Letter of
Introduction
My Family and
Friends
My Home
My Biome
The Problem
What Can Be Done?
Write To
Me!
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Letter of
Introduction
Greetings
from Chernobyl! My colleagues and I have been livivg here for a few months now .
For those of you who arent aware the worst nuclear power plant disaster in the
history of the world occured right here 21 years ago. Chernobyl is
located the town of
Pripyat, Ukraine. On April 26, 1986 nuclear reactor 4 suffered a catastrophic
steam explosion resulting in
a nuclear meltdown, a series of additional explosions and a
fire. The radiation was not contained and radioactive particles were carried by
wind across international borders. A radioactive plume was created that drifted
over parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Northern Europe, and eastern North America. Large areas in Ukraine, Belarus, and
Russia
were badly contaminated, resulting in the evacuation and resettlement
of over 336,000 people. The
accident raised concerns about the
safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry, slowing
its expansion for a number of years, while forcing the Soviet government to
become less secretive. The now-independent countries of Russia, Ukraine, and
Belarus have been burdened with the continuing and substantial
decontamination and health care costs of
the Chernobyl accident. It is difficult to tally accurately the number of deaths
caused by the events at Chernobyl, as the Soviet-era
cover-up made it difficult to track down victims. My colleagues and I work for
the World Health Oranization (WHO) and are currently in Chernobyl because
recent research has shown
that people in the Chernobyl region still lack the information they need to lead
healthy, productive lives. Information itself is not in short supply; what is
missing are creative ways of disseminating information in a way that induces
people to change their behavior. Moreover, propagation of healthy lifestyles is
at least as important as providing information on living safely with low-dose
radiation. To improve the population’s mental health and ease fears, community
activists will be mobilized to deliver truthful and reassuring messages to
dispel the misconceptions surrounding Chernobyl.
This is Julie. She provides families with
the knowledge that they need about living safely with low-dose
radiation.
This is Dan. He is responsible for improving the
populations mental health and easing their fears.
This is me. I am responsible for providing
and tending to the wildlife in Chernobyl and the surrounding
areas.
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