About $1 trillion will be spent on nuclear weapons in the U.S. within the next 30 years, according to the internationally recognized organization Global Zero.
Global Zero’s mission is to phase out all nuclear weapons by 2030 and allocate the money spent on nuclear weapons to things like education. In late March, a small group of students at the University of Oregon joined the movement.
Although Global Zero isn’t officially recognized by the ASUO yet, the group is still advocating for its cause and is growing on campus.
“We know that youths and young people have been critical to every social movement that has been successful in the history of the United States,” said Zack Deutsch-Gross, a Global Zero field organizer. He added that this is why it’s important for Global Zero chapters to be active on college campuses.
Elizabeth Vargas, publicist of UO’s chapter, said that after the Cold War arguments concerning the use of nuclear weapons and their effects faded. Consequently, one of the primary ways that students are getting involved with Global Zero is by raising awareness and getting young people to understand how important the argument is.
Global Zero’s argument is that the existence of nuclear weapons is not only dangerous but it’s outdated as well.
“These are weapons of the past that don’t address today’s security challenges,” Deutsch-Gross said.
Global Zero argues that the U.S. government only uses nuclear weapons as a deterrent — that it’s producing nuclear weapons it isn’t using.
Since members believe the weapons are outdated, they propose the idea that the money currently used for the modernization of nuclear weapons can be used for other purposes. One of these is getting rid of student debt.
Students in the U.S. collectively have about $1 trillion in debt, which is roughly the same amount of money that’s set to be spent on nuclear weapons within the next three decades.
When Global Zero members in each state meet with congressmen to discuss the potential elimination of nuclear weapons, they often discuss how the money spent on nuclear weapons can go toward other things.
“We can’t live in a world where you have to have a college education to get a job, but you can’t afford a college education,” Vargas said. “To have a $1 trillion in student debt and be spending a $1 trillion on these weapons is unacceptable. And I think that’s kind of the conversation.”
Members of UO’s chapter are meeting with Congressman Peter DeFazio at the end of the month.
They also had a chance to attend a conference at the United Nations after they became a chapter. They spoke with government officials as well as ambassadors from countries including Pakistan, Sweden and Iran.
Brian McInerney, founder and president of Global Zero on campus, said that people at the conference were in support of Global Zero’s mission. According to McInerney, domestic politics is what’s making the elimination of nuclear weapons difficult.
He said that members of Global Zero still have an optimistic take on this situation.
“Our grassroots movement and other movements like us will spread information,” McInerney said. “People will realize how much money it costs and how useless these weapons are and will stand up and make their voices heard and change something.”