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Tsunami Thoughts

I still cannot get over the unbelievable power of the tsunami that rocked South-East Asia last week. Here we are in a new year, and the people of that region are left to pick up the pieces of what is left of their lives, if anything.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is that late at night on December 31, while we were counting down the seconds to what we hope to be an awesome and prosperous new year, I couldn’t help but think about the people affected by the tsunami. What was their New Year’s Eve like? Not many of us reflected on that.

Understandably, we are fortunate to be unaffected by the tragedy. Or are we unaffected? Scientists have discovered that the earthquake that caused the tsunami was large enough to wobble the earth on its axis, and slightly change the planet’s orbit. When something that large has that kind of effect, surely the world will feel something from it all. & we have: in the form of the weather.

Now, if it was only the weather in my location being a bit wacky, then I wouldn’t say this. But my mother, half a planet away, has been noticing odd weather for this time of year in Australia. Meanwhile, in the United States, California faces unusual onslaughts of rain and snow. Here, in Oklahoma, where it usually cold during this time of year, saw us turn our air conditioner on because of a warm day – in the middle of an American Winter January Day.

Doomsday Some doom-sayers use the tsunami as an excuse to say that "the end is nigh". I doubt they are right, but part of their motives have some validity: sometimes these events are signs of things to come. If you think back over the 12 months prior to this quake, there were numerous geological events that seemed to lead up to this one – at least, it retrospect. Earthquakes in Iran, Mount St. Helens flaring up, etc. There is no doubt in my mind these events are connected. Many scientists would disagree, but there are many who also see the Earth as a complex "organism" (for lack of a better term) – a system in which parts interact.

So could the tsunami disaster of South-East Asia be an indication of something to come on a much larger scale. It’s entirely possible, but nothing to lose too much sleep over. These events could happen anywhere, at any time, without warning. True, you have probably a smaller chance than 1 in 10,000 that one will happen in your neighborhood during any one year, but they can still occur with disastrous consequences as evidenced by the Asian tragedy.

The Tsunami Disaster has quickly eclipsed the 1883 Krakatoa eruption as the most deadliest disaster in known human history. The volcanic eruption in the latter 19th century had long-lasting effects that were felt internationally: altered weather patterns, unusual sunrises and sunsets and volcanic ash covering the planet amidst the atmosphere. The Tsunami Disaster was a much more significant and more powerful geological event, and the international effects may be yet to surface, aside from the weather changes.

One thing to come from this tragedy is the bright and generous nature of humanity. Billions of dollars of aid is coming in, not just from international governments, but from people… many who cannot afford to give are giving beyond their means.

I was inspired to see former Presidents Bush Sr and Clinton joining forces to help. It just goes to show that people really can put their political differences aside, and work towards a common good: a lesson that many in this day and age could and should learn.

So where to now? There is no doubt that the victims of the tsunami tragedy will be strong in our minds for the next few weeks, and this will mainly be due to the overwhelming media coverage from the region. But after a few weeks, when aid is getting to people on a far more consistent basis and the basic infrastructural rebuilding commences, the coverage will taper off… and in my mind, it is important we do not forget this event and the people it has affected.

I remember in the months following September 11, 2001, I kept telling people (both in real life and online) that we must never forget not just that event itself, but the way it made us feel when we witnessed the event happen before our eyes. But let’s put this tsunami in perspective. Yes, while 9/11 was an extremely tragic event, the death toll in comparison is beyond comprehension.

So, in closing, let’s not forget these people who are suffering.

Want to help out? Use these links:

Australian Red Cross
The Salvation Army
UNICEF
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
CARE Australia
AmeriCares