March 2011 Tohoku Earthquake

[spacecadet]

My store imports most of our products from Japan, and I actually bought a Geiger counter (cheapest one I could find, which was still not very cheap right now) and plan to shoot a video tomorrow to show that our stuff is not radioactive.  Our customers have started asking about it... and that means a lot of others *aren't* asking but probably aren't buying because of the worry.

 

Things are still obviously not under control at that plant, but it would really take a massive release of radiation to start contaminating random products all around Japan.  So far it's confined to water and certain types of food, which absorb radioactive particles a lot more easily than something like plastic would.

[Howard1975]

My store imports most of our products from Japan, and I actually bought a Geiger counter (cheapest one I could find, which was still not very cheap right now) and plan to shoot a video tomorrow to show that our stuff is not radioactive.  Our customers have started asking about it... and that means a lot of others *aren't* asking but probably aren't buying because of the worry.

 

Things are still obviously not under control at that plant, but it would really take a massive release of radiation to start contaminating random products all around Japan.  So far it's confined to water and certain types of food, which absorb radioactive particles a lot more easily than something like plastic would.

 

 

I can understand how people can be worried about the radioactive risk, and I would be worried myself with "newly imported" food, or water imported from the effective areas. But I think some people are going overboard in their fears. I would not be worried about plastic stuff, such as model trains. After all, I don't eat my trains.

 

But, if getting a Geiger counter helps to calm your customers, I can certainly understand. If I had a business, (I don't) and I imported stuff from Japan, I might also decide to get a Geiger counter, so reassure my customers, that my products are safe.

[keitaro]

americans ....

 

I was watch us news they were crapping on about fault line in the Us. Its a bit like yes the world has fault lines we have known about it for 2000 years .... stupid news station

[Kabutoni]

ts a bit like yes the world has fault lines we have known about it for 2000 years .... stupid news station

 

Well, the knowledge and general scientific acceptance of tectonophysics have not been around for so long. At least not 2000 years. More like less than a 100 years or so (±1912 Alfred Wegner).

[bill937ca]

Certain types of Japanese food are good to eat to combat radiation.  Specifically miso soup made with fermented soya.

 

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecomii_healthy_living/128/miso-soup-powerful-antidote-to-radiation.html

 

http://bodyecology.com/articles/miso_health_and_anti-aging.php

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso

[Kabutoni]

Don't forget wakame, nori and all other sea-weed types. Those are high in iodine content and are very effective against radioactive radiation.

[CaptOblivious]

americans ....

 

I was watch us news they were crapping on about fault line in the Us. Its a bit like yes the world has fault lines we have known about it for 2000 years .... stupid news station

 

Also, most American's don't know that one of the most dangerous fault lines isn't in California, but in the Midwest. (We had a 5.something a couple of years back here in St Louis, and it was freaky weird.)

[cteno4]

and the midwest has pretty much no earthquake building standards and love brick to boot... many of the building related deaths in the loma prieta were from collapsing brick buildings or brick building faces falling onto folks in the streets (and most any sized brick building in ca coast is now pretty well seismically retrofitted to boot). new madris is more of a buckle zone, its not on a plate fault line, but older cracks/faults within the North american plate. still has given some big shakes in the estimated 7-8.x range in the last few centuries.

 

jeff (who grew up in oakland ca so has a long fascination with earthquakes and plate tectonics...)

[Tenorikuma]

Don't forget wakame, nori and all other sea-weed types. Those are high in iodine content and are very effective against radioactive radiation.

 

Yep. Also, miso has been found to have remarkable properties for preventing damage from radiation.

[Howard1975]

americans ....

 

I was watch us news they were crapping on about fault line in the Us. Its a bit like yes the world has fault lines we have known about it for 2000 years .... stupid news station

 

Also, most American's don't know that one of the most dangerous fault lines isn't in California, but in the Midwest. (We had a 5.something a couple of years back here in St Louis, and it was freaky weird.)

 

Even here in Chicago, occasionally someone will be able to feel the Earthquake coming from the New Madrid fault, when it shakes.

[gmat]

Another human interest story.

 

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/news/20110407p2a00m0na015000c.html

 

Sometimes when I see the news or am thinking on the subject, I imagine what if I could back in time and do something.

Not very healthy, I guess.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[miyakoji]

Another human interest story.

 

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/news/20110407p2a00m0na015000c.html

 

Sometimes when I see the news or am thinking on the subject, I imagine what if I could back in time and do something.

Not very healthy, I guess.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

 

But it's good you think about these things, I think.  It has occured to me before, that we are losing sight, in noticeable ways, of the intrinsic value of human beings.  For the last few years now, everything is in the context of the economy, and in the case of Japan's current problems, many stories about the aftermath, etc, are framed relative to the economy.  I know there will be economic repercussions--they mean sweet FA compared to the human loss.  All total how many will it be who were crushed or washed out to sea?  That's the tragedy.  I don't really care if Toyota is getting widgets for the Prius.  Japan, the US, the whole world, I suspect, has not just a consumer economy but a consumer society.

[gmat]

Thank you,  Miyakoji. Here in Japan or Tokyo, NHK and other stations had been running a constant feed of personal stories that tugged at the heart.

 

Old news, but here are a couple of articles about a video plea from the Mayor of Minamisosa for help made on the 24th of last month.

 

Here in the StarAdvertiser:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/nyt/20110408_Japanese_mayors_youtube_plea_gets_big_response.html

 

And here:

http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/japanese-mayors-youtube-plea-prompts-flood-of-donations/

 

This is the youtube video of the message that was recorded on Mar. 24th. Shown with English subtitles.

 

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[gmat]

I was wondering when people would find evidence of severe tsunamis like the recent disaster. I was expecting geological evidence, so was a little surprised to find this.  It does nothing to ease the loss and suffering, though.

 

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/tsunami-hit-towns-forgot-warnings-from-ancestors

 

On another note, a small glimpse of how Japanese society deals with the loss from a natural disaster:

 

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/mother-collects-kindergarten-graduation-certificates-on-behalf-of-missing-daughters

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[bill937ca]

Photos from the exclusion zone.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/photos-of-the-exclusion-zone-surrounding-the-fukushima-nuclear-plant/article1982521/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner&utm_content=My+Yahoo&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheGlobeAndMail-Front+%28The+Globe+and+Mail+-+Latest+News%29

[cteno4]

On the Pacific shores of Iwate, the JR Ofunato Line and Sanriku Railway Company lines suffered heavy damage in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. On April 10th, Naoto Kodama of Iwate Rail Modelers' Circle (Japan Rail Modeler's sister club in Iwatetsu, Japan) traveled to the coast to witness and photograph the state of these railroads one month after the catastrophe.

 

Mr. Kodama wants to be sure everyone knows that these photos show just one small area in the hardest-hit part of Japan, and do not represent the conditions for all railroads in Japan. Elsewhere in Japan, you can ride trains just as safely as before. The rail system is still just as safe and punctual as it always has been.

 

some photos are posted up on the JRM website he provided.

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/pages/news/041511damage.html

 

jeff

[gmat]

Some grim statistics about people lost in the earthquake and tsunami, especially the children and the elderly.

 

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/378-students-killed-with-158-others-missing-in-march-11-disaster

 

Grant

[gmat]

From Japan Today:

 

Traffic jams heightened tsunami death toll after March 11 quake

 

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/traffic-jams-heightened-tsunami-death-toll-after-march-11-quake

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[cteno4]

Capt. Obvious just posted the announcement for the Omocha Express, toys for kids charity that some of the JRM members have set up to work with our sister club in Iwate.

 

more information here

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,4849.0/topicseen.html

 

Please let me know if you have any questions!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[scott]

Capt. Obvious

 

[cteno4]

sorry im middle of the road lysdexic so letters and words at times can get mixed around and i can be (ahem) oblivious to the obvious at times...

 

cheers

 

jeff

[scott]

I certainly didn't mean to pick on you -- just thought it was a funny jab at Don. 

[cteno4]

ok to pick on me, i was being obviously oblivious! actually don is really neither, so either is a good fun name for him!

 

jeff

[scott]

I have to say, I'm really impressed that the two clubs have pulled this together, and that Santetsu is helping out during what must be a really hard time for them. It's very nice to see that a transportation provider is really tied into a community like that.

[cteno4]

Thanks scott, as sister clubs it was nice, but of course there was not a lot we could really do so far apart. we exchanged some small gifts and have little displays of what the other club does (we want to move this into more of a real display in the future), but with all the distance it was more a symbolic arrangement.

 

The disaster then really sort of brought it home, especially for Matthew, the club president, who lived two years in iwate and was a member of IRC and set up the whole sister club arrangement.

 

we wanted to do something past our normal giving to the main disaster releif efforts, and extend a hand to iwate in some fashion so we tossed the idea over to IRC about doing something with them and kids since they are a big part of both our clubs' audiences. We had to be careful though as we did not want to force ideas on them at this time of trouble (why this has taken a little while to get going), but luckily this one hit home fast and picked up steam. One of the members of IRC works for Santetsu and he told them about the effort and they really wanted to help the community they serve in any way possible and thought this was a great thing to be involved with.

 

its been a pain to set up the charity stuff and keep it legal (its all separate from jrm to be very kosher and focused) and not spend a fortune to get started. we are trying to keep it very simple and very cost effective by buying all the stuff in japan (hopefully to stimulate the local economies) to avoid shipping costs and also get toys, books and art supplies that are culturally appropriate. we hope to keep things small and economical to get to as many kids as possible as well and we may have some in kind support coming from within japan as they hear about this effort. we will try to make things train related where possible, but dont want to force trains on all the kids.

 

we realize we cant have much of an impact on the overall disaster relief or rebuilding, but we thought this would be a simple and small way to lift a kids spirits and show them folks from the other side of the world care. And if you have ever seen that glow on a kids face with a new toy (just look in the mirror next time the ems package arrives!) you know that that small gesture is infective and the warmth spreads to those that witness it.

 

so if anyone would like to do a small donation to do something that shows support and goes to kids you can donate on line at the website or send in checks (details on the website)

 

http://www.omochaexpress.org

 

thanks for the support!

 

jeff