When did the Chernobyl disaster occur?

On 25-26th April, 1986 a serious accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Ukraine. Some technicians in the power station attempted a poorly devised experiment. In doing this they shut down the reactor’s safety system. The reactor continued to be powered, but in a dangerous state. The chain reaction in the core of the reactor led to a massive explosion, and radiation was emitted in huge quantities. Contaminated clouds carried the radiation not just over parts of Russia, but over the rest of the world.

Fact File

In the 1970s, organizations such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace began to campaign on many environmental issues. These included nuclear weapons, destruction of the rainforests, and dumping of toxic waste.

 

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