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The INES Global Responsibility Newsletter reports and comments – from a global perspective – on political, technical and societal developments and comprises of regular internal news sections.
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27. January 2012
Last Wednesday, the highest body of the University of Bremen decided to keep the Civil Clause from 1986.
Peace research is now an explicit objective of the university. "Research, that could serve military purposes has to be discussed publicly and has to be rejected." See some articles in German Newpapers here: www.inesglobal.com/commit-universities-to-peace.phtml#cpid2030
27. January 2012
As European leaders struggle to avert a second recession a new study finds that future economic growth and the sustenance of the continent’s ecosystem services may be incompatible, unless political priority setting focuses on sustainable development with a special emphasis on biodiversity conservation. The research, published in a special issue of Global Ecology and Biogeography , combines socio-economic, land use, climate and biodiversity models with other approaches to consider three possible routes for the future of Europe’s economy. The scientists explore the multiple impacts on biodiversity within the next century. The special issue is edited by Josef Settele, Ingolf Kühn and Joachim Spangenberg from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ/Germany, Tim Carter from the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE/Finland, and Martin Sykes from the University of Lund/Sweden.
Free Access at the Journal URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.2012.21.issue-1/issuetoc
25. January 2012
Three-quarters of all nations support UN Secretary-General Ban Ki moon’s proposal for a treaty to outlaw and eliminate nuclear weapons, according to a study released last week by ICAN.
The report was released one week after the Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was moved one minute closer to midnight in response to growing nuclear dangers around the world and a lack of progress towards nuclear abolition. “The vast majority of nations believe it is time to ban nuclear weapons in the same way that biological and chemical weapons have been banned,” said Tim Wright, an ICAN campaigner and the author of the study. Download the study: www.icanw.org/positions
21. January 2012
This first BASIC Trident Commission briefing by Dr. Ian Kearns from October 30, 2011 outlines recent worrying developments in the nuclear force structures of the world’s nuclear armed states. It argues that “the evidence points to a new era of global nuclear force modernisation and growth”.
It presents evidence that:
Read the full article here: www.basicint.org/sites/default/files/commission-briefing1.pdf
20. January 2012
By Chris Lindborg
President Barack Obama made an historic visit to the Pentagon on January 5, 2012 to deliver his remarks on the release of the United States’ “New Global Military Strategy”. During the two-part press conference, he and other defense leaders carefully chose their words to forewarn other American policymakers that big changes will be coming to the U.S. military, and that allies should be ready for big changes too. Read on here: www.basicint.org/news/2012/new-us-global-military-strategy-could-hint-future-moves-reduce-dependence-tactical-nuclear
18. January 2012
By Hans M. Kristensen
India’s nuclear weapons “are not for warfighting,” the chief of India’s army said Sunday at the Army Day Parade. The weapons have “a strategic capability and that is where it should end,” General V. K. Singh declared.
The rejection of nuclear warfighting ideas is a welcoming development in the debate over the role of nuclear weapons in South Asia. Pakistan’s military’s description of its new snort-range NASR missile as a “shoot and scoot…quick response system” has rightly raised concerns about the potential early use of nuclear weapons in a conflict.
NASR is one of several new nuclear weapon systems that are nearing deployment with warheads from a Pakistani stockpile that has nearly doubled since 2005.
India is also increasing its arsenal and already has short-range missiles with nuclear capability: the land-based Prithvi has been in operation for a decade, and a naval version (Dhanush) is under development. But India’s posture seems focused on getting its medium-range Agni II in operation, developing longer-range versions to target China, and building a limited submarine-based nuclear capability. Read on here:www.fas.org/blog/ssp/category/hans_kristensen
13. January 2012
Summary of Content & Implications
Prepared by Joseph Gerson
In early January the Obama Administration released the Pentagon’s new Guidance, Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense. Designed less to cut U.S. military spending that to reorder Pentagon priorities to ensure full spectrum dominance (dominating any nation, anywhere, at any time, at any level of force) for the first decades of the 21st century. As President Obama himself said, after the near-doubling of military spending during the Bush era, the Guidance will slow the growth of military spending, “but...it will still grow:, in fact by 4% in the coming year.”Read on.
13. January 2012
Guatemala has reaffirmed its long-standing support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) by ratifying the Treaty. The number of ratifications now stands at 156; while a total of 182 States have signed the Treaty.
To read the presse release visit: www.ctbto.org/press-centre/press-releases/2011/press-release-guatemala-ratifies-the-comprehensive-nuclear-test-ban-treaty-ctbt/
11. January 2012
The zero draft outcome document – the official document to be negotiated by United Nations Member States in the lead up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) – has been released. Although the text will be extensively negotiated in the coming months and will most likely be modified, the zero draft in its current stage reaffirms Member States commitment to work together for a prosperous, secure and sustainable future for both people and the planet, including by eradicating hunger, want, and all forms of poverty; by committing to make progress on already internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); and by enhancing cooperation. More information here: www.un-ngls.org/spip.php
3. January 2012
Interview with Ph.D., John Scales Avery
This video is a wonderful and heartening interview with John Avery, who gives us both knowledge and hope to avoid the current real danger of war, including nuclear war.
John Avery is an INES Council member and was part of a group associated with the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. He is chairperson of the Danish Peace Academy, and the author of numerous books.
See the interview with TV Street Space Copenhagen here: www.youtube.com/watch