Sunday, November 7, 2010

In the shadow of an active volcano...

Spectacular shot of Merapi erupting (britannica.com)

Not so spectacular if you happen to live in Yogyakarta - like my friend Carol Lolley, who has been trying to organize relief for the more than 200,000 people rendered homeless by a series of worsening eruptions since 26 October.

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However, a massive eruption yesterday sent a lethal plume of ash and lava several miles into the atmosphere, raising the death toll to hundreds. Carol has no choice but to flee the city immediately - but she has yet to renew her US passport and all flights out of Yogya - and even Jakarta - have been cancelled.

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One feels utterly powerless in the face of something so cataclysmic. Once again, we are reminded how puny we are compared to nature - and how our arrogance has blinded us to the fact that we really have no control over the greater part of the reality spectrum.


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Let's send love, moral support, and whatever else possible by way of aid, to our fellow humans afflicted by Merapi's eruption. Indonesia needs our help in these cataclysmic times.