Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly – 14 March 2013

Recommended Citation

"Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly – 14 March 2013", NAPSNet Weekly Report, March 14, 2013, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-weekly/nautilus-peace-and-security-weekly-14-march-2013/

CONTENTS

See today’s Policy Forum: Sustainable discussions, by Roger Cavazos, NAPSNet contributor


DETERRENCE: Critical military issues: The rebalancing strategy and naval operations, M. McDevitt, NAPSNet Special Report (29 January 2013)

The November 2011 pivot announced an increase of fraction of  US navy ships assigned to the Pacific Fleet from 55 to 60 %, an increase from 157 to 180 ships from today to 2019—a net increase of around 23 ships, most of which would not be stationed permanently in the Pacific.


DPRK: North Korea declares ’53 armistice invalid cuts hotline with South following threats, Voice of Russia (11 March 2013)

North Korea is not answering one hotline with South Korea, but is answering another one, indicating they do not want complete isolation.  Moreover, despite all the war talk, North Koreans continue business as usual at Kaesong Industrial Complex. Incongruous words and actions likely represent internal shear forces and increase the possibility of miscalculation. North Korea almost certainly lacks legal standing to leave the Armistice.


ENERGY SECURITY: Nuclear policy responses to Fukushima: Exit, voice, and loyalty, M. V. Ramana, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, vol.  69, no. 2 (March 2013) [Subscription required]

It is easy, tempting to do the same thing and expect a different result. Especially as a member of a cult, with the zeal to save the earth and serve people. Fukushima was “not Chernobyl”, after all; just a $125 billion cleanup bill. The US NRC rejected a construction license for the first time in history. Still, the blind faith in the Second Coming of the Atom Christ will continue. What would Jesus do – go back to the drawing board?


GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: LDP boots anti-nuke advocates from environment panel, Tetsu Kobayashi, Asahi Shimbun (5 March 2013)

Japan’s ruling party has removed three anti-nuclear members from its Central Environment Council. These individuals also advocate for more drastic measures to be taken by the Government to combat global warming. Japan’s nuclear lobby seems to be regaining strength even as thousands protest nuclear power in Tokyo two years after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Google has begun digitally mapping a town deserted after the Fukushima disaster.


CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Cross-scale barriers to climate change adaptation in local government, Australia, Final report, Pierre Mukheibir, Natasha Kuruppu, Anna Gero and Jade Herriman, NCCARF (2013) [2.19 MB, PDF]

Many of the impacts of climate change and variability have been, or will be, experienced at the local level. As a result, local governments in Australia (and overseas) have initiated plans to adapt to these impacts. However, the pathway to planning and implementation of adaptation is not a barrier-free process.


CLIMATE CHANGE AND SECURITY: Chief of US Pacific forces calls climate biggest worry, Bryan Bender, Boston Globe (9 March 2013)

Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III said upheaval related to the warming planet “is probably the most likely thing that is going to happen … that will cripple the security environment. If it goes bad, you could have hundreds of thousands or millions of people displaced and then security will start to crumble pretty quickly.’’


The Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly Report presents articles and full length reports each week in six categories: Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change and security, the DPRK, climate change adaptation and governance and civil society. Our team of contributors carefully select items that highlight the links between these themes and the three regions in which our offices are found—North America, Northeast Asia, and the Austral-Asia region. 

Subscribe to NAPSNet to receive free weekly email reports

Editor

Contributors