5 ms·

Chernobyl: Environmental dead zone or eco-haven?

36 points by raphar 16y ago

bmalicoat 16y ago
Can any normal tourist get inside of the area? What are the health risks of spending an afternoon there (~3 hours)? Seems like a very unique place to visit if possible and not too dangerous.
- pavel_lishin 16y ago
  I've read accounts of tourists going there - it's fine, as long as you follow the guide's directions completely. (e.g., if you put something metal down on the ground, it's not coming back with you.)
  - Dylan16807 16y ago
    What's wrong with putting something metal down?
    - pavel_lishin 16y ago
      I'm not a physicist, so if someone can explain why, I'd love to hear it - but basically, putting something metal down in a radioactive area means it becomes radioactive, too. I assume that the radiation transmutes metals into radioactive elements?
- oscardelben 16y ago
  If you search on youtube for Pripyat, there are many videos available that shows you how's the city now.
- civilian 16y ago
  Here's a site with pictures from a motorcyclist who went through Chernobyl: http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chapter1.html http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chapter1.html
  - geekinthecorner 16y ago
    I seem to remember some controversy as to the authenticity of this site.
  - bobds 16y ago
    Wasn't that a well-crafted hoax?
onteria 16y ago
For those interested, this PDF from the Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology Slovak Academy of Sciences mentioned in the article provides a short exert on the process they used: http://pribina.savba.sk/ugbr/tl_files/download/COST%20FA603.pdf http://pribina.savba.sk/ugbr/tl_files/download/COST%20FA603.... The section in question is titled "Comparative proteomics of seed development of soybean in Chernobyl area" and is located on page 41 of the PDF.
beefman 16y ago
"over 40 different types of radioactivity were released after the accident" LOL
- burgerbrain 16y ago
  It likely means "over 40 different radioactive isotopes were released". What can you expect from CNN (or any other 'mainstream' news?
  - beefman 16y ago
    Yes indeedy. On an issue central to the future of energy policy, I feel I can expect a bit more.
knowtheory 16y ago
False Dichotomies: Pinnacle of the written form or brain killing mind poison?
roc 16y ago
> "paradoxically become a unique sanctuary for biodiversity." Personally I see the apparent 'richness' of Chernobyl's nature as more of a reflection on how humans are using the surrounding areas than how well nature is truly doing inside the zone.
VladRussian 16y ago
1.for animals, between two evils - humans or radioctivity - the radioctivity seems to be a much lesser evil. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-UOHn9PvJ0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-UOHn9PvJ0 2. can't not to mention the "Roadside Picnic" (though written long before the Chernobyl)
- Groxx 16y ago
  1: Well yeah. Humans can be immediately seen to do harm (stimulus-response), radiation can't unless it's at phenomenally dangerous levels that the harm can be detected immediately. And by then there's likely been enough damage to kill the animal anyway. Animals (us included) aren't very good at connecting hugely-delayed effects to their causes. We get by with society and science.
srean 16y ago
Question: when you think of a significant industrial disaster, or say the worst industrial disaster does Bhopal come to your mind ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster Among the many tragedies of Bhopal one id that it has very little mind share. Except for the affected of course. Here is an anecdote that I learned from a friend of mine who is Bulgarian. Fish markets there make it a point to tell you that their fish isn't fresh. Their major water body is the Black sea and rivers have been driving Chernobyl effluents into it. Fishes concentrate the poisons in their system. So fish, unless it is imported, is considered unsafe. Edit: Heard in 2004 and he was living in the US then.
- vlado 16y ago
  As a Bulgarian living in Bulgaria I can say that what your friend has told you about fishmarkets is not true. Maybe it has been at some point, but it must be twenty years since.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]

36 points by raphar 16y ago

Can any normal tourist get inside of the area? What are the health risks of spending an afternoon there (~3 hours)? Seems like a very unique place to visit if possible and not too dangerous.

pavel_lishin 16y ago
I've read accounts of tourists going there - it's fine, as long as you follow the guide's directions completely. (e.g., if you put something metal down on the ground, it's not coming back with you.)
- Dylan16807 16y ago
  What's wrong with putting something metal down?
  - pavel_lishin 16y ago
    I'm not a physicist, so if someone can explain why, I'd love to hear it - but basically, putting something metal down in a radioactive area means it becomes radioactive, too. I assume that the radiation transmutes metals into radioactive elements?
oscardelben 16y ago
If you search on youtube for Pripyat, there are many videos available that shows you how's the city now.
civilian 16y ago
Here's a site with pictures from a motorcyclist who went through Chernobyl: http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chapter1.html http://www.kiddofspeed.com/chapter1.html
- geekinthecorner 16y ago
  I seem to remember some controversy as to the authenticity of this site.
- bobds 16y ago
  Wasn't that a well-crafted hoax?

onteria 16y ago

For those interested, this PDF from the Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology Slovak Academy of Sciences mentioned in the article provides a short exert on the process they used: http://pribina.savba.sk/ugbr/tl_files/download/COST%20FA603.pdf http://pribina.savba.sk/ugbr/tl_files/download/COST%20FA603.... The section in question is titled "Comparative proteomics of seed development of soybean in Chernobyl area" and is located on page 41 of the PDF.

beefman 16y ago

"over 40 different types of radioactivity were released after the accident" LOL

burgerbrain 16y ago
It likely means "over 40 different radioactive isotopes were released". What can you expect from CNN (or any other 'mainstream' news?
- beefman 16y ago
  Yes indeedy. On an issue central to the future of energy policy, I feel I can expect a bit more.

knowtheory 16y ago

False Dichotomies: Pinnacle of the written form or brain killing mind poison?

roc 16y ago

> "paradoxically become a unique sanctuary for biodiversity." Personally I see the apparent 'richness' of Chernobyl's nature as more of a reflection on how humans are using the surrounding areas than how well nature is truly doing inside the zone.

VladRussian 16y ago

1.for animals, between two evils - humans or radioctivity - the radioctivity seems to be a much lesser evil. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-UOHn9PvJ0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-UOHn9PvJ0 2. can't not to mention the "Roadside Picnic" (though written long before the Chernobyl)

Groxx 16y ago
1: Well yeah. Humans can be immediately seen to do harm (stimulus-response), radiation can't unless it's at phenomenally dangerous levels that the harm can be detected immediately. And by then there's likely been enough damage to kill the animal anyway. Animals (us included) aren't very good at connecting hugely-delayed effects to their causes. We get by with society and science.

srean 16y ago

Question: when you think of a significant industrial disaster, or say the worst industrial disaster does Bhopal come to your mind ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster Among the many tragedies of Bhopal one id that it has very little mind share. Except for the affected of course. Here is an anecdote that I learned from a friend of mine who is Bulgarian. Fish markets there make it a point to tell you that their fish isn't fresh. Their major water body is the Black sea and rivers have been driving Chernobyl effluents into it. Fishes concentrate the poisons in their system. So fish, unless it is imported, is considered unsafe. Edit: Heard in 2004 and he was living in the US then.

vlado 16y ago
As a Bulgarian living in Bulgaria I can say that what your friend has told you about fishmarkets is not true. Maybe it has been at some point, but it must be twenty years since.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]