The Heroes of 2011: Japanese Nuclear Workers

2 April 2011

I've been following the New York Times Asia-Pacific page since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

I wish to make one point. We knew from the start that the reactors would leak as a consequence of the damage from both an earthquake and a tsunami. Come on, nothing is built to withstand such dual forces of destruction.

And yes, there is serious local leakage of very poisonous and persistent radioactive substances - plutonium, iodine, cesium and more, and they will spread. It's horrible.

But we must remember that (1) nothing nuclear blew up or (fully) melted down and (2) nothing nuclear burned.

Yes, it's disastrous, unimaginable, really. But it could have been far, far worse.

I give full credit to the courageous frontline workers, who knew from the start they would be over-exposed to life-threatening radiation.

They did this for us, and I thank them for their sacrifice on our behalf. When Time Magazine chooses the "person" of the year this year, I hope they remember these workers!
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