Interconnections and shattered illusions

摘要

Recent major earthquakes in Chile, New Zealand and Japan have generated iconic images - the vapour explosion at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan; a collapsed steeple of Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand; and the damaged Torre O'Higgins office block in Concepcion, central Chile. The images prompted questions about the safety of nuclear power anywhere in the world, let alone an earthquake zone; about the efficacy of Chilean building codes; and why Christchurch's cultural heritage buildings were not retrofitted adequately to withstand earthquakes.