So a friend sent me this link to a site about Chernobyl. We have all heard of Chernobyl and we may even know the basic details of the tragedy. But until I got engrossed in this site and couldn't stop reading it, I didn't know much of the actual events that occurred and what a massive event it actually was.
I think about the collide between nature and human technology quite a lot. You see it everywhere. Many times, the nature loses to the machine. We bulldoze mountains and divert rivers to make nature fit our lives instead of the other way around. We try to build our houses to be indestructible to nature's fury, making them hurricane proof or flood resistant. Even in the medical field, we are in a constant struggle against the natural inclination for the body to fail and trying to cure the abnormalities that seem so prevalent. But time and time again, nature proves that it is the master of itself and that while we can affect it, we can never tame it.
Chernobyl is no anomaly to this concept. We ruined nature for us, but we didn't ruin nature for nature. The area around the nuclear reactor that exploded has become a 600 mile wasteland. Major cities are left abandoned and will remain as such for another 300,000 to 600,000 years, the time required for the radioactive material to decay enough for human life to resume. But the funny thing is that nature has flourished. The land has become known as the land of the wolves, who seem to handle the high levels of radiation with apparent ease. This website, created by Elena Filatova, a 30s something Russian motorcycle rider tells the story in a way that is absolutely fascinating. Her photo story of riding her bike through the wasteland while monitoring her radioactive exposure by a Geiger Counter is amazing. Check out her story of Ghost Town and the Land of the Wolves.
Also, FYI, the new header photo is the sun rising over Lake Roosevelt ...courtesy of the Brown's Peak trail head. Fittingly enough, I did go over the handlebars in a slow motion wipe out tonight on my two hour ride through South Mountain. It is not just a catchy phrase folks.
I think about the collide between nature and human technology quite a lot. You see it everywhere. Many times, the nature loses to the machine. We bulldoze mountains and divert rivers to make nature fit our lives instead of the other way around. We try to build our houses to be indestructible to nature's fury, making them hurricane proof or flood resistant. Even in the medical field, we are in a constant struggle against the natural inclination for the body to fail and trying to cure the abnormalities that seem so prevalent. But time and time again, nature proves that it is the master of itself and that while we can affect it, we can never tame it.
Chernobyl is no anomaly to this concept. We ruined nature for us, but we didn't ruin nature for nature. The area around the nuclear reactor that exploded has become a 600 mile wasteland. Major cities are left abandoned and will remain as such for another 300,000 to 600,000 years, the time required for the radioactive material to decay enough for human life to resume. But the funny thing is that nature has flourished. The land has become known as the land of the wolves, who seem to handle the high levels of radiation with apparent ease. This website, created by Elena Filatova, a 30s something Russian motorcycle rider tells the story in a way that is absolutely fascinating. Her photo story of riding her bike through the wasteland while monitoring her radioactive exposure by a Geiger Counter is amazing. Check out her story of Ghost Town and the Land of the Wolves.
Also, FYI, the new header photo is the sun rising over Lake Roosevelt ...courtesy of the Brown's Peak trail head. Fittingly enough, I did go over the handlebars in a slow motion wipe out tonight on my two hour ride through South Mountain. It is not just a catchy phrase folks.
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2 comments:
Awesome write up, will check out the link for sure!
Chernobyl is by far one of most scariest, but coolest historical sites ever. In high school we had an exchange student from Chernobyl and last year she passed away at the young age of 28. The aftereffects are thought to have caused her cancer and she did not survive the battle.
Wendy
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