It was a typical Tuesday evening when Mother Nature decided to remind everyone of her unpredictable mood swings. A 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Japan, sending shockwaves not just through the waters of the Pacific but also through global news networks. Fortunately, those nuclear power plants that once had us all holding our breaths have since closed down, and none currently lie within the zones of tsunami warnings. Japan has dealt with this before, given their history of dramatic tectonic activity. They certainly have a way of drawing attention with these geological temper tantrums.
Rest easy, American friends. The Pacific decided to keep its waves local this time. The earthquake, while impressive enough to make headlines, does not pose a tsunami threat to Hawaii or the West Coast. It’s a day for the alarmists to put away their “The End is Near” signs since it looks like Uncle Sam won’t find himself doing the Pacific Ocean twist and shout anytime soon. The Stirring of the Pacific is an exclusive show for the residents of the Japanese coast this time.
According to the experts, a quake of 7.4 magnitudes certainly commands respect, sitting comfortably in the “major” category. Anything at or above an 8, though, begins to bleed into those catastrophically, we’re-changing-the-way-the-maps-look earthquakes. For now, it’s a performance that happened offshore, sparing the populated areas from the all-too-familiar scramble for safety. However, the danger isn’t entirely dismissed. The focus now turns to whether the ocean decides to spit out 10-foot waves along coastal areas like a petulant child throwing toys.
Curiously, the usual suspects—those fervent environmentalists—are unusually quiet this time around, perhaps taking a breather after a long season of global-warming hubbub. A relief, indeed, since the narrative doesn’t require villainizing anything more tangible than an unpredictable natural event. There’s a certain dramatic irony in having significant geological shifts that don’t fit neatly into any activist’s agenda. But Mother Nature has long been known to play by her own rules, not those of any political party.
Could this be a divine sign, or merely the Earth stretching a bit more dramatically than usual? Only time will tell. While Japan picks itself up and brushes off the dust yet again, the rest of us watch with bated breath and gratitude that our part of the world remained just spectators. For now, it’s a sigh of relief for the American coasts, with the expectation that the alarm bells need not ring across the oceans. While the Japanese people may brace themselves for these tumultuous events, for the United States, it’s just another day watching the world from a safe distance.
