Japan Earthquake !

[Scotty]

Wow !!!! Saw the coverage on TV this morning, what a wallop !!! I guess we are "lucky" it hit in Japan where they are so earthquake aware both personally and architecturally that the death toll will be significantly lower than it would have been had it happened elsewhere !

Also have to give props to Google for their rapid response with the crisis centre and person finder .... http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

Listening on the radio this morning, heard a few interesting factoids .... the one that kind of made me think was a 'mobile phone' comment .... If a text message was sent from someone around the epicentre to a friend in Tokyo, it would have arrived in Tokyo before the actual earthquake ! Technology !!!!

Seems this is the 5th most powerful earthquake in history .... The Richter scale only officially goes to 10 but nothing above 9.5 has ever been recorded on Earth. Scientists reckon that the impact that is thought to have killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was equivalent to 12.55 on the Richter Scale (100 Teratons or 10⁸ Megatons) but this one is up there in the top 5 !

8.9 336 megatons 1.41 EJ Sendai earthquake (Japan), 2011

9.0 474 megatons 2.00 EJ Lisbon Earthquake (Portugal), 1755

9.2 946 megatons 3.98 EJ Anchorage earthquake (Alaska), 1964

9.3 1.34 gigatons 5.62 EJ Indian Ocean earthquake, 2004

9.5 2.67 gigatons 11.2 EJ Valdivia earthquake (Chile), 1960

Here's hoping the death toll doesnt rise to fast and that our own "Kirishima" finds himself and his friends safe and well after the dust has settled. Not sure if he is still in Japan right now, but hopefully he will be along to tell us he is ok.

[Heilandee]

TV coverage is astonishing,mesmorising and sickening all at once, like the lastest disaster movie but real,scary stuff

[Scotty]

These images are the ones that grabbed me ... especially the whirlpool one !

Have not yet had an opportunity to view any of the videos that are now popping up as I cant see them at work, but as you say .... astonishing, mesmerising and sickening all at once .....

the next debate of course is the cause ... cue all the lines forming behind each theory ... climate change, ancient civilisations predicting the end of time, the moon's orbit, or simply plate tectonics and geology 1.0.1 !

[CaleyD]

Could get even worse if they don't get that Nuclear Reactor under control!!!

[CaleyD]

Make that 2 nuclear plants currently out of control.

[CaleyD]

Now 3, with some explosions already. Also frightening that they seem reluctant to share information on the "fallout" from these and just how bad it might be/get.

[Johnboy]

Incredible to note that President Obama is coming under attack from US citizens on Facebook and the like for promising humanitarian aid for Japan.

Many of those are apparently suggesting that the Tsunami is a punishment from God for the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour.

[CaleyD]

Not that incredible...although some of the reasoning is very bizarre.

There's a train of thought, and not one I entirely disagree with, which questions why countries such as the US and ourselves spend so much money on providing foreign aid when we have big problems on our own doorsteps that might be deserving of a bit more attention instead.

[+Wanderer]

China spent ?20bn ('officially') on the 2008 Beijing Olympics...DfID invested/spent/ wasted/donated more than ?38,000,000 of British taxpayers' money in China in British aid in 2007.

Anyway...back on what is a horribly tragic topic.

[Johnboy]

There's a train of thought, and not one I entirely disagree with, which questions why countries such as the US and ourselves spend so much money on providing foreign aid when we have big problems on our own doorsteps that might be deserving of a bit more attention instead.

With great respect, I'm inclined to suggest the "big problems on our own doorstep" kind of pale into insignificance when compared with the problems presently being faced by Japan.

[+DoofersDad]

It is not simply an issue of whether we should give aid or not. It is more a question of what help is appropriate in a given circumstance. Terrible though the images from Japan are, Japan is a rich country and the Japanese people should be able to rally round and help the victims and rebuild. It might mean an increase in taxation to pay for it but that should be something the people can afford and should not begrudge in order to help those in the areas devestated. That does not mean to say we should do nothing. We can help in a practical sense with search and rescue and certain emergency supplies, for instance. It is quite a different matter in a smaller and impoverished country like Haiti where the country simply does not have the wherewithal to cope on its own.

I would not respond to an emergency appeal for this. It is not that I don't care, it is that I think the Japanese nation has the resources to manage the problem and that they have a responsibility to do so.

[TheKnowledge]

Japan may have a bigger economy than us, but I don't think any economy could stand up to a disaster of this magnitude. They may have the money, but not all at once.

[starchief]

a lot of aid is buying influence and future investments, whether that's in Libya, China or Japan. The UK has cut back substantially on just giving money (in fact, it's near impossible for most companies/charities) but will provide funds for humanitarian project work (such as those listed by DoofersDad).

Political aid would be a better term as politics is at the heart of UK aid*. Don't think we send money as a government and get nothing in return. That's charitable aid (which isn't entirely divorced from politics either). Political aid / charitable aid - both very different things. Diferent reasons, different sources, different outcomes.

*which IMO isn't necessarily a bad thing

[Oz647]

This may seem harsh but, while I sympathise with the Japanese and all they are going through. I can't help but feel that there are too many problems in the UK to be giving our money to other nations. Now they may not be on the same scale as the earthquake / tsunami but they are serious enough to have thousands out of work, companies going bust, people losing their homes etc. When the floods hit the Carlisle area and people lost everything the government said there wasn't enough money to help everybody but as soon as a foreign country has a crisis we send millions. Now I'm all for helping those less fortunate than us but get our own house in order first. Then and only then help others.

Rant over.

[Scotty]

I disagree with the notion that we should not help.

Every country in the world has its own problems but a tragedy on this scale transcends national boundaries. I heard a figure quoted on the radio yesterday that suggested that just to get back to square one, let alone to rebuild everything, it was going to take somewhere in the region of 200 billion US dollars. and that is before you even consider if things may get even worse with nuclear problems.

The Japanese are a resilient hard working people, they are also a rich nation, and they will pour resources and extreme effort into their own recovery, but even they need help to recover from this one. Normal people - working people - just like you and me have lost everything and although the country may be collectively rich, many of the people are not, just like Canada, US, UK, and everywhere else.

I hear the notion of "charity begins at home" and I cant argue with that too much, especially in these economic times ... if thats your opinion, then you are certainly entitled to it and you may have a point, but personally, I would look to governments to stop wasting so much money on other things - like ?65 light bulbs, or Canada (and Toronto) spending over 1 billion dollars to host last year's G20 weekend of mayhem - and maybe then there would be enough to go around both at home and globally wherever and whenever humanitarian aid really is needed.

In the last year or two we have had huge natural disasters in Chile, Haiti and Pakistan and now on top of the disaster in Japan we also have conflict in Egypt & Libya with Bahrain looking likely to be the next powderkeg. Each and every one of those events, whether natural or man-made affects your life whether you realise it or not. How much has petrol gone up in the UK since the start of the year? In Toronto its about 33% !!! How much more does everything cost because transportation costs more? How uncertain are aspects of your life because the economy is poor? Yes we should try to fix things at home - wherever that may be for each of us - but we should also start to think on a global scale because what happens in this ever shrinking world has a ripple effect on us all.

[caley100]

I disagree with the notion that we should not help.

Every country in the world has its own problems but a tragedy on this scale transcends national boundaries. I heard a figure quoted on the radio yesterday that suggested that just to get back to square one, let alone to rebuild everything, it was going to take somewhere in the region of 200 billion US dollars. and that is before you even consider if things may get even worse with nuclear problems.

The Japanese are a resilient hard working people, they are also a rich nation, and they will pour resources and extreme effort into their own recovery, but even they need help to recover from this one. Normal people - working people - just like you and me have lost everything and although the country may be collectively rich, many of the people are not, just like Canada, US, UK, and everywhere else.

Its true that the Japanese are a rich nation, but the kind of disaster that has happened could not have been forseen, and its not like they have insurance to protect for this kind of thing.

Also i agree about the 'ordinary' person being affected more than most, you just have to look at New Orleans and the devastation the hurricane caused to the poorer areas, which even now are totally deserted and just ghost towns, the areas can be cleaned houses and buildings rebuilt in Japan but the nuclear problem has just started there.

[CaleyD]

Just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting we sit back and do nothing, I was merely pointing out that it's not at all surprising that people question how much countries such as the US and ourselves spend on aid when we have problems of our own that we're not so quick or willing to spend on. The fact that I don't wholly disagree with that does not mean I don't believe we all have a part to play in helping others.

[TheKnowledge]

I feel I should add that we have one young fan in Tokyo, although he's not even one yet, and had no choice in the matter because the top was bought for him (anything to put him of baseball), his dad as well, whom I believe is a vouyer on this site, and one regular attendite of the dump on the North Island, touring whilst visiting her son. They are all regular folks, and are ok, but please also remember the other 17'000 Britons and thousands of Europeans whom come from big economies, but as immigrants, might not have built up enough cash to get them through this.

[Alex MacLeod]

I believe the Japanese people deserve, just like any other peoples, to be helped in the search and rescue side of things but I dont believe they need, nor should get, financial help. Japan is the fourth richest nation in the world. An area of their eastern seaboard has been seriously damaged by the earthquake and tsunami but the rest of the country, including the major cities, is still intact and functioning as normal. This was the worst disaster ever to affect their country outside of the nuclear devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but they are used to earthquakes and well prepared in dealing with the aftermath of them. They are also a very proud people and would not want help forced on them. They will suffer their losses for now and will rebuild and prosper as they always have.

[CaleyD]

Seems that every time the news comes on there's another explosion involving one of the the nuclear plants. If this keeps up then rebuilding isn't going to be an option in the effected areas for a very long time.

[Alex MacLeod]

Seems that every time the news comes on there's another explosion involving one of the the nuclear plants. If this keeps up then rebuilding isn't going to be an option in the effected areas for a very long time.

The atmospheric radiation will disperse quite quickly. The explosions so far have not jeopardised the security of the rods. Within three of the reactors these are safe. The problem is with reactor two where the rods are exposed and looking like going into meltdown. If that isn't controlled soon then there will be some serious problems. Not as bad as Chernobyl but bad all the same.

As for rebuilding. I was in Hiroshima in 1973 and had the pleasure of seeing one of the most beautiful cities in the world at that time. Only twenty seven years after the 'bomb'.