Nuclear war could kill 5000000000 people in just 72 minutes, but these two countries might survive deadly war due to…, they are…

Once dismissed as a relic of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear war looms larger than ever, casting a shadow that could lead to unimaginable devastation. Investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen explores this daunting reality, painting a harrowing picture of the catastrophic fallout that could ensue if global tensions spiral into a full-scale nuclear conflict. Astonishingly, she warns that such an event could obliterate up to five billion lives within a mere 72 minutes.

Imagine this: the President of the United States would have only six minutes to make a life-and-death decision about launching a retaliatory nuclear strike, relying on the secrets locked within a classified document known as the “Black Book.” Despite significant advancements in technology, the time it takes for intercontinental ballistic missiles to reach their targets remains uncannily consistent since the Cold War, roughly 26 minutes and 40 seconds from Russia to the U.S. East Coast.

The immediate human toll of a nuclear exchange would be staggering, but Jacobsen urges us to consider the dire long-term consequences. The world could plunge into a “nuclear winter,” where agricultural lands, once fertile lands like Iowa and Ukraine, become entombed in snow and ice for years. This chilling scenario could lead to widespread starvation, aggravating the already dire aftermath.

But the destruction wouldn’t end there. The explosions would wreak havoc on our planet’s ozone layer, allowing deadly levels of solar radiation to bombard Earth. Survivors might find themselves seeking refuge underground, desperate to escape the lethal rays of sunlight. With most of the population and critical infrastructure annihilated, organised society could unravel completely.

Yet amidst this grim outlook, there’s a glimmer of hope. Jacobsen points to New Zealand and Australia as potential sanctuaries. Their geographical isolation places them out of range of likely targets, and their favorable climates and agricultural capabilities position them as possible havens for life amidst the chaos.

While the specter of nuclear war may feel like a whisper from the past, Jacobsen’s compelling research serves as a stark reminder that the threat is all too real. Her work resounds as both a warning and a call to action, urging our global leaders to prioritise nuclear de-escalation in an increasingly volatile world. The stakes could not be higher, and it’s time we take this threat seriously.

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