Investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen has claimed that Australia and New Zealand would be the only places capable of sustaining life after a global nuclear war. Her book, 'Nuclear War: A Scenario', published earlier this year, examines the aftermath of a hypothetical missile attack on the United States by North Korea, concluding that five billion people would die within 72 minutes of the first strike.
In an interview on the 'Diary of a CEO' podcast, host Steven Bartlett suggested that Australia and New Zealand might be viable refuges for survivors. Jacobsen agreed, stating, 'They are the only places that could sustain agriculture.' The interview was widely shared on TikTok, where users joked about the housing market and border closures.
Jacobsen's hypothesis is based on a 2022 study published in Nature, which analysed the impact of nuclear winter on global food supplies. The study found that Australia produces enough wheat to feed its population, even without international trade. Wheat accounts for nearly 50 per cent of Australia's calorie intake, and simulations showed that spring wheat yields could increase under certain nuclear war scenarios due to more favourable temperatures.
New Zealand would also experience smaller impacts, but the researchers warned of a potential influx of refugees from Asia and other regions facing food insecurity. In contrast, the study estimated that the likelihood of starving to death in Britain would be 90 per cent. Even a regional nuclear war would reduce global food production by seven per cent for several years.
