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The Chernobyl Disaster

As is known, on the 26 of April, 1986 there was an explosion at the Chernobyl Atomic Power Station situated in the Ukraine which had long- lasting and disastrous consequences. According to specialists, it was the largest and most dangerous accident of its kind which had ever taken place at a nuclear power station. As a result of the explosion, one-third of the territory of Belarus, and a considerable part of the Ukraine and Russia were contaminated with radioactive fall out. To make things worse, radioactivity spread beyond the borders of the Soviet Union and was registered in some European countries as well.

Unfortunately, this fact became known to people of our country only several days after the accident and due measures hadn't been taken to protect people from the radiation. As a result, thousands and thousands of people received different doses of radiation and either died or became invalids or were subjected to different diseases caused by the Chernobyl disaster. Most affected were the so-called liquidators, people who fought the consequences of the explosion, including, the army, militia and medical workers. Vast areas of Gomel and Vitebsk regions as well as some other areas were contaminated with the radioactive fall out including the soils, vegetation, water reservoirs and fauna. Living in those areas became dangerous, so many people were moved and re-settled into cleaner areas where they were given housing and jobs. But still a great number of villages and settlements remain in the areas of heightened radioactivity where people, especially older ones, refuse to leave their households and continue to live and work. Moreover, the government's attitude to those people has also changed. Now they are more tolerant to those who wish to stay in these areas and let them stay there.

Now that 15 years have passed since the tragedy, people are gradually beginning to forget about the Chernobyl and its consequences. Today the government spends less money on Chernobyl projects, and less humanitarian aid is delivered to the country from abroad as compared with the previous years. But scientists state that about 3 million people still continue to reside in ecologically unsafe areas. They also report figures which show that the mortality rate in this country exceeds the birth rate, and the incidence of deaths resulting from cancer is increasing. Most common cases include thyroid cancer, leukomia and others, and it is the children that are mostly affected by those diseases. It's not accidental that a Research Institute of Radiobiology was set up in Minsk where children born after the Chernobyl accident with different abnormalities are treated.

Of course, certain measures are being taken to protect people from unhealthy influences. It's common knowledge that every year children living in areas of heightened radioactivity are sent abroad or other cleaner areas of this country, Russia and the Ukraine for recuperation (healing)..As they breathe unpolluted air and eat clean foods, their organism gets rid of radioactive substances that accumulate in their body, and they feel much healthier and happier. Individuals from foreign countries also donate money to children who need transplant operations abroad. They also bring medical equipment, medicines, clothes and food to these areas. Older people living in the contaminated areas have a regular medical check up and receive free medicines. But still we mustn't forget that scientists warn us: If urgent measures are not taken, the Belarusian nation may be at risk of dying out in very near future (may be 50, 70 or 100 years from now). Moreover, the consequences of the Chernobyl may tell on future generations genetically and then it would be difficult to predict the development of the nation as a whole. Besides, the world community isn't well aware of the fact that the Chernobyl disaster is a global problem as radiation can't be stopped by geographical borders, therefore this problem should be solved not only locally but globally. To conclude, it's necessary to say that there is at least one good piece of news about the Chernobyl power station. As is known, not long ago, the Ukranian government closed the Chernobyl power station as it had become dangerous to run. This project was funded by several international organisations including the United States as the station was a real threat to the environment and the word community. This fact is positive in that the world community seemed to have realised the danger of the faulty power station and took adequate measures to prevent possible accidents in future.

Questions:

1. Do you think Belarus needs nuclear power engineering? (atomic power stations or at least one on its territory?)

· Well, it's a very difficult question. On the one hand, most countries of the world, I mean industrially developed countries, use atomic power generated at the atomic power stations. It's common knowledge that nuclear energy is the most efficient kind of energy which allows to meet energy requirements of a particular country. Besides, it's considered to be the safest source of power generation provided adequate safety measures are taken Of course, many counries of the world use other kinds of energy and, first of all conventional produced at thermal and hydro-power stations. But they also make use of the so-called alternative sources of energy like the energy of the wind (wind mills) or the energy of the sun (solar energy) or the energy of the tides (tidal energy).

· As for Belarus, alternative sources of power can't be used here because of the country's geographic and climatic conditions, but its demands in energy consumption are great. So logically, Belarus should have at least one nuclear power station if it wants to be self-sufficient in energy though, according to scientists, it should have at least three. But after the Chernobyl disaster, the population is biased against it, so it is highly unlikely that people would give its consent (agree)to building a nuclear power station here. Perhaps, if scientists gave sound proofs of its safety and reliability, then people wouldn't object to it.

Otherwise, and it's my firm belief, all efforts to build a nuclear power station in Belarus

are doomed to failure. Simply people wouldn't like to have another Chernobyl in this country.

2. What's the ecological situation in your place like?

· Well, if we are to believe our local sanitation inspection, the ecological situation in Baranovichi is safe and the level of natural radiation is within the norm. But on the other hand, Baranovichi is a major industrial town of Belarus numbering about 40 plants, factories and a great number of small businesses. So one can't be too sure of its cleanness. Besides, the information that the Sanitation Inspection publishes in our local newspapers testifies to the fact that all water reservoirs, that is rivers and lakes, within and outside Baranovichi are considerably polluted, the level of pollution exceeding the norm from several to hundred times! That's why residents of Baranovichi are warned against swimming and bathing in the summer. Perhaps the only pure lake in our area is Lake Svityaz, but it is situated quite a way from the city(about 36 km or so).

· Then there is information that death rates in Baranovichi exceed the birth rates and more abnormal children are born in the local maternity home (hospital). And perhaps one of the most unpleasant things about the city's ecology is drinking water. In most residential areas it leaves much to be desired. Actually, it is rusty and dirty with a lot of admixture and needs to be filtered. But the local authorities seem to be doing nothing to improve the situation.

· That's all in short about the city's ecology.

Additional Material

Many people believe that the way we live our lives today is having an extremely bad effect on the environment. Here are some examples of environmental problems and solutions, and the vocabulary you need to talk about them.

Cars

The biggest polluter today is the car. Exhaust fumes are the main cause of bad air quality, which can make people feel ill and have difficulty breathing. This problem is especially bad in some cities where, on days when there is not much wind, a brown layer of smog hangs in the air.

The number of cars is increasing every year, and this causes serious congestion. Governments then build new roads to try to improve the situation, but this means that they cut down trees and destroy more of the countryside.