 "Photo: John Crowley/The Quad News")
Armageddon. 2012. The end of the world as we know it is drawing nearer and nearer with every tick of the clock! Where are John Cusack and Bruce Willis when you need them?
Alas, there is no need to panic… yet. The world is not coming to an end anytime soon due to an asteroid, freak meteor or an ancient Mayan myth; however, it could if we do not keep ourselves educated on global politics and international affairs.
Nuclear weapons, also known as weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), are posing as a silent threat, but that is all about to change. Earlier this month, President Obama sat down with Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, to discuss the future of nuclear weapons. The two signed negotiations in London to reduce the nuclear weapons in their respective countries by about a third by the end of this year.
But why should I care?
There are currently an estimated 6,000 nuclear bombs on the planet today—concentrated in nine known countries (the actual numbers for nuclear weapons are kept top secret, so numbers are simply estimates). Mind you, even one nuclear bomb launched in the right place and at a high altitude could fry all non-protected electronic devices in the entire continental U.S. due to its electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
President Obama is promoting a nuclear free world, and for the first time in history, the U.S. has committed to not using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Part of the strategy behind the treaty is for non-nuclear powers to commit to a world without nuclear weapons, as well as nuclear powers like Russia and China.
“We can’t reduce the threat of a nuclear weapon going off unless those that possess the most nuclear weapons, the United States and Russia, take serious steps to reduce our stockpiles,” Obama said in April at the Nuclear Security Summit.
However, there is still a large threat with countries, like Iran, who claim peace and deny having nuclear weapons, despite international speculation of nuclear weapons there.
But really why should I care?
More frightening than an asteroid or a Mayan calendar prediction, our world is more at risk than many realize. There is no need for Bruce Willis or John Cusack or any other hero, while it may be nice, because we have the power at our fingertips to educate ourselves and stay informed about the legislation passed in our country and others about nuclear weapons.
The 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons will be held from May 3-28 at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York City. Objectives for the conference will be to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and technology, among other points. The treaty review has been held every five years ever since 1970. It is imperative that those who have the means to educate themselves on these matters do so.
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