We do the victims of Chernobyl a great disrespect if we fail to learn the lessons of the disaster.

It wasn't a failing of nuclear power, it was a failing of humanity. Flawed design, flawed operation.

We won't forget.

The new absinthe must be very low in thujone. Yes, it could be making a comeback, but don't expect a buzz from it. A few specific brands are now allowed in the U.S.
http://www.bevlaw.com/absinthe.htm
Kubler
(Formula 3/2004; Label 5/2007)

St. George
(Formula 6/2007; Label 12/2007)

Lucid
(Formula 10/2006; Label 3/2007)

Grande Absente
(Formula 11/2007; Label 2/2008)

Le Tourment Vert
(Formula 8/2007; Label 1/2008)

La Fee Parisienne
(Formula 1/2008; Label 3/2008)

Mythe
(Formula 10/2007; Label 2/2008)

Sirène Verte and Sirène Blanche
(Same formula, both products; no date specified); Labels 4/2008)

Libertine
(Formula 8/2007; Label 2/2008)

That's not learning from mistakes, that is trying to pretend they never happened.
Chernobyl was unsafe. A fact that was known even then! But they ran it anyway.

Modern reactors don't have these flaws, and they have oversight. An accident like Chernobyl is impossible is several different ways, now.

a) Reactors are housed in containment buildings that will prevent venting radioactive material to the atmosphere in the event of a serious explosion.

b) Reactors have a safe void coefficient. This means that a run-away nuclear reaction is impossible. The reaction is self-limiting.

c) Safety measures are observed with care (and monitored by automated systems, too). At Chernobyl, the operators ignored many warnings, and ran the reactor far outside its design parameters.

d) Third and fourth generation reactor designs are totally different to the unsafe Chernobyl design. They have to meet stringent safety requirements and pass strict inspections.

We can only pray that the thousands of lives lost in this accident should speak to us all that this means of powering our life styles should be consigned to history

There are risks that involve individuals well aware of the risk they are taking

Then there are risks that if they go wrong can affect the lives of everyone on a continent.

Pretending these risks have all be conquered and could never happen again is a fallacy

Not learning from the mistake would be to allow this to occur again

The only sure way being not to allow further stations to be built and to decomission those in opration

There are many alternatives to this means of power generation

Each of those alternatives are better than the consequences still visited upon the people of Russia and Europe that just began 22 years ago today

Night

Dave