Distance shouldn't let us forget Japan
Evacuees line up for rice and other rations in Minamisoma, northeastern Japan Credit: AP
Sadly, out of sight too often means out of mind. Such may be the case in recent days with Japan.
But Thursday's magnitude 7.1 aftershock -- the biggest yet -- should jolt the world back into paying attention. The latest earthquake off the nation's northeast coast, although smaller than the devastating quake that triggered a tsunami last month, is a harsh reminder that Japan and its nuclear facilities are not out of the woods yet.
The latest quake, in fact, knocked out power to two additional nuclear facilities -- aside from the disabled complex at Fukushima -- but diesel generators were able to keep vital cooling systems working.
The official death toll from the original disasters is 12,600, with an even larger number missing. The plight of survivors was highlighted by a homemade YouTube video featuring the mayor of Minamisoma, a small city in the region, who appealed to the world for help as supplies of food and gasoline ran low. The video quickly went viral, prompting offers of aid to pour in. (Things have since improved there.)
How Japan handles its nuclear troubles matters to any country that uses nuclear power. We need to learn from the Japanese experience what can happen in a disaster, what we can do to avoid one and how we might cope in a similar crisis.
Who knows when nature will ease up on Japan's suffering? There's no controlling earthquakes. But the least we can do is pay attention, whatever the news elsewhere.
