If our society is to be victim of a major global nature catastrophe, or that time shows that we globally just cannot sustain the modern way of life – a future without the present day technology will be a reality. How would you explain a thing such as an external hard drive or wifi, and that it contains information, to someone in that future? There is a consistent risk of this becoming a reality. You only have to look at the great pyramids and structures from the ancient past, some even sunken in the oceans. Göbekli Tepe is one of the most interesting modern findings, and it’s nothing new that stone is what lasts the longest. Today we have few structures that would last long after we are gone, even the pyramids of Central America, Egypt and other places were naturally buried.
What I think will last the longest is our coming and necessary expanding construction of spent nuclear fuel repositories. Onkalo is the name on the Finnish project that will aim to keep the waste long way from any exposure at least 200 000 years. These are huge problems especially when countries are still constructing nuclear power plants. While the safety has proven to be faulty from time and time again. In Scandinavia there is a good stable rock under the surface that makes a good permanent repository for the spent nuclear fuel. Maybe Scandinavia will become the dumping place for the worlds spent fuel?
The plan for Onkalo is a system that spreads out and at the ends is where the capsules will be kept. The location of this facility is near the nuclear power plant Olkiluoto – this is often the case that nuclear activity ends up in nuclear friendly economical and political places. The intention is to bury the waste and there are still discussions on whether the facility should be totally sealed off or if they should place some kind of marker at the spot. Interesting work for an artist that would be, modernistic or jugend style for the monument?
The capsules will leak eventually and then the mountain will slow down the leak of radiation. But the area will be contaminated. The funny story is that the workers are joking about founding warning sings while working from past civilizations. It is funny because the past ancient civilizations have left enormous monuments, of which many have been plundered, destroyed and not thoroughly researched – not to mention how many have not yet been discovered.
Wonder what those who find Onkalo in the distant future will think of it? We should be inspired by past ancient civilizations and construct something inspiring to be found after us – messages in stone construction and geometry.
What do you think?