Disturbing images follow:
http://todayspictures.slate.com/inmo...y%5Fchernobyl/

Hmm, I couldnt get it to play quite right. I already have a good/bad idea about several of the images, though. A "nuclear-free" world however, is very unlikely. Especially with the enrgy crises as it is, we are turning more and more to nuclear power. It doesn't make this tragedy any less significant, of course, but it's worth mentioning.

Power and responsibility goes hand in hand. If we were to forsake anything that can go wrong... what would we have in the end?

True.

For now, Nuclear power is the way of the future for power, and you either accept that and help prevent incidents like Chernobyl, or just get out of the way IMHO

While Nuclear power is widely used, and usage is growing, i wonder whether tragedies like this are worth it so that we can turn on the TV, use a microwave, or charge our Ipods.

Yes energy is important, but we waste so much of it on crap that is not necessary. Human society existed for a long time before electricity, it cna be done, but it wont, because those of us who authorise and build and enjoy Nuclear power are unlikely to be the ones suffering the consequences.

Despite my anti-nuclear views, i can see a place for nuclear power. nuclear weapons on the other hand are nothing more than an abomination.

Nuclear power will continue to grow. That much is certain. I only hope a viable fusion reactor (no, NOT cold fusion, hot fusion. VERY hot fusion.) is created. Not only is the yeild higher, but they're also inherently safe, and don't have the kind of radioactive fallout in the case of a failure. They just melt things.

Provided physics hasn't given up all the answers (and I assure you, it hasn't!) we'll probably, someday, have a power source better still, and as such, who knows the destructive potential it will have. Balance the constructive potential against it, though, and you'll see. If the world was run by physicists, we'd all be happier people.

Please make note that the current standard of nuclear facilities in the western world makes it impossible for anything like Chernobyl to happen.

Nuclear power doesn't cause much accidents. Chernobyl was 20 years ago, and it's still remembered. The only alternative for designign new power sources is sitting down and waiting for the glaciers to crush us or sun explode or a big rock smash us. I'll rather take more nuclear accidents, at least they lead to something.

Chernobyl used a reactor design that was obsolete when it was built, and even more so when the accident happened. As someone else already mentioned, current designs cannot fail like chernobyl did.

The CANDU, for example, uses the coolant fluid as a moderator - so if the coolant level is low, the reactor cannot operate.

So does that mean the days of the "China Syndrome" are behind us? For those of you who may not know, the China syndrome isn't just a movie, if a reactor goes super critical, it will melt a hole to China...