Pray for Japan

I am sure that many of you reading this are already aware of the grave situation going on in Japan right now. On Friday March 11th, a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Eastern coast of Japan. This resulted in a tsunami on the shores of Japan, one which destroyed buildings, homes, and many lives. 

"Fujitsuka in Sendai, Japan, in 2008, and again after the tsunami in 2011." - CNN

As you can see from the pictures, the damage is astonishing. Unfortunately, the damage reaches beyond property. The current death toll is dismal: over 8,000 people dead and over 12,000 people still missing. This is one of the most fatal natural disasters in history, leaving portions of Japan completely in ruins. And, fear surged across the country as the possibility of the Tsunami reaching Hawaii and California surfaced.

On top of all of this heartbreak and devastation, another terrifying layer of disaster was added to this entire tragedy--two of Japan's nuclear powerplants were put in states of emergency, and multiple explosions have occurred within some of these plants. Now, thousands of brave men and women are working to figure out ways in which they can cool the nuclear reactors, to save Japan from nuclear catastrophe.

Luckily, there seems to be some progress made in cooling the reactors over the past few days, although the danger is not abated. Traces of radioactive materials have already been found in food there, and while for now, experts claim that this radioactivity is not harmful, larger amounts certainly will be.

So, there are two things I would like to stress in this post. The first is, that those who would like to donate money can do so at this link. But, if not, keep the people of Japan in your thoughts and prayers, and continue to spread awareness so that others can reach out and donate as well. Also, this entire situation has made me think of the way that nuclear energy is regulated. I understand its necessity within the modern energy scene, but when crises such as this arise, it makes me wonder if there shouldn't be more regulations on nuclear powerplants? I'm not sure what exactly, but it seems as though something needs to change. Leave your thoughts/opinions in a comment.