A Green New Deal — from the GOP?
How the Green New Deal made Republican politicians suddenly talk about climate change. And some of them have even introduced climate policy.
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Nuclear Notebook: Russian nuclear forces, 2020
This issue’s column examines Russia’s nuclear arsenal, which includes a stockpile of approximately 4,310 warheads. Of these, 1,570 strategic warheads are deployed on ballistic missiles and at heavy bomber bases, while an additional 870 strategic warheads, along with 1,870 nonstrategic warheads, are held in reserve. The Russian arsenal is continuing broad modernization intended to replace most Soviet-era weapons by the mid to late 2020s.
Loose cannons: The president and US nuclear posture
The US president’s unfettered authority to order the use of nuclear weapons and an unstable US nuclear posture create a compound existential risk.
July/August Special Issue – Space: Military frontier or arms control opportunity?
Swashbuckling military action in outer space occupies a hallowed place in American popular culture. But in the 1980s, fiction and reality fused in the form of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, a “pipe-dream” of a missile defense program. Now, President Trump’s announcement of a US Space Force has brought militarized space fantasies back to the … Continued
Anniversary of a new Armageddon
It’s a new year, and a new situation on the Korea Peninsula. Now, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un has just finished a visit in China with that country’s leaders, apparently in anticipation of a second “summit” with the United States’ Donald Trump. The North and South Koreans continue to negotiate toward better relations. And neither Trump … Continued
The current US negotiating strategy with North Korea is doomed
We’re stuck with a nuclear Pyongyang, but there are ways to reduce the threat.
The trouble with geoengineers “hacking the planet”
Despite all the hype, geoengineering would not be simple or easy, or a one-time solution, or buy us any time. Instead, geoengineering would be a difficult undertaking that humanity would have to commit to essentially forever—and still not fix the underlying problem. Assuming it even works.
Keep your mask on: Why a coronavirus vaccine won’t be the panacea many hope for
We all want the pandemic to end. Many of us are are hoping a coronavirus vaccine becomes available soon. But will a vaccine development process that many believe has been politicized and some fear is being rushed deliver a safe and effective vaccine? Will people want to take it? As we wait to breath a sigh of relief, we'll still need to keep those masks handy.
Why, in nuclear weapons policy, sometimes fewer options are better
Proponents say the new low-yield warhead adds flexibility and closes an “exploitable gap” in US capabilities. In reality, it’s a half-measure that only confirms a US reluctance to commit resources.
How to save the planet from your couch
Researchers are studying how video games can teach people about climate change. It would help if playing them didn't cause climate change too.
A clean return to the Iran nuclear deal should be Biden’s first option
Many concerns about returning to the deal are misplaced—and others can be addressed with some smart planning.
The problem with suppressing controversy in the Non-Proliferation Treaty
If there were only three words that delegates used to informally describe the atmosphere at the 11-day long 2017 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee meeting in Vienna, they were “business-like,” “efficient,” and “vanilla.” While they may sound like faint praise, they mark no small accomplishment; from May 2 to May 12, the Dutch chair, Henk … Continued
Will new UN sanctions prevent another North Korean nuclear test?
The latest round of UN sanctions against North Korea repair the shortcomings of previous measures and might even bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.
What the new posture review says—and does not say—about the future of nuclear weapons
The new nuclear posture review does not say which countries are covered by US nuclear guarantees. And that is a problem for the United States too.
Radiation illnesses and COVID-19 in the Navajo Nation
The coronavirus is spreading on the Navajo Nation through a population that decades of unsafe uranium mining and contaminated groundwater has left sick and vulnerable.
“Climate Day”: A radical change in direction signaled by Biden
New president says “We need to be bold” while signing a slew of executive orders that halt fossil fuel sales on public lands, and make entire federal fleet of vehicles electric.
The other big event happening in the first week of November
As if you didn’t have enough to worry about
Get ready for the North Korean scientific revolution
North Korea has contributed little to international science. Is that about to change?
The Vatican tries to reduce the revived global threat of nuclear war
As we enter another age of nuclear danger, the pope advances the cause of the new Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
An interview about the 2024 election with Harper Reed, chief technology officer for Obama 2012
An overview, from an insider, of the technological landscape involved in the last few months of the 2024 election—whether they be candidates, political operatives, or informed voters.