LLAW’s All Things Nuclear #668, Friday, (06/21/2024)
LLAW’s All Things Nuclear #668, Friday, (06/21/2024)
“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Human
From the left, clockwise, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un, the leaders of the U.S., Russia, China and North Korea, respectively. A Harvard expert has suggested that we are closer to... More PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NEWSWEEK/GETTY IMAGES
LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Friday, (06/21/2024)
For the complete text of Harvard Professor Bunn’s click on the link to the journal “Science” in the third paragraph of the Newsweek article.
My problem with these kinds of stories is that they almost always bring up the issue of elapsing treaties and half-way civilized leaders of the 9 countries that have nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Neither issue is the case so far as relying on avoiding nuclear war is concerned. Pretending that humans are humanitarian and will do the right thing has disappeared forever (if, in fact, it ever existed, which I doubt). We are now faced with nuclear weapons capable of destroying all life on planet Earth hundreds if not thousands of times over with nothing more than the presently existing nuclear weapons. The reduction in quantity since 1962 is meaningless, having been replaced by incredibly more powerful bombs. An entire city and its surrounds, such as Washington, D.C. can be totally destroyed with just one of several thousand nuclear bombs presently in existence and ready to launch.
The only effective avoidance of nuclear war thus far, especially in recent years, has been a thing called ‘deterrence’, which consists of world leaders’ lying, threatening one another with “I am tougher than you” face-to-face threats like grade-school kids on a recess playground confrontation. But ‘deterrence’ cannot continue to be the spoiler of nuclear war because continuing to build more and more bigger, stronger, far more powerful nuclear weapons in order to threaten supposedly weaker nations becomes an impossible defense because such threats are already meaningless fabrications and have grown beyond belief as well as patently unaffordable to continue on in defense of an awaiting nuclear holocaust. As Annie Jacobsen writes in her book “Nuclear War: A Scenario”, “deterrence has failed.” In other words the ‘lying games’ are all over with, and nuclear war is inevitable. ~llaw
Published Jun 20, 2024 at 2:00 PM EDTUpdated Jun 21, 2024 at 7:03 AM EDT
01:03
Putin Warning: World 'Close To Point Of No Return'
By Jess Thomson
Science Reporter
A Harvard professor has warned the world is dangerously close to nuclear war at a time when leading experts key to preventing such conflicts are "aging out," pleading with leaders to urgently seek help from a new generation of scientists and engineers.
Matthew Bunn, a professor of energy, national security and foreign policy, said "the risk of nuclear war has not been so high since the Cuban Missile Crisis" in 1962.
"Dark clouds loom on the nuclear horizon, with threats from all directions," he wrote in an editorial for the scientific journal Science, released Thursday. "The world could soon face an unrestrained arms competition for the first time in over five decades—and a more complex one involving more countries and more technologies."
In his editorial, Bunn warned the 2010 New START Treaty is the last remaining agreement limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear forces, but it expires in 2026, with Russia blocking required inspections and no new talks underway.
He pointed to a global landscape that is marked by heightened nuclear tensions, including: Russia's nuclear threats in the Ukraine conflict; China's construction of numerous missile silos; North Korea's missile testing; ongoing nuclear rivalry between India and Pakistan; and Iran's nuclear ambitions.
In response to these events, U.S. policymakers are contemplating a potential nuclear arms buildup. Additionally, advancements in technologies like hypersonic missiles and artificial intelligence are further destabilizing military balances.
As of 2024, there are more than 12,000 nuclear warheads around the world. According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has around 5,580 warheads, the U.S. has about 5,100, China has 500, and France and the U.K. have 290 and 225, respectively. India and Pakistan each have about 170, Israel has 90 and North Korea 50.
Historically, non-governmental dialogues among scientists and engineers have facilitated arms control agreements, Bunn said.
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:
There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
All Things Nuclear
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power Emergencies
Nuclear War
Nuclear War Threats
Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Friday, (06/21/2024)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
Opinion: The great powers are itching for another nuclear arms race. Who will stop them?
Los Angeles Times
More deployed nuclear weapons are an existential danger to us all. Don't leave it to generals, bureaucrats and politicians to decide your fate.
Donald Trump's horrifying thoughts on pressing nuclear button revealed in upcoming book ...
The Economic Times
Former Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello has made startling revelations about the horrifying thoughts of Donald Trump in his upcoming book ...
Peter Dutton's nuclear fiction ignores too many legal obstacles - Crikey
Crikey
I felt conflicted about treating Peter Dutton's nuclear “policy” as serious enough to warrant any response at all. But then I read an ABC headline ...
Nuclear Power
NEW
Coalition's nuclear power plant proposal draws mixed opinions from Port Augusta community - ABC
ABC
... nuclear power plants it has pledged to build if elected. Mayor Linley Shine says a number of energy and infrastructure proposals have been ...
Peter Dutton's nuclear plan is an economic disaster that would leave Australians paying ...
The Guardian
Almost all nuclear power plants in Europe and North America were constructed in the 1970s and 1980s.
A bipartisan energy bill boosting nuclear power heading to President Biden's desk
The Mercury News
Democrats and Republicans just passed legislation aimed at promoting the growth of future nuclear power plants, and President Joe Biden is ...
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
Army's Nuclear teams trained with Rangers and Green Berets - Task & Purpose
Task & Purpose
A unique team of Army soldiers who train to defuse nuclear emergencies ... NDTs train for doomsday-style scenarios like sabotaged nuclear power plants ...
Nuclear War
NEWS
U.S. and China hold first informal nuclear talks in five years | Reuters
Reuters
Beijing's representatives told U.S. counterparts that they would not resort to atomic threats over Taiwan.
Harvard Expert Issues Urgent Nuclear War Warning: 'Dark Clouds Loom' - Newsweek
Newsweek
The world could soon face "unrestrained arms competition...involving more countries and more technologies," Harvard nuclear tension expert Matthew ...
Joe Biden must publicise Russian nuclear threat to avoid 'day zero': US lawmaker
South China Morning Post
Ominous words from chairman of House Intelligence committee uttered amid reports Moscow is developing an anti-satellite nuclear weapon.
Nuclear War Threats
NEW
Harvard Expert Issues Urgent Nuclear War Warning: 'Dark Clouds Loom' - Newsweek
Newsweek
... nuclear war has not been so high since the Cuban Missile Crisis" in 1962. "Dark clouds loom on the nuclear horizon, with threats from all ...
Putin's threat of nuclear war is 'not a joke' - YouTube
YouTube
Putin's threat of nuclear war is 'not a joke'. 3K views · 5 hours ago ... Biden's FTC Chair SHAKING After Jim Jordan Details Her Threats Against Witness.
Putin Issues Nuclear Warning to West - Newsweek
Newsweek
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened on Thursday to change Russia's nuclear doctrine over claims that the West is "lowering the threshold ...
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
Unveiling The Threat: How Yellowstone Volcano Could Affect Texas - KLAQ
KLAQ
Even though Yellowstone is miles away in Wyoming, the Yellowstone Caldera is still considered one of the BIGGEST supervolcanoes in the world. Now ...
A Big Volcano near Idaho Could be ready for a New Eruption
News Radio 1310 KLIX
It may also be nothing, but seismic activity beneath Yellowstone has calmed. We're told that it's pretty close due to an eruption. It goes up roughly ...
Models Show What Could Happen in Montana if Mount St. Helens Erupts Again
Newstalk KGVO
Living in Montana and our proximity to the Yellowstone caldera, we're aware that volcanic features regularly produce small earthquakes. While the ...