Video: Discovery Channel The Battle of Chernobyl

1
Video Discovery ChannelThe Battle of Chernobyl
Geography 2152Hazards

• Questions to think about
• Context/Facts

2
Chernobyl Facts

• 25 to 26 April 1986, explosion (steam), fire, and
  meltdown during a coolant pump test
• 100 times the radiation of Hiroshima
• mitigating circumstances power surge failure
  of emergency shutdown, human error (power down
  too far, powered up too fast)
• 800,000 men involved in cleanup
• last Chernobyl reactor shut down 2000
• reactor is being encased in a second sarcophagus
  (100-year) finished 2009

3
Questions to Think About

1. What are the themes of this video?
2. What impacts were discussed well?
3. Which impacts were not discussed, or were not
   discussed in sufficient detail in your view?
4. What concepts from the course did this video
   discuss best? (e.g., vulnerability, emergency
   preparedness, handling losses etc)

4
Location
5
Location
Belarus
Russia
Pripyat
Ukraine
6
Location
7
Health Effects

• 56 direct deaths (47 accident workers, and nine
  children with thyroid cancer),
• 4,000 extra cancer deaths among the approximately
  600,000 most highly exposed
• Source United Nations Scientific Committee on
  the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR)

8
Cancer Impacts
Source chernobyl.info
9
Cancer Impacts
Source chernobyl.info
10
Socio-Economic Impacts
11
Socio-Economic Impacts
Source chernobyl.info

• PEI 5600 km2

12
More Info

• chernobyl.info seems to be the most
  authoritative site on the disaster and,
  importantly, recovery
• http//www.kiddofspeed.com/chapter1.html -
  fascinating and controversial commentary on the
  disaster