Attention: Before the world decides nuclear, it has to become nuclear-conscious.
The Cold War we believe is over, but now the world is confronted with a new kind of nuclear threat. It does not just come from countries such as North Korea, Iran or other rogue countries, but also from terrorist groups. The world is concerned that these groups could easily access the materials and information needed to build a nuclear weapon. The possibility that nuclear materials are in criminal hands, though minimal, cannot be ruled out. The construction of an improvised nuclear device is a huge threat and its consequences need to be reminded.
The assumption in the video that the source of nuclear material can be an old Soviet nuclear stock is not far from reality. To be more precise, an abandoned nuclear weapon in Russia containing plutonium (Pu 239) or highly enriched uranium (HEU) is very probably a realistic target for criminals. The question of nuclear protection problems is much more important since the Soviet Union has never drawn up a list of its nuclear materials. It is also suspected that during periods of economic instability, former Soviet nuclear personnel secretly succeeded in selling highly enriched uranium (HEU) in cycles of darkness. The above assumption is supported by the fact that between 1991 and 2002, 14 confirmed cases of theft of military-grade nuclear material were recorded in Russian nuclear inventories.
But keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists is not the only issue. The world is not at present prepared for the effects of such a nuclear catastrophe. Luckily, emergency management websites provide the tools to respond to a radioactive disaster that may lead to a nuclear attack.
While the possibility of survival after such an event is low, there are seven simple actions you can take to save your life. If certain conditions are fulfilled, survival makes sense. The first action is to leave as quickly as you can after such an event happens. In addition, get as far away from the explosion as you can also avoid looking at the flashlight from the explosion. Also move to a secure shelter, selecting places with plenty of shielding. Remain inside and away from windows.
It is also recommended during the first moments to keep your mouth open to deal with the pressure released from the initial explosion. Also, look for space above the ninth floor of a building to avoid the fallout from mushroom clouds. But later, cover your mouth, skin and nose whenever you can. The only way to prevent further contamination is to remove your clothes, rinse with a hose while holding your breath.
The final tip is to remain in the shelter for 12-24 hours following the nuclear event to avoid the initial massive amount of radiation exposure. Terminate sheltering until officials say it is safe to exit. Lastly, if circumstances permit, consult a physician if possible and begin decontamination by removing your clothing. Government or emergency messages are needed to force us to make sure we have a battery-powered radio to receive these messages. For these actions to be effective, the steps required must be well known before an attack takes place.
In addition to the usual information channels, research is performed on the effectiveness of these steps in terms of nuclear preparedness and survival. A lot of lives could be saved if, in the event of a single gun exploding, people knew how to protect themselves. To achieve this a campaign, and posters and public service announcements are needed. That means that if people know well how and when to find adequate shelter and when it’s safe to leave the shelter will save lives.
But recently, some say that we must prepare for a war limited to attacks only on military installations involving relatively few civil causes. They also argue that such a narrow conflict is unlikely to escalate and that what we call Limited Nuclear Options (LNOs) do not necessarily result in an Armageddon situation with the loss of hundreds of millions of lives on both sides.
There are questions of course: “Would the casualties really be few and could the war stay limited?”. Is it possible or just too naive?
Have in mind that an even limited nuclear war will have severe implications in much larger areas than the original military field as the event of Chernobyl showed.
But some argue that limited war could potentially "degenerate" into a wide-ranging nuclear war. So their question is whether we support a narrow nuclear war hoping for some limited military gains but risking to upset the entire globe with its horrible aftermath.
The world needs a greater sense of urgency and feel of duty in achieving a nuclear-risk-free world.