The Legacy of Chernobyl

New York: W.W. Norton, 1990. 1st US ed; first printing (full number line). Hardcover. Light, mostly vertical pencil lines in margins of approximately 20 pages; else about near fine thus in near fine jacket in archival mylar.. xii, 352 pages: illustrations; 24 cm; bibliographical references (pages 322-344) and index. Analysis of the long-term global effects of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl by a leading Russian scientist.

Contents: 1. A post-morten of the catastrophe: The Chernobyl RBMK-1000 reactor; The design problem; The inadequacy of the initial safety tests; The set-up for the accident; The catastrophe; The reactor operators' view -- 2. Radioactive volcano: Fighting the fire; The national emergency; The second meltdown of the core; The first signs of glasnost' -- 3. The environmental impact: The amount, composition and dynamic of release of radionuclides into the environment; The level and pattern of radioactive contamination of the environment; Environmental and ecological effects of the radioactive contamination and decontamination measures -- 4. The impact on agriculture: The contamination and loss of agricultural land; The effect on livestock agriculture; Other forms of agriculture and the rural population -- 5. The health impact in the Soviet Union: The initial on-site emergency medical response; The off-site emergency medical response; The exclusion zone and the second phase of evacuation; Radiation protection of the general public; The long-term health effects -- 6. The global impact: The Nordic countries; Central and Eastern Europe; The European community; The rest of the world -- 7. The Soviet Nuclear Energy Programme: A brief history of the Soviet uranium project; RBMK reactors; The second line: pressurized-water reactors; Fast-breeder reactors; Nuclear central heating; Debates about nuclear power -- 8. A history of nuclear accidents in the Soviet Union: Reactor accidents; Reactor accidents for which there are no records; The Kyshtym nuclear accident -- 9. Nuclear power after Chernobyl: Soviet energy options; The energy crisis after Chernobyl; The future of new-generation nuclear power stations.

"Zhores Medvedev was a Russian agronomist, biologist, and historian of science who gained international recognition as a dissident. Born in 1925 in Tbilisi, Georgia, he initially built his career in the field of genetics. However, his outspoken criticism of Trofim Lysenko, a Soviet agronomist whose pseudoscientific theories had been endorsed by the Soviet regime, led to professional repercussions. Lysenko's theories had a detrimental impact on Soviet biology and agriculture, and Medvedev's critique contributed to their eventual discrediting, although this came at significant personal cost. He is perhaps best known for his work exposing the Kyshtym disaster, a 1957 incident in which a waste storage facility for radioactive material exploded in the Soviet Union. The event was kept secret by Soviet authorities for years, and Medvedev's revelations drew international attention to the risks and consequences of nuclear technology, particularly when shrouded in governmental secrecy. Due to his dissenting views, Medvedev faced persecution, including arrest and involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital-a tactic often used by Soviet authorities to silence dissidents. In 1973, while in London for a conference, he was stripped of his Soviet citizenship, effectively forcing him into exile. He spent much of his subsequent life in the United Kingdom, where he continued his scientific and activist work. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he was allowed to return to Russia. Throughout his life, Medvedev authored several books and articles on a range of topics, from the history of Soviet science to global issues like nuclear safety and environmental protection. He also remained an advocate for human rights and freedom of expression, particularly within the scientific community. Medvedev passed away in 2018, leaving behind a legacy that underscores the importance of scientific integrity and the courage to speak truth to power."-Bing


Chernobyl Nuclear Accident, Chornobylʹ, Ukraine, 1986 -- Environmental aspects. Radioactive pollution -- Environmental aspects. Chernobyl Nuclear Accident, Chernobyl?, Ukraine, 1986. -- Environmental aspects. Pollution radioactive. Accident nucléaire de Tchernobyl, Tchernobyl, Ukraine, 1986 -- Aspect de l'environnement. 33.40 nuclear physics: general. 50.70 energy (technical sciences) Radioactive pollution. Auswirkung Kernenergie Reaktorunfall Umweltbelastung Kernenergie. Kernrampen. Sociaal-economische aspecten. Milieuverontreiniging. Volksgezondheid. Named Corp: Sovetskaja Associacija Meždunarodnogo Prava Time: 1986 Geographic: Ukraine -- Chornobylʹ Tschernobyl Sowjetunion Identifier: Chernobyl; Environmental aspects; Radioactive; Environmental aspects Medvedev, Zhores A., 1925-2018.