{"id":406,"date":"2008-02-03T00:22:50","date_gmt":"2008-02-03T05:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/example.org\/another-look-at"},"modified":"2008-02-03T00:22:50","modified_gmt":"2008-02-03T05:22:50","slug":"another-look-at","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/makingripples.com\/?p=406","title":{"rendered":"Another look at the legacy of Chernobyl"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Przewalski_horses_thumbl\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Przewalski Horses of Chernobyl – this last remaining wild species of horse on the planet is still thriving in the "dead zone"<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ronald K Chesser and Robert J Baker are two scientists from Texas
\nTech University who learned tough lessons about politics, bias, and the
\nchallenges of doing good science.<\/p>\n

Growing Up with Chernobyl<\/a>,
\ntheir painfully honest account of their research and the many blind
\nalleys they ran into, is fascinating reading. It is an object lesson
\nfor those investigating global warming or any politically charged
\nsubject.<\/p>\n

Some of the things they discovered during their research on the effects of Chernobyl:<\/p>\n

\n

Its alway wise to maintain some humility<\/p>\n

Various studies on wheat, birds, and humans have concluded that
\nmutation rates are greatly elevated and that the evolutionary fitness
\nof the organisms is reduced. <\/p>\n

Other studies failed to find any increase in the rate of genetic mutations…<\/p>\n

Good science is a beautiful thing, but it must fit within an existing
\nframework of policy and strategic plans or it will be very difficult to
\nfinance.<\/p>\n

\nPolicy makers want concrete conclusions and results, not probability estimates…<\/p>\n

Even then, a good idea does not always attract funding.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

They
\nspent a considerable amount of time trying to understand how
\napplications of the scientific method can produce results that are so
\ncontradictory.<\/p>\n

When funding is an issue, there can a tremendous
\ntemptation to produce amazing and satisfactorily convincing reports
\ninstead of worrying about quality control. <\/p>\n

One of the problems is that physical features which appear to be
\nmutations can be a result of local genetic variations, geographical
\nvariations, or radiation induced mutations. It takes a well-designed
\ntest to determine which is the primary cause.<\/p>\n

They mentioned a study of barn swallow mutations by T.A. Mousseau
\nfrom the University of South Carolina as an example of conclusions
\nwhich in their opinion are interesting but not necessarily conclusive. <\/p>\n

You should read T.A Mosseau’s research initiative<\/a> and draw your own conclusions. You may find that his charming photos<\/a> <\/a>of Ukraine farm life are easier to understand.<\/p>\n

T.A. Mousseau has also posted a beautiful and evocative set of photos of the przewalski horses<\/a>
\nwhich run wild in northern Ukraine. The przewalski horse is the last
\nremaining wild species of horse on the planet, according to many
\nsources.<\/p>\n

On a personal note, I find that the more I learn about Chernobyl,
\nthe less judgmental I become. The complexities of this disaster and its
\nafter effects are still being uncovered. It may take new developments
\nin science to map out all of the ramifications of this disaster as it
\napplies to the Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Some inhabitants are observably deformed and crippled for life.
\nOthers live with high radiation levels and are apparently healthy.<\/p>\n

The one thing we can agree on is that we do not need more disasters
\nof this scope. How we prevent them is a matter for continued study and
\ndiscussion. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\"Przewalski_horses_thumbl\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Przewalski Horses of Chernobyl – this last remaining wild species of horse on the planet is still thriving in the "dead zone"<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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