PARTIAL

NUCLEAR TEST
BAN TREATY
Political or Environmental Treaty?
WHAT YOU
WILL LEARN?
∎ Know what Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is
∎ Know how bad nuclear tests are to the environment and humans
∎ Know how difficult it was to negotiate this treaty
INTRODUCTION
What does it do? How is it important?
 600
Number of nuclear tests prior the signing of PTBT in 1963
Source: Arms Control Association (2017)
What does it do?
PTBT bans all nuclear weapon tests
except those conducted in the
underground.
It has been signed on August 5, 1963.
How is it important?
PTBT significantly reduced the amount of
radioactive particles in the atmosphere.
It also slowed down nuclear proliferation
worldwide and encouraged more arms
control treaties to follow.
OUTLINE
Background Negotiations Implementation Evaluation
BACKGROUND
How bad nuclear tests are to the environment and humans? What led to the need for
negotiation?
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS

Nuclear explosion Everything within blast Area becomes temporary

radius dies from heat uninhabitable due to lethal
and pressure waves dose of radiation
LONG-TERM EFFECTS

90
Sr
137
Cs

131
137
I
Cs 90Sr

131
I

Nuclear fallout spreads Radionuclides Prolonged exposure

for hundreds of miles deposited into plants leads to generic
and animals complication, diseases,
and reproduction defect
HUMAN EFFECTS
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?

Relative time of radioactivity level of each isotope

Source: OECD
 EVENTS LEADING TO THE
NEED TO BAN NUCLEAR TEST
Castle Bravo
US test of 15 Mt thermonuclear weapon at
Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands on March 1,
1954.
It appeared to be more powerful than
expected and the trace of fallout reached
as far as Australia, India, and Japan.
Its contamination of a nearby Japanese
fishing boat provoked international
concerns.
Cuban Missile Crisis
USSR sent and installed nuclear
weapons on Cuba following failed US
invasion to the island in October 1962.
Ended peacefully after negotiations, led
to temporary better relations between
both countries, and talks resumed on
banning nuclear tests.
NEGOTIATIONS
Who are the parties? What are their stance? How difficult it was to negotiate this
treaty?
 TIMELINE
1954 1957 1958
1955
Castle Bravo USSR proposed Geneva Con.
Khrushchev
Calls for banning of testing Agreed on temp.
proposed for talk
nuclear tests moratorium moratorium
TIMELINE
1959 1960
March 1962
Negotiations U2 Incident and 1961
UN Disarmament
continued on Congo Crisis Vienna Summit
Conference
verification ruined Paris Con.

No test conducted by US,

UK, USSR
TIMELINE
October 1962 July 1963 August 1963 October 1963
Cuban Missile Final negotiation Final agreement Treaty entered
Crisis began reached into force
PARTIES
United States Soviet Union United Kingdom
Dwight D. Eisenhower Nikita Khrushchev Harold Macmillan
John F. Kennedy
UNDERLYING
FACTORS
∎ International politics of Cold War (e.g. success of nuclear development, mistrust
between US/USSR, other players in the nuclear race)
∎ Domestic politics (e.g. leadership, domestic support, public opinion, current
nuclear capability)
∎ Scientific community (e.g. research, technology advancement, scientist support)
IMPLEMENTATION
Who join? How effective in controlling atmospheric radiation?
 SIGNATORIES
125
Signed and ratified

10
Sign only

China France DPRK

Nuclear states that are not PTBT party
EVALUATION
Is it success? What are the flaws?
Advantages
Proven to reduce the amount of
radioactive particles in the atmosphere
Able to bring in almost all nuclear
countries into the agreement
Disadvantages
Did not stop nuclear tests altogether
No measure to monitor compliance
Atmospheric radiation still being
released from other sources
Carbon-14 concentration in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Source: US Department of Energy (1994)
Number of nuclear tests carried out by five nuclear countries (1945-1996)
Source: Prăvălie (2014)
CONCLUSION
Is it a politically or environmentally motivated treaty?
1,456
Number of nuclear tests after the PTBT

25%
Tests conducted in the atmosphere

October 16, 1980

World’s last atmospheric nuclear test (by China)
THANKS!
Any questions?