Why Were Sunflowers Planted In The Shadow Of Nuclear Disasters?

[G_j]

Sunflowers are symbols of nuclear disarmament.
Not only are sunflowers symbols of optimism, they also possess a special capability: they absorb radioactive isotopes from the environment. In fact, sunflowers have been planted at both the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disaster sites because they help to remove radioactive toxins from the environment. When the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, the new nation of Ukraine held the third-largest arsenal of nuclear weapons. In 1996, Ukraine committed to total nuclear disarmament. To honor the occasion, representatives from the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia planted sunflowers in the locations where there had previously been nuclear missile silos.

https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/why-were-sunflowers-planted-in-the-shadow-of-nuclear-disasters.html?fbclid=IwAR2ZvVv640q_4LDgR-Z6_lH2Chu4jhvXuyEEFxOdJ_FJ6-6-KGaWlFgx65c

“In 1996, when Ukraine became a non-nuclear-weapon state, sunflowers were planted at a missile base in the country to celebrate this monumental occasion. Since then, sunflowers have become a symbol of a world free of nuclear weapons. But that is not all there is. It has been discovered that planting sunflowers after a nuclear accident may help clean up the contaminated areas, given the appropriate conditions.”

[Lonestarblue]

1. In retrospect, it seems a mistake for Ukraine to have given up is nuclear weapons.

I doubt Russia would be invading if they still had them. Russia is the country that should have been forced to give up its weapons. The world would be a lot safer. The promises made to Ukraine of protection from aggression or invasion by other countries have not been honored and were ineffective from the beginning. The promise was to take the matter to the UN where Russia has a veto over everything. Of course, hindsight makes issues so much clearer, but the reality then and now is that Russia has rarely been ruled by someone who wanted anything but utter control and expansion of anti-democratic ideology. Trusting such leaders has been a mistake.

The US was a signatory to this agreement, though, and I believe we owe Ukraine the protection promised. War is not desirable, but sometimes it is necessary to counter the actions of the truly evil. Hitler was placated for far too long. We should not make the same mistake with Putin. He cannot face a loss and any negotiations for him to take the eastern half of Ukraine along with all the southern ports are a nonstarter for Ukraine. Putin will just continue escalating with ever-more lethal weapons, including chemical weapons, until NATO has no choice but to step in militarily.

I read this morning in Tom Friedman’s column in the NYT that one of Putin’s possible goals now is to continue bombing civilians to drive more of them into NATO countries with the idea that NATO will splinter apart because of so many refugees. Interesting idea, though NATO seems pretty unified at the moment.

[BGBD]

4. This

Even just a few dozen would have been enough to keep Russia in their place.

[Calista241]

6. Those nuclear weapons were useless to them.

All the command codes that would have let someone use the weapons as is were in possession of the new Russian government in Moscow, and the Ukrainian government didn't have access to them.

I suppose they could have made a dirty bomb, but they could have done that more cheaply with any of the nuclear waste currently in storage at their nuclear power plants.

They also could have disassembled the bombs, removed the nuclear material and created a new bomb design and ignition procedure, but that would've required a massive, massive investment in time, money, and engineering talent that at the time was better used elsewhere.

[G_j]

8. yes,

It’s appears to be safer dismantled.

[randr]

2. A Daisy had tremendous impact long ago

[KS Toronado]

3. Wish we could outlaw them worldwide

[Wounded Bear]

5. K & R...nt

[Downtown Hound]

7. I don't know, but it's all fun and games until

one of the sunflowers mutates from the radiation and turns into a giant, city-destroying, beast that levels everything in its path in an effort to to teach us not to tamper in God's domain.