JORDAN TENENBAUMCIS1055 SECTION 609

I Support Limitations on Nuclear Arms Production

Early Nuclear History…

Nuclear Arms production spawned as a result of the technological development/capabilities of the second World War.

The first nuclear program in the United States was codenamed the “Manhattan Project” and consisted of the top scientists of the era.

The first bomb, code named trinity, was dropped on July 16th, 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Shortly after two nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan on August, 6th and August 9th, 1945.

The Perpetuation of Nuclear Development

Post WWII the United States and the Soviet Union had intensified their rivalry. As a result nuclear development heightened and newer more powerful bombs were developed.

On August 29th, 1949 the USSR successfully tested their first nuclear weapon.

The U.S. tested their significantly more powerful “H-bomb” on November 1st 1952. The Beginning of the “Thermonuclear age.” The soviets tested their first H-bomb in 1955.

Nuclear Diplomacy

As the tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union worsened in the 1950’s and 1960’s other countries successfully developed and tested their nuclear weapons.

Concurrently both the U.S. and USSR began rapidly increasing the production of nuclear weapons.

Threats of nuclear war dictated the outcome of global politics and certain global conflicts (Cuban Missile Crisis) became the pinnacle of nuclear strength.

Effects of the Nuclear Age

Nuclear sites are highly radiated and will cause damage to all biological life within a certain radius of the bomb blasts for centuries to follow.

Direct nuclear radiation causes birth defects, cancer, deformities, and cellular break-down.

A socially instilled fear of nuclear annihilation and the relatively new apparent threat of Terrorists harboring Nuclear weapons.

Other Uses of Nuclear Energy: Benefits and Disaster

Nuclear energy, when correctly utilized, is an amazing source of energy and is the “cleanest” way of powering the U.S. By comparison half of the energy in the U.S. as of 2006 is generated by coal, an obvious pollutant.

Counter-arguments: Three mile island disaster in 1979 caused a stir among Americans and single-handedly eliminated investment in nuclear energy tech.

In 1986 disaster struck at a nuclear power-plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine as a nuclear reactor exploded. Following the disaster many of the town’s inhabitants were exposed to radiation contributing to 56 deaths.

Fate of Nuclear Weaponry

In the early 90’s shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union an economic crisis in Russia arose and many Americans feared the potential for corrupt Russian officials to sell Nuclear arms as a means of making money.

Since the development of Nuclear weaponry primarily wealthy countries have had the ability to fund nuclear programs. A trend among many “third-world” countries has been nuclear proliferation despite the apparent lack of care for quality of life within their country.

Some of the countries the U.S. has shunned for nuclear programs or alleged nuclear programs are Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.

Current Debate and list of arms limitations treaties (active and inactive)

As of now nuclear arms production has been limited in the U.S. and the former Soviet Union has begun to dismantle most of their intercontinental ballistic warheads. Nuclear technology continues to be researched and many of the more powerful countries, such as the U.S. have attempted to curb nuclear proliferation on behalf of third-world and “enemy” nations.

In spite of this, the number of nuclear arms still in existence have the ability to destroy the world several times over, not even combined.

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963: not yet signed)

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968) Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty I & II (1972, 1979-1986) Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I & II (1991, 1993)

Works Cited

Gyogory, Anna. "Comment: The Politics of Nuclear Power." No Nukes: Everyone's Guide to Nuclear Power. 219-221.

Sublette, Carey. "http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/." nuclear weapon archive. 11 Nov. 2007.

Come Clean: WMD Awareness. "Nuclear Weapons: History of Nuclear Weapons."http://www.comeclean.org.uk/articles.php?articleID=14. 11 Nov. 2007.

GreenPeace International. "History of Nuclear Weapons Testing."http://archive.greenpeace.org/comms/nukes/ctbt/read9.html. 11 Nov. 2007.