08 April 2011
NTS Bulletin (Apr 2011 – Issue 1)
Abstract
On the 11th of March, Japan was hit by one of the most severe earthquakes in recorded history. The earthquake, and the tsunami that followed it, led to thousands of deaths and tremendous infrastructure losses. At the same time, however, the impact of the disaster on Japan (relative to the impacts of disasters on other countries) demonstrated that the best defence against the forces of nature is sound economic and technological progress combined with strong community values. A much weaker earthquake in 2010 in Haiti led to many more deaths and a near complete annihilation of the country’s infrastructure. Japan’s advanced level of development has been made possible, partially at least, by Japan’s access to large quantities of energy, much of which comes from nuclear power plants.
Abstract
On the 11th of March, Japan was hit by one of the most severe earthquakes in recorded history. The earthquake, and the tsunami that followed it, led to thousands of deaths and tremendous infrastructure losses. At the same time, however, the impact of the disaster on Japan (relative to the impacts of disasters on other countries) demonstrated that the best defence against the forces of nature is sound economic and technological progress combined with strong community values. A much weaker earthquake in 2010 in Haiti led to many more deaths and a near complete annihilation of the country’s infrastructure. Japan’s advanced level of development has been made possible, partially at least, by Japan’s access to large quantities of energy, much of which comes from nuclear power plants.
