Weapons of Mass Destruction
Military Energy Security: Current Efforts and Future Solutions
Military Energy Security: Current Efforts and Future Solutions
Daniel Sater
In the first six months of 2011, the US civilian power grid suffered 155 blackouts affecting an average of 83,000 people with 36 blackouts affecting over 100,000 people. Despite these staggering numbers, US military bases rely solely on the civilian grid to power 99% of their war fighting capabilities, homeland security missions, and rescue and relief operations. This paper analyzes the Department of Defense’s current efforts to increase energy efficiency and assurance and makes recommendations on the policy options available to the DOD to increase the incorporation of smart microgrids onto its military installations.
Daniel Sater was a Research Fellow at Global Green USA’s Security and Sustainability Office in Washington, DC in the summer of 2011. He is a graduate student at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Daniel holds a BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and will receive his Master of Public Policy degree in May 2012.
Abandoned Chemical Weapons in China: The Unresolved Japanese Legacy
Mike Brombach
This paper assesses the reasons for the slow progress in destroying Japanese abandoned chemical weapons in China. Japan abandoned an estimated 300,000 – 400,000 chemical weapons on the territory of China after WWII. Japan is obligated to destroy these weapons by 2012 under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 1997. The first chemical weapon in China was not destroyed until fall 2010 and as a result Japan and China are unlikely to meet the 2012 final CWC destruction deadline. The slow pace of progress and inability of Japan and China to meet the 2012 deadline for destruction of the declared chemical weapons are due to the complicated nature of the project along with technical problems, negotiation issues, and financial and diplomatic difficulties.
Dr. Paul Walker's Presentation at the Non-Proliferation Roundtable in Como, Italy
This is the presentation of Dr. Paul Walker, director of the Global Green USA Security and Sustainability Program, at the International Working Group organized by the Landau Network Centro Volta in Como, Italy, which hosted a working roundtable meeting on Monday, June 20, 2011 on the subject of "Science Collaboration and Security: A New Global Outreach to Key Actors.
Unknown Chernobyl: History, Events, Facts, Lessons
This publication is a part of our Archive Series. It was published in 2006 on the 20th anniversary of the disaster. It explores the historical and scientific problems concerning the legacy of radiation at the site.
GLOBAL GREEN SUPPORTS PASSAGE OF UN SEA-DUMPED CHEMICAL MUNITIONS RESOLUTION
A UN Second Committee resolution addressing sea-dumped chemical munitions is expected to be voted on by the General Assembly on December 20th. A PDF text of the resolution can be downloaded here.
FLOATING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN RUSSIA: A THREAT TO THE ARCTIC, WORLD OCEANS, AND THE NONPROLIFERATION TREATY
Third edition; edited by V. M. Kuznetsov, St. Robinson and V. Rossi
A 2004 study by Green Cross Russia found significant risks in deploying the kinds of floating nuclear power plants proposed in Russia.
This study is the first in a series of publications to be re-released as part of our Archive Series (1994-2007). The series will feature works in English and Russian that continue to be relevant to today's policy debates.
PRESENTATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS ON SEA-DUMPED CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Dr. Paul F. Walker
The Lithuanian Mission to the United Nations organized a discussion before the UN Second Committee on Thursday, November 11, 2010, to discuss a draft resolution on sea-dumped chemical weapons. Dr. Paul F. Walker, director of the Security and Sustainability Program at Global Green USA, and Dr. Terrance Long, an international expert on sea-dumped munitions, were both introduced by Lithuanian Ambassador Dalius Cekuolis. The session was chaired by Mr. Tory Torrington from the Mission of Guyana.
Japanese Potentially Polluting Wrecks in the Pacific Ocean
Ryo Sato
This paper assesses the location and potential dangers of contaminant associated with Japanese sunken ships and the possible contaminants, including oil and chemical weapons, leaking from the sunken ships in the Pacific Ocean. Many countries dumped chemical agents into the ocean; some agents, including chemical munitions, were dumped intentionally and others accidentally into the ocean. In either case, marine disposal of chemicals of all kinds threatens human and environmental life. Released July 2010.
Sea-Dumped Chemical Weapons in Hawaii
Ryo Sato
This report summarizes the problems, background, and risks, of sea-dumped chemical munitions primarily around the island of Oahu. From 1932-1945, the U.S. Army dumped thousands of tons of chemical weapons off Hawaii’s coasts. Until the Virginian Daily Press drew attention to these chemical munition dumpsites in 2005, the general population of Hawaii was unaware of their existence.The University of Hawaii has been investigating chemical weapons dumpsites and has found a number of sea-dumped chemical munitions around the heavily populated island of Oahu. Released July 2010.
Sea-Dumped Chemical Weapons in Japan
Ryo Sato
This paper primarily assesses the document “The National Survey on Toxic Gas of the Former Army,” prepared by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, relating to sea-dumped chemical munitions, as well as other materials. The issues examined are the history of chemical weapons in Japan including production, stockpiles and especially sea-dumping of these munitions. Released in May, 2010.
RUSSIA’S UNEASY RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN
Marina Voronova-Abrams
U.S. Secretary of State Clinton's March visit to Moscow underlined the continuing tensions the U.S. and Russia are having over Iran. While the Obama administration is pushing for strict sanctions against Iran, Moscow is urging greater caution and expressing frustration at the U.S. about restrictions to trade.
Defense Sustainability: Energy Efficiency and the Battlefield
Schuyler Null
An important shift in thinking is occurring across the nation as informed citizens, private industry, and the federal government, have begun acknowledging the realities of a carbon-constrained, petroleum-dependent world. Global Green USA has released an analysis of the impact that more sustainable practices might have on the U.S. Department of Defense. The study illustrates how very important energy has become as a determinant of national and international security, and also how large an environmental impact the U.S. military has as the nation’s single largest power consumer. Released February, 2010.
10th Russian National Dialogue on Chemical Weapons Destruction
The presentations included in this volume are from a two-day “forum-dialogue” organized by three national affiliates of Green Cross International – Green Cross Russia, Global Green USA, and Green Cross Switzerland. This meeting took place in Moscow, Russia on October 28-29, 2008, and was the Tenth annual National Dialogue on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation and Destruction organized by Green Cross and Global Green USA as part of the international Legacy of the Cold War Program.
The presentations covered a wide variety of important issues, including costs and schedules of destruction; financial support by Russia, the US, and other G-8 Global Partners; public health and environmental monitoring; state and regional regulations and permits; and citizen concerns. While not all-inclusive, this annual forum-dialogue is the one place where a reader can obtain a comprehensive overview of the many challenges involved in abolishing chemical munitions.
2009 National Security and Nonproliferation Briefing Book
Ploughshares Fund's Peace and Security Initiative has just released its 2009 National Security and Non-Proliferation Briefing Book. This resource offers President-elect Obama and his administration expertise and advice from some of the best minds -- including 22 Ploughshares Fund grantees, former government officials and other experts -- on the most important and pressing proliferation and national security challenges they will face upon taking office. Issues covered range from "Moving To A World Free of Nuclear Weapons" to "The Iraq War" and "U.S. Homeland Security. Dr. Paul Walker, Security and Sustainability Program Director at Global Green USA, contributed to two chapters on US-Russian Relations (page 45) and Chemical and Biological Weapons (page 77).
Second Russian National Dialogue On Energy, Society And Security
This collection was put together by Green Cross Russia, Green Cross Switzerland, and Global Green USA. It includes reports and speeches as well as the question-and-answer sessions that took place at the Second Public Dialogue on Nuclear Energy, Society and Security, organized and held on April 21–22, 2008 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The presentations at this conference provide an assessment of the key risks of civil nuclear facilities and the military facilities that have been phased out (including nuclear submarines) and radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management. They also address options for resolving today’s key problems in the safe use of nuclear technology, including offering policies with regard to the environmental safety of using nuclear energy, and reaching an agreement with the public on various aspects of nuclear and alternative energy developments.
Russian Chemical National Dialogue Proceedings
The proceedings of the 9th Chemical National Dialogue on the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention by Russia as of the end of 2007. Nearly 150 experts, representing media, academia, federal authorities, and residents of those areas affected by CWD, took part in the Dialogue.
Russian Nuclear National Dialogue: Energy, Society, and Security
The 1st Russian Nuclear National Dialogue meeting in Moscow on 18-19 April 2007 showed the enormous range of complex and unaddressed subjects in the Russian nuclear energy and security discussions and the difficulty for the diverse stakeholder groups to discuss these critical issues in a productive way. The Green Cross conference provided a unique platform to begin to address these challenges in a serious and transparent manner.
Abolishing Chemical Weapons
This article by Sergei Baranovsky, Stephan Robinson, & Paul Walker is an Op-Ed published by the Boston Globe. June 2000.
Sustainability in the Southeast: Partnering Community, Business and Military for Environmental Protection
Report from the Sixth Annual Legacy Forum on Military Toxic Cleanup and the Environment, held December 4-5, 1999 at Georgia State University's Student Center in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a part of our Archive Series.
Implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention: Technical and Political Challenges in the US and Russia
Article by Dr. Paul F. Walker, Legacy Program Director, concerning current obstacles to full CWC implementation and CW abolition. Reprinted from Harvard/Sussex CBW Bulletin, June 1999.
Moving Toward Sustainable Conversion, The Third Annual National Forum on Military Toxic Cleanup and Base Conversion
The Forum brought together a broad cross-section of over 200 citizens, officials from local, state and federal government, defense and service branch personnel, non-profit groups and others working on military base cleanup and conversion issues. The day was highlighted by Green Cross International President and Nobel Laureate Mikhail Gorbachev who gave an enthusiastically received speech on "The Environmental Legacy of the Cold War: The Challenge to Communities and the World." President Gorbachev was introduced by fellow Nobel winner Oscar Arias Sanchez, the former president of Costa Rica. November 1996.
