Nuclear Weapons

  • Anniversaries have a way of generating reflection and re-assessment, and that is a good thing. But next week’s anniversary of the Fukushima catastrophe risks missing a huge piece of the story – that ALL things nuclear are inherently risky and that our assumptions about how we can control them need to be rethought.

    March 9, 2012 - By Paul Carroll
  • There are plenty of songs out there that reference some kind of nuclear holocaust but few, if any, are as up-tempo and cheerful as satirist Tom Lehrer’s “We will all go Together when We Go.” This performance was recorded in 1967, in the midst of the Cold War.

    March 5, 2012 - By Peter Fedewa
  • Last week, hopeful news of potential cuts to the U.S. nuclear arsenal floated through Washington. A classified report from the Pentagon is being prepared for President Obama’s review, which has been reported to provide three ranges for possible nuclear reductions: 1,100 to 1,000, 800 to 700, or 400 to 300.

    February 23, 2012 - By Rebecca Remy
  • All countries can – and must – do more to secure nuclear materials. And countries must take action today, not the day after terrorists explode a nuclear device in a major city.

    January 19, 2012 - By Kelly Bronk
  • Today, the B-2 Stealth bomber is capable of delivering 1,280 times the destructive power that the Enola Gay brought to bear on Hiroshima in 1945. On a scale, what does that look like? And, more to the point isn’t it a little excessive? Take a look below and judge for yourself. If you make it all the way, leave a comment and let us know what you think.

    January 13, 2012 - By Peter Fedewa
  • Today, standing with his top military officials, President Obama rolled out new guidance that realigns the Pentagon toward today’s strategic realities.

    January 5, 2012 - By Ben Loehrke
  • The idea of ‘peace on earth’ is thrown around a lot this time of year. At Ploughshares Fund, we’re working to make it a reality. With the elimination of each nuclear weapon, we get closer to that goal. Whether we are urging Congress to reduce the nuclear budget, bringing together American...

    December 23, 2011 - By Megan Murphy
  • In a recent article, Jeffrey Lewis of Arms Control Wonk outlined what could happen to U.S. nuclear forces under a sequestration budget. He illustrates that even with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s so-called “doomsday” cuts to nuclear weapons related activities, the U.S. could still field enough warheads to greatly surpass the limits put in place by New START.

    What could that “doomsday” look like if the U.S. maximized its nuclear forces? (View at full size)

    December 5, 2011 - By Peter Fedewa
  • Wonky. Scientific. Complex. Dense.

    November 10, 2011 - By Kelly Bronk
  • As our nation looked back ten years in remembrance of the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, many commentators reflected on two questions: have our efforts made us safer, and how much work is left to be done?

    September 12, 2011 - By Megan Murphy