October 11, 2018
By Kate Bartholomew, Chair
Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter
This September marked the first anniversary of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The International Campaign for the Abolishment of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) had advocated for this treaty for over 10 years. During March, June and July of 2017, treaty language was crafted with input from 135 nations and a number of individuals. The text was completed on July 7, 2017, and opened for signatures on September 20, 2017. It will enter into force once duly designated representatives from 50 nations have signed the document and then those same states have become legally bound to the treaty through the process of ratification by their governing bodies. Once this process is complete for 50 nations, the Treaty will enter into force, though it will remain open for others to join. For this historic accomplishment, ICAN was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.
This year, to commemorate the first anniversary, a high-level ceremony was held at the UN in New York City on September 26, 2018. Security was incredibly strict, not even permitting NGO partners, such as Physicians for Social Responsibility, to attend. During the ceremony, seven new nations signed on and four more ratified the treaty, bringing the total to 69 signatories and 19 ratifications. Again, the treaty will not go into effect until 50 nations have both signed and ratified it, but the September 26th signing did move that date closer.
It is important to note that the treaty offers a path for nuclear states — those hosting nuclear weapons as well as those actually possessing nuclear arsenals — to join the signatories. Those nations hosting nuclear weapons must agree to have them removed by a specified date, and those possessing arsenals must agree to destroy the weapons in a prescribed manner by a set date. The full treaty text can be found here.
Last year, as you may have read in a previous Sierra Atlantic, the Atlantic Chapter sent a resolution asking the National Sierra Club to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to the national Council of Club Leaders. Despite some interesting and sometimes awkward exchanges, it passed the CCL and went on to the National Sierra Club Board of Directors. That group also voted in favor of a slightly modified (but essentially the same) resolution, meaning that the national Club supports the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) has adopted a new campaign: Back from the Brink. The idea behind this long-range campaign is to encourage a vast array of organizations, groups, municipalities, villages, churches, foundations, boards, etc. to pass a simple, five-part resolution designed to provide a means for nuclear powers to scale down — step “back from the brink” — leading to disarming and destroying their arsenals. The hope is that, as ever greater numbers pass this resolution, the growing list of names will force the governing bodies of these nations to reconsider their positions. Certainly, with the current residents in the halls of power in DC, and the finger that is poised over the nuclear football, we in the United States have more than a little reason for concern. For those desiring more information about this campaign, please click here.
As important as the treaty is, it’s a sad fact that the slow Armageddon of aging nuclear power plants and the ever-growing stockpiles of nuclear waste persist, accumulating around the country and the world. I fear this is an example of the languid frog placed in a pot of cold water being slowly brought to a boil. The current administration, in addition to seeking an upgrade and revitalization of our nuclear arsenal, is also intent on reviving Yucca Mountain as a permanent nuclear waste repository and certifying multiple interim storage facilities — of course in environmental justice communities — so high-level nuclear waste can be shuffled around the country in sometimes substandard transport casks. This is the stuff of nightmares — so I’ll save the details for the next installment in the nuclear cliffhanger.