Japan can't afford to be shoved off the front page for our election. I heard an interview today and was appalled to find out that the amazing volunteers who are working on-site to get the leaking TEPCO reactors under control are being treated very poorly - a piece of hard bread in the morning, and a small pouch of rice for the rest of the day, over-crowded sleeping conditions with no beds or mattresses, not enough blankets, inadequate protection from radiation, and uninformed as to the dangers they face.
TEPCO is privately owned and these brave people are there picking up their mess in deadly surroundings. In a fair world, the CEOs would be forced to remain on-site, pitching in.
Even when the imediate dangers are dealt with, it will take decades to repair damages to the environment and dispose of waste. Sea water is showing alarming amounts of iodine-131, that's 3,355 times the safety standard. Crops are being destroyed, the fishing industry is suffering and will for quite some time.
Walk a few city blocks in any direction and you will likely see a donation jar or read an ad for a fund-raising event. Take some time to find a way to help these people who are facing hell.
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