The aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, for example, might reasonably be expected to have revealed the effects of radiation on health.

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Even the pledge to drop all nuclear power one day has brought few signs of industrial alarm, and many sighs of relief from Germans, increasingly angst-ridden since the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

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He said the whole world wanted such measures because "an accident similar to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster must be averted".

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Here are some real numbers for you: 10, 000 people will have died of cancer a result of Chernobyl, the world's biggest nuclear accident, according to some estimates.

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By contrast, the Chernobyl disaster, by far the worst nuclear power accident in history, has to date killed about 65 people.

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The exclusion zone around Chernobyl, in 1986 the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, officially opened to tourists last year.

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Bringing back the ghosts of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, investors have decided to shun nuclear energy on fears that the current accident could put a stain on what appeared to be a booming trend in clean energy.

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