$72.9 billion. That’s how much nine countries spent on nuclear weapons in 2019. In a just-released report, ICAN produced the first estimate in nearly a decade of global nuclear weapon spending, taking into account costs to maintain and build new nuclear weapons.
That amounts to $138,699 spent in the world on nuclear weapons per minute. Global nuclear spending rose $7.1 billion from 2018, in line with total military spending which rose dramatically from 2018 to 2019.
Nuclear weapons production leaves a nasty legacy both for people and the environment. Around the world, nuclear weapons facilities have contaminated land and water with radioactive waste lasting at least 100,000 years. Efforts to clean up the sites have cost billions of dollars over decades – and are still largely unfinished.
The five case studies below provide just a preliminary look into the devastating global environmental consequences of building the bomb.
29 May 2020 (Wall Street International)* — This article describes five world records of mental calculation and memorization to better understand working memory and image schemata from a cognitive perspective set by Paolo Fabiani. The purpose of the records is to demonstrate that the potential and limits of working memory are closely connected with the image schemes1.
28 May 2020 (UN Environment)* — Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, families and businesses around the Adriatic Sea were faced with a serious threat. One of the countries hardest-hit by coastal erosion in Europe, almost a third of Albania’s 427km coastline is being eroded by violent waves. And the challenge is accelerating at an alarming speed due to climate-induced storm surges and rising sea levels.
Photo by UNEP / Lisa Murray
“One time I was driving my children to school when the sea came in front of me and flooded the car,” explains Pati. “If the coast is not protected, then God save us.”
Ensuring the health of humanity and the planet requires a consolidated effort that acknowledges and incorporates the vision of those who have protected nature for so long. | Español
Sadly, the continued disregard for indigenous peoples in many governments’ responses to the novel coronavirus could place those left at the brink of extinction.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 