All very relevant - but relevant to what is my question ?
How do you know we aren't meant to be here for X amount of years to pave the way for something/someone else ? 
Nobody knows ?

Is that why there's so many reports of UFO's/aliens   Are they the next to inhabit the earth?

Rawky, I hope all of your friends are okay - yours too, Peter.

Cags and Katty, I too understand your point, but in fairness people can only rely on experts or people qualified in their field (validated by research) to guide the way on what's right from wrong.

Where climate change is concerned, yep the planet was abused for years, and maybe all of us need to shoulder some responsibility for not listening to the warnings years ago (which were not highlighted enough in the media or education, either). But in fairness to us, everybody I know now recycles every week, people do make a conscious effort to try and improve where they can, companies are now making stuff that's more 'environmentally friendly', using sustainable equipment and trying to cut carbon emissions..etc. It may be too late to make a huge difference, but I say the blame lies with those who were in a position and had the platform to drive the message home and reach the audience in the first place (i.e., the media and the Government).

But when all's said and done, like I said on my FB today, no amount of money or political ignorance can prevent anyone being wiped out by a natural disaster.

 

Thanks, Yogi.

It's our descendants (and us) who have done this though. All these recent events aren't just out of the blue. This is a build up of events which WE have contributed to (and probably accelerated) by "our" need to progress. As humans in the time we live now of course we feel the need to progress more but at what cost? We're at a stage now where we can do nothing about what "we" have done but we can try and minimise the damage

PC and Rawky,  I cant imagine the worry you must be going thru x

Echoed 

a 5.4 in Miyagi just a few minutes ago.. it's not letting up

Awww PC and Rawky -  it must be awful for you both

Bless all those folk that in trouble in the East..

We need to learn to adapt to the planet.
Glad that members here are getting news from their  friends,it must be horrendous out there.

I don't think the planet is giving us any choice now 

I too am glad that the people here have heard from their friends and family 

We are son lucky to live where we live. We were thrown into a spin over the snow this winter.

Those poor people - doesen't bear thinking about. Beyond our comprehension TBH.

True Cagney..for  example the poor Orang Utangs that have been on the planet as long as us,are being driven out of their  forrests due to the deamand for palm sugar,,FACT!..We survived quite well  years ago without palm sugar,it's not an "essential " just trendy.

Kyodo news link http://www.kyodonews.jp/english/

They happen to be my favourite animal on this planet - did you know that Orangutan means 'little old man of the forest' - beautiful creatures 

So sorry Katty.....didn't see your post earlier. 

Our NEED for everything is having a knock on effect on the world. I'm a total hypocrite because in the 90s I probably used enough hairspray for the whole of Scotland and in the past I've done whatever it takes to keep the cost of living down within my family life. It's only when you see what's going on that you realise what the cost of "cheap living" actually means.

I do understand where you are coming from katty x
I have a problem with sharks, O/T i know and maybe leave it for another thread/time, but sick of hearing these beautiful things being killed because they dare to bite people, stay out of the water then and leave them to their own environment !! "Mans" arrogance will destroy this planet, i agree x

Slimfern I did...so sad! They are gentle creatures,however we (humans) are decimating them and thier forrests...sigh.

It's truly shocking. Some of the video footage is really hard to come to grips with. It's almost like it's not real. The day we start building motorways and houses way above ground level can't come quick enough for countries constantly living with the threat of such horrible disasters.

I hope any of you on here who know people in affected areas get news soon that they are safe and sound.

I know what you are saying Katty about Human consumption & their thirst for more - but I do think Mother nature has a will of her own & is not swayed by us mere mortals - she has her own agenda imo ..

Always has done !

I watched that show about sharks,,,the bleedin' Japanese catch them,cut the upper dorsal fin off them then chuck them back into the water..to die ,because they don't  need all their body parts ..surprisingly!
There is a horror show if you google Bay of blood.The Japanese slaughter bottlenosed  dolphins.It's horrific ,these beautiful intelligent animals are slashed and killed...

Must confess I don't watch stuff like that cos it upsets me terribly!

Vancouver on high alert.

http://planetsave.com/2011/03/...-eruption-in-russia/

If mother nature had meant us to go underwater she'd have given us webbed feet and the ability to breath without snorkels

I have an irrational fear of sharks. Irrational because I've never seen one face to face and never plan to. Watched Jaws too many times  

What humans have never gotten into their heads are boundaries. We kill any animal that threatens us but for an animal to do the same is unthinkable.

Well that's the Pacific ring of fire ..now playing up again..to put it mildly.This planet is still young etc and is evolving ,churning etc.The fact that we inhabit the surface is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things,,,no matter how important we think we are...we are not.

I've just deleted my whole post. I do watch films like that. Not in enjoyment but in disgust. I don't feel I can comment otherwise. It's not like a human dying. It'll never be classed the same but to me it's just as bad. Again it comes down to ego and feeling superior.

Just pulled this off Yahoo live update thread.
2152 GMT: Radiation outside the damaged nuclear plant near where the monster quake hit Japan earlier Friday is 1,000 times above normal, Kyodo news agency says.

Looks like things could get even worse.

Yep, they've just said that things are looking bad at a second nuclear plant now.

I reckon this is going to be one of the worlds worst disasters. Such a small island to have risen so far economically then this. The clean up will be a horendous task.

Me too, but along also with trying to learn about what goes on elsewhere, even though I agree a lot of it is wrong 

Where on earth do you start though 

*Hopes this isn't another Chernobyl*

Have no idea sproot. It will be a nightmare. Probably looking for survivors once all the water has gone, but what to do after this will be a logistical nightmare. I saw all the cars and boats being swept away on the newsfeed and wondered just how many people may be in them? For a country that survived 2 Atomic bombs they didnt deserve this.

Nope. And the ship with 100 people on board.....swept away......where the hell has that gone?  

The death/missing toll that started off this morning at hundreds will rise into thousands i reckon Here is the link i am watching.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20...-report-4bdc673.html