Nuclear Weapons

Quick Recap – Why Nuclear Weapons Exist and the Harm They Cause

Nuclear weapons were first created during World War II and used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. After the war, instead of abandoning them, powerful nations expanded their arsenals, leading to an arms race during the Cold War. Today, nuclear weapons still exist mainly because of deterrence — the belief that if rival nations both have them, neither will risk using them out of fear of total destruction, a concept known as Mutually Assured Destruction. For some countries, these weapons are seen as a guarantee of security and a symbol of global power. Fear, mistrust, and regional rivalries also drive nations to pursue them.

However, the harm nuclear weapons can cause is catastrophic. Their explosions create extreme heat and shockwaves that can wipe out entire cities instantly. Survivors face radiation exposure that leads to burns, cancers, and genetic damage lasting for generations. Beyond human suffering, the environment suffers long-term contamination of air, water, and soil. On a larger scale, widespread use could trigger a nuclear winter — smoke and dust blocking sunlight, disrupting agriculture, and causing global famine.

Disasters Involving Nuclear Weapons (“Broken Arrows”)

These incidents demonstrate the constant risk of accidental detonation or radioactive contamination during the handling, transport, and deployment of nuclear weapons.

1. Palomares, Spain (1966)

What happened: A U.S. B-52 bomber carrying four hydrogen bombs collided with a refueling tanker during a routine mission. The plane broke apart, dropping the bombs. Two of the bombs’ conventional explosives detonated on impact with the ground, scattering highly radioactive plutonium-239 over the village of Palomares.

Consequences: No nuclear explosion occurred, but 2 square kilometers of land were contaminated. The U.S. had to remove and dispose of thousands of tons of radioactive soil. Cleanup and monitoring continue to this day, and the incident caused a major diplomatic crisis.

2. Thule Air Base, Greenland (1968)

What happened: A U.S. B-52 bomber carrying four nuclear bombs caught fire and crashed onto the sea ice near the Thule Air Base. The conventional explosives detonated, destroying the weapons and dispersing radioactive debris, but without causing a nuclear chain reaction.

Consequences: The radioactive contamination complicated the cleanup, as the wreckage and ice had to be collected. The incident raised serious questions about the safety of continuous airborne alert missions and led to their cessation. It also caused tension with Denmark, which had a nuclear-free policy for Greenland.

3. Damascus, Arkansas, USA (1980)

What happened: A maintenance technician accidentally dropped a socket from a wrench, which punctured the fuel tank of a Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in its silo. This caused a fuel leak and eventually a massive explosion.

Consequences: The explosion blew the 740-ton silo door off and hurled the warhead (containing a 9-megaton bomb) hundreds of feet away. Fortunately, the warhead’s safety mechanisms prevented a nuclear detonation or significant radiation release. One person died. This incident, detailed in the book and show Command and Control, highlighted the terrifying fragility of the nuclear arsenal.

Civilian Nuclear Power Disasters

These are accidents at nuclear power plants, which, while not involving weapons, release significant radioactivity and demonstrate the potential for catastrophic failure in nuclear energy production.

1. Chernobyl Disaster, Ukraine (1986) – INES Level 7 (Major Accident)

What happened: During a poorly designed safety test, operators lost control of an RBMK reactor, causing a massive power surge. The reactor core experienced a steam explosion and then a graphite fire, which blew the roof off the building.

Consequences: The fire burned for days, releasing enormous quantities of radioactive material into the atmosphere, which spread across much of Europe.

Immediate: 31 firefighters and plant workers died from acute radiation sickness (ARS).

Long-Term: Thousands of cases of thyroid cancer in children, widespread environmental contamination, and the creation of a 2,600 km² exclusion zone that remains largely uninhabited today. It is the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history.

2. Fukushima Daiichi Disaster, Japan (2011) – INES Level 7 (Major Accident)

What happened: A massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling systems for three reactors at the Fukushima plant. Without cooling, the reactor cores overheated, leading to meltdowns and hydrogen explosions that released radioactive material.

Consequences: No direct deaths from radiation, but over 100,000 people were evacuated from their homes, many permanently. Significant radioactive contamination of land and water occurred. The disaster led to a global re-evaluation of nuclear safety, particularly regarding external threats like natural disasters, and caused Japan and other countries to phase out nuclear power.

3. Kyshtym Disaster, Soviet Union (1957) – INES Level 6 (Serious Accident)

What happened: A cooling system failure in a tank storing high-level radioactive nuclear waste from a plutonium production site (Mayak) led to a chemical explosion. It was not a nuclear explosion, but it was devastating.

Consequences: A massive plume of radioactivity was released, contaminating a vast area (known as the East-Ural Radioactive Trace). Over 10,000 people were evacuated, and the area remains heavily contaminated. The Soviet Union kept it secret for decades.

4. Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, USA (1979) – INES Level 5 (Accident with Wider Consequences)

What happened: A combination of mechanical failure and human error led to a partial meltdown of the reactor core.

Consequences: While the amount of radiation released was relatively small and caused no confirmed health effects, the accident created immense public fear and distrust. It had a chilling effect on the nuclear power industry in the United States, effectively halting the construction of new reactors for decades.

War

Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan, 1945)

Although not accidents, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II remain the most devastating examples of nuclear destruction. On 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs, instantly killing tens of thousands of people. By the end of that year, over 200,000 had died from the combined effects of the blasts, burns, and radiation. Survivors, known as hibakusha, continued to suffer from cancers, birth defects, and social stigma for decades. These bombings remain the strongest argument against the use of nuclear weapons in war.

These examples collectively illustrate that whether for military or energy purposes, the handling of nuclear materials carries an inherent and potentially catastrophic risk, reinforcing the urgency of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.