**Let's <font color="red">Ban</font> Nuclear Weapons**!
<img src="http://www.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/nukefreenow-620x310.png" width="500" height="300" alt="Two foxes">
But first, [[what]] are nuclear weapons?A nuclear weapon is an **[[explosive device]]** that derives its <font color="red">destructive</font> force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion (thermonuclear weapon).
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/53a06cda69bedd0f592e6b7b-480/russian-nuke-nuclear-weapons.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="Two foxes">
Why is this an <font color="green">[[issue]]</font>? <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Fission_bomb_assembly_methods.svg/880px-Fission_bomb_assembly_methods.svg.png" width="500" height="500" alt="Two foxes">
Nuclear weapons pose one of the greatest threats to humanity today.
<font color="blue">"One can destroy a whole city, potentially killing millions, and jeopardizing the natural environment and lives of future generations through its long-term catastrophic effects."</font>
<font color="green">-UNODA </font>
We've seen this twice in [[history]]...<img src="http://zidbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/nagasaki-hiroshima-blasts.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
Sooo what is the **status** of nuclear weapons [[today]]?<img src="https://bam.files.bbci.co.uk/bam/live/content/zh82n39/large" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
**Woah**, that's a lot!
Why is this [[scary]]? <font color="red">Because...</font>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JL4Kqfxg2KU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<font color="orange">AND this</font>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fs1CIrwg5zU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<font color="green">Also this</font>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Aza-2wopCFY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
And if you've got time, **take a look at this**:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sjvm6IK0qPg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Is the world ready for potential nuclear warfare?.....[[NO]]!Now that we understand the **catastrophic effects** of nuclear weapons, we can see that a <font color="red">ban</font> is urgently needed.
<img src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1251533/images/o-NUCLEAR-POWER-BAN-facebook.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Two foxes">
Find out ways <font color="green">**WE**</font> can get involved and **save the world**....//literally//.
<font color="blue">[[What can WE do?]]</font>
<font color="purple">Nor will we ever be...</font>
<img src="http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2009/0901/360_nuclear_winter_0121.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
<img src="http://www.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Hiroshima2-620x310.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
<img src="http://www.atomicarchive.com/Effects/Images/WE01.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
<font color="red">**The clock is [[ticking]]...**</font>
<img src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/styles/half/public/2017/03/19/558005-nuclear-weapons.jpg?itok=cApCRYu2" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
<font color="blue">"Nuclear weapons are the only weapons of mass destruction not yet prohibited in a comprehensive and universal manner, despite their well-documented impacts. Biological weapons, chemical weapons, landmines and cluster munitions have all been explicitly and completely banned under international law."</font>
//-International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons//
<img src="http://www.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ican-regular-logo.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
**I say it's time for [[preventative action]]!**Just to make sure we are all on the same page, here is an excerpt stated by the International Committee of the Red Cross on **WHY** there is a need to ban nuclear weapons:
<font color="green">“Nuclear weapons are unique in their destructive power, in the unspeakable human suffering they cause, in the impossibility of controlling their effects in space and time, and in the threat they pose to the environment, to future generations, and indeed to the survival of humanity.”</font>– International Committee of the Red Cross, 2010
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You can also contribute to <font color="green">**saving</font> the <font color="blue">world**</font>!
<font color="dark purple">Join leaders like **Noam Chomsky** in the movement to BAN NUKES!</font>
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Let's see how the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] advocates for a ban...//"The ICRC believes that risk reduction efforts could provide a common ground for dialogue between States involved in the negotiation of the [[nuclear weapon ban treaty]], and those not yet ready to support this effort. Risk reduction is an intermediate step that nuclear-armed States and their allies can and must pursue, pending the fulfilment of nuclear disarmament obligations. Action must be taken now. The risks are too high, the dangers too real."//
<font color="red">-ICRC</font>
<font color="purple">A video on South Africa joining the movement:</font>
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Before I tell you how **you** can contribute to nuclear disarmament, let me share a story about <font color="red">**the man who saved the world </font>**.
Lieutenant Colonel in the Soviet army, **Stanislav Petrov**, prevented a <font color="dark orange">World War III</font> in 1983. Russian intelligence incorrectly detected incoming American missiles, and Petrov, who was commanding officer at a nuclear weapons station, decided **not** to launch a retaliatory strike.
There is [[hope]] left in the world. Thanks Stanislav!
<img src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2pJ4Eu5VFOA/hqdefault.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">A few **important** Articles of the <font color="red">Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty</font> itself:
**Article I:** <font color="green">Each nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to transfer to any recipient whatsoever nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or control over such weapons or explosive devices directly, or indirectly; and not in any way to assist, encourage, or induce any non-nuclear-weapon State to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, or control over such weapons or explosive devices.</font>
**Article V:** <font color="blue">Each Party to the Treaty undertakes to take appropriate measures to ensure that, in accordance with this Treaty, under appropriate international observation and through appropriate international procedures, potential benefits from any peaceful applications of nuclear explosions will be made available to non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty on a non-discriminatory basis and that the charge to such Parties for the explosive devices used will be as low as possible and exclude any charge for research and development.</font>
**Article VII:** <font color="purple">Nothing in this Treaty affects the right of any group of States to conclude regional treaties in order to assure the total absence of nuclear weapons in their respective territories.</font>
[[Status]] of the Treaty now? The <font color="blue">United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs </font> declared that the treaty **entered into force** on March 5, 1970.
<img src="https://cdn1.pri.org/sites/default/files/styles/original_image/public/story/images/npt%20signing.jpg?itok=ZcLOdSsj" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
//(Check out the U.S. President Lyndon Johnson administration signing the Treaty for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on July 1, 1968)!//
So what needs to be [[done]]? **9 states** have nuclear arsenals:
<img src="https://d28wbuch0jlv7v.cloudfront.net/images/infografik/normal/chartoftheday_3653_the_countries_with_the_biggest_nuclear_arsenals_n.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
Guess which group of states have **not** signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty?
(We know the U.S signed it in 1970).
[[A.]] France, the U.K., Russia, India
[[B.]] China, North Korea, Russia, France
[[C.]] North Korea, India, Pakistan, Israel
[[D.]] Russia, North Korea, France, PakistanNope, here's a hint:
The U.K. **ratified** the NPT in November 1968.
<img src="https://yorkshirecnd.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/iReZVUnoGoDg-770x511.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes"> (Britain's Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart signs the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons)Guess again..here's another hint!
China acceded to the NPT in 1992!
**DING DING DING!**
<font color="green">You are correct!</font>
These four states all have nuclear weapon capabilities, and have **not** signed the NPT.
<img src="https://cacpeaceday.wikispaces.com/file/view/Haifakattan2.jpg/37304697/Haifakattan2.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
Good job! Now we can find out how we can [[support a ban]] on nuclear weapons!Incorrect.
Hint: Although France possesses nukes, it acceded to the NPT in 1992!
<img src="https://fas.org/programs/ssp/nukes/_images/degaulle.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">
Join the <font color="red">International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons</font>!
"Since being founded in 2007, ICAN has grown exponentially and established itself as the leading global coalition of civil society organizations acting together towards a clear goal: prohibiting nuclear weapons. After a lot of hard work, governments finally heeded ICAN’s call when the United Nations voted in October 2016 to start negotiations on a ban on nuclear weapons in 2017."
<font color="blue">-ICANW</font>
To stay <font color="blue">**updated**</font> and support ICANW on fighting for the ban, you can sign up to learn about how you can create an impact here:
http://nuclearban.org
You can also <font color="red">**donate**</font> for ICANW's work toward disarmament. Donating would help strengthen their global campaign to ban weapons completely through a treaty.
<font color="green">TOGETHER, WE CAN BAN NUKES!</font>
<img src="http://www.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/booklet-cover.png" width="600" height="400" alt="Two foxes">