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To the Editor:

“The President’s Arsenal” (editorial, Dec. 17) makes clear that nuclear war is the single greatest risk facing the United States and the world.

President-elect Donald Trump seems to understand that we are one miscalculation away from unleashing unfathomable destruction. This should compel him to take the lead in opening a serious dialogue among the nuclear-armed nations. A good beginning would be a joint no-first-use pledge with Russia and China, reversing the shortsighted policies of all previous presidents since World War II allowing for the first use of nuclear weapons.

But he can and must go further. Contrary to your assertion that “Abolition is something the United States has not seriously considered — and cannot now afford to consider,” abolition must be the goal. President Ronald Reagan’s pursuit of arms control was grounded in his steadfast belief that humanity and nuclear weapons cannot forever coexist. On Jan. 16, 1984, he stated, “Indeed, I support a zero option for all nuclear arms. As I’ve said before, my dream is to see the day when nuclear weapons will be banished from the face of the Earth.”

Mr. Trump has the chance to fulfill Reagan’s dream — and literally save the world.

Michael ChristMalden, Mass.The writer is the executive director of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

But the move backfired in a way that few supporters expected. Californians in 2021 actually tossed nearly 50 percent more plastic bags, by weight, than when the law first passed in 2014, according to data from CalRecycle, California’s recycling agency.

To the Editor:

While your editorial focuses on the first use of nuclear weapons, any decision to order their use — whether first use or in retaliation — is too momentous to rest with any one person.

Fortunately, there is an approach — supported by former Defense Secretary William J. Perry — that could be instituted using existing systems.

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