This highlights the problem with living on a single planet where we are at the mercy of nature. California has gone through heroic efforts to prepare for earthquakes. However a Richter 8.9 would have leveled San Francisco and brought down the Golden Gate Bridge. There's no defense against a Richter 8.9 earthquake. We are helpless insects compared to the power of nature. To emphasize this point, the damage caused by this recent Richter 8.9 earthquake would have been insignificant compared to the impact damage from a 1 km. diameter long period comet. The only practical defense against that sort of natural disaster is locating the human race on as many different worlds as possible, e.g. colonize Mars. We human beings need to have greater respect for the random destructive power of nature.
Gary
Current Events » in reply to Southeast Asia tragedy
Bolt out of the blue: 11,460 people dead