Speaking at a vancouver writers fest event at ubc on october 26, eric schlosser outlined. Oct 04, 20 eric schlosser tasked a filmmaker to create a video to accompany his new book on nuclear war, command and control. This relates to the very long list of nuclear incidents cataloged recently in a bestselling book by eric schlossercommand and control. In one year one coal burning power plant releases 720 tons of carbon monoxide. Accidents happenthey shouldnt lead to nuclear disaster. Eric schlosser says his research into americas nuclear arsenal has made him. Concrete threats of attack against nuclear power plants by terrorists or criminals are documented from several states. This bomb is in the future, and its heading straight toward us all. Scientists contemplate the increasing likelihood of.
Abomban atomic bomb, a weapon deriving its explosive power from the fission of uranium or plutonium atoms. Charlie smith has an article on that subject as well, entitled eric schlosser raises alarm in vancouver about nuclear weapons and nuclear power. A 600page book on a nuclear explosion that didnt happen may seem like. Jul 03, 2014 unfortunately, the command and control of americas nuclear weapons has been far from 100% perfect, as investigative journalist eric schlosser points out in his latest book command and control. Radiation audiobook by robert peter gale, eric lax. This is one of the few book written about radiation and nuclear power with everything the layman needs to know. Afswparmed forces special weapons project, a military agency formed in 1947 to deal with nuclear weapons. Eric schlosser is the author of command and control. Command and control, by eric schlosser the new york times. Nuclear street nuclear power plant news, jobs, and careers. For more than half a century california has led the nation in agricultural output. Nov 04, 2015 schlosser in an investigative journalist most famous for his book, fast food nation, but he has more recently been exploring the dangers of our current, worldwide nuclear weapons situation.
Schlosser is the author of the bestselling expose fast food nation, published in 2001. Ferguson discusses how nuclear power plants work, what the dangers of nuclear power plants are, what the relationship to nuclear weapons materials are, how we should confront the risk of terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants, et cetera. Eric schlosser raises alarm in vancouver about nuclear weapons. Aecatomic energy commission, the civilian agency created in 1947 to oversee nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Aside from nuclear weapons and their evil counterpart, nuclear energy, i cant imagine a more dangerous and hubristic scheme. It clearly points out the reasons for some of the serious accidents that have happened and tells an engaging story about attempts at remediation and first aid.
Eric schlosser, bard of folly the american prospect. While ferguson comes off as slightly pro nuclear energy, the book in general endeavors not to take sides. Eric schlosser has written a book which should be read by everybody. Recent and vintage movies about nuclear war, recommended books on nuclear.
For his most recent book, gods of metal, he detailed how in 2012 environmental activists broke into a highsecurity complex bulging with weaponsgrade. Oct 21, 20 schlosser touches on the 2007 scandal in which six nuclear armed cruise missiles were accidentally flown from north dakota to louisiana on a b52 the scandal wasnt so much the flight as the fact that weapons went missing for a day and a half before anybody noticed and makes passing mention of a 2010 incident in which onetenth of americas. Eric schlosser command and control nuclear weapons, the. To make it happen as for a bomb you need really highly enriched uranium that is far more pure than the stuff in a power plant, and it has to be isotopically pure as well that is, the u235 that is used in a bomb cant be less than 85% u235 only, you cant have it contaminated. The iaea defines nuclear security as the prevention and detection of and response to, theft, sabotage. On thermonuclear war, kahns bestknown book, contains scenarios not only. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, from 20, and a producer of the documentary command and control. Eric matthew schlosser is an american journalist and author known for his investigative journalism, such as in his books fast food nation, reefer madness, and command and control. The truth about nuclear energy by gwyneth cravens, voices from chernobyl. While ferguson comes off as slightly pronuclear energy, the book in general endeavors not to take sides. Fission, essentially the opposite reaction of fusion, is the type of nuclear process that humans reproduce in nuclear power facilities.
That possibility raises doubts about the safety of all the quakeprone countrys nuclear plants just as they begin to restart after a pause ordered in the wake of the fukushima crisis. New york times bestseller schlosser has a flair for dazzling scenesetting and an arsenal of startling facts. A nuclear physicist and disarmament expert recommends reading on nuclear. At first, the destruction of hiroshima and nagasaki by atomic bombs in august, 1945, was celebrated in the united states. Eric schlosser writes books to entertain at the expense of informing. Schlossers book command and control includes the story of one of americas most serious nuclear accidents, caused by an officer who accidentally dropped a socket wrench during routine. The alarming risks of retaining a nuclear arsenal of americas size at the time of schlossers writing, approximately 4,650 nuclear weapons are meticulously illustrated, and seem to dwarf the threat they were designed to protect us from. Vienna conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons.
The hydrogen bomb unleashed the power of the atom to allow. Ive listened to that guy speak 3x and met him once. After the cold war ended, most of the world supported calls to reduce nuclear arsenals, and such a reduction did occur. Some of these incidents led to widespread plutonium contamination. And should armageddon come, should a foreign enemy someday shower the united states with nuclear warheads, laying waste to the whole continent, entombed within cheyenne mountain, along with the hightech marvels, the pale blue jumpsuits, comic books, and bibles, future archeologists may find other clues to the nature of our civilization big. H7 is a mutated version of a bacterium found abundantly in the human digestive system. Thirtythree years ago, the united states came very close to a nuclear holocaust in damascus, arkansas.
Nuclear reactor hazards ongoing dangers of operating nuclear technology in the 21st century. Continued from helens own highly explosive nuclear crisis, inspired by the documentary film command and control, by robert kenner and eric schlosser by helenhighly. In a paper just released by the bulletin of the atomic scientists entitled, todays nuclear dilemma, eric schlosser considers the possible consequences of a new nuclear arms race, which now appears to be underway. Famed investigative journalist eric schlosser digs deep to uncover secrets about the management of americas nuclear arsenal. The incident was rated a five on the sevenpoint international nuclear event scale. Eric schlosser american journalist and author known for his investigative journalism, such as in his books fast food nation 2001, reefer madness 2003, and command and control. Eric schlosser on trumps tweets and nuclear war bulletin. The authors convincingly show that pollutants from coal burning power plants induce much more harm than waste from nuclear power plants. Eric schlosser, author of fast food nation, on the. Can anyone recommend a book on nuclear power weapons. Nuclear power plants are considered to be targets for terrorist attacks. Sadly, that myth continues to prevail not just in japan but in most countries that are operating or constructing nuclear power plants. This freakish event is at the core of eric schlossers new book, command and control.
Aug 11, 2015 schlosser believes the worlds biggest nuclear risk currently was from terrorists making a weapon or stealing one, or the possibility of a nuclear war between india and pakistan. Articles by eric schlosser the new york times, the guardian. Schlosser also looks at the cold war from a new perspective, offering history from the ground up, telling the stories of bomber pilots, missile commanders, maintenance crews, and other ordinary servicemen who risked their lives to avert a nuclear holocaust. Articles by eric schlosser the new york times, the. Fast food nation is a groundbreaking work of investigation and cultural history that may change the way america thinks about the way it eats. Famed investigative journalist eric schlosser digs deep to. It was the most expensive electricity never generated. Nuclear weapons, the damascus incident, and the illusion of safety, pointed out that the people who removed the weapons from the bunker never checked to. At the heart of the book lies the struggle, amid the rolling hills and small farms of. After varying levels of enrichment, uranium is used as the principle fuel for nuclear reactions at power plants. Eric schlosser is most famous for fast food nation 2000.
Eric schlosser on nuclear weapons future of life institute. Schlossers disquieting but riveting book looks at every aspect of. It has been reprinted by arrangement with the penguin press, a member of penguin group usa llc, a penguin random house company. In a titan ii silo, an overworked airman dropped a socket wrench, which pierced the skin on the missiles fuel tank, causing poisonous oxidizer to permeate through the air. Aug 24, 2017 sadly, that myth continues to prevail not just in japan but in most countries that are operating or constructing nuclear power plants. The documentary command and control, directed by robert kenner, finds its origins in eric schlossers book and continues to explore the littleknown history of the management and safety concerns of americas nuclear aresenal. The following is an excerpt from eric schlossers book, command and control. In a titan ii silo, an overworked airman dropped a socket wrench, which pierced the skin on the missiles fuel tank, causing poisonous oxidizer to. In the autumn of 1999 eric schlosser was invited to vandenberg air. Nuclear safety is defined by the international atomic energy agency iaea as the achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the environment from undue radiation hazards. Eric schlosser quotes author of fast food nation page 2 of 5. The documentary will also air on pbss american experience in early january 2017. Even during the construction of the first nuclear power plants, this issue has been advised by security bodies.
Dec 23, 2016 eric schlosser on trumps tweets and nuclear war by john mecklin, december 23, 2016 as presidentelect trump tweeted in favor of expanding the us nuclear arsenal, eric schlosser explained why harsh nuclear rhetoric and insecurities in the american nuclear commandand control system pose a real danger of enabling armageddon. The documentary command and control, directed by robert kenner, finds its origins in eric schlossers book and continues to explore the littleknown history. The 1980 nuclear missile accident in damascus, arkansas, drug use among the military after the vietnam war, the titan iis continuous deployment even after it was unsafe, fred ikle, efforts to point out safety shortfalls in the military, the lack of locks on nuclear weapons, permissive action links, robert. He avoids the twin traps of falling into antinuclear polemicism or of writing military techno porn and the resulting impeccable balance and avoidance of sharpening axes magnifies the books impact. Fast food nation points the way but, to resurrect an old fast food slogan, the choice is yours. I believe he represents the worst side of media, focusing on entertainment through sensationalism over the desire to inform. Scientists contemplate the increasing likelihood of nuclear war. Nuclear power plants do this too, though much more slowly. Jan 28, 2015 this incident was allegedly the first known loss of a nuclear weapon in history and it constitutes just one example of hundreds of nuclear accidents, nearmisses, and broken arrows any one of which could have accidentally triggered an unintentional nuclear war. Eric schlosser collapse of industrial civilization. Dec 22, 2019 as eric schlosser, a journalist who has written extensively about nuclear weapons and risk, told me, ultimately, with a technology that complicated and powerful, we dont know what the fuck.
Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety, which was a pulitzer prize finalist. When he started on his nuclear researches, schlosser conceived the book as something. Session ii risk drivers for deliberate or inadvertent nuclear weapons use. Across the world in the early 21st century, nuclear weapons have become a symbol of power and.
In this book, hes interested in how the effort to control nuclear. Twelve days after the china syndrome hit movie theaters, the nuclear reactor at three mile island, pennsylvania suffered a partial meltdown the worst accident in the history of u. Nuclear power plants npp age in four ways at continue reading. Popular nuclear power books meet your next favorite book. Eric schlosser raises alarm in vancouver about nuclear. Eric schlossers command and control fills that gap, telling of the. Eric schlosser examines the history of nuclear risk, including many accidents and neardisasters. Nuclear weapons, the damascus accident, and the illusion of safety.