Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Forever Cursed; Chernobyl's Legacy

Today (April 26th) sees the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Estimates suggest that anywhere between 4,000 and 200,000 will die from Chernobyl’s deadly legacy.

The truth is, we’ll probably never know.

For many, Chernobyl, lying 110KM North of the stunning Kiev, and 2.5KM West of the abandoned city of Pripyat, is testament to the poisoned chalice of modernity – man’s desire to conquer the natural world through scientific progress.

Others argue that this tragic event helped destroy the remaining credibility of the Soviet Union, buckling it to the point of collapse, and ushering in a new era free from the brutal regulations of the Communist bloc.

What do you think? What does Chernobyl mean to you?

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It was an entirely avoidable accident, brought about by bad practise in the plant's operation and bad design of the Soviet reactor.

The sad thing is that as a result of the public's memory of Chernobyl it is difficult/impossible to get public support for the necesary shift to nuclear power. Which must happen if we are serious about wanting to reduce/eliminate the burning of fossil fuels.

4/26/2006 11:18 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

beautiful wildlife...

4/26/2006 11:20 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't agree that nuclear power is the only way forward. How can we proceed with more nuclear plants when we do not know how to handle the radioactive waste from the exisiting installations. This waste and the power stations themselves are excellent terrorist targets. Recent research shows how wave energy is a reliable and powerful source of energy, as are hydroelectric dams. There use along with a drive to minimise are energy use are the only way to build a sustainable, safe and 'green' future for our children.

4/26/2006 11:34 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm quite happy to see wave power used, but how are you going to get surrounding the coasted with generators past local residents and enviromentalist groups. They also won't want every hill covered in windmills and as for relocating people from there homes in order to build hydroelectric dams, complete non-starter

4/26/2006 11:39 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wind energy is not as productive as the sources I hav already mentioned. I think residents and environmentalists will have to accept that these measure are necessary and will actually build a safer future for us all - the coast need not be completely surrounded and many areas of outstanding natural beauty will remain protected. It is arguble what damage wave generators would cause and we already know that wildlife can adapt to new technology provided it is not poisonous or dangerous. I accept that relocating residents is not easy however it is certainly possible. In the areas where these dams would be constructed it may only be a matter of relocating a handful of people.

4/26/2006 12:13 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What if we captured all the hot air emanating from the many sources around Qub and shoved it in a pipe in the ground? Whenever any of us needed a blast of warmth me could like....just turn it on! Hands up who is going to help me dig a hole!

4/26/2006 8:34 pm  

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