Twenty Years On
As we’ve been hearing for some time, today is the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl. I remember following news of the accident on BBC radio 4. I thought it was very strange that nothing was being reported in the French media. One week later it was mentioned, I remember a reporter asking people in a market in the north of the country if they were worried about fallout on their lettuce. Dom tells me she’s read that the French public were assured that fallout would not cross the border (of course it’s something in the history books for her). Some of my friends, who were living further north twenty years ago, have had cysts removed from their thyroids.

Filatova Elena Vladimirovna’s site is still up with some recent updates.

The sun is burning in the sky
Strands of clouds go slowly drifting by
In the park the lazy breeze
Are joining in the flowers, among the trees
And the sun burns in the sky

Now the sun is in the West
Little kids go home to take their rest
And the couples in the park
Are holdin' hands and waitin' for the dark
And the sun is in the West

Now the sun is sinking low
Children playin' know it's time to go
High above a spot appears
A little blossom blooms and then draws near
And the sun is sinking low

Now the sun has come to Earth
Shrouded in a mushroom cloud of death
Death comes in a blinding flash
Of hellish heat and leaves a smear of ash
And the sun has come to Earth

Now the sun has disappeared
All is darkness, anger, pain and fear
Twisted, sightless wrecks of men
Go groping on their knees and cry in pain
And the sun has disappeared
Simon and Garfunkel's Lyrics found here

Have we made progress? Have we learnt anything from it?