CONTENTS
- DETERRENCE: The B61 bomb: A case study in costs and needs
- DPRK: North and South Korea ‘on the verge of nuclear war’
- ENERGY SECURITY: Just 50 months to tackle climate change
- GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: East Asian territorial disputes being brought up at UN
- CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Resilience in practice, programme briefing paper
- AUSTRAL PEACE AND SECURITY: New Zealand after Panetta: Australia’s prodigal brother
See this week’s blog: Nuclear -free New Zealand after Panetta comes calling, from our Austral Peace and Security contributor, Richard Tanter.
DETERRENCE: The B61 bomb: A case study in costs and needs, Dana Priest, Washington Post (16 September 2012)
The B61 can be dropped from a B-2 bomber flying from Missouri to North Korea or China. The modernized B61 will have new batteries, neutron generators, and radar systems to signal when the bomb should detonate. New tail kits and special electronics will transform the B61 into the first precision-guided nuclear bomb.
- A Steal at $10 Billion, The United States is building a nuclear bomb that costs more than its weight in solid gold. Why? Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Policy (5 September 2012)
- Developing and producing the B-61, declassified U.S. nuclear test film #72, date unknown circa late 60s
DPRK: North and South Korea ‘on the verge of nuclear war’, Ryall, Julian, The Telegraph (UK) (2 October 2012)
North Korea sent signals of isolation claiming the Peninsula was near thermonuclear war. It’s unclear whether they meant US B61 bombs, were making wild claims to having a hydrogen bomb or engaging in bombast. North Korea blamed South Korea for creating tension in the Northern Limit Line area. Kim Kyong-hui prominent absence at the last North Korea Supreme People’s Assembly may impact Kim Jong Un’s hitherto smooth power consolidation.
- DPRK nuclear energy in the context of a proposed peace settlement, Sharon Squassoni, Center for Strategic and International Studies (26 September 2012) [67KB PDF 5 pages]
- The origins of the Northern Limit Line dispute, Roehrig, Thomas, North Korea International Documentation Project of the Wilson Center (May 2012)
- Kim Kyong-hui’s health and the fate of Jang Song-taek, Miller, Nick, Korea Economic Institute (1 October 2012)
ENERGY SECURITY: Just 50 months to tackle climate change, Letter to the Editor, The Guardian (UK) (1 October 2012)
If the Arctic melting is steady and irreversible in the near term, (i) the “natural” part of climate change is more significant than thought so far, or that most of the climate models vastly underestimated the human influence; (ii) the “integrated assessment models” are of little consequence and the climate protection argument for large, rapid deployment of high-cost zero-carbon energy technologies is weakened; and, (iii) “managing the unavoidable” – protecting human assets – takes paramount importance.
- USA: are natural gas and liberalised energy markets challenging nuclear’s future? Elisabeth Jeffries, Nuclear Energy Insider (3 October 2012)
- EU report urges safer nuclear controls, Alessandro Torello and Claudia Wiese, The Wall Street Journal (1 October 2012)
- African policy makers seek to reduce pollution for clean air benefits and climate protection, UNEP (19 September 2012)
- Food shortages could force world into vegetarianism, warn scientists, John Vidal, The Guardian (UK) (26 August 2012)
GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: East Asian territorial disputes being brought up at UN, Jeong Nam-ku and Park Min-hee, Hankyoreh (26 September 2012)
China, Japan and the ROK addressed ongoing territorial issues at the UN. Changing domestic power structures may affect the resolution of this issue: China expelled Bo Xilai from the CCP, seen perhaps as a shift back towards Maoist philosophies, while Japan’s Noda reshuffled his cabinet, bringing in a minister with strong China ties. Former Prime Minister Abe, known for his rightest policies, was elected leader of the opposition.
- Shinzo Abe takes reins at LDP, raising eyebrows in China, South Korea, Justin McCurry, Alaska Dispatch (1 October 2012)
- In cabinet revamp, Noda brings in woman with China-ties, Junko Ogura, CNN (2 October 2012)
- Bo Xilai expelled from China’s Communist Party, William Wan, Washington Post (28 September 2012)
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Resilience in practice, programme briefing paper, Susan Upton and Maggie Ibrahim, Practical Action (2012) [4.47 MB, PDF]
Operationalizing concepts of resilience is a challenge for many organizations. Vulnerability to Resilience (V2R) approach has been developed for identifying common characteristics and principles of resilience. V2R approach analyses the causes of vulnerability and how disaster risk reduction, climate change impacts, governance and livelihoods interact and affect resilient outcomes.
- The resilience renaissance? Unpacking of resilience for tackling climate change and disasters, Bahadur et al., Strengthening Climate Resilience Discussion Paper 1. Institute of Development Studies-IDS (2010) [1.41 MB, PDF]
- From vulnerability to resilience: a framework for analysis and action to build community resilience, Katherine Pasteur, Practical Action (2011)
AUSTRAL PEACE AND SECURITY: New Zealand after Panetta: Australia’s prodigal brother, Robert Ayson, The Strategist, ASPI (25 September 2012)
New Zealand had been knocking on the door again with its contributions in various places, including Afghanistan. It actually suits John Key’s government to have New Zealand’s nuclear free stance stand in the way of a full resumption of ANZUS. An informal and incomplete alliance relationship with the US is much more compatible with good relations in Asia with a rising China. If this means that New Zealand doesn’t face some of the same expectations from Washington that Australia shoulders, even better.
- US-NZ defence arrangement signed, New Zealand Embassy, Washington
- In warming US-NZ relations, outdated nuclear policy remains unnecessary irritant, Hans Kristensen, FAS Security Blog (23 September 2012)
- Is it time to downgrade US defence? Jackson Hewett, Business Spectator (25 September 2012)
Blog: Standing upright there: the New Zealand path to a nuclear-free world
–Richard Tanter, NAPSNet Contributor
The New Zealand visit of US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to announce resumption of military and intelligence cooperation was a long overdue recognition…
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. Each week, one of our authors also provides a short blog that explores these inter-relationships.
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Editor
Contributors
- Deterrence: Peter Hayes
- Governance and Civil Society: Dyana Mardon, Yi Kiho
- Climate Change Adaptation: Saleem Janjua
- DPRK: Roger Cavazos
- Energy Security: Nikhil Desai
- Austral Peace and Security: Richard Tanter