Planet earth in jeopardy: environmental consequences of nuclear war

Book · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6544965

Dotto, L

An attempt is made to describe the details of what nuclear war could actually mean for the world. The events during and following a possible large-scale exchange of nuclear weapons and all the associated uncertainties are presented. The first major uncertainty involves how many nuclear weapons could be used in the event of war. The discussion chooses half the world's stockpile, or 6000 megatons, as a basis for judging nuclear war's effects. Shock waves, an electromagnetic pulse, searing heat, and ionizing radiation account for the initial deaths and destruction. Petroleum and other organic materials combust to set up a nuclear winter and all the disturbances to agriculture, forests, waters, etc. This is where the book's greatest message comes through: the seriousness of the aftereffects, especially on agriculture, could far exceed the immediate effects.

• OSTI ID: 6544965
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510300 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560140 -- Radiation Effects on Plants
560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EXPLOSIONS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
NUCLEAR WINTER
RADIATION HAZARDS
WEAPONS