You have been reading about the earthquakes in Japan. It caused a lot of damage and a number of deaths. I keep getting different numbers but I noticed something as I was reading a summary at World.
The article said after the second quake there were 22 known deaths and 200,000 homes without electricity or running water. The number I felt dissonance with was that “About 200 buildings, including homes, were damaged or destroyed.” At the very end of the article it says the nuclear reactor in the area continues to operate with no damage. That doesn’t seem to add up as a natural disaster as much as a cultural disaster. When only 200 buildings are even damaged in an area where 200,000 homes were without utilities and only 22 people have died it starts to sound like it is a problem of architecture rather than raging mother nature.
Japan is known for its earthquakes. It is an advanced country. The nuclear reactor was built with an awareness of scientific reality and was not damaged. The homes were built traditionally and came tumbling down. And even then it was only 0.1%. As much as I think the government practices over-kill, it would seem that building codes can make a difference in who live and dies during an expected natural event. As much as I think the media needs a headline, it would seem that the vast majority of people were just fine.
Plan accordingly.
homo unius libri
I've always said that it will be the folks in thatch huts that will survive the earthquakes and global disasters.
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered why missionaries would go into areas where they built their homes with local materials and insist on building churches with blocks and mortar.
DeleteGrace and peaced