Introduction to Nuclear War
A terrifying simulation has shown the destruction the world would suffer in the event of a nuclear war between two nations. This simulation serves as a warning at a time when the world has come closer to a nuclear war since the Cold War, with the potential to destroy the atmosphere and cause widespread famine.
The Simulation
The simulation showed that a nuclear war would last almost a decade, causing widespread famine for those who survive the initial devastating bombing. It is predicted that in the event of a nuclear war between the United States and Russia, an estimated 99 percent of the population would die in the warring countries, as well as in Europe and China. Other attacks around the world could lead to catastrophic events, completely disrupting the structure of society.
Effects of Nuclear Winter
Research showed that a large-scale global nuclear war could inject 165 million tons of ashes into the atmosphere, damaging the protective layer of the atmosphere, the ozone, and blocking sunlight from reaching the Earth’s surface. This could affect global food production, leaving millions of people in hunger. The simulation used corn, one of the most widespread grains in the world, as a test subject and found that a broader nuclear war could lead to a decline in annual corn income by 80%.
Consequences for Global Food Production
The simulations suggest that it could take between 7 and 12 years for global corn production to recover from the nuclear winter. Scientists used corn production at 38,572 locations as part of six nuclear war scenarios with increasing severity, with soot injections between 5 million and 165 million tons. The explosion and fireball of nuclear explosions produce nitrogen oxides in the stratosphere, which, along with heating from absorbing soot, could quickly destroy the ozone, increasing UV-B radiation levels on the Earth’s surface and damaging plant tissue.
Current Global Conflicts
Everything comes at a time when the world experiences increasingly more conflicts. A few months ago, India’s military launched strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, and Islamabad retaliated by starting its own streak of attacks against its arch-enemy, New Delhi. While a ceasefire between the two countries was soon agreed upon, an all-out conflict could have led to a nuclear war, feared experts. India and Pakistan are equipped with enough nuclear warheads to cause complete devastation in the region.
Rising Tensions
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also pushed the world to a dangerous place. Moscow has prepared its citizens for a nuclear war with the West, with several media outlets, part of Putin’s propaganda machine, actively publishing articles discussing a nuclear armageddon between Russia and the West. In the meantime, there have been threats and escalations from other world leaders, highlighting the need for robust food circulation and modern logistics systems to ensure that essential items can reach people whenever necessary.
