176. Founded in San Francisco in 1892 by conservationist John Muir, the Sierra Club was an early supporter of civilian nuclear power, and in the 1950’s it was probably the only enthusiastic proponent for this new form of energy production. I’ve always wondered what turned the Sierra Club against the concept of clean, environmentally neutral nuclear power, and the absurd Cape Thompson Harbor excavation plan may provide the answer. The reversal came about in the early 1960’s, and Teller’s seeming lack of concern for radiation contamination in Alaska did not help anything.