Another slightly different FMPMU, but the fact that most everyone is freaking out about the Impending Nuclear Doom (tm) and not really noticing that as of the time of this writing there's a confirmed 26,000 plus people dead or missing.
Look, I get it, Impending Nuclear Doom (tm) seems scary (and Americans love to wet their pants about anything and everything) but it's important to keep things in perspective. Currently, the total deaths at Fukushima is 1. Will there be problems in the future? Maybe, the honest answer is no one knows. The International Atomic Energy Agency has something called the Nuclear Event Scale or INES and they currently list this event as a 5 (for reference, 3 Mile Island was a 5, Chernobyl was a 7).
So while people freak out and start buy iodine pills, maybe they should try a little rational thought. I love "xkcd", but it's a little sad that we have to turn to it and its author, Randall Munroe, for the much needed perspective mentioned above. Below is a chart (click to embiggen) made by Mr. Munroe and his friends which he's graciously put in the public domain. Actually his blog post about it is good as well.
The reality is there are a lot of folks that need our help, not our panic on their (or our) behalf. If you'd already donated, thank you! If not and you have some cash to help you can do some good at the following Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Save The Children - Link to post for FB friends.
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