“One nuclear weapon exploded in one city — be it New York or Moscow, Islamabad or Mumbai, Tokyo or Tel Aviv, Paris or Prague — could kill hundreds of thousands of people. And no matter where it happens, there is no end to what the consequences might be — for our global safety, our security, our society, our economy, to our ultimate survival.”
– President Barack Obama, Prague, April 5, 2009

Nuclear weapons are dangerous and deadly, and more than 20 years after the Cold War’s end, they’ve got to go.

But nuclear hawks like Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) are stuck in the past, ready to oppose common sense steps to make us safer, like reducing our nuclear arsenal.

Titan II nuclear missile in its Cold War silo.

This year is one of the biggest opportunities we’ve had since the end of the Cold War to make significant progress toward a nuclear weapons free world. Maintaining the status quo of more than 23,000 nuclear weapons worldwide is just too dangerous; so many weapons around the world increase the risk of an accidental launch with deadly consequences for hundreds of thousands of people. A quick look at the calendar confirms that 2010 will be a pivotal year:

• New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) announced and Senate debate over US ratification (January estimate)

• Fiscal Year 2011 Budget released (February)

• Nuclear Posture Review released (March 1 estimate)