<
https://theconversation.com/the-russian-takeover-of-the-defunct-chernobyl-site-challenges-the-peaceful-safe-and-sustainable-branding-of-nuclear-energy-179299>
"At least seven forest fires continue to burn around the Russian-held Chernobyl
nuclear site in Ukraine, raising fears radionuclides could spread from the
defunct facility.
Earlier this week, the Ukrainian parliament issued a statement blaming the
fires on shelling or arson by Russian forces that captured the site in
February.
According to the statement, the fires now cover an area ten times larger than
the emergency criteria for the site’s exclusion zone, but the ongoing war
prevents firefighters from putting them out.
Nuclear power plants are not designed to be in war zones. They are highly
complex technologies that can be sensitive to even minor disturbances.
Nuclear disasters are caused by a mix of technical, environmental, social and
political conditions. And these contingencies don’t always match with the
branding of nuclear energy as peaceful, safe and sustainable. This contrast is
at its starkest in war zones, but also in the growing advocacy for nuclear
energy as a low-carbon solution to climate change."
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
