Chernobyl: Reflections on Tragedy

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On April 26, 1986, Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union, located in northern Ukraine near the Belarus border, exploded suddenly, resulting in the worst nuclear disaster in human history to date. Although 30 years have passed, this disaster remains like an unextinguishable fire, continuing to bring endless pain and reflection to people. Scars remain from surviving the trials. The main health hazards caused by nuclear pollution are disorders of the thyroid gland, the blood system, and the lymphatic system; among these, thyroid cancer is the most alarming. According to the World Health Organization, compared to before the accident, the number of cases of thyroid cancer among children in the nuclear-contaminated areas of Belarus has increased by 33 times. Today, in countries affected by nuclear accidents such as Belarus and Ukraine, around 5 million people still live in areas contaminated by radiation. Monitoring nuclear radiation levels, removing pollutants from the soil, providing rehabilitation treatment for those exposed to radiation… The aftermath of the accident turned into a protracted and costly struggle. Belarusian Foreign Minister Makey said recently at a photo exhibition commemorating the Chernobyl nuclear accident at United Nations Headquarters that international assistance in eliminating nuclear pollution is still far from sufficient, and it is unclear how many years it will take to completely remove the contamination. The tragedy of Chernobyl shocked the world. However, the nuclear accident that occurred in Fukushima, Japan, 25 years later showed that humanity does not seem to have truly learned from its mistakes. Pashuk, an energy policy expert at the Ukrainian **Environmental Center, said bluntly: \"If we could learn from the lessons of Chernobyl, especially by staying prepared for emergencies, the consequences of the Fukushima nuclear accident would not have been so severe.\" ” 30 years later, people are commemorating Chernobyl once again to remember the admonition that “lies are the greatest evil.” As the only two Level 7 nuclear accidents in the history of humanity’s peaceful use of nuclear energy, the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents, although differing in nature, both revealed the persistent problem of delayed and inadequate information disclosure. Following the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the Soviet Union **withheld information from its own citizens and the international community and reacted slowly, exacerbating the losses in lives and property. Japan, on the other hand, has been evasive regarding issues such as the high incidence of thyroid diseases among children in the Fukushima region and the contamination of agricultural products, which has caused great concern among the affected people and neighboring countries. 30 years later, people are commemorating Chernobyl once again, precisely to warn humanity to abandon prejudice and strengthen cooperation. Nuclear safety knows no borders, but at present, the international community has not established unified standards for dealing with nuclear accidents, nor is there a consistent system for holding the responsible countries accountable. Under these circumstances, countries must exercise strict self-discipline and work together. Currently, the \"decommissioning\" of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is attracting a great deal of attention, and it relates to two main issues: one is the construction of a new shelter for Reactor No. 4, which was the site of the explosion back then ； The second is to build a warehouse for storing nuclear waste from other reactors in the nuclear power plant. Russian nuclear technology was used in the construction of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The current hostility between Russia and Ukraine has led to the interruption of nuclear cooperation between the two countries, which in turn has had a negative impact on the process of shutting down the nuclear plant. Furthermore, other operating nuclear power plants in Ukraine have turned to the United States to purchase nuclear fuel, which has caused widespread concern among industry professionals. Experts point out that the nuclear fuel produced in the United States is not suitable for Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and poses significant safety risks. “Take action before it arises, and manage things before chaos sets in. ”Safety is the cornerstone of nuclear power development. Both the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear plants were said to have extremely high safety standards before the accidents occurred, yet in both cases, low-probability events led to catastrophic disasters. In an era of widespread and peaceful use of nuclear energy, humanity need not fear it to the point of giving up on its benefits; rather, it should seriously consider how to coexist peacefully with nuclear energy and work together for its beneficial use. Source: Xinhua News Agency