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https://theconversation.com/russian-capture-of-ukraines-chernobyl-nuclear-plant-threatens-future-research-on-radioactivity-and-wildlife-177805>
"Shortly after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine, both governments said
that the Russian military had taken over the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear
power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster. In a tweet, the
Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised fears of possible ecological
disaster.
On April 26, 1986, a nuclear reactor at the plant near the city of Pripyat,
Ukraine, exploded. The fire burned for 10 days, spewing a radioactive plume
that stretched across Europe, as far as Ireland and Greece. The immediate area
around the reactor was evacuated, and a 30-kilometre radius exclusion zone has
remained in place for almost 36 years.
Access to the Chernobyl exclusion zone has been strictly controlled. The
Ukrainian army typically allows only those associated with scientific
expeditions or more recently, dark tourism — visiting sites associated with
death and suffering — into the area.
I’ve visited the area six times, most recently in 2018, to study the impacts of
long-term low-dose radiation on animals. These impacts, in humans and other
animals, are of great concern and highly controversial. Much of the uncertainty
is caused by the difficulty of working at sites such as Chernobyl, and the
variability and complexity of the ecosystems in contaminated areas. The
scientific uncertainty naturally leads to concern about whom to trust."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
