for the future of our world with its 70,000 nuclear weapons. Throughout the day I had repeatedly watched a video that included images of many nuclear mushroom clouds. The video was on a ‘loop’ and played over and over again just across the aisle from where I sat at an information table.

I was attending the national conference of the largest peace organization in the country. I was there to garner support for opposition to the Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN)—a series of 300’ towers that the Air Force had announced it was going to construct in 57 towns and cities across the country. Amherst, Massachusetts, where I lived, was on their list.

It seemed odd that a farmer’s field in our rural mostly academic town would be the site of an Air Force tower. “What’s it for?” my friend Nancy Foster and I asked. A little research revealed that GWEN towers would be hardened to the electro-magnetic pulses generated by exploding nuclear weapons. With GWEN in place, our generals in their underground bunkers could continue to launch our nuclear weapons. According to the Congressional testimony of our Secretary of Defense, GWEN would allow the U.S. to “fight and prevail in a protracted nuclear war.”

What? “Fight and prevail in a protracted nuclear war”? What a crazy idea.

A small group of us organized. We worked closely with Bill Arkin, a researcher at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC. He provided us with facts and figures about GWEN that we then shared with our community. Amherst has a Town Meeting form of government and we put the issue of whether or not to allow a GWEN tower to be built in Amherst on the Town Meeting docket.

We did our homework, made and distributed flyers and information sheets, talked with our neighbors, and arranged for Bill Arkin to come and speak. The Air Force sent an Under-Secretary of Defense as their expert. We had decided to ask Town Meeting not to just oppose the construction of a GWEN tower in Amherst, but to oppose the entire GWEN program. If U.S. generals and policymakers thought that we could ‘fight and prevail in a protracted nuclear war,’ it might make them more likely to start one.

At the end of the night, 300+ Town Meeting members voted overwhelmingly to oppose the construction of a GWEN tower in Amherst or anywhere! We won, but it was a short-lived celebration as the Air Force immediately moved to build the tower elsewhere in our county.

So we organized at the county level. The hearing was held at the County Courthouse, a big imposing limestone building on the main street of Northampton. We expected this to be a somewhat harder sell as the five County Commissioners were businessmen, real estate brokers, etc. The Air Force sent a different Under-Secretary of Defense. Several Boston TV stations sent their trucks and crews to cover it live. We invited citizens to give presentations and express their opinions and the line went out the courtroom door, down the outside steps, and along the sidewalk. It took hours for everyone to be heard. In the end, the Commissioners voted to oppose the construction of a GWEN tower in Hampshire County. We were jubilant!

After this victory, Bill Arkin took us aside and said, “You are good at this. Why don’t you take what you have learned and help organize the 56 other communities across the country that are slated for GWEN towers?” I was interested but knew we would need some financial support for this larger undertaking. Bill suggested I write a letter asking for money to a couple in Connecticut whom I didn’t know. The idea that I could write a letter to perfect strangers and ask them for $3,000 seemed a bit far-fetched, but I followed his advice. Within three days of writing to them, a letter came back with a check for $3,000! My first fundraising success.

Nancy and I formed the GWEN Project and developed our nation-wide plans. Over the next three years, working together, we raised additional funds and helped people organize in most of the 56 other towns targeted to get the first round of towers. It was invigorating!

Along the way, we learned that the funding for the first 57 GWEN towers had already been approved by Congress. We also learned that the Air Force was planning to build several hundred more towers to make the network ‘more robust’ and that the funds for these towers still needed to be authorized and appropriated by Congress. We recognized that what we really needed to do to stop GWEN was to cut the funding for the next round of towers.

The last time I had been in Washington, D.C. was when I was in the 5th grade. I had no idea how a bill got through Congress, much less how to influence anything that happened there. But Nancy and I accepted the challenge and set off on our bigger mission.

It was a steep learning curve. We started by visiting our Congressman, Silvio Conte, a Republican, in his D.C. office. He had lots of stuffed heads of dead animals on his walls. But he welcomed us and heard us out. He didn’t know much about GWEN and I think he appreciated all the information we shared. As Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, he could, and would, play a vital role regarding GWEN’s funding.

It still took a lot of grassroots work, as well as time in D.C., to get the majority of the members of his committee on our side. We contacted hundreds, if not thousands of citizens around the country, provided them with concise, easy to understand information, and encouraged them to contact their Congressional Representatives. After several more years of focused work, we won a big victory. The Air Force’s request for multi-millions of dollars to build hundreds of additional GWEN towers was denied by Congress. Without the funding, the entire GWEN program died.

During those years of work, I saw clearly how citizens, when provided with clear, accurate, timely, and trustworthy information, could turn their concern, caring and outrage into direct influence on a specific policy.

This is the power of citizens that was built into our representative form of government.

Those tears of despair in that St. Louis hotel room were balanced by my first-hand experience of the power of ordinary citizens. The mixture stirred my creativity.

Putting GWEN in a larger context, I asked myself, “What are the obstacles that keep citizens from taking action on the issues they care about? I came up with five reasons that encourage inaction:

1. The issues are overwhelming and frightening!

2. The Congressional process is complicated. People don’t know who to contact, when and how to contact them, and what to say.

3. People know that to be effective you need to act in numbers. One letter will not usually make a difference. And you need to be persistent.

4. Everyone needs feedback on the results of their actions.

5. People are busy. They have families, jobs, careers, vacations, etc. They don’t have time to research and learn about our big national and international political issues—even if they know they are important.

Next, I thought about how to remove each obstacle. I came up with the idea that people could subscribe to receive a simple monthly postcard, much like they subscribe to receive a monthly magazine. Each card would focus on one important and timely peace and security issue. The cards would have brief background information about the issue—300 words max, and a suggested action to take including which policymaker to contact along with their contact info, and a suggested message. A small group of local people would do the research each month, decide on the issues and actions, and produce the cards.

In January, I presented the idea to a group of local friends with whom I had been volunteering on the Nuclear Freeze Campaign. At first they were hesitant—this was something new and different—and so we agreed to put off the decision about our 1986 plans for a month. During that month, I thought more and more about my idea and at our next meeting presented it again to the group. This time I had conviction about it, and said, “I really want to do this and I want you all to do it with me!” My enthusiasm was enough to get them all to agree.

“What should we call it?” someone asked. I suggested, “10/10 Action: Ten minutes a month for meaningful action, & $10 a year—the cost for the service.” Someone said, “Ten minutes isn’t enough time to even find a pen and paper, much less write a letter. How about 20/20, or, 20/20 Vision: Twenty minutes a month, $20 a year, and a Vision of a better world?” That was it!

The seven of us each did our research and met to decide the first issue and action. In March 1986, we mailed out our first 20/20 Vision postcard along with a letter that described our service and invited people to subscribe. The production was done with a typewriter, paste, and a trip to the local copy shop. Within two months we had 300 subscribers in our Congressional District!

Within six months, spurred on by success and an enthusiastic donor, 20/20 became a national project. Over the years it grew to have over 70 local 20/20 Core Groups that each provided the 20/20 service to citizens in their Congressional District. The main office moved from Amherst to Washington, DC. A few years into the project, we decided to add environmental issues to our mission as we realized that everything we loved was at risk from both quick nuclear annihilation and slower environmental degradation.

Five years later, the principles at the heart of 20/20 led me and other colleagues to create EarthAction, an international organization that we launched in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. EarthAction has grown to be a global network of over 2,500 environment, peace, and human rights groups, and thousands of policymakers, journalists, and citizens in more than 165 countries. It has carried out over 100 global campaigns and has achieved a long list of campaign successes.

Six years ago, 20/20 became the U.S. focused project of EarthAction. We used this occasion to change its name from “20/20 Vision” to “2020 Action.” We liked the idea of moving from ‘Vision’ to ‘Action’. Seven members of original local 2020 Core Groups volunteered to serve on the 2020 Action National Core Group. Each of them has been part of 2020 for most of its 30 years. Every month we do our research and meet to decide the issue and action for the following month. We take turns writing and editing the text. To each postcard we added a photo that celebrates the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

I am pretty sure our 2020 postcards are the smallest ongoing publication in the world. Small, persistent, and effective.

I have deep gratitude and appreciation for all the supporters, subscribers, staff, members, and volunteers that have been part of 2020 over these past 30 years. We have been, and continue to be, a significant part of a movement that is engaging people in compassionate and effective action for peace and the planet.

Your generous support for 2020 Action will keep us going and growing.

- Lois Barber, November 2015

20/20 Vision was the brainchild of Lois Barber, an art teacher, mom, and peace-group volunteer, living in Amherst, MA.  In 1983, Lois and her colleague Nancy Foster organized the Amherst community against the Pentagon’s plan to build a communication system intended to allow the United States to “fight and prevail in a protracted nuclear war.” After winning the battle in their community, they took the campaign to the county level and won there too. Then, to stop the construction of the Ground Wave Emergency Network, GWEN, towers anywhere in the country, they realized they had to go national.  But how?    

William Arkin, then at the Institute for Policy Studies, encouraged Lois and Nancy to take their show on the road and suggested they raise some money to support their efforts.  The first check they received was for $500, and that, along with other small contributions set them on their way to organizing in other states where GWEN towers were planned. Three years of intense work resulted in the US Congress cutting $80 million of funding for GWEN from the Defense Department budget. It was a huge grassroots success.

Inspired by this progress, Lois wanted to apply what she had learned to other disarmament issues. The obstacles were huge.  It was 1985, Ronald Reagan was in office, the Cold War was raging, and from Lois’ perspective the peace community was not effectively drawing new people into the movement.  She decided a new approach was needed.    

That December, during a sleepless night, she articulated the question that led to 20/20 Vision.  “What,” she asked herself, “are the obstacles that keep ordinary people from taking action on the issues they care about?”    

She identified five key obstacles.    

1.     The issues are terrifying and people are overwhelmed with information. 

2.     People don’t understand how a bill gets through Congress and how the government works, so they don’t know when and how to influence what it does. 

3.     To be effective people know they need to act together, not alone, and that their actions have to be ongoing, not a one shot deal. 

4.     People need to learn the results of their actions—they need feedback. 

5.     People are busy. They need something meaningful they can do that will fit into their busy lives

Lois set out to design an organizing system to remove these obstacles.  Such a system would identify critical timely issues, and key policymakers.  It would limit information to what could fit on a post card.  It would organize people to take action together, every month--like paying your bills.  It would report back to tell them the impact of their actions. It had to be fast—20 minutes, tops.  And it had to be a service people valued and would pay for—$20 a year.    

20/20 Vision was born: 20 minutes a month—$20 a year—and a Vision of a better world. The first 20/20 Vision postcard was sent in March1986 and called for a nuclear weapons test ban (see right). Jeremy Sherman joined forces with Lois as Co-director that summer. The organization grew and had many successes. Seventy local 20/20 Core Groups were started, each one led by a small group who researched, produced, and mailed monthly 20/20 action postcards to their subscribers in their congressional district.  The Washington, DC office was opened in 1989.

Over the years, tens of thousands of people subscribed to 20/20. They received their monthly action postcards, and, more importantly, they did the recommended 20 minute actions. A great deal of legislation and policies were changed. It was heartening to see that this basic element of our democracy, citizens communicating with their elected representatives, still worked!

In 1992 Lois left the staff of 20/20 Vision to help start EarthAction, a global network of organizations that is based on many of 20/20’s principles. She is currently the Executive Director of EarthAction that is now a global network of over 2,600 organizations from 165 countries that have worked together on over 80 global campaigns. For 23 years she continued to serve as President of 20/20’s Board of Directors.

In the summer of 2009, economic challenges here in the US proved too great and 20/20 Vision ‘closed its doors.’ EarthAction, aware that helping citizens communicate with their elected representatives about peace and environmental issues is still vitally important, offered to continue the work of 20/20 Vision. 20/20 Vision’s Board of Directors agreed and voted to turn 20/20 over to EarthAction.

In its new incarnation, as a project of EarthAction, 20/20 has changed from ‘Vision’ to ‘Action’. Its new name is: 2020 Action: 20 minutes a month—$20 a year—Action for a better world.

Some things will stay the same: the membership fee is actually going back to its 1986 price of $20 a year; 2020 members will receive one postcard every month, each focused on one critical and timely peace or environment issue, and each postcard will include all the information needed to send a letter, email, fax, or phone call to a policymaker facing a decision about that issue.

In 2025, we’re making it easier than ever to take action—no membership fee, no barriers. The unprecedented actions of the Trump administration and its allies demand a powerful public response, and we want everyone to be part of it. Our postcards will remain beautifully designed and deeply researched, delivering timely actions that empower you to influence key decisions before they happen. Our mission remains unchanged: to make a real, positive impact—together.

February 27, 2025 

AMHERST, Mass.—2020 Action, one of the nation’s pioneering environment and peace organizations is celebrating over 35 years of effective activism.

Founded in 1986 by longtime activist Lois Barber, 2020 Vision had a novel approach to encourage busy people in her neighborhood to turn their care and concern about the world into meaningful influence on government policy. Barber has since won many awards for her innovative work.

The organization was named 2020 Vision because, as their slogan said, ‘20 Minutes a Month, $20 a Year (the cost of a membership)—and a Vision of a Better World’. “In a few months,” the longtime Amherst resident recalled, “We had 300 members. Soon 3,000. Then 30,000!”

“When 2020 was founded there were roughly 70,000 nuclear weapons in the world,” Barber says. “Now there are just over 12,100.” For over 35 years, 2020 has consistently focused on the treaties, agreements, and legislation that have led to this 80 percent reduction in the number of nuclear weapons. In addition, 2020 members helped achieve US ratification of the Chemical Weapons Treaty, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the New START Treaty, and have significantly influenced hundreds of other policies. “I really think we helped make the world a little safer,” Barber says with just a hint of pride.

In 2010, the organization changed its name to 2020 Action. “It was time to move from ‘Vision’ to ‘Action’, she explained. Every month 2020 members receive a simple postcard focused on one current US peace or environment issue. Each postcard includes background information on the issue, a suggested action to take—usually to send a personal message to a policymaker facing a vote on that issue, and the policymaker’s contact information. Barber describes the 2020 postcard as “the world’s smallest publication.” “Each postcard now also features a photograph that celebrates the beauty and wonder of the natural world,” Barber explains, “combining art with activism.”

“Over these last 35 years, 2020 has sent out more than a million postcards to its members and followers,” Barber said, “each card urging the reader to take a small but meaningful action.” “Surveys show that every month the great majority of our members take the recommended action and send a personal message to the targeted policymaker. It all adds up to social change.”

Barber points to research that shows that personal communication between constituents and their representatives—the kind of communication that 2020 promotes—is what works these days.  “It is more effective than ‘cookie-cutter emails’ and ‘click on petitions’ so common on the Internet”, she states.  Barber referred to a recent conversation with Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), “The more effort that goes into the communication to elected officials from voters, the more impact it will have.” 

"In 2025, our democracy is on the line. The Trump administration and its allies are taking unprecedented steps to roll back six decades of progress, while rogue states threaten global stability. Now, more than ever, we must take action. Your voice matters—reach out to elected officials and make a difference. Take action. Participate today!.”

Since 1986 2020 has sent over 1 million action postcards to its members and followers across the US. Working in collaboration with other leading environment and peace organizations, 2020 has consistently focused on timely, and meaningful citizen action for peace and the environment.

80% reduction in the number of nuclear weapons

In 1986, when 2020 began, there were roughly 70,000 nuclear weapons in the world. Now, there are just over 12,100. For over thirty-five years, 2020 has concentrated on the treaties, international agreements, and pieces of legislation that have reduced the number of these weapons by 80%. 

Here are the details of a small selection from the hundreds of 2020’s successes regarding legislation on peace and environment issues from 1986 to 2025.

1986 November: 2020 members wrote to Representative Silvio Conte (R-MA) asking him to vote for both the Green Amendment and the Dick’s Amendment supporting the SALT II Nuclear Weapons Treaty. Conte voted ‘Yes’ on both amendments, but the treaty was never ratified by the Senate. However, the failure to ratify SALT II led to new successful negotiations on the START Treaty.

December: 2020 helped INFACT, a ‘sister’ organization, grow its membership from 84,000 to 100,000 members to combat GE’s manufacturing of components of nuclear weapons.

1987 April: Just before an important vote on two important arms control amendments, Rep. Silvio Conte (R-MA) became ill. 2020 members contacted him asking that he do his best to be present for the House Appropriations Committee session and to vote for the two amendments. Within 48 hours of the committee vote, Conte’s office received nearly 400 phone calls (mostly from 2020 members) urging him to attend the vote and support the amendments. He did both.

May: When Senator John Kerry opened an office in Springfield, MA, 2020 members showered him with letters urging him to show strong leadership in the Senate on behalf of his ASAT amendment. Susan Carrell a volunteer in his office reported, “I’m a volunteer in Senator Kerry’s Springfield office so I can appreciate ‘first hand’ how effective your 2020 campaigns are. Washington was impressed with the number of letters received when Kerry opened his Western Mass. office. We keep a file of 2020 cards in the office.”

1988 November: Members were asked to write to 5 key policymakers and urge them to cut the military budget for FY’88 below the FY’87 level. At the time, President Reagan’s proposed budget included 56% going toward military spending. Congress cut the national defense budget by 2.9% below the ’87 level.

December: Showed a reversal of Senator Kerry’s position of the KAL-007 shoot down. Initially, he did not want to inquire into the unanswered questions of the disaster. After the 2020 Action Alert was sent, Kerry wrote to Sen. Ford, urging inquiry.

1989 March: Members were asked to write to Conte’s office to urge him to cut the funding for Star Wars. “One of the heavier flows of mail into our office,” according to his administrative assistant.  Conte said, “If it hadn’t been for people like you (2020 participants) then maybe S.D.I. would be at $20 Billion to date and not at $12-$15 billion”.

June: Members asked Rep. Conte to testify in a hearing on the International Plutonium Control Act and to cosponsor the bill. Although he did not testify, he did sign on as a cosponsor. The bill went on to be passed by a vote of 284-138 in the House. Congressman Wyden (D-OR) introduced the bill and after it passed, his Defense Aide called Lois Barber to thank all the 2020 subscribers who had contacted Conte on the issue. His support was essential.

Nationwide: Three representatives who were lobbied by 2020 changed their positions and voted to reduce the level of funding for the Strategic Defense Initiative: Barbara Kennelly (D-Conn.), David Nagle (D-Iowa), and Harley Staggers (D-W.Va.).

New Jersey: A Washington-based lobbyist who tracked Democratic Senator Bill Bradley’s voting record over 1987 reported that, “The 2020 Project has had a significant impact on Bradley’s voting and on his willingness to listen to the arms-control community.” Bradley, who had been undecided on five major arms-control issues, subsequently voted right on four out of five.

1990—1994: 2020 worked with the national group, the No-GWEN Alliance to cut funding for the Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN) system. GWEN was an Air Force communication system originally intended to consist of three hundred 300’ towers strung across the U.S. The towers were hardened to the electromagnetic pulses generated from the explosions of nuclear weapons, and were intended to allow the U.S. to “fight and prevail in a protracted nuclear war.” 2020 helped pass legislation in the U.S. Congress to eliminate all funding for the GWEN program. The 53 towers that were built now serve the peaceful purposes of surveying and mapping roads to enhance emergency response times, and to facilitate the conservation of land.

1991 April: California 2020 members contacted Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Rep. Ron Dellums (D-CA) urging them to co-sponsor a bill introduced by Rep. George Hochbruekner (D-NY) that would transfer funds within the Pentagon’s budget to pay for the much needed clean-up of and environmental compliance of over 14,000 contaminated sites on military bases across the country. As letters and phone calls were received, both Reps. called Hochbrueckner’s office to offer cosponsorship. Hochbruecker’s Defense Aide and Friends of the Earth gave 2020 credit for gathering these and several other cosponsors on the bill.

June: 2020 members asked their Senators to ratify the START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) Treaty. The Treaty was ratified in July 1991, and was the largest and most complex arms control treaty in history between the U.S. and Russia.

1992 October: Members were asked to write to Senator Edward Kennedy asking him to support lowering defense spending for the Strategic Defense Initiative, S.D.I., to vote for an end to the production of the B2 Bomber, and to resume his effort on behalf of a comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons testing. According to his staff, he received several hundred letters on these issues and voted just as 2020 requested. S.D.I. funding was cut by $1.05 billion, the B2 bomber program received no further production money, and Kennedy became a co-sponsor of the Nuclear Test Moratorium Bill.

1994 April: In celebration of Earth Day, 2020 members wrote Letters-to-the-Editor to major newspapers urging senators and representatives to support the strongest possible environmental legislation that year. Member’s letters were published in USA Today, The New York Times, and The St. Paul Pioneer Press.

1996 January: Throughout 1995, 2020 members contacted their Senators to ratify the START II Treaty. The Senate ratified the Treaty in January 1996, but later failed to ratify a protocol to the Treaty, and it never went into effect. The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT), which required the United States and Russia to reduce their deployed strategic arsenals to 1,700-2,200 warheads apiece by December 31, 2012, effectively superseded the START Treaty.

March: 2020 members wrote to their senators to either urge them to repeal, or praise them for their support to repeal, the ESA (Endangered Species Act) moratorium which prevented any new species from being protected by the ESA. A month later, President Clinton lifted the 13-month moratorium as part of the 1996 Budget Bill.

California: CA’s 17th Congressional District helped persuade the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to limit the use of the highly toxic material, methyl bromide.

1997 April: The Senate voted 74 to 26 to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), an international treaty to ban the production, sale, and transfer of chemical weapons. 2020 Action allied itself with 16 arms control organizations and produced a tailored action postcard that was sent to all the organizations’ members. Senate offices reported getting an enormous volume of letters in support of ratification.

New York: NY’s 23rd Congressional District core group helped persuade Representative Sherwood Boehlert to vote to end funding for the B-2 bomber.

1998 October—December: As requested by 2020 members, the EPA announced new rules mandating a 90% reduction of sulfur in gasoline, the use of ‘clean car’ technology, a phase-out of the SUV loophole, and a clean-up plan for diesel passenger vehicles. For the first time, SUV’s and other light trucks were required to meet the same emission standards as new cars. This had the same effect as taking 54 million cars off the road.

1999 August: 2020 joined a campaign to urge Home Depot to stop selling “old growth” and rainforest lumber. Home Depot agreed to phase out wood products from environmentally sensitive areas by the end of 2002.

2020 members wrote to CALFED, urging them to take measures that would save the natural habitat in the San Francisco Bay from pollution. In November CALFED approved over $16 million in funding for 31 restoration projects.

November: 2020 members were instrumental in pressuring Congress to re-pay part of the massive U.S. debt owed to the United Nations. In November, the White House and Congress struck a deal to re-pay $926 million of the 1.5 billion debt.

2000 September of 1999—2000: 2020 members were asked to contact their Representative and urge him or her to cut the F-22 fighter jet program which had a $200 million per plane price tag. In the defense-spending bill for 2000, $600 million was cut from the program and production of the plane was delayed—only the 5th time in 20 years that a major weapons program suffered a funding cut.

June: 2020 national Core Groups worked with members and local food co-ops across the country, distributing tens of thousands of activist postcards, urging the USDA to change their standards on “organic” products. The result was overwhelming. The USDA received more public comments opposing their “organic” proposal than ever before. Due to the pressure, they went back to the drawing board and came up with a new proposal that more accurately reflected the views of the public and remedied the worst problems of their original proposal.

September: Working with a national coalition, 2020 members successfully pressed the United States Senate to ratify the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on November 17, 2000. This was the first UN treaty ratified by the US Senate in over 10 years and required gaining the support of Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC), then Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

2001 February: Members contacted their Representatives to support new legislation that would cut pollution from diesel engines. Subsequently, legislation was introduced in Congress to cut pollution from diesel trucks and buses by 95%.

March: Members supported and helped pass the McCain-Feingold bill which restricted “soft money” (contributions to political parties rather than directly to candidates).

December: Members were asked to contact President Clinton in support of his Roadless Initiative to protect national forest land from road construction. Shortly before leaving office President Clinton took action and placed a ban on the construction of new roads in 58.5 million acres of roadless national forests. This affected one quarter of the land under the Forest Service's jurisdiction and covered 2.2 percent of America's 2.5 billion acres.

2002: Nationwide: New Oil and Gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was narrowly defeated in the 2002 energy bill. This was a top environmental issue for 2020. 2020’s action postcards combined with related grassroots work contributed to this success.

November: After 2020 members were asked to contact their representatives, Congress agreed to slash funding for new types of low-yield nuclear weapons, or “mini-nukes”. The decision was made by the Conference Committee on the FY 2003 Defense Authorization Bill, resolving a House-Senate dispute in favor of the Senate’s ban on such weapons.

2003 July: 2020 members helped pass an amendment that prohibited the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using cost-benefit analyses that would harm seniors. Representative Thomas H. Allen (D-ME) introduced the amendment to the appropriations bill and it passed without opposition.

Nationwide: 2020 members helped cut funding for new nuclear weapons, and more specifically, were instrumental in shutting down the production of the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, or “bunker buster”. In 2003, Congress cut half of its funding.

2004: From Above (2003): Using the tactics of grassroots lobbying, monthly action cards addressing the issue, and press releases by both 2020 members and core groups, 2020 helped cut the entire program for the “bunker buster” out of the federal budget.

June: 2020 members asked their Representatives to support a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water bill, led by Ohio Republican David Hobson, to cut all funds for new nuclear weapons, and preparations for new nuclear tests. With 2020’s help, it was passed.

From Above (2002): Members again helped stop a pro-oil and gas drilling vote in Congress for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

2005: Nationwide: 2020 members worked with a coalition of groups to build opposition to the “Clear Skies Initiative”, a deceptively named bill that would have weakened the Clean Air Act. After a letter writing campaign to their senators, members were given a victory when the Senate rejected the Bush Administration’s initiative.

2006—2009: The 2020 National office in Washington, DC, with the support of several major foundations, focused its work on organizing over 20 conferences and events across the country, with an emphasis on college campuses, to educate students, citizens, the media, and policymakers on the critical relationship between national security and our nation’s renewable energy policies. This was ground breaking work on a critical issue. During this period, 2020 was also successful in gaining federal support for the development of electric cars.

2010 May: Members were asked to contact their senators and urge them to defeat any efforts to diminish the Clean Air Act. In June, Senator Murkowski (R-AK) introduced a bill to stop the EPA from using the Clean Air Act to curb global warming. In reaction, 53 Senators, all Democrats, voted to defeat Senator Murkowski’s attack on the Clean Air Act. This victory would not have been possible without 2020’s pressure on senators to keep the Clean Air Act intact.

June, August & December: Members were asked to urge their senators to press their colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to swiftly bring the New START treaty to a positive vote, and then to vote for it themselves on the floor of the Senate. On September 16th the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 14-4 in favor of the treaty. On December 22, the Treaty was ratified by the Senate by a vote of 71 to 26. Thirteen Republicans joined all 56 Democrats in voting ‘Yes’. Three senators—all Republicans—were not present. The treaty cut the number of U.S. and Russian long-range nuclear weapons by 30%, and restarted bilateral inspections of weapons sites between the two countries. Under New START, the U.S. and Russia will each reduce its nuclear arsenal to 1,550 warheads.

2011 February: In May 2010, President Obama directed the EPA to develop new standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and buses. 2020 members contacted the EPA to support this initiative. The EPA received over 3,000 comments and released its new standards. They have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 250 metric tons and save approximately 500 million barrels of oil over the life of vehicles sold during 2014-2018.

March: Members were asked to contact their representatives and ask for a FY 2011 budget that reflected a move toward global nuclear security. The budget that was passed by Congress on April 15, 2011, increased funding for programs to improve the safe handling of nuclear materials around the world. Threatened cuts were avoided and an additional $190 million (the amount proposed by the Senate) was added to the amount passed by the House. This success represents a victory in turning back Republican efforts to slash this funding. As a result of this victory, the world’s nuclear materials will be more secure.

Policymakers:

“20/20 Vision produces exactly the kind of citizen input that Congress both needs and responds to.” - Hon. Bob Edgar, former Six-Term Congressman, Pennsylvania 

“I have been impressed by the work of 20/20 Vision; you do make a difference. Keep up the good work.” - Hon. Tom Harkin, U.S. Senator, Iowa

“20/20 Vision’s activists campaigned tirelessly and assisted my efforts in the past to stop the B-2 Bomber and tocut unneeded spending from the military budget. Their members nationwide have been a key force for change, helping to sustain our endeavors over the years.” - former Congressman Ronald V. Dellums (D-CA)

“The more effort that goes into the communication to elected officials from voters the more impact it will have.”  Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)

“If I get 20 emails that areall the same I don’t pay any attention to them. It’s personal communication that counts.” Anonymous member of Congress

Thought Leaders:

“Once in a while we come across a kind of involvement that people find both sustainable and fulfilling. For me, the 20/20 Vision Project is one such rare find.” 

- Randy Kehler, First Director, Nuclear Freeze Campaign

“20/20’s grassroots activities are realistic, relevant and effective. By identifying concerned citizens and giving them a limited, but highly relevant, and effective legislative task, 20/20 Vision maximizes citizen impact on members of congress.”
- Edward F Snyder, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation

“Thank you for the critical role that [you] played in generating grassroots action in support of the EPA’s proposal to tighten the national ozone and particulate air standards. Your efforts made a critical difference at a time when increasing public support was greatly needed” - Felice Stadler, Policy Outreach Coordinator, Clean Air Network

“20/20 Vision proved to be the most effective grassroots organization working to secure Senate approval of the Chemical Weapons Convention. They accomplished things only others talked about... 20/20 Vision made a difference.” - John Parachini, Senior Associate with the Henry L. Stimpson Center

“20/20 Vision focuses the time and energy of busy citizens where it counts-influencing legislators and policy makers, when it counts—right before critical votes.” - Ralph Nader

“What they’re doing is tapping into a huge segment of our population that has been by-passed because the normal ticket of admission to other civic groups has been way too much a demand on time and energy. One of the real contributions here is that this is a very creative recruiting technique because it reaches out to people without burdening them.” - Ralph Nader

“20/20 Vision’s program is the most cost-effective and time-efficient means of influencing our government” - Ben Cohen, Co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and President of Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities

“If there were a 20/20 Vision project in every Congressional District in this country, we could turn around this nuclear madness and move toward real national and global security” - Andrea Ayvazian, Director of Training, Peace Development Fund.

“I am impressed with the leadership of 20/20 Vision and the high quality of information and action suggestions that 20/20 Vision projects disseminate” - Richard Mark, Executive Director, Professionals’ Coalition for Nuclear Arms Control

“Here’s this big rock you need to move. Don’t look at the rock. Look at the fulcrum. It’s not how big the rock is. It’s accuracy, timing, and people working together that will move it. -Paul Hawken, entrepreneur and author, talking about 20/20

“I’m impressed with the 20/20 Vision Guidebook. It’s one of the best organized, most practical, and most useful tools for local activists I’ve ever seen. Clearly it was compiled by people who have actually ‘been there’, doing the nitty gritty of local organizing. The material reflects grassroots reality, and makes the work manageable for busy people.”
- Alison D. Oldham, Legislative Coordinator, Friends Committee on National Legislation

“20/20 Vision has long played an important grassroots role on disarmament issues, from the test ban treaty to opposing new nuclear weapons” - David Culp, Friends Committee on National Legislation

“20/20 Vision makes the crucial link between environmental and military policy—a link I encourage you to make.” - Denis Hayes, Founder and Chair, Earth Day 1990

“20/20 Vision is the most effective grassroots lobbying organization I have ever seen. And I have seen a lot.” - Brent Blackwelder, Vice President, Friends of the Earth

“2020 is making our democracy work the way it’s supposed to. We don’t need to change people’s minds about nuclear war, we need to remove the obstacles that keep them from acting - Lois Barber, Founder and President, 20/20 Vision

“Participation, that’s what’s going to save the human race.” — Pete Seeger (in the film about his life)

2020 Members:

“With 20/20 Vision I’m a constantly active participant in our democratic process”

“20/20 is a great opportunity for me to do something instead of just talk about it”

“20/20 Vision simplifies the process of being an activist”

“20/20 vision is an inch wide and a mile deep--it only does one thing, but it does it well.”

“Keeps me informed, feeling connected and enables me to take action every month. After taking an action the news takes on a different significance.”

“It gives something concrete to do rather than feeling overwhelmed.”

“Provides for relatively small individual efforts to have a real cumulative impact. Directly affects public policy when Congress is contacted."

“20/20’s grassroots activities are realistic and effective. By identifying concerned citizens and giving them a limited, but highly relevant legislative task, 20/20 Vision maximizes citizen impact on members of Congress.”

“20/20 Vision is instant activism, an information service that allows busy citizens to interact regularly with legislators to have a positive impact”

“20/20 makes it possible for me to focus on a particular issue and act, knowing that my efforts along with those of many others will have an impact.”

 “You select urgent issues which are important to the country—and to me. You do the research so I can quickly let my voice be heard, knowing it will add to a wonderful chorus.”

“20/20 Vision delivers what it promises—concise, well-researched information which spurs me to decisive political action. I run the environmental club at my school and we use 20/20 each month!”

“I like how simple 20/20 makes it for us to make a difference, plus the solidarity among us as we speak with a common voice.”

“Instead of complaining and feeling hopeless, I feel I’ve done something and am empowered.”

“Your 20/20 postcards explain both the background and the action most likely to be effective in short, but clear terms. They give statistics and other facts we can use to back up our gut feelings, yet we’re left free to respond in our own voices. Bravo!”

“It’s simple. It’s specific. It works!”

“I feel that I am contributing as part of a group without having to schedule meetings.”

“20/20 asks me to do something I want to do—and can do—and can feel good about when I have done it."

“It really gives people a chance to take action that did not take action before.”

“2020 Alerts people to timely action.”

“Really like the feeling that I can do something to have my body count taken. I like the clear format, phone number, etc. Keeps me up-to-date. Like the new pictures. Well done!”

“I like the quality of the information: informative, succinct, and the fact it arrives every month. The postcards themselves are beautiful.”

“I am so glad to have the original format of 2020 Vision back. I appreciate the simplicity of doing an action. I also greatly appreciate the measured tone offered. I believe it is far more effective than an angry, strident, outraged one. The facts speak for themselves.”

“Very informative! Even though we have busy lives, we can’t just turn our backs and disregard the major issues—nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons, federal spending, the environment . . . all important. The postcards are wonderful. Love the photography.”