People around the world are recognizing the danger of nuclear energy. Over the weekend, 500 protesters marched down Main Street in Battleboro, Vermont to rally against the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The group gathered in opposition to what they claim is the illegal operation of the plant, which is owned by Entergy Nuclear.

The plant has been operating without the state's required certification of public good, and has been plagued with with technical problems. Protesters carried signs reading “No more leaks, lies and lawyers,” and demanded that the plant be taken off line.

Meanwhile, half a world away in Tokyo, Japanese researchers announced that a type of shellfish has disappeared in waters near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. And scientists say that the species that remain have high levels of radioactive material inside their bodies. Researchers state that the disappearance of the shellfish is linked to the nuclear disaster, and is not a result of the 2011 tsunami.

These two events illustrate the dangers of nuclear energy, regardless of the location of the plant, or the regulations imposed on plant operators. One nuclear disaster can leave an area uninhabitable to people or animals, as we saw after Chernobyl, and as we're seeing at the Fukushima site. It shouldn't take a catastrophic event within our own borders to make lawmakers wake up to the danger of nuclear energy. Plants around our nation are outdated, under-regulated, and extremely dangerous.

It's time to end the use of nuclear power. No one has ever reported a solar energy meltdown, or a toxic spill from a wind farm. For the sake of our planet, our nation, our economy, and our safety, let's make the switch to green energy. No nukes.