Nuclear Monday

You remember the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion of ’86, right? That was the little disaster which released 400 times more radiation into the atmosphere than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Surely you recall—it was in all the papers.

In May of last year, 2021—35 years after the fact—ExtremeTech reported that Chernobyl may be getting hot again—neutron levels have doubled since 2017.  

Just this past Friday the 25th, they reported that:

Ukraine’s state nuclear regulator has announced a substantial radiation spike in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Remote analysis shows dangerous emissions have increased about 20-fold, and some of the highest levels are in the area immediately around the power plant. Russia’s seizure of Chernobyl is already having an impact.

The Independent reports that radiation at Chernobyl has “exceeded control levels” after Russian troops took control.

Claire Corkhill, (professor of nuclear material degradation at the University of Sheffield and an advisor to the UK government), noted that areas where radiation levels had increased most were near main routes in and out of the site, suggesting the increased movement of people or vehicles may have "disturbed" radioactive dust.

What is this exclusion zone? It’s a 1,000 square mile “zone of alienation” established to protect people from radiation.

The zone was divided into three areas: Black, Red, and Blue.

The Black Zone which was the area closest to the site was designated an area where evacuees would never be allowed to return do to the toxic levels of radiation picked up.

The Red Zone experienced high levels of radiation, but it was assumed that overtime the levels would normalize and people would be able to return.

The Blue Zone had lower levels of radiation than the Red Zone, but it was advised that vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children be evacuated.
(source)

In other nuclear news, Putin has put Russia’s “deterrence forces,” which include nuclear weapons, on "special alert.” Real bright boy, that Vlad. He doesn’t seem to grasp the concept (or give two shits) that if he drops a Fat Man or Little Boy on Ukraine, he dooms Russia as well. Most likely, this is all just Trump-esque temper tantruming and posturing.

Also, Pootie-Poo has made sure that the world sees the now underway talks (theoretically intended to lay out a pathway to some sort of peace) as nothing but a sham. Is he really stupid enough to believe that everyone on the planet is as criminally dim and corrupt as his buddy Don the Con and his Republi/Fascist party?