There are currently 200 to 300 casualties, but this number is expected to rise dramatically in the near future.
The earthquake has prompted tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific, including the West Coast of the United States.
If you search for some videos, you can see the tsunami wiping away cars and gas storage tanks catching on fire, creating fumes of fire hundreds of feet tall. News has spread that a number of Japanese nuclear power plants' "fail-proof" mechanisms are failing; people within one mile of nuclear power plants have been evacuated.
Are we prepared for an earthquake that large? Do we have the necessary infrastructure not only for earthquake tremors, but for relief efforts? In light of the possible natural disasters that could happen, are nuclear power plants too risky?
8 comments:
In the past few hours, even the past few minutes, things have changed dramatically. Most notably, people within 10 km (between 6 and 7 miles) of the nuclear plants are being evacuated, and radiation levels within those plants are over 1000 times normal. The reality is that Japan is, in all probability, the most prepared country for a large earthquake and the damage has still been devastating. Japan is on the Pacific's Ring of Fire, and has a small earthquake at least once a week. As a result, Japanese preparation is immense. Everyone knows what to do during an earthquake, and training for children begins in their first year of school (and this training isn't like the earthquake drills we have here, it's serious). Buildings, especially skyscrapers, are designed to sway, not shake, during earthquakes, and every family knows where to go and what to do if an earthquake occurs. An interesting thing to note about that is that people have done exactly what they're supposed to do. With trains shut down because of rails under water due to the tsunami, people have been patiently waiting for buses, or beginning to walk home (often Japanese commuters spend over an hour of the train- imagine how long it will take to walk). There are some very telling pictures of hundreds of people waiting patiently for pay phones because their cell phones don't work due to downed towers. All of this shows me that Japan and the Japanese people were as prepared as possible for this disaster, but the reality is that it wasn't enough.
I don't think that any country can be adequately prepared for an earthquake of this magnitude, because the technology simply doesn't exist. There is no technology to stop a thirty foot wave with mere seconds of notice from destroying a small town, or even a large city while preserving the nature that Japanese people (and many others throughout the world) value. There is no way we can prevent buildings dozens of stories tall from shaking and falling when the ground is moving in waves like the ocean.
At the same time, I don't think that we should halt the use of nuclear power plants. Clearly, they can be dangerous if destroyed, but so can everything else. And, the probability of a large earthquake as big as this is slim (especially now, considering that the friction has all just been released).
In regards to the infrastructure for rescue and relief, I think that is still undetermined. We will find out within the next few days whether or not the world's relief abilities are adequate. But I do think that previous natural disasters show that our planet's various governments are more than willing to step up and help each other in times of need. Think about Obama's speech this morning: we are already sending all the local naval vessels towards Japan to help them, and Hillary Clinton has stated that the air force flew in some coolant to prevent a blowout in the nuclear facilities. Fortunately for us and the world, this event happened in Japan, where their culture is very much characterized by a group mentality and the safety of others often comes before individual security. I think this will make the relief in Japan much easier than it was after the Haitian earthquake, for example.
Finally, the city nearest to the epicenter of the Japanese earthquake is called Sendai. Many of you know I have visited Sendai twice, once in eighth grade and again the summer before Junior year. Both times I visited a high school, Tokiwagi Gakuen, which I'm sure has been greatly damaged by both the earthquake and the tsunami. As a result, I will be collecting funds to send to Tokiwagi to help them rebuild their school; if you would like to help me in helping the school and the students who were kind enough to offer me hospitality, I would greatly appreciate it.
In response to Peter's first question, I highly doubt any city or country could prepare itself for such a massive earthquake. If one looks at the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 for example, that was measured at approximately 6.9 on the Richter scale. That quake alone damaged the Bay Bridge and I-880. To imagine a quake 100 times stronger than that in California is terrifying. Hopefully, this will serve as a wake-up call for many countries including the United States to beef up their infrastructure against potential natural disasters like this. Lastly, my condolences and prayers go out to all the people of Japan and to anyone who knows someone out there.
I know that this doesn't answer your prompts, Peter, but I would just like to say that I am amazed at the number of people our age with facebook statuses about the earthquakes/tsunami. In a country which struggles to make its citizens care about international affairs, it's really a great thing to see so many people trying to spread the word.
Some of the same questions that you left with us, Peter, came to my mind after I heard about this and recovered from the initial shock. I am genuinely scared that a huge earthquake not unlike Friday's in Sendai will strike California and cause massive damage and casualties. I'm not so sure that we're very prepared; do most households really have emergency kits and plans for safety/escape in the event of a natural disaster? I remember learning a lot about this in elementary school, and I'm starting to think that they should take time to teach us these things again in high school and beyond. I'm also unsure about whether the U.S. can pull itself together to directly help natural disaster victims (I think of Hurricane Katrina and how badly that was dealt with). And yes, I do think nuclear power plants are risky; I don't know enough about nuclear science to make very well-informed judgments, but from everything that's happening with the nuclear power plants in Japan right now, I would say they're too risky to have around. One thing that has been reassuring is the amount of support I see already for the victims in Japan; there are already fundraisers and events for donations, and I was glad to see Google's help with the People Finder and Yahoo's link on their homepage to donate money.
The earthquake happened at a really tragic time; right now, it is graduation season for Japanese students (their school year starts in April and ends in March). The earthquake and tsunami have undoubtedly affected many students' graduations. When I think of the students in their last year of high school, it hits a little close to home and puts things into perspective. I'll be crossing my fingers for a safe graduation for all of us. We shouldn't take things for granted.
I agree with Sarah's comments about nuclear energy. I think that the risks of nuclear energy far outweigh the benefits.
Although I agree with most of Kathy's post, I don't agree with her statement that "clearly, [nuclear power plants] can be dangerous if destroyed, but so can everything else." The APES classes have been discussing nuclear power, and nuclear power plants contain radioactive waste that must be stored for thousands of years. Fundamentally, nuclear power is exceptionally risky because the reactions in the nuclear power plant, once reaching a threshold level, is very difficult to stop. Radioactive waste, furthermore, is not just rubble from a falling building, which can also be dangerous--it can stick in the environment for thousands of years, affecting not only humans, but also wildlife. Furthermore, once groundwater is contaminated, there is no stopping the spread of the radioactive substances. Obviously, we are flirting with the universe's destructive power when we run nuclear power plants.
All debate about nuclear energy aside, Japan is in desperate need of help. If you want to donate $10, text REDCROSS to 90999 for Japan and Pacific relief. Here is more information about donations:
http://vandyredcross.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/text-redcross-to-90999-to-donate-10-to-japan-tsunami-relief/
Peter- that's an interesting point. I honestly didn't know that radioactive materials needed to be stored for that long. While I agree with the statement that nuclear power plants can potentially be extremely more dangerous than other plants, I stand by my previous statement that everything can be potentially dangerous. That said, I don't know if I am for or against nuclear power- I just don't know enough about it.
Sarah- I totally forgot that graduation is right now, and that adds a new wrinkle to student's lives that I forgot about. Looking on the bright side, most students don't expect to be in their schools for the next month (following graduation), so hopefully some repairs can be done while the students are on vacation.
It also does frighten me a little, and helps me to realize that nothing is 100%.
Post a Comment