Secrecy is a potent poison

Putin’s war on Ukraine and war crimes have taken headlines away from the climate crisis, which continues unabated and ever more urgent. Indeed the military has a high carbon footprint, so this makes it even worse while we weep for the pain of the Ukrainian people. While they are at war, Ukrainians can’t work so will rely on financial help from the West, as well as on our weaponry. It seems that Ukraine is a major grain producer in Europe, so if war prevents them sowing this year’s harvest it will lead to a shortage of bread and consequent price rises.

I believed that Chernobyl was in Russia – Ukraine was at that point. Russia built numbers of reactors of the same flawed design – chosen as being cheaper and having the potential to contribute to bombs as well as producing electricity, but lacking the Western level of concrete shielding.

A near disaster occurred in a reactor much further north, but was averted by staff. KGB agents in Chernobyl snooped but discovered the potential danger. They alerted the government but were ignored. The Chernobyl meltdown happened, and was initially downplayed as an accident. No warning nor evacuation happened until 36 hours later. Scandinavia detected radiation coming from outside, not within their reactor, and tracked it back to Chernobyl. Russia only admitted to the disaster when it could no longer be hidden. Ukraine has suffered both from Chernobyl and Putin’s war. Russia has gravely harmed them: secrecy and propaganda are dangerous poisons.

Carol Broom By email