273244 Nuclear famine: A billion people at risk

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 1:42 PM - 2:00 PM

Ira Helfand, MD , Physicians for Social Responsibility, Leeds, MA
The presentation will review recent studies that show that a very limited use of nuclear weapons, involving less than 0.5 % of the world's nuclear arsenal, will cause global climate disruption with a fall in surface temperature averaging 1.3 ° C and a concomitant decline in global and regional precipitation. It will also present recently generated data on the impact this climate disruption will have on rice production in China and corn production in the US and examine the subsequent impact on human nutrition, with special attention to the 925 million people currently estimated by the UN to be malnourished, and the 300 million people living in countries dependent on imported food. Finally it will consider the appropriate public health response to this newly identified threat which places over one billion people at risk.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Environmental health sciences
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the medical consequences of limited nuclear war. Discuss the extent of climate disruption that will result from the limited use of nuclear weapons. Describe the resulting decline in food production and its impact on human nutrition and health.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. Helfand is a Past President of Physicians for Social Responsibility and is currently the North American Vice President of our global federation, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. He has published and presented widely to medical and public health professionals on the topic of the prevention of nuclear war.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.