Our Church & Society/Social Justice Committee invites you to consider the following, and attend the discussion on October 20.
At a time when the U.S. and the entire world continue to grapple with the COVID pandemic and are directly experiencing the effects of climate change, we face an existential choice – continue squandering human and financial resources on militarism and nuclear weapons and face the disastrous consequences, or redefine “national security” and redirect our tax dollars and human capital to ensure human survival and create a sustainable future.
Locally, we face a similar threat in Hood Canal, with the largest concentration of deployed nuclear weapons in the United States at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. Twenty miles west of Seattle is the largest concentration of deployed nuclear weapons in the United States at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. A significant danger at Bangor is the possibility of an accident involving Trident rocket motor propellant while loading and unloading the nuclear-equipped D-5 missiles at the Explosives Handling Wharf. Trident propellant is more volatile than TNT and is capable of detonating upon impact. The propellant in one missile has an explosive force equal to 155,000 pounds of TNT. An accident at the Explosives Handling Wharf at Bangor could result in an explosion equivalent to 3.7 million pounds of TNT involving up to 24 D-5 missiles on one SSBN submarine. Bangor is Puget Sound’s “ticking nuclear time bomb.”
The White House is currently working on its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), a process that develops the Biden administration’s approach to U.S. nuclear weapons policy. The Union of Concerned Scientists is pushing for the NPR process to lead to significant policy changes that make us all safer.
For example, President Biden has said the United States should declare that it won’t use nuclear weapons first in any conflict. Unfortunately, early signs suggest that Biden’s NPR may only make modest changes to reduce the nuclear threat. We need to pressure the Biden administration to adopt nuclear weapons policies that make the United States and the world a safer place—such as a no-first-use policy, ending the sole authority of any president to launch a nuclear attack, and canceling plans to spend trillions of dollars rebuilding current nuclear weapons systems.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (https://www.ucsusa.org/) will be hosting a virtual event to discuss the importance of Biden’s NPR and how to improve U.S. nuclear weapons policy. This virtual event will feature presentations and Q&A with experts Lynn Rustin, formerly on the Obama National Security Council, and Dr. Steve Fetter, UCS board member.
Since there will be a Q&A after the presentation, you are encouraged to submit a question to the speakers in advance through the registration form. This is a crucial time to gain a deeper understanding of the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review and learn how you can help influence your member of Congress and the Biden Administration’s outlook on nuclear weapons policy.
Global Security Talks—A Discussion on the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review
Date: Wednesday, October 20
Time: 4:00–5:00 p.m. PT