Life and Its Future | 2021
Human-Made Risks from Nuclear and Chemical Warfare
Abstract
A major human-made and general risk to life arises from the large number of weapons designed for mass destruction. The history and present potential of nuclear and chemical weapons are briefly reviewed. Hydrogen bombs are now owned by many countries and have an overkill potential. Extremely dangerous new missiles have been designed. Nuclear weapons pollute large areas with radioactivity thus killing most organisms and preventing further use of the land. We discuss current international treaties to limit the stock-piling of nuclear weapons and the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.