Thank you Mark for sharing your blog with us. Great job! You are very brave, I would never go there. I have a friend whose relatives live in Kijev, and they tried to grow everything for themselves for probably 15 years in a safe place.
That's a great photo - the mood created in black & white is really amazing.
While the radiation levels across the Chernobyl Zone are typically higher than normal, most areas are not nearly as dangerous as most people think.
I personally visited the Chernobyl area for two days in June 2006 with a friend and former resident of Pripyat. We toured the Chernobyl Plant (including the Reactor 4 control room), several of the abandoned villages, and Pripyat. I have posted a photo journal of my trip at:
My Journey to Chernobyl: 20 Years After the Disaster
Believe it or not, the weapon used on Japan actually left less residue radiation than the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl. There was a lot more nuclear material involved at Chernobyl and it was all left intact rather than being blown into nothing. Hiroshima isn't really dangerous anymore, but the middle of Chernobyl is still potentially lethal.
I understand but the threat is constant. They can only do so much to contain this. The radiation will quickly deteriorate the concrete shell. Like I said it is only a band aid solution. I hope there is a safer solution.
But we live in the short run. ;)
If you blow it up, everybody will get of it again. You don't really want this, do you?
Scientists should find a better sollution.
The thick concrete shell is a band-aid solution and it is not going to get solved. My solution is to abandon the area and detonate the the faulty reactor. Yes it will be catastrophic in the short run, but in the long run no more worries.
BECAUSE, it is UKRAINE, not JAPAN. The difference is simple: UKRAINE has a lot more space to live and less money, JAPAN has a lot more MONEY and less space to live.
Why don't they evacuate a 100 mile radius and get this over with instead of trying to contain this. The city will be much easier to rebuild afterwards. Look at Hiroshima today. It is a thriving city.
