FW: Dwarfing Chernobyl

["Costello, Martin" <costelmx@MASPO2.MAS.YALE.EDU>]

A few more thoughts about "Dwarfing Chernobyl:"

>Northern Ireland is just now hoping to resolve 20 years of
>Protestants and Catholics killing each other

>>What might seem a minor point to some can seem major to others - it's not
>>20 years, it's more like 300.

Under the heading of "a minor point to some . . ."  The war in Northern 
Ireland has little, if anything, to do with religion.  It is a war for 
independence.  The "young Brits" didn't just find themselves in the middle 
of it.  The British army occupies Irish soil for financial and political 
reasons.  Irish Catholics have been fighting for several centuries for 
freedom from British rule and unification of the country.  Irish Protestants 
are fighting to preserve their ties to Britain. Considering the tenacity of 
the fight, we are all fortunate that neither side possesses nukes.

>we will all suffer along with a few generations of survivors.

>>Absolutely correct. There are no innocent bystanders in a nuclear war. We
>>would all be participating in some way, whether we want to or not.

If India and Pakistan exchange weapon strikes, it will likely pull other 
countries into the fray.  There will be no "sidelines" to stand safely 
along.  The damage to life on this planet will be catastrophic.

 ---------
Martin Costello
Yale University
Martin.Costello@Yale,edu

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