Remembering Chernobyl

[GostHacked]

20 years ago today there was a nuclear power plant disaster that forever changed the world and to a greater extend a part of the Ukraine and Belarus that will not see human habitation on a large scale for centuries to come.

http://todayspictures.slate.com/inmotion/essay_chernobyl/

http://www.pixelpress.org/chernobyl/

These two websites are amazing, if you do not feel a tear comming up then I doubt you are even human.

Do you remember what you were doing and where you were that day? I was 14, watching TV on a saturday afternoon watching TV and the news came on with a breaking story. Yeah I was scared, and I am on the other side of the planet. I could not quite understand all that was going on, but I knew nuclear radiation is a very very serious and deadly thing. Radiation like that scares me alot. It goes everywhere.

I pour one out and send my hopes and best wishes to those who are suffering to this day. Young children who did not witness the event that were born after the tragedy are suffering greatly with all sorts of cancers and other deseises running through their bodies and the air and the ground, every where around them.

Let's hope we never have another Chernobyl. Let's hope we never are made to witness any nuclear tragedy again.

[geoffrey]

Thank goodness with the opening of the Eastern bloc (somewhat), another Chernobyl is unlikely. The sad part is that the cold war was a major cause of it, which makes us NATO countries partially to blame too.

I worry greatly about countries like Iran building nuclear power. They have little concern for their citizens, so probably not safety as well. North Korea or Iran would be the few places where a Chernobyl may happen again.

We have to work to prevent these countries from having nuclear programs, as I don't think we can trust despots with their citizens lives, much like the Soviets during Chernobyl.

[GostHacked]

Thank goodness with the opening of the Eastern bloc (somewhat), another Chernobyl is unlikely. The sad part is that the cold war was a major cause of it, which makes us NATO countries partially to blame too.

I worry greatly about countries like Iran building nuclear power. They have little concern for their citizens, so probably not safety as well. North Korea or Iran would be the few places where a Chernobyl may happen again.

We have to work to prevent these countries from having nuclear programs, as I don't think we can trust despots with their citizens lives, much like the Soviets during Chernobyl.

By your logic I can blame the incident at 3 Mile Island on the Cold War. That was in 1979. There is problems with nuclear technology. Stuff happens, and FAST if it is not under control. I doubt the Cold War had anything really to do with it. By your logic, many other Russian nuclear reactors should have failed.

So this is why other countries cannot pursue nuclear technology? Because they have great risks invovled? Something at Chernobyl went wrong, just plain wrong, as with 3 Mile Island, and every other nuclear power plant disaster in history.

I just cannot beleive I read your response. Little concern for citizens( or soldiers) in the Nevada desert when the US was testing nuclear weapons.

I wanted to turn this into a memorial on what happened, and you really just.. ..... .. wow.

[lost&outofcontrol]

Thank goodness with the opening of the Eastern bloc (somewhat), another Chernobyl is unlikely. The sad part is that the cold war was a major cause of it, which makes us NATO countries partially to blame too.

I worry greatly about countries like Iran building nuclear power. They have little concern for their citizens, so probably not safety as well. North Korea or Iran would be the few places where a Chernobyl may happen again.

We have to work to prevent these countries from having nuclear programs, as I don't think we can trust despots with their citizens lives, much like the Soviets during Chernobyl.

Waaa?

Something in the water out in Alberta I see.

[geoffrey]

Thank goodness with the opening of the Eastern bloc (somewhat), another Chernobyl is unlikely. The sad part is that the cold war was a major cause of it, which makes us NATO countries partially to blame too.

I worry greatly about countries like Iran building nuclear power. They have little concern for their citizens, so probably not safety as well. North Korea or Iran would be the few places where a Chernobyl may happen again.

We have to work to prevent these countries from having nuclear programs, as I don't think we can trust despots with their citizens lives, much like the Soviets during Chernobyl.

By your logic I can blame the incident at 3 Mile Island on the Cold War. That was in 1979. There is problems with nuclear technology. Stuff happens, and FAST if it is not under control. I doubt the Cold War had anything really to do with it. By your logic, many other Russian nuclear reactors should have failed.

So this is why other countries cannot pursue nuclear technology? Because they have great risks invovled? Something at Chernobyl went wrong, just plain wrong, as with 3 Mile Island, and every other nuclear power plant disaster in history.

I just cannot beleive I read your response. Little concern for citizens( or soldiers) in the Nevada desert when the US was testing nuclear weapons.

I wanted to turn this into a memorial on what happened, and you really just.. ..... .. wow.

No no, this isn't a comment on communism or anything like that.

It's not a technology issue, nuclear technology is relatively safe to use.

It's the cover-up of accidents and emergencies that has caused the trouble. Chernobyl happened in an era of secrecy about such troubles, and the world was shut out from assisting in the emergency. Could you imagine how unpopular it would be for the Soviets to admit they needed Western help to save their citizens? The same trouble would have happened if the US needed Soviet help, they wouldn't have asked for it.

That's why I fear nuclear technology under the controls of despot rulers. It's not like they wouldn't have the competence to hire people to run them, but if they ever failed, I doubt if North Korea would come running and screaming to the US to send in the troops to clean up the mess. The citizens nearby would pay the price of this secrecy.

Secrecy is a dangerous thing.