@tdrozdenko
Director, Global Security Program @Union of Concerned Scientists. Working to reduce the risk of nuclear war, address the injustice and harm done by nuclear weapons, and move us closer to a world free from nuclear weapons. Oxford Comma enthusiast.
Since his attention is on nuclear weapons right now, perhaps he should direct the State Department to start negotiating a follow on to New START and the DoD to abide by the New START limits once it expires in February.
One of the best things the US could do is ratify the CTBT.
To limit new weapons development in China/Russia and other nuclear states, the US must not detonate a nuclear weapon in Nevada – or anywhere else.
Re-starting explosive testing would also be a slap in the face to communities harmed by Cold War era atmospheric nuclear tests, many of whom are still awaiting compensation.
The United States has conducted the most nuclear tests of any nation and has all the information it needs to maintain a secure and reliable nuclear arsenal.
There is no scientific need to test to maintain the US nuclear arsenal. Current science allows the NNSA to maintain the US arsenal and to assess its safety and viability without explosive testing.
If this is about explosive testing, it is very alarming.
The US already does regular missile tests . Organizing the pace and number of tests around what other countries are doing is not a good way to run a test program.
It’s hard to tell if he means explosive nuclear testing or a missile test. I lean toward missile test since that would be the most similar to Russia’s recent test. And, he directs DoD to do the test not the NNSA. Of course, it’s possible he doesn’t know who to direct to do the testing.
Trump recently tweeted he was directing the DoD to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis [with other countries] www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
A black-and-white photo shows a technician standing beside a large spherical metal object being assembled in a lab, representing a nuclear weapon core. Overlaid text reads: "The US plans to spend $38 billion on new explosive cores for nuclear weapons." The logo of the Union of Concerned Scientists appears in the bottom left corner. Photo credit: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons.
As the US prepares to spend as much as $38 billion to produce hundreds of new explosive cores, called plutonium pits, to arm new nuclear weapons, our new analysis argues new pits aren’t necessary to maintain the existing US nuclear arsenal.
Read our report: act.ucsusa.org/4kZ4X9p
The last 100 days have been an unprecedented assault on American science. Our scientists. Our institutions. And the people around the world who rely on it. We must stand united and speak up. Our collective future depends on it. #ScienceMatters www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPlu... savesciencenow.org
Not sure why this took years to publish but I am happy it finally saw the light of day. My contribution makes the case against extending US nuclear deterrence guarantees to cover first use in a conventional war with China over Taiwan.
My colleague Dr. Chanese Forté appeared on the Travis Smiley show discussing her work on the impacts of nuclear weapons production, testing & development all too easily lead to exposure to harmful radiation, which happens all to often to indigenous communities. Listen here: youtu.be/zH3DWGv2D9s?...
We have some great work being done here @ucsusa.bsky.social by Kendall Fellow @lmcclure.bsky.social (now faculty at UNC). Check out her work on community engaged research around the Hanford Facility, which remains one of the most contaminated and complex legacies of US nuclear weapons production.
"Shocking" (not) news of the day: the US Air Force, after completely mismanaging a massive, unneeded effort to build high-priced, destabilizing, vulnerable land-based, nuclear-armed missiles, is looking to extend the life of the ones they already have until 2050: gulfnews.com/world/americ...
Important new piece from my colleague Dr. Chanese Forté, who interviews Dr. Amanda Nichols & Mary Olson on why federal radiation regulations can no longer ignore women & girls. TL/DR: Women & girls are more radiosensitive - more likely to face harm from radiation: blog.ucsusa.org/chanese-fort...
🚨The Trump administration has illegally seized power not granted to it by the US Constitution and is actively disregarding the rule of law.
I thought there was still a pension component with FERS. www.opm.gov/retirement-c...
I am wondering what happens to retired government employee pensions if millions of government workers are laid off and are no longer paying into the pension system? Anybody know?
Will the DOGE, which is willy-nilly ignoring laws, regulations, guidelines, codes and any other normal procedure, gain access to US nuclear weapons secrets? Two members of Congress wrote to the Department of Energy, responsible for the nuclear stockpile, appropriately worried about the possibility.
THRILLED to see the Times supporting @aliciaguzman.bsky.social's great reporting in New Mexico.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/u...
Yesterday the NNSA held a hearing on the future of Los Alamos National Lab, where the government plans to resume bulk production of plutonium pits for use in new nuclear weapons for the 1st time since the end of the Cold War. The hearing got a little rowdy: www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_n...
🚨 The Trump administration is attempting to seize power beyond what the Constitution allows—giving Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire, unchecked influence.
As a federal scientist, expert, or civil servant, you have rights. Don’t let them bully you.
These resources can help: act.ucsusa.org/4hqSJoz
If you're thinking Trump's space-based missile defense proposal is a good idea, think again. youtu.be/fEkXTV69yo4?...
If President Trump is serious about negotiating with China on nuclear arms control, @gkucs.bsky.social has some advice to bring China to the negotiating table:
Today the Senate Armed Services Committee held a quite disturbing confirmation hearing on the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defense. Hegseth refused to meet with Democratic senators on the committee before the hearing, a breach of long-held protocol, but is sadly not surprising.
There's still time to apply for the Science for Public Good Fund! We're looking to fund projects that aim to advance equitable, science-based policy and/or emphasize local and community impacts. Applications are open now through January 6.
➡️Apply here: act.ucsusa.org/41DXmXm
Under Trump, the US may return to full-scale explosive testing of nuclear weapons. It would be a lose-lose-lose for the US, the budding nuclear arms race, and humanity itself. My colleague Jenn Knox explains exactly why here: blog.ucsusa.org/jknox/we-nee...
