U.S. Public Debt Defies Gravity for 68 Days

U.S. Federal Debt hit $16,738,105,803,858.21 on July 24: Daily Treasury Statement

The Total Public Debt Outstanding now exceeds the statuary debt ceiling by more than $38.68 billion.

• As of May 19, 2013 the debt limit was increased to $16,699,421,095,673.60,  according to Treasury Department.

However, the U.S. federal debt has been kept unchanged at $16,699,396,000,000.00 for 68 straight days, an amount which is exactly $25 million less than the statuary debt limit, ETFGuide reported.

TABLE III-C – Debt Subject to Limit – DAILY TREASURY STATEMENT – Cash and debt operations of the United States Treasury – Wednesday, July 24, 2013.  

The US National Debt was more than $16,878 billion, with the debt per taxpayer calculated at $148,015, as of posting, according to usdebtclock.org.

 

Deadly Landslide Caused by ‘Continuous Rain, Geological Conditions and Earthquakes’

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,257 Days Left

[October 6, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,257 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

A deadly landslide that claimed at least 19 lives in southwest China’s Yunnan Province was caused by a combination of continuous rain, geological conditions and earthquakes, Chinese geologists have said.

• “… the area where the landslide occurred received about 297 mm of precipitation from Sept. 1 to Oct. 4, three times the amount received during the same period in previous years…  Rock and soil that was loosened by multiple earthquakes that occurred in early September formed a landslid,” said a report.

Other Disasters/ Significant Events

United States

Nine states have reported cases of meningitis linked to epidural steroid injections, CDC reported. An estimated 17,000 people may have received the injections.  As of October 6, 201 2:00pm ET2:

Total count: 64 cases, 7 dead

• Florida: 4 cases
• Indiana: 5 cases
• Maryland: 3 cases, including 1 death
• Michigan: 8 cases, including 2 deaths
• Minnesota: 1 case
• North Carolina: 2 cases
• Ohio: 1 case
• Tennessee: 29 cases, including 3 deaths
• Virginia: 11 cases, including 1 death

California

• San Bernardino. The city of San Bernardino has become the third California city in two weeks to file bankruptcy protection in the face of a $45-million budget shortfall, reports said.

• Atwater. The small Central California city of Atwater (Pop: ~28,000) has declared A fiscal emergency, which could translate to the state’s fourth municipal bankruptcy this year, said a report.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Disaster Calendar – 9 July 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,346 Days Left

[July 9, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,346 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 5 July 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,350 Days Left

[July 5, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,350 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Drought Disaster Declared in Montana

Stillwater and Yellowstone counties, Montana, declare drought disasters

Drought conditions created by unseasonably warm temperatures and below average precipitation has stunted crop growth to about 50 percent of normal.

Livestock feed on pasture is reduced by about 50 percent, while dry land hay production has suffered losses of about 85 percent, said an agricultural agent at Yellowstone County.

Total Weekly Precipitation (in)

Worst Drought Conditions Ever Reported

“I’ve never seen anything take hold quite this quickly. We are in mid-September conditions right now,” said Dave Kelsey who’s been farming and ranching in Yellowstone and Stillwater counties for 35 years.

Shrinking Crops

“Dryland hay production is estimated to be 15 percent of normal, and most of the dryland spring wheat is ‘not expected to make a harvestable grain crop,’ Stillwater’s resolution read. ‘Livestock pasture and range conditions are extremely poor due to lack of precipitation, excessive winds and grasshoppers.’” Said a report.

• Agriculture is Montana’s no. 1 industry.

Montana Wildfires

A dozen large wildfires in Montana have destroyed more than 100 structures and forced at least 1,000 people to flee their homes amid dry conditions in recent days. The fires include

• Ash Creek Complexhas consumed about 250,000 acres
• Pony Fire: 5,000 acres
• Horse Creek Fire:  8,000 acres
• Dahl Fire: 22,000 acres
• Bear Trap 2:  15,000 acres

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• Kansas.  Governor Brownback has updated the Drought Declaration for Kansas counties, amid  worsening drought conditions throughout the Wheat State.
  • The updated drought declaration covers all of the state’s 105 counties. A drought  emergency is in effect for 36 counties, while 55 counties are in a warning status and the remaining 14 in watch status.“Dry, windy and above normal temperatures in Kansas have led to a Drought Emergency declaration for 36 counties,”  said Brownback. “Below normal precipitation patterns are not only depleting available soil moisture, but these types of conditions have resulted in numerous fires as well.”
  • Norton, Kansas, was the hottest location in the U.S. with 118 degrees (47.8ºC) last week, NCDC reported.  Some 22 other locations across the state topped 110 degrees on Thursday June 28.
  • Executive Order 12-08 – Governor Updates Drought Order for Kansas Counties

Kansas Drought Map (June 26, 2012)

Drought has returned to Kansas with 100.00% of the state reporting abnormally dry or drought conditions (D0 – D3) as of June 26, 2012.

• Florida. Six more counties have been added to the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Florida, state officials said. They are Clay, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands Pinellas and Suwanee counties.
  • On Tuesday, the Disaster President declared major disaster areas in Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Pasco and Wakulla counties due to the damage and losses caused by tropical storm DEBBY.
  • DEBBY landed on June 27 in Steinhatchee, Fla, dumping more than a foot of rain in some areas and causing major flooding across the state.

• Eastern U.S. A massive heat wave continues to affect the eastern two thirds of the U.S., breaking high temperature records from the Midwest to the East Coast, said NWS.

US Weather Hazards Map, July 5, 2012.  Excessive Heat Warnings and
Heat Advisories were in effect throughout or in parts of at least 26 states, as of posting.

Mystery Illness Killing Cambodian Kids

See Global Alert in the next post.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

TS DEBBY: Florida Declares State of Emergency

More flooding and tornadoes could strike Florida, as DEBBY hovers off the Gulf Coast

Florida Governor declared statewide emergency stating that “the broad impact of Tropical Storm Debby” could affect “virtually every county in Florida.”

As of Monday, DEBBY had forced Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operators to shut down about half of oil and more than a third of natural gas production.

• The storm is forecast to dump at least a foot of rain in the coastal parts of the state, with some areas receiving as much as 25 inches, the hurricane center said.
• Debby is also forecast to drench southern areas of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
• Tornadoes spawned by DEBBY have killed at least one person and injured two others, destroying or damaging two dozen homes in Highlands County, Fl.

TS DEBBY: Tropical Storm Force Wind Speed Probability.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• Colorado.  The state of Colorado is becoming a raging inferno due to record heat which is causing the worst fire weather conditions in living memory.
  • Record heat is forecast for southern Plains this week, with heat advisories issued for Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
  • The temperature at Denver International airport reached a record 102 degrees (ºF) on Sunday, June 24, breaking  the old record of 100 degrees set in 2007,  NWS office in Boulder reported.
  • The tinder-dry conditions are contributing to at least in dozen wildfires burning in Colorado today including
    • Waldo Canyon Fire, west of Colorado Springs – 2,800 homes are in immediate danger; 11,000 residents have evacuated 4,000 homes; about 3,500 acres burned; ZERO containment.
    • High Park Fire west of Fort Collins – the second-largest and the most destructive blaze ever recorded in the state has destroyed at least 248 homes; burned 83,205 acres; up to 5,000 people remain evacuated; 45 percent contained.
    • Little Sand Fire near Pagosa Springs, Weber Fire in Montezuma County, State Line Fire  southeast of Durango, Treasure Fire near Leadville, Trout Creek Fire near Rainbow Falls in Douglas County, Woodland Heights Fire near Estes Park southwest of the High Park Fire, and Elbert Fire have so far consumed about 30,000 acres.
    • Wood Hollow fire. The blaze about 1 mile south of Fountain Green in Utah State Division of Forestry Fire & State Lands has exploded to about 40,000 acres destroying numerous structures and scores of farm animals, mostly sheep.
      • Evacuations: Up to 2,000 people have been evacuated. Indian Ridge, Elk Ridge, Big Hollow, and Oaker Hills communities are under mandatory evacuation.
      • Closures: Highway 89 closure is in effect.
      • Weather: “The big worry now is the weather. Everything that can be done is being done,” Gov Herbert said in a televised conference.

Wood Hollow Fire. Photo credit: Utah State Division of Forestry Fire & State Lands

US Weather Hazards Map, June 26, 2012.

• Meantime, Colorado legislators have asked USDA to open up additional land for emergency livestock grazing as farmers, ranchers battle the severe drought affecting the state, a report said.
  • The entire state of Colorado is currently experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions.

Colorado Drought Map – June 2012 – US Drought Monitor

• Vermont.  Crops in the state of Vermont are under attack by armyworms, a report said.
  • “They are definitely eating, that is what it looks like,” said Heather Darby an agronomist with the University of Vermont Extension.
  • “We get that first call from a farmer who says I don’t know where my corn went. Can you come out and look? And we come out and look around and you can see the worms essentially so bad the ground’s moving.”
• New York.   Armyworms have invaded farm fields throughout Jefferson County, NY,  with a major outbreak of the worms threatening widespread damage to crops, reports said.
  • “This year, it just seems like the moths got a head start on ’em and that’s what’s happened. So we’re starting to get a buildup of these parasitic flies and these fungal diseases now, but it’s a little, you know, too little, too late right now to control what we’ve got going on now,” said an expert with with Cornell Cooperative Extension.

• Alaska.  The Bear Creek fire which was ignited by lightning about 14 miles south of Clear Airforce Base, AK, on June 23, had grown to about 1,500 acres by Sunday local time. On Monday, the blaze exploded by more than 12 folds, consuming more than 20,000 acres.
  • The fire is aided by strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity, burning in black spruce and hardwoods.
  • At least three other fires are burning within close proximity, fire authorities said.

• British Columbia, Canada.  Weekend storms forced at least 700 people to flee their homes, while 1,200 others were placed on evacuation alert.
  • “Weeks of rapid snowmelt and wet weather caused river levels to rise in the B.C. Interior, the Kootenay region and the Fraser Valley, and a weekend of heavy rain and violent thunderstorms pushed many rivers and creeks in those areas to the brink,” said a report.
  • Flooding has left at least one man dead, causing widespread devastation in the region with many homes, businesses and public infrastructure destroyed.
  • The municipality of Sicamous declared a local state of emergency on Saturday, a report said.

• Montana.  Pony Fire in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, ignited on June 24th, has grown to more than 2,500 acres threatening numerous structures.
  • The town of Mammoth and South Boulder north to the Indiana University Geology Field Station are under mandatory evacuation, Inciweb reported.
  • At least 2 other wildfires, Antelope Lane fire and Corral fire, are burning nearby.

State of the Climate – Global Analysis for May 2012

• The globally-averaged land surface temperature for May 2012 was the all-time warmest May on record, at 1.21°C (2.18°F) above average
• The Northern Hemisphere land and ocean average surface temperature for May 2012 was the all-time warmest May on record, at 0.85°C (1.53°F) above average.
• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for May 2012 was 0.66°C (1.19°F) above the 20^th century average of 14.8°C (58.6°F). This is the second warmest May since records began in 1880, behind only 2010.

Temperature Anomalies Maps for May 2012 – [Source: NCDC/NOAA]

See also: Hottest U.S. Spring on Record

Today’s Record Temperatures

NOAA/NCDC reported 58 high temperature records broken Monday across nine states: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky. The temperature records included

• Colorado: 31 records broken, 7 tied; highest temp 110 degrees at La Junta Airport; old record 107 in 1990

• Kansas: 10 broken, 4 tied; highest temp 114 degrees  northeast of Hill City, old record 108 in 1971

• Kentucky: tied record 94 degrees at London, KY; old record set in 1988

• Missouri:  1 tie, 95 degrees at Kirksville, old record set in 1971

• Nebraska:  4 broken, 1 tied; 105 degrees near Harrisburg in Banner County; old record 98 in 2001

• Wyoming:  6 broken, 8 tied; highest temp 107 at Gillette; old record 99 in 1988

• Texas:  3 broken, 2 tied, highest 102 degrees at Victoria tied 102 in 2009

• Oklahoma: 1 broken, 101 degrees at Ralston in Pawnee County, old record 100 in 1988

• Arkansas:  3 broken, two tied, highest 101 at Little Rock Forecast office and Little Rock airport; old record 99 and 100 in 1988

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• Mega Disasters
• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar
• Mass Die-offs

Armyworms Force Disaster Declarations in Arkansas, Missouri

Armyworms devastate crops across 23 U.S. counties 

USDA has designated 19 counties in Arkansas and 4 counties in Missouri as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by armyworms that began April 1 and continues.

• The primary disaster areas in Arkansas: Boone, Fulton, Izard, Madison and Sharp counties.
• Contiguous disaster areas in Arkansas:  Baxter, Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Independence, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Newton, Randolph, Searcy, Stone and Washington counties.
• The disaster areas in Missouri: Howell, Oregon, Ozark and Taney counties.

A county is designated an agricultural disaster area when the crop losses exceed 30 percent.

Fall armyworm damage corn cobs. –USDA

Fall armyworm cause extensive damage to whorls of corn. Source: Purdue Cooperative Extension Service

Four stages of armyworm development. Image Source: NCSU.

Description (Source: NCSU)

• Adult– The true armyworm moth has grayish-brown forewings, each with a white spot near the center, and grayish-white hind wings. The wingspan averages 38.5 mm.
• Egg – The minute, greenish-white egg is globular in shape.
• Larva – The young armyworm is pale green. The mature larva is basically yellowish or brownish-green with a tan or greenish-brown head mottled with darker brown. The smooth, practically hairless body is marked with three dark longitudinal stripes, one along each side and one down the back. A full-grown armyworm is 30 to 35 mm long.
• Pupa – The reddish-brown 13-mm-long pupa darkens gradually until it is almost black.

See also:

• ARMYWORMS MARCH ACROSS NEW YORK Posted on June 17, 2012
• Disaster Declared as Little Bear Fire Grows Posted on June 10, 2012

Other Global Disaster, Significant Events

• Vermont, USA. The Disaster President has declared 3 Vermont counties—Addison, Lamoille and Orleans—as major disaster areas due to severe storms, hail, flooding, high wind and a tornado that struck the region on May 29.
  • The extreme weather event caused widespread damage to private property as well as public infrastructure.
  • Vermont has now experienced extreme weather events destructive enough to warrant major disaster declarations for the sixth successive year.

• See also: Obama Presidency: Thousand Days of Disaster

[NOTE: This blog endorses neither of the two political mafia families!]

• Gulf of Mexico

Tropical Storm DEBBY. Image source: CIMSS

• TS DEBBY, currently quasistationery,  located about 210 miles SSE of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with winds of about 50MPH, and is expected to intensify into hurricane strength before slamming into Texas/Louisiana/Florida coasts.
• DEBBY could dump up to 10 inches of rain along the Gulf Coast from southern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.
• Tropical Storm Warnings and Watches have been issued for coastal waters of SE Louisiana and S Mississippi.

• Colorado.  Waldo Canyon Fire, which flared up on Saturday, has grown to more than 2,000 acres, and is expected to remain active throughout the night.
  • The fast-moving blaze near Colorado Springs has forced more than 5,000 people to flee their homes.
  • The fire was zero percent contained, as of posting.
  • Mandatory Evacuation Orders:
    • “Cedar Heights Subdivision and Mountain Shadows south of Chuck Wagon are under mandatory evacuation. Boundaries are Rampart Range Road to the west and everything west of 30th and Centennial from Gateway Road north to Chuck Wagon. City of Manitou Springs and Crystal Park Subdivision as well as The north side of Hwy. 24 east from the County line to Waldo Canyon. There are no evacuation orders in place at this time for Mountain Shadows other than those south of Chuck Wagon Road. Garden of the Gods Park and Garden of the Gods Visitor Center are closed. Pikes Peak Hwy. is closed.” USFS reported.

• Colorado. Woodland Heights fire, another explosive blaze that ignited near the mountain community of Estes Park, has destroyed about two dozen structures.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 21 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,364 Days Left

[June 21, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,364 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 14 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,371 Days Left

[June 14, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,371 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 13 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,372 Days Left

[June 13, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,372 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 5 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,380 Days Left

[June 5, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,380 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 3 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,382 Days Left

[3 June 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,382 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 23 May 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,393 Days Left

[23 May 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,393 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 19 May 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,397 Days Left

[19 May 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,397 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar – 27 April 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,419 Days Left

[27 April 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,419 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Protesters Buy Up UK Airport Land

Greenpeace Land Purchase: Campaign ruse or environmental activism?

Anti-expansion protesters bought land earmarked for London Heathrow’s third runway

A coalition of environmentalists have bought land [about 5,000 square meters] in Sipson village, said to be right in the middle of the proposed new terminal for London Heathrow’s 3rd runway. The proposed runway and terminal area would force the demolition of hundreds of homes in the area, reports said.

Words “our climate – our land” are written on the plot. Source: Greenpeace. Image may be subject to copyright.

The new owners,  a Greenpeace coalition have pledged not to sell the land to the government or the BAA, should the airport expansion be approved by the planning

Source the BBC/BAA.

Greenpeace said: “Heathrow expansion isn’t only an issue for those of us unfortunate enough to live on the flight path. If expansion goes ahead Heathrow will become the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the whole country. And the government’s plans to expand airports across the UK will make it impossible for us to meet our commitment to reduce emissions and stop runaway climate change.”

FEWW Comments: We hope this is a genuine move by Greenpeace, and not a political stunt [meant to buy them ‘street cred’ and  endear them in the hearts and minds of the new generation of environmental activists,] which was pulled off after BAA and others had already scuppered plans for the third runway because of worsening global economy and a sizable contraction in tourism and  air travel.

More on this story:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/join-plot-stop-airport-expansion-20090112