To Fukushima nuclear power heroes

While most of us  pray and hope for Japan, 180 employees at Fukushima nuclear power are real heroes. They are not just doing their jobs or duties. They are sacrificing their health to save others. Instead of mourning their losses or nursing their own family, they are trying to save others. It is admirable and virtuous. I do not like that many authors keep on stating “Japanese sense of duty”. Of course morality starts as a set of culturally defined goals and supports a social system of regulation.  However, we are talking about emergency and survival. There are not in time for considerations of appearance and convenience. It is that ultimate sense of survival as a group or “human community” that makes us more than social animals. I think that using national or social identity is undermining Japanese’s amazing resilience and strength in this catastrophe.
Thank you to all Fukushima employees!!! For Haiti, I hated that  some writers undermined the strength and dignity of the victims. I do not understand that ego trip. Maybe it is a language thing.  If I could read articles in Japanese it  would alleviate that weird stereotypical analysis. Maybe in time of crisis, ego trip is all we have left to reassure ourselves that we are doing good so far. Maybe we all just scared...

Now, in politico-economic boudoirs, the discussions are on nuclear power safety and readiness to natural hazards. Well, I am an optimistic person but I am allergic to double standards. While everybody pretends to surf the “I am so green trend”, our need to maximize progress is unstoppable!! Let us face it! Therefore, let’s not be optimist hypocrites about nuclear power!!! According to WHO, the average person is exposed to about 3.0 millisieverts (mSv) a year of radiation, from naturally-occurring, medical and other sources. Sadly at the Fukushima Daiichi site has recorded radiation as high as 400 millisieverts an hour -- a level known to be a risk to human health. Data from here.  Of course Japan nuclear catastrophe and the earthquake/tsunami devastation are alarming.

However, take a look on the map below and let us not forget that natural disasters can occur anywhere. Many countries are undergoing safety protocols on their old nuclear power plans while other stopped their  construction.
Hopefully, as a global community, "we" will be wiser by learning from Japan.

Country	In operation		Under construction
	Number	Electr. net output MW	Number	Electr. net output MW
Argentina	2	935	1	692
Armenia	1	375	-	-
Belgium	7	5,926	-	-
Brazil	2	1,884	1	1,245
Bulgaria	2	1,906	2	1,906
Canada	18	12,569	-	-
China Mainland Taiwan	13 6	10,048 4,980	27 2	27,230 2,600
Czech Republic	6	3,722	-	-
Finland	4	2,716	1	1,600
France	58	63,130	1	1,600
Germany	17	20,490	-	-
Hungary	4	1,889	-	-
India	20	4,391	5	3,564
Iran	-	-	1	915
Japan	54	46,823	2	2,650
Korea, Republic	21	18,665	5	5,560
Mexico	2	1,300	-	-
Netherlands	1	487	-	-
Pakistan	2	425	1	300
Romania	2	1,300	-	-
Russian Federation	32	22,693	11	9,153
Slovakian Republic	4	1,792	2	782
Slovenia	1	666	-	-
South Africa	2	1,800	-	-
Spain	8	7,514	-	-
Sweden	10	9,303	-	-
Switzerland	5	3,238	-	-
Taiwan	6	4,980	2	2,600
Ukraine	15	13,107	2	1,900
United Kingdom	19	10,137	-	-
USA	104	100,747	1	1,165
Total	442	374,958	65	62,862

Nuclear power plants world-wide, in operation and under construction, as of Jan 19, 2011

 Source Here