Landslide kills at least 10 in Kenya

Kenyan landslide kills at least 10, many  reported missing

A landslide triggered by extreme rain killed 10 people in western Kenya,  the Kenya Red Cross (KRC)  reported.

The latest deaths raised the the number of victims killed by floods and landslides in Keny to 100 since January, KRC said.

At least 10 bodies have been recovered from a landslide disaster area in Kitony Village, Kaben Location, Tot Division in Marakwet East District.

It is feared that some people are still buried in the landslide. Kenya Red Cross Society team from North Rift Region is assisting the villages to dig into the mud. At least 10 people with critical head injuries are expected to be flown from the area for further treatment.

“Ten bodies have been retrieved from the landslide scene and 10 other people have been injured,” Nelly Muluka, communications officer for KRC, told Reuters by telephone.

“It is feared that some people have been buried in the landslide but we don’t know how many, maybe dozens,” she said.

Meanwhile…

Georgia landslide damaged Russian gas pipeline to Armenia

“Georgia has suspended the transit of Russian natural gas through Georgian territory today following landslides that reportedly damaged the pipeline carrying it to Armenia, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reports.

“Georgian media reported that the landslides caused by heavy rains occurred in a mountainous area close to the Russian border. The head of Georgia’s National Oil and Gas Corporation, Zurab Janjgava, said repairs on the damaged section of the pipeline have begun and will take two or three days.” More …

Landslide in Bogota destroys houses, traps people under the rubble

A Landslide triggered by heavy rains destroyed at least a dozen houses, leaving many people trapped under the rubble. A second landslide, which occurred shortly after, trapped soldiers  who had come to the rescue of the first wave of victims.

At least 20,000 people have been left homeless Colombia since the country’s rainy season started, with 88 municipalities across 22 departments affected by the extreme weather events. The death toll stands at 8, as of posting.

Related Links:

• Landslide News
• Landslide and sinkhole close part of U.S. 64
• Taiwan Massive Landslide Buries 6-Lane Freeway
• Mudslide Buries Chemical Factory in China

• Landslides [Index page for landslides and related links]

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Oil Spill: Drilling Ban Imposed in New Areas of US Coast

“No additional drilling has been authorized and none will until we find out what happened”

White House adviser David Axelrod told ABC TV Network that Obama administration has now banned all drilling in new areas off the US coast pending investigations into the cause of the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

In March Mr Barrack Obama relaxed a moratorium on new oil and gas drilling in the US coastal areas.

The ban was prompted by the ongoing massive 5,000bpd oil leak into the Gulf of Mexico, which has now reached the Louisiana coast and threatens to pollute other coastal states shoreline including Florida.

Birds fly over oil on the water near Breton Sound Island, on the southern most tip of the Chandeleur Islands in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Louisiana, April 29, 2010.
Credit: Greenpeace, via Reuters.

The government has since designated the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster as an “incident of national significance”T and has sent the US Navy to help prevent what could turn out to be a major ecological and economic disaster.

As reported earlier Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency and is considering to deploy 6,000 National Guard troops to help the US Coast Guard and the Navy.

The worst thing that could happen now would be a major rupture in the damaged underwater well, resulting in a humongous amount of crude oil spilled into the Gulf.

Related Links:

• Things aren’t as bad as they look …
• Gulf Oil Spill Reaches Mouth of Mississippi River
  
• Oil Disasters

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Guatemala’s Santiaguito volcano continues to erupt

Santiaguito volcano rains ash over western Guatemala

On 20 April, INSIVUMEH reported explosions from Santa María’s Santiaguito, which produced ash plumes rising to altitudes of 2.8-3.4 km (9,200-11,200 feet), Global Volcanism Program said.

On Monday 26, April the volcano erupted violently sending a plume of ash 8.3 km (27,300 feet) a.s.l., news articles reported.

The volcano has calmed since Monday’s violent burst, however, it’s still erupting, according to disaster response agency spokesman David De Leon, AP said.

De Leon was quoted as saying that the eruption had damaged local flower harvests, though no injury was caused. A no-fly  ban was imposed 20 kilometers from the volcano  schools were closed in 10 communities as a precaution.

Formed during a catastrophic eruption in 1902, Santiaguito is  a 1-km-wide crater on the 3,772-meter Santa Maria volcano, located about 200 kilometers northwest of Guatemala City.

It’s believed that about 2,500 people were perished as a result of the 1902 eruption.

Santiaguito volcano, seen from the summit of Santamaria. GNU License.

Photo by Jon Fink, Arizona State University, 1988 (courtesy of Bill Rose, Michigan Technological University), via GVP.

Related Links:

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

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Gulf Oil Spill Reaches Mouth of Mississippi River

Oil Reached Shoreline Sunset Thursday

Fire-Earth Expects the Gulf Coast Damage to Dwarf Exxon Valdez Disaster

“It is of grave concern,” David Kennedy of NOAA told AP.

“I am frightened. This is a very, very big thing. And the efforts that are going to be required to do anything about it, especially if it continues on, are just mind-boggling.”

The oil slick is threatening hundreds of species of fish, marine animals, birds and other wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico and on the shorelines of the Gulf  States.

The crude oil spill also threatens the livelihood of many million of people directly and indirectly. The Gulf Coast is one of the planet’s richest seafood grounds for oysters, shrimps and many other marine species.

Cade Thomas, a fishing guide in Venice, whose livelihood depends on oil-free waters, said he was not sure who the blame, the Coast Guard, the federal government or  BP, the oil company who owns the well.

“They lied to us. They came out and said it was leaking 1,000 barrels when I think they knew it was more. And they weren’t proactive. As soon as it blew up, they should have started wrapping it with booms.” He said.

On April 24, Fire-Earth Moderators said: “… oil wells gushing at a rate of 8,000 barrels per day don’t heal automatically after a fire.”

Meanwhile, Bubbly Jindal, Louisiana Gov., declared a state of emergency on Thursday.

Top two images were released by NOAA. Click images to enlarge.

The above image is licensed under Creative Commons. Source: uscgd8’s photostream.

Related Links:

• Exxon Mobile Court Orders Only Fraction of Damages
• Things aren’t as bad as they look …
• ‘Google Civilization’ Collapsing from Disinformation
• Gulf Oil Spill and Other News Headlines-Apr 30

• Rig Explosion Suit Cites Criminal Negligence by BP, Others
• Govt Must Deny Google Internet Search Monopoly
• Google Information Terrorism: A Conspiracy Against the People!

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The Frustrated Polar Bear

Image of the day:

“Darn, Just When I Was Getting Ready to Move to The Gulf Coast …”

Related Links:

• Things aren’t as bad as they look …
• Disasters Caused by Oil and gas Drilling, Oil Spills, Leaks, Land, Water and Air Pollution
• Shell Immunized against Drilling-Transmitted Diseases

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Things aren’t as bad as they look …

You guessed it: They are much worse …

Instead of ditching the offshore drilling plan, White House defends it

Taking Stock of the Oil Spill, Energy and Climate Bil and the FREEDOM TO CHOOSE SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES

In a nutshell …

1. The rulers have imposed upon us a method of doing things, a system of exponentially expanding economy,  that is destroying the planet.

2. We have been prevented from researching and developing alternative lifestyles, means of running our everyday lives with zero impact on the planet.

3. Coupled with the economy is an energy policy that’s destroying not just the climate, but the very air, land and water we breathe and feed from.

4. We have been hoodwinked into electing an incompetent and ill-meaning President, who’s trying to secure a second term by way of appeasing the giant corporations that have no concern other than maximizing their bottom line.

5. Some of those giants force us to chain ourselves inside vehicles  that were made by other giants,  keeping each and everyone of us locked in on the wilderness of freeways, polluted roads and streets, burning the gas they sold us, going nowhere, several hours a day, each day.

What we would expect our elected President [he was elected because the only other option allowed would have been tantamount to total moral failure] to say how he would now stop the oil plunder that is pushing the Gulf States to the verge of collapse, as each minute passes by. Instead, here’s what he had to say:

Instead of ditching the offshore drilling plan, White House defends it

“The administration’s offshore oil and gas plan proposes a thoughtful, scientifically grounded process for determining which new areas on the outer continental shelf are appropriate for exploration and development, and for assessing the potential risks and benefits of development in areas that are being explored,” the White House said in a statement.

The Obama Administration said it planned to  work closely with the Congress and state governors to assign new areas for offshore oil and gas drilling.

6. How can anyone find out that our road map is faulty and the destination non-existent? The answer is they can’t. Only disasters like the growing oil spill in the Gulf can  momentarily awaken us to the truth.  Even then our realization of reality is ephemeral. The heavy spin machine (our politicians), the agents of disinformation (the media) and other dark forces of information suppression (the Internet mafia), prevent us from seeing, hearing and experiencing.

7. By all means then sue the giants. But don’t stop there because the Administration, media and the internet Mafia deserve equal reaction.

8. Knowledge and information forms the basis of our decision-making process. Access to up-to-date information and knowledge of alternative  points of view can make the difference between whether WE and therefore our civilization survives, or becomes extinct.

Fire Earth posts important news & analysis that could help protect you from harm, but are blocked by Google. If you incur any injury because of the information denied, you may sue the Internet Mafia for damages.

Related Links:

• ‘Google Civilization’ Collapsing from Disinformation
• Gulf Oil Spill and Other News Headlines-Apr 30
• Rig Explosion Suit Cites Criminal Negligence by BP, Others
• Govt Must Deny Google Internet Search Monopoly
• Google Information Terrorism: A Conspiracy Against the People!

See Update:  Are things as bad as they look …

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Gulf Oil Spill and Other News Headlines-Apr 30

Should We Fear Space Aliens? (CNN)

No, but we sure as hell ought to fear the terrestrial aliens that come and spill oil in our waters!

[Funny how CNN and that British professor bring this alien thing out every time there’s a big disaster to distract people from the real issues.]

0O0

U.S. Gulf state shrimpers sue BP over oil spill

BP, Transocean and Halliburton sued over Gulf oil spill

“Shrimpers in Louisiana and Alabama have filed class-action lawsuits against oil giant BP Plc  and owners of the drilling platform that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, as claims for economic losses anticipated from the disaster began to mount.

“Two similar lawsuits, filed late on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New Orleans and on Thursday in the adjacent Gulf Coast state of Alabama, accuse the companies of negligence.” More…

This is the time to get it all out, claim damages for loss of livelihood, clean land, beaches … and hopefully drive one of the ugly green [and yellow] giants out of business, folks.

0O0

Wildlife in Peril as Slick Nears Gulf Coast

Oil, Already Sliding into Louisiana Waters, Threatens Newly Hatched Fish Larvae

“As a giant oil slick neared landfall late Thursday, field crews raced to barricade the Gulf coast’s fragile wetlands and beaches, where thousands of wildfowl are nesting at the height of their breeding season and millions of migrating birds pause in their annual spring journey north.” More…

The Gulf of Mexico nightmare enters a new phase—the first stage in the collapse of the Gulf states may have begun.

0O0

Barrack Obama pledges maximum effort to tackle oil leak

Mr Barrack Obama has gone on record as saying that “every single available resource” of government will be deployed to help contain the Gulf Coast oil leak. More…

However, he refused to comment on the future of offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and elsewhere.

0O0

Oil Spill’s Blow to BP’s Image May Eclipse Costs

“BP says that the offshore drilling accident that is spewing thousands of barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico could cost the company several hundred million dollars.”

“But regardless of the out-of-pocket costs, the long-term damage to BP’s reputation — and possibly, its future prospects for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico — is likely to be far higher, according to industry analysts.”  More…

BP is one of the top 3 polluters in the world responsible for a large volume of oil pollution. Sue them, by all means. Drive them out of business. But don’t also forget to sue the disinformation industry, the media, which has stopped you hearing us shouting from the top of our voices, warning you about the dangers that lurk under the water, and inside the earth.

Related Links:

• Oil Leak Off Louisiana MODIS Images – Apr 30
• New Oil Leak Compounds Gulf Disaster – Apr 29
• Gulf of Mexico Oil Leak – Update Apr 28
• Gulf of Mexico Oil Leak – Update Apr 27
• Disasters Caused by Oil and gas Drilling, Oil Spills, Leaks, Land, Water and Air Pollution
• Rig Explosion Suit Cites Criminal Negligence by BP, Others

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Verifiable Impacts of Climate Change (Part II)

Climate Change Indicators

Impact of Climate Change Despite the Massive Efforts by Fossil Fuel Industries to Spread Disinformation

• Click here for Part I

Key Findings: Climate Change Indicators in the United States Report

Sea Surface Temperature

The surface temperature of the world’s oceans increased over the 20th century. Even with some year-to-year variation, the overall increase is statistically significant, and sea surface temperatures have been higher during the past three decades than at any other time since large-scale measurement began in the late 1800s.

Sea Level

Average sea level worldwide has increased at a rate of roughly six-tenths of an inch per decade since 1870. The rate of increase has accelerated to more than an inch per decade in recent years. Changes in sea level relative to the height of the land vary widely because the land itself moves. Along the U.S. coastline, sea level has risen the most relative to the land along the Mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf Coast, while sea level has decreased relative to the land in parts of Alaska and the Northwest.

Ocean Acidity

The ocean has become more acidic over the past 20 years, and studies suggest that the ocean is substantially more acidic now than it was a few centuries ago. Rising acidity is associated with increased levels of carbon dioxide dissolved in the water, can affect sensitive organisms such as corals.

Arctic Sea Ice

Part of the Arctic Ocean stays frozen year-round. The area covered by ice is typically smallest in September, after the summer melting season. September 2007 had the least ice of any year on record, followed by 2008 and 2009. The extent of Arctic sea ice in 2009 was 24 percent below the 1979 to 2000 historical average.

Glaciers

Glaciers in the United States and around the world have generally shrunk since the 1960s, and the rate at which glaciers are melting appears to have accelerated over the last decade. Overall, glaciers worldwide have lost more than 2,000 cubic miles of water since 1960, which has contributed to the observed rise in sea level.

Lake Ice

Lakes in the northern United States generally appear to be freezing later and thawing earlier than they did in the 1800s and early 1900s. The length of time that lakes stay frozen has decreased at an average rate of one to two days per decade.

Snow Cover

The portion of North America covered by snow has generally decreased since 1972, although there has been much year-to-year variability.

Snowpack

Between 1950 and 2000, the depth of snow on the ground in early spring decreased at most measurement sites in the western United States and Canada. Spring snowpack declined by more than 75 percent in some areas, but increased in a few others.

Heat-Related Deaths

Over the past three decades, more than 6,000 deaths across the United States were caused by heat-related illness such as heat stroke. However, considerable year-to-year variability makes it difficult to determine long-term trends.

Length of Growing Season

The average length of the growing season in the lower 48 states has increased by about two weeks since the beginning of the 20th century. A particularly large and steady increase has occurred over the last 30 years. The observed changes reflect earlier spring warming as well as later arrival of fall frosts.

Plant Hardiness Zones

Winter low temperatures are a major factor in determining which plants can survive in a particular area. Plant hardiness zones have shifted noticeably northward since 1990, reflecting higher winter temperatures in most parts of the country.

Leaf and Bloom Dates

Leaf growth and flower blooms are examples of natural events whose timing can be influenced by climate change. Observations of lilacs and honeysuckles in the lower 48 states suggest that leaf growth is now occurring a few days earlier than it did in the early 1900s. Lilacs and honeysuckles are also blooming slightly earlier than in the past, but it is difficult to determine whether this change is statistically meaningful.

Bird Wintering Ranges

Some birds shift their range or alter their migration habits to adapt to changes in temperature or other environmental conditions. Long-term studies have found that bird species in North America have shifted their wintering grounds northward by an average of 35 miles since 1966, with a few species shifting by several hundred miles.

What do these changes translate into in layman terms?

GUARANTEED DISASTERS!

Related Links:

• Verifiable Impacts of Climate Change Despite Dinosaurs [PART I]
• Full Report (PDF 14MB)
• 2010 Disaster Calendar

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Verifiable Impacts of Climate Change Despite Dinosaurs

Climate Change Indicators

Impact of Climate Change Despite the Massive Efforts of Fossil Fuel Industries to Spread Disinformation

The following is a summary of an EPA report titled ‘Climate Change Indicators in the United States’

Two points about the report and the summary:

1. What impacts of Climate Change are evident in the US also apply globally, with little or no exception.
2. Fire-Earth Moderators have selected those ‘Indicators’ that can be verified independently.

[NOTE: An indicator represents the current state of certain environmental conditions over a given area and a specified period of time. For example, temperature, precipitation, sea level, and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.]

Key Findings: Climate Change Indicators in the United States Report

The Greenhouse Effect (All images and captions are sourced from the EPA report)

The Earth receives energy from the sun, then radiates much of this energy back toward space. However, certain gases in the atmosphere, called greenhouse gases, absorb some of the outgoing energy and trap it in the atmosphere. This “greenhouse effect” occurs naturally, but human activities have substantially increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the Earth to trap more heat. This in turn is changing the Earth’s climate.

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities increased by 14 percent from 1990 to 2008. Carbon dioxide accounts for most of the nation’s emissions and most of this increase. Electricity generation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, followed by transportation.

Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Worldwide, emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities increased by 26 percent from 1990 to 2005. Emissions of carbon dioxide, which account for nearly three-fourths of the total, increased by 31 percent over this period.

Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases

Concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have risen substantially since the beginning of the industrial era. Almost all of this increase is attributable to human activities.

Climate Forcing

Climate or “radiative” forcing is a way to measure how substances such as greenhouse gases affect the amount of energy that is absorbed by the atmosphere. An increase in radiative forcing leads to warming while a decrease in forcing produces cooling. From 1990 to 2008, the radiative forcing of all the greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere increased by about 26 percent.

U.S. and Global Temperature

Average temperatures have risen across the lower 48 states since 1901, with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Average global temperatures show a similar warming trend, and 2000–2009 was the warmest decade on record worldwide. Within the United States, parts of the North, the West, and Alaska have seen temperatures increase the most.

Heat Waves

The frequency of heat waves in the United States decreased in the 1960s and 1970s, but has risen steadily since then. The percentage of the United States experiencing heat waves has also increased. The most severe heat waves in U.S. history remain those that occurred during the “Dust Bowl” in the 1930s, although average temperatures have increased since then.

Drought

Over the period from 2001 through 2009, between 30 and 60 percent of the United States experienced drought conditions at any given time. However, the data for this indicator have not been collected for long enough to determine whether droughts are increasing or decreasing over time.

U.S. and Global Precipitation

Average precipitation has increased in the United States and worldwide. Since 1901, precipitation has increased at an average rate of more than 6 percent per century in the lower 48 states and nearly 2 percent per century worldwide.

Heavy Precipitation

In recent years, a higher percentage of precipitation in the United States has come in the form of intense single-day events [See Hydrokong.] Eight of the top 10 years for extreme one-day precipitation events have occurred since 1990. The occurrence of abnormally high annual precipitation totals has also increased.

Tropical Cyclone Intensity

The intensity of tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico did not exhibit a strong long-term trend for much of the 20th century, but has risen noticeably over the past 20 years. Six of the 10 most active hurricane seasons have occurred since the mid-1990s. This increase is closely related to variations in sea surface temperature in the tropical Atlantic.

Ocean Heat

Several studies have shown that the amount of heat stored in the ocean has increased substantially since the 1950s. Ocean heat content not only determines sea surface temperature, but also affects sea level and currents.

Related Links:

• Full Report (PDF 14MB)
  

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Oil Leak Off Louisiana MODIS Images – Apr 30

Yin and Yang of the Oil Spill

Could it Get Worse? A Lot Worse? What are the two worst things about oil spills?

They spread, and they pollute!

Gulf Oil Spill Creeps Towards Mississippi Delta

The massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico continued spreading on April 29, 2010, moving perilously close to shore, according to news reports. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured a natural-color image of the oil slick just off the Louisiana coast. The oil slick appears as dull gray interlocking comma shapes, one opaque and the other nearly transparent. The northwestern tip of the oil slick almost touches the Mississippi Delta. Sunglint—the mirror-like reflection of the Sun off the water—enchances the oil slick’s visibility. Image and caption: NASA [Edited by Fire-Earth for brevity.]

Download large image (4 MB, JPEG)

For a history of events and Fire-Earth disaster forecast click on the  links below:

• New Oil Leak Compounds Gulf Disaster – Apr 29
• Gulf of Mexico Oil Leak – Update Apr 28
• Gulf of Mexico Oil Leak – Update Apr 27
• Disasters Caused by Oil and gas Drilling, Oil Spills, Leaks, Land, Water and Air Pollution
• Rig Explosion Suit Cites Criminal Negligence by BP, Others

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