The 23 kiloton tower shot was part of the Upshot-Knothole series, involving some 3,000 troops. The series was one of the most fallout-intensive for the servicemen involved and populations downwind.
http://www.ctbto.org/specials/infamous-anniversaries/18-april-1953-badger/
Posted in Infamous Anniversaries
On 30 March 2012, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences held a public briefing in which a panel of high-level experts presented and released the unclassified version of a report entitled “The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: Technical Issues for the United States (2012).”
The new report reviews and updates a 2002 study on technical issues regarding the CTBT. Since it is a technical report, it does not pronounce on the political issue of CTBT ratification by the United States.
The report acknowledges that the last decade saw advances in verification science and technology, and takes note of the impressive buildup of CTBTO’s monitoring system, now more than 80% complete, and its successes in detecting the nuclear tests by North Korea in October 2006 and May 2009.
The study then examines in depth how the United States is now in a better position than ever to maintain a safe and effective nuclear weapons stockpile without explosive nuclear testing and to monitor clandestine nuclear testing abroad by combining the findings of the CTBTO monitoring system, available to all CTBTO Member States, with data from its own national technical means.
Source material:
1. NAS Press Release, 2. Full Report, 3. Presentation Slides, 4. Audio podcast: Briefing and Q&A (61:11)
International media coverage: Associated Press, New York Times, Science Magazine, Bloomberg, Bloomberg: Editorial, Global Security Newswire
Comments and analysis by think-tanks and NGO’s:
New Support for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, by Steven Pifer (Brookings)
The New NAS Report: The Case is Stronger Than Ever for the Test Ban Treaty, by Daryl Kimball (Arms Control Association)
Test Ban Treaty: Myths vs. Realities, by Tom Collina and Daryl Kimball (Arms Control Association)
Scientists Advance Case for CTBT Ratification, by David Culp (FCNL)
CNS Experts Comment on National Academies of Science Test Ban Report, (CNS – Monterey)
Nuclear testers can run but not hide, (Center for Public Integrity)
CTBT: New Study Fails to Resolve Differences over Risks to U.S. Nuclear Arsenal, by Baker Spring (Heritage Foundation)
Posted in CTBTO in the News, Verification regime
Click on the image of the cover of CTBTO Spectrum 18 to view the entire issue.
CTBTO Spectrum 18 is now online. This special issue celebrates the CTBTO’s 15th anniversary. Remember the milestones and challenges over the last 15 years of CTBTO and read how it developed ‘From Nine Staff to a Bustling Organization.’
The newly released issue includes articles by the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Henry Puna, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs William Hague, the Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoğlu, and the former FM of Japan Yoriko Kawaguchi. The heads of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan, and UNESCO’s International Oceanographic Commission, Wendy Watson-Wright, explain their organizations’ partnership with the CTBTO.
Finally, on the verification side, the CTBTO’s Svetlana Nikolova highlights the important work being carried out by International Monitoring System station operators – in this case, in three remote parts of Russia.
View CTBTO Spectrum 18 as a single PDF document here.
Read an article by article summary and access each article separately in PDF format here.
A limited number of Spectrum 18 copies come with a DVD featuring CTBTO staff recalling the organization's 15 year journey. Click on this image to watch the trailer to the video.
Posted in CTBTO in the News, Uncategorized
|
