Towards a more reasonable response to disasters

RE JAPAN. NEW ZEALAND earthquakes and tsunamis this month

Natural disasters certainly make us think. Infact,even though I am a geoscience risk management specialist who has had the satisfaction of reducing people's exposure to risk on many levels, I feel threatened by some disasters too: Plates subducting and killing people challenges my faith because it reminds me of my powerless and makes me wonder about the Creators too. But not to the point of neurosis or betrayal -- I trust.Y ou might be a better judge than I?

However that aside (looking for more objectivity) ; If we take soundly experienced psychologists seriously ( see researchers listed in this link , we can accept that the content of our response is often more deeply emotional than rational.( our sense of powerlessness is something we must face squarely in ourselves and in others as Rollo May does in his book ( Power and Innocence )

Our own Australian Telecom 2000 report (1998?) describes the increasing tendency for millions to expend their emotional energy on people faraway as a ' maladaptive' trend - That report insists that we all need to use the emotional energy more productively(locally) .Natural disasters ( unlike man made) remind us of our powerlessness and, it seems , our phobias about powerlessness.
To respond positively and more objectively ( Think of all the overblown fears often generated ) we need as Rollo May has pointed out, to not feed pseudo innocence but take on Jesus call to walk the Jericho road and " do what you can where you can '.

We have the power but we do need to remind each other to use it. The 'maladaptive" focuses on the few , the Jericho road response is a proven recipe for billions .
Often our leaders project this overereaction to percieved powerlessness by assumming power they do not have.
Our emotional response to others pain often says more about our needs than it does about the needs of people on the ground.
I say therefore: lets keep it largely local , rational , progressive ( Our planning heritage is very positive) and positive .
And resist the "maladaptive" and unproductive which can be very wasteful .
Objective upto date science on nuclear sites
You Have a good day and enjoy the road and how the sun shines on it .