Chernobyl 'caused Sweden cancers'

[IndianaGreen]

While we are on the topic of atomic fallout, let's not forget the victims of atmospheric atomic testing carried out by US, USSR, China, and France.

Last Updated: Saturday, 20 November, 2004, 16:41 GMT

Chernobyl 'caused Sweden cancers'

More than 800 people in northern Sweden may have developed cancer as a result of the fallout of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, a new study says.

Swedish scientists said the "Chernobyl effect" was the only likely explanation for 849 cancer cases they came across.

But their findings met with scepticism from some other experts who think the radiation fallout in Sweden was not likely to cause such a rise in cases.

A radioactive cloud swept across north Europe after the disaster in Ukraine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4028729.stm

[xpunkisneatx]

1. did you ever see the documentary "Chernobyl Heart"?

Made me cry...the things that happened there were awful. I for one live right near TMI, and although it was not nearly as bad as chernobyl, I have several friends who have come down with thyroid cancer. Three healthy 21 year old girls have come down with thyroid cancer in the past 4 years...coincidence? i think not.

[SOS]

2. Chernobyl Heart was a stunning film

They were running it on HBO in demand recently.
The meltdown was much, much worse than was reported here.
When General Electric brings the "news" we can't expect much.

[yardwork]

4. A physicist I know says that our nuclear plants are just as bad

as Chernobyl, just as dangerous.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tempest]

9. I bet residents of Three Mile Island would disagree with you

Try telling the parents of a child with birth defects from Three Mile Island U.S. nuclear plants are safer.

[xpunkisneatx]

11. yeah...try telling that to my three friends

who are now on medication for the rest of their lives and also had to be subjected to radiation treatment which increases their chances of getting other cancers in the future...

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. I cried too!

It is so heartbreaking to see the impact of Chernobyl still destroying peoples lives today. :cry:

[malmapus]

3. Chernobyl the ultimate dirty bomb

That story still amazes me, same something the other day about all the Russians who gave their lives to contain that thing.

[HeeBGBz]

5. Yikes I was in Germany in the army when that happened.

When the Chernobyl cloud was over Germany I was outside in the rain ground-guiding vehicles for some reason or another. I remember semi-joking to people to let me know when I started to glow.

I forgot about that until I read this. *shivers*

[Kellanved]

13. I remember it pretty well

I was in Frankfurt at the time (Elementary School); The thing I remember most is my mother organizing "good" food and especially milk. There were only a handful of farmers who were fast enough to get their cattle indoors before the cloud arrived - these were the only ones with good milk. Families were willing to drive really long distances to get to them - much of the present German organic food infrastructure was created in the aftermath.

To this day certain foods are either forbidden or advised against (chestnuts for example - my favorite); and it will continue to be this way for decades to go. The chestnut will probably be extinct before it is OK again to consume larger quantities.

FWIW: The Army probably imported milk; My grandfather owned a diary and he always bitched about how hard it was to sell milk to the US army, as their standards were far above the local standards.

[malmapus]

10. grrr same = saw ..I need to proof and edit within time lol

...

[appal_jack]

7. ridiculous "scepticism"

Doesn't this sort of thing:

"But their findings met with scepticism from some other experts who think the radiation fallout in Sweden was not likely to cause such a rise in cases."

make your head explode! WTF!!! Who the hell are these 'experts' ??? Science is about proposing hypotheses, testing them to the best extent possible, then drawing conclusions accordingly. Repeat as necessary. I am sick of industry flacks using science as a cover for these types of crimes against humanity.

In the case of Chernobyl, a cloud of radioisotopes passed over Sweden. Twenty years later, there are mysterious clusters of cancer. Doesn't science have a responsibility to ask real questions about the nature of these clusters? And since real human lives are involved, and no double-blind variable-controlled studies are possible, shouldn't the burden of proof fall on the nuke-fans to prove that Chernobyl didn't cause the cancers. Then we, in the reality based community, could shower our scepticism on them.

The fact is that nuclear power is inherently dangerous, polluting, militaristic, and centralizing of power. It is the most logical energy choice for fascists who want to consolidate control and care little about the lives of those living down-wind and downstream. Nuclear plants are also the perfect targets for terrorists. The fact that nuke power is being promoted by the same Cheney's who are trying to scare us with terrorist-bogeymen makes me very suspicious...

BTW, I'm not a full-on practicing bench scientist, but I'm scientifically literate to read between the lines of that 'expert' crap.
:argh:

[xpunkisneatx]

12. these are obviously scientists that are saying what they are told

instead of what they know. Its a shame when coverups occur, especially when it affects the health of many people.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi app_farmer_rb!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[struggle4progress]

14. kick

:kick: