Perspectives
- Time for Transition by David Krieger
- The Technological Imperative for Ethical Evolution by Martin Hellman
- Here’s Why We Shouldn’t Dismiss the Trump-Kim Meetings by Gloria Steinem, Christine Ahn, Abigail Disney, Suzy Kim, and Jody Williams
- A Conversation With David Krieger by Sandy Jones
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
- Trump Administration has Gutted Budgets for Nuclear Terrorism Prevention
- NATO Document Reveals Location of U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe
- Trump Adviser Pushed for Saudi Nuclear Deal as He Sought Admin. Role
Nuclear Testing
- Marshall Islands Still Ten Times More Radioactive than Chernobyl
- North Korea Hints it May Restart Nuclear Testing
Nuclear Disarmament
- Talks Held in Vienna to Salvage Iran Nuclear Deal
Nuclear Monitoring
- Massive 2017 Radiation Leak Traced to Russia’s Mayak Complex
Nuclear Close Calls
- Russian Submarine Crew Dies Preventing Nuclear Accident on the Seafloor
Resources
- Warheads to Windmills: How to Pay for a Green New Deal
Foundation Activities
- Peace Literacy in the Workplace: Summer Workshop in Corvallis, Oregon
- New Annual Report Now Available
- Sadako Peace Day
- Peace Literacy Brings Realistic Hope to Minneapolis
- Cities Must Save Themselves from the Nuclear Weapons Threat
- Letter in the Los Angeles Times
Take Action
- Stop This Crime Against Humanity
Quotes
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Time for Transition
by David Krieger
After serving for 37 years as the founding president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, I will be transitioning to a new role, that of president emeritus, at the end of 2019. Rick Wayman, with whom I’ve worked closely for the past 12 years, will take over as the new CEO of the Foundation. Rick will be bringing to the position deep knowledge about nuclear issues and a strong commitment to abolishing nuclear weapons, along with great energy, leadership skills, and a connection to today’s younger generation. I feel confident that I will be leaving the Foundation in very good hands.
When we founded the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation nearly four decades ago, we did it with a hope and a dream. We knew the Foundation was needed, but we didn’t know if it could survive in an atmosphere of ignorance and apathy. Yet, here we are, still fighting for an ethical and peaceful future.
To read more, click here.
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The Technological Imperative for Ethical Evolution
by Martin Hellman
Almost overnight, the Manhattan Project transformed ethical decision making from a purely moral concern into one that is essential for the survival of civilization. In the words of Albert Einstein, “The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.”
Environmental crises such as climate change, along with recent technological breakthroughs in genetic engineering, AI, and cyber-technology are adding to the technological imperative for accelerating humanity’s ethical evolution.
To read Martin Hellman’s full lecture at the annual meeting of Nobel laureates in Lindau, Germany, click here.
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Here’s Why We Shouldn’t Dismiss the Trump-Kim Meetings
by Gloria Steinem, Christine Ahn, Abigail Disney, Suzy Kim, and Jody Williams
When President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un met at the Demilitarized Zone last month, and Trump became the first U.S. president to take steps in North Korea, the overwhelming response was cynicism.
Believe us, we know that the continuing saga between the United States and North Korea is confusing and complicated. We understand the temptation to get caught up in — and be skeptical of — the theatrics. But in our work as activists and academics, we’ve all been to the Demilitarized Zone, met North Korean women and immersed ourselves deeply in this issue. And, at this critical moment, we implore you all to remember that what happens next is bigger than either Trump or Kim.
To read the full op-ed in Time Magazine, click here.
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A Conversation With David Krieger
by Sandy Jones
Who were the biggest influences on your life? Is there any one particular person who stands out as the most influential person?
There were many people who exerted influence on my life, but three women stand out: my mother, my wife and the woman I worked for and with at the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. My mother believed that I could do whatever I set my mind on doing, and she made possible my first trip to Japan. My wife, Carolee, stood by me through the uncertainty of my refusing to participate in the Vietnam War and the uncertainty of creating and developing the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Elisabeth Mann Borgese showed me the possibility of following one’s dreams to create a better world. In her case, it was the dream of peace through harmonizing the functional uses of the oceans in a much needed new law of the sea. She saw the oceans as the “common heritage of mankind,” and believed that just as life began in the oceans and then came onto the land, a new law of the seas would spark a new international law for humankind.
To read more, click here.
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U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy
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Trump Administration has Gutted Budgets for Nuclear Terrorism Prevention
Over the past two years, the Department of Homeland Security has quietly been cutting the budgets of programs put in place after 9/11 to prevent terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction. Moreover, these changes were made without any review of potential security vulnerabilities.
More than 30 current and former employees and contractors at DHS have warned that these changes put Americans at greater risk. The agency’s only response is that the changes are aimed at “remov[ing] bureaucratic redundancy” and are intended to “align with [Trump’s] National Security Strategy.”
David Willman, “Trump administration has gutted programs aimed at detecting weapons of mass destruction” Los Angeles Times, July 18, 2019.
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NATO Document Reveals Location of U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe
Although it is an open secret that the United States deploys nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey under the auspices of NATO, the precise locations of the weapons are rarely discussed by governments.
A recently-published document attributed to Canadian Senator Joseph Day said that U.S. nuclear gravity bombs “are stored at six U.S. and European bases: Kleine Brogel in Belgium; Büchel in Germany; Aviano and Ghedi-Torre in Italy; Volkel in The Netherlands; and Incirlik in Turkey.” This passage has since been edited out of the document.
Brendan Cole, “Where Are U.S. Nuclear Weapons Stored in Europe?” Newsweek, July 17, 2019.
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Trump Adviser Pushed Saudi Nuclear Deal as He Sought Administration Role
Top Trump campaign fundraiser Tom Barrack is said to have pushed for a deal that would supply reactors to Saudi Arabia early on in the Trump Administration. This push came concurrently with Barrack lobbying for a position as the Trump Administration’s special envoy to the Middle East. Barrack’s own private equity firm would have been one of the companies involved in the process if approved by Congress.
This report comes as part of a larger investigation by House Democrats into the complex relationship between Trump’s inner circle and foreign business interests and opportunities. Another company well-positioned to bid on the prospective Saudi reactor contract was IP3 International, a conglomerate of U.S. companies that listed ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn as a key adviser.
Sharon LaFranier, “Trump Adviser Pursued Saudi Nuclear Deal as He Sought Administration Role” The New York Times, July 29, 2019
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Marshall Islands Still Ten Times More Radioactive than Chernobyl
Surveys conducted on the soil of Bikini and Enewetak Atolls found concentrations of plutonium-239 and plutonium-240 almost ten times higher than in the soil of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Gamma radiation levels are also higher than previously reported on Bikini, Enewetak, and Rongelap Atolls.
These on-site measurements contradict official estimates of radiation levels based on calculations taken in the past. Another area of critical concern is “The Dome” on Runit Island, a 100-meter-wide crater filled with debris and sealed with concrete. The dome sits on permeable rock and is leaking radioactive material into the surrounding ocean.
David Bressan, “After 61 Years, U.S. Testing Site For Nuclear Weapons Still 10 Times More Radioactive Than Chernobyl” Forbes, July 25, 2019.
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North Korea Hints it May Resume Nuclear Testing
North Korea has restarted missile testing and may resume nuclear testing amid tensions surrounding joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises on the peninsula. At their first meeting in Singapore last year, Trump committed to halting the yearly exercise as a sign of good faith to the Kim regime, but the U.S. and South Korea have shown no signs of slowing preparations for the yearly show of force.
North Korea last tested a long-range missile in November 2017. It tested two short-range missiles earlier this month, while its last nuclear test took place in September 2017. North Korea has long viewed the yearly joint exercises as rehearsals for an invasion.
Min Joo Kim, “North Korea hints it may resume nuclear testing, accuses U.S. of reneging on pact” The Washington Post, July 16, 2019.
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Talks Held in Vienna to Salvage Iran Nuclear Deal
Amid tensions surrounding the U.S. exit from the deal, the seizing of tankers by both Iran and the U.K., and Iran’s acknowledgement of breaching production restrictions on enriched uranium, officials from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China have held “constructive” talks with representatives from Iran in Vienna.
The talks aim to stabilize the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action amidst a series of escalating tensions that began with the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement in 2018.
“Talks Held in Vienna to Salvage Iran Nuclear Deal” BBC News, July 28, 2019.
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Massive 2017 Radiation Leak Traced to Russia’s Mayak Complex
Experts claim the source of a continent-spanning cloud of radioactive material detected in 2017 has been isolated to Russia’s Mayak nuclear facility, which hosts both a civilian reactor and a uranium enrichment facility. Russia had previously denied that the cloud came from within its border, suggesting instead that the nuclear battery from a satellite burning during re-entry caused the contamination.
The Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Security in Paris, however, noted that the most probable location for the release was located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains in Russia, where Mayak is located. The release was puzzling to experts because it was limited solely to Ruthenium-106, while an event like a meltdown or explosion would have caused a release of multiple types of radioactive isotopes. It appears, however, that the release was related to an order of materials by an Italian nuclear facility from Mayak before the incident occurred.
Ruby Prosser Scully, “Gigantic, mysterious radiation leak traced to facility in Russia” New Scientist, July 29, 2019
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Russian Submarine Crew Dies Preventing Nuclear Accident on the Seafloor
Fourteen Russian submariners died on July 1st aboard a small nuclear-powered submarine in the Barents Sea attempting to combat a fire that could have destroyed the vessel – and contaminated the ocean bottom.
The sailors, most of them senior officers in the Russian Navy, prevented disaster by sealing themselves into the area of the sub that was aflame, protecting the rest of the crew and the sub’s nuclear reactor and propulsion systems from the fire.
Sean Gallagher, “Russian spy sub crew prevented nuclear accident at cost of their lives” Ars Technica, July 8, 2019.
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Warheads to Windmills: How to Pay for a Green New Deal
The group NuclearBan.US has published a new report entitled “Warheads to Windmills: How to Pay for a Green New Deal.” The report outlines the many ways in which getting rid of nuclear weapons will help humanity to survive the existential threats that we face.
Paying for a Green New Deal is going to require money, skills, jobs, technological innovation, and infrastructure on an unprecedented scale. Eliminating nuclear weapons will free up a huge amount of resources, and will help to transform our relationship with the rest of the world.
To read a copy of the report, click here.
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Peace Literacy in the Workplace: Summer Workshop in Corvallis, Oregon
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and the Phronesis Lab at Oregon State University invite you to a three-day workshop from August 22-24, 2019 in Corvallis, Oregon.
The workshop is geared toward helping both employers and employees build the skills needed to develop more collaborative, empathy-driven workplaces. Our model combines West Point leadership training with the best practices in non-violence developed by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. We use this unique formulation to help you diminish work-place tensions, promote productive communication, and understand the structural and interpersonal dynamics that can lead to harassment and bullying. We help you to re-imagine a workplace where people value each other and find more enjoyment in what they do.
For more information and to register, click here.
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New Annual Report Now Available
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has published its 2018 annual report, providing a detailed overview of the Foundation’s programs and shining a light on David Krieger’s 37 years of leadership.
To read a copy of our annual report online, click here.
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Peace Literacy Brings Realistic Hope to Minneapolis
In June 2019, NAPF Peace Literacy Director Paul K. Chappell and Dr. Sharyn Clough, Peace Literacy Curriculum Coordinator, delivered a two-day workshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Clough, Professor of Philosophy at Oregon State University, has systematized the curricular resources developed by educators across the U.S. and Canada inspired by Chappell’s groundbreaking ideas.
The response from the workshop has brought the type of hope that Chappell espouses, realistic hope—and something more: great excitement. While the Peace Circle initially hoped for 30-40 committed attendees, the training attracted 60 attendees committed to getting Peace Literacy into Twin Cities’ schools. Smaller teams plan to engage other churches and community groups, teacher training programs and political campaigns.
To read more about this workshop, click here.
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Sadako Peace Day on August 6
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s annual Sadako Peace Day commemoration will take place on August 6 at Westmont College in Montecito, California.
There will be music, poetry, and reflection in remembrance of the victims of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and of all innocent victims of war.
Click here to download a flyer with more information.
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Cities Must Save Themselves from the Nuclear Weapons Threat
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has partnered with Soka Gakkai International, the Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons to organize a side event at the 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference, which will take place in Salt Lake City from August 26-28.
The theme of the UN conference revolves around Sustainable Development Goal 11: making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
In our side event, we will be talking about two ways that cities have begun speaking out about the nuclear weapons threat: the Back from the Brink Campaign, and the ICAN Cities Appeal. We will also feature speakers from Salt Lake City, who will describe the process that their city went through to pass its resolution against nuclear weapons in April 2019.
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Letter in the Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times published a letter to the editor written by Sandy Jones, NAPF’s Director of Communications. Her letter addressed the extensive radioactive mess the United States has left behind in the Marshall Islands.
Jones wrote, “We can never take it back — 67 nuclear weapons tests, performed on the beautiful Marshall Islands by the U.S. government from 1946-58.” She continued, “But we can learn. We can learn that the current U.S. plan to spend $1.7 trillion on its nuclear arsenal is flat out wrong. Imagine how far that money would go to making the world a better place.”
To read the full letter in the LA Times, click here.
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Stop This Crime Against Humanity
Twenty years ago, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation played a role in the effort to establish the International Criminal Court. Respect for international law has been at the forefront of our efforts for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons since NAPF was founded in 1982.
That’s why we are so shocked and outraged at the U.S. government’s treatment of asylum seekers and migrants at the nation’s southern border: family separation, deplorable conditions in detention centers, and even deaths of children and adults alike while in U.S. custody.
Ben Ferencz, a member of the NAPF Advisory Council and the last living Nuremberg prosecutor, called the Trump administration’s family separation policy “a crime against humanity.
Click here to write to your Senators and Representative and tell them that they must do everything in their power to stop these crimes from continuing.
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“We must learn the lessons of history, that we may learn to identify and avoid the paths that lead to war.”
— Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. This quote appears in the book Speaking of Peace: Quotations to Inspire Action, which is available to purchase in the NAPF Peace Store.
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“The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons carries a high risk for catastrophe. Is there a military justification for continuing to accept that risk? The answer is no.”
— Robert S. McNamara, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense
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“These [nuclear] bombs were bult as ‘weapons’ for ‘war,’ but their significance greatly transcends war and all its causes and outcomes. They grew out of history, yet they threaten to end history. They were made by men, yet they threaten to annihilate man. They are a pit into which the whole world can fall – a nemesis of all human intentions, actions, and hopes.”
— Jonathan Schell, The Fate of the Earth
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Alex Baldwin
David Krieger
Carol Warner
Rick Wayman
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