Ferocious Typhoon Nearing Philippines Ground Zero Hit by HAIYAN

MELOR could become a super typhoon

MELOR is currently packing sustained winds of about 230 km/hr and could become a super typhoon as it continue strengthen within the next 8 hours, with winds of about 260 km/hr (max. gusts of 320 km/hr). 

The typhoon is expected to bring torrential rains of about 30cm to areas within a 300-km of its diameter.

MELOR is headed toward Philippines ground zero the area devastated by HAIYN, which killed more than 6,300 people and left about 1.5 million homeless, in November 2013.

Frequency of Mt Bromo Tremors Remains High: PVMBG

Bromo volcano spews smoke, ash and strong sulfurous gasses

Seismic activity of Mount Bromo in East Java is still high and the alert status remains at Level III, said head of the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG).

“Volcanic activity of the 2,329 meter high mountain is still high and tremors are fluctuating with an increasing tendency,” he said.

“Visually the mountain could be seen clearly with clouds. The weather is fine with temperature at between 15 and 22 degrees Celsius and a soft breeze blowing.”

The volcano was spewing a column of smoke and ash to a height of up to  400 meters on Saturday.

PVMBG had issued an exclusion order for the area within 2.5 kilometer radius from the crater, earlier, urging  both the villagers and tourists to refrain from any activity within the banned area.

In addition to the hazards caused by sudden small explosions, strong sulfurous gasses were being emitted from the crater that could cause severe respiratory problems, warned PVMBG.

Bromo Volcano, marked as Tengger Caldera, is seen to the left of Tambora on the map. Tengger Caldera houses five volcanoes: Mt Bromo (2,329m), Mt Batok (2,470m), Mt Kursi (2,580m), Mt Watangan (2,660m) and Mt Widodaren (2,650m).

The Tengger massif in east Java, Indonesia, featuring Mt. Bromo (large smoking crater, ) and Mt. Semeru (background, smoking). The early morning fog surrounds the peaks surrounded by the “Sea of Sand.” Wikipedia CC license.

Malang airport, located about 70km from Mt Bromo was closed on Friday due to the eruption, said the Transportation Ministry.

Asked the planet about 2ºC plan before singing Kumbaya?

sent by a reader

Paris pact aims to keep global warming below 2ºC (3.6F) —ROFLOL
.

Obama says Paris climate pact ‘best chance’ to save the planet

When leader of the so-called “free-world” calls the Paris pact the “best chance” to save the planet, what exactly does he mean?

Because if the planet needs saving from something, it would be from the ceaseless and ever-worsening anthropogenic assault that is directed at her.

“Today the American people can be proud because this historic agreement is a tribute to American leadership. Over the past seven years, we’ve transformed the United States into the global leader in fighting climate change,” Obama said.

Paris Agreement

The “Paris Agreement” draft , which comprises of 31 pages states that it recognizes “that climate change represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies and the planet and thus requires the widest possible cooperation by all countries, and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response, with a view to accelerating the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions […] in order to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 2ºC above pre-industrial levels by reducing emissions to 40 gigatonnes or to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels…”

“Fighting Climate Change”

Exactly how do you do that? Would be like fighting ISIL in Syria?

“Together, we’ve shown what’s possible when the world stands as one.” Said Mr Obama [and nothing less than singing Kumbaya out loud would do. ]

Paris accord a legally binding treaty?

The Paris pact, unlike the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, is not even a legally binding treaty.

“Senate leadership has already been outspoken in its positions that the United States is not legally bound to any agreement setting emissions targets or any financial commitment to it without approval by Congress,” said Senator James Mountain “Jim” Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee.

What Others Said

• “The Paris Climate Conference is a crucial point in the global climate governance process. The outcome has a real bearing on human beings’ undertakings in climate change and our future of sustainable development,” said China’s Special Representative on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua.

• “It is the best outcome we could have hoped for, not just for the Least Developed Countries, but for all citizens of the world,” said Giza Gaspar Martins, the head of a group representing some of the world’s poorest countries.

• The GOP presidential “previously front-runner” Donald Trump has previously expressed his doubt about science that relates the warming of the climate to carbon emissions, insisting the global temperature “goes up and it goes down.”
• “We cannot afford to be slowed by the climate skeptics or deterred by the defeatists who doubt America’s ability to meet this challenge,” said Hillary Clinton, the other party’s presidential front-runner.

• Scientists now fear [realized?] the climate tipping point could occur at temperatures lower than 2ºC above the pre-industrial levels. So they have changed their tune to keeping the rise at “well below” the previous target, or +1.5ºC.

And the Planet?

She’ll have the last say, to be sure, and you will no doubt hear from her!