Deforestation: Half of All Amazon Tree Species ‘Face Extinction’

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
CRIMES AGAINST NATURE
.

About quarter of Earth’s plant species probably threatened —Report

Amazon, the world’s most diverse forest, is home to more than 15,000 tree species. However, the forest is being rapidly degraded due to deforestation.

Clearing the forest for farming, ranching and human settlements is threatening up to 57% of all tree species in Amazon, which would likely qualify as being globally threatened under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species criteria, say researchers.

The study covers more than 5.5 million km² of forest spanning multiple countries: Brazil (60% of the rainforest) Peru (13%), Colombia (10%), Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

The trends observed in Amazonia also apply to trees throughout the tropics, and they predict that most of the world’s more than 40,000 tropical tree species now qualify as globally threatened, according to the report.

If confirmed, these results would increase the number of threatened plant species on Earth by 22%.

The Jungle

Home to the largest collection of living plants and animal species on the planet, or about one in ten known species, biodiversity of Amazon rainforest is unparalleled.

“The original lowland forests of Amazonia are estimated to have covered 5.74 million km², 11.4% of which had been deforested by 2013. Most of the estimated 3.2 × 10^10 individual trees lost to date were in southern and eastern Amazonia,” according to the report.

Fire-Earth models show Amazonian forests have lost about 14% of their original extent. Most of the lost forest has become pasture for cattle. As of October 2015, the area of forest lost in the Amazon rose to nearly 805,000 km² [estimate does not include regrowth, if any.]

Estimating the global conservation status of more than 15,000 Amazonian tree species: by Hans ter Steege et al.

Abstract

Estimates of extinction risk for Amazonian plant and animal species are rare and not often incorporated into land-use policy and conservation planning. We overlay spatial distribution models with historical and projected deforestation to show that at least 36% and up to 57% of all Amazonian tree species are likely to qualify as globally threatened under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria. If confirmed, these results would increase the number of threatened plant species on Earth by 22%. We show that the trends observed in Amazonia apply to trees throughout the tropics, and we predict that most of the world’s >40,000 tropical tree species now qualify as globally threatened. A gap analysis suggests that existing Amazonian protected areas and indigenous territories will protect viable populations of most threatened species if these areas suffer no further degradation, highlighting the key roles that protected areas, indigenous peoples, and improved governance can play in preventing large-scale extinctions in the tropics in this century.

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Copyright © 2015, The Authors Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license.

M4.0 Strikes near Perry, Oklahoma

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
FRACKING-RELATED SEISMIC HAZARD
CONTINUED SEISMICITY IN OKLAHOMA
.

Shallow M4.0 Quake Strikes 3km SE of Perry, Oklahoma

The quake was one of at least 4 shocks measuring 2.7 or greater to rattle Oklahomans in the past 24 hours.

Earthquake Details

Magnitude: 4.0Mw
Event Time:2014-04-19 10:43:10 UTC
Location: 36.268°N, 97.254°W
Depth: 4.1km (2.5mi)
Nearby Cities:

• 3km (2mi) SE of Perry, Oklahoma
• 24km (15mi) NW of Stillwater, Oklahoma
• 45km (28mi) NNE of Guthrie, Oklahoma
• 50km (1mi) SSW of Ponca City, Oklahoma
• 91km (57mi) NNE of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Earthquake Location Map: Source: USGS/EHP

FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast

A  detailed FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast appeared in Bulletin NO. 89, which was released earlier today.

Related Links

• Ohio Finally Links Fracking to Earthquakes April 12, 2014
• Heightened Seismicity Continues in Oklahoma April 8, 2014
• Another Shallow Quake Strikes Oklahoma April 6, 2014
• Significant Quake Rattles Oklahoma April 5, 2014
• Significant Quakes Strike Oklahoma, Wyoming March 30, 2014
• Another Significant Quake Rattles OKC March 22, 2014
• More Quakes Rattle Oklahoma, Kansas; Ohio Stops Fracking Posted on March 12, 2014
• Another Swarm of Shallow Quakes Strikes Close to Oklahoma City February 18, 2014
• More Quakes Strike Oklahoma February 11, 2014

How Your World Continued Shrinking

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
EXISTENTIAL THREAT
HEAVY METAL POLLUTION IN SOIL
CADMIUM, NICKEL, ARSENIC …
POLLUTED SOIL, SMOG, CONTAMINATED WATER
.

Trinity of Death: Contaminated Soil, Smog and Polluted Water

Fifth of the farming land in China is contaminated, according to a joint report issued by the country’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Land and Resources.

The report, based on  surveys  conducted between April 2005 and December 2013, found 16.1 percent of the land including 19.4 percent of the farmland in the Chinese mainland contaminated with heavy metals.

Nearly 83 percent of the polluted land is contaminated with cadmium, nickel and arsenic.

[Note: Based on the data available, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies cadmium, nickel and arsenic and their compounds as “carcinogenic to humans.”]

“The general condition of the land is ‘not optimistic’ as the quality of farming land is worrying and deserted industrial and mining land suffers serious pollution,” said Xinhua citing the report.

The levels of cadmium contamination rose by 50 percent in southwestern and coastal regions and 10 to 40 percent in other parts of China between 1986 and 1990, said the report.

File photo shows low-lying land near the Dabaoshan Mine heavily polluted with waste metals. Soil pollution has severely worsened in Guangdong province, home to more than 3,000 mines, since 2008, according to the Guangdong Institute of Eco-environment and Soil Sciences. A survey conducted by the institute found that  40 percent of the soil throughout the province were tainted with heavy metals. [Source: China Daily]

Dangerous levels of cadmium were detected in rice produced in central China’s Hunan Province, the country’s top rice-growing region, which caused a public outcry last year.

“Heavy metal pollution alone has resulted in the loss of 10 million tonnes of grain and the contamination of another 12 million tonnes annually, incurring 20 billion yuan (3.17 billion U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses each year,” said the report citing official estimates.

“The main pollution source is human industrial and agricultural activities,” the report said. Collection, storage, transfer and disposal of dangerous waste are currently unregulated.

“Compared with air and water pollution, soil pollution is more difficult to control and remedy, taking a much longer time and needing more resources,” a researcher at Chinese Academy of Sciences told Xinhua.

The report cites the Dabaoshan coal mine in Shaoguan City in Guangdong, as an example.  Since the 1970s, untreated coal residue and wastewater from the mine  has contaminated the soil in the surrounding region up to 44 times above the national limit.

“Known to produce some 6,000 tons of copper and 850,000 tons of iron ore annually, the mine has produced a growing amount of sludge and wastewater that has contaminated some 585 hectares along the lower sections of the Hengshui River running atop the mountain,” said China Daily.

At least 250 cancer-related deaths associated with soil pollution were recorded in Shangbai village, located downstream of the Dabaoshan mine, between 1987 and 2009.

In 1990, a farmland area of 0.06 hectares near Dabaoshan Mine could yield about 350 kilograms of rice, but by 2010 it could only grow less than 100kg due to heavy soil pollution, said Li Deng’e, a despondent 74-year-old villager, who sprays ever-increasing amounts of pesticides on her land to slow down the daily erosion, reported China Daily.

Fracking Methane Emissions Hugely Underestimated by EPA: Study

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
CRIMES AGAINST NATURE
.

Methane emissions 1,000 higher than EPA estimates

Using an airborne laboratory for atmospheric research, researchers identified and quantified large sources of methane emissions over southwestern Pennsylvania in June 2012. They discovered that emissions rates were up to 1,000 times higher than those estimated by the EPA during the same time period.

“We identified a significant regional flux of methane over a large area of shale gas wells in southwestern Pennsylvania in the Marcellus formation and further identified several pads with high methane emissions,” said the study others. “These shale gas pads were identified as in the drilling process, a preproduction stage not previously associated with high methane emissions.”

The original sampling area (OSA) encompasses all of Green County, PA, most of Washington County, PA, and parts of Fayette County, PA, Marshall County, WV, and Ohio County, WV, for a total area of 2,844 km², the authors reported.

The authors identified 57,673 wells (see gray dots in below diagram) across the counties of interest.

“It is particularly noteworthy that large emissions were measured for wells in the drilling phase, in some cases 100 to 1,000 times greater than the inventory estimates,” said one of the report authors. “This indicates that there are processes occurring—e.g. emissions from coal seams during the drilling process—that are not captured in the inventory development process. This is another example pointing to the idea that a large fraction of the total emissions is coming from a small fraction of shale gas production components that are in an anomalous condition.”

The comparative impact of methane on climate change is more than 20 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, according to EPA.

Toward a better understanding and quantification of methane emissions from shale gas development

Dana R. Caulton, doi: 10.1073/pnas.131654611

Significance

We identified a significant regional flux of methane over a large area of shale gas wells in southwestern Pennsylvania in the Marcellus formation and further identified several pads with high methane emissions. These shale gas pads were identified as in the drilling process, a preproduction stage not previously associated with high methane emissions. This work emphasizes the need for top-down identification and component level and event driven measurements of methane leaks to properly inventory the combined methane emissions of natural gas extraction and combustion to better define the impacts of our nation’s increasing reliance on natural gas to meet our energy needs.

Regional enhancement of methane at ∼240 m above ground level (AGL) on the morning of June 21. The dashed orange box represents the original sampling area (OSA), and the gray dots show well locations. Credit: Caulton et al. http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/short/1316546111

Abstract

The identification and quantification of methane emissions from natural gas production has become increasingly important owing to the increase in the natural gas component of the energy sector. An instrumented aircraft platform was used to identify large sources of methane and quantify emission rates in southwestern PA in June 2012. A large regional flux, 2.0–14 g CH₄ s⁻¹ km⁻², was quantified for a ∼2,800-km² area, which did not differ statistically from a bottom-up inventory, 2.3–4.6 g CH₄ s⁻¹ km⁻². Large emissions averaging 34 g CH₄/s per well were observed from seven well pads determined to be in the drilling phase, 2 to 3 orders of magnitude greater than US Environmental Protection Agency estimates for this operational phase. The emissions from these well pads, representing ∼1% of the total number of wells, account for 4–30% of the observed regional flux. More work is needed to determine all of the sources of methane emissions from natural gas production, to ascertain why these emissions occur and to evaluate their climate and atmospheric chemistry impacts.

1.1 Tons of Radioactive Water Leaks from Fukushima

NOTE: Many of the links posted below have previously been blocked or buried by Google, WordPress and others.

SNAFU IN JAPAN
CRIMINAL INCOMPETENCE AT FUKUSHIMA
“COSMIC-LEVEL” RADIATION LEAKS
ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
CRIMES AGAINST NATURE
.

Massive leak occurs in a treatment system at Fukushima nuclear plant: TEPCO

The criminally negligent operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has admitted that yet another major setback has plagued a key system used to decontaminate highly-radioactive water.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) says about 1,100 liters of radioactive water overflowed into a barrier inside the ALPS building.

The water was used to wash contaminated equipment and overflowed from  a storage facility on Wednesday.

Comedy of Deadly Errors

The workers discovered the leak while cleaning a tank used for filtering radioactive substances from water. The tank is on one of the 3 separate stages  of the Advanced Liquid Processing System, or ALPS, local media reported TEPCO as saying.

The operator says the water contains more than 3.8 million becquerels of beta ray emitting materials including strontium and 6,700 becquerels of cesium 137.

On Tuesday, TEPCO reported that 203 tons of highly contaminated radioactive water had been pumped into a basement area at the Fukushima between April 10-13.

The building is neither a storage area nor a processing facility. The pumps  had diverted the contaminated water to the wrong building, the  company said.

TEPCO says it found four pumps operating at the location that were not even meant to be used.

[The deadly water may have been pumped intentionally by operators, sources suggest. Editor]

The water contained radioactive cesium decaying at a rate of 37 million becquerels per liter.

Highly contaminated water leaked from yet another  storage tank at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan.  Handout photo released by TEPCO on February 20.

On October 18, 2013 FIRE-EARTH said [but was censored by Google, WordPress and others]:

• Fukushima Potentially More Disastrous Than Hiroshima

On November 7, 2013 FIRE-EARTH said [but was censored by Google, WordPress and others]:

• Scale of potential catastrophe at Fukushima could dwarf a limited nuclear war.

On January 13, 2014 FIRE-EARTH said [but was censored by Google, WordPress and others]:

THE TEPCO REPORT, QUOTED BY JAPAN’S ASAHI SHIMBUN, MAY BE SERIOUSLY FLAWED.

ACCORDING TO http://new.atmc.jp/ THE RADIATION LEVEL AT OR NEAR FUKUSHIMA PLANT IS ≥ 40 MICROSIEVERT PER HOUR (OR ~ 350 mSv/yr)

NOTES:

1. Radiation dose of about 2,000 millisieverts (200,000 millirems) cause serious illness.

2. Average background radiation in the US is about 3 mS/yr. [Ironically, the average background radiation in many parts of Japan is about 1mS/yr, or a third of that in the U.S.]

3. The average annual radiation dose per person in the U.S. is currently 620 millirem (6.2 mSv), according to EPA. “Half of our average dose comes from natural background sources: cosmic radiation from space, naturally occurring radioactive minerals in the ground and in your body, and from the radioactive gases radon and thoron, which are created when other naturally occurring elements undergo radioactive decay. Another 48 percent of our dose comes from medical diagnostics and treatments.”

100 tons of highly radioactive water leaking here, 200 tons leaking there, and soon we’ll be talking big contamination!!! 

Related Links

• Record-high Radioactive Water Leaks at Fukushima NPP February 20, 2014

For earlier links search:

• Radiation Levels at Fukushima Hugely Underestimated: TEPCO February 8, 2014
• Look for the Cracks!  January 21, 2014
• “Radioactive River” Flowing at Fukushima No. 3 Reactor January 20, 2014
• Fukushima Radiation Level 8 Times* Govt Standard: TEPCO January 13, 2014
• Record Radiation Detected at Fukushima [AGAIN] December 22, 2013
• Japan Renews Nuke Ambitions Despite Fukushima, Common Sense December 14, 2013
• Record Outdoor Radiation Level Detected at Nuked Fukushima Plant December 9, 2013
• TEPCO Continues to Contaminate the World October 3, 2013
• 80 Percent Chance of Major Catastrophe at Fukushima NPP November 7, 2013
• Crimes Against Nature: Water Overflows from 12 Fukushima Barriers October 21, 2013
• Fukushima Potentially More Disastrous Than Hiroshima October 18, 2013
• Fukushima Fatal Farce Turns Deadlier September 1, 2013

 

Ohio Finally Links Fracking to Earthquakes

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
FRACKING-RELATED SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED SEISMICITY IN OKLAHOMA
.

Earthquakes Continue to Rattle Oklahomans

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has finally conceded that the hydraulic fracturing process (fracking), which involves injecting sand, water and chemicals at high pressure deep underground to help release oil and gas, may have produced earthquakes in Poland Township in March.

“Regarding the seismic events in Poland Township, ODNR geologists believe the sand and water injected into the well during the hydraulic fracturing process may have increased pressure on an unknown microfault in the area,” said ODNR in a statement release on Friday.

At least 161 earthquakes measuring magnitude 2.5 or greater, occurring  in and near the state, have rattled Oklahomans in the past 30 days.

Updated: 2014-04-12 07:59:47 UTC. 30 Days, Magnitude 2.5+ (161 earthquakes in map area). Source; USGS/EHP.

Magnitude 4.2+ Since March 30

At least 7 quakes measuring 4.0 or greater have struck Oklahoma in the past three weeks including 4 shocks measuring 4.2 or greater occurring since Mach 30.

• M4.2 about 6km SSW of Langston, Oklahoma 2014-04-07 at 16:03:03 UTC at a  depth of 5.2 km

• M4.2 about 6km SSW of Langston, Oklahoma 2014-04-06 at 14:58:54 UTC at a  depth of5.1 km

• M4.3 about 20km N of Crescent, Oklahoma 2014-03-30 at 08:42:36 UTC at a  depth of 5.0 km

• M4.3 about 21km N of Crescent, Oklahoma 2014-03-30 at 06:51:56 UTC at a  depth of 5.0 km

In Another Shallow Quake Strikes Oklahoma posted on April 6, 2014 the blog said: FIRE-EARTH Models show Oklahoma seismicity WILL continue intensifying

That post and all other FIRE-EARTH blog entries concerning disasters or ‘impending’ disasters in the U.S. continue to be heavily censored, blocked or buried by Google, WordPress and others.

FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast

For the next FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast see April 12 Bulletin, which would be released later today – members only.

Related Links

• Heightened Seismicity Continues in Oklahoma April 8, 2014
• Another Shallow Quake Strikes Oklahoma April 6, 2014
• Significant Quake Rattles Oklahoma April 5, 2014
• Significant Quakes Strike Oklahoma, Wyoming March 30, 2014
• Another Significant Quake Rattles OKC March 22, 2014
• More Quakes Rattle Oklahoma, Kansas; Ohio Stops Fracking Posted on March 12, 2014
• Another Swarm of Shallow Quakes Strikes Close to Oklahoma City February 18, 2014
• More Quakes Strike Oklahoma February 11, 2014

Significant Quake Rattles Oklahoma

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
FRACKING-RELATED SEISMIC HAZARD
CONTINUED SEISMICITY IN OKLAHOMA
.

Magnitude 4.2 Quake Strikes 20km N of Crescent, Oklahoma

Centered at 36.139°N, 97.632°W the quake struck at a depth of 5.1km (3.2mi) Saturday, 12:42:17 UTC on April 5, 2014.

The quake was one of 7 shocks measuring ≥ 2.5Mw to occur in Oklahoma since 03:54UTC, Saturday.

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

Related Links

• Significant Quakes Strike Oklahoma, Wyoming March 30, 2014
• Another Significant Quake Rattles OKC March 22, 2014
• More Quakes Rattle Oklahoma, Kansas; Ohio Stops Fracking Posted on March 12, 2014
• Another Swarm of Shallow Quakes Strikes Close to Oklahoma City February 18, 2014
• More Quakes Strike Oklahoma February 11, 2014

Name One Other Species …

TOXIC AIR POLLUTION
CRIMES AGAINST NATURE
.

No other species makes their habitat unlivable!

Extremely high levels of air pollution are spreading across parts of England.

The pollution is a cocktail of emissions from the UK and Europe, rich in toxic pollutants, including high concentration of the atmospheric particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone, mixed with dust from the Sahara—the proverbial icing.

The elderly, those with respiratory problems, asthma, lung or heart disease, have been warned against venturing outside, said a report.

The latest episode follows the legal proceedings launched against the UK by the European Commission in February for failing to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the air after 15 consecutive years of warning, said the report.

The head of Asthma UK organization has warned that about 70 percent of asthma sufferers who find air pollution makes their condition worse “will be at an increased risk of an attack.” Even healthy people could experience symptoms including sore throat, eye irritation, nasal discomfort, burning lungs and dry cough.

UK capital London cloaked in smog. Image source: Clean Air in London.

Air pollution the world’s worst environmental hazard: WHO

“[About] 1 in 8 of total global deaths [occurs] as a result of air pollution exposure. This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Based on its environmental models, FIRE-EARTH science team believes the figure released by WHO is grossly underestimated.

Outdoor air pollution-caused deaths – breakdown by disease:

• 40% – ischaemic heart disease;
• 40% – stroke;
• 11% – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• 6% – lung cancer; and
• 3% – acute lower respiratory infections in children.

Indoor air pollution-caused deaths – breakdown by disease:

• 34% – stroke;
• 26% – ischaemic heart disease;
• 22% – COPD;
• 12% – acute lower respiratory infections in children; and
• 6% – lung cancer.

Related Links

• 7 Million People Killed by Air Pollution in 2012 March 25, 2014
• Air Pollution Kills May 2, 2009
• Pollution Kills, OK? Posted on May 11, 2010

Red Alert as Hazardous Smog Fills N China’s Shenyang

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
DEADLY AIR POLLUTION
.

Heavy smog and fog shroud huge swathes of China

Heavy smog and fog shrouded huge swathes of China prompting the authorities to issue a red alert in Shenyang the capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, March 27, 2014. Photo: Xinhua/Jiang Bing

Beijing AQI

Meantime, Beijing AQI reached a high of 477 on Thursday and was hovering above 350 level, as of posting.

AQI levels of 300 or greater are categorized as “hazardous” and require mandatory health warnings because everyone may experience very serious health effects.

Related Links

• 7 Million People Killed by Air Pollution in 2012 March 25, 2014
• Killing Life in Beijing March 26, 2014

Give US a *^%$# Break!

MARINE POLLUTION
OIL SPILL
.

Oil leaks into Lake Michigan from BP refinery

BP says “an unknown amount” of oil has leaked from its Indiana Whiting refinery into Lake Michigan.

BP said the leak, which resulted in the discharge of crude oil from the refinery’s cooling system, was discovered Monday afternoon.

More than a half of the lake is covered in ice, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Save the Dunes environmental group has expressed great concern about the impact of the spill on the environment, drinking water, recreational, fishing and shipping industries, said Nicole Barker, the group’s executive director.

“This BP spill, while seemingly contained and currently under control exemplifies some of the concerns Save the Dunes has with transporting and refining oil near Lake Michigan,”said Barker.

“We are glad to see that the crews effectively responded to the spill and it is fortunate that winds were blowing in a way that pushed the oil toward the shoreline,” she said. “However, irreversible damage can be caused by spills into our waterways and it is our greatest hope that the oil was contained before causing great harm to the Lake Michigan ecosystem.”

Chinese Cities Unfit for Living

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
TOXIC AIR POLLUTION
.

Nearly all Chinese cities monitored for pollution in 2013 failed to meet environmental standards: Senior official

About 96 Chinese cities monitored for pollution in 2013 failed to meet environmental standards, said Wu Xiaoqing, China’s vice-minister of environmental protection.

Of the 74 cities monitored by Beijing, 71 had various degrees of problems, said Wu at a news conference on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The only three cities that met the standard were the flood-prone city of Haikou in the island province of Hainan, Llasa, the capital of quake-prone Tibet, and the coastal resort city of Zhoushan.

China’s pollution problems can only be solved through fundamental changes to the way the country develops its economy, said Wu.

“When we were chasing GDP growth, we were also paying the price of pollution, and this price is heavy, is massive.”

“China will cut outdated steel production capacity by a total of 27 million tonnes this year, slash cement production by 42 million tonnes and also shut down 50,000 small coal-fired furnaces across the country, according to the government work report delivered by Premier Li on Wednesday,” said Xinhua.

Beijing AQI

Meanwhile, the Beijing AQI for PM2.5 hit 255 (Very Unhealthy) on Saturday, before falling slightly to 249, as of posting. [Temp: 4°C; range  -3°C to 12°C]

Related Links

• Apocalyptic Smog Covers 10 Percent of China February 25, 2014
• Hazardous Smog Continues Choking N China February 24, 2014
• Beijing 398  February 23, 2014
• Derisory “Yellow Alert” as Brown Smog Bears on Beijing  February 21, 2014
• Smog and Mirrors in Beijing February 16, 2014
• “Breathtaken” Beijing Brown January 16, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Smothers China January 14, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Paralyzes Much of China December 6, 2013
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Turns Skies Yellow in North, East China December 5, 2013
• Shanghai Air Pollution Shoots Off the Chart Posted on December 2, 2013
• China’s Air Quality Chart Goes Apesh*t Again  October 28, 2013
• Air Pollution Levels Climb in China, India  October 27, 2013
• It won’t get any better, before it gets a lot worse! October 22, 2013
• Major City Shuts Down in China Smog Emergency October 21, 2013
• Smog Forces China’s Expressways Closures October 6, 2013
• Breathtaking Beijing in ‘Maroon Alert’  October 4, 2013
• Air Pollution: Visibility Down to 10 Meters in E China September 30, 2013

For earlier posts on Beijing AQI, search blog content.

You’ve Created a World Unfit for Living

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
TOXIC AIR POLLUTION
.

Victoria Government Should Evacuate Morwell 

Officials have upgraded health warning for Hazelwood coal mine fire after nearly a month of burning, instead of evacuating the town.

Heath authorities have recommended the elderly, pregnant women, those with respiratory problems and children to leave the town.

Particulate matter, which can cause heart attacks and lung cancer, is currently 11 times Australia’s daily threshold near South Morwell [Population: 14,000], about 150 km east of Melbourne [Population: 4.25million,] Australia’s 2nd largest city.

“Morwell on Fire.” Apocalyptic fumes blanket the town of Morwell in Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia.  Screenshot from a news clip by abc.net.au

“We are now into the third week and we know that continued exposure to the smoke increases the risk of bad health outcomes,” said Dr Rosemary Lester, Victoria State’s chief health officer.

“We are not currently seeing serious health effects from the smoke, such as an increase in ambulance callouts or hospital attendances,” she said.

“Health impacts may change if vulnerable people continue to be exposed to smoke.”

At this stage officials say it is not an evacuation and they are making the recommendation as a precaution.

Locals joining reporters at a media conference on Friday were sceptical of Dr Lester’s confidence that the health of the broader community is unlikely to suffer as the crisis drags on.

“I’m 25-years-old, yesterday I spent five minutes in the smoke outside, I could not see for one hour,” one Morwell resident said.

Dr Lester replied: “Because we know now that the exposure is likely to continue we think that now is the right time to increase the advice to temporary relocation.” [abc.net.au]

However, a study published in the British Medical Journal in January, found even small increase in the PM2.5 particulate matter can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and lung cancer.

The concentration of PM2.5 in the air reached 280 micrograms per cubic meter in Morwell South on Thursday, or 11 times Australia’s daily threshold, said a report.

The study’s lead researcher, Guilia Cesaroni from the Department of Epidemiology at Rome’s regional health service, studied more than 100,000 people in five European cities over a decade.

“We found an association between increased levels of PM2.5 and mortality and also with incidence of lung cancer,” she said.

Dr Cesaroni found an increase in annual exposure to PM2.5 of just 5 micrograms per cubic metre means a 13 per cent increased risk of heart attack.

She calls the Morwell reading of 280 micrograms per cubic metre “a huge level”.

Dr Cesaroni says it would lead to more hospital admissions and, if the area is largely populated, “an excess in mortality” if the readings continue for a month or more.

“For sure there will be an increase in the annual average, but at the moment I would be more worried about the immediate effect,” she said.

The fires at the Hazelwood and Yallourn coal mines were ignited on February 9, and have been burning since.

Forecasters say the fire could burn for at least another 10 days due to the windy, dry weather.

Related Links

• Morwell Could Catch Fire February 22, 2014
• Australian Disasters [links index page]
• More Australian Coal, Anyone? Posted on January 31, 2011

Apocalyptic Smog Covers 10 Percent of China

FIRE-EARTH Models show smog affecting at least 500millon people in China, or 37% of the population.

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
“APOCALYPTIC SMOG”
.

NO “Red Alert” for Beijing despite 6th consecutive days of hazardous smog

Satellite remote monitoring showed 980,000km², or 10 percent of the country,  blanketed by smog Sunday including Beijing and the provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, and Shanxi.

Beijing entered its six consecutive day of hazardous smog (AQI above 300), described by as “Apocalyptic smog” by the residents, on Tuesday. However, the authorities have failed to issue a “Red Alert” for the capital, breaking their own rules.

“A red alert indicates the most serious air pollution (AQI above 300) for three consecutive days. An orange alert indicates heavy to serious air pollution (AQI between 200 and 300) alternately for three consecutive days. A yellow alert indicates severe pollution for one day or heavy pollution for three consecutive days,” said a report.

Beijing was placed on “Yellow Alert” on Thursday, but the alert was upgraded to “Orange” for the first time on Friday, where it has stayed since.

The poisonous smog is forecast to linger until at least Thursday, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

Smog shrouds the Imperial Palace in Beijing, China, Feb. 24, 2014. Many parts of China have been enveloped by poisonous smog since last week. The potentially deadly pollution will linger in Beijing until at least Thursday,  forecasters said.  (Photo: Xinhua/Li Wen)

Beijing AQI

PM2.5 AQI for Beijing was 413 , indicating a PM2.5 concentration of between 350.5 and 500.4  micrograms per cubic meter (µgm–³), as of posting. (PM10 AQI: 240+; Temp: 2°C ; Range: 0°C to 12°C; Pressure: 1028hpa).

Pollution levels below 15.4µgm–³ (AQI of up to 50) are considered as “safe.”

A formula for calculating the AQI from the concentrations of various air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, CO, SO2, NO2 …)  is posted HERE.

Related Links

• Hazardous Smog Continues Choking N China February 24, 2014
• Beijing 398 February 23, 2014
• Derisory “Yellow Alert” as Brown Smog Bears on Beijing  February 21, 2014
• Smog and Mirrors in Beijing February 16, 2014
• “Breathtaken” Beijing Brown January 16, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Smothers China January 14, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Paralyzes Much of China December 6, 2013
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Turns Skies Yellow in North, East China December 5, 2013
• Shanghai Air Pollution Shoots Off the Chart Posted on December 2, 2013
• China’s Air Quality Chart Goes Apesh*t Again  October 28, 2013
• Air Pollution Levels Climb in China, India  October 27, 2013
• It won’t get any better, before it gets a lot worse! October 22, 2013
• Major City Shuts Down in China Smog Emergency October 21, 2013
• Smog Forces China’s Expressways Closures October 6, 2013
• Breathtaking Beijing in ‘Maroon Alert’  October 4, 2013
• Air Pollution: Visibility Down to 10 Meters in E China September 30, 2013

For earlier posts on Beijing AQI, search blog content.

Hazardous Smog Continues Choking N China

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
‘APOCALYPTIC SMOG’
.

Life-threatening smog choking N China won’t disperse anytime soon

 The potentially deadly smog is forecast to continue for at least three more days in Beijng, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, and Shaanxi provinces in north China, said the National Meteorological Center.

Beijing was finally placed on “orange alert”  for the first time on Friday. Municipal authorities have ordered manufacturing plants in the city to suspend or reduce production, and barbecues are disallowed, Xinhua reported.

Photo: xinhuanet.com

Beijing AQI

PM2.5 AQI for Beijing was 411 , indicating a PM2.5 concentration of between 350.5 and 500.4  micrograms per cubic meter (µgm–³), as of posting. (Temp: 7°C ; range -1 ° to 10°. Pressure: 1025hpa).

Pollution levels below 15.4µgm–³ (AQI of up to 50) are considered as “safe.”

A formula for calculating the AQI from the concentrations of various air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, CO, SO2, NO2 …)  is posted HERE.

Related Links

• Beijing 398 February 23, 2014
• Derisory “Yellow Alert” as Brown Smog Bears on Beijing  February 21, 2014
• Smog and Mirrors in Beijing February 16, 2014
• “Breathtaken” Beijing Brown January 16, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Smothers China January 14, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Paralyzes Much of China December 6, 2013
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Turns Skies Yellow in North, East China December 5, 2013
• Shanghai Air Pollution Shoots Off the Chart Posted on December 2, 2013
• China’s Air Quality Chart Goes Apesh*t Again  October 28, 2013
• Air Pollution Levels Climb in China, India  October 27, 2013
• It won’t get any better, before it gets a lot worse! October 22, 2013
• Major City Shuts Down in China Smog Emergency October 21, 2013
• Smog Forces China’s Expressways Closures October 6, 2013
• Breathtaking Beijing in ‘Maroon Alert’  October 4, 2013
• Air Pollution: Visibility Down to 10 Meters in E China September 30, 2013

For earlier posts on Beijing AQI, search blog content.

Beijing 398

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
APOCALYPTIC SMOG
.

KILL the SMOG or EVACUATE Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Liaoning, Shanxi, Shaanxi… before you run out of options!!

“Apocalyptic smog” smothered large parts of central, northern, northeastern and eastern China for the third consecutive day, reportedly prompting the Ministry of Environmental Protection to send 12 inspection teams to Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and surrounding areas to check the response to the pollution (!)

Beijing AQI.  Source: waqi. info

Related Links

• Derisory “Yellow Alert” as Brown Smog Bears on Beijing  February 21, 2014
• Smog and Mirrors in Beijing February 16, 2014
• “Breathtaken” Beijing Brown January 16, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Smothers China January 14, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Paralyzes Much of China December 6, 2013
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Turns Skies Yellow in North, East China December 5, 2013
• Shanghai Air Pollution Shoots Off the Chart Posted on December 2, 2013
• China’s Air Quality Chart Goes Apesh*t Again  October 28, 2013
• Air Pollution Levels Climb in China, India  October 27, 2013
• It won’t get any better, before it gets a lot worse! October 22, 2013
• Major City Shuts Down in China Smog Emergency October 21, 2013
• Smog Forces China’s Expressways Closures October 6, 2013
• Breathtaking Beijing in ‘Maroon Alert’  October 4, 2013
• Air Pollution: Visibility Down to 10 Meters in E China September 30, 2013

For earlier posts on Beijing AQI, search blog content.

Derisory “Yellow Alert” as Brown Smog Bears on Beijing

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
APOCALYPTIC SMOG
.

Hazardous Smog in China to Last for a Week: Officials

Beijing authorities on Thursday issued a derisory “Yellow Alert” for the Chinese Capital as heavy air pollution enveloped the region. The smog, previously described as “Apocalyptic” by the residents, is forecast to last for a week.

“Beijing, its neighbors Tianjin and Hebei Province, as well as central and western Shandong Province can expect heavy air pollution to linger for a week, according to a joint weather forecast issued by the China Meteorological Administration [CMA] and the Ministry of Environmental Protection,” said a report.

CMA believes the smog will last for a week because there is no cold front in sight to help disperse it, said the report.

PM 2.5 AQI had risen to 374 and PM10 concentration was hovering above 160µgm–³, as of posting.

Pollution levels below 15.4µgm–³ (AQI of up to 50) are considered as “safe.”

A formula for calculating the AQI from the concentrations of various air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, CO, SO2, NO2 …)  is posted HERE.

) as “safe.”

“Yellow” is the 2nd lowest of a four-tier alert system—red, orange, yellow, blue—indicating the severity of air pollution.

Map of air pollution in SEA. Source: waqi. info

“A red alert indicates the most serious air pollution (AQI above 300) for three consecutive days. An orange alert indicates heavy to serious air pollution (AQI between 200 and 300) alternately for three consecutive days. A yellow alert means severe pollution for one day or heavy pollution for three consecutive days,” said Xinhua.

Related Links

• Smog and Mirrors in Beijing February 16, 2014
• “Breathtaken” Beijing Brown January 16, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Smothers China January 14, 2014
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Paralyzes Much of China December 6, 2013
• “Apocalyptic” Smog Turns Skies Yellow in North, East China December 5, 2013
• Shanghai Air Pollution Shoots Off the Chart Posted on December 2, 2013

• China’s Air Quality Chart Goes Apesh*t Again  October 28, 2013
• Air Pollution Levels Climb in China, India  October 27, 2013
• It won’t get any better, before it gets a lot worse! October 22, 2013
• Major City Shuts Down in China Smog Emergency October 21, 2013
• Smog Forces China’s Expressways Closures October 6, 2013
• Breathtaking Beijing in ‘Maroon Alert’  October 4, 2013
• Air Pollution: Visibility Down to 10 Meters in E China September 30, 2013

For earlier posts on Beijing AQI, search blog content.