LECTURE: Nuclear Testing in The Pacific

South Pacific is idyllic BUT in the past as a place that was so quiet and remote, it was used for Nuclear testing by the US, UK and France, who considered it the perfect place for secret testing.

1945- Hiroshima (Little Boy which had never been tested) and then a bomb 40% larger was dropped over Nagasaki (Fat Man was first tested in New Mexico). After these, the World knew about Nuclear bombs and many Countries wanted to build up their own arsenal.

1946-50’s- the Marshall Islands in particular, Bikini, had very few people and evacuated easy so it became a perfect testing site. Sadly, 50 years later its still too dangerous for the people who were told they were temporarily displaces, to move back. It was used to test the effects of nuclear bombs on 95 military ships that were gathered there. Two bombs, one dropped from 28,000’ (missed the target and only damaged a few ships) but the other from 90’ under the water and created destruction on most of the ships gathered and even literally “vaporized” the ship it was under. Unfortunately, men had health problems for life from these explosions and the cleanup since there was little known about radioactive fallout.

1960s- France begins testing in the South Pacific as the US/UK slows their testing. French Polynesia (the 118 islands) mainly Society Islands and Marquesa’s are utilized. The Gambier is where most of the French testing went on since no one lived there so it was easy to use. 5,000 scientists and others were moved there and from 1966-1996 France conducted 193 nuclear tests here on the Atolls of Moruroa and Fangataufa in French Polynesia. In 1974 even Tahiti, the most occupied site in Polynesia had been reached by radioactive clouds. Mangareva- Gambier Islands high levels of radiation leading to evacuation in 1968. These tests, which included 41 to 46 atmospheric (above-ground) explosions until 1974 before moving underground, were part of France's effort to develop its independent nuclear deterrent. The testing sparked decades of global opposition, including boycotts of French goods and diplomatic rebukes from Australia and New Zealand.

1985- Greenpeace organizations began to fight nuclear testing here. Greenpeace began using the Rainbow Warrior to fight nuclear testing in the late 1970s, specifically purchasing the vessel in 1977 for campaigns against nuclear waste dumping and weapons testing. The ship famously assisted in the 1985 evacuation of Rongelap Atoll. While the Rainbow Warrior specifically was purchased in 1977, Greenpeace began its fight against nuclear testing earlier, with activists protesting French testing in 1972. The Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior was a boat leading the charge to stop this testing. They arrive in New Zealand to lead this flotilla to protest the testing in the South Pacific.

The ship sinks in the Aukland, New Zealand harbor after 2 explosions that had blown INWARD, making it clear that it is not an accident but rather terrorism (where someone died too). Its noted that a “couple” driving away with a zodiac on top of their car were caught and proved to have planted the bombs (bombs that were brought in by a team by boat, before they ditched their boat in an elaborate plan and were put on a submarine). They were determined to be agents of the DGSE (France’s Intelligence Agency, equivalent to the CIA). This plan was approved by the highest agencies in France including the President of France, Francois Mitterrand. No one in this plan was prosecuted. The good news was that the flotilla DID go to the South Pacific and now because of what happened, it was highlighted and received a lot more press for their cause, of stopping nuclear arms. As a result a treaty was created that all countries agreed not do testing there again. Unfortunately it took another 10 years to fully implement. Until 1996 there were over 300 tests and many people contracted radiation sickness, cancers, infertility, and other diseases.Baca selengkapnya