Chernobyl Questions

1.) Why is Chernobyl habitable for nature and places like Sweden and norway, they had to clean up reindeer carcasses because they had eaten contaminated soil?

2.) If there was a hundred times more radiation than Hiroshima and Nagasaki (more than 100 roentgens an hour which is more than a person should get yearly for the power plant) so why did only 187 people die vs. the thousands at the bombings (initially)?

3.) "One corner of a field might be highly dangerous, while just a few yards away levels seemed low." Why was the blast so uneven?

4.) "Up to 4,000 of these children had doses as high as 2,000 roentgen equivalents." How many roentgens does it take to kill a person?

5.) "As a consequence of inhaling aerosols containing iodine 131 immediately after the accident, 13,000 children in the re- gion experienced radiation doses to the thyroid of more than 200 roentgen equivalents." If the aerosols are bad to inhale, will anything happen if it touches someone?

6.) "Still, previous experi- ence with the long-term effects of radiation—much of it derived from studies at Hiroshima and Nagasaki—suggests that the toll [diseases and such] will continue to rise." Did the effects at HIroshima and Nagasaki ever decrease? Weren't people looking similar to Pompeii after Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Why are effects less than Hiroshima and Nagasaki even though radiation was high?

7.) "This mental trauma has given rise to a psychological syndrome comparable to that suffered by veterans of wars in Viet- nam and Afghanistan." So is it like shell-shock? ARE PEOPLE GETTING SICK FROM THE MEDIA??? (Like Dr. Whelan suggested?)

8.) "In order to prevent soluble compounds from further con- taminating water sources, the wastes must be removed to properly designed and equipped storage facilities—facilities that do not yet exist." How did Hiroshima and Nagasaki clean-up their radiation?

9.) "Rain and snow can get inside. If the sarcophagus were to collapse—which could happen if there were an earthquake—the rubble would very likely release large amounts of ra- dioactive dust." Can people not learn from their mistakes? B.P., you were WARNED that your pump needed repair!

10.) "We have embarked on a new, post-Chornobyl era, and we have yet to comprehend all the consequences." What will prove to be the most deadly and long-lasting effect?