ABSTRACT
Social ecology has always possessed a strong link with the pursuit of peace and disarmament. Accordingly, the concept of security has radically changed. This has been reinforced by the idea that a strong military as the basis of security for the nation state is outdated, diversionary and dangerous. The financial costs of overt military structures are detrimental because they divert scarce resources into military budgets which are often critically needed elsewhere. War and violence are the antithesis of development. From local wars to global Armageddon, war kills people, destroys lives, communities and society. The nuclear weapons which exploded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had the explosive power of 15 and 12 kilotons respectively, that is, 15,000 and 12,000 tons of TNT. Traditionally, arms control has adopted a myopic approach, focusing on specific classes of weapons. The threat of Armageddon has receded since the end of the Cold War.
