Sr. Megan Rice is unfailingly polite for a woman who has been called one of the biggest threats to our national security.

When I press her for an interview at 7:15 am before she departs from Pittsburgh for Washington, D.C., she’s agreeable. When I arrive 25 minutes late and hurriedly attempt to scout out locations for our chat in the Sisters of Mercy convent where she’s staying, she’s still patient with me. She gently coaxes me to cool my jets (my words) near the chapel. She even wants me to ask the desk attendant in the lobby if it’s OK if I interview her in their outdoor courtyard. She’s patient, she’s tolerant and she’s the same person who used bolt cutters to break and enter into the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, TN. You can tell she’d never do that if she didn’t absolutely believe the destructive power of our nuclear weapons stockpile was inherently immoral and illegal by many standards.

In July 2012, the octogenarian joined two other peace activists in breaking and entering into the Y-12,  the birthplace of the atomic bomb and a manufacturing facility for nuclear weapons components. Their remarkably easy entry with bolt cutters is documented in the film The Nuns, The Priests and The Bombs.

This year, in Unabridged Press’ Standup Sisters: Green Habits series, we’ve been sharing the stories of Catholic sisters whose ministry includes environmental work. In an interview with Sr. Megan, she talks about how her concern for the environment, and all living beings, led to her anti-nuke campaign. For World Environment Day, we present this conversation.