[meteorite-list] Contemplation on the disaster in Japan

From: E.P. Grondine <epgrondine_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:46:42 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <852749.34478.qm_at_web36908.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

President Obama,
NASA Administrator Bolden,
and the members of the Congress

Dear Sirs ?

As we watch the devastation cause by the earthquake in Japan unfold, with some death estimates climbing to near 100,000, I?d like to take a few minutes to remind you of the threat posed by another natural type of natural hazard, but in this case a threat we can entirely prevent from harming us.

As we watch the fights against meltdowns of the nuclear plants in Japan, crisis which were caused by earthquake induced tsunami, I?d like to remind you that the best evidence is that Tunguska class impactors occur something on the order of once per 100 years. Any nuclear plant within the blast zone of an event of this type will face a far more difficult situation than any of the nuclear plants in Japan are now facing.

As we watch the videos of the earthquake tsunami rolling over the towns and villages of Japan, I?d like to remind you of the hazard posed by impact mega-tsunami. Picture in your mind?s eye a tsunami anywhere from 10 to 20 times as tall, moving 10 to o 20 times faster that the one that occurred in Japan ? that is an impact mega-tsunami. The best current estimate is that these have occurred something on the order of once per 1,000 years in the recent past.

Initial estimates of the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami are now approaching 100,000 dead. Current estimates are that there is something like 6,000,000,000 people living on Earth now. As long as man has been evolving, there have been impacts that nearly extincted him occurring about once per 1,000,000 years.

While the Congress issued clear instructions to former Administrator Michael Griffin to bring NASA?s resources to bear on this problem, Administrator Griffin rather deliberately chose to ignore those instructions, and the earlier Congresses did not prosecute him for doing so.

I hope that a serious mistake of this type is not repeated under the watch of the current Administration and Congress.

E.P. Grondine
Man and Impact in the Americas


      
Received on Sat 12 Mar 2011 07:46:42 PM PST