Elaine Grossman has a stellar piece of process journalism on the infighting surrounding the Nuclear Posture Review and START. The short version is that SECDEF Robert Gates tried to revive the RRW program at a Principal’s Committee meeting in June that was supposed to provide guidance on START negotiations. Only Vice President Biden stopped him: …
Acton on Prolif Risk, Nuclear Power
by | 2009-08-18 | 20 Comments
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 …
African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone
by | 2009-08-17 | 2 Comments
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 …
Can’t Ban ‘em? Compete with ‘em!
by | 2009-08-17 | 7 Comments
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 …
