The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Japan Reels as Toll Rises and Nuclear Risks Loom,” describes a developing, and dangerous, situation in Japan’s nuclear plants after the devastating earthquake and tsunami obliterated towns in the northern half of the country.

No one knows for sure how honestly the government or plant operators are relaying the situation, but U.S. helicopters flying 60 miles away from the nuclear plant picked up trace amounts of the most dangerous nuclear reaction byproducts, cesium and iodine. Apparently, the electrical supply to the plants was knocked off by the earthquake and then the generators by the tsunami. A triple backup based on batteries was quickly depleted.

The electrical supply is important because it runs the pumps designed to cool the reactor with water in a “safe” shutdown. The water is then diverted to a heat transfer unit, then cycled back in. Without the pumps to control the water flow, the only way to cool the fuel rods and prevent a meltdown involves the use of boiling water, but because you can’t pump it into the heat transfer unit, the pressure builds up, and you need to vent radioactive steam.

Scientists are now saying that this could continue for months, and it is uncertain when some 200,000 evacuated people can return to their homes. The effect of all this on the nuclear power industry, both in Japan and the United States, remains to be seen.

The lead story in today’s New York Times, “Powerful Quake and Tsunami Devastate Northern Japan,” of course is all over the news and shows how life can change in a relative blink of the eye. People going about their daily routines were upended and scarred, if not killed, by an unanticipated event, a seemingly random cataclysm of nature.

Japan is located in an earthquake zone, but this quake was the quake of a lifetime. Measured on the Richter scale as 8.9, it was followed and preceded by other quakes of 5.0 or greater that would otherwise be considered major events of their own. The devastating images played over our TV screens leave little to the imagination.

Fortunately, due to far-sighted planning by the Japanese government, the public was prepared as much as possible and knew how to seek higher ground, and how seriously to take the tsunami warning when they were informed. Still, the death toll is expected to rise into the thousands.

Even worse, if there can be such a thing, two nuclear plants are described as being in danger of a meltdown. Beyond any additional casualties due to radiation, one wonders what impact these developments will have on the nuclear power industry at a time when we are looking for alternatives to fossil fuel.

The United States, as it always does in these kinds of situations, is gearing up to supply relief. Navy carrier groups are moving toward Japan in case they are needed for humanitarian reasons, and U.S. military bases are offering their runways for diverted air traffic.

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Much of Pakistan’s Progress is Lost in Its Floodwaters,” paints a grim picture of the situation in Pakistan today with surging rivers and destruction affecting large swaths of the country. The U.S. foreign aid package to the country, totalling $7.5 billion, will now need to be diverted to get the nation back to square one instead of buttressing the government with new schools, electrical grids, etc.

The statistics tell the story better than any graphic depictions:

62,000 square miles have been affected, an area larger than England;
20 million people are suffering, the population of New York State;
8 million are in urgent need, with more than half of them without any shelter;
5,000 miles of roads and railways have been destroyed;
7,000 schools and 400 health facilities, too.

In all, the total cost of the flood damage is estimated at $7.1 billion, or 20 percent of Pakistan’s budget.

The floods are also throwing a wrench into the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan. The Swat valley, which had been ravaged by the fight against militants, is now in even worse shape, and every bridge in the province has been lost. A main supply road running from Pakistan to Afghanistan has been washed away. Electricity, a main source of civil unrest due to poor supply before the flood, is now even more erratic.

U.S. officials are trying to picture the flood as an opportunity for rebuilding, but it seems to me like they’re whistling in the dark.

The lead article in today’s New York Times, titled “Volcanic Ash Grounds Air Traffic in Northern Europe,” describes the “fall out” from the eruption of a volcano in Iceland. The volcanic cloud drifted south and east forcing the cancellation of all flights in British airspace and closing airports in Paris and Germany as well.

The disruption was described as unprecedented in peace time. Transatlantic flights were affected as well, especially those connecting from New York to London, described as the second busiest corridor in the world.

Apparently, the difficulty presented by the volcanic cloud is not visual but rather the impact of the volcanic ash on jet engines. The ash contains silicates, a component of glass, and they can be absorbed and melted in the engines, then form a solid to grind them to a halt. This phenomenon has previously occurred on multiple occasions including a jet bound for Australia that lost power in all four engines and narrowly aborted a catastrophe.

We human rush about in our self-important tasks that we infuse with so much meaning, but it takes an act of nature to truly give us some perspective on our lack of power and control. Just like physical health, natural disasters force us to realize how dependent we are on events largely beyond our call. It brings home the reality of what it means to be human.

The leading article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Supermarket Rescue Beats Dimming Odds in Haiti.” It describes new developments in Haiti including the rescue of a seven-year-old girl who ate fruit rolls while she was trapped in an air hole in a supermarket.

According to the article, the rescue effort seems to be improving with 100 flights a day landing at the Port-Au-Prince airport, priority being given to those carrying water. There also seems to be relatively little looting and violence though the aid is still significantly inadequate compared to the need.

At last, there is some report of movement from the Haitian government where there was a cabinet meeting. Many of the people, however, are calling for the return of the ousted Jean-Bertrand Aristide. On another front, there also appears to be increased engagement by the United Nations even though they have been widely criticized for the slowness of their response.

The whole situation is heart-breaking. You have three million people with no food or water, and reports talk about 70,000 bags of water distributed. That’s enough for one day for a very low percentage of the affected population. Progress is frustratingly slow; the streets are still littered with bodies; and the Haitian police are now shooting looters dead … looters who just want something to drink and something to eat.

Amazingly, though there is still hope in Haiti. Yesterday, churchgoers prayed outside of their collapsed churches in a sign of faith in a better tomorrow. One can only hope their prayers are answered.

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Patience Wears Thin as Haiti’s Desperation Grows.” It describes the current situation in Haiti after the devastating 7.0 earthquake.

Finally, the United States seems to be imposing some order. The airport, previously operated in a chaotic manner, was taken over by Americans and the FAA who now requires advance permission to land for any airplane. Humanitarian aid is an exception, but clear regulations were provided that they must have at least an extra hour’s worth of fuel to circle the airport, if necessary.

About 10,000 U.S. troops have arrived or are on the verge of arriving to pass out aid and maintain order. The United Nations has started to supply food though only to a fraction of those who need it, 8,000 out of an estimated two to three million who desperately need assistance.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on her way to the region, and the Obama administration must be praised, regardless of your party, for its swift response to the crisis. There is limited looting and violence though things seem to have remained calm, at least for now.

One of the major problems seems to be disposal of the bodies, currently lying in the street and decomposing. It must be a horrific scene, and it should give us some pause to be thankful for our current well-being.

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Hopes Fade in Quake-Ravaged Haiti, and Anger Rises.” It describes the current situation in Haiti where the residents of the capital city, Port-Au-Prince, are in urgent need of assistance.

According to the article, the first U.S. troops have started to arrive, and the U.S. Air Force has assumed command of the airport where hectic operations seemed to be on the verge of thwarting the widespread outpouring of aid. The picture painted of the situation is truly alarming. Bodies are piling up in the streets, and there is no heavy equipment to save people who may be still alive under collapsed buildings. The President of Haiti said that 7,000 people have been buried in a mass grave.

It’s so sad that the people of Haiti, after all they’ve been through, the crushing poverty, the stripping of the country’s resources by dictators, must suffer even more. I was glad to see President Obama address the situation immediately, promise $100 million in aid and the deployment of troops.

It does make you wonder about the justice of all this, the reason why, the metaphysics. I know that God is in charge and have faith there will be some good that comes out of all this. But I think the best thing for us to do right now, in addition to the humanitarian assistance, is pray for the people of Haiti.