LIMITING THE LOSSES

The unfolding tragedy in China following that powerful earthquake reminds one that no matter how advanced we become as a society, mother nature is still boss. In this part of the world we are not as prone to earthquakes. Hurricanes and strong storms can whack a bunch and have caused lots of damage but we normally have lots of notice and can prepare in advance.

We should not feel over-secure. There is plenty of seismic activity off our shores and the great tidal wave of 1929 was caused by an earthquake on the floors of the Grand Banks.

The death toll in China is now near 20,000 and it continues to escalate with each refresh of my news websites. The pictures of trapped kids in collapsed schools have bothered me the most. It seems in these earthquake prone regions that schools are death traps. Recent quakes in Turkey, Pakistan, Iran and now China all seem to claim too many children in schools that have been reduced to rubble.

Why have these countries not invested in ensuring that schools are sturdy enough to withstand a seismic action, or that disintegrate in a way that that gives the children a fighting chance. These countries all spend billions of dollars on enhancing their military might, when a small fraction of that money could be invested into making schools safer.

Andrew Revikin of the New York Times looks at the issue of earthquake proofing schools in Canada and the United States and the reasons why schools in the developing world are kill zones.

Geoffrey York of the Globe and Mail looks at corruption, shoddy construction and cost cutting as factors in the huge loss of life.