Six Minutes to Winter

Six Minutes to Winter presents an urgent call to action in a world that is perilously close to superpower conflict, more so than any time since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. As George Monbiot remarks, it is "terrifying and timely ... a book everyone should read and heed."

Nuclear war poses a far greater immediate threat to humanity's survival than climate change, yet it remains largely ignored. While climate change threatens us over decades, nuclear war could annihilate civilisation in mere hours. With 12,000 warheads in the arsenals of more than half a dozen countries, the risk of World War III places us on a nuclear knife edge.

A major missile exchange would plunge the world into months of near-total darkness, followed by a decade-long global nuclear winter, devastating most life on Earth. In such a scenario, virtually everyone would face starvation due to a worldwide famine, with no reliable refuge.

Humanity is sleepwalking towards Armageddon. Unlike the activist response to climate change, there are no mass marches, no COPs, no nuclear Greta galvanising the world. Yet, the lesson from climate action is clear: ignoring the issue is not a solution, but worldwide mobilisation can be effective.

Six Minutes to Winter does not shy away from the nuclear nightmare we face. It candidly discusses the steps needed to prevent catastrophe, such as taking weapons off hair-trigger alert and ultimately eliminating them. If human civilisation is to endure, this is the inevitable path we must take.