Module 3 / Lesson 7.2
Consequences of Nuclear War
Examining the distinction between global catastrophe and existential extinction through the lens of Nuclear Winter.
What Would Happen: Nuclear Winter (Ord pp. 97-100)
- Learning:
- Read Ord, pages 97–100.
- Watch the video below on the history and science of Nuclear Winter. View on YouTube.
Note: Watch from 4:30 to 08:39 ONLY.
- Reflection:
- Why does Ord argue that a full-scale nuclear war might not be an existential risk (permanent extinction)?
- Consider the geography of nuclear targets and the resilience of subsistence farming in the Southern Hemisphere.
Shore Notes:
- Immediate Harms: Blast waves, thermal radiation (heat), and ionizing radiation.
- Long-term Harms (Nuclear Winter): Firestorms loft soot into the stratosphere, blocking sunlight.
- Global temperatures drop 10-20°C for several years.
- Agricultural collapse leads to mass starvation.
- The Extinction Question: Models suggest pockets of humanity would likely survive at least in the Southern Hemisphere, meaning we technically "couldn't kill everyone" with current arsenals.
- Note on Video Context: The first half of the assigned video focuses on the mechanics of climate collapse; the latter half regarding specific survival strategies is reserved for Lesson 7.4.3
Lecture Video: Can You Survive Nuclear Winter? (Watch from 4:30 to 8:39 only!)
Focus Segment: This portion illustrates how soot from city-scale firestorms triggers a decade-long climate catastrophe and mass famine.
Your progress stays in this browser.