Nuclear Testing

Happy Savages

Robert Koehler | Posted 04.17.2012

Robert Koehler

Nuclear Savage is the story of what we did to the Marshall Islanders throughout the Cold War with our nuclear testing program.

One Cesium Burger, Please

R.W. Sanders | Posted 09.13.2011

R.W. Sanders

Nicholas Ito reported on CNN on July 13 that radioactive beef has been found in Japan. At first, six cows were apparently butchered and sold in Tokyo....

Could "Virtual Deterrence" Actually Increase the Chances of Nuclear War?

Russ Wellen | Posted 07.08.2011

Russ Wellen

In its inability to signal a true commitment to nuclear disarmament, virtual deterrence is hardly ideal. But it sounds like a step in the right direction, right? Wrong.

New Nuclear Project Distracts From Existing Safety (Read: Seismic) Issues

Russ Wellen | Posted 06.18.2011

Russ Wellen

In a cruel joke at a time of supposed disarmament, the CMRR promises to be the most expensive construction project in the history of Los Alamos.

Thanks to Fukushima Light Shed on U.S. Nuclear Facility Located on a Volcano

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.31.2011

Russ Wellen

The light shining on the safety of nuclear energy as a result of the Japanese nuclear crisis has been of such powerful wattage that it's even flushing safety issues with nuclear weapons labs and manufacturing facilities out of hiding.

America and Nuclear: Obama's Forgotten Track Record

Russ Baker | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Baker

You may be pro-nuclear, or anti-nuclear, pro-Obama, anti-Obama or somewhere in the middle. But with the developments in Japan, the only thing safe is to start paying close attention to developments here at home.

How Japan Learned About "Nuclear Safety"

Lawrence Wittner | Posted 05.25.2011

Lawrence Wittner

Although people can be educated in a variety of ways, experience is a particularly effective teacher. Consider the Japanese, who today are certainly ...

What Would End-Timers Do Without the Threat of Nuclear Annihilation?

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

"The Great Atomic Power" was first recorded in 1952, the year that the hydrogen bomb was first tested. The song may have provided some comfort for those listeners aware that the nuclear arms race was at its height.

Does the Taboo Against the Use of Nuclear Weapons Increase Their Allure?

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

We're under the gun: we need to make use of the nuclear taboo as a springboard to disarmament before its expiration date. But there exists another nuclear taboo against discussing the destruction caused by nuclear weapons.

Is "It's Not Fair" a Childish Response to Being Denied Nuclear Weapons?

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

No matter the short term benefits to security, when the West severs the ties that bind disarmament to nonproliferation, it further undermines the trust of the developing world and long-term prospects for international security.

Thanks to New START, You too Can "Ride Out" a Nuclear Attack

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

With hawks always willing to poke a stick into the hive of U.S.-Russia relations, it's folly to think that just because the Cold War ended that we've been inoculated against nuclear war with Russia.

Nuclear Weapons Just Not Sexy Anymore

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

The incarnation of "sexy," that is, that cropped up a few years ago: exciting or trendy in a general, not erotic, way. That settled, let's move on to ...

The "Golden Rule" will Sail Again

Lawrence Wittner | Posted 05.25.2011

Lawrence Wittner

The Golden Rule, the legendary 30-foot ketch that once terrified U.S. government officials, will return to the seas again this coming summer.

Are Nonproliferation and Disarmament, Once Joined at the Hip, Headed for Divorce?

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

Whether or not we disarm has no bearing on the plans of states that hope to acquire or develop nuclear weapons. Whether or not disarmament discourages proliferation is immaterial -- it's our only recourse.

Opposition to New START Pits Republicans Against Traditional Allies

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

Perhaps bewitched by Tea Party-style incoherence, Republicans guided by Jon Kyl have placed themselves in the unlikely position of bucking the national defense establishment, to which traditionally they've been joined at the hip.

The Front Line of Disarmament: Blocking a Nuclear Facility Six Times the Cost of the Manhattan Project

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

Odds are, with the Cold War consigned to history, you couldn't have imagined that a nuclear weapons facility of such immensity was still on the table.

Senator Kyl's Stalling on New START Is Fraying Washington's Nerves

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

In their rush to make President Obama look weak, Senate Republicans may, many believe, be weakening national defense.

Republican Go-to Guy on Nukes Keeps Obama Administration Twisting in the Wind on New START

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

Remember: how ever pro-nuclear those opposed to New START may appear to be, they're voting against a measure that Secretary Gates and the Pentagon support.

Republican Senate Rejection of START Could Work in Disarmament's Favor

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

If new START is rejected, does the Obama administration plan to retract some or all of that funding? Unlikely, I know, but were that to occur it would look a lot more like disarmament than new START.

Would Sweeping Disarmament on Our Part Impress Iran?

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

As with almost all mainstream opinion pieces about U.S.-Iran relations, there's no mention of the United States pursuing a policy of nuclear reciprocity -- that is, disarmament.

No Mean Feat: Justifying Israel's Nukes Without Acknowledging Them

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

With its insinuation that they're less invested in the peace process than the United States and Israel, U.S. ambassador to the IAEA Glyn Davies's gloating is an insult to the Arab states.

The Nazi Virus

Robert Koehler | Posted 05.25.2011

Robert Koehler

Even as we were prosecuting Nazis at Nuremberg for their barbaric behavior, including their notorious medical experiments on death camp inmates, we were, it turns out, conducting our own medical experiments on a vulnerable and unsuspecting population.

Give Me Liberty or Give Me -- the Extinction of the Human Race?

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

If threatened with nuclear attack, should a state, especially one that characterizes itself as founded on a respect for human rights, threaten to retaliate, thus ensuring massive loss of life on its own as well as the aggressor's side?

How 'Nonproliferation' Became a Dirty Word

Russ Wellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Russ Wellen

"Nuclear deterrent" is what the good guys retain for emergencies; "nuclear weapons" are what the bad guys wield -- or seek to. Thus 'nonproliferation' has come to invoke nothing but a double standard.

Ratifying the CTBT Is Absolutely Necessary

Rizwan Ladha | Posted 05.25.2011

Rizwan Ladha

The polls show that most Americans still favor reliance on nuclear arsenals to guarantee our national security. Yet, sadly and ironically, this dependence actually weakens our security.