Stars including Julianne Moore, Jane Fonda and Emma Thompson have added their names to an open letter insisting upon nuclear disarmament from global leaders.
As Christopher Nolan’s hit biopic Oppenheimer, which tells of the man who created the atomic bomb, is predicted to dominate this weekend’s Oscars, a coalition of actors and activists has formed to educate people about the present nuclear danger around the world.
The letter reminds people that 13,000 nuclear weapons are held by nine countries with some 80 times more powerful than the ones that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
“As artists and advocates, we want to raise our voices to remind people that while Oppenheimer is history, nuclear weapons are not,” the letter reads. “At a time of great uncertainty, even one nuclear weapon – on land, under the sea, in the air, or in space – is too many. To protect our families, our communities, and our world, we must demand that global leaders work to make nuclear weapons history – and build a brighter future.”
J Robert Oppenheimer’s grandson Charles has also added his name to the letter along with some stars from the film, including Tony Goldwyn and Matthew Modine.
“Every person should be educated about the incredible destructive power of nuclear weapons,” Modine said. “Understanding the threat illuminates a necessary path toward their elimination.”
Other names include Michael Douglas, Ellen Burstyn, Alan Cumming, Bill Nye, Christoph Waltz, Lily Tomlin, Viggo Mortensen and Annie Lennox.
It’s part of a new campaign called Makes Nukes History, launched by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, which also includes a billboard campaign and art installation. With the Oscars in Los Angeles on Sunday, about 1,000 posters across the city will use the film’s predicted success to draw attention to the ongoing problem.
The Nuclear Threat Initiative CEO, Ernest J Moniz, who was once the secretary of energy, said: “Robert Oppenheimer warned against developing even more powerful weapons and predicted that dangerous arms races would follow. He was right.”
