July 16th: The anniversary of the first nuclear test and an op ed asking for action

Saturday, July 16 marks the 66th anniversary of the first nuclear weapons test explosion. The United States’ test, code-named “Trinity,” was exploded in the desert of New Mexico and ignited the nuclear age.  Nuclear testing has fueled the arms race, enabling varied and ever more deadly nuclear arsenals to grow. Along the way, nuclear testing has harmed the environment and human health worldwide.

Kathy Crandall Robinson, WAND's Public Policy Director recently published an op-ed commemorating the anniversary of the Trinity test and calling for ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

"Fifteen years ago, the United States was the first country to sign the CTBT. U.S. leadership had galvanized multilateral negotiations that resulted in the verifiable treaty to detect, deter and confront countries that would test nuclear weapons. Victory had seemed so close, but then the Senate got tangled up in a rushed partisan political debate, failing to ratify the treaty. Now, the world awaits the United States to put its weight behind a push for a treaty we led the way in establishing. It’s past time to reassert leadership for America’s security. And it’s past time to complete unfinished business. The Senate should consider the new evidence for this essential treaty and ratify the CTBT."

To read the op ed in its entirety, please visit the Augusta Free Press website here.