Stick the Policies, Stop the Climate Change!

What is it that the governments around the world don’t understand about the climate change?

Your Majesties, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Excellencies: The banksters that you serve are destroying the world’s ability to support life. Don’t be party to the crimes of ecocide and mass murder of species.

Stop the exponential growth economy!

Australian Firefighters Tell Their Government to ‘Stick’ its Policies and  Stop the Climate Change!

After a week of deadly bushfires that killed 181 people [the death toll would probably rise further,] and destroyed more than a thousand homes making 5,000  homeless, the Australian firefighters called on their government to change its disastrous policies.

The remains of cars destroyed by bushfires are seen in the town of Flowerdale, 80km (50 miles) north of Melbourne February 11, 2008. REUTERS/Mick Tsikas. Image may be subject to copyright.

“Without a massive turnaround in policies, aside from the tragic loss of life and property, we will be asking firefighters to put themselves at an unacceptable risk,” United Firefighters Union of Australia said in an open letter to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

“We understand that our job is dangerous by its very nature. However, we are gravely concerned that current … policies seem destined to ensure a repeat of the recent tragic events,” said the union.

The firefighters union together with Green politicians and environmental activists assert that “the deadly infernos are a climate change wake-up call to Australia.” Reuters said.

“Australia is one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change because of its hot, dry environment, but with its dependence on coal-fired power, Rudd has set a target to cut overall greenhouse gas emissions by only 5 percent by 2020.” The report said.

As strong winds amid soaring temperatures fanned several bushfires which ripped through small towns north of Melbourne on Saturday night,  Melbourne’s temperature reached a record 46.4 degrees Celsius (115.5 degrees Fahrenheit).

The cost of damage  could exceed $2 billion, according to Standard & Poors.

Related Links:

• The day God [sic] washed his hands off St. Andrew’s church
• Image of the Day: Human Excesses
• Australian fires toll may exceed 200
• A Living Hell Heated by Australian Coal
• Torrential Rains Flood Northern Australia

• You want to lose weight without exercise?
• Australian Coal and the Planet
• Vast swarms of locusts sweep across Australia
• Murray-Darling River Communities Are Struggling
• Hell Hath No Fury Like the Australian… Bushfire!

Image of the Day: Tartagal Landslide

12 missing, 1,000 evacuated

Flooding caused by heavy rains triggered landslides in the town of Tartagal in the province of Salta, Argentina, submerging many homes in up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) of mud, February 10, 2009.

People walk on a bridge destroyed by a landslide in the northern Argentine city of Tartagal February 10, 2009. Hundreds were evacuated yesterday after rains flooded the main river through the city and a massive mudslide swept away a railroad bridge and homes. Government officials visiting the disaster area said that at least eight people are still missing. REUTERS/Ramon Taboada. Image may be subject to copyright.

Volcano Watch: 10 February 2009

Volcanic Activity Report: 4 February – 10 February 2009

Source: SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

• Asama, Honshu, Japan
• Redoubt, Southwestern Alaska
• Sakura-jima, Kyushu, Japan

Volcano of the Week: Popocatépetl

A plume of steam and ash rises above Popocatépetl, whose Aztec name means “Smoking Mountain.” This December 1994 aerial view is of the NE side of the massive stratovolcano, which towers more than 3200 m above the Valley of Mexico to the right.

Volcán Popocatépetl, whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain, towers to 5426 m 70 km SE of Mexico City to form North America’s 2nd-highest volcano. The glacier-clad stratovolcano contains a steep-walled, 400 x 600 m wide crater. The generally symmetrical volcano is modified by the sharp-peaked Ventorrillo on the NW, a remnant of an earlier volcano. At least three previous major cones were destroyed by gravitational failure during the Pleistocene, producing massive debris-avalanche deposits covering broad areas south of the volcano. The modern volcano was constructed to the south of the late-Pleistocene to Holocene El Fraile cone. Three major plinian eruptions, the most recent of which took place about 800 AD, have occurred from Popocatépetl since the mid Holocene, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and voluminous lahars that swept basins below the volcano. Frequent historical eruptions, first recorded in Aztec codices, have occurred since precolumbian time.  Photo courtesy of ENAPRED, Mexico City, 1994. Caption: GVP

Volcano Name: Volcán Popocatépetl

Country: México

Volcano Type: Stratovolcanoes

Last Known Eruption: 2008 (in or after)

Summit Elevation: 5426 m (17,802 feet)

Latitude:      19.023°N (19°1’24″N)

Longitude: 98.622°W (98°37’20″W)

“CENAPRED reported that emissions of steam and gas from Popocatépetl were visible during 4-10 February; the plumes occasionally contained slight amounts of ash. On 6 February, an ash plume rose 800 m above the crater at 0839, and was followed by 75 minutes of increased seismicity.” GVP said.

Ongoing Activity:

• Barren Island, Andaman Is
• Chaitén, Southern Chile
• Colima, México
• Dukono, Halmahera
• Fuego, Guatemala
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka
• Kilauea, Hawaii
• Popocatépetl, México
• Rabaul, New Britain
• Sangay, Ecuador
• Santa María, Guatemala
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Soufrière Hills, Montserrat
• Tungurahua, Ecuador