The A.A.A. Tsunami Relief Effort
Update: 3/14/2011
“SOMA, Japan – Radiation is spewing from damaged reactors at a crippled nuclear power plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan in a dramatic escalation of the 4-day-old catastrophe. The prime minister has warned residents to stay inside or risk getting radiation sickness.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Tuesday that a fourth reactor at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex was on fire and that more radiation was released
Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned that there are dangers of more leaks and told people living within 19 miles (30 kilometers) of the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex stay indoors.” – Associated Press (full article)
Original Post:
At 2:46pm on Friday, March 11th an 8.9 earthquake just off the coast of northern Japan (Nearest to Sendai) shook the country to it’s core. Following the earthquake a 23 foot, seven meter, tsunami washed over the Miyagi prefecture. Following the quake the earth continued to rumble for more than four hours of aftershocks and over 130 smaller quakes, 111 of which 5.0 magnitude or greater
The earthquake shook the country all the way down through Tokyo, almost three hours south of Sendai and over 190 miles from the epicenter, so hard that the top of Tokyo Tower has been bent and the NHK had to cease broadcasting operations from it’s point.
As of today, over 563 people have been confirmed dead. There are an additional 600 to 800 bodies who have yet to be identified. There are hundreds still missing.
In the coastal town of Minami-soma alone over 1,800 thousand homes have been destroyed. Train operations have since resumed in Tokyo, but the infrastructure of most of the northern Japan remains in shambles. Communications have failed, and most of the people in this area are without cellular service or a means to contact their loved ones. Beyond that, the essentials have been lost. Despite the loss of homes there are also problems with the administration of fresh water and electricity. Approximately 4.4 million people are estimated to be without power. This is due to both damage to lines as well as two nuclear power plants having been shut down.
The plants, in Fukushima were damaged in the quake and following tsunami. Specifically, their cooling systems were damaged and forced to shut down. As a result the reactor’s nuclear core is heating at a dangerous rate and a nuclear meltdown is becoming a greater concern. Everyone within a 20km radius of the plant has been evacuated, three have been hospitalized for leaked radiation poisoning. The reactor employees are resorting to using sea water to try to cool the reactor slowly.
As the death toll continues to rise, and more people begin to find themselves refugees in their own country the world looks on with a single question, “What can I do?” The addicts of the A.A.A. Podcast are no exception.
Join us, this Sunday at 8:00pm EST for our fundraiser show. If you cannot, donate to the A.A.A. Tsunami Relief fund via the paypal donation buttons. We will be collecting donations through the end of March Thursday, March 31st. Donate what you can, every dollar will make a difference. We will give 100% of the donations to a charity specifically targeted at Relief Efforts.
Which Charity? Well the Addicts will be doing research all through to month to what each charity is doing, what impact they are having on the country to those who need it most, and their reputation for donations going to the people they say it will. The addicts are considering the following charities:
The American Red Cross: Tsunami Relief
Save the Children
Doctors without Boarders
International Medical Corps
Global Giving
Since Japan has already expressed they want limited foreign aide (which can change as the full scope of the disaster is understood) we will look at who is really getting in, and who is really making a difference. Please post your thoughts or knowledge on these charities or others here or on our forums. The key here is to help.
Let us all stand together and show our support in Japan’s time of need.