Taiwan Cares about Citizens, China Doesn’t!

Taiwan demands apology, compensation from China over tainted milk

Taipei – Taiwan Premier Liu Chao-hsuan told parliament on Tuesday that he demanded an apology and compensation as appropriate from China over tainted milk import.

“Hereby, I make a formal request to demand China apologize to Taiwan … Departments concerned will have calculate the damages caused within a week. Once the damages are confirmed, we will help seek compensation from China,” he said.

A 6x8mm Kidney Stone. Credit: Robert R. Wal

Five Taiwanese children have reportedly developed kidney stones after drinking tainted Chinese milk powder, and the food industry has incurred substantial losses due to product recalls.

A Taiwanese delegation that visited China last weekend to probe the tainted milk scandal, expressed concerns about the safety of imported food from China.

Beijing and Taipei subsequently agreed to cooperate closely on food safety issues. (Source)

Will China Prosecute Sanlu-Fonterra Directors and Executives for Corporate Manslaughter?

Related Links:

• China Syndrome
• Fonterra File

FEWW

Belgium buys Hungarian rights to pollute environment!

submitted by a reader

Trading the Rights [sic] to Pollute the Environment!

Belgium has bought the Hungarian “rights” to emit 2 million tons of greenhouse gas, spokeswomen for  the anti-environment ministries of both countries confirmed. The credits and funds have already been transferred.

Come again?

But, but … wasn’t the Kyoto Protocol a sophisticated joke designed to bring shame to the world’s … you are serious aren’t you?

Actually, and no it’s not a joke, the Kyoto Protocol allows industrialized countries to meet GHG emission targets by buying other countries emissions “rights.”

What’s the trading value of all other rights to rape the environment?

What about the rights to pollute the oceans, how much do they cost?

The rights to create more dead zones and their trading value?

And the rights to acidify your ocean, what’s their trading value?

How much must a country pay to bleach, say, 30 percent of the world’s coral reefs and, by the way, who owns those rights?

What about the right to pump raw sewage into your lakes or coastal waters, and its trading value?

The price of GHG emission rights is confidential!

“The (transaction) price is confidential as this was a private agreement between the two parties,” a spokewoman for Belgium’s Ministry of Climate and Energy told Reuters.

No way. secrecy is unacceptable! Its our air they are polluting and we want to know how many pieces of silver they are paying for it. Out with it now, you ugly beasts!

Et tu, Hungary?

Hungary’s Ministry of Environment and Water said it did not want to jeopardize Hungary’s ability to drive a hard bargain with other countries by revealing price details of the Belgian deal.

Under Kyoto Protocol, Hungary can sell about 100 million AAUs, or “surplus rights to emit CO2” by 2012. Each AAU allows the buyer to release one ton of carbon dioxide to the environment.

Related Links:

• Death by Lethal Pollution

• World CO2 Emissions
• Protect Economy from Climate??!
• Blind scientists examining the economic elephant

• How Much Carbon Dioxide Does Your Money Make?
• Index of Human Impact on Nature

• World Problems:The Root Cause Matrix
• First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities

• Our Oceans

Magnitude 7 Earthquake Hits Kermadec Islands

Region: KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND

10-degree Map Centered at 30°S,180°E – 2 Earthquakes on the Map. USGS

Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, Global Reference Map. USGS

Magnitude:    7.0
Date-Time: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 03:19:31 AM at epicenter
Location: 29.872°S, 177.684°W
Depth: 35 km  set by location program
Distances:

• 70 km  SSE of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands
• 210 km  NE of L’Esperance Rock, Kermadec Islands
• 1050 km  NE of Auckland, New Zealand
• 1440 km  NNE of WELLINGTON, New Zealand

Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 6.8 km ; depth fixed by location program
Source: USGS NEIC

Aftershocks: Magnitude 5.2 [Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 04:10:38 AM at epicenter at T+ 51 min.]

FEWW Comments:

• Another 6.8+ quake in the area within 200km radius of Raoul Island, as well as more aftershocks of magnitude 4+ can be expected in the next 18-24 days.

• The mean center of earthquake cluster incidence along the Tonga – Kermadec subduction zone that has produced about 50 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or larger [USGS data] and includes the epicenter of the September 30 quakes detailed above, is shifting in a southerly direction, along the interaction line between the Pacific and Australia plates, toward New Zealand.

Implication for New Zealand Islands:

• A substantial increase in the frequency of earthquake striking the twin islands.
• More earthquakes with magnitude 6 or larger.
• A marked increased in large explosive volcanic eruptions, especially in the following zones [also include ‘extinct’ volcanoes]
  • Taupo Volcanic Zone
  • Bombay Hills
  • Auckland volcanic field
  • Mount Taranaki
  • Mt Horrible volcano
  • Mount Taranaki
  • Mount Cargill

Worst Case Condition for New Zealand Islands:

• Large earthquakes and massive volcanic eruptions could potentially destroy much of New Zealand structures and claim many lives.
• Earthquake and volcano-triggered waves could also give rise to 40 to 50-meter tsunami that would engulf the coastal areas and low-lying lands throughout New Zealand [could also affect parts of Australia’s eastern seaboard,] compounding the damage.
• A super/mega colossal Plinian/Ultra-Plinian eruption occurring in New Zealand’s North Island simultaneously [or within a short period of time] with a magnitude 9.8 earthquake off the eastern coast of New Zealand could claim many lives.
• Probability of occurrence:
  1. Event 1.  A magnitude 9.8 earthquake striking off the eastern coast of New Zealand with (i) the foreshocks ripping through Auckland, Hamilton, Taupo areas, (ii) the mainshock leveling Wellington, Palmerstone North, Marlborough, Nelson and Christchurch, and (iii) the aftershock causing substantial damage as far south as Invercargill: 85%
  2. Event 2. A super/ mega colossal Plinian/Ultra-Plinian eruption in the North Island: 72%  [South Island: 57%]
  3. Event 1 and Event 2 occurring simultaneously, or within a short period of time: 64 %

Related Links:

• Earthquake Cluster Zone Closing in on New Zealand
• Mt Ruapehu Eruption Alert

Seismicity in 2008. USGS

Magnitude 7 and higher since 1900. USGS

All Images Credit: USGS

PDF version ; Image

DISCUSSION [Source: USGS]

The September 29, 2008, M7.0 earthquake occurred in the Tonga – Kermadec subduction zone. The subduction zone extends north-northeast from the North Island of New Zealand for over 2500 km through Tonga to within 100 km of Western Samoa. At a broad scale, tectonics of the subduction zone reflect the motion of the Pacific plate westward with respect to the interior of the Australia plate at a velocity of about 60 mm/y in the epicentral region of the earthquake. The Pacific plate subducts beneath the Australia plate at the Tonga and Kermadec trenches, and dips to the west. In detail, the eastern edge of the broad Australia plate may itself be viewed as a collection of small plates or microplates that move with respect to each other and with respect to the Pacific plate and the Australia plate interior. The location and focal-mechanism of the earthquake are consistent with it occurring as thrust faulting on the interface between the subducting Pacific plate and the overriding Australia plate (in detail, the overriding Kermadec microplate).

The interaction between the Pacific and Australia plate creates one of the most active tectonic environments in the world, with a high level of associated earthquake activity. Since 1976, a 200-km long section of the Tonga – Kermadec subduction zone that includes the epicenter of the September 29 earthquake has produced over 50 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or larger, with the largest having magnitude 7.9.

Tainted Milk Sickens Lion Cub and Baby Orangutans

Lion cub, baby orangutans sick from tainted Sanlu-Fonterra powdered milk

A lion cub and two baby orangutans nursed with tainted milkpowder for about a year have developed kidney stones at Hangzhou Safari Park near Shanghai.

A young orangutan is checked for kidney stones at an animal hospital in Hangzhou, in east China’s Zhejiang province, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008. A lion cub and two baby orangutans from the Hangzhou Safari Park were found to have kidney stones after zoo workers fed them Sanlu brand milk powder for more than a year. Tainted dairy products have sickened thousands of infants and killed four in China. (AP Photo/EyePress). Image may be subject to copyright.

The tainted milk powder was made by the Sanlu-Fonterra joint venture operation, which has sickend at least 54,000 infants in China killing four. [The exact number of the dead infants appears to be a state secret.]

“The milk powder crisis made us very worried about the health situation of baby animals,” Ju Lijia, the animal park’s spokeperson reportedly said. “We stopped feeding with Sanlu after it was found to be tainted.”

So far, the three animals are the only ones diagnosed with kidney stones, Ju said. (Source)