Today marks the 25th anniversary of what is touted as the worlds worst nuclear power plant catastrophe – although Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi complex too has been classified as a seven on the scale of Disaster rankings, the same that was given to Chernobyl...
And it’s hard for me to recall a quarter of a century ago – as I was yet to have experienced watching my very first Grand Prix, as I tend to cling to the memory of Ayrton Senna aboard his ultra sheik looking JPS Lotus Renault turbocharged racecar.
Thus, it is daunting to me trying to even imagine the horrors that countless thousands of civilians were forced to endure; which I suppose makes Japan Chernobyl ’s accident while the once mighty USSR ’s Government concealed the disaster, the countless occurring deaths of first responders and the fact that Ukraine
From a very quick perusal of ze Internetz, I’ve discovered that the San Marino GP was held upon April 27, 1986, which indicates to me that Chernobyl’s accident occurred upon a Saturday – while most of the world slept, and apparently it was Business-as-Usual in Der ‘Vurld de Motorsporten, as ironically none other then Senna was on Pole-position for that days Grand Prix, in his sinister black Lotus...
Yet it wasn’t to be, as it would be The Professor, nee Alain Prost aboard his McLaren TAG/Porsche leading home Nelson Piquet’s Williams-Honda, with Gerhard Berger finishing third aboard his Benetton-BMW.
And if you’re still reading this – perhaps you’re saying; isn’t this supposed to be a racing blog? As what’s the dealio with the Chernobyl
Yet a quarter of a century ago; Hmm? I’ve just realized that it’ll be Boobie Ruble’s, Err Bobby Rahal’s 25th anniversary of drinking the milk in Gasoline Alley this May. Whilst the Iron Curtain would welcome Uncle Bernaughty’s Formula 1 circus to Budapest
Or how ‘bout the fact that Entergy Nuclear just so happens to be the company suing for extension of the Vermont Yankee clipper nuclear power plant site whose backup power cables were known to be submerged under water at the same time they were pushing for approval of the plant’s operating license’s extension – as Entergy just so happens to be the owners of this GE Mark I boiling water nuclear power plant, the exact same models in Japan’s current predicament!
As I certainly hope that Keith Wiggins got a very large cheque for his troubles – as I certainly wish to see Simona de Silvestro continue to Shine On...
And that’s not to mention the countless unseen effects upon humans – as Thyroid cancer seems to be the most popular form of health defects for populations surrounding nuclear powerplants worldwide – while Governments continue to deny such claims, or pay persons effected medical bills...
