Too much serious stuff happening in the world. Can't think fun anecdotes right now.
Latest in Japan: the Prime Minister, who has only served one year and is facing a no confidence vote, is offering to resign when things get stabilized with the triple disaster. At the three nuclear reactors which had at least partial meltdowns, clean-up crews are so exhausted they're making a lot of errors. Too much work, too little food, too little sleep--not to mention the continued radiation exposure. The Japanese government, using their military, should just stop futzing around, cap and seal the reactors and turn to safer sources of energy.
In a political move typical of every government, the Japanese government arbitraily announced an extension of "safe" limits for radiation exposure to children from 1 milliservert per year to 20-- so children could go outside and play on radioactive playgrounds. One key nuclear adviser quit in disgust and parents were incensed. At a public meeting, one mother cut off a spokesman with, "'In the playground, in the sandbox, children put dirt into their mouths! They breathe in the dust! You should do the same! Lick the dirt! You wouldn't do this to your own kids!'" Applause met her shouts.
In response, surprisingly, Japan's Education Ministry did an about-face, re-established the limits set by scientific experts and promised to cover the cost of removing the surface soil from schoolyards where the limit has been exceeded. ("Anger helps reverse Japan radiation limit," From A3, Los Angeles Times, May 29.)
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