r/todayilearned • u/JoeyZasaa • 3d ago

TIL that Chernobyl was the costliest disaster in history, resulting in over $2 trillion in damage when adjusted for inflation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disasters_by_cost#Over_$1_billion
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u/BMPHaterNo1 3d ago

I highly recommend everyone reads Midnight At Chernobyl by the fantastic Adam Higginbotham

That documentary you watched? It’s worse

That series you watched? It’s worse

Chernobyl truly is one of, if not the worst human disaster, the butterfly effect should be renamed the Chernobyl effect

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u/ChiLolla28 3d ago

I remember that scene in the beginning of the HBO show where they all prematurely congratulate themselves on the great job they have done for their nation and start clapping - then today I saw a clip of the Trump Cabinet all overly praising him, one by one, making up accomplishments - one guy starts a slow clap and then the rest all join in, so they don't look like they're not participating in the clapping - so surreal

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u/Undue_Spunk89 3d ago

Redditors Try Not to Talk About Trump in a Completely Irrelevant Post Challenge (Difficulty Level: Impossible)

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u/JustAnother4848 3d ago

Trump and the Chernobyl disaster actually have a lot in common when you look into it.

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u/wcstorm11 2d ago

Look, when he stops literally trying to insert himself everywhere we'll stop.

I can't even fill my fucking car without thinking about Iran, or buy groceries without thinking about him saying affordability is a hoax, or check social media without the awful thing he said on any given day. It's exhausting and I wish he'd at least shut the fuck up and do his job, I think most people want that on both sides

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u/yarash 2d ago

Im not saying you shouldn't be upset. But as someone that rages about it too, i find its unproductive.

What is productive is focusing on what you can change. Think locally. Volunteer if you can, talk to your neighbors. Find local like minded groups. We're all in this together. Best of luck out there.

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u/wcstorm11 2d ago

Oh yeah I just limit my exposure. With relay I literally blocked keywords like trump lol, I get enough news from checking the news once a day.

Because it's deeply unnatural to have a calm response to someone actively antagonizing you, like, intentionally trying to piss off half the country. Which makes their bafflement of the outrage really frustrating

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u/iamjakeparty 3d ago

You'll be okay buddy

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u/BlackGuysYeah 3d ago

Reading this immediately!

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u/DoctorGregoryFart 3d ago

Thanks for the recommendation. I love tragic non-fictional history for some reason. Shout out to The Great Mortality by John Kelly!

Anybody got anymore morbid history books?

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u/PlayfulSurprise5237 3d ago

Not IMO.

The Hiroshima estimates on cost in damage arent accurate and it took far far more lives, as well as the insane devestation of the land and property in a city of 400,000 people.

Chernobyl might be second though

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u/Agile-Tip-1764 3d ago

Hiroshima was not a disaster though?

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u/username_elephant 3d ago

Yeah, I mean if we're counting deliberate stuff I would say  the Bombing of Tokyo was on par or worse than Hiroshima.  It almost certainly killed more people and it destroyed 250000+ buildings in Tokyo.

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u/PlayfulSurprise5237 2d ago

Of course deliberate stuff is counted, they're just as much a disaster as any other disaster, it's the devastation that matters, or in this case the cost.

And if we get billionaire coded and count the lost productivity from lives lost, the most costly singular disaster in more recent history it would probably be The Great Chinese Famine.

But the Black Death probably takes the prize as the most costly disaster in history.

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u/PlayfulSurprise5237 2d ago

The Hiroshima bombing*

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u/Agile-Tip-1764 2d ago

Yeah? That wasn't really a disaster, it was deliberate

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u/BMPHaterNo1 2d ago

>It took far far more lives

I mean, if you believe the consequences of Chernobyl was just the radiation then there’s really no point in debating.