by Christyl Rivers

Created on: March 15, 2011

The catastrophic earthquake, Tsunami, and now nuclear disaster in Japan are combining to make it one of the most historically significant events of all modern times.

The earthquake struck on Friday March 11, setting off the Tsunami that moved inland and cut off escape access, and destroyed bridges and roads, even as more aftershocks followed.

Northwest, and Northeast Honshu island are suffering the most. Areas have been evacuated, homes, businesses, schools and many services have been completely shut down.

International aid from about 70 nations has begun.  Moving among the region is especially challenging. Roads, buildings and debris are tossed about in every direction. Images on news media show unbelievable scenes of rubble and disarray.

Then, as if this were a true to life Hollywood Blockbuster disaster movie, the Fukushima nuclear plant began to find that one after another, cooling towers were put at risk and began to fail.

Resulting explosions, fears of radioactive contamination, and the already frenzied state of emergency heightens by the minute, hour, and day. Critical questions are being asked about the safety of this exceedingly over- engineered facility. If the best of the best cannot get it right, is nuclear safe anywhere?

Scientists are finding it hard to keep up with the threat.  Misinformation, and the moment to moment constant change of the situation makes it hard to collect and depend upon critical data.

Rescue crews, dogs, and even robots are now deployed, as the death toll rises day to day.

The recovery programs are efficient, and heroic efforts are being made.  Still, resources, failed power, no easy food, shelter, or water access, is making it a very slow and difficult process, even to recover bodies.

This catastrophe is very instructive to the world, or should be.  Japan is the foremost of qualified and effective nations when it comes to earthquake preparedness. It humbles the imagination to think of the engineering that has gone into things such as the building codes which certainly saved lives.  While at the same time one realizes that Nature is extremely powerful, and there is no such thing as being prepared for every eventuality.

Nature supplies all clean air, earth, water and energy, but managing it effectively has not yet been mastered by humanity.

Earthquakes such as this massive 9.0 are rare, but they will come inevitably.

Cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and those in South America all must learn from such predictable events, as must all nations prone to seismic activity.

People from around the world are seeking word of many missing persons.  Due to so many shut downs of social media, power and outlets, simple notes and leaving word are the preferred method of search at present.  At each evacuation center, or rescue shelter are notices of dead and missing.

This is such a difficult time for Japan, and all our hearts go out to the Japanese people who have led the way in teaching the rest of the world earthquake preparedness, robot technology, and even advanced engineering. 

The more that is learned from all the devastating loss, the more one hopes the information will go toward natural disaster preparedness, and finding alternatives of clean renewable fuel.

Learn more about this author, Christyl Rivers.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.