Monday, January 29, 2018
02:30 - 04:15; 105 min. -
AP Environmental Science:
Chernobyl part II -
Chase and I discussed the movie we watched last week. Chase was asked to express her understanding of nuclear energy, and we discussed the price vs. the cost of non-renewable sources of energy. To complete the story, and as an illustration on how human ingenuity can rise to the challenge, and triumph in the face of un-surmountable odds, I presented the story of the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident. We watched the NOVA special on the construction of the ‘arch’; designed to entomb the Chernobyl reactor before the post-disaster structure collapsed. The new building was constructed along side the site, and slowly slid over the existing building sealing the radioactive material. Inside the arch, robotic arms and cranes will allow the dismantling of the wreckage, making the containment of the contaminated material for the next 20,000 years more manageable. Homework: Chapter 12, module 34 and 35.