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# Nuclear Famine

The Deadly Consequences of Nuclear War

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## Posts

- [Articles](https://nuclearfamine.org/articles/)
- [Turning a Blind Eye Towards Armageddon — U.S. Leaders Reject Nuclear Winter Studies](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/deterrence-doctrine-and-strategy/) - Turning a Blind Eye Towards Armageddon — U.S. Leaders Reject Nuclear Winter Studies Published in 2017 by the Federation of American Scientists. Unfortunately, not much has changed since then. Note: The FAS apparently removed the article from their website sometime in the last few years. It will be appearing as a chapter in my next
- [A nuclear war fought with 100 atomic bombs](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/5-million-tons-of-smoke-created-by-100-hiroshima-size-nuclear-weapons/) - A total of 100 atomic bombs (15-kiloton) detonated in the largest cities of India and Pakistan produce nuclear firestorms that cause 5 to 7 million tons of soot and smoke to rise above cloud level into the stratosphere. In a few weeks, a global stratospheric smoke layer forms that blocks about 10% of sunlight from
- [Hiroshima and Nagasaki: before and after the atomic bomb](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/mccloy-zorin-accords/) - I would like to thank the City of Hiroshima (Cultural Promotion Division Culture and Sports Department Citizens Affairs Bureau) for letting me use the following images. Hiroshima and Nagasaki Before the Bomb Click on the photos to enlarge for viewing [su_custom_gallery source="media: 370,395,394,392,391,390,389,388,387,386,385,384,383,382,381,380,379,378,377" limit="50" width="200" height="200" title="hover" link="lightbox" ] Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the bomb
- [Consequences of a large nuclear war: A global stratospheric smoke layer causes nuclear winter, resulting in global Nuclear Famine](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/what-is-nuclear-darkness/) - Following a large nuclear war fought between the US and Russia (could include China, and NATO member states), nuclear detonations in cities and industrial areas would create enormous nuclear firestorms that scientists predict will produce approximately 150 million tons of smoke. Most of this dark smoke would quickly rise above cloud level into the stratosphere. High winds in the stratosphere
- [Nuclear Weapons Tests: Video Library](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/nuclear-weapons-tests-youtube-video-library/) - The Tsar Bomb The largest bomb detonated in history was the 57,000 kiloton (57 Megaton, or 57 million tons of TNT explosive equivalent) Russian test in 1961. The fireball was 110 miles in diameter; the radius of the fire zone = about 64 miles. The total area of mass fire, or firestorm, would have been
- [Scientific Articles on Nuclear War and URLs for maps of US nuclear fallout from Nevada nuclear weapons tests 1951-1962](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/a-treaty-to-eliminate-nuclear-weapons/) - Copied below is a list of authoritative articles on the consequences of nuclear war Click on the title to go to the article What would happen if an 800-kiloton nuclear warhead detonated above midtown Manhattan? Self-assured destruction: The climate impacts of nuclear war Nuclear Winter Nuclear winter revisited with a modern climate model and current
- [US and Russian Presidents are followed by "Nuclear Briefcases" that allow them to order a nuclear war in minutes](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/global-warming-vs-cooling-from-nuclear-war/) - US and Russian Presidents are constantly accompanied by a military officer carrying “the nuclear briefcase” (nicknamed the “football”), which contains something that resembles a laptop computer that allows the President to give the permission order to launch a nuclear strike (in Russia, the suitcase is called cheget). The permission order to launch can be transmitted
- [Atomic bombs compared to Hydrogen bombs (thermonuclear weapons)](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/the-abolition-of-nuclear-weapons/) - Nuclear weapons are like a small piece of the sun. The surface of a fireball produced by a nuclear detonation is hotter than the surface of the sun. The immense heat produced by a nuclear detonation can instantly ignite fires over many tens or even hundreds of square miles. These fires can all become a
- [Change Launch-On-Warning Policy](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/consequences-of-a-large-nuclear-war-2/) - This article was written (17 years ago) with the express purpose of greatly reducing the chances of accidental nuclear war that would be the result of a false warning of nuclear attack (through electronic Early Warning Systems). Should either the US or Russia accept a faulty electronic early warning signal to mean that a nuclear
- [New terminology to help prevent accidental nuclear war](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/global-temperatures-1-year-after-50-million-tons-of-smoke-enter-stratosphere/) - By Steven Starr, Robin Collins, Robert Green, Ernie Regehr published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, September 29, 2015, see https://thebulletin.org/2015/09/new-terminology-to-help-prevent-accidental-nuclear-war/ Since the advent of US and Russian nuclear-armed ballistic missiles and early warning systems, the danger has always existed that a false warning of attack—believed to be true—could cause either nation to inadvertently
- [Putin's Warning to the West](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/online-references-for-war-with-high-yield-nuclear-weapons/) - This candid conversation took place with representatives of various media outlets during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, in June 2016. Putin urged journalists to report genuinely on the impending danger that is a nuclear arms race. Back in 2002, the United States unilaterally and without consultation, withdrew from the landmark Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.
- [New Russian Weapon Systems: The balance of power has changed](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/eliminate-high-alert-launch-ready-nuclear-weapons/) - Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook The Implications of Russia's New Weapon Systems by Andrei Martyanov • March 5, 2018 During the August 2008 Russo-Georgian War, the operations of Russia’s 58th Army were termed as “coercion into peace”. It is an appropriate term once one recalls what truly was at
- [McCloy-Zorin Accords (a US-Soviet agreement to end war),  Russel-Einstein Manifesto](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/no-first-use-of-nuclear-weapons/) - McCloy-Zorin Accords Should the US, Russia, China, Britain, France, and all other nations of the world ever manage to act on these agreed principles, the world would be a much better place. JOINT STATEMENT OF AGREED PRINCIPLESFOR DISARMAMENT NEGOTIATIONS20th September 1961 The United States and the USSR have agreed to recommend the following principles as
- [Nuclear Weapons Tests and Radioactive Fallout](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/disarmament-versus-deterrence/) - Radioactive Fallout from Nuclear Weapons Tests Creating an atmospheric nuclear detonation is an extremely efficient way to spread radioactivity throughout the globe. While most of the 200 or so radioactive isotopes (often called radionuclides) created in a nuclear detonation have very short half-lives (they self-destruct in a manner of seconds, hours, days or weeks), there
- [The Ban Treaty, or The Treaty on the Prohibition Nuclear Weapons (TPNNW):  Identifying the unacceptable immorality of nuclear weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/the-case-for-a-nuclear-weapons-convention/) - The Ban Treaty creates a moral stigma against any nation that develops, tests, manufactures, possesses, transfers, stores, threatens to use or uses (or encourages to use) nuclear weapons. Thus, the TPNNW has been strongly resisted by those nations that have nuclear arsenals (the nuclear weapon states). The Ban Treaty is not an "arms control" or
- [JFK's Warning and His Vision of a World Without Nuclear Weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/a-roadmap-for-peace/) - On September 20, 1961, in the city of Belgrade, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the McCloy-Zorin Accords. This remarkable agreement, which calls for “War No Longer”, set guidelines for not only nuclear disarmament, but complete and general disarmament of all nations of the world. Should the political will be found to achieve
- [On the 8th Day - Nuclear Winter Documentary](https://nuclearfamine.org/hiroshima/city-on-fire/) - Filmed in 1984, when the first scientific discoveries about nuclear winter had been made. Unfortunately, there was a successful smear campaign against the scientists and their research, and the predictions of nuclear winter were ignored for many years. Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
- [Why you should worry about nuclear war](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/faqs/) - Dr. Brian Toon and Dr. Alan Robock, two of the smartest people on the planet, explain the dangers of nuclear war. Take a few minutes to listen to them and then share this with others Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
- [Nuclear Weapons Tests and Radioactive Fallout](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/high-yield-vs-low-yield-nuclear-weapons/) - Massive amounts of plutonium and other radionuclides lie buried in a shallow grave barely above sea level in the South Pacific (high-level radioactive waste from US nuclear weapons tests). And the dome is corroding while the sea is rising. Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
- [Effects of an 800-Kiloton Nuclear Warhead Detonated above Midtown Manhattan](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/physics/) - published February 2015 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, see https://thebulletin.org/2015/02/what-would-happen-if-an-800-kiloton-nuclear-warhead-detonated-above-midtown-manhattan/ By Steven Starr, Lynn Eden, and Theordor Postol Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles are believed to carry a total of approximately 1,000 strategic nuclear warheads that can hit the US less than 30 minutes after being launched. Of this total, about 700 warheads are
- [CITY ON FIRE by Lynn Eden; C3: Nuclear Command, Control, Cooperation by Colonel Valery Yarynich](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/nuclear-tests/) - City on Fire by Lynn Eden By ignoring the fire damage that would result from a nuclear attack and taking into account blast damage alone, U.S. war planners were able to demand a far larger nuclear arsenal than necessary. For more than 50 years, the U.S. Government has seriously underestimated damage from nuclear attacks. The
- [Launch-On-Warning (LOW)](https://nuclearfamine.org/solutions/change-launch-on-warning-policy/) - US and Russian forces have Launch-On-Warning (LOW) capability; both nations will likely use LOW during crisis See: Change Launch on Warning Policy Through the possession of launch-ready nuclear-armed missiles, Early Warning Systems and nuclear command and control networks, the US and Russia the capability to Launch-On-Warning (LOW) warning of attack. That is, the combination of
- [How I Became a Nuclear Skeptic](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/links/) - Gordon Edwards is a Canadian expert who has spent decades studying nuclear power and radioactive waste, see his list of publications at http://www.ccnr.org/essays_answers.html
- [Movies: Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/online-references-for-war-with-low-yield-nuclear-weapons/) - The images and film footage in this video were taken by a Japanese filmmaker, Akira Iwasaki, who was jailed by the Japanese government during WW II for his antiwar beliefs. The US government prevented this from being seen until 1970, when it was finally obtained by Erik Barnouw of Columbia University. Barnou produced this video
- [U.S. and Russian Launch-Ready Nuclear Weapons: A Threat to All Nations and Peoples](https://nuclearfamine.org/global-nuclear-arsenal/status-of-world-nuclear-forces/) - The original version of this article was published in 2012 (unfortunately, little has changed since then). This is a slightly updated version; you can find the original version at. https://www.wagingpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2011_06_24_starr.pdf U.S. and Russian Launch-Ready Nuclear Weapons:A Threat to All Nations and Peoples Although U.S. and Russian Presidents have jointly declared that relations between their nations
- [Detailed scientific explanations and observations of nuclear weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/reduced-canadian-wheat-growing-potential-after-small-drops-in-average-temperature/) - The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, by Glasstone and Dolan, is considered the primary scientific reference on nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons effects. Listed below are the URLs for the third edition, published in 1977. The files for this book were created and graciously provided by the Princeton Program on Science & Global Security. While they no
- [Fallout from Nuclear Weapons Tests and Cancer Risks](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/emerging-nuclear-weapon-states/) - The fallout from Nuclear Weapons Tests and Cancer Risks
- [Video: Radioactive cesium from burning nuclear power plant spreads across Eurasia and the Chernobyl radioactive exclusion zone](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/reduced-global-precipitation-1-year-after-150-million-tons-of-smoke-enter-the-stratosphere/) - This video was created by the IRSN (the official French Institute for Radiological Protection and Safety); it shows the spread of radioactive cesium137 from the destroyed and burning Chernoybyl nuclear power plant, which burned for more than 14 days in the spring of 1986. Note that the radiation also made its way to China and the US
- [Fallout from Nuclear Weapons Tests and Cancer Risks](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/specific-nuclear-weapon-effects/) - The fallout from Nuclear Weapons Tests and Cancer Risks
- [Wikipedia links on Nuclear Weapons (design, testing, history)](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/general-information-and-historical-data-about-nuclear-weapons/) - Nuclear Weapon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon History of Nuclear Weapons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_nuclear_weapons Nuclear Weapon Testing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_testing Nuclear Warfare http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_warfare The Nuclear Weapons Archive: A Guide to Nuclear Weapons http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/ Nuclear Weapon Design http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon_designhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon_designhttp://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/design.htm Nuclear Darkness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_darkness
- [20 Mishaps that Might Have Started Accidental Nuclear War](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/reduced-growing-seasons-3-years-after-150-million-tons-of-smoke-enter-the-stratosphere/) - 20 Mishaps that Might Have Started Accidental Nuclear War By Alan Phillips January 15, 1998 Ever since the two adversaries in the Cold War, U.S.A. and U.S.S.R., realized that their nuclear arsenals were sufficient to do disastrous damage to both countries at short notice, the leaders and military commanders have thought about the possibility of
- [20 Mishaps that Might Have Started Accidental Nuclear War](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/nuclear-weapons-policy-issues/) - 20 Mishaps that Might Have Started Accidental Nuclear War By Alan Phillips January 15, 1998 Ever since the two adversaries in the Cold War, U.S.A. and U.S.S.R., realized that their nuclear arsenals were sufficient to do disastrous damage to both countries at short notice, the leaders and military commanders have thought about the possibility of
- [Nukemap - visualize the nuclear destruction of any city](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/reduced-growing-seasons-3-years-post-conflict-after-50-million-tons-of-smoke-enter-stratosphere/) - Check out this website: Go to the Nukemap website, where you can plug in an address, select a nuclear weapon (pick the explosive power), detonate it and visualize the prompt effects of a nuclear detonation.
- [Detonation of US and Russian launch-ready nuclear weapons: 50 million tons of smoke into the stratosphere causes Nuclear Famine](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/50-million-tons-of-stratospheric-smoke-from-a-large-nuclear-conflict/) - Following a large U.S.-Russian nuclear war, 50 million tons of smoke is lofted high into the stratosphere and is quickly spread around the world. A dense smoke layer quickly forms around both Hemispheres which will remain in place for many years to block sunlight from reaching the surface of the Earth. Growing seasons would be
- [Launch-On-Warning](https://nuclearfamine.org/high-alert-nuclear-weapons/launch-on-warning/) - O See: Change Launch on Warning Policy Through the possession of launch-ready nuclear-armed missiles, Early Warning Systems and nuclear command and control networks, the US and Russia the capability to Launch-On-Warning (LOW) warning of attack. That is, the combination of these systems gives them the capacity to detect an enemy nuclear attack and order a
- [Hiroshima & Nagasaki: After Destruction](https://nuclearfamine.org/hiroshima/hiroshima-nagasaki-after-destruction/) - I would like to thank the City of Hiroshima (Cultural Promotion Division Culture and Sports Department Citizens Affairs Bureau) for letting me use the following images. [su_custom_gallery source="media: 421,420,419,418,417,416,415,414,413,412,411,410,409,406,405" limit="50" link="lightbox" width="200" height="200" title="hover"]
- [Panorama Pictures of Hiroshima](https://nuclearfamine.org/hiroshima/panorama-pictures-of-hiroshima/) - I would like to thank the City of Hiroshima (Cultural Promotion Division Culture and Sports Department Citizens Affairs Bureau) for letting me use the following images. Click on each image to get full magnification. [su_custom_gallery source="media: 404,403,402,401,400" limit="50" link="lightbox" width="300" height="100" title=" hover "]
- [The people of Hiroshima & Nagasaki](https://nuclearfamine.org/hiroshima/the-people-of-hiroshima-nagasaki/) - These images may be disturbing to some people. I would like to thank the City of Hiroshima (Cultural Promotion Division Culture and Sports Department Citizens Affairs Bureau) for letting me use the following images. [su_expand more_text="Show Gallery" less_text="Hide Gallery" height="0" hide_less="" link_color=" #bf0000" link_style="button" more_icon="icon: camera"] [su_custom_gallery source="media: 549,548,547,546,545,544,543,542,541,540,539,538,537,536,535,534,533,532,531,530,529,528,527,526,525,524,523,522,521,520,519,518,517,516" limit="50" link="lightbox" width="200" height="200"] [/su_expand]
- [Hiroshima & Nagasaki: Before Destruction](https://nuclearfamine.org/hiroshima/hiroshima-nagasaki-before-destruction/) - Before Destruction Nuclear Darkness would like to thank the City of Hiroshima (Cultural Promotion Division Culture and Sports Department Citizens Affairs Bureau) for letting us use the following images. [su_custom_gallery source="media: 370,395,394,392,391,390,389,388,387,386,385,384,383,382,381,380,379,378,377" limit="50" width="200" height="200" title="hover" link="lightbox" ]
- [Detailed scientific explanations and observations of nuclear weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/nuclear-weapons-explained/detailed-scientific-explanations-and-observations-of-nuclear-weapons/) - The Glasstone-Dolan book is considered the primary scientific reference on nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons effects. Listed below are the URLs for the third edition, published in 1977. https://www.princeton.edu/sgs/publications/articles/effects/effects.shtml The files for this book were created and graciously provided by the Princeton Program on Science & Global Security. Chapter 1: General Principles of Nuclear Explosions Chapter
- [Global Nuclear Arsenal 2009](https://nuclearfamine.org/global-nuclear-arsenal/global-nuclear-arsenal-2009/) - Click to download PDF
- [Comparison of the Nuclear Arsenals](https://nuclearfamine.org/global-nuclear-arsenal/comparison-of-the-nuclear-arsenals/) - Total Fire Power of World War II vs. High-Alert Weapons vs. U.S. and Russian Deployed Nuclear Weapons Total Fire Power of World War II vs. High-Alert Weapons Total Fire Power of World War II vs. Russian Deployed Nuclear Weapons
- [Retaliatory Launch Only After Detonation (RLOAD)](https://nuclearfamine.org/high-alert-nuclear-weapons/retaliatory-launch-only-after-detonation-rload/) - See www.RLOAD.org Ironically, the US and Russia are also unwilling to publicly state that they will not employ LoW. It is arguable that a commitment by both nations to abandon LoW and substitute a policy of Retaliatory Launch Only After Detonation (RLOAD) would eliminate the possibility of an accidental nuclear war based upon a false warning
- [Catastrophic Climatic Consequences of Nuclear Conflict](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/catastrophic-climatic-consequences-of-nuclear-conflict/) - (Oct. 2009 Version) This article was published in the INESAP Information Bulletin 28 in April 2008 Download the updated 2009 version here Abstract Despite a two-thirds reduction in global nuclear arsenals since 1986, new scientific research makes it clear that the environmental consequences of nuclear war can still end human history. A series of peer-reviewed
- [High-Alert Nuclear Weapons: the Forgotten Danger](https://nuclearfamine.org/high-alert-nuclear-weapons/high-alert-nuclear-weapons-the-forgotten-danger/) - Steven Starr argues that the continued maintenance of US and Russian nuclear weapons on high alert means that the threat of accidental (or deliberate) global nuclear war has not gone away. Although the Cold War is said to have ended in 1991, the US and Russia each still operate under the assumption that the other
- [Deadly Climate Change From Nuclear War: A threat to human existence](https://nuclearfamine.org/war-consequences/deadly-climate-change-from-nuclear-war-a-threat-to-human-existence/) - Steven Starr, PSR, University of Missouri Abstract A tiny fraction of the operational nuclear arsenals, if detonated within large cities, would generate enough smoke to cause catastrophic disruptions of the global climate[1]and massive destruction of the protective stratospheric ozone layer.[2] Environmental devastation caused by a war fought with many thousands of strategic nuclear weapons would

## Pages

- [home](https://nuclearfamine.org/)
- [Catastrophic Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War](https://nuclearfamine.org/articles/war-consequences/) - In one hour, 3600 nuclear weapons are detonated in US-Russian nuclear war Massive nuclear firestorms create a global stratospheric smoke layer: this causes Nuclear Winter resulting in global Nuclear Famine Following a large nuclear war fought between the US and Russia (could include China, and NATO member states), thousands of nuclear detonations in cities and
- [An EMP Attack on the U.S. Power Grids and Critical National Infrastructure](https://nuclearfamine.org/connect/) - An EMP Attack on the U.S. Power Grids and Critical National Infrastructure There are 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world: 3 of them can destroy the U.S. https://www.unz.com/article/an-emp-attack-on-the-u-s-power-grids-and-critical-national-infrastructure/#comment-7169333 The detonation of a 1.44-megaton W49 nuclear warhead 250 miles above Johnston Island in 1958 resulted in the first recorded high-altitude electromagnetic pulse. The photo was taken
- [About nuclearfamine.org and Steven Starr](https://nuclearfamine.org/about-steven-starr/) - Many thanks to David Krieger of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, as well as to Dr. Clarence Lo and the Peace Studies Program at the University of Missouri for their kind support in setting up this website. The nuclearfamine.org website was created by Steven Starr MPH, MT(ASCP)BB. Email address: nuclearstarr@gmail.comProfessor Starr directed the Clinical Laboratory
- [Status of World Nuclear Forces](https://nuclearfamine.org/articles/solutions/) - Many thanks to Hans Kristensen and the Federation of American Scientists for the use of this information, see https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces/ and https://thebulletin.org/premium/2025-01/united-states-nuclear-weapons-2025/ Instead of planning for nuclear disarmament, the nuclear-armed states appear to plan to retain large arsenals for the indefinite future. All continue to modernize their remaining nuclear forces, and several of these nations are
- [for cell phone: Summary of Nuclear High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse](https://nuclearfamine.org/articles/hiroshima/) - Nuclear High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse: A Mortal Threat to the U.S. Power Grid and U.S. Nuclear Power Plants is now available on Amazon; click on the title to go to Amazon page, or click on this link to go to Barnes & Noble. There also is an eBook (Kindle) version available, too. HEMP stands for High-altitudeNuclear High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse: A Mortal Threat to the U.S. Power Grid and U.S. Nuclear Power Plants is now available on Amazon; click on the title to go to Amazon page, or click on this link to go to Barnes & Noble. There also is an eBook (Kindle) version available, too. HEMP stands for High-altitude
- [Why you should worry about nuclear war](https://nuclearfamine.org/articles/nuclear-weapons-explained/) - Dr. Brian Toon and Dr. Alan Robock, two of the smartest people on the planet, explain the dangers of nuclear war. Take a few minutes to listen to them and then share this with others. This video is the property of TED.com, visit their site at https://www.ted.com/ Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on
- [The long-term environmental consequences of a nuclear war between the US and Russia could kill most humans and land animals.  An India-Pakistan nuclear war could cause 2 billion people to starve to death. Nuclear war threatens all nations and peoples.](https://nuclearfamine.org/home/nuclear-war-threatens-human-existence/) - t US and Russian presidents can each order more than 800 nuclear warheads to be launched in a matter of a few minutes. The detonation of these weapons would cause "Self-Assured Destruction" for both nations, as well as most other nations and peoples, as survivors of the war would starve during a nuclear famine. Read
- [Status of World Nuclear Forces](https://nuclearfamine.org/articles/global-nuclear-arsenal/) - Many thanks to Hans Kristensen and the Federation of American Scientists for the use of this information, see https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces/ How to read this table: “Deployed strategic warheads” are those deployed on intercontinental missiles and at heavy bomber bases. “Deployed nonstrategic warheads” are those deployed on bases with operational short-range delivery systems. “Reserve/Nondeployed” warheads are those not deployed
- [](https://nuclearfamine.org/home/754-2/)
- [Nuclear War Threatens Human Existence](https://nuclearfamine.org/home/nuclear-war-threatens-human-existence-2/)
- [High-Alert Nuclear Weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/articles/high-alert-nuclear-weapons/)

## Categories

- [Nuclear Weapons Explained](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/nuclear-weapons-explained/) - Nuclear weapons are the ultimate weapons of mass destruction, capable of destroying entire cities and nations in minutes. They are biological time bombs; deadly radioactive residues created by nuclear explosions are dispersed indiscriminately over time and space to kill, sicken and mutate future generations of all living things. They are instruments of genocide; their initial effects kill millions and their longer-term radiological and environmental effects threaten the continued existence of humans and most complex forms of life on Earth. [su_spoiler title=”Keep reading…” icon=”arrow”]Nuclear weapons convey an almost mythological degree of power to those who possess them. Nations that obtain nuclear weapons are transformed, within the minds of their neighbors and rivals, into inhuman entities whose intentions are always evil and untrustworthy. Any enemy with a nuclear weapon becomes an absolute enemy. Nuclear weapons thus act to corrupt and destroy supremely important moral values and the shared human experience which allow nations to live together in peace. Nuclear weapons have turned former allies into implacable foes and have brought us all to the edge of the ultimate disaster, nuclear war. They have made mass murder an option accepted by all. Nuclear weapons create security demands which destroy democratic traditions and eliminate individual rights. Even a complete police state will be hard pressed to prevent nuclear weapons from being smuggled across its borders or carried into its harbors. Nations that possess nuclear weapons implicitly threaten all other nations with their use. Possession implies intent. Whether the threat is overt or covert, the threat exists. Terrorists threaten with one or a few weapons; nations threaten with hundreds or thousands of weapons. Any nation which has a nuclear arsenal actively maintains detailed plans for the use of that arsenal. Thus nations which own nuclear weapons actively plan for the mass murder of the populations of the nations which they consider their enemies. Such plans for nuclear mass murder become codified, given names and become standard operating procedure in the event of nuclear war. In the U.S., such plans were for many years called the Single Integrated Operational Plan, or SIOP. Eventually it came to be called “the living SIOP” when computers kept it updated 24 hours a day with nuclear strike options. Most recently it has been called CONPLAN or OPLAN. STRATCOM documents state that it is now designed to fulfill a “Global Strike” mission. And there is no doubt that similar plans exist in Russia. Sixty years of nuclear arsenals have conditioned us to accept nuclear weapons as a normal and necessary part of world affairs. Decades of planning for their use have made us implicitly accept mass murder as the foundation of military doctrine. Meanwhile, denial of the reality of nuclear war has become a way of life. Hidden in the shadows, hundreds of missiles armed with thousands of nuclear warheads still sit waiting in their underground silos, with their motors powered up and launch crews standing by for orders. Nuclear subs glide silently beneath the oceans, each constantly rotated in and out of positions where they can fire enough warheads to destroy any country on Earth. Nuclear bombs are still positioned in overseas bases in case they are needed for war. However, here in the US, we have no real national public awareness of the extent and nature of our nuclear arsenal. There has been no public debate or discussion of this issue since the end of the Cold War in 1991. Even as it now appears that the Cold War is returning – without any serious internal political debate, even during a presidential election – there remains a deadly sense of complacency surrounding the subject of nuclear war. We have an uninformed leadership followed by an uninformed electorate, which together seem to be sleep walking towards nuclear extinction. The entire human population is still held hostage to the whims of ever changing national interests of the United States and Russia. What national goal exists that warrants risking the continued existence of the human species? What about the interests of the other living inhabitants of this planet who will also be wiped out by a nuclear holocaust? If we wish to continue to exist, we have to change this dynamic. Political and military leaders must be made to understand and admit that their nuclear arsenals cannot in the long-term guarantee anything other than the destruction of the human race.[/su_spoiler]
- [Hiroshima](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/hiroshima/)
- [Global Nuclear Arsenal](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/global-nuclear-arsenal/)
- [High-Alert Nuclear Weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/high-alert-nuclear-weapons/)
- [War Consequences](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/war-consequences/)
- [Solutions](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/solutions/)
- [Online Resources](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/nuclear-weapons-explained/online-resources/) - There are some great websites that provide sophisticated yet understandable answers to how nuclear weapons work, the history of their development and testing, and what effects these weapons have when detonated. I do not wish to attempt to duplicate or paraphrase this material.
- [Facts About Nuclear Weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/nuclear-weapons-explained/facts-about-nuclear-weapons/)
- [Before the Bomb](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/hiroshima/before-the-bomb/)
- [After the Bomb](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/hiroshima/after-the-bomb/)
- [Atomic bombs versus Thermonuclear weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/war-consequences/hiroshima-size-weapons/)
- [High-Yield Weapons](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/war-consequences/high-yield-weapons/)
- [Panorama](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/hiroshima/panorama/)
- [Featured](https://nuclearfamine.org/category/featured/)