The disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel is an environmental and economic responsibility for the United States government. Successive administrations have failed to find a solution since the nuclear chain-reaction was envisioned for civilian energy generation in 1946. Through the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA), Congress assigned the management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel to the […]
NATO 2030: What the new Strategic Concept should say about nuclear weapons
By Shane Ward Eleven years after its last Strategic Concept, NATO faces its most critical self-assessment since the Cold War. “Our security environment is more complex and contested than ever before,” Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated earlier this year. “We are adapting to a more competitive world.” The new Strategic Concept, which establishes NATO’s “enduring […]
Quotes from Trinity Test observers
Today marks the 76th anniversary of the dawn of the nuclear age with the Trinity Test in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The Manhattan Project scientists and others who witnessed the first nuclear test were in awe. Many were silent. Here’s a compilation of their words: We knew the world would not be the same. A […]
MEMO: Advice to President Biden on Arms Control With Russia
By John Erath It was announced this week that President Joe Biden will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16 in Geneva. As one who focuses on non-proliferation and arms control for a living, I hope these issues will feature prominently on the agenda. And, as one who spent many years preparing policy makers […]
Updated global nuclear weapons count
By John Isaacs The indomitable Hans Kristensen of the Federation of Americans Scientists, along with his colleague Matt Korda, has produced authoritative estimates of the world’s nuclear stockpiles. When in the past, the United States government has tried to shield the number of American weapons behind high walls of classification, Hans and Matt have provided spot-on numbers. United States nuclear weapons 5,500 – total inventory, including retired warheads awaiting […]
