Less testing was a choice. So is the future
The risk of nuclear war does not rest on a single decision. It accumulates, test by test, each explosion edging the world closer to potential catastrophe. That escalation carries a cost of its own, too: Every nuclear weapon test leaves a scar on land and on water, and some who lived near test sites have carried that cost for generations, long after the testing itself ended. The International Day…
The risk of nuclear war is not determined by a single decision. Rather, it accumulates over time, with each nuclear test bringing the world closer to potential catastrophe. This escalation comes with its own costs, such as leaving scars on land and water, and affecting generations of those who lived near test sites. The International Day against Nuclear Tests (IDANT) serves as a reminder of these ongoing dangers and the choices governments face each year.
There was a time when the ground shook frequently due to nuclear tests. For four decades, the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan was among the most affected areas until its closure 35 years ago. This decision marked a shift away from nuclear testing. In the years leading up to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) opening for signature in 1996, over 2,000 such explosions had taken place.
Since then, fewer than a dozen tests have been carried out. The rarity of these tests is not merely a historical accident, but a deliberate choice made and re-made by nations.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Less testing was a choice, so is the future thejakartapost.com
- Less testing was a choice. So is the future koreatimes.co.kr
