Greenland Ice Sheet Losing Ice Mass

Greenland Ice Sheet Losing Ice Mass on Northwest Coast: International Study

Greenland ice sheet lost about 1,604 km³ (385 cubic miles) of ice between April 2002 and February 2009, an amount equivalent to about 0.5 mm of sea-level rise each year, researchers say.

Greenland ice sheet has been losing an increasing amount of ice since 2000. Previously most of the loss was concentrated in its southern region, but now the loss is occurring in its northwest coast, a new international study says.

Click image to enlarge.

Greenland Melt Extent, 2005: Konrad Steffen and Russell Huff – Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado at Boulder

Researchers from Denmark Technical Institute’s National Space Institute in Copenhagen and the University of Colorado at Boulder say the ice-loss acceleration started moving up the northwest coast of Greenland in late 2005. “The team drew their conclusions by comparing data from NASA’s Gravity and Recovery Climate Experiment satellite system, or GRACE, with continuous GPS measurements made from long-term sites on bedrock on the edges of the ice sheet.”

The uplift rates of about 4 centimeters  were discovered close to the Thule Air Base on Greenland’s northwest coast between October 2005 to August 2009. “Although the low resolution of GRACE—a swath of about 155 miles, or 250 kilometers across—is not precise enough to pinpoint the source of the ice loss, the fact that the ice sheet is losing mass nearer to the ice sheet margins suggests the flows of Greenland outlet glaciers there are increasing in velocity, said the study authors.” The report said

“When we look at the monthly values from GRACE, the ice mass loss has been very dramatic along the northwest coast of Greenland,” said CU-Boulder physics Professor and study co-author John Wahr, also a fellow at CU-Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.

“This is a phenomenon that was undocumented before this study,” said Wahr. “Our speculation is that some of the big glaciers in this region are sliding downhill faster and dumping more ice in the ocean.”

“These changes on the Greenland ice sheet are happening fast, and we are definitely losing more ice mass than we had anticipated, ” said Isabella Velicogna of the University of California-Irvine, who also is a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “We also are seeing this ice mass loss trend in Antarctica, a sign that warming temperatures really are having an effect on ice in Earth’s cold regions.”

Click here for the rest of the report and a computer simulation of Greenland Ice Melt.

Related Links:

• 133,000,000 Wise Monkeys
• What in the Ocean Are Hydrothermal Vents?
• December Ocean Temperature 2nd Warmest
• Climate Change Feared Twice as Bad, Seas Up 2m
• ‘Experts’ surprised at coastal ice thinning
• Polar Ice Caps
• Arctic Warmest in 2000 Years
• Climate Change: For what you’re about to receive…
• US glaciers shrinking dramatically
• Who is afraid of melting ice sheets?
• Emerging Patterns of Vanishing Ice Shelves
• Ice Melt in Alaska, Antarctica, Greenland Accelerating

Avila Fire Outside Caracas Consumes 120 ha

Image of the Day:

A massive blaze on the Avila mountain overlooking Caracas rages on into third day

Venezuela is experiencing a prolonged drought which has critically reduced water levels in the country’s hydroelectric dams causing electricity crisis. President Chavez declared a national emergency in the electricity sector last month as the water level in Guri Dam fell by 14 cm (5.5 in). Venezuela depends on hydroelectric power generation for about 70 percent of its needs.  Continued drought would dramatically affect the nation’s hydroelectric power generation capacity.

A helicopter drops water over a wild forest fire at the Avila national park, known also as Waraira Repano, in Caracas March 22, 2010. Credit: REUTERS/Jorge Silva. Image may be subject to copyright.

“Since the weekend, the fire has lit up the night sky and consumed nearly 120 hectares (300 acres) of the Avila’s thickly wooded slopes, which are home to more than 120 mammal species and 500 types of bird.” Reuters reported. More …

Related Links:

• Drought and Deluge
• Major Blackout Plunges Brazil into Darkness
• Murphy’s law has no time vector!

Native Groups Nix Enbridge Pipeline

Native groups won’t allow Enbridge pipeline

Native groups on Canada’s Pacific Coast say they’ll  block Enbridge Inc’s proposed Northern Gateway project to carry oil sands crude from northern Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia, for export.

“The proposed 1,170-kilometre Northern Gateway line is to carry crude oil from Alberta tar sands to Kitimat B.C. where it would be loaded onto tankers and shipped to refineries along the Pacific Rim, poses a perilous threat to the environment and the very existence of aboriginal ways of life, said Art Sterritt, Coastal First Nations executive director.” The Province reported.

The Exxon Valdez, three days after the vessel ran aground on Bligh Reef. The Exxon Valdez spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, United States, on March 24, 1989. Some 41 million liters of Prudhoe Bay crude oil were spilled into the sea destroying a habitat for salmon, sea otters, seals, and seabirds.  Photo: NOAA

“Some people are saying (the pipeline) is a done deal. It’s not,” Art Sterritt, executive director of the Coastal First Nations, a coalition of native Indian communities in the area, often called the Great Bear Rainforest.

“Enbridge completely ignores the fact that the larger part of the pipeline is going through the traditional territories of B.C.’s First Nations. You see them here today in opposition.”

The First Nations alliance, representing 28 entities, have formally opposed the Northern Gateway project declaring oil tankers carrying Alberta sands crude will be blockaded. The groups are ready for a legal and political fight.

“Aboriginal leaders said their opposition to the project was strong enough for them to continue the fight, even if Enbridge gets government and court permission to build it—including blockading tankers.” Reuters reported.

“We are prepared to put boats across the channel,” Gerald Amos, a director of the coalition and a native leader from the Kitimat area, told reporters at a news conference in Vancouver.

The announcement came on the 21st anniversary of the Exxon Valdez tanker’s disastrous oil spill in Prince William Sound Alaska.

“And the Vancouver announcement was accompanied by national newspaper ads comparing the two events.” Reuters said.

Steve Wuori, vice-president of liquids pipelines for Enbridge Inc, Canada’s second-largest pipeline company, told the Reuters at Canadian Oil Sands Summit in Calgary that he was “chagrined” by the comparison to the Exxon Valdez disaster.

“It’s disappointing to see the dialogue over what is an important infrastructure project under stringent environmental standards and engineering practices reduced to a recounting of a 21-year-old incident,” Wuori said.

Enbridge digging the earth for one of their pipelines. Photo: Enbridge  Northern gateway website. Image may be subject to copyright.

The Northern Gateway Pipeline Project

Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway Project consists of two separate sets of pipelines, according to  Enbridge  Northern Gateway website .

The West Line will transport petroleum from near Edmonton to Kitimat, a distance of about 1,170 km, in 36 inches in a giant 915mm (36 inch) diameter pipe carrying an average of 2.1 million liters (525,000 barrels) of petroleum per day.

The East Line will transport condensate from Kitimat to near Edmonton in a large 510mm pipeline of 193,000 barrels of condensate per day. The condensate is needed to thin bitumen (heavy petroleum products) for pipeline transport.

Enbridge Northern Gateway project proposed double pipelines map. Photo: Enbridge  Northern gateway website. Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.

At least 125 groups, businesses, environmental organizations and prominent Canadians oppose the Northern Gateway project.

News Links:

• Disasters Caused by Oil and gas Drilling, Oil Spills, Leaks, Land, Water and Air Pollution

Super Superbug C. difficile

New super superbug surpasses MRSA infection rates

Were you afraid of MRSA?

A deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, Clostridium difficile, a new super superbug is on the rise, which might literally take your breath away.

C. difficile kills three times as many people as MRSA

Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency show there were 55,681 cases of Clostridium difficile infection reported in patients aged 65 years and above in England in 2006. (Source: SIMeL Italy)

The bacteria are naturally present in the intestine but kept under control by other bacteria. Antibiotics can kill some of these, allowing C.difficile to take hold. Image source and other images. Click image to enlarge.

Related Links:

• Quarterly UK Clostridium difficile and MRSA figures
• Education on MRSA, C-Difficile, Latest news and infection related articles
• Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC)

The following is a Public Release note by Duke University Medical Center:

New superbug surpasses MRSA infection rates in community hospitals

ATLANTA, GA – While prevention methods appear to be helping to lower hospital infection rates from MRSA, a deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, a new superbug is on the rise, according to research from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.

New data shows infections from Clostridium difficile are surpassing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in community hospitals.

“We found that MRSA infections have declined steadily since 2005, but C. difficile infections have increased since 2007,” said Becky Miller, M.D., an infectious diseases fellow at Duke University Medical Center.

C. difficile is a multi-drug resistant bacterium that causes diarrhea and in some cases life-threatening inflammation of the colon. The infections are currently treated with one of two antibiotics. But relapses are common and occur in one-quarter of patients despite treatment, according to Miller.

“This is not a nuisance disease,” said Daniel Sexton, M.D., director of the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON). “A small percentage of patients with C. difficile may die, despite treatment. Also, it is likely that the routine use of alcohol-containing hand cleansers to prevent infections from MRSA does not simultaneously prevent infections due to C difficile.”

Miller and her team evaluated data from 28 hospitals in DICON, a collaboration between Duke and 39 community hospitals located in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The group tries to improve infection control programs by compiling data on infections occurring at member hospitals, identifying trends and areas for improvement, and providing ongoing education and leadership to community providers.

During a 24-month period, there were 847 cases of C. difficile infections in the 28 hospitals and the rate of C. difficile infection was 25 percent higher than the rate of infection due to MRSA.

“C. difficile is very common and deserves more attention,” she said. “Most people continue to think of MRSA as the big, bad superbug. Based on our data, we can see that this thinking, along with prevention methods, will need to change.”

In the past, hospitals were focused on MRSA and developed their prevention methods on MRSA as the issue, Sexton said.

“I have always thought that we need to be looking more globally at all the problems and this new information about C. difficile provides more data to support that,” he said.

C. difficile has been a low priority for hospitals, but now it is relatively important priority, Sexton said.

“The key is to develop prevention methods aimed at C. difficile while still maintaining the success we have had with MRSA,” Miller said.

Contact: Erin Pratt
erin.pratt@duke.edu
Duke University Medical Center

Related Links:

• “Flesh Eating Bacteria” Linked to NSAIDs
• Should We Be Afraid of MRSA?
• MRSA: ACT II
• NZ Sees Surge in Flesh-Eating Disease Cases

TC ULUI Flood Map of Queensland

NASA’s TRMM measures TC ULUI Australian rainfall

Image was created using TRMM data during the last seven days of precipitation (from March 15-22) in Australia. It indicates that rainfall amounts of between 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) in areas of yellow and orange on Australia’s northeast coast (Queensland).

About 130mm (5.1 inches) or rainfall was estimated by TRMM at -20.38 latitude and 148.13 longitude, in Bogie, Queensland, Australia, near the Mount Aberdeen State Park. In Springlands, west of Collinsville, Queensland, near -20.88 latitude and 148.88 longitude, TRMM estimated a rainfall of 136mm (5.3 inches). At Mount Wyatt, 163mm (6.4 inches) of rain were estimated to have fallen, and southeast of Swan’s Lagoon and Millaroo, TRMM estimated that 179mm (7.0 inches) of rain had fallen from Ului.

On March 20, Ului was a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds near 64 mph about 385 miles east of Cairns, Australia near 19.9 South and 151.7 East. Later in the day it brought sustained winds between 92-109 mph to Hamilton Island off Proserpine. By 2100 UTC (5 p.m. EDT) that day, Ului was 260 miles southeast of Cairns, Queensland, Australia with sustained winds near 52 mph (45 knots) . However, it briefly re-intensified with sustained winds near 109 mph before making landfall near Bowen at Airlie Beach.

Reports indicated that about 60,000 homes lost power and there was a lot of destruction to trees, houses, boats, power lines and sugar cane crops – a major crop in the region.

Ului headed west toward the Northern Territory where its rains have ended, and it is bringing only increased cloud cover and higher humidity. The Northern Territory may also see some isolated showers. As of March 22, all tropical cyclone watches and warnings were discontinued.

Text and image from NASA’s TRMM website.  Edited by FEWW for brevity.

TRMM image of TC ULUI at Cat 5 strength. Click image to enlarge.

Related Links:

• ULUI – UPDATE – MAR 21
• TC ULUI – 2nd UPDATE – MAR 20
• Tropical Cyclone ULUI – UPDATE Mar 20

• TC ULUI: Mid-air refueling
• Cyclone ULUI – UPDATE Mar 18
• TC ULUI and TOMAS – UPDATE Mar 17

• Cyclone ULUI: Enough Fuel to Land in Australia
• Cyclones TOMAS and ULUI – UPDATE Mar 16
• Tropical Cyclone TOMAS
• Tropical Cyclone ULUI

• Cyclones TOMAS and ULUI – UPDATE Mar 15
• Cyclones ULUI and TOMAS – UPDATE Mar 14
• TC ULUI and TOMAS – UPDATE Mar 13
• Tropical Cyclones Now Come in Pairs
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale

China Sandstorm – Satellite Image

China Choked by a Sandstorm

China was blasted by a major sandstorm, which originated in Inner Mongolia on Saturday March 20, 2010. This was the first of two sand storms to strike within two days.

The yellow dust reduced visibility and air quality to potentially hazardous levels in Beijing, and as far away as Taiwan and Japan. MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image.  Dust covers the lower half of the image and wraps around the right-hand side in a comma shape that terminates in a large ball of dust near image center. This pattern is consistent with the passing of a cold weather front bearing a strong area of low pressure at the surface. These weather systems, known as mid-latitude cyclones, are often associated with giant comma-shaped clouds that reveal how air from a very wide area gets drawn in toward the low-pressure heart of the storm. The comma shape is more pronounced in the larger image. Image and caption by NASA. [Edited by FEWW for brevity.]

Related Links:

• Second Sandstorm Blasts Beijing
• SW China on the precipice of catastrophe
• WORST EVER DROUGHT in SW China
• Disaster Calendar 2010
• Drought and Deluge
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• 2010: The Year of Disasters

Severe Storm Batters Perth, Australia

Perth, western Australia, pummeled by torrential rains, giant hailstones, flash flooding, landslides and 125km/hour winds gusts

The storm described as a “freak storm” struck the city of Perth late on Monday local time, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses, with the cost of damage estimated at US$100m.

The force of storm destroyed many roofs including a section of  the terminal roof at Perth airport, delaying flights.

Perth is Australia’s 4th largest city with a population of about 1.7 million.

Lightning strikes a crane at a building site in Perth’s CBD. (submitted by ABC on-line reader: Mateusz Nowacki)

“More than 100 residents of an apartment block in Kings Park had to be evacuated from the building after part of the hill near Jacob’s Ladder collapsed in the storm, causing a landslide on Mounts Bay Road.” ABC online reported.

The storm downed power cables and flooded several schools and hospitals.

“From my memory this would be the most severe weather conditions we’ve had since the famous May storm in 1994, where we had very, very strong winds and a massive loss of power supply,” Western Australia premier Colin Barnett told ABC.

“Hopefully the damage to the power supply won’t be as severe but I suspect this time we’ve got a lot more damage to buildings and housing,” he said.

Barnett said although the full impact of the storm is yet to be unveiled, he feared that the damage bill could run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

“I think from my memory this would be the most severe weather conditions we’ve had since the famous May storm in 1994 where we had very very strong winds and a massive loss of power supply,” he said.

“Hopefully the damage to the power supply won’t be as severe but I suspect this time we’ve got a lot more damage to buildings and housing.”

The storm brought  havoc to the city flooding streets and causing major traffic jams, when it cut power lines that operated the stop lights. Large hailstones smashed cars windshields and dented their roofs.

According to weather reports, the equivalent of about one month’s rain fell in just over 5 minutes.

Meanwhile Australia’s BOM issued the following warning

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING,
for Damaging Winds, Large Hail and Flash Flooding
For people in areas southwest of a line Lancelin, Cunderdin to Hopetoun.

Issued at 2:00pm on Tuesday 23 March 2010

People are advised that there is a risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Storms may be accompanied by damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding that could result in damage to property. The worst conditions are expected in the Southwest District and adjacent parts. While there is the risk
of severe storms in the Perth Metropolitan area, storms are not expected to be as intense as they were yesterday [Monday].

FESA State Emergency Services [SES] advises people to secure loose items, move vehicles under cover and stay inside away from windows. If there is lightning
unplug appliances and avoid using landline telephones. If caught outside find shelter away from trees, powerlines, storm water drains and streams. If driving
through heavy rain slow down and turn your lights on or if visibility becomes low pull over and park until it passes. For SES assistance call 132 500. For
more safety tips visit www.fesa.wa.gov.au.

Related Links:

• Your Worst Fears About El Niño
• ULUI – UPDATE – MAR 21

• 10 Facts on Climate Change
• Australian Coal and the Planet
• Australian fires toll may exceed 200
• The Australian Clean Energy Ruse
• A Living Hell Heated by Australian Coal

Icelandic Volcano Erupts – VIDEO UPDATE

Eyjafjöll Volcanic System Erupts

Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system erupted in the south of Iceland, forcing up to five hundred people to evacuate the area, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency and imposing a NO FLY Zone  over much of Icelandic airspace.

Background:

• Icelandic Volcano Erupts – UPDATE
• Volcano erupts near Eyjafjallajoekull, Iceland

To watch the latest video of ongoing eruption at Eyjafjöll, recorded by RUV Iceland, Click Here (WMV)

UNEP ‘Sick Water’ Report: Corporate Trap

News Agency Comes to the Aid of UNEP

If you thought news agencies are supposed to report news, rather than protect the ‘Matrix,’ you’d be right, of course.

And your next thought ought to be: Where did they get their information  from?

Previously Fire-Earth briefly mentioned about the new UNEP report titled Sick Water? and pointed out the huge error made on the report’s ‘Joint Statement’ page, which was signed by Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP AND  Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN-HABITAT .  The Blog commented:

UNEP must clarify why they made such a huge error, otherwise their report is not worth the billions of tons of sewage and waste that are being dumped in the world’s waterways each and every day of the year.

Header of the Joint Statement page in UNEP Sick Water?

Full Page. Click to enlarge.

Within hours of posting SICK WATER? on this blog, elements within Reuters news agency came to the aid of their party:

Top portion of Reuters report: Waste water kills millions of children, pollutes sea. Text may be subject to copyright.

Full Page. Click to enlarge.

Moderators searched through the 88-page UNEP report, but did not find any information to support what Reuters had suggested:

In a report entitled “Sick Water” for World Water Day, UNEP said the two million tonnes of waste, which contaminates over two billion tonnes of water daily, had left huge “dead zones” that choke coral reefs and fish.

This begs the following questions:

1. What is the source of information used by the Reuters reporters?

2. If the source was NOT UNEP, which clearly could NOT have been, why is Reuters using external information to paraphrase the inaccurate UNEP report, which is meant to be the authority on the issue?

Isn’t it true that UNEP intentionally provided inaccurate figures to discredit own report on behalf of its friends?

As for the Reuters report, NOT even remotely close!

Related Links:

• SICK WATER?
• British Govt Makes Another Straw Man

M5.9 Quake Strikes Northern Luzon, Philippines

Earthquake measuring 5.9Mw strikes northern Luzon 425 km north of Manila

The quake was centered near 18.454°N, 120.856°E and occurred on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 19:58:14 UTC , and a depth of 30km.

NO tsunami warning was issued and as of posting there were no reports of casualties or damage.

The epicenter was located about 130km north of the dacitic Ambalatungan Group of volcanoes and 130km west (282 degrees) of  the historic Cagua volcano.

Earthquake Location Map. © Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum – GFZ

Summary of Earthquake Details (USGS)

• Magnitude: 5.9
• Date-Time:
  • Monday, March 22, 2010 at 19:58:14 UTC
  • Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 03:58:14 AM at epicenter
• Location: 18.454°N, 120.856°E
• Depth: 42.6 km (26.5 miles)
• Region: NORTHERN LUZON, PHILIPPINES
• Distances
  • 35 km (25 miles) NE of Laoag, Luzon, Philippines
  • 185 km (115 miles) NW of Ilagan, Luzon, Philippines
  • 425 km (265 miles) N of MANILA, Philippines
  • 735 km (460 miles) S of T’AI-PEI, Taiwan
• Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 7.2 km (4.5 miles); depth +/- 9.6 km (6.0 miles)
• USGS: NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID: us2010udbw

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology estimated the magnitude at 5.7Mw.

Recent Earthquakes

USGS Last Earthquake in the Philippines
PHIVOLC’s Latest Earthquake Information

Tectonic Information

• Tectonics and Volcanoes of the Philippines

Related Links:

• Strong Earthquake Strikes Mindanao, Philippines
• Latest From TAAL and other Philippines Volcanoes
• Philippines Taal Volcano Could Erupt Anytime!

• Major Earthquakes Increase 47 % in 3 Decades

• Volcanoes
• FEWW Volcano Links
• Earthquakes [Main Index page]

SICK WATER?

More Like Another Sick UNEP Whitewash

Having just downloaded the new ‘bells and whistle’ report by UNEP titled Sick Water? two of the moderators  were about to discuss the main points raised in the report, but were dismayed to find a headline that appeared on the Joint Statement page:

The statistics are stark: Globally, two million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste is discharged into the world’s waterways and at least 1.8 million children under five years-old die every year from water related disease, or one every 20 seconds.

Signed by Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP AND  Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN-HABITAT

The problem?

The report says only ‘two million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste are discharged in the world’s waterways’ [by the world's 6.81 billion population with  a combined GDP of  $61 trillion.]

That’s less than 290 g per person, or just over 1 kg per family of four, per year!

We know that two million tons of sewage, and industrial waste are released DAILY into Hong Kong’s Victoria harbor alone!

[Note: Hong Kong Population is just over 1 percent of the world population, and there are 365 days in a year!]

Here’s another statistic:

An estimated one billion (one thousand million) metric tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste are dumped into India’s Ganges River every day of the year!

How could any other figure provided by the report be reliable?

Do the UNEP staff really know what they are talking about, or is it just another one of those amazing UN whitewashes?

For our initial assessment of the report see photo below:

Photo of sewage/industrial waste  dumped in a waterway. Source: UNEP Report Sick Water?

UNEP must clarify why they made such a huge error, otherwise their report is not worth the billions of tons of sewage and waste that are being dumped in the world’s waterways each and every day of the year.

Related Links:

• UNEP Issues Some CO2 Reduction Snakeoil!
• British Govt Makes Another Straw Man

Today is World Water Day

Water Issues: Scarcity and Pollution

A sever drought is affecting about 60 million people in SW China. Well that’s less than 1 percent of the world population, you could argue.

But another 60 million people are severely affected by a drought in the Mekong Basin, which is threatening not just their livelihood, but their survival.  The water flows are the lowest  for 20 years, warns the Mekong River Commission (MRC). The drought has an impact on agriculture, food security, access to clean water and river transport.

Drought conditions are so severe in parts of Africa most women have to walk five miles per day, carrying just enough water for drinking and cooking in large containers placed on their head.

Of Africa’s 53 nations, only 10 countries have adequate drinking water. In Uganda alone, more than 10 million people have no access to clean water.

More than a billion people have NO access to safe water and about 2.5 billion people live without adequate sanitation. About 55 percent of “developing world’s” population are  suffering from at least one major illness  related to unsafe water and poor sanitation.

Each day, at least 6,000 children die of waterborne diseases including diarrhoeal diseases and malaria.—UNICEF

Mwamanongu Village water source, Tanzania. In Meatu district, Shinyanga region, Tanzania, water most often comes from open holes dug in the sand of dry riverbeds, and it is invariably contaminated. Credit:  Bob Metcalf

Unsanitary water is responsible for 80 per cent of all illnesses,  and is world’s number one killer, UN says.

The UN also states that unsanitary water is responsible for 1.5 million cases of hepatitis A (and 133 million cases of intestinal parasites).

According to the world bank, waterborne illnesses are each year responsible for:

• 4 billion cases of diarrhea, killing more than 6 million people.
• 300 million cases of malaria
• 200 million cases of schistosomiasis
• 6 million people are blinded by trachoma ( 500 million people who are currently at risk of contracting the disease).

Bottom line

As of  March 2010

• One in five people on this planet have no access to clean water.
• One in ten people is experiencing a severe to a moderate drought.

Every year, nearly 11 million children die before reaching their fifth birthday, most from preventable causes. That is approximately, 30, 000 children per day. Another 300 million children suffer from illnesses caused by lack of clean water, poor nutrition and inadequate health services and care. —UNICEF

Related Links:

• Clean water Action
• The Story of Bottled Water (Annie Leonard)

• SW China on the precipice of catastrophe
• ‘Diarrhea water’
• French Water!
• How Much Water?

Second Sandstorm Blasts Beijing

Beijing Blasted by Sandstorms Twice in Two Days

Mothers, tell your children NOT to do what they have done!

Beijing was hit Monday by a second sandstorm just two days after a severe sandstorm struck on Saturday. The sandstorm originated from Mongolia and arrived in Beijing Monday morning, but was expected to subside by the evening.

Tourists visit the Tian’anmen Square in Beijing amid a massive sandstorm, March 22, 2010. The Central Meteorological Station issued a blue alert for sandstorms at 6 AM on Monday. (Xinhua/Sang Quanli). Image may be subject to copyright.

“The sandstorm from Mongolia arrived in Beijing Monday morning, and is expected to weaken by Monday evening,” said Zhang Mingying, senior engineer with the Beijing Meteorological Station, official news agency Xinhua reported.

The Sandstorm spawned by strong winds has swept over north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as Shanxi and Hebei provinces, he was reported as saying.

“Dust and sand left from Saturday’s sandstorm was still affecting Beijing Monday,” Zhang said.

“Although the sky was not as orange as Saturday, the smell of the dust was stronger on Monday,” said Li Nan, a Beijing resident.

Lanzhou, Gansu province, shrouded by a thick yellow-orange haze produced by thousands of tons of airborne sand. March 19 -20, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua] Image may be subject to copyright.

What’s Behind the Sandstorms?

In short, it’s the economy. The impact of exponential growth economy has driven China’s fragile ecosystems to the verge of collapse. The environmental stress caused by overconsumption of water, deforestation, land-use change and severe droughts, enhanced by climate change, are accelerating the desertification in northern China.

Related Links:

• SW China on the precipice of catastrophe
• WORST EVER DROUGHT in SW China
• Disaster Calendar 2010
• Drought and Deluge
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• 2010: The Year of Disasters
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion

Houston: A Nightmare of Lights

Metropolitan Energy Black Hole

Light Pollution in ‘The Energy Capital of the World’

Five of Texas’s coal-fired power plants that pollutes Houston’s sky at night are among the nation’s Top 10 emitters of mercury.

Houston, Texas at Night. The image [acquired January 10, 2010] depicts the roughly 100 kilometer (60 mile) east-west extent of the Houston metropolitan area. Houston proper is at image center, indicated by a “bull’s-eye” of elliptical white to orange-lighted beltways and brightly lit white freeways radiating outwards from the central downtown area. Suburban and primarily residential urban land uses are indicated by both reddish-brown and gray-green lighted regions that reflect a higher proportion of tree cover and lower light density. Petroleum refineries along the Houston Ship Channel are identified by densely lit areas of golden yellow light. Rural and undeveloped land rings the metropolitan area, and Galveston Bay to the southeast (image lower right) provides access to the Gulf of Mexico. Both types of non-urban surface appear dark in the image. Image and caption [sniped for brevity] by NASA.

Some facts about Houston

• Size: Houston CMSA covers about 2,331,000 hectares (9,000 square miles)
• Houston CMSA: The Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) consists of the eight counties of Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller.
• Average Elevation: 13m (43 feet)
• Population: 2.5 million (Houston is the fourth most populous city in the US, trailing only New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, and is the largest in Texas and the southern U.S.)
• Houston Metro Population: 5.8 million (Pop Ranking: 6th largest US)
• The three-airport system saw over 51 million passengers in 2006, including over seven million international travelers.
• Houstonians eat out more than residents of any other city,  with  11,000 restaurants and eateries.
• The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. It is the tenth largest port in the world.
• More than 5,000 energy related firms are based in Houston.
• Energy, aeronautics, and technology industries in Houston make it second only to New York City as a base for Fortune 500 headquarters.
• Comparing Houston’s economy to a national economy, only 21 countries other than the United States have a GDP exceeding Houston’s regional output (2007).

Texas Coal-Fired Power Plants

Location Map:  Texas Coal-Fired Power Plants. Source: The Western Region Ash Group

Visible Pollution

• Houston has a serious air quality problem. Since 1999, the Texas city has exchanged titles with Los Angeles as having the most polluted air in the United States defined by the number of days each city violates federal smog standards.
• Five coal-fired Texas power plants which help keep the lights glaring at night are among the nation’s Top 10 emitters of mercury (Texas is also home to the largest concentration dirtiest coal-fired plants in the nation boasting 7 out of the worst 50).

• Houston-Area Officials Plead for International Action on Curbing Pollution From Ships
• Texas is one of about 20 U.S. states who have sued the Environmental Protection Agency demanding it stopped issuing rules controlling greenhouse gas emissions until it reexamines the pollution harms on human health and welfare (!)

Houston, we really do have a problem!

Related Links:

• How Could Pollution Possibly Harm You?

Icelandic Volcano Erupts – UPDATE

Eruption at Eyjafjöll is consistent with recent global patterns of volcanism and tectonism. Wild eruptions may occur in Iceland and elsewhere—Fire-Earth

Eyjafjöll Volcanic System Erupts

Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system erupted in the south of Iceland, forcing up to five hundred people to evacuate the area, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency and imposing a NO FLY Zone  over much of Icelandic airspace.

Background: Volcano erupts near Eyjafjallajoekull, Iceland

At least three flights en-route Reykjavik from the US were ordered back to Boston, and up to 1,500 are currently stranded in the Reykjavik airport.

Where the Eruption Occurred

Location of the Eruptive Fissure. Source: Nordic Volcanological Center. Click image to enlarge.

How Eruption Occurred

Eruption began at 23:52UTC on 20 March 2010 at  the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system (also known as Eyjafjöll volcano). A red cloud appeared above the volcano, which lightened up the sky above the eruptive fissure. “The eruption was preceded with intense seismicity and high rates of deformation in the weeks before the eruption, in association with magma recharging of the volcano. Immediately prior to the eruption the depth of seismicity had become shallow, but was not significantly enhanced from what it had been in the previous weeks. Deformation was occurring at rates of up to a centimetre a day since March 4 at continuous GPS sites installed within 12 km from the eruptive site.” IESUI reported.

“The eruption broke out with fire fountains and Hawaiian eruptive style on about 500 m long NE-SW oriented eruptive fissure at N63º38.1′, W19º26.4′ on the northeast shoulder of the volcano at an elevation of about 1000 m. It was observed from air from 4-7 A.M. on March 21. Lava flows short distance from the eruptive site, and minor eruption plume at elevation less than 1 km was deflected by wind to the west. Volcanic explosive index (VEI) is 1 or less. Tephra fall is minor or insignificant. The eruption occurs just outside the ice cap of Eyjafjallajökull, and no ice melting is occurring at present.”

Surface temperature satellite image taken by MODIS shows the location of the eruption. Source: NASA via Nordic Volcanological Center. Click image to enlarge.

Source: Nordic Volcanological Center. Click image to enlarge.

The eruption occurred at a fissure on a 2 km wide pass of ice-free land between Eyjafjallajökull and its large neighbor Katla volcano which is buried under Myrdalsjökull ice cap. “Katla volcano is known for powerful subglacial phreatomagmatic eruptions producing basaltic tephra layers with volumes ranging from ~0.01 to more than 1 cubic kilometer.” Institute of Earth Sciences at University of Iceland (IESUI) reported.

Eyjafjallajökull is known to have erupted at least three times in the last 1100 years (settlement of Iceland). “The most recent began in December 1821 and lasted intermittently for more than a year. The neighbouring volcano Katla erupted then on 26 June 1823. Other eruptions include an eruption in 1612 or 1613, and about 920 A.D.”

Eyjafjallajökull is known for several episodes of unrest, “with documented sill intrusions in 1994 and 1999.”

The 2.5-km-wide summit caldera of Eyjafjöll located west of Katla volcano. Photo by Oddur Sigurdsson, 1992 (Icelandic National Energy Authority). Click image to enlarge.

Seismic Activity

Eyjafjallajökull has been experiencing intensive Seismic activity since late February with most of the shocks occurring at 7 to 10 km depth. “On March 19th a seismic swarm began east of the top crater, originating between 4 and 7 km depth.” Iceland Met Office reported.

“On March 19th a seismic swarm, began east of the top crater, originating between 4 and 7 km depth. The activity migrated eastwards and towards the surface on Saturday, March 20th.”

What Local Experts Say

Scientists at Nordic Volcanological Center say further volcanic activity in the area may be imminent, based on the fact that three previous eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull had all primed the powerful Katla volcano to erupt.

“What we know is that an eruption in Eyjafjallajokull seems to be a trigger for Mt Katla,” geophysicist Pall Einarsson said.

“The volcano has been inflating since the beginning of the year, both rising and swelling, even though we were seeing increased seismic activity, it could have been months or years before we saw an eruption like this.”

Einarsson believes that an eruption at Mt Katla would be a much greater and more serious event because molten lava would melt the glacier causing large-scale flooding.

Geophysicist Magnus Gudmundsson says it’s impossible to predict how long the Eyjafjallajokull eruption could last. “It could end tomorrow, it could go on for a year or two, but this is a small eruption.”

More facts about Icelandic Volcanoes:

• Mt Katla last erupted in 1918.
• The most recent eruption at an Icelandic volcano occurred in 2004.
• Eyjafjallajokull Volcanic System was dormant since 1821.
• Iceland has experienced 21 eruptions in the past 50 years.
• Only one of the 21 eruption caused serious damage  when a volcano erupted in Westmann islands in 1973.

Map of Iceland Earthquakes (Last 48 hours) – Icelandic Met Office

© Veðurstofa Íslands

Related Links:

• Volcanoes
• FEWW Volcano Links
• Eruption Caught on Video by Iceland Coast Guard (WMV)