A Path Where No Man Thought: Nuclear Winter and Its Implications

High-altitude dust particles and smoke generated by even a ``limited'' nuclear war could plunge the Earth into cold and darkness. The ensuing ``nuclear winter,'' as Sagan and Turco first predicted in the early 1980s, would bring famine, radioactive fallout, depletion of stratospheric ozone and an influx of lethal solar ultraviolet radiation. In an important, hope-giving report, the eminent astronomer and atmospheric scientist team up to refute critics of the nuclear winter hypothesis, and to spell out in greater detail what the environmental and social consequences of such an apocalypse might be. Nuclear winter makes it likely that ``nearly all Americans will die'' in a central exchange of missiles between the two superpowers, the authors stress. Their detailed proposals for reducing arsenals to achieve a ``minimum sufficient deterrance'' make this a book that neither concerned citizens nor policymakers can ignore. Photos. (Oct.)