Become informed

Read the sections that follow, seek out other viewpoints, and come to your own conclusion whether the risk associated with our nuclear weapons strategy is receiving the attention it deserves. Even if you decide not to participate, you still have made a contribution since one of the biggest impediments to progress is apathy and too few informed citizens.

Share your concern

If you conclude that the risk associated with our nuclear weapons strategy is incompatible with society's inaction, increase awareness by sharing your concern with others. Since it's too early in the process for potential solutions to be taken seriously, sharing your concern means just that.

It doesn't mean being able to spell out a solution. It doesn't mean that you have to convince anybody of your viewpoint, or argue with them. And it certainly doesn't mean that you are calling for unilateral disarmament – something many people wrongly assume!

All you have to do is state your concern that our current approach to nuclear weapons seems to entail more risk than is prudent and that you are supporting an effort to determine whether or not that is the case. Then see how the other person responds. If they express interest, discuss it a bit further and refer them to this site.

The Internet has given us previously unimaginable connectivity. Let's use it for something truly meaningful! Email is an extremely effective way to share your concern with friends. Short messages are the norm, allowing you to reach a larger number of people. The almost instantaneous nature of electronic communications speeds up the growth process, and if your friends want to let others know of this effort they can forward your message.

To send an email just click on the TELL A FRIEND link in the left margin. Also be sure to sign up in the JOIN US box just above that so you can stay connected as part of our virtual community to defuse the nuclear threat.

Call for risk analysis of nuclear deterrence

Our proposed studies are needed because, amazingly, no one bothered to determine the risk before deciding to rely on nuclear weapons for our security. In a sense, the world is "flying blind" with over 25,000 nuclear weapons on board. Calling for risk analysis studies as the first step in our program has several advantages:

• Unlike arms control agreements and many other proposed first steps, it is hard for supporters of the status quo to argue that such studies would harm national security.
• The studies would provide information for making rational decisions and bring needed public attention to the issue.
• Because nuclear terrorism is one of the potential trigger mechanisms for nuclear war, risk analysis will bring much needed attention to both threats.
• If the results are anywhere near my preliminary estimate, the world needs to become literally thousands of times safer than at present. Monitoring progress in risk reduction with that goal in mind will help prevent early partial successes from derailing the effort to make the world safe not just for another decade or two, but for posterity.

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