In Countdown to Zero:  Valerie Plame Emerges as a Chief Promoter of Zero Nuclear Weapons

Valerie Plame, who worked for many years to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, has emerged as a spokesperson for ending nuclear weapons altogether, in promoting the hit film documentary Countdown to Zero—in which she also appears.

In “How to Dismantle 23,000 Atom Bombs,” Valerie Plame gives not just the questions, but a lot of the answers, about how we really start getting to zero nuclear weapons.  It involves a lot of work, but in the end, she makes clear that “nothing else” will keep an atom bomb from eventually going off somewhere, with disastrous consequences not just for people and the environment, but also likely for our civil liberties, as the survivors would demand drastic action against real or imagined threats.  http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/07/valerie-plame-wilson-nuclear-nukes.

One of the controversial points made in the film is the threat from fundamentalist extremists.  Here’s another view, http://motherjones.com/mojo/2009/06/al-qaeda-says-it-would-use-pakistans-nukes-us from Mother Jones.

But is this the only or main threat?  We at the Project for Nuclear Awareness don’t think so.  The main threat is clearly the existence of so many nukes, some 23,000 in the world, some better guarded than others.  The responsibility for having created and kept so many of these—about 95% between them—falls squarely on the top two nuclear powers, the U.S. and Russia. And there are 7 other powers with the bomb. Three of them, Pakistan, India, and Israel have not signed the NPT—the treaty that keeps track of and tries to prevent the spread of these bombs.  Iran signed, but is playing footsie with the IAEA inspectors.  We have a lot of work to do.

This is why START is so important.  This new treaty with Russia is the first serious, verifiable treaty to reduce nuclear weapons in 20 years.  The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee may vote on it as early as Wednesday—then it goes to the full Senate for approval by 2/3.  And with this Senate, the vote is not guaranteed.

To support START—you can send your letter to your Senator in support of prompt action to ratify START.  We also must tell our Members of Congress: While START is a step in the right direction, we do not need to spend over $100 Billion to “modernize” the existing arsenal and nuclear plants, over ten years, as the Administration has stated. We should save those funds, and use them instead to do more to support the IAEA Inspections, to pay for more comprehensive cleanup of previous atomic materials and waste, and finally to fully compensate atomic veterans and their descendants, including uranium miners who sustained cancers and other ailments as a result. And we DON’T need new uranium mines, planned for Native American lands, which would cause more death and destruction.

Those who want to take the next step on these issues can visit Congress with PNA and other allies.   And those who want to sign on for Zero, should watch this film, learn all you can, and get active for the long haul.  Give a call to PNA.  Tell us how you liked (or didn’t like) the film.  Give us your ideas, or send a generous donation.  And if you agree that this is one of the most important issues of our time, join us.  Call 215-546-3030, and learn what more you can do on your campus or in your community, at home or with Congress!