On December 24th there was a massive earthquake measuring 8.1 in Antarctica south of Tasmania. This was the result of the movement between two of the earths tectonic plates, the Antarctic Plate and the Indian Australian Plate. Two days later pressure created by this movement was released on the other side of the Indian Australian Plate.

An earthquake of 8.9 resulted in Tsunamis killing tens of thousands of people. These two related incidents were inconsequential in the earths long history, a minor adjustment of the earths crust.

On the 24th there was no rush to ascribe meaning to the massive earthquake in the southern ocean. No one died and, as such, it was an incident of note to scientists and few others. Because of the massive loss of life in the second incident however many people will be desparately trying to draw some meaning from the tragedy.

The event per se has no more meaning than any other natural event. Nature has no human traits, it is not vengeful or malicious or capricious. A lion kills for no reason other than to eat, tectonic plates shift for no reason other than to relieve pressure in the earths crust.The only meaning there is to draw is that life is tenuous and that our belief that we have somehow "tamed" the world in which we live is just a self-indulgent fantasy.

This is a terrible human tragedy but is it any more tragic than mass starvation in Africa. Perhaps it is time to consider that it is not the tragedy that you are reacting to but the "drama". It is so much more dramatic and so well covered by the media. Watching people starve to death doesn't make nearly as good television footage.