Avatar photoActon on Prolif Risk, Nuclear Power

James Acton argues in Survival that proliferation risks ought to play a bigger role in decisions about nuclear power: Policymakers, industry insiders and regulators have usually failed to factor proliferation concerns into decisions about nuclear energy. If the policy of abolishing nuclear weapons is to be anything more than rhetoric, proliferation concerns will have to …

Avatar photoAfrican Nuclear Weapon Free Zone

On 15 July, Burundi deposited its instrument of ratification for the Treaty of Pelindaba. Africa is now a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. The entry into force of the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty, (also known as the Treaty of Pelindaba) is actually sort of a big deal for a couple of reasons relating to …

Avatar photoCan’t Ban ‘em? Compete with ‘em!

India’s CIRUS reactor in Google Earth (top) and Bhuvan (bottom) I love Google Earth and don’t know how I could have ever done my job before it was invented. (The love is apparently not mutual since Google censored my work on China’s ASAT, at least in China.) However, not everyone loves Google Earth (GE). Perhaps …

Avatar photoIran NSPD Coda

Long-time readers may recall that I was fairly vexed by the utter inability of the Bush Administration to produce a policy on Iran. And by “produce” I mean actually write an an honest-to-goodness National Security President Directive that the President signs. I observed that they never got around to it (Anybody got an Iran policy?, …