Nuclear Weapons
Beyond Nuclear advocates for the elimination of all nuclear weapons and argues that removing them can only make us safer, not more vulnerable. The expansion of commercial nuclear power across the globe only increases the chance that more nuclear weapons will be built and is counterproductive to disarmament. We also cover nuclear weapons issues on our international site, Beyond Nuclear International.
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July 21, 2021Every Day is a Good Day to Stop Nuclear Bombs
Dear members and friends,
Every day is a good day to stop nuclear bombs, but now is a particularly crucial time to support Tri-Valley CAREs’ work to abolish nuclear weapons globally and address the health and environmental harms that occur with nuclear development.
To commemorate the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and lift up the voices of the Hibakusha and other radiation survivors, Tri-Valley CAREs and allied groups are working mightily to put the final touches on a powerful program.
On August 6, and again on August 9, we will bring you a virtual rally featuring nuclear analyst and whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, Nagasaki A-bomb survivor Nobu Hanaoka, and an amazing line-up of speakers and musicians dedicated to the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Our “save the date” flyer is at http://www.trivalleycares.org/new/Save-the-Date-Aug-6-and-9-2021-FNL.pdf. Further, as a member and friend, you will soon receive the full rally program and links.
Tri-Valley CAREs also speaks truth to power with federal lawsuits to protect our environment.
Tri-Valley CAREs and allied groups filed litigation this summer to force the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to analyze the pollution that will happen nationwide because of the agency’s plan to manufacture plutonium bomb cores, or pits, at two sites – while also involving seven additional sites including Livermore Lab, which is developing the warhead (W87-1) that would require the new pits.
If we win the lawsuit, the government won’t be able to move full-speed-ahead with its plan to manufacture 80 or more plutonium pits every year. Instead, the DOE will have to undertake the program-wide environmental analysis that is at the heart of our litigation. And, importantly, DOE would be forced also to hold public hearings across the country.
You can find more at http://trivalleycares.org/new/Groups-File-Lawsuit-Over-Plutonium-Bomb-Core-Production.html. And, while you are on our website, cruise by our Press Room and see TVC “in the news” for local and national media coverage of the litigation.
As a unique organization, located at the place new warheads are being designed (Livermore Lab), we are building a strong grassroots movement to challenge the money that enables the weapons.
Here, too, Tri-Valley CAREs is seeing some success: the Biden administration’s fiscal 2022 budget request has just run into a sharp scalpel in the House appropriations subcommittee that has first crack at “marking up” the nuclear weapons numbers.
The House appropriations subcommittee zeroed out all funding for a new sea-launched cruise missile warhead (called the W80-Alt-SLCM, a Livermore Lab design). Further, the subcommittee refused to allot any funds to keep the last megaton-class nuclear bomb in the stockpile (called the B83, another Livermore Lab design). Finally, the subcommittee cut back the funds for development of a new strategic submarine launched warhead (called the W93, no lead lab assigned yet).
I am reminded of the poet Robert Frost, who wrote, “… I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” We here at Tri-Valley CAREs likewise have miles to go and promises to keep.
We will stay on the congressional budget processes and continue our strong advocacy to cut all funding for new warheads and bombs.
We will continue to stand with the Hibakusha and others worldwide to lift up the United Nations’ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons alongside other measures to eliminate these horrific weapons – no exceptions!
And, we will pursue our plutonium litigation in the coming days and months; always demanding greater openness, public involvement, and environmental justice for all communities, like ours, downwind and downstream of nuclear weapons and other polluting industries.
This is the journey. We invite you to join us.
Your tax-deductible contribution now – in any amount right for you – is essential to our success.
If you would like to donate by credit card, click DONATE, and you will have a choice to use either Network for Good or PayPal. You may choose a one-time gift - or set up a regular giving amount. Whichever you choose, please know we honor your generosity!
If you prefer to donate by check, send it to our office at: 4049 First Street, Suite 243, Livermore, CA 94551. Your check in any amount will be appreciated - and put to good use!
Thank you for everything that you do to promote peace, justice and a healthy environment for all.
Peace,
Marylia Kelley
Executive Director,
Tri-Valley CAREs
Dont even THINK about Starting a Nuclear War
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Australian Coordinator PNND
People for Nuclear Disarmament UN Nuclear Weapons Campaigner
Human Survival Project
Co-Convenor Abolition 2000 Nuclear Risk reduction Working Group
johnh@pnnd.org
jhjohnhallam@gmail.com
johnhallam2001@yahoo.com.au
61-411-854-612
Memo on No First Use for Strategic Stability Dialogue
PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
HUMAN SURVIVAL PROJECT
ZONA LIBRE
WORLD FUTURE COUNCIL
ABOLITION 2000 NUCLEAR RISK REDUCTION WORKING GROUP
Russia-USA Strategic Stability Dialogue
NO FIRST USE
July 19, 2021
Mr Joseph Biden
President of the United States of America
Mr Vladimir Putin
President of the Russian Federation
Delegates to Strategic Stability Dialogue
Dear President Biden and President Putin,
Dear Delegates to the Strategic Stability Dialogue
We commend you for adopting the U.S.-Russia Presidential Joint Statement on Strategic Stability, in which you affirmed that 'a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought', and by which you established an integrated bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue to lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures
We welcome the commencement of the Integrated Bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue, the first meeting of which we understand may take place this week.
We recall and draw your attention to the Open Letter sent to you prior to the June 16 Summit endorsed by over 1200 highly distinguished persons including legislators, religious leaders, civil society leaders and former government leaders (prime ministers, ministers of foreign affairs and defence, diplomats and senior military personnel). The Open Letter expresses the same understanding as in your Joint Statement, that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and it calls for the implementation of this understanding through the adoption and implementation of nuclear-risk-reduction measures, the most important of these being the adoption of No-First-Use policies.
In strict logic, if no one 'fires first' with a nuclear weapon, as No-First-Use implies, then the war that 'cannot be won and must never be fought' cannot take place. Whatever caveats might be added to that (accidental launch, miscalculation, malware, etc), it is clear that a commitment to No-First-Use, does at least make escalation to nuclear war much much less likely.
To date, India and China have adopted unilateral No-First-Use policies. Russia and China have adopted a mutual No-First-Use agreement. It is notable that when Indian and Chinese troops fought over parts of Tibet/Ladakh, escalation to nuclear war was not threatened or implied by either side. In contrast, when Russian and US/NATO forces face each other across Baltic or Ukrainian or Black Sea borders, escalation to a nuclear crisis or even nuclear war is not ruled out and remains a frightening possibility.
Regardless of whether or not the various conflicts between USA and Russia can be suitably managed or resolved in the short to medium term, the risks of nuclear confrontation need to be reduced, strategic stability restored and progress on arms control and disarmament achieved. This is the fundamental purpose of your Strategic Dialogue, which is of benefit not only to the Russian Federation and the USA, but to the entire world.
No-First-Use, and the closely related 'sole purpose' policy option, (that the sole purpose of nuclear weapons use is to prevent other nuclear weapons use), are not of course, the only measures that can be taken to lower the risk of nuclear war, whether started by conflict escalation or accident. A range of measures can be taken that include de-alerting, data-sharing, and avoidance of provocative exercises near each other’s borders with nuclear-capable forces. All of these measures will be facilitated by a posture of No-First-Use.
A full menu of nuclear risk reduction measures may be found on the website of the Abolition 2000 nuclear risk reduction working group:
Of particular relevance is a Letter to President Biden from Dec 2020, canvassing risk reduction measures including No-First-Use (and urging strategic dialogue), that could be profitably discussed in a strategic stability dialogue.
However, out of all these worthy measures, No-First-Use is, hopefully, something that the Russian Federation and the United States of America can find or create the political space and the will upon which to agree.
The world has been a little too close to the brink recently. Anything that a Strategic Stability Dialogue can do to take us back from that brink is most welcome and we therefore wish the very best for this very important process.
Signed:
(Affiliations for identification purposes only)
John Hallam
People for Nuclear Disarmament
Human Survival Project
Co-Convenor, Abolition 2000 Nuclear Risk Reduction Working Group johnhallam2001@yahoo.com.au
61-411-854-612
Alyn Ware,
World Future Council,
Lond, Basel, Prague,
Aaron Tovish,
Zona Libre,
Mexico City,
Mexico,
Prof. Frank Hutchinson,
Human Survival Project,
Sydney
NSW Australia
‘A big blow’: Washington’s arms controllers brace for loss of their biggest backer
The MacArthur Foundation’s decision to stop funding nuclear policy work threatens to silence key voices amid fears of a new arms race.