Chernobyl

I'm watching this series at the moment. There are few words that I can write that haven't already been written or spoken about this disaster. The series is very well made and it is hard to stop watching, hence I am already on episode 5 after just a couple of days. I have been staying up late after I finish work to watch it and will be reading and researching more following it's conclusion. 

It is 34 years ago now since an RBMK reactor at a Nuclear Power Station in what is now Northern Ukraine exploded. I remember when the news broke and here in the UK we were told to stay indoors and keep the windows shut as there was a risk of the radioactive cloud travelling over parts of the country. I now understand that the Russian Government tried to keep the explosion a secret and it was only when radioactivity was detected in the air in Sweden that the situation was admitted by Russia. 

This article discusses the myths vs reality of the portrayal of the nuclear disaster by the docu-drama series and talks to the writer and producer Craig Mazin. It does appear that he has tried to keep to the facts as much as possible and to try to show the impact on people's lives and on the world with some caution. The series is stark and shocking events are shown with real heroes sometimes knowingly sacrificing themselves in order to save other lives. I watched with a sense of disbelief and horror, knowing that what is shown is only showing a fraction of the terrible events that took place. 

Greenpeace highlight the continuing impact on people and the environment of the disaster: 

"Almost 350,000 locals were evacuated after the accident.  Today, approximately 5 million people still live in areas which are officially designated ‘contaminated’. The lingering effects of Chernobyl are expected to cause 9,000 more deaths, according to conservative estimates by the World Health Organisation. Ten of the same type used at Chernobyl are still currently in operation across Russia; from Leningrad to Smolensk to Kursk."

A further article by National Geographic  also documents the short and long term impact of the disaster. Scottish CND  and other pressure groups continue to listen to the Voices from Chernobyl and campaign against Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons. The last paragraph from their article about Chernobyl is very moving and calls for us to join them in their fight:

"We will always campaign against nuclear weapons until the last warhead is dismantled and we do this in memory of all the people who have died or had their lives cut short because of the nuclear industry - all the first responders at the Chernobyl disaster, all the displaced Japanese people due to the Fukushima meltdown, all the victims of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all of the indigenous people around the world who are victims of uranium mining and nuclear testing. Please join our campaign today and let their voices be heard. Together we can bring an end to nuclear domination and make this world a safer place for the generations to come."