By Sean Leviashvili
Author Jonathan Schell, best known for expressing his theories and global concern in the book “The Fate of the Earth” in 1982, spoke about a new fate and possible solutions as he addressed topics from his newest book, “The Seventh Decade: The New Shape of Nuclear Danger.”
As part of the Snell Library “Meet the Authors series,” Schell discussed what he said is one of the biggest international threats of the 21st Century: nuclear activity. Schell, who has contributed articles to The New Yorker and The Nation, provided insight on the topic to a crowd of about 50 at the Raytheon Amphitheatre Thursday night.
After a brief introduction by Will Wakeling, acting and associate dean of Snell Library, and Steve Nathanson, professor of philosophy, Schell began by introducing today’s nuclear threat as the “most acute danger we face.” Presenting ideas from “The Seventh Decade,” which he worked on for three years, Schell described a potential for danger that he feels is greatly disregarded.
“People think it’s outdated,” Schell said. “[They feel it’s] not of contemporary interest.”
While nuclear war gained an endless amount of media hype during World War II and the Cold War, threats like those posed by terrorism and global warming are of much greater concern today, Schell said. However, he said each threat is not an entity-unto-itself, and added nuclear terrorism is a fairly new crisis that threatens our world, especially in southern-Asian nations like Pakistan. The results of erupted nuclear activity would also undoubtedly be detrimental to the environment, he said.
“Nuclear war is also an ecological issue,” he said. “[It would cause] ozone depletion, as a result of production and economic activity, producing the same results as global warming. It is the crown jewel of environmental destruction.”
To avoid potential nuclear activity, Schell said, would call for radical measures that many first world countries may be unwilling to take.
“We need a radical step merely to reform,” he said. “It’s too late for half measures.
