Reducing the risks of nuclear war to humanity

Helfand, Ira; Lewis, Patricia; Haines, Andy

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(22)00422-6

Cited by 99 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The health community has played a crucial role in efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war and must continue to do so in the future (Helfand et al, 2022) We now call on health professional associations to inform their members worldwide about the threat to human survival and to join with the IPPNW to support efforts to reduce the near-term risks of nuclear war, including three immediate steps on the part of nuclear-armed states and their allies: first, adopt a no first-use policy (Center for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation, 2023); second, take their nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert; and, third, urge all states involved in current conflicts to pledge publicly and unequivocally that they will not use nuclear weapons in these conflicts. We further ask them to work for a definitive end to the nuclear threat by supporting the urgent commencement of negotiations among the nuclear-armed states for a verifiable, timebound agreement to eliminate their nuclear weapons in accordance with Int Nurs Rev.…”

Section: Reducing the Risks Of Nuclear War: The Role Of Health Profes...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the risks of nuclear war: The role of health professionals

Abbasi

Ali²,

Barbour

et al. 2023

International Nursing Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Reducing the Risks Of Nuclear War: The Role Of Health Profes...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the risks of nuclear war: The role of health professionals

Abbasi

Ali²,

Barbour

et al. 2023

International Nursing Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…The most likely of these scenarios is a nuclear war which has an estimated likelihood range from 0.01%–1% of occurring each year (Barrett et al., 2013; Denkenberger & Pearce, 2014c). As the Russia‐Ukraine War escalated in early 2022 and Russian nuclear forces were put on high alert, global nuclear war has again become a tangible threat since the end of the Cold War (Helfand et al., 2022). As historical near‐miss events have taught us, mistakes and false alarms could be the only needed prerequisite for a global nuclear war (Barrett et al., 2013; Helfand et al., 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the Russia-Ukraine War escalated in early 2022 and Russian nuclear forces were put on high alert, global nuclear war has again become a tangible threat since the end of the Cold War (Helfand et al, 2022). As historical near-miss events have taught us, mistakes and false alarms could be the only needed prerequisite for a global nuclear war (Barrett et al, 2013;Helfand et al, 2022). Models of the earth's climate after a large nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia project dismal outcomes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest Resource Availability After Nuclear War or Other Sun‐Blocking Catastrophes

Winstead

Jacobson

2022

Earth's Future

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A global, sun‐blocking catastrophe like nuclear war, an asteroid strike, or a super volcano eruption spells disaster for most aspects of life as we know it. There have been many studies on how differing magnitudes of sun‐blocking catastrophes would affect the global climate, and many mention the effects of this cold, dark climate on forests and cropping systems. However, few studies have solely focused on the effects of nuclear winter on forests in terms of food, resources, and decomposition. Forests already provide over a billion people with food and fuel for their livelihoods. In this review, we connect how prehistoric catastrophes affected the world's forests to how a current‐day catastrophe may affect forest health, forest resource availability, and wood decomposition rates. We briefly discuss how forest resources may be used in this post‐catastrophe climate for food and fuel in an energy and fuel‐depleted world. We use this information to make policy and education suggestions to prepare for future catastrophes, build resilience from smaller local disasters, prepare for the many effects of climate change, and discourage nuclear weapon stockpiles.

show abstract

“…The health community has had a crucial role in efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war and must continue to do so in the future. 9 In the 1980s the efforts of health professionals, led by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear Opinion EDITORIAL…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The prevention of any use of nuclear weapons is therefore an urgent public health priority and fundamental steps must also be taken to address the root cause of the problem-by abolishing nuclear weapons.The health community has had a crucial role in efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war and must continue to do so in the future. 9 In the 1980s the efforts of health professionals, led by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear Opinion EDITORIAL…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the Risks of Nuclear War—The Role of Health Professionals

Abbasi,

Ali,

Barbour

et al. 2023

JAMA

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of the Doomsday Clock forward to 90 seconds before midnight, reflecting the growing risk of nuclear war. 1 In August 2022, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world is now in "a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War." 2 The danger has been underlined by growing tensions between many nuclear armed states. 1,3 As editors of health and medical journals worldwide, we call on health professionals to alert the public and our leaders to this major danger to public health and the essential life support systems of the planet-and urge action to prevent it.Current nuclear arms control and nonproliferation efforts are inadequate to protect the world's population against the threat of nuclear war by design, error, or miscalculation. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) commits each of the 190 participating nations "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control." 4 Progress has been disappointingly slow and the most recent NPT review conference in 2022 ended without an agreed statement. 5 There are many examples of near disasters that have exposed the risks of depending on nuclear deterrence for the indefinite future. 6 Modernization of nuclear arsenals could increase risks: for example, hypersonic missiles decrease the time available to distinguish between an attack and a false alarm, increasing the likelihood of rapid escalation.Any use of nuclear weapons would be catastrophic for humanity. Even a "limited" nuclear war involving only 250 of the 13 000 nuclear weapons in the world could kill 120 million people outright and cause global climate disruption leading to a nuclear famine, putting 2 billion people at risk. 7,8 A large-scale nuclear war between the US and Russia could kill 200 million people or more in the near term, and potentially cause a global "nuclear winter" that could kill 5 to 6 billion people, threatening the survival of humanity. 7,8 Once a nuclear weapon is detonated, escalation to all-out nuclear war could occur rapidly. The prevention of any use of nuclear weapons is therefore an urgent public health priority and fundamental steps must also be taken to address the root cause of the problem-by abolishing nuclear weapons.The health community has had a crucial role in efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war and must continue to do so in the future. 9 In the 1980s the efforts of health professionals, led by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear Opinion EDITORIAL

show abstract

Reducing the risks of nuclear war to humanity

Cited by 99 publications

References 2 publications

Reducing the risks of nuclear war: The role of health professionals

Reducing the risks of nuclear war: The role of health professionals

Forest Resource Availability After Nuclear War or Other Sun‐Blocking Catastrophes

Reducing the Risks of Nuclear War—The Role of Health Professionals

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About