Japan rocked with 8.9 earthquake.

[mrspunkysmom]

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

[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.

[Grace]

There is another tsunami warning as I type this.

Thankfully, I just read that this turned out to be a false alarm.

[RICHARD]

This is one of the saddest natural disasters to happen in my lifetime.

Not to discount other tragedies, but this was a double whammy.

-------------------------

One thing that is important to understand about a new clear reactor is how they operate and how they are made.


There isn't radioactivity spewing out across the landscape unless the closed system is broken.



I hope that it's all well for the people of Japan, this is a disaster in triplicate..



-------------------

Yeah,

WTF is that volcano doing?

That's effing BS, haven't these people suffered enough?

[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.

[RICHARD]

All things taken into consideration?

People are people across the planet.

This is a total lose-lose situation for everyone involved.

Being an earthquake 'veteran'?

I have only had to deal with fright, not knowing when another EQ will hit and never, ever had to worry about water, radioactivity or a volcano tossed into the mix.

My electricity was on in hours, I didn't have to wait in line for water, food or gas.

People suffer, cry, fear and get back on their feet the same way, all over the world.

There are many cultural differences, but the look of fear is universal?

[wombat2u2004]

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

Not yet.
He's probably doing his maths right now to see how much money he can scrape out of everyone.

[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.

[pomtzu]

This a.m., ABC is reporting over 10,000 confirmed dead, and the numbers continue to rise.

Continuing prayers for this nation that has been dealt such a harsh hand.


ETA: This probably is an incorrect figure, since I'm not seeing that reported anywhere. Perhaps the reporter added one zero too many, as 1000 seems to be more accurate.

[pomtzu]

Blue:
You are trying to compare apples to oranges. Yes, there were many more lives lost in Haiti and Indonesia, and the events there are probably not what you might refer to as world changing. But - were either of these considered big players in the world economy? No!!! Therein lies your difference. The loss of even one life is tragic, and I'm not downplaying the tragedy of Haiti or Indonesia, but it is, what it is. And even tho the loss of life will be far less in Japan (hopefully), the destruction that this industrialized nation has endured, will be felt worldwide for a long time to come. IMO.........



Richard:
L.A. would not fare well in the coping department. It might not be as bad as NO, but it would NEVER handle the tragedy as Japan has so far. Again - IMO.......

[Freedom]

That report is from the beginning of February.

It is dated March 13, 2011.

Anyway, things just continue over there. Another explosion at the nuclae plant, 1000 bodies washed up on shore, running out of body bags and coffins, crematoriums overloaded . . . . .

Just unbelievable, really!

[wombat2u2004]

ETA: This probably is an incorrect figure, since I'm not seeing that reported anywhere. Perhaps the reporter added one zero too many, as 1000 seems to be more accurate.

I don't think so. Because of the population densities in those areas, I'd say the death toll will rise much greater than 10,000. Just my opinion from seeing the aerial shots of the scenes. I hope I'm wrong.