Earthquake: 8.9 Hits Japan
This is an early report:
The 8.9-magnitude earthquake -- the world's fifth-largest since 1900 and the biggest in Japan in 140 years -- struck at 2:46 p.m. local time, shaking buildings violently in Tokyo for several minutes and sending millions fleeing for higher ground.
At least 60 people are believed dead, though that number is expected to rise dramatically as officials begin assessing the extent of the damage. Japanese media is reporting scores of people missing, likely buried under rubble or swept away by waves as high as 33 feet.
(
LA Times).
The whole "ring of fire" fault zone has been extremely active for several years now. This does not bode well for the entire US west coast including Alaska, among all the other areas. A long-predicted major quake (or series of quakes as they saw in NZ) centered in the LA area could definitely be a game changer for a US and world economy that's already teetering on the brink. Neither the US or the state of CA has $billions or $trillions available for reconstruction, and in the current acrimonious political environment, refugees might simply be told to go fish.
ReplyDeleteGood points, the very dangerous fault near Seattle and Oregon is also due for a major catastrophe as well.
ReplyDeleteThink Katrina x 10 ...
Floods in the east, a tsunami warning in the west, contentious labor disputes in the midwest, rising oil prices everywhere with the potential for shortages and further price spikes rampant, widespread political instability in the middle east oil producing regions, MOMCOM supporters rattling sabers for another possible invasion (or two, or three, or ...), and Japan CERTAINLY to be crippled by unfolding events for some time to come. Yes indeed, we're DEFINITELY living in "interesting times" alright! And I have the distinct feeling we're only getting started with the festivities.
ReplyDeleteHere is regional coverage...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoHABHiuvE8&feature=feedu
Complete coverage with several news stories, so sending the front page...
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english2010/
Not long ago I mentioned that a study of plate tuetonics shows California will become an island.
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Japan looks to be, once again, a precursor of things top come for the US. The financial talking heads have long been belaboring the connections between Japan's late 80s / early 90s collapse and subsequent stagflation and our own current predicament.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I think that connection is a bit premature, in that our own ultimate financial collapse is still ahead of us and MANY magnitudes of order GREATER, the overall connections are probably apropos nonetheless. We seem to have developed a symbiotic relationship of sorts, which probably should not be surprising given our once "mortal enemies" status.
Love the one(s) you hate, and hate the one(s) you love it is said; in the end, it's all the same. Strong emotional bonds create ties of which we are barely aware, and those same emotional bonds DO have physical consequences.
Another thought on today's events: resulting fears of nuclear power, whether legitimate or not, might well drive power hungry "demanders" into the willing arms of the oil and/or coal lobbies, who are, as we all know, more than willing to accept all supporters out there.
ReplyDeleteAs in, the demanders of the current status quo ain't gonna just quit and go home just because we've/they've had a momentary lapse in supply.
Several nuclear plants seem to be in trouble in the wake of the quake: Huffpo ... meltdowns are the feared catastrophe that now looms ...
ReplyDeleteAnother report says 5 nuclear plants are in a state of emergency.
ReplyDelete