Posts Tagged ‘food’
Posted by feww on March 3, 2010
Press Release: Safe Food for a healthy Life
Foodborne Illness Costs Nation $152 Billion Annually – Nearly $39 Billion Loss Attributed to Produce
Washington DC – Acute foodborne illnesses cost the United States an estimated $152 billion per year in healthcare, workplace and other economic losses, according to a report published today by the Produce Safety Project (PSP).
The study, Health-Related Costs from Foodborne Illness in the United States, was written by Dr. Robert L. Scharff, a former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) economist and current Ohio State University assistant professor in the department of consumer sciences. The study estimates that more than a quarter of these costs, an estimated $39 billion, are attributable to foodborne illnesses associated with fresh, canned and processed produce.
The FDA has announced that it will propose before the end of the year mandatory and enforceable safety standards for the growing, harvesting and packing of fresh produce. These will be the first nationwide safety standards for fresh fruits and vegetables.
“An up-to-date cost analysis of foodborne illnesses is critical for FDA officials and lawmakers to craft the most effective and efficient reforms,” said Jim O’Hara, PSP director. “A decade ago, we spent more than $1.3 billion annually to try to reduce the burden of foodborne illness and today we are spending even more. We need to make certain we are spending limited funds wisely and hitting our target of reducing sicknesses and deaths, and this study gives us a yardstick to measure our progress.”
Produce (fresh, canned and processed) accounts for roughly 19,700,000 of the reported illnesses documented, at a cost of approximately $1,960 per case and $39 billion annually in economic losses. California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania were the states most impacted by foodborne illness cases related to produce.
In additional to national data, the report includes data at the state level.
“The contribution of this study is that it provides more complete estimates of the health-related cost of foodborne illness in the United States by summing both medical costs (hospital services, physician services, and drugs) and quality-of-life losses (deaths, pain, suffering, and functional disability) for each of the major pathogens associated with foodborne illness,” said Dr. Scharff. “This cost includes both expenses to the person made ill such as pain and suffering losses and costs to others in society such as outlays by insurance companies that pay medical expenses.”
Scharff based his analysis on the economic principles currently used by FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economists in their cost analyses. In addition, to account for uncertainty he utilized confidence intervals and sensitivity analysis.
The cost of foodborne illness is calculated on both an aggregate level and a pathogen-specific level. To view a full copy of the report and the state-by-state data analysis, simply visit http://www.producesafetyproject.org and click on the Health-Related Costs report.
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http://www.producesafetyproject.org.
Interactive Map: Annual Health-Related Costs of Foodborne Illness for Each State
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Posted in FDA, food hygiene, Food Regulations, food safety, salmonella | Tagged: food, food poisoning, Foodborne Illness, healthcare, healthy food, Listeria, processed food, Produce Safety Project | 4 Comments »
Posted by feww on October 30, 2008
The Earth’s natural resources are being depleted at terminal speed!
The United States, Australia, UAE, Kuwait and Denmark have the largest ecological footprints per person
“If our demands on the planet continue to increase at the same rate, by the mid-2030s we would need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles. … If humanity has the will, it has the ways to live within the means of the planet, but we must recognize that the ecological credit crunch will require even bolder action than that now being mustered for the financial crisis” ~ James Leape, Director-General of WWF International (Living Planet Report), speaking on the reckless consumption of natural capital which is endangering the world.
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Some 37 percent (31.5 million tons) of all fish removed from our oceans each year is used mostly (90%) as feed for livestock and ranched fish.
“If you’re creating protein for humans to consume, does it make sense to take three to five pounds [up to 20 pounds for ranched tuna] of perfectly good food and convert it into only one pound of food?” ~ Ellen Pikitch, executive director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science and a professor at Stony Brook University in New York, One-third of world fish catch used for animal feed
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Drinking water for Lima, Peru, imperiled by mining legacy
“With the rains, there could be filtration on the hillside and cause a disaster that would affect the central highway, a mining facility [with toxic ponds,] a hydroelectric plant, and the tailings would reach the Rimac River, causing a big disaster of contamination.” ~ Antonio Brack, Environment Minister of Peru, speaking on the possibility of the Rimac River, which provides drinking water to the capital, Lima, being contaminated by tailing ponds nearby that contain up to a million metric tons of tailings.
Posted in ecological footprints, Living Planet Report, pollution, Rimac River, water | Tagged: eco Quotes, EF, food, natural resources, resource depletion | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on September 2, 2008
Photograph by Norbert Rosing. (Source: National geographic). Image may be subject to copyright."”]”]
IS THIS RELATIONSHIP ANY LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE ONE BELOW?
Bristol Palin , the 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, is seen holding her brother Trig at a campaign event in Dayton, Ohio, August 29, 2008. REUTERS/John Gress. Image may be subject to copyright.
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Posted in Corporate Shill, Gov. Sarah Palin, offshore Drilling, polar bears, threatened species, Tourism, Transportation | Tagged: Alaskan oil and gas, blue marble, Climate Change, commercial fisheries, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics. alaska state, Travel | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on July 30, 2008
Water, Water Everywhere!
“A Conspiracy Against the Public”: For reasons unknown to Moderators, Google has blocked this post.
In the past week dozens of world’s cities and regions have been flooded:
Romania: Areas north of Bucharest
Ukraine: Western Ivano-Frankivsk region
India: Western city of Ahmedabad, the plains of Asam, eastern city of Patna
People make their way along a flooded park in Xiangfan, Hubei province, China, July 23, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair use Notice!
Bangladesh: Northeastern regions
New Zealand: Various areas throughout the islands
South Korea: Seoul and the country’s central regions
UK: Shropshire, West Midlands
Mexico: City of Matamoros and nearby regions
United States: Southern Texas, New Mexico, central Alabama, northeast Missouri,
China: Provinces of Jiangsu, Hubei, Sichuan and Hualien
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Posted in Bangladesh, China, Global Warming, India, Mexico, new zealand, Romania, S. Korea, UK, Ukraine, United States | Tagged: Climate Change, coastal flooding, energy policy, flash floods, flooding, food, freshwater, health, storms, Water-borne infectious diseases | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on June 27, 2008
A Shrinking World Series
Is it a mega-tropical storm system, or an extra-tropical cyclone (ETC), i.e., a non-tropical, large-scale low pressure storm system like a Nor’easter?
“Hydrokong” is a colossal atmospheric phenomenon. It’s an extreme precipitation event which is enhanced by circulation changes that increase and concentrate the distribution of water vapor.
Hydrokong! The Storm System as it appeared over the central United States June 12, 2008 04:15 UTC. The still image is an aviation color enhancement of a satellite image.
Globally, as total precipitation increases, the duration or frequency of precipitation events decreases. However, warmer temperatures and regional variation can significantly affect those offsetting behaviors. For example, reduced total precipitation in one region, the Western United States, can significantly increase the intensity of precipitation in another region, the Midwest. Hydrokongs essentially create two extreme events, droughts in one region and flooding caused by mega-intense precipitation in another. As the global temperatures rise, more hydrokongs should be expected.
Another Hydrokong in the making? A new System as it appeared over the central United States June 27, 2008 04:15 UTC. The still image is an aviation color enhancement of a satellite image.
An aviation color enhancement of a floater [updated periodically] satellite image GEOS Eastern U.S. Imagery, NOAA SSD. For full size image right-click on the image and select “View Image.”
In the words of Brian Pierce, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, describing the aftermath of flooding last week: “We are seeing a historic hydrological event taking place with unprecedented river levels occurring.”
Are Extreme Precipitation Events Earth’s Natural Defense Mechanisms?
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Posted in air pollution, Climate Change, Drought, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: air pollution, central, chillicothe, China, climate science, CO2, environment, EU, Extreme Precipitation, Extreme weather events, flooding, floods, food, government, greenhouse gases, hail, health, hurricane, Hydrokong, Iowa, Midwest, Mississippi river, Missouri river, mitch, National Weather Service, Natural Defense Mechanisms, NOAA, Ocean Warming, politics, prairie hill, Rain, Storm Prediction Center, storms, Tornado, Tropical storm, Turkey Creek, twister, typhoon, USA, Warming World, Water pollution, weather, western Iowa, wind | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on June 20, 2008
What Happened to my Rice?
An Egyptian rice farmer shows his drought damaged rice crop and cracks in the rice terrace soil caused by more than 30 days of no rain in a village near Balqis, 260 km northeast of Cairo. EGYPT: June 17, 2008. Reuters. Photo by NASSER NURI. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!
Posted in carbon emmission, Climate Change, CO2, energy, environment, food, GHG, Global Warming, health, politics, Travel | Tagged: bad harvest, Balqis, cairo, crops, Drought, Egypt, food, food riots, grains, rice | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on June 18, 2008
The Year of Volcanoes, Too?
Steam, hot volcanic plumes rise near Mt. Kurikoma
Japan’s Self-Defense Forces personnel observed Monday hot volcanic plumes about seven kilometers southwest of the summit of Mt. Kurikoma, a 1,627-meter-high volcano located on the border of Miyagi, Iwate and Akita prefectures, Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
Aerial observation from a helicopter showed plumes rising from several spots near both Hanayama in Kurihara, and Yu no Hama hot-spring spa.
Sadato Ueki of Tohoku University’s Research Center for the Prediction of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions said the plumes might be volcanic gases rising to the surface, or steam coming from underground hot water channels whose course was diverted by the powerful Mw 6.8 quake Saturday. The Iwate quake struck about 22km NW of the Mt. Kurikoma summit.
“There’s a possibility that volcanic gases that had been confined below ground are gushing out through fissures in the mountain created by the earthquake,” he said. However, he ruled out increased volcanic activity on Mt. Kurikoma, because the plumes were very far from the volcano’s summit.
Kurikoma volcano last erupted in 1950.
MT. KURIKOMA is a dormant stratovolcano stretching across three prefectures (states) of Miyagi, Iwate and Akita, standing high at an altitude of 1,627.7m.
Kurikoma volcano seen from the SSE with its summit at the right-center, the satellitic cone of Daichimori on the left, and Higashi-Kurikoma on the right. On the opposite side of the volcano, the summit is cut by a 4-km-wide caldera breached to the north that is partially filled by the Tsurugi-dake central cone, once mined for sulfur. (Caption: Source) Image Copyright: Shingo Takeuchi (Japanese Quaternary Volcanoes database, RIODB, http://www.aist.go.jp/RIODB/strata/VOL_JP/index.htm). See FEWW Fair Use Notice!
Coordinates: 38° 57′ 0″ N, 140° 46′ 48″ E
Decimal: 38.95°, 140.78°
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: acidic lake, Akita, Ash, Asia, breaking news, Canlaon Volcano, Chaiten volcano, Collapsing Cities, Comatose, convergent plate boundary, Crops Failure in China, drinking water, Earth's Interior, earthquake, environment, epicentres, evacuation, floods, food, Ghost towns, hot volcanic plumes, Indonesia, iwate, iwate quake, Japan, Kurikoma, lahar, Lake Taal, landslides, Luzon, Manila, Mayon Volcano, MINDANAO, Miyagi, Pacific Ring of Fire, Philippine, Philippine Plate, Philippines Taal Volcano, Ragang volcano, Santorini, Santorini eruption, Steam, stratovolcano, Taal Volcano, tectonic plates, VEI, Volcano activity, Volcanolog, Year of the Fire, year of the tornadoes, Year of Volcanoes | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on June 13, 2008
A Shrinking World Series
Could California Turn to Desert by 2011?
Water, water, my bloody kingdom for a drop of water. ~ King Conan
Water Emergency in Calif
As most of the croplands in the Central U.S. is submerged under floodwater, the heart of California’s farming area is feeling the heat. Gov. Schwarzenegger who proclaimed last week a drought in California, declared yesterday a state of emergency in nine counties in Central Valley.
“Just last week, I said we would announce regional emergencies wherever the state’s drought situation warrants them, and in the Central Valley an emergency proclamation is necessary to protect our economy and way of life,” Mr Schwarzenegger said.
“Central Valley agriculture is a $20 billion a year industry. If we don’t get them water immediately the results will be devastating,” he added. “Food prices, which are already stretching many family budgets, will continue to climb and workers will lose their jobs—everyone’s livelihood will be impacted in some way.”
“His declaration covers Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties and directs California’s Department of Water Resources to work with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to deliver more water through the State Water Project to where it is most needed.” Reuters reported.
Conservation Action:
- Water rationing is imposed in Long Beach, Roseville and the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which serves 1.3 million people in the San Francisco Bay area.
- Water agencies serving about 18 million people throughout Calif have declared a water supply alerts.
- Officials are planning for reduced water use through this year because lower water supplies are anticipated next year.
- Schwarzenegger is asking lawmakers to back a “comprehensive solution” to expanding water and says he needs $11.9 billion bond to finance water projects. (Source)
Coyote Dry Lake, Mojave Desert. Image: Jeff T. Alu via Wikimedia. This file is licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.
Coyote Dry Lake is a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert located about 24 km northeast of Barstow, and north of Interstate 15 in southern California. The lake measures about 10 km long and about 6 km wide at its widest section.
California’s Last Chance: Do a U-Turn, or Turn to Desert!
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Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: air soil and water pollutions, Barstow, Business as usual, calif., civilization, Climate Change, CO2, CO2e, Coastal areas, Collapsing Cities, conserve, Coyote Dry Lake, crops failure, Department of Water Resources, desertification, deserts, Drought, dying cities, economy, energy, environment, extreme fire hazards, food, Global Warming, government, health, Mojave Desert, onservation, politics, quality-of-life, recycling, Sacramento, Schwarzenegger, southern California, Water pollution, water quality, water shortages, water supply | 4 Comments »
Posted by feww on June 2, 2008
Posted in Bangladesh, Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics, Tourism, Travel, war | Tagged: Africa, agriculture, americas, Asia, basic needs, biocapacity, Bolivia, Buffett the Poor, Cameroon, China, collapse, demonstrations, ecosystems, Egypt, El Salvador, Emerging Food Crisis, environment, food, food riots, food shortages, Fueling Food Shortages, garment workers, government, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritania, money, Mozambique, Oil Chaos, Pakistan, Philippines Senegal, politics, Poverty Index, protests, Singapore, Somalia, staple diet, strikes, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on May 29, 2008
China Regime: As Evil as Evil Comes!
Are Earthquake Predictions in China Political?
The following excerpts are from an article written by Wu Weilin, Epoch Times Staff [ May 28, 2008 ] Full Article
Was the recent devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China predicted before it struck? Did the Chinese regime ignore earthquake warnings and thereby caused the loss of more than 86,000 lives?
“On July 28, 2006, the Director of the China Earthquake Administration, Chen Jianmin, was speaking on a program of the regime’s mouth piece, China’s Central TV station. He stated with certainty that earthquakes were predictable. But immediately after the recent devastation in Sichuan, Chinese officials claimed that the prediction of earthquakes was a tough task worldwide. Another commentator said that earthquake prediction in China is a political issue.” Said Wu Weilin of Epoch Times.
[Wrapping it up!] Soldiers march to scatter disinfectant in Yingxiu town of Wenchuan county, the epicentre of the earthquake, Sichuan province May 26, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer The image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!
What Happened to the Predictions?
“According to Chen, China has been predicting earthquakes since the Xingtai earthquake back in 1966, which killed 8,064 people. ‘Through continuous scientific research and information gained from many actual cases, we can make a prediction on a certain type of earthquake.’ However, after the earthquake in Sichuan took place, Zhang Ziaodong from the China Earthquake Networks Center held a press conference at China’s State Department on May 13. At the conference Zhang denied the quake in Sichuan was predictable and said that predicting earthquakes was a ‘difficult task worldwide.'”
Why did the Chinese media stay quiet about this important issue? “A frontline reporter disclosed that Beijing had sent out rules on reporting the earthquake, ‘To propagate positive, constructive news and forbidding criticism and introspective articles.’ Recently, according to our source, Beijing has officially banned discussing the subject of earthquake prediction in public.”
“However, more and more information has indicated accurate prediction on the quake had been presented to Beijing on many occasions. The communist military had also taken preventative measures based on the predictions.”
Predictions Had Saved Lives Before, Why Not This Time?
“Chen also said during an interview with CCTV two years ago, that following an accurate prediction, a quake that took place in China on February 4, 1975, only took 1,300 lives instead of 100,000. Chen also gave examples from overseas, how predicting earthquakes had cut down the number of deaths – only three died in California in 2003 and 40 in Japan in 2004, two countries where earthquake prediction was released before the event.
“By May 24, 2008, the Sichuan quake was estimated to have killed 60,560, injured 352,290, and 26,221 people were still missing, according to information released from China’s State Department. A Chinese social economist, He Qinglian, commented about the difference in speeches coming out of Beijing about quake prediction before and after Sichuan, ‘In China, earthquake prediction is pure science and earthquake forecasting announcement is pure politics. This is how it works in China, whether in the past or present.‘” [emphasis added.]
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Posted in Climate Change, environment, food, health, politics, Travel | Tagged: Asia, bribes, China, chinaquake, Climate Change, communists, corruption, CPC, CPC Central Committee, deathtraps, disaster, disaster relief, disasters, earthquake warning, ecosystems, environment, food, food prices, foreign policy, free world, government, health, Hu Jintao, human rights, Humanitarian Crisis, mainshock, money, new zealand, Olympics, pandemics, paratroopers, plague, politics, prostitutes, quake dam, rescue team, second wives, Sichuan, sleaze, storm, Tourism, Travel, water rationing, water shortage, wealth, Wen Jiabao, Zhou Yongkang | 7 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 22, 2008
Mount Semeru Volcano Restive, Alert Level III
May 22, 2008
Jakarta – Indonesian authorities on Thursday urged residents living around the slopes of Mount Semeru in Indonesia’s crowded East Java province to keep their distance from the active volcano, which appears to be heating up.
Vulcanologists upgraded the alert status of Mount Semeru volcano to level three, one level below a full state of alert, after the 3,676-metre-high volcano on Wednesday sent hot lava as much as 3,000 metres down its slopes.
Villagers and farmers were urged ‘not to conduct activity at a radius of 4 kilometres from the crater, especially around the south-east of the volcano’s slopes,’ said Surono, head of Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation at the directorate general of volcanology.
Surono, who like many Indonesians goes only by one name, appealed to residents living on the riverbanks along three different rivers to be cautious of threats posed by lava streams.
However, no immediate evacuation is being considered for residents living in a number villages in the potential danger zone, he said, adding that a team of experts is intensively monitoring Mount Semeru’s activity round-the-clock.
The Mount Semeru volcano, 780 kilometres east of Jakarta, is a popular tourist destination, especially for hikers. Semeru is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes.
The Indonesian archipelago, straddling the seismically active ‘Ring of Fire,’ has the world’s highest density of volcanoes. Of its 500 volcanoes, 128 are active and 65 are listed as dangerous. (Source) Copyright respective author or news agency.
The climb to the summit of Semeru is a 2-3 day walk. The mountain stages minor eruptions (like in the photograph) every 20 – 40 minutes. The photo was taken in late afternoon (August 2003) and simply involved walking from the campsite at the base of the climb to the summit around to the west so that the sun was at my back, then waiting for the eruption to start. The most striking aspect of the photo is the colour caused by the almost perpendicular rays of the sun hitting the cloud of dust and steam escaping a couple of thousand metres into the sky from the crater. The photo typifies the fact that Indonesia sits in the middle of the “Ring of Fire”. The many spectacles presented by the landscapes, the festivals and the people of Indonesia never cease to truly amaze me. Photo and caption credit: Campbell Bridge (via Trek Earth at:http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Indonesia/photo109462.htm)
Semeru: The Most Active Volcano of Java
Semeru also Gunung Semeru is the highest and one of most active volcanoes of Java. Known also as Mahameru (Great Mountain), it is very steep and rises abruptly above the coastal plains of eastern Java. Maars containing crater lakes have formed along a line through the summit. Semeru lies at the south end of the Tengger Volcanic Complex. The steep-sided volcano, also referred to as Mahameru (Great Mountain), rises abruptly to 3676 m above coastal plains to the south. Semeru’s eruptive history is extensive. Since 1818, at least 55 eruptions have been recorded (10 of which resulted in fatalities) consisting of both lava flows and pyroclastic flows. More than 500 people have been killed by Semeru’s eruptions during the last 30 years. Semeru has been in almost continuous eruption since 1967. (Source 1 and 2 )
Semeru is one of many volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Graphic courtesy of Darwin VAAC.
Semeru, a stratovolcano, has erupted at least 55 times since 1818. The eruptions are commonly moderate to moderately large (VEI of 2 to 3) and explosive. This photo, taken November 4, 1982, shows a small cloud associated with a Strombolian eruption (relatively low-level volcanic eruptions) . Photo by Jack Lockwood, U.S. Geological Survey. (Source)
Strombolian eruptions are relatively low-level volcanic eruptions, named after the Italian volcano named Stromboli, where such eruptions consist of ejection of incandescent cinder, lapilli and lava bombs to altitudes of tens to hundreds of meters. They are small to medium in volume, with sporadic violence. (Source). Credit: Wolfgang Beyer GNU Free Documentation license, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.
Semeru eruptions are commonly moderate to moderately large (VEI of 2 to 3). Some of the eruptions produced lahars (a type of mudflow composed of pyroclastic material and water that flows down from a volcano). Semeru’s most recent eruption began in 1967 and has continued to the present. In August of 1994, explosions occurred at 15-20 minute intervals. In February of 1995, pyroclastic avalanches traveled about 0.6 mile (1 km) from the summit.
Semeru, 1985. A USGS Photo.
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Posted in Climate Change, environment, food, health, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: acidic lake, Ash, Asia, Canlaon Volcano, Chaiten volcano, Collapsing Cities, convergent plate boundary, Crops Failure in China, drinking water, Earth's Interior, environment, epicentres, evacuation, floods, food, Ghost towns, Indonesia, lahar, landslides, Manila, Mayon Volcano, MINDANAO, Pacific Ring of Fire, Philippine, Philippine Plate, Ragang volcano, SOUTHERN SUMATRA, Taal Volcano, tectonic plates, VEI, Volcano activity, Volcanolog | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 19, 2008
Taal May Erupt at Anytime
FEWW team believes there is a strong probability that the Taal Volcano, a Pelean-type active volcano on the island of Luzon, might erupt this month. Taal volcano is designated as one of the 16 Decade Volcanoes by International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI). Located about 50 km south of the capital, Manila, Taal is surrounded by populated areas.
Taal has erupted violently several times (the last eruption was in 1977). The current death toll caused by its activities stands at about 6,000.
More seismic activities in the region should be expected.
Taal Volcano Seen through Lake Taal (Photo: Jhun Taboga)
A cinder cone in an acidic lake on Taal Volcano (Credit: JG Moore of the US Geological Survey)
Major volcanoes of the Philippines
Pacific Ring of Fire
The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire has 452 volcanoes and is home to over 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes. Ninety percent of the world’s earthquakes and 80% of the world’s largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is a direct result and consequence of plate tectonics and the movement and collisions of crustal plates. (Source)
Plate Tectonics
World’s 14 major tectonic plates plus the Scotia plate. Mapped in the second half of the 20th century to explain the observed evidence for large scale motions of the Earth’s lithosphere. The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates. The surface of the Earth consists of a further 38 [40] minor plates.
The largest of the major plates are
- African Plate, containing Africa – Continental plate
- Antarctic Plate, containing Antarctica – Continental plate
- Australian Plate, containing Australia (fused with Indian Plate about 50 million years ago) – Continental plate
- Eurasian Plate containing Asia and Europe – Continental plate
- North American Plate containing North America and north-east Siberia – Continental plate
- South American Plate containing South America – Continental plate
- Pacific Plate, covering the Pacific Ocean – Oceanic plate
See also
Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along plate boundaries. The lateral movement of the plates is typically at speeds of 5 – 10 cm/yr. (Read more …)
Recent Earthquakes [Kurile through Kermadec trenches]
[Time at epicenter]
- Magnitude 4.8; Depth of 48.7 km; SOUTHEAST OF THE LOYALTY ISLANDS; Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 10:03:52 PM
- Magnitude 5.6; Depth of 35 km; SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA; May 18, 2008 at 07:17:24 PM
- Magnitude 4.6; Depth of 74.1km; MINDORO, PHILIPPINES; Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 07:24:17 PM
- Magnitude 4.9; Depth of 10 km; SABAH, MALAYSIA; Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 02:26:41 PM
- Magnitude 4.9; Depth of 31.3 km; NIAS REGION, INDONESIA; Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 09:59:59 AM
- Magnitude 4.4; Depth of 242.4 km;KYUSHU, JAPAN; Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 07:15:06 AM
- Magnitude 5.2; Depth of 127.1 km, MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES, Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 10:17:30 PM
- Magnitude 5.1; Depth of 151.2 km; SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS; Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 02:23:17 PM
- Magnitude 5.3; Depth of 150.4 km; NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA; Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 03:35:14 AM
- Magnitude 5.4; Depth of 35 km; SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS; Friday, May 16, 2008 at 11:06:51 PM
- Magnitude 5.3; Depth of 41 km; SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION; Friday, May 16, 2008 at 09:19:07 AM
- Magnitude 4.9; Depth of 606.3 km; FIJI REGION; Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 10:46:02 AM
- Magnitude 5.1; Depth of 35 km; TONGA; Friday, May 16, 2008 at 03:06:15 AM
- Magnitude 5.0; Depth of 25.8 km; KURIL ISLANDS; Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 08:20:43 AM
- Magnitude 5.2; Depth of 52.5 km; LUZON, PHILIPPINES; Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 05:48:32 AM
- Magnitude 5.2; Depth of 40.8 km; LUZON, PHILIPPINES; Depth of 40.8 km; Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 10:14:30 PM
- Magnitude 5.4; Depth of 35 km; NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA; Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 05:29:19 PM
- Magnitude 5.0; Depth of 36.7 km; TAIWAN REGION; Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 06:57:46 AM
- Magnitude 4.6; Depth of 509 km; SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS; Monday, May 12, 2008 at 04:34:05 AM
[Source: USGS]
Global earthquake epicentres, 1963–1998 (Image: NASA)
Philippines Other Major Volcanoes: Mayon Volcano
Mayon Volcano as viewed from Lingñon Hill in Daraga, Albay. Mayon, located between the Eurasian and the Philippine Plate, is a convergent plate boundary. It is the most active volcano in the Philippines, having erupted over 47 times in the past 400 years. Last eruption: 2006. (Copyrigh by Tam3rd via Wikimedia)
Canlaon Volcano
Canlaon, a stratovolcano, is located in the north central part of the island of Negros. Last eruption: 2006.
Weather clouds drape the sparsely vegetated summit of Kanlaon volcano (also spelled Canlaon). Kanlaon is the most active of the central Philippines and forms the highest point on the island of Negros. The massive 2435-m-high stratovolcano is dotted with fissure-controlled pyroclastic cones and craters, many of which are filled by lakes. Historical eruptions, recorded since 1866, have typically consisted of phreatic explosions of small-to-moderate size that produce minor ashfalls near the volcano. Photo courtesy of PHIVOLCS. Caption GVP
Ragang volcano
Ragang volcano (above and to the right of the center of image) is located in central Mindanao. Last eruption: 1916. Thanks mainly to the Filipino government and its education authorities, no other image of Ragnag Volcano could be found at the time of writing. NASA Space Shuttle image STS61A-40-71, 1985 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/).
There are 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines: Babuyan Claro, Banahaw, Bulusan, Mount Biliran, Bud Dajo, Cagua, Camiguin de Babuyanes, Didicas, Hibok-Hibok, Iraya, Mount Iriga, Mount Kanlaon, Leonard Kniaseff, Makaturing, Matutum, Mayon, Musuan, Mount Parker (Cotabato), Pinatubo, Ragang, Smith Volcano, Taal.
See also: List of volcanoes in the Philippines
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Posted in Climate Change, environment, food, health, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: acidic lake, Ash, Asia, breaking news, Canlaon Volcano, Chaiten volcano, Collapsing Cities, convergent plate boundary, Crops Failure in China, drinking water, Earth's Interior, environment, epicentres, evacuation, floods, food, Ghost towns, Indonesia, lahar, Lake Taal, landslides, Luzon, Manila, Mayon Volcano, MINDANAO, Pacific Ring of Fire, Philippine, Philippine Plate, Ragang volcano, Santorini eruption, SOUTHERN SUMATRA, Taal Volcano, tectonic plates, VEI, Volcano activity, Volcanolog | 20 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 18, 2008
Posted in environment, food, health, Tourism, Travel | Tagged: acidic lake, Ash, Asia, breaking news, Chaiten volcano, Collapsing Cities, Crops Failure in China, drinking water, Earth's Interior, environment, evacuation, floods, food, Ghost towns, Indonesia, lahar, Lake Taal, landslides, Luzon, Manila, MINDANAO, Pacific Ring of Fire, Philippine, Santorini eruption, SOUTHERN SUMATRA, Taal Volcano, Volcano activity, Volcanology | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 18, 2008
Why was the quake nurse reduced to tears and had to beg the soldiers to rescue children?
If rescuing the children wasn’t their priority, and clearly it wasn’t, what were the soldiers ordered to do?
Anguished Chinese Nurse Serving in the Earthquake Disaster Area:
Please Rescue The Children!
Photo below was taken by Jason Lee of Reuters news agency (China). The caption reads:
“A nurse holding a general’s written order begs soldiers to rescue surviving children still buried in the ruins of another nearby school in the old city district near a mountain at the earthquake-hit Beichuan county, Sichuan province, May 15, 2008. The soldiers are not under the command of the general, whose written order reads: ‘Please arrange for rescue operations at this school as quickly as possible.'”
What were the orders soldiers own general gave them?
When did the authorities decide they couldn’t cope with too many quake survivors?
Credit: Reuters/Jason Lee (china) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!
A close up of the nurse’s face. Her heartfelt agony speaks a thousand words!
[Reuters caption: A nurse cries as she begs soldiers to rescue surviving children still buried in the ruins of another nearby school in the old city district near a mountain at the earthquake-hit Beichuan county, Sichuan province, May 15, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Lee (CHINA) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!
The Olympics can wait; the survivors can’t!
“Although the time for the best chance of rescue, the first 72 hours after an earthquake, has passed [exactly as planned by CPC], saving lives remains the top priority of our work [believe what I say, not what I do, you ‘ignorant peasants’],” the [doublespeaking] Chinese president, Hu Jintao, told the survivors. (Source)
To the CORRUPT Chinese Government: The World is Watching YOU!
“Parents’ grief turns to anger at shoddily built deathtrap schools”
“Three days after the quake struck, troops and fire engines queued idly along the roadsides waiting for orders.”
“‘I saw a doctor walking along the lines of bloody bodies, checking pulses and looking at wounds. If he shook his head the nurses were instructed not to take the person to the operating theatre but move them to another room to die. It was like a scene from a war film,’ she said.” (Source)
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Posted in beijing olympics, China, disease, food, politics, rescue operations, Tiananmen | Tagged: ACTION, Amnesty International, children, China, chinaquake, chinese nurse, Climate Change, communists, CPC, CPC Central Committee, cutoff areas, disaster, disaster relief, disasters, environment, food, food prices, foreign policy, free world, health, Hu Jintao, human rights, Humanitarian Crisis, jason lee, mainshock, NATO, new zealand, nurse, Olympics, pandemics, paratroopers, plague, red cross, rescue, rescue team, Reuters, Sichuan, storm, Tiananmen Square Massacre, Tourism, Travel, water rationing, water shortage, Wen Jiabao, Zhou Yongkang | 12 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 16, 2008
The Riddle of the Chinese Paratroopers
China parachutes 100 paratroopers to “cut-off” quake area
The first batch of 100 elite paratroopers were parachuted into an area near the epicenter of Monday’s earthquake in southwest China [“cut-off” area in Maoxian county, northeast of the epicenter in Wenchuan] Wednesday afternoon [about 60 hours later], reported Xinhua.
Elite Paratroopers landing near quake epicenter. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!
So what’s the problem?
1. There are an estimated 30,000 people burried in the area. How could 100 paratroopers help rescue such large number of victims?
2. The paratroopers landed two days after the mainshock had struck. By then the survival chances of the victims who had been buried alive had already been reduced by about 80 percent.
3. Anyone rescued from the rubble would need medical attention, freshwater, food, blankets, tents … to survive. Did the paratroopers carry all of the vital supplies in their rucksacks?
Therefore, the question remains: Are the paratroopers sent to rescue the “survivors,” or to “finish off the job,” i.e., bury everyone, alive or dead, to prevent potential outbreaks of plague and other pandemics? [The Beijing Olympics are just around the corner!]
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Posted in Climate Change, disaster, environment, food, health, plague, storm, Tourism, Travel, water rationing, water shortage, wealth | Tagged: ACTION, beijing olympics, China, chinaquake, communists, CPC, CPC Central Committee, disaster relief, disasters, food, food prices, foreign policy, free world, health, Hu Jintao, human rights, Humanitarian Crisis, mainshock, new zealand, Olympics, pandemics, paratroopers, plague, rescue team, Sichuan, Survivors, Wen Jiabao, Zhou Yongkang | 21 Comments »
Posted by feww on April 24, 2008
Who said:
- “I think that ethanol is the most popular whipping boy in the agricultural world at the moment”
- “So to say that biofuels are the culprit clearly underestimates the demand and really shows a gross misunderstanding of the world food situation,”
- “We have to grow more food. We have to increase yields”
Hint: To increase yields, farmers are forced to buy lots and lots more fertilizers!
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See the tags for the answer!
Posted in agirculture, agriculture, Bill Doyle, corporate lies, corporate profit, environment, food riots, North America, Potash Corp, soil erosion, topsoil, toxic | Tagged: Bill Doyle, biofuels, Brazil, cereal, cheap food, corn, Egypt and Cambodia, fertilizers, food, healthy, India, Indonesia, Industrial agriculture, monoculture, nutritious, rice, Vietnam, wheat, yields | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on April 8, 2008
We Need Food!
MAHALLA EL-KOBRA, Egypt (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators angry about rising prices and stagnant salaries hurled bricks at police who responded with tear gas Sunday in a gritty northern industrial town as Egyptians defied government warnings and staged a nationwide strike.
Main Entry, Original Report
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Collapsing Cities
Posted in economy, food, politics, rising prices, US puppet | Tagged: demonstration, Egypt, food, government, hunger | 4 Comments »
Fire Earth 
