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.

 

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – 5 May 2013

Fifth of UK households borrowed money or used savings to cover food costs

One in five UK households, or the equivalent of five million households, borrowed money or used savings to cover food costs in April, according to a survey.

• The figures defy official statistics released last week that showed personal bankruptcies had dropped to a 5-year low.

• The households who used savings, or borrowed money to pay for food, were mostly low income families. Among this group:
• 82% worried about food prices
• 55% said they were likely to cut back on food spending in the next few months
• 57% said they found it difficult to cope on their current income
• 32% borrowed money from friends and family in April, said the report.

The executive director of “Which?”, the organization that carried out the survey,  said: “Our tracker shows that many households are stretched to their financial breaking point, with rising food prices one of the top worries for squeezed consumers.

“It’s simply shocking that so many people need to use savings or credit to pay for essentials like food.”

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Image of the Week

Crates of pesticides and fertilizer at a strawberry farm are destroyed as a raging brush fire  pushes towards the coast, in Camarillo (Ventura County, SoCal) May 2, 2013.  The so-called Springs Fire was just under 60 percent contained, as of posting. Credit: Reuters/Gene Blevins

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Israel strikes Syria again

Israeli jets bombed Syria on Sunday, rocking Damascus for several hours and sending columns of flame into the night sky.

• Syrian state television reported that the bombing that occurred around a military research facility at Jamraya had caused ‘many civilian casualties and widespread damage’ and quoted a letter from the foreign minister to the United Nations saying: ‘The blatant Israeli aggression has the aim to provide direct military support to the terrorist groups after they failed to control territory.'”

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Death toll from Bangladesh factory collapse reaches 610

The death toll from Dhaka factory collapse climbed to 610 on Sunday after the authorities pulled dozens of bodies from the wreckage of Rana Plaza, the eight-story building that housed five garment factories.

• The toll is expected to rise further, an official told reporters.
  

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Chinese no longer trust the Red Cross! 

Many people in China no longer trust the Red Cross Society and refused to donate through the organization because the charity’s image has been seriously damaged by a series of scandals, said a report.

In contrast to making generous donations through the Red Cross after the earthquake in Wenchuan 5 years ago, many people choose to donate to other charities, or contributed nothing, after the recent Lushan quake.

[Search blog content for the role of Red Cross in disappearance of  donations after  911 and Haiti quake.]

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DISASTER CALENDAR – May 5, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,042 Days Left 

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

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,042 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

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

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

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

Disaster Calendar – 26 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,359 Days Left

[June 26, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,359 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

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

Record Temperatures Today

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 1 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
• Mass Die-offs

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

Disaster Calendar – 25 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,360 Days Left

[June 25, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,360 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 – 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 – 1 May 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,415 Days Left

[1 May 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,415 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

Disaster Calendar – 23 April 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,423 Days Left

[23 April 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,423 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

Disaster Calendar – 21 April 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,425 Days Left

[21 April 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,425 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

Best News of the Week: UK Car Show Canned

submitted by a reader

Best News of the Week for the Environment:

Organizers have canceled the 2010 British International Motor Show because of the car industry slump

The U.K. Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said although the event has previously attracted large numbers of visitors the decision to cancel the show was “extremely difficult.” Alas, they had no choice but to cancel the show because there was little interest shown by the usual exhibitors. Unsurprisingly, NOT a single space had been reserved by the US car manufacturers!

The last of a dying breed [watch this space!] Bentley Azure T priced in the UK at £245,000 inc the value added tax  (~$353,000). Azure T consumes about 1 liters of gasoline every 5 kilometers, emitting about 470 g/km of CO2. Photo provided by the manufacturer.

This cancellation came amid decision by a number of car manufacturers to pull out of Formula One racing in recent month.

Honda pulled out of Formula One racing iIn December 2008 when Honda Motor Co chief executive Takeo Fukui told a news conference: “Honda must protect its core business activities and secure the long term as widespread uncertainties in the economics around the globe continue to mount.”

Formula One racing is synonymous with corrupt politics, war criminal Tony Blair, tobacco advertising, and the disgraced Bernie Ecclestone. Tony Blair personally ordered an exemption for motor racing from a tobacco sponsorship ban after Labour Party received a secret £1m donation from Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One boss.     [Original caption: Former F1 racing driver Damon Hill with Tony Blair at the International Motor Show in 2006.] Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.

Toyota, the world’s largest car maker, which announced in February that it expected to make a loss of about 450 billion yen in 2009, admitted that the global financial crisis had led the top executives to consider reducing operating costs by pulling out of Formula One racing.

It is believed that despite the company’s decision to stay put, and Panasonic’s decision to extend its sponsorship contract through to 2012, Toyota will be forced to withdraw from F1 next season.