Think Outside the Bomb to launch "Disarmament Summer"!

The youth-led anti-nuclear weapons movement Think Outside the Bomb is set to launch its "Disarmament Summer" (July 30 to August 9) campaign in New Mexico. TOTB will create a permaculture encampment installing gardens and energy efficiency and renewable energy systems that will serve the community of Chimayo, New Mexico long after this summer's activities have ended. "Disarmament Summer" will culminate with actions at the Los Alamos nuclear weapons lab on Nagasaki Day on August 9th. Beyond Nuclear is a proud endorser of Think Outside the Bomb, and thankful and inspired that resistance to nuclear power is included in the mission and vision of this youth-led, anti-nuclear movement!

White House wants $80 billion for nuclear weapons arsenal

The Obama White House has requested at least $80 billion dollars to "upgrade and modernize" its nuclear weapons arsenal in an apparent move to sweeten the START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) deal for Senate Republicans. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) hailed the request, saying, "it demonstrates the Obama's administration's commitment to keeping America's nuclear deterrent safe and effective for a generation to come." We think it has a lot more to do with throwing another meaty bone to the Republicans to garner votes and that using words like "deterrent," "safe," and "effective" in the same context as nuclear weapons does not send a disarmament message. If we argue the myth of "deterrence" how can we then say we should have zero nuclear weapons?

Nuclear energy industry hijacks agenda at NPT review conference

As we predicted in Linda Gunter’s May 3^rd AlterNet story, the nuclear power industry took full advantage of the NPT’s “inalienable right” clause in Article IV that promotes nuclear energy development to hijack the agenda at the on-going non-proliferation treaty review conference at the UN in New York. According to our sources from Abolition 2000, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and others, speech after speech extolled the virtues of nuclear energy. The conference, they said, appeared to be more about nuclear power promotion and proliferation than non-proliferation and nuclear weapons abolition. Even UN general secretary, Ban Ki- moon, aided in the promotional efforts, stating: “Advancing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy cannot be held hostage to either disarmament or non-proliferation”.

Speaking for the U.S., Hillary Clinton said: “We recognize the rights of all countries in compliance with the treaty to realize the benefits of nuclear energy. And we recognize our responsibility to commit the resources that will help spread those benefits as widely as possible”.

The European Union representative in her opening remarks, typified the views of many other nations, stating: “The European Union is of the firm view that each country has the right to define its own energy strategy and, in this context, we reaffirm the inalienable right of all NPT States parties to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, in conformity with obligations”. For more, see the press release from the NPT Abolition Caucus.

Time to abolish nuclear weapons says Peace Action of Central New York

Writing in the Syracuse Post-Standard, two board members from Peace Action of Central New York - Diane Swords and Tom Bennett - make the urgent case for true nulcear weapons abolition as the Non-Proliferation Review Conference continues in New York. "The NPT must be supported and strengthened, yet it lacks a concrete process to assure disarmament by nuclear powers," they write. "It is also complicated by grave problems with Artice IV, which guarantees the right to “peaceful nuclear energy,” but overlooks the inextricable link between nuclear power and weapons and their health and environmental costs".

"In Mortal Hands: A Cautionary History of the Nuclear Age," author book talk, Washington D.C., May 18

Stephanie Cooke has covered the nuclear industry for almost thirty years. She is currently the editor of Uranium Intelligence Weekly, and a contributor to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. She will discuss and sign her new book, In Mortal Hands: A Cautionary History of the Nuclear Age, on Tuesday, May 18th at 6:30 p.m., at Busboys and Poets “Langston Room,” 14th and V Streets, NW, in Washington DC. From the Manhattan Project to the present energy crisis, Stephanie Cooke's provocative history of our failure to manage the power of the atom is perfectly timed. The mistakes of the past are on the verge of being repeated. Cooke's work is a call for everyone to understand and respect the power held in mortal hands. Beyond Nuclear is sponsoring this event. For more information, contact Beyond Nuclear’s Kevin Kamps at kevin@beyondnuclear.org, or (301) 270-2209 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (301) 270-2209      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (301) 270-2209      end_of_the_skype_highlighting ext. 1.