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Indeed, it is not explicit, but it is akin to a nuclear winter: soot everywhere that obscured the atmosphere, killing crops and making farming impossible.

It could be other events (supervolcano eruption for example), but a nuclear holocaust would be similar if not too many bombs are used.

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From the film, even the crazies theories of a nuclear winter weren't close.

Nuclear war doesn't do much.

I think a meteor or supervolcano is also impossible from the scenes in the film, not having lots of things growing within a month doesn't fit really, but it'd be an interesting discussion.

Obviously this is why it's not mentioned, so people don't get wrapped up in the details about how it happen but the story.

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