Pavlof rests, for now!

Pavlof ash eruption blankets large area

Pavlof volcano, as seen from Cold Bay, showing deposits of March 27-28 eruption. Photo by Candace Shaack.

Date: March 29, 2016 9:06 AM
Photographer/Creator: Candace, Shaack
URL: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/images/image.php?id=93861

Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

The eruption of Pavlof Volcano has greatly diminished in intensity over the past day… Seismic activity remains elevated at levels above background and over the past 24 hours has been characterized by occasional short-duration tremor bursts, likely associated with the low-level ash emissions.

Although the intensity of the eruption has diminished, it is possible for conditions to change at any time and more significant ash emissions may resume with little to no warning. —AVO

KILAUEA VOLCANO (VNUM #332010)
19°25’16” N, 155°17’13” W, Summit Elevation 4,091 ft (1,247 m)
Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Activity Summary: Kīlauea continues to erupt in a relatively steady fashion at both the summit, where there is a circulating lava lake, and from its East Rift Zone, where surface lava flows are active northeast of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent. The East Rift Zone lava flow currently poses no threat to nearby communities. Earthquake rates and seismic tremor are at background levels. —HVO

Crop Disasters Declared in North Carolina

NC Emergency Designations: Excessive rain and flooding damage or destroy crops across 22 counties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 22 counties in the state of North Carolina as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred from Jan. 2, 2016, and continues. Those counties are:

North Carolina. Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Duplin, Greene, Johnston, Lenoir, Martin, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Sampson and Wilson.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on March 30, 2016.

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on one or more crops.

ii. The counties designated as agricultural disaster areas, as listed above, include both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. Some counties may have been designated as crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

iv. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

Previous Disaster Designations – 2016:

• Crop Disasters Declared in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Puerto Rico March 26, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Florida, Georgia  March 18, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Nine U.S. States March 4, 2016

• Multiple Crop Disasters Hit Eight U.S. States February 29, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Montana February 25, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in the U.S. States of North Carolina and Virginia February 11, 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared in Two U.S. States February 5, 2016
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Georgia & the Carolinas January 24, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States January 9, 2016
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Volcano Eruption Alert: Canlaon Volcano Remains at Alert Level 1

KANLAON VOLCANO BULLETIN 30 March 2016 8:00 A.M.

[Issued by Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology – PHIVOLCS]

Two (2) minor eruption events occurred at Kanlaon Volcano’s active crater at around 6:20 PM and 7:18 PM of 29 March 2016 that lasted around 12 minutes and 25 seconds, respectively, based on visual observation and seismic recording. These events were recorded by the Kanlaon Seismic Network as explosion-type earthquakes. The first event was accompanied by a booming sound heard in Sitio Guintubdan, Brgy. Ara-al and Brgy. Yubo, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental and Brgy. Pula Canlaon City, Negros Oriental. From the southeastern side of the volcano, the eruption plume was observed to have reached 1500 meters above the active crater. Incandescent ejecta apparently caused small bushfire at the upper slope as observed from La Castellana. Traces of light ashfall were reported in Sitio Guintubdan, Brgy. Ara-al, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental. The eruption was followed by two episodes of volcanic tremor from 10:38 PM 29 March to 00:26 AM 30 March and from 01:30 AM this morning to present (ongoing). Continuous GPS data as of 14 March 2016 indicated slight inflation of the Kanlaon edifice since December 2015.

Alert Level 1 status remains in effect over Kanlaon Volcano, which means that it is currently in a state of unrest probably driven by hydrothermal processes that could generate more minor eruptions. The local government units and the public are reminded that entry into the 4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) is strictly prohibited due to the further possibilities of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or minor ash eruptions. Civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as airborne ash from a sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. DOST-PHIVOLCS is closely monitoring Kanlaon Volcano’s activity and any new development will be relayed to all concerned.

Resurgence of Fascism and Remilitarization in Japan

Sent by a reader in New Mexico

Another Abeshit Day in Japan’s Ignominious History

Despite its pacifist Constitution, Japan’s controversial “security laws” took effect today, enabling its troops to fight overseas for the first time since the nation’s total and utter defeat in World War II.

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws war as a means to settle international disputes involving the state.

In the Constitution, which came into effect on May 3, 1947, following Japan’s defeat in World War II, the state formally renounces the sovereign right of belligerency and aims at an international peace based on justice and order.

The Article 9 also forbids Japan from maintaining an army, navy or air force. Therefore, the Self Defense Forces are supposed to be extensions of the national police force.

The full text of Article 9 in Japanese is

“ 第九条 　日本国民は、正義と秩序を基調とする国際平和を誠実に希求し、国権の発動たる戦争と、武力による威嚇又は武力の行使は、国際紛争を解決する手段としては、永久にこれを放棄する。

二 　前項の目的を達するため、陸海空軍その他の戦力は、これを保持しない。国の交戦権は、これを認めない。”

The official English translation of the article is

“ ARTICLE 9. (1) Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
(2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized. ”

In July 2015, however, Abe’s Cabinet decided to unilaterally reinterpret the clause. The new legislation allows Japan to use force by exercising its right to “collective self-defense.”

“It makes a mockery of constitutional constraints on government power if governments can, through executive decree, reinterpret those constraints away. To permit such a reinterpretation of Article 9 would throw into question the integrity and meaning of all other provisions of the Constitution, and thus undermine the normative power of the entire Constitution,” said Craig Martin is an associate professor at the Washburn University School of Law.

“And of course this particular reinterpretation would gut one of the three pillars of Japan’s constitutional order. In short, it poses a serious risk to the rule of law and principles of democracy in Japan.”

“Prime Minister Abe changed the interpretation of the Constitution by force. Is it OK to change the Constitution’s pacifism so easily?” said Katsuya Okada, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, on Monday.

“We have to stop the ‘reckless driving’ of the Abe administration. This is the last chance to realize the politics in which it is possible to change ruling parties,” Okada said.

Significant Quake Strikes near Crescent, Oklahoma

M4.2 strikes 5km NNE of Crescent, Oklahoma

EQ Details
Magnitude: 4.2Mw
Location: 35.995°N, 97.57°W;  depth=4.9 km (3.1 mi)
Time:2016-03-29 04:53:01 (UTC)
Distances:

• 5km (3mi) NNE of Crescent, Oklahoma
• 18km (11mi) NW of Guthrie, Oklahoma
• 38km (24mi) NNW of Edmond, Oklahoma
• 48km (30mi) WSW of Stillwater, Oklahoma
• 58km (36mi) N of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma [Source: USGS/EHP]

Volcano Eruption Alert: Pavlov Volcano Eruption Continues

Seismic tremor at Pavlov remains at very high levels: AVO

The eruption of Pavlov Volcano continues. It began around 4 pm AKDT on Sunday (00:00UTC). Maximum ash cloud altitude of 37,000 ft (~ 11,300m) above sea level indicated.

AVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

• Volcano: Pavlof (VNUM #312030)
  • Location: N 55 deg 25 min W 161 deg 53 min
  • Elevation: 8,261 ft (2,518 m)
  • Area: Alaska Peninsula Alaska
• Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
• Current Aviation Color Code: RED
• Issued: Monday, March 28, 2016, 8:34 AM AKDT (2016-03-28/16:34UTC)
  Source: Alaska Volcano Observatory – Notice Number: 2016/A3

Volcanic Activity Summary:

• The eruption of Pavlov Volcano continues.
• It began around 4 pm AKDT on Sunday (00:00UTC).
• Seismic tremor remains at very high levels.
• Lighting associated with the ash eruption has been detected.
• Infrasound (pressure sensor) data from a sensor network located in Dillingham (400 miles or 650 km) also indicate sustained ash emissions.

Pavlof volcano in eruption, March 27, 2016. Photo courtesy of Colt Snapp, taken at 7:00 PM AKDT from a flight enroute to Anchorage, from Dutch Harbor. URL: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/images/image.php?id=93201

As of 7:00 AKDT (15:00 UTC) a continuous plume of ash is observed in satellite images extending for a distance of more than 400 miles (650 km) to the northeast over interior Alaska. SIGMET warning messages issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) Alaska Aviation Weather Unit indicate maximum ash cloud altitude of 37,000 ft above sea level. Please see the NWS web page for additional guidance and forecasts of ash movement. http://aawu.arh.noaa.gov/sigmets.php

Lava fountaining from the summit crater was observed throughout the night by mariners, pilots, and by residents in Cold Bay, located 37 miles (60 km) to the SW, . Volcanic mudflows are likely on the flanks of the volcano and could present a hazard in the local river valleys.

Recent Observations:  [Volcanic cloud height] 37,000 ft ASL in SIGMET
[Other volcanic cloud information] Extending for 400 miles to the NE as of 07:00 UTC.

Hazard Analysis:  [Mud flow] Mud flows on the flanks of the volcano are likely.

Satellite image showing strong ash signal (blue) extending more than 500 km (300 mi), north-northeast from Pavlof volcano, 4:19 am AKDT (12:19 UTC), March 28, 2016. Photographer/Creator:  Michelle  Coombs  URL:    http://www.avo.alaska.edu/images/image.php?id=93191

Remarks: Pavlof Volcano is a snow- and ice-covered stratovolcano located on the southwestern end of the Alaska Peninsula about 953 km (592 mi) southwest of Anchorage. The volcano is about 7 km (4.4 mi) in diameter and has active vents on the north and east sides close to the summit. With over 40 historic eruptions, it is one of the most consistently active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc. Eruptive activity is generally characterized by sporadic Strombolian lava fountaining continuing for a several-month period. Ash plumes as high as 49,000 ft ASL have been generated by past eruptions of Pavlof, and during the 2013 eruption, ash plumes as high as 27,000 feet above sea level extending as much as 500 km (310 mi) beyond the volcano were generated. The nearest community, Cold Bay, is located 60 km (37 miles) to the southwest of Pavlof.

Mt. Cleveland: Color Code YELLOW  Alert Level ADVISORY

Index map showing location of Pavlof volcano and other Alaska Peninsula volcanoes.  Credit: Janet Schaefer/AVO

Location of Cleveland volcano and other Aleutian volcanoes with respect to nearby cities and towns.  Credit: Janet Schaefer/AVO

Latest Seismic Activity along Aleutian Trench:
5.5 76km S of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-28 17:14:55 UTC 10.0 km
4.6 63km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-28 11:45:06 UTC 38.3 km
2.8 95km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-28 05:34:38 UTC 24.3 km
3.3 85km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-27 20:40:42 UTC 25.5 km
4.1 71km S of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-27 19:44:35 UTC 29.7 km
4.7 70km S of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-27 18:27:27 UTC 35.0 km
3.4 96km SSE of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-27 18:21:43 UTC 25.7 km
4.5 80km S of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-27 18:14:00 UTC 26.8 km
5.7 84km S of Nikolski, Alaska 2016-03-27 18:01:30 UTC 16.0 km

 

Toxic Water: Louisiana City Mayor Declares State of Emergency

Donaldsonville’s water contains chlorine dioxide up to to five times EPA guidelines

The mayor of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, has declared a state of emergency after the state warned residents not to drink tap water, said a report.

The city’s privately run Peoples Water Company has allegedly failed to report chlorine dioxide levels that are up to five times EPA guidelines.

Chlorine dioxide is a potent oxidizing agent used to disinfect drinking water and in bleaching. EPA has set a maximum level of 0.8 mg/liter for chlorine dioxide in drinking water.

Massive Fish Die-off Reported in Brevard County, Florida

Tens of thousands of dead fish rotting on Brevard County beaches

The dead fish were first spotted on Wednesday in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, but have since spread further along Brevard County and continue to wash ashore, said a report.

A Brevard County commissioner, Trudie Infantini, wants the county commission to declare a state of emergency over the fish kill in the Indian River Lagoon.

“This is truly a statewide problem for the health and safety of the public,” she said.

She is also concerned that the water may be unsafe for people.

“Until we know [what cause the fish kill,] do you want one of your kids swimming in the lagoon?” she asked.

Related Links

• Fish kill should be declared ‘state of emergency’ —Brevard County commissioner [WFTV]
• Residents and biologists concerned about major fish kill in the Indian River Lagoon [WFTV]
• Chain gang joins effort to remove thousands of dead, rotting fish [WFTV]
• Harmful algae could be responsible for large fish kills  [WFTV]

• Die-off of Large Whales Continues in Gulf of Alaska Posted on October 1, 2015
• Mass Fish Die-off in Lake Cajititlan, Mexico Posted on August 19, 2015
• Fish Die-off in Nevada Lake  Posted on January 17, 2014
• “Spooky” Disease Turning Starfish to “Slime” Posted on November 5, 2013
• Mass Die-off of Wild Shrimp Off SE Atlantic Coast  Posted on November 4, 2013
• Fracking Fluid Likely Killed Threatened Kentucky Fish: USGS  Posted on August 30, 2013
• Fish Mass Die-off Near Galveston, Texas Posted on August 14, 2012
• Dead Fish Cover 60-mile Stretch of Louisiana’s Pearl River Posted on August 23, 2011
• Red Tide Kills Millions of Fish Along Texas Coast  Posted on November 4, 2011

Japanese Govt Increasingly Intimidating the Journalists

“In Japan today, rather than the media watching the authorities, the government watches the media”—senior journalist

“Five of Japan’s most respected journalists have accused Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government of pressuring broadcasters to reduce criticism of its policies,” said a report.

In a press conference, held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan earlier this week, they denounced PM Shinzo Abe’s government for its recent clampdown on press freedom after a minister threatened to revoke their licenses for “biased coverage.”

The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Sanae Takaichi had warned the broadcasters last month that their licenses would be revoked if they failed to be “impartial” in political coverage.

“In Japan today, rather than the media watching the authorities, the government watches the media,” said Shuntaro Torigoe, a former news anchor on Japanese TV Asahi, adding that the Abe government “is most nervously checking what the media say, because what’s said on television affects his support ratings.”

“It sounds as if the government can suspend the activities of broadcasters or remove newscasters just because they criticized the government,” said Soichiro Okuno, an MP for the Democratic Party of Japan.

“Of all ruling Liberal Democratic Party governments, the Abe administration is most nervously checking what the media say, because what’s said on television affects his support ratings,” Shuntaro Torigoe, a former Mainichi newspaper journalist and news anchor on TV Asahi, said. “In Japan today, rather than the media watching the authorities, the government watches the media.”

The journalists also criticize the MSM for not fighting hard enough for press freedom.

“It’s not so much about political pressure, it’s about deterioration in the media,” said Soichiro Tahara, one of Japan’s most respected journalists, who is known for asking politicians tough questions. “To me, the most serious problem is self-restraint by higher-ups at broadcast stations.”

Reuters News Police Removes Comment on Japan’s Corrupt Politics

A comment concerning the corrupt state of politics in Japan, posted at reuters.com by one of our readers, was disallowed/ removed by Reuters news police.

The reader contended, and we’ve confirmed, that the comment contained original quotes from a book written by a prominent Japanese businessman, humanitarian and author, Toshihiko Abe, who was a former Director of European and American Operations at Casio Ltd.

The book, titled “Japan’s Hidden Face: A Call for Radical Change In Japanese Society & Commerce,” published by BainBridge Books, Philadelphia, is available in the United States  and Japan.

Freedom of press in Japan (!)

“Japanese govt forced Mainichi to remove thousands of articles. My blog had links to about 20,000 reports of rape and other acts of sexual violence perpetrated against woman by Japanese police officers, teachers and other civil servants over a period of four years.”

Related Links

• Japanese journalists feeling increasingly intimidated by government
• Foreign media feels the heat from prickly government minders
• Reuters “Charlie Hebdo” all of my comments after I wrote about systemic corruption in Japan

Crop Disasters Declared in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Puerto Rico

Extreme weather and climatic disasters destroy crops in multiple areas across two states and Puerto Rico

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 13 counties in the states of Oklahoma as Arkansas as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by heavy rains, flash flooding and flooding that occurred from Dec. 26, 2015, through Jan. 5, 2016. 

Those counties are:

• Oklahoma. Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, LeFlore, Latimer, McCurtain, Muskogee, Pushmataha and Sequoyah counties.
• Arkansas. Crawford, Polk, Scott and Sebastain counties.

USDA has also designated 27 municipalities in Puerto Rico as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought.

Those municipalities are: 

• Puerto Rico. Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Caguas, Canovanas, Carolina, Cayey, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Humacao, Juncos, Las Piedras, Maunabo, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, San Juan, San Lorenzo, Trujillo Alto, Vieques and Yabucoa municipalities.

All counties and municipalities listed above were designated crop disaster areas on March 23, 2016.

Previous Disaster Designations – 2016:

• Crop Disasters Declared in Florida, Georgia  March 18, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Nine U.S. States March 4, 2016

• Multiple Crop Disasters Hit Eight U.S. States February 29, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Montana February 25, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in the U.S. States of North Carolina and Virginia February 11, 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared in Two U.S. States February 5, 2016
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Georgia & the Carolinas January 24, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States January 9, 2016
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Major Disaster Declared for Mississippi

Destructive Weather Events: Federal Disaster Declared for The Hospitality State

Mississippi Severe Storms and Flooding (DR-4268)

Incident period: Beginning March 09, 2016 and continuing
Major Disaster Declaration declared on March 25, 2016

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the state of Mississippi in the areas affected by severe storms and flooding beginning on March 9, 2016, and continuing.

Areas that have sustained severe damage include the counties of Bolivar, Coahoma, and Washington.

Federal funding has also been made available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide, said the official statement.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments, said the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Federal Disaster Declarations (2015)

The federal government proclaimed 43 Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4247] for a U.S. state/tribal area/territory in 2015, two Emergency Declarations, EM-3372 and EM-3373 and 34 Fire Management Assistance Declarations [FM-5084 to FM-5117.]

Major Disaster Declarations (2016)

• Federal Disaster Declared for Pennsylvania (DR-4268) March 24, 2016

• Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-4266)  March 17, 201
• Major Disaster Declared for Delaware [DR-4265] March 17, 201
• Louisiana Disaster Declaration Expanded March 17, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration: New Jersey [DR-4264] March 15, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration: Louisiana Severe Storms and Flooding March 14, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declared for Virginia [DR-4262] March 8, 2016
• Major Disaster Declarations for DC and Maryland [DR-4260, DR-4261 ] March 5, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Georgia [DR-4259] February 27, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Oregon [DR-4258] February 19, 2016

• Major Disaster Declared for Alaska [DR-4257] February 18, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Oklahoma [DR-4256] February 12, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Texas  [DR-4255] February 10, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Arkansas [DR-4254] February 6, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Louisiana (EM-3376) February 6, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Washington [DR-4253] February 3, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Idaho [DR-4252] February 2, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Alabama [DR-4251] January 23, 2016
• Oklahoma Oak Grove Fire (FM-5118)
• Major Disaster Declared for Missouri [DR-4250] January 22, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared in Michigan [EM-3375] January 17, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration for Washington [DR-4249] January 16, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Mississippi [DR-4248] January 5, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Missouri [EM-3374] January 3, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

 

Volcano Eruption Alert: Mt Nyiragongo Could Explode Imminently

Mount Nyiragongo Showing Signs of Imminent Eruption: Report

Rwanda Red Cross has warned Nyiragongo volcano could erupt at any time, according to a report.

Local researchers say the volcano has been showing increased signs of eruption since February 28, 2016.

The volcano is currently spewing lava and ejecting up to 50,000 tons of volcanic matter per day.

Mt Nyiragongo, a Decade Volcano, is a 3,470-meter high active stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains. It is located in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the border with Rwanda. The two-kilometers-wide main crater usually contains a lava lake.

Nyiragongo 2002 Eruption

In a major eruption that began on January 17, 2002, lava flowed through the city of Goma, where some 400,000 residents had been evacuated.

However, the eruption killed about 150 people [the deaths occurred as a result of carbon dioxide poisoning and buildings collapsing due to volcanic earthquakes and the lava flow] and destroyed about a sixth of the city, leaving more than 120,000 people displaced.

State of Disaster Declared in Kansas amid Wildfires

Wildfires burn across 75,000 acres from Oklahoma to Kansas

Gov Brownback has declared a state of disaster emergency for parts of south-central Kansas as wildfires continue to threaten about 1,000 homes and businesses.

The so called Anderson Creek Fire has consumed about 75,00 acres since Tuesday night near the Kansas border in Woods County, Oklahoma. The blaze has since spread into Barber and Comanche counties in Kansas, NWS reported.

The fire is now threatening residents of Medicine Lodge in Barber County, according to the mayor, who has called for voluntary evacuations of the town’s 2,000 residents.

Meanwhile, the federal authorities have proclaimed a Management Assistance Declaration for the Anderson Creek Fire (FM-5120).

 

Japan Kills Hundreds of Minke Whales

Japan fleet returns from Antarctic whale hunt with hundreds of slaughtered whales

Japanese whaling fleet returned home Thursday after harpooning 333 minke whales in its annual Antarctic massacre, despite worldwide opposition.

Some 230 of the catch were females, with 90 percent of the mature females pregnant, according to reports.

“The number of pregnant females is consistent with previous hunts, indicating that the breeding situation of minke whales in the Antarctic is healthy,” Japan’s Fisheries Agency said in a statement.

The 2015/16 hunt followed a brief hiatus prompted by the United Nations’ International Court of Justice ruling, which described the annual hunt as “a commercial venture masquerading as science,” said reports.

Related reports

• Japan fleet returns from Antarctic whale hunt

Federal Disaster Declared for Pennsylvania

UPDATED

Kansas Anderson Creek Fire (FM-5120)

• Incident period: March 22, 2016
• Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on March 23, 2016

---

 

Destructive Weather Events: Major Disaster Declared for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4267)

• Incident period: January 22, 2016 to January 23, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration declared on March 23, 2016

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the area affected by the severe winter storm and snowstorm during the period of January 22-23, 2016.

Areas that have sustained severe damage include the following 23 counties: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Somerset, Westmoreland, and York.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments, said the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Federal funding has also been made available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, said the official report.

Federal Disaster Declarations (2015)

The federal government proclaimed 43 Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4247] for a U.S. state/tribal area/territory in 2015, two Emergency Declarations, EM-3372 and EM-3373 and 34 Fire Management Assistance Declarations [FM-5084 to FM-5117.]

Major Disaster Declarations (2016)

• Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-4266)  March 17, 201
• Major Disaster Declared for Delaware [DR-4265] March 17, 201
• Louisiana Disaster Declaration Expanded March 17, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration: New Jersey [DR-4264] March 15, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration: Louisiana Severe Storms and Flooding March 14, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declared for Virginia [DR-4262] March 8, 2016
• Major Disaster Declarations for DC and Maryland [DR-4260, DR-4261 ] March 5, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Georgia [DR-4259] February 27, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Oregon [DR-4258] February 19, 2016

• Major Disaster Declared for Alaska [DR-4257] February 18, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Oklahoma [DR-4256] February 12, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Texas  [DR-4255] February 10, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Arkansas [DR-4254] February 6, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Louisiana (EM-3376) February 6, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Washington [DR-4253] February 3, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Idaho [DR-4252] February 2, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Alabama [DR-4251] January 23, 2016
• Oklahoma Oak Grove Fire (FM-5118)
• Major Disaster Declared for Missouri [DR-4250] January 22, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared in Michigan [EM-3375] January 17, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration for Washington [DR-4249] January 16, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Mississippi [DR-4248] January 5, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Missouri [EM-3374] January 3, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

 

The cost of water

How much water do you need?

Worldwide, some 650 million people are without clean water and more than 2.3 billion people have no access to basic sanitation, says a new report.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 50 liters of water per person per day as the ‘intermediate’ quantity needed to maintain health, hygiene and for all domestic uses.

But how much does 50 liters of water cost?

• Cost In Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – 50l of water bought from a delivery service:
  £1.84 [54% of typical low daily salary for a snack stall-holder]
  [£1.00 (GBP) = $1.41 (USD) today.]

• In Antananarivo, Madagascar – from a tanker truck:
  £0.50 [45% of typical low daily salary for a factory worker]

• In Accra, Ghana – from a tanker truck:
  £0.45 [25% of typical low daily salary for a street food-seller]

In India it can cost up to a fifth of the daily wage to buy a day’s worth of water!

• In Maputo, Mozambique – from a street vendor:
  £0.09 [13% of typical low daily salary for a street food-seller]

• In London, UK – from an official piped supply:
  £0.07 [0.15% of typical low daily salary for a person on minimum wage]

Source: The State of the World’s Water 2016

WaterAid’s 2016 report

3 Days of Mourning Declared in Belgium after Terrorist Carnage

Belgian authorities fail citizens against deadly terrorist attacks

Belgian officials have declared three days of mourning, having pathetically failed to prevent deadly terrorist attacks on Brussels Airport and a metro station.

The attacks in the Belgian capital left at least 34 people dead and more than 230 others injured, according to reports.

Twin blasts at Brussels National Airport, Zaventem, which killed at least 15 people and wounded more than a hundred, were followed by another powerful bomb explosion at the Maelbeek metro station, near the European Commission offices.

“Our fears have come true,” said the criminally incompetent Belgian prime minister, as he raised the threat level to the highest notch across the country.

“The victims have not been identified yet. It will take considerable time,” Brussels mayor told reporters.

Cost of the War Racket since WWII

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The cost of upkeep of the world’s darkest empire

The most costly military operations since WWII, as estimated by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, are as follows:

1. The US ‘War on Terror’ (waged on Iraq, Afghanistan): Up to $6 Trillion

The cost of War on Terror, the biggest war racket in the American history, easily dwarfs that of World War II, estimated at about $3 trillion (inflation adjusted.)

… the War on Terror has cost the US-led Coalition thousands of soldiers’ lives, with tens of thousands more injured. Neither the War in Iraq nor the NATO War in Afghanistan can be said to have been even a qualified success. Following over a decade of sectarian violence, large swathes of western Iraq are now occupied by Daesh Islamist militants. Afghanistan, meanwhile, has seen the Taliban regain control over large areas of the country as the NATO mission winds down.  Read more…

2. Vietnam War: $738 Billion

“Vietnam War, which lasted eight years, would cost the US $738 billion [in 2011 dollars] and more than 58,000 US military personnel.”

3. Korean War: $341 Billion

“Allied carpet bombing is estimated to have destroyed upwards of three quarters of North Korea’s population centers; in all, the US dropped 635,000 tons of bombs, including 32,000 tons of napalm, on the peninsula, which is more than the total dropped during the entirety of the US’s Pacific campaign in WWII.”

• The three-year war left an estimated 2.5 million people dead, and more than 1.5 million other wounded. About 400,000 others were declared abducted or missing.

4. Gulf War: Operation ‘Desert Storm’: $102 Billion

The depleted uranium munition used during the 42-day Operation Desert Storm “were estimated to have dramatically increased cancer rates among Iraqi military personnel and civilians, with government statistics showing cancer rates rising from 40 per 100,000 people before the Gulf War in 1991, to 800 per 100,000 in 1995, to over 1,600 per 100,000 in 2005.”

5. The NATO Bombing Campaign in Yugoslavia: $43 Billion

The 78-day NATO campaign, code-named Operation Allied Force, “saw attacks by Allied aircraft against military targets and civilian infrastructure in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY),” which cost the organization about $43 billion.  Read more…

Earthquakes Strike near Hawthorne, Nevada

RCM

M4.3  strikes 23km ESE of Hawthorne, Nevada

Magnitude: 4.3Mw
Time: 2016-03-21 07:37:10 (UTC)
Distances:

• 22km (14mi) ESE of Hawthorne, Nevada
• 127km (79mi) ESE of Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada
• 143km (89mi) ESE of Carson City, Nevada

Aftershocks:

• 3.3 23km ESE of Hawthorne, Nevada 2016-03-21 13:18:10 UTC depth=6.3km
• 3.3 23km ESE of Hawthorne, Nevada 2016-03-21 10:46:49 UTC depth=6.8km

U.S. Seismicity Events Today Included :

• M 4.6 – 13km SE of Waikoloa, Hawaii
  Location: 19.848°N 155.703°W
  Depth: 31.8 km
  Time: 2016-03-20 16:43:59 UTC

• M 2.9 – 7km NW of Contoocook, New Hampshire
  Location: 43.263°N, 71.781°W
  Depth: 6.8 km
  Time: 2016-03-21 13:18:23 UTC

• M 2.6 – 9km SW of Caruthersville, Missouri
  Location: 36.127°N, 89.728°W
  Depth: 9.1 km
  Time: 2016-03-20 17:23:04 UTC

Other events recorded in Alaska, California, Kansas & Oklahoma.

[Source: USGS/EHP]

Strong Earthquake Strikes East of Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

TVE

M6.4 quake strikes S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia

EQ Details

Magnitude: 6.4Mw
Location: 54.333°N, 162.799°E
Depth: 31.3 km
Time: 2016-03-20 22:50:20 (UTC)

Distances:

• 211km (131mi) S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia
• 309km (192mi) ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia
• 317km (197mi) ENE of Yelizovo, Russia
• 329km (204mi) ENE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia
• 2,733km (1698mi) NNE of Tokyo, Japan

[Source: USGS/EHP]

“Twitter blocking users accused of ‘harassing’ accounts linked to ISIS”

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Silicon Valley increasingly enabling terrorists

“Saudi firms are using IP addresses purchased from the British government to spread ISIS propaganda on Twitter. Meanwhile, activists who try to get these accounts removed are themselves banned.”

The British government allegedly sold a larger amount of IP addresses to “two Saudi firms,” which explains why ISIS uses IP addresses that can be traced back to the British government.

http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/isis-twitter-accounts-traced-saudi-arabia-british-government/ri13463

Google sought overthrow of Syria’s Govt.

“Google in 2012 sought to help insurgents overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to State Department emails receiving fresh scrutiny this week.”

“Please keep close hold, but my team is planning to launch a tool … that will publicly track and map the defections in Syria and which parts of the government they are coming from,” Jared Cohen, the head of what was then the company’s “Google Ideas” division, wrote in a July 2012 email to several top Clinton officials.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/clinton-mail-reveals-google-sought-overthrow-of-syrias-assad/article/2586300

Major Disaster Declared for Texas

Federal Disaster Declared for Texas due to Continuing Destructive Weather Events

Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-4266)

• Incident period: March 07, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration declared on March 19, 2016

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the state of Texas in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on March 7, 2016, and continuing.

Areas that have sustained severe damage include Jasper, Newton, and Orange counties.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments, said the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Federal Disaster Declarations (2015)

The federal government proclaimed 43 Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4247] for a U.S. state/tribal area/territory in 2015, two Emergency Declarations, EM-3372 and EM-3373 and 34 Fire Management Assistance Declarations [FM-5084 to FM-5117.]

Major Disaster Declarations (2016)

• Major Disaster Declared for Delaware [DR-4265] March 17, 201
• Louisiana Disaster Declaration Expanded March 17, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration: New Jersey [DR-4264] March 15, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration: Louisiana Severe Storms and Flooding March 14, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declared for Virginia [DR-4262] March 8, 2016
• Major Disaster Declarations for DC and Maryland [DR-4260, DR-4261 ] March 5, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Georgia [DR-4259] February 27, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Oregon [DR-4258] February 19, 2016

• Major Disaster Declared for Alaska [DR-4257] February 18, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Oklahoma [DR-4256] February 12, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Texas  [DR-4255] February 10, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Arkansas [DR-4254] February 6, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Louisiana (EM-3376) February 6, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Washington [DR-4253] February 3, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Idaho [DR-4252] February 2, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Alabama [DR-4251] January 23, 2016
• Oklahoma Oak Grove Fire (FM-5118)
• Major Disaster Declared for Missouri [DR-4250] January 22, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared in Michigan [EM-3375] January 17, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration for Washington [DR-4249] January 16, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Mississippi [DR-4248] January 5, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Missouri [EM-3374] January 3, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

FIRE-EARTH Program – March 19, 2016

CJ Members

Broadcast on FIRE-EARTH Channels…

For details of program and the Q & A session, tune in to your local channels.

• Starting March 19, 2016 at 20:05 UTC

Global Temperature Analysis – February 2016

February 2016 the warmest ever: NOAA

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces (SST) for February 2016 was the highest for February in the 137-year period of record, at 1.21°C (2.18°F) above the 20th century average of 12.1°C (53.9°F), surpassing the previous record set in 2015 by 0.33°C (0.59°F).

It also surpassed the all-time monthly record set just two months ago in December 2015 by 0.09°C (0.16°F).

• The six highest monthly temperature departures on record have all occurred in the past six months.
• February 2016 also marks the 10th consecutive month a monthly global temperature record has been broken.

Global Land Temp

The average global temperature across land surfaces was 2.31°C (4.16°F) above the 20th century average of 3.2°C (37.8°F), the highest February temperature on record, surpassing the previous records set in 1998 and 2015 by 0.63°C (1.13°F) and surpassing the all-time single-month record set in March 2008 by 0.43°C (0.77°F).

SST

February’s globally-averaged sea surface temperature was 0.81°C (1.46°F) above the 20th century average of 15.9°C (60.6°F). This was the highest for February on record, surpassing the previous records set in 1998 and 2015 by 0.36°C (0.20°F), and was the sixth highest departure from average among all 1,632 months in the record.

• The nine highest monthly global ocean temperature departures have all occurred in the past nine months (since July 2015).

December–February

The December–February seasonal global temperature was 1.13°C (2.03°F) above the 20th century average of 12.1°C (53.8°F). This was the highest for December–February in the 1880–2016 record, surpassing the previous record set last year by 0.29°C (0.52°F). December 2015–February 2016 also marks the highest 3-month departure from average for any 3-month period on record, surpassing the previous record set last month, November 2015–January 2016, by 0.09°C (0.16°F).

• The globally-averaged temperature across land surfaces was also the highest on record for December–February, at 1.93°C (3.47°F) above the 20th century average of 3.2°C (37.8°F). This surpasses the previous record set last year by 0.46°C (0.83°F) and marks the highest 3-month departure from average for any 3-month period on record, surpassing the previous record of November 2015–January 2016 by 0.40°C (0.70°F).

• SST for the period was 0.84°C (1.51°F) above the 20th century average of 15.8°C (60.5°F), the highest for December–February on record, surpassing the previous record set in 2009/10 by 0.22°C (0.40°F).

The first two months of 2016 were the warmest such period on record across the world’s land and ocean surfaces, at 1.13°C (2.03°F) above the 20th century average of 12.1°C (53.8°F), surpassing the previous record set in 2015 by 0.29°C (0.52°F).

The average SST for the year-to-date was the highest for January–February in the 137-year period of record, at 0.83°C (1.49°F) above average, surpassing the previous record set in 2010 by 0.22°C (0.40°F). The average land surface temperature was also record high, at 1.95°C (3.51°F) above average, surpassing the previous record of 2002 by 0.41°C (0.74°F).

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for February 2016, published online March 2016, retrieved on March 18, 2016 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201602.

Japan Sending Weapons Grade Plutonium to U.S. this Weekend: Activists

Joint Statement by Activists Condemning “Secret” Plutonium Shipment from Japan to U.S.

Japan will send 331kg of weapons-grade plutonium as early as this weekend to the United States, Greenpeace said in a statement.

A shipment of weapons-grade plutonium scheduled to depart the port of Tokai, Ibaraki prefecture this coming weekend highlights the failure, but also the proliferation risks, of the current Japanese nuclear policy, a coalition of five non-governmental organizations warned today. A cargo of 331kg of plutonium will be loaded on to the Pacific Egret, an armed British nuclear transport ship, prior to departure under armed escort to the United States. It will be the largest shipment of separated plutonium since 1.8 tons of plutonium was delivered to Japan by controversial Akatsuki-maru in 1992. The two month voyage to the Joint Base Charleston-Weapons Station will then see the plutonium dumped at the Department of Energy Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, which is responsible for the shipment, has identified that storage in Japan poses a security risk justifying its removal.

“Citizen Nuclear Information Center (Japan); Green Action (Japan); Savannah River Site Watch (U.S.); CORE (England), and Greenpeace, condemn the shipment as a dangerous distraction from the major problem in Japan which is its overall nuclear energy policy, where over 9 tons of plutonium remains stockpiled and there are plans to produce many tons more during the coming decade. The representatives of the five organizations have worked together over the past quarter century against Japan`s plutonium and nuclear fuel cycle program,” said a joint statement.

Two-hundred and thirty six kilograms of the Tokai plutonium was supplied to Japan from the UK, with 2 kilograms from France and the remainder from the U.S. for neutronic testing purposes at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency Fast Critical Assembly facility at Tokai-mura in Ibaraki. The facility has been used as a basis for Japan`s failed fast breeder reactor program, in particular the MONJU reactor. For more than five decades, Japanese nuclear policy has been based on the production and use of plutonium as a nuclear fuel. However, the failure of both its breeder program and plans to use plutonium as mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in light water reactors, has led to Japan acquiring the largest stockpile of weapons usable plutonium of any non nuclear weapon state.

Japan’s current stockpile of plutonium is about 46,700kg, of which 9,528kg is located locally, with the balance being stored in France and the UK. About 8kg is required for a nuclear weapon.

“Two reactors, Takahama 3 and 4, owned by Kansai Electric, began operation in January and February 2016 loaded with plutonium MOX fuel, with unit 3 operating with 24 assemblies containing 1,088kg of plutonium and unit 4 with 4 assemblies containing 184kg of plutonium. Unit 4 shutdown due to an electrical failure three days after start up, while unit 3 was forced to shutdown on March 10th following a court order. Both reactors remain shutdown and are subject of a court injunction preventing operation issued by the Otsu district court, Shiga prefecture on March 9th. They are expected to be non operational for many months. Of the 26 reactors under review by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), Ikata-3, Genkai-3 and Tomari-3 are all intended to operate with plutonium MOX fuel,” said the statement.

The U.S. Department of Energy reportedly “has no plans for final disposal of the Japanese plutonium, which will be added to the existing stockpile of 13 tons at the SRS, demonstrating that the shipment is largely a commercial dumping operation to secure funds for the beleaguered weapons material production site near Aiken, South Carolina, as pointed out by Savannah River Site Watch.”

An analysis of Japan’s plutonium program: Nuclear Proliferation in Plain Sight

Related Links

• Another Nuclear Reactor in Japan Leaking Radioactive Water  February 21, 2016