How to survive "post311"

"No degree of prosperity could justify the accumulation of large amounts of highly toxic substances which nobody knows how to make safe and which remain an intangible danger to the whole of creation for thousands of years". --E.F. Schumacher

Among the very first words the people of Japan and the world heard after the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami were from Prime Minister Kan, ‘there are no reported nuclear leaks’.
That’s when I really started to worry.

Sure enough, the information was false - false reassurance typical of the systemic deceit that has allowed the nuclear myth to flourish.
I listened and watched from this ‘safe’ distance in Australia as the drama continued to unfold: The Prime Minister yells at TEPCO; ‘what the hell is going on’, TEPCO tells the people of Japan: ‘there is no threat of immediate harm caused by radiation’, the Mayor of Minami Soma pleads for help: ‘The government doesn’t tell us anything. We’re isolated. They’re leaving us to die.’

And everyday people of Japan say: ‘I’d rather live with less electricity if it comes with the kind of risk we are seeing now.’

I hope this grows from whispers, to discussions at the dinner table, to ear deafening chants at anti-nuclear rallies to reach the ears of the decision makers who for too long have separated their humanity from the perceived efficiency of the economic machine.
Now everyone knows: The promise that nuclear power was safe was a lie.
Now everyone knows: Profits are more important to companies (who in turn now run governments) than life.
The truth can set us free.
In a way we have been preparing for this time for many years - the moment people clearly see that we must choose survival. We started the Sloth Club to actively envision a way of life that doesn’t destroy the Earth.
So what do we do now?
-Trust your instincts.
-Find your voice.
-Connect with your community.
-Mourn the loss, but celebrate Life.

Now everyone knows: The promise that nuclear power was safe was a lie.
Now everyone knows: Profits are more important to companies (who in turn now run governments) than life.
The truth can set us free.

May our tears flow in a tsunami of compassion, May our fury shake the foundations of the old structures of exploitation, May our love penetrate the hearts of those who feel too isolated and alone to have hope for the future. May we find the courage to shift to a slower, smaller, simpler life.