New Zealand Emergency Health Warnings

Emergency warning to tourists visiting New Zealand, reports of tourists murdered or killed and regular health bulletins have moved to:

NZ: Plumbing the Depth of Depravity

http://newzeelend.wordpress.com/

Biodiversity ‘Doomsday Vault’ Secured for Business

This year’s (and the next) Nobel Prize for ingenuity must surely go to … drum roll … Bill Gates and Norway!

Bill Gates “donated” $30m (Norway forked out $9m) for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, aka the ‘Doomsday Vault,’ a seed bank carved into the permafrost layer of a remote Arctic mountain in Longyearbyen.

Situated on the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, The vault is less than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the North Pole. The vault would be inaugurated today by European Commission President Barroso and the environmentalist Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Mata among other celebrities.

Protected by towering walls of reinforced concrete and armored doors equipped with electronic motion sensor security alarm, the vault’s three airtight chambers have enough room to hold duplicate samples from world’s 1,400 plus existing seed banks.

Doomsday Vault (Image Credit: AFP)

The “concrete cocoon” can withstand nuclear missile attacks or diving passenger jets!

In Case of Armageddon, or Postdiluvian Catastrophes, Don’t Panic!

So you have nothing to worry about. In case of Armageddon, total ecosystems collapse, or global deluge, if you happen to be one of the very few ‘lucky’ survivors, here’s what you should do:

1. Fly to Norway.
2. Find a boat heading to Svalbard archipelago.
3. Take a bus to the city of Longyearbyen.
4. Ask Direction to the Arctic mountain where Svalbard Global Seed Vault is situated.
5. Call Agnar, Niklas, Vidor, or his brother Ragnar on their cell phone and ask them to meet you at the vault’s entrance. [They are the only ones who know the combination to the vault. If they are deceased, ask local phone directory for details of their next of kin. Don’t hang up until you get an answer!]
6. Take the good seed samples out of the vault [good seeds = the ones that would germinate!]
7. Leave Svalbard archipelago [it’s too cold to grow anything there.] Make sure the seed samples are kept dry and cool throughout your journey.
8. Do not eat the seeds, even if you are starved!
9. Find a suitable plot of land somewhere in the world with enough topsoil and water.
10. Plant the seeds and watch mother nature doing her miracle!

Before you do all of that, be sure to learn fluent Norwegian!

It’s really that easy!

Photo Credit: Mari Tefre/Global Crop Diversity Trust

Related Links:
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Bill Gates, Rockefeller and the GMO giants know something we don’t

Human-induced Climate Change

“Dust fall” in the West in the last 100 years is up to seven times heavier than at any period in history.

Human activities such as settlement, railroad, industry, farming and ranching has caused a huge increase in the dust levels in the air, according to a report by the University of Colorado at Boulder.

A dusty scene near Canyonlands in Utah. Dust in the West has increased by 500 percent since the 1800s. [Photo Credit: Jason C. Neff, University of Colorado at Boulder. NO copy restriction. Source: eurekalert ]

“The chemical composition of the dust is changing. And it’s changing in a way that we actually see the byproducts of both industrial activity and agricultural activities in the dust. We see elevated phosphorous and we see elevated nitrogen in these lake sediments,” said Neff of the University of Colorado at Boulder, who led the study.

According to another study, published in January, human-caused climate change has altered river flows, snow pack and air temperatures.

“The dust we see in these lakes is the same dust that causes earlier spring snowmelt here, so we can now definitively say that humans are in large part responsible for this melt,” said Neff.

Read more …

Mining Sets Off Earthquake in Germany

Strongest regional quake on record

An earthquake caused by coal mining shook the Saarland region of Germany on the French border Saturday. Measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale, the earthquake caused damage to buildings and cut off the electricity supply to the area. Original report

See Also:

Earthquake shakes up German coal mining

Earth, Land, Topsoil

No Good for Farming!

“A [farmer] took up land [in Saskatchewan], dug a cellar and built a frame house on top of it; ploughed up the prairie and grew wheat and oats. After 20 years he decided the country was no good for farming, for eight feet of his soil had gone and he had to climb up into his house.” —Richard St, Barbe Baker, My Life, My Trees [Quoted by John Jeavons in How to Grow More Vegetables]

Land Use and Topsoil

Once A Forest! Photo credit: UNEP

Topsoil

Measuring an average of about 6.6 inches (16.76 centimeters) deep, topsoil is the upper layer of earth’s crust. Topsoil comprises of a mix of humus, mineral and composted materials giving rise to most of the soil’s biological activity and supplying nutrients to plants and therefore to animals. After air and water, topsoil is Earth’s most vital resource.

Topsoil: Wild Facts

Table TS1. Topsoil: Wild Facts
Note: The average bulk density of topsoil is calculated at about 1.4 gcm^-3

Original Entry >> Topsoil

Emergency Warning to Tourists Visiting New Zealand, Health Bulletin # 4

[New Zealand Poisoning Syndrome (NZPS), Health Bulletin # 4. Sewage contaminated beaches, Feb. 16, 2008]

NZ Sewage Contaminated Beach Is Finally Closed!

Owhiro Bay beach was finally closed by Wellington City Council. Visitors are warned to stay clear of the sewage polluted water. Sewage and other microbiological pollution levels are so high they would cause a serious health hazard.

The presence of enterococci in the water makes it extremely dangerous for swimming or recreational contact, as cuts and skin lesions could become infected.

Visitors are warned against consuming fish and other marine animals caught in New Zealand’s contaminated waters.  Original report 

USDA Orders Massive Beef Recall

USDA Orders 143 Million Pounds of Beef Recalled From Calif. Slaughterhouse Under Investigation

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse, the subject of an animal-abuse investigation, that provided meat to school lunch programs.

Full report

Visiting New Zealand?

“Lousy NZ drivers blamed for high death toll”

You are twice more likely to be killed on New Zealand roads than in Germany, and probably up to 1,000 times more likely to fall victim to a serious assault!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10493084

[Note: NZ government agencies have declined to provide the relevant stats on the numbers of assaults and murders of foreigners.]

A 25-year-old Korean national was killed on NZ State Highway 2
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4405769a11.html

Two Koreans were injured in tourist bus collision
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4405812a11.html

Three tourists hurt in vicious Queenstown street attack: “It was a very serious assault,” police said. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4405769a11.html

Road Death toll: Month-to-date (Land Transport New Zealand)
As at 18 Feb 2008 : 28 deaths
Same time last year: 10 deaths
[Data retrieved on Feb. 18, 2008 from the URL: http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/research/toll.html%5D

Road Death toll: Month-to-date (Land Transport New Zealand)
As at 20 Feb 2008 : 27 deaths (!)
Same time last year: 14 deaths
[Data retrieved on Feb. 20, 2008 from the URL: http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/research/toll.html%5D

[Caution: NZ govt. statistics ARE doctored! New Zealand is probably the only country in the world where the dead are statistically resurrected for aesthetic reasons!]

Links to recent tourist fatalities in NZ:
New Zealand: A Tourist Deathtrap
Canadian Tourist Murdered?
Murdered in New Zealand in the Prime of Her Life

A 57-year-old American tourist fell to his death after missing unmarked “path” in Mt Cook
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4394988a11.html

A British tourist killed in bus crash, fate of the other seriously injured tourists unknown
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4384845a11.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4386040a6009.html

Roads claim nine lives during weekend
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/080204/3/3ua9.html

One person is dead and two seriously injured in a tourist bus collision yesterday.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4354764a11.html

Crash raises road toll to 11 for January
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4342068a10.html

Tourist bus crashes with van, 1 dead.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4356238a6570.html

Three female Korean tourists, aged 18, 19, and 34, had their right arms amputated after the crash. Another passenger suffered a fractured eye socket.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4322877a11.html

Eight Chinese tourists were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4240038a23955.html

West Coast bus crash injures 21 overseas tourists [with 10 receiving severe injuries such as fractured limbs.]
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4273025a6047.html

One tourist was killed and Eight others are in a critical condition after a head-on crash in Waikato. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4342236a11.html

22 foreign tourists run for their lives after their bus catches fire
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10485349

A 46-year-old Malaysian woman was raped in Auckland
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10492627

See also:
Canadian Tourist Murdered
Murdered in New Zealand in the Prime of Her Life

Emergency Warning to Tourists Visiting New Zealand, Health Bulletin # 3

[New Zealand Poisoning Syndrome (NZPS), Health Bulletin # 3. Toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), Feb. 13, 2008]

If You Must Visit New Zealand, Ask Yourself This:
Do I Feel Lucky?

New Zealand health officials have closed another lake in Hawk’s Bay, Lake Tutira, north of Napier, due to cyanobacteria poisoning (toxic blue-green algae) warning swimmers against coming into contact with the water.

Nearly all of New Zealand rivers are infested by blue-green algae—some to a dangerous extent.

Below extracts from: Truth About ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ Advertising Campaign

Toxins from certain species of cyanobacteria “are poisonous to cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks (domestic and wild), pigeons, geese, herons, songbirds, dogs, rabbits, small wild and domestic animals, and even frogs, fish and snakes. Cyanobacterial toxins are primarily neurotoxic (affect the nervous system) and hepatotoxic (affect the liver). Clinical signs in cyanobacterial poisoning include nervous derangement, staggering, tremors and severe abdominal pain.”

“Intoxication with cyanobacteria is characterized by convulsions, ataxia (in- coordination), bloody diarrhea and sudden death. Affected animals rarely range far from the water source.”

The toxins are also poisonous to humans and can cause liver damage, asthma attacks, gastroenteritis, skin rashes, eye irritations and allergic responses.

The toxins are absorbed from the water that contains high concentrations of cyanobacteria or cyanobacterial toxins via ingestion (drinking or swimming in contaminated water) or via inhalation (breathing air that contains airborne toxins.) [For references, click here.]

Original Report: Toxic algae closes lake to swimmers

Related Links:

• New Zealand Poisoning, Bulletin # 2. Exposure to Compound 1080, Feb. 10, 2008
• New Zealand Poisoning, Bulletin # 1. Exposure to Bromoethane, Feb. 6, 2008
• THE POISONING OF NEW ZEALAND
• Truth About ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ Advertising Campaign

TITO: Toxin In, Toxin Out!

Outbreaks of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning

Poison the oceans and the fish will poison you! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Does it?

Outbreaks of ciguatera fish poisoning have been confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration. Fish such as amberjack, barracuda, grouper and snapper represent the most significant threat to consumers because they feed on fish that have eaten toxic marine algae. Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include nausea, vomiting, vertigo and joint pain. In the most serious cases, neurological problems can last for months or even years.

Full report

American tourist killed in New Zealand

[Submitted by a guest writer]

Wrongful Death: Failure of the Government in its Duty to Warn of Fatal Dangers!

Another Avoidable Killing!

This time an American tourist was killed in New Zealand. Alan Paul Leger, a 57-year-old from Boston, just a name to the readers, but a real person to his family, alive and well just a few days ago, is now dead. Was he murdered, or did he die because the authorities failed to warn him of the dangers? Either way, one or more people are directly responsible for his death and they should be brought to account.

To add insult to injury because the victim was an American, and the New Zealanders don’t like “septic tanks” (Yanks) in their neck of the woods, New Zealand police declared: “The American tourist who fell to his death in the Mt Cook National Park yesterday was inexperienced in the alpine environment.”

Mountain Safety Council chair Ross Meder added: “Tourists often fail to realise weather conditions can change extremely quickly in New Zealand, much more so than in the Northern Hemisphere.”

Well, thanks for letting the deceased know. He would be sure to be careful next time!

Links to the death report:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=104916500
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4394988a11.html

Links to recent tourist fatalities in NZ:
New Zealand: A Tourist Deathtrap
Canadian Tourist Murdered?
Murdered in New Zealand in the Prime of Her Life

Who’s Afraid of Compound 1080?

[New Zealand Poisoning Syndrome (NZPS), Health Bulletin # 2. Exposure to Compound 1080 Feb. 10, 2008]

Should You be afraid of 1080?

Sodium fluoroacetate (aka, sodium monofluoroacetate, compound 1080 or 1080)

1080 is a potent metabolic poison that works by interfering with the citric acid cycle, and is used primarily to control mammalian pests, including invasive species. The existence of this chemical was first noted in the Second World War.

Compound 1080 is the most toxic pesticide registered by the World Health Organization, WHO. It is rarely used in the U.S. because it is highly toxic and kills wildlife indiscriminately. The only manufacturer of 1080 left in the U.S. ships most of its production to New Zealand. More information on 1080 …

Related Links:

• Truth About ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ Advertising Campaign
• NZ indiscriminate aerial applications of the potent poison 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate)
• New Zealand: A Tourist Deathtrap .
• Toxic Hazard Warning: Bromomethane Exposure in New Zealand ! .
• New Zealand releases about two and a half tons of compound 1080 into its environment each year, about 90% of the global use.

Snowstorm Destroys Chinese Forests

China provinces lose entire forests

Snowstorm destroyed a total of 17.3 million hectares of forests in 18 provinces in southern China. Monetary value of the losses, which amount to 10 percent of all forests in China, may reach $US3billion, according to the State Forestry Administration.

Bamboos collapse under the weight of snow in Xianning of Hubei Province
[Photo credit: Xinhua/China Daily]

Full report

Emergency Warning to Tourists Visiting New Zealand

[New Zealand Poisoning Syndrome (NZPS), Health Bulletin # 1. Exposure to Bromoethane Feb. 6, 2008]

Toxic Hazard Warning:
Bromomethane Exposure in New Zealand !

Tourist cruise ships with up to 1200 passengers in New Zealand’s crowded tourist ports are berthed just meters from open air spots where logs are fumigated with methyl bromide. Report

Methyl bromide (bromomethane) is an odorless, colorless nonflammable gas used to fumigate crops, logs and goods. Bromomethane is on the list of banned ozone-depleting substances of the Montreal Protocol.

Bromomethane: Health Effects Report

The following summary of health effects of exposure to Bromomethane (methyl bromide) is based on various reports including a toxicological report issued by CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Register, ATSDR:

What is Bromomethane?

Bromomethane is a manufactured chemical (nature also produce also bromomethane in minute quantities). Bromomethane is used to kill a variety of pests including rats, insects, and fungi. It is also used to make other chemicals or as a solvent to get oil out of nuts, seeds, and wool.

Bromomethane Affects Your Health

If you inhale bromomethane you may develop a headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and weakness; this may be followed by mental excitement, convulsions and even acute mania. More prolonged inhalation of lower concentrations may cause fluid build up in your lungs and it may be hard to breathe. It could cause bronchitis, pneumonia, muscle tremors, seizures, kidney damage, nerve damage, and even death.

Exposure levels leading to death vary from 1,600 to 60,000 parts of bromomethane in 1 million parts of air (1,600-60,000 ppm), depending on the length of the exposure.

The respiratory, kidney and neurologic effects are of the greatest concern to people.

[Note: Studies in animals suggest at high exposure levels bromomethane causes birth defects and interferes with reproduction.]

Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been exposed to bromomethane?

Several tests are available to determine if you have been exposed to bromomethane by measuring the toxic residues in your blood or in the air you exhale. However the tests are useful only if they are carried out immediately after exposure is suspected because most bromomethane doesn’t stay in your body long.

For more information, contact:

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov

Related Links:
Truth About ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ Advertising Campaign
NZ indiscriminate aerial applications of the potent poison 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate)
New Zealand: A Tourist Deathtrap

How Much Water?

Water Facts

• Total water on Earth: Approx 1.4 x 10^18 m³
• Water in the oceans: 97.5% of the total
• Volume of Fresh water: 35 x 10^15 m³ (0.25% of the earth’s total water). About 0.3% of the freshwater is held in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs and the remainder is stored in glaciers, permanent snow, and groundwater aquifers.
• Water contained in the earth’s atmosphere: 13 x 10^12 m³
• Water removed from the earth’s surface via evaporation: 577 x 10^12 m³ each year (only 14% of the water evaporation is from land).
• Total annual precipitation falling on land: 115 x 10^12 m³ (20% of total evaporation – the 6% surplus water returns to the oceans via rivers.)
• Total freshwater on Earth stored as groundwater: 11 x 10^15 m³ (30% of all freshwater).
• Water collected in lakes and rivers: 110 x 10^12 m³ is held as groundwater (one hundredth of the total groundwater reserves)
• Aquifers contribution to human water consumption: an estimated 30% [?] of all of the water used throughout the world.
• Natural recharge rate for the aquifers: from 0.01% to 3% per year.
• Estimated overdraft of global groundwater: 200 x 10^9 m³ or (twice the average recharge rate!)

What’s the big deal?

Humans are mining groundwater resources, especially the aquifers. Water withdrawal rates from aquifers are drastically higher than their natural recharge rates. In short, we are running out of water!

Water Footprint

Total global water footprint is 7,450 km³ per year (7,450Gm³ per year).

• Water Consumption USA: 2,480m³/per capita/year (agricultural produce 65%; domestic consumption 8%; industrial goods 27%)
• World average: 1,146m³/cap/yr
• China: 700m³
• Developing [poor] world: 545m³

Food production in the U.S. is responsible for 25% of the country’s toxic water pollution and 40% of the common water pollution.

Average national water footprint per capita (m³/capita/yr). Green indicates a national average water footprint of equal to or smaller than global average. Countries marked in red have a larger water footprint than the global average. Source: A. Y. Hoekstra et al. 2005. Water footprints of nations: Water use by people as a function of their consumption pattern.

What to Do

World’s groundwater reserves are running out! Start conserving water before the earth’s water reserves run completely dry! The following links are portals for water saving measures:
Water sense
H2ouse water saver home

Bottled Water (2007 estimate)

• Worldwide consumption: 200billion liters (L)
• US share of the market: 35billion L
• US Bottled Water Market: $12.5billion
• US per capita consumption: 115L (annually)

How Much Energy?

Energy used for production and marketing of a 0.5L, or 500cc (17oz) bottle: 34.58MJ, equivalent to 1.017L of gasoline or 2.35kg of CO2 emissions.

Notes
1. Above calculation is based on 1000L of water that is pumped, bottled, delivered, sold and consumed locally, i.e., traveling a total distance of about 130 miles (209km) from source to mouth. The total energy required for production was calculated at 69,162,640kJ, equivalent to 2,034L of gasoline, or 4,699kg of CO2 emissions (Michael Bigelow et al , 2005, THE PIPE OR THE BOTTLE? A Case Study on Energy Consumption, Harvey Mudd College, University of Bradford, UK).

2. According to the above study, the energy requirement for delivering 1000L of tap water (Yorkshire, England) was about 269,345kJ (about 7.92L of petrol or approximately 18kg of CO2 emissions), making bottled water 257 times more energy intensive than the tap water.

3. Packaging and shrink-wrapping the bottled water (assumes locally produced water) is responsible for 97.8% of its energy costs.

4. For Bottled water imported by air add 4.5grams of CO2e equivalent greenhouse gases (per0.5-liter-bottle) for each mile of the journey.

5. One liter (L) is about 1.057 quarts, 33.827 fluid ounces, or 1/3.785 gallons.

Time to switch to tap water?

[Use an inexpensive charcoal filter for added safety!]

Main Entry: Drying Wells, Sinking Cities
Related Links: Death by Lethal Pollution

External links:

• The Groundwater Awareness League [GAL]

New Zealand: A Tourist Deathtrap

Welcome to New Zealand!
And how long will you be staying with us, ma’am?

You are twice more likely to be killed on New Zealand roads than in Germany

Four members of a Chinese family from Hong Kong, including a girl aged 10, were the latest victims of New Zealand Tourism. The only surviving member of the family, a 30-year-old woman, is in serious condition.
https://feww.wordpress.com/2008/03/22/new-zealand-tourism-claims-more-victims/
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10499553

And will you be playing New Zealand Roulette, or have you booked other games?

[Note: NZ government agencies have declined to provide the relevant stats on the numbers of assaults and murders of foreigners.]

A 25-year-old Korean national was killed on NZ State Highway 2 (Feb 17, 2008 ) http://www.stuff.co.nz/4405769a11.html

Two Koreans were injured in tourist bus collision. (Feb 17, 2008 )
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4405812a11.html
Three seriously hurt in vicious Queenstown street attack: “It was a very serious assault,” police said. (Feb 17, 2008 )
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4405769a11.html

A 57-year-old American tourist fell to his death after missing unmarked “path” in Mt Cook
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4394988a11.html

A British tourist killed in bus crash, fate of the other seriously injured tourists unknown
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4384845a11.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4386040a6009.html

Roads claim nine lives during weekend
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/080204/3/3ua9.html

One person is dead and two seriously injured in a tourist bus collision yesterday.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4354764a11.html

Crash raises road toll to 11 for January
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4342068a10.html

Tourist bus crashes with van, 1 dead.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4356238a6570.html

Three female Korean tourists, aged 18, 19, and 34, had their right arms amputated after the crash. Another passenger suffered a fractured eye socket.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4322877a11.html

Eight Chinese tourists were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4240038a23955.html

West Coast bus crash injures 21 overseas tourists [with 10 receiving severe injuries such as fractured limbs.]
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4273025a6047.html

One tourist was killed and Eight others are in a critical condition after a head-on crash in Waikato. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4342236a11.html

22 foreign tourists run for their lives after their bus catches fire
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10485349

A 46-year-old Malaysian woman was raped in Auckland
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10492627

See also:

• Canadian Tourist Murdered?
• Murdered in New Zealand in the Prime of Her Life

• “Lousy NZ drivers blamed for high death toll”
• 3rd Tourist Bus Gutted by Fire: “Lucky” Tourists Scape Death!

Road Death toll February 2008: Month-to-date (Land Transport New Zealand)

Road Death toll: Month-to-date (Land Transport New Zealand)
As at 18 Feb 2008 : 28 deaths
Same time last year: 10 deaths
[Data retrieved on Feb. 18, 2008 from the URL: http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/research/toll.html%5D

Road Death toll: Month-to-date (Land Transport New Zealand)
As at 20 Feb 2008 : 27 deaths (!)
Same time last year: 14 deaths
[Data retrieved on Feb. 20, 2008 from the URL: http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/research/toll.html%5D

[Caution: NZ govt. statistics ARE doctored! New Zealand is probably the only country in the world where the dead are statistically resurrected for aesthetic reasons!]

Road Deaths as at 02 May 2008: 425

Same time last year: 404

How many of the dead are tourists? We’ll never know!

How many tourists murdered, killed, “accidentally” lost their lives … in the last 12 months?

WE WILL NEVER KNOW! And that’s what makes NZ such a fascinating tourist deathtrap!

-..-

World’s Worst Polluted Places

Top 10 Worst polluted places [Source: Blacksmith Institute]

CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE

Estimated No. of Affected People: Initially 5.5 million [the figure is now disputed.]

Escaped Pollutants: Radioactive dust including uranium, plutonium, cesium-137, strontium and other metals

Source of Pollution: Meltdown of reactor core in 1986

The Incident: A meltdown of the reactor’s core in the Chernobyl power plant killed thirty people in 1986. About 135,000 people were evacuated. It is believed that about one hundred times more radiation was released in the accident than by the atom bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Legacy: More than 4000 cases of thyroid cancer were diagnosed among children and adolescents between 1992 to 2002 in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Victims under 14 years were most severely affected by the elevated concentrations of radioiodine found in milk.

Incidents of skin lesions, respiratory ailments, infertility and birth defects were readily found among the more than five million people who inhabit the affected areas of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine for many years following the accident.

Disputed Facts: The above facts, however, have been disputed by a number of individuals including the author of a recent WHO report, and the retired “nukophile” British academic, James Lovelack. Local and international experts, however, have dismissed the WHO report findings.