The 29th August is the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. This acknowledges the dangers caused by nuclear testing. Many people do not know that nuclear testing is happening in their country and in other countries on their behalf. Nuclear weapons have been tested in the atmosphere, underground and underwater since 1945 and we are discovering more and more about its effects on our planet.
Firstly, having seen the after-effects of the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in pictures should already warn people of the awful impact of nuclear weapons on humans, and on the environment. Children are still born with missing limbs and elderly people experience severe respiratory problems to this day in Japan.
This should be enough to cause an uproar against nuclear weapons' testing as our environments and entire ecosystems could be affected. U.K., U.S.A, Russia, and China have all conducted nuclear weapons tests and there is mounting evidence that the amount of radioactivity generated by the nuclear tests can cause harm to internal organs, mother's milk, and babies' teeth. This is something we should hold politicians to account over. More research needs to be done on the effects of these indiscriminate weapons and how they are affecting our planet.
Today we are much more conscious about the environment that we are leaving to the next generations, but more needs to be done. Recycling, cleaning the oceans and coral bleaching are just a few of the environmental challenges we face and we must face them head on, continuing to raise awareness on how this is affecting our planet.
But little is said on how nuclear test detonations are impacting the planet.
On this International Day Against Nuclear Tests, I urge you to write to your MP and get them to respond with answers on where your government tests its nuclear weapons and how much it is spending on researching and combatting the effects of nuclear weapons as this testing affects us all.
It is ironic that on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests we hear that North Korea launched a missile over Japan. This has been called one of the most provocative acts by North Korea against Japan. The U.S. and Japanese presidents have agreed to call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation.
Although the security implications could be quite serious, this simply gives us another reason why nuclear weapons should be banned. If the UK would sign and enforce the Treaty banning nuclear weapons that was adopted by 122 governments at the UN last month on 7th July, it would add further legitimate pressure to North Korea to not just stop testing but halt their nuclear weapons programme altogether.
So again, if you do not want our future to rest with nuclear weapon states, who put the protection of the state above the protection of each individual and the environment, I urge you to contact your local MP asking about nuclear testing conducted by and in our countries and don't stop until you get a response!