 In the first second, the white light is blinding, the heat immense. In the first day, fires consume the city and there's no way to fight them. Your skin is badly charred. In the first week, those hospitals that are still functioning are overwhelmed and can't treat the injured. Others who seem fine suddenly fall ill and die from radiation sickness. In the first year, radiation is seeped into the water and the soil. Crops and animals are contaminated. In 10 years, congratulations. You might not have leukemia or another cancer, but many of your friends do. You fear it will come any day. In 30 years, you look at your children wondering if you've passed on the effects of radiation. In 70 years, you're still seeing your doctor for check-ups. He says it's a miracle you're still alive. The humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons are horrific and span generations. It's time to ban them now.