This is pretty old now, but it seems every few years someone links me to it and I have to stop and read it again. It's pretty interesting stuff, essentially, it's a tour through the areas in and around Chernobyl years after the disaster. LINK
I've always thought it was interesting that Chernobyl was named for the local trees/grass. In Ukrainian, Chernobyl means Wormwood.
It's funny you posted this today. I spent some time last night reading about nuclear testing. It's pretty bad what we've done to ourselves and the earth. I'm no tree hugger and love drag racing which isn't good for the environment. But if just reading about how many nuclear bombs have been tested doesn't make all the hair on your body stand up somethings wrong.
I've been following Chernobyl for a while, particularly when they started the New Safe Confinement program for replacing the existing sarcophagus. Hopefully I can get a trip in for a vacation to Pripyat as well...
Man, that would be way cool. It's something that I'd love to do myself. Take us some pics if you get the chance.
The pics I have seen of that amusement park that never got used or the new apartment buildings over the years that were never lived always had an eerie feel to em the way everything was just left. The newness seems to have a particular feel to it the way they deteriorated screamed trajedy to me.
I remember reading somewhere that the biggest concern that the scientists had when they developed the A-bomb was the worry that when it was set off it would cause the Earth's atmosphere to ignite. Not that long ago, I watched a Nat'l Geographic special series where they predicted what would happen if all humans just vanished from the face of the earth. the main things I remember was that after 1,000 years, the only sign that human had occupied the planet would be the monument of the presidential faces carved into Mt. Rushmore (because it is one of the most geologically stable places on the planet.) The other thing I remember were the scenes filmed in Chernobyl to show what towns and cities would look like after being abandoned for 25 years.
It will be silent killer for a long time, I feel so sorry for them and other counties dealing with nuclear tragedies. It just doesn't go away. I remember and interesting story about John Wayne when he did the G Khan movie? Think it was that one. Someone loved the color of the sand that was used at ground zero for the tests our country did. They deiced it would be perfect for the set and brought in truck loads and more truck loads. They were walking in it, breathing the sand into their lungs. Apparently later the Duke and his family were aware his sickness was probably related to that movie and the sand. Because he was such a patriot it was never mentioned before or after his death. Thats is the angle played by the article I read many years ago anyways. Lots of the actors n others on the set all died of nasty cancers which could be attributed to radiation exposures as a possible cause.
There is an area in Turkey on the Black Sea where a cloud from Chernobyl hung out...The various government agencys told everyone it was cool....Those who lived there and followed the news and governments advice developed like the highest cancer percentages...and their children....The Chernobyl thing did and does continue to affect people far from ground zero...we're talking other countries...Whew...
That was a great read. I have wanted to visit ever since I heard about it. Imagine all the shaving goodies left behind!
