UK
must take lead role in
de-escalating threat of nuclear war
Fourteen
medical doctors and scientists call on the British
government to join
the international treaty demanding the ban of nuclear
weapons
Guardian
Today, 31
August 2017
As
medical doctors and scientists, we write concerning the
escalating
crisis between North Korea and the US (World
running out of diplomatic levers,
30 August). The power to kill millions is in the hands
of unstable
countries and unpredictable people. Tensions between
these two
nuclear powers clearly illustrate the dangers of nuclear
weapons,
which make the world less stable.
Evidence
is indisputable that any use of such weapons would have a
devastating
health impact on populations. Robust scientific studies
show that
even a limited exchange of nuclear weapons would lead to
major crop
failures around the world. Such a “nuclear famine”
scenario would
result in mass starvation, potentially affecting as many
as 2 billion
people.
On
20 September, countries commence signing the comprehensive
treaty
banning nuclear weapons adopted on 7 July 2017 at the UN.
The treaty
to prohibit nuclear weapons agreed by 122 nations finally
gives these
weapons of mass destruction a similar legal status to
biological and
chemical weapons. The treaty prohibits signatories from:
preparation
of nuclear weapons, actual use, and assisting other states
or
non-state groups in such actions. The UK, alongside other
nuclear-armed states, boycotted the negotiations, despite
government
claims to support multilateral disarmament and despite
polling
indicating that 75% of the UK population supported UK
government
participation.
It
is not too late for the position of the British government
to change.
Possession of nuclear weapons undermines a potential
leadership role
for the UK to enhance security and stability in the world.
We call
upon the British government to immediately begin the
process of
joining the treaty. As a first step, it could reduce its
threatening
nuclear posture, specifically by abandoning its “first-use
policy”
and ending continuous nuclear-armed patrols – both of
which
increase the risk of nuclear war.
Dr
Michael Orgel
Medact
Scotland
Dr
Stuart Parkinson
Executive
director, Scientists for Global Responsibility
Dr
Philip Webber
Chair,
Scientists for Global Responsibility
Dr
Ira Helfand
Co-president,
International Physicians for the Prevention of
Nuclear War and
recipient of the 1985 Nobel peace prize
Professor
Peter Ware Higgs
Nobel
laureate physics
Professor
David McCoy
Director,
Medact UK
Professor
Alan Robock
Rutgers
University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Professor
John CM Gillies
Dr
Judith McDonald
Medact
Scotland
Dr
Lesley Morrison
Medact
Scotland
Professor
David Webb
Professor
Malcolm Povey
University
of Leeds
Dr
Margaret McCartney
GP,
Glasgow
Dr
Guy Johnson
Medact
Scotland
--
Diceva Gandhi:
Vivi come se dovessi morire domani. Impara come se
dovessi vivere per sempre.
Non ho nulla di nuovo da insegnare al mondo. La verità
e la nonviolenza sono antiche come le montagne.
Non c'è strada che porti alla pace che non sia la pace,
l'intelligenza e la verità.
Io e te siamo una sola cosa: non posso farti male senza
ferirmi.
Occhio per occhio... e il mondo diventa cieco.
Ci sono cose per cui sono disposto a morire, ma non ce
ne è nessuna per cui sarei disposto ad uccidere.
Per praticare la nonviolenza, bisogna essere intrepidi
e avere un coraggio a tutta prova.
Nessun uomo può essere attivamente non-violento e non
ribellarsi contro l'ingiustizia dovunque essa si
verifichi.