_{Second post can be found here.}

How would our societies and ecosystems have to adapt in a time of nuclear war?

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Nuclear war looms over the world again, though unlikely. It has been explored in media for the last 70 years, ranging from Metro’s nuclear winter and societies in the eponymous metro systems, to Mad Max’s nuclear summer and gas-guzzling killer vehicles driven by survivalists and warlords alike. These depictions are not particularly grounded in reality however, with unrealistically mutated fauna and the unlikeliness of an eternal summer respectively.

I’d like to create my own exploration of a post-nuclear world, and it would be great for others to know what such a devastating war could bring.

Sub-questions to my wonder question include:

• What are the effects of ionizing radiation?
• How could the ecosystem adapt to the world?
• How has civilization prepared for such a war?

Source #1
Title of source: Effects of Ionizing Radiation on DNA	Author: Canadian Nuclear Association	Publisher: Teachnuclear
Date of publication: N/A	Date accessed (by you): 02/01/2019
URL: http://teachnuclear.ca/all-things-nuclear/radiation/biological-effects-of-radiation/effects-of-ionizing-radiation-on-dna/

_{Note: while the site may biased in that it is run by a nuclear industry representative group, the page is purely dedicated to an explanation of ionizing radiation.}
To answer my first question, I must research the effects of ionizing radiation, to get an idea of what effects it has.

Ionizing radiation can damage a cell, kill a cell, or do nothing at all as it passes through the body. Cells each contain two of the body’s 46 chromosomes, and when damaged by radiation, these chromosomes may be affected, causing mutations or cancer. Ionizing radiation can cause two types of injury: somatic and genetic injury. Somatic injuries include hair loss and sicknesses soon after exposure, and can cause cancer later in life. Genetic injuries are cancers and birth defects, and are caused when radiation damages the reproductive cells. Somatic and genetic injuries are not specific to radiation; they can be caused by many pollutants.

Source #2
Title of source: Animals Rule Chernobyl Three Decades After Nuclear Disaster	Author: John Wendle	Publisher: National Geographic
Date of publication: April 16, 2016	Date accessed (by you): 02/08/2019
URL: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/060418-chernobyl-wildlife-thirty-year-anniversary-science/

For my second sub-question, I’ve chosen to do a case study with the town of Pripyat, infamous for the 1986 Chernobyl accident which has left the area inhospitable to humans.

In spite of the obvious abundance of radiation, the Chernobyl exclusion zone could be considered one of Europe’s largest nature preserves, with a wolf density rivalling Yellowstone park in the United States. Signs of animals are also common; trees chewed by beavers and fresh tracks by animals can be found. Mutations and other abnormalities are found in Chernobyl animal populations, however, the most serious of those only appeared immediately after the accident. Radiation accumulation varies depending on the diet of the particular animal. An example given in the article is irradiated mushrooms, eaten by voles, who are in turn, eaten by wolves.

This means that animals may continue to thrive in a wasteland, though long-term effects are still mostly unknown.

Source #3
Title of source: About the Diefenbunker	Author: N/A	Publisher: Diefenbunker Museum
Date of publication: N/A	Date accessed (by you): 02/11/2019
URL: https://diefenbunker.ca/about-the-diefenbunker/

For the third sub-question, I use the example of CEGHQ/CFS Carp, one of the “Diefenbunkers,” named after former Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.

CFS Carp was built in response to the escalating Cold War in 1959, and was designed as an emergency headquarters for vital government and military staff in the event of a nuclear war, and can withstand a 5 megaton nuclear blast (equivalent to 5 megatons of TNT) 1.8 or more kilometres away. It contained enough supplies for 535 people during one month. The Diefenbunkers were decommissioned in 1994, but new bunkers are being opened in the threat of North Korea. (M. Brewster. (November 29, 2017) Canada sets aside two bunkers at military bases amid global uncertainty, North Korean threat. Archived from https://web.archive.org/web/20180114083044/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/north-korea-canada-cold-war-plan-1.4424523)

Source #4
Title of source: Continuity of Government	Author: John Pike	Publisher: Federation of American Scientists
Date of publication: July 05, 1998 3:43:40 PM	Date accessed (by you): 02/11/2019
URL: https://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/cog.htm

Also for sub-question 3, I use the example of the United States COG (Continuity Of Government) plans. While the article is quite old, many components still stand.

The COG plans detail how the US federal government will survive in times of crisis. The position of President has a line of succession, consisting of officials such as the Vice President and Cabinet Secretaries. The government, and each of its departments and agencies, have plans to relocate to Crisis Relocation Facilities to continue function.

Many other countries have COG plans, meaning they are likely to survive a nuclear war.

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The next step

• What research needs to be done?

There is already lots of research being done on the effects of ionizing radiation, and the initial effects of nuclear weapons are already known. Observation of regions such as Chernobyl and populations of animals and humans exposed to radiation must continue in order to find any more effects.

• Is there a community expert that could be helpful?

Due to the niche nature of my question, not that I know of.

• Can a scientific investigation/experiment help you determine your answer?

Yes it would. Scientific inquiry would give more insight into the effects of a nuclear war. And of course, there are lots of inquiries.

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Information fluency

• What questions did you need to research in order to research your topic?

The questions I needed to research had to do with the effects of exposure to nuclear weapons, as well as the physical effects of nuclear weapons.

• What new or familiar digital tools did you try to use as you worked through this project?

I mainly did searches online and using the library databases. I also used Wikipedia not as a source, but as a way to find potential sources via citations.

• What was the process you used to investigate the topic?

When I needed information on a specific question, I searched it to find out more.

• How did you verify and cite the information you found?

I used the provided research template, and researched the authors of information, and their validity.

• How did the process of completing this challenge go? What could you have done better?

I believe that I have done well in terms of information, though what I could improve could be methods and how thorough my research is.