Todays post addresses a very difficult topic. Nuclear disarmament and Climate Change. This topic has been swirling in my head for a while now and this post is the result of these thoughts. So what do these two topics have in common?
Very good question. This is how I draw the connection.
The connection between these two is that both topics are incredibly important for the future of our civilization and the wellbeing of upcoming generations. The big threat with nuclear weapons is that, if worse comes to worse, nuclear weapons could destroy our world within hours. Climate Change in my opinion is even more dangerous as it is destroying our world in the same way, but not just in hours but years in way that we do not pick up when we go on with our daily life’s. This is the similarity between these two topics but also the big problem.
The problem is that currently I feel that the nuclear weapons threat is even being seen as far more important then the threat of climate change.
The recent Nuclear Security Summit
I see evidence of that mind set in the latest commitment of the US president Obama by hosting the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington not so long ago. Here is the link for more information: Nuclear Security Summit
The result was an encouraging one in terms of nuclear disarmament . This is what the conclusion paper starts with:
“Obama administration national security officials say the April 12–13 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington succeeded not only in increasing international recognition of the shared threat from nuclear terrorism, but also resulted in concrete actions and decisions from the participants, ranging from increasing the security of nuclear materials and expertise to reducing the availability of highly enriched uranium and plutonium.”
It is a good result do not get me wrong. I am not implying in any way that nuclear weapons are not highly dangerous to our future and that disarmament is extremely important. But when you are working in the Sustainability/ CSR field and you are passionate about seeing change in the world with regards to Climate Change this situation is so frustrating.
The two day Nuclear Security Summit has ended with concrete and well worked-through commitments and the same nations and same leaders can not work with the rest of the world to formulate and commit to tackle Climate Change when they met at the Copenhagen Summit back in December 2009?
The big disconnect
I see a big disconnect and lack of proper judgment by our leaders in this case and that we in the Sustainability / CSR movement still have a long way to go to convince our so called leaders that they need to do much more to address and help us tackle the threat of climate change. We need an absolute commitment and leaders working together, nothing more and nothing less.
Climate Change may not threaten each others future right away and in an way that nuclear weapons do but I believe both topics need to have the same priority when our leaders are trying to work towards a future that is worth handing over to our children.
Picture Credit: Jonas B