Nuclear war nuclear proliferation and their consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aga Khan, Sadruddin

1986-01-01

The paper concerns the proceedings of a conference hosted by the Groupe de Bellerive to explore and discuss the implications for humanity of nuclear war, nuclear proliferation and their consequences, Geneva 1985. The conference was divided into five sessions, headed by the subject titles: the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and its future, the spread of nuclear weapons among nations, global effects of a nuclear war, the nuclear arms race and arms control, the NPT and its future. Twenty eight papers were presented in the five sessions. (UK)

Nuclear freedom and students' sense of efficacy about prevention of nuclear war

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliver, P. (Univ. of Auckland (New Zealand))

1990-10-01

Questionnaire and interview responses of young New Zealanders, living in a nuclear-free zone, reveal general concerns about nuclear war but relatively little personal, subjective worry. Their sense of citizen and national efficacy is stronger than that reported by youngsters in other countries, but is not reflected in feelings of self-efficacy. Responses are compared to those reported in North American and European research, and the importance of adult role models in facilitating children's belief in the efficacy of antinuclear activities is highlighted.

Combating nuclear terrorism in India: preventive nuclear forensic perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghav, N.K.; Lad, J.S.; Deshmukh, A.V.; Jagtap, S.S.

2014-01-01

Nuclear terrorism is constant threat to India by many terrorist organization and neighboring country. These organizations are directly or indirectly aided with nuclear material by terrorism supporting country. Such organization has a significant potential source for acquiring nuclear and other radioactive material. Possibility of leakage is widely feared because of the deteriorating law and order condition, great spur of nuclear proliferation after the cold war and disintegration of USSR. Terrorist could gain access to Nuclear and radioactive material and smuggle to India through porous borders. Preventive forensic approach in screening and searching nuclear and radioactive material will play cardinal role to prevent nuclear disaster happening in India. Future plans could be extracted from terrorists through their narco-tests, brain fingerprinting and a data base on this could be prepared, which could later be used to help prevent any attacks. In present paper authors strongly recommend setting up Preventive Forensic Units in India so that any internal or external nuclear attack could be aborted. (author)

Nuclear war-fighting strategy for the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martel, W.C.

1981-01-01

This dissertation concerns a strategy for fighting and winning a nuclear war. Despite the conventional wisdom that nuclear war is suicidal and occurs only as a result of irrationality, this study analyzes nuclear war as a rational policy option. It is necessary to suggest the radical proposition that nuclear war, like traditional military campaigns, is a political action. Thus, nuclear war can be in the national interest. Further, the countervalue strategy of Mutually Assured Destruction is questioned because city destruction serves no conceivable political or military objective

Nuclear War. The moral dimension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Child, J.W.

1985-01-01

U.S. nuclear policy has become the target of increasing criticism during the past decade. Critics often argue that the use of nuclear weapons would be irrational, would destroy humankind, and thus could not serve any rational policy goal. Other critics point to the immortality of the use of nuclear weapons. Both groups condemn U.S. military policy. In Nuclear War, James Child considers and rejects both these lines of criticism. He argues that a policy of deterrence can be both rational and moral; that U.S. nuclear policy is, on balance, based on rational and moral foundations. Child examines near-term consequences of a nuclear war and finds them ghastly but not unthinkable or incomparable to the havoc produced by previous wars. He also analyzes long-term consequences, such as those proposed by the ''nuclear winter'' theory, and finds the fear of total annihilation of humankind to be unfounded.

Effects of nuclear war on health and health services. 2. edition.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

In 1981 the World Health Assembly decided to establish an international committee of scientists and experts to study and report on the effects of nuclear war on health and health services. The first report, published in 1984, concluded that it was impossible to prepare health services to deal in any systematic way with a catastrophe resulting from nuclear warfare. This second report incorporates the results of new studies using modern analytical techniques. It focuses not only on the direct effects of nuclear conflict on human beings, but also on the environmental effects - on climate, agriculture and social and economic infrastructure, all of which would profoundly influence human life in both the short- and long-term. The psychological effects of living under the threat of nuclear war are also examined. The experts concluded that no health service anywhere in the world would be able to deal significantly with the appalling health consequences of nuclear war, especially since the health services themselves would be largely destroyed or incapacitated. In the circumstances the experts emphasized the importance of preventing a nuclear conflict. Refs, figs and tabs

From Just War to Nuclear Pacifism: The Evolution of U.S. Christian Thinking about War in the Nuclear Age, 1946–1989

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen R. Rock

2018-05-01

Full Text Available During the Cold War, two basic schools of thought emerged among U.S. Christian leaders and ethicists concerning the implications of the nuclear revolution for the use of force by the United States. The just war thinkers held that nuclear war could in fact be conducted within the bounds of traditional just war principles, particularly those of discrimination and proportionality. Since nuclear weapons could be used in war, it followed that they could and should be developed and produced for that purpose and for the purpose of deterrence. The nuclear pacifists held that nuclear war could not be conducted within the confines of traditional just war principles. Since by its nature nuclear war could not be moral, there was no reason for the development and production of nuclear weapons, except for the purpose of deterrence. And since nuclear deterrence required one to make threats of nuclear destruction that it would not be moral to carry out, and, moreover, carried unacceptable risks of miscalculation and inadvertent or accidental use of nuclear weapons, deterrence itself could not be justified, except perhaps as a temporary way station on the path to nuclear disarmament. Although the just war thinkers initially held sway, over time they became less dominant. By the middle of the 1980s, the U.S. Catholic Church and most of the largest Mainline Protestant denominations had formally adopted a nuclear pacifist position. This essay chronicles the victory of nuclear pacifism in these churches, explains it as a reaction to the nuclear weapons and doctrine advocated by the just war thinkers, and implemented by the U.S. government and military, as well as other events and trends in American society, and inquires as to whether or not the just war thinkers and nuclear pacifists influenced the course of U.S. policy.

Food availability after nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cropper, W.P. Jr.; Harwell, M.A.

1985-01-01

The analysis of acute-phase food shortage vulnerabilities for 15 countries clearly indicates that in many countries massive levels of malnutrition and starvation are a possible outcome of a major nuclear war. The principal direct cause of such food shortages would be the climatic disturbances and societal disruptions during the initial post-war year. Even without climatic disturbances, import-dependent countries could suffer food shortages. Many of the countries with the highest levels of agricultural production and storage would probably be targets of nuclear weapons. It seems unlikely that food exports would continue from severely damaged countries, thus propagating effects to non-combatant countries. A similar analysis of food storage vulnerability in 130 countries indicates that a majority of people live in countries with inadequate food stores for such major perturbations. This is true even if consumption rates of 1,000 kcal . person/sup -1/ . day/sup -1/ are assumed rather than 1,500 kcal . person/sup -1/ . day/sup -1/. This vulnerability is particularly severe in Africa, and South America. Even though most of the countries of these continents have no nuclear weapons and are not likely to be targeted, the human consequences of a major nuclear war could be nearly as severe as in the principal combatant countries. Few countries would have sufficient food stores for their entire population and massive mortality would result if only pre-harvest levels were available. These conclusions represent an aspect of nuclear war that has only been recently realized. The possibility of climatic disturbances following a large nuclear war has introduced a new element to the global consequences expected. Not only are the populations of the major combatant countries at risk in a nuclear exchange, but also most of the global human population

Potential effects of nuclear war on agricultural productivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harwell, M.A.; Cropper, W.P. Jr.

1985-01-01

The authors examine the vulnerabilities of agricultural systems to nuclear war-induced climatic perturbations and to other, indirect effects of nuclear war. Discussion is included of the dependency of agricultural production on technological inputs and the effects of loss or reduction of these inputs in a post-nuclear war world

Humanity cannot survive a nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrlich, P.R.

1985-01-01

The author documents the unprecedented disaster that a nuclear war would wreak. He and his colleagues conclude that a nuclear war may mean the end of the human species. The environment that will confront most human beings and other organisms after a thermonuclear holocaust will be so altered, and so malign, that extreme and widespread damage to living systems is inevitable. It is, for example, entirely possible that the biological impacts of a war, apart from those resulting directly from a blast, fire, and prompt radiation, could result in the end of civilization in the Northern Hemisphere. The author's primary task in this paper is to give some technical background to explain why numerous biologists, especially ecologists, are convinced that decision-makers in many nations vastly underrate the potential risks of nuclear war

Nuclear war effects studied

Science.gov (United States)

Widespread starvation resulting from changes in climate in the aftermath of a large-scale nuclear war could kill far more people than would the bombs themselves. That prediction was made in a recent study by the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), an a rm of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). “Noncombatant and combatant countries alike” would risk mass starvation; SCOPE predicted that all told, 2.5 billion people could die as a result of crop failures and breakdowns in food distribution after a nuclear war.

Adolescents' knowledge of nuclear issues and the effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roscoe, B.; Goodwin, M.P.

1987-01-01

Three hundred fifty-seven college students were surveyed to assess later adolescents' awareness of the status of nuclear arms development and possible effects of a nuclear war on people and the environment. Chi-square analyses were performed to determine whether the frequency of correct responses differed with regard to participants' sex, political orientation, and position toward the United States' possession of nuclear weapons. Results suggest that later adolescents are extremely uninformed regarding the current status of nuclear issues and the consequences of a nuclear war. These data, coupled with findings from previous studies reporting children's and adolescents' concerns and fears about nuclear war, indicate that there is a strong need to educate young people concerning nuclear issues

Climatic effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Covey, C.

1985-01-01

Global climatic consequences of a nuclear war have, until recently, been assumed to be insignificant compared with the obviously devastating direct effects from blast, heat, and short-term fallout. But a number of investigations carried out over the past few years indicate that climatic impact could actually be severe enough to threaten the global ecosystem significantly, including regions that may not have been directly involved in the war. This change in perception comes as researchers realize that the fires ignited by nuclear explosions would generate so much smoke that, even spread over a large portion of Earth's surface, densities could be high enough to block most of the sunlight normally reaching the ground. As a result, temperatures could decrease below freezing in a nuclear winter lasting weeks to months. Smoke from fires is what would make nuclear winter so severe. Of necessity, theoretical models are relied upon to estimate the climatic impact of nuclear war. The models incorporate many uncertain assumptions, particularly regarding the small-scale details of smoke production by fires

A Nuclear Dilemma--Korean War Deja Vu

Science.gov (United States)

2006-03-08

USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT A NUCLEAR DILEMMA—KOREAN WAR DEJA VU by Lieutenant Colonel Trent A. Pickering United States Air Force Colonel William...Lieutenant Colonel Trent A. Pickering TITLE: A Nuclear Dilemma—Korean War Deja Vu FORMAT: Strategy Research Project DATE: 8 March 2006 WORD COUNT: 19,270...1. REPORT DATE 15 MAR 2006 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2005 to 00-00-2006 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Nuclear Dilemma--Korean War Deja

After nuclear war - a nuclear winter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tangley, L.

1984-01-01

The environmental and biological consequences of nuclear war were discussed by more than 100 eminent biologists, physicists and atmospheric scientists at the recent World after Nuclear War conference. The long-term effects were determined to be worse than the well-known immediate effects. They predicted that 225 million tons of smoke would be generated within a few days in their baseline scenario. As a result, the amount of sunlight reaching the earth would be reduced to a few percent of normal and temperatures would fall to -23 0 C. About 30% of the northern middle latitudes would receive more than 250 rads radiation dose for several months and about 50% of the land area would receive more than 100 rads. Dangerous levels of solar ultraviolet light would burn through the atmosphere. It was also determined that these effects would be felt in the southern hemisphere. Those who survived the blast, fire and prompt radiation would face starvation from shutdown of plant photosynthesis and inhibition of phytoplankton photosynthesis. Huge wildfires and acid rains would stress any surviving plants and animals. Conference participants agreed that scientists had taken a new and significant step toward understanding the full consequences of nuclear war

Medicine against Cold War. Physicians in the anti-nuclear peace movement of the 1980ies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemper, Claudia

2016-01-01

The book on physicians in the anti-nuclear peace movement of the 19080ies covers the following issues: (I) Frame of the subject: methodology, research fields and actors; (II) The social dimension of the physician's movement; (III) IPPNW (International physicians for the prevention of nuclear war) - a political idea is medicalized and organized, 1980 - 1984; (IV) Borderlines of the international peace idea during the Cold War - IPPNW 1980 - 1986.

Widespread after-effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teller, E.

1984-01-01

Radioactive fallout and depletion of the ozone layer, once believed catastrophic consequences of nuclear war, are now proved unimportant in comparison to immediate war damage. Today, ''nuclear winter'' is claimed to have apocalyptic effects. Uncertainties in massive smoke production and in meteorological phenomena give reason to doubt this conclusion. (author)

Nuclear strategy: the doctrine of just war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raman, Sudha

2006-01-01

It is essential that there be growth in a man's moral standing if he has to deal with the great powers given to him-the greatest being the power to destroy. The bequest of history, diplomacy and war is undeniably disconcerting for the evidence it provides on the role of morality, in life. A return to the ancient and forgotten art of moral reasoning, especially while formulating strategic policies, is de rigueur. The discovery of the nuclear weapons has indeed been serendipitous. And the environment in which one fashions the strategic doctrine for use of nuclear weapons is dynamic. The usefulness of these nuclear weapons is narrow and specific in that its sole purpose is to deter a nuclear attack. History has been witness to strategies been woven around this central theme of deterring a rival or enemy nation, in the process forgetting the existence of the moral threshold. Deterrence is a policy that fashions a situation whereby war can be limited if not averted. It rests on the capability of a nation to deter the enemy and ensure that the credibility of the threat is maintained and respected and employed when necessary. Nuclear weapons deter but there is the pursuit of the absolute means to seek foolproof deterrence. Herein lies the dilemma. The stakes involved in a nuclear war and the use of these weapons stimulate varied and worried debates. To justify a war, arguments tend to get grounded on 'justwar'. The doctrine of Just War is concerned not with what men did in war but what they ought to do or refrain from doing; the jus ad bellum or justification of war and the jus in bello or the limitation of war. The U.S. now stands as the sole 'super' power that is willing to use its military and technical might for a 'just cause'. This has only ensured that though the uniquely perilous results of the use of nuclear weapons have been understood, its use remains entrenched in the mind while future policy decisions are being made. And nuclear weapons 'explode the theory of

Station blackout at nuclear power plants: Radiological implications for nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, C.S.

1986-12-01

Recent work on station blackout is reviewed its radiological implications for a nuclear war scenario is explored. The major conclusion is that the effects of radiation from many nuclear weapon detonations in a nuclear war would swamp those from possible reactor accidents that result from station blackout

The atmospheric and climatic consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagan, C.

1984-01-01

The author discusses his recent research that has uncovered the fact that nuclear war may carry in its wake a climatic catastrophe, which he calls ''nuclear winter.'' He says the effects of nuclear war would not be restricted to the combatant nations. Agriculture in the Northern Hemisphere would be devasted by even a ''small'' nuclear war. The propagating ecological consequences all over the Earth are likely to be severe. The Southern Hemisphere will be cold and dark. Global arsenals, now about twenty times the nuclear winter threshold, are growing

War and public health

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Levy, Barry S; Sidel, Victor W

2008-01-01

... and Prevention, the International Rescue Committee, and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, can reduce the impact of war and contribute to its prevention. The participation of respected and trustworthy intermediaries and the willingness of parties to communicate with each other are two key elements in preventing...

Nuclear war as false memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Timberlake

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper Timberlake outlines aspects of his creative practice as an artist, explaining his fascination for the ‘fictions of nuclear war’ – a war that never happened and so became the subject of ‘false memory’. Highlighting discontinued historical trajectories, the author shows how the cultural legacy of Britain’s nuclear test programme of the 1950s and ’60s may be explored meaningfully in paintings and photography resulting from his archival research at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Living in the Nuclear Age: Families and the threat of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demorest, D.M.

1991-01-01

The main interest of this research was to add to the body of knowledge about the possible psychological impact of the nuclear threat on the family unit. Data were utilized from the Family Interaction, Stress and Nuclear War study conducted by Jules Riskin, M.D. and Victoria Dickerson, Ph.D. at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, California. The sample consisted of ten families who were recruited for this study. In order to examine family-interaction variables and the impact of the threat of nuclear war, a standardized semi-structured family interview was conducted. Topics ranged from ordinary activities to external, non-nuclear stresses such as landslides or hurricanes, to the topic of nuclear war. A distinction is drawn between a family's level of nuclear concern while they discuss nuclear issues and a family's level of nuclear concern when viewed in the context of their overall pattern of family communication. In terms of family coping, family nuclear concern was found to be significantly related to two family-coping strategies. Families who utilized the coping strategies of seeking spiritual support and mobilizing the family to acquire and accept help were significantly less concerned about the threat of nuclear war

Ecological principles relevant to nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchinson, T.C.; Cropper, W.P. Jr.; Grover, H.D.

1985-01-01

The ecological principles outlined are very basic ones; the authors anticipate a readership trained in a broad range of disciplines, including those unfamiliar with the academic discipline of ecology. The authors include substantial discussion on ecophysiology (i.e., the responses of organisms to their environment) because this is relevant to the new understanding of the potential climatic consequences of nuclear war. In particular, the physiological sensitivity of organisms to reduced levels of light and temperature are a key part of the analysis of the potential ecological effects and agricultural effects of nuclear war. Much of the ecological analysis has been organized around major biological units called biomes. The authors describe the biome concept and discuss some of the environmental-climatic factors that are believed to control biome distribution. Emphasis is given to plants because of their controlling influence on ecosystem functions through their role as primary producers. Future reports are needed to address more fully the potential effects on animals. Much more research needs to be done on both plant and animal responses to the types of perturbations possible for the aftermath of a nuclear war. Another important element for analysis of the potential ecological consequences of nuclear war concerns recovery processes. As the post-nuclear war environmental extremes ameliorate, ecological communities in devastated regions would begin to reorganize. It is not possible to predict the course of such a succession precisely, but some principles concerning post-perturbation replacement (such as seed banks and germination), relevant successional patterns, and organism strategies are discussed

Technology and effects of a war with nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, E.

1981-01-01

The development and the status of the nuclear weapons systems and of the systems for their delivery are explained. It will be shown, that all these systems have made tremendous progress since the 1960s. Technical progress has had, especially through the MIRV principle and the cruise missile, a destabilizing influence and threatens the equilibrium of terror. New strategic doctrines for winning rather than preventing nuclear war have come to the foreground. Plans for the tactical first-use of nuclear weapons have been accepted. Alternatively, the retaliation capacity of the opponent could be destroyed by surprise attack - The First Strike. In a nuclear conflict, the commanders-in-chief are overburdened by the need for ultra-urgent decisions. This applies especially to a First Strike situation. As a consequence tendencies in the direction of increasing automatization become ever more conspicuous. The increasing automatization leads to further escalation of insecurity for the whole world. Solutions for the principal problem of the world, war or peace, cannot be found On the level of technology, but only on that of practical policy of detente, disarmament, collaboration and reconciliation. (nowak) [de

Nuclear deterrence and disarmament after the Cold War

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehman, R.F. II

1995-03-01

During the Cold War, nuclear arms control measures were shaped significantly by nuclear doctrine. Consequently, the negotiation of arms control agreements often became a battleground for different nuclear strategies. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union has been declared over. Today, both nuclear weapons policies and arms control objectives are again being reviewed. This document discusses points of this review.

Medical profession and nuclear war: a social history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Day, B.; Waitzkin, H.

1985-01-01

Since World War II, individual physicians and medical organizations in the US have cooperated with the federal government in preparing for nuclear war. While most physicians have maintained a neutral stance, a minority have resisted federal policies. Health professionals participated actively at the wartime laboratories that developed the atomic bomb and in the medical research that followed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Professional organizations helped with civil defense planning for nuclear conflict during the Cold War of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Medical resistance to nuclear war began in the same period, gained wide attention with the growth of Physicians for Social Responsibility in the early 1960s, declined during the Vietnam War, and vastly increased in the early 1980s. Activism by health professionals usually has responded to government policies that have increased the perceived risk of nuclear conflict. The recent return of civil defense planning has stimulated opposition in medical circles. Ambiguities of medical professionalism limit the scope of activism in the nuclear arena. These ambiguities concern the interplay of organized medicine and government, tensions between science and politics, and the difficulties of day-to-day work in medicine while the arms race continues

Genetic consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oftedal, P.

1986-01-01

In the aftermath of a nuclear war, genetic effects may appear trivial in comparison with the enormity of the catastrophic development in the survivors' health and the environment. Gross effects are immediately or subtly demonstrable on the basis of diverse war scenarios. On the other hand, in a great number of organisms, genetic effects of radiation have been shown to occur according to a no-threshold dose-effect curve, thus implying that effects may be found even in situations and population groups where other direct effects are small. The discussions on the effects of nuclear war have indicated that whatever sector of effects is focused on, closer examination has, in each case - be it treatment of casualties, effects on climate, or effects on world trade - led to a picture of possible and often probable catastrophic collapse

How Nuclear South Asia is Like Cold War Europe:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cohen, Michael David

2013-01-01

Conventional wisdom states that the stability-instability paradox does not explain the effect of nuclear proliferation on the conflict propensity of South Asia and that nuclear weapons have had a different and more dangerous impact in South Asia than Cold War Europe. I argue that the paradox...... Europe and South Asia. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf may have adopted more moderate foreign policy towards India after experiencing fear of imminent nuclear war during the ten month mobilised crisis in 2002 as Nikita Khrushchev did forty years earlier. I argue that the stability-instability...... explains nuclear South Asia, that the similarities between nuclear South Asia and Cold War Europe are strong, and that conventional instability does not cause revisionist challenges in the long run. I develop and probe a psychological causal mechanism that explains the impact of nuclear weapons on Cold War...

Climatic effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turco, R.P.; Toon, O.B.; Ackerman, T.P.; Pollack, J.B.; Sagan, C.

1984-01-01

Recent findings by this group confirmed by workers in Europe, the US and the USSR, suggest that the long-term climatic effects of a major nuclear war are likely to be much severer and farther-reaching than had been supposed. In the aftermath of such a war vast areas of the earth could be subjected to prolonged darkness, abnormally low temperatures, violent windstorms, toxic smog and persistent radioactive fallout - in short, the combination of conditions that has come to be known as nuclear winter. In brief, the authors' initial results, published in Science in December, 1983, showed that the potential global atmospheric and climatic consequences of nuclear war...are serious. Significant hemispherical attenuation of the solar radiation flux and subfreezing land temperatures may be caused by fine dust raised in high-yield nuclear surface bursts and by smoke from city and forest fires ignited by airbursts of all yields. Subsequent studies, based on more powerful models of the general circulation of the earth's atmosphere, have tended to confirm both the validity of the authors' investgative approach and the main thrust of their findings. Most of this article is devoted to reviewing the current state of knowledge on this vital issue

The environmental effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacCracken, M.C.

1988-09-01

Substantial environmental disruption will significantly add to the disastrous consequences caused by the direct thermal, blast, and radiological effects brought on by a major nuclear war. Local fallout could cover several percent of the Northern Hemisphere with potentially lethal doses. Smoke from post-nuclear fires could darken the skies and induce temperature decreases of tens of degrees in continental interiors. Stratospheric ozone could be significantly reduced due to nitric oxide injections and smoke-induced circulation changes. The environmental effects spread the consequences of a nuclear war to the world population, adding to the potentially large disruptive effects a further reason to avoid such a catastrophe. 27 refs., 4 figs

Effects of nuclear war on health and health services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This report reviews the findings since 1987 in the field of research related to the possible impact of nuclear war and nuclear explosions on health and health services. An annex contains the finding and conclusions of a 1989 United Nations study on the climatic and other effects of nuclear war. 1 tab

The effects of nuclear war. 2. rev. enl. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodejohann, J.

1982-01-01

Possible and probable effects of a nuclear war in Europe are described on the basis of a study by the Office of Technology Assessment, US Kongress ('The effects of nuclear war', Wash. D.C. 1979). (HP) [de

Sizing Post-Cold War Nuclear Forces

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Oelrich, I

2001-01-01

This study addresses the utility of, and need for, nuclear weapons a decade after the end of the Cold War with special focus on the numbers and types of nuclear weapons appropriate for particular requirements...

Technology of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, E.

1973-01-01

This Article is the Note of a lecture, which was hold by Engelbert Borda at the Catholic-Theological Faculty of the University of Vienna in 27. 03. 1973. The author describes the development of modern nuclear weapon systems and the resulting war strategies. He is concerned about a possible end of the ‚balance of terror’ and the development in automation of nuclear strike back strategies. (rössner) [de

Ten theses for Chernobyl. A friendly address before the 6. international congress of physicians to prevent a nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anders, Guenther

2006-01-01

After having recalled that he already published a first set of theses about the atomic hazard in 1957, and a second one in 1959, the philosopher Gunther Anders proposes a new one in which he evokes various notions like carelessness, panic, and emotional reactions, the threat of nuclear on human life, the consequences of nuclear war on health as there will no nurses or doctors any more, the opposition to the fabrication of weapons, the risk associated with the victory of nuclear energy, the meaning of revolution, the fact that the so-called peace is a war

The Justice of Preventive War

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Stephenson, Henry

2004-01-01

In response to the 9/11 attacks and continuing threats of mass-casualty terrorism, the United States has adopted a new security strategy that emphasizes anticipatory actions, including preventive war...

Impacts of Geoengineering and Nuclear War on Chinese Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, L.; Robock, A.

2011-12-01

Climate is one of the most important factors determining crop yields and world food supplies. To be well prepared for possible futures, it is necessary to study yield changes of major crops under different climate scenarios. Here we consider two situations: stratospheric sulfate geoengineering and nuclear war. Although we certainly do not advocate either scenario, we cannot exclude the possibilities: if global warming is getting worse, we might have to deliberately manipulate global temperature; if nuclear weapons still exist, we might face a nuclear war catastrophe. Since in both scenarios there would be reductions of temperature, precipitation, and insolation, which are three controlling factors on crop growth, it is important to study food supply changes under the two cases. We conducted our simulations for China, because it has the highest population and crop production in the world and it is under the strong influence of the summer monsoon, which would be altered in geoengineering and nuclear war scenarios. To examine the effects of climate changes induced by geoengineering and nuclear war on Chinese agriculture, we use the DSSAT crop model. We first evaluate the model by forcing it with daily weather data and management practices for the period 1978-2008 for all the provinces in China, and compare the results to observations of the yields of major crops in China (middle season rice, winter wheat, and maize). Then we perturbed observed weather data using climate anomalies for geoengineering and nuclear war simulations using NASA GISS ModelE. For stratospheric geoengineering, we consider the injection of 5 Tg SO2 per year into the tropical lower stratosphere. For the nuclear war scenario, we consider the effects of 5 Tg of soot that could be injected into the upper troposphere by a war between India and Pakistan using only 100 Hiroshima-size atomic bombs dropped on cities. We perturbed each year of the 31-year climate record with anomalies from each year of

Ecological and demographic consequences of a nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svirezhev, Y.M.

1987-01-01

The impact of a nuclear war upon ecological and demographic processes is estimated. The direct effect of nuclear detonations, the radioactive contamination of territories, the pollution by heavy metals and acid rain, as well as the effect of the sharp decline in temperature of the atmosphere ('nuclear winter') are taken into consideration. Estimated is the extent of destruction for the ecosystems of different types. The recovery of ecosystems is shown to be extremely slow or impossible. Demographic and genetic predictions for the nuclear war consequences are presented for various regions of the world. (author)

Humanity can survive a nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, J.C.

1985-01-01

In this paper, the author expresses his belief that while a nuclear war would be a horrendous experience, the United States could still survive and ultimately recover. The author describes what the United States would be like two weeks after a full-scale attack against major military targets and population centers. He says about one half of the population will survive but their lifestyles will be drastically different. Although water distribution systems could be damaged and water service interrupted, analysis has shown that in most cases enough drinking water would be available. Food would also not be a serious complicating factor. With the right precautions, there is no intrinsic reason why life-support requirements for the survivors of a nuclear attack should not be met. The author also discusses how epidemics and diseases could be avoided. He also explains why the genetic effects of radiation are misunderstood and why a nuclear war would not cause sufficient mutations to threaten the survival of the society. The author concludes that the argument that a nuclear war could eliminate the human species or bring an end to civilization as we know it has not stood up to the light of objective and scientific examination

Clausewitz Nuclear War and Deterrence

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Barr, Alan W

1991-01-01

.... The advent of nuclear weapons and their role in the evolving east-west struggle following the second world war created a situation, however, unforeseen by Clausewitz, where the most basic political...

Planet earth in jeopardy: environmental consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dotto, L.

1986-01-01

An attempt is made to describe the details of what nuclear war could actually mean for the world. The events during and following a possible large-scale exchange of nuclear weapons and all the associated uncertainties are presented. The first major uncertainty involves how many nuclear weapons could be used in the event of war. The discussion chooses half the world's stockpile, or 6000 megatons, as a basis for judging nuclear war's effects. Shock waves, an electromagnetic pulse, searing heat, and ionizing radiation account for the initial deaths and destruction. Petroleum and other organic materials combust to set up a nuclear winter and all the disturbances to agriculture, forests, waters, etc. This is where the book's greatest message comes through: the seriousness of the aftereffects, especially on agriculture, could far exceed the immediate effects

Counterproliferation Strategy: The Role of Preventive War, Preventive Strikes, and Interdiction

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Rak, Claire

2003-01-01

This thesis analyzes the potential effectiveness of preventive war, preventive strikes, and interdiction as tools for the United States to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD...

Nuclear War Education: Teaching the Most Important Academic Subject.

Science.gov (United States)

Ringler, Dick

1983-01-01

The state of nuclear war education in the college curriculum is briefly discussed, and a successful interdisciplinary course is described. Readings are listed for each course emphasis: nuclear science and weapons; consequences of their use; visions and nightmares; paths toward war: language, psychology, and politics; and paths toward peace. (MSE)

Climatic consequences of nuclear war: Working Group No. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knox, J.B.

1985-12-01

Research needs on the climate consequences of nuclear war were discussed. These include: (1) a better definition of the emissions from massive urban fires; (2) the exploration of prescribed forest burns; (3) the dirty cloud problem; (4) microphysical studies of soot; and (5) simulation of the second summer season after nuclear war

Biological effects of nuclear war. I. Impact on humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harwell, M.A.; Grover, H.D.

1985-01-01

The studies of the effects of nuclear war over the last four decades have concentrated almost exclusively on immediate consequences like these, primarily because these were by far the dominant effects on humans and the environment in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Long-term and indirect effects have not been obvious. Detailed studies of the individual detonations over Japan and of nuclear tests since then have characterized well the immediate direct effects of blast, ionizing radiation, and thermal radiation. Such studies form the bases decision makers rely on to develop nuclear policies for the major powers. But the consequences of a large-scale nuclear war cannot be so readily extrapolated from the limited experiences in Japan. In this paper the authors review how the indirect and longer-term consequences for humans and the environment are now becoming better understood. This information fundamentally changes the way a modern nuclear war should be perceived

The biological consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrlich, P.R.

1984-01-01

The author presents the consensus of a group of biologists on the likely biological effects of a large-scale nuclear war. Such a war would leave, at most, scattered survivors in the Northern Hemisphere. Those survivors would be facing extreme cold, hunger, water shortages, heavy smog and darkness without the support of an organized society. The ecosystems would be severly stressed and changing in ways that can't be predicted. In the Southern Hemisphere, events would depend on the degree of propagation of the atmospheric effects from North to South. People living in those areas will be very strongly affected by the war

The biomedicalisation of war and military remains: US nuclear worker compensation in the 'post-Cold War'.

Science.gov (United States)

Krupar, Shiloh

2013-01-01

This paper analyses the recent legislation and administration of United States nuclear worker compensation--the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Programme Act (EEOICPA)--in order to show the domestic impacts of war and the social order that has been established to respond to the Cold War legacy of occupational exposures, illness, and death. Examining the epistemological politics and material effects of compensation, an insufficiently analysed aspect of the Cold War, I argue that the system designed to redress the occupational exposures of nuclear workers accomplishes something else: obscuring the ethical problem of misinformation and missing data from the Cold War era; mobilising an industry of knowledge and market-economic opportunities in the arena of biomedical exposure assessment and dose reconstruction for parts of the former US nuclear complex; and, lastly, dematerialising and depoliticising geographies of the Cold War and its differential impacts through an individualistic epidemiological reprocessing of radiation exposures. The paper shows how the general claims procedure, combined with two methods mandated by EEOICPA--dose reconstruction and the probability of causation--effectively de-link workers from each other, and worksites from homes, pin compensation to a cost-benefit logic, implicate genuine scientific complexity and uncertainty in an ongoing denial of the toxic legacies of war, and ethically undermine the social justice aims of the legislation. The article ends by considering some of the ways that US nuclear workers have responded to living as the remains of both US bomb production and the compensation system.

Just war and nuclear weapons : just war theory and its application to the Korean nuclear weapons issue in Korean Christianity

OpenAIRE

Son, Changwan

2009-01-01

This thesis is primarily an application of the Christian tradition of Just War to the problems arising from the basing of US nuclear weapons in South Korea and the development of nuclear weapons by the regime in the North. The Christian theology of Just War has developed over the last two thousand years, adapting as first Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, through the break down of any enforceable norms in Europe‘s 'Dark Ages‘, to the emergence of the concept of th...

Radiological consequences in New Zealand of a northern-hemisphere dominated nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lassey, K.R.

1987-01-01

The doses delivered to the New Zealand population as a result of a postulated nuclear war are estimated. The postulated war is dominated by northern hemisphere exchanges with some detonations also over Australia; New Zealand is spared direct attack. The doses are estimated conservatively using models from the literature and are of similar order (a few mSv) from both the northern hemisphere conflict and Australian attacks. The impact of the latter supposes a near worst-case prevailing meteorology. The typical somatic effects of such doses are a few hundred cancer inductions protracted over half a century, and perhaps a significant incidence of thyroid disorders if no countermeasures prevent the production and consumption of contaminated milk

The political economics of the permanent war and the political economics of the nuclear war. Strategic approaches for Latin America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez L, I.I.

2005-01-01

This work treats on the hypothesis that the American imperialism uses its nuclear arsenal for reforming geographical spaces that allow him to impel its economic development in the context of the progressive exhaustion of the natural resources of the planet and of the ferocious dispute for market niches and investment destinations, and like the political and military decisions crawl to the different scenarios of economic competition. In the chapter 1 it is insinuated like has been reproduced the Warlike-industrial Complex (CBI) American from the second world postwar period until the present time in the idea of explaining like it is that it is valorized to the capital in scale enlarged starting from the denominated sector producing of destruction means and understanding that the system specifically capitalist is a system where continually the is destroyed previously taken place to manufacture a new merchandise in a luck of creative destruction. In the chapter 2, the topic of the specific contradictions of the CBI is approached that disable him to be the tip of lance of the world imperialism. The chapter 3 try on the productive linkages in the production of nuclear bombs, as well as in the production of the vectors of nuclear transportation and on the implications derived for the world security of the different industries associated to the nuclear energy (as the petroleum, the electricity, the natural gas) and to the transportation vectors of these locating which you/they are the different States where the world supremacy is disputed and that they have like one of its so many negotiation-confrontation letters its nuclear strategic arsenals. What is looked for in a thermonuclear war is the enemy's total elimination, from their offensive capacity, their defensive capacity, until their supplies, their reservations, etc., with the result that the chapters 4 and 5 of this thesis are presented to offer a better understanding that they mean the nuclear arsenals in the

The nuclear lion: What every citizen should know about nuclear power and nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jagger, J.

1991-01-01

The stupendous energy in the atomic nucleus can be used to advance human welfare, and it has been so used ever since we learned how to release it. Nuclear medicine has revolutionized medical diagnosis and treatment, notably in dealing with cancer. Nuclear reactors have provided us with valuable radioactive atoms (radioisotopes) for use in research and industry, and they have given us cheap, clean power, which can drive a ship around the world on a tiny charge of fuel. On the other hand, we have unleashed the awesome power of nuclear weapons, and we must now face the almost incomprehensible devastation that awaits the world as it contemplates nuclear war. An all-out nuclear war would end modern civilization, and might well end humankind, to say nothing of countless other species of plants and animals. It would be, without question the greatest disaster of the last million years of the history of the Earth

Superpower nuclear minimalism in the post-Cold War era?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graben, E.K.

1992-07-01

With the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union, the strategic environment has fundamentally changed, so it would seem logical to reexamine strategy as well. There are two main schools of nuclear strategic thought: a maximalist school, which emphasizes counterforce superiority and nuclear war-fighting capability, and a MAD-plus school, which emphasizes survivability of an assured destruction capability along with the ability to deliver small, limited nuclear attacks in the event that conflict occurs. The MAD-plus strategy is the more logical of the two strategies, because the maximalist strategy is based on an attempt to conventionalize nuclear weapons which is unrealistic

Peace and nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweitzer, A.

1981-01-01

In the fifties and sixties, Albert Schweitzer fought for a policy of peace and warned of the dangers of nuclear war in speeches and publications. Reading his appeals again today, we find that they have lost nothing of their uncanny up-to-dateness. Just the opposite: The disaster predicted by Albert Schweitzer is a stronger threat now than it was at his time. (orig./HP) [de

Additional potential effects of nuclear war on ecological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchinson, T.C.; Harwell, M.A.; Cropper, W.P. Jr.; Grover, H.D.

1985-01-01

The authors summarize biological and ecosystem responses to enhanced UV-B, air pollutants, radiation, and fire. The concentrations and biological responses associated with these perturbations are based on current experience and experimentation. Additional research is needed to quantify probable post-nuclear war exposures and potential responses. A summary is provided of all the potential effects of nuclear war on the variety of the Earth's ecosystems, including perturbations from climatic alterations, radiation, pollutants, and UV-B

Nuclear De-Alerting and the Search for Post-Cold War Nuclear Policy

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fortney, Michael

1999-01-01

...... you just can't seem to get rid of it." While no longer the predominant defense issue, many still grapple with the strategic nuclear issue, wondering what we need to do with our "Cold War" nuclear arsenal...

The peace and nuclear war dictionary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, S.R.

1989-01-01

The Peace and Nuclear War Dictionary is organized so that entries and supplementary data can be located easily and quickly. Items are arranged alphabetically throughout, rather than grouped into chapters. When doubtful about how to locate an entry, consult the general index. Page numbers for terms appear in the index in heavy black type; subsidiary concepts discussed within entries can be found in the index, identified by page numbers in regular type. For study purposes, numerous entries have also been subsumed under major topical headings in the index, affording the reader access to broad classes of related information. The reader can also fully explore a topic by employing the extensive cross-references included in all entries. Many entries can be found as subsidiary terms, but in each case the concept is related to the main entry. The author has adopted the format of this book to provide the reader a variety of useful applications. These include its use as a dictionary and ready reference guide to the global language of peace and nuclear war; a study guide for introductory courses in Nuclear War and Peace of International Relations, or for any specialized course in the area; a supplement to a textbook or a group of paperback monographs adopted for use in these courses; a source of review material for the political science major enrolled in advanced courses; and a social science aid for use in business, education, government, policy sciences, and journalism

Atmospheric effects of a nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birks, J.W.

1983-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: nuclear war scenario (assumptions of size and place of explosions); fires; urban and forest fires; smoke and soot; darkness; meteorological and climatic effects; photochemical smog; ozone shield depletion; conclusions. (U.K.)

Climatic effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crutzen, P.J.

1987-01-01

Although considerable further research has been conducted since the writing of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) study, the main conclusions reached in early 1986 about the potential climatic, atmospheric, chemical, ecological, and agricultural consequences of a nuclear war are still valid, also taking into account the latest research results by Thompson and Schneider (1986). The main finding of the SCOPE study is that severe, large-scale, possibly global, climatic disturbances could result from a nuclear war in which a substantial fraction (10% or more) of the combustible materials in the NATO and Warsaw Pact nations would burn, producing several tens of million tonnes of soot. This could be caused by nuclear attacks on less than a hundred of the most important urban and industrial centres of these nations. As a consequence, it is estimated that surface temperatures might drop by more than 10 deg. C over a large fraction of the continents in the northern hemisphere and that rainfall could also be strongly reduced. These effects could last for weeks, maybe years. In many parts of the northern hemisphere agricultural productivity would be severely reduced, contributing to serious food shortages. 37 refs, 5 figs, 4 tabs

Is there a role for third parties in the prevention of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallensteen, P.

1991-01-01

Power has an important, but elusive, factor in mediation and conflict resolution. This is clear from a foregoing discussion of relations between parties of different status and of the participation of major powers as mediators. This paper discusses the two situations that are most relevant for the problem of nuclear war: the relations between major powers themselves, and the relations between major powers and regional conflicts with a potential of escalation. These situations differ in ways that affect the possibilities and usefulness of third-party activities. some conclusions on mediation can be drawn for each specific category and for more general ones

The history of Finnish nuclear non-proliferation policy during the cold war. What did the Finns know about nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahosniemi, A.

2004-03-01

This article is a summary of the Finnish historical survey during the Cold War. In the article, I try to show how the Finnish Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy during the Cold War is linked to the broader context of the Finnish foreign and security policy. In the research report I have focused on several questions. One of the most important is the following: What did the Finns know about nuclear weapons during the Cold War? And in this context scientific knowledge is meant by knowing something about nuclear weapons. Basically, the Finnish national based survey of nuclear non-proliferation policy attempted to investigate issues like the kind of research concerning Nuclear Technology in general, Nuclear weapons, and Nuclear weapon policies of super powers in Finland during the Cold War era. (author)

The possibility of nuclear war: Appraisal, coping and emotional response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanofsky, S.

1989-01-01

This study used Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) model of appraisal and coping to explore people's emotional response to the possibility of nuclear war. Sixty-seven women and 49 men participated in a questionnaire study. The sample represented a cross-section of Americans by age and ethnic group but had more education and higher occupational status scores than is typical for the greater population. Sampling limitations and the political climate at the time of questionnaire administration suggested that the present findings be interpreted cautiously. Nevertheless, results suggested the importance of appraisal, defined in this study as the estimated probability of nuclear war and beliefs that citizen efforts to reduce the likelihood of nuclear war can be effective, and coping as factors in people's nuclear threat related emotional response. Six of the study's 11 hypotheses received at least partial confirmation. One or more measures of nuclear threat-related emotional distress were positively correlated with probability estimates of nuclear war, individual and collective response efficacy beliefs, and seeking social support in regard to the nuclear threat. Negative correlations were found between measures of threat-related distress and both trust in political leaders and distancing. Statistically significant relationships contrary to the other five hypotheses were also obtained. Measures of threat-related distress were positively, rather than negatively, correlated with escape avoidance and positive reappraisal coping efforts. Appraisal, coping, and emotion variables, acting together, predicted the extent of political activism regarding the nuclear arms race. It is useful to consider attitudes toward the nuclear arms race, distinguishing between intensity and frequency of emotional distress, and between measures of trait, state, and concept-specific emotionality in understanding emotional responses

The meaning of nuclear war to adult men: A developmental approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miles, P.B.

1991-01-01

The study investigated the contextual and thematic meaning of nuclear war. Age-related differences were also investigated by sampling 36 male subjects in three age groups (20-27, 40-50, and above 60). Contextual meaning was measured by asking subjects to rate the meaning of nuclear war and three other threats (personal death, earthquake, and economic depression) on two questionnaires designed to explore personal meaning. Thematic meaning was measured by asking subjects to answer two open-ended questions. In terms of contextual meaning, the study found that, when compared to all other threats, nuclear war has a more extreme emotional meaning. In addition, meaning of nuclear war was found to shift across the adult lift span. In terms of thematic meaning, the study identified five themes describing causation and five themes describing effects. Age differences were found in thematic meaning. Oldest subjects emphasized rational causation, while middle-aged and younger subjects emphasized hopelessness and the impact on either inter-generational or intra-generational relationships. Age differences in meaning are discussed in terms of Eriksonian theory of adult development.

The meaning of nuclear war to adult men: A developmental approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miles, P.B.

1991-01-01

The study investigated the contextual and thematic meaning of nuclear war. Age-related differences were also investigated by sampling 36 male subjects in three age groups (20-27, 40-50, and above 60). Contextual meaning was measured by asking subjects to rate the meaning of nuclear war and three other threats (personal death, earthquake, and economic depression) on two questionnaires designed to explore personal meaning. Thematic meaning was measured by asking subjects to answer two open-ended questions. In terms of contextual meaning, the study found that, when compared to all other threats, nuclear war has a more extreme emotional meaning. In addition, meaning of nuclear war was found to shift across the adult lift span. In terms of thematic meaning, the study identified five themes describing causation and five themes describing effects. Age differences were found in thematic meaning. Oldest subjects emphasized rational causation, while middle-aged and younger subjects emphasized hopelessness and the impact on either inter-generational or intra-generational relationships. Age differences in meaning are discussed in terms of Eriksonian theory of adult development

Nuclear war would cause total destruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldicott, H.

1985-01-01

In this paper, the author urges everyone to become better informed about the nuclear hazard humanity faces and challenges the reader to take action to ensure human survival on Earth. The author explains what would happen in the event of a nuclear war. Population centers would be smashed flat. Firestorms would rage over millions of acres. People near the center of the blast would die immediately. Those who survived would reenter a totally devastated world, lacking the life-support systems on which the human species depends. Epidemics would be rampant. Only if we abolish nuclear weapons and permanently halt the nuclear power industry can we hope to survive

Strategy for terminating a nuclear war

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abt, C.C.

1985-01-01

Avoiding a nuclear war, or ending one if avoidance fails, is an important but relatively unexplored aspect of nuclear doctrine. Dr. Abt examines the feasibility of antagonists agreeing to exclude their open cities from nuclear targeting and to replace strategic bombardment with retaliatory invasion to create less of a hair-trigger deterrent. Critical net assessments by US strategists and the effects of such a strategy on the Soviet Union and the US allies are considered, along with problems implementation might pose. The author contends that both deterrence and the potential for limiting damage are strengthened by prewar plans for a nuclear ceasefire and stalemate short of holocaust.

Superpower nuclear minimalism in the post-Cold War era?. Revised

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graben, E.K.

1992-07-01

With the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union, the strategic environment has fundamentally changed, so it would seem logical to reexamine strategy as well. There are two main schools of nuclear strategic thought: a maximalist school, which emphasizes counterforce superiority and nuclear war-fighting capability, and a MAD-plus school, which emphasizes survivability of an assured destruction capability along with the ability to deliver small, limited nuclear attacks in the event that conflict occurs. The MAD-plus strategy is the more logical of the two strategies, because the maximalist strategy is based on an attempt to conventionalize nuclear weapons which is unrealistic.

Decadal reduction of Chinese agriculture after a regional nuclear war

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Lili; Robock, Alan; Mills, Michael; Stenke, Andrea; Helfand, Ira

2015-02-01

A regional nuclear war between India and Pakistan could decrease global surface temperature by 1°C-2°C for 5-10 years and have major impacts on precipitation and solar radiation reaching Earth's surface. Using a crop simulation model forced by three global climate model simulations, we investigate the impacts on agricultural production in China, the largest grain producer in the world. In the first year after the regional nuclear war, a cooler, drier, and darker environment would reduce annual rice production by 30 megaton (Mt) (29%), maize production by 36 Mt (20%), and wheat production by 23 Mt (53%). With different agriculture management—no irrigation, auto irrigation, 200 kg/ha nitrogen fertilizer, and 10 days delayed planting date—simulated national crop production reduces 16%-26% for rice, 9%-20% for maize, and 32%-43% for wheat during 5 years after the nuclear war event. This reduction of food availability would continue, with gradually decreasing amplitude, for more than a decade. Assuming these impacts are indicative of those in other major grain producers, a nuclear war using much less than 1% of the current global arsenal could produce a global food crisis and put a billion people at risk of famine.

Naval War College. Volume 60, Number 2, Spring 2007

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

attacks of grave conse- quences. The aspiration of this small-wars force element is to prevent even one nuclear, biological , or chemical weapon attack...153 Preventive Attack and Weapons of Mass...Default screen Bioethics and Armed Conflict: Moral Dilemmas of Medicine and War, by Michael L. Gross reviewed by Arthur M. Smith, MD

The atmospheric and climatic consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagan, C.

1985-01-01

Four effects-obscuring smoke in the troposphere, obscuring dust in the stratosphere, the fallout of radioactive debris, and the partial destruction of the ozone layer - constitute the four known principal adverse environmental consequences that would occur after a nuclear war is ''over''. There may well be others about which we are still ignorant. The dust, and especially, the dark soot absorb ordinary visible light from the sun, heating the atmosphere and cooling the Earth's surface. All four of these effects have been treated in the authors; recent study, known form the initials of its authors as TTAPS. For the first time it is demonstrated that severe and prolonged low temperatures, the ''nuclear winter'', would follow a nuclear war. The new results have been subjected to detailed scrutiny, and many corroboratory calculations have not been made, including at least two in the Soviet Union. Unlike many previous studies, the effects do not seem to be restricted to northern midlatitudes, where the nuclear exchange would mainly take place. There is now substantial evidence that the heating by sunlight of atmospheric dust and soot over northern midlatitude targets would profoundly change the global circulation. In our studies, several dozen different scenarios where chosen, covering a wide range of possible wars, and the range of uncertainty in each key parameter was considered (e.g., to describe how many fine particles are injected into the atmosphere)

Vulnerability of the nuclear power plant in war conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stritar, A.; Mavko, B.

1992-01-01

In the summer 1991 the Nuclear Power Plant Krsko in Slovenia found itself in the area of military operations. This way probably the first commercial nuclear power plant, to which it was threatened with the air jet attack. A number of never before asked questions had to be answered by the operating staff and supporting organizations. In this paper some aspects of the nuclear power plant safety in war condition are described: the selection of the best plant operating state before the attack and the determination of plant system vulnerability. It was concluded, that the best operating mode, into which the plant should be brought before the attack, is the cold shutdown mode. The problem of Nuclear Power Plant safety in war conditions should be addressed in more detail in the future. (author) [sl

The threat of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

This report aims to describe the present threat of nuclear war, with particular reference to New Zealand, and the increasing concern felt by many scientists, from a scientific viewpoint but in non-technical language. It surveys what is known about nuclear weapons and the consequences of their use, and attention is drawn to the importance of penetrating the language and examining the assumptions made in the propaganda about n uclear deterrence . The tasks involved in maintaining the present peace and attempting to establish an agreed disarmament is examined. The report pays particular attention to the roles of scientists in these endeavours

Nationalism, Nuclear Policy and Children in Cold War America.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, Sharon

1997-01-01

Theorizes the place of children in America's "Cold War Consensus" of the 1950s-60s. Counterposes dominant Cold War images of abstract, generic children (inevitably white middle class) to actual children most vulnerable to risks associated with nuclear weapons production and testing. Concludes that in various ways, these children were all…

Nuclear energy and nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, J.A.L.

1983-06-01

We all want to prevent the use of nuclear weapons. The issue before us is how best to achieve this objective; more specifically, whether the peaceful applications of nuclear energy help or hinder, and to what extent. Many of us in the nuclear industry are working on these applications from a conviction that without peaceful nuclear energy the risk of nuclear war would be appreciably greater. Others, however, hold the opposite view. In discussing the subject, a necessary step in allaying fears is understanding some facts, and indeed facing up to some unpalatable facts. When the facts are assessed, and a balance struck, the conclusion is that peaceful nuclear energy is much more part of the solution to preventing nuclear war than it is part of the problem

Is it possible to limit or control a nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voigt, K.D.

1983-01-01

A controlled response after a limited aggression by using strategic nuclear weapons is improbable alone for reasons relating to political institutions and political psychology. As long as it is in the least possible that a threat with selective nuclear strikes may result in a great atomic war and by that in mutual destruction the threat itself is - according to rational standards - unbelievable. Plans to prepare oneself technically and politically to make a nuclear war for several months at an controlled extent are the expression of a wrong way of peaceful policy and military strategy. The money spent for such plannings is at best wasted money. (orig./HSCH) [de

Recent assessments of the environmental consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turco, R.P.

1986-01-01

Since late 1984 a number of important scientific studies have considered the global-scale consequences of a major nuclear war. These studies look beyond the immediate and direct effects of nuclear explosions (blast, thermal radiation, and local radioactive fallout) to investigate the more widespread effects of dispersed radioactivity and severe climatic disturbances - the nuclear winter. Assessments of the relevant phenomena have been carried out by the U.S. National Research Council, the Royal Society of Canada, and the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment of the International Council of Scientific Unions. Numerous physicists, atmospheric scientists, biologists, and physicians from around the world have contributed to these projects. In each case the findings are similar. While cautioning that significant uncertainties remain to be resolved, each report concludes that a nuclear winter is a clear possibility following a nuclear exchange. The SCOPE report goes even further, describing the biological, ecological, and human implications of a nuclear war and its aftermath. This unique treatise is summarized in the paper by M. Harwell in this volume

Environmental consequences of nuclear war (SCOPE 28), Vol. 1: Physical and atmospheric effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pittock, A.B.; Ackerman, T.P.; Crutzen, P.J.; MacCracken, M.C.; Shapiro, C.S.; Turco, R.P.

1986-01-01

This book presents an interdisciplinary look at current scientific knowledge of the possible environmental consequences of a nuclear war. The authors assess the likely magnitude of changes in sunlight, temperature, precipitation, atmospheric chemistry, and more. Volume One reviews existing nuclear arsenals, war scenarios, immediate and subsequent effects

The medical consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geiger, H.J.

1983-01-01

The author says no one person can successfully communicate what the reality of a nuclear war would be, let alone something smaller, like the reality of a single or a small number of thermonuclear explosions. The author focuses on the effects of a single explosion and what would happen if it occurred in New York City

The future of nuclear deterrence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quester, G.H.

1986-01-01

Nuclear deterrence has been in existence for almost four decades. Yet, analysts from the left and the right keep reemphasizing the dangers and problems with deterrence without always remembering its purpose-the prevention of nuclear war or the prevention of all war. In this book. George Quester analyzes the future of nuclear deterrence in light of its past, and discovers that the fundamental tenets of nuclear deterrence remain unchanged. George Quester considers the overwhelming tensions present in a society threatened by the prospect of a nuclear holocaust and a lingering nuclear winter. But he also acknowledges that nuclear deterrence has prevented a great deal of global and local warfare that otherwise would have occurred. He spotlights the basic military problems facing the world today, including the shadow cast on all levels of strategic planning by the threat of nuclear war. Quester warns against charging forth with radical new alternatives, such as the Strategic Defense Initiative and deep-cut disarmament. He argues that initiatives such as these reflect a return to traditional military thinking about waging and winning wars that pose serious possibilities for a breakdown in deterrence policy.

Locus of Control and Likelihood of Nuclear War: Two Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Erdahl, Paul; Rounds, James B.

The Nuclear Locus of Control (NLOC) scales were constructed to assess beliefs as to whether nuclear war and nuclear policy decisions are, or can be, influenced by oneself, powerful others, or chance. Three scales measuring internal, powerful others, and chance nuclear LOC show internal consistency estimates (Cronbach's Alpha) of .87, .76, and .85,…

Japan's anti-nuclear weapons policy misses its target, even in the war on terrorism.

Science.gov (United States)

DiFilippo, Anthony

2003-01-01

While actively working to promote the abolition of all nuclear weapons from the world since the end of the cold war, Japan's disarmament policies are not without problems. Promoting the elimination of nuclear weapons as Japan remains under the US nuclear umbrella creates a major credibility problem for Tokyo, since this decision maintains a Japanese deterrence policy at the same time that officials push for disarmament. Tokyo also advocates a gradual approach to the abolition of nuclear weapons, a decision that has had no effect on those countries that have been conducting sub-critical nuclear testing, nor stopped India and Pakistan from carrying out nuclear tests. Consistent with Article 9 of the Constitution, the Japanese war-renouncing constitutional clause, Tokyo toughened Japan's sizeable Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme in the early 1990s. Because of the anti-military guidelines included in Japan's ODA programme, Tokyo stopped new grant and loan aid to India and Pakistan in 1998 after these countries conducted nuclear tests. However, because of the criticism Japan faced from its failure to participate in the 1991 Gulf War, Tokyo has been seeking a new Japanese role in international security during the post-cold war period. Deepening its commitment to the security alliance with the US, Tokyo has become increasingly influenced by Washington's global polices, including the American war on terrorism. After Washington decided that Pakistan would be a key player in the US war on terrorism, Tokyo restored grant and loan aid to both Islamabad and New Delhi, despite the unequivocal restrictions of Japan's ODA programme.

The nuclear case book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephenson, M.; Hearn, R.

1983-01-01

The subject is covered in sections, entitled: the truth about nukes; disarmament, arms control and arms limitation; directory of nuclear weapons; tables of principal nuclear weapons; points of view 1 (Anglican); proliferation of nuclear technology; the just war; preventing proliferation; the numbers business; war scenario 1 (the Gulf); points of view 2 (Roman Catholic); deterrence; European Nuclear Balance; war scenario 2 (Germany); arguing about war and peace; points of view 3 (Jewish); is there a Soviet military threat; the view from Omsk; points of view 4 (Pugwash); the British deterrent; points of view 5 (generals for peace and disarmament); 'broken arrows'; costs of nuclear weapons; war scenario 3 (Pakistan); nuclear weapons - what is the moral response; non-use of nuclear weapons; points of view 6 (women and families for defence); dear Mr. Heseltine; why acquire nuclear weapons; the effects of nuclear weapons; war scenario 4 (Central America and the Middle East); civil defence; alternatives to nuclear defence; points of view 7 (Quaker). (U.K.)

Beyond the cold war nuclear legacy: offense-defense and the role of nuclear deterrence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunn, L.A.

2001-01-01

Since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the defense community of the United States focused overwhelmingly on countering the threat of global terrorism. This focus rightly reflects the danger of additional terrorist attacks against the American homeland, including conceivably even with nuclear weapons or radiological devices. At the same time, the December, 2001 announcement of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty after the six month waiting period serves as a reminder that there still is considerable other outstanding 'defense business' confronting the United States and its European allies. In particular, it is increasingly essential to re-craft the Cold War nuclear weapons legacy, not only in its own right but because doing so can also have important payoffs for the success of the U.S.-led global anti-terrorist campaign. The following paper first describes some of the main features of the Cold War nuclear legacy. It then sketches a number of different schools of thought or camps that exist within the U.S. defense community in answer to the question, 'what next with nuclear weaponry?' In light of those contending positions, it then sets out a possible way ahead - moving to re-craft U.S. strategic dealings with Russia toward a non-adversary relationship, to avoid a new Cold War with China, and to put in place the right mix of offensive and defensive, nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities to contain 21. century proliferation dangers. (author)

Beyond the cold war nuclear legacy: offense-defense and the role of nuclear deterrence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunn, L.A

2001-07-01

Since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the defense community of the United States focused overwhelmingly on countering the threat of global terrorism. This focus rightly reflects the danger of additional terrorist attacks against the American homeland, including conceivably even with nuclear weapons or radiological devices. At the same time, the December, 2001 announcement of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty after the six month waiting period serves as a reminder that there still is considerable other outstanding 'defense business' confronting the United States and its European allies. In particular, it is increasingly essential to re-craft the Cold War nuclear weapons legacy, not only in its own right but because doing so can also have important payoffs for the success of the U.S.-led global anti-terrorist campaign. The following paper first describes some of the main features of the Cold War nuclear legacy. It then sketches a number of different schools of thought or camps that exist within the U.S. defense community in answer to the question, 'what next with nuclear weaponry?' In light of those contending positions, it then sets out a possible way ahead - moving to re-craft U.S. strategic dealings with Russia toward a non-adversary relationship, to avoid a new Cold War with China, and to put in place the right mix of offensive and defensive, nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities to contain 21. century proliferation dangers. (author)

Beyond the cold war nuclear legacy: offense-defense and the role of nuclear deterrence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunn, L A

2001-07-01

Since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the defense community of the United States focused overwhelmingly on countering the threat of global terrorism. This focus rightly reflects the danger of additional terrorist attacks against the American homeland, including conceivably even with nuclear weapons or radiological devices. At the same time, the December, 2001 announcement of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty after the six month waiting period serves as a reminder that there still is considerable other outstanding 'defense business' confronting the United States and its European allies. In particular, it is increasingly essential to re-craft the Cold War nuclear weapons legacy, not only in its own right but because doing so can also have important payoffs for the success of the U.S.-led global anti-terrorist campaign. The following paper first describes some of the main features of the Cold War nuclear legacy. It then sketches a number of different schools of thought or camps that exist within the U.S. defense community in answer to the question, 'what next with nuclear weaponry?' In light of those contending positions, it then sets out a possible way ahead - moving to re-craft U.S. strategic dealings with Russia toward a non-adversary relationship, to avoid a new Cold War with China, and to put in place the right mix of offensive and defensive, nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities to contain 21. century proliferation dangers. (author)

Nuclear war and climatic catastrophe: Some policy implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagan, C.

1986-01-01

Apocalyptic prediction require, to be taken seriously, higher standards of evidence than do assertions on other matters where the stakes are not as great. Since the immediate effects of even a single hermonuclear weapon explosion are so devastating, it is natural to assume - even without considering detailed mechanism - that the more or less simultaneous explosion of 10,000 such weapons all over the Northern Hemisphere might have unpredictable and catastrophic consequences. And yet, while it is widely accepted that a full nuclear war might mean the end of civilization at least in the Northern Hemisphere, claims that nuclear war might imply a reversion of the human population to prehistoric levels, or even the extinction of the human species, have, among some policymakers at least, been dismissed as alarmist or, worse, irrelevant

Nuclear education in public health and nursing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winder, A.E.; Stanitis, M.A.

1988-01-01

Twenty-three public health schools and 492 university schools of nursing were surveyed to gather specific information on educational programs related to nuclear war. Twenty public health schools and 240 nursing schools responded. Nuclear war-related content was most likely to appear in disaster nursing and in environmental health courses. Three schools of public health report that they currently offer elective courses on nuclear war. Innovative curricula included political action projects for nuclear war prevention

Problems of deontology in the assessment of psychological consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gus'kova, A.K.; Chinkina, O.V.

1987-01-01

A person's psychological reactions, conditioned by nuclear bombardment of the Japanese cities in 1945 and subsequent era of constant threat of nuclear disaster recurrence, as well as the reactions of population social community are considered. Occurence of various psychical and psychophathological distruction in people who have directly overcome a nuclear blast, as well as among the population of the region, involved into a nuclear conflict, is referred to indirect effects of nuclear war. These consequences will as well take place among the population of states, which have not directly participated in the nucelar conflict. In this connection, the struggle against the nuclear war threat appears to be the professional duty of physicians in their struggle for physical, psychical health of contemporary and future generations

Soviet civil defense plans make nuclear war winnable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goure, L.

1985-01-01

In this paper, the author expresses his opinion that the U.S. is naive and suicidal in its lack of civil defense preparation for nuclear war. The Soviets' extensive civil defense planning is evidence that they plan to use their nuclear weapons and survive a counterattack by the U.S. The author compares the two systems and explains why the Soviets' system is superior

Nuclear Winter: Uncertainties Surround the Long-Term Effects of Nuclear War. Report to the Congress.

Science.gov (United States)

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

Nuclear winter, a term used to describe potential long-term climate and environmental effects of nuclear war, has been a subject of debate and controversy. This report examines and presents scientific and policy implications of nuclear winter. Contents include: (1) an executive summary (highlighting previous and current studies on the topic); (2)…

The longest illness. Effects of nuclear war in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kappy, M.S.

1984-01-01

The destruction of civilization that would follow a nuclear war would render any disaster ever recorded insignificant. Millions of people would perish during the first few hours, and many more would die in the months to come. Survival would exist only in the strictest sense of the word, since societal disorganization, famine, drought, darkness, and nuclear winter would envelope the earth. The comparative frailty of children and their dependence on adults would render them most susceptible to the acute effects of a nuclear holocaust. Furthermore, studies of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan bombings showed a disproportionate propensity for children to experience leukemias and other cancers years after the bombings. There were also great increases in perinatal deaths and cases of microcephaly and retardation in children exposed in utero to the bombs. In the event that there are future generations after a nuclear war, the issue of heritable genetic effects will become important. Suggestions of permanent genetic damage are emerging from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki studies. By comparison, the genetic effects of modern weaponry will be incalculable

War protected underground siting of nuclear power plants -a summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1974-06-01

In connection with studies concerning the need of war protected nuclear power production the technical and economical conditions with war protection of nuclear power plants have been studied within CDL. Comprehensively one have shown that no technical construction obstacles for siting a nuclear power plant underground exist that the additional costs for underground siting with price level mid 1973 are some 175-250 MSwCr (In today's price level 250 MSwCr will probably correspond to some 300 MSwCr per unit) and that the construction time is some one year longer than for an above ground plant. A study ought to examine more closely the consequences of underground siting from a radiological point of view and what demands on that occasion ought to be put on the technical design. (author)

Vulnerability of ecological systems for nuclear war climatic consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharuehll, M.; Khatchinson, T.; Kropper, U.; Kharuehll, K.

1988-01-01

Vulnerability of ecological systems of Northern hemisphere (terrestrial, aquatic and tropical) as well as Southern one in relation to climatic changes following large nuclear war is considered. When analyzing potential sensitivity of ecological systems to climatic changes, possible consequences are considered for different stress categories under various war scenarios. The above-mentioned stresses correspond to those adopted in published work by Pittok and others. To estimate the less important climatic disturbances a few additional computer-simulated models are developed

The role of public health in the prevention of war: rationale and competencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiist, William H; Barker, Kathy; Arya, Neil; Rohde, Jon; Donohoe, Martin; White, Shelley; Lubens, Pauline; Gorman, Geraldine; Hagopian, Amy

2014-06-01

In 2009 the American Public Health Association approved the policy statement, "The Role of Public Health Practitioners, Academics, and Advocates in Relation to Armed Conflict and War." Despite the known health effects of war, the development of competencies to prevent war has received little attention. Public health's ethical principles of practice prioritize addressing the fundamental causes of disease and adverse health outcomes. A working group grew out of the American Public Health Association's Peace Caucus to build upon the 2009 policy by proposing competencies to understand and prevent the political, economic, social, and cultural determinants of war, particularly militarism. The working group recommends that schools of public health and public health organizations incorporate these competencies into professional preparation programs, research, and advocacy.

Lessons from nuclear disasters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shigematsu, Itsuzo

2005-01-01

The most severe and worst of all nuclear disasters is, needless to say, the explosion of an atomic bomb. The WHO committee on the effects of nuclear war, established in 1982, concluded that the only approach to the treatment of the health effects of nuclear warfare is primary prevention, that is, the prevention of nuclear war. Nuclear disasters have also occurred in nuclear power plants and nuclear facilities, causing various damage and acute anxiety among the workers and general public, but thus far the related health effects have not always been correctly evaluated. Such problems as exposed population, individual exposed dose and health risks which are associated with these evaluation efforts are discussed here. (author)

Long-term biological consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrlich, P.R.; Harte, J.; Harwell, M.A.

1983-01-01

Subfreezing temperatures, low light levels, and high doses of ionizing and ultraviolet radiation extending for many months after a large-scale nuclear war could destroy the biological support systems of civilization, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Productivity in natural and agricultural ecosystems could be severely restricted for a year or more. Postwar survivors would face starvation as well as freezing conditions in the dark and be exposed to near-lethal doses of radiation. If, as now seems possible, the Southern Hemisphere were affected also, global disruption of the biosphere could ensue, In any event, there would be severe consequences, even in the areas not affected directly, because of the interdependence of the world economy. In either case the extinction of a large fraction of the Earth's animals, plants, and microorganisms seems possible. The population size of Homo sapiens conceivably could be reduced to prehistoric levels or below and extinction of the human species itself cannot be excluded. These conclusions are the concensus from the meeting on Long-Term Worldwide Biological Consequences of Nuclear War

Some aspects of nuclear power plant safety under war conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stritar, A.; Mavko, B.; Susnik, J.; Sarler, B.

1993-01-01

In the summer of 1991, the Krsko nuclear power plant in Slovenia found itself in an area of military operations. This was probably the first commercial nuclear power plant to have been threatened by an attack by fighter jets. A number of never-before-asked questions had to be answered by the operating staff and supporting organizations. Some aspects of nuclear power plant safety under war conditions are described, such as the selection of the best plant operating state before the attack and the determination of plant system vulnerability and dose releases from the potentially damaged spent fuel in the spent-fuel pit. The best operating mode to which the plant should be brought before the attack is cold shutdown, and radiological consequences to the environment after the spent fuel is damaged and the water in the pit is lost are not very high. The problem of nuclear power plant safety under war conditions should be addressed in more detail in the future

Nuclear power plants in post-war thought

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toya, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

This paper overviews how nuclear power plants have been talked about in the post-war thought. Science and technology sometimes significantly change the thinking way of humans, and nuclear power generation is an extreme technology. This paper overviews how nuclear power plants and humans are correlated. The following three points are discussed as the major issues of contemporary thought over nuclear power plants. First, on the danger of nuclear power plants, the risk of destructive power that nuclear energy has, and the danger of unreasoning development in science and technology civilization are discussed. Second, on the ethics issues surrounding nuclear power plants, the ethics that are based on unbalanced power relations, and democratic responsibility ethics based on discussion ethics are discussed. Third, on the issues of nuclear power plants and imagination, the limitations of democratic discussion surrounding nuclear power plants, the formation of imagination commensurate with the destructive power of nuclear power plants, and the formation of imagination that can represent the distant future are discussed. (A.O.)

The Role of Public Health in the Prevention of War: Rationale and Competencies

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Kathy; Arya, Neil; Rohde, Jon; Donohoe, Martin; White, Shelley; Lubens, Pauline; Gorman, Geraldine; Hagopian, Amy

2014-01-01

In 2009 the American Public Health Association approved the policy statement, “The Role of Public Health Practitioners, Academics, and Advocates in Relation to Armed Conflict and War.” Despite the known health effects of war, the development of competencies to prevent war has received little attention. Public health’s ethical principles of practice prioritize addressing the fundamental causes of disease and adverse health outcomes. A working group grew out of the American Public Health Association’s Peace Caucus to build upon the 2009 policy by proposing competencies to understand and prevent the political, economic, social, and cultural determinants of war, particularly militarism. The working group recommends that schools of public health and public health organizations incorporate these competencies into professional preparation programs, research, and advocacy. PMID:24825229

Climatic Effects of Regional Nuclear War

Science.gov (United States)

Oman, Luke D.

2011-01-01

We use a modern climate model and new estimates of smoke generated by fires in contemporary cities to calculate the response of the climate system to a regional nuclear war between emerging third world nuclear powers using 100 Hiroshima-size bombs (less than 0.03% of the explosive yield of the current global nuclear arsenal) on cities in the subtropics. We find significant cooling and reductions of precipitation lasting years, which would impact the global food supply. The climate changes are large and longlasting because the fuel loadings in modern cities are quite high and the subtropical solar insolation heats the resulting smoke cloud and lofts it into the high stratosphere, where removal mechanisms are slow. While the climate changes are less dramatic than found in previous "nuclear winter" simulations of a massive nuclear exchange between the superpowers, because less smoke is emitted, the changes seem to be more persistent because of improvements in representing aerosol processes and microphysical/dynamical interactions, including radiative heating effects, in newer global climate system models. The assumptions and calculations that go into these conclusions will be described.

Commentary from Westminster. Medical effects of nuclear war.

Science.gov (United States)

Deitch, R

1983-03-12

A British Medical Association report on the medical consequences of nuclear war, scheduled for commercial publication in April 1983, could damage the Government's arguments for maintaining a nuclear deterrent. The gist of the BMA's findings is that Britain could not possibly cope with the aftermath of nuclear attack. Although Prime Minister Thatcher has made no comment, both the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Security have criticized the report's negative conclusions. The BMA is expected to take up the issue at its annual meeting, and the Labour party has called for a Parliamentary debate on the report and its implications.

The atmosphere after a nuclear war: twilight at noon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crutzen, P.J.; Birks, J.W.

1982-01-01

As a result of a nuclear war, vast forest areas will go up in smoke - corresponding at least to the combined land mass of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In addition to the tremendous fires burning for weeks in cities and industrial centres, fires will also rage across croplands and it is likely that at least 1.5 billion tons of stored fossil fuels (mostly oil and gas) will be destroyed. The fires will produce a thick smoke layer, drastically reducing sunlight reaching the earth's surface. Darkness would persist for many weeks, rendering any agricultural activity in the Northern Hemisphere virtually impossible if the war takes place during the growing season. Marine ecosystems are probably particularly sensitive to prolonged periods of darkness. It is also possible that severe, worldwide photochemical smog conditions would develop, with high levels of tropospheric ozone that would likewise interfere severely with plant productivity. Survival becomes even more difficult if stratospheric ozone depletions also take place. The authors conclude that not more than a small fraction of the initial survivors of a nuclear war in the middle and high latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere could escape famine and disease during the following year. (U.K.)

Climatic and other global effects of nuclear war: Summary of a United Nations study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

A major nuclear war would entail the high risk of disruption to the global environment, and the risk would be greatest if large cities and industrial centres in the northern hemisphere were to be targeted in the summer months. The report of the UN Study Group confirms that a nuclear war could not be won and must not be fought, and thus makes a strong argument for the pursuit of sharp reductions in, and the ultimate eradication of, nuclear weapons

Nuclear energy and danger of war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovins, A.B.; Lovins, L.H.

1981-01-01

For decades the peaceful use of nuclear energy has been regarded as a blessing, the military use, however, as a curse. The scepticism, however, whether this principal difference is justified has increased with the criticism of nuclear energy. Can the one who disposes of nuclear power plants also build nuclear bombs. These questions are posed by Amory Lovins (Soft Energy) and his wife in this work. Against this background the world-wide export of nuclear reactors gains a special explosive effect. The exporters, among them also the Federal Republic of Germany, claim that the military use of the nuclear know-how can be stopped by controls. Reality looks quite different. The authors show that the plutonium being produced in the reactor can be used for military purpose without any big technical efforts and that an effective control of this military use does not exist. On the contrary: nuclear reactors may be the welcome civilian cloak for the production of nuclear bombs. The hard energy-political way which is oriented towards nuclear energy increases the military destruction potential and thus threatens the world peace. To-day, as only one bomb has the total explosive force being used during the Second World War more and more people are of the conviction: we all will explode, the question is only - when. (orig./HP) [de

Indirect environmental effects of nuclear war affecting health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leaf, A.

1984-01-01

The indirect effects of a nuclear war that will affect the health of survivors are considered to include consequences to: (a) the economies of nations, (b) food and nutrition, (c) water supplies, (d) the climate and the ecosphere, and (e) sanitation and public health; and they include long-term radiation effects

The evolution of American nuclear doctrine 1945-1980: from massive retaliation to limited nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richani, N.

1983-01-01

This thesis attempts to demonstrate the evolutionary character of American nuclear doctrine from the beginning of the nuclear age in 1945 until 1980. It also aims at disclosing some of the most important factors that contributed to the doctrine's evolution, namely, technological progress and developments in weaponry and the shifts that were taking place in the correlation of forces between the two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. The thesis tries to establish the relation, if any, between these two variables (technology and balance of forces) and the evolution of the doctrine from Massive Retaliation to limited nuclear war. There are certainly many other factors which influenced military doctrine, but this thesis focuses on the above mentioned factors. touching on others when it was thought essential.The thesis concludes by trying to answer the question of whether the purpose of the limited nuclear war doctrine is to keep the initiative in US hands, that is putting itself on the side with the positive purpose, or not. Refs

The evolution of American nuclear doctrine 1945-1980: from massive retaliation to limited nuclear war

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richani, N [Public Administration Dpt. American Univ. of Beirut (Lebanon)

1983-12-31

This thesis attempts to demonstrate the evolutionary character of American nuclear doctrine from the beginning of the nuclear age in 1945 until 1980. It also aims at disclosing some of the most important factors that contributed to the doctrine`s evolution, namely, technological progress and developments in weaponry and the shifts that were taking place in the correlation of forces between the two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. The thesis tries to establish the relation, if any, between these two variables (technology and balance of forces) and the evolution of the doctrine from Massive Retaliation to limited nuclear war. There are certainly many other factors which influenced military doctrine, but this thesis focuses on the above mentioned factors. touching on others when it was thought essential.The thesis concludes by trying to answer the question of whether the purpose of the limited nuclear war doctrine is to keep the initiative in US hands, that is putting itself on the side with the positive purpose, or not. Refs.

The psychosocial aspects of nuclear threat and nuclear war: Analogies from disaster research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, J.

1987-01-01

The report is about the human reaction to disasters. No disaster experienced in recorded history resembles the potential destruction of major nuclear war. Nevertheless, past disasters can give us pointers to the likely responses of those who survive the immediate effects. Refs, 1 tab

The political economics of the permanent war and the political economics of the nuclear war. Strategic approaches for Latin America; La economia politica de la guerra permanente y la economia politica de la guerra nuclear. Aproximaciones estrategicas para America Latina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomez L, I.I

2005-07-01

This work treats on the hypothesis that the American imperialism uses its nuclear arsenal for reforming geographical spaces that allow him to impel its economic development in the context of the progressive exhaustion of the natural resources of the planet and of the ferocious dispute for market niches and investment destinations, and like the political and military decisions crawl to the different scenarios of economic competition. In the chapter 1 it is insinuated like has been reproduced the Warlike-industrial Complex (CBI) American from the second world postwar period until the present time in the idea of explaining like it is that it is valorized to the capital in scale enlarged starting from the denominated sector producing of destruction means and understanding that the system specifically capitalist is a system where continually the is destroyed previously taken place to manufacture a new merchandise in a luck of creative destruction. In the chapter 2, the topic of the specific contradictions of the CBI is approached that disable him to be the tip of lance of the world imperialism. The chapter 3 try on the productive linkages in the production of nuclear bombs, as well as in the production of the vectors of nuclear transportation and on the implications derived for the world security of the different industries associated to the nuclear energy (as the petroleum, the electricity, the natural gas) and to the transportation vectors of these locating which you/they are the different States where the world supremacy is disputed and that they have like one of its so many negotiation-confrontation letters its nuclear strategic arsenals. What is looked for in a thermonuclear war is the enemy's total elimination, from their offensive capacity, their defensive capacity, until their supplies, their reservations, etc., with the result that the chapters 4 and 5 of this thesis are presented to offer a better understanding that they mean the nuclear arsenals in the

Nuclear war between Israel and Iran: lethality beyond the pale

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The proliferation of nuclear technology in the politically volatile Middle East greatly increases the likelihood of a catastrophic nuclear war. It is widely accepted, while not openly declared, that Israel has nuclear weapons, and that Iran has enriched enough nuclear material to build them. The medical consequences of a nuclear exchange between Iran and Israel in the near future are envisioned, with a focus on the distribution of casualties in urban environments. Methods Model estimates of nuclear war casualties employed ESRI's ArcGIS 9.3, blast and prompt radiation were calculated using the Defense Nuclear Agency's WE program, and fallout radiation was calculated using the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA's) Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability (HPAC) V404SP4, as well as custom GIS and database software applications. Further development for thermal burn casualties was based on Brode, as modified by Binninger, to calculate thermal fluence. ESRI ArcGISTM programs were used to calculate affected populations from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's LandScanTM 2007 Global Population Dataset for areas affected by thermal, blast and radiation data. Results Trauma, thermal burn, and radiation casualties were thus estimated on a geographic basis for three Israeli and eighteen Iranian cities. Nuclear weapon detonations in the densely populated cities of Iran and Israel will result in an unprecedented millions of numbers of dead, with millions of injured suffering without adequate medical care, a broad base of lingering mental health issues, a devastating loss of municipal infrastructure, long-term disruption of economic, educational, and other essential social activity, and a breakdown in law and order. Conclusions This will cause a very limited medical response initially for survivors in Iran and Israel. Strategic use of surviving medical response and collaboration with international relief could be expedited by the predicted casualty

Sex and Drugs and Nuclear War: Secular, Developmental and Type A Influences upon Adolescents' Fears of the Nuclear Threat, AIDS and Drug Addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, Robert; Lewis, Charlie

1993-01-01

Examined fear of nuclear war among 3,556 secondary school students. Results suggest that such concern is expressed differently according to age and sex and that subjects who expressed concern about nuclear war and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome were more likely to show significantly higher Type A identification. (Author/NB)

Thinking about the threat of nuclear war: relevance to mental health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldenberg, S.; LaCombe, S.; Levinson, D.; Parker, K.R.; Ross, C.; Sommers, F.

1985-01-01

Ontario students in grades 7-13 responded to open-ended and multiple-choice questions about future concerns, particularly unemployment, job/career plans, and the nuclear threat. Although worries about nuclear war were more frequent than those in other areas, their expression was associated with a sense of social efficacy rather than with feelings of helplessness

Nuclear Italy. An International history of Italian Nuclear Policies during the Cold War

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bini, Elisabetta; Londer, Igor

2017-01-01

This book examines the history of Italy’s nuclear policies during the Cold War, by placing the Italian case in an international and comparative framework. It highlights the importance the international context had in shaping the country’s specific experience, and analyzes the ways in which international politics and economics, technological and scientific exchanges, as well as social and cultural movements, influenced Italian nuclear policies, both civilian and military. All the essays published in this volume assume that the history of nuclear energy should be written by adopting an international perspective. The spread of nuclear knowledge (scientific, civilian, as well as military), and the implementation of nuclear policies, have a specific international dimension that should be taken into consideration, since no nuclear program has ever had a distinctly national character, and every country pursuing a nuclear policy has been, in one way or another, deeply influenced by the international context.

Physicians' group seeks nuclear arms ban.

Science.gov (United States)

Litwin, M S

1985-08-02

The history and recent activities of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) are reported. Founded in 1980 by cardiologists Bernard Lown of the United States and Eugene Chazov of the Soviet Union, the group has attracted well over 100,000 members from 51 countries. Following the organization's fifth congress in Budapest in June 1985, a four-city tour of the United States by three American and four Soviet physicians was co-sponsored by IPPNW, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Soviet Committee of Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Through separate lecture series aimed at physicians and laypersons, the doctors sought to persuade colleagues to take an active stand against nuclear war, and to increase public awareness of the medical realities of a nuclear attack. A similar tour of the Soviet Union is planned.

Gender differences and the influence of classroom discussion on adolescents' relationship to the threat of nuclear war after international crisis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, G.B.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this research was to explore the differences in attitudes of females and males to the stress of living under the threat of nuclear war with respect to sex and nuclear education. The differences in attitudes of 231 adolescents, from five California schools, aged 15-18, were analyzed. They were asked three questions regarding nuclear war within 2 weeks of the shooting down of Korean Airliner 007 in 1983. A quantitative content analysis was used to assess gender and educational influences on the responses to the three questions which were: Do I think there will be a war? Do I care? Why? and What do I think about fallout shelters? Theoretical constructs of Chodorow and Gilligan were used to relate recent developments in the psychology of women to issues of war and peace. There were significant gender differences with respect to adolescents' opinions on nuclear war. Compared to males, the expression of loss of family or friends, fear, humanitarian concerns, and blaming was significantly higher in females, while knowledge of fallout shelters was significantly lower. For both males and females, verbal anger was expressed equally. One hundred twelve students who had no education on nuclear war were compared with 119 students who had informal classroom discussion on nuclear war. With informal nuclear education, females had decreased expression of local loss and males increased expression of self loss. Both males and females with informal nuclear education had decreased their expression of blame. For females, the knowledge of fallout shelters was increased. Both males and females cited the shooting down of KAL/007, only 12.6% suggesting that psyche numbing can occur for knowledge as well as affect. Both males and females offered few solutions to nuclear war, a possible manifestation of an attitude of hopelessness in our youth

Elements of a war-survival policy for the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chester, C.V.

1978-01-01

The Soviet Union has been vigorously pursuing a war-survival policy for several years, whereas the United States has relied entirely on deterring nuclear war. This has resulted in a situation in which the U.S. population is of the order of ten times more vulnerable to nuclear war than is the Soviet population. Increasingly wide-spread perception of the disparity in vulnerability could undermine credibility of the U.S. deterrent forces and leave the United States in a very poor bargaining position in a confrontation. A program recommended to reestablish parity in vulnerability consists of the following: (1) make national survival in the event of nuclear war explicit policy, (2) develop crisis relocation plans for the population of all potential target areas, (3) teach a course in nuclear-war survival in high school, (4) assign to Minuteman and/or B-1 the role of preventing the reloading of Soviet pop-up silos, (5) reinstitute air defense in the United States if the Soviets continue to deploy the Backfire bomber, (6) continue policies encouraging relocation of population and industry outside cities, (7) avoid the development of new target concentrations especially in the new synthetic liquid fuel industry, and (8) develop and encourage integration of blast and fallout protection into new energy-conserving construction

Soviet children and the threat of nuclear war: a preliminary study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chivian, E.; Mack, J.E.; Waletzky, J.P.; Lazaroff, C.; Doctor, R.; Goldenring, J.M.

1985-01-01

This study, the first undertaken by Western researchers with Soviet children on the subject of nuclear weapons, compared the questionnaire responses of 293 Soviet youngsters with those of 201 age-matched Californians. Interviews were conducted to supplement the questionnaire findings. Similarities and differences between the two samples are discussed in the context of how young people today perceive the threat of nuclear war

Gender differences and the influence of classroom discussion on adolescents' relationship to the threat of nuclear war after international crisis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berger, G.B.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this research was to explore the differences in attitudes of females and males to the stress of living under the threat of nuclear war with respect to sex and nuclear education. The differences in attitudes of 231 adolescents, from five California schools, aged 15-18, were analyzed. They were asked three questions regarding nuclear war within 2 weeks of the shooting down of Korean Airliner 007 in 1983. A quantitative content analysis was used to assess gender and educational influences on the responses to the three questions which were: Do I think there will be a war Do I care Why and What do I think about fallout shelters Theoretical constructs of Chodorow and Gilligan were used to relate recent developments in the psychology of women to issues of war and peace. There were significant gender differences with respect to adolescents' opinions on nuclear war. Compared to males, the expression of loss of family or friends, fear, humanitarian concerns, and blaming was significantly higher in females, while knowledge of fallout shelters was significantly lower. For both males and females, verbal anger was expressed equally. One hundred twelve students who had no education on nuclear war were compared with 119 students who had informal classroom discussion on nuclear war. With informal nuclear education, females had decreased expression of local loss and males increased expression of self loss. Both males and females with informal nuclear education had decreased their expression of blame. For females, the knowledge of fallout shelters was increased. Both males and females cited the shooting down of KAL/007, only 12.6% suggesting that psyche numbing can occur for knowledge as well as affect. Both males and females offered few solutions to nuclear war, a possible manifestation of an attitude of hopelessness in our youth.

Cancer induction as a result of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Land, C.E.; Oftedal, P.

1984-01-01

A major nuclear war would involve some increase in radiation exposure to the entire world population from delayed fallout, but the major exposures would occur locally from early fallout close to, and downwind of, nuclear detonations in which the fireball touched the ground. Given the preponderance of multi-megaton weapons in the armament carried by intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers, it is likely that early fallout would be by far the most important source of radiation exposure. Those surviving beyond the first few years after a nuclear exchange would be subject to an increased cancer risk as a result of their exposure to ionizing radiation. This annex represents an attempt to quantify roughly this excess cancer risk in terms of the numbers of cancer deaths and cases, and the expected years of life lost

Chinese Attitudes on Preventive War and the Preemption Doctrine

Science.gov (United States)

2009-07-01

actions from a utilitarian perspective, but must consider how appropriate different actions may be for that type of situation. This in turn will...international norms as those prohibiting genocide,32 the use of chemical and nuclear weapons,33 and trafficking in slaves and endangered species,34 and...norms that promote such state obligations in war as humane treatment and protections for enemy prisoners and non-combatants.35 The question over

Long-term consequences of and prospects for recovery from nuclear war: Two views. View II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anspaugh, L.R.

1986-01-01

The author comments on the information presented in this volume and speculates on the long-term consequences of nuclear war and the prospects for recovery. In order to do that, it might be useful to define long term. To him this means time frames of years to perhaps even hundreds of years in terms of the ultimate response and recovery of large-scale ecosystems. Such long time frames may seem excessive, but if some of the speculated efforts of nuclear war are actually realized, it may indeed take centuries before native ecosystems restabilize. Also, when referring to long-term effects of the magnitude required to have a major impact on entire ecosystems, it is clear that the driving force would not be the direct effects of nuclear war. Of potentially greater significance would be the secondary effects mediated by the intermediate-term impacts on global climate. Specifically, he refers to the speculative impacts of major decreases in the heat and light fluxes reaching the Earth's surface. Such changes are commonly referred to as ''nuclear winter.''

Impacts on Chinese Agriculture of Geoengineering and Smoke from Fires Ignited by Nuclear War

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, L.; Robock, A.

2013-12-01

Climate is one of the most important factors determining crop yields and world food supplies. To be well prepared for possible futures, it is necessary to study yield changes of major crops under different climate scenarios. Here we consider two situations: stratospheric sulfate geoengineering and nuclear war. Although we certainly do not advocate either scenario, we cannot exclude the possibilities: if global warming is getting worse, society might consider deliberately manipulating global temperature; if nuclear weapons still exist, we might face a nuclear war catastrophe. Since in both scenarios there would be reductions of temperature, precipitation, and insolation, which are three controlling factors on crop growth, it is important to study food supply changes under the two cases. We conducted our simulations for China, because it has the highest population and crop production in the world and it is under the strong influence of the summer monsoon, which would be altered in geoengineering and nuclear war scenarios. To examine the effects of climate changes induced by geoengineering and nuclear war on Chinese agriculture, we use the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) crop model. We first evaluated the model by forcing it with daily weather data and management practices for the period 1978-2008 for 24 provinces in China, and compared the results to observations of the yields of major crops in China (middle season rice, winter wheat, and maize). Then we perturbed observed weather data using climate anomalies for geoengineering and nuclear war simulations. For geoengineering, we consider the G2 scenario of the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP), which prescribes an insolation reduction to balance a 1% per year increase in CO2 concentration (1pctCO2). We used results from ten climate models participating in G2. For the nuclear war scenario, we consider the effects of 5 Tg of soot that could be injected into the upper

For establishment on nuclear disaster prevention system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2000-01-01

For increasing requirement of peoples for review of nuclear disaster countermeasure at a chance of the JCO critical accident, the Japanese Government newly established the 'Special Measure Act on Nuclear Disaster Countermeasure', which was enacted on July 16, 2000. The nuclear business relatives such as electric power company and so forth established the Business program on nuclear disaster prevention in nuclear business relatives' after their consultation with local communities at their construction, under their co-operation. Simultaneously, the electric power industry field decided to intend to provide some sufficient countermeasures to incidental formation of nuclear accident such as start of the Co-operative agreement on nuclear disaster prevention among the nuclear business relatives' and so forth. Here were described on nuclear safety and disaster prevention, nuclear disaster prevention systems at the electric power industry field, abstract on 'Business program on nuclear disaster prevention in nuclear business relatives', preparation of technical assistance system for nuclear disaster prevention, executive methods and subjects on nuclear disaster prevention at construction areas, recent business on nuclear disaster prevention at the Nuclear Technical Center, and subjects on establishment of nuclear disaster prevention system. (G.K.)

Photographed by the Earth: War and media in light of nuclear events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Pringle

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article charts a media historical relation between radiation and celluloid film, ranging from the downwind 1956 production of The Conqueror to early scientific imaging practices, war photography, war documentaries, military industrial film, and contemporary artists working on radiation aesthetics. Posing the collection as a diagnostic media ecology, this article argues that the valuable evidence provided by the environmental metadata stored in celluloid film is the product of ecological warfare and violence. By turning to the material sciences for a better understanding of how nuclear weapons affect media on large spatial and temporal scales we gain a parallax view to how photographic practices – defined as the aesthetic exchange of light and energy – occur autonomously within our ecology, although some of these forces are mobilised in deadly and imperceptible ways. By demonstrating that non-human agencies released by Cold War energy policies have contaminated military industrial and commercial film archives alike, this article asserts that nuclear testing and warfare have contributed to a global condition of test-subjectivity that can be evidenced by diagnostic media ecology.

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) in Europe and the dissemination of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mongnet, J.

1997-01-01

The problem of the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons is of great concern to physician because of their professional interest in the life and heals of the population.It for the reason that we have studied and published articles on the effects of nuclear weapons, the consequences of nuclear weapon production and testing and demanded their abolition. Unfortunately we can at present observe their dissemination, both vertical and horizontal, in Europe and the world. July 2 nd marked the beginning of a series of nuclear tests in Nevada in direct violation of Article 6 of the Treaty of Non-Proliferation. IPPNW is part of the Abolition 2000 campaign which is working towards the abolition of nuclear weapons for the year 2000. The American and European initiative regarding the extension of NATO will ruin all hopes of this. Although public opinion was greatly influenced by the decision taken by the President of the French Republic to resume nuclear testing in the Pacific in 1995, it is not yet aware of the danger of the extension of NATO and has been lulled into a false sense of well-being by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty signed in New York in 1996. It is therefore the duty of physicians all over Europe to preserve the population from these new threats and the vast military expenditure they represent to the detriment of health and education

"A Hedge against the Future": The Post-Cold War Rhetoric of Nuclear Weapons Modernization

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Bryan C.

2010-01-01

Rhetoric has traditionally played an important role in constituting the nuclear future, yet that role has changed significantly since the declared end of the Cold War. Viewed from the perspectives of nuclear criticism and postmodern theories of risk and security, current rhetoric of US nuclear modernization demonstrates how contingencies of voice…

Why we must abolish nuclear weapons after the end of the Cold War

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnishi, Hitoshi

1997-01-01

The end of the Cold War has offered a great opportunity to reduce or even abolish nuclear weapons, but the international community seemed to lose interest in nuclear weapons issues. Today, however, there are a lot of other major menaces to the survival of the mankind: pollution, hunger, poverty, ethnic conflicts. So the nuclear weapons issue is merely one of the most pressing threats to survival

The relationship between early ego strength and adolescent responses to the threat of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrekus, N.J.

1989-01-01

Ego resiliency and ego control, measured when subjects were 3 or 4 years old, were related to expectation of war, concern for the future, and activism in response to the threat of nuclear war, measured when subjects were 18 years old. Data from 92 participants in a longitudinal study of ego and cognitive development conducted by Jeanne and Jack Block at the University of California, Berkeley were used to test hypotheses. Assessments with the California Child Q-set, composited across multiple independent observers, provide measures of ego resiliency and ego control. Adolescent interviews regarding the perception of likelihood of nuclear war, how this affects their future, and their antinuclear and general political activism were scaled and rated. Early ego resiliency and ego under control were hypothesized to account for the variance in adolescent nuclear responses and activism. The only significant longitudinal relationships were in the female sample, where ego under control was found to be a significant predictor of both general political activism (p<.01) and ideas of the future being affected by the nuclear threat (p<.05). Among males, the relationship between early ego resiliency and adolescent antinuclear activism approached significance (p<.10). Adolescent personality was significantly related to several measures of nuclear response. In girls, adolescent ego under control related to perception of likelihood of nuclear war (p<.05) and antinuclear activism (p<.05), and the interaction of ego resiliency and ego under control predicted general political activism (p<.0005). In boys, adolescent ego resiliency correlated with antinuclear activism (p<.05). These findings were discussed in terms of antecedent parenting styles, and conceptual links were drawn between children's ego resiliency and security of attachment, perspective taking, and moral development

The relationship between early ego strength and adolescent responses to the threat of nuclear war

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrekus, N.J.

1989-01-01

Ego resiliency and ego control, measured when subjects were 3 or 4 years old, were related to expectation of war, concern for the future, and activism in response to the threat of nuclear war, measured when subjects were 18 years old. Data from 92 participants in a longitudinal study of ego and cognitive development conducted by Jeanne and Jack Block at the University of California, Berkeley were used to test hypotheses. Assessments with the California Child Q-set, composited across multiple independent observers, provide measures of ego resiliency and ego control. Adolescent interviews regarding the perception of likelihood of nuclear war, how this affects their future, and their antinuclear and general political activism were scaled and rated. Early ego resiliency and ego under control were hypothesized to account for the variance in adolescent nuclear responses and activism. The only significant longitudinal relationships were in the female sample, where ego under control was found to be a significant predictor of both general political activism (p<.01) and ideas of the future being affected by the nuclear threat (p<.05). Among males, the relationship between early ego resiliency and adolescent antinuclear activism approached significance (p<.10). Adolescent personality was significantly related to several measures of nuclear response. In girls, adolescent ego under control related to perception of likelihood of nuclear war (p<.05) and antinuclear activism (p<.05), and the interaction of ego resiliency and ego under control predicted general political activism (p<.0005). In boys, adolescent ego resiliency correlated with antinuclear activism (p<.05). These findings were discussed in terms of antecedent parenting styles, and conceptual links were drawn between children's ego resiliency and security of attachment, perspective taking, and moral development.

Shelter to provide protection from nuclear fallout and/or war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Northgreaves, K.R.

1982-01-01

A shelter to provide protection from nuclear fall-out and/or war gas is described. It has a flexible inflatable envelope containing its own life support system and can be stored in a collapsed condition until required. A sealable access is provided and an over-pressure within the envelope can be maintained by means of a hand-operated air compressor which draws in external air through an air inlet and through a dust and war gas filter. The shelter can be divided into two chambers of which one can form an air-lock chamber between the access opening and the other chamber. Sanitary and decontamination equipment can be provided in the air-lock chamber. (author)

Medical problems of survivors of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrams, H.L.; Von Kaenel, W.E.

1981-01-01

The nature of the medical problems that may confront survivors of a nuclear war are discussed with emphasis on infection and the spread of communicable disease. Factors which will increase the risk and severity of infection include: radiation, trauma and burns, malnutrition and starvation, dehydration, exposure, and hardship. Factors which will increase the spread of disease include: crowded shelter conditions, poor sanitation, insects, corpses, free-roaming diseased animals. Shortages of physicians, the destruction of laboratories, and the general disorganization sure to follow the attack will also contribute to the problems. The authors recommend further study in this area

Testing times: A nuclear weapons laboratory at the end of the Cold War

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gusterson, H.

1992-01-01

This dissertation focuses on the role of discursive and other practices in the construction of two alternative regimes of truth in regard to nuclear weapons, and in the cultural production of persons at the Livermore Laboratory and in the local anti-nuclear movement. In the 1980s the scientists' regime of truth was challenged by a heterogeneous anti-nuclear movement recruited largely from the humanistic middle class - a class fragment profoundly hostile to the policies of the Reagan Administration. The movement attacked the Laboratory in a number of ways, ranging from local ballot initiatives and lobbying in Washington to civil disobedience at the Laboratory. By the end of the 1980s this movement, in combination with Gorbachev's reforms in the Soviet Union and a decade of internal scandals at the Laboratory, left the Laboratory weakened - though Laboratory scientists and managers are currently working to adapt the system of ideas and practices evolved during the Cold War to legitimate continued weapons work in a post-Cold War environment

The biological consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrlich, P.R.

1985-01-01

A large-scale nuclear war, as far as we can see, would leave, at most, scattered survivors in the Northern Hemisphere, and those survivors would be facing extreme cold, hunger, water shortages, heavy smog, and so on, and they would be facing it all in twilight or darkness and without the support of an organized society. The ecosystems upon which they would be extremely dependent would be severely stressed, changing in ways that we can hardly predict. Their functioning would be badly impaired. Ecologists do not know enough about these complicated systems to be able to predict their exact state after they had ''recovered''. Whether the biosphere would ever be restored to anything resembling that of today is entirely problematical

The radiance of France; nuclear power and national identity after world war 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hecht, G.

2004-01-01

This book discusses the early history of French nuclear power within its social and political context from the end of world war 2 to 1970. The author describes the creation of the nuclear reactors, the work at the reactor sites, and the impact of nuclear power on local communities. Information on the French atomic bomb program is also included. The conflicts and negotiations surrounding the nuclear programs are detailed, and the importance of the programs to French national identity is made clear. An excellent bibliography and extensive footnotes are provided

Strategic Stability Reconsidered: Prospects for Escalation and Nuclear War in the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russell, J.A.

2009-07-01

This paper addresses the prospect that nuclear weapons could be used in the Middle East - breaking the so-called 'taboo' against the use of these weapons since the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 and which remained unbroken throughout the Cold War and continues to endure. It argues that unstable dynamics of the coercive bargaining framework surrounding Iran's nuclear program may be pushing the world closer toward the use of nuclear weapons than is generally realized - perhaps closer than any time since the Cuban missile crisis - and proposes a number of near- and longer-term scenarios to illustrate the ways in which structural uncertainties in the regional interstate bargaining framework could result in the use of nuclear weapons. In itself, the 'taboo' against nuclear use is unlikely to prevent regional states and/or non-state actors from using these weapons to protect themselves and to secure their vital interests. While the very use of the word 'taboo' in connection with nuclear weapons offers an attractive metaphor, it has little use as a meaningful term to describe the policies and attitudes of states' and non-state actors toward the use of nuclear weapons. It is difficult to argue that any country has ever obtained nuclear weapons with the idea that the weapons would not be used. A case in point is the United States, for example, which, while embracing the concept of nuclear deterrence, has made a point of not forswearing the first use of nuclear weapons, and has repeatedly articulated a range of plausible conditions under which the weapons would be used. The paper agrees with political scientist Michael Mandelbaum, who declared more than a decade ago that: '..like all taboos, this one will be violated under necessity. Individuals will eat forbidden foods, even one another, if the alternative is starvation; nations will acquire and use forbidden weapons if they deem it necessary

Strategic Stability Reconsidered: Prospects for Escalation and Nuclear War in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, J.A.

2009-01-01

This paper addresses the prospect that nuclear weapons could be used in the Middle East - breaking the so-called 'taboo' against the use of these weapons since the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 and which remained unbroken throughout the Cold War and continues to endure. It argues that unstable dynamics of the coercive bargaining framework surrounding Iran's nuclear program may be pushing the world closer toward the use of nuclear weapons than is generally realized - perhaps closer than any time since the Cuban missile crisis - and proposes a number of near- and longer-term scenarios to illustrate the ways in which structural uncertainties in the regional interstate bargaining framework could result in the use of nuclear weapons. In itself, the 'taboo' against nuclear use is unlikely to prevent regional states and/or non-state actors from using these weapons to protect themselves and to secure their vital interests. While the very use of the word 'taboo' in connection with nuclear weapons offers an attractive metaphor, it has little use as a meaningful term to describe the policies and attitudes of states' and non-state actors toward the use of nuclear weapons. It is difficult to argue that any country has ever obtained nuclear weapons with the idea that the weapons would not be used. A case in point is the United States, for example, which, while embracing the concept of nuclear deterrence, has made a point of not forswearing the first use of nuclear weapons, and has repeatedly articulated a range of plausible conditions under which the weapons would be used. The paper agrees with political scientist Michael Mandelbaum, who declared more than a decade ago that: '..like all taboos, this one will be violated under necessity. Individuals will eat forbidden foods, even one another, if the alternative is starvation; nations will acquire and use forbidden weapons if they deem it necessary for survival'. The paper first draws upon

US policies on combating proliferation of nuclear weapons after the cold war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tosaki, Hirofumi

2005-01-01

Combating nuclear proliferation has been one of the top priorities for the international community in the post post-Cold War era, and the United States has been taking initiative for tackling the problems. The current Bush administration has placed value high on the effective and concrete actions - including the use of military forces - for such efforts. It is imperative that such actions should be taken in resolving the nuclear proliferation. However, the United States has been criticized that it has disregarded the existing nuclear non-proliferation regime, and that its non-proliferation policy has given negative implications to the regime. Combating nuclear proliferation should be pursued in balanced approach with legitimacy, in consideration of the discriminately nature of the regime as well as of its three pillars - nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy. (author)

Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" Address: Mythic Containment of Technical Reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Rushing, Janice Hocker

1986-01-01

Views Reagan's "Star Wars" address as part of the culturally evolving myth of the New Frontier. Discusses how the speech creates the illusion of both preserving and transcending science by (1) subordinating technical reasoning to prevent nuclear holocaust and (2) using technoscience to rescript history and remove temporal and spacial…

Nuclear issues on the agenda of the conference on disarmament

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernauer, T.

1991-01-01

This research report examines three nuclear arms control and disarmament issues which figure on the agenda of the Conference on Disarmament - security assurance to non-nuclear-weapon States, the prevention of nuclear war, and the cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament

History of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Doctrine and a Path Forward

Science.gov (United States)

Chyba, Christopher

2007-04-01

During the Cold War, the United States considered a number of approaches for living in a world with nuclear weapons, including disarmament, preventive war, the incorporation of nuclear weapons into military strategy, passive and active defense, and deterrence. With the failure of early approaches to disarmament, and the rejection of preventive war against the Soviet Union (and later, China), deterrence became central to key nuclear relationships, though arms control continued to play an important role. The nuclear nonproliferation treaty made preventing the further spread of nuclear weapons another central component of U.S. policy. The Bush Administration has tried to devise a new policy for the post-Cold War period. Their approach has three salient pillars. First, it is characterized by an overall skepticism toward multilateral agreements, on the grounds that bad actors will not obey them, that agreements can lead to a false sense of security, and that such agreements are too often a way for the Lilliputians of the world to tie down Gulliver. The March 2005 U.S. National Defense Strategy declared that U.S. strength ``will continue to be challenged by those who employ a strategy of the weak, using international fora, judicial processes and terrorism.'' Second, the Bush Administration declared its intention to maintain a military dominance so great that other states simply would not try to catch up. The 2002 National Security Strategy states that ``Our forces will be strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries from pursuing a military build-up in hopes of surpassing, or equaling, the power of the United States.'' Third, the 2002 National Security Strategy (reaffirmed by the 2006 National Security Strategy) moved preventive war (which the strategies called ``preemptive war'') to a central position, rather than deterrence and nonproliferation. In part this was because of the claim that certain ``rogue'' states, and terrorist groups, were not deterrable. This talk

Nuclear disarmament and peaceful nuclear technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, T.B.

1989-01-01

According to the author, it remains to be seen whether nuclear disarmament can reduce the risks of nuclear war sufficiently for the residual risks to be acceptable to a majority of the world's population, while at the same time vigorous growth in the world's dependence on nuclear energy for peaceful purposes continues. This paper discusses how use of nuclear materials from dismantled weapons as fuel for peaceful purposes may help progress to be made towards that goal, by stimulating considerable improvements in the effectiveness of arrangements for preventing diversion of the materials from peaceful to military purposes, while at the same time eliminating large numbers of nuclear weapons

Problems of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodionov, D.

1999-01-01

An enormous stockpile of nuclear weapons was reduced during the Cold War as a result of frantic Soviet-US competition, accompanied by considerable radioactive pollution of the environment. This pollution was inevitable. Former adversaries began to sober only recently. As a result, areas of weapons complexes both in the USA (Hanford, Savannah, Oak Ridge) and in Russia (Chelyabinsk-65, Tomsk-7, Krasnoyarsk-25) look like battlefields of the Cold War. A Nuclear weapon-free world will only be achieved (if at all) after reaching changes in the principles that guide state policies and actions. A nuclear-waste-free world implies that the environment's radioactive pollution of a military nature would be eliminated and all potential dangers from civil nuclear energy prevented. This can be attained after solution of some economic, political and social problems

Medical problems of survivors of nuclear war: Infection and the spread of communicable disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrams, H.L.; VonKaenel, W.E.

1984-01-01

The nature of the medical problems produced by the aftermath of nuclear war is discussed. The survivors of nuclear war will live without the social structure needed to assure food, water, and shelter. They will experience malnutrition, exposure, and fatigue, which are all favorable to infection and the epidemic spread of communicable disease. The authors analyze the problem of infectious illness in the postattack period, assuming the 6,559 megaton attack scenario used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A particular contribution of this analysis is that it is based on government technical reports that describe the available computer modeling of postattack conditions. Such simulations allow a semiquantitative estimate of deaths due to infection. They estimate that postattack infectious disease mortality will be 25%. These studies are not accessible to the general reader and are difficult for health professionals to interpret

The long-term environmental and medical effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-03-01

Part 1 describes the physical structure of the atmosphere and reviews recent studies which have considered the atmospheric perturbations which could follow a nuclear war according to various scenarios. Part 2 describes the biological consequences of predicted atmospheric and climatic changes, concentrating on the long term implications for health and human well- being. Part 3 outlines some policy implications arising out of these environmental consequences and includes the conclusions and a summary of the report. (author)

Post-Cold War frameworks for US nuclear policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackay, L.S. Jr.

1993-01-01

This thesis contends that the passing of the Cold War has produced a disintegration of the fit between the grand strategy of containment and the nuclear policy of strategic deterrence. The primary sources of that disintegration are: the altered political circumstances from both of largescale military conflict; and the emergence of nuclear proclivities and capabilities in developing states. This thesis uses a three step process to construct a framework for a successor U.S. nuclear policy given the national goals of economic liberty, conservation of national institutions, promotion of democratic principles, and collegiality with like-minded states. The first part is dedicated to the construction of a policy-relevant and paradigmatic description of the nascent security environment. The most useful description is one which emphasizes the structural antipathy between the coterie of economically advanced, culturally similar, and politicially liberal states of western Europe, North America, and northeast Asia, and other, lesser developed polities. The second part, with the aid of simple analytic models, examines the theory of nuclear weapons doctrine as it pertains to an archetypally defined deterrence. Further models incorporating sequential decision making, relative gains analysis, and power/preference asymmetries demonstrate the prevalence and relative strengths and limitations of Prisoner's Dilemma as a deterrence system. The third part integrates the core-periphery paradigm and the analytic insights into a two-tiered framework of companion U.S. nuclear policies. A fourth part summarizes the implications of this analysis for U.S. forces and doctrine

ASSESSING THE UNCERTAINTY OF NUCLEAR DETERRENCE

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-22

unlimited. Abstract Nuclear deterrence theory in its many forms arose as a theoretical architecture with the goal of preventing rather than winning a nuclear... Egyptians and Syrians advanced toward Israel.31 Finally, the Kargil war represents a particularly volatile situation where the world looked on in fear as

Reagan's energy war: can deregulation and the Pentagon save the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feeney, A.

1981-01-01

Mr. Feeney feels that Administration energy policies claiming to protect democracy and reduce government interference will transfer money and political control from the people to the energy corporations and the Pentagon. Critics deplore the hard-path approach of downgrading conservation and solar energy in favor of nuclear energy, which some see as setting the stage for a nuclear war in this decade. They see the plan to abolish DOE as providing an opportunity to bail out the nuclear industry, bury environmental and alternative energy research, and block regulations. Critics question why Reagan's devotion to the free market is not applied to the nuclear industry, although they disagree on the linkage with nuclear weapons of new fuel cycle proposals and the use of national security to solve the waste disposal problem by nationalizing and militarizing the fuel cycle

War and Power

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carter, Dale

2018-01-01

Whether as context or prospect, reference or substance, warfare invariably features in Pynchon’s fiction: the war of American independence in Mason & Dixon; colonial wars in V.; world war one in Against the Day; world war two in Gravity’s Rainbow; the cold war in The Crying of Lot 49; various...... culture wars – hippies against straights, dopers versus The Man, nerds contra jocks – in Vineland and Inherent Vice; and the war on terror in Bleeding Edge. In these novels warfare occasions, illuminates and interrogates the lineaments of power, not only political or military but also social...... and representational – that mark the post-imperial, cold (and post-cold) war order; from the concentration camps and nuclear explosions of world war two to the ballistic missiles of the cold war, the irregular engagements of terrorism and counter-terrorism, and the digitalized fall-out of cyber-warfare....

Climate effects of a hypothetical regional nuclear war: Sensitivity to emission duration and particle composition

Science.gov (United States)

Pausata, Francesco S. R.; Lindvall, Jenny; Ekman, Annica M. L.; Svensson, Gunilla

2016-11-01

Here, we use a coupled atmospheric-ocean-aerosol model to investigate the plume development and climate effects of the smoke generated by fires following a regional nuclear war between emerging third-world nuclear powers. We simulate a standard scenario where 5 Tg of black carbon (BC) is emitted over 1 day in the upper troposphere-lower stratosphere. However, it is likely that the emissions from the fires ignited by bomb detonations include a substantial amount of particulate organic matter (POM) and that they last more than 1 day. We therefore test the sensitivity of the aerosol plume and climate system to the BC/POM ratio (1:3, 1:9) and to the emission length (1 day, 1 week, 1 month). We find that in general, an emission length of 1 month substantially reduces the cooling compared to the 1-day case, whereas taking into account POM emissions notably increases the cooling and the reduction of precipitation associated with the nuclear war during the first year following the detonation. Accounting for POM emissions increases the particle size in the short-emission-length scenarios (1 day/1 week), reducing the residence time of the injected particle. While the initial cooling is more intense when including POM emission, the long-lasting effects, while still large, may be less extreme compared to the BC-only case. Our study highlights that the emission altitude reached by the plume is sensitive to both the particle type emitted by the fires and the emission duration. Consequently, the climate effects of a nuclear war are strongly dependent on these parameters.

Canadians, nuclear weapons, and the Cold War security dilemma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eaton, M.A.

2007-01-01

This dissertation provides a history of Canadian ideas about nuclear weapons from the late 1950s until the end of the Trudeau era in 1984. Throughout this period, Canadians reacted to the insecurity they felt in the world around them by expressing many conflicting, often irreconcilable views about a range of nuclear weapon issues, including Canada's acquisition of nuclear warheads in 1963, the U.S. ABM program in the 1960s and early 1970s, the role of Canadian nuclear technology in the development of India's first nuclear explosion, and the Trudeau government's decision to allow the U.S. military to test cruise missiles in northern Canada The dissertation concludes with an examination of the emergence of a broadly-based, increasingly mainstream and influential anti-nuclear movement in the early 1980s, the clearest manifestation of the insecurity Canadians experienced at the time. .The nuclear debates examined in this dissertation reveal that Canadians were divided over nuclear weapons, nuclear strategy, the arms race, proliferation, and arms control and disarmament. In particular, they came to fundamentally different conclusions about how Canada's nuclear weapon policies, and its support for the nuclear policies of its alliances, would contribute to international stability and order. Some believed that their security rested on the maintenance of a strong Western nuclear deterrent and supported Canada contributing to its credibility; others believed that the constant modernisation of nuclear arsenals fuelled by the superpower arms race posed a serious threat to their security. This conceptual dilemma-the security through nuclear strength argument versus the fear that the quest for security through quantitative and qualitative improvements of nuclear stockpiles increased the likelihood of nuclear war-left Canadians divided over the value and utility of nuclear weapons and the strategies developed around them. At the same time, Canadians' ideas about nuclear weapons

Canadians, nuclear weapons, and the Cold War security dilemma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eaton, M.A

2007-07-01

This dissertation provides a history of Canadian ideas about nuclear weapons from the late 1950s until the end of the Trudeau era in 1984. Throughout this period, Canadians reacted to the insecurity they felt in the world around them by expressing many conflicting, often irreconcilable views about a range of nuclear weapon issues, including Canada's acquisition of nuclear warheads in 1963, the U.S. ABM program in the 1960s and early 1970s, the role of Canadian nuclear technology in the development of India's first nuclear explosion, and the Trudeau government's decision to allow the U.S. military to test cruise missiles in northern Canada The dissertation concludes with an examination of the emergence of a broadly-based, increasingly mainstream and influential anti-nuclear movement in the early 1980s, the clearest manifestation of the insecurity Canadians experienced at the time. .The nuclear debates examined in this dissertation reveal that Canadians were divided over nuclear weapons, nuclear strategy, the arms race, proliferation, and arms control and disarmament. In particular, they came to fundamentally different conclusions about how Canada's nuclear weapon policies, and its support for the nuclear policies of its alliances, would contribute to international stability and order. Some believed that their security rested on the maintenance of a strong Western nuclear deterrent and supported Canada contributing to its credibility; others believed that the constant modernisation of nuclear arsenals fuelled by the superpower arms race posed a serious threat to their security. This conceptual dilemma-the security through nuclear strength argument versus the fear that the quest for security through quantitative and qualitative improvements of nuclear stockpiles increased the likelihood of nuclear war-left Canadians divided over the value and utility of nuclear weapons and the strategies developed around them. At the same time, Canadians

China's position on nuclear non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Jiadong.

1986-01-01

The paper discusses China's position on nuclear non-proliferation, in view of the fact that China does not subscribe to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). China refuses to accede to the NPT because it considers the treaty to be discriminatory, and reasons are given for this point of view. However its stand for nuclear disarmament and disapproval of nuclear proliferation are declared. Nuclear arms race, prevention of nuclear war, and nuclear disarmament are also considered. (UK)

Atmosphere after a nuclear war: twilight at noon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crutzen, P; Birks, J

1982-01-01

If a nuclear war occurs, serious atmospheric consequences will result from the production of large amounts of particulate matter due to the many fires that will start in cities, industry, and particularly in forests, agricultural fields, and oil and gas fields. The authors estimate that for most of the Northern Hemisphere the average intensity of sunlight reaching the surface of the earth would be reduced by a large factor as a result of light absorption by particles in the submicron diameter size range, and this darkness would persist for as long as the fires burn, which is expected to be many weeks. The screening of sunlight by the fire-produced aerosol over extended periods during the growing season would eliminate much of the food production in the Northern Hemisphere. Marine ecosystems may be particularly sensitive to the loss of sunlight that would result. The fires would also inject large quantities of oxides of nitrogen and reactive hydrocarbons into the atmosphere, creating the potential for a severe photochemical smog situation throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. The production of strong oxidants such as ozone and peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) as the aerosol is removed from the atmosphere would also negatively influence food production throughout the Northern Hemisphere during the first year following the war.

The nuclear present. A guide to recent books on nuclear war, weapons, the peace movement, and related issues, with a chronology of nuclear events, 1789-1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burns, G.

1992-01-01

The Nuclear Present brings the interested reader up-to-date on significant English-language books about nuclear weapons and related topics, identifying primarily important works of nuclear non-fiction that have come out since 1984. Each reference has a paragraph of comment about its subject and value. General organizational areas include the following: Reference Works; Nuclear weapons and Nuclear war (14 sub-headings including overviews, development, effects, tests, arms race, prospectives, legal considerations etc.); Strategy; proliferation; Stratigic Defense; Arms control and disarmament; ethical, pholosophical and religous perspectives; new paths to peace; periodic guide; the Chernobyl Disaster. An extensive Nuclear Chronology (1789-1991) written by the author allows a fairly detailed sense of the historical record of nuclear weapons, including testing, manufacture, use and movements for arms control and disarmament

WHY NATIONS GO TO WAR

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Francois Vrey

This 11th edition of Why nations go to war analyses ten case studies covering major ... of the time (Germany, Russia, Serbia and Austria in particular), Stoessinger depicts ... The section on the war in Vietnam depicts how five consecutive American ... to war. The nuclear option is available to both countries and the strategic.

Nuclear war and other catastrophes. Civil and catastrophe protection in the Federal republic of Germany and the United Kingdom after 1945

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diebel, Martin

2017-01-01

The book civil and catastrophe protection in the Federal republic of Germany and the United Kingdom after 1945 discusses the following issues: aerial defense and the atomic bomb (1945 - 1968), crises and catastrophes in the shadow of the bomb (1962 - 1978), civil defense and the comeback of the (nuclear) war (1976 - 1979), civil defense and the second ''Cold War'' (1979 - 1986), Chernobyl and the end of the Cold War (1979 - 1990), war, catastrophe and safety in the 20th century - a conclusion.

Nuclear materials control technology in the post-cold war world: Radiation-based methods and information management systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tape, J.W.; Eccleston, G.W.; Ensslin, N.; Markin, J.T.

1993-01-01

The end of the cold war is providing both opportunities and requirements for improving the control of nuclear materials around the world. The dismantlement of nuclear weapons and the growth of nuclear power, including the use of plutonium in light water reactors and breeder reactor programs, coupled with enhanced proliferation concerns, drive the need for improved nuclear materials control. We describe nuclear materials control and the role of technology in making controls more effective and efficient. The current use and anticipated development in selected radiation-based methods and related information management systems am described briefly

Preventing nuclear terrorism: the report and papers of the International Task Force on Prevention of Nuclear Terrorism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leventhal, P.; Alexander, Y.

1987-01-01

The International Task Force on Prevention of Nuclear Terrorism, formed in 1985 under the Nuclear Control Institute, commissioned 26 studies and produced an extensive report on the problem and prevention of nuclear terrorism, Part I of this book is the full report, and part II contains the individual studies under two section: (A) Defining the Threat (8 studies); and (B) Strategies for Dealing with the Threat (18 studies). Detailed recommendations are made, in many of the studies, for better protection of nuclear weapons, materials, and facilities; greater cooperation among national intelligence agencies; tighter controls on nuclear transfers; more effective arms control initiatives; and emergency management programs. A separate abstract was prepared for the report and each of the 26 studies

Joseph A. Burton Forum Award: Some Nuclear Weapons Dilemmas

Science.gov (United States)

May, Michael

2014-03-01

Nuclear weapons pose a combination of political and ethical dilemmas the solution to which has not been found. On one hand, in the view of both US government leaders and US allies, nuclear deterrence continues to play an essential part in the US role as the ultimate source of military strength for the alliances among the major democratic countries. It also continues to be in demand by countries that believe themselves to be isolated and threatened. On the other hand, nuclear weapons, besides being effective deterrents, can cause unprecedented loss of life and risk the demise of civilizations. No ban or technical precaution could prevent the rebuilding of nuclear weapons in a crisis. No diplomatic arrangement to date has erased the threat of invasion and war in the world. Only the abandonment of war and the threat of war as instruments of policy can make nuclear weapons obsolete. The slow, halting, risky road to that end remains the only hope for a world in which lasting solutions to the nuclear dilemmas are possible.

Defence and illustration of nuclear deterrence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tertrais, Bruno

2011-01-01

After having shown that nuclear deterrence has been efficient since 1945 (nuclear weapons prevented from war, nuclear deterrence contributed to the reduction of risks related to proliferation), the author discusses the amorality and illegality of nuclear deterrence (its ethics can indeed be a matter of discussion, as well as issues like self-defence and international humanitarian law). On another hand, he shows that deterrence costs remain acceptable and that substitutes to nuclear deterrence are not credible. He concludes that deterrence is therefore still useful and legitimate

Nuclear rights - nuclear wrongs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul, E.F.; Miller, F.D.; Paul, J.; Ahrens, J.

1986-01-01

This book contains 11 selections. The titles are: Three Ways to Kill Innocent Bystanders: Some Conundrums Concerning the Morality of War; The International Defense of Liberty; Two Concepts of Deterrence; Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control; Ethical Issues for the 1980s; The Moral Status of Nuclear Deterrent Threats; Optimal Deterrence; Morality and Paradoxical Deterrence; Immoral Risks: A Deontological Critique of Nuclear Deterrence; No War Without Dictatorship, No Peace Without Democracy: Foreign Policy as Domestic Politics; Marxism-Leninism and its Strategic Implications for the United States; Tocqueveille War.

Nuclear winter: Global consequences of multiple nuclear explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turco, R.P.; Toon, O.B.; Ackerman, T.P.; Pollack, J.B.; Sagan, C.

1984-01-01

Concern has been raised over the short- and long-term consequences of the dust, smoke, radioactivity, and toxic vapors that would be generated by a nuclear war. The discovery that dense clouds of soil particles may have played a major role in past mass extinctions of life on Earth has encouraged the reconsideration of nuclear war effects. These developments have led the authors to calculate, using new data and improved models, the potential global environmental effects of dust and smoke clouds (henceforth referred to as nuclear dust and smoke) generated in a nuclear war. They neglect the short-term effects of blast, fire, and radiation. Most of the world's population could probably survive the initial nuclear exchange and would inherit the postwar environment. Accordingly, the longer-term and global-scale aftereffects of nuclear war might prove to be as important as the immediate consequences of the war

Creating a comprehensive strategy to prevent nuclear smuggling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luongo, K.

1998-01-01

The end of the Cold War has raised awareness in the international community about the threat posed by large, global stockpiles of weapon usable nuclear material. Particular focus has been directed at the level of protection provided to the fissile materials produced by the Soviet Union and concern has been raised about the growing stockpile of plutonium worldwide. Reported incidents of the diversion of nuclear material have raised the specter of potential nuclear terrorism and of countries of proliferation concern being provided a shortcut to the bomb. In order to address this problem, the international community needs to agree on the rapid implementation of a comprehensive, mutually reinforcing strategy to control existing stockpiles of fissile material, constrain future production and use of these materials, and address the underlying causes of this threat

Nuclear deterrence in the 21. century. Lessons from the cold war for a new era of strategic piracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delpech, Therese

2013-01-01

Deterrence remains a primary doctrine for dealing with the threat of nuclear weapons in the 21. century. In this book, the author calls for a renewed intellectual effort to address the relevance of the traditional concepts of first strike, escalation, extended deterrence, and other Cold War-era strategies in today's complex world of additional superpowers (e.g., China), smaller nuclear powers (e.g., Pakistan and North Korea), and non-state actors (e.g., terrorists), as well as the extension of defense and security analysis to new domains, such as outer space and cyber-space. The author draws upon the lessons of the bipolar Cold War era to illustrate new concepts of deterrence that properly account for the variety of nuclear actors, the proliferation of missiles and thermonuclear weapons, and the radical ideologies that all are part of the nuclear scene today. Contents: 1- Introduction, 2 - Why Is This Subject Important?, 3 - Concepts, 4 - Lessons from Crises, 5 - The Age of Small Powers, 6 - Ahead of Us: The Big Piracy Game?, 7 - Space and Cyber-deterrence

Long-term biological consequences of nuclear war.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrlich, P R; Harte, J; Harwell, M A; Raven, P H; Sagan, C; Woodwell, G M; Berry, J; Ayensu, E S; Ehrlich, A H; Eisner, T

1983-12-23

Subfreezing temperatures, low light levels, and high doses of ionizing and ultraviolet radiation extending for many months after a large-scale nuclear war could destroy the biological support systems of civilization, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Productivity in natural and agricultural ecosystems could be severely restricted for a year or more. Postwar survivors would face starvation as well as freezing conditions in the dark and be exposed to near-lethal doses of radiation. If, as now seems possible, the Southern Hemisphere were affected also, global disruption of the biosphere could ensue. In any event, there would be severe consequences, even in the areas not affected directly, because of the interdependence of the world economy. In either case the extinction of a large fraction of the Earth's animals, plants, and microorganisms seems possible. The population size of Homo sapiens conceivably could be reduced to prehistoric levels or below, and extinction of the human species itself cannot be excluded.

Recent advances in preventing mass violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamburg, David A

2010-10-01

Since his presidency of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and co-chairmanship of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict, David Hamburg has been actively engaged in projects related to the prevention of genocide and other mass violence. In these remarks to the Association for Research in Nervous and Mental Disease, he describes the significance of preventing mass violence in the 21st century. In particular, he discusses the danger of nuclear and other highly lethal weapons, emphasizing examples of prevention drawn from the Cold War and subsequent period. He delineates practical steps that can be taken to prevent war and genocide, including restraints on weaponry, preventive diplomacy, fostering indigenous democracy, fostering equitable socioeconomic development, education for human survival, and international justice in relation to human rights. Training and support in preventive diplomacy are highlighted as crucially important, particularly in the context of the United Nations, using the novel Mediation Support Unit based out of the Department of Political Affairs as a key example. He concludes that the creation of international centers for the prevention of mass atrocities could provide a crucial resource in preventing mass violence. © 2010 Association for Research in Nervous and Mental Disease.

Nuclear war: short-term chemical and radiative effects of stratospheric injections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luther, F.M.

1983-10-01

Earlier investigations of the atmospheric effects of a nuclear war focused primarily on the potential reduction in stratospheric ozone. The numerical models used in those assessments were one-dimensional and calculated the average ozone reduction over the Northern Hemisphere. The results presented here are the first assessment of the potential reduction in total ozone on a subcontinental scale. The purpose is to determine whether regions of large ozone reduction (sometimes called ozone holes) are possible, and to identify the important parameters affecting the magnitude of the ozone reduction and rate of recovery

Nursing education and the nuclear age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKay, S.

1989-01-01

As reflected in the nursing literature, nurses have only recently begun discussing professional responsibilities for avoidance of nuclear war. The literature of the 1950s and 1960s focused on issues of civil defense. The 1970s were mostly silent, but with the onset of the 1980s a few articles identified the need for the nursing profession to recognize the importance of nuclear war prevention. The responsibility of nursing education for including content about nuclear issues has not been discussed in the professional literature. The author surveyed baccalaureate programs of nursing education to determine whether this lack of discussion was reflected in nursing curricula. Responses indicated that the literature does not adequately reflect the level of activity and interest occurring within nursing education about nuclear issues. Nevertheless, because there is so little discussion in the professional literature, an implicit message is sent that nuclear issues are not of importance and that nurses should not openly address them.24 references

Nuclear weapons in the India-Pakistan context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanjay Badri-Maharaj

2002-01-01

This thesis deals with the possible employment of nuclear weapons in the ongoing confrontation between India and Pakistan. After reviewing the nuclear capabilities of both Indian and Pakistan and assessing their possible delivery systems, this dissertation explores the emerging picture regarding the Indian and Pakistani nuclear doctrines. It is argued that, after exploring the current structure of the armed forces in both countries and after analyzing the theatres of operations, it is highly unlikely that either country seeks to employ nuclear weapons in a tactical, battlefield role. It is also argued that neither India or Pakistan is making an effort to evolve a nuclear war-fighting doctrine. Moreover, it is shown that nuclear weapons have simply led to a re-thinking of military tactics on the part of India so as to minimize the chance of a nuclear strike by limiting the aims and objectives of any Indian military action. In stark contrast, it is shown that South Asian cities present far more lucrative targets for nuclear strikes. As a result of this and the geographic and tactical limitations of South Asian battlefields, it is argued that both India and Pakistan have based their fledgling nuclear strategies around a 'city-busting' concept. The existing command and control systems in both countries are examined and found to be adequate if both countries adopt a strict 'second-strike' approach to the employment of nuclear weapons. It is further argued that nuclear weapons, while limiting the scale of any future India-Pakistan war, will not play a major role in preventing a conflict between the two countries. Rather, the basic operational parity that exists between the two countries in terms of their conventional forces is responsible for preventing the outbreak of war. The thesis also briefly explores the rationale behind the acquisition of nuclear weapons in both countries and on their basic security perceptions. The issue of confidence building measures and the

Report of workshop on radiological effects of nuclear war, SCOPE-ENUWAR workshop, Moscow, USSR, March 21-25, 1988

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shapiro, C.S.

1988-03-01

The workshop on radiological consequences of nuclear war addressed specific issues that built on the foundation of the results that were published in the SCOPE-ENUWAR report (SCOPE-28) in 1986. 14 refs.

Report of workshop on radiological effects of nuclear war, SCOPE-ENUWAR workshop, Moscow, USSR, March 21-25, 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, C.S.

1988-03-01

The workshop on radiological consequences of nuclear war addressed specific issues that built on the foundation of the results that were published in the SCOPE-ENUWAR report (SCOPE-28) in 1986. 14 refs

War in European history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard, M.

1981-01-01

War history as a modern historic discipline is by far no longer a mere history of arms technique or a chronicle of battles. It deals with the change of warfare, shows how the wars of the various ages had determined society, and vice versay investigates the influence of social, economic, and -concerning mentality-historical changes on war. With this survey, which covers the period between the Middle Ages and the recent past, the author has presented a small masterpiece of the history of war. A book like this is particularly important and instructive in a time when all depends on the preventing of wars. (orig.) [de

Arms Diffusion and War

OpenAIRE

Bas, Muhammet Ali; Coe, A. J.

2012-01-01

The authors present a model of the relationship between the spread of new military technologies and the occurrence of war. A new technology could shift the balance of power, causing anticipatory war as one side tries to prevent the other from obtaining it. When one side already has it, war is more likely when the shift in power is large, likely, and durable. When neither side has it, war is more likely when the expected shift is asymmetric (e.g., one side is more likely to get it) and when th...

Environmental consequences of nuclear war

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toon, Owen B. [Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado (United States); Robock, Alan [Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey (United States); Turco, Richard P. [Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (United States)

2014-05-09

A regional war involving 100 Hiroshima-sized weapons would pose a worldwide threat due to ozone destruction and climate change. A superpower confrontation with a few thousand weapons would be catastrophic.

Nuclear safety research - risk and other risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossin, A.D.

1982-01-01

The nuclear power industry deals in many kinds of risks, complicated by political stress and communication problems. Power plant design must prepare for the unexpected attack, physical as well as psychological, but a zero-defects technology is not possible. The public has not been made sufficiently aware of the risk the US takes if there is not enough energy because nuclear power has been curtailed. Energy shortages could drive industry and jobs abroad, force the public to turn to government for a solution, drive the country to energy allocation, and cause a nuclear war. Policies that prevent closing the nuclear fuel cycle are ineffective in preventing proliferation and counterproductive to national needs

Economic Origins of War and Peace

OpenAIRE

Coe, Andrew

2012-01-01

Why do wars happen, and what do societies fight over? Why are international relations sometimes fearful and aggressive and other times harmonious? I show that these questions can be fruitfully explored by importing some basic economic theory into the existing bargaining theory of war. A separate essay analyzes the interactions between the United States and countries that may be pursuing nuclear weapons. "Costly Peace: A New Rationalist Explanation for War" posits a new explanation for war: so...

Nuclear Energy Futures: the Appropriation of the 'Atomic Age' in post-war Austria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayer, F.

2015-01-01

While recent scholarship in Science and Technology Studies and Science and Technology Policy carved out that techno-scientific developments take distinct national styles and shapes, less attention has been payed to such differences in the scholarship on nuclear history in Austria. In the context of the struggles over the non-commissioning of the already completed nuclear power plant at Zwentendorf (1978) and in the aftermath of the reactor explosion in Chernobyl (1986) the formation of a specific technopolitical identity, revolving around the sociotechnical imaginary of keeping nuclear technologies out of Austrian territory, has been observed. At the backdrop of this imaginary the history of nuclear enthusiasm in Austria is only present in narratives about how 'the people' have resisted and rejected the implementation of nuclear technologies in Austria and thus overcome u nreasonable promises of the so called atomic age . On the other hand historical scholarship shows that Austria has a long history of nuclear research and nuclear (power) policy that was hardly questioned until the early 1970s. Departing from this discrepancy this master thesis investigates the appropriation of the 'atomic age' in Austria in the mid 1950s. When US President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his famous Atoms for Peace address in front of the UN General Assembly in late 1953 global nuclear enthusiasm in the immediate post--war era reached a new highpoint. Analyzing the following developments in Austria until late 1955 - of which the formation of an Austrian Commission on Atomic Energy and the participation in the UN Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy are to be considered milestones - thus enables me to observe how the appropriation of the 'atomic age' was deeply entangled with imaginations of national collectivity and different forms of imagining the future. In reference to the broader frameworks of 'appropriating' science and technology

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation (1943-1987): a case study of the interface between physics and biology during the cold war

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Macuglia, Daniele [Fishbein Center for the History of Science and Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (United States)

2011-07-01

During its active period (1943-1987) the Hanford Nuclear Reservation shaped the history of US nuclear research. It also constitutes an interesting case study of the interface between physics, biology and the politics of Cold War society. Although supposed to turn the US into a stronger military force during the Cold War, the remarkable biological consequences of the nuclear research carried out in the facility ended up overshadowing its original political purpose. The high-level of radioactive waste harmed thousands of people living in the area, causing relevant environmental disasters which make the site the most contaminated area in the US even today. Nuclear research is uniquely dangerous since radiation can cause severe consequences both in terms of lives injured and environmental damage. I address various ways in which nuclear physics and biology were used - and abused - at the Hanford Site to combine the needs of politics with the needs of a healthy society. This paper further investigates the moral responsibility of science to society and the way in which biological research informed nuclear physics about the deleterious consequences of radiation on environment and on the human body.

Nuclear war survival skills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kearney, C.H.

1979-09-01

This book includes chapters on psychological preparations, warning and communications, and evacuation. It describes the building of expedient shelters, their ventilation and cooling, the purification and storage of adequate water, the processing and cooking of whole grains and legumes, fallout meters, protection against fires and carbon monoxide, and expedient furnishings for shelters. Other chapters cover sanitation and preventive medicine, medical advice for nuclear survivors lacking the help of doctors, improvised footwear and clothing, and advice on minimum preparations that can be made at low cost and should be made before a crisis arises. One appendix of the handbook gives detailed, field-tested instructions for building six types of earth-covered expedient fallout shelters, with criteria to guide the choice of which shelter to build. Others contain instructions for making an efficient shelter-ventilating pump and a homemade fallout meter that is accurate and dependable with inexpensive materials found in most households. This report is primarily a compilation and summary of civil defense measures and inventions developed at ORNL over the past 14 years and field-tested in six states, from Florida to Utah. It is the first comprehensive handbook of survival information for use by untrained citizens who want to improve their chances of surviving a possible nuclear attack. Sections may be easily excerpted and reproduced for mass distribution through news media

Re-Emerging Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in War-Affected Peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean Region—An Update

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasha Raslan

2017-10-01

Full Text Available For the past few decades, the Eastern Mediterranean Region has been one area of the world profoundly shaped by war and political instability. On-going conflict and destruction have left the region struggling with innumerable health concerns that have claimed the lives of many. Wars, and the chaos they leave behind, often provide the optimal conditions for the growth and re-emergence of communicable diseases. In this article, we highlight a few of the major re-emerging vaccine preventable diseases in four countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region that are currently affected by war leading to a migration crisis: Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. We will also describe the impact these infections have had on patients, societies, and national health care services. This article also describes the efforts, both local and international, which have been made to address these crises, as well as future endeavors that can be done to contain and control further devastation left by these diseases.

Nuclear crisis management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamburg, D.A.; George, A.L.

1984-01-01

Renewed interest in crisis management is caused by a growing recognition that a failure of communication between the superpowers in the face of a crisis provoked by some third party could issue in a nuclear war, other causes of this renewed interest are the fear of miscalculation and runaway escalation if the US and Soviet Union are drawn into a regional war in which each had vital interests and a concern that a missile might be fired on either side by accident or without proper authorization despite precautions. The authors, stating that crisis prevention should be viewed as an objective, not as a strategy, support the establishment of a joint US-Soviet nuclear risk control center designed to carry out four functions: (1) to facilitate communications between the two countries, (2) to avert nuclear confrontations during periods of accelerating tension, (3) to serve as an exchange of confidence building information during normal periods, and (4) to serve as a joint management center to plan for responses to terrorist or other third party group

Nuclear dawn F. E. Simon and the race for atomic weapons in World War II

CERN Document Server

McRae, Kenneth D

2014-01-01

This book provides a rounded biography of Franz (later Sir Francis) Simon, his early life in Germany, his move to Oxford in 1933, and his experimental contributions to low temperature physics approximating absolute zero. After 1939 he switched his research to nuclear physics, and is credited with solving the problem of uranium isotope separation by gaseous diffusion for the British nuclear programme Tube Alloys. The volume is distinctive for its inclusion of source materials not available to previous researchers, such as Simon's diary and his correspondence with his wife, and for a fresh, well-informed insider voice on the five-power nuclear rivalry of the war years. The work also draws on a relatively mature nuclear literature to attempt a comparison and evaluation of the five nuclear rivals in wider political and military context, and to identify the factors, or groups of factors, that can explain the results.

The nuclear shield in the 'thirty-year war' of physicists against ignorant criticism of modern physical theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vizgin, Vladimir P

1999-01-01

This article deals with the almost 'thirty-year war' led by physicists against the authorities' incompetent philosophical and ideological interference with science. The 'war' is shown to have been related to the history of Soviet nuclear weapons. Theoretical milestones of 20th century physics, to wit, theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, suffered endless 'attacks on philosophical grounds'. The theories were proclaimed idealistic as well as unduly abstract and out of touch with practice; their authors and followers were labelled 'physical idealists', and later, in the 1940s and 1950s, even 'cosmopolitans without kith or kin'. Meanwhile, quantum and relativistic theories, as is widely known, had become the basis of nuclear physics and of the means of studying the atomic nucleus (charged particle accelerators, for instance). The two theories thus served, to a great extent, as a basis for both peaceful and military uses of nuclear energy, made possible by the discovery of uranium nuclear fission under the action of neutrons. In the first part, the article recounts how prominent physicists led the way to resisting philosophical and ideological pressure and standing up for relativity, quantum theories and nuclear physics, thus enabling the launch of the atomic project. The second part contains extensive material proving the point that physicists effectively used the 'nuclear shield' in the 1940s and 1950s against the 'philosophical-cosmopolitan' pressure, indeed saving physics from a tragic fate as that of biology at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASKhNIL) session in 1948. (from the history of physics)

Research on the climatic effects of nuclear war: final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pittock, A.B.; Galbally, I.A.

1988-01-01

The major thrust of this work has been to investigate the surface climatic effects of a thin layer of smoke thought likely to move over Australia following a major nuclear war in the Northern Hemisphere. It was found that daily average surface coolings would be in the range of 2-4 deg C, but that daily maximum temperature could cool by 5 deg C or more over large areas of Australia, especially in the dry season. The most important effect over Australia would be a large reduction in summer monsoonal and convective rainfall. A computer model of the rising fireball was constructed. Simulations with this model suggested that some past estimates of nitrogen oxide injections into the upper atmosphere from near-surface nuclear explosions may be overestimated. Recommendations are made that a wider study be undertaken, which would take into account increases in ultraviolet radiation due to ozone depletion, and various socio-economic factors such as loss of vital imports, loss of economic incentives for farmers, and a possible controlled or uncontrolled influx of refugees. 24 refs., 3 figs

Reflections about nuclear power for the Asia-Pacific region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rose, D.J.; Wakabayashi, H.

1984-01-01

This introductory essay touches briefly on the following: fuel supply, energy security, cost, environment, health, prevention of nuclear war, lead time for construction of plants, size of reactors, nuclear wastes, finance, planning, economics, energy policy, CO 2 buildup from fossil fuels, what kind of reactor best in the circumstances, high technology, electric utilities, generating capacity, accidents, labour productivity, regional cooperation. (U.K.)

Limited war, limited autonomy: The state, domestic politics, and the evolution of U.S. nuclear weapons policy (Volumes 1 and 2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mlyn, E.J.

1991-01-01

This study examines the nature of the relationship between state and society for the formation of US nuclear weapons policy. By looking at three case studies that cover the years 1960-1983, Mlyn, seeks to determine whether society and, in turn, domestic politics have been important for the formulation of US nuclear weapons policy. The theoretical approach, which applies the conceptual underpinnings of statism, draws on existing theory in American politics and international relations. The case studies are constructed from interviews with former government officials, archival research, and secondary sources. The substantive focus of the study is the relationship between declaratory policy and targeting policy. For much of the nuclear age, declaratory policy embraced mutual assured destruction (MAD) while actual targeting policy embraced war fighting, or the opposite of MAD. As the state moved toward a declaratory policy that embraced war fighting and limited nuclear options, it lost its autonomy from society in formulating nuclear weapons policy. This loss of autonomy coincided with a relative decline for the US vis a vis the Soviet Union in the overall strategic nuclear balance. The causes and consequences of this shift are explored

Commemorating a war that never came

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farbøl, Rosanna

2017-01-01

and activated in the representations stem from cultural memories of the Second World War. In the proccesses of establishing this Cold War cultural memory as a war memory, it has become part of a transcultural passion for memories of traumatic pasts, but the Cold War as cultural memory is a counter-factual war......The Cold War never became the global World War III. It was a war that never broke out. Nevertheless, in some countries like for instance Denmark it is commemorated as exactly that: a war. This is particularly apparent at museums and heritage sites, where the narrative and mnemonic frame works used...... memory. Because the war never broke out, it is a malleable and usable past with a great potential for contestation – and counter-factuality. In Denmark, the Cold War has, moreover, become part of a fierce competition between rivaling memory communities, preventing a common commemoration culture...

Linking legacies: Connecting the Cold War nuclear weapons production processes to their environmental consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

In the aftermath of the Cold War, the US has begun addressing the environmental consequences of five decades of nuclear weapons production. In support of this effort, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to describe the waste streams generated during each step in the production of nuclear weapons. Accordingly, this report responds to this mandate, and it is the Department's first comprehensive analysis of the sources of waste and contamination generated by the production of nuclear weapons. The report also contains information on the missions and functions of nuclear weapons facilities, on the inventories of waste and materials remaining at these facilities, as well as on the extent and characteristics of contamination in and around these facilities. This analysis unites specific environmental impacts of nuclear weapons production with particular production processes. The Department used historical records to connect nuclear weapons production processes with emerging data on waste and contamination. In this way, two of the Department's legacies--nuclear weapons manufacturing and environmental management--have become systematically linked. The goal of this report is to provide Congress, DOE program managers, non-governmental analysts, and the public with an explicit picture of the environmental results of each step in the nuclear weapons production and disposition cycle

Linking legacies: Connecting the Cold War nuclear weapons production processes to their environmental consequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-01-01

In the aftermath of the Cold War, the US has begun addressing the environmental consequences of five decades of nuclear weapons production. In support of this effort, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to describe the waste streams generated during each step in the production of nuclear weapons. Accordingly, this report responds to this mandate, and it is the Department`s first comprehensive analysis of the sources of waste and contamination generated by the production of nuclear weapons. The report also contains information on the missions and functions of nuclear weapons facilities, on the inventories of waste and materials remaining at these facilities, as well as on the extent and characteristics of contamination in and around these facilities. This analysis unites specific environmental impacts of nuclear weapons production with particular production processes. The Department used historical records to connect nuclear weapons production processes with emerging data on waste and contamination. In this way, two of the Department`s legacies--nuclear weapons manufacturing and environmental management--have become systematically linked. The goal of this report is to provide Congress, DOE program managers, non-governmental analysts, and the public with an explicit picture of the environmental results of each step in the nuclear weapons production and disposition cycle.

Global initiatives to prevent nuclear terrorism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The fight against nuclear and radiological terrorism - someone to blow up a nuclear weapon or spread radioactive material as a 'dirty bomb' that act of terrorism - is one of the most serious threats to international security. The Global Initiative to prevent nuclear terrorism is a Norwegian-sponsored initiative that is aimed directly at combating terrorism by non-state actors. NRPA follow up Norwegian measures, including in Kazakhstan, and verifies that they are implemented and functioning as intended. (AG)

Efficacy of nuclear forensics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazi, Reshmi

2011-01-01

In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up. The danger of nuclear terrorism and ways to thwart it, tackle it and manage it in the event of an attack is increasingly gaining the attention of nuclear analysts all over the world. There is rising awareness among nuclear experts to develop mechanisms to prevent, deter and deal with the threat of nuclear terrorism. Nuclear specialists are seeking to develop and improve the science of nuclear forensics so as to provide faster analysis during a crisis. Nuclear forensics can play an important role in detecting illicit nuclear materials to counter trafficking in nuclear and radiological materials. An effective nuclear forensic and attribution strategy can enable policy makers, decision makers and technical managers to respond to situations involving interception of special nuclear materials

Biological effects of nuclear war: Acute effects of radiation; the LD-50 value

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohkita, T.; Rotblat, J.

1987-01-01

Recent surveys carried out in Japan in connection with the reassessment of the dosimetry for long-term effects provided an opportunity for another look at the acute effects of radiation and a recalculation of the LD-50 value. The recalculation gave an LD-50 value which is two to three times lower than had been assumed before. It means that in a nuclear war the number of fatalities due to exposure to radiation would be considerably higher than thought hitherto. 11 refs, 5 figs, 2 tabs

Long-term consequences of and prospects for recovery from nuclear war: Two views. View I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagan, C.

1986-01-01

There is a kind of deadly embrace between the United States and the Soviet Union - their military establishments depend on each other - that goes back at least to 1945 and that has led to the construction of a kind of global doomsday machine, which has been almost entirely ignored until lately. The population of the plant has, by and large, been sleepwalking through the last 40 years. The consequences of nuclear war, even as they were known 20 or 30 years ago, did not permeate the public consciousness. And this is still the case, although less so, as a kind of race transpires between how fast and disquieting discoveries are made about the nature of nuclear war and and how fast these discoveries are absorbed, often with great reluctance, into the consciousness of the public and the government. In this summary, the author proceeds in rough serial order through some of the topics presented in this volume and gives a few impressions. On the nuclear winter issue itself, there now seems to be a fairly broad consensus after the original TTAPS study that is something worth worrying about, something probably very grave. Even the most conservative and carefully phrased reports on this subject make that apparent. The National Research Council's report states that nuclear winter is a ''clear possibility'' and that the probability that the severity winter would be worse than in the ''baseline case'' is roughly the same as the probability that it would be better. Despite uncertainties, ''the committee believes that long-term climatic effects with severe implications for the biosphere could occur.''

Friendship in War: Camaraderie and Prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Nevarez, Michael D; Yee, Hannah M; Waldinger, Robert J

2017-10-01

Aspects of social support during combat deployment, such as unit cohesion, have been shown to affect later posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development among veterans. We utilized a longitudinal database to assess how relationship quality with fellow soldiers in World War II (WWII) might be linked with postwar PTSD symptoms. Data were available on 101 men who experienced combat exposure in WWII, documented through postwar assessment. Upon study entry (1939 to 1942), data were collected on the quality of participants' early childhood relationships and their emotional adjustment during college. Data on WWII experiences were collected in 1946. Relationship quality with fellow soldiers in WWII was examined as a moderator of the link between combat exposure and postwar PTSD symptoms. Prewar emotional adjustment was examined as a mediator between quality of childhood relationships and subsequent quality of relationships quality with fellow soldiers during war. Better quality relationships with fellow soldiers attenuated (i.e., moderated) the link between combat exposure severity and PTSD symptom count, explaining a significant percent of the variance, R 2 = .19, p war. These findings have implications for PTSD risk factor screening prior to deployment, and underscore the importance of interpersonal support among soldiers during deployment. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Nuclear war survival skills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kearny, C.H.

1982-01-01

This book brings together field-tested instructions that, if followed by a large fraction of Americans during a crisis that preceded an attack, could save millions of lives. Myths and facts about consequences of a massive nuclear attack are discussed. The main emphasis, however, is on preparations that could be made in the last few days of a worsening crisis. This book includes chapters on psychological preparations, warning and communications, and evacuation. These chapters describe the building of expedient shelters, their ventilation and cooling, the purification and storage of adequate water, the processing and cooking of whole grains and legumes, fallout meters, protection against fires and carbon monoxide, and expedient furnishings for shelters. Other chapters cover sanitation and preventive medicine, medical advice for nuclear survivors lacking the help of doctors, improvised footwear and clothing, and advice on minimum preparations that can be made at low cost and should be made before a crisis arises. One appendix gives detailed, field-tested instructions for building six types of earth-covered expedient fallout shelters, with criteria to guide the choice of which shelter to build. The design features of several types of expedient blast shelters are described in another appendix. Two others contain instructions for making an efficient shelter-ventilating pump and a homemade fallout meter that is accurate and dependable using inexpensive materials found in most households. The report is primarily a compilation and summary of civil defense measures and inventions developed at ORNL over the past 14 years and field-tested in six states, from Florida to Utah, for use by untrained citizens

Nuclear war in the Middle East: where is the voice of medicine and public health.

Science.gov (United States)

Dallas, Cham E; Burkle, Frederick M

2011-10-01

Once again, the politically volatile Middle East and accompanying rhetoric has escalated the risk of a major nuclear exchange. Diplomatic efforts have failed to make the medical consequences of such an exchange a leading element in negotiations. The medical and academic communities share this denial. Without exaggeration, the harsh reality of the enormous consequences of an imminently conceivable nuclear war between Iran and Israel will encompass an unprecedented millions of dead and an unavoidable decline in public health and environmental devastation that would impact major populations in the Middle East for decades to come. Nuclear deterrence and the uncomfortable but real medical and public health consequences must become an integral part of a broader global health diplomacy that emphasizes health security along with poverty reduction and good governance.

Nuclear winter or nuclear fall?

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, André

Climate is universal. If a major modern nuclear war (i.e., with a large number of small-yield weapons) were to happen, it is not even necessary to have a specific part of the world directly involved for there to be cause to worry about the consequences for its inhabitants and their future. Indeed, smoke from fires ignited by the nuclear explosions would be transported by winds all over the world, causing dark and cold. According to the first study, by Turco et al. [1983], air surface temperature over continental areas of the northern mid-latitudes (assumed to be the nuclear war theatre) would fall to winter levels even in summer (hence the term “nuclear winter”) and induce drastic climatic conditions for several months at least. The devastating effects of a nuclear war would thus last much longer than was assumed initially. Discussing to what extent these estimations of long-term impacts on climate are reliable is the purpose of this article.

Nuclear war hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chazov, E.I.; Il'in, L.A.; Gus'kova, A.K.

1982-01-01

An attempt is made to forecast medical and bilogical and aftereffects of nuclear weapons application in a number of situations. In particular, the effects of a single high-yield air or surface nuclear explosion on a city with 1 mln population are considered as well as the aftereffects of the exposure of human beings to local radioactive fallouts outside the ground zero of a surface nuclear explosion. The aftereffects for the population of local and global radioactive fallouts caused by the realization of one of the adopted in the West variants of mass nuclear strives exchange between the hostile sides are estimated. Certain aspects of medical and biological aftereffects of neutron weapons application are discussed

Climate change, nuclear risks and nuclear disarmament. From security threats to sustainable peace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scheffran, Juergen [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Research Group Climate Change and Security

2009-07-01

In the future, nuclear and climate risks may interfere with each other in a mutually enforcing way. Con-flicts induced by climate change could contribute to global insecurity and create more incentives for states to rely on military force, including nuclear weapons. Rather than being a direct cause of war, cli-mate change significantly affects the delicate balance between social and environmental systems in a way that could undermine human security and societal stability with potentially grave consequences for international security. Increased reliance on nuclear energy to reduce carbon emissions will contribute to the risks of nuclear proliferation. A renewed nuclear arms race would consume considerable resources and undermine the conditions for tackling the problem of climate change in a cooperative manner. Nuclear war itself would severely destabilize human societies and the environment, not to speak of the possibility of a nuclear winter that would disrupt the atmosphere. On the other hand, finding solutions to one problem area could help to find solutions in the other. Pre-venting the dangers of climate change and nuclear war requires an integrated set of strategies that ad-dress the causes as well as the impacts on the natural and social environment. Institutions are needed to strengthen common, ecological and human security, build and reinforce conflict-resolution mechanisms and low-carbon energy alternatives, and create sustainable lifecycles that respect the capabilities of the living world. This article examines the linkages between nuclear and climate risks, identifies areas where both threats converge, and offers an approach to move from living under these security threats to building sustain-able peace. By bringing to light the multidimensional interplay between climate change, nuclear risks and nuclear disarmament, this study aims to help the reader grasp their interconnectedness and recognize its critical implications for the strategic security

Climate change, nuclear risks and nuclear disarmament. From security threats to sustainable peace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheffran, Juergen

2009-01-01

In the future, nuclear and climate risks may interfere with each other in a mutually enforcing way. Con-flicts induced by climate change could contribute to global insecurity and create more incentives for states to rely on military force, including nuclear weapons. Rather than being a direct cause of war, cli-mate change significantly affects the delicate balance between social and environmental systems in a way that could undermine human security and societal stability with potentially grave consequences for international security. Increased reliance on nuclear energy to reduce carbon emissions will contribute to the risks of nuclear proliferation. A renewed nuclear arms race would consume considerable resources and undermine the conditions for tackling the problem of climate change in a cooperative manner. Nuclear war itself would severely destabilize human societies and the environment, not to speak of the possibility of a nuclear winter that would disrupt the atmosphere. On the other hand, finding solutions to one problem area could help to find solutions in the other. Pre-venting the dangers of climate change and nuclear war requires an integrated set of strategies that ad-dress the causes as well as the impacts on the natural and social environment. Institutions are needed to strengthen common, ecological and human security, build and reinforce conflict-resolution mechanisms and low-carbon energy alternatives, and create sustainable lifecycles that respect the capabilities of the living world. This article examines the linkages between nuclear and climate risks, identifies areas where both threats converge, and offers an approach to move from living under these security threats to building sustain-able peace. By bringing to light the multidimensional interplay between climate change, nuclear risks and nuclear disarmament, this study aims to help the reader grasp their interconnectedness and recognize its critical implications for the strategic security

Nuclear arms control in the post-Cold War era. New conditions, new requirements, and nonproliferation (with special emphasis on Japan and East Asia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imai, Ryukichi

1994-01-01

The paper starts with a general survey of post-Cold War nuclear disarmament, pointing out Japan's positions, policies, and problems in the process. The discussion is not Japan-centered, nor is it an explanation of the Japanese view. It is useful, in this context, to recall that during the Cold War period, Japan was firmly in the ''Western Camp'', relying on the protection of the extended nuclear deterrence provided by the United States. This article is written with that history very much in mind, and by an author who for some years was in a position to represent Japan in such a context. (orig./DG)

The Gulf War Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Lessons Learned

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ugone, Mary

2001-01-01

This audit was requested by the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, Medical Readiness and Military Deployments, which has the authority to coordinate all aspects of Gulf War investigations for DoD...

The abolition of war as a goal of environmental policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Brian F; Ruyle, Leslie E

2017-12-15

Since the 1950s, select military and political leaders have had the capacity to kill all or nearly all human life on Earth. The number of people entrusted with this power grows each year through proliferation and the rise of new political leaders. If humans continue to maintain and develop nuclear weapons, it is highly probable that a nuclear exchange will occur again at some point in the future. This nuclear exchange may or may not annihilate the human species, but it will cause catastrophic effects on the biosphere. The international community has attempted to resolve this existential problem via treaties that control and potentially eliminate nuclear weapons, however, these treaties target only nuclear weapons, leaving the use of war as a normalized means for settling conflict. As long as war exists as a probable future, nations will be under pressure to develop more powerful weapons. Thus, we argue that the elimination of nuclear weapons alone is not a stable, long-term strategy. A far more secure strategy would be the elimination of war as a means of settling international disputes. Therefore, those concerned about environmental sustainability or the survival of the biosphere should work to abolish war. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiation Detection System for Prevention of Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwak, Sung-Woo; Yoo, Ho-Sik; Jang, Sung-Sun; Kim, Jae-Kwang; Kim, Jung-Soo

2007-01-01

After the September 11 terrorist attack, the threat of a potential for a radiological or nuclear terrorist attack became more apparent. The threats relating to radiological or nuclear materials include a Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD), an Improved Nuclear Device (IND) or a State Nuclear Device (such as a Soviet manufactured suitcase nuclear weapon). For more effective countermeasures against the disaster, multilayer protection concept - prevention of smuggling of radioactive or nuclear material into our country through seaports or airports, detection and prevention of the threat materials in transit on a road, and prevention of their entry into a target building - is recommended. Due to different surrounding circumstances of where detection system is deployed, different types of radiation detection systems are required. There have been no studies on characteristics of detection equipment required under Korean specific conditions. This paper provides information on technical requirements of radiation detection system to achieve multi-layer countermeasures for the purpose of protecting the public and environment against radiological and nuclear terrorism

What is New in New Wars?

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-16

it is appropriate to briefly summarize classical war theory. Many theorists and practitioners have studied war. Plato , Thucydides, Sun Tzu, Jomini and... rational purpose, where pride reigns, where emotions are paramount and where instinct is king.13 War is also a place where we are prevented from...be associated with the existence of societies or states, of state interests and of rational and irrational calculation on how they may be achieved

Combating illegal nuclear traffic - Poland's experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smagala, G.

1998-01-01

International non-proliferation efforts have been taken to reduce the risk related to nuclear materials and radioactive sources. The physical security of nuclear facilities to prevent acts of sabotage or terrorism and to protect nuclear materials against loss or seizure is an essential element of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Iraq case and the end of the Cold War have influenced the development of co-operation and openness in many countries. Poland due to: - its geolocation, - a growing number of post Chernobyl contamination transports and - high risk to become a transit country in illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and radioactive sources, initiated deployment of the fixed installation instruments at the border check-points. Since the end of 1990 to now 103 such devices have been installed. Broader involvement in combating illicit nuclear trafficking of Border Guards, Customs Services, Police and Intelligence Security has been noticed. Paper presents Poland's experience in implementing national prevention measures to reduce nuclear proliferation risk and in detecting capabilities against illicit nuclear traffic. (author)

Fighting and preventing post-earthquake fires in nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Xuefeng; Zhang Xin

2011-01-01

Nuclear power plant post-earthquake fires will cause not only personnel injury, severe economic loss, but also serious environmental pollution. For the moment, nuclear power is in a position of rapid development in China. Considering the earthquake-prone characteristics of our country, it is of great engineering importance to investigate the nuclear power plant post-earthquake fires. This article analyzes the cause, influential factors and development characteristics of nuclear power plant post-earthquake fires in details, and summarizes the three principles should be followed in fighting and preventing nuclear power plant post-earthquake fires, such as solving problems in order of importance and urgency, isolation prior to prevention, immediate repair and regular patrol. Three aspects were pointed out that should be paid attention in fighting and preventing post-earthquake fires. (authors)

Analysis and prevention of human failure in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xinshuan

2001-01-01

Based on the performances in Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and the common experience from the world nuclear industry, the features and usual kinds of human failures in nuclear power plants are highlighted and the prominent factors on the personal, external and decision problems which might cause the human failures are analyzed. Effective preventive measures have been proposed respectively. Some successful human-failure-prevention practices applied in the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant are illustrated specifically

Waging modern war: An analysis of the moral literature on the nuclear arms debate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmer-Fernandez, G.F.

1992-01-01

The primary aim was to examine the dominant views on the subject of deterrence and the use of nuclear weapons, to compare them with each other, and to consider objections that have or might be made against them. A second, more controversial and substantive, aim was to show that nuclear weapons and war-fighting plans engender some disturbing moral dilemmas that call into question fundamental ways of thinking about morality and some of the common intuitions on the relation of intentions and actions. The author examines the moral literature, both religious and secular, on nuclear arms policy written between the early 1960s and the late 1980s. Three different schools of thought, or 'parties,' are identified. To establish the differences among these parties, the author shows the various ways in which judgments on the use of nuclear weapons and on deterrence are linked either by a prohibitive moral principle which draws a moral equivalence going from action to intention or by a factual assumption about the nature of nuclear weapons. He concludes with the suggestion that the dilemmas that arise in the moral evaluation of nuclear deterrence represent a profound and much wider problem in moral theory between the ideals of character and the moral claims of politics

Ukrainian Hybrid War – Quo Vadis?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rotărescu Carmen

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Although it is known for a long time, hybrid war taken place in Ukraine under the umbrella of Russian Federation surprised the whole world and produced the greatest worry for humankind’s fate since the World War II. The political and military analysts appreciate if the World War III does not come will at least follow a long time of a new cold war. Remembering the hybrid war is not declared, can be prolonged in time and the adversary is unknown, thus neither the aggressor state, it is hard to settle which are the countermeasures and how should be act when this clever adversary attacks you using hostile propaganda, to the limit of trick and war perfidy (the first is allowed as method of war, the latter is not, influences the political decision-makers by blackmail, military, economic and energetic deterrence or nuclear bombardments and undergoes subversive, clandestine actions and particularly it is hard to predict their consequences.

The Fukushima War

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelletier, Philippe

2012-01-01

We know that henceforth there will be a 'before' and an 'after' Fukushima, just as there is a before and an after Hiroshima-Nagasaki. However, these two nuclear-related events are quite different in nature, and the characteristics they do share are not those we might expect. Although atomic fission is the common denominator, the consequences of their respective origins diverge - an industrial accident for Fukushima, military attacks for Hiroshima-Nagasaki - even (paradoxically, as we shall see) with respect to radioactivity. Yet their catastrophic proportions and geopolitical implications draw them together. Represented in Japan by well-known numbers that refer to the dates on which they occurred - 3.11 for March 11, 2011; 8.6 and 8.9 for August 6 and 9, 1945 - Fukushima and Hiroshima-Nagasaki are geopolitical markers, each having both a temporal and a spatial dimension. In other words, to quote the late Pierre Gentelle, these are major spatial events generating widespread repercussions, both locally and globally, and affecting political action and ideological discourse in a number of countries. Their geography is fully fledged in that it comprises a physical and geophysical dimension, thus reflecting natural phenomena, nature itself, and the individualized perception that everyone has of it - scientists, individuals, and populations alike. This is also about war. An actual war that ended with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And a war now being fought against the invisible enemy of radiation at Fukushima and in other areas of Japan, with the country's 'hot spots' (hotto supoto), 'evacuation zones' (hinan kuiki), and other such 'exclusion zones' (haijo kuiki). A war with devastated landscape, theoretically unaffected hinterland, and a division of the land dictated by emerging battlefields; and with its front lines and a population caught in the crossfire or forced to leave. In this war against radiation, the 2011 US military (Japan's occupiers in 1945) limited Operation

The Threat of War and the Energy Problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, E.

1977-01-01

This document is part of the conference proceedings of the Pugwash conference 1977, held in Munich. The text written by E. Broda is about the threat of war (with a focus on nuclear war) and the prospective, worldwide energy problems. (nowak)

Psychology of the nuclear balance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sonntag, P

1981-10-01

The balance of military forces is meant to prevent war. But it is a very precarious balance, which becomes all the more dubious when the deterrent is no longer psychologically effective: when the country attacked is deterred from striking back with nuclear weapons. A unilateral disarmament above the overkill level would be possible without endangering the balance. It would improve the climate for mutual disarmament.

Nuclear Power Plant Preventive Maintenance Scheduling Problem with Fuzziness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abass, S.A.; Abdallah, A.S.

2013-01-01

Maintenance activity is regarded as the most important key factor for the safety, reliability and economy of a nuclear power plant. Preventive maintenance refers to set of planned activities which include nondestructive testing and periodic inspection as well as maintenance. In this paper, we address the problem of nuclear power plant preventive maintenance scheduling with uncertainty. The uncertainty will be represented by fuzzy parameters. The problem is how to determine the period for which generating units of an electric system should be taken off line for planned preventive maintenance over specific time horizon. Preventive maintenance activity of a nuclear power plant is an important issue as it designed to extend the plant life . It is more required to review the maintenance not only from the view point of safety and reliability but also economy. Preventive maintenance program exists to ensure that nuclear safety significant equipment will function when it is supposed to. Also this problem is extremely important because a failure in a power plant may cause a general breakdown in an electric network. In this paper a mixed integer programming model is used to express this problem. In proposed model power demand is taken as fuzzy parameters. A case study is provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model.

Anti-nuclear movement and art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Go, Seung Woo; Yun, Beom Mo

1989-08-01

This book goes into in detail of nuclear weapon and independent unification in the Korean peninsula. So it describes how to build of peace of circumstances both inside and outside the Korean peninsula, how to deal with nuclear crisis of the Korean peninsula and to overcome nuclear crisis. Especially, this book deals with art which is used to resist nuclear and war including art activity for unity, anti-nuclear war, Kollwitz's etching as a connecting tool with public and a painting about atom bomb pictured by Maruky in Japan who worked for anti-nuclear war.

Towards the nuclear holocaust. 2. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryle, M.

1981-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction; nuclear war ((a) the weapons (size, number, type, range); (b) how nuclear war will start (accident or intention, superpowers or others, first strike); (c) the effects of nuclear war); the nuclear industry ((a) nuclear power (relevance to energy needs; alternatives; economics); (b) nuclear weapons (production of Pu)); the military-industrial complex; the USA (US bases in UK and US-UK cooperation); obtaining public support; a return to democracy. (U.K.)

The war hero

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raffaele Menarini

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The article explains the phenomenon of war through the transpersonal perspective as an existential way which is independent from subject's intentionality. Therefore war not as a pondered product but as a reproduction of an unthinkable aggressiveness. Within the transpersonal dynamic, those that Bion defined 'basic assumptions' prevail: dependency, attack-escape and pairing. Bion finds in the myth of Palinuro the typical pattern of destructiveness that prevents the birth of the thinkable. Menarini continues Bion's speculation working on the myth of hero Achilles as an archetypal which founds imagery of war and on the figure of Elena as a motor for the destructive act. In fact Elena is considered as a simulacrum, an object that, through the appearance, gives meaning to what would not make sense in absence of it, that is the transpersonal destructiveness. Like Elena every war has its simulacrum, such as the Washington Mall, and history is full of them.

A radiological legacy. Radioactive residues of the Cold War period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, A.J.

1998-01-01

A dominating feature of the historical period known as the Cold War was the large-scale production and testing, of nuclear weapons. These military activities brought with them an unprecedented generation of radioactive substances. A fraction of these 'Cold War residues' ended up in the atmosphere and were dispersed throughout the world. Some remained in relatively isolated states in underground geological environments at the production or test site. Others have contaminated areas at times accessible to humans. Augmenting this picture are other scenes of a Cold War legacy. Large amounts of radioactive waste and byproducts are in storage from the production of weapons material. At some point, they are expected to be converted to peaceful applications or sent for final disposal. Over the past decade, the IAEA has been asked to play a greater role in helping countries address this Cold War legacy. A number of scientific assessments of radiological situations created by the Cold War have been carried out by experts convened by the IAEA - at nuclear test sites, nuclear production facilities, and waste dumping sites. This edition of the IAEA Bulletin highlights these cooperative activities in the context of international developments and concerns

Defence and illustration of nuclear deterrence; Defense et illustration de la dissuasion nucleaire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tertrais, Bruno

2011-07-01

After having shown that nuclear deterrence has been efficient since 1945 (nuclear weapons prevented from war, nuclear deterrence contributed to the reduction of risks related to proliferation), the author discusses the amorality and illegality of nuclear deterrence (its ethics can indeed be a matter of discussion, as well as issues like self-defence and international humanitarian law). On another hand, he shows that deterrence costs remain acceptable and that substitutes to nuclear deterrence are not credible. He concludes that deterrence is therefore still useful and legitimate

Understanding the Global Cold War Legacy: Narrating through Landscape

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melanie Klein

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The end of the Cold War brought the shrinking and dismantling of vast nuclear weapons complexes. As a result, some landscape architects will find themselves reclaiming a new, very specific type of Cold War landscape: those degraded by nuclear arms testing, production and waste storage. Nuclear landscapes pose multiple and complex challenges. Before designing nuclear reclamations, one must ask: what are the issues? If designers misunderstand the nuclear landscape 'problem', it will be 'solved' in the wrong way. My position is based on the assumption that society desires these landscapes to be reclaimed safely and in ways that allow them to educate the public. Landscape architects can find ways to reclaim nuclear landscapes safely while leaving narratives for generations to come. Perhaps it is too early to describe how nuclear reclamations will look. It is not too early to discuss what designs for nuclear reclamations should accomplish. This paper raises questions critical to the design of nuclear reclamations, both globally and locally. Near precedents - past reclamations that narrate other types of degraded landscapes - are discussed, and it is noted how we can learn from them when considering nuclear landscape reclamation. This paper does not articulate a specific design theory or solution to Cold War nuclear landscapes, but rather, it seeks to pose critical questions that designers should ask. These questions will be broad because we consider nuclear landscapes globally. The questions will require in-depth investigation of local issues as each unique nuclear landscape is considered.

The medical consequences of nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphrey, J.; Hartog, M.; Middleton, H.

1982-01-01

A pamphlet has been produced by the Medical Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons (MCANW) and by the Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW) to bring the catastrophic effects that the use of nuclear weapons would entail to the attention of the general public, politicians and members of the medical profession. It describes the medical consequences of the effects of blast, heat and ionizing radiation from nuclear weapons, including details from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. The medical consequences of a nuclear attack including consideration of the casualties, care of the injured, psychological effects and the outcome are also discussed. It is concluded that if for none other than purely medical reasons, nuclear warfare must never be allowed to happen. (UK)

Nuclear power. [Contains glossary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patterson, W.C.

1983-01-01

Lay language brings an understanding of nuclear technology and nuclear politics to the non-specialist reader. The author notes that there has been little change in the technology during the four decades of the nuclear age, but mankind has still to learn how to live with it. Part One explains how reactors work, identifies different reactor types, and describes the fuel cycle. Part two follows research developments during the pre-Manhatten Project days, the war effort, and the decision to pursue commercial nuclear power. He traces the development of policies to secure fission materials and international efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons grade material and the safe handling of radioactive wastes on a global as well as national scale. There are four appendices, including an annotated reference to other publications. 9 figures.

Fissile material and international security in the post-Cold War world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luongo, K.N.

1995-01-01

Given the number of years this organization has devoted to the issue, the INMM must find it quite interesting that the control of fissile materials has become such a high profile issue in the policy and political communities. But, this evolution in policy is a natural outgrowth of the changing world situation. While just ten years ago the United States and the Soviet Union were churning out the fissile materials needed for weapons, today these former rivals are working together, hand in hand, to corral the danger posed by these materials. And, while it is clear that the world no longer lives on the edge of nuclear war, the nuclear danger still exists, though in a less obvious and perhaps more insidious form. It is a great challenge in this post Cold War-world to contain this nuclear threat. It is prudent and necessary for the United States to be in the forefront of efforts to address and tame this problem. The fundamental threat posed by the proliferation of nuclear weapons and materials is a direct challenge to US and world security. President Clinton has clearly recognized the changed nature of the nuclear danger. To meet this challenge, he also labored to put in place a comprehensive and integrated plan for addressing this threat. The Department of Energy has a unique role in this effort because, as an institution with man decades of experience in fissile material matters, it is able to provide expertise and technical analyses which are essential in defining and implementing policy prescriptions. The President's comprehensive plan to prevent nuclear proliferation and reduce the danger posed by weapons-usable nuclear materials has four essential elements: (1) secure existing stockpiles; (2) limit production and use; (3) eliminate warheads; and (4) strengthen the nonproliferation regime

The psychology of the nuclear balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonntag, P.

1981-01-01

The balance of military forces is meant to prevent war. But it is a very precarious balance, which becomes all the more dubious when the deterrent is no longer psychologically effective: when the country attacked is deterred from striking back with nuclear weapons. A unilateral disarmament above the overkill level would be possible without endangering the balance. It would improve the climate for mutual disarmament. (orig.) [de

Improved Technology To Prevent Nuclear Proliferation And Counter Nuclear Terrorism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richardson, J; Yuldashev, B; Labov, S; Knapp, R

2006-06-12

As the world moves into the 21st century, the possibility of greater reliance on nuclear energy will impose additional technical requirements to prevent proliferation. In addition to proliferation resistant reactors, a careful examination of the various possible fuel cycles from cradle to grave will provide additional technical and nonproliferation challenges in the areas of conversion, enrichment, transportation, recycling and waste disposal. Radiation detection technology and information management have a prominent role in any future global regime for nonproliferation. As nuclear energy and hence nuclear materials become an increasingly global phenomenon, using local technologies and capabilities facilitate incorporation of enhanced monitoring and detection on the regional level. Radiation detection technologies are an important tool in the prevention of proliferation and countering radiological/nuclear terrorism. A variety of new developments have enabled enhanced performance in terms of energy resolution, spatial resolution, passive detection, predictive modeling and simulation, active interrogation, and ease of operation and deployment in the field. For example, various gamma ray imaging approaches are being explored to combine spatial resolution with background suppression in order to enhance sensitivity many-fold at reasonable standoff distances and acquisition times. New materials and approaches are being developed in order to provide adequate energy resolution in field use without the necessity for liquid nitrogen. Different detection algorithms enable fissile materials to be distinguished from other radioisotopes.

Prevent recurrence of nuclear disaster (2). Reconstruction of safety logic diagram of nuclear system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyano, Hiroshi; Sekimura, Naoto; Nakamura, Takao; Narumiya, Yoshiyuki

2012-01-01

On March 11, 2011, severe accident occurred at multi units of nuclear power caused by natural disaster, which was the first of nuclear power in the world, and lead to nuclear disaster which contaminated a wide range of land and caused surrounding residents to evacuate for a long-term. Since Cyuetsu-oki earthquake and before this accident, Atomic Energy Society of Japan had activities to investigate 'safety of nuclear system' against earthquake beyond any expectation, identify research items and work out roadmap on future research activities. Correspondence against tsunami such as this accident was discussed but not included as proposal because of low tsunami hazards awareness. Based on this reflection and to prevent recurrence of nuclear disaster, reconsideration of nuclear safety from the standpoint of defense-in-depth against hazards beyond any expectation had been performed and proposed to establish roadmap for its realization. Basic principle of nuclear safety consisted of eleven principles so as to protect personnel and environment from harmful effects of radiation derived from nuclear facilities and their activities, which were categorized into three groups (responsibility and management system, personnel and environmental protection and prevention of accident initiation and effect mitigation). (T. Tanaka)

Nuclear proliferation: motivations, capabilities, and strategies for control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenwood, T.; Feiveson, H.A.; Taylor, T.B.

1977-01-01

Two possible patterns of proliferation appear to involve the greatest risks for nuclear use or war. The first is proliferation to particular categories of states and the second dangerous possibility is proliferation at a rapid rate. But rapid proliferation could cause instabilities that might be too great for political systems and institutions to handle, making nuclear use of nuclear war more likely. Thus, any strategy for nonproliferation should especially attempt to prevent a rapid spread of nuclear weapons and to avert acquisition by states in the high-risk categories. Nuclear proliferation will also have important effects on world and regional stability for reasons not directly related to nuclear use. The mere possession of nuclear weapons by certain states could radically alter international perceptions and threaten global arrangements. The main concern in this discussion is to analyze the various incentives and disincentives--involving both security and political considerations--that will affect states' decisions about whether or not to acquire nuclear weapons. The discussion then turns to the means by which individual states and the international community can influence nuclear incentives and disincentives. The particularly important subject of the management of the international nuclear industry is addressed separately, followed by an analysis of nuclear acquisition, use, and threat by non-state entities. Finally, a general strategy for decreasing incentives and increasing disincentives is proposed and applied to four special categories of states

Prevention of cable fires in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murota, George; Yajima, Kazuo

1979-01-01

Nuclear power generation is indispensable to secure required electric power, therefore double or triple safety measures are necessary to prevent serious accidents absolutely. As for the countermeasures to cable fires, interest grew rapidly with the fire in Browns Ferry Power Station in USA in 1975 as the turning point, because multi-strand grouped cables caused to promote the spread of fire. In Japan, also the fire prevention measures for wires and cables were more strengthened, and the measures for preventing the spread of cable fires with the agent preventing the spread of fires have occupied the important position. When multi-strand cables are ignited by some cause, the fire spreads with very large combustion force along wirings to other rooms and installations, and electric systems are broken down. The harmful corrosive gas generated from the burning coating materials of cables diffuses very quickly. In nuclear power stations, the cables which are very hard to burn are adopted, fire prevention sections are established positively, the fire-resisting capability of fire prevention barriers is reviewed, and fire-resisting and smoke-preventing treatments are applied to the parts where cables penetrate walls, floors or ceilings. The paint and the sealing material which prevent the spread of fires are introduced. (Kako, I.)

The legacy of the cold war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martellini, M.

1998-01-01

More than fifty-two years have elapsed since the atomic bomb-was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over this period, the United States and the Soviet Union have engaged in a constant nuclear arms-race, in an effort to build a growing number of warheads and launching systems of increasingly higher destructive power, reflecting the logic of the balance of terror and the threat of mutually assured destruction. The years of the Cold War have, in fact, been dominated by the incredibly rapid growth of nuclear arsenals. The end of the Cold War, which was marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, coincided with the beginning of the process of nuclear disarmament and a diversion of funds from the industrial military complex. Nevertheless, 45 years of development and sophistication in nuclear armaments can't be immediately wiped off, for many reasons, the most evident of which being that the nuclear materials that forms the heart of atomic weapons, more precisely known as weapon-grade materials, can't be simply eliminated, as will be explained later in this text. Their dismantlement requires special technical means, which are not yet available to all nuclear powers. There are also other reasons why nuclear disarmament is such a complex and uneven process

What About the Children? The Threat of Nuclear War and Our Responsibility to Preserve this Planet for Future Generations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkes, Glenn W.

Part of a global effort, this brochure was written to increase understanding of the threat nuclear war poses to children. Several issues are raised and briefly discussed, including (1) the present capacity for annihilating the next generation or ending human life on this planet, (2) the inadequacy of deterrence, (3) the suffering of children after…

Vulnerability of ecological systems to climatic effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harwell, M.A.; Hutchinson, T.C.; Cropper, W.P. Jr.; Harwell, C.C.

1985-01-01

The authors' analyses are based on a suite of approaches: physiological information, historical analogs, simulation and statistical analyses, and expert judgment. Because of the great complexity of ecosystems across the global landscape and the temporal and spatial complexity of potential nuclear-war induced climatic disturbances, it is not possible uniquely to characterize the effects on ecosystems. A biome approach has been chosen as an appropriate level for generalization of potential effects. Northern Hemisphere temperate terrestrial ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, tropical ecosystems, and Southern Hemisphere extra-tropical ecosystems are addressed. The ecosystem discussions emphasize effects on the primary producers, in large part because those components are fundamental to the total ecosystem and are often especially vulnerable to the types of perturbations considered here. Estimates of effects on fauna are largely based on those mediated through changes in food supplies. Further study of effects on trophic structures and of indirect effects on species propagated through the complex interactions of ecosystems is required

International Context during and after World War II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A S Protopopov

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The author examines the international context of the Soviet Union and today's Russia during and after the World War II. Relations between the allies (the USSR, the US and the UK shortly after the end of World War II «gave a crack». Particular attention is paid to the development of the American nuclear program in an international context and objectives of the nuclear bombing of Japan, the expansion of NATO. The author concludes that the problem of military and economic development in the post-war period were largely dictated by the difficult international situation at that time. The Soviet Union was forced not only to establish a peaceful life, but also to take steps to create its own nuclear weapons and their means of delivery, strengthening the country's defense. After the troubled times of the second half of the 1980s and 1990s, in the XXI century Russia again began to strengthen its international position. The author proves the need for a consistent foreign policy.

Health Effects of Sexual Violence against Woman as a War Weapon: Case of Bosnia War

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sibel Gogen;

2011-02-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Health effects and human rights dimensions of sexual violence against women, a public health and human rights problem, evaluated by the case of Bosnia War. METHODS: Bosnia War, United Nations resolutions, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY cases, activities of NGOs, approaches of WHO, Dayton Peace Agreement, current health programs were evaluated with the health effects and human rights dimensions of sexual violence against women. RESULTS: Sexual violence against women and systematic rapes were used as an “ethnic cleaning” tool and war weapon during Bosnia War, estimated 20.000-60.000 women and girls were raped systematically, captivated in rape camps, exposed to sexual violence. Medical care following the sexual violence against women and rape should include; Determination and teatment of injuries, forensic notice and documentation, preventive and curative services for Sexually Transmitted Diseases including HIV/AIDS, emergency contraceptive services, safe medical abortus, follow up of pregnancies, psychosocial support and services and training of health care professionals. Mental Health Reform became a priority health topic for Bosnia Herzegovina aftermath of the Bosnia War. Taking measures to prevent social stigmatism of the victims, economic support and implementation of rehabilitation programs, punishment of the perpetrators to repair social and community bonds are important. ICTY investigates and punishes the crimes of rapes and sexual violence against women. CONCLUSION: UN defines the violence against women and rapes during wars as “crime against humanity”. Besides improving the status of women, comprehensive approaches with the cooperation of medical, legal and social organisations are needed. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2011; 10(1.000: 119-126

The role of nuclear forensics in the prevention of acts of nuclear terrorism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, A.

2002-01-01

Full text: States continue to report cases of illicit trafficking that involve nuclear material and other radioactive materials. Over the past decade a total of about 500 cases have been confirmed by States Points of Contact, another 300 remains unconfirmed. Most of the confirmed cases have a criminal dimension, even if not for known terrorist purposes. Much can be learned from the analysis of reported cases: What specifically could the material have been used for? Where was the material obtained, in stock, scrap or waste? Was the small quantity seized only a sample of a much more significant quantity? These and many other questions can be answered through detailed technical characterization of seized material samples. The scientific methods used for this purpose is normally referred to as nuclear forensics, an indispensable tool for use in law enforcement investigations of nuclear trafficking. The events of 11 September 2001 was a wake-up call for the need to protect against nuclear terrorism. In response to a resolution by the IAEA General Conference, the IAEA Director General has reviewed thoroughly the Agency's activities and programmes with a view of strengthening the protection against acts of terrorism involving nuclear and other radioactive materials. A set of specific proposals for the protection against nuclear terrorism, a plan of action, was approved, in principle, by the IAEA Board of Governors in March 2002. While the plan emphasizes prevention, it also recognizes that measures are required to detect and respond to malicious acts involving nuclear and other radioactive materials. The combating of illicit nuclear trafficking remains important in the plan of action. The implementation of the plan will be funded through Member States extra-budgetary contributions. The Agency has adopted an integrated approach to the protection against nuclear terrorism. This brings together Agency activities concerned with physical protection of nuclear material and

The concept of nuclear-weapon-free zones, with special reference to East Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prawitz, J.

1997-01-01

The concept of nuclear-weapon-free zone, as it has developed from political deliberation since mid-1950s, today covers a spectrum of arrangements, geographically ranging from whole continent like Latin America to a corridor in central Europe, and functionally serving the purposes of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and avoiding nuclear war. Among the nuclear-weapon-free zones proposed but not established, one is now being negotiated and two are subject to investigations published in official reports. These are the proposed zones in ASEAN area, The Middle East and Nordic Europe

Experts in the cold war. War experiences and peace conceptions of US-American physicists 1920-1963

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wunderle, Ulrike

2015-01-01

The study is dedicated to the American elite of nuclear physicists, which explained after the second world war the possibilities of their science for war and peace. What induced their thinking and handling? The focus lies on the scientific shapings and war experiences of the first really international generation of physicists, which began in the 1920th years their career before many of their representatives had to fly from the NS regime from Europe and cooperated in the Manhattan project in the construction of the atomic bomb. These experiences the author refers to in order to get on the track of the explanations of the exper elite in the immediate afterwar time and in the cold war. How far their internationally and by actual war experiences shaped thinking about their own contribution as scientist to the national security - in the sense of discouragement or the cooperative conflict regulation - found its expression in the cold war, is drawn on different action levels of the participants from the Geneve conference ''Atoms for Peace'' of 1955 until the signing of the so-called Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963.

Fissile materials and international security in the post-Cold War world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1996-01-01

It is essential that members of industry, government and international organizations be able to come together to discuss the latest developments in this vital field at events such as this. Given the number of years this organization has devoted to the issue, the INMM must find it interesting that the control of fissile materials has become such a high-profile issue in the policy and political communities. But, this evolution in policy is a natural outgrowth of the changing world situation. While just 10 years ago the US and Soviet Union were churning out the fissile materials needed for weapons, today these former rivals are working together, hand in hand, to corral the danger posed by these materials. And, while it is clear that the world no longer lives on the edge of nuclear war, the nuclear danger still exists, though in a less obvious and perhaps more insidious form. It is a great challenge in this post-Cold War world to contain this nuclear threat. It is prudent and necessary for the US to be in the forefront of efforts to address and tame this problem. The fundamental threat posed by the proliferation of nuclear weapons and materials is a direct challenge to US and world security. President Clinton has clearly recognized the changed nature of the nuclear danger. To meet this challenge, he has labored to put in place a comprehensive and integrated plan for addressing this threat. The US Department of Energy has a unique role in this effort because, as an institution with many decades of experience in fissile material matters, it is able to provide expertise and technical analyses that are essential in defining and implementing policy prescriptions. The president's comprehensive plan to prevent nuclear proliferation and reduce the danger posed by weapons-usable nuclear materials has four essential elements: secure existing nuclear material stockpiles; limit fissile material production and use, eliminate warheads, and strengthen the nonproliferation regime

Nuclear dilemma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penn, J.

Declaring nuclear preparedness 'immoral' helps to recreate the pacifism of 50 years ago. War itself is a dilemma, not the weapons with which it is waged. We must ask of the anti-war proposals: whom do they benefit. On the whole people concerned are ordinary citizens who are fearful of nuclear incineration. But marching with them is a spectrum of forces with other motivations and purposes. In a real life situation of international tension or crises, numbers of weapons in combination with their particular charateristics could mean the difference between peace and outbreak of war.

Risk Prevention for Nuclear Materials and Radioactive Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badawy, I.

2008-01-01

The present paper investigates the parameters which may have effects on the safety of nuclear materials and other radioactive sources used in peaceful applications of atomic energy. The emergency response planning in such situations are also indicated. In synergy with nuclear safety measures, an approach is developed in this study for risk prevention. It takes into consideration the collective implementation of measures of nuclear material accounting and control, physical protection and monitoring of such strategic and dangerous materials in an integrated and coordinated real-time mode at a nuclear or radiation facility and in any time

Physicians confront the apocalypse: the American medical profession and the threat of nuclear war

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyer, P.

1985-08-02

Physicians figured prominently in the resurgence of nuclear weapons activism and cultural awareness that swept the US in the early 1980s. This discussion seeks to place this activism in historical context. It explores the American medical profession's shifting engagement with the issue of nuclear war. Attention is focused on the period 1945 to 1954, with a brief evaluation of the period 1954 to 1963, the years to which the activism of the 1980s may be traced. Radiation studies are reviewed including Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors. Radiological studies were begun within days of Japan's surrender. The delayed effects of radiation exposure on some 14,000 persons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki include hemorrhage, leukocyte destruction, bone marrow damage, anemia, sterility, and the suppression of menstruation. In contrast, the American medical profession in the late 1940s focused much attention on the atom's potential medical benefits, especially the diagnostic and treatment value of radioisotopes. 90 references.

Physicians confront the apocalypse: the American medical profession and the threat of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, P.

1985-01-01

Physicians figured prominently in the resurgence of nuclear weapons activism and cultural awareness that swept the US in the early 1980s. This discussion seeks to place this activism in historical context. It explores the American medical profession's shifting engagement with the issue of nuclear war. Attention is focused on the period 1945 to 1954, with a brief evaluation of the period 1954 to 1963, the years to which the activism of the 1980s may be traced. Radiation studies are reviewed including Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors. Radiological studies were begun within days of Japan's surrender. The delayed effects of radiation exposure on some 14,000 persons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki include hemorrhage, leukocyte destruction, bone marrow damage, anemia, sterility, and the suppression of menstruation. In contrast, the American medical profession in the late 1940s focused much attention on the atom's potential medical benefits, especially the diagnostic and treatment value of radioisotopes. 90 references

Under-examined aspects of the potential environmental effects of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacCracken, M.C.; Penner, J.E.

1987-07-01

In addition to destroying the area near the explosions, a nuclear war would lead to injection of a wide range of substances into the environment, both as a result of the delivery systems and explosions themselves and as a consequence of the blast, fires, and resulting destruction and disruption. While addressing the many remaining uncertainties concerning the effects of smoke injections on climate is the major topic of present research, there are a number of other potential impacts that could have major consequences, but which are currently poorly understood and have not yet been carefully examined. These under-examined effects include perturbations to atmospheric chemistry, the effects of injections of dust and water (which could create ice particles), the consequences of emissions from the smoldering phase of the fires, resuspension of materials due to perturbed surface conditions, and a range of other potential consequences

Costs of war: excess health care burdens during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (relative to the health care experience pre-war).

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-01

This report estimates the health care burden related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by calculating the difference between the total health care delivered to U.S. military members during wartime (October 2001 to June 2012) and that which would have been delivered if pre-war (January 1998 to August 2001) rates of ambulatory visits, hospitalizations, and hospital bed days of active component members of the U.S. Armed Forces had persisted during the war. Overall, there were estimated excesses of 17,023,491 ambulatory visits, 66,768 hospitalizations, and 634,720 hospital bed days during the war period relative to that expected based on pre-war experience. Army and Marine Corps members and service members older than 30 accounted for the majority of excess medical care during the war period. The illness/injury-specific category of mental disorders was the single largest contributor to the total estimated excesses of ambulatory visits, hospitalizations, and bed days. The total health care burdens associated with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are undoubtedly greater than those enumerated in this report because this analysis did not address care delivered in deployment locations or at sea, care rendered by civilian providers to reserve component members in their home communities, care of veterans by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, preventive care for the sake of force health protection, and future health care associated with wartime injuries and illnesses.

A report on disaster prevention trainings of nuclear energy, in fiscal year 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomura, Tamotsu; Katagiri, Hiromi; Akiyama, Takashi; Kikuchi, Masayuki

2001-05-01

Trainings on nuclear disaster prevention are often planned and practiced since early times at the nuclear energy relating organizations on many courses. A training carried out in fiscal year 2000 by the Emergent Assistance and Training Center in the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute is decided to a portion on disaster prevention measure at a viewpoint of 'Crisis Management' which is essential element in present disaster prevention measure to fall short at present. In concrete, a crisis management training for nuclear disaster prevention (senior and business courses), an emergent publicity response training, and a disaster prevention training planning training were designed and decided. These trainings were established according to experiences accumulated by inter-company crisis management learning, and were constructed by containing items relating to respective special knowledge, conditions on chemical plants and disaster prevention measure system in U.S.A. and Europe, and so on. Here was described on design and practice of training plan, and practice of the trainings. (G.K)

Mental health care in the Lebanon War, 1982.

Science.gov (United States)

Noy, S; Levy, R; Solomon, Z

1984-04-01

Lessons in mental health care learned from the October 1973 War were applied in the Lebanon War 1982. A three-echelon system of management was followed according to the practices prevalent in Western armies. The clinical pictures were essentially similar to those observed in other wars. Combat stress reactions (CSR) comprised 15 to 20% of the total casualties during the active phase of the war; the rate of late reactions was 30 to 40% of the total CSR. Treatment on the battlefield was more effective than treatment following airlift to the rear, in returning soldiers to their units. The role of stress in causing CSR, and the importance of leadership and cohesion in its prevention were evident. The important lessons learned from the Lebanon War are discussed and include: 1) the need for a broad definition of CSR; 2) the importance of forward unit intervention; 3) the necessity of mobility and divisibility of mental health treatment units; 4) fighting units should not be dispersed immediately after combat; and 5) the management of stress reactions to be the responsibility not only of the mental health services, but of all sections of the medical corps, both in treatment and prevention.

Nuclear Security Summit and Workshop 2015: Preventing, Understanding and Recovering from Nuclear Accidents lessons learned from Chernobyl and Fukushima

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

Workshop 2015 "Preventing, Understanding and Recovering from Nuclear Accidents"--lessons learned from Chernobyl and Fukushima Distribution Statement...by the factor to get the U.S. customary unit. “Preventing, Understanding and Recovering from Nuclear Accidents” – lessons learned from Chernobyl ...and Fukushima NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT & WORKSHOP 2015 2 Background The 1986 Chernobyl and the 2011 Fukushima accidents provoked world-wide concern

Democracy, public opinion, and nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russett, B.

1989-01-01

To the degree that people's fears of nuclear war are deep and pervasive, they become subject to manipulation by cynical or politically utopian promises, whether those promises be to abolish nuclear weapons from the earth or to create a leakproof peace shield (SDI). But the basic yearning for protection could also be mobilized to support serious arms reduction and arms control agreements. Nuclear weapons provide the basis for a vivid form of symbolic politics, perhaps equivalent in foreign policy considerations to the Korean and Vietnam wars during their durations, and in similar ways (although not necessarily as severe) as unemployment does among domestic policy issues. This paper presents survey research directed specifically at the role of public opinion on nuclear imagery (difference between expectation of nuclear war versus any kind of weapon war; willingness to spend on nuclear weapons versus conventional ones or general defense spending) can help in understanding these phenomena

Real-world nuclear decision making: using behavioral economics insights to adjust nonproliferation and deterrence policies to predictable deviations from rationality

OpenAIRE

Knopf, Jeffrey W.; Harrington, Anne I.; Pomper, Miles

2016-01-01

42 p. The invention of nuclear weapons created unprecedented challenges for the world. Even today, seventy years after the first atomic weapons test, the effort to find effective policies and strategies for dealing with nuclear weapons remains a daunting challenge. From early in the nuclear age, attention focused on deterrence as a strategy to prevent nuclear war. By the 1960s, key states were also seeking to limit the growth of nuclear arsenals and spread of nuclear arms through tools suc...

The nuclear dilemma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penn, J.

1983-01-01

Declaring nuclear preparedness 'immoral' helps to recreate the pacifism of 50 years ago. War itself is a dilemma, not the weapons with which it is waged. We must ask of the anti-war proposals: whom do they benefit On the whole people concerned are ordinary citizens who are fearful of nuclear incineration. But marching with them is a spectrum of forces with other motivations and purposes. In a real life situation of international tension or crises, numbers of weapons in combination with their particular charateristics could mean the difference between peace and outbreak of war

Cavitation preventing device in a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, Masao.

1983-01-01

Purpose: To prevent the generation of cavitation upon loss of feedwater flow rate in BWR nuclear power plant by reliably and rapidly tripping a recycling pump. Constitution: Two phase streams from a nuclear reactor are divided into main steams and saturated water in a steam drum. The deviation between the corresponding flow rate of the main steams and the feedwater flow rate of the feedwater pump sending condensates to the steam drum, as well as the continuing period of the deviation are monitored. Then, if it is detected that both of the deviation and the continuing period thereof exceed specified levels, the recycling pump feeding the saturated water to the reactor is tripped. In this way, the recycling pump can be tripped rapidly and reliably upon loss of feedwater flow rate, whereby the generation of the cavitation can be prevented and the normal operation of the nuclear power plant can be insured. (Moriyama, K.)

Risk assessment and nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bodansky, D.

1982-01-01

The range of risk perceptions involving nuclear power is so great that there is little hope of bridging extreme positions, but a consensus based upon reasoned discussion among uncommitted people could determine a sensible path. Our concerns over the uncertainties of risk assessment have made it increasingly difficult to make responsible decisions fast enough to deal with modern needs. The result is an immobility in energy matters that can point to a 2% reduction in oil use as its only triumph. The risk of nuclear war as a result of military action over energy issues suggests to some that the solution is to abolish nuclear power (however impractical) and to others that a rapid spread of nuclear power will eliminate energy as an incentive for war. If nuclear war is the major risk to consider, risk assessments need to include the risks of war, as well as those of carbon dioxide buildup and socio-economic disruptions, all of which loom larger than the risks of nuclear-plant accidents. Energy choices should be aimed at diminishing these major risks, even if they include the use of nuclear power. 26 references

American nuclear physicists in campaign. The media coverage of the nuclear risk during the immediate post-war years in the USA (1945-1946)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinault, Michel

2005-01-01

In the aftermath of Hiroshima, American nuclear scientists won access to the mass media. Conscious that science had become part of the Cold War, they lobbied for a better-informed public and a peace policy for the US. They demanded, among other, the establishment of permanent international scientific organisations and a permanent representation for the scientific community near the head of government. Initially successful, the influence of their movement decreased, efforts at mobilising public opinion proved ineffective and negotiations at the UN's Atomic Energy Commission reached an impasse

Max-von-Laue-lecture: Unmaking the bomb: A fissile material approach to nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Von Hippel, Frank N. [Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States)

2015-07-01

The number of operational nuclear weapons in the world has dropped from about 65,000 at the end of the Cold war to about 10,000 and can be driven much lower. But we have a huge amount of highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium from these dismantled Cold War nuclear weapons and from failed civilian plutonium breeder reactor commercialization programs. To make nuclear disarmament irreversible and prevent nuclear terrorism, all this material must be secured and disposed of. We also must abandon the idea of using a nuclear-weapon-usable material as a fuel * that is plutonium in power reactors and highly enriched uranium in naval-propulsion and research reactors. Fortunately, using plutonium as a fuel is uneconomic and research and naval reactors can be designed to use low-enriched uranium. Finally, we must move away from ambiguous national enrichment programs like Iran*s to multinational enrichment programs such as Urenco.

Plan of disaster prevention in district of Shizuoka Prefecture countermeasures to nuclear power. 1984 ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

Based on the basic act for disaster countermeasures, this plan aimes at establishing the necessary system concerning the countermeasures for preventing the disaster due to the release of a large quantity of radioactive substances from the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., determining the measures to be taken for disaster prevention, and striving for the safety of inhabitants by executing the deskworks and services of the disaster prevention related to nuclear power synthetically and purposefully. The general matters concerning the disaster prevention in the district of Shizuoka Prefecture are determined in the ''Plan of disaster prevention in the district of Shizuoka Prefecture (General countermeasures)'', but in view of the peculiarity of nuclear power disaster, the peculiar matters are to be determined in this plan. The general rules on the works of respective disaster prevention organizations, the countermeasures for preventing nuclear power disaster, the emergency countermeasures to nuclear power disaster, the countermeasures to Tokai earthquakes and the countermeasures for restoration after nuclear power disaster are stipulated. (Kako, I.)

Torn between war and peace: Critiquing the use of war to mobilize peaceful climate action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kester, Johannes; Sovacool, Benjamin K.

2017-01-01

Notable studies have suggested the potentiality of the WWII wartime mobilization as a model for climate change adaptation and/or mitigation. The argument being that we need a similar rapid and total shift in our industrial social and economic environment to prevent or at least address the pending impacts of climate change. This argument and these studies have inspired us to think with them on what it means to use the WWII war analogy as a security claim in energy and climate change debates. Here, we would like to use this opportunity to draw attention to some of the implicit dangers of a call to war in such discussions. Among others we observe, first, the absence of any attention to the actual mobilization policies, in terms of garnishing public support. Second, based on the insights from Critical Security Studies, we question the historical incongruence of the case study especially by comparing the perceived enemy in both cases. Lastly, building on that same security literature, we point to some undesirable and perhaps unintended consequences of the use of war analogies in climate change debates. - Highlights: • The WWII war analogy with its policy focus extends the war metaphor in climate change debates. • As a mobilization technique the analogy draws attention to the WWII policies that “sold” the war. • We provide several reasons why the war analogy is incongruent with climate change. • The war analogy remains subject to the dangers that accompany the use of a war metaphor.

World war against our will

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lutz, D.

1981-01-01

Corresponding to the topic under investigation, i.e. referring to the two-pronged decision of the NATO consisting of the modernization of TNF and the offer for arms control, the present study is structured as a balance of forces analysis, embedded into the theory and practice of the cooperative Ruestungssteuerung (arms control), and aiming at the analyses of the risk and prevention of war in the Euronuclear field. The two leading questions of the investigation are: 1. Does the WTO in fact have a dangerous military superiority in the TNF sector which had required the NATO decision of the modernization of TNF in 1979 without delay and, in particular, without previous arms control negotiations. 2. Can, as a general principle independent a so of the answer to the preciding question - an increase of nuclear intermediate range missiles be identified with more strategic stability and security even at the beginning of the eighties. (orig./HP) [de

Illicit nuclear trafficking and the new agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orlov, Vladimir A. . V.Orlov@gcsp.ch

2004-01-01

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are a serious international concern and have been at least for nearly a century. After World War I, the Geneva Protocol of 1925 prohibited the use of chemical and biological warfare. The advent of nuclear weapons, with their extraordinary destructive capacity, made the proliferation of WMD an even greater concern after the Second World War. Moreover, during the post-Cold War period the dangers of proliferation of WMD have increased due to regional tensions, the dissolution of the Soviet Union (and resulting looser controls over weapons scientists and dangerous materials), and the ready availability of sensitive technologies. More than ten States have active WMD-related programmes, and probably about ten more have capabilities to start them. At the same time, non-State actors (transnational organized criminal communities and international terrorist networks) today are seen as playing an increasingly active role in unauthorized access to and proliferation of sensitive materials, technologies, and weapons. After 9/11, the risk of such actors using WMD components as a tool for blackmailing governments has become a real scenario, still with low probability but with highly significant - and disastrous consequences. The international community has responded to problems and challenges in two major ways. The first has been the elaboration of multilateral international treaty regimes intended to prevent the proliferation of WMD. These include the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC). The second approach has been the formation of non-treaty arrangements, generally known as 'suppliers' clubs', aimed at preventing the proliferation of technologies and equipment that could be used by a 'proliferant' State or non-State actor to develop WMD and/or delivery systems (e.g., ballistic or cruise missiles) associated with such weapons. These

New AgMIP Scenarios: Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions, Geoengineering, or Nuclear War on Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Robock, A.; Xia, L.

2016-12-01

Climate is one of the most important factors determining crop yields and world food supplies. To be well prepared for possible futures, it is necessary to study yield changes of major crops in response to different climate forcings. Previous studies mainly focus on the impact from global warming. Here we propose that the AgMIP community also study the impacts of stratospheric aerosols on agriculture. While nature can load the stratosphere with sulfate aerosols for several years from large volcanic eruptions, humans could also put sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere on purpose through geoengineering or soot as a result of the fires from a nuclear war. Stratospheric aerosols would change the temperature, precipitation, total insolation, and fraction of diffuse radiation due to their radiative impacts, and could produce more ultraviolet radiation by ozone destruction. Surface ozone concentration could also change by changed transport from the stratosphere as well as changed tropospheric chemistry. As a demonstration of these effects, using the crop model in the NCAR Community Land Model (CLM-crop), we have studied sulfate injection geoengineering and nuclear war impacts on global agriculture in response to temperature, precipitation and radiation changes, and found significant changes in patterns of global food production. With the new ozone module in CLM-crop, we simulated how surface ozone concentration change under sulfate injection geoengineering would change the agriculture response. Agriculture would benefit from less surface ozone concentration associated with the specific geoengineering scenario comparing with the global warming scenario. Here, we would like to encourage more crop modelers to improve crop models in terms of crop responses to ozone, ultraviolet radiation, and diffuse radiation. We also invite more global crop modeling groups to use the climate forcing we would be happy to provide to gain a better understanding of global agriculture responses

Confusion surrounding the concept of nuclear 'security'. 'Preventing Japan from going nuclear contributes to Japan's national security'?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubota, Masafumi

2012-01-01

A law enacted on June 20 to establish a new Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) fully separated from the nuclear promotional authorities. It added the provision, which says nuclear safety should be guaranteed not only to defend lives, people's health and the environment but also to 'contribute to Japan's national security', to Article 2 of the Atomic Energy Basic Law. NRA integrated the existing regulatory authorities for safety, security and safeguards, into one. Supporters of an amendment quietly slipped into the law were denying it could provide cover for military use of nuclear technology, but arouse international concern about recycling program of extracting plutonium from spent fuels. Nuclear policy minister said: 'The safeguards are in place to prevent nuclear proliferation. The world 'security' precisely means the prevention of nuclear proliferation.' If not used explicitly about safeguards, they left room for stretched interpretation. The author recommended the world' contribute to Japan's national security' should be deleted instead of explaining appropriately, both at home and abroad, the use of nuclear power in Japan limited to peaceful purposes. (T. Tanaka)

Axiology of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Tetsuo

2003-01-01

Nuclear energy was born in World War II and it has grown within the regime of Cold War. When the Cold War came to the end around early 1990 s, we who have benefited by the development of nuclear energy must have been challenged with a new tide of civilization change. Although it has not been so much closely questioned since then, such a new movement, that was submerging, abruptly manifested on September 11, 2001. Then, many of us realized that global circumstances, especially concerned with security, must have actually changed with the reordering of the world basic structures. This paper describes on the thoughts to reveal the cause and background of the event on September 11 with the linkage to nuclear energy development, or nuclear civilization in pursuit of the future regime of nuclear in harmonization with the global society in 21st century. (author)

Nuclear fear and children: the impact of parental nuclear activism, responsivity, and fear

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LaGuardia, M.R.

1986-01-01

This study examines the extent to which parental nuclear fear, parental activism, and parental responsivity is associated with children's (age 10) nuclear fear. Other associated variables investigated include: nuclear denial, general anxiety and fear, and the personal characteristics of sex, socio-economic status, and academic aptitude. Findings indicate that children attend to nuclear issues when their parents attend to a significant degree. Children's hopelessness about the arms race is increased as parents' worry about nuclear war increases. Children's fear about not surviving a nuclear war increases as parents' worry about survivability decreases. Children who have more general fears also indicated that they have a high level of hopelessness, pervasive worry, and much concern about being able to survive a nuclear war. Children with a high degree of general anxiety did not indicate high degrees of nuclear fears. Children with high academic aptitude were more knowledgeable about nuclear issues and expressed more fears about the nuclear threat. Boys demonstrated more knowledge about nuclear issues than girls, and girls expressed much more frequent fear and worry about the nuclear threat than boys. Parents of lower socio-economic statues (SES) expressed more denial about the nuclear threat and were more pro-military than the higher SES parents.

The pastoral letter on war and peace emdash the challenge of peace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1988-01-01

This pastoral letter explains the criteria for distinguishing a just from an unjust war. It also contains a commentary on the conduct of war, including the use of nuclear weapons; and an assessment of the current US deterrence policy

The threat of nuclear terrorism: Assessment and preventive action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, A.

2001-01-01

In the light of the events of 11 September, the General Conference requested the IAEA Director General to review thoroughly the activities and programmes of the Agency with a view to strengthening the Agency's work relevant to preventing acts of terrorism involving nuclear materials and other radioactive materials. That review is ongoing and the results will be presented in March to the Board of Governors, including proposals for revisions and updates on relevant programmes. It is underlined that preventing nuclear terrorism requires cooperation between States and with international organizations. The problem must be addressed in a comprehensive manner. The international community should therefore strive for strong, comprehensive, internationally accepted security systems

Orwellian risks in European conflict prevention discourse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Wilde, J.H.

2006-01-01

Conflict prevention has been the nomenclature of a non-military type of security policy, but that is changing. During the Cold War, the OSCE was a forum for conflict prevention at an interstate level. After the Cold War, OSCE conflict prevention turned to domestic affairs, comparable to NGO

Superpower nuclear minimalism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graben, E.K.

1992-01-01

During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in building weapons -- now it seems like America and Russia are competing to get rid of them the fastest. The lengthy process of formal arms control has been replaced by exchanges of unilateral force reductions and proposals for reciprocal reductions not necessarily codified by treaty. Should superpower nuclear strategies change along with force postures President Bush has yet to make a formal pronouncement on post-Cold War American nuclear strategy, and it is uncertain if the Soviet/Russian doctrine of reasonable sufficiency formulated in the Gorbachev era actually heralds a change in strategy. Some of the provisions in the most recent round of unilateral proposals put forth by Presidents Bush and Yeltsin in January 1992 are compatible with a change in strategy. Whether such a change has actually occurred remains to be seen. With the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union, the strategic environment has fundamentally changed, so it would seem logical to reexamine strategy as well. There are two main schools of nuclear strategic thought: a maximalist school, mutual assured destruction (MAD) which emphasizes counterforce superiority and nuclear war- fighting capability, and a MAD-plus school, which emphasizes survivability of an assured destruction capability along with the ability to deliver small, limited nuclear attacks in the event that conflict occurs. The MAD-plus strategy is based on an attempt to conventionalize nuclear weapons which is unrealistic.

Adverse health consequences of the Vietnam War.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Barry S; Sidel, Victor W

2015-01-01

The 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War is a useful time to review the adverse health consequences of that war and to identify and address serious problems related to armed conflict, such as the protection of noncombatant civilians. More than 58,000 U.S. servicemembers died during the war and more than 150,000 were wounded. Many suffered from posttraumatic stress disorders and other mental disorders and from the long-term consequences of physical injuries. However, morbidity and mortality, although difficult to determine precisely, was substantially higher among the Vietnamese people, with at least two million of them dying during the course of the war. In addition, more than one million Vietnamese were forced to migrate during the war and its aftermath, including many "boat people" who died at sea during attempts to flee. Wars continue to kill and injure large numbers of noncombatant civilians and continue to damage the health-supporting infrastructure of society, expose civilians to toxic chemicals, forcibly displace many people, and divert resources away from services to benefit noncombatant civilians. Health professionals can play important roles in promoting the protection of noncombatant civilians during war and helping to prevent war and create a culture of peace.

Nuclear transfer to prevent mitochondrial DNA disorders : revisiting the debate on reproductive cloning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bredenoord, A. L.; Dondorp, W.; Pennings, G.; De Wert, G.

Preclinical experiments are currently performed to examine the feasibility of several types of nuclear transfer to prevent mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders. Whereas the two most promising types of nuclear transfer to prevent mtDNA disorders, spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer, do not amount

Nuclear war and other catastrophes. Civil and catastrophe protection in the Federal republic of Germany and the United Kingdom after 1945; Atomkrieg und andere Katastrophen. Zivil- und Katastrophenschutz in der Bundesrepublik und Grossbritannien nach 1945

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diebel, Martin [Zentrum fuer Zeithistorische Forschung, Potsdam (Germany)

2017-07-01

The book civil and catastrophe protection in the Federal republic of Germany and the United Kingdom after 1945 discusses the following issues: aerial defense and the atomic bomb (1945 - 1968), crises and catastrophes in the shadow of the bomb (1962 - 1978), civil defense and the comeback of the (nuclear) war (1976 - 1979), civil defense and the second ''Cold War'' (1979 - 1986), Chernobyl and the end of the Cold War (1979 - 1990), war, catastrophe and safety in the 20th century - a conclusion.

Position paper on nuclear proliferation issues preventing nuclear proliferation. A duty for the nuclear community

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldschmidt, Pierre; Bonin, Bernard [ENS High Scientific Council, Brussels (Belgium)

2010-06-15

The production of electricity from nuclear power plants is widely seen today as having an increasing role to play in meeting global energy requirements in a sustainable manner. Conscious of the inherently sensitive nature of nuclear technology and materials the ENS-HSC (European Nuclear Society - High Scientific Council) is well aware that a severe safety, security, environmental or proliferation mishap stemming from nuclear energy anywhere in the world would undermine the potential for nuclear energy to contribute to the global energy supply and the minimization of harmful carbon emissions. While the safety of nuclear power plants has continuously improved over the last three decades, the same degree of success cannot be claimed when it comes to the achievements of the international community in stemming the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation. This unfortunate situation is due to both technical and political reasons. The European nuclear industry is committed to the exclusively peaceful use of nuclear energy and to export nuclear facilities and related materials, equipment and technology solely in accordance with relevant national export laws and regulations, Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines and pertinent United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The ENS-HSC considers that, as a manifestation of their strong commitment to nonproliferation, it is important for the nuclear industry to pay special attention to and promote proliferation-resistant designs and to take IAEA safeguards requirements into account at the design stage. Preventing nuclear proliferation is primarily the responsibility of states but, as major stakeholders, the nuclear industry and scientific community should actively support nuclear disarmament as foreseen in the Non-Proliferation Treaty and measures necessary to strengthen the non-proliferation regime, particularly the international control of the flux of nuclear material and technology. (orig.)

Position paper on nuclear proliferation issues preventing nuclear proliferation. A duty for the nuclear community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldschmidt, Pierre; Bonin, Bernard

2010-01-01

The production of electricity from nuclear power plants is widely seen today as having an increasing role to play in meeting global energy requirements in a sustainable manner. Conscious of the inherently sensitive nature of nuclear technology and materials the ENS-HSC (European Nuclear Society - High Scientific Council) is well aware that a severe safety, security, environmental or proliferation mishap stemming from nuclear energy anywhere in the world would undermine the potential for nuclear energy to contribute to the global energy supply and the minimization of harmful carbon emissions. While the safety of nuclear power plants has continuously improved over the last three decades, the same degree of success cannot be claimed when it comes to the achievements of the international community in stemming the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation. This unfortunate situation is due to both technical and political reasons. The European nuclear industry is committed to the exclusively peaceful use of nuclear energy and to export nuclear facilities and related materials, equipment and technology solely in accordance with relevant national export laws and regulations, Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines and pertinent United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The ENS-HSC considers that, as a manifestation of their strong commitment to nonproliferation, it is important for the nuclear industry to pay special attention to and promote proliferation-resistant designs and to take IAEA safeguards requirements into account at the design stage. Preventing nuclear proliferation is primarily the responsibility of states but, as major stakeholders, the nuclear industry and scientific community should actively support nuclear disarmament as foreseen in the Non-Proliferation Treaty and measures necessary to strengthen the non-proliferation regime, particularly the international control of the flux of nuclear material and technology. (orig.)

After fifty years of the nuclear age: Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons or elimination of them?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugie, Ei-Ichi

1997-01-01

Ever since the first test of the atomic bomb and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, mankind lived with nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons were inevitably connected with the Cold War, with its end new opportunity has come concerning prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons. Steps are to be undertaken in order to eliminate the nuclear weapons. First, would be the prohibition of the use or the threat of use of nuclear weapons. By excluding the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons, the world could be closer to nuclear disarmament than ever. The prohibition of the use of some type of weapons could be a breakthrough towards the elimination of such weapons. While the negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons would be difficult, as were those to ban chemical weapons, a ban on the use of nuclear weapons would eventually lead to their elimination. During the Cold War, the imminent goal of disarmament was to stop the nuclear arms race between the two superpowers. But in the post-Cold War era an opportunity has developed for further steps towards nuclear disarmament, the elimination of nuclear weapons

Atoms for war or peace?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forland, A.

1988-01-01

The first nuclear reactor built in Norway was a 100 kW experimental reactor which was put into operation at Kjeller in 1951. After the Ministry of Defence had granted 5 millions Nkr for the purpose of building a small research reactor, Institutt for atomenergi was established in 1947. The planning of the project took place at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment. The main purpose of this study is to explain why a small power like Norway went ahead with a nuclear reactor project at the outset of the post-war period: How was it possible for Norway to undertake nuclear energy research, and what were the reasons for doing it?

Internationalization to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The recent International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE) has concluded that, in a world in which an increasing number of countries are using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, no technical ways exist to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Non-proliferation is a political problem and must, therefore, be solved by political means. The reasons why countries want nuclear weapons - whether to meet their real or perceived security requirements or for political prestige - must be removed. Resolution of regional conflicts would diminish the stimulus for proliferation, while significant nuclear disarmament measures would de-emphasize the role of nuclear weapons in international politics. Meanwhile, institutional arrangements could minimize the risks of nuclear weapon proliferation. One such arrangement could be the internationalization of the sensitive, that is, the most proliferation-prone, elements of the nuclear fuel cycle. This book analyses some of the political, economic, technical and legal issues involved in internationalizing the nuclear fuel cycle. It consists of two parts. Part I is SIPRI's (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) evaluation of the advantages, as well as the weaknesses, of the existing proposals for internationalization. Part II contains the papers contributed to the SIPRI symposium on 'internationalization of the nuclear fuel cycle', which was held in October/ November 1979. (author)

Energy/war: breaking the nuclear link

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovins, A.B.; Lovins, L.H.

1980-01-01

Policies to control the spread of nuclear weapons have assumed that the rapid worldwide spread of nuclear power is essential to replace oil, is both economically desirable and inevitable, and that the international political order must remain inherently discriminatory and dominated by the nuclear arms race. These assumptions are challenged as contrary to economic fact and market behavior. The authors feel that the link between nuclear reactors and nuclear bombs is inextricable, making proliferation inevitable and nuclear power a dangerous and costly alternative to oil. Instead, they suggest that nuclear power will collapse in response to market forces because only a few centrally-planned economies can override economic pressures. Acknowledgement of this collapse should be encouraged and the benefits of nuclear power accepted as illusory, according to the authors. 349 references, 2 figures

International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies : 46th Session : The Role of Science in the Third Millennium

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

Proceedings of the 46th Session of the International Seminars on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies held in "E. Majorana" Centre for Scientific Culture, Erice, Sicily. This Seminar has again gathered, in 2013, over 100 scientists from 43 countries in an interdisciplinary effort that has been going on for the last 32 years, to examine and analyze planetary problems which had been followed up, all year long, by the World Federation of Scientists' Permanent Monitoring Panels.

Technology, Effects and Doctrines of Nuclear Warfare

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, E.

1981-01-01

The development and the status of the nuclear weapons systems and of the systems for their delivery are explained. All these systems have made tremendous progress since the 1960s. Available destructive power now is literally millions of times larger than at the time of Hiroshima. Moreover, technical progress has had, especially through the MIRV principle and the cruise missile, a destabilizing influence and threatens the equilibrium of terror. New strategic doctrines for winning rather than preventing nuclear war have come to the foreground. Plans for the tactical first-use of nuclear weapons have been accepted. Alternatively, the retaliation capacity of the opponent could be destroyed by surprise attack - The First Strike. In a nuclear conflict, the commanders-in-chief are overburdened by the need for ultra-urgent decisions. This applies especially to a First Strike situation. As a consequence tendencies in the direction of increasing automatization become ever more conspicuous. In the extreme ease, decisions may be left entirely to machines, and men would not any more be included in decision-making. The increasing automatization leads to further escalation of insecurity for the whole world. Solutions for the principal problem of the world, war or peace, cannot be found On the level of technology, but only on that of practical policy of detente, disarmament, collaboration and reconciliation. (author)

Nuclear weapons in the 21. century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delpech, Therese

2007-01-01

The 21. century may have started with the 1998 Indian and Pakistani nuclear explosions. The Korean and Iranian crises weaken the non-proliferation system. The great nations have witnessed, all during the Cold War, crises that included the nuclear hypothesis. The multiplication of nuclear actors who do not have the same experience is making the system unstable. Will we again have to experience the Cold War stages, with a new Cuban crisis, this time explicitly nuclear?

Efforts of Uzbekistan to prevent nuclear terrorism and smuggling of radioactive and nuclear materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrenko, V.D.; Karimov, Yu.N.; Podkovirin, A.I.; Shipilov, N.N.; Yuldashev, B.S.; Fazylov, M.I.

2005-01-01

Uzbekistan is located on the cross-roads from the north-Russia, Western Europe-to the south-Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and others. The appearance of terrorist organizations urged some Asian countries to make the nuclear weapons, the making the task of stopping the transportation of nuclear materials and technologies from the north (from countries possessing nuclear weapon) to the south (to countries desiring to have weapons and its components) a reality. To resolve this problem, on the main transportation routes, 'Yantar' stationary radiation monitors of Russian production were installed, and development and production of monitors of our own make was started. This paper covers these works as well as those on preventing possible terrorist attacks on nuclear objects of Uzbekistan

Preventive maintenance technology for nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyazawa, Tatsuo

1992-01-01

With the increase of the number of nuclear power plants in operation and the number of years of operation, the improvement of reliability and the continuation of safe operation have become more important, and the expectation for preventive maintenance technology has also heightened. The maintenance of Japanese nuclear power plants is based on the time schedule maintenance mainly by the regular inspection carried out every year, but the monitoring of the conditions of various machinery and equipment in operation has been performed widely. In this report, the present state of checkup and inspection technologies and the monitoring and diagnostic technologies for operational condition, which are the key technologies of preventive maintenance, are described. As the checkup and inspection technologies, ultrasonic flow detection technology, phased array technology, Amplituden und Laufzeit Orts Kurven method and X-ray CT, and as the monitoring and diagnostic technologies for operational condition, the diagnosis support system for BWR plants 'PLADIS', those for rotary machines, those for turbogenerators, those for solenoid valves, the mechanization of patrol works and the systematizing technology are reported. (K.I.)

Invisible nuclear; converting nuclear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jongmoon

1993-03-01

This book consists of 14 chapters which are CNN era and big science, from East and West to North and South, illusory nuclear strategy, UN and nuclear arms reduction, management of armaments, advent of petroleum period, the track of nuclear power generation, view of energy, internationalization of environment, the war over water in the Middle East, influence of radiation and an isotope technology transfer and transfer armament into civilian industry, the end of nuclear period and the nuclear Nonproliferation, national scientific and technological power and political organ and executive organ.

Nuclear Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Counterterrorism: Impacts on Public Health

Science.gov (United States)

Pregenzer, Arian

2014-01-01

Reducing the risks of nuclear war, limiting the spread of nuclear weapons, and reducing global nuclear weapons stockpiles are key national and international security goals. They are pursued through a variety of international arms control, nonproliferation, and counterterrorism treaties and agreements. These legally binding and political commitments, together with the institutional infrastructure that supports them, work to establish global norms of behavior and have limited the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Beyond the primary security objectives, reducing the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons, preventing environmental releases of radioactive material, increasing the availability of safe and secure nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, and providing scientific data relevant to predicting and managing the consequences of natural or human-caused disasters worldwide provide significant benefits to global public health. PMID:24524501

Nuclear War Survival Skills

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kearny, C.H.

2002-06-24

The purpose of this book is to provide Americans with information and instructions that will significantly increase their chances of surviving a possible nuclear attack. It brings together field-tested instructions that, if followed by a large fraction of Americans during a crisis that preceded an attack, could save millions of lives. The author is convinced that the vulnerability of our country to nuclear threat or attack must be reduced and that the wide dissemination of the information contained in this book would help achieve that objective of our overall defense strategy.

Climatic Consequences of Nuclear Conflict

Science.gov (United States)

Robock, A.

2011-12-01

A nuclear war between Russia and the United States could still produce nuclear winter, even using the reduced arsenals of about 4000 total nuclear weapons that will result by 2017 in response to the New START treaty. A nuclear war between India and Pakistan, with each country using 50 Hiroshima-sized atom bombs as airbursts on urban areas, could produce climate change unprecedented in recorded human history. This scenario, using much less than 1% of the explosive power of the current global nuclear arsenal, would produce so much smoke from the resulting fires that it would plunge the planet to temperatures colder than those of the Little Ice Age of the 16th to 19th centuries, shortening the growing season around the world and threatening the global food supply. Crop model studies of agriculture in the U.S. and China show massive crop losses, even for this regional nuclear war scenario. Furthermore, there would be massive ozone depletion with enhanced ultraviolet radiation reaching the surface. These surprising conclusions are the result of recent research (see URL) by a team of scientists including those who produced the pioneering work on nuclear winter in the 1980s, using the NASA GISS ModelE and NCAR WACCM GCMs. The soot is self-lofted into the stratosphere, and the effects of regional and global nuclear war would last for more than a decade, much longer than previously thought. Nuclear proliferation continues, with nine nuclear states now, and more working to develop or acquire nuclear weapons. The continued environmental threat of the use of even a small number of nuclear weapons must be considered in nuclear policy deliberations in Russia, the U.S., and the rest of the world.

How nuclear power began

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gowing, M.

1987-01-01

Many of the features of the story of nuclear power, both in nuclear weapons and nuclear power stations, derive from their timing. Usually, in the history of science the precise timing of discovery does not make much difference, but in the case of nuclear fission there was the coincidence that crucial discoveries were made and openly published in the same year, 1939, as the outbreak of the Second World War. It is these events of the 1930s and the early post-war era that are mainly discussed. However, the story began a lot earlier and even in the early 1900s the potential power within the atom had been foreseen by Soddy and Rutherford. In the 1930s Enrico Fermi and his team saw the technological importance of their discoveries and took out a patent on their process to produce artificial radioactivity from slow neutron beams. The need for secrecy because of the war, and the personal trusts and mistrusts run through the story of nuclear power. (UK)

Nuclear power in rock. Principal report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-06-01

In September 1975 the Swedish Government directed the Swedish State Power Board to study the question of rock-siting nuclear power plants. The study accounted for in this report aims at clarifying the advantages and disadvantages of siting a nuclear power plant in rock, compared to siting on ground level, considering reactor safety, war protection and sabotage. The need for nuclear power production during war situations and the closing down of nuclear power plants after terminated operation are also dealt with. (author)

U.S. second line of defense: preventing nuclear smuggling across Russia's borders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, D. Y.

1998-01-01

Preventing the theft of weapons-usable highly enriched uranium and plutonium in Russia is one of the central security concerns facing the US today. The dissolution of the highly centralized USSR and the resulting societal crisis has endangered Russia's ability to protect its more than 200 metric tons of plutonium and 1000 tons of highly enriched uranium (roughly 8 kg Pu or 25 kg HEU is sufficient to make a bomb). Producing this fissile material is the most difficult and expensive part of nuclear weapons production and the US must make every effort to ensure that fissile material (and nuclear-related technologies) does not reach the hands of terrorist groups, rogue states or other potential proliferators. In response to this concern, the US has undertaken a number of initiatives in partnership with Russia and other FSU states to prevent the theft of fissile material. The Material Protection, Control and Accounting Program (MPC and A) was begun in 1993 to prevent the theft of nuclear materials from Russian civilian complexes, that is facilities not under control of the Ministry of Defense, which is largely responsible for possession and oversight of nuclear weapons. The MPC and A program is considered the first line of defense against theft of nuclear material because its goal is to prevent theft of material at production and storage facilities. This year the Department of Energy (DOE) initiated a new program called the Second Line of Defense (SLD), the goal of which is to assist Russia in preventing the smuggling of nuclear material and weapons at its borders, either by land, sea or air. The SLD program represents an important phase in the overall effort to ensure the security of nuclear material and weapons in Russia. However, as the US engages Russian customs officials in this important project, Americans should keep in mind that providing equipment--even indigenous equipment--is insufficient by itself; material aid must be accompanied by rigorous inspection and

Nuclear radiation in warfare

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotblat, J.

1986-01-01

The subject is covered in chapters, entitled: introduction; digest of nuclear weaponry (characteristics of nuclear weapons; effects of nuclear weapons other than ionizing radiation (fire-ball, fall-out, thermal radiation, blast wave, electromagnetic pulse); the nuclear arms race; war scenarios; biological effects of radiations on man (radiation doses; natural sources of radiation; acute effects of radiation; long-term somatic effects; genetic effects; factors affecting the biological response to radiation; internal exposure; synergistic effects; protection against radiation effects); radiations from nuclear explosions (initial radiation; fall-out; effects of fall-out on animal and plant life; contamination of water and food supplies by fall-out); radiation casualties in a nuclear war; effectiveness of civil defence; other warlike uses of radiation (attacks on civilian nuclear power installations; radiological warfare; terrorist activities); conclusion. (orig./HP) [de

Nuclear radiation in warfare

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotblat, J.

1981-01-01

The subject is covered in chapters, entitled: introduction; digest of nuclear weaponry (characteristics of nuclear weapons; effects of nuclear weapons other than ionizing radiation (fire-ball, fall-out, thermal radiation, blast wave, electromagnetic pulse); the nuclear arms race; war scenarios); biological effects of radiations on man (radiation doses; natural sources of radiation; acute effects of radiation; long-term somatic effects; genetic effects; factors affecting the biological response to radiation; internal exposure; synergistic effects; protection against radiation effects); radiations from nuclear explosions (initial radiation; fall-out; effects of fall-out on animal and plant life; contamination of water and food supplies by fall-out); radiation casualties in a nuclear war; effectiveness of civil defence; other warlike uses of radiation (attacks on civilian nuclear power installations; radiological warfare; terrorist activities); conclusion. (U.K.)

Presenting a model of repair and preventing maintenance of Bushehr nuclear power plants analyzing the data of similar nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parikhan, Hammidreza

1997-01-01

Due to the increase application of nuclear energy for producing electricity, special attention must be paid to their maintenance activities in general and preventive maintenance in particular. It has been shown that a well established preventive maintenance programme will enhance the reliability and availability of nuclear power plants. A model of preventive maintenance for Buhehr nuclear power plant which is due to be completed by 2001 is developed. The prescribed model is based on past experiences of VVER nuclear power plants around the world. The utilized data is provided by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. The data and past experiences reveal such important information as availability, energy loss, types of failures, duration of failure, etc. A strategy for designing a database is established. These data are then analyzed by statistical methods such as Pareto analysis, t-test, K-S test, analysis of variance, etc. The results of our analysis reveal important information in regard to establishment of a well-defined preventive maintenance programme in Buhshehr nuclear power plant. The results show that certain equipment such turbo-generator and control-rods play an important role in the maintenance of a VVER nuclear power plant. Other findings are discussed in great detail

Nuclear war: preliminary estimates of the climatic effects of a nuclear exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacCracken, M.C.

1983-10-01

The smoke rising from burning cities, industrial areas, and forests if such areas are attacked as part of a major nuclear exchange is projected to increase the hemispheric average atmospheric burden of highly absorbent carbonaceous material by 100 to 1000 times. As the smoke spreads from these fires, it would prevent sunlight from reaching the surface, leading to a sharp cooling of land areas over a several day period. Within a few weeks, the thick smoke would spread so as to largely cover the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, cooling mid-continental smoke-covered areas by, perhaps, a few tens of degrees Celsius. Cooling of near coastal areas would be substantially less, since oceanic heat capacity would help to buffer temperature changes in such regions. The calculations on which these findings are based contain many assumptions, shortcomings and uncertainties that affect many aspects of the estimated response. It seems, nonetheless, quite possible that if a nuclear exchange involves attacks on a very large number of cities and industrial areas, thereby starting fires that generate as much smoke as is suggested by recent studies, substantial cooling could be expected that would last weeks to months over most continental regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but which may have relatively little direct effect on the Southern Hemisphere

The radiance of France; nuclear power and national identity after world war 2; Le rayonnement de la France; energie nucleaire et edentite nationale apres la seconde guerre mondiale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hecht, G. [Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2004-07-01

This book discusses the early history of French nuclear power within its social and political context from the end of world war 2 to 1970. The author describes the creation of the nuclear reactors, the work at the reactor sites, and the impact of nuclear power on local communities. Information on the French atomic bomb program is also included. The conflicts and negotiations surrounding the nuclear programs are detailed, and the importance of the programs to French national identity is made clear. An excellent bibliography and extensive footnotes are provided.

Hot spots, weak links: Strengthening nuclear security in a changing world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniguchi, Tomihiro; Nilsson, Anita

2004-01-01

Protection against nuclear terrorism is one of the critical issues facing the international community today. New and challenging security dimensions must be met. During the Cold War, the main international security concern was the fear of a nuclear war and the spread of nuclear weapons. The post-Cold War era presented new security challenges, which recognized the need to strengthen the international regime of physical protection of nuclear materials. In the post-9/11 period, threat perceptions include the potential terrorist use of an improvised nuclear explosive device, the use of a radiological dispersal device (RDD) and attacks against nuclear facilities, i.e. sabotage. These threats point to the need for an overall strengthening of the global nuclear security regime with attention to 'weak links' that may offer soft targets for terrorists or criminals. This article discusses some of the basic concepts and developments in the field of nuclear security; the legacy of the Cold War and the rise of new challenges to the global nuclear security agenda in the post-Cold War and post-9/11 periods; and efforts of the IAEA to strengthen the global nuclear security regime. The IAEA is filling an important and expanding role, yet more measures are needed

[The war at home: "war amenorrhea" in the First World War].

Science.gov (United States)

Stukenbrock, Karin

2008-01-01

In 1917, the Göttingen gynaecologist Dietrich published a short article about a phenomenon which he called "war amenorrhea" ("Kriegsamenorrhoe"). The article attracted the attention of his colleagues. While the affected women did not pay much attention to their amenorrhea, the physicians considered the phenomenon a new disease which was mainly caused by the war. This new disease gave the gynaecologists the opportunity to present their specialty as a discipline with high relevance for medicine in times of war. Nevertheless, there was no consensus about the importance, the incidence, the diagnostic criteria, the causes and the appropriate therapy of"war amenorrhea". Although the gynaecologists failed to define a uniform clinical syndrome, they maintained the construction of "war amenorrhea" after the war and subsumed it under well known types of amenorrhea. We can conclude that under the conditions of war a new disease emerged which was not sharply defined.

Threshold power. Nuclear energy and foreign policy of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 until 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geier, Stephan

2011-01-01

The proliferation of nuclear weapons is one of the most serious problems for international security today. Since the end of the Cold War states like India, Pakistan and North Korea performed tests of nuclear explosive devices and the number of nuclear weapons states seems to be growing even more. Iran is pursuing actively a nuclear programme with unclear prospects and despite the catastrophe at Fukushima other states remain interested in the use of nuclear energy. In principle it is not possible to distinguish clearly between civil and military use of nuclear technology. The international regime to prevent the misuse of nuclear power and the dissemination of nuclear weapons is based on the Nonproliferation Treaty of 1970 and several other treaties and informal agreements. While the legal aspects of the nonproliferation regime are well studied, much less attention has been paid to the evolution of this regime, which was set up during the Cold War. Especially the role of the nonnuclear weapons states in this process remains unclear. This work explores the influence of the Federal Republic of Germany, one of the most influential nuclear threshold powers, on the formulation of the international nonproliferation regime as well as the role of nuclear energy in German foreign policy in general.

Ukrainian efforts in preventing illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondratov, S.I.

1998-01-01

The Ukrainian efforts in preventing illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources are described. Attention is paid for Ukrainian Government's Decree intended, in particular, to facilitate in establishing well-coordinated activities of the Ukrainian law enforcement bodies and other agencies involved, assigning the status of the main expert organization on illicit trafficking in nuclear materials to the Scientific Center 'Institute for Nuclear Research', in developing the three-years Program on prevention illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and other radioactive sources on the Ukrainian territory as well as measures at the State and customs borders. The main directions provided by the draft Program mentioned are presented as well. (author)

Consequences of Regional Scale Nuclear Conflicts and Acts of Individual Nuclear Terrorism

Science.gov (United States)

Toon, O. B.; Turco, R. P.; Robock, A.; Bardeen, C.; Oman, L.; Stenchikov, G. L.

2006-12-01

The number of nuclear warheads in the world has fallen by about a factor of three since its peak in 1986. However, the potential exists for numerous regional nuclear arms races, and for a significant expansion in the number of nuclear weapons states. Eight countries are known to have nuclear weapons, 2 are constructing them, and an additional 32 nations already have the fissile material needed to build weapons if they so desire. Population and economic activity worldwide are congregated to an increasing extent in "megacities", which are ideal targets for nuclear weapons. We find that low yield weapons, which new nuclear powers are likely to construct, can produce 100 times as many fatalities and 100 times as much smoke from fires per kt yield as high-yield weapons, if they are targeted at city centers. A single low-yield nuclear detonation in an urban center could lead to more fatalities, in some cases by orders of magnitude, than have occurred in major historical conflicts. A regional war between the smallest current nuclear states involving 100 15-kt explosions (less than 0.1% of the explosive yield of the current global nuclear arsenal) could produce direct fatalities comparable to all of those worldwide in World War II (WW-II), or to those once estimated for a "counterforce" nuclear war between the superpowers. Portions of megacities attacked with nuclear devices or exposed to fallout of long-lived isotopes, through armed conflict or terrorism, would likely be abandoned indefinitely, with severe national and international implications. Smoke from urban firestorms in a regional war might induce significant climatic and ozone anomalies on global scales. While there are many uncertainties in the issues we discuss here, the major uncertainties are the type and scale of conflict that might occur. Each of these potential hazards deserves careful analysis by governments worldwide advised by a broad section of the world scientific community, as well as widespread

Networks of military alliances, wars, and international trade.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Matthew O; Nei, Stephen

2015-12-15

We investigate the role of networks of alliances in preventing (multilateral) interstate wars. We first show that, in the absence of international trade, no network of alliances is peaceful and stable. We then show that international trade induces peaceful and stable networks: Trade increases the density of alliances so that countries are less vulnerable to attack and also reduces countries' incentives to attack an ally. We present historical data on wars and trade showing that the dramatic drop in interstate wars since 1950 is paralleled by a densification and stabilization of trading relationships and alliances. Based on the model we also examine some specific relationships, finding that countries with high levels of trade with their allies are less likely to be involved in wars with any other countries (including allies and nonallies), and that an increase in trade between two countries correlates with a lower chance that they will go to war with each other.

Nuclear Strategy and World Order: The United States Imperative.

Science.gov (United States)

Beres, Louis Rene

The current U.S. nuclear strategy goes beyond the legitimate objective of survivable strategic forces to active preparation for nuclear war. The Reagan administration strategy rejects minimum deterrence and prepares for a nuclear war that might be protracted and controlled. The strategy reflects the understanding that a combination of counterforce…

Nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament: A long-term perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haeckel, E.

1990-01-01

International nuclear policy has been determined for a long time by the exigencies of the status quo. The non-proliferation regime draws its legitimacy from the continuation of extant patterns of power in world politics. Such a static policy cannot succeed forever. Overcoming the threat of nuclear proliferation will require innovative strategy that reaches beyond the status quo. It calls for structural change in the international system to be accomodated instead of resisted. If the Non-Proliferation Treaty is to hold, nuclear weapon states will finally have to forgo their privileged status. This cannot, however, be accomplished simply through the abolition or renunciation of nuclear weapons since nuclear weapons themselves continue to be instrumental for war prevention and international stability. Rather, what is needed is a new approach to the management of the nuclear world system under international responsibility. Nonproliferation and disarmament objectives together call for a concept of global security in which multilateral institutions assume an increasingly important role of nuclear diplomacy. (orig.) [de

Constitution and the prevention of nuclear holocaust: a reaction to professor Banks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, S.L.

1986-01-01

Responding to an article in which Professor William C. Banks argues that Congress can require the President to have the permission of a special committee of congressmen before ordering a first use of nuclear weapons, the author contends that the proposal, first offered by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), cannot withstand constitutional tests. Congressional war power laws prohibit Congress from delegating this power to a committee since it must be the consent of the entire Congress. While supporting the concept of a crisis committee as well-intentioned, he argues that its role should be one of setting, not implementing policy

Constitution and the prevention of nuclear holocaust: a reaction to professor Banks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carter, S.L.

1986-01-01

Responding to an article in which Professor William C. Banks argues that Congress can require the President to have the permission of a special committee of congressmen before ordering a first use of nuclear weapons, the author contends that the proposal, first offered by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), cannot withstand constitutional tests. Congressional war power laws prohibit Congress from delegating this power to a committee since it must be the consent of the entire Congress. While supporting the concept of a crisis committee as well-intentioned, he argues that its role should be one of setting, not implementing policy.

Strategic stability in the Cold War. Lessons for continuing challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yost, D.S.

2011-01-01

Extending from roughly the end of the Second World War to the collapse of the Soviet empire in 1989-1991, the Cold War period witnessed - among other upheavals - significant conflicts in East Asia and the Middle East, the end of European colonial empires in Africa and Asia, and a remarkable competition between the United States and the Soviet Union across virtually every aspect of endeavor, from economic and cultural activities to military, nuclear, and space capabilities. In this era of great instability scores of new states gained their independence, some great powers lost stature and influence in comparative terms, and millions of people perished in civil and interstate wars and at the hands of repressive governments. Yet it was during this period that the phrase 'strategic stability' gained currency both as an objective and as an apt way of describing four dominant features of the period. First, the United States and the Soviet Union never went to war, although there were several occasions when some observers saw war as a genuine possibility, including the Berlin and Cuban crises, the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, and the 'war scare' of the early 1980's. Second, neither these powers nor any others detonated nuclear weapons to inflict damage on an enemy, though they relied on them for deterrence, alliance cohesion, and other purposes. Third, the configuration of political alignments in Europe and Northeast Asia was remarkably stable from the mid-1950's to the end of the Cold War in 1989-1991. Fourth, the proliferation of nuclear-weapon states was contained to a much lower level than feared by some observers in the 1950's and 1960's. This paper concentrates on the first of the four elements of strategic stability in the Cold War listed above - the fact that the two superpowers did not engage in a direct 'hot war' with each other. It raises the question, to what extent did U.S. analytical models concerning 'crisis stability', 'first-strike stability', and 'arms race

The de-escalation of nuclear crises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nation, J.E.

1992-01-01

Whether and by what means nations can successfully de-escalate nuclear crises - and avoid the disastrous effects of nuclear war - will remain two of the most critical challenges facing humankind. Whatever the future of superpower relations, the United States, the Soviet Union, and other nations will undoubtedly continue to possess and to threaten the use of nuclear weapons. Moreover, the number of nations with nuclear weapons seems likely to increase. This examines how nations in crises might successfully move back from the brink of nuclear war - and how confidence-building measures might help and hinder the de-escalatory process

The nuclear dilemma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, Colin.

1983-01-01

This paper discusses nuclear war, disarmament and national defence policies. The author argues that in spite of the obvious advantages of nuclear power in many parts of the world, the world cannot afford the risk of continuing with it because of the demonstrated close and deadly association of nuclear power and nuclear reactors with nuclear weapons

Indian foreign policy during the cold war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, Cesar

2010-01-01

This article examines India's foreign policy priorities during the years of the Cold War with a focus on international relations. As in the rest of the world, the India's foreign policy was marked by the dynamics of continuity and change in world policy, associated with the historical period of the Cold War (1947-90) and its impact on the neighbouring and regional context of India. As its hypothesis this article argues that this period was characterized by the challenges of consolidating the autonomy of independence, which means: achieving development; solving disputes arising from conflicts with neighbours; and, presenting India as a country committed to peace, which explains not only its position against war and the use of nuclear weapons, but also, with respect to one of the most original aspects of Indian foreign policy, its status as a non-aligned country

Great war, ethics of Vidovdan, memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šijaković Bogoljub

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Beginning with a characterization of contemporaneity (dominance of the financial sector and high technology, politicization of economy, ideological use of culture and control of the capacity for thought and a brief analysis of expansionism (political, economic, cultural on the eve of the Great War, the author embarks on a more detailed description of the spiritual situation in the wake of the Great War: in philosophy, literature, art, as well as the national-political programmatic texts and war propaganda publications of German intellectuals of the time. The continuity of the Austro-Hungarian colonial policy towards the Balkans and Serbia culminates in instigating a preventive war against Serbia by the elites in Berlin and Vienna, which is of importance with regard to the question of responsibility for the war, guided by concrete aims of war in which causes for war are reflected. These war elites wanted to declare the assassination in Sarajevo as the cause of war, which in fact was a political assassination and tyrannicide. The freedom movement of democratic youth, Mlada Bosna (Young Bosnia, needs to be viewed in the European context as inspired by the Serbian tradition of the cult of Kosovo and the ethics of Vidovdan (St Vitus' Day which speaks both about the victim's sacrifice as sublimation of history and about just suffering as elements of identity. Historical memory suggests that historical responsibility is transgenerational. The epic proportions of Serbian suffering in the Great War have additionally encouraged the positing of the theme of St Vitus' Day Temple (Vidovdanski Hram as envisaged by Ivan Meštrović. The foundations of this idea were shaken by Miloš Crnjanski who, in his 'Lyrics of Ithaca', succeeds in returning to Vidovdan (St Vitus' Day the inexhaustible national power of validity. Because of enormous Serbian military and civilian casualties in recent history, the need to establish a Victim's Sacrifice Memorial, in our day

Hitler's scientists science, war and the devil's pact

CERN Document Server

Cornwell, John

2003-01-01

In a rich and fascinating history John Cornwell tells the epic story of Germany's scientists from the First World War to the collapse of Hitler's Reich. He shows how Germany became the world's Mecca for inventive genius, taking the lion's share of Nobel awards, before Hitler's regime hijacked science for wars of conquest and genocidal racism. Cornwell gives a dramatic account of the wide ranging Nazi research projects, from rockets to nuclear weapons; the pursuit of advanced technology for irrational ends, concluding with with penetrating relevance for today: the inherent dangers of science without conscience.

The Evolution of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis: Implications for Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung Min, Lee

2009-01-01

The world today is confronted by North Korea that has apparently acquired successfully nuclear weapons, and by Iran that seems bent on acquiring, at a minimum, a virtual nuclear weapons capability. This trend suggests that prospects for freezing, if not rolling back, both Iran's and North Korea's programs are becoming increasingly difficult prospects. While President George W. Bush came under attack for going to war with Iraq based on faulty intelligence assessments and also for labeling Iran, Iraq and North Korea as part of the 'axis of evil', it cannot be denied that the world's 'most dangerous states with the most dangerous weapons' remain one of the defining security challenges of the post-9/11 era. Nevertheless, the Bush Administration's efforts to prevent, and failing that, to minimize the fallout from a nuclearized North Korea and a potentially nuclear capable Iran, have been decidedly mixed. Although North Korea maintained nuclear ambiguity for two decades, it finally gave up the pretense of having a 'virtual nuclear weapons program' in October 2006 whereas Iran continues on the path of nuclear brinkmanship. Whether Iran is going to cross the nuclear Rubicon remains uncertain but the fact that it has the requisite technologies and the political will to cross the nuclear threshold if it chose to do so remains unchanged. Regardless of Tehran's ultimate choice and attendant strategic consequences, Iran cannot but have gained key glimpses and insights from North Korea's decades-long pursuit of nuclear weapons. While Iran and North Korea have vastly different political histories and national ideologies, their paths have criss-crossed on the road towards nuclearization. Tehran and Pyongyang are not 'natural' allies although Iran has benefited from North Korea's ballistic missile sales (such as the Shahab-3 long-range missile). For its part, Pyongyang has gained not only from missile exports to Iran, but perhaps more significantly, by Iran's own nuclear challenge

Suicide among War Veterans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vsevolod Rozanov

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Studies aiming to identify if war veterans are at higher risk of suicide have often produced inconsistent results; this could be due to the complexity of comparisons and different methodological approaches. It should be noted that this contingent has many risk factors, such as stressful exposures, wounds, brain trauma and pain syndrome. Most recent observations confirm that veterans are really more likely to die of suicide as compared to the general population; they are also more likely to experience suicidal ideation and suffer from mental health problems. Suicides are more frequent in those who develop PTSD, depression and comorbid states due to war exposure. Combat stress and its’ frequency may be an important factor leading to suicide within the frame of the stress-vulnerability model. According to this model, the effects of stress may interact with social factors, interpersonal relations and psychological variables producing suicidal tendencies. Modern understanding of stress-vulnerability mechanisms based on genetic predispositions, early life development, level of exposure to stress and stress-reactivity together with interpersonal aspects may help to build more effective suicide prevention programs based on universal/selective/indicated prevention principles.

Suicide among war veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozanov, Vsevolod; Carli, Vladimir

2012-07-01

Studies aiming to identify if war veterans are at higher risk of suicide have often produced inconsistent results; this could be due to the complexity of comparisons and different methodological approaches. It should be noted that this contingent has many risk factors, such as stressful exposures, wounds, brain trauma and pain syndrome. Most recent observations confirm that veterans are really more likely to die of suicide as compared to the general population; they are also more likely to experience suicidal ideation and suffer from mental health problems. Suicides are more frequent in those who develop PTSD, depression and comorbid states due to war exposure. Combat stress and its' frequency may be an important factor leading to suicide within the frame of the stress-vulnerability model. According to this model, the effects of stress may interact with social factors, interpersonal relations and psychological variables producing suicidal tendencies. Modern understanding of stress-vulnerability mechanisms based on genetic predispositions, early life development, level of exposure to stress and stress-reactivity together with interpersonal aspects may help to build more effective suicide prevention programs based on universal/selective/indicated prevention principles.

Nuclear weapons, scientists, and the post-Cold War challenge selected papers on arms control

CERN Document Server

Drell, Sidney D

2007-01-01

This volume includes a representative selection of Sidney Drell's recent writings and speeches (circa 1993 to the present) on public policy issues with substantial scientific components. Most of the writings deal with national security, nuclear weapons, and arms control and reflect the author's personal involvement in such issues dating back to 1960. Fifteen years after the demise of the Soviet Union, the gravest danger presented by nuclear weapons is the spread of advanced technology that may result in the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Of most concern would be their acquisition by hostile governments and terrorists who are unconstrained by accepted norms of civilized behavior. The current challenges are to prevent this from happening and, at the same time, to pursue aggressively the opportunity to escape from an outdated nuclear deterrence trap.

Can we do without nuclear?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cothier, Philippe

2013-01-01

The author first recalls the background of nuclear deterrence and the history of the French nuclear arsenal within the Cold War context. He comments the evolution of this arsenal after the US initiatives during the 1980's, and then analyses the situation at the beginning of the 21. century: end of the East-West confrontation, increase of NATO's interventions abroad, war against terrorism by the USA. But the Iranian and North-Korean nuclear programs gave a new momentum to the nuclear. The author discusses the various concepts and approaches of nuclear doctrines and deterrence, and wanders whether France still needs a doctrine relying on nuclear weapons as nuclear weapons are actually present, as the French deterrence doctrine is put in question again, and as some countries seem to be an actual nuclear threat (North Korea, Iran)

Legacy of Cold War still plagues Russia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popova, L. [Socio-Ecological Union`s Center, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1995-07-01

Seventy years of communist rule and a half-century of nuclear-arms development have left Russia the world`s most polluted country, reports Lydia Popova, director of the Center for Nuclear Ecology and Energy Policy in Moscow. {open_quotes}Russia`s communist government invested enormous sums of money in the military but paid scant attention to environmental protection,{close_quotes} Popova writes. Most of Russia`s radioactive pollution has resulted from poor reprocessing technology, inadequate waste management, nuclear testing, and accidents in the nuclear-power sector. Though the end of the Cold War has been accompanied by disarmament programs, Popova insists that these initiatives will create an additional burden on the environment of the former Soviet Union in the form of nuclear waste products.

Nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. Part I: Medical aspects of nuclear warfare.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasthuri, A S; Pradhan, A B; Dham, S K; Bhalla, I P; Paul, J S

1990-04-01

Casualties in earlier wars were due much more to diseases than to weapons. Mention has been made in history of the use of biological agents in warfare, to deny the enemy food and water and to cause disease. In the first world war chemical agents were used to cause mass casualties. Nuclear weapons were introduced in the second world war. Several countries are now involved in developing nuclear, biological and chemical weapon systems, for the mass annihilation of human beings, animals and plants, and to destroy the economy of their enemies. Recently, natural calamities and accidents in nuclear, chemical and biological laboratories and industries have caused mass instantaneous deaths in civilian population. The effects of future wars will not be restricted to uniformed persons. It is time that physicians become aware of the destructive potential of these weapons. Awareness, immediate protective measures and first aid will save a large number of persons. This series of articles will outline the medical aspects of nuclear, biological and chemical weapon systems in three parts. Part I will deal with the biological effects of a nuclear explosion. The short and long term effects due to blast, heat and associated radiation are highlighted. In Part II, the role of biological agents which cause commoner or new disease patterns is mentioned. Some of the accidents from biological warfare laboratories are a testimony to its potential deleterious effects. Part III deals with medical aspects of chemical warfare agents, which in view of their mass effects can overwhelm the existing medical resources, both civilian and military.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Strategic stability in the Cold War. Lessons for continuing challenges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yost, D.S.

2011-10-26

Extending from roughly the end of the Second World War to the collapse of the Soviet empire in 1989-1991, the Cold War period witnessed - among other upheavals - significant conflicts in East Asia and the Middle East, the end of European colonial empires in Africa and Asia, and a remarkable competition between the United States and the Soviet Union across virtually every aspect of endeavor, from economic and cultural activities to military, nuclear, and space capabilities. In this era of great instability scores of new states gained their independence, some great powers lost stature and influence in comparative terms, and millions of people perished in civil and interstate wars and at the hands of repressive governments. Yet it was during this period that the phrase 'strategic stability' gained currency both as an objective and as an apt way of describing four dominant features of the period. First, the United States and the Soviet Union never went to war, although there were several occasions when some observers saw war as a genuine possibility, including the Berlin and Cuban crises, the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, and the 'war scare' of the early 1980's. Second, neither these powers nor any others detonated nuclear weapons to inflict damage on an enemy, though they relied on them for deterrence, alliance cohesion, and other purposes. Third, the configuration of political alignments in Europe and Northeast Asia was remarkably stable from the mid-1950's to the end of the Cold War in 1989-1991. Fourth, the proliferation of nuclear-weapon states was contained to a much lower level than feared by some observers in the 1950's and 1960's. This paper concentrates on the first of the four elements of strategic stability in the Cold War listed above - the fact that the two superpowers did not engage in a direct 'hot war' with each other. It raises the question, to what extent did U.S. analytical models concerning &apos

Terminating America's wars : the Gulf War and Kosovo

OpenAIRE

Musser, William G.

2002-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited This thesis asks two questions: 1) What factors have contributed to the termination of recent United States wars? and 2) How can elements of national power be applied successfully to terminate the future wars of the United States? To answer these questions, this thesis offers a model of war termination and applies it to cases of war termination, in the Gulf War and in Kosovo. These case studies indicate that termination of future wars ...

[Georg Friedrich Nicolai: war physician against war].

Science.gov (United States)

van Bergen, L

2017-01-01

Georg Friedrich Nicolai was a German professor and heart specialist who was one of the few who protested against the war at the beginning of World War I. As a result, he lost his job and was convicted. After the war, right-wing nationalist students and lack of support from his university superiors made it impossible for him to teach. He left Germany in 1922, never to return. In his book, Die Biologie des Krieges (The Biology of War), which was published in neutral Switzerland in 1917, he contradicted the social Darwinist idea - supported by many physicians as well - that war strengthened humanity, people and races, physically and mentally. On the contrary, he argued, war is biologically counterproductive.

Unexpected low prevalence of HIV among fertile women in Luanda, Angola. Does war prevent the spread of HIV?

Science.gov (United States)

Strand, R T; Fernandes Dias, L; Bergström, S; Andersson, S

2007-07-01

We studied HIV prevalence and risk factors for HIV infection among fertile women in Luanda for the purposes of obtaining background data for planning of interventions as well as to look into the association of armed conflicts and HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. The HIV-1 prevalence was 1.7% in an antenatal care group (n = 517) and 1.9% in a family planning group (n = 518). Socioeconomic and sexual background factors did not significantly differ HIV-positive from HIV-negative women. Data on armed conflict factors were matched with HIV prevalence figures among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. The level of armed conflicts was found to be inversely related to HIV prevalence. The low HIV seroprevalence in Luanda is in sharp contrast to the capitals of neighbouring countries. While the spread of HIV may have been hampered by the long armed conflict in the country, it is feared to increase rapidly with the return of soldiers and refugees in a post-war situation. The challenge for preventive actions is urgent. This example may be relevant to other areas with a recent end-of-war situation.

Non proliferation of nuclear weapons?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Guelte, Georges

2015-10-01

After having evoked the behaviour of nuclear countries regarding the development of nuclear weapons and uranium procurement, or nuclear programmes after the Second World War until nowadays, the author presents the non proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a construction at the service of super-powers. He comments and discusses the role of the IAEA control system and its evolutions: a control limited to declared installations, an export control with the spectre of plutonium, a control system thwarted by some technological innovations, information systems coming in, and an additional protocol related to the application of guarantees. He comments the evolution of the context from a bipolar world to a world without pole which raises the issue of how to have commitments respected: description of the role and practice of non proliferation during the Cold War, after the Cold War, and in a world without governance

Prevented Mortality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Historical and Projected Nuclear Power

Science.gov (United States)

Kharecha, Pushker A.; Hansen, James E.

2013-01-01

In the aftermath of the March 2011 accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the future contribution of nuclear power to the global energy supply has become somewhat uncertain. Because nuclear power is an abundant, low-carbon source of base-load power, it could make a large contribution to mitigation of global climate change and air pollution. Using historical production data, we calculate that global nuclear power has prevented an average of 1.84 million air pollution-related deaths and 64 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent (GtCO2-eq) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that would have resulted from fossil fuel burning. On the basis of global projection data that take into account the effects of the Fukushima accident, we find that nuclear power could additionally prevent an average of 420 000-7.04 million deaths and 80-240 GtCO2-eq emissions due to fossil fuels by midcentury, depending on which fuel it replaces. By contrast, we assess that large-scale expansion of unconstrained natural gas use would not mitigate the climate problem and would cause far more deaths than expansion of nuclear power.

Prevent recurrence of nuclear disaster (3). Agenda on nuclear safety from earthquake engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kameda, Hiroyuki; Takada, Tsuyoshi; Ebisawa, Katsumi; Nakamura, Susumu

2012-01-01

Based on results of activities of committee on seismic safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) of Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering, which started activities after Chuetsu-oki earthquake and then experienced Great East Japan Earthquake, (under close collaboration with the committee of Atomic Energy Society of Japan started activities simultaneously), and taking account of further development of concept, agenda on nuclear safety were proposed from earthquake engineering. In order to prevent recurrence of nuclear disaster, individual technical issues of earthquake engineering and comprehensive issues of integration technology, multidisciplinary collaboration and establishment of technology governance based on them were of prime importance. This article described important problems to be solved; (1) technical issues and mission of seismic safety of NPPs, (2) decision making based on risk assessment - basis of technical governance, (3) framework of risk, design and regulation - framework of required technology governance, (4) technical issues of earthquake engineering for nuclear safety, (5) role of earthquake engineering in nuclear power risk communication and (6) importance of multidisciplinary collaboration. Responsibility of engineering would be attributed to establishment of technology governance, cultivation of individual technology and integration technology, and social communications. (T. Tanaka)

Job Aids for Using Preventive Radiological/Nuclear Detection Equipment for Consequence Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buddemeier, Brooke R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Haynes, Daniel [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Wood-Zika, Annmarie R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Klemic, Gladys [US Department of Homeland Security National Urban

2017-10-02

The overall objective of this project is to research, evaluate, and test first responder preventive radiological/nuclear detection equipment (PRND) to provide state and local agencies with guidance on how to best use this equipment for response after a radiological/nuclear release or detonation.

The role of informing society and international cooperation in improving the nuclear 'image'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazakevich, Yu.; Biryukova, P.

2000-01-01

lt is well known that there is a negative relationship between Russian society and modem nuclear energy. Upon analysing this situation we may come to the conclusion that most people have a one-sided point of view. Due to the pressure of the 'Greens', the mass media depicts only the negative sides of the nuclear industry such as nuclear weapons testing and nuclear industry accidents. Without a doubt, accidents at the chemical production plant 'Mayak' in 1957 , the tragedy of Chernobyl's NPP, and fear of potential nuclear war, still prevent people from seeing the positive side of the atomic industry. lt is very hard to ease society's fear of atomic energy. Specialists, administrators of plants, and local administrations are all combining their efforts to reach this goal. (authors)

Principal scheme of preventive maintenance support system for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiyama, Takuya; Terano, Takao; Yokoo, Takeshi; Shinohara, Yasushi

1985-01-01

It is of great importance to turn lessons learned from abnormal event experiences to advantage as well as taking apriori actions for prevention of abnormal events in nuclear power plants. From this point of view, a consultation system, named as Preventive Maintenance Support System (PMSS), which is to possess accumulated knowledges drawn from the past abnormal events in nuclear power plants infer occurrences, factors and developments of abnormal events and recommend preventive countermeasures on the basis of the knowledges, has been proposed. This report presents the principal scheme of PMSS. To begin with, following to the discussion of the purpose and use of PMSS, the fundamental functions PMSS should perform are specified. They are (1) event factors analyzation, (2) event prediction (event development estimation and analogous event estimation), (3) event significance evaluation and (4) preventive countermeasures presentation. In the next place, it is asserted that such a system should be constructed as a knowledge engineering one. Then, the R and D subjects and related schedule for PMSS are set up. (author)

National system for prevention of nuclear and radiological terrorism in Lithuania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morkunas, G.; Klevinskas, G.

2005-01-01

Full text: Minimization of the threat posed by nuclear and radiological terrorism and mitigation of its impact is one of the most important tasks for any state. Prevention of the diversion of nuclear and radioactive material is related with a number of measures, which include physical protection of nuclear industry, preparedness for investigation of the appropriate incidents and accidents, emergency preparedness. All these issues are closely related with radiation protection. Physical protection of nuclear facility is defined by Lithuanian legislation as a system of organizational, legal and technical measures aimed at protecting nuclear equipment, nuclear and radioactive material from their illegal possession or seizure and from an unauthorized entry into the area of a nuclear facility. Responsibilities and organizational measures in this respect are clearly stated by the legislation, which is the basis for protection related procedures. Requirements for physical protection of nuclear facilities were developed shortly after the Vienna Convention was ratified. They are permanently improved taking into account all the related recent developments. Though the most important object for physical protection in Lithuanian is Ignalina NPP, the physical protection measures were also introduced at the Maisiagala radioactive waste repository. Experience shows that physical protection should be used in connection with other measures. One of them is capability for detection and analysis of radioactive and nuclear material. All the detected sources in Lithuanian are analyzed in situ, some of them - in laboratory. Consequences on society of a terrorist attack might be mitigated by emergency preparedness. One of the most important elements of it is the raising of public awareness. The paper discusses both the system of physical protection and provides other issues related with prevention of nuclear and radiological terrorism in Lithuania with emphasis of radiation protection

Numerology in the second nuclear age

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krepon, M.

2009-07-01

gain ground. Nuclear numerology has become the province of an aging, shrinking demographic. Paul Bracken and others have labeled the post-Cold War period as the second nuclear age. One characteristic of the second nuclear age is that the United States is as much the object as the implementer of deterrence strategies - especially in the aftermath of the George W. Bush administration's preventive war to oust Saddam Hussein. The second U.S. - Iraq war has accelerated nuclear hedging strategies by Iran and North Korea.': In these cases, a 'forward strategy' involving diplomacy, conventional deterrence, and containment are essential elements for regional security. In contrast the overwhelming nuclear capabilities possessed by the United States matter very little. In the second nuclear age, where asymmetric warfare has replaced arms racing, and where nuclear dangers have shifted from the Soviet Union to weak states and to die-hard extremists, thermonuclear yields, 'prompt hard-target kill' capabilities, missile 'throw-weight' and nuclear exchange ratios are less than helpful. Some, like John Mueller, have argued that this has always been so. 5 Mueller far overstates his case, but the pendulum has clearly shifted in his direction and away from nuclear orthodoxy. Supporting evidence for this assertion can be found in the absence of nuclear weapon testing by major powers for over a decade, the shrinking and aging of infrastructure within the oldest members of the nuclear club, and significant reductions in their nuclear arsenals for the P-5 with the probable exception of China. (author)

Numerology in the second nuclear age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krepon, M.

2009-01-01

demographic. Paul Bracken and others have labeled the post-Cold War period as the second nuclear age. One characteristic of the second nuclear age is that the United States is as much the object as the implementer of deterrence strategies - especially in the aftermath of the George W. Bush administration's preventive war to oust Saddam Hussein. The second U.S. - Iraq war has accelerated nuclear hedging strategies by Iran and North Korea.': In these cases, a 'forward strategy' involving diplomacy, conventional deterrence, and containment are essential elements for regional security. In contrast the overwhelming nuclear capabilities possessed by the United States matter very little. In the second nuclear age, where asymmetric warfare has replaced arms racing, and where nuclear dangers have shifted from the Soviet Union to weak states and to die-hard extremists, thermonuclear yields, 'prompt hard-target kill' capabilities, missile 'throw-weight' and nuclear exchange ratios are less than helpful. Some, like John Mueller, have argued that this has always been so. 5 Mueller far overstates his case, but the pendulum has clearly shifted in his direction and away from nuclear orthodoxy. Supporting evidence for this assertion can be found in the absence of nuclear weapon testing by major powers for over a decade, the shrinking and aging of infrastructure within the oldest members of the nuclear club, and significant reductions in their nuclear arsenals for the P-5 with the probable exception of China. (author)

War, strategy, and defence: The tradition of international political thought

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robertson, D

1986-01-01

This major new textbook provides a survey and critique of the strands in theoretical work on international relations. Taking the avoidance or limitation of war as the central concern of IR theory, it treats the subject from both an historical and conceptual perspective. David Robertson begins his account with early natural law arguments such as those of Grotius, and then moves on to the complex moral philosophy of Kant, the more positivist developments of international law, and both the traditional and modern versions of 'just war' theory. Focusing next on the second major strand of thought, he covers the more pragmatic theorising which seeks to control war through the balance of power, collective security, and finally by nuclear deterrent.

Nuclear Winter: Implications for civil defense

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chester, C.V.; Perry, A.M.; Hobbs, B.F.

1988-05-01

''Nuclear Winter'' is the term given to the cooling hypothesized to occur in the Northern Hemisphere following a nuclear war as the result of the injection of smoke from burning cities into the atmosphere. The voluminous literature on this subject produced since the paper was published in 1983 by Turco, Toon, Ackerman, Pollack, and Sagen (TTAPS) has been reviewed. Three-dimensional global circulation models have resulted in reduced estimates of cooling---15 to 25/degree/C for a summer war and a few degrees for a winter war. More serious may be the possibility of suppression of convective precipitation by the altered temperature profiles in the atmosphere. However, very large uncertainties remain in input parameters, the models, and the results of calculations. We believe the state of knowledge about nuclear winter is sufficiently developed to conclude: Neither cold nor drought is likely to be a direct threat to human survival for populations with the wherewithal to survive normal January temperatures. The principal threat from nuclear winter is to food production, and this could present problems to third parties who are without food reserves. Loss of a crop year is neither a new nor an unexpected threat from nuclear war to the United States and the Soviet Union. Both have at least a year's food reserve at all times. Both face formidable organizational problems in distributing their reserves in a war-damaged environment. The consequences of nuclear winter could be expected to fall more heavily on the Soviet Union than the United States due to its higher latitude and less productive agriculture. This may be especially true if disturbances of rainfall amounts and distribution persist for more than a year.

France and nuclear proliferation: the new generation of nuclear submarines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrillot, B.

2001-01-01

Ten years after the end of the 'cold war' the French government has pursued its national defense program with the construction of a new generation of nuclear submarines with new type of missiles and nuclear heads. This book analyzes the possible solutions for a step by step elimination of nuclear weapons from the French weapons stock. (J.S.)

Nuclear attitudes and reactions: associations with depression, drug use, and quality of life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newcomb, M.D.

1986-05-01

For 40 years the world has lived with the threat of nuclear war and, recently, with the possibility of nuclear power plant accidents. Although virtually every generation must confront various national or international crises, the threat of nuclear war is unprecedented in its destructive potential. This study is an attempt to assess attitudes and amount of distress associated with the ever-present threat of nuclear war and the possibility of accidents at nuclear power plants. The Nuclear Attitudes Questionnaire (NAQ) consists of 15 items and was administered to 722 young adults who have grown up in the nuclear age. The items were found to reflect four latent factors of nuclear concern, nuclear support, fear of the future, and nuclear denial, all of which in turn represent a second-order construct of nuclear anxiety. Women reported significantly more nuclear concern, less nuclear support, more fear of the future, and less nuclear denial than did men. In latent-variable models, nuclear anxiety was found to be significantly associated with less purpose in life, less life satisfaction, more powerlessness, more depression, and more drug use. It is concluded that the threat of nuclear war and accidents is significantly related to psychological distress and may disturb normal maturational development.

Nuclear attitudes and reactions: associations with depression, drug use, and quality of life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newcomb, M.D.

1986-01-01

For 40 years the world has lived with the threat of nuclear war and, recently, with the possibility of nuclear power plant accidents. Although virtually every generation must confront various national or international crises, the threat of nuclear war is unprecedented in its destructive potential. This study is an attempt to assess attitudes and amount of distress associated with the ever-present threat of nuclear war and the possibility of accidents at nuclear power plants. The Nuclear Attitudes Questionnaire (NAQ) consists of 15 items and was administered to 722 young adults who have grown up in the nuclear age. The items were found to reflect four latent factors of nuclear concern, nuclear support, fear of the future, and nuclear denial, all of which in turn represent a second-order construct of nuclear anxiety. Women reported significantly more nuclear concern, less nuclear support, more fear of the future, and less nuclear denial than did men. In latent-variable models, nuclear anxiety was found to be significantly associated with less purpose in life, less life satisfaction, more powerlessness, more depression, and more drug use. It is concluded that the threat of nuclear war and accidents is significantly related to psychological distress and may disturb normal maturational development

Implications of the ’Nuclear Winter’ Thesis.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-06-24

not provide significant relief by warming the planet o ozone depletion would increase exposure to ultraviolet light ( UV -B) Technical Uncertainties in...pgs. 37. - ------------ "When Light is Put Away, Ecological Effects of Nuclear War," The Counterfeit Ark: Crisis Relocation for Nuclear War, 1984, 13...Mary, "Biologists Paint an Icy Picture . . ., Washington Post, November 1, 1983, 1 pg. 56. McWilliams, Rita, "Hill Told Money Won’t Buy Nuclear

Systems to prevent nuclear material from re-entering the biosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buden, D.; Angelo, J.A. Jr.; Lapin, S.

1992-01-01

Nuclear systems are key to the success of many space missions as we have witness in the Apollo science packages, Viking Mars landers, and Pioneer and Voyager planetary exploration missions. There is always a concern that nuclear materials will re-enter the biosphere from a mission abort. In fact, this has happened for radioisotope and reactor power systems. Until now, the emphasize has been an incorporating on-board means to protect the biosphere. With possible increased use of nuclear power and propulsion systems in space, Project SIREN (Search, Intercept, Retrieve, Expulsion, Nuclear) has determined that external means can be used as a back up to current on-board systems to provide assured prevention of nuclear materials from re-entry once in space. The technology base to implement a SIREN vehicle has been assessed and a data base and mission analysis program prepared (called THOR) to evaluate various missions. The degree of hazard from existing nuclear power systems in space has been assessed and found to be significant

Prospects for stability in a nuclear subcontinent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajagopal, S; Chari, Sridhar K.

2003-01-01

This book explore the prospects for stability in a nuclear sub-continent. The nonproliferation regimes and nuclear threat reduction, nonproliferation regimes and south asia - is there a meeting point?; maintaining a threshold of strategic autonomy at least cost: continuity in the evolution of India's nuclear policies; role of nuclear doctrines and the state of the armed forces in South Asia; nuclear weapons, deterrence and stability in the international system: South Asian dynamics; assessing China's Asian role and security policies; Kargil war to current threat of war: prospects for stability; discussion; international terrorism and its impact on South Asian stability; a view from Bangladesh etc. are some of the topics covered

'Mini-nukes', 'preventive strikes'...: myths and realities of the US nuclear policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

According to many press comments, the US nuclear posture review would foresee the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons of very low energy ('mini-nukes'), also for preventive purposes, in particular for the strike of shielded or buried military facilities (Robust Earth Nuclear Penetrator, RENP). In fact these comments make a confusion between two distinct measures: one concerns the weapons penetration problem, while the other concerns the search for new future nuclear concepts. This short article tries to unravel this complex question. (J.S.)

Nuclear power in crisis: the new class assault

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, L.

1978-07-14

The nuclear industry, in spite of its success in generating electricity, is besieged by a steadily growing number of opponents who have the sympathy and support of President Carter. A review of the arguments against nuclear energy shows them to be far-ranging and uncompromisingly hostile. Opponents, focusing on issues of waste disposal and economics, have exploited the media to draw world attention to their cause of preventing the construction and licensing of nuclear facilities. The author concludes that the opponents comprise an educated and articulate group who benefited from technology and who are now attacking that same technology. Four events--the civil rights movement, Vietnam War, environmental movement, and Watergate scandal--combined to cause distrust in all but a simplistic view of life. The result of their efforts could be the failure to produce either Utopia or adequate energy. The nuclear potential may be re-evaluated, however, as the expectations for coal and solar power are found to be unrealistic.

Nuclear Winter: The implications for civil defense

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chester, C.V.; Perry, A.M.; Hobbs, B.F.

1987-01-01

''Nuclear Winter'' is the term given to hypothesized cooling in the northern hemisphere following a nuclear war due to injection of smoke from burning cities into the atmosphere. The voluminous literature on this subject produced since the original paper in 1983 by Turco, Toon, Ackerman, Pollack, and Sagen (TTAPS) has been reviewed. The widespread use of 3-dimensional global circulation models have resulted in reduced estimates of cooling; 15 to 25 0 C for a summer war and a few degrees for a winter war. More serious may be the possibility of suppression of convective precipitation by the altered temperature profiles in the atmosphere. However, very large uncertainties remain in input parameters, the models, and the results of calculations. We believe the state of knowledge about nuclear winter is sufficiently developed to conclude: Neither cold nor drought are likely to be direct threats to human survival for populations with the wherewithal to survive normal January temperatures; The principal threat from nuclear winter is to food production, and could present problems to third parties without food reserves; and Loss of a crop year is neither a new nor unexpected threat from nuclear war to the US and the Soviet Union. Both have at least a year's food reserve at all times. Both face formidable organizational problems in distributing their reserves in a war-damaged environment. The consequences of nuclear winter could be expected to fall more heavily on the Soviet Union than the US due to its higher latitude and less productive agriculture. This may be especially true if disturbances of rainfall amounts and distribution persist for more than a year. 6 refs

War on!

OpenAIRE

Simon , Jonathan

2008-01-01

Abstract 'War on' is the leading form of anti-policy in the United States. Since the late 1950s we have seen wars on cancer, poverty, drugs and terror. Thus far, the most far-reaching of these, the war on crime, has transformed American democracy since the 1960s. The deformation of our population and institutions now requires not simply an end to that war and its extension (the 'War on Terror'), but the deployment of a new 'war on' to stimulate change in the governmentalities which...

The Bush Doctrine: Power Concepts, Preemption and the Global War on Terror

Science.gov (United States)

2004-03-19

cns.miis.edu/pubs/npr/ vol10 /101/wirtz.pdf; Internet; accessed 10 Oct 2003. 26 43 Ibid., 115. 44 Worley, “Waging Ancient War,” 19. 45 Richard K...U.S. Policy on Preventive War and Preemption.” The Nonproliferation Review, Spring 2003. Available from http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/npr/ vol10 /101

Vaccination, quarantine, and hygiene: Korean sex slaves and No. 606 injections during the Pacific War of World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwahng, Sel J

2009-01-01

During the Pacific War (World War II), Japan maintained an elaborate system of sexual slavery by implementing certain practices based on institutionalized policies of hygiene, efficiency, and the use of mostly Korean girls and women. Two hygienic techniques were established--vaccination and quarantine. No. 606 injections were given at mandatory regularly scheduled medical examinations to prevent and treat venereal disease, and to also deter pregnancy, induce abortions, and ultimately sterilize sex slaves. Secondary textual analysis of data collected from 1995-2000, N = 67 interview transcripts, and participant observation in 2003 and 2006. Geographic area: East Asia and the Pacific Islands.

A lightning prevention system for nuclear operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanzoni, J.A.; Carpenter, R.B.; Tinsley, R.H.

1994-01-01

Lightning presents a significant threat to the uninterrupted operation of nuclear power generation facilities. There exists two categories of lightning protection systems-collectors and preventors. Collectors are air terminals, overhead shield wires and other devices designed to collect incoming lightning strikes. Preventors, on the other hand, lower the electrical potential between a thundercloud and ground to a level lower than that required to collect a strike. The Dissipation Array reg-sign Systems prevents lightning strikes from terminating in the protected area, consequently eliminating both the direct hazard and indirect effects of lightning. Over 1,600 Dissipation Array reg-sign Systems are currently in service, with more than 10,500 system-years of operating experience and a historical success rate of over ninety-nine percent. Lightning Eliminators ampersand Consultants has fulfilled 24 contracts for Dissipation Array reg-sign Systems at nuclear power generation facilities

Being at war: Cognitive Approaches to Observational War Documentaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bondebjerg, Ib

2017-01-01

: Janus Metz’s Danish ‘Armadillo’ (2010) following a group of soldiers to Afghanistan, and Andreas Dalsgaard and Obiada Zytoon’s Danish-Syrian ‘The War Show’ following a group of young Syrians during the Syrian spring to the civil war and beyond. Based on theories of cognition and emotion and evolutionary......In this article I primarily analyse observational war documentaries in order to deal with how this particular form of documentary contribute to our understanding of how it is to be at war as a soldier or as a civilian in a war zone. I analyse two very different observational war documentaries...... biology the article argues for the importance of this type of documentaries in developing and understanding of what war really is and it is experience, how it is to be at war. The article also puts the films in the broader context of both fictional and documentary war genres trying to map how...

Tactical aspects of nuclear strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Tonder, A.

1983-01-01

The advent of nuclear weapons at the end of the Second World War, caused a revolution in warfare. The article discusses the nature of nuclear warfare and the defense measures that can be employed in the event of a nuclear attack

Strengthening nuclear security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurihara, Hiroyoshi

2003-01-01

The international situation after the end of the Cold-War has been quite unstable, due to the occurrence of frequent regional conflicts and domestic wars based on ethnic, religious or racial reasons. Further, threats to the would peace and security by non-state actors, like international terrorist groups, have been recognized after 9.11 terrorist attacks to the World Trade Center buildings and to the Pentagon. Utilization of nuclear energy, which encompasses both peaceful uses and military ones, required an establishment of regulatory system, by which risks associated with the development of nuclear energy can be controlled. Accordingly, nuclear safety control system, and then non-proliferation control system has been developed, both in the international level and notional level. In recognition of the present unstable international situations, it is required to establish, maintain and strengthen a system which control nuclear security aspect, in addition to the present systems. (author)

Globalizing Contemporary War

OpenAIRE

Melissa Zisler

2009-01-01

There are a plethora of social problems present throughout theworld in which America has deemed a type of ‘war.’ Some of theseunconventional wars include: The War on Poverty presented in 1964; The War on Drugs announced in 1971; The War on Cancer commencing in1971; The War Against Illiteracy beginning in the 1970s; and afterSeptember 11, 2001 The War on Terror was announced (Raz, 2008).These contemporary ‘wars’ have transformed the meaning of the word‘war.’ Labeling these missions ‘wars,’ pre...

Farm Hall and the German atomic project of World War II a dramatic history

CERN Document Server

Cassidy, David C

2017-01-01

This gripping book brings back to life the events surrounding the internment of ten German Nuclear Scientists immediately after World War II. It is also an "eye-witness" account of the dawning of the nuclear age, with the dialogue and narrative spanning the period before, during and after atomic bombs were dropped on Japan at the end of the war. This pivotal historical episode is conveyed, along with the emotions as well as the facts, through drama, historical narrative, and photographs of the captive German nuclear scientists - who included Werner Heisenberg, Otto Hahn, and Max von Laue. The unique story that unfolds in the play is based on secretly recorded transcripts of the scientists’ actual conversations at Farm Hall, together with related documents and photographs.

Climatic effects of nuclear war: The role of atmospheric stability and ground heat fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, J.F.B.; Slingo, A.

1988-01-01

Most studies of the climatic effects of nuclear war have used atmospheric models with simple representations of important physical processes. In this work, a model is used which treats the diurnal cycle of insolation, and includes surface and boundary layer parameterizations which take into account static stability and a four-layer soil model. Three idealized experiments are described in which a band of smoke is prescribed over northern mid-latitudes in In the experiment, the standard model is used, in the second the effect of deep soil layers is ignored and in the third the stability dependence in the surface and boundary layer processes is removed. It is found that the inclusion of deep soil layers decreases the surface cooling by about 20%, whereas the inclusion of stability effects increases the cooling by about the same amount, though conclusions will depend to some extent on the model used. copyright American Geophysical Union 1988

The climatic effects of nuclear war

Science.gov (United States)

Turco, R. P.; Toon, O. B.; Ackerman, T. P.; Pollack, J. B.; Sagan, C.

1984-01-01

The effects of various US-USSR nuclear-exchange scenarios on global climate are investigated by means of computer simulations, summarizing the results of Turco et al. (1983) and follow-up studies using 3D global-circulation models. A nuclear-scenario model is used to determine the amounts of dust, smoke, radioactivity, and pyrotoxins generated by a particular type of nuclear exchange (such as a general 5,000-Mt exchange, a 1,000-Mt limited exchange, a 5,000-Mt hard-target counterforce attack, and a 100-Mt attack on cities only): a particle-microphysics model predicts the evolution of the dust and smoke particles; and a radiative-convective climate model estimates the effects of the dust and smoke clouds on the global radiation budget. The findings are presented in graphs, diagrams, and a table. Thick clouds blocking most sunlight over the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes for weeks or months and producing ground-temperature reductions of 20-40 C, disruption of global circulation patterns, and rapid spread of clouds to the Southern Hemisphere are among the 'nuclear-winter' effects predicted for the 5,000-Mt baseline case. The catastrophic consequences for plant, animal, and human populations are considered, and the revision of superpower nuclear strategies is urged.

Plutonium and latent nuclear proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quester, G.H.

1992-01-01

A country producing nuclear electric power acquires an ability to produce atomic bombs quite easily and without taking many steps beyond that which would be perfectly normal for civilian purposes. The role of plutonium in the three fold list of the gains that must be sought in arms control formulated by Schelling and Halpevin are discussed. On the first, that we should seek to reduce the likelihood of war, it can be argued that plutonium reduces the likelihood in some cases. The second, that we should seek to reduce the destruction in war, is made worse by plutonium. On the third criterion, that we should seek to reduce the burdens in peacetime of everyone's being prepared for war, the situation is confusing and depends on the prospects for nuclear electrical power. It is concluded that latent capability to produce nuclear weapons may be sufficient without the need for actual detonations and deployment of bombs. (UK)

The Evolution of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis: Implications for Iran

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung Min, Lee

2009-07-01

The world today is confronted by North Korea that has apparently acquired successfully nuclear weapons, and by Iran that seems bent on acquiring, at a minimum, a virtual nuclear weapons capability. This trend suggests that prospects for freezing, if not rolling back, both Iran's and North Korea's programs are becoming increasingly difficult prospects. While President George W. Bush came under attack for going to war with Iraq based on faulty intelligence assessments and also for labeling Iran, Iraq and North Korea as part of the 'axis of evil', it cannot be denied that the world's 'most dangerous states with the most dangerous weapons' remain one of the defining security challenges of the post-9/11 era. Nevertheless, the Bush Administration's efforts to prevent, and failing that, to minimize the fallout from a nuclearized North Korea and a potentially nuclear capable Iran, have been decidedly mixed. Although North Korea maintained nuclear ambiguity for two decades, it finally gave up the pretense of having a 'virtual nuclear weapons program' in October 2006 whereas Iran continues on the path of nuclear brinkmanship. Whether Iran is going to cross the nuclear Rubicon remains uncertain but the fact that it has the requisite technologies and the political will to cross the nuclear threshold if it chose to do so remains unchanged. Regardless of Tehran's ultimate choice and attendant strategic consequences, Iran cannot but have gained key glimpses and insights from North Korea's decades-long pursuit of nuclear weapons. While Iran and North Korea have vastly different political histories and national ideologies, their paths have criss-crossed on the road towards nuclearization. Tehran and Pyongyang are not 'natural' allies although Iran has benefited from North Korea's ballistic missile sales (such as the Shahab-3 long-range missile). For its part, Pyongyang has gained not only from missile

Prevent, Counter, and Respond - A Strategic Plan to Reduce Global Nuclear Threats (FY 2016-FY2020)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-03-01

NNSA’s second core mission is reducing global nuclear dangers by preventing the acquisition of nuclear weapons or weapons-usable materials, countering efforts to acquire such weapons or materials, and responding to nuclear or radiological incidents. In 2015, NNSA reorganized its nonproliferation activities based on core competencies and realigned its counterterrorism and counterproliferation functions to more efficiently address both current and emerging threats and challenges. The reorganization accompanied the March 2015 release of the first ever Prevent, Counter, and Respond – A Strategic Plan to Reduce Global Nuclear Threats. This report, which NNSA will update annually, highlights key nuclear threat trends and describes NNSA’s integrated threat reduction strategy.

The Macroeconomic Effects of War Finance in the United States: World War II and the Korean War.

OpenAIRE

Ohanian, Lee E

1997-01-01

During World War II, government expenditures were financed primarily by issuing debt. During the Korean War, expenditures were financed almost exclusively by higher taxes, reflecting President Truman's preference for balanced budgets. This paper evaluates quantitatively the economic effects of the different policies used to finance these two wars. Counterfactual experiments are used to explore the implications of financing World War II like the Korean War, and financing the Korean War like Wo...

Nuclear Strike Against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. War Crime, That Could Be Avoided

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nickolay Petrovich Parkhitko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on the research of the consequences of the US nuclear bombings of Japanese cities in August 6th and 9th 1945. Military, political and psychological aspects, that were crucial for American military planning at the latest stage of the Second World War are taken into consideration. Also the problems of the new reality in the global policy of that period, which made it possible to demonstrate the military power in such a destructive way, are investigated. The author offers some logical alternatives to the real circumstances of the 6thAugust 1945, including both implementing and non-implementing of the nuclear weapons. The author also offers some new conception of the bipolarity considering the «A-bomb factor» in the international relations, which was critical since August 1945 till August 1949. The very fact of the using the most destructive and powerful weapon, developed after the Germans' capitulation but before the capitulation of Japan, corresponds with the political concept, offered by K. Clausevitz in early 19th century. The approach to the problem, advocated by the German military theorist was in details researched in the article. Using some historical and political methodology, the author criticizes the realization of this concept in August 1945th and offers some alternatives in the historical retrospective. Acknowledging, on the whole, the necessity of demonstration of the newest weapon by the United States in global political aspect, the author reveals a number of targets, which seem more optimal for this goal. Bombing of peaceful cities, which caused inadmissible civil losses, is characterized by the author as military crime.

Medical aspects of nuclear armament

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janse, M.J.; Schene, A.; Koch, K.

1983-06-18

The authors highlight a few medical, biological and psycological aspects of the use of nuclear weapons, drawing attention to their viewpoint that doctors should actively participate in the fight against nuclear armament. The short and long-term radiation effects on man and ecology are presented based on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki experiences. The danger of human error within this framework is emphasised and it is suggested that it is the medical profession's duty to point out how the effect of stress and boredom can lead to a nuclear catastrophe. Medical expertise may also help in the identification of unstable personalities among those who have access to nuclear weapons and in the understanding of the psycology of international conflicts and the psychopathology of those leaders who would use nuclear war as an instrument of national policy. Finally the effects of the nuclear war threat on children and teenagers are considered.

Medical aspects of nuclear armament

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janse, M.J.; Schene, A.; Koch, K.

1983-01-01

The authors highlight a few medical, biological and psycological aspects of the use of nuclear weapons, drawing attention to their viewpoint that doctors should actively participate in the fight against nuclear armament. The short and long-term radiation effects on man and ecology are presented based on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki experiences. The danger of human error within this framework is emphasised and it is suggested that it is the medical profession's duty to point out how the effect of stress and boredom can lead to a nuclear catastrophe. Medical expertise may also help in the identification of unstable personalities among those who have access to nuclear weapons and in the understanding of the psycology of international conflicts and the psychopathology of those leaders who would use nuclear war as an instrument of national policy. Finally the effects of the nuclear war threat on children and teenagers are considered. (C.F.)

THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND UKRAINE: HISTORY AND MODERNITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

EVSEEVA G. P.

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Statement of the problem. Despite the attempts of historians to objectively present the events of the prehistory and history of the war, the opening of new archives and the desire to get rid of ideological stereotypes, are driving the need to once again explore the role of Ukraine in world war II to prevent its recurrence. On the other hand, the deep understanding of the history of the previous generations will provide an opportunity to properly understand the events of today. The analysis of the research. During the years of independence in the national historiography it was a new understanding of the conceptual foundations of the study of war. Over the past decade it was written a large number of scientific studies in which the main direction of new concepts there was an increased attention to the person, separate social groups and society as a whole in situations of conflict and crises. The article aims to analyze the role and place of Ukraine in the events of the Second world war; identify "Ukrainian dimension" of war and its implications for the modern generation, especially the youth. Conclusion. The effects of war for decades identified the complex and contradictory political, economic and social processes in Ukrainian society, affected the moral and psychological qualities of post-war generations. The memory of war – spiritual-historical heritage of our nation, which lays the foundations for self-sufficiency and identity and integrates it seamlessly into a civilizational flow. The modern level of researches of the events of world war II pays special attention to humanitarian problems of the war. For the youth of Ukraine it is important to join the European perception of the war as tragedy, to understand the responsibility for the memory of the past, because it's a chance for the future.

Farewell to „eternal peace“? New wars and their moral and legal challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zaborowski Holger

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This essay first discusses modern wars and the idea of „eternal peace“ as developed in modernity. It shows how in the 20th century the reality of war (as well as the concept of peace was already transformed due to the development of new technologies such as the nuclear bomb. Now, peace was replaced by a „cold war“. The essay then goes on to introduce the concept of post-national wars (as opposed to modern national wars. It argues that this concept fails fully to describe contemporary warfare. What is needed is a deeper analysis that considers most recent technological developments such as the world wide web or drone technology and the way these technologies paradigmatically change the concept and reality of war (and of peace, too. The essay concludes by arguing that the moral and legal challenges of this kind of war deserve more attention than they are getting in the current discussion.

Materials for Children about Nuclear War.

Science.gov (United States)

Eiss, Harry

President Reagan's Fiscal Year 1987 budget was an attempt to increase dramatically spending on national defense, on nuclear weapons, while cutting back on social programs. The increases for almost all nuclear weapons indicate the Administration of the United States saw its major responsibility as one of providing a strong military, one centered on…

The Technology of Nuclear Warfare

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, E.

1979-01-01

The present technical status of the nuclear weapon system and of the systems for their delivery is explained. All these systems have made tremendous progress since the 1960s. Available destructive power now is literally millions of times larger than at the time of Hiroshima. Moreover, technical progress has had, especially through the MIRV principle and the cruise missile, a destabilizing influence and threatens the equilibrium of terror. New strategy doctrines for winning rather than preventing nuclear war are developed. According to the counterforce strategy the retaliation capacity of the opponent is to be destroyed by a surprise attack. Moreover, plans for the tactical first-use of nuclear weapons have been accepted. In a nuclear conflict, the commanders-in-chief are overburdened by the need for ultra-urgent decisions. As a consequence tendencies in the direction of increasing automatization become ever more conspicuous. In the extreme case, decisions may be entirely left to machines, and man would not any more be included in decision-making. The increasing automatization leads to further escalation of insecurity for the whole world. A solution cannot be found on the level of technology, but only on that of practical peace policy. (author)

Impact of World War I on Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Trimble, Virginia L.

2015-01-01

Mention chemistry and the Great "War to End all Wars" in the same sentence, and nearly everybody who ever had a history class will nod sorrowfully and say,"Yes, poison gases." True enough, and Fritz Haber, who led the development of them for the Central Powers, was the one German scientist whom Rutherford never forgave or spoke to again. Such substances (not all really gaseous, and something like 50 have been tried) were used by both sides from 1915 onward, killed about 90,000 people (about 1% of the total), maimed many more, and arguably loosened constraints on future uses of chemical weapons in other wars, prison camps, and terrorist actions. But the war was not determined by them and could have been fought without them. On the other hand, the sudden blockading of ports and termination of most international trade forced Germany (etc) to expand very quickly processes for fixing nitrogen for explosives and for fertilizers in lieu of Chilean guano (yes there is also a Haber process for that). They needed in addition to find domestic replacements for rubber (for tires, hoses, and gas masks) and liquid fuels for tanks and aircraft. The Allies, for their part, had been heavily dependent on German dyestuffs, optical-quality glass for binoculars, and phosphates (fertilizer again). Production facilities for derivatives of coal tars, cottonseed oil, etc. were of necessity scaled up rapidly. And once people have learned to do these things, there is no way to have them be forgotten. The same is, of course, true of the nuclear weapons of World War II and of whatever biological and/or cybernetic entities prove to be essential in the next war.

Implications of a North Korean Nuclear Weapons Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehman, R.F. II

1993-07-01

The Democratic People`s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is one of the Cold War`s last remaining totalitarian regimes. Rarely has any society been as closed to outside influences and so distant from political, economic, and military developments around the globe. In 1991 and in 1992, however, this dictatorship took a number of political steps which increased Pyongyang`s interaction with the outside world. Although North Korea`s style of engagement with the broader international community involved frequent pauses and numerous steps backward, many observers believed that North Korea was finally moving to end its isolated, outlaw status. As the end of 1992 approached, however, delay and obstruction by Pyongyang became intense as accumulating evidence suggested that the DPRK, in violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), was seeking to develop nuclear weapons. On March 12, 1993, North Korea announced that it would not accept additional inspections proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resolve concerns about possible violations and instead would withdraw from the Treaty. Pyongyang`s action raised the specter that, instead of a last act of the Cold War, North Korea`s diplomatic maneuvering would unravel the international norms that were to be the basis of stability and peace in the post-Cold War era. Indeed, the discovery that North Korea was approaching the capability to produce nuclear weapons suggested that the nuclear threat, which had been successfully managed throughout the Cold War era, could increase in the post-Cold War era.

China and nuclear arms limitation agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, E.V.

1980-01-01

The Chinese attitudes from 1949 to 1980 towards nuclear arms limitation are divided into four distinct periods: 1949-1956, 1957-1963, 1964-1972 and 1973-1980. During 1949-1956, China held the view that an atom bomb or nuclear weapons are not decisive for the outcome of any war. It is the people who decide the outcome of a war. The period 1957-1963, after Soviet refusal to transfer nuclear technology, is marked by the development of the nuclear programme which led to the explosion of a nuclear device in 1964. China continued to build nuclear capability during 1964-1972. Mao died in 1976 and the relations with the U.S.A. were normalised in 1979. Taking an anti-Soviet stance China now takes the view that any nuclear arms agreement with Soviet Union is futile and describes SALT II agreement as an absolute farce. (M.G.B.)

Applications of Nuclear Physics

OpenAIRE

Hayes, Anna C.

2017-01-01

Today the applications of nuclear physics span a very broad range of topics and fields. This review discusses a number of aspects of these applications, including selected topics and concepts in nuclear reactor physics, nuclear fusion, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear-geophysics, and nuclear medicine. The review begins with a historic summary of the early years in applied nuclear physics, with an emphasis on the huge developments that took place around the time of World War II, and that und...

North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, and No Good Options?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cohen, Michael David

2013-01-01

senior military associates to experience fear of imminent nuclear war or conventional regime change. I show that the effect of such fear would depend on whether or not Kim believes that he has control over the occurrence of these events. I argue that if he experiences fear and believes that he has some...... control over whether these extreme events actually happen, he will moderate his nuclear threats and behave more like other experienced nuclear powers. But if he experiences fear and believes that he has no control, he will likely pursue policies that could cause nuclear war. I use this insight...

Sun Tzu's War Theory in the Twenty First Century

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kuo, Li-sheng A

2007-01-01

.... In accordance with "winning without fighting a battle" scenario, I will argue that the battle-prevention theory school is the most suitable, and Sun Tzu's classic The Art of War is the best choice of approach...

Hunger influenced life expectancy in war-torn Sub-Saharan African countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchendu, Florence N

2018-04-27

Malnutrition is a global public health problem especially in developing countries experiencing war/conflicts. War might be one of the socio-political factors influencing malnutrition in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. This study aims at determining the influence of war on corruption, population (POP), number of population malnourished (NPU), food security and life expectancy (LE) in war-torn SSA countries (WTSSA) by comparing their malnutrition indicators. Fourteen countries in WTSSA were stratified into zones according to war incidences. Countries' secondary data on population (POP), NPU, Food Security Index (FSI), corruption perceptions index (CPI), Global Hunger Index (GHI) and LE were obtained from global published data. T test, multivariate and Pearson correlation analyses were performed to determine the relationship between CPI, POP, GHI, FSI, NPU, male LE (MLE) and female LE (FLE) in WTSSA at p Malnutrition indicators were similarly affected in WTSSA. Hunger influenced life expectancy. Policies promoting good governance, equity, peaceful co-existence, respect for human right and adequate food supply will aid malnutrition eradication and prevent war occurrences in Sub-Saharan African countries.

The scenario-based system of workers training to prevent accidents during decommissioning of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, KwanSeong; Choi, ByungSeon; Moon, JeiKwon; Hyun, DongJun; Lee, JongHwan; Kim, IkJune; Kim, GeunHo; Seo, JaeSeok

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This paper is meant to develop the training system to prevent accidents during decommissioning of nuclear facilities. • Requirements of the system were suggested. • Data management modules of the system were designed. • The system was developed on virtual reality environment. - Abstract: This paper is meant to develop the training system to prevent accidents during decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Requirements of the system were suggested. Data management modules of the system were designed. The system was developed on virtual reality environment. The performance test of the system was proved to be appropriate to decommissioning of nuclear facilities

The nuclear problem in Northeast Asia and ways to resolve it: A North Korean perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pae Sang Hak

1995-01-01

The end of the Cold War worldwide has added new momentum to the process of nuclear disarmament. However, vestiges of the Cold War have yet to be removed from Northeast Asia, where the nuclear threat has snowballed. This chapter examines potential nuclear dangers in Northeast Asia - a region which has the greatest concentration of nuclear weapons bases and nuclear weapons in the world

Development of training system to prevent accidents during decommissioning of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Kwanseong; Moon, Jeikwon; Choi, Byungseon; Hyun, Dongjun; Lee, Jonghwan; Kim, Ikjune; Kim, Geunho; Seo, Jaeseok

2014-01-01

Decommissioning workers need familiarization with working environments because working environment is under high radioactivity and work difficulty during decommissioning of nuclear facilities. On-the-job training of decommissioning works could effectively train decommissioning workers but this training approach could consume much costs and poor modifications of scenarios. The efficiency of virtual training system could be much better than that of physical training system. This paper was intended to develop the training system to prevent accidents for decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The requirements for the training system were drawn. The data management modules for the training system were designed. The training system of decommissioning workers was developed on the basis of virtual reality which is flexibly modified. The visualization and measurement in the training system were real-time done according as changes of the decommissioning scenario. It can be concluded that this training system enables the subject to improve his familiarization about working environments and to prevent accidents during decommissioning of nuclear facilities

Development of training system to prevent accidents during decommissioning of nuclear facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Kwanseong; Moon, Jeikwon; Choi, Byungseon; Hyun, Dongjun; Lee, Jonghwan; Kim, Ikjune; Kim, Geunho; Seo, Jaeseok [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

Decommissioning workers need familiarization with working environments because working environment is under high radioactivity and work difficulty during decommissioning of nuclear facilities. On-the-job training of decommissioning works could effectively train decommissioning workers but this training approach could consume much costs and poor modifications of scenarios. The efficiency of virtual training system could be much better than that of physical training system. This paper was intended to develop the training system to prevent accidents for decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The requirements for the training system were drawn. The data management modules for the training system were designed. The training system of decommissioning workers was developed on the basis of virtual reality which is flexibly modified. The visualization and measurement in the training system were real-time done according as changes of the decommissioning scenario. It can be concluded that this training system enables the subject to improve his familiarization about working environments and to prevent accidents during decommissioning of nuclear facilities.

Preventing nuclear terrorism: responses to terrorist grievances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beres, L.R.

1987-01-01

The US is vulnerable to nuclear terrorism, despite the presence of physical security and other measures. Although these measures are important, they are insufficient to prevent or deter terrorism. What, then, is the answer? The author feels it lies in a hitherto neglected dimension of terrorism: its underlying political grievances. The principal grievance that potential terrorists have against the US concerns misguided elements of US foreign policy. These elements are moving the US on a seemingly inexorable collision course with terrorism and, more than likely, with nuclear terrorism. The US represents a serious threat to many people and groups who feel directly the effects of a foreign policy mired in strident anti-Sovietism: opponents of the US-NATO Euromissile deployments, populations seeking to secure their human rights from repressive regimes supported by the US, and governments seeking self-determination but embattled by insurgents backed by US arms, equipment, and advisers. In many cases, the US foreign policy stance in one country has aroused suspicion and anger within the region as a whole. The collision course need not be inevitable. The US can take a number of steps in the political arena that would greatly reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism

Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials in Argentine border

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonet Duran, Stella M.; Canibano, Javier A.; Menossi, Sergio A.; Rodriguez, Carlos E.

2004-01-01

The inadvertent and illegal movements of radioactive and nuclear materials are issues of increased national and international awareness. States are progressively becoming more conscious of the need to adequately respond to these events. As regards the States' regulatory infrastructure, the design and enforcement of control and verification measures to maintain the continuity of knowledge about possession, use and movements of radioactive and nuclear materials is of critical importance. The existence of an appropriate legislative framework and a regulatory authority empowered to establish effective safety and security measures are essential to prevent inadvertent and illegal movements of nuclear materials and other radioactive materials. The events of Sep. 11, 2001 in the US have increased the States' awareness on the need to review their national infrastructure to identify additional measures against inadvertent and illegal movements of radioactive and nuclear materials as well as against sabotage of nuclear facilities. Argentina has more than a half- century- old tradition regarding the control and supervision of all activities involving the use of nuclear and radioactive materials. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) of Argentina is the organization with federal competence in radiation protection, nuclear safety, safeguards and physical protection. It is responsible for issuing licenses and permits to any activity involving radioactive materials and for controlling and verifying that these activities are performed in full compliance with ARN standards and requirements. In the region, Argentina has been playing an important role in the prevention of illicit traffic of nuclear and radioactive materials for the last years within the framework of Security Commission of MERCOSUR. The last goals of this initiative are to define and coordinate actions and to establish a set of common operational procedures in the countries participating in the mentioned multilateral

Awareness structure of the people with opinion that nuclear power is effective for preventing global warming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukae, Chiyokazu

2006-01-01

Most of people think that nuclear power generation is not effective for preventing global warming. In this research, the reason why people think so was investigated with using questionnaire survey. As a result, the misunderstanding, the thermal effluent and radioactive substance etc. produced from a nuclear plant promotes global warming, has influenced on this issue. People have negative image against nuclear power in the background of this idea. This negative image is a factor to decrease the evaluation that nuclear power is useful for preventing global warming regardless of the presence of the misunderstanding. By the fear that the accident of the nuclear plant brings the environmental destruction, people evaluate that nuclear power doesn't have the capabilities for environmental preservation. Especially young people have such awareness. It is necessary to learn energy and environmental issues including the merits and demerits of nuclear power objectively in the academic training. (author)

Experts in the cold war. War experiences and peace conceptions of US-American physicists 1920-1963; Experten im Kalten Krieg. Kriegserfahrungen und Friedenskonzeptionen US-amerikanischer Kernphysiker 1920-1963

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wunderle, Ulrike

2015-07-01

The study is dedicated to the American elite of nuclear physicists, which explained after the second world war the possibilities of their science for war and peace. What induced their thinking and handling? The focus lies on the scientific shapings and war experiences of the first really international generation of physicists, which began in the 1920th years their career before many of their representatives had to fly from the NS regime from Europe and cooperated in the Manhattan project in the construction of the atomic bomb. These experiences the author refers to in order to get on the track of the explanations of the exper elite in the immediate afterwar time and in the cold war. How far their internationally and by actual war experiences shaped thinking about their own contribution as scientist to the national security - in the sense of discouragement or the cooperative conflict regulation - found its expression in the cold war, is drawn on different action levels of the participants from the Geneve conference ''Atoms for Peace'' of 1955 until the signing of the so-called Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963.

An introduction to the axiology of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Tetsuo

2005-01-01

Nuclear energy was developed during World War II and grew immensely within the era of the Cold War. After the Cold War came to an end during the early 1990s, those who benefited from the development of nuclear energy were most likely confronted with a challenge by a new tide of civilization. Although the challenge had not been closely questioned since then, such a new movement abruptly manifested itself after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. After these attacks, many began to realize that global circumstances, especially those concerned with global security, must have changed with the reordering of the world's basic structures that support political and economical developments. Here the world's basic structure is closely related with values, i.e., the system of values. This paper describes the thoughts that reveal the causes and the backgrounds of the events of September 11, the linkage to nuclear energy development, and nuclear civilization in pursuit of the future regime of nuclear energy's harmonization with the global society of the 21st century. (author)

Application of the international guidelines for machinery breakdown prevention at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wendland, W.G.

2001-01-01

For more than forty years as a specialized branch of the worldwide insurance industry, the nuclear insurance pools have underwritten property damage protection for nuclear facilities throughout the world. At power plants insured by the pools, an enviable record of operational safety has been attained. Nevertheless, electrical and mechanical equipment does break down occasionally. Although these failures do not necessarily compromise nuclear safety, they can cause significant damage to equipment, leading to a considerable loss of generating revenue and causing sizeable insurance losses. Since insurance companies have a large financial stake in nuclear power plants, their goal is to minimize insurance losses, including the failure of systems and equipment and ensuing consequential damages. To ensure that the insurance risk is properly underwritten, insurance companies analyze loss information, develop loss prevention guidelines and focus loss control activities on those areas where insurance risk is most significant. This paper provides a chronology of the development of the ''International Guidelines for Machinery Breakdown Prevention at Nuclear Power Plants'' and describes the results of insurance inspections conducted using these guidelines. Included is a summary of guideline content and of insurance loss experience between 1962 and 1999. (author)

Atoms for war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, H.

1982-02-01

This pamphlet discusses the interdependence of 'civil' and 'military' nuclear power, both within Britain and around the world. Section A is a study of 'the first proliferator' -Britain: how Britain acquired the Bomb, how the British 'civil' nuclear industry has supported US and British military nuclear programmes, and how the military origins of nuclear power in Britain created a closed, undemocratic system of decision-making. Section B examines the spread of nuclear technology worldwide, the inadequacy of 'safeguards' to prevent its military use, the hypocrisy of the nuclear weapons states and the irresponsibility of the export policies of states advanced in nuclear technology. (author)

The War on War League: A South African pacifist movement, 1914 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... of the Communist Party. This article however contends that it needs to be understood in its own terms, as a pacifist movement, reflecting a political moment of resistance to the plunge into global war. Keywords: War on War League, South Africa, Pacifism, Anti-War Movement, First World War, Syndicalism, Internationalism, ...

Nuclear transfer to prevent mitochondrial DNA disorders: revisiting the debate on reproductive cloning.

Science.gov (United States)

Bredenoord, A L; Dondorp, W; Pennings, G; De Wert, G

2011-02-01

Preclinical experiments are currently performed to examine the feasibility of several types of nuclear transfer to prevent mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders. Whereas the two most promising types of nuclear transfer to prevent mtDNA disorders, spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer, do not amount to reproductive cloning, one theoretical variant, blastomere transfer does. This seems the most challenging both technically and ethically. It is prohibited by many jurisdictions and also the scientific community seems to avoid it. Nevertheless, this paper examines the moral acceptability of blastomere transfer as a method to prevent mtDNA disorders. The reason for doing so is that most objections against reproductive cloning refer to reproductive adult cloning, while blastomere transfer would amount to reproductive embryo cloning. After clarifying this conceptual difference, this paper examines whether the main non-safety objections brought forward against reproductive cloning also apply in the context of blastomere transfer. The conclusion is that if this variant were to become safe and effective, dismissing it because it would involve reproductive cloning is unjustified. Nevertheless, as it may lead to more complex ethical appraisals than the other variants, researchers should initially focus on the development of the other types of nuclear transfer to prevent mtDNA disorders. Copyright © 2010 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.