It’s just a weeks ago, that the time of the cherry blossom has lost it’s exclusively happy associations. It’s a poignant beauty now and probable will be for a long time.
My sympathy is with all the people of Japan, who had, have and will have to suffer from the consequences of those natural disasters plus a man-made catastrophe.
Their sad faith fate exactly reflects the classic principle of our economic system: toil and sweat in the hope of some fractions of more wealth for the masses, the immense profit for a small caste of entrepreneurs and their willing disciples in the corridors of power, and cost and damage again for the people. The Tepco CEO now feels sick, while the Fukushima workers damage risk their health, and probably some AREVA managers calculate the additional profits that might appear on the global market, now that a concurring company is temporarily out of business.
Beautiful symbol; accurate analysis. What a system we humans have created! I just got a flyer in the mail advertising solar panels for a 4-person household for 2990 EUR. They’re made by a German company, Rotheigner (I apologize for the plug but I think it’s important that they can manufacture and another company sell them at an affordable price.) It’s time we all co-generated and reduce our dependence on the grid as much as possible. Along with planting trees and changing our wasteful habits, the result may be that we save life as we know it on this beautiful planet and create a greater sense of community in the process. Count me in.
Martha, you’ve correctly pointed out the most difficult task – changing habits. Shouldn’t be that difficult as soon as on has understood what’s at risk, but everyone of us how big the difference is between knowledge and action. But still, every day one more step in the right direction not only helps but also leads by example.