Earthquake Forum Downtown

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From announcement:

American Red Cross and Asian American Society of Central Virginia
hosting Japanese earthquake community forum

The American Red Cross and the Asian American Society of Central
Virginia are hosting a forum to update the community as to how local
organizations are responding to the devastation of the recent earthquake
in Japan. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 15th from 2-3 p.m.,
will be held at the Red Cross, 420 East Cary Street. The public is
invited.

“We will have updates as to how the Red Cross is helping, what services
are available and how people can help with the relief effort,” stated
Reggie Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross,
Virginia Capital Region. “We want to connect local families with
agencies that may can help them and also provide opportunities as to how
the community can aid the relief efforts.”

“The Japanese Red Cross is a highly experienced disaster relief
organization and is currently providing medical assistance to survivors
through 50 medical teams, but there is concern about populations that
have not been reached yet,” stated Gordon.

To help people locate relatives, a family link web site can be found on
Redcross.org . The best way to locate U.S.
citizens living or traveling in Japan is to contact the U.S. Department
of State, Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747.

Red Cross chapters in California, Oregon and Washington opened shelters,
supporting more than 2,500 people seeking refuge from the tsunami waves.

“Not just as an Asian American, but as a member of the worldwide
community, helping our Japanese friends in their hour of need is the
only morally upright thing to do. I cannot imagine anyone looking the
other way, when perhaps thousands have perished, have lost their ‘near
and dear’ while suffering unimaginable losses. It is our responsibility
to help,” shared Malik Khan of the Asian American Society of Central
Virginia.

For more information about the forum, call the American Red Cross at
780-2250.

To help these and other disaster victims, mail contributions to the
American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 37243, call 1-800-
257-7575, www.redcross.org or contact the
Greater Richmond American Red Cross at 804-780-2250.

12 thoughts on “Earthquake Forum Downtown”

  1. Understandably, this forum is about Japanese victims, and our hearts are with them.

    However, there needs to be a larger conversation at some point.

    President Obama is authorizing new nuclear power plants here in the United States, including Virginia, with the corporations who build them and operate them free of responsibility, making it unlikely there is any chance for safety. The corporations are responsible for taking all of the profit. The taxpayers take care of anything that goes wrong, and of course, cleaning up the routine radioactive waste.

    The local newspaper and politicians seem to want to downplay the threats, despite current events in Japan.

    This is not the first time these nuclear concerns have been brought up here:

    https://www.oregonhill.net/2007/11/17/what-ifand-oregon-hill-and-csnt/

    Immediately following the terrorist attack of 9/11, some residents asked what would happen if downtown Richmond, or to put it more precisely, the Richmond Federal Reserve, experienced a ‘dirty bomb’. Would neighbors be forced from their homes “for their own safety”? What are the evacuation routes? How well is the government, at all levels, prepared?

  3. Again Scott, you always provide a “green slant” to your stories.

    I still believe in nuclear energy, and we must learn from this (just like any product or device) to make improvements.

    So far there have been no deaths from the nuclear power plant, only speculation. Should there be deaths, I’ll bet that the actual earthquake/flooding will unfortunately take more lives than any nuclear exposure.

    Here is a homework assignment for you Scott…when was this nuclear reactor built? Many of the reactors where built 30 years ago…that’s like comparing the saftey of a car built in the early 80’s to cars built today!

  4. Thanks for noticing my green slant. I am happy to provide it, in contrast to the local mainstream corporate media.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/world/asia/14industry.html?_r=2&src=recg

    The article says that U.S. nuclear plants face the same risks as Japan’s.

    “In stark contrast to the scenarios contemplated for oil spills and hurricanes, there is no specificity for emergency coordination and command in place for a response to a nuclear disaster,” Mr. Markey said in a statement.

  5. anti-energy is more like it. Scott hates coal, cant stand that an oil company makes a profit and now trying to bring up the anti-nuke argument.
    If we didnt have the 3 Mile Island incident, we might get 90%+ of our electricity from nuke instead of gas/coal. France did it….

  6. Anti-FOSSIL fuel energy. I can’t stand that an oil company, through criminal negligence, has killed workers and poisoned the Gulf of Mexico. I can’t stand that while other countries like Germany are stepping away from nuclear power because of its dangers, the nuclear mafia is forcing this country to step more into it. I can’t stand the fact that the corporations force taxpayers to pay for insuring these dangerous industries. I can’t stand the fact that my state and federal tax dollars continue to subsidize dirty, unhealthy fossil fuel energies when renewable energy policy is left lagging. I can’t stand the way the fossil fuel addiction is warping our country’s foreign policy so much that we permanently occupy other countries militarily.

    I am pro-energy conservation, pro-renewable energy.

    I don’t expect everyone to be in a place that that they have good solar exposure or can afford it for their whole house, but IMHO neighbors should be putting solar wherever they can, even if its just one room of their house or even their backyard shed. Its getting cheaper and more efficient all the time.

  8. The funny thing with solar panels is if all the Japanese in the tsunami owned one, they would have been washed away and damaged. Then they would have to wait for another solar panel to be produced and installed…think of the wait time and off all the pollution to produce and ship these solar panels!

    Unfortunately Scott, I think a “solar panel utopia” only exists in cartoons, but dat don’t mean you can’t dream…..(fast forward to 1:02 mark) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdCfCSfkLqQ

  11. Richmond City Council encourages Richmonders to donate to the Greater Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross on behalf of the Japan Disaster Relief Fund

    Money donated to the American Red Cross enables the agency to shelter, feed and clothe displaced victims

    (Richmond, VA) — In the wake of the devastating effects of the earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 and the ensuing tsunami and nuclear crisis that has greatly affected the country, Richmond City Council encourages Richmonders interested in assisting affected families to donate money to the Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross on behalf of the Japan Disaster Relief Fund.

    Members of Richmond City Council express their compassion for the families affected by this tragedy and their hopes for an expeditious recovery and return to calm in their lives.

    Money donated to the Disaster Relief Fund enables the American Red Cross to shelter, feed, and clothe displaced families. Richmond City Council also reminds citizens that in-kind donations such as food and clothing are costly to ship and require additional security, warehousing, staffing, and distribution resources.

    All American Red Cross disaster assistance is provided free to recipients and is made possible through the kindness, care and donations of time and money by the American people.

    Monetary donations may be mailed to the American Red Cross, Greater Richmond Chapter. P.O. Box 655, Richmond, Virginia 23261, by calling 804.780.2250 or by donating on-line, at http://www.greaterrichmond.redcross.org.

    CONTACT For more information, please contact the Greater Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross, at 804.780.2256.

    BACKGROUND
    The American Red Cross is an independent entity that is organized and exists as a nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable institution pursuant to a charter granted to it by the United States Congress. Unlike other congressionally chartered organizations, the Red Cross maintains a special relationship with the federal government. It has the legal status of “a federal instrumentality,” due to its charter requirements to carry out responsibilities delegated to it by the federal government. Among these responsibilities are:

    to fulfill the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, to which the United States is a signatory, assigned to national societies for the protection of victims of conflict,
    to provide family communications and other forms of support to the U.S. military, and,
    to maintain a system of domestic and international disaster relief, including mandated responsibilities under the National Response Plan coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

    Friday, 25 March 2011
    Richmond City Council – Richmond City Hall – 900 E. Broad Street, Suite 200 – Richmond, VA 23219 – http://www.council.richmondva.gov

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