Mobilizing for Nuclear-Weapon Risk Reduction

Biosketch: Frank von Hippel, a nuclear physicist, is Professor of Public and International Affairs emeritus at Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security, which he co-founded. In 2006, he co-founded the International Panel on Fissile Materials and co-chaired it for its first nine years. During 1983-90, he worked with President Gorbachev’s advisor, Evgenyi Velikhov, to develop a number of successful initiatives to end the US-Soviet nuclear arms race. During 1993-4, he served as Assistant Director for National Security in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and helped develop U.S.- Russian cooperative initiatives on nuclear threat reduction. He has received many awards, including the MacArthur "genius" Fellowship.

Abstract: The end of the Cold War and the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union resulted in deep cuts in the total global nuclear weapon stockpile to "only" about 10,000 warheads and the perception that nuclear war had become a remote probability. Policy activists concerned about existential threats moved on to other issues such as climate change. Under Putin, however, Russia has begun to make nuclear threats against Ukraine and NATO. The US is also in a developing confrontation with China over Taiwan that could easily turn nuclear. Unfortunately, Congress' knowledge about nuclear-weapons issues has waned except for those members with nuclear-weapon-related jobs in their districts and states. Given this situation, in 2020, the American Physical Society established the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Risk Reduction, which has recruited about 1000 physicists interested in educating themselves and then their members of Congress about the dangers and potential policy initiatives that could help reduce those dangers. This talk will be based on the speaker's talks to physicists on the risks and policy options. Health Physicists, if interested are welcome to join the Physicists Coalition.