Tom, I spent my lunch hour looking at that woman's photos and reading part of her journal and looking at the photos on Belle's link. One of the morning talk radio guys yesterday said that he drove past Chernobyl when he was in Russia and that it was still a ghost town. I had no idea how devastated it still is (and maybe will always be).
I remember driving to work that morning and hearing about it. I was really angry that it turned out that the Sweeds reported the accident (in a way it was a report) because Russia should have done that itself.
A documentary was made after if was cleaned up and I made it a regular point to show it to my older classes. They didn't know much about nuclear power stations but they did understand about nuclear accidents. They were impressed as far as 16 and 17 y/o's can.
I used to know, but I've forgotten how long it will be before any of that land will be useable again especially for growing consumable food. I also wonder about the ground water. It is a fairly safe bet that the melt down didn't reach the ground water, but weathering will drive most things all the way down there one way or another. I would love to map that aquifer and hope it's not attached to any other one that's necessary for human consumption.
This is what happens when you over extend yourself so that you cannot successfully maintain your stuff. Man made stuff falls down sooner or later it it's not maintained. Major bridges in and around NYC are in a constant state of painting, inspection, repair etc. It's not enough just to build it!
On a personal note, I can only hope and pray that the nuclear power plants in the U.S. are maintained better than they were 20 years ago in Russia (of course I think so, but who knows?)! There's one about 40 miles east of me and another 50 miles west of me.
Krys, did you check out the link Tom posted? I think it has some of the info about the duration of the effects on the land and water and such. I just scanned through it quickly, but I think so.
Yes, but I just scanned quickly through it bookmarking it for later.
If I recall correctly, the biggest single problem with that plant was that the reactor was made of graphite. The ones we have don't have the graphite so a total melt through is much less likely, although by no means impossible.
Yes, but I just scanned quickly through it bookmarking it for later.
If I recall correctly, the biggest single problem with that plant was that the reactor was made of graphite. The ones we have don't have the graphite so a total melt through is much less likely, although by no means impossible.
Each different design has it's own good and bad. But designing a plant to be cooled by a metal that is normally a solid, just seems dumb to me.
Most of our plants 'melting down' really is not a issue. RO's get plenty of practice, and should they ever melt the liquid would just drop out into cubes underneath and cool down again. No big deal, regardless of what movie pictures would imply. :)
Galen... "you guys" have never had any nuclear accidents have you? (or is it just that we haven't heard?) Seriously... wasn't it Jimmy Carter that said we should let the Navy (Rickover?) run our nuclear plants?
It was Hyman Rickover who insisted that everytime he addressed congress that he be provided with a pitcher of drinking water that had recently been taken from a nuclear reactor's coolant loop.
He lived to 86 yr old, under his close supervision the Navy produced 199 nuclear-powered subs and 19 nuclear-powered surface-skimming target vessels. He insisted on personally interviewing every officer to serve onboard a nuclear-powered vessel, and to gain his approval each candidate had to meet his exacting and eccentric standards of personal integrity.
Tom, that young woman's site is absolutely incredible! What a brave woman! I want to order her DVDs just to support her! Incredible....absolutely amazing and scary how absolutely destructive mankind can be.
Sounds like we need more folks like Rickover in power. :)
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dmiller
Time flies ---- (these days) --- :(
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Belle
:(
I graduated from high school in 1986. Those sites are so sad to look at. I'm so glad that folks are remembering and documenting this disaster.
MSNBC also has a look at the children affected by Chernobyl - Photo Essay
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Linda Z
Tom, I spent my lunch hour looking at that woman's photos and reading part of her journal and looking at the photos on Belle's link. One of the morning talk radio guys yesterday said that he drove past Chernobyl when he was in Russia and that it was still a ghost town. I had no idea how devastated it still is (and maybe will always be).
"Chilling" and heart-rending are understatements.
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excathedra
OHMYGOD
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krys
I remember driving to work that morning and hearing about it. I was really angry that it turned out that the Sweeds reported the accident (in a way it was a report) because Russia should have done that itself.
A documentary was made after if was cleaned up and I made it a regular point to show it to my older classes. They didn't know much about nuclear power stations but they did understand about nuclear accidents. They were impressed as far as 16 and 17 y/o's can.
I used to know, but I've forgotten how long it will be before any of that land will be useable again especially for growing consumable food. I also wonder about the ground water. It is a fairly safe bet that the melt down didn't reach the ground water, but weathering will drive most things all the way down there one way or another. I would love to map that aquifer and hope it's not attached to any other one that's necessary for human consumption.
This is what happens when you over extend yourself so that you cannot successfully maintain your stuff. Man made stuff falls down sooner or later it it's not maintained. Major bridges in and around NYC are in a constant state of painting, inspection, repair etc. It's not enough just to build it!
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Linda Z
On a personal note, I can only hope and pray that the nuclear power plants in the U.S. are maintained better than they were 20 years ago in Russia (of course I think so, but who knows?)! There's one about 40 miles east of me and another 50 miles west of me.
Krys, did you check out the link Tom posted? I think it has some of the info about the duration of the effects on the land and water and such. I just scanned through it quickly, but I think so.
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krys
Yes, but I just scanned quickly through it bookmarking it for later.
If I recall correctly, the biggest single problem with that plant was that the reactor was made of graphite. The ones we have don't have the graphite so a total melt through is much less likely, although by no means impossible.
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Galen
Each different design has it's own good and bad. But designing a plant to be cooled by a metal that is normally a solid, just seems dumb to me.
Most of our plants 'melting down' really is not a issue. RO's get plenty of practice, and should they ever melt the liquid would just drop out into cubes underneath and cool down again. No big deal, regardless of what movie pictures would imply. :)
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Tom Strange
Galen... "you guys" have never had any nuclear accidents have you? (or is it just that we haven't heard?) Seriously... wasn't it Jimmy Carter that said we should let the Navy (Rickover?) run our nuclear plants?
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Galen
It was Hyman Rickover who insisted that everytime he addressed congress that he be provided with a pitcher of drinking water that had recently been taken from a nuclear reactor's coolant loop.
He lived to 86 yr old, under his close supervision the Navy produced 199 nuclear-powered subs and 19 nuclear-powered surface-skimming target vessels. He insisted on personally interviewing every officer to serve onboard a nuclear-powered vessel, and to gain his approval each candidate had to meet his exacting and eccentric standards of personal integrity.
He served under 13 presidents.
What a screw-ball.
:)
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Belle
Tom, that young woman's site is absolutely incredible! What a brave woman! I want to order her DVDs just to support her! Incredible....absolutely amazing and scary how absolutely destructive mankind can be.
Sounds like we need more folks like Rickover in power. :)
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