What happens if a nuclear war starts?
On August 6, 1945, at 8:45 am, the atomic bomb known as “Little Boy” was dropped over Hiroshima. It caused an enormous amount of destruction: buildings were leveled, everything in its path was incinerated, and tens of thousands of people perished instantly. According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) website, the bombing resulted in an estimated 140,000 deaths in Hiroshima.
After three days, Nagasaki faced a similar disaster when the second atomic bomb, called “Fat Man,” exploded over the city. The bombing resulted in an estimated 74,000 deaths in Nagasaki. In the years that followed, many of the survivors would face leukemia, cancer, or other terrible side effects from the radiation.
The atomic bomb “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of about 15 kilotons of TNT, meaning it exploded with the force of 15,000 tons of conventional explosives. The bomb itself weighed about 9,700 pounds (4,400 kilograms).
The “Fat Man” bomb dropped on Nagasaki had a yield of about 21 kilotons of TNT. It was slightly heavier than “Little Boy,” weighing approximately 10,300 pounds (4,670 kilograms). Ground temperatures reached 4,000°C, and radioactive rain poured down.Hospitals were overwhelmed with the injured, and medical supplies were scarce. People searched desperately for loved ones amid the chaos and destruction, while others tried to flee the cities in search of safety.
The fallout from the bombings was not just physical but also emotional and psychological. Survivors grappled with the trauma of witnessing such devastation and loss. Many suffered from radiation sickness, a mysterious and deadly illness caused by exposure to radiation.
In the years that followed, both cities worked tirelessly to rebuild and recover from the destruction. Memorials were erected to honor the victims, and efforts were made to ensure that the horrors of nuclear war would never be forgotten.
From past experiences, we now understand how dangerous nuclear weapons can be. According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Russia has the most confirmed nuclear weapons, with 5,997 nuclear warheads. The United States follows closely behind with 5,428 nuclear weapons, hosted in the US and five other nations: Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. The total nuclear warheads owned by these two countries alone account for 90% of nuclear weapons in the world.
The total number of warheads for North Korea and Israel is unconfirmed. However, it has been estimated that North Korea has enough fissile material to develop between 40–50 individual weapons, while Israel has material for up to 200, with an estimated 90 existing warheads. A single nuclear warhead could kill hundreds of thousands of people, with lasting and devastating humanitarian and environmental consequences. Detonating just one nuclear weapon over New York would cause an estimated 583,160 fatalities.
Combined, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea possess an estimated total of roughly 13,000 nuclear weapons, most of which are many times more powerful than the nuclear weapon dropped on Hiroshima.
LONG TERM EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR ATTACK
1. HEALTH
One of the most significant long-term effects of nuclear weapons is the toll they take on human health. Exposure to radiation from nuclear fallout can lead to a range of health problems, including cancer, genetic mutations, and reproductive disorders. Even low levels of radiation can increase the risk of developing cancer over time, with survivors of nuclear bombings and nuclear accidents facing elevated rates of various cancers decades after exposure. Their widespread use in atmospheric testing has caused grave long-term consequences. Physicians project that some 2.4 million people worldwide will eventually die from cancers due to atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1945 and 1980.
The use of less than one percent of the nuclear weapons in the world could disrupt the global climate and threaten as many as two billion people with starvation in a long-term nuclear famine. The detonation of thousands of nuclear weapons could result in a nuclear winter, which would destroy our fragile ecosystem.
2. ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
- NUCLEAR WINTER
When nuclear bombs explode, they release huge amounts of heat, light, and radiation. They also throw up massive amounts of dust, soot, and debris into the atmosphere. This debris can block out sunlight, causing temperatures to drop all around the world.
If many nuclear bombs were detonated in a war, the amount of debris sent into the atmosphere could be enough to create a thick cloud cover that blocks sunlight for months or even years. Without sunlight, plants wouldn’t be able to grow, and temperatures would drop dramatically. This could lead to a “nuclear winter,” where the Earth becomes much colder and darker, similar to winter but lasting much longer and affecting the whole planet.
2. POISONED ECOSYSTEM
When nuclear bombs explode, they release harmful radiation that contaminates the land and water in the surrounding areas. This contamination lasts for a long time, making it dangerous for plants and animals to live there.The radiation hurts animals, making them sick or even killing them. Animals that eat contaminated plants or drink from contaminated water can also get sick, and this can affect animals higher up the food chain, too.
Water bodies like rivers and lakes also get contaminated. Fish and other creatures in these waters can absorb the radiation, making them unsafe to eat. This is bad for both people who rely on fishing for food and the animals that depend on these water sources. Plants struggle to grow in soil that’s been contaminated by radiation. This means there’s less food for animals, which can lead to fewer animals living in these areas.
The radiation from nuclear bombs messes up the natural balance of plants and animals in these places. It can take a very long time for the environment to recover, and it’s important to try to protect these areas to keep them safe for all living things.
3. WATER WOES
Contamination of water sources by radioactive particles from nuclear blasts or reactor accidents poses a serious threat to aquatic animals like fish and other marine life. These animals can ingest or absorb the radioactive substances, leading to illness or death. As a result, fish may become unsafe for consumption, as they can carry radioactive materials in their bodies, passing them along the food chain to other animals, including humans. Additionally, contaminated water disrupts the habitats of aquatic animals, impacting their ability to find food, reproduce, and thrive.
The overall impact on water animals can be severe, with long-lasting consequences for their health and the ecosystems they inhabit. This underscores the importance of preventing nuclear contamination of water sources to safeguard the well-being of aquatic life and maintain the balance of our oceans and rivers. Nuclear blasts or accidents at reactors can contaminate water sources such as groundwater, rivers, and lakes, rendering them unsafe for drinking, farming, or industrial purposes. This contamination can spread through rivers and ocean currents, affecting marine animals and disrupting entire aquatic ecosystems.
4. NUCLEAR WASTELAND
When there’s a nuclear accident or a nuclear bomb explosion, radioactive substances are released into the environment. These substances can contaminate the land, water, and air in the surrounding area, making it dangerous for people and animals to live there.
In a nuclear wasteland, the land becomes barren and lifeless, with plants unable to grow and animals unable to survive. The water becomes polluted and unsafe to drink or use for farming or fishing. The air may also be contaminated, posing a risk to anyone who breathes it in. These areas are often fenced off or marked as restricted zones to keep people out and prevent further exposure to radiation. Efforts to clean up and decontaminate nuclear wastelands can be extremely challenging and may take decades or even centuries to complete.
For example,
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 resulted in the release of large amounts of radioactive material into the environment. As a result, a 30-kilometer exclusion zone was established around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. This area remains largely uninhabited due to the high levels of radiation, earning it the reputation of being a nuclear wasteland .
5. SOCIAL DISRUPTION
When nuclear bombs go off, it’s dangerous to stay in the area because of the explosions and the radiation they leave behind. So, families have to leave everything behind and find somewhere safer to go. This causes a lot of problems because families get separated, communities break apart, and it’s hard for people to help each other like they used to. People feel really sad and scared because they’ve lost their homes and maybe even their loved ones. After the bombs, it’s tough for people to trust each other and work together because everyone is worried about what might happen next. Helping families get back together and communities rebuild is really important after a nuclear war, but it’s not easy.
6. Economic Fallout
Nuclear blasts would cripple essential infrastructure like power grids, transportation networks, and communication systems. This would disrupt the flow of goods and services, hindering economic activity. Factories, farms, and other productive facilities would be destroyed or rendered unusable by radiation, leading to shortages of essential goods and a massive decline in economic output. International trade would likely grind to a halt as transportation networks are disrupted and countries become isolated,focusing on basic survival.
Food production would plummet due to disruptions to agriculture, contaminated land, and a lack of resources. This could lead to global famines on a scale never before witnessed. Stock markets would crash, currencies would become worthless, and global financial institutions would collapse. The concept of a functioning global economy would be a distant memory. The scarcity of resources like food, water, and energy would lead to competition and conflict between nations and groups, further hindering economic recovery.
Conclusion
Nuclear war wouldn’t be like a movie with explosions and heroes. It would be a giant disaster with horrible effects that would last for years, even centuries.
Imagine cities turned to dust, with people and animals sick from invisible poison. Food wouldn’t grow, and clean water would be hard to find. The world would become a scary place, with countries fighting for scraps. This wouldn’t just hurt the countries that fight. Even faraway lands would feel the sting. Trade would stop, money wouldn’t matter, and everyone would struggle to survive.
The worst part? It wouldn’t just be bad for us. The damage would hurt the planet too. Plants and animals wouldn’t be able to live in the poisoned areas, and the weather could change in strange ways. Nuclear war is a terrible idea. It’s like playing with the most dangerous toy ever made. Instead, we should work together to stop these weapons from ever being used again. We need peace, not a fight that could destroy everything. The future is in our hands. Let’s choose wisely.
