In what is now the Ukraine on 26 April 1986. A

reactor exploded in Chernobyl's nuclear power

station, killing at least 30 people and forcing the

evacuation of 135,000 more. The radioactive

cloud spread north over Belarus, where 70% of

the radiation fell in the form of contaminated

rain, resulting in the long-term pollution of 32% of its territory. More than two

million people used to live in this area - about a fifth of the population of Bela-

rus. The disaster led to a dramatic rise in cancer, leukaemia and birth defects in

the surrounding area, especially Belarus.

(vii) The shrinking Aral Sea is a trouble spot in

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, because of over-

irrigation and pollution. It has shrunk from a vol-

ume of about 1,000 cubic km 40 years ago to 110

cubic km today. The mineral content of the water

is now seven times higher than it was four dec-

ades ago. The water is being severely polluted by

pesticides and fertilisers, which local farmers use on their cotton crops. Where

the water has retreated completely there is a vision of environmental apocalypse

- vast stretches of desert laden with heavy doses of salt and burdened with a

toxic mix of chemical residues washed down over the decades from the farms

upstream. Not only has this devastated natural ecosystems in the area, it has also

affected the health of the local human population. Malnutrition and conditions

like anaemia and TB are increasing. The rate of cancer of the oesophagus is

higher near the Aral Sea than anywhere else in the world.

(viii) According to the WWF, there are high con-

centrations of accumulated dioxins in whale and

dolphin meat sold in Japan. Dioxins are common

pollutants - produced as the result of many indus-

trial processes. They are unintentional by-

products formed by chemical reactions and com-

_{bustion processes. Dioxins are extremely toxic.}

They can trigger cognitive disorders, immune suppression, endometriosis and

other problems in both humans and animals. These chemicals are an issue in

several parts of the world, and they can be what are known as Persistent Organic

7

Pollutants (POPs) which become more concentrated up the food chain. They are

stored in animal fat, which can pose a health risk to humans who eat meat in

problem areas. The WWF claims that dioxin levels up to 172 times the tolerable

daily intake were found in marketed whale and dolphin meat in Japan.

(ix) The enormous gas leak from a chemical factory in the Indian city of

Bhopal in 1984 was one of the world's worst industrial accidents. Nearly 3,000

people died in the first few days and tens of thousands suffered terrible side-

effects. A dense cloud of lethal gas escaped from the pesticide plant on the out-

skirts of the city and rolled into the homes of the nearby shanty town. Then

winds moved it onwards into Bhopal, a city of 90,000 people. The atmosphere in

Bhopal was declared free of the gas after eight hours. But the physical and psy-

chological ramifications of that short space of time on 3 December 1984 will

continue for a long time to come.

(x) China's rapid economic growth and soaring energy demand has caused