Elena Filatova Reminds Us of Chernobyl in Her New Book: Ghost Town

We wanted to write about Elena Filatova, an explorer at heart and creator of a 10-year online journal documenting her explorations by Motorcycle in the dead zone of (and beyond) Chernobyl. We highly recommend her website consisting of 10 years of intimate photojournalism into the behind the scenes story of what has really happened since the nuclear reaction at Chernobyl in 1986.

Her journals and photos are poignant while weaving political history, scientific antidotes, her personal impressions and true life stories of the abandoned people and animals, not only within the dead zone but in hundreds of ghost towns 40 to 80 kms away from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site.

Elena Filatova has made exploring these areas and ghost towns a life long hobby and this year at the 10th anniversary of her website published Chernobyl Photobook ' Ghost Town.' The proceeds go toward the author buying food supplies and essentials for all those still remaining in the irradiated and abandoned ghost towns and villages to this day.

We are also fond of the authors journal 'Land of the Wolves.' And recently, her concerns are for the recent nuclear disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plants in Japan:

"Nowadays, we are moving from catastrophe to catastrophe so fast that no one has time to learn from what is happening, thus we are doomed to repeat it all again and again. Each time history repeats itself the price goes up. 

My aim is to take hold of important events I have witnessed and rescue from oblivion deeds that have been forgotten or chosen to have been forgotten. With time, cities perish and the memory of things is lost, so the sole purpose of my work is to preserve memories on the internet forever.

Since the Ghost Town site first went on the Internet in 2003, tens of millions visitors have viewed the Chernobyl information which it provides. This site is maintained by me, the author, and is completely free of all popup ads and spyware. There are no copyright issues. 

Work on this site is my hobby, which I pursue in my free time.""

We can't say enough good things about the authors courageous explorations into contaminated areas, her insights and obvious passion for her cause. In our mind's, Elena Filatova is the epitomy of what it means to be an explorer who explores the abandoned. 

Why No One's Talking About Mox Nuclear Power in Japan

Over the last few days I begun wondering why the media stopped publishing information about MOX fuel, the plutonium-uranium mix used in Fukushima's No. 3 reactor. I also wondered why there is talk about Iodide pills and masks being sold out across America. I haven't bought any, and from what I hear it is likely too late to buy any anyhow. I'm not necessarily worried, but I was interested in finding out more about MOX fuel and it's potential for larger-scale destruction.

Dangers of MOX Fuel 

Let's put it this way: MOX fuel is dangerous. At it's worst case scenario, Reactor no. 3 will be the make of scientific study for years to come. Unfortunately, we'll all be part of the 'experiment'. Plutonium dangers kind of has that "MOX Factor" that makes you kind of hope this situation only gets better over the next few days.

I did some research, and I'll include the links for you to see for yourself, because there's no point in reinventing the wheel when these websites have put so much into etching out the dangers involved.

Something that really concerns me was the information at one particular website regarding Japan's heavy involvement with plutonium and MOX fuel. How many of us regular citizens are aware of these things? Japan stocks huge masses of unprocessed nuclear fuel rods containing plutonium.

France and Britain are two countries heavily invested in sending their plutonium to Japan to be recycled. "Japan has been sharply criticized for accepting plutonium transported on ship from other countries."

In fact: "Japan has plans to build breeder reactors and reprocessing plant that could produce fuel for thousands of nuclear weapons. Analysts aren't worried so much about Japan's nuclear capabilities as they are about such large amount of plutonium falling into the hands of terrorists or a hostile country. When North Korea was asked to close down its nuclear reprocessing plant it said, "Japan is allowed to do it why can't we.""

It Gets Worse:

"There have also been complaints that safety regulations are treated lightly, workers are inadequately trained and the lives workers are endangered. In 1999, it was found that quality control documents on reprocessed plutonium had been fraudulently certified. In 2002, it was discovered there a systematic cover up of data showing cracks in reactors that dated back to the late 1980s."

"Laborers who work at nuclear plants are often homeless people, foreign immigrants and burakumin (descendants of an outcast class) who are recruited as day laborers by gangs that have connections with the yakuza. It is not usual for these workers work unprotected in areas with high levels of radiation. The workers are sometimes called "nuclear gypsies." One of these workers told the Los Angeles Times he worked for two hours in room with steam leaking out of a pipe the whole time. Unbeknownst to him the steam was highly radioactive. When he was finished his radio meter pointed off the scale. A few months later his joints swelled and his hair and teeth fell out."

You can investigate all these statements (and more) here:  Nuclear Energy in Japan

Now if these issues are correct, then I applaud the workers at Fukushima even more.But it's a sad waste of human potential to treat workers like this if these other reports are accurate.

Is MOX Fuel Viewed as a Commodity?

But the bigger question also is what exactly is going on here? Nothing is really being discussed about Japan's use of Mox fuel, nor the future of nuclear energy, which is clearly dangerous on multiple levels. Nor the countries exporting their fuel rods for recycling. Finally, this is the wrong message: Plutonium is not a recyclable commodity. There are various types of plutonium isotopes, but plutonium - 239 has a half-life of 240, 000 years. Nope, in fact, it's a toxic waste an industry wanted to get rid of and tries to make more revenue out of it in the process. Is that the definition of industrial evils, or not?

I think we all need to get educated nowadays, and out of this I dearly hope Japan is reconsidering the road that recycling plutonium is leading them (and everyone globally) down. However, I wonder if this is the case, because it's not the first time events like this have happened in Japan. Now we've cycled back again - due to an earthquake and tsunami - and this time the implications have more magnitude on a world level; and hopefully the good out of the destruction of the earthquake, tsunami and partial nuclear meltdown is a lesson for us all toward a cleaner future.It actually might be the best wake-up call we've had in awhile.

More Links About These Issues

What is MOX?

Plutonium - pu

Radiation Network (monitors American radiation levels)

You may also wish to read about my viewpoints on 'America's Wastelands".