" At our stage of knowledge, two things seem to be infinite: The Universe and Human stupidity... Regarding the universe, I am not completely sure .... "
Albert Einstein
During the period 1966 to 1982 and then in 1995 France undertook a total of 172 nuclear tests in the atoll of Mururoa and Fangataufa in Polynesia. These allowed our country to produce 800 nuclear war heads. In 1995, once the last series of test were completed France together with the USA ( who had carried out nuclear tests in Marshall and Bikini islands), and the United Kingdom finally agreed to sign the treaty for a pacific nuclear free zone. The french nuclear tests and particularly the last one resulted in world wide protests. Mururoa is a small atoll located at 1200 km east/south east of Tahiti in the polynesia. Nuclear tests were first carried out in the atmosphear ( from 1966 to 1975), resulting in necessary displacement of the native population because of the contamination and then underground. It seems that the explosions have damaged the atoll's geological structure with huge cracks appearing on the coral. The land and water would also be contaminated. But...
According to a french nuclear safety agency's report published in 2007 the tests would have had limited impact on the health of the population living nearby. This nuclear safety agency belongs to the Ministry of Defence....its scientific credibility may be challenged.It is amazing to note how little independant information is available on the subject. Media self censorship effect ? What is sure is that the situation in this part of polynesia will have to be monitored for decades as the impact of these explosions has with no doubt be very detrimental on the environment with potential negative impact for many, many, MANY years to come...
Very sad indeed.
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