The devastating earthquake and tsunami is by itself tragic beyond description. One cannot help but grieve by proxy for the tens of thousands who grimly search the rubble for their loved ones.
However a manmade disaster now looms in the form of nuclear meltdown. This means massive amounts of radiation, a nuclear scourge that will burn the skin off its victims as it literally cooks their innards. Those spared that will suffer abnormally high rates of cancer and possible genetic damage. Japan is a small country, but a populous one; as such this devastation will impact the entire country, as will the radioactive fallout. It’s somewhat reassuring to know that the international community and the Japanese government seem to be doing all that they can, but that is of little conciliation to the victims of this nightmare.
I think everyone should take some time to consider this tragedy, to contemplate the thousands who died over the course of this week, and to consider the consequences of cutting back on our safety regulations, infrastructure, and geological and meteorological research. These are things that all proved to be less than adequate yet very helpful and there are those who would lessen their effects even more.
I for one think we should honor the dead by taking steps to ensure far fewer people die the next time a massive earthquake strikes. Which, may very well be on the west coast of this country. The entire surface of the earth abounds with seismic faults and any of them could bring about similar devastation at any time. If you see mountains, volcanoes, or island chains, more often than not, that means a fault.
No comments:
Post a Comment