Archive for the ‘Drought’ Category
Posted by feww on June 28, 2013
Severe and Extreme Drought Levels Spread in the West and South
‘Severe’ and ‘Extreme’ and Exceptional Drought’ levels—D2, D3 and D4 on the U.S. Drought Monitor Scale—increase in western United States from 51.90 to 56.71% since last week , while the South experienced a rise of about 1.7% in Severe and Extreme drought levels in the same period.
US Drought Map as of June 25, 2013, released by US Drought Monitor on June 27, 2013.
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Posted in Drought, drought and deluge, Drought Map, Significant Event Imagery, significant events | Tagged: drought and deluge, drought disaster, Drought in Southern US, Drought in Western U.S., U.S. Drought Map, U.S. Drought Monitor, US Drought, US drought 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on May 30, 2011
Flooding News Headlines
More rain, snow, National Guard troops for Montana
The governor of flood-plagued Montana ordered more National Guard troops to join the anti-flood effort, while states downstream along the bloated Missouri River strengthened levees and laid sandbags ahead of the release of waters from dams and reservoirs. More …
Lake Champlain inching again toward destructive level
Lake Champlain, responding to the immense volume of rainfall that struck northern Vermont and the Adirondacks last Thursday, has risen to 102.75 feet above sea level as of 2 p.m. Sunday and will keep rising toward a potentially destructive level, the U.S. Geological Survey and National Weather Service reported. More …
Storms cause flooding in Chicago, suburbs
Severe storms with intense downpours caused flooding on roads and in basements throughout the city and suburbs Sunday. More …
Dakota Dunes braces for rising river; Sioux City put on alert
Rising waters all along the Missouri River mean flooding problems in Siouxland this spring. More…
Flash flooding hits Sydney – One Dead
Torrential rain caused chaos across Sydney on Monday, with city motorists rescued from flash floods and one man dead in a major freeway pile-up. More …
Floodwaters in Quebec’s Richelieu Valley expected to peak today
For the third time in 45 days, floodwater in the Richelieu Valley southeast of Montreal is expected to peak today. But, unlike other high water marks this spring, flood forecasters are finally promising better days ahead. More…
B.C., Alberta prepare for floods as Manitoba, Quebec prepare for cleanup
As the flood waters recede in Manitoba, parts of Alberta and British Columbia are being threatened by overflowing rivers and Quebec’s Richelieu River valley remains submerged.
More …From 2011 Disaster Calendar – May 30
Mass die-offs resulting from planetary response to the harm caused by humans could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,752 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History
- South Dakota, USA. Clay County Commission has issued a countywide State of Emergency “to prepare for significantly higher water levels as the Corps of Engineers increases releases from the dams,” a report said.
- Alberta, Canada. The Municipal District of Foothills in Alberta has declared a state of emergency because of widespread flooding.
- China. At least one million people died of tobacco-related diseases (10 percent of them from secondhand smoke), accounting for 13 percent of China’s total of 9.43 million of deaths in 2010, a report said.
- “China has more than 300 million smokers, and those smokers are not only damaging their own health. Second-hand smoke attacks about 740 million people, including 180 million children and teenagers, according to the 2011 China Tobacco Control Report released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) Thursday in Beijing.”
2011 Disasters
Posted in Drought, drought and deluge | Tagged: 2011 Disaster Calendar, Canada floods, flood, flooding, Foothills flooding, Lake Champlain, Richelieu Valley, South Dakota, Sydney Flash flooding, us flooding | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on March 3, 2011
Crop Damage Caused by Drought Could Send [Soaring] Food Prices Through the Ceiling
Click image to enlarge
Posted in Drought, drought and deluge, Drought Map | Tagged: crop damage, food prices, US drought map | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 2, 2011
US: Highest No. of Wildfires (y-t-d)
US Wildfires: 50-percent more fires than the 10 year average
Fueled by dry weather (drought conditions) and wind, between January 1, 2011 and March 1, 2011 at least 9,760 fires consumed more than 230,000 acres. [10-year average: 6,205 fires; 153,877 acres]
States currently reporting large fires:
- Florida
- Texas
- Virginia
- New Mexico
- Total no of new and active large fires: ~ 45
National Fire Activity:
- Initial attack activity: Moderate (271 new fires)
- New large fires: 7
- Large fires contained: 14
- Uncontained large fires: 12
Active Fire Mapping: USDA Forest Service. Click image to enlarge.
Wildfires have destroyed at least 80 homes in Texas and scorched some 300 square kilometers.
“From Feb. 21 through Feb. 28, the Texas Forest Service responded to 63 fires on nearly 140,000 acres — mostly in the Panhandle and Rolling Plains.” Source
Destroyed by Wildfire:
- Potter County, north of Amarillo: 30,000 acres and 30 homes
- Motley County: 40,000 acres consumed, and the entire town of Matador had to be evacuated
Fire bans were imposed in 144 Texas counties as of Feb. 28, the Forest Service reported.
MODIS Rapid Response System Global Fire Maps
Latest fire map available: 02/20/11 – 03/01/11 (2011051-2011060). Each of these fire maps accumulates the locations of the fires detected by MODIS on board the Terra and Aqua satellites over a 10-day period. Each colored dot indicates a location where MODIS detected at least one fire during the compositing period. Color ranges from red where the fire count is low to yellow where number of fires is large. The compositing periods are referenced by their start and end dates (julian day). The duration of each compositing period was set to 10 days. Compositing periods are reset every year to make year-to-year comparisons straightforward. The first compositing period of each year starts on January 1. The last compositing period of each year includes a few days from the next year. SOURCE: MODIS . Click image to enlarge.
Large Wildfires in Florida
Three large wildfires burning out of control in eastern Florida forced the authorities to close major routes, including Highway 1 and Interstate 95 on February 28, 2011 as MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite took this image. SOURCE: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge.
MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite detected fires burning in southern Texas and Louisiana on March 1, 2011. Source: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge.
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FIRE-EARTH Links:
Posted in Drought, drought an deluge, US disasters, US Drought, wildfires | Tagged: Florida wildfires satellite image, Iron Horse Fire, Red Flag Warning, Wildfires in Florida, Wildfires in texas | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on January 25, 2011
Worst drought in 60 years hits northern China
2 million people and 60 million hectares of crops running out of water
Most of China’s wheat-growing areas in the north have been scorched by droughts since last October. The provinces of Henan, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Jiangsu , as well as Xuchang in central China’s Henan Province haven’t seen a drop of rain for three months.
“East China’s Qingdao in Shandong Province is also being hit hard by drought. Tap water there dried up 2 months ago, residents now have to carry water from a local river,” a report said.
The land is parched, crops are withering.
Beijing has seen no rain for 92 days, and is about to break a 60-year record for the latest first snowfall, the People’s Daily said.
“Water levels are continuing to fall and the depleted Miyun reservoir is threatening to turn the taps off for 17 million residents and access to drinking water. Experts forecast that Beijing will not see any rain until February,” the report added.
Winter wheat crops in about a fifth of northern China’s wheat-growing areas have been severely affected by drought, while forecasters see no early end to the dry spell.
Meanwhile, freezing rain and heavy snow are wreaking havoc across large parts of southern china, affecting crops.
More icy rain and heavy snow is forecast for large areas of southwest China, as a cold snap approaches, the People’s Daily said.
Time to Exhaust the Yellow River
Beijing is experiencing its 12th year of an ongoing drought, as a result of which the water tables have dropped sharply, according to a report, citing the Water Authority officials.
Beijing residents require 2.5 billion cubic meters of water a year; however the Capital’s two drinking water reservoirs, Guanting and Miyun, hold a combined total of 1.2 billion cubic meters, the report said.
“Starting this year, the Yellow River-to-Beijing Water Diversion Project will be launched to alleviate water shortages in the capital, and it is expected to transfer 300 million cubic meters of water annually, according to the Beijing Water Authority.”
“The annual water shortage in Beijing now stands at 515 million cubic meters. After the water diversion project is completed in 2015, 1 billion cubic meters of water will be transferred every year, but that still leaves a shortage of 190 million cubic meters of water every year in Beijing.” The report said.
Unfortunately for Beijing residents, the figures don’t add up!
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Posted in China Drought, Drought, drought and deluge, South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the Yellow River | Tagged: china Mega Disaster, Drought in northern china, Drought Mega Disaster, Guanting reservoir, Miyun reservoir | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on December 26, 2010
Both the West and East Coasts of the U-S Hit by Winter Storms as Drought Persists in the South
States of Emergency have now been declared in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Maine, New Jersey, Delaware and Massachusetts in the Past 72 hours in response to major rainstorms, severe snowstorms and persistent drought.
The D.C. area could see about 10 inches of snow, beginning Sunday, The National Weather Services said.
As the major snowstorm buffets the region, forecasters believe the worst may be yet to come.
Click images to enlarge
Latest Seasonal Assessment – During the past several weeks, drought coverage increased or intensified across much of the Southwest, southern Plains, and the Florida peninsula. In contrast, continued precipitation improved drought conditions across the central Appalachians and Ohio Valley, with impacts easing across West Virginia, northern Virginia, and western Maryland. Further west, precipitation ameliorated drought conditions in southern Oregon and northeastern California. With moderate to strong La Niña conditions expected to continue through the northern hemisphere winter season, strong consideration was given in this outlook to climate anomalies associated with the cold ENSO phase. Therefore, drought expansion or intensification is expected across the Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic states, particularly in Florida. To the north, storm systems frequently translate across the Ohio Valley region into New England during La Niña winters, increasing the odds for drought improvement from eastern Arkansas and western Tennessee northward into the eastern Corn Belt. A similar precipitation anomaly dipole exists across the western U.S., with increased odds for above median precipitation in the Northwest contrasting with greater chances of below median precipitation for the Southwest and southern Rockies. Due to this consideration, continued improvement is expected for remaining drought areas in northern California and western Wyoming, while drought expansion or intensification is forecasted for the desert Southwest and portions of the central and southern High Plains. Increased odds for above median precipitation during the rainy season in Hawaii favor improvement across the western islands, but significant improvement of long term drought conditions on the eastern islands is more uncertain. [Source: NWS/ CPC]
Click Below for 31 Day Animations
Snow Cover Animations:
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European Weather
Posted in Drought, drought an deluge, snowstorm | Tagged: La Niña conditions, persistent drought, snow in DC area, US rainstorm, US snowstorm | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on December 15, 2010
… as Drought Persists in the South, Southeast
By this time next year, extreme climate could devastate parts of the U-S, leading to famines, epidemics and civil strife
USDA declares parts of 16 states as natural disaster areas due to drought
Drought continues to increase in intensity and coverage across the southern and central Plains,and parts of the southeast, NWS/CPC forecast.
Drought will persist and expand from central and southern Texas eastward along and near the Gulf Coast through the southern Atlantic Seaboard.
Drought is forecast to also persist in the central and southern Plains, and expand into south-central Nebraska and northwestern Kansas, and from the southern Rockies, central Great Basin into central Nevada… Read full forecast here.
Meanwhile…
NEW Snowstorm pushes more snow toward the upper Midwest
“Snow will develop today ahead of a storm system dropping down into the Plains. The heaviest snow is expected to fall from central Minnesota down through northeast Iowa and northwest Illinois. 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected to fall over this area by Thursday morning with lesser amounts to the northeast across western Wisconsin.” NWS – Weather Forecast Office.
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Posted in Drought, drought an deluge, extreme climate, snow forecast, snowstorm | Tagged: civil strife, famine, midwest snowstorm, US Drought, US snowstorm | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on December 4, 2010
20 Million Tons of Dust in the Air
Minimum dust content in the atmosphere higher than 20 million tons: FIRE-EARTH
Thanks (!) to human induced climate change, exacerbating droughts, dust storms and a few other natural mechanism, as well as deforestation and increased agricultural damage …, the atmosphere contained a minimum of about 20 million tons of dust during the past 12 months, FIRE-EARTH estimates.
[NOTE: The estimate does not include particles from smoke and burning fossil fuels, or ash and other volcanic materials.]
Dust over the Mediterranean
A large plume of dust from the Sahara, extending about 700km, drifts northward across the Mediterranean Sea toward Greece. Natural-color imageas captured by MODIS instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite on November 10, 2010. Download large image (3 MB, JPEG) . Click image to enlarge. Source: NASA E-O
Dust covers the Gulf of Alaska, again
Dust blows off the coast of Alaska covering the Gulf of Alaska for the second time in as many weeks. “Although dust storms often arise from sand seas, such as those of the Sahara or the Arabian Peninsula, dust can also result from the interactions of glaciers and bedrock.” The natural-color image was acquired by MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite on December 1, 2010. Download large image (1 MB, JPEG). Source: NASA E-O.
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Posted in deforestation, desert sandstorm, Drought, human induced climate change, Sandstorm | Tagged: dust, dust bowl, dust storm, Mediterranean Sea, Saharan Dust Storm | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on September 29, 2010
2nd Heat Wave in a Month Hits SoCal
L.A. heat wave breaks all time record
A scorching heat wave sent temps soaring to a record high of 45ºC (113ºF) in downtown Los Angeles.
Previous record of 44.4ºC (112ºF) was set in June 1990. Temperature records for the L.A. area started in 1877.
Max Temps. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).
Tremendous power demand yesterday caused several transformers to explode resulting in a massive power blackout, which left about 30,000 people in Los Angeles area without electricity today, L.A. Department of Water and Power said.
“At the Santa Fe Dam, NWS’s online tracking system recorded a high of 116 degrees at 2:57 p.m.,” According to a report.
Three-digit temperatures are stretching as far north as the state capital, Sacramento, reports say.
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Posted in Drought, drought an deluge, record heat, record temperature, temp forecast | Tagged: calif Heat, calif temps, heat wave, Santa Fe Dam, SoCal Heat Wave | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on September 11, 2010
Syria’s drought pushing 3 million people into “extreme poverty”—UN Senior Rep
Syria has experienced 4 consecutive droughts since 2006, with the 2007-2008 causing the most devastation.
Download large image (4 MB, JPEG) – Image acquired April 30, 2008. Source: NASA E/O.
At least 1.3 million people have been affected by the 4-year drought, about 1 million of whom have had their livelihoods destroyed, Olivier de Schutter, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, said.
“The losses from these repeated droughts have been significant for the population in the northeastern part of the country, particularly in Al-Hasakeh, Deir Ezzor and Al-Raqqa.” He said.
“Small-scale farmers have been worst affected. Many farmers have not been able to cultivate enough food or earn enough money to feed their families. Herders have also lost 80-85 percent of their livestock since 2005, according to UN figures.” A report said.
The drought is also threatening food security as demand for wheat reached 3.8 million tons, with the yield lagging behind by about 500,000 tons, forcing the government to import the shortfall.
“Thousands have left northeastern areas and live in informal settlements or camps close to Damascus. Experts warn, off the record, that the true figure of those living in ‘extreme poverty’ could be higher than the 2-3 million estimate.” UN OCHA reported.
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Posted in Drought, drought and deluge, drought in syria | Tagged: collapse, fertile crescent, right to food, syria | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on September 5, 2010
Japan Feeling the Heat
Japan facing its hottest summer with Kyoto recording 39.9ºC (103.8ºF) today, and 128 other cities higher than 35ºC.
Japan’s hottest summer since records began in 1898 has claimed about 700 lives [150 deaths confirmed by govt in mid August due to heatstroke and another 496 dying from heat-related complications,] with 50,000 others hospitalized from heatstroke.
The country’s average temperature between June and August was 1.64ºC (2.95ºF) higher than the 30-year average calculated between 1971 and 2000.
Since early August, many parts of the country has experienced temperatures above 35ºC, Japan’s Meteorological Agency earlier reported.
“It can be said that weather was abnormal in this summer,” an agency official said.
Their earlier forecast for the temperature to exceed 35ºC in many parts of the country has proven right.
The intense heatwave has also killed up to 1,200 cows, about 660 pigs and as many as half a million chicken, according to a report.
“The latest survey does not cover Miyazaki Prefecture, which was hit by foot-and-mouth disease among its livestock and was forced to slaughter around 289,000 cows and pigs. The prefecture announced the end of the outbreak last week.”
NOTE: The hottest ever temperature recorded in Japan was 40.9ºC in Kumagaya city, Saitama prefecture (state) in August 16, 2007.
List of countries with record temperatures in summer 2010 (A-Z)
- Ascension Island
- Belarus
- Burma
- Chad
- Colombia
- Cyprus
- Finland
- Iraq
- Kuwait
- Niger
- Pakistan
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Solomon Islands
- Sudan
- Ukraine
- United States
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Posted in Drought, drought and deluge, Forecast Temperatures, heating ocean, heatwave | Tagged: heatstroke, hottest summer, Japan, Kyoto, record temperatures | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on April 30, 2010
Climate Change Indicators
Impact of Climate Change Despite the Massive Efforts of Fossil Fuel Industries to Spread Disinformation
The following is a summary of an EPA report titled ‘Climate Change Indicators in the United States’
Two points about the report and the summary:
- What impacts of Climate Change are evident in the US also apply globally, with little or no exception.
- Fire-Earth Moderators have selected those ‘Indicators’ that can be verified independently.
[NOTE: An indicator represents the current state of certain environmental conditions over a given area and a specified period of time. For example, temperature, precipitation, sea level, and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.]
Key Findings: Climate Change Indicators in the United States Report
The Greenhouse Effect (All images and captions are sourced from the EPA report)
The Earth receives energy from the sun, then radiates much of this energy back toward space. However, certain gases in the atmosphere, called greenhouse gases, absorb some of the outgoing energy and trap it in the atmosphere. This “greenhouse effect” occurs naturally, but human activities have substantially increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the Earth to trap more heat. This in turn is changing the Earth’s climate.
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities increased by 14 percent from 1990 to 2008. Carbon dioxide accounts for most of the nation’s emissions and most of this increase. Electricity generation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, followed by transportation.
Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Worldwide, emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities increased by 26 percent from 1990 to 2005. Emissions of carbon dioxide, which account for nearly three-fourths of the total, increased by 31 percent over this period.
Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases
Concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have risen substantially since the beginning of the industrial era. Almost all of this increase is attributable to human activities.
Climate Forcing
Climate or “radiative” forcing is a way to measure how substances such as greenhouse gases affect the amount of energy that is absorbed by the atmosphere. An increase in radiative forcing leads to warming while a decrease in forcing produces cooling. From 1990 to 2008, the radiative forcing of all the greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere increased by about 26 percent.
U.S. and Global Temperature
Average temperatures have risen across the lower 48 states since 1901, with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Average global temperatures show a similar warming trend, and 2000–2009 was the warmest decade on record worldwide. Within the United States, parts of the North, the West, and Alaska have seen temperatures increase the most.
Heat Waves
The frequency of heat waves in the United States decreased in the 1960s and 1970s, but has risen steadily since then. The percentage of the United States experiencing heat waves has also increased. The most severe heat waves in U.S. history remain those that occurred during the “Dust Bowl” in the 1930s, although average temperatures have increased since then.
Drought
Over the period from 2001 through 2009, between 30 and 60 percent of the United States experienced drought conditions at any given time. However, the data for this indicator have not been collected for long enough to determine whether droughts are increasing or decreasing over time.
U.S. and Global Precipitation
Average precipitation has increased in the United States and worldwide. Since 1901, precipitation has increased at an average rate of more than 6 percent per century in the lower 48 states and nearly 2 percent per century worldwide.
Heavy Precipitation
In recent years, a higher percentage of precipitation in the United States has come in the form of intense single-day events [See Hydrokong.] Eight of the top 10 years for extreme one-day precipitation events have occurred since 1990. The occurrence of abnormally high annual precipitation totals has also increased.
Tropical Cyclone Intensity
The intensity of tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico did not exhibit a strong long-term trend for much of the 20th century, but has risen noticeably over the past 20 years. Six of the 10 most active hurricane seasons have occurred since the mid-1990s. This increase is closely related to variations in sea surface temperature in the tropical Atlantic.
Ocean Heat
Several studies have shown that the amount of heat stored in the ocean has increased substantially since the 1950s. Ocean heat content not only determines sea surface temperature, but also affects sea level and currents.
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Posted in drinking water, Drought, environment, Heat Wave, Ocean Heat | Tagged: Climate Change, Climate Forcing, Climate Indicators, extreme rain event, Global Temperature | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on March 29, 2010
Drought in southwestern China caused by climate change: Chinese experts
Chinese meteorologists say the ongoing severe drought in southwest China is caused by climate change.
The drought has left more between 18 and 62 million people and 11.7 million to more that 20 million livestock with insufficient drinking water “over a region encompassing the southwestern provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the municipality of Chongqing, data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed.”
[Note: the figures vary widely depending on each day’s published definition of “affected by drought” and “short of drinking water.” See also data entries in 2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters.]
A parched reservoir in Green Pool Dame at Shilin County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province (February 2, 2010). Photo:AFP/Getty Images. Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.
“The direct reason for the drought is light rain and high temperatures,” Ren Fuming, a leading expert at China’s National Climate Center, told Outlook Weekly, a popular magazine in China, Xinhua said.
Zhang Peiqun, another senior meteorologist with the center, who agrees with Ren Fumings, aid the rainfall in worst-affected Yunnan province is the lowest in living memory while the average temperature since the beginning of winter has been the highest on record.
“The decreased rainfall during the rainy season led to less water in store and high temperatures resulted in greater evaporation, directly causing the severe drought,” Zhang said.
Zhang believes complicated ocean currents and anomalous atmospheric circulation are responsible for the drought. [See: Kelvin waves in Your Worst Fears About El Niño.]
“Zhang said the lingering cold air mass that formed last September in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau had fenced off the warm and moist currents from the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal, and at the same time the cold air from the north has had difficulty reaching the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau hinterland.” Xinhua reported.
“The cold and warm currents can’t converge to produce rain, so there is little rain,” Zhang said.
Sun Honglie, director of the national expert committee on climate change, said he believed the drought was was caused by anomalous atmospheric currents.
“It is not an environmental or ecological problem,” he said. “But the drought is bound to have an impact on the ecological system.”
“Another expert, Chen Yiyu, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also said the year has seen anomalous climate conditions globally and that the drought in China is part of the phenomenon.” Xinhua said.
[Note: They are probably refering to the impact of El Niño.]
Water Severely Rationed
In Fuyuan County there has been no tap water since late 2009, residents said, complaining that “rationed water supply has not been steady, and that they have had to fetch water themselves from a village three miles away.” Epoch Times said.
“Each family is given four water tickets every two weeks and each ticket entitles the bearer to 100 kg (about 26 gallons) of water, which is not enough for daily use at all, especially for a large family of six or seven. So we have to fetch water from somewhere else. I haven’t taken a shower for a few months.” a resident was reported as saying.
Statistics released recently indicated that as of March 17, 2010, some “43,486,000 hectares (about 17.6 million acres) of crops were affected by the drought, among which 940,000 hectares (about 380,566 acres) yielded zero production, causing a direct economic loss of 19 billion yuan (US$2.8 billion).”
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Posted in disasters, Drought, drought and deluge, human-enhanced disasters, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau | Tagged: China Drought, Chongqing, Climate Change, global weather, Guizhou, Sichuan, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yunnan, Yunnan-Guizhou plateau | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 22, 2010
Water Issues: Scarcity and Pollution
A sever drought is affecting about 60 million people in SW China. Well that’s less than 1 percent of the world population, you could argue.
But another 60 million people are severely affected by a drought in the Mekong Basin, which is threatening not just their livelihood, but their survival. The water flows are the lowest for 20 years, warns the Mekong River Commission (MRC). The drought has an impact on agriculture, food security, access to clean water and river transport.
Drought conditions are so severe in parts of Africa most women have to walk five miles per day, carrying just enough water for drinking and cooking in large containers placed on their head.
Of Africa’s 53 nations, only 10 countries have adequate drinking water. In Uganda alone, more than 10 million people have no access to clean water.
More than a billion people have NO access to safe water and about 2.5 billion people live without adequate sanitation. About 55 percent of “developing world’s” population are suffering from at least one major illness related to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
Each day, at least 6,000 children die of waterborne diseases including diarrhoeal diseases and malaria.—UNICEF
Mwamanongu Village water source, Tanzania. In Meatu district, Shinyanga region, Tanzania, water most often comes from open holes dug in the sand of dry riverbeds, and it is invariably contaminated. Credit: Bob Metcalf
Unsanitary water is responsible for 80 per cent of all illnesses, and is world’s number one killer, UN says.
The UN also states that unsanitary water is responsible for 1.5 million cases of hepatitis A (and 133 million cases of intestinal parasites).
According to the world bank, waterborne illnesses are each year responsible for:
- 4 billion cases of diarrhea, killing more than 6 million people.
- 300 million cases of malaria
- 200 million cases of schistosomiasis
- 6 million people are blinded by trachoma ( 500 million people who are currently at risk of contracting the disease).
Bottom line
As of March 2010
- One in five people on this planet have no access to clean water.
- One in ten people is experiencing a severe to a moderate drought.
Every year, nearly 11 million children die before reaching their fifth birthday, most from preventable causes. That is approximately, 30, 000 children per day. Another 300 million children suffer from illnesses caused by lack of clean water, poor nutrition and inadequate health services and care. —UNICEF
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Posted in China Drought, drinking water, Drought, sanitation, Unsanitary water | Tagged: diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis A, malaria, Mekong River, water-related illnesses, waterborne diseases, World Water Day | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 22, 2010
Beijing Blasted by Sandstorms Twice in Two Days
Mothers, tell your children NOT to do what they have done!
Beijing was hit Monday by a second sandstorm just two days after a severe sandstorm struck on Saturday. The sandstorm originated from Mongolia and arrived in Beijing Monday morning, but was expected to subside by the evening.
Tourists visit the Tian’anmen Square in Beijing amid a massive sandstorm, March 22, 2010. The Central Meteorological Station issued a blue alert for sandstorms at 6 AM on Monday. (Xinhua/Sang Quanli). Image may be subject to copyright.
“The sandstorm from Mongolia arrived in Beijing Monday morning, and is expected to weaken by Monday evening,” said Zhang Mingying, senior engineer with the Beijing Meteorological Station, official news agency Xinhua reported.
The Sandstorm spawned by strong winds has swept over north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as Shanxi and Hebei provinces, he was reported as saying.
“Dust and sand left from Saturday’s sandstorm was still affecting Beijing Monday,” Zhang said.
“Although the sky was not as orange as Saturday, the smell of the dust was stronger on Monday,” said Li Nan, a Beijing resident.
Lanzhou, Gansu province, shrouded by a thick yellow-orange haze produced by thousands of tons of airborne sand. March 19 -20, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua] Image may be subject to copyright.
What’s Behind the Sandstorms?
In short, it’s the economy. The impact of exponential growth economy has driven China’s fragile ecosystems to the verge of collapse. The environmental stress caused by overconsumption of water, deforestation, land-use change and severe droughts, enhanced by climate change, are accelerating the desertification in northern China.
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Posted in desertification, Drought, dust storm, Mongolia sandstorm, Sandstorm | Tagged: Beijing Sandstorm, China, china sandstorm, deforestation, Gansu Province, Gobi, Lanzhou, Tian'anmen Square | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on March 20, 2010
Worst Ever Drought in SW China is Getting Even Worse!
The numbers of people and livestock short of drinking water in SW China have risen from 11 million and 2 million respectively just 5 days ago to more that 20 million people and 12 million livestock today.
The deadly drought is now spreading to other parts of China including the northwest, north and northeast China.
Up to 60 million people throughout China are now affected by severe drought, and experts say it can only get worse.
A massive dust storm swept across eastern China on March 12, 2010. The dust appears to have been transported by winds from the west, which is consistent with soil erosion caused by the drought. Source NASA. Click image to enlarge.
Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in south China, one of the country’s poorest areas is suffering its worst drought in 58 years ever, with only 2.2 mm of rain since October 2009, People’s Daily reported.
“Since last September, rainfall in Guangxi, as well as neighboring Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, has fallen to the lowest levels since 1952, said the China Meteorological Administration. Coupled with persistent high temperatures, the lack of rain has resulted in a severe drought that is affecting about 11 million people.”
That report was released 5 days ago. The ongoing drought, which has lasted 3 harvests, has affected more than 6.5 million hectares of farmland across the country, today’s media report said.
“Relief work is becoming difficult because the dry conditions have lasted for such a long time, reducing available water sources.”
“Southwest China is facing the most severe situation. Nearly 90 per cent of China’s drought-affected farmland is in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan and Chongqing. And more than half of that is in Yunnan province.” Zhang Xu, Dep. Director-General of Drough Relief HQ, was reported as saying.
“We should detail a water supply plan, consolidate water management, economize our use of water, and use every method to ensure water supply.”
Farmers in China’s Yunnan province face a bleak future, if the drought continues. Image captured from CCTV news. Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.
The drought has affected the last three harvest seasons. Experts say the hot and dry weather will continue in southwest China for the foreseeable future.
These conditions in the region are described as the “worst in a century.” But no one really knows how bad the worst conditions might have been then.
The government is urging people to use water sparingly. The irony of it being that there is NO water to use, sparingly or not. The authorities were also quoted as saying that the “choice of whether to use water for people or farming is becoming more difficult.”
Surely, someone must have mistranslated that last line. They couldn’t possibly have meant that. Could they?
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Posted in Drought, drought and deluge, human impact, severe drought, Sichuan drought | Tagged: china rainfall, Chongqing drought, Climate Change, desertification, drought disaster, Drought in China, dust storm, Yunnan drought | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on March 18, 2010
Image of the day:
Worst drought in a century in Guizhou province, SW China
Southwest China’s Guizhou Province is experiencing its worst drought in a
century, with nearly 90 counties affected. Source: CCTV. Image may be subject to copyright.
The drought has cut drinking water supplies to five million people, and more than two million animals. Sixty percent of agricultural land has been hit, local government said, CCTV reported.
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Posted in Drought, drought and deluge | Tagged: Guizhou drought, Guizhou province, SW China | 4 Comments »
Posted by feww on February 21, 2010
Public Release: Uppsala University
Seeds from the Moringa tree can be used for water purification
Pure water is a key requirement for good health and alternative cheap, safe methods are required in many countries. In a paper that has just been published in the leading American Chemical Society journal on interfaces, Langmuir, researchers from Uppsala University in co-operation with The University of Botswana describe how extracts from seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree can be used for water purification.
Moringa oleifera (kalamungay, drumstick tree). Pods and seeds on ground at Dairy Rd Kahului, Maui. Source: Plants of Hawaii. February 07, 2007. For more images CLICK HERE.
Flocculation of particulate impurities is a common first stage in purification of water. This often uses addition of either aluminium or iron salts. Aluminium, particularly, has undesirable health implications. An alternative procedure that uses a natural extract from seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree is used in Africa.
Research in a paper that has just appeared in the leading American Chemical Society journal on interfaces, Langmuir, describes how very small amounts of the protein from these seeds can bind strongly to surfaces and thus would cause contaminant particles to aggregate. The Scattering Centre at Ångström Laboratory and the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University is a centre of expertise in exploiting a powerful technique known as neutron reflection to measure structure and composition of layers of just a few nanometres (millionths of a millimetre) at the interface between a solid and a liquid.
A co-operation with the University of Botswana where there is a long interest in exploiting natural products has led to a research project that provides important insight in to the way that protein molecules from the Moringa oleifera seeds interact, binding stongly both to each other and surfaces so as to cause aggregation in to large lumps that are readily removed from the water.
“It is nice to see how the basic interactions of molecules can play a role in solving practical problems,” says Adrian Rennie, Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University. “Understanding of the process may lead to further development in water purification with materials that are locally available and environmentally friendly.”
Contact: Adrian Rennie
adrian.rennie@fysik.uu.se
Uppsala University
Posted in Drought, iron salts, potable water, Uppsala University, water scarcity | Tagged: clean water, Moringa oleifera, niversity of Botswana, water purification, water shortage | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on November 18, 2009
Never Mind Water on the Moon
Image of the Day: Please, can we have some more water?
Her’s another egregious example of science gone awry from its intended purpose of serving humanity. At a time when socially blind NASA “elites” are spending tens of billions of dollars of taxpayer money playing space invaders, bombing the moon and looking for water, people are perishing from the lack of water here on Earth, abandoned by science.
A villager walks in the partially dried-up Mahanadi river in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, November 17, 2009. REUTERS/Krishnendu Halder. Image may be subject to copyright.
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Posted in Climate Change, Drought, Food Crisis, India, water crisis | Tagged: LCROSS, Mahanadi river, Moon rape, Moon water, nasa, Orissa, role of science, Space Exploration, space invaders, water on the Moon | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on October 28, 2009
Another Dust Storm Sweeps North Central Australia
Another dust storm blew across Australia’s Northern Territory and Queensland on October 26, 2009, as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite passed overhead. This true-color image shows the dust plume traveling eastward. In Northern Territory, the dust passes south of Newcastle Waters. In Queensland, the plume skirts a cluster of fires—roughly marked by red outlines—that send their smoke plumes northward. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Michon Scott. Edited by FEWW
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Posted in Australian Coal, australian dust storms, carbon-intensive economy, Climate Change, desertification, Drought, dust to dust, exponential growth, First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities, Sydney | Tagged: ashes to ashes, australia, australian dust storms, bushfires, clean energy ruse, drought and deluge, Images of 'Doomsday', life for lifestyle, man-made disasters, Queensland, sand storm, sydney dust storm, Uranium Dust | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on September 29, 2009
ashes to ashes …
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on the afternoon of September 27, 2009. Red dots and plumes of smoke mark the locations of dozens of fires burning throughout Queensland. The large image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel, MODIS’ maximum resolution. The image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System.
The thick wall of dust that blew across Australia on September 26, 2009, hung in a slightly thinner veil over the Coral Sea on September 27. Ripples and waves shape the dust in reflection of turbulence in the air. The dust will gradually settle over the ocean, where it will provide a source of iron to phytoplankton, microscopic plant-like organisms that grow in sunlit surface water. The iron acts as fertilizer, making it possible for large phytoplankton blooms to develop. While phytoplankton are an important source of food for marine life, too much phytoplankton can rob the ocean of oxygen, creating dead zones. It is certain that ocean biologists will watch closely to see if and how the immense dust storms of September 2009 will affect Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, visible as blue-green dots in the top center of the image. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Holli Riebeek. [Edited by FEWW.]
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Posted in Australian Coal, australian dust storms, clean energy ruse, Climate Change, Coral Sea, desertification, Drought, drought and deluge, dust to dust, First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities, FWWCC, Images of 'Doomsday', man-made disasters, phytoplankton blooms, sand storm | Tagged: ashes to ashes, australia, bushfires, Queensland, Uranium Dust | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on September 28, 2009
Future storms may contain radioactive dust, if mine proposal goes ahead—Environmentalist
An Australian documentary maker says that future dust storms in the country may contain radioactive materials, if the mining company BHP Billiton’s proposal to turn a uranium mine into an open-cut mine goes ahead.
David Bradbury, a renowned filmmaker and environmental activist, who has made four documentaries on nuclear issues, says an environmental impact study suggest that about 70 million tons of radioactive tailing would be deposited at South Australia’s Olympic Dam uranium mine grounds each year.
The tailings are contaminated with alpha radiation, he says, which is proven to be carcinogenic to all animals, including humans.
“My grave concern is that with the open-cut mine expansion that BHP Billiton wants permission from state and federal governments to go ahead with, that the radioactive tailings left behind will blow over the eastern coast centres of the most populated cities of Australia,” he said.
Bradbury concerns came amid last Wednesday worst ever dust storm in the Sydney and Brisbane areas as red dust blown in from the outback shrouded the region, causing problems for people, especially those with asthma, and others with heart and lung conditions.
“[Since] the dust storms… originated from Woomera, and which is right next door to the Olympic Dam mine at Roxby Downs, these [storms] could blow those tailings across the face of Australia,” said Bradbury.
However, Australian scientists are playing down fears, assuring the public that there is nothing to worry about [sic.]
Barry Noller an Associate Professor from the University of Queensland, whose research projects include Risk Assessment of Mined Land, was quoted as saying that most of the particles from the uranium mines in the outback are simply too heavy to be carried by the wind over long distances.
“In a big dust storm, the dust is not going to come from one isolated site, it is going to be mixed in with dust from a [wide] area and diluted considerably,” said Noller.
FEWW Comments:
Come again? What if the storms were stronger and blew more sand more frequently, say, twice more, perhaps five times, or ten time as much every year? The recent atmospheric trends and new patterns set by climate change certainly suggest such extreme scenarios as highly probable!
That’s the most ridiculous comment an Associate Professor could possibly make, even one from the University of Queensland, without quantifying the extent of the problem. The stronger the storms the more dust they carry over populated areas, and with it goes more of the heavier particles.
Here’s what the Aussies, even their corporate media, should demand to know:
How much stronger must the storms be, and how frequently must they below before they pose, (i) some risk, (ii) significant risk to the public health, threatening human and animal well being?
Should this professor make similarly stupid, biased and unqualified remarks again, the Moderators will have to investigate his role and function as a government scientist with regulatory bias.
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Posted in Australian Coal, australian dust storms, australian uranium, clean energy ruse, Climate Change, desertification, Drought, drought and deluge, dust to dust, First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities, FWWCC, Images of 'Doomsday', man-made disaster, sand storm, sydney dust storm | Tagged: alpha radiation, And dust to dust, ashes to ashes, australia, Australian News, Barry Noller, BHP Billiton, David Bradbury, Olympic Dam uranium mine, Radioactive dust, radioactive tailings, Roxby Downs, University of Queensland, Woomera | 4 Comments »
Posted by feww on September 23, 2009
Images of ‘Doomsday?’
Another man-made disaster strikes Australia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: 100 kph winds whipped up heavy dust storms followed by severe thunderstorms in Sydney and much of New South Wales last night, media reported.
Road traffic slowed down to a crawl, ferries canceled, flights diverted or canceled as dust storm shrouded Sydney, and suffocating haze forced the residents to stay indoors.
Reuters: “This is unprecedented. We are seeing earth, wind and fire together,” said Dick Whitaker from The Weather Channel.
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, and the NSW state government recently cut the state’s 2009/10 wheat crop estimate by 20 percent because of hot, dry weather across the grain belt.
The country is one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, but also the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter per capita as it relies on coal-fired power stations for the bulk of its electricity.
Red dust and gale force winds have severely disrupted flights into and out of Sydney (ABC online User submitted: Amber Hooper). Image may be subject to copyright.
Karen from Sydney’s inner western suburb of Dulwich Hill said she woke up to find the red dust had covered her floors and birds had been blown out of their nests.
“It did feel like Armageddon because when I was in the kitchen looking out the skylight, there was this red, red glow coming through,” Karen told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.
“In the south, where there are showers, people will find it is falling as mud this morning, but that will help clear the dust from the air,” said the BOM spokeswoman.
(Top) A shot of Neutral Bay on a normal day, and (bottom) this morning. Photo: Lauren Jarrott, smh.com.au reader photo. Image may be subject to copyright.
Associated Press: Sydney’s fiery dawn was caused by the sun hitting a blanket of dust that was whipped up by wild weather in parched areas of the New South Wales outback.
People exercising at Coogee Beach. The Age.com.au reader Photo: Peter Rae. Image may be subject to copyright.
A person takes pictures of the dust on his car during a dust storm in Sydney. Photo: AP Photo/Rob Griffith. Image may be subject to copyright.
An enhanced colour satellite image shows the dust storm covering over eastern Australia in this handout picture dated September 23, 2009. REUTERS/Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology/Handout
Photo Gallery: The Age – Australia
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Posted in Australian Coal, clean energy ruse, desertification, Drought, drought and deluge, sand storm | Tagged: australian dust storms, carbon intesive economy, Climate Change, dust to dust, exponential growth economy, First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities, FWWCC, Images of 'Doomsday', life for lifestyle, man-made disaster, sydney dust storm | 5 Comments »
Posted by feww on February 4, 2009
Desertification of California Continues
Folsom Lake’s water level is way down; mandatory conservation efforts are likely soon. Meanwhile, Sacramento has been criticized for its water gluttony: The city’s per capita water use, at 278 gallons per day, is double the state average. Many residents falsely assume water simply flows back into local rivers. Not true, says the data. Photo: AUTUMN CRUZ/ Sacramento Bee. Image may be subject to copyright.
Sacramento received only 1.5 inches of rain in January, compared with the historical average of 4.2 inches, the National Weather Service said.
US Seasonal Drought Outlook – Source NOAA/ NWS Climate Prediction Center
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Posted in Collapsing Cities, Drought, land degradation, Mojavefication, Sacramento | Tagged: california, desertification, Folsom Lake, mandatory conservation, water crisis | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on October 8, 2008
12 deadly pathogens could spread into new regions aided by climate change
A report by Wildlife Conservation Society released on October 7 lists 12 deadly pathogens that could spread globally as a result of climate change. “All have potential impacts to both human and wildlife health as well as global economies.” Report said.
Titled ‘The Deadly Dozen: Wildlife Diseases in the Age of Climate Change,’ the report illustrates examples of diseases that could spread due to temperatures changes and variations in regional precipitation levels.
Gram-positive 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.
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 – Caption: CDC/ Dr. Ray Butler; Janice Carr. Photo Credit: Janice Carr]
“The term ‘climate change’ conjures images of melting ice caps and rising sea levels that threaten coastal cities and nations, but just as important is how increasing temperatures and fluctuating precipitation levels will change the distribution of dangerous pathogens,” said Dr. Steven E. Sanderson, WCS President and CEO. “The health of wild animals is tightly linked to the ecosystems in which they live and influenced by the environment surrounding them, and even minor disturbances can have far-reaching consequences on what diseases they might encounter and transmit as climate changes. Monitoring wildlife health will help us predict where those trouble spots will occur and plan how to prepare.”
The “Deadly Dozen” list [ABC order]:
- Avian influenza
- Babesia
- Cholera
- Ebola
- Intestinal and external parasites
- Lyme disease
- Plague
- Red tides
- Rift Valley fever
- Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis)
- Tuberculosis
- Yellow fever
This micrograph of human liver tissue infected with the Ebola virus, the cause of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF), depicts the hepatic histopathologic changes that occur due to this illness.
The Ebola pathogen is a member of the Filoviridae family of RNA viruses. The exact origin, locations, and natural habitat (known as the “natural reservoir”) of Ebola virus remain unknown. However, on the basis of available evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is zoonotic i.e., animal-borne, and is normally maintained in an animal host that is native to the African continent. A similar host is probably associated with Ebola-Reston which was isolated from infected cynomolgous monkeys that were imported to the United States and Italy from the Philippines. The virus is not known to be native to other continents, such as North America.
Source: CDC. Caption and photo credit: CDC/ Dr. Lyle Conrad]
The report “builds upon the recommendations included in a recently published paper titled ‘Wildlife Health as an Indicator of Climate Change,'” which is featured in a new book, Global Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events: Understanding the Contributions to Infectious Disease Emergence, which was published by the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine. The study examines the the impacts of climate change on wild animals and its implications for human health.
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Posted in deadly pathogens, Drought, precipitation, tuberculosis, Wildlife | Tagged: Avian influenza, Climate Change, Deadly Dozen Diseases, Ebola, Intestinal and external parasites | 11 Comments »
Fire Earth 
