Time to show adult attitude to atom
Ukraine sympathizes with cataclysm-stricken Japan
The whole world is trying to help Japan, which suffered from an earthquake of a magnitude of 9.0 on March 11, 2011, and the ensuing tsunami that reached heights of up to 10 meters. As of March 16, the number of confirmed casualties is close to 4,000. This earthquake was announced as being the most powerful natural disaster in the 140-year history of natural disaster observation in Japan. Nearly 10,000 people are still missing. People continue to be evacuated from the disaster area in the northeast of the country, which is experiencing shortages of water, food and gas (in addition to irradiation in the areas around the Fukushima nuclear power plant). Large parts of the country do not have electricity, in other regions electricity is rationed.
After the explosion at the nuclear power plant Fukushima-1 in Japan, the words “nuclear meltdown” are making everyone wonder whether nuclear engineering is safe. People relates this terrifying concept with the two most known nuclear catastrophes: the one of Chornobyl in 1986 and the one at the Three Mile Island in the US.
The Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has claimed that his country is facing the worst crisis since the World War II. “Whether the Japanese will be able to go through this crisis or not depends on each one of us. I strongly believe that we’ll be able to overcome this terrible earthquake and tsunami if we unite,” he emphasized. Though the material losses are hard to estimate at the moment, Credit Suisse’s Chief Economist in Japan Hiromichi Shirakawa wrote in a note to clients that the economic loss to the region affected by the quake and tsunami may exceed 170 billion dollars. The Japanese government has addressed the world community and asked it for help. The US, Russia, Ukraine, more than 50 countries at once declared their readiness to help.
Last Friday the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, on behalf of the Ukrainian nation and himself, presented his deep condolences to the families of the dead, his moral support for those who suffered and wished them to recover as soon as possible. Ukrainians remember that Japan was one of the first countries that helped our country after the disaster in Chornobyl. The Japanese government has been regularly assisting Ukraine in eliminating the consequences of this disaster.
The Ministry of Emergencies informed that a rescue detachment with special equipment for working in areas damaged by earthquakes and dogs trained to search for survivors is ready to set off for Japan. According to the ministry, they have already prepared hydra-pneumatic equipment able to cut metal constructions and lift very heavy concrete slabs; they have prepared sets and formed a detachment equipped with the means of radiation-chemical reconnaissance and protection. The Ukrainian Ministry of Public Health reports that they have prepared medical detachments in full alert for a probable trip to Japan. According to an anonymous Ukrainian diplomat, the Japanese Embassy has thanked Ukraine for its attention, but the initiatives of our country haven’t been realized so far.
It appears that Japan, dealing with a natural disaster of epic proportions, does not care much for the predictions of foreign experts. Economy Minister Kaoru Yosano claimed that the economic basis of Japan remained strong and that the natural disaster wouldn’t hinder its development. Prime Minister Kan assured the people that eradicating the earthquake’s consequences will lead to growth in demand and will create additional opportunities to increase production by major companies. “In these conditions we have to realize the large ‘New program’ in order to raise Japan,” Kan emphasized.
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