(ORDO NEWS) — Any war has catastrophic consequences. According to various estimates, between 70,000,000 and 85,000,000 people died during World War II. At the end of the war, the world‘s population was 2,300,000,000. But can armed conflicts destroy all of humanity?
Unfortunately, history does not teach a person anything.
Despite the fact that today military action is considered an absolutely unacceptable measure for resolving conflicts in most countries of the world, many states continue to adhere to military rhetoric. This is a dangerous path, which always brings only losses, both human lives and economic resources.
Today, “localized military conflicts” continue on the territory of many countries. They are unlikely to affect all of humanity, as they are mostly civilian in nature.
Experts also believe that armed conflicts with traditional weapons (machine guns, tanks, etc.) will not be able to wipe humanity off the face of the earth, since such equipment constantly needs to be serviced, and in wartime it is quite difficult to do this. The protracted nature of the war can bring the conflict to naught.
However, military technology is advancing. To date, there are two options for war, which theoretically can destroy all people.
Nuclear war
One nuclear explosion can lead to the death of 80 to 95% of people within a radius of 4 kilometers. But it is worth worrying not only about the explosion itself, but also about its consequences.
Have you heard of such a thing as ” nuclear winter “? This is the predicted state of the climate after a nuclear explosion. Clouds of dust and smoke will envelop the planet and block out the sun. This will lead to a drop in temperature for years to come.
If 4,000 nuclear weapons are detonated (as is possible in the event of a nuclear war between the US and Russia, which account for the vast majority of the world’s stockpiles), an incalculable number of people will die. Temperatures will drop by 8°C on average within 4 to 5 years. This will affect the ability to grow food. Chaos and violence will follow.
A big concern here is the arsenal of nuclear weapons. Although this number has declined over the decades, the United States and Russia have the largest “collection” in the world. Great Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan also possess nuclear weapons.
Biological and chemical warfare
There is another kind of “advanced” warfare. Unlike nuclear weapons, which require sophisticated engineering, biological and chemical weapons can be developed at relatively low cost and using available materials.
Today, this type of weapon is already used in some armed conflicts. For example, it was used in the Syrian civil war. Used as a weapon, toxic chemicals can cause great harm to the target, but the toxins can get into the water supply.
Biological weapons pose a more serious catastrophic threat. Advances in synthetic biology have made it a very real possibility that some countries may use pathogens as weapons.
Alas, as we understand from the example of the coronavirus pandemic, infectious weapons can spread very quickly around the planet. And unlike the coronavirus, such weapons can kill very quickly.
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