I remember when the Chernobyl disaster happened. I remember we had tadpoles in a pond in the garden in Devon. The next day they were all dead. I firmly believe the two things were connected. I am watching a programme on T.V. tonight about a new bid to contain the radio activity at Chernobyl. The narration is very upbeat but it seems to me that containing something like this is not an easy task. I commend to you the men working on this project. Hopefully their health is being monitored and every measure taken to keep them safe. For years after the disaster I remember children from the area came to Tiverton for a month each year, as this gave them valuable time away from contaminated areas where they lived. I think we do not know the full story of the effect of Chernobyl. Maybe even the increased incidence of cancer in our own area has something to do with it, but most certainly it is the people of Ukraine who have suffered the worst.
I have written in previous posts about disasters. In the case of Concorde, decisions by people, plus other factors were directly to blame for the event. In the case of the Penlee disaster it may have been avoided if someone had made a better choice in the time beforehand and as a consequence brave men and the ship's crew and the captain and his family died. 9/11 was certainly the result of wicked men committing a terrorist act, but even in this there was heroism notably by another Cornish man, Rick Rescorla who helped many to safety and left it too late to help himself. In situations like this we see what the human spirit is capable of both good and evil. What of disasters that come on people because of the earth restless movement of tectonic plates. Often people live near volcanoes because the land is rich and fertile and they have the chance of a better life there when the volcano is resting. We cannot blame them for that but sometimes people become complacent...
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