Global Disasters/ Significant Events Headlines – 31 March 2013

Exxon’s Pegasus pipeline leaks 10,000 barrels of Canadian oil in Arkansas

More than 10,000 barrels of Canadian Wabasca heavy crude oil, described as “oil sands,” has leaked from Exxon’s Pegasus pipeline in Mayflower city, Arkansas.

The incident is categorized as a “major spill” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and 22 homes near the rupture point have been evacuated.

Exxon has shut down the pipeline, which can carry more than 90,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Pakota, Illinois, to Nederland, Texas, said a report.

“The Arkansas spill was the second incident this week where Canadian crude has spilled in the United States. On Wednesday, a train carrying Canadian crude derailed in Minnesota, spilling 15,000 gallons of oil.”

U.K. reports coldest Easter Sunday on record

Easter Sunday was the coldest Easter day on record, with the lowest temperature dipping to -12.5ºC (9.5ºF) in Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands, said a report.

Average U.K. temperatures for this time of year are between 10ºC and 13ºC, said the UK Met Office, adding that the entire month of March has been provisionally declared the coldest since 1962.

Report on Brisbane’s Wivenhoe Dam locked out for 30 years

“THOUSANDS of internal documents obtained during investigations by Queensland’s $15 million public inquiry into floods and the operation of Brisbane’s Wivenhoe Dam are being withheld from public access and scrutiny for 30 years by the state government.”

Deadly floods wreak havoc in Mauritius capital Port Louis

At least 10 people have died after a sudden extreme rain event triggered flash flooding in the Mauritian capital Port Louis (population: ~ 150,000), officials have said.

Some 152mm (6in) of rain fell in less than an hour, causing chaos in the city, reports said.

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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 31, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,077 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,077 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

El Hierro Island Experiencing Intense Seismicity, Inflation

El Hierro moving east, experiencing uplift amid intense seismic activity

Intense seismicity and inflation at El Hierro suggest magma is intruding underneath the tiny volcanic island, the smallest of Canary Islands, located  in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa (population ~ 10,000).

• Sharp increase in seismic activity in and around the tiny island (Area: ~ 278 km²) began on March 18, with the largest quake measuring 4.7 on Richter scale, which occurred on Friday.
• The majority of tremors are occurring at a depth of between 12 and 15 km.
• The latest geological activities have caused the island to move east and forced the ground to rise by 11 cm at Punta de Orchilla on the western tip of the island.

Map of El Hierro with recent quake epicenters

Image Credit: AVCAN. AVCAN.ORG was developed by Victor Tapia. Original idea, administration and all rights by Fernando Raja

Histogram of the recent earthquakes at El Hierro 18 -31 March, 2013. Note sharp increase in seismic activity since March 18, 2013. Image credit: AVCAN.

Latest Earthquake at El Hierro. Image credit: AVCAN.

Global Volcano Watch (Source: AVO; HVO; GVP)

New Activity/Unrest:

• Fuego, Guatemala (Lava fountains rising to 400 m above the crater reported on 20 March, causing 1.5 km long lava stream in the Ceniza drainage).
• Hekla, Southern Iceland
• Tungurahua, Ecuador

Ongoing Activity:

U.S. Volcanoes

• Kilauea, Hawaii  (Hawaii) – Code ORANGE – WATCH
• Cleveland Volcano (Alaska) – Code YELLOW – ADVISORY

Kamchatka Peninsula

• Gorely – Code YELLOW
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) – Code ORANGE
• Kizimen, Eastern Kamchatka (Russia) –  Code ORANGE
• Tolbachik, Central Kamchatka (Russia)  Code ORANGE
• Bezymianny – Code YELLOW
• Sheveluch Central Kamchatka (Russia) – Code ORANGE

Indonesia

• Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
• Lokon-Empung, Sulawesi
• Paluweh, Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesia)

Kurile Islands

• Snow – Code YELLOW
• Ivan Grozny – Code YELLOW

Other Volcanoes

• Bagana, Bougainville (PNG)
• Popocatépetl, México
• Sakura-jima, Kyushu (Japan)
• Santa María, Guatemala

Total: 21 volcanoes

Recent Volcano News

• Plosky Tolbachik Volcano Erupts March 5, 2013
• How Many Volcanoes Firing? March 7, 2013

Drought Affecting Tens of Millions in China

Western China hit by severe drought

Severe drought has affected at least 23.7 million people in western China’s Yunnan, Gansu and Sichuan provinces since October 2012, causing economic losses of more than 1.1 billion U.S dollars, said the authorities.

Persistent drought has scorched Yunnan Province, causing crop failure and reducing agricultural production throughout the province. Many people in the province’s  mountainous areas lack drinking water, said a report.

Original Caption: A water reservoir that has a capacity of 5,000 cubic meters lies empty in Shaoxin Village of Mile, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, March 29, 2013. (Xinhua/Chen Haining). More images …

In NW China’s Gansu province about 4.5 million people have been affected by the ongoing drought;  more than 650,000 people lack drinking water.

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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 30, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,078 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,078 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

No Survivors, Bodies Found after Tibet Major Landslide

Latest Global Landslides

Tibet

Some 89  mine workers were buried in a Major landslide in Tibet on Thursday, but NO survivors or bodies have been found yet!

A major landslide in a gold-mining area of Tibet, in Maizhokunggar County of Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region left 83 workers buried.  Rescuers had not found any survivors or bodies 28 hours after the massive collapse. Credit: Xinhua/Zhang Quan. Image may be subject to copyright. More images…

• The miners’ camp, located at an altitude of 4,600m, was buried by an estimated 200,000 tons of rock, which covered a 4km² area.

• Meantime, 28 miners were killed and 13 others injured in a coalmine gas blast in northeast China’s Jilin Province on Friday. The explosion occurred at at Babao Coal Mine in Jiangyuan District in the city of Baishan, authorities said.

Whidbey Island, Washington, USA

Large landslide probably part of greater landslide complex, a legacy of the Puget Sound’s glacial past: Geologists

Image Credit: Ted S. Warren/AP photo. Image may be subject to copyright.

A large landslide on Whidbey Island, about 50 miles north of Seattle, has destroyed at least one home, and left four others under evacuation orders Friday. The slide has also isolated or threatens at least 32 other homes.

• The slide area, part of greater landslide complex, a legacy of the Puget Sound’s glacial past, probably dates back to about 11,000 years ago, State geologists said.

• The landslide displaced about quarter of a million cubic yards of earth.

• The landslide has a 400m wide front on the beach and extends about 100m into the sound.

Related Links

• Image of the Day: Mudslide on Whidbey Island  April 4, 2009

Korean War Would Accelerate Global Collapse

North Korea enters ‘state of war’ against South

North Korea says it has entered a “state of war” against its southern neighbor, warning that any issues between the two countries will be dealt with in a “wartime manner,” reports said.

North Korea has warned that any military provocation near the land or sea border of the two sides would result “in a full-scale conflict and a nuclear war,” said a report.

Pyongyang Rally in support of Kim Jong Un’s declaration.  Credit Reuters

Pyongyang has been repeatedly threatening to attack the South and U.S. military bases in the region since the beginning of March.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans expressed support for their leader’s threat of a military strike against the United States during a massive rally held on Friday.

The official North Korean Central News Agency [KCNA] said the leader has put the country’s rocket units on standby, after an emergency meeting with the top military commanders on Friday.

“The time has come to settle accounts with the U.S. imperialists in view of the prevailing situation.” Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying.

followed flights by nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit, aka Stealth Bombers, over an island off the coast of the Korean peninsula on Thursday, as part of ongoing US military drills with South Korea.

South Korea had earlier confirmed the notification by Pyongyang that DPRK had cut off the military communications hotline on March 27, reports said.

“Tensions have been running high on the Korean Peninsula since the DPRK conducted its third nuclear test on Feb. 12 as a countermeasure against the joint military drills of the United States and South Korea,” said a report.

Russian Foreign Minister said Russia was concerned about increased military activity around North Korea, an apparent reference to the US – SK military drills, warning that a buildup of tensions on the Korean peninsula could “spiral into a vicious cycle.”

Unusual Mortality Event (UME) Declared for California Sea Lions

It’s going to be a bad year or two for sea lions – Biologist

More dying sea lion have stranded themselves on SoCal beaches since January 2013 than in the previous five years combined. “It’s going to be a bad year or two for sea lions,” said a wildlife biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Beginning in January 2013, elevated strandings of California sea lion pups have been observed in Southern California (Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties). The area with the highest reported stranding rates is currently Los Angeles County, followed by Orange County, and strandings are increasing in San Diego County.

The increase of sea lion strandings continues and has intensified over the last few weeks. Live sea lion strandings are nearly three times higher than the historical average.

“We anticipate this will get worse when the pups begin to wean from their mothers and have to forage on their own.” NMF biologist said.

“The oddest part of this is the pups should have been with their mothers,” the biologist said. “We think the mothers are having to go out farther and stay out longer to find food and the pups begin to forage on their own after they’ve been alone for some time.”

Live California sea lion historical stranding rates for 2008-2012 (admits to rehabilitation facilities from Jan 1-March 31). Data for 2013 is as of March 24, 2013.  Source: NOAA FISHERIES

At least 948 sea lion pups have stranded themselves on SoCal beaches between January 1 and March 24, 2013, with the largest number, 395 pups, reported in the Los Angele County.

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Death toll from novel coronavirus (nCoV) reaches 11: World Health Organization (WHO)

A new confirmed case of novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection has been reported, said WHO.

• The patient was a 73-year-old male from United Arab Emirates, who was transferred from a hospital in Abu Dhabi to Munich by air ambulance on 19 March 2013. He died on 26 March 2013.

• WHO has been informed of a global total of 17 confirmed cases of human infection with nCoV, including 11 deaths as of March 26, 2013.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that includes viruses that may cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to SARS. Viruses of this family also cause a number of animal diseases. -CDC

This colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) reveals the “rosettelike” appearance of the matured SARS-CoV (coronavirus) particles (arrows). See PHIL 6400 for a black and white version for this image. Credit: CDC/ Dr. Mary Ng Mah Lee, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

110 Million Americans Infected With Sexually Transmitted Diseases

More than Third of U.S. Population Have STIs

CDC’s analysis suggests that there are more than 110 million people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) nationwide. This estimate includes both new and existing infections.

[NOTE: The estimate actually translates to about half of the sexually active population in the U.S. ]

There are about 20 million new sexually transmitted infections in the United States each year, costing the American healthcare system nearly $16 billion in direct medical costs alone: CDC Fact Sheet

Breakdown of new STIs by age group.

Source: CDC

CDC’s analyses included eight common STIs:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
• Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Syphilis
• Trichomoniasis

“By contrast, there were 1,524,092 bachelor’s degrees awarded in the United States in the 2007-2008 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That means the total number of new STIs in 2008 outpaced the total number of new bachelor’s degrees by nearly 13 to 1, and the number of new STIs among Americans in the 15-to-24 age bracket outnumbered new bachelor’s degrees by more than 6 to 1.” Said a report.

Possibly Related Links

• Want a Mandate to Kill Life on the Planet?
• 133,000,000 Wise Monkeys

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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 29, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,079 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,079 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Drought Map for Contiguous U.S.

About 2/3 of Contiguous U.S. remains abnormally dry or worse

About 51.64 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in moderate drought or worse, as of March 26, 2013. The map showed 35.19 percent in severe drought or worse; 16.85 percent in extreme drought or worse; and 5.10 percent in exceptional drought, compared with 5.40 percent the preceding week.

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

Hundreds of Billions of Locusts Hit Madagascar

Image of the Day: Hundreds of billions of plant-devouring insects hit Madagascar island.

The worst locust plague to hit Madagascar in 6 decades

A severe plague of locusts has infested about half of Madagascar, threatening crops and raising concerns about food shortages, according to FAO, a UN agency. FAO image via BBC.

“Nearly 60% of the island’s more than 22m people could be threatened by a significant worsening of hunger in a country that already had extremely high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition,” said FAO.

“The last one was in the 1950s and it had a duration of 17 years so if nothing is done it can last for five to 10 years, depending on the conditions.” FAO locust control expert told BBC Focus on Africa.

“Currently, about half the country is infested by hoppers and flying swarms – each swarm made up of billions of plant-devouring insects,” the FAO said.

“FAO estimates that about two-thirds of the island country will be affected by the locust plague by September 2013 if no action is taken.”

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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 28, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,080 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,080 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Drought Disaster Declared for 34 Texas Counties

Texas Counties declared disaster  areas due to ongoing drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 34 counties in Texas as primary and contiguous disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.

Primary Disaster Areas:
Austin, Coleman, Runnels, Waller, Burleson, Fayette, Tom Green and Washington counties.

Contiguous Disaster Areas:
Bastrop, Brazos, Brown, Caldwell, Callahan, Colorado, Concho, Coke, Fort Bend, Gonzales, Grimes, Harris, Irion, Lavaca, Lee, McCulloch, Menard, Milam, Mongomery, Nolan, Reagan, Robertson, Schleicher, Sterling, Taylor and Wharton counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas March 27, 2013.

U.S. Drought Map – March 19, 2013

U.S. Drought Map for March 19, 2013; released by the U.S. Drought Monitor on March 21, 2013.

• As of about 65.24 percent of Contiguous U.S. remains abnormally dry or worse.
• ‘Moderate’ to ‘Exceptional’ drought conditions (D1 – D4 on the chart) cover nearly 52 percent of the country.
• D1 – D4 drought conditions prevail in 91.29 percent of High Plains, more than 63 pct of the West, 58.96 pct of the South, 33.30 pct of Midwest and 23.24pct of Southeast

Precipitation Map (in) for Contiguous United States, March 20 – 26, 2013. Source: HPRCC

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

Australia Disaster Warning

This post has been withheld to prevent Google and its partners making financial gains. —FIRE-EARTH

Related Links

• Back-to-back Australian Disasters

Liver Disease Killing 7,500 Australians Each Year

More than 6 million Australians have liver disease, mostly self-inflicted

More than a quarter of Australians suffer from liver disease, according to a report commissioned by the Australian Liver Association.

The most common form of the disease in Australia is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, affecting 5.5 million across the country. The next most common form is viral hepatitis, including B and C, which affects another 500,000 people.

• The cost to the economy is a “staggering” $51 billion a year.

• Obesity, drug and alcohol abuse are major risk factors.

• ”The majority of patients are also part of the obesity epidemic that we’re seeing in Australia,” said Australian Liver Association Chairwoman.

• ”While liver disease caused by the virus hepatitis C is the No.1 cause for a liver transplant, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease accounts for a much higher proportion of people with liver disease.”

Other Global Disaster/ Significant Events

Peru declares state of emergency in its rainforest

Government of Peru has declared a state of emergency in a part of its northern Amazon rainforest, after discovering high levels of barium, lead, chrome and petroleum-related compounds in the region, which is home to one of its biggest oil fields, said a report.

‘Abnormal heat’ sets record March temps in Australia

Australia’s 2013 summer was the hottest on record, said a report, and the period from October onwards is forecast to be the hottest since records began more than a century ago.

Blistering temperatures were reported across eastern Australia this week.

• Birdsville, Queensland broke a 101-year-old record, posting a high of 42.9ºC  and beating a previous high of 42.1ºC set at Longreach on 28 March 1912, the report said.

• Swan Hill, Victoria set a new late-season record at 38.8ºC and Fowlers Gap, NSW recorded 40.9ºC  ( Both records were previously set on March 29, 1986).

• Melbourne reported peak of 35.6ºC, the hottest this late in the season since the extreme heat of March 1940.

Massive bushfire in Australia destroys many homes

Australian authorities have issued two emergency warnings after a massive bushfire, which consumed 1,300 hectares and many homes,  descended on the 700-strong community of Dereel, west of Melbourne, prompting many residents fleeing for safety, said a report.

Related Links

• Back-to-back Australian Disasters

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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 27, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,081 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,081 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Most U.S. Rivers, Streams in Poor Condition for Aquatic Life

Thousands of stream and river miles across the country under ‘significant pressure’: EPA

In its first comprehensive survey looking at the health of thousands of stream and river miles across the country, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found more than half – 55 percent – in poor condition for aquatic life.

The 2008-2009 National Rivers and Stream Assessment reflects the most recent data available on the condition of the water resources, EPA said.

[Does that mean the significant degradations that have occurred in the past 5 years not yet taken into account? Moderator]

“The health of our Nation’s rivers, lakes, bays and coastal waters depends on the vast network of streams where they begin, and this new science shows that America’s streams and rivers are under significant pressure,” said Office of Water Acting Assistant Administrator.

The data was collected by EPA, state and tribal researchers from about 2,000 sites across the country.

National Rivers and Stream Assessment. Biological condition of the nation’s rivers and streams, based on the Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index (EPA/NRSA).

Indicators Evaluated for NRSA

Biological Indicators

• Benthic macroinvertebrates
• Periphyton (algae)
• Fish community

Chemical Indicators

• Phosphorus
• Nitrogen
• Salinity
• Acidity

Physical Indicators

• Streambed sediments
• In­stream fish habitat
• Riparian vegetative cover
• Riparian disturbance

Human Health Indicators

• Enterococci (fecal indicator)
• Mercury in fish tissue

The following are excerpts from EPA report:

Runoff Contaminated by Fertilizers

• Nitrogen and phosphorus are at excessive levels. Twenty-seven percent of the nation’s rivers and streams have excessive levels of nitrogen, and 40 percent have high levels of phosphorus. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water—known as nutrient pollution—causes significant increases in algae, which harms water quality, food resources and habitats, and decreases the oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive. Nutrient pollution has impacted many streams, rivers, lakes, bays and coastal waters for the past several decades, resulting in serious environmental and human health issues, and impacting the economy.

Decreased Vegetation Cover and Increased Human Disturbance

• Streams and rivers are at an increased risk due to decreased vegetation cover and increased human disturbance. These conditions can cause streams and rivers to be more vulnerable to flooding, erosion, and pollution. Vegetation along rivers and streams slows the flow of rainwater so it does not erode stream banks, removes pollutants carried by rainwater and helps maintain water temperatures that support healthy streams for aquatic life. Approximately 24 percent of the rivers and streams monitored were rated poor due to the loss of healthy vegetative cover.

[Whopping] Increase in Bacteria Levels.

• Increased bacteria levels. High bacteria levels were found in nine percent of stream and river miles making those waters potentially unsafe for swimming and other recreation (samples exceed an enterococci threshold level for protecting human health.)

Increased Mercury Levels

• Increased mercury levels. More than 13,144 miles of river lengths (streams were not evaluated) have fish with mercury levels that may be unsafe for human consumption. For most people, the health risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern, but some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child’s developing nervous system.

NRSA Sample Sites

National Rivers and Stream Assessment Sample Sites.

Related Links

• Death by Lethal Pollution October 16, 2007
• Index of Human Impact on Nature

“Troubled Waters” by U.S. PRIG

‘Catastrophic Losses’ of Animals Feared due to UK Spring Snow

Many animals dead or dying in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales: NFU

The late snow has hit the UK during lambing season, making it impossible for hundreds of farmers to get to their animals.

Many animals are already dead or dying, said a NI farmer. “There are hundreds of farmers who have sheep buried.”

“Road conditions are just incredibly bad. There’s places where the snow at the side of the road is higher than the vehicles. It’s coming late in a very, very tough winter – it’s just putting the tin hat on it for many of us,” said another farmer.

There are fears of “catastrophic losses,” with thousands of animals buried on the Isle of Man, where the recent snowfall was reportedly the heaviest recorded in 50 years.

Southern Scotland has been the worst affected region, with many animals trapped, and no way of getting food to them, said Carolyn Lamb from NFU Scotland.

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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 26, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,082 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,082 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

‘Surreal’ Melt Season Begins in Arctic Sea

Arctic Sea ice reaches annual maximum extent at 15.13mkm²

Arctic sea ice likely reached its maximum extent for 2013, at 15.13 million square kilometers (5.84 million square miles), the 6th lowest in satellite record, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported.

Arctic sea ice extent on March 15 was 15.13 million square kilometers (5.84 million square miles). The orange line shows the 1979 to 2000 median extent for that day. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole.  —Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center.

The maximum ice extent was 733,000 km² below the 1979 to 2000 average of 15.86 million square kilometers.

• The maximum occurred on March 10, five days later than the 1979 to 2000 average date of March 10.
• The 2013 maximum ice extent was the 6th lowest in the satellite record, said NSIDC.
• The lowest maximum extent occurred in 2011; ten lowest maximums have occurred in the last ten years (2004 – 2013).

Arctic sea ice extent as of March 24, 2013, along with daily ice extent data for the previous five years. 2012 to 2013 is shown in blue, 2011 to 2012 in green, 2010 to 2011 in pink, 2009 to 2010 in navy, and 2008 to 2009 in purple. The 1979 to 2000 average is in dark gray. The gray area around this average line shows the two standard deviation range of the data. —Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center

Over the 2012 to 2013 winter season, sea ice extent grew a record 11.72 million square kilometers (4.53 million square miles). The record growth was primarily a result of the record low minimum last September, leaving a greater extent of ocean surface uncovered in ice to re-freeze this winter. This seasonal ice gain is 645,000 square kilometers (249,000 square miles) higher than the previous record (2007 to 2008) and 2.63 million square kilometer (1.02 million square miles) higher than the 1979 to 2000 average. Last autumn’s record low and this winter’s record ice growth indicate a more pronounced seasonal cycle in Arctic sea ice and the increasing dominance of first-year ice in the Arctic. —NSIDC

Related Links

• Polar Ice Page [Includes an index of links to Arctic Sea Ice  ]

‘Virtually Untreatable’ Tuberculosis Poses Global Threat

TB already kills 1.4 million people, 16 pct of sick cases each year

A rise in “virtually untreatable” tuberculosis poses a global threat, according to an international group of doctors and researchers, and plans to deal with the deadly disease are failing.

The cases of  drug resistance TB are exponentially rising, while many first-choice antibiotics are no longer effective against several strains of the TB bacterium.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Under a high magnification of 15549x, this colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicted some of the ultrastructural details seen in the cell wall configuration of a number of Gram-positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. As an obligate aerobic organism M. tuberculosis can only survive in an environment containing oxygen. This bacterium ranges in length between 2 – 4 microns, and a width between 0.2 – 0.5 microns. TB bacteria become active, and begin to multiply, if the immune system can’t stop them from growing. The bacteria attack the body and destroy tissue. If in the lungs, the bacteria can actually create a hole in the lung tissue. Some people develop active TB disease soon after becoming infected, before their immune system can fight off the bacteria. Other people may get sick later, when their immune system becomes weak for another reason.Babies and young children often have weak immune systems. People infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, have very weak immune systems. Other people can have weak immune systems, too, especially people with any of these conditions: substance abuse; diabetes mellitus; silicosis; cancer of the head or neck; leukemia or Hodgkin’s disease; severe kidney disease; low body weight; certain medical treatments (such as corticosteroid treatment or organ transplants); specialized treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, or Crohn’s disease. Source: CDC/ Dr. Ray Butler

In parts of central Asia and eastern Europe about a third of all TB cases are multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB). Globally, MDR-TB cases skyrocketed from 12,000 in 2005 to as many as 300,000 in 2011.  Now an even more aggressive strain of TB, called extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, which is resistant to even more types of antibiotics has been detected across 84 countries, according to a report published in Lancet Medical Journal.

Tuberculosis bacteria.  Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, the main cause of human tuberculosis. These are Gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria. If a bacterium enters the lungs in a droplet coughed or sneezed by an infected person, it multiplies to form a localized bacterial colony (primary tubercle). Normally the tubercle is destroyed by the immune system. In a few cases, however, the bacteria then either spread through the lymphatic system to other parts of the body, which can be fatal, or lie dormant, only becoming active again many years later. Treatment is with antibiotics. Magnification unknown. Source: Lancet Medical Journal.

Under a magnification of 3841X, this scanning electron micrograph SEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphologic details exhibited by a number of Gram-positive bacilli, or “rod-shaped”, Mycobacterium fortuitum bacteria. M. fortuitum is classified as a “rapidly-growing” Mycobacterium, due to the fact that it can be grown on laboratory culture medium in less than 7 days. As a human pathogen, this organism has been determined to be the cause of skin infections, including furunculosis, i.e., boils, on the legs of people receiving pedicures in nail salons. With drinking water as their source, in a 72 hour period, these organisms created a biofilm upon a submerged polycarbonate surface, from which they were subsequently harvested. As a nontuberculous bacterium (NTB), M. fortuitum is a member of the same genus as its cousin Mycobacterium tuberculosis, however, it is classified outside the M. tuberculosis complex. Credit: CDC/ Margaret M. Williams; Janice Haney Carr

TB Symptoms (CDC)

Symptoms of TB disease include:

• Bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
• Pain in the chest
• Coughing up blood or sputum
• Weakness or fatigue
• Weight loss
• No appetite
• Chills
• Fever
• Sweating at night

Latent TB Infection and TB Disease

Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection and TB disease. Latent TB Infection TB bacteria can live in the body without making you sick. This is called latent TB infection. In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. People with latent TB infection do not feel sick and do not have any symptoms. People with latent TB infection are not infectious and cannot spread TB bacteria to others. However, if TB bacteria become active in the body and multiply, the person will go from having latent TB infection to being sick with TB disease. Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain.  If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.

How TB Spreads

TB is spread through the air from one person to another.  The TB bacteria are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings.  People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.

The danger posed by growing resistance to antibiotics is ‘as big a risk as terrorism,’ the UK medical chief, Professor Sally Davies has warned, describing the threat as a “ticking time bomb.” See video.

‘Superbug Humor’

‘Superbug Humor: First, the Good News!’ Submitted by a reader.

TB and other Superbug Related Links

• TDR-TB Outbreak in India January 17, 2012

• Mysterious Outbreak of E. coli in 6 States June 9, 2012

• Superbugs Invasion Has Begun Posted on May 19, 2012
• Legionella Outbreak in Scotland: 1 Dead, 16 Critical Posted on June 6, 2012
• States of Emergency Declared in Ontario Towns Posted on May 29, 2012
• The second reported victim of necrotizing fasciitis bacteria   Posted on May 17, 2012

• Gonorrhea: First superbug strain found Posted on July 12, 2011
• Resurgence of C. difficile in Ontario, Canada Posted on July 4, 2011
• New superbug spreading from India Posted on August 11, 2010
• Global Health Alert: New Zealand MRSA Infections Up 3500 pct March 15, 2009
• “Flesh Eating Bacteria” Linked to NSAIDs September 19, 2009
• Sudden worldwide increase in antibiotic-resistant bacterium December 28, 2009

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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 25, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,083 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,083 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

State of Emergency Declared in Kiev after Heavy Snow

Ukraine Capital Kiev declares a state of emergency amid mega snowstorm

The snow forced the closure of International Boryspil Airport, and trapped thousands of vehicles in northern and northeastern Ukraine.

• Many stores and businesses in Kiev and other major cities in northern Ukraine also remained closed due to the snow.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

USA: Winter Weather, Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rainfall

“A storm system will bring heavy snow to portions of the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys as well as the central Appalachians on Sunday. A swath of 6 to 10 inches is forecast from central Missouri to west central Ohio. Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rainfall will continue to be a threat across the southeast United States.” NWS/NOAA reported.

Map of weather hazards for March 24, 2013 @ 14:00 UTC. Source: NWS.

• Severe weather with large hail and damaging winds was reported in the Gulf Coast region from Florida to eastern Texas.
• Baseball-sized hail west of Lawtey, near state road 225, Bradford County, Florida reported to SPC.

SPC Filtered Storm reports for 23/3/2013. Baseball-sized hail west of Lawtey, near state road 225, Bradford County, Florida reported to SPC.

Florida

Columbia County, Fla., has declared a state of emergency after damage caused by flooding and high winds, reports said.

• Severe flooding reported in Lake City after it received two inches of rain in 30 minutes, said NWS.

Related Links

• How Homo Ignarus Killed Spring March 21, 2013

.

March 24, 2013 — DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,084 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,084 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Britain: Blizzards, 100 Flood Warnings and a Deadly Landslide

Worst March for 50 years: Britain hit by blizzards, floods and freezing temperatures

The average temperature in central England fell to 3.8ºC (38.8ºF), 2.2 degrees lower for this time of year…

Meantime, as the demand for natural gas continues to soar during the cold snap, Britain could face gas rationing because of the dwindling stocks.

Britain’s total gas stores are estimated at less than 36 hours as of posting, said local reports.

• Snow, freezing rain, flooding and fallen trees have wreaked havoc across the U.K.
• The Arctic conditions have forced more than 1,000 schools to shut down.
• A deadly landslide in Cornwall has forced many people out of their homes.
• Some 3 – 8 inches of snow is forecast to blanket most of England, Scotland and Wales, while more flooding is expected in the south as heavy rain and and sleet continue to pound the region.

What’s Happening in Cyprus?

In 2008, CASF Team analyzed  the impact of “extreme environmental stress” in Cyprus and forecast the island’s early collapse triggered by the ecological time bomb.

The post is reproduced below with the permission of our CASF and EDRO:

.

Cyprus Collapse May Be Imminent!

Posted by edro on July 19, 2008 – Submitted by a CASF Member

Cyprus’s extreme environmental stress may lead to early collapse!

Ex-govt official: “We are going through a visual process of desertification.”

Main Causes of Collapse

Climate Change
– Persistent Droughts
– Disruption in climatic patterns
– Low Precipitation
– Higher than normal temperatures
– Heatwaves
– Wildfires and other natural phenomena [disasters] exacerbated by warming

Land
– Urbanization
– Land use and land cover change
– Loss of topsoil
– Soil degradation, especially salination
– Soil erosion caused by high temperatures, low precipitation and hot dry winds

Water
– Extreme water shortages throughout the island worsened by additional [including unforeseen] factors

Tourism
– Causing additional environmental stress
– Creating excessive waste and pollution
– Weakening the Island’s natural defense mechanisms

Main Effects

– Reduced ability to produce food
– Crop failure
– Continued water scarcity (compounded by economic/monetary issues)
– Breakdown of sewage, water and sanitation systems
– Spread of disease pandemics
– Overshoot of Carrying Capacity: The Island may have already passed the tipping point
– Resumption of the Cypriot civil war between the north and south enclaves reignited by the specter of ecological collapse
– Collapse of local ecosystems
– Desertification
– Land abandonment
– Population displacement/climate refugees

Possible Timeline

2011- 2013

Country Data

Estimated Population: 793,000 (July 2008 Estimate)
Area:
Total: 9,250 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)
Land: 9,240 sq km
Water: 10 sq km

No. of Tourists: About 3,000,000

Land use:
Arable land: 10.81%
Permanent crops: 4.32%
Other: 84.87% (2005)

Irrigated land: 400 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 0.4 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Total: 0.21 cu km/yr (27%/1%/71%)
Per capita: 250 cu m/yr (2000)

Primary Energy Consumption year 2007: 0.13 Quad BTU [CASF estimate based on EIA data]
Percentage rise compared to year 2000: 20.8 percent

Fossil Fuel consumption (excluding aviation fuel) year 2007: 2,431,399 tonnes of oil [source]
Percentage rise compared to year 2000: 18.4 percent

CO2 Emissions From Consumption of Fossil Fuels year 2007 : 9.65 MMT [CASF estimate for 2007]
Percentage rise compared to year 2000: 22.5 percent

Natural hazards: moderate earthquake activity; droughts

Environment – current issues:
water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island’s largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization.

Human Rights Issues
Cyprus [like New Zealand] is primarily a destination country for a large number of women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic for the purpose of sexual exploitation; traffickers continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term “artiste” visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. (Source CIA Factbook, Wikipedia, others)

Population density: It is estimated that at peak tourist season, the effective population density of [Southern] Cyprus exceeds that of the Netherlands (ranked world’s 25th most densely populated).

Location map: Cyprus (dark green) / European Union (light green) / Europe (dark grey). Credit: User 3meandEr, via Wikimedia Commons

Water Facts

• After little winter rainfall, the drought in Cyprus is now in its fifth year.

• Cypriot water reserves are at their lowest for 100 years; however, the effective population of Cyprus (citizens and tourists) have multiplied by about 150 folds.

• “As long as the population remained [as] low [as] in the pre-industrial period, the water was sufficient for supplying cities which received water either from the mountains through the aqueducts or through the groundwater supply.” Said Chris Schabel, medieval historian at the University of Cyprus.

• The entire island including both the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south divisions are drought stricken.

• The Island has an annual requirement of about 210 million cubic meters of water.

• As of July 16, 2008 the water reservoirs were only about 6.5 percent full. Down one percent in the last three weeks (33 percent of the level 12 months ago).
• Southern Cyprus’ 17 main reservoirs currently contain a paltry 17,733 cubic meters of water, some of which may be unsuitable for drinking.

• Emergency measures have limited the supply of running water to homes to only twice weekly.

• Most of the municipal wells have been shut down to avoid the risk of seawater contamination.

• “The British policy of drilling boreholes throughout the island resulted in a serious depletion, due to excessive pumping of the groundwater reserves, in the main water bearing areas of Famagusta, Morphou and Akrotiri. It was calculated a few years ago that groundwater resources of Cyprus are over-pumped every year by 40 per cent over the allowable safe yield.” (Source)

• Cyprus is buying from Greece 8 million cubic meters (2.1 billion gallons) of water to be delivered by November 2008 at a cost of €40 million (US$64 million). The water will only be distributed in the Greek Cypriot south.

• The first ship carrying water from Greece arrived June 30 at Limassol (Cyprus’ main port). The officials then realized they could not pump the water from tanker because their makeshift pipeline was 10 feet short. Because of the delay, the water turned “odorous” and was deemed unsafe for drinking. The entire tanker load of 40,000 cubic meters was subsequently pumped into the ground, instead of the city’s water network due to contamination fears!

• Under the initial agreement, two water-laden tankers were scheduled to leave Elefsina near Athens bound for Cyprus every day for six months (6 tankers delivering 200 shipments) between June and November 2008.

• The Turkish Cypriot north is negotiating a separate arrangement with Turkey for their water needs.

• The Greek Cypriot south plans to build a third desalination plant.

Agriculture, Wildfires, Desertification

“Extremely hot and dry weather conditions in Cyprus, combined with strong winds led to a disastrous upsurge of forest fires and wildfires in the Troodos Montain area on 29 June 2007. … Small villages had to be evacuated. Some houses were destroyed. Cyprus reported severe material damages in the area. Moreover, two forest fires hit Cyprus on 16 July 2007 in touristic areas of the Island. The first hit the vicinity of the Kalavasos village area … The other was close to Kornos village, which is located 20 km south of Nicosia [capital city]. The total burnt area … in Cyprus measured from satellite imagery on 31 July 2007 was 12 286 hectares.” European Civil Protection.

Climate change is pointing at us “like a loaded gun,” warned the EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel at a conference on water policy last week.

“Global warming is happening,” she said. “It’s taken thousands of years for global temperatures to rise by just one degree. In this century we expect to see an increase in global temperatures of between two and six degrees Celsius.”

“Climate change has arrived. Drought has arrived. We need to take out insurance now. Good business sense demands better use of water. For those farmers caught unprepared, climate change could be a sledge hammer,” said Boel. “Maybe there are areas that will benefit from this, like in the north, but we expect climate change to leave a wave of destruction. We expect more heat waves, drought, floods and crop failures.”

“We are going through a visual process of desertification. Krasochorio near Limassol, has lost its environment [Ecosystems have collapsed]. Around 85 per cent of the population has left. In Lania, 30 villas are surrounded by burnt land after the fires. What can the villagers do with them now?” Said the former Cypriot Agriculture Ministry official, Antonis Constantinou.

“What Cyprus is not good at is holding water, avoiding erosion, adapting to water shortage, and not giving incentives which can’t guarantee a better future for the island. We are also not so good at keeping greenery, avoiding fires, fighting fires, giving incentives to people to manage land, even non-agricultural land owners,” he added. (Source)

Recent History

Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean south of Turkey, north of Egypt, and east-southeast of Greece, It is the third-largest Mediterranean island and a busy tourist destination, attracting about 3 million tourists each year.

A former British colony, it gained independence from the UK in 1960 claiming sovereignty over 97% of the island and surrounding waters, with the United Kingdom controlling the remaining three percent. It became a member of the European Union May 1, 2004.

In 1974, following a period of violence between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and an attempted Greek Cypriot coup d’état aimed at annexing the island to Greece and sponsored by the Greek military junta of 1967-1974, Turkey invaded and occupied one-third of the island. This led to the displacement of thousands of Cypriots and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot political entity in the north. Cyprus is thus divided to:

• The area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus in the south of the island
• The Turkish-occupied area in the north, calling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey)
• The United Nations-controlled Green Line, separating the two
• Two “Sovereign Base Areas” or military bases Akrotiri and Dhekelia, where United Kingdom is the sovereign despite Cypriot independence. (Source: Wikimedia)

Map of Cyprus: WSBA and ESBA (British military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia) are in pink, UN buffer zone dividing the northern (Turkish) and southern (Greek) administrations is shown in gray. The map is adapted from the CIA World Factbook map. (Source).

Related Links:

• Drought
• Worsening Signs of Planetary Stress
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities

edro

Tornadoes Kill Dozens in China and Bangladesh

Dozens killed and hundreds more injured after devastating tornadoes hit China and Bangladesh

The most powerful recorded tornado to hit south China’s Guangdong Province left at least a dozen people dead and more than 270 injured, authorities said.

• A rare storm with winds of up to 177 km per hour carrying large hit Dongguan City causing substantial damage, Xinhua reported.

Bangladesh Tornado

A deadly tornado hit eastern Bangladesh killing at least 20 people and leaving more than 200 others injured.

• The tornado flattened hundreds of homes, uprooting trees and utility poles and destroying crops on farmlands throughout four sub-districts, an senior official told reporters.

Global Sea Surface Temperatures. Source: NOAA

.

March 23, 2013 — DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,085 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,085 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Powerful Tornadoes Destroy Dozens of Homes in Australia

Two tornadoes leave a trail of destruction across Victoria, NSW injuring at least 20 people

Destructive twisters described as “terrifying,”  ripped through Murray River towns of Bundalong, Yarrawonga, Mulwala, Rutherglen, Koonoomoo and Cobram, leaving at least 20 people injured, five seriously, more than 60 homes uninhabitable, and many more houses, mobile homes and businesses damaged, reports said.

• The tornadoes have been assessed as between F1 and F2 on the F-Scale rating, with wind speeds between 118 and 254km/h [F3?] and a destruction path 150m – 250m wide, said the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

• A local official in Mulwala described his town as “looking like a war zone” after the tornadoes swept through.

• “It’s just like a bomb went off. Trees have got no leaves. It’s just defoliated them. It looks like Agent Orange has sort of gone through there and stripped them.”

• Another official said:  “It is colossal damage, this will cost millions to fix.”

• “Big trees that weigh tonnes have been plucked from the ground and dragged and smashed everywhere.”

Related Links

• Back-to-Back Australian Disasters

Other Global Disasters/Significant Events

USA: Connecticut Disaster Declaration

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Connecticut in the areas affected by a severe winter storm and snowstorm during the period of February 8-11, 2013.

• Public infrastructure and facilities were destroyed or damaged by the severe winter storm and snowstorm in Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Tolland, and Windham Counties and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations located within New London County.

Thailand: Drought Disaster Declared in 39 Provinces

Drought disaster has been declared across 39 of Thailand’s 76 provinces, with a 4oth province,  Suphan Buri, on the verge of becoming another disaster area, said officials at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).

• At least 20 of the disaster areas are experiencing extreme [exceptional] drought.

USA: New Hampshire Disaster Declaration

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of New Hampshire in the areas affected by a severe winter storm and snowstorm during the period of February 8-10, 2013.

• Public infrastructure and facilities were destroyed or damaged by the severe winter storm and snowstorm in the counties of Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, and Sullivan.

United Kingdom: Britain could run out of gas in 36 hours

Britain’s natural gas stocks are running low due to the unseasonably cold weather, which has pushed the demand up by at least 20 percent. In the worst case scenario the country could run out of gas supplies in 36 hours, reports said.

.

March 22, 2013 — DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,086 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,086 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Drought Disaster Declared for 10 Additional Counties in 2 States

Ten counties in Iowa and Minnesota declared drought disaster areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 10 counties in Iowa and Minnesota as [primary and contiguous] agricultural disaster areas  due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.

• Iowa
  • Kossuth County (primary)
  • Emmet, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Wright, Hancock, Palo Alto and Winnebago counties.
• Minnesota
  • Faribault and Martin counties (contiguous)

U.S. Drought Map – March 19, 2013

U.S. Drought Map for March 19, 2013; released by the U.S. Drought Monitor on March 21, 2013.

• As of about 65.24 percent of Contiguous U.S. remains abnormally dry or worse.
• ‘Moderate’ to ‘Exceptional’ drought conditions (D1 – D4 on the chart) cover nearly 52 percent of the country.
• D1 – D4 drought conditions prevail in 91.29 percent of High Plains, more than 63 pct of the West, 58.96 pct of the South, 33.30 pct of Midwest and 23.24pct of Southeast.

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

.

March 21, 2013 — DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,087 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,087 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

How Homo Ignarus Killed Spring

Waiting for the spring?

Temperatures are set to rise, before they get really hot!!

Spring is dead! The Homo Ignarus Vulgus Exitiabilis (HIVE) genus have killed the in-between seasons.

They are now left with two long-lasting seasons: Increasingly hotter summers and colder winters.

And the drought is intensifying…

• Marsification of Earth
• The Death of Homo Sapiens Sapiens
• Earth’s Terminal Energy – ETE

Related Links

• US Drought 2013: March 12 Drought Map March 16, 2013
• US Drought Conditions March 8, 2013
• Drought Disaster Spreads to Dozens of Counties across 10 States February 28, 2013

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• US: Drought Disaster 2013 March 8, 2013

Mt Lokon Eruption Prompts 2.5km Exclusion Zone

Mt Lokon spews 2,000m column of pyroclasts

The latest eruption occurred at 07:57 a.m. local time Wednesday [UTC + 8 hrs] with a large plume from the Tompaluan crater moving to the northwest, Indonesia’s head of the Mt Lokon and Mount Mahawu observation post at Bandung Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) said.

Lokon volcano has experienced increased seismic activity and multiple eruptions since late June 2011, he said. 

Lokon’s previous eruption occurred on March 10, 2013.

Mount Lokon’s eruption seen from Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 14, 2011. Image Credit: Jakarta Post/ANN. Image may be subject to copyright.

The authorities have imposed a 2.5 km exclusion zone from the crater, however, no evacuation reported as of posting.

Lokon-Empung Summary of Details 

Country/ Region: Indonesia (Sulawesi)
Summit Elevation: 1,580 m
Coordinates: 1.358°N, 124.792°E

Mount Lokon, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, is located about 20 km from North Sulawesi provincial capital of Manado.

A map of volcanoes of Indonesia with eruptions since 1900.

Related Links

• Mt Lokon Erupts Again

• Mount Lokon Eruption Forces 6,000 to Evacuate
• VolcanoWatch Weekly [28 Oct 2009]
• VolcanoWatch Weekly [26 Oct 2009]

• Messages From Earth’s Powerhouse
• Weekly Volcano Watch: 19 March 2009
• A New Era of Intense Volcanic Unrest May Have Begun

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Radiation Record Broken by Fukushima Fish

Fish found with record 7,400 times the legal radiation limit near Fukushima NPP

The Operators of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), said they had caught a fish with record 740,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium, Kyodo News reported.

Hexagrammos otakii fish, aka Fat Greening, or Ainame. Source Kawasaki City website.

The radiated fish, a greenling, which measured 38 cm long and weighed 564 grams, was caught near a water intake of the power station on February 21, said the report.

The previous known record of radioactive cesium contamination in fish was 510,000 becquerels per kilogram found in another greenling caught in the same area…

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant underwent multiple meltdowns after it was crippled by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and the ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011.

Related Links

• Nuke Disasters
• Japan Quakes
• Probability of a Nuclear Disaster by Country
• Record High Radiation Found in Fukushima Fish March 1, 2013

.

March 18, 2013 — DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,090 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,090 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 16, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs