Category Archives: Earth Stuff

News of Earth Changes, climate shifts, weather anomalies, volcanoes, etc

Sakurajima Volcano Latest Eruption

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Impressive Video of the Latest Eruptions from Japan’s Sakurajima

An explosion from Japan’s Sakurajima caught via webcam – you can see blocks from the explosion hitting the slopes of the volcano (small, grey spots). Image from July 24, 2012 courtesy of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Very brief post today, but I wanted to share the video of yesterday’s eruption of Sakurajima. Regular readers of this blog will know that Sakurajima is almost always erupting, usually in the form of small explosions from one of the craters (Minami-dake and Showa). However, occasionally things get a little noisier at the restless volcano – and over the last few days, the explosions were especially impressive, sending ash to Kagoshima, located across the aptly-named Kagoshima Bay. Some of the plumes from these explosions reached as high as ~6 km / 20,000 feet.

You can watch the video of some of the explosions here – and it shows some impressive shockwaves caused by the explosions at the vent (however, I am a little frustrated that they decided to speed up the eruptive action). There is also a great compilation of timelapse video from the volcano over the last few days (courtesy of Eruptions reader Sherine). Don’t forget, there are abundant webcams pointed at Sakurajima as well, so you can see some of this action as it happens.

from:    http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/eruptions/

Hawaii to Ban Plastic Bags

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First Statewide Ban of Plastic Bags

July 26 2012

Story at-a-glance

  • In a first of its kind move in the United States, the residents of Hawaii have collectively said “No!” to plastic bags; a ban is slated to take effect July 1, 2015
  • Los Angeles recently became the largest city in the United States to ban plastic bags at supermarket checkout lanes
  • Several other cities in California have already banned plastic bags, as have Seattle, Washington and Aspen, Colorado
  • Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they break down into smaller and smaller bits, contaminating waterways and putting marine life, who mistake the plastic for food, at risk
  • Only about 1-5 percent of plastic bags are recycled; there’s also little economic incentive to do so
  • You don’t need to wait for a legislative ban to come to your area – you can enact your own “ban” starting today

By Dr. Mercola

In a first-of-its-kind move in the United States, the residents of Hawaii have collectively said “No!” to plastic bags.

Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle penned the crowning achievement when he signed a bill banning the bags beginning July 1, 2015.

While Honolulu’s new law does have some exceptions, like plastic bags for newspaper delivery, frozen foods and flowers, within three years Hawaii will be the first state in the union to have banned the vast majority of the bags everywhere in the state.

Is It Time to Say Goodbye to the Plastic Bag?

In Hawaii, the ban was accomplished by each of the state’s counties banning them on an individual basis, rather than by a state law. Carlisle’s signature in the last county to ban the bags completed the act of essentially making it a statewide rule without ever having to go before the state legislature.

Some of the bans are already in place or scheduled to begin next year, with fines of up to $1,000 for each day of violation. The plastic bag issue is particularly important for Hawaii as it is in the middle of the ocean and it is very easy for bags to blow into the ocean.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles became the largest city in the United States to ban plastic bags at supermarket checkout lanes. The city gave stores 16 months to phase them out, at which time shoppers will have to bring their own reusable bags or pay 10 cents for each paper bag.

The trend seems to be picking up speed. San Jose, San Francisco, Pasadena, Monterey, Long Beach, and other cities in California have already banned them. Seattle, Washington’s bag ban, which was passed in December 2011, took effect in July 2012, and other areas, such as Aspen, Colorado, have adopted similar bans.

Around the world, countries including China and Ireland are taking a stand against the use of these highly polluting bags, adopting measures ranging from bans to fees on plastic bags in order to reduce their use. Bag taxes can also be incredibly effective. Washington DC put into effect a 5-cent tax on plastic bags two years ago, and the number of plastic bags given by businesses to customers dropped from 22.5 million per month in 2009 to a mere 3 million per month, almost as soon as the tax went into effect.

In Illinois, however, a bill is on the table (SB 34421) that requires plastic bag recycling programs, but would make it illegal for any city in the state to ban the use of plastic bags — and it’s currently waiting a decision from the governor.

Shocking Statistics About Plastic Bag Waste

For a succinct and entertaining introduction to the waste that is the plastic bag, I highly recommend the film “Bag It.”2 It is a truly eye-opening look to the vastness of the problem, and the immense waste that could be spared if more Americans toted a reusable bag with them to the grocery store. As their web site reports:3

“In the United States alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make the plastic bags that Americans consume. The United States International Trade Commission reported that 102 billion plastic bags were used in the U.S. in 2009. These bags, even when properly disposed of, are easily windblown and often wind up in waterways or on the landscape, becoming eyesores and degrading soil and water quality as they break down into toxic bits.

Their manufacture, transportation and disposal require large quantities of non-renewable resources and release equally large amounts of global-warming gases.”

On a worldwide scale, each year about 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide. At over 1 million bags per minute, that’s a lot of plastic bags, of which billions end up as litter each year, contaminating oceans and other waterways.

Plastic Bag Bits are Now Taking Over Our Oceans

Plastic bags, like the petroleum they are made from, don’t biodegrade very well at all, rather, they photodegrade. Meaning, they break down into smaller and smaller toxic bits, which contaminate soil and waterways, and enters the food chain — animals accidentally eat these bits and pieces, mistaking them for food. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):4

“Studies have shown that fish and other marine life do eat plastic. Plastics could cause irritation or damage to the digestive system. If plastics are kept in the gut instead of passing through, the fish could feel full (of plastic not food) and this could lead to malnutrition or starvation.

… Plastic debris accumulates persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) up to 100,000 to 1,000,000 times the levels found in seawater (Mato et al. 2001). Oceanic fragments have also tested positive for other POPs, such as DDT, PAHs, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Many of these pollutants, such as PCBs and DDTs, are known endocrine disruptors and developmental toxicants.”

The problem is so severe that multiple plastic “stews” have formed in the oceans. Scientists have dubbed one of the masses of plastic bags, jugs, bottles, nets, and other plastic junk the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” and its volume is growing at an alarming pace.  In some areas, it’s said that there are 40 times more plastic in the water than plankton!5

Of course, plastic bags aren’t only a problem in the oceans; they’re a problem on land, too. It’s estimated that plastic bag use in the United States create 300,000 tons of landfill waste each year, and those chemical-laden materials will not stay contained forever.

According to the Clean Air Council:6

“The barriers of all landfills will eventually break down and leak leachate into ground and surface water. Plastics are not inert, and many landfill liners and plastic pipes allow chemicals and gases to pass through while still intact.”

Is Recycling the Answer?

Recycling is clearly better than tossing a plastic bag in the trash, but the truth is that only about 5 percent of plastic bags are recycled7 and some estimates place that at closer to 1 percent. This isn’t only a matter of consumers not playing their part: the truth is that plastic bag recycling isn’t profitable like say, aluminum cans. It reportedly costs $4,000 to process and recycle one ton of plastic bags, which have a market value of only $32!8 And, adding insult to industry, many plastic bags that are recycled are shipped to China to do so, another major waste of energy.

Reuseit.com reported:9

“Many plastic bags collected for recycling are wastefully shipped to overseas processing facilities. According to a 2007 American Chemistry Council report, 10 the U.S. exports 57% of its postconsumer recovered film to China (25% of which consists of plastic bags, contained under the blanket term “mixed film”) where there once were “thousands” of plastic processing centers.

However, when the economic downturn happened in late 2008, many of these Chinese plastic processors went out of business. Bottom line: there is a glut of this material that is not getting recycled, leaving material recovery facilities with bales of collected recyclable plastic with no one to sell it to.”

Ready to Ditch Plastic Bags?

Plastic bags may seem like an insignificant issue, but they add up significantly over time. This is one area where virtually everyone can have a dramatic impact for change, especially if you encourage your friends, family and neighbors to follow your lead. You don’t need to wait for a legislative ban to come to your area – you can enact your own “ban” starting today. Top tips for ditching plastic bags, and other forms of plastic waste, include:

  • Carry reusable shopping bags – keep them in the trunk of your car, or stash a couple of the small fold-up varieties in your purse so you’re always prepared
  • Avoid plastic produce bags – put the produce right into your reusable cloth bag instead
  • Use reusable cloth bags for packaging your child’s school lunch and snacks
  • Ditch bottled water – opt for reusable glass or stainless steel bottles instead
  • Buy milk and other beverages in reusable glass bottles

from:    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/07/26/no-to-plastic-bags.aspx?e_cid=20120726_DNL_artNew_1

 

 

 

Strong Earthquake – Sumatra, Simeulue

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Very strong earthquake causes 1 death in Indonesia (Sumatra, Simeulue island)

Last update: July 25, 2012 at 9:55 am by By

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : M6.4 (BMKG), M6.4 (USGS)
UTC Time :   00:27:45 UTC, 25th July 2012.
Local time at epicenter : 7:27:45am WIB, 25th July 2012.
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10km (BMKG), 22km (USGS)

Geo-location(s) :
28km (17mi) NW of Sinabang, Indonesia
64km (101mi) S of Meulaboh, Indonesia
260km (161mi) W of Kabanjahe, Indonesia
275km (170mi) WSW of Binjai, Indonesia
620km (385mi) W of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Update 09:40 UTC : – Local sources are reporting cracked walls and loosened ceilings in many buildings like mosques, cultural centers etc.
– Electrical current is still down in the central part of the island (8 hours after the earthquake). Power company personnel is working hard to repair the damage.

Important update : Mr. Puyong was unfortunately killed (district of Teupah Barat) when he fell running out of his house. The death cause was probably due to high blood pressure because of an illness.

Landscape at the western part of Simeulue island, Aceh province, Indonesia image courtesy Haris Aceh

This is named as an indirect death, and mean that this earthquake will be labeled CATDAT Orange.

The earthquake was felt strongly in the Simeulue district with many people running out of their houses in fear.

The shaking was felt as about a intensity V.

Update : 190000 people are living within a radius of 100km of the epicenter.

Update : 5000 people will have experienced a MMI VI (strong shaking) (parameters based upon theoretical calculations). 89000 people felt a moderate MMI V shaking and 415000 people a light shaking.

Update : Seismological agencies do not seem to agree on the epicenter location. USGS locates the epicenter in a bay to the east of the island. Local BMKG, west of the island. BMKG reports a depth of 10 km. An epicenter location in the Ocean has a  weakening effect on potential damage.

Update : BMKG, the Indonesian seismological agency did report that there was no risk for a tsunami. In general earthquakes below M7 do normally not generate tsunamis

The epicenter of the earthquake was in a bay at the eastern part of the island of Simeulue, an island district of Sumatra. Simeulue is the closest island to the mega subduction fault line who was responsible for a number of cruel earthquakes and tsunamis the last 15 years. A lot of people lost their lives. In other words earthquakes are common at Simeulue but most of the time the origin is in the Ocean. Today’s earthquake was the first powerful one since many months.

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/07/25/strong-earthquake-causes-1-death-in-indonesia/

Iran Earthquake

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Moderate shallow earthquake in Iran

Last update: July 24, 2012 at 7:18 am by By

Moderate very shallow earthquake in Iran
36 km SW Borujan (pop 52,654)
Iran is one of those countries which we always follow very closely as earthquakes in this country are often very damaging even at lower Magnitudes. Today’s earthquake looks harmless according to the Magnitude, but the preliminary extremely shallow depth makes us reluctant. We will try to get more details from the Iranians themselves and will update this text whenever needed.
Update 07:13 UTC : The Iranian Seismological agency reports a Magnitude of 5.1 at a depth of 10 km. Epicenter following the Iranians : 7 Km of Boldaji, Charmahal va Bakhtiari, 12 Km of Gandoman, Charmahal va Bakhtiari, 19 Km of Gahroo, Charmahal va Bakhtiari, 424 Km of Tehran, Tehran.

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/07/23/major-earthquakes-list-july-24-2012/

Let’s Keep GMO Soy out of the Oceans

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As if the Oceans have not been tortured enough…

Factory Fed Fish: Monsanto’s and Cargill’s Plans for the Ocean

July 17 2012

by Dr. Mercola

Story at-a-glance

  • The soy industry, Monsanto, Cargill and other agribusiness giants are trying to position GM soy as a “sustainable” choice for aquaculture (farmed fish) feed
  • As soy is not a natural food found in the oceans, it poses serious risks of pollution, lack of nutrient content in seafood, and contamination of the oceans with herbicide-saturated GM soy
  • There is also concern about adding GM soy to yet another area of the food supply; it’s already ubiquitous in processed food and factory-farmed meat
  • By boycotting not only farmed fish but also GM soy, you’re taking a stand in support of natural, organic and independent community farms both on land and at sea

The mass cultivation of genetically modified (GM) soybeans has a hugely detrimental environmental and health impact worldwide.

As it stands, soy is widely used in our diets, in processed foods and found in most meat, as soy is fed to animals on CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations).

The next “natural” step, at least according to two of the largest stakeholders in the soy industry, Monsanto (creator of GM soy) and food giant Cargill, is to make soy the feed of choice for factory-farmed fish around the world – a move they are misleadingly labeling as “sustainable.”

Fortunately, Food & Water Watch has released a report that reveals the truth: bringing soy to fish feed would be an environmental, and human health, disaster.

Why We Need to Keep Soy Out of the Sea

It’s estimated that about half of the world’s seafood comes from aquaculture, which is the term used to describe industrial fish farming. Like the land-based CAFOs, industrial fish farming has had problems from the start, including overcrowded conditions, pollution and unnatural diets.

Feed has been an area of controversy, as sometimes wild fish are used to prepare the fishmeal fed to farmed fish, depleting the natural fish supply in some areas.

In September 2011, the Illinois Soybean Association announced that soy feed could “revolutionize sustainable agriculture” on fish farms. They’re clamoring to get soy into fish feed as soon as possible, as doing so could earn them a reported $201 million a year, and that is a low estimate! But as Food & Water Watch points out, just as soy has been detrimental to land-based food lots, human health and the environment, it could be devastating to our oceans, and seafood supplies, as well:

” … while the soy industry stands to make large profits from the expansion of factory fish farming, there is no guarantee that soy-based aquaculture feed can consistently produce healthy fish or promote ecological responsibility . In fact, by causing fish to produce excess waste, soy could lead to an even more polluting fish farming industry.

By supporting factory fish farming, the soy industry could not only help to expand an industry that degrades marine environments, threatens wild fish populations and damages coastal communities, it could also extend its own negative impacts.

Already, industrial soy production has led to the prevalence of genetically modified crops on U.S. farmland and in consumer food products, caused massive deforestation in South America and displaced indigenous communities living in areas now used to grow soy. Rather than actually promoting sustainability in a developing industry, the involvement of soy associations in aquaculture could spur the growth of two industries that have extremely negative impacts on our land, our oceans and the communities that depend on them.”

4 Reasons Why Soy in Fish Feed Could be Devastating

What could happen if fish are fed soy – a food they would virtually never come into contact with in their natural environment?

  • Increased pollution: Fish fed soy produce more waste than other fish, which means more pollution the ocean is not set up to handle. Also, GM soy is invariably contaminated with residues of potent glyphosate-based herbicide formulations (e.g. Roundup) used to produce them, which a growing body of research clearly shows is extremely toxic to aquatic life.1
  • Contamination of the oceans (and your seafood) with genetically modified organisms (GMOs): About 94 percent of the soy grown in the United States is genetically modified. And when you feed farmed fish raised in an ocean environment, any feed that is not consumed flows directly out of the cage and into the ocean. As Food & Water Watch noted, feeding soy to farmed fish means GM food will enter the environment and diets of wild marine organisms, permanently contaminating our oceans with completely unknown consequences.
  • Monsanto and Cargill will have control of seafood … and parts of the ocean: Monsanto, which has sponsored feed trials with GM soy and salmon, is already keen on spreading their GM seeds “from sea to shining sea” … Cargill, which has an aquaculture feed division, is another industrial food giant. By bringing soy into fish farming, their reach will now extend into issues concerning the very sustainability and future of marine life!
  • Deforestation could increase: Large quantities of South American land are already being cleared to make way for soy farms. This could increase if even more soy is needed for aquaculture.

There are many reasons why I already advise avoiding factory-farmed fish, but the addition of GM soy as a staple to their diets is the icing on the cake. The soy industry, however, is showing no signs of stopping. Food & Water Watch reported:

“The American soy industry is powerful. It has been able to fund many studies on using soy for fish feed; it has built relationships in the aquaculture industry; and it has publicly supported federal policies in favor of offshore aquaculture.

… Soy does not have the full array of nutrients demanded by fish, however; nor is it a natural fish food or substance in the marine environment. In fact, using soy may cause some fish farms to pollute more by producing extra waste. Further, the negative ramifications of the soy industry on the environment and potentially on our health are reasons to resist the allure of soy as a “savior” of the aquaculture industry.

The cultivation of soy is associated with agricultural runoff that is contributing to the dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico, with deforestation in Latin America and with the displacement of many indigenous peoples from their homes and work.

As soy becomes increasingly ubiquitous in our diets — in processed foods and the meat from animals that have been raised on it — we must ask what health impacts this high level of soy consumption may have on us. Scientists are beginning to question claims about the benefits of eating soy and to suggest that the plant-based estrogens that occur naturally in soy, many of which are endocrine disruptors, could potentially have adverse impacts.

In light of these concerns and unanswered questions, it is troubling to know that much of our fish — one of our last wild foods — could be fattened on this crop.”

Do You Know the Truth About GM Soy?

Genetically modified soybeans are designed to be “Roundup ready.” This means they are chemically engineered to withstand heavy doses of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide without killing the plant! What does this mean for your health and the health of your unborn or yet-to-be-conceived children?

The long-term effects of the human consumption of genetically modified soy and soy-based products are staggering. In April 2010, researchers at Russia’s Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Association for Gene Security found that after feeding hamsters GM soy for two years over three generations, by the third generation, most lost the ability to have pups!2

A Brazilian study published in 2009 looked at the impact of soy on the reproductive system of female rats. Female rats fed GM soy for 15 months showed significant changes in their uterus and reproductive cycles, compared to rats fed organic soy or no soy.3

Extrapolating the findings to people, women who eat GM soy products may be more likely to experience severe hormonal disruptions, including an overabundance of estrogen and/or estrogenic activity, a hair-growth stimulating hormone, and damage to the pituitary gland. GM soy has also been linked to loss of libido and erectile dysfunction in men, and, disturbingly, the only published human feeding study on GM foods ever conducted verified that the gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of human gut bacteria and continues to function.

This means that years after you stop eating GM soy, you may still have a range of potentially allergenic proteins continuously being produced in your intestines. Not to mention, the intensive soy farming taking place in areas like Paraguay is subjecting residents to pesticide poisoning, and threatening biodiversity and access to locally grown produce.

There are Ways You Can Help

to read more and access the video, go to:    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/07/17/genetically-modified-soy-for-farmed-fish.aspx?e_cid=20120717_DNL_artNew_2

Earthquake – Siri Dam in Turkey

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Moderate earthquake at the Siri Dam in Turkey

Last update: July 22, 2012 at 9:53 am by By

Central Turkey Jul 22 09:26 AM 5.0 7.6

Moderate earthquake in Turkey (5.0 ac. to USGS)
Based on preliminary data from EMSC, the shallow earthquake happened 26 km W Kahramanmaras (pop 376,045). The Sir dam (reservoir) dominates the area. Normally earthquakes with this moderate Magnitude should be NO problem for  hydroelectrical dams. Earthquake-Report.com does not expect any serious damage or injuries from this earthquake.
USGS reports a fundamentally different epicenter approx. 30 km away from the dam. USGS reports a Magnitude of 4.9 at a depth of 9.7 km

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/07/21/major-earthquakes-list-july-22-2012/

Northern California Earthquakes

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2 moderate earthquakes along the Northern California coast

Last update: July 21, 2012 at 11:45 am by By

2 moderate earthquakes along the Northern California coast
While looking into the details about these earthquakes, we found a number of coincidences which may be realated to each other. The series started with a M4.0 earthquake at a depth of 10.1 km (6.3 miles) along the Blanco fracture zone in front of the Oregon coast. Nothing special as the stress in the part of the fault is generating regular earthquakes up to M6.0.
1 hour and 18 minutes later a more powerful M5.1 earthquake occurred along the Gorda ridge fault (separating plates), but this time more to the south in the Californian sector. The depth was set to 10 km or 6.2 miles but this is the usual depth which is set if the data are not accurate enough.
Finally (at least up to now) a M5.2 earthquake  occurred at a depth of 0.6 km approx. in the same sector than the earlier M5.1 earthquake. The depth of the last M5.2 earthquake (even poorly constrained) is attracting our attention.  We do not sea anything special on the sea floor except some stress scars and ridges (red lines on the three maps below).
There is certainly no proved relation in between the Oregon and California events, but if ER detects patterns, we like to share them with our readers. The separating plates (spreading center) have been related in the past to a number of volcanic ridge eruptions (like they often are occurring in the spreading ridges of the Oceans). Evidence of such an eruption may be noticed by a coloring of the surface waters. Satellite imagery will probably give us a clue later today.
Only few people at the Eureka coast have reported the shaking at USGS. All of them reported a weak to very weak shaking.

California coast M5.2 earthquake - Image courtesy USGS
California coast M5.1 earthquake - Image courtesy USGS
Oregon coast M4.0 earthquake - Image courtesy USGS

 

Sea bed at the epicenter area of the 2 California earthquakes
Detailes plate tectonics along te California and Oregon coasts - Image courtesy Wikipedia
Seismogram at Mount Pierce, relatively close to the epicenters of both CA quakes
from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/07/20/major-earthquakes-list-july-21-2012/

 

Dr. Jeff Masters on The Drought

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Historic 2012 U.S. drought continues to expand and intensify
Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 2:01 PM GMT on July 20, 2012 +11

The great U.S. drought of 2012 continues to accelerate, and grew larger and more intense over the past week, said NOAA in their weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report issued Thursday, July 19. The area of the contiguous U.S. covered by drought expanded from 61% to 64%, and the area covered by severe or greater drought jumped from 37% to 42%. These are truly historic levels of drought, exceeded only during the great Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s and a severe drought in the mid-1950s. If we make the reasonable assumption that the current area covered by drought is representative of what the average for the entire month of July will be (based on the latest drought forecast from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center), the July 2012 drought is second only to the great Dust Bowl drought of July 1934 in terms of the area of the contiguous U.S. covered by moderate or greater drought. The five months with the greatest percent area in moderate or greater drought, since 1895, now look like this:

1) Jul 1934, 80%
2) Jul 2012, 64%
3) Dec 1939, 60%
4) Jul 1954, 60%
5) Dec 1956, 58%

If we consider the area of the contiguous U.S. covered by severe or greater drought, July 2012 ranks in 5th place:

1) Jul 1934, 63%
2) Sep 1954, 50%
3) Dec 1956, 43%
4) Aug 1936, 43%
5) Jul 2012, 42%


Figure 1. The twice-monthly U.S. Drought Outlook, updated on Thursday, July 19, predicts that drought will continue through October over most of the U.S., and expand to the north and northeast. Image credit: NOAA Climate Prediction Center.

The drought forecast: not encouraging
In their twice-monthly drought outlook, released on Thursday, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center had this to say about the drought: The combination of heat and dryness has severely reduced the quality and quantity of the corn and soybean crop, with 38 percent of the corn and 30 percent of the soybeans rated as poor or very poor as of July 15 by NASS/USDA. Some states, such as Kentucky, Missouri, and Indiana, had over 70 percent of their corn adversely rated. Unfortunately, drought is expected to develop, persist, or intensify across these areas, and temperatures are likely to average above normal. Some widely-scattered relief may come in the form of cold front passages or organized thunderstorm clusters (MCSs), but widespread relief for much of the area is not expected. Unfortunately, the self-perpetuation of regional drought conditions, with very dry soils and very limited evapotranspiration, tends to inhibit widespread development of or weaken existing thunderstorm complexes. It would require a dramatic shift in the weather pattern to provide significant relief to this drought, and most tools and models do not forecast this. Unfortunately, all indicators (short and medium-term, August, and August-October) favor above normal temperatures. With much of the Plains already in drought, above normal temperatures expected into the fall, and a dry short-term and 30-day forecast, the drought should persist, with some possible development in the northern Plains.

One bright spot: drought conditions are expected to improve over the Southwest U.S. over the next few weeks, as the annual summer monsoon peaks and brings heavy rains. The Southeast U.S. has seen some improvement over the past week, due to an upper-level low pressure system that has brought heavy rains. The potential for a landfalling tropical storm to bring drought-busting rains during the August – September – October peak of hurricane season led NOAA to predict possible improvement in drought conditions over the Southeast U.S.


Figure 2. The U.S. has seen twelve weather-related disasters costing at least $15 billion since 1980, according to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center. Two of the top three most expensive disasters have been droughts. The drought of 2012 could well make it three out of four. “It might be a $50 billion event for the economy as it blends into everything over the next four quarters,” said Michael Swanson, agricultural economist at Wells Fargo & Co. in Minneapolis, the largest commercial agriculture lender. Only three $50 billion weather disasters have hit the U.S. since 1980.

The Atlantic is quiet
There are no tropical cyclone threat areas in the Atlantic to discuss. The models are showing formation of an extratropical cyclone along an old frontal boundary over 1,000 miles off the Northeast U.S. coast on Tuesday, and it is possible such a storm could acquire tropical characteristics and get a name. Such a storm would not be a threat to any land areas. There is an unusual amount of dry, sinking air over the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean that is squashing development of tropical waves coming off the coast of Africa, so it doesn’t look too likely that the U.S. will get something it really needs–a big, wet Category 1 hurricane that sloshes ashore over the Gulf Coast, stalling over the Midwest, bringing copious drought-busting rains.

Australia-Earthquake

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Moderate earthquake in Australia.

Last update: July 20, 2012 at 1:17 pm by By

Moderate 4.5M earthquake 117km from Canberra, Australia.
A 4.5M earthquake struck 13km from Moe, Australia at a depth of 10km (USGS). This could be felt as a V (moderate shaking) around this area and as weak to light far away. We at earthquake report think this earthquake will not cause injuries or heavy damage and only light damage like fallen objects.

There have been a number of felt reports from Melbourne coming in.

The Geoscience Australia website was down momentarily.

The quake will be felt around V intensity. Seismologist at the Seismology Research Centre, Gary Gibson, has confirmed that the latest shake has been a magnitude 4 earthquake east of Thorpdale.

13km (8mi) SW of Moe, Australia 21km (13mi) W of Morwell, Australia 34km (21mi) W of Traralgon, Australia 77km (48mi) ESE of Cranbourne, Australia 114km (71mi) ESE of Melbourne, Australia

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/07/19/major-earthquakes-list-july-20-2012/

Gaia’s Reacts!

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Gaia Begins to Reclaim Herself

18th July 2012

By Chris Bourne

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

Have you been following the ‘freak’ weather recently?

So the mainstream media have hooked on to the fact that ‘freak’ weather is taking place in various parts of the globe.

From the record droughts right across America to the flash floods sweeping away cars, roads and houses in Japan. Here in Southern England where I live, it has not stopped raining for weeks.

So what’s going on? Is it unusual? Yes indeed! I can feel it in my consciousness. I can feel shifts beginning to happen right around the world.

A new timeline has begun…

According to a report on Yahoo:

“The United States Department of Agriculture has declared natural disaster areas in more than 1,000 counties and 26 drought-stricken states, making it the largest natural disaster in America ever. The declaration—which covers roughly half of the country—gives farmers and ranchers devastated by drought access to federal aid, including low-interest emergency loans. ‘Agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy’, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday while announcing the assistance program. ‘We need to be cognizant of the fact that drought and weather conditions have severely impacted farmers around the country.”

‘Can they not see it yet? It is this kind of industrial agriculture that is killing the surface of our planet and Gaia is responding in the way only she can. Corn, which is the greatest affected, is used to make corn syrup, which appears in most highly processed foods and probably one of the most damaging to the human body causing cancer, diabetes and heart-disease. We don’t need it and neither does the planet.

These things don’t happen by chance. It’s time we started listening. A wake up call is being given and it will keep happening now in the years ahead with increasing vigor.

Here’s a map of the record high temperatures across America…

We need to realise that Gaia is reclaiming herself, accept it, and realign with the natural organising energy of the universe. We need to stop seeing ourselves as separate from the all that is, as if somehow events are random and haphazard – as if ‘God’ is abandoning us or taking some kind of retribution. ‘She’ is not. She speaks through synchronicity. One way or another, humanity will come back into alignment, preferably though, not dragging our feet kicking and screaming! And did you watch the incredible power of the flash floods in Japan?…

According to MSNBC over a months rain fell in under 12 hours.

Only a few days ago I heard that the Atomic Energy company responsible for the stricken nuclear plants at Fukushima were restarting some of the unaffected reactors. Well I’d say here is a very vocal response!

Gaia is beginning to cleanse herself. It’s a process that I feel could take a couple of human generations to complete (or sooner). We’re all being invited to stop now and surrender to the truth as it unfolds before us. As the harshness on the outside increases during this realignment process, we need to find increasing softness on the inside.

We will not fight this. Struggle will be fruitless. We need to connect our hearts and reach out to people across the world. We need to help open eyes to the truth of what’s taking place. We need to find self forgiveness, peace with the universe and unfold through the physical into the eternal nature of our spirit. As the mirror of the outer world changes and takes new form, we’re going to be given constant opportunities to surrender and realign. The time is now. There is no other time.

Heart to heart

Chris
PS: and here’s a personal Openhander sharing from Eastern USA…Unusual weather

About the Author

At the age of 40 Chris was involved in a life threatening car crash in which he thought he would certainly die. This precipitated total inner surrender and a rapid reconnection with the conscious life force through all things.

He found himself suddenly able to experience and contemplate through multiple dimensions of reality to see the deeper purpose of life itself. He began to remember his true reason for being here.

He explains…

“During the crash, time seemed to slow right down and I was guided back through key moments of my life. I was realising that every moment in our lives has but one underlying purpose – to reveal an aspect of truth about ourselves to ourselves. I was beginning to dissolve every belief and value our society had conditioned within me.”

“This was my initial awakening to the magical unifying consciousness of the soul. Over the eight years that followed, I was guided through four other inner ‘Gateways’ of consciousness. I have since come to know the process as the five key expansions on our journey of Enlightenment and ultimate Ascension into multi dimensional living – our divine birthright”.

Prior to the crash, Chris had a rich an varied professional career in industry, in teaching, as an Officer in the Army and finally as a web development entrepreneur before being initiated on his spiritual path. With a Masters Degree in Natural Sciences from Oxford University, participants in the work are finding his integration of grounded scientific understanding and profound spiritual realisation deeply engaging and transformative.

Openhand Foundation

Catalysing our Spiritual Evolution
openhandweb.org

from:     http://wakeup-world.com/2012/07/18/gaia-begins-to-reclaim-herself/