Contents:
Global warming may eliminate our species over the next 70 years. The nuclear arsenal may do it in the next 70 minutes. – Thomas Countryman
Nuclear weapons and democracy are mutually exclusive. You can have one or the other. You can’t have both. – Elaine Scarry
Mission
The Nuclear Disarmament Working Group promotes education and action leading to nuclear disarmament and reducing the risk of nuclear war. These initiatives include:
- Challenging federal investments in nuclear modernization of the legs of the nuclear weapons triad and new nuclear weapons;
- Promoting diplomatic solutions to geopolitical flashpoints in countries with nuclear weapons;
- Supporting divestments from pension funds and related investments in corporations that manufacture or maintain nuclear weapons;
- Actively supporting legislative efforts such as the Back from the Brink and Warheads to Windmills campaigns, as well as other federal and state initiatives that advance nuclear disarmament;
- Urging the United States to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
History
Nuclear weapons are the most indiscriminate, destructive, and inhumane tools of warfare ever created. Designed for mass murder and terror, they remain an underappreciated but grave threat to human civilization. The use of even a small fraction of the current global nuclear arsenal would cause catastrophic devastation. Tens of millions of people could perish within the first hours, with up to a billion more dying in the ensuing weeks.The aftermath wouldn’t stop with human casualties. A large-scale nuclear exchange would inject massive quantities of soot and smoke into the atmosphere, triggering a global nuclear winter. This would darken skies, drop temperatures, and collapse the global food system—leaving most survivors to face starvation. The detonation of just a few thousand warheads could push humanity to the brink of extinction. In January 2025, for the sixth consecutive year, the experts at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists have set the iconic Doomsday Clock at 89 seconds to midnight with midnight signifying nuclear apocalypse. Humanity has not been this close to catastrophe since the height of the Cold War.
Nuclear Arms Control
As of 2025, nine nations possess nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea. Collectively, they hold approximately 12,000 nuclear warheads. The United States and Russia together account for about 88% of the global nuclear arsenal, with the U.S. maintaining around 3,748 warheads and Russia approximately 4,380 .
The United States remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons in warfare. The ongoing maintenance and modernization of nuclear arsenals by these states continue to incentivize other nations to develop their own nuclear capabilities.
Over the past decade, several key international arms control agreements have been weakened or abandoned:
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Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: The U.S. formally withdrew in August 2019, citing Russian violations .
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Open Skies Treaty: The U.S. completed its withdrawal in November 2020, despite opposition from allies and then-President-elect Biden .
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Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA): The U.S. exited the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Efforts to revive the agreement have stalled, and the deal is effectively defunct.
While President Biden extended the New START Treaty with Russia by five years in 2021, this agreement is set to expire in 2026. No new arms control negotiations have been initiated to replace it, raising concerns about the future of bilateral nuclear arms limitations .
Despite campaign promises to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. defense policy, the Biden administration has continued to support a comprehensive nuclear modernization program. This includes:
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Upgrading all three legs of the nuclear triad (land-based missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and strategic bombers).
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Developing and deploying new low-yield nuclear warheads, such as the W76-2, which was first deployed on submarines in 2020 .
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Investing in new delivery systems and warhead designs, with projected costs exceeding $1.7 trillion over the next two decades .
These developments have sparked debate over the direction of U.S. nuclear policy and its implications for global arms control efforts.
The Cost
Nuclear weapons program costs continue to skyrocket: In FY2018, $22.4 Billion of U.S. tax dollars ($ 727.24 million for Massachusetts alone) were spent on nuclear weapons. The nuclear weapons “modernization” program has increased each year and may cost as much as $1.7 Trillion. President Biden has requested $43 billion for nuclear weapons for FY 2022, almost five times the entire budget for the CDC and a 14% increase over 2020. Russia and China are following with upgrades to their systems – all this extravagant waste on weapons of mass destruction while money needed to address the climate emergency, a global vaccine program, pandemic preparedness and response cannot be found.
Related Legislation
Nuclear disarmament legislation in Congress
The Nuclear Disarmament Initiative in the MA State House
Get Involved
The Nuclear Disarmament working group meets monthly, Sunday afternoon or evening. For more information contact the chair at nd@masspeaceaction.org.
Fallout Flicks: Movie Series
Nuclear War: Now playing near you!
Fallout Flicks is a series provided by MAPA’s Nuclear Disarmament Working Group, dedicated to delivering nuclear education, with the goal of raising awareness on the ever-increasing threat of nuclear war and the necessity to join others in taking action to prevent nuclear armageddon.
In a world overloaded with doom-scrolling and bad headlines, we are here to provide a break from reading the news and playing catch-up, to enjoy a community-based learning experience through videos. The group hosts a new movie night every month – from blockbuster fiction, to heartbuster documentaries, to extraordinary short films – all diving into the radioactive reality of nuclear weapons, power, and war. After each showing, we foster a community-driven discussion designed to spark critical thinking, agency, and more doing than doom.
Make sure to check our upcoming showings (under the “Events” section) and locations as new nights are being added frequently, with different locations in the Greater Boston Area!
Events
Truth and Consequence: Reflections on Catastrophe, Civil Resistance, and Hope
Updates
Resources
Golden Dome or Golden Scam? Report by the International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War (May 2026)
What is Trump’s Golden Dome? Recording of MAPA Education Fund webinar, January 2026
Nuclear Disarmament Campaign Intro
Fund Housing for People, not 400 New Ground Based Nuclear Missiles (flyer)