Limited Nuclear War Would Be Damaging to Environment

On first blush, one would be tempted to reply, "duh." But what's most ironic is how these scientists highlight the potential damage to the environment as the ultimate catastrophe in this scenario. Never mind the fact that the entire human race would be irrevocably changed. But I guess to the scientific elite, humans are the worst thing that has happened to this planet since it's creation. Nonetheless, the study itself is interesting.

SAN FRANCISCO—A small-scale, regional nuclear war could disrupt the global climate for a decade or more, with environmental effects that could be devastating for everyone on Earth, researchers have concluded.

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The lingering effects could re-shape the environment in ways never conceived. In terms of climate, a nuclear blast could plunge temperatures across large swaths of the globe. "It would be the largest climate change in recorded human history," Alan Robock, associate director of the Center for Environmental Prediction at Rutgers' Cook College and another member of the research team.

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For a regional conflict, fatalities would range from 2.6 million to 16.7 million per country. "A small country is likely to direct its weapons against population centers to maximize damage and achieve the greatest advantage," Toon said.

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Will the conclusions result in worldly changes? "We certainly hope there will be a political response because nuclear weapons are the most dangerous potential environmental danger to the planet. They're much more dangerous than global warming," Robock said.

Again, duh.