14Mar11 An op-ed about Japan's "Day of Disaster"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/opinion/14iht-edmakihara14.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=suicide%20on%20campus&st=cse
Please post other stories, information, and reflections.
Maps & Graphics
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/flash/newsgraphics/2011/0311-japan-earthquake-map/index.html?hp
How to Help
http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html
Re: boiling water nuclear reactor:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weather/jan-june11/nuclear_03-14.html
This breaks my heart watching all of these videos on the destruction the earthquake and tsunami caused. It's terrifying to know this can happen to our world. I know what I said in class creeped you out (about the 9/11 date and the date of Japan's incident equalling to "dooms day") but I read an article about the "world ending on 12/21/2012" and the guy who wrote it believed that it was not going to end on that specific date but believed there are going to be terrible things happening, mostly caused by mother nature. For example, he said we are going to see tornadoes occuring more often in places we never would think of, thunderstorms are going to be more powerful, and just the intensity of mother nature with increase in which will cause loss of human life. I'm not sure to believe all of this but it did sound somewhat realistic.
ReplyDeleteIt blows my mind that something this tragic can happen to our world. After watching all of these vidoes I am still in shock that this happened. I really didnt realize how bad it was until I done a little extra research. Some of the numbers I go: Latest death offical toll-4,164. Number of people still missing- 11,000. 3.5 Trillion Yen Pumped into the Japanese financial system to prevent market collapse.452,000 – People housed in temporary shelters
ReplyDeleteSince I was away on a border studies trip I really had no idea of the seriousness of the issue in Japan. This articles and videos I have recently been watching, just blows my mind, on how much damage this earthquake has caused. The missing people, the death toll, not counting whats going to happen with all of the nuclear facilities that are collapsing. This is a tragic thing, and all we can do is pray and hope that things only get better for Japan.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the devastation in Japan I am horrified for a number of reasons. I can’t help but think about how I would feel in that situation and try to empathize with the suffering tsunami victims. Also, the devastation strikes a chord of primal fear I think. Nature is sublime and a fear of it, as well as love, is somewhat innate. I love the outdoors, nature, and conservation but none of that helps when you see the devastation it can wrought. The fear of a tsunami or earthquake is primal and all can empathize with that. However the fear of the nuclear radiation is something more disturbing. It is frightening because its devastation is invisible and potential much worse. The legacy of Chernobyl still looms in the world’s memory. I can only pray that the Japanese people find relief soon.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures and stories from Japan are truly heartbreaking and it only goes to show that our lives can change in an instant no matter where you're located. I think it is a true testament of character for those workers staying behind in the powerplants working to fix them. I know the Japanese culture is much different than our own because they feel it is maybe considered more of a duty than a choice but in any situation I think this is an admirable act. I just read today about how the radiation levels are still increasing in the Japanese tap water systems. We can only hope and pray this gets better before it gets worse.
ReplyDeleteThere are constantly new tragedies that manifest themselves in everyday life. Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Japanese tsunami are evidence that we are truly not in control. The events in Japan have wrecked their economy, their everyday lives and their future. Instead of progressing forward as a nation, Japan is one forded to turn it's attention to this tragedy. A large amount of people have died or are missing, as if see families did not already have a great dl to worry about. What we are seeing internationally is a huge relief effort, like we saw for Haiti. Hopefully the nuclear reactors can be neutralized...
ReplyDeleteFrom The New York Times:
ReplyDeleteHasty Burial for the Dead Collides With Tradition
Families of the tsunami’s victims faced a mass burial in a seaport town in northeast Japan, where mathematical reality has made cremation impossible.
http://nyti.ms/f1jQII
The events that have taken place in Japan are not only horrific they are mind boggling. I’ve tried hard to think and relate to how it must feel for those there and honestly I have no way of knowing. The natural disasters is so scary to me because it one of those things that you can never really predict and therefore the almost always end up being deadly. I can’t quite say what I fear most the thought of a natural disaster or a nuclear melt downs and they are going through both which is just so sad. Japan will be in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteThe NYTIMES article really struck me. Not only were these people stripped of their lives, theyre now also being stripped of what they consider to be proper death proceedings. This seems like a nature made reincarnation of the holocaust in a way. people were forced from their homes, put in awful situations, many died, and are now being put into mass graves. it is a tragedy in every meaning of the word.
ReplyDeleteHearing about the tragic events in Japan lead people to consider their own mortality and how world events can effect us. The Diocese of Covington took up a collection in the parishes for relief efforts in Japan. Over at Saint Pius X they donated over 13,000 dollars which is about half of their weekly collection. It is always encouraging to see people willing to help out when there is a great tragedy, but the question should be why does a disaster need to happen before there is a outpouring of support.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know if anyone wanted to comment but Japan had another massive earthquake a few days ago. It destroyed a lot of buildings but did not harm the nuclear plants which they are still trying to fix.
ReplyDeleteaccording to this article that i stumbled upon the prime minister of japan naoto kan just stepped down due to the pressure amid this terrible crisis.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thestreet.com/story/11082686/1/japans-kan-called-to-resign-amid-crisis.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN
Hello All,
ReplyDeleteIt is all overwhelming to say the least, as I read the comments my heart just aches. It's at times like this one feels so helpless. How do we cope when we have no defense against mother nature? We all live as though we own our lands, but in reality it all belongs to her. Natural disasters are inevitable it is part of the plantes cycle, and as we grow as a population in genral they become overwhelmingly destructible, because there are more of us to suffer from them. It's at these times we see us come together as a human race which inspires hope. It's a shame it takes such tragedies to make this happen. We need to take care of this planet as a people or she will clean herself of us all, and in the process we would learn to take care of each other.
In response to jakes post... I cant imagine the pressure that man must be under. His country has just suffered a huge tragedy, and they are looking to him for answers... The one thing that bothered me the most about the article was that someone else called for his resign. I personally think thats insane. In this time of suffering why cant people just help one another out. I think it goes back to human nature... as humans we want to be the top dog in our own societys. I think it will be very interesting to see what happens in the next few months with the countries leadership.
ReplyDelete