Richard L. Garwin – författare

The surplus of plutonium in the world is both an important security issue, and a fact with implications for nuclear energy and environmental policy internationally. The two perspectives are inextricably intertwined in considering options for dealing with the plutonium surplus. It was for this reason that two research programmes at the Royal Institute of International Affairs - respectively on Energy and Environment, and on International Security - jointly approached NATO with a view to organising a work­ shop on the issue. It was most welcome then to learn that the NATO Science Programe was already supporting plans for a workshop on the issue, initiated by Richard Garwin, and we were pleased to accept the resulting invitation to host that workshop. DrGarwin prepared the initial agenda and established contacts and initial approaches to many of the participants; we were able to develop the agenda further and extend participation in some complementary ways. The result was a most lively and broad-ranging internation­ al and inter-disciplinary discussion. As the hosts, the RIIA was also given lead responsibility for producing the pro­ ceedings of the workshop as a publication for NATO. Many of the papers to the work­ shop are more technical than usually involved in a workshop at the Royal Institute. Yet this is an area in which the policy options are unusually dependent upon a good under­ standing of the technical issues. which themselves are often a matter of dispute.

La fin de l''affrontement Est-Ouest a mis un terme à la course aux armements. En revanche, le nombre de pays possédant l''arme nucléaire ne cesse de s''accroître et, si les essais se sont, presque partout dans le monde, arrêtés, le risque d''un conflit nucléaire n''est pas exclu. Comment donc contrôler ce pouvoir nucléaire ? Cette question a longuement préoccupé Georges Charpak et Richard L. Garwin. Physiciens de renom, informés des risques réels, ils ont souhaité mener une réflexion sur les enjeux du nucléaire tant civil que militaire. Il est temps, en effet, d''y voir clair et, loin des polémiques stériles, de dénoncer les vrais risques. Non, le nucléaire civil n''est pas aussi dangereux qu''on veut nous le faire croire. Ce livre retrace l''histoire de la physique nucléaire, ses grandes découvertes et ses figures illustres. Il raconte tout ce qu''il faut savoir sur la question : qu''est-ce qu''une réaction en chaîne ? Comment fonctionne un réacteur nucléaire ? Que s''est-il passé à Tchernobyl ? Que faut-il faire des déchets radioactifs ? Comment se créent les armes et quel sera le menu des prochains affrontements guerriers ? Etc. Prix Nobel de physique, Georges Charpak n''a pas signé de livre depuis son grand succès La Vie à fil tendu. Richard Garwin, physicien du nucléaire, a participé en tant que chercheur à une multitude de projets pour l''armée américaine ; il s''est en outre illustré en s''opposant au programme " Guerre des étoiles " du président Reagan.

The surplus of plutonium in the world is both an important security issue, and a fact with implications for nuclear energy and environmental policy internationally. The two perspectives are inextricably intertwined in considering options for dealing with the plutonium surplus. It was for this reason that two research programmes at the Royal Institute of International Affairs - respectively on Energy and Environment, and on International Security - jointly approached NATO with a view to organising a work­ shop on the issue. It was most welcome then to learn that the NATO Science Programe was already supporting plans for a workshop on the issue, initiated by Richard Garwin, and we were pleased to accept the resulting invitation to host that workshop. DrGarwin prepared the initial agenda and established contacts and initial approaches to many of the participants; we were able to develop the agenda further and extend participation in some complementary ways. The result was a most lively and broad-ranging internation­ al and inter-disciplinary discussion. As the hosts, the RIIA was also given lead responsibility for producing the pro­ ceedings of the workshop as a publication for NATO. Many of the papers to the work­ shop are more technical than usually involved in a workshop at the Royal Institute. Yet this is an area in which the policy options are unusually dependent upon a good under­ standing of the technical issues. which themselves are often a matter of dispute.