Physics and Bombs - Paper Example

What is ICAN? What is its goal, what has it accomplished so far, and how? Does Canada currently support this project? Why?

ICAN refers to International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons which is a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland with a presence in many countries and aims at promoting the implementation of the United Nations Nuclear weapons ban treaty an agreement which was adopted in New York in 2017. ICAN had its roots in Australia in 2007, and the main inspiration of the formation of the organization is the success that has been realized in the international ban of landmines which was the main negotiating factor in the anti-personnel mine ban convention which is also known as the Ottawa treaty. The organization aims at creating the public presence to support a public based initiative to ban nuclear weapons through working with the organization such as Red Cross and governments with similar motives to promote the debate on nuclear weapons ban. The organization has significantly impacted on the debate of nuclear weapon ban and has generated a momentum which might bear success in the near future. As a result, the organization was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its work in creating attention on the negative implications of nuclear weapons use to the environment and also humankind and also the award was aimed at recognizing the organization efforts towards a treaty-based prohibition to use nuclear weapons.

One of the identifiable success and contribution of ICAN towards getting rid of nuclear weapons in the world was the organization role in the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2010 in which the organization acted as the civil society coordinator by bringing together governments to the meeting. Common dialogue is the major approach that can be used to bring about the ban on the use and production of nuclear weapons, but the major challenge has been bringing together world`s powerful governments to the table which are known to compete with each other. The Non-Proliferation Treaty of 2010 was a significant breakthrough by ICAN to the right direction. Further, during the conferences that resulted in the Non-Proliferation treaty, ICAN was able to campaign for the creation of a special United Nations function that was to be responsible for examining the proposals aimed at advancing nuclear disarmament. The new body which was established from the efforts of ICAN held its first meeting in Geneva in 2016 and issued a recommendation on the possible nuclear ban treaty negotiation framework. In 2016, ICAN marked another milestone when the United Nations general assembly adopted the resolution to start negotiations towards creating a legally binding approach to prohibit nuclear weapons. Throughout the negotiations and conferences, ICAN played a central role in bringing countries to the negotiation table, and two-thirds of participating nations voted in favor of the agreement. Today, the major goal of ICAN is to persuade nations to ratify the agreement which will lead to the implementation of the resolutions towards banning nuclear weapons.

Despite Canada not having any nuclear program the country and the government has shown mixed reaction towards nuclear ban treaty. The government under Justin Trudeau has been reluctant to sign the treaty for the prohibition of nuclear weapons an accord that has already been adopted by the United Nations. The strong ties between Canada and the United States of America as well as other nuclear-armed countries are significant to blame for Canada boycott of the nuclear ban talks. Over the years, Canada and the United States of America and its allies have had a mutual relationship and share significantly regarding military infrastructure and equipment. The country is against the ban on the nuclear weapons because the ban will not affect the countries that already have the weapons. Further, most of Canada electricity is generated from nuclear power plants and a ban on nuclear weapons and materials will significantly affect the country economy because its industries depend on nuclear power. Besides, siding with countries that are proposing a ban on nuclear weapons will compromise the country relationship with the United States of America and its allies which will be detrimental to the country development.

What is the Doomsday Clock? Who invented it, and why? What moves its hands, and how? What is the current time on the Doomsday Clock, and why?

Doomsday Clock

The doomsday clock was developed to represent the imminence of an artificial significant global disaster. The hypothesis of the doomsday clock design is based on the assumption that midnight is the global catastrophe to be observed. It is moreover hypothetical that the bulletins opinion that the earth is closer to a worldwide catastrophe by a few minutes normally to midnight.

Invention of Doomsday Clock

The conception of the Doomsday Clock idea points back to international research groups identified as the Chicago Atomic Scientists. They worked and produced the Manhattan Project. Following the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings on Japanese soil in the world war, this group of scientists started having their work published in a stencil typed newsletter first and later a magazine by the name, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Since the magazine was started, the picture of the Doomsday Clock appeared on every magazine cover perhaps serving as the logo. The Manhattan Project by these very scientists is attributed to have played the role of coming up with the first set of nuclear weapons which have continued to be developed ever since.

The Doomsday Clock was initially designed for illustration purposes, and it graced the cover of the first edition. Regular details on the progress of the nuclear arsenal were published in the magazine to update interested people and those passionate about the success of the weaponry project. The Doomsday clock was later redesigned to have a modern appeal in January 2007. Michael Beirut, a member of the governing board of The Bulletin magazine, was the man behind the new clock.

Doomsday Clocks Hands

The Bulletin magazine achieved a feat in becoming one of the pioneer print publications in the United States to shift to completely digital, ditching printing its edition to become a website. Since the emergence of the nuclear-powered era, the nuclear atomic technologists' scientist board has periodically been altering the minute hand on doomsday clock symbolizing the proximity of apocalypse, frequently demonstrating the development and acquisition of powerful weaponry by world powers.

The doomsday time-line

The minute hand of the clock stands at two and a half hours before the midnight, different from the past two years when the minute hand maintained at the three minutes to midnight mark. This is recorded as the closest ever it has been to midnight down from the early 1980s. The board on science and security cited that a global catastrophe befalling is highly likely and cautioned that control measures be employed to minimize the impacts of the disaster. This was twice proclaimed during its most recent announcements done annually. The likelihood is, even more, worrying in 2017 and there should be more disparity and urgency in the employing of precautionary measures. At two and thirty seconds to midnight, the clock edges closer and closer to the midnight mark posing the global danger closer. Responsible and wise public servants should promptly engage in evacuating their citizenry away from the disaster that is bound to happen. This is blamed on laggardness of the humanity to deal with change in climate and nuclear weaponry. The Doomsday clock may be imagery, but it shows the real dire situation which will befall on humanity on of their making. The international community should take the task of addressing the issues raised by the scientists as the clock ticks.

References

Bailey, Kathleen C. Doomsday weapons in the hands of many: The arms control challenge of

the'90s. University of Illinois Press,2008

"Campaign overview." ICAN. Accessed January 21, 2018. http://www.icanw.org/campaign/campaign-overview/.

"Canada focused on 'concrete measures' to ban nuclear weapons, Trudeau says." The Globe and Mail. October 27, 2017. Accessed January 21, 2018. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-focused-on-concrete-measures-to-ban-nuclear-weapons-trudeau-says/article36753598/.

Locke, Ryan Christopher. "Resetting the Doomsday Clock: Is It Constitutional for Laches to Bar

Copyright Infringement Claims within the Statute of Limitations." Buff. Intell. Prop. LJ 6 (2008): 133.

Vuori, Juha A. "A timely prophet? The doomsday clock as a visualization of securitization

moves with a global referent object." Security Dialogue 41, no. 3 (2010): 255-27