The Winter 2022 edition of the Nukewatch Quarterly
Posted: 23rd January 2023
The Winter 2022 edition of the Nukewatch Quarterly is now ready for viewing online! Click here to read the whole newsletter “cover to cover” on our website or scroll down to browse the articles featured in this email.
Cracks Appearing in Wall of US Opposition to Nuclear Ban Treaty
By John LaForgeAt the United Nations on October 5, Australia boldly ended five years of opposition to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
The plucky reversal by a military ally of the United States, the leader of minority opposition to the landmark treaty, was applauded by campaigners and by other governments. Gem Romuld, with ICAN Australia, said in a statement, “The majority of nations recognize that ‘nuclear deterrence’ is a dangerous theory that only perpetuates the nuclear threat and legitimizes the forever existence of nuclear weapons, an unacceptable prospect.”
The Inseparable Link Between Military and Civilian Reactors
By Mari Inoue
President Emmanuel Macron of France once said that “without civil nuclear power, there is no military nuclear power, and without military nuclear power, there is no civil nuclear power.” This article will examine some common features of military and civilian nuclear programs including their histories, technologies, and regulatory bodies.
Bribes to Purchase ‘Consent’ for Waste Storage
By Kelly Lundeen
While the DOE claims to seek “consent” for the siting of waste storage, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is strong-arming a CISF into Texas with the Interim Storage Partners facility, and into New Mexico with the Holtec International proposal — no matter the resistance.
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Weapons Profiteers are the Winners
By John LaForge
“Weapons companies were already receiving a massive amount of money from the US government before the war in Ukraine began — some $768 billion in 2021. In [May], the US Congress approved a $40 billion spending package for the Ukraine war, with a big chunk going to arms companies,” Reisdorf wrote.
United States to Hurry Transfer of New Nuclear Bombs to Europe
By John LaForge
Tom Collina, director of policy at the Ploughshares Fund, told Politico that the accelerated transfer of the newest version of the B61 — which the Air Force says is more accurate than the bombs it will replace — “could be escalatory. We’ll see.”