Chernobyl 20 years on
As Belarus (and Ukraine, and Russia) are marking the solemn anniversary of the world's worst technogenic disaster, I read and watched a lot of articles and photo reports, all terribly shocking and revealing the facts about the catastrophe that have been left to be forgotten. For example, the incidence of thyroid cancer in Belarus has multiplied by several dozens since Chernobyl, and although it happened 20 years ago, most polluting radioactive elements in the soil, such as cesium-137, have not even reached their half-life, meaning there's more than half of them still left to emit radiation.
About 10 years ago, I wrote an article for my college paper about the impact of Chernobyl on Belarus. Here it is, on someone's web site (it's OK, I don't mind):
http://www.belarusguide.com/chernobyl1/cyauh.html
It's a tough topic which unfortunately still needs to be brought to attention very much, in my opinion, of only as an acute example of how horribly we, humans, can affect the nature when our own monsters are let loose.
posted by My Top Ten at 12:56 AM
1 Comments:
When this tragedy took place, I was too young to remember, but I think it was like Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since I was born as a Japanese, this was unavoidable topic in my life. Although it happened more than 60 years ago, people in Japan still remember through visual images and stories told by victims. I learned so much about it, and I saw so much deaths, sorrows and pain through the remains. Even though I wasn't there when the bombs were dropped, it hurts the core of myself so bad somehow. So I cannot imagine how big impact it gave you. Certainly this topic still has to be concerned and not to be forgotten. I wonder when we can realise how strong, cruel power humanbeings have...
1:05 AM
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