Till date nuclear weapons have been have been used twice in the Second World War, by the United States on Japan. The US dropped two atomic nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the world witnessed the power and destruction of the man-made nuclear weapons. These bombs were responsible for the death of millions of innocent people and this mass killing finally brought the end to the great war. Scientists have long debated on the pros and cons of nuclear bombs; some say it is very essential for a country, but some still see it as a major threat to the human race.
Pros and Cons
Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear warheads have been discussed by people from all walks of life. Some people think it as a security measure essential for the country, but some who know and have seen the destruction caused by nuclear bombs despise them.
Pros: These weapons have protected mankind since the early 1900. They have the capacity to wipe out an entire enemy city or country and are often highlighted as the answer to terrorism. The decision to replace them with a new security measure has been a topic of debate for a while now, but no concrete talks have been held. Many peace activists proclaim that the world would be much safer without nuclear bombs but there is also a possibility that if it not nuclear bombs, something else would threaten world peace. Currently it is impossible to keep a tab on the number of nuclear bombs in the world, as every country is using the excuse of strategic defense to acquire these destructive weapons. Defense experts also say that it wouldn't be a wise decision to scrap all nuclear weapons, when various hostile states are on the verge to acquire them in large number.
Cons: Their usage is considered highly immoral and highly dangerous. When a nuclear experiment is conducted, its after effects can be seen till decades. More the number of weapons made, more risks are to human life. Maintaining and keeping a nuclear bomb safe is pretty expensive, and it takes a large share from the country's defense budget. Hostile countries are more likely to have a civil war in which they may use nuclear bombs against each other and the result could prove disastrous for the entire planet. Possession of nuclear weapons doesn't mean that the country is powerful and developed; countries like Germany, Spain and Australia don't possess a single nuclear weapon, but are still popular and advanced like many other developed nations.
Facts
A nuclear weapon derives its devastating force from a nuclear fission reaction. So, even a small bomb has enough potential to wipe out an entire city.
In history, nuclear weapons have been used twice, both during the closing days of the World War 2. The first one was dropped on the 6th of August 1945 on Hiroshima and the second bomb was dropped three days later on Nagasaki.
There are still 26,000 nuclear weapons in the world which are enough to destroy the entire human civilization.
Of all the nuclear bombs in the world, 95% belong to the US and Russia.
There are currently nine countries in possession of nuclear weapons (US, Russia, India, China, UK, France, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea).
The United States enjoys the right to declare any form of military action if it or its allies are under threat by a weapon of mass destruction. The United States also assures that it would not use its nuclear power against a non nuclear state, unless the state attacked the US and its allies with a nuclear weapon.
There are up to 2,000,000 kilograms of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) in global reserve and it takes just 15 to 24 kilograms to make a nuclear weapon. There are about 27 countries which have enough reserve to make one nuclear bomb and 12 countries which have stock worth 20 nuclear bombs.
Nuclear reactors create plutonium which also acts like a source of bomb material. It takes less than 5 kilograms of plutonium to make a nuclear bomb. There are around 500,000 kilograms of plutonium in global stockpiles.
The project that led to the formation of the first nuclear bomb was the Manhattan Project. Both Canada and the United Kingdom assisted America with this research.
The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT) which was signed between the US and Russia, requires them to lessen their deployed nuclear weapons between 1,700 to 2,200 by December 31, 2012. The day this treaty expires, both the countries can redeploy as many nuclear weapons as they want. The weapons which have been taken off deployed status are not being demolished, but are placed in storage where they are easily accessible and can be stolen by criminal and terrorist groups. The US and Russia have speed up their efforts in reducing nuclear warheads from both sides by signing the New START treaty. Under the terms of the New START (The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) both US and Russia would reduce the number of nuclear missile launchers by half. This treaty is expected to last till 2021, during which both the countries would encourage nuclear disarmament on a global scale.
The elimination of nuclear weapons seems practically impossible today, but if world leaders take a sincere effort, then they might be able to make this planet free from nuclear weapons. Nuclear power can be used as a clean source of energy. I hope this article on nuclear weapons pros and cons helped you understand the various aspects of this destructive weapon.
