Review: 20 tons of TNT Flanders & Swann

Subject: Review: 20 tons of TNT Flanders & Swann
From: bradfordian
Date: 02 Mar 19 - 05:50 PM

20 tons of TNT Flanders & Swann
Probably written in 60s or 70s Flanders & Swann write “There are three thousand million people living on this earth” The lyrics state that “stocked piled mass destruction of the nuclear powers that be, equals for each man or woman, 20 tons of TNT”

The population since then has at least doubled and no doubt there has been an adjustment in stock piled mass destruction. So for each man or woman, what would be the amount of TNT today?

Just wondering because a soloist sang this at our choir concert

Bradfordian

Subject: RE: Review: 20 tons of TNT Flanders & Swann
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 03 Mar 19 - 03:56 PM

I don't have the brain to do the maths today but here are some figures to play with
[I can't do copypaste for this article ...]
1984
10,000 megatons equivalent TNT
4.7 bn population
=2.1 tons per person (~41 cubic feet)

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/06/science/q-a-032387.html 


~~~~~~
2018
What could 1 Trident submarine do?
1 submarine carries:
– Up to 8 missiles
– Up to 40 warheads ...
Total explosive power of 40 warheads is equal 
to:
– 4,000,000 tonnes of TNT
– about 300 Hiroshima bombs
– more than all bombs dropped in World War II

2018 number of warheads estimated ... Total: 14,200

http://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/sgr.org.uk/files/SGR_Abolishing-nuclear-weapons_Lancaster-Apr18.pdf 

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