Fire in the rain: The democratic consequences of Chernobyl

The Chernobyl catastrophe has become a key reference point in current debates concerning the future of nuclear energy and, more generally, the protection and contamination of the environment. "Fire in the rain" tells the story of this disaster and of the trail of political reactions, from misinformation to secrecy, that followed the radioactive fallout around Europe. The responses of the governments of Europe varied considerably in terms of their openness and honesty. As news of the catastrophe spread, each government produced its own account of the events, all differing in their degree of secrecy and dissimulation. Gould traces the movement of the fallout and its ecological implications in tandem with the movement of information and misinformation, and assesses the political consequences of both. The result is a record of how those in power reacted to the world's worst ecological disaster.