Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Never Again?

A study by Greenpeace has shown what could happen if Germany were attacked with nuclear weapons.  It explored three potential scenarios in Germany.

One considers the effects of a nuclear attack on Berlin, Germany's political center and capital. A relatively small bomb with an explosive energy of 20 kilotons — equal to the explosive force of 20,000 tons of dynamite — would kill some 145,000 people immediately.
Of these, 25,000 would be killed by the resulting pressure and heat wave while the other 120,000 would be killed by the effects of nuclear fallout radiation on the surrounding area. 
"In addition, there would be more than 50,000 later deaths due to cancer," the report said.
The second scenario estimates that around half a million people would die instantly were a nuclear bomb weighing 550 kilotons to hit Frankfurt, Germany's financial hub.  
Just over half of the victims would be killed by the waves of heat and pressure as well as the immediate effects of radiation.
A third scenario considers the effects of an attack on Germany's Büchel airbase in western Germany, where, according to unofficial reports, the US is storing nuclear weapons with an explosive force of 170 kilotons each.
In such a case, the software estimated a total of 130,000 immediate deaths, with around 107,000 due fallout radiation.

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