Media focuses more on Japan nuclear tragedy, not heroism

Editor,

We are members of UNM’s Student
Chapter of the American Nuclear Society.
Our organization is dedicated to the study and application of nuclear processes as applied to the service of human energy needs and to other fields of study.

As you know, the earthquake and tsunami affecting Japan served as the initiating cause for an accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Generating Station, about 235 miles north of Tokyo.

The severe earthquake caused the breakdown and loss of communications infrastructure and caused sketchy, inaccurate and misleading information to be diffused through media. The purpose of this letter is to help
provide readership with the correct information:

On March 11 at 02:46:23 p.m. (March 10 at 10:46:23 p.m. in Albuquerque) a 9.0 magnitude earthquake originated 231 miles northeast of Tokyo and 80 miles east of Sendai, Honshu, in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, at a depth of about 15.2 miles.

The severe devastation is widespread, with expected loss of life in the thousands.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant’s safety systems immediately and successfully reacted shutting down its three (out of six) operating reactors. There are other concerns, though.

We believe it is important to realize that not a single human life has been lost because of the 54 active nuclear reactors in Japan, even after the earthquake and tsunami. This is a testament to the knowledge, training and dedication of Fukushima Daiichi Plant technical personnel. These are the real heroes.

It is also useful to remember that this situation is still unfolding. The final count of lives, property and damages is still far in the future.

We understand our efforts should be directed at bringing home the thousands who are still missing and bringing relief to the untold numbers who will not have a decent meal or a bed to lie on tonight. We see an irresponsible and sensationalistic media focus on something that, although important, should take a back seat to a much, much larger human tragedy. We offer our deepest sympathy to the people of Japan.

UNM Student Chapter of the American Nuclear Society