For all the global oversight against bioweapons, this threat remains especially pernicious. A unique aspect of bioterror is that it can be difficult to tell the difference between naturally occurring disease and accidents, and an intentional attack. For this reason, a biological attack would require a huge level of coordination among federal, state and local public health and security officials. In addition, bioweapons do not have to be naturally occurring – toxins and deadly organisms can be produced in a lab. Growing large amounts of an agent is possible, although equipment, space, safety, and technical knowledge all play a role. The threat is that creating a bioweapon often requires techniques that are already published in scientific literature. Additionally, the equipment required is somewhat easily obtained, since it is required for legitimate research. This creates a perplexing “dual-use” problem, wherein it is hard to create restrictions against bioweapons without inhibiting industry. Biological WMDs are relatively simple to conceal, …show more content…
It is a growing concern that terrorists could create and use, not necessarily a nuclear bomb, but a radiological or “dirty” bomb. This weapon is unique in that it has never been used- they have traditionally been considered inappropriate for military use, but it is thought that terrorist groups might favor them for the power to shock. The norm against state-sponsored nuclear attacks is well established, and except from preventing nuclear power from being obtained by rogue states, the world is for the most part considered comfortably safe from a traditional atomic attack. Nuclear threats to the population are more likely to arise from accidents such as the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. In 1980, a maintenance accident at the Titan II missile facility in Damascus, Arkansas, nearly caused an unprecedented
Welcome to week 4! This week we are discussing what consequences face the Nation if our chosen threat isn’t adequately addressed and whether we believe that it is being addressed adequately now. Of the six security challenges that are mentioned in the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, I have chosen to discuss biological threats. Biological terrorism is a scary prospect that should be a growing concern for the country. The reason for this is the ease at which a bio attack can be put into action. Depending on the level of intricacy of the attack, the effects could be isolated to one area or become a pandemic that spreads across the United States. Bioterrorism comes in many forms but as a general explanation biological
Another cause of the danger of nuclear weapons is improper storage and handling. The nuclear weapons could be accidently detonated in there silos or storage facilities. This can be a danger to the entire world. If a nuclear weapon is not stored in a safe matter many types of problems could arise. A perfect example of a nuclear accident was at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine. The Chernobyl accident was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated inadequately by non-properly trained personal. The Chernobyl explosion was a very devastating explosion and only two workers died on the night of the accident. Over the course of a few weeks after the accident 28 people were reported dead from radiation sickness.
The nuclear bomb is an interesting phenomenon that has captured the fascination of scholars, academics, politicians, and the media to bring curiosity and fear together. The first and only use of nuclear weapons occurred in 1945 during the Second World War, wiping out over 200,000 Japanese civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nuclear bombs, were now viewed as the number one threat that could potentially destroy our planet and the human race. Since 1945 nuclear weapons have since been a strong threat that has imposed a psychological anxiety for world leaders as this threat has expanded to fifty countries with the
Now in this day and age biological threats and warfare are at an risk of all time high and the Project Bioshield Act will protect the United States of America from these threats. On July, 10, 2010, the House of Representatives created a bill that would withdraw two billion dollars from Project Bioshield to pay for a boost in development for other federal programs. Even though the money was not cut from Project Bioshield it showed us that the project is in danger of not getting the amount of money it really needs to protect the United States of America. The United States government should invest more money into Project BioShield in order to keep Americans safe from upcoming biological threats.
Nuclear weapons have been used twice in war – on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. More than 210,000 civilians died, while many more suffered small injuries. Even if a nuclear weapon were never again exploded over a city, there are horrible effects from the production, testing and deployment of nuclear weapons that are experienced as a personal and community catastrophe by lots of people around the world. This must inform and motivate efforts to get rid of these weapons.
Recently I watched the documentary Command and Control by filmmaker Robert Kenner. This documentary centered on events surrounding a nuclear weapons incident that created an explosion of a missile silo in Arkansas on September 18, 1980. The purpose of this documentary was to remind the public of the dangers of storing a large nuclear arsenal by showing that nuclear incidents do happen and that the United States has been extremely lucky that these incidents have not created mass devastation. Before watching this documentary I had no knowledge of the large number of nuclear incidents that have occurred since the inception of the atomic bomb.
“I have to bring to your notice a terrifying reality: with the development of nuclear weapons Man has acquired, for the first time in history, the technical means to destroy the whole of civilization in a single act.”- Joseph Rotblat. After the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, forcing Japan to surrender on the 14, people finally got to see the pure and utter destruction that a nuclear bomb had the potential of. Seeing this power, the United States and the USSR fought for supremacy in nuclear warfare in a competition called the Arms Race. Nobody, however, really understood how much a nuclear detonation could affect a society not only physically, but socially, politically and medically as well.
There have been lots of nuclear accident around the world. One of the accident that had a major impact on the world was the Chernobyl disaster. The disaster took place on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. The disaster was caused by a reaction explosion induced by design faults and staff application errors. The accident took place in the course of scheduled tests to check the power supply mode in the event of external sources loss. Even after 10 days, explosions and ejections of radioactive substances continued. The release of radiation and radioactive substance polluted the places within 30 km of Chernobyl, and those areas have been closed for a long period of
As seen in World War II, the nuclear weapon engenders the havoc of humankind. Prior to its usage in wars, many scientists test the bomb on numerous places on earth, creating damage and radiation around these testing sites. Furthermore, death is the core outcome that arises from the usage of nuclear weapons. Sooner or later, the abuse of technology will harm the human race
Throughout the progression of mankind, there has always been a need to become superior in tactics and technology over an opponent. It did not take long for man to discover the effective and deadly tactic of Bioterrorism, which is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria or other germs used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. As time passes, everything about bioterrorism becomes more and more sophisticated, making it very difficult to combat with. By examining the history of bioterrorism, one can learn how military forces utilize this deadly weapon.
Holohan , T., M.D. (n.d.). The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB): Enhancing Oversight of Dual Use Research. Retrieved October 30, 2017, from https://2001-2009.state.gov/t/isn/bw/50010.htm
Even though nuclear power plants threaten the health and safety of many people, nuclear energy is being used in other ways as well, which may be even more dangerous. In 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in order to end World War II. This event was the only time a nuclear weapon was used in the history. During the first two to four months, approximately 90,000 to 166,000 people died as a result. Wilfred Burchett quoted, “When you arrive in Hiroshima, you can look around and for 25 and perhaps 30 square miles you can neither see hardly a building nor a standing human. All of them are collapsed on the ground.” Yet, having seen the destructive effects of nuclear weapons, the United States currently still owns more than 7000 nuclear weapons, in which half of them could be launched in less than ten minutes. Russia is believed to be a holder of the same number or more nuclear weapons as well. The United States and Russia are the two countries with the most nuclear weapons, but in total, the number adds up to around 19,000 worldwide. Many people do not give a thought about this dangerous situation, since these weapons are
The testing of nuclear power through test bombings and the Cold War arms race brought a multitude of views. The idea of killing hundreds of thousands through direct application of these potent weapons by exploding them over major cities was a consideration and often followed by the fear of the devastating power, it was the after effects of fallout and the threat of war with the Soviets that became the center of focus (Commoner, 1958; Gregerson, 1981; Boyer, 2000; Melosi,
It’s 2028 and the two nuclear giants are fighting against each other. Thousands dead, buildings in ashes and many hopes destroyed. Yet the worst is yet to come. The temperature of the world is decreasing to new records and is staying like that for many years to come. This is a nuclear winter that many scientists have predicted for decades. A nuclear weapon uses either uranium or plutonium. They work by using a nuclear reaction which breaks down an atom or nucleus into two pieces. This process produces a significant amount of energy which leads to an explosion. (Chan) A nuclear weapon can also be as big as a refrigerator or as small as a warhead. (Daniel) The first nuclear weapon was made in the 1930s known as the “Manhattan Project” made by the U.S. This project was suspended after Hitler was killed, but the U. S. used the weapon due to Japan attacking Pearl Harbor. This attack put the U. S. in a rage, so the U. S had a plan to use the weapon and another nuclear weapon. The U. S dropped a bomb named “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, which followed with the biggest explosion ever witnessed. Then the U. S dropped another bomb. (Lemouse) This was the first and last time anyone used a nuclear bomb, for now. While several people in the government and regular citizens argue that nuclear weaponry is stopping from giving any threats, but nuclear weaponry is actually causing an environmental turmoil and a radiation that will affect everyone in the vicinity for many ages to come.
Biosecurity as a definition, according to the textbook, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism Containing and Preventing Biological Threats, by Jeffrey R. Ryan, is the measures taken to help protect a nation’s food supply, as well as, agricultural resources from a biological terrorist attack (Ryan, 2016, p. 26). Similarly, the term Biodefense as a definition, according to the textbook Biosecurity and Bioterrorism Containing and Preventing Biological Threats, by Jeffrey R. Ryan, is a procedure designed, by a nation, to protect and improve biological defenses in the case of an attack (Ryan, 2016, p. 26). Why is bioterrorism such an extremely effective way to bring terror to divergent countries? Pursuing this further, most of the common biological agents found in pathogens are obtained from a natural environment (Ryan, 2016, p. 31). In fact, these “biological