Re: On the beach

["Shane Polle" <shanep@amc.aust.com>]

If there was a nuclear conflict in the northern hemisphere only and no weapons were let off below 5 deg North latitude, then it is very unlikely that we would have radiation problems that would cause people to get so sick so quickly.

The way the winds around the world work, means there is very little cross over between the two hemispheres, there was a show on SBS some weeks ago reguarding a volcano that explained this.

Also, the radiation would not be so strong as to kill so quickly. Radiation from nuclear weapons is usually only leathal for a number of weeks, depending on the number of bombs let off in the given area. If you were to be exposed to the radiation levels of a 2 week old blast area, on a permanent area, you will die of radiation posioning, but not for a number of years. Also, the radiation would have trouble travelling around the globe, one for the above reason, the winds and two, because most radiation particles are very heavy having molecular weights of 200 or more and therefore would not remain air born for long. 

Scientists long ago proved that the human race  would survive an all out nuclear war, its just life as we know it would cease and we would most likely drop back to as far as the dark ages, even if one or two countries like Australia would survive untouched, as it takes a global economy to maintain our current way of life. If the country was to remain civilised, ie the Govt was still in control, then horse and steam train would most likely be the method transport. Bass strait may make oil, but there is a lot of other involvement in refining it, ie Iraq during the gulf war. 

And yes I find it hard to believe that someone would turn up for work to run a 3 hrly steam train service only days before diing, only a country like China would have that sort of order. 

Shane