beyond the bubble

On Friday March 9 an 8.9 magnitude earthquake shook the island nation of Japan. The quake resulted in a subsequent tsunami that rolled inland at an alarming rate.

Some 96 aftershocks have since occurred, ranging in severity. While each of these disasters on their own would be considered disastrous, officials warn that the most devastating threat to citizens is still ongoing, as a number of nuclear reactors have become unstable.

The tsunami ripped people from their homes and carried many back out to sea. Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported that by Monday morning, the confirmed death toll was 1,800 citizens. The paper also reported that, “Police officials said it was certain that more than 10,000 had died … [and that] some 350,000 people have reportedly become homeless and were staying in shelters.

In an attempt to rescue citizens caught under the debris, the Japanese government has sent in nearly half nation’s army — totaling almost 100,000 troops — to help in the humanitarian effort. These officials are also trying to aid those that remain without food, water or power. The government has sent large quantities of bottles of water, blankets and gasoline in an attempt to aid their citizens.

While such an effort seems to be helping, the New York Times reports that at least 1.4 million households have lost running water since the quake and nearly 1.9 million homes are without power. There has also been a massive amount of damage to roads and power lines making rescue and recovery initiatives even more difficult.

The threat posed by the nation’s unstable reactors is also reaching a critical level. On Tuesday, three nuclear blasts had already occurred at one of the nation’s largest nuclear power plants, according to government officials. Three of the reactors at that site remain unstable, as they have no effective cooling mechanism. Such a feature raises the threat that there might be further steam blasts, releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere; or worse, a full scale nuclear melt down. After the blasts on Tuesday, toxicity levels surrounding the plant had already reached a dangerous level.

The Times reported that, “Even seven minutes of exposure at that level will reach the maximum annual dose that a worker at an American nuclear plant is allowed. And exposure for 75 minutes would likely lead to acute radiation sickness.”

Realizing the severity of the threat, many workers at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have fled to safety. Approximately 800 workers have left, leaving 50 or so workers to try and cool the heating reactors and contain these nuclear units. Showing great heroism, plant workers continue to fight to prevent the realization of another cataclysmic explosion.

In the wake of such a widespread disaster, over 69 countries have sent humanitarian aid and personnel to try and help Japan. As the crises in the Middle East and North Africa continue to rage, however, aid resources are already stretched thin. Government officials will have to make impossible decisions regarding where their resources might be utilized best. With such disasters, however, the aid will never be enough to help all those in need. Officials will have to make decisions that will affect the lives of thousands of people.