“This is about whether or not we take seriously our generational stewardship and can create a security system that is not premised on the mass elimination of humanity, but one that embraces providing for a long- term future,” Joan Rohlfing, president and COO of NTI, told the Effective Altruism (EA) Global 2021 conference in London. In her October 30 talk, “Beyond the Precipice: A New Nuclear Paradigm for Surviving the Anthropocene,” Rohlfing discussed the increasing risk of a global catastrophic nuclear event and explored pathways to build a safer nuclear future. Throughout her presentation, she made the case for why reducing catastrophic nuclear risks should be a priority for the EA community in its mission to safeguard the long-term future of humanity.
See a full transcript of her speech, the full written text of the Q & A discussion after, or watch the full presentation here.
NTI | bio Senior Fellow Jaime Yassif also spoke at the conference, where she led a discussion on preventing global catastrophic biological risks.
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New YouGov polling commissioned by NTI and ReThink Media finds that nearly 80 percent of registered voters, across party lines, say it is in the interest of U.S. national security to work with China to mitigate catastrophic threats associated with nuclear risks, AI development, and bioterrorism.
“The data point to a historic lapse in nuclear security leadership in these countries at a moment when nuclear dangers are rising,” NTI President and CEO Christine E. Wormuth said.
The dialogue, which has met multiple times since 2018, is a rare opportunity for experts from both countries to share perspectives on emerging nuclear security risks.
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