“I understand it’s difficult to see in more ways than one,” said Chandler.
“Very much so. The thick smoke from the out-of-control fires makes visibility difficult. At times, the extraordinary ground-level winds created an opening in the smoke that allowed me to see the immense crater. It’s hard to believe we all worked in that spot just a few days ago.”
Chandler sighed and nodded. “Erin, we’re trying to find a way forward that both saves the lives of those in the paths of radiation or these superfires and Americans who live away from the blast zones. NOAA has provided me some sobering graphics of the fallout spanning the globe, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.”
“I’ve seen them as well. I’ve had an opportunity to speak directly with some of the research scientists at NOAA. They’re all astonished at how widespread the effects of nuclear winter have been.”
“And so quickly,” added Chandler. “I had a working knowledge of the concept as it pertained to a regional nuclear war between India and Pakistan. I’d never seen a hypothetical that involved as many nukes as they fired off and a fallout spread that circumnavigated the planet with such speed.”
“That’s the key. The speed at which the massive cloud of soot and smoky ash reached the atmosphere and then began to spread is remarkable. It’s been ten days since the exchange in the Middle East and eight days since South Asia. Yet the entirety of North America is now feeling the effect.”
Chandler brought her up to speed on the administration’s directives. “We’ve ordered all personnel to remain within the confines of Mount Weather and underground due to the poor air quality. Now I’m told by the National Weather Service that average temperatures have dropped eight degrees already.”
“That’s right, Harrison. As we know, temps can fluctuate, but what we’re witnessing is a steady decline. Keep in mind, there are regions, like the Mountain West, that will experience plunging drops in the next few days. The west coast superfires are generating so much heat that the prevailing winds are being held off the coast and even pushed backwards toward the center of the Pacific. This is allowing frigid air to swoop down through the Rockies. Eventually, these icy conditions will make their way across America’s heartland.”
“What does that mean for our agricultural and livestock supply?” asked one of the attendees in the room.
“There is some good news in that regard,” Erin began in her reply. “By this point in the season, the vast majority of crops in the Midwest had been harvested. Obviously, there were late-season crops like most of the root vegetables. The problem lies with what happens next. Any notion of planting this spring should be abandoned.”
“What do you mean?” asked Chandler.
“Unless there’s some kind of miracle from God or Mother Earth, the grounds across the upper latitudes of North America will remain frozen until late spring or even summer. If you couple that with the toxicity levels resulting from the nuclear fallout, including ash and debris, you’re looking at soil that isn’t fit to grow anything.”
“How long will this last?” asked the labor secretary, who insisted on sitting in even though it was beyond his purview. Every member of the cabinet wanted to play a role in the recovery effort.
“Years, based upon current projections,” replied Erin. “All of this effects livestock and poultry as well. These animals rely upon our fields and nutrients from the ground to survive. It’s doubtful there’s a rancher in America who has stored sufficient grasses to feed their cattle. Every food-producing animal relies upon what is produced in the nation’s breadbasket to survive. There will be a war trying to decide whether to feed animals or people.”
“There already is,” said Chandler as he shook his head. “The president is being called upon to nationalize all farming operations. They want us to seize every ear of corn and potato available.”
“Martial law?” asked Erin.
“It has to be considered. The president considers it a last resort. Frankly, he hoped the largest agricultural producers would voluntarily make their inventory available to the government. That hasn’t been happening, so the president is weighing his options.”
“Harrison, nuclear winter results in a semidarkness that will last for years. This current crop will likely be the last one produced in America by normal farming techniques. Those with greenhouses and hydroponic operations will fare better as long as they have the power to operate their systems. However, there are not near enough of those sustainable farming operations to feed a nation.”
“And you say the sun will be blocked for years?” asked the transportation secretary.
“Yes. The ash from burning cities and the surrounding areas is in the process of creating an umbrella shielding large portions of the planet from the sun. As you diminish the amount of sunlight making its way to the surface, then the atmospheric temperatures are reduced as a result. This umbrella cloud will interfere with the process of photosynthesis for years.
“We’ve had scenarios like this in the recent past. For example, there was evidence of the Indonesian volcano, Krakatoa, erupting in 1883. It blasted enough volcanic ash into the atmosphere to lower global temps a couple of degrees. In 1815, when Mount Tambora erupted in the same region, it blocked sunlight around the globe, causing what came to be known as the year without summer. The U.S. experienced summer snows and temperatures up to ten degrees less than normal.”
“That’s what is going to happen to us now?” asked another attendee.
“No,” replied Erin before pausing. “It will be much worse.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Tuesday, October 29
Virginia
The old expression just like riding a bike was often used to describe an activity that came second nature and was therefore easy to do. It implied that
