10 Depressing Facts About Nuclear Weapons, As Told By Sad Pugs

Nuclear weapons threaten our lives, international security and the climate; that makes pugs really sad. We're anti-nuclear weapons and pro-pug!

In the next 10 years, the U.S. is projected to spend $355 billion on nuclear forces.

Congressional Budget Office / Via cbo.gov

That's not including environmental, arms control, nonproliferation or missile defense costs (including those elements pushes the total up to $570 billion).

Annually, the U.S., U.K. and France spend $45.8 billion more on maintaining nuclear arsenals than they do on humanitarian aid.

OECD / Via stats.oecd.org

What does that say about our priorities? The US specifically spends $31.1 billion more on nukes than it does on aid.

Russia has 8,000 nuclear weapons. The U.S. has 7,315. That's about 95% of the world's nuclear stockpile.

Federation of American Scientists / Via fas.org

And that's more than enough to destroy every major population center in the world. (And don't forget, that's all nuclear weapons are intended to do– cause destruction on a massive scale.)

There are more nuclear weapons on this planet than there are: breweries, pandas, tigers...

WWF, Arms Control Association, FAS / Via eurekalert.org

...species of trees in the Amazon Rainforest...the list goes on.

Rather than investing $355 billion in nuclear weapons over the next decade, we could be investing in...

GlobalZero / Via globalzero.org

...scholarships for 3 million kids to go to a four-year public university, the salaries of 6 million k-6 teachers, or the construction of 50,000 new elementary schools.

In 1983, malfunctioning Soviet early-warning systems sounded the alarm for incoming U.S. nuclear missiles, nearly causing nuclear war.

The officer on duty at the time, Stanislav Petrov, broke protocol by fatefully choosing not to fire a retaliatory nuclear strike, saving the lives of millions. His inspirational quote: "I wish I could say there is no chance of an accidental nuclear launch today."

Even a "small" regional nuclear conflict would disrupt the global climate (haven't we done enough of that as it is?).

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War / Via ippnw.org

The resulting nuclear winter would put more than 2 billion people at risk of starvation.

And speaking of starvation, if the world were to decrease the amount it spends on nuclear weapons by just one third...

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations / Via fao.org

...we'd be able to feed every hungry person in the world.

The U.S. has almost nuked itself 5 times (that we know of)...

Brookings Institute / Via brookings.edu

The U.S. has also lost at least 8 nuclear weapons that have never been recovered. Feeling safe? This little guy sure isn't.

Nuclear deterrence is a myth.

Other myths about nuclear weapons:

1. They ended WWII

2. They are effective against modern threats

3. They are economically sustainable

4. Terrorists won't acquire them

5. They prevent proliferation of more nukes

The good news!

We're closer than ever to creating a secure future for everyone (and every pug) on Earth. Since the height of the Cold War more than half of the world's nuclear weapons have been eliminated. If you're anti-nuke and pro-pug too, add your voice to thousands of others who know that the only safe, sane course for our future (and the pugs' future) is to demand zero: http://www.globalzero.org/demand-zero