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Scientists have discovered a surprising substitute food source that could save a huge number of lives in the aftermath of a ruinous nuclear warfare — seaweed .
A Nuclear war would dive our planet into a deep atomic winter . In the worst - display case scenario , a atomic central between the U.S. and Russia ( which together possess nearly90 % of the world ’s atomic arm ) could expel up to 165 million short ton ( 150 million metrical short ton ) of soot intoEarth’satmosphere , reduce aerofoil temperature by 16 degrees Fahrenheit ( 9 degrees Celsius ) and sending globalcalorieproduction plummetingby as much as 90 % .
An image of the Castle Bravo nuclear detonation.
But in a new bailiwick , scientist get that within nine to 14 months of nuclear war , vast arrays of kelp grown on ropes in the Gulf of Mexico and across the Eastern seaside could be reap — helping to keep up to 1.2 billion human fed
At their fullest extent , the seaweed farm would supplant 15 % of the food currently wipe out by man , while also leave 50 % of current biofuel production and 10 % of animate being feed . The researcher release their findings Jan. 9 in the journalEarth ’s Future .
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An aerial photo of a seaweed farm in Indonesia.
" Over 2 billion people would be in danger of starving after a restrained India - Pakistan nuclear war and 5 billion people after a U.S.-Russa nuclear war , " Colorado - authorCheryl Harrison , an assistant prof of oceanology and coastal sciences at Louisiana State University , say Live Science . " Thus , there is a pauperism for exploration of alternative food . "
The most immediate effects of a nuclear war , at least for those in a targeted area , are incineration keep up by radiation syndrome poisoning for those in fence domain . These grim force have been known since the U.S. pretermit the atomic bomb " Little Boy " on the Nipponese city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6 . 1945 .
The single bomb , as much as five times belittled in output than the thermonuclear dud in existing armoury , kill anestimated 140,000 peoplewithin five months and destroyed or sternly damagedmore than 60,000of the city ’s approximately 90,000 buildings .
Yet potentially the most deadly outcome of even a minuscule - scurf atomic war is the impact it would have on husbandry . In the doom scenario of " nuclear wintertime , " radioactive rubble and roll of tobacco would stymy out a important helping of the sun ’s light . This would cause temperatures to throw off , smother many of the world ’s crops and likely create a world famine that could kill billions of people .
In aprevious study , the researchers modeled the apocalyptic consequences of a nuclear war . Now , to investigate how some people might outlast , the scientist have modeled crop outgrowth in environments that would n’t see temperature cast so precipitously — tropical oceans .
" The ocean , and water in general , has eminent specific heat than land , so stores more heating plant , and it is harder to heat up and cool down . This is why radiators work out so well , they store heat and glow it over time , " Harrison suppose . " So , the ocean is a great place to target for alternative food production , as opposed to glasshouse on realm , which would need a fortune of heating in a time when fuel would be in mellow demand . "
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The scientist ' model uncover that kelp farm would n’t just survive but flourish and expand as surface temperatures dropped . This is because colder aviation would pull surface water supply to fall off more , increasing the circulation of nutrient - rich piss up from the depths to replace it .
As the iodine found in seaweed can be toxic to humans at in high spirits quantities , the exercise for kelp grown in farms would primarily be indirect , the researchers said . But by using it to feed animals and produce biofuels , it would justify up the surviving cultivable land for other crops . This could help human being brave a nuclear wintertime until , 10 later , the mood begins to recover .
And kelp is n’t just at hand in the event of a nuclear winter : It could also be a line of life following other break to globose solid food systems , such as massive asteroid impingement or gigantic volcanic eruption . For example , the 1816 eruption of Indonesia ’s Mount Tambora led to crop bankruptcy and intellectual nourishment shortage across the Northern Hemisphere — becoming known as the " Year Without Summer . "
" Throughout history , large eruptions have caused famine both regionally and globally , " Harrison said . " Either way , we take a plan to feed ourselves in these sudden sun reduction scenarios . "
