Here we are at the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. It seems like an opportune time to reflect on the nature of local and regional emergencies. One year ago, Japan saw three different kinds of disaster in quick succession, any one of which might have been devastating in its own right. Vast amounts of property were destroyed, many thousands of people were killed or left homeless, and an entire region of the country was evacuated or at risk of evacuation due to radiation leaks. Shortages of food, water, and shelter were widespread, and rebuilding will take years to complete. It's likely that long-term health consequences will continue to surface for decades to come.
Farther afield, spreading radiation was a concern, as were shortages of various industrial products. People mobilized all over the world for relief efforts, and the radiation monitoring industry flourished, but concerns about contamination of Japanese food products have largely been swept under the rug. Again, long-term health problems may surface over time, but they're unlikely to be traced back to the source.
This is only one of a series of real-world disasters and emergencies that we've witnessed in recent years: hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis; war, terrorism and genocide; drought, famine, flood; volcanic eruptions; nuclear disasters; recession, depression, and economic collapse. We haven't seen any major plagues recently, but fears of plague resurface each time a new disease is identified.
To some extent, all this turmoil is only life as usual, viewed on a global scale. Disruptions to the status quo happen all the time, all over the world. From a slightly different perspective, our ordinary day-to-day routines are no more than a lull between emergencies, just as summer is no more than a lull between winters. The urge to set aside a surplus in times of abundance, to prepare for times of scarcity, must by now be written into our genetic code: it's been our primary way of life for more generations than we can count. Our modern urban lifestyle -- where we assume predictability and continuity; where seasons affect little more than our wardrobes and leisure activities; where we expect to keep our houses at the same temperature year 'round and to eat fresh produce in the dead of winter -- may be the aberration, not the norm.
a while agoI saw there was a fungus that will neutralize radiation. another time one that will eat petroleum and its by products leaving the soil healthy and the fungus safe for eating. wish i had noted it and went deeper into they kinds that were used in the studies.
ReplyDeleteRarely do they do stories about what they are doing about Fukushima, they showed them washing to decontaminate but I sincerely do no think one can handled a molecular change with a topical washing. they were tearing down places they said were ok? all that wonderful old wood should be reused if its ok. those houses were pegged not nailed so reuse would be easy if they took it apart in a civilized manner.
There are entire islands made of that disaster floating in the ocean, There's boat/machines that will sort, strip and make it reusable. Why can't they harvest the garbage with the intensity they go after oil? There are machines that will do the same for landfills. of german manufacture if I remember right? our world needs this and it would be profitable if only it was used. Sigh