The Japan Times' coverage of the Tohoku-Pacific disasters has been excellent. Keep up the great work. I write with regard to the comment on the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster by Ukraine's ambassador to Japan (May 27 Bloomberg article "Fukushima No. 1 eyed as site for nuke graveyard") that areas up to 30 km around Chernobyl remain a "dead zone."
This is profoundly incorrect, and is typical of the deeply anthropocentric worldview that contributes greatly to the fundamental abuse of the planet by the human race, that is leading to massive species extinctions, and that ultimately threatens the survival of humans also.
The area around Chernobyl has, during the past 25 years, become one of the more intensely wildlife-populated parts of Europe, since the business-as-usual reduction of species diversity through farming, urbanization, industrial activity and hunting has been largely stopped. It is exactly the opposite of a "dead zone"; it is thriving with an abundance of rare and endangered wildlife. Go to these websites for more information:
www.ranprieur.com/crash/naturechernobyl.html
www.newscientist.com/article/dn20418-25-years-on-chernobyl-lakes-thriving-despite-fallout.html
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.