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However, since the Cold War was won (USA! USA!), the need for these missiles has lessened greatly and thousands have been decommissioned. So what happens to them after they're decommissioned? Well, there's a 10 percent chance your computer is powered using old Soviet nuclear fuel.

Under a program titled Megatons to Megawatts, Russia has been handing over their decommissioned missiles in order for the U.S. to dismantle and remove the nuclear material for use in their nuclear power plants. Old Russian nukes provide more power than geothermal, solar, and wind. The program has been so successful that 45 percent of all U.S. nuclear fuel was pulled from weapons that were previously intended to kill the very people getting power from it. It's because of this spooky irony that the power industry has been hush-hush over the entire deal.

Stefan Kuhn

They just called the uranium "recycled" and left it at that.

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The U.S. sees it as a way to prevent loose nuclear missiles in Russia, while Russia sees it as a way to make the U.S. dependent on nuclear treaties. And Russia is right. The U.S. power industry has now been permanently tied to nuclear disarmament treaties. Ten percent of the U.S.'s annual power comes from the fuel from these missiles ... which is expected to be completely depleted at the end of 2013. Utilities operators (as well as people who enjoy consuming electricity and living in the modern world) have their fingers crossed that a new disarmament treaty will be passed soon. So that would be another reason to do it.

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Related Reading: Sometimes the military finds new uses for its own old equipment. It's kinda the munitions equivalent of masturbation, but tell us those Chinese military crossbows aren't the shit. If you're interested in crazy antique weaponry that was straight-up abandoned, click this link. It turns out the Navy routinely throws away billions of dollars' worth of battleship. If low-budget DIY warfare is more your thing, this list of incredible military improvisations should sate your peculiarly specific tastes.