Hosting Helen Caldicott at National Press Club

NPC Newsmaker Program

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

TO: Daybooks/Calendar/Correspondents/Assignment Editors/Press Offices

FROM: Herb Perone, NPC Newsmakers Chairman, 301-512-7636, herb@peronecomm.com

 

Helen Caldicott:  Pediatrician, founding President Physicians for Social Responsibility-awarded1985 Nobel Peace Prize

  Outlook for the 2014 Congressional Election

 

The Ukraine Crisis:   Is Nuclear Conflict Likely?

Washington, DC –   Dr Helen Caldicott will discuss the fact that not only has the Cold War returned but it has become Hot. For the first time in recent history Russia and the US are in a state of confrontation which could well morph into a nuclear exchange. Both nations have some 1000 hydrogen bombs on hair trigger alert with a 3 minute decision time to launch by either Putin or Obama, the nuclear exchange would be complete in one hour, and the combined effects of ozone depletion, radioactive contamination, massive fire storms, and nuclear winter inducing a short ice age would induce the elimination of most earthly species including homo sapiens.

Recently both the US and Russia conducted nuclear war games, and some reports suggest that the state of alert of the nuclear arsenals has been raised.  Mutual suspicion and anxiety reigns. The tragedy of World War 1 started almost by accident, could this be repeated? Within the last year over 70 USAF missile officers were fired because they failed to protect their missiles, they cheated on their tests or they were taking drugs. Russian early warning systems are dilapidated invoking a paranoid situation which is not conducive to rational behavior. I was told by Robert McNamara that we were minutes away from nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis. Many other close calls have been recorded.

Even if there is no nuclear confrontation, the Ukraine hosts 15 nuclear power plants (Chernobyl was one of them) and conventional war could well cause several of them to melt down.

Military and political thinking and action must now urgently change if indeed we are to survive the nuclear age.

                                                                     

The event will is will be held in the Club’s Zenger Room, on the 13^th Floor of the National Press Building, 529 14^th St. NW, Washington DC 20045.

 

Contact:

Tony Gallo NPC Newsmakers Event Host