So, here are five major organizations that strived to create a nuclear-free world:

1. International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War 

The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) was founded in 1980. It comprises medical students, doctors, health workers, and other concerned people from the Soviet Union and the United States. 

They are committed to preventing nuclear war between the two countries. And were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize! It’s true that all the members of this organization work for a common goal. Which is to create a world free from the threat of nuclear destruction.

2. Clamshell Alliance

Clamshell Alliance is an anti-nuclear organization that is co-founded by many activists in 1976. Such as Harvey Wasserman and Paul Gunter! The group carry out non-violent demonstrations against nuclear power in New England during the1970s- 1980s. The excellence of Clamshell Alliance’s planning and leadership is extremely well-known globally.

The discipline and spirit that the activists of this group display are without a doubt commendable. Without this, Clamshell Alliance wouldn’t be where they are today. The organization has become an inspiration for many communities in opposition to nuclear power plants too.

3. Greenpeace

Greenpeace is founded by Dorothy Stowe and Irving Stowe. They are known for their direct action and raising awareness on not only environmental issues by nuclear weapon issues too. Also, the organization takes direct actions against issues like climate change, commercial whaling, and deforestation. 

They strongly oppose the generation of nuclear energy. They advocate that nuclear power is dangerous, expensive, non-renewable and pollutes the environment. It uses the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters as examples for explaining the risks associated with nuclear power.

4. Shad Alliance

Shad Alliance is an influential group known for its anti-nuclear views in the 1970s and 1980s. They were born out of the Clamshell Alliance, which started the ‘alliance movement’ in New Hampshire. The activists from Long Island and the Hudson River area joined this group. Their goal is to target the nuclear power plants in Indian Point and Shoreham. 

A large demonstration was organized by this group at Shoreham. With over 18,000 marchings to the Shoreham nuclear plant. About 500 of them occupied the plant and 571 arrests were made by the police. Although the power plant was completed, it had to close down in 198. And did so without generating electricity for commercial purposes.

5. Critical Mass Energy Project

The Critical Mass Energy Project is formed by Ralph Nader. They were believed to be the largest anti-nuclear group in America! And had more than a hundred local affiliates with over 200,000 supporters. They give most of their efforts towards providing local groups with resources. These resources are so that they can campaign agaisn’t nuclear energy.

The first anti-nuclear conference that Ralph Nader sponsored is called ‘Critical Mass 74’, which was held in Washington DC! And several workshops held throughout the U.S about nuclear power. So, many groups wanted to form anti-nuclear organizations.

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Experts still ponder over the reasons why a country starts or abandons its nuclear weapons program. Specific explanations on a nation’s motivations for acquiring or not acquiring nuclear arsenal have often been inadequate. However, here are some of the reasons stopping the world from being nuclear free:

1. Dominance

Some countries believe that the only way to achieve a certain degree of dominance is to possess nuclear weapons. This leads them to develop the best possible nuclear arsenals through research and development. 

Any country having nuclear weapons in its possession is capable of inflicting maximum damage on another nation. This belief is used as a tool for keeping their enemy nations at bay. The countries that want to assert their dominance may find it hard to let go of their nuclear weapons.

2. Self-defence

An increased focus on security also becomes a big reason for certain countries to acquire nuclear weapons. They see many countries, especially some of their neighbours, as a threat to their national security. 

When this is their approach, they consider nuclear weapons as powerful means to ward off a possible external aggression. It was a widely accepted fact that countries facing major security problems will pursue nuclear weapons program actively.

3. International status

There is also a perception that possession of nuclear weapons raises the status of a country globally. In the times of cold war, this was acknowledged by many countries. As a result, it served as a motivation for many to pursue their goal of acquiring nuclear arsenal. 

Many countries had ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This did not stop some of them from pursuing their nuclear weapons program later on. North Korea and Iran are the examples of such countries.

4. Domestic politics

Countries facing a turmoil in domestic politics sometimes use their nuclear weapons program to divert public attention. There are times when a country’s leadership is under threat following a public outcry. In order to divert the attention of public, the nuclear weapons program may be used by the leadership. 

When such an issue surfaces, negative reactions often come in from the international community. This stirs up nationalist sentiments in the country’s citizens and they forget about their dissent. Thus, the country’s regime may end up strengthening its position after successfully diverting public attention.

According to some experts, a total of thirty-nine countries were once involved in acquiring nuclear weapons. Most of them abandoned their quest of acquiring such weapons over the years. There are primarily two reasons for this. One is the enormous resources needed for making reliable and deliverable nuclear weapons. 

Second is the threat of a large-scale disaster that may happen as a result of using them. In recent times, the number of nations involved in the development of nuclear weapons has been quite low. There is immense hope among the international community that a nuclear-free world would soon become a reality.

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Of course, the road to complete nuclear disarmament in the world is quite long with many bumps. However, the good news is that something significant is happening in this regard. One considers national security, terrorism, and other threats while thinking of eliminating nuclear weapons.

Nevertheless, it’s also important to know the reasons why the world must be free of nuclear weapons:

1. A big strain on resources

The research, development, and maintenance of nuclear weapons put a lot of strain on a country’s finances. From 1940 to 1996, the United States spent over 5 trillion dollars on nuclear weapons programs. It continues to spend billions of dollars annually on these programs. 

Things would be so different if such amounts were spent on health, education, and people’s welfare. It is apparent that the current nuclear powers of the world are losing out on the available opportunities.

2. The nuclear arms race

The nuclear powers often justify their nuclear weapons program by citing national security as the reason. It creates an impression among other nations that their national security must also be based on nuclear arsenals. 

Eventually, this will lead to a nuclear arms race. This will certainly increase the possibility of conflict between two nations escalating into a nuclear war. It is, therefore, extremely important that the nuclear powers act on eliminating such disastrous weapons.

3. Threat of terrorist attacks

The presence of nuclear weapons, their production, and storage facilities always face the threat of terrorist attacks. The best example is Russia. After the breakup of former Soviet Union, the nation’s command and control system has weakened considerably. This has made their nuclear arsenal vulnerable to attacks from terrorists. 

Enormous amounts are spent on the safety, security, and maintenance of nuclear facilities. Besides, these weapons are not helpful in countering terrorism. This is due to the fact that terrorist groups or camps are often unlocatable.

4. Possibility of nuclear accidents

Some dangerous accidents can occur at nuclear facilities due to natural disasters or human errors. There are two examples that point out to this fact. One is Ukraine’s Chernobyl disaster, which took place in 1986. The initial explosion caused the deaths of 30 employees. Many negative health effects on people were seen across Russia and Eastern Europe as a result of this incident. 

The second example is of nuclear meltdowns that happened at a power plant in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture. This was caused by an earthquake and tsunami that occurred in 2011. In both the cases, there was a significant increase in cancer rates among populations living nearby.

5. Concentration of power

Not all nations are nuclear powers. Those who do possess nuclear weapons always run the risk of giving their leaders the power to destroy the world. If such individuals fall prey to misunderstanding or misjudgment, it can put the entire world at risk. 

Even in democratic countries, the power of decision-making rests upon their presidents or prime ministers. The citizens who vote for them in elections are rarely informed about some critical decisions.

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What’s saddening is the fact that these two bombs killed many individuals who were utterly innocent. It was dropped at a time when many industrial workers were at work. Many were on their way to the industrial units. Children were in their schools. Most of them perished in these bombings for no fault of their own.

Reason behind the bombings

In the Second World War, Japan was one of the biggest enemies of the United States. Towards the final stages of the war, the relations between these two countries worsened. The Japanese forces were planning to capture the oil-rich areas of the East Indies. The Japanese had also expressed their intention to fight the war till the end publicly. 

They started using kamikaze attacks, which involved pilots suicide-diving against warships of the United States. Harry Truman, then US president, was left with no other alternative but to use the atomic bombs.

Why Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

At the time of the bombings, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were of great military significance. Hiroshima was an industrialized city with several military units located close to it. Among them was the headquarters of the Second General Army, which defended the southern part of Japan. 

The city of Nagasaki was one of southern Japan’s largest seaports at the time of World War II. It was the place where ordnance, military equipment, ships, and other war materials were produced.

Impact of the bombings

Not just the humans, practically all living beings were burned to death by the bombs. The heat and pressure resulting from the blast was that devastating. Things didn’t end there. More people died in the coming years owing to the effects of radiation released from the explosion. 

Nearly half of those who died due to leukemia were exposed to radiation. Birth defects were also seen in children born to women who were pregnant during the bombings.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki in recent times

The two are thriving, vibrant cities today and are home to more than a million people. One can find very little evidence of the destruction that the terrifying weapons unleashed on them. The parks and structures created in memory of the bombings and the people they killed get many visitors today. 

Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to visit Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. He had visited the city in 2016. While writing in the visitors’ book, he hoped for the spread of peace and a world without nuclear weapons.

The TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons)

This is also known as the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty. It was adopted on the 7th of July 2017 and came into force on the 22nd of January 2021. It became the first legally binding international agreement that aimed to eliminate nuclear weapons. No nuclear-armed country has supported this treaty. However, it is being considered as the first major step towards creating a nuclear-free world.

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