The Myth of Proliferation-Resistant Technology

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In The Media

The Myth of Proliferation-Resistant Technology

The specter of nuclear proliferation must be understood as both a political issue and a technological one; the intent of would-be proliferators needs to be addressed together with the science.

By James M. Acton

Published on Nov 19, 2009

Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The Myth of Proliferation-Resistant TechnologyWriting in the journal Science in 1968, ecologist Garrett Hardin observed the existence of a category of problems for which there was no technical solution. Focusing on the challenge of feeding a burgeoning global population, Hardin argued, "It is fair to say that most people who anguish over the population problem are trying to find a way to avoid the evils of overpopulation without relinquishing any of the privileges they now enjoy. They think that farming the seas or developing new strains of wheat will solve the problem—technologically. I try to show here that the solution they seek cannot be found."

Forty years on, Hardin’s central thesis—that it is impossible to solve a political problem with a technical solution—is still salient and applicable to more than just managing population. At the moment, a number of initiatives promote a technological approach to solve—or at least ameliorate—the problem of nuclear proliferation through the misuse of civilian nuclear facilities (particularly reactors and reprocessing plants). Their aim is to make novel nuclear technologies "proliferation resistant."

About the Author

James M. Acton

Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program

Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Recent Work

Paper
Nuclear Weapons and the Future of American Power
- James M. Acton, Ankit Panda
Commentary
The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the Past
- James M. Acton

Nuclear Policy Nuclear Energy

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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