“I want my own nuke. Why can’t I have my own nuke? It should be my constitutional right.”
This was said by a man in the D.C. area to a colleague of mine while collecting signatures in opposition to Obama's $1 trillion nuclear arsenal overhaul. To the other volunteers, including myself, this seemed like an outrageous demand; however, since the end of the Cold War, the dangers of nuclear weapons have virtually disappeared from the public eye.
In December 2008, the international organization, Global Zero, was launched in Paris by co-founders Dr. Bruce Blair and Matt Brown with the goal of bringing awareness to the threat that nuclear weapons pose and the ultimate goal of eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide. Since its inception in 2008, the movement has grown exponentially and includes activists from all over the globe and grassroots movements organized on college campuses. Household names like Jack Black, Queen Noor of Jordan, Morgan Freeman and Governor Jerry Brown of California are just a few of the big name supporters of the movement.
Now many of you may have some questions and concerns at this point. Questions like, "The Cold War is over, so why does this matter?" "Don't we need nukes to ensure our safety?" and, "But what about North Korea?" Honestly, I can't even begin to figure out what to do about North Korea, but sit down, buckle up and let me teach you a thing about those other questions on your mind.
Globally, there are nine countries that have nuclear weapons: Russia (7,500); The United States (7,200); India (90-110); Pakistan (100-120); France (300); Great Britain (215); North Korea (>10); China (250); and Israel (80). Collectively, there are over 15,000 nuclear weapons which are each ten times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The sheer number of weapons keeps the world at risk of nuclear war, nuclear accidents and complete destruction of the planet. This three minute video explains many of the reasons nuclear weapons are dangerous quickly and with cartoons.
Nuclear weapons are not an outdated concern that belong in the 1960s. They continue to pose a threat as long as even one stays in existence. Every other issue that faces humanity will be completely irrelevant if humanity is destroyed by an easily preventable threat. The world has faced enough devastation, let's not remove it from the solar system, too. For more information, resources, and to get involved, go to globalzero.org.