Richland County School District Two: 35 Years Later, A Look At The World's Worst-Ever Civil Nuclear Disaster

Press release from Richland County School District Two:

4/23/2021

South Carolina ETV (SCETV) plans to premiere The Chernobyl Event: An Update at 35 Years on Sunday, April 25 at 7 p.m. The special program, produced by the agency’s Education team, takes a look back at the history of the event, explains the disaster’s connections with SCETV and the University of South Carolina (UofSC) and focuses on the continued study of animals, birds and insects as the lasting impact of the Chernobyl event is explored. 

The ramifications of the Chernobyl event were not confined just to the local area, however; they were felt worldwide. Rare photos and video footage, captured by SCETV’s NatureScene production team when they were allowed to visit in 2003, provide a one-of-a-kind view, documenting evidence of the devastation caused by the catastrophic accident. Some of that footage will be utilized in the upcoming program.  Featuring UofSC Naturalist-in-Residence Rudy Mancke and other special guests, S.C. Department of Education Career and Technical Education Director Angel Malone will lead a comprehensive panel discussion highlighting the impact the event has had on humans and nature, scientific research and subsequent actions taken to make the contaminated site safer. Westwood High School Science Department Chair Angela “Angie” Hill is one of the panelists on the program. “One main thought that I shared is how the discussion underscores our obligation to students to help them improve their scientific literacy. When we ‘don't know what we don't know’ we can easily become the victims of poor decision making or fall prey to those who may be in charge and have little regard for human condition,” said Hill. “The Chernobyl research is an excellent example to illustrate how quantitative data alone will often tell an incomplete story. The qualitative data such as general observations and personal accounts are equally or even more important.”   The complete list of panelists to be featured in the broadcast is below: Connecting things to the Palmetto State, The Chernobyl Event: An Update at 35 Years also delves into related environmental issues in South Carolina and serves as an educational opportunity for our students as we talk about why studying the Chernobyl event has relevance today.  In addition to its premiere on April 25, the program will also re-air on Monday, April 26 at 7 p.m. on SCETV, as well as on Monday, April 26 at 2 p.m. on ETV World and 8 p.m. on the South Carolina Channel. For more information on SCETV, visit www.scetv.org

This press release was produced by Richland County School District Two. The views expressed here are the author’s own.