we'll be in the fallout shelter
from Grist:
Not fully convinced that a nuclear war would suck? Perhaps this will do
the trick: Scientists are reviving the "nuclear winter" fears of the
1980s, portending that even a small, regional nuke kerfuffle could
trigger a devastating global cooling. Advanced computer models show
that thick clouds from urban firestorms could rise into the upper
atmosphere and block the sun's rays for about a decade, destroying
crops and killing tens of millions of people. Oh, and the ozone layer
would experience significant shrinkage, too. In short, says researcher
Richard Turco, "all hell would break loose." About 40 countries have
enough plutonium or uranium on hand to construct a decent nuclear
arsenal -- not that they would, right? "Nuclear weapons are the most
dangerous potential environmental danger to the planet," says
researcher Alan Robock, dangerously. "They're much more dangerous than
global warming." But nucular energy is a whole different kettle of ...
catastrophe. Wake us when it's over.
sources:
San Francisco Chronicle
BBC News
Los Angeles Times
MSNBC.com
The Washington Post
