One part from Threads stuck in my mind: a nuclear firestorm would burn all readily available fuel. What little remained would almost certainly be
used for fueling farm machines for salvaging the harvest or other critical-need applications. Cremating the dead bodies would not be an option.
Burying the dead would be a waste of man-power. The bodies were left to rot in the open, spreading diseases and contaminating the water supply.
With massive disasters like the earthquakes in Indonesia, Haiti, and Japan, I wonder if any serious research into post-disaster, high-efficiency body
disposal has been conducted. It sounds morbid, but it would certainly be necessary.
With all the roadkill around and the inherent requirement for low-cost, readily-available materials, this might be a good (albeit morbid) project for
the amateur chemist! |