"If there ever will be the doom of mankind, it won't be the as a result of the Earth getting rid of us, it will be as a result if we getting rid of ourselves.

What are nuclear weapons and it's history

They are weapons capable of causing 1000x more damage than an ordinary grenade. They derive their explosive power from nuclear reactions like fusion and fission. Their devastating effect is so powerful that they could wipe out an entire locality, all from the push of a button.

Fission is basically a process which involves the splitting of a nucleus into smaller particles with the release of energy.
Fusion on the other hand, is more of a build up process, also with the release of energy.

Nuclear weapons have evolved from one generation to the next since it's inception in 1945. To further illustrate the destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons, in 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, collective produced over 120,000 casualties, either wounded or killed, just from two separate nuclear strikes. Even till this day normalcy has not returned to those towns as a result of such devastation.

Although the strikes ended a war, the cost was just too great.

After the successful hit on the Japanese cities, some other countries developed interest in the nuclear arms club.
From 1945-1960, about four or five nations conducted several nuclear tests and the ever growing need for control policies on the use of nuclear weapons arose.

On the first of July, 1968, the "nuclear countries" sign a disarmament treaty which prevented them from selling to countries without nuclear capabillities and which also prevented other countries without nuclear capabilities from nursing an ambition of becoming a nuclear country.

The U.S vs N.Korea saga

So many blogs are filled with several news concerning the Trump vs Kim saga, which has many so many states agitated. North Korea has evidently made it known that they are now a nuclear state, which is in clear violation of the nuclear disarmament treaty. If North Korea is allowed to become a nuclear state, other countries will also push to become nuclear states, and this could result in large scale nuclear testing once again.

Let us look at how North Korea even joined the nuclear race in the first place.
In 1994, after growing issues in the North Korea, agitating for a nuclear independence, envoys from both the US and North Korea met in Geneva, and agreed on terms that would ensure the North Korea abandoning their pursuit for nuclear ambition.

The terms were basically simple: the support of the US in getting approval in getting nuclear energy research centres and also that the US was not to attack the North Korea.

Fast forward a few years later, the North Korea is still nursing it's nuclear ambition. Despite sanctions,threats and attempts at an intervention, the North Korea has openly conducted testing of nuclear weapons of destruction.

Although the United States is the only official country known to have a missile reach to anywhere on Earth, there are rumors that the North Korea now has missile capable of reaching the US mainland.

It is note worthy that it is not only the North Korea that has violated the disarmament treaty which was later modified to target a nuclear weapon free Earth, other countries like India, Iran, Iraq etc have also conducted several nuclear testing, despite the disarmament treaty.

However, the reason why the world is more focused on North Korea is because they pose a higher risk level than most countries.

So far, Africa and Antarctica are the only regions considered as nuclear free zones, with the remaining areas possessing either one or two nuclear weapons.

The truth is if America and North Korea go to war, no one will win, the destruction on not only the countries, but the Earth itself will be so great.

Note: Research was done from various sources, notable among which was this site

Health implications of a nuclear war and the doom of many

The truth is a nuclear holocaust will probably kill everyone and everything (well except Cockroaches) on Earth. The countries with nuclear capabilities know this, and use the threat of nuclear annihilation to simply scare one another.

But what happens when words become action?

• First off, there will be high level of cancer and radiation poisioning, which will kill off about 65% and above of the world's population.

• There will also be the risk of genetic mutation for those who survive.

• Starving and drought will occur as the soil will be highly irradiated.

• Only the rich and the prepared will survive as they might most probably stay in bunkers underground.

• Recurrence of wide spread sickness outbreak.

• Average life expectancy will be shortened by almost 50%

• Occurrence of constant natural disasters.

• Air poisoning.

• Increase in the Earth's temperature due to depletion of the ozone layer.

• Depletion of ozone layer which will lead to the melting of the polar ice caps.

• Possibility of total extinction of mankind.

• Possibility of the Earth itself exploding.

The possible long road to recovery

The first step I believe to prevent the destruction of our Earth is to really enforce the nuclear disarmament treaty as breaches to the treaty poses a risk of an all out nuclear war.

The first two world wars were not really fought with nuclear wars, as only towards the end of the second world war was a nuclear weapon introduced(by only one country). As of now the Earth cannot afford a war with more than 10 countries shooting nukes at one another.

The sad part is most world leaders know the implications of using nukes in a war, but are willing to sacrifice everyone on Earth to establish the supremacy of their countries (a decision which will ultimately consume their countries and the world).

If the threat of a nuclear holocaust is becoming evidently clear, perhaps other planets should be considered as an option for habitation.

Missions to other planets for example, Mars, are being considered as an option. Even unmanned probes have been sent to try and search outside our galaxy for habitable worlds.

Technology such as the warp drive currently being developed by NASA to try and help next generation space ships leave our galaxy faster should be encouraged, so that in the event of a nuclear holocaust, we are not totally eradicated as a species.

Terra-forming technology currently being worked on should be sponsored, to prevent us being stranded in the event of eventualities.

But the cheaper and better option is for total nuclear surrender of all countries and exploration of other sources of energy too apart from the nuclear option, as there is always a risk of countries using nuclear energy branching into manufacture of nuclear weapons. An example is India.

Photo credit: 1-2-3-4-5-6

Thanks to @elyaque for the badge and @son-of-satire for the generic footer