Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The real story

The news from Japan has been astounding lately.  A monster earthquake, a killer tsunami, and now the leaking nuclear power plants.  The news is dominated about the various radioactive leaks and efforts to cool off the reactors.  I'm seeing diagrams of reactors, and Rachael Maddow gave us a primer of reactors on Monday, and spent most of her program Tuesday on the same topic.

Which brings me to my point.  There was a tsunami that washed away entire towns.  Thousands of bodies have washed up on the beach after having been carried away into the sea.  Its cold over there, and people are suffering.  Electricity is out.  Water is scarce.  And yet it seems that broadcast news focuses solely on the nuclear power plant and its problems.

Yes, that is a worry, but isn't the larger story right now the human suffering and devastation caused by the tsunami?

And, apropos of nothing, do you want to buy some shares in Alternate Energy Holdings?  Bet you can pick some up real cheap these days.

2 comments:

fortboise said...

Perhaps because the earthquake was over in 6 minutes (just short of "forever" if you're in it), and the tsunami in an hour? or so.

Now this technology at the limit of what humans have been able to do, with the potential for great benefit and great harm has a problem unfolding over days, will be weeks, months, years.

If you lived between 20 and 30km from Fukushima and were being told to "stay indoors and make your house airtight," well, it might help take your mind off the unfathomable destruction that struck in a moment last week.

As for what the news obsesses on, I don't sit back and wait to see what they'll deliver. I seek out what I'm interested in, and I make no apology for being riveted by the nuclear engineering story.

ericn1300 said...

I think your right Alan. fortboise points out that the nuclear problem has "the potential" to be a "problem unfolding over days, will be weeks, months, years" but the aftermath of the quake and tsunami are already a disaster of such a magnitude that it will affect the lives of the Japanese for generations. The nuclear problems are of grave concern but there is little to be done there by the average citizens of Japan or the US. The nuclear problem is up to the engineers for now, but the calamity, devastation and the immediate needs of the Japanese should be getting a more balanced coverage since there is little the US government or citizens can do about spent fuel pits on fire but there is a huge amount we can do on the ground to help the Japanese in the aftermath of the quake and tsnami.