Webinar 18/10/23: Reducing nuclear weapons and the risk of nuclear war
Date / Time: 18 October 2023, 1400-1530 BST Speaker: Professor Steve Fetter, University of Maryland Chair: Dr Peter Collecott, British Pugwash Topic: The invasion of Ukraine by Russia significantly increased the possibility of nuclear use and continues to be a subject of grave concern. The Doomsday Clock, which marks the threat of global catastrophe, is […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: September 2023
Items include: 1. Webinar: Reducing nuclear weapons and the risk of nuclear war 2. Videos of recent webinars / Joseph Rotblat documentary 3. Russia-Ukraine war: publications / materials 4. British Pugwash annual report 5. Recent articles and reports of interest 6. Student and Young Pugwash update 7. Obituary: Professor Edward (Ted) Cocking Download this newsletter as a pdf here […]
NPT States parties call for No-First-Use policies
British Pugwash is an advocate for NATO adopting a No First Use (NFU) nuclear policy. A public opinion poll we conducted earlier this year found that 48 percent of UK adults oppose the first use of nuclear weapons by the United Kingdom, and only 40 percent support first use. This finding builds on the results […]
New Podcast Episode!
📣 WE ARE BACK 📣 We know you have missed our podcast, so we have launched a third episode! Do you want to learn more about deterrence theory? Come listen to our newest episode! This time, SYP Board Member Jan Quosdorf interviews Dr. Polina Sinovets – director of the Odessa Center for Nonproliferstion. They talk […]
SYP Event: What to know about Oppenheimer
SYP UK will be hosting a webinar tomorrow July 26th at 3:30 BST on what to know before watching the second most anticipated movie of the summer (after Barbie). We will be joined in this webinar by Lilly Adams, Emily Faux and Mackenzie Knight. Please fill out the RSVP if you wish to attend: https://forms.gle/WimegwaZxFW8j8F1A
July 2023 Update: Nuclear Weapon Use Risk in Ukraine
In our last note on this subject (27 June) we drew attention to the fact that President Putin had publicly rejected calls from some Russian figures to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but appeared still to be playing with the idea that threats to Russia’s territorial integrity could justify the use of such weapons – a lower threshold […]
SYP Podcast: Second Episode is Out Now!
The second episode of the SYP Podcast is out now! In this episode, our SYP Coordinator Andrea is joined by Darya Dolzikova, from RUSI’s Proliferation and Nuclear Policy programme. The Research Fellow shares what first inspired her to research nuclear issues, and then takes us on a journey to examine diplomacy and deterrence in both […]
Nuclear risk: and how we can work to reduce it- Video
On May 23 the Physics Department at Oxford University hosted two British Pugwash Executive Committee members (Dr David Ellwood and Dr Peter Collecott) who spoke on the subject of ‘Nuclear risk: and how we can work to reduce it’. Event description 90 years ago, while waiting to cross the road at Russell Square, the refugee […]
Peace Table for Ukraine and Russia: Report and Video
On April 27 the Canadian Pugwash Group (CPG) hosted an expert speaker event entitled “Peace Table for Ukraine and Russia”. The event was motivated by the CPG’s deep concerns about the continuing deaths and destruction occurring as a result of the Ukraine crisis and, most critically, by the heightened risk of the use of nuclear […]
Nuclear Weapon Use Risk in Ukraine
Asked (on 16 June at a conference in St Petersburg) how he felt about the case for using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine which some Russian military “experts” have been making of late, President Putin replied: “My feelings are negative. This use of nuclear weapons is certainly theoretically possible. For Russia, this is possible if a […]
NEW Student and Young Pugwash Podcast!
Hello everyone! Student / Young Pugwash UK has started a new podcast on Spotify! Make sure to check it out and learn more about nuclear policy. In its first season, the SYP UK Podcast will be covering nuclear diplomacy. This first episode features SYP Board member Jan Quosdorf interviewing Dr. Mark Bell, Associate Professor of […]
British Pugwash Annual Report 2022
Contents in this year’s annual report include: Developments in 2022 (Nuclear arms control / Chemical and Biological weapons / Climate change) Projects (Student and Young Pugwash / Peace Jam / Nuclear risk reduction / Climate change) Meetings and events (Including on: the Ukraine conflict / the nuclear non proliferation treaty / nuclear energy) Internal developments […]
2023 UK public opinion survey on nuclear weapons: article and data
In January 2023 British Pugwash and polling company Savanta conducted a survey of UK public opinion concerning nuclear weapons issues. The poll aimed to understand the views of the British public in this area and assess potential support for policies that advance nuclear arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. The poll asked UK adults seven questions […]
Video: 2023 Annual Lecture, Webinar with Professor Sir Hew Strachan, 9th May
What does the invasion of Ukraine tell us about war, deterrence and escalation? 5.30pm, Tuesday 9th May, online Mindful that the 1955 Russell-Einstein Manifesto, which inspired the launch of Pugwash Conferences, highlights the threat to humankind’s survival posed by war in a nuclear age, we have invited one of our Honorary Patrons, Professor Sir Hew […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: April 2023
Items include: AGM Lecture with Professor Sir Hew Strachan, 9th May Videos of recent webinars UK public opinion survey on nuclear weapons EuroPugwash meeting Recent articles and reports of interest Student and Young Pugwash update AGM Lecture (Online): Professor Sir Hew Strachan, 9th May What does the invasion of Ukraine tell us about war, […]
Speaker event, 1st March 2023: Power from Fusion- why the sudden excitement?’ with Prof Sir Ian Chapman
Join British Pugwash at our latest speaker event: ‘Power from Fusion- why the sudden excitement?’ with Prof Sir Ian Chapman (Chief Executive Officer of the UK Atomic Energy Authority) 7pm, Weds 1st March Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3), 297 Euston Rd, London, NW1 3AQ https://www.iom3.org/events-awards/ems-event-calendar/transition-talks-power-from-fusion.html A Q&A will follow the talk. The event will […]
Webinar 14th December: Nuclear weapons, the Ukraine conflict and beyond
Join us for this webinar on Wednesday 14th December at 1500 GMT. Our speakers will discuss: nuclear threats and doctrine concerning the Ukraine conflict, nuclear weapons modernisation, the prospects for nuclear arms control and ideas on nuclear risk reduction. Our panel includes: Shannon Bugos, Senior Policy Analyst at the Arms Control Association Dr Tim Street, […]
British Pugwash Newsletter: November / December 2022
Items include: 1. Webinar on nuclear weapons and the Ukraine- 14th December 2. Video of September’s webinar 3. Memorial service for Dr Christopher Watson 4. Rodney Fielding, former member of British Pugwash 5. Recent articles and reports of interest 6. Student and Young Pugwash update … 1. December webinar: Nuclear weapons, the Ukraine conflict and beyond Join us […]
A British Pugwash Note on the Absence of Sole Purpose in NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept
In June 2022 NATO members adopted an updated Strategic Concept (the preceding Concept having been adopted in 2010). There was reason to hope that in the updated Concept NATO members would envisage using nuclear weapons only in response to their first use by a nuclear-armed adversary. That reason lay in remarks made by President Biden […]
On ending the Ukraine conflict and reducing nuclear dangers
Note by the President and the Secretary General of Pugwash 1. We note with great concern the worsening situation in the ongoing conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The annexation of areas currently controlled by the Russian military will exacerbate tensions as Ukraine seems determined to recover the occupied regions and is supported by […]
The Extension of Russian Nuclear Weapon Use Risk to the Ukrainian Theatre, a British Pugwash Note
On 21 September President Putin said: “If the territorial integrity of our nation is threatened, we will certainly use all the means that we have to defend Russia and our people.” On 30 September he reiterated the point at the signing of treaties for the accession to the Russian Federation of the Donetsk and Lugansk […]
Pugwash note on the outcome of the 10th NPT Review Conference
Pugwash notes with regret that the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) have not been able to achieve consensus on a Final Document at the Tenth Review Conference. The NPT is an important element of the multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation regime, and all Parties must continue to support it in […]
Dr Christopher Watson
With great sadness British Pugwash learned of the death of a former chairman, Dr Christopher Watson, on 17 August. Christopher had a career spanning 35 years in the UK nuclear industry, including 17 years at Culham, working on Controlled Fusion research (culminating in 5 years on the JET project). He then worked as a research […]
Pugwash Note on Present Dangers
The below Pugwash Note was written by Sergio Duarte, President, and Dr Paolo Cotta Ramusino, Secretary-General, of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. The present global situation is very dangerous. Not since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis have we had such a dangerous environment. But while the Cuban missile crisis lasted 13 days, […]
A reminder of why nuclear weapons must never be used (VIDEO)
In the video below, Dr Ira Helfand, co-chairman of the Nuclear Weapons Abolition Committee of Physicians for Social Responsibility, offers a timely reminder of the horrifying power of thermonuclear weapons and of the dire consequences of the political irresponsibility that has left Russia and the United States in possession of 10,000+ nuclear warheads thirty years […]
Note on nuclear risks and the Russian invasion of Ukraine (March 2022)
The below is a British Pugwash Note, prepared by Peter Jenkins CMG, Chairman of British Pugwash. It is titled ‘How high is the risk of nuclear weapon use following the Russian invasion of Ukraine?’ and is in PDF format here During an interview on 3 March Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, said: We have a […]
VIDEO: Small Modular Reactors – Talk by Dr Mamdouh El-Shanawany
On Tues 26th April, British Pugwash hosted a talk and discussion on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), covering issues like costs, security and safeguards. The talk was given by Dr Mamdouh El-Shanawany, Chief Nuclear Advisor at Lloyd’s Register and formerly the Head of Nuclear Safety Assessment Section at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
VIDEO: Technology & Peace Conference – SYP UK
On the 12th February 2022, Student/Young Pugwash (SYP) UK hosted its online Annual Conference on the theme of ‘Technology & Peace’. The co-hosts were University of Leicester’s Third Nuclear Age project. Full programme is here Video Workshop 1 – Emerging / digital technologies in warfare Workshop 2 – The politics and future of UK nuclear […]
VIDEO: Robot wars? Current and future challenges posed by drones and lethal autonomous weapons
On Thursday 25th November, British Pugwash and SYP UK’s Project on Ethical Science co-hosted a panel discussion on the technical, ethical and political challenges posed by drone warfare and lethal autonomous weapons (‘Killer Robots’). Speakers include: Dr Peter Burt, Researcher at Drone Wars UK (here), on technical / ‘state of play’ [Starts at 0mins25secs] Dr Ingvild […]
UK public opinion on ‘First Use’ of nuclear weapons (Oct 2021)
British Pugwash note: Two Thirds of UK Public Opposed to “First Use” of Nuclear Weapons (PDF report here) The “Interim National Security Strategic Guidance” of the United States, released on 3 March 2021, states that the Biden administration will take steps to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security strategy, while ensuring that […]