Japan rocked with 8.9 earthquake.

[Marigold2]

I wonder what this and the fact that the earth has moved on it's axes will mean for global warming or maybe an ice age a cometh?

On the weather channel they said that quake moved the entire country of Japan over to the east by 8 feet and tilted the earth on its axes by 6 inches. That was one bad quake!!!

That will certainly change the world.

[ChrisH]

Although visually spectacular, these explosions are not necessarily dangerous in terms of releasing radioactivity. The buildings are an external shell, with the task of sealing radioactive materials falling to a metal containment vessel constructed inside the concrete shell.

"The explosion... wasn't a terribly important event," according to Malcolm Grimston from the Energy Policy and Management Group at Imperial College, London.

"The building was designed to fall outwards" - preventing damage to the thick steel containment vessel inside.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12726628

A little reassuring I thought. That is assuming that he/they really know what they are talking about.

[ChrisH]

Thought you may be interested to read a part taken from one of the posts on another forum written by a person who has a number of family and friends living in Japan (thankfully all are ok as they live in the south west) and is a person who knows the country and its people very well.

One note about how the Japanese operate as a Group. Always as a Group. So although it might seem 'slow' in the beginning, as a group they are deciding big decisions as to how to harness the gasoline resources, and get it to the effected areas. Things like that are what they are thinking. So once the army opens up the roads, etc. then bam, huge help is there. Same thing going on with food and Electricity. Groups of people waiting for food, not really individuals. And groups of people preparing food. Trying to get them together seems the most difficult. Anyways, that type of thing is how they operate.

...One positive thing you haven't, and probably won't, see is mass pillaging of shops. Mass panic either. All very calm. They're so strong.

[Karen]

I wonder what this and the fact that the earth has moved on it's axes will mean for global warming or maybe an ice age a cometh?

It only moved a teensy bit, relative to the size of the planet, and will likely have not discernible effect on climate.

Our prayers are continually with the people of Japan, and their loved ones.

[pomtzu]

This is something that I noticed almost immediately when watching the videos of all the people: no panic, no fights breaking out, no looting, and nearly everyone taking things in stride. How opposite of the way things would be (and have been in the past), when the people here in the U.S. are faced with disasters in their own back yard. Hurricane Katrina is a prime example, and pics I've seen of this disaster in Japan remind me of that horrible event also. Homes washed away or surrounded by water, people on rooftops signaling for rescue, helicopters rescuing people from rooftops - so much similarity - yet the Japanese people as a whole, are coping so much better than we ever could.

[Grace]

Before and after satellite pictures of various places in Japan -

Frightening - http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...r-tsunami.html

[pomtzu]

Before and after satellite pictures of various places in Japan -

Frightening - http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...r-tsunami.html

Frightening - and heartbreaking. It's almost too much to comprehend.

[Freedom]

And now a volcano has erupted, in the south of Japan.

Those poor people!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2486939.story


Sunday's eruption, which was the biggest volcanic activity in Shinmoedake in 52 years, caused widespread destruction and panic. The blast could be heard for miles, and shattered windows four miles away, the BBC reported. Hundreds of people fled the area as the volcano spewed debris, including hot ash and rocks, more than 6,000 feet in the air, according to BBC reports.

[mrspunkysmom]

This is so sad. I hope this stops soon for their sake. There is another tsunami warning as I type this.

[ChrisH]

And now a volcano has erupted, in the south of Japan.

Those poor people!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2486939.story


Sunday's eruption, which was the biggest volcanic activity in Shinmoedake in 52 years, caused widespread destruction and panic. The blast could be heard for miles, and shattered windows four miles away, the BBC reported. Hundreds of people fled the area as the volcano spewed debris, including hot ash and rocks, more than 6,000 feet in the air, according to BBC reports.

That report is from the beginning of February.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12331811
I cannot find any recent report about the volcano on the BBC site, although there are other reports of a fresh eruption on a few sites across the web.

[blue]

They say it's much worse! And if the reactor explodes, the radiation could be worse than Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Totally different type of nuclear fuel compared to a nuclear bomb.

Oh for Heaven's sake - knock off the petty crap and stick with the issues at hand. You of course, have NEVER made a typing error. Grow up, will ya' please??? Oh - forgive me - "ya" isn't a proper and acceptable word.

So if you think that these events will not change the world, then you are certainly entitled to your own opinion. Just stick your head in the sand and let the world go by all around you, and you will never be aware of any of these changes, and you can continue to live in your blissful state (of mind).

True, I am well aware that my grammar and spelling are horrible, thats why I love the spell check. I wish more people would embrace the spell check. So go lay down.

I do not think this will change the world other then to change building codes in earthquake prone areas. Did the Haitian earthquake change the world? More people died there, why wasnt that a world changing event?

Blue this is so horrible. The lose of life, the change in this part of the world. The years it will take to rebuild, to get over the emotional shock, scars of the people who have to witness the horror, the children who cry out for their dead parents.
The aftershocks could continue for months. Who and how can these poor people ever feel safe again?

I must have a higher opinion of the Japanese people then you do. The lose of life was minimal for how populated the region is. They will likely rebuild faster then New Orleans, NO is still rebuilding arent they. Did the 2004 tsunamis change the world? More people where killed there too.

Yes this will change the world in countless ways.
Do I remember WW11 yes I do? Better then you. My mom was in concentration camp and lost all her family. She had 10 brothers and sisters.
I understand how something like this effects a person for a lifetime, for generations these peoples mental state will be changed.
They will think differently, act differently and rethink what is important in life.
Something so profound changes people.
Just ask any man or women who served in battle and the horror they have seen how it changed them.
Now we have an entire country of shell shocked victims suffering.
The world has changed. No it will never be the same.
Just as WW11 changed the world this will as well.

I am very sorry the lose your family felt. Japan as a country likely remembers WW|| in as personal way as you do. They are also used to earthquakes, look at how they are dealing with this latest one. No looting, no riots, and no anarchy. So you may be right, this may change the world if the rest of us learn from the Japanese.

Doesn't Japan get their oil from the Alaska Pipe Line? We did a tour in Valdez once & that is what they told us that the oil goes to Japan?

Japan gets a lot of natural gas from us. I am unsure as to the amount of oil that we export.

On the weather channel they said that quake moved the entire country of Japan over to the east by 8 feet and tilted the earth on its axes by 6 inches. That was one bad quake!!!

That will certainly change the world.

I wonder what this and the fact that the earth has moved on it's axes will mean for global warming or maybe an ice age a cometh?

Has Al Gore blamed the earthquake on Global Warming and George Bush yet?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12726628

A little reassuring I thought. That is assuming that he/they really know what they are talking about.

This is exactly why the Japanese built a lot of small reactors rather the the big ones America and Russia built. Even if one does fail it wont be a huge disaster.

This is something that I noticed almost immediately when watching the videos of all the people: no panic, no fights breaking out, no looting, and nearly everyone taking things in stride. How opposite of the way things would be (and have been in the past), when the people here in the U.S. are faced with disasters in their own back yard. Hurricane Katrina is a prime example, and pics I've seen of this disaster in Japan remind me of that horrible event also. Homes washed away or surrounded by water, people on rooftops signaling for rescue, helicopters rescuing people from rooftops - so much similarity - yet the Japanese people as a whole, are coping so much better than we ever could.

This is why I dont think the earthquake is a would changing event. California would be in utter chaos with all of the bad things Pomtzu brought up and worse.

Japan was, and is prepared for these type of natural disasters.

[RICHARD]

California would be in utter chaos with all of the bad things Pomtzu brought up and worse.

I have to say that even tho we are heathens and sinners here in El Lay?

I saw and heard of some of the best, from some of the biggest morons that lived here.

There were the people that panicked and were dumb, but in the worst of situations we did all come together and persevered.

(I have to say that that to defend my home town?)

[Karen]

TI am very sorry the lose your family felt. Japan as a country likely remembers WW|| in as personal way as you do. They are also used to earthquakes, look at how they are dealing with this latest one. No looting, no riots, and no anarchy. So you may be right, this may change the world if the rest of us learn from the Japanese.

Japan is culturally very different from us, and order and decorum are highly valued. Children are taught from an early age that fitting in and getting along are of paramount importance. Outward expression of emotion is just not the think to do. Community is more important, in many instances, than the individual.

Here, independence is highly valued. Creativity is highly valued, and the individual is celebrated. Look at all the emphasis on self-esteem ... Unfortunately, sometimes this problems, but I would not trade my independence for decorum.

We rejoice with every survivor rescued, and keep all the missing, the lost and the dead in our prayers.

[blue]

The ideals arent mutually exclusive Karen.

In fact if we where freer from government we would be forced to be more community minded and would help each other out rather then waiting for the .Gov to step in and save the day. Look at NO after Katrina, they didnt help each other out they waited for the .Gov to come to the rescue. When the .Gov did come they wanted everything handed to them.

I may have been wrong about this being a world changing event, I just think most people wont learn the lesson Japan could teach us.

[Karen]

The ideals arent mutually exclusive Karen.

Yes, I know. Which is a good thing, of course. But it does reflect in that often the Japanese make big money off of ideas that originated here. We invented the car, but now buy lots of them from there, as they have made improvements, etc. to our invention. Both societies work together, are should continue to learn from each other. I am glad our people are helping and hope we continue to do so.