A few days ago, I watched a trailer on HBO a film about Chernobyl became available about the tragedy that happened on 26 April 1986 when Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant that is situated in Kyiv region of Ukraine had a massive explosion. It was emotionally hard to watch the trailer, the same “emotionally hard” as once visiting the Ukrainian National Chornoby Museum in Kyiv.
We shall never forget the heroism and drama of those who tried to limit the consequences of explosion. It is also incredibly sad that this catastrophe was not enough halt construction new nuclear plants. Nuclear energy remains one of the principle sources of electricity in Ukraine and even more generators are under consideration.
While gas and coal are deemed to be unsustainable, obviously we need new sources of energy. Unfortunately, renewable energy sources are not given enough attention. For example, I've never seen a wind plant in Ukraine. The better situation is with solar energy, but still it's not the needed scale.
Do people need to be so shortsighted? Nuclear technology is too dangerous for humans and the global environment.
Even to run nuclear plants, we need rare materials with foreseen shortage. And as far as closing them safely, we have not yet even found a way to dispose of the waste from them.
In the several decades since the atom was split with intention of deriving electrical energy from that fusion, scientists sincerely believed that the risks could be mediated. They have not.
With the lifespan of a plant about 60 years, I consider it is simply unfair to still rely on this technology and making future generations hostages of such decisions as it will be them who will have to deal with all of the waste.