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How about Chernobyl exclusion zone? "Ukrainian officials estimate the area will not be safe for human life again for another 20,000 years" [1] "The time frame

How about Chernobyl exclusion zone? "Ukrainian officials estimate the area will not be safe for human life again for another 20,000 years" [1] "The time frame in question when dealing with radioactive waste ranges from 10,000 to 1,000,000 years" [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#The_Exclusion_Zone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#The_Exclusi... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_waste#Long_term_management_of_waste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_waste#Long_term_ma...

Turing_Machine 11y ago
There are people living there right now. "The time frame in question when dealing with radioactive waste ranges from 10,000 to 1,000,000 years" As I noted below, a long half-life implies less radiation, by definition. "Infinite half-life" = "not radioactive at all". Anyone who tries to use a long half-life as a scare tactic is either lacking in knowledge or selling something.
vonmoltke 11y ago
> "Ukrainian officials estimate the area will not be safe for human life again for another 20,000 years" The source given in the Wiki article is Time: Disasters that Shook the World. Not exactly a scholarly work. It is also the apparent source of this falsehood in the Wiki article: "Even today, radiation levels are so high that the workers responsible for rebuilding the sarcophagus are only allowed to work five hours a day for one month before taking 15 days of rest." According to the article on the exclusion zone itself[1] and the source for said article[2], "More than 3,000 workers manage the Zone, living in Chernobyl town during 4-day and 15-day shifts." Furthermore, the article on the Reactor 4 sarcophagus contains a picture[3] of those same workers less than 200m from Reactor 4 with no protective gear. If radiation levels in the zone were that high they would be fully geared up. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Exclusion_Zone#Population https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Exclusion_Zone#Popul... [2] http://www.afterchernobyl.com/ http://www.afterchernobyl.com/ [3] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Chernobylreactor_1.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Chernoby...

Turing_Machine 11y ago

There are people living there right now. "The time frame in question when dealing with radioactive waste ranges from 10,000 to 1,000,000 years" As I noted below, a long half-life implies less radiation, by definition. "Infinite half-life" = "not radioactive at all". Anyone who tries to use a long half-life as a scare tactic is either lacking in knowledge or selling something.

vonmoltke 11y ago

> "Ukrainian officials estimate the area will not be safe for human life again for another 20,000 years" The source given in the Wiki article is Time: Disasters that Shook the World. Not exactly a scholarly work. It is also the apparent source of this falsehood in the Wiki article: "Even today, radiation levels are so high that the workers responsible for rebuilding the sarcophagus are only allowed to work five hours a day for one month before taking 15 days of rest." According to the article on the exclusion zone itself[1] and the source for said article[2], "More than 3,000 workers manage the Zone, living in Chernobyl town during 4-day and 15-day shifts." Furthermore, the article on the Reactor 4 sarcophagus contains a picture[3] of those same workers less than 200m from Reactor 4 with no protective gear. If radiation levels in the zone were that high they would be fully geared up. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Exclusion_Zone#Population https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Exclusion_Zone#Popul... [2] http://www.afterchernobyl.com/ http://www.afterchernobyl.com/ [3] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Chernobylreactor_1.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Chernoby...