Chernobyl etc. [was: Spokesperson for the Supp. Industry - Nutrition

[Shannon Nelson]

Here are some links that paint a less-than-cheery picture of the situation since Chernobyl:

http://www.chi-athenaeum.org/children.htm (cancers, birth defects)
This interesting snippet from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster_effects

In recent years there have been many reports of Nels Peterson suggesting the zone may be a fertile habitat for wildlife.[20] For example in the 1996 BBC Horizon documentary 'Inside Chernobyl's Sarcophagus', birds are seen flying in and out of large holes in the structure itself. Other casual observations suggest biodiversity around the massive radiation spill has increased due to the removal of human influence (see the first hand account of the wildlife preserve ). Storks, wolves, beavers, and eagles have been reported in the area.[20]

Barn swallows sampled between 1991 and 2006 both in the Chernobyl exclusion zone had more physical abnormalities than control sparrows sampled elsewhere in Europe. Abnormal barn swallows mated with lower frequency, causing the percentage of abnormal swallows to decrease over time. ... Some birds are reported with stunted tail feathers (which interferes with breeding).

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So evidently the radiation remaining at Chernobyl itself is not harmless to the swallows living there. The article also notes that there is controversy over the *statistical* impact on health of the human population, but I think this is quite different from debating whether or not radiation exposure is causing harm to *individuals*--that appears to be quite well established.

Numerous other links mention prevalence of birth defects and certain types of cancer among exposed populations.