20 years...

As most everyone knows, especially after the news reports and media coverage, it's Chernobyl's 20 year anniversary.

Not the sort of thing one celebrates but certainly something we all need to remember. Mankind's arrogance and ignorance has led to generation after generation being left scarred and suffering in what is left behind from the explosion known 100 times stronger than that which occurred in Hiroshima.

So very unnecessary and yet what really concerns me is I don't doubt it wouldn't happen again. We live in a day and age of war and greed and power and nuclear weapons. We have the power to create greatness and do such wonderful things and of all the challenges we have yet to face as the human race such as cures for cancer and aids and poverty!!!?? We continue to use our minds and means to fund and develop weapons????

For anyone who doesn't understand or truly appreciate the damage done; take some time to surf for something other than the latest model going to pose in playboy or some pregnant celebrity and check this out on MSN. I will warn you there are some parts of the video that are very difficult to watch.

Some of the eye witness accounts are incredible. The idea of one man's friend who DAYS after the explosion was part of the clean up crew (who had little if any appropriate protection) and because of the exposure suffered radiation poisoning and died. The way he died was by shrivelling up and turning black until he "crumbled" to death internally.


The steam explosion and fire released at least five percent of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere with the wind carrying to the neighboring towns. Within one week the entire WORLD was affected by the radiation in the air. Their estimating the radiation won't be contained /eliminated until the year 2525 and over 400 generations will be affected.

The number of children in medical facilities that will grow only to be transferred to the mental facilities as adults is staggering. There are gross deformaties that literally changed some of these children into "monsters" as one photographer put it. Such an incredible waste for humanity. These children are visited by their parents and loved ones yet don't even know who these people are let alone themselves. It's such an incredible impact that I truly don't think is even within grasp of just how incredulous this whole even is and will be for centuries to come.

What's incredible to me is I was in high school when this occurred. The same year I remember the Challenger exploding after lift off - I can tell you place, time, the teacher's name of the class I was in and yet I do NOT recall when Chernobyl happened. I don't recall it ever being mentioned in school at all. Quite frankly, even as an adult I only knew a snippet of what it was all about. It wasn't until the rumbles of the anniversary coming up that I ever did the research on my own to learn the details of just how catastrophic the whole event IS as this is just as relevant in today's society as ever.

They have built a sarcophagus over the plant to contain the remains of the plant and another is in the works to better maintain the leakage. To wrap my head around the fact that this will be a presence until 2525, OVER 500 YEARS from now, is mind blowing.