Chernobyl Forever
Title: Chernobyl Forever
Author: Sarah Phillips
Reference: Somatosphere,
Keywords: Chernobyl, Fukushima, 25th anniversary (Chernobyl accident), Anthropological Shock
Abstract: On March 11, 2011 came the horrific earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the escalating crisis at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. As the Fukushima accident unfolded and the extent of radioactive contamination was revealed (?!), the world wondered: Is this another Chernobyl? A month after the earthquake the Japanese government classified the accident as a Category 7 disaster, the same as Chernobyl. No doubt comparisons with Chernobyl will be elaborated, negotiated, challenged, and rejected as the situation develops at Fukushima Daiichi. For now, the renewed awareness of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident–which coincides with the event’s 25th “anniversary”–provides an opportunity to ponder the multiple kinds of fallout the disaster produced: health, environmental, social, cultural, and political.
URL: http://somatosphere.net/test/2011/04/chernobyl-forever.html