In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the development of nuclear weapons has reached an unprecedented level. The threats of a nuclear war occurred several times in the past. It is worth remembering the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 when a global catastrophe was avoided only thanks to successful diplomatic negotiations between the representatives of the opposing countries. At the same time, the tragedy of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will always serve as a warning of how terrible and devastating the consequences of a nuclear attack may be. However, the most influential countries of the world continue investing in nuclear experiments and weapon development, not lose their leading positions in global rivalry. Thus, there is no guarantee that a nuclear weapon will not be used during some hypothetical future collision between the world leaders.
In fact, nuclear war scenarios may be different, but it is possible to determine some of the spheres of socio-political and economical life that will be affected most. The war will definitely disrupt the functioning of the following spheres of human life:
- Economy and infrastructure (industrial objects, transportation links, and communication systems will be destroyed);
- All the cultural and spiritual foundations of the global society will be undermined (science, art, religion, and so on);
- The environmental balance will be also destroyed by radiation and toxic pollution (Nissani, 1992)
The damage will be enormous, even if a half of the global stock of nuclear weapons is used. If the largest cities of the world are targeted, there will be nearly one billion of fatal casualties during the first days of the war. The same number of people will be severely wounded. However, taking into account the radioactive contamination, it is also possible to assume that around 30-50 percent of the world population will die during the first massive nuclear attacks (Sagan, 1983).
The first explosions will cause fires and result in toxic pollution of water, soil, and air. “The luckiest” who stay alive in this nightmare will have to survive the nuclear night caused by the huge amounts of smoke and dust spewed into the atmosphere. The nuclear night will lead to the so-called nuclear winter, due to the lack of solar energy reaching the Earth. The nuclear winter may last for several months. The natural process of photosynthesis will be disrupted (Sagan, 1983). Therefore, many plants will cease to exist and most human beings and animals will die of famine and cold. Moreover, the increased level of radiation will lead to severe genetic effects (cancer and physical degeneration).
Works Cited
Sagan, Carl. "Nuclear Winter." The School of Corporative Individualism, 1983. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
Nissani, Moti. Lives in the Balance: The Cold War and American Politics, 1945-1991. Dowser Publishing Group, 1992. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.