World disaster

Press, 7 May 1984, Page 12

World disaster

Sir,—lt is now widely accepted in the scientific community that asteroids have struck the earth on several occasions during its long history causing massive destruction and extinction of many species. The threat of nuclear war can be compared to an impending asteroid collision, with a major difference: the species extinctions after global nuclear holocaust may include humans and most other animals and plants. All nations would probably act in harmony to attempt to divert

an asteroid from a collision course; but our political leaders cannot deal with ideological differences that threaten even greater disaster. They believe in everlasting nuclear deterrence — and do nothing. Thirty-nine years of non-use of nuclear weapons is but a split second in the history of the human species. The nuclear “asteroid” will end that history unless we convince politicians to halt and reverse the nuclear arms race.—Yours, etc., ROBERT L. LEONARD. May 3, 1984.