Devastating Drought Continues To Plague California

California’s Central Valley—prime agricultural land—is being hit the hardest by the state-wide drought which could cause catastrophic losses to crops and food supply.

The third winter with precipitation averages way below normal. This directly effects agriculture, economy, the frequency of wildfires, health and other species. This is what climate change looks like regardless of what you will hear from those who still continue to deny its effects. I keep asking myself how many of these events have to continue to occur before people wake up as a whole. How many seasons with below average rainfall? How many winters without snowpack? How many dead crops? Livestock? People?

Snows in Egypt not seen in over a century, huge flooding in Great Britain, the Caribbean, extreme flooding and heat now in South America again this season, severe weather in places like Toronto where a monster ice storm still has residents without power as well as extreme weather continuing here in the US. Droughts, floods, extreme events, huge swings in temperature and wind patterns due to jet stream changes due to Arctic ice melt. THIS IS REAL AND HAPPENING NOW.

What will the people of California do should this drought continue as the drought in Texas did to the point of towns running out of water completely? Will Governor Brown frack California as well and even try to convince us that fracking does not effect water supply? There is a catastrophe at our doorstep and we continue to move in a haze as if it is just an illusion.

California needs water. However, do you really think government has the solution that will benefit all? Oil companies now want to move tarsands on the Great Lakes which are also below capacity! Does anyone else see the macabre irony in that? The Colorado River no longer flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Population continues to increase in this part of the country as casinos continue to pump gallons of water into their ornate fountains as rivers and reservoirs run dry and late season wildfires threaten and destroy homes and trees. Yet our rapacious rate of consumption of fossil fuels and resources continues.

Of course, if it gets to the point where towns are running out of water they can pump water from the Pacific Ocean and hope there is no Fukushima radiation in it... Realistically however, farmers are then going to have to rethink what they grow in regards to the impact on water resources and those with the huge swimming pools will have to decide if swimming or eating is more important. There is as has been for decades a new water war between South and North:

North-South California Intensify Water War

(Can't really comment regarding the veracity of the content but think the comments are worth the read to make the point)

The Twin Tunnels Project (which I am ambivalent about) is now causing this war to escalate and while I do not live in California and can't speak to what anyone on any side of this is going through, I can say that those in any part of the state continuing to live an opulent lifestyle knowing what the state faces regarding water resources should understand that they are part of the problem. As are politicians like Governor Brown who seems to have proposed this as a gift to rich farmers and businesses like the oil and gas industry only looking for profit. Also, let's not forget all those million dollar celebrity homes with the huge swimming pools that aren't really necessary.

Also for those who blame environmentalists, Delta Smelt and all other species have just as much of a right to water as we do. It is HUMANS making this problem and with climate change exacerbating it with decreased rainfall and snowpack it surely will be interesting to see where this all leads. One would think it would lead to an awakening, a metamorphosis of sorts wherein farmers, businesses and citizens learn to share, conserve and understand the real stakes involved in this. Sad to think that only politics, greed and selfishness will continue to rule until the greatest agricultural lands we have are bone dry. Hunger and thirst have a way of making you see the importance of priorities.

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Devastating Drought Continues To Plague California

By Kiley Kroh

As California enters its third consecutive dry winter, with no sign of moisture on the horizon, fears are growing over increased wildfire activity, agricultural losses and additional stress placed on already strained water supplies.

California’s Central Valley—prime agricultural land—is being hit the hardest by the state-wide drought which could cause catastrophic losses to crops and food supply. The city of Los Angeles has received only 3.6 inches of rain this year—far below its average of 14.91 inches, USA Today reported. And San Francisco is experiencing its driest year since record keeping began in 1849. As of November, the city had only received 3.95 inches of rain since the year began.

The state is enduring its driest year on record and while a drought emergency has not yet been officially declared, the U.S. National Drought Monitor shows that as of Dec. 24, nearly the entire state is gripped by severe to extreme drought conditions.

The portion of the state currently hit hardest by drought includes the Central Valley, a prime agricultural area, and “a lack of rain and snow this winter could bring catastrophic losses to California agriculture, as water allotments are slashed by state agencies,” USA Today reported.

The lack of precipitation is also extending what’s been a devastating wildfire season in California. According to AccuWeather, fire season usually tapers off in the fall and December marks the beginning of the wet season, which usually extends through March. This year, however, looks to be different.

End of excerpt

Also see:

Driest Year Ever In California Sparks Fire and Water Fears

Drought Brings Water Rationing Orders



California Drought Deepens As Another Year's Rains Stay Away

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California should call Arizona to see how its done:

Smarter Irrigation Returns Water to Arizona'a Verde River

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TEPCO Plans To Dump ALL Fukushima Radiation Into Pacific Ocean ?!

TEPCO Plans To Dump ALL Fukushima Radiation Into The Pacific Ocean

Will the insanity and corruption that greed breeds now doom the Pacific Ocean? I don't think that is being overly dramatic either. It is only because of Japan's new "secrecy" law aiming to gag news about this and the US govt and media's total blackout of it that it makes those of us who are rightfully concerned be conveniently labeled "conspiracy theorists" to push discussion off the table. However, this is definitely something to be concerned about.

The Pacific Ocean is not owned by TEPCO. It belongs to all of us and to all other species that thrive- or at least were thriving in it.

Also see:

Japan's New Fukushima Fascism

Radioactive Fukushima Water Headed For US West Coast

Thousands Of Starfish Melting On The Ocean Floor Off The Pacific West Coast

Fukushima Getting Worse, Going Out Of Control

Fukushima Diary

Video on ongoing calamity at Fukushima:

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1 In 10 People To Face Water Scarcity If Greenhouse Gas Emissions Continue

1 In 10 People To Face Water Scarcity If Greenhouse Gas Emissions Continue

"Due to persistent greenhouse gas emissions, the number of people at risk of water scarcity will increase by 40% as the climate warms, says the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

According to an international scientific research project, known as the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP), one in 10 people will suffer from absolute water scarcity if the earth warms by 3oC (3.6oF) above pre-industrial levels.

“The steepest increase of global water scarcity might happen between 2 and 3 degrees global warming above pre-industrial levels, and this is something to be experienced within the next few decades unless emissions get cut soon”, says lead-author Jacob Schewe of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

He adds, “It is well-known that water scarcity increases, but our study is the first to quantify the relative share that climate change has in that, compared to – and adding to – the increase that is simply due to population growth.”

Defined as less than 500 cubic meters (132,000 gallons) of water available per person per year, absolute water scarcity is a level that requires great operative water efficiency measures in order for water-struck countries to manage supplies. In comparison, the current global average water consumption rate per person per year is more than double that amount (approximately 1200 cubic meters. This difference suggests how easily absolute water scarcity rates could become outstripped.

The ISI-MIP project compares comprehensive global model projections of interactions of water scarcity, disease, flooding, crop yields and other issues. Its researchers found that climate change, primarily influenced by ongoing greenhouse gas emissions, would increase the risk of water scarcity by 40% by altering rainfall and evaporation patterns.

The report, to be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is a unique community-driven effort run by 30 teams from 12 countries. Its purpose is to show policymakers that they might be underestimating the social and economic impacts of climate change."

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Not a positive outlook, but it is our doing. For even if we completely stopped all greenhouse gas emissions today time lag effects would still be in place. Scientists state we are already on track at current pace of emissions to see a 4 degree C rise in global temperature by the end of this century. More intense and sustained droughts, floods, storms, altered rainfall patterns (especially regarding monsoons) and evaporation of soil and oceans contributing to that uneven altered rainfall patterns and sea level rise as well as a changing jet stream, sea ice loss, glacier melt are all leading our Earth to an altered state we as humans have not yet had to deal with at the elevated pace at which it is occurring.

The solution to this is simple in context but not as simple when applied to the over complicated selfish world we have created: We either stop burning fossil fuels or we will witness the complete breakdown of the eco - social systems that sustain us and that includes our lifeblood.

Even ONE in ten is far too many in a world where we have what we need to provide for all but are continuing to allow money and the power it buys to control our fate as a species. This IS the crossroads and as population also increases to 9 billion in a world where resources are wasted, abused and taken for granted we are already seeing the reality that creates. A paradigm shift is in order if we are to survive this century. The question is, do we have the courage to do what is needed to preserve our species? Our planet? Are not the consequences of failure enough to make the answer to those questions obvious?

Will 2014 be that year?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

More about this to come regarding water footprint of water intensive and polluting dirty energy in comparison to renewable energy.

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Smarter Irrigation Returns Water to Arizona’s Verde River

It is so good to see this cooperation in understanding that because of climate change and other factors we as humans have to adjust how much water we use to provide the necessary balance between us and ecosystems in order for all to survive.

Oh yes and notice, it is solar power being used here. Also see:

Playa Lakes Initiative To Recharge Ogalalla Aquifer

"Realizing the importance of the Ogallala Aquifer to High Plains states, NRCS created the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative to attempt to reduce the quantity of water removed from the aquifer, improve water quality using conservation practices, and enhance the economic viability of croplands and rangelands in the region. This episode explains how playas fit into these goals.

This episode of Playa Country on the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative is part three of a five-part series. It originally aired on High Plains Public Radio Tuesday, October 15, 2013."

End of excerpt

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Wetlands conservation- another positive step to conserving our water and farmlands. It ultimately does however come down to our own usage as well. Recharging would also not be as great a task if we conserved to begin with. However, seeing these positive steps at a time when there is so much negative news regarding water is hopeful.

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Arctic Ocean Leaking Methane At Alarming Rate

Disclaimer: I want to add this disclaimer to cover any posts here regarding Methane feedback. I absolutely DO NOT support the geoengineering of our atmosphere through spraying of chemicals as a solution to climate destruction. This could well tip our atmosphere even further with unknown consequences. ANY references to it on ANY sources I link to here are not supported by me. I have added certain sources simply to illustrate and inform regarding the real concern we must have with methane feedback- which can be addressed though initiatives to decrease of CO2/methane emissions such as a ban on fracking as well as through sustainable agriculture, afforestation, renewable energy and financial incentives not tied to markets but that hold markets accountable. Thank you. December 8:

Living On Earth: Worrisome Arctic Ocean Methane leaks





Arctic Ocean Leaking Methane At Alarming Rate

A new study in the journal Nature shows that the Arctic Ocean is releasing methane at a rate more than twice what scientific models had previously anticipated. Methane’s effect on global warming is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

By WESTON MORROW

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Ounce for ounce, methane has an effect on global warming more than 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and it’s leaking from the Arctic Ocean at an alarming rate, according to new research by scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Their article, which appeared Sunday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Geoscience, states that the Arctic Ocean is releasing methane at a rate more than twice what scientific models had previously anticipated.

Natalia Shakhova and Igor Semiletov at the university’s International Arctic Research Center have spent more than a decade researching the Arctic’s greenhouse-gas emissions, along with scientists from Russia, Europe and the Lower 48.

Shakhova, the lead author of the most recent report, said the methane release rate likely is even greater than their paper describes.

“We decided to be as conservative as possible,” Shakhova said. “We’re actually talking the top of the iceberg.”

The researchers worked along the continental shelf off the northern coast of eastern Russia — the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, which is underlain by sub-sea permafrost.

End of excerpt

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May I also add that this is twice what the US EPA has stated is being emitted. Of course, since the Obama administration is backing fracking I did not find it surprising. However, we must understand that this present danger supercedes their political agenda.

Right now the Earth is heading to a place we have never been and really do not want to go. Abrupt climate change due to methane feedback would catapult us into a world where climate change fast forwards to effects we would normally not feel or see for at least 35 years. Meaning, what we would expect to see by 2045 is happening now. This is not something we have planned for and it is not something we are ready for.

It is then something we must absolutely be concerned about and address. The rate of melting in the Arctic shows it is warming three times faster than the rest of our globe. Storms in the Arctic show us the effects of this as does our wavier jet stream and extreme events taking place because of it. The Arctic Ocean is also becoming more acidic. How many more years do we have to bow to the whims of skeptics and media/political minions of the fossil fuel industry in beating around this bush? Doing so is sealing our fate.

Is it really because we as humans simply cannot admit that we as a whole are capable of screwing up our planet so completely? That we cannot admit that we need to curb our rapacious consumption and selfish pleasures to put the planet that gives us sustenance first? That we cannot admit we are blinded by being obsessed by what we "want" over what we need? Make no mistake about it, what is now occurring in the Arctic is a direct result of our arrogance and hubris. We need to understand this and we need to also understand that this new territory we are entering requires great courage to navigate.

Dispute and deny abrupt climate change all you wish. However, it does nothing to change the reality of our situation and the present and future we face if we continue to think these events are just chance. I would also say to certain organizations that while CO2 is the main radiative forcing in AGW we need to also be concerned about this and address it. To continue to concentrate only on CO2 without bringing forth this most urgent facet of the picture regarding abrupt methane feedback is to also hide the whole truth.

We have no more time for agendas on ANY side. This is about our survival.





Also see:

Greenhouse Gas Concentrations In Atmosphere Reach New Record

Arctic Storms, Warming Mean More Methane Released

Methane Emissions "Through The Roof" As Arctic Melts Faster Than Predicted

Methane Feedback And Abrupt Climate Change: How Far Are We From It?

Methane Feedback And Abrupt Climate Change-cont.

Ocean Acidification Poised To Radically Affect Arctic

And yet, all politicians see are the "economic opportunities."

Pray tell, what OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU HAVE WITHOUT A HABITABLE PLANET?

Arctic Strategy Sets Off Climate Timebomb

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I Give Thanks For Water

Soft, clean, beautiful, spiritual, replenishing, life affirming water.

Water is our heart, our soul, our very essence.

It is where we sprang from and it is what sustains us.

On this Thanksgiving and every day, let us give thanks for the one thing we cannot live without: water.

Let us also continue to fight for water justice and clean water globally for all.

Water is a right for all living things.

Water is life.

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ISON-Comet Of The Century

UPDATE: November 30: Comet Ison Survives Perhelion

It appears to now be fading fast... but who knows?



Last night astronomers were putting the final nail in the coffin for Comet ISON, which had been streaking toward its close encounter with the sun for months, culminating with a perihelion (closest approach of the sun) on Thanksgiving Day.

Described as the “comet of the century” by some and predicted to just “fizzle out” by others, ISON has been a hot topic since it was first discovered by Russian astronomers on September 21, 2012.

While many were gearing up for what could be a spectacular show as the frozen chunk of gas made its way past the sun yesterday afternoon, it later became evident that the comet was on a one-way trip toward obliteration.

Or was it?

As the comet sailed past our solar neighbor late yesterday, astronomers monitoring the comet’s progress declared that it was unlikely that the cosmic visitor survived its encounter with the sun.

“At this point, I do suspect that the comet has broken up and died,” Karl Battams, a comet scientist with the Naval Research Laboratory, said last night during a NASA and Google+ chat from Arizona’s Kitt Peak Observatory, according to a USA Today report yesterday. “Let’s at least give it a couple of more hours before we start writing the obituary.”

However, Battams now believes that some parts of ISON’s nucleus survived perihelion.

“It now looks like some chunk of ISON’s nucleus has indeed made it through the solar corona, and re-emerged,” he said in an interview with CNN’s Amanda Barnett. “It’s throwing off dust and (probably) gas, but we don’t know how long it can sustain that.”

[ Watch the Video: ISON Survives ]

While this is definitely good news for astronomers, it’s far from great news for the comet.

“Now it has emerged and started to brighten, we need to observe it for a few days to get a feel for its behavior,” Battams noted.

It is possible that it still may not survive its harrowing ordeal.

End of excerpt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



A must watch presentation on Comet Ison. (You will be taken to continuation of video after seeing excerpt here.) The comet making its way to a flyby of the sun (2.38 PM November 28) is said to hold millions of tons of water (43 minutes into film) as well as other chemicals. Theory still persists as to the origin of our oceans here on Earth and relation to comets. It is fascinating to see this unfold in our universe knowing this comet has been traveling for 4.6 billion years and may hold the answers to the origins of our planet.

I hope to see ISON giving us a spectacular show on its one time pass. What a humbling experience.

Happy Thanksgiving. Give thanks for water.

Hubblesite: Comet Ison





Latest news on ISON: SPACE.com: Comet ISON



Also See: Where Did Earth's Water Originate?

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World Sanitation Day

Yesterday, November 19 was the "celebration" of what is known as World Toilet Day. This is a day to acknowledge the crisis of lack of sanitation for 2.5 billion people on our planet and the 1.1. billion who still defecate in the open because of no sanitation facilities. It is also a call for a global response to provide hygiene and sanitation to decrease water borne diseases. Research states 2,000 children a day die from diarrhea related diseases. Two thousand children a day dying from something that is absolutely preventable by us. However, you don't see that on your local nightly news.



Sanitation is so important in having a world of health and progress. In many areas of the developing world young girls especially cannot attain an education simply because there is no sanitation (especially young women who reach menstruating age) or water access. Women are also in danger without sanitation access as they become targets of sexual attacks and women are more prone to infections. Lack of sanitation causes major health problems, contaminated water sources, food sources and contributes to economic losses in the developing world totaling 260 billion dollars a year.

For many however, this topic is something they do not wish to discuss because well, it discusses poo. We need to get over the barriers we put up in discussing these problems however, if we are to ever solve them. In the 21st Century when more people in the developing world own a cell phone than have sanitation/hygiene access we must realize that something has gone very askew with our priorities. Here in the US we take this for granted, but remember there was also a time when sanitation systems were something we in the "developed" world did not have either:

Cholera Comes To Victorian London

A major engineering operation occurred as a result of this then- public sanitation systems and yet we cannot do it today? Actually, even in ancient Rome they had plumbing and sewerage. Granted, the world has come a long way in providing sanitation access to two thirds of the world's population, but why does it seem to always be the world's poorest who continue to be left out of this progress?

This isn't just about access to a place to defecate. This is about health, jobs, education, CLEAN WATER, safe food, preservation of rivers and other waterways- and DIGNITY. In this the 21st Century if we cannot provide that to ALL people on this planet then how can we say we have progressed? Having a cell phone doesn't mean you have progressed. Having true equality and humanity however does.

Toilet Hackers



This is no joke. Your toilet is a lifesaver. Thank it today and be grateful you have one.

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The Philippines Need Our Help

UPDATE: November 20: All updated reports from MSF



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Doctors Without Borders Emergency Relief Fund











Below is the most recent note I received from Doctors Without Borders regarding their work in the Philippines. The situation there is beyond dire-it is hell on Earth. I am going to post more information on this as well as more updated news on the fast for climate being conducted by Yeb Sano and other COP 19 delegates in Warsaw at this time. I have not been here in the last few days because I have been following the news and also because I have been conducting my own personal fast in solidarity as have others.

If there was any time when we need to come together as a human race this is the time. We can no longer allow the voices of the status quo to drown out the cries of those suffering from this.

Also, the clean water situation in the Philippines is non existent because water systems in these hard hit areas are now non existent and disease stalks those who continue to live there many without any cover from the elements as all buildings were destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan particularly in Tacloban.

Whatever you can do be it a donation, passing this on and yes, praying and keeping these people in your thoughts it all goes to doing what is needed to heal. Again, I do strongly recommend Doctors Without Borders if you can donate anything as they are on the ground and giving firsthand care to those most effected and that is where your donation goes.

However, we also know that it will take so much more than dollars to heal the souls of those who have lost their hope for living. Climate change is not just about the monetary aspect, it is about our very physical, mental and spiritual essence. PLEASE do what you can. This is simply too heartbreaking to contemplate happening again, though now that we have pushed the envelope it is much more likely we will see another such storm and we must be ready.

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From MSF (Doctors Without Borders):

"In the aftermath of one of the strongest storms in recorded history, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) emergency medical teams have started treating patients in the Philippines and are rushing to reach people in remote areas still cut off from aid.

Our teams are using boats and helicopters in places where the roads have been destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan and are now receiving first-hand accounts of the horrific damage and massive medical needs.

"The situation here is bleak," says Alexis Moens, a Doctors Without Borders assessment team leader who has arrived in Guiuan, a village of 45,000 people that was one of the first hit by the typhoon. "The village has been flattened – houses, medical facilities, rice fields, fishing boats all destroyed. People are living out in the open; there are no roofs left standing in the whole of Guiuan."

Here is the latest information on our response:

Our team in Samar Island, where the typhoon first hit, has performed 25 minor surgeries in the past day and more and more people are arriving with infected wounds, pneumonia and diarrhea.

Ninety-one Doctors without Borders field staff are already on the ground in the Philippines with fifty more arriving in the coming days, including doctors, nurses, surgeons, logisticians and sanitation experts.

Though travel is extremely difficult, we've reached several of the hardest hit areas by car, boat, plane and helicopter and are evaluating the medical needs in order to scale up treatment as quickly as possible.

Four cargo planes filled with medical kits, tetanus vaccines, tents and sanitation equipment have arrived at our staging ground, and six more shipments are on their way.

As our teams move deeper into the more remote areas, we are finding patients in urgent need of medical care, severely damaged hospitals, widespread power outages, and contaminated water.

Our teams are using boats to launch mobile clinics in some of the outlying islands and plan to establish a field hospital in the major population center of Tacloban.

As the days tick by, the risk of infection and water-borne diseases will increase – that's why it's urgent for our teams to reach the places which have been cut off from aid and respond to their medical needs as quickly as possible. Whatever the obstacles, our teams will keep looking for ways to reach those in need.

We will continue to update our website with the latest information, so please check back as we continue our response.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Sophie Delaunay, Executive Director

Sophie Delaunay

Executive Director

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Typhoon Haiyan Survivors Lack Food And Water One Week On

This is reminiscent of what happened right here in the US when Hurricane Katrina struck. There is no excuse for making people wait ONE WEEK for food and water! It isn't only the actions that lead to these disasters that we must address it is preparing towns and villages for them and having adequate response time that saves lives. Also, the Philippines has been mined, deforested and stripped of land that could have prevented some damage from this typhoon and others much like Haiti. Just how much more are the rich going to strip from the poor of this world in order to have "stuff" while ignoring the consequences to those these actions affect?



Speech from Yeb Sano at Warsaw COP 19. He has been fasting for a week now as other delegates join him. I have wondered repeatedly what it would take for us as a species to go from hubris to humility in our treatment of this Earth. Yeb Sano exemplifies that humility and I stand with him.

“We can take drastic action now to ensure that we prevent a future where super typhoons are a way of life, because we refuse, as a nation, to accept a future where super typhoons like Haiyan become a fact of life. We refuse to accept that running away from storms, evacuating our families, suffering the devastation and misery, having to count our dead, become a way of life. We simply refuse to.” Yeb Sano.

Petition: Stand With The Philippines

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also see:

Super Typhoon Haiyan-Big Threat To Philippines

Living On Earth: Typhoon Haiyan

Models suggest more intense storms in a warmed world



Typhoon Haiyan May Have "Burped" Carbon Into The Atmosphere

So not only was this storm a result of forcings on the system, it is a feedback in and of itself.

Extra-Tropical Cyclone Sandy brought that home to me personally. Neither Sandy nor Haiyan(Yolanda) would have had the storm surges they had were it not for the increases in temperature we have been seeing in our oceans and that IS relevant to this discussion as the people of the Philippines now bury their dead and struggle to rebuild their world that was taken from them. There can no longer be a disconnect between our actions and the Earth's reaction to them! The very support systems we rely on to give us life are now turning against us because we have turned against them.

Politicians and even scientists talk about "trends" now asking if this is a "trend" even after all we have seen in the last decade alone. Well, here's my question for all of them: How many more have to die and how much more of our planet and ecosystems need to be destroyed before they can agree it is in order to do something about it? How can a world with so many resources and capabilities still in the 21st Century fail at caring for its own in a time of need because even as disaster strikes we still sit bickering over "trends"?

More to be added.

300 Feared Dead As Cyclone Hits Somalia

Deadly Tropical Cyclone Hits Somalia

A year's worth of rain in less than 48 hours.

News also today of rare floods in Saudi Arabia and a huge November tornado setting down in Washington Illinois. Thoughts to all effected by these events. Please refer to my previous postings on methane feedback as well to also understand what we have put into motion. The time is now to change our thinking and our priorities.

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Flesh Eating Bacteria Tied To BP Oil Ecocide Tarballs

Video report at link.

Flesh Eating Bacteria Tied To BP Oil Spill Tarballs

The Alabama Gulf Coast attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and since the 2010 BP Oil Spill, tens of thousands of tar balls.

A couple hundred miles away at Auburn University, Dr. Cova Arias, a professor of aquatic microbiology, conducts research on the often-deadly and sometimes flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio Vulnificus. Arias’ research at Auburn, and through the school’s lab at Dauphin Island, has focused on Vibrio’s impact on the oyster industry which was brought to a standstill three years ago by the BP Oil Spill. In 2010, out of curiosity, Arias set out to discover if Vibrio were present in the post-spill tar balls washing up on the Alabama and Mississippi coasts. She was highly surprised by what she found.

“What was clear to us was that the tar balls contain a lot of Vibrio Vulnificus,” said Arias.

Arias can show an observer Vibrio in the lab as it appears as a ring on the top of the solution in a test tube. Vibrio is not something, though, that a person can see in the water, sand, or tar balls.

But, Arias’ research shows it there, especially in the tar balls, in big numbers.

According to Dr. Arias’ studies, there were ten times more vibrio vulnificus bacteria in tar balls than in the surrounding sand, and 100 times more than in the surrounding water.

“In general, (the tar balls) are like a magnet for bacteria,” said Arias.

Arias’ theory is that Vibrio feeds on the microbes that are breaking down the tar.

She and researchers looked at tar balls that washed in to the same areas they had previously studied so they could therefore make valid comparisons to before the oil spill.

“What we also found was in water, the numbers were about ten times higher than the numbers that have reported before from that area,” said Arias

So the water alone had ten times as much Vibrio as before the oil spill, and the tar balls themselves had 100-times more Vibrio than the water.

Dr. John Vande Waa , an infectious disease specialist at the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile says a person can get Vibrio two ways, by eating infected seafood, usually raw oysters, or by being in infected waters, either salt water or brackish. In this form, Vibrio is a fast-acting flesh-eating bacteria.

“The destruction in arms and legs, the flesh eating component, it’s two parts ,” said Vande Waa. “One is that the organism itself can destroy the tissues. The other is sepsis. The bacteria is in their bloodstream, it affects all the organs. Within my own experience of cases, the mortality has been approaching 40-50 percent.”

When entering through the skin, Vibrio is contracted thru some sort of cut or abrasion. The young or old, or someone with a compromised immune system, is more likely to get Vibrio.

Dr. Vande Waa says exposure to Vibrio should be taken seriously by everyone in marine environments, due to the random, but deadly, nature of bacteria.

End of Excerpt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would most definitely and emphatically recommend that if you are on a beach in these areas that you and especially your children not touch anything. I wouldn't even go in the water. BP/Halliburton KILLED the Gulf of Mexico and there really is no way to know the results of all of the poison Corexit (which is actually banned in Britain) it sprayed as well as the syn-bio bacteria and other elements it dumped into the Gulf to eat away at the oil as most of it sunk to the depths. See: The Perfect Genetic Storm:

TRACE ELEMENTS ADDED TO THE GULF

In the same CS Monitor report, University of Georgia microbiologist Samantha Joye stated how"

“[The Gulf] is not well stocked with trace elements the bacteria need to survive – among them, copper, which bacteria specifically use to deal with the methane. Shortages of copper, as well as other trace elements, likely would have slammed the brakes on the exponential growth in bacterial populations needed to get rid of the methane in fewer than four months.”

The same applies to hydrocarbon-eating bacteria that consume oil, except that iron is needed more than the other trace elements. Since copper and iron are not prevalent mineral elements normally found in the Gulf of Mexico, the synthetic bacterium eating both the oil and the methane would not be able to do so at the remarkable speed they have without such essential earth elements. The only possible way these synthetic bacterium could have done this is by adding the required elements to the Gulf. Spraying a highly dissolved or colloidal mixture of trace elements onto and into the Gulf of Mexico would be absolutely required to accomplish this.

In our October 21, 2010 research article The Gulf BLUE PLAGUE (BP): It’s Not Wise To Fool Mother Nature, we had revealed the abnormally high amounts of elements found in the Gulf and that it was being sprayed along with or separately from the oil dispersants. In August 2010, rain water samples were tested by the Coastal Heritage Society of Louisiana where rain coming directly from the Gulf had unusually high concentrations of iron, copper, nickel, aluminum, manganese, and arsenic.

Without a doubt, the synthetically created bacterium introduced into the Gulf of Mexico to consume the oil and gasses were – and continue to be – fed these essential trace elements. Otherwise, they could not have thrived or reproduced at the accelerated rate they have. The continued spraying in the Gulf by aircraft and by boat is not Corexit or other oil dispersal chemicals. Consider the current spraying to have the same effect of adding liquid fertilizer to your crops.

SYNTHETIC MICROBES MUTATING NATURAL MICROORGANISMS

In early December, 2010 the research vessel WeatherBird II, owned by the University of Southern Florida (USF), went back to the Gulf of Mexico for follow-up water and core samples. As reported by Naomi Klein on January 13, 2011 in Hunting the Ocean for BP’s Missing Millions of Barrels of Oil,

“…these veteran scientists have seen things that they describe as unprecedented …evidence of bizarre sickness in the phytoplankton and bacterial communities…”

This “bizarre sickness” in the indigenous Gulf microorganisms is the direct result of the synthetic microbes that are still creating genetic sicknesses by mutating the DNA of the natural microbes. We had alerted our readers to this in DNA Mutations Confirmed in Gulf of Mexico on September 28, 2010 when we stated,

“DNA mutations are occurring within the Gulf of Mexico at a microscopic cellular level. The obvious effect this has on marine life as well as humans is a Pandora Box of unknowns.”

End of excerpt.

Also:

In October, 2010, I was contacted by Riki Ott, PhD who had written a book on the effects of the Exxon Valdez tanker spill in Alaska. Her Master’s Science degree is in marine biology with emphasis on the effects oil has on zooplankton. She had just read my It’s Not Wise To Fool Mother Nature article and wanted to talk. So far, she is the only U.S. based scientist who has agreed with me that there were genetically bio-engineered bacteria eating the oil in the Gulf.

In an article she published while in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, entitled Bio-Remediation or Bio-Hazard? Dispersants, Bacteria & Illness in the Gulf, she recounts how comments made by a local grandmother made her re-evaluate her thoughts on crude oil bio-remediation. That grandmother said she felt the oil-eating bacteria were “running amok and causing skin rashes”. Here’s part of what Dr. Ott wrote:

“To make things a little scarier, some of the oil-eating bacteria have been genetically modified, or otherwise bio-engineered, to better eat the oil – including Alcanivorax borkumensis and some of the Pseudomonas.”

Pseudomonas alcaligenes is a Gram-negative aerobic bacterium used for bio-remediation purposes because it can degrade aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene or methane. Alcanivorax borkumensis is also a Gram-negative bacterium used for bio-remediation purposes because it can degrade oil hydrocarbons. There we have it. Confirmation once again that synthetic designer genes are the reason the oil and gas are being eaten up at alarming rates within the Gulf.

But why are these Gram-negative bacteria so important? Because, as Riki Ott said,

“Oil-eating bacteria produce bio-films. Studies have found that bio-films are rapidly colonized by other Gram-negative bacteria – including those known to infect humans.”

End of excerpt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether or not that synthetic- bio bacteria has now caused mutations in other bacteria or organisms or affected the water in a way that is toxic to humans through an increase in the presence of a strain of bacteria that attacks human flesh is just not known (or is being hidden.) It is just COMMON SENSE that after what happened and with tarballs still washing up that you would be cautious however with or without this new synthetic unnatural ingredient placed into the waters without our knowledge or consent. (BTW, would releasing that without protocol be considered a bio weapons attack?)

It is truly criminal and heartbreaking. The Gulf Of Mexico is now a toxic mess that was used as a petrie dish without adherence to precautionary principle for a scientific experiment to protect their profits that may well now be running amok. Please heed the reports and warnings and err on the side of caution and life. If you walk on these beaches wear protection on your feet.



Also notice in the video news report of the story on the bacteria the reporter stated there were no deaths reported... This has been a cover up from the day the blowout happened. Support independent media and those who seek to bring you truth and news you need to know!



WHY do we continue to allow companies to poison our water and kill off all that is good? All you can do watching this is cry... and then hopefully get mad and DO Something. BOYCOTT BP.

STOP SUPPORTING THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR BEAUTIFUL WORLD BY OIL!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Methane Feedback and Abrupt Climate Change/cont.

Disclaimer: I want to add this disclaimer to cover any posts here regarding Methane feedback. I absolutely DO NOT support the geoengineering of our atmosphere through spraying of chemicals as a solution to climate destruction. This could well tip our atmosphere even further with unknown consequences. ANY references to it on ANY sources I link to here are not supported by me. I have added certain sources simply to illustrate and inform regarding the real concern we must have with methane feedback- which can be addressed though initiatives to decrease of CO2/methane emissions such as a ban on fracking as well as through sustainable agriculture, afforestation, renewable energy and financial incentives not tied to markets but that hold markets accountable. Thank you. IMPORTANT UPDATE ON FAILURE OF HUMANITY:

Record-breaking Greenhouse Gas Levels in Atmosphere: 'Time is Not On Our Side'

So this message goes out to the UN COP Conference coming up this week in coal spewing Poland and to all of those environmental organizations that think continuing to give irrelevant deniers attention simply for political reasons above calling for URGENT AND DRASTIC MEASURES is more important now: STOP giving attention to these accomplices and MOBILIZE TO SAVE HUMANITY. And to the UN, heed the message delivered to you by a young lady not too long ago at one of your corporate run conferences: GET IT DONE.

From link:

"The amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere reached a record high in 2012, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), continuing an upward and accelerating trend which, according to report authors, spells "devastating consequences" for the future of the planet.

According to WMO's annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, between 1990 and 2012 our atmosphere underwent a 32% increase in 'radiative forcing,' the warming effect on our climate, with carbon dioxide—"mainly from fossil fuel-related emissions"—accounting for 80% of this increase.

These observations, according to WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud, "highlight yet again how heat-trapping gases from human activities have upset the natural balance of our atmosphere and are a major contribution to climate change.”

“Time is not on our side,” Jarraud added, indicating the perils ahead if the trend is not halted or emissions reduced.

The Bulletin writes:

[O]n the global scale, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere reached 393.1 parts per million in 2012, or 141% of the pre-industrial level of 278 parts per million. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increased 2.2 parts per million from 2011 to 2012, which is above the average 2.02 parts per million per year for the past 10 years, showing an accelerating trend.

The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reports on concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) that remain in the atmosphere after a percentage of the gases are absorbed into the biosphere and oceans.

In addition to the dramatic increase in atmospheric CO2, atmospheric methane reached a new high of about 1819 parts per billion (ppb) in 2012, or 260% of the pre-industrial level, due to increased emissions from human activities."

End of excerpt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



NASA: Study Finds Surprising Arctic Methane Emission Source

"So how is the methane being produced? The scientists aren’t yet sure, but Kort hinted biological production from living things in Arctic surface waters may be a likely culprit. “It’s possible that as large areas of sea ice melt and expose more ocean water, methane production may increase, leading to larger methane emissions,” he said. He said future studies will be needed to understand the enhanced methane levels and associated emission processes and to measure their total contribution to overall Arctic methane levels. “While the methane levels we detected weren’t particularly large, the potential source region, the Arctic Ocean, is vast, so our finding could represent a noticeable new global source of methane,” he added. “As Arctic sea ice cover continues to decline in a warming climate, this source of methane may well increase. It’s important that we recognize the potential contribution from this source of methane to avoid falsely interpreting any changes observed in Arctic methane levels in the future.”

End of Excerpt

Also see:

NASA: Is A Sleeping Giant Stirring In The Arctic?

And:

Abrupt Climate Change

From site link:



"High Methane Levels persist over Arctic Ocean

High methane levels are prominent over the Arctic Ocean, as illustrated by the image below, covering a period from October 3, 2013, 10:54 am to October 7, 2013, 11:53 pm. The fact that methane has not been present elsewhere in such high concentrations over this period indicates that the methane wasn't carried there by the wind from elsewhere. Also, methane typically appears to move along the same latitude, due to the Coriolis effect."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Methane deposits on the sea floor for thousands of years remain stable as long as temperature remains stable. As we are seeing however, global temperature has been rising consistently since the 1970s with scientists expecting us to exceed the 2 degree threshold to at least 4 degrees + by century end. That indicates we have entered a period where climate consequences will be irreversible. This increase in global temperature is due to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere which is the most prevalent radiative forcing in the atmosphere lasting for centuries. The trapping of CO2 in the lower level of our atmosphere then produces more heat which produces more water vapor and more energy in our climate, carbon and hydrologic cycles. This is the cause of the increased and alarming melting of the Arctic sea ice which is the mirror of our planet (and other glaciers globally) as well as more extreme events such as droughts, flooding and storms.

Forty percent of Arctic ice has been lost since the 1980s so far as we saw CO2 PPM reach 400 in the Arctic this year after 2012 saw the greatest increase of melting in a continuing overall downward trend in extent and volume. This huge amount of lost ice reveals more open water which then produces a positive feedback mechanism by reducing reflectivity and melting more ice on surface and below the surface as ice also thins with less refreezing which then releases more CO2 into the atmosphere and also methane. While methane does not last as long in the atmosphere as CO2 does it however is 30x stronger than CO2. A major release of it from the sea floor due to excessive decreases in Arctic ice and permafrost is a time bomb waiting to be released.

That might not really be a concern now but for the fact that CO2 emissions are the highest now than they have ever been in human existence. Postulations from some scientists and those who are very concerned about the effects of this warming and continued rapacious melting are now questioning if/when the world may reach a point where runaway climate change would commence should this pace of consumption continue and accelerate. While some may think it "alarmist" to be concerned and while some also place the label "alarmist" on everything they either do not wish to discuss or don't know enough about, I think it very prudent to understand the possibilities of our continued rapacious unabated consumption of resources particularly fossil fuels.

The point is we do not know just how much longer we can continue with this experiment on our atmosphere before we tip the scales totally out of our favor. Just based on this one fact I would think we as a species would be much more prudent and wary of what we are doing if we truly care about this planet and our future on it. We simply cannot burn every gigaton of fossil fuels left on this planet and survive it. To do so would also release a methane "Kracken" upon us that would be catastrophic to civilization.

Observations over the Arctic for October this year show a high amount of methane in the atmosphere. The NASA report above references methane releases form open ocean water through melted ice. Apart from the obvious benefits of decreasing CO2 emissions, this reason seems to also be an urgent one. If you were on a ledge blindfolded and had no idea how far ahead you could walk without falling off and killing yourself would you continue walking or would you step back?

This is why there is such an outcry for political and moral will. This is why concerned world citizens are relentless in speaking out to stop tarsands, the most carbon intensive dirtiest fuel on this planet besides coal. This is why concerned world citizens go to the Arctic risking arrest in speaking out for us to protect this pristine pole that balances our climate and our very lives...because this is about our very lives!

I do not for one minute consider myself an "alarmist." I do however, consider myself a realist who understands human nature and for the life of me I cannot comprehend how people can simply look at reports on the pace of increasing CO2 emissions, methane emissions, melting ice, extreme weather events, die offs, alarming loss of biodiversity, acidifying of our oceans that hasn't been seen in thousands of years, increased loss of agriculture and water scarcity and not connect it to our consumption patterns and resource depletion.

We are taking this Earth to a place we have never seen it before. That isn't "alarmist" that is fact. The fact that we are also continuing on present course thinking we still have years to address this is actually what is alarming. Could we, the human species be perpetuating our own demise through our own arrogance?

How far do you think we should go to find out?

This is only some of what we need to do:

* Stop all excavation and emission of fossil fuels (especially tarsands which has caused this rapid quickening of effects) in line with aggressive institution of renewable energy (real renewable energy and not what politicians call renewable energy for their own agendas) globally in order to beat downward curve of fossil fuel resources and to meet increasing curve of population increases and consumption. Also, decreasing consumption of all resources and instituting methods globally that recognize the Rights of Mother Earth with stiff political penalties for continuing to support economic models that kill biodiversity and that do not sustain and conserve resources needed by all species to live. This aggressive institution of renewable energy would be possible with only a minor financial transaction tax instituted on banks. Those who in great part caused this crisis by funding it should now have to take responsibility for it.

* Institute aggressive Sustainable Agriculture policies globally that get us off fossil fuels and back to holistic agriculture that increases yield, health and sequesters CO2 in soil as well as preserving soil nutrients needed in order for food to grow. This should be instituted along with a MAJOR global reforestation initiative that is not tied to corporations making wealth, but that incentivizes farmers and indigenous peoples who are the true caretakers of our world.

* Institute adaptation plans that seek to study areas of the world where crops can now be grown in lieu of changing monsoon patterns, drought, aquifer depletion, etc. This should also include types of crops that are not as water intensive. This would then preclude agriculture policy not being tied to CORN AND SOY subsidies that kill biodiversity, soil nutrients and causes economic and environmental chaos. BIOFUELS, especially from food must be stopped in lieu of using all available lands for growing of biodiverse crops and reforestation using sustainable methods with control of lands given to farmers without influence from multinational chemical companies that have hijacked our food systems thus perpetuating the very conditions they claim to prevent. This crisis is also about equality, justice and giving voice to those who know and have known for generations what needs to be done to bring our planet back and their voices must now be heard.

* And what may be most important now: the TRUE URGENCY of this crisis must be relayed instead of using it for political advantage. SO much time has been wasted due to environmental organizations and those on the "other side" merely using this real crisis for their own political fodder. It is time to MOBILIZE and tell the truth about this entire crisis. I truly believe that only when we know the worst of what we can do are we at our best.

But make no mistake, this is the most URGENT crisis we will face in this century. Again, we cannot go on continuing business as usual regarding CO2 emissions as methane begins to seep out of the melted Arctic ocean floor and other places around our globe. The clock is ticking.

Carbon Budget Crunch

Part 1: Methane Feedback and Abrupt Climate Change: How Far Are We From It?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Super Typhoon Haiyan Big Threat To Philippines- With Updates

Update-November 11: Doctors Without Borders:"Unprecedented" Disaster

It is much worse than thought. Please do all you can to help the people of the Philippines in these areas as desperation is taking its toll due to lack of communication, food and water. If you are wary of donating to organizations because you do not trust them, Doctors Without Borders is then one organization you should donate to as they are completely trustworthy and get aid to those effected directly.

To note:

UN COP Conference 19 in Warsaw has begun.

Typhoon prompts 'fast' by Philippines climate delegate

I can almost guarantee that as much as Obama has talked about addressing climate change when it is politically convenient, the US will once again be one of the "developed" countries refusing to nail down anything near adequate to address this abrupt climate change being experienced particularly by the poor of our world.




Imagine that. They say you "violate" diplomatic protocol if you cry... if you act human. How can we expect a human response to this crisis from political robots?


Update-November 10: Horror stories as 10,000 feared dead in Typhoon Haiyan

The people need aid now. HOW MUCH LONGER ARE GLOBAL BODIES GOING TO CONTINUE THEIR BOGUS CONFERENCES IN LIGHT OF THESE CONTINUING DISASTERS BEING PUSHED BY CLIMATE CHANGE?



This is another factor to consider with this "new normal" we are entering. Reaction time and the ability to reach people with aid is drastically affected by these more extreme storms that do more damage. After experiencing Superstorm Sandy here I can empathize with those who now feel as if they are in an alternate universe and feeling desperate because of no power, communication, food, etc. In the Philippines however it is much worse due to location and lack of infrastructure. This is simply beyond devastating. I hope all who read this do whatever they can to help the people of the Philippines. 1.7 million children are effected by this storm. If this is to be the way of our world now as we have made it, we better then become more prepared to aid those effected by it.


Update-November 9: Typhoon Haiyan Kills Up to 1200 In Philippines

Up to 1,200 people are feared dead after Super Typhoon Haiyan — one of the most powerful storms ever recorded — slammed into the central islands of the Philippines, the Philippine Red Cross said Saturday.

That death toll estimate, made by Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, comes from what the relief organization's workers have been reporting in the field, Richard Gordon, CEO of the Philippine Red Cross, told USA TODAY.

As Haiyan heads west toward Vietnam, the Red Cross is at the forefront of an international effort to provide food, water, shelter and other relief to the hundreds of thousands of residents who have lost their homes and livelihood, Gordon said.

"This is a big, full-court press," he said. "We're pulling out all the stops to help."

With widespread power outages, roads blocked, bridges down and debris strewn everywhere, getting life back to some semblance of normal in the region will take time.

"The Philippines are always resilient, and we're going to get back up," Gordon said.

Because communications in the Philippines were cutoff, it remains difficult to determine the full extent of casualties and damage.

"We expect the level of destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan to be extensive and devastating, and sadly we fear that many lives will be lost," said Anna Lindenfors, Philippines director of Save the Children.

"With this magnitude we know that the destruction is overwhelming," said Emma Amores, who was waiting outside Villamor Airbase in Manila, where a C-130 was loading relief supplies and personnel heading to hard-hit Tacloban. "From the images we saw on TV, it's highly likely our houses are gone. We just want to know that the family are all safe."

Romil Elinsuv, who is in Manila for work training, worried about his wife and 4-year-old son who are at their home in Palo, a town in the province of Leyte.

"I feel fear. I don't know what the situation is there," Elinsuv said. He said he spoke with his wife the day before. She assured him they were OK, but then the line went dead, and he's been unable to reach her since.

Super Typhoon Haiyan hit Guiuan, on the Philippine island of Samar, at 4:40 a.m. local time Friday. Three hours before landfall, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center assessed Haiyan's sustained winds at 195 mph, gusting to 235 mph, making it the fourth strongest tropical cyclone in world history.


Update- November 8:

I was hoping to see no casualties, but reports say four dead and we do not know what is happening regarding huge storm surge, flooding and mudslides. This was the strongest typhoon to hit land in recorded history. What will the world do in response?

Oxfam Responds/Please Donate

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Update- November 8: Typhoon Haiyan Makes Landfall over Philippines-"Off The Charts"

"Classified as a super typhoon, the Pacific storm Haiyan has made landfall in the Philippines, bringing top sustained winds that were measured at more than 195 miles per hour before landfall. The measurement reflects the winds sustained by the storm for one minute; the storm was also producing gusts of 230 mph.

Updated at 10:40 p.m. ET: Storm Strength Could Be Historic

The strength of the massive super typhoon could be record-setting, weather experts were saying Thursday night.

At 9:45 p.m. ET, The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang reported: "With estimated maximum sustained winds of 195 mph, it is thought to be the strongest storm to ever make landfall anywhere in the world in modern records." Those winds speeds would be 5 mph higher than the recorded maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Camille in 1969, Super Typhoon Tip in 1979 and Hurricane Allen in 1980.

Jeff Masters, meteorology director and founder of Weather Underground in Ann Arbor, Mich., told Bloomberg that the power of Haiyan is "off the charts."

Update at 6:15 p.m. ET: Aid And Communication Resources

As has happened in other large events, Google has published a crisis and relief map, showing the storm's path and the locations of evacuation centers and other resources.

The Philippine Red Cross is also posting updates and news on its Twitter feed.

Update at 5 p.m. ET: Typhoon Makes Landfall

"Typhoon 'Yolanda' has made landfall over Guiuan, Eastern Samar," according to the Philippines' PAGASA weather agency's most recent advisory, issued at 5 a.m. local time.

Local news site ANC/Yahoo reports, "Typhoon Yolanda made landfall in Guiuan, Eastern Samar at 4:40am."

"The situation is potentially very destructive to communities," the weather agency says, noting the chance that trees, agriculture, and buildings could be destroyed in the powerful storm.

The typhoon will not be clear of the Philippines territory until early Saturday morning, according to PAGASA.

Haiyan, also called Yolanda within the Philippines, achieved a rare mark earlier Thursday.

"Haiyan has achieved tropical cyclone perfection," Florida meteorologist Brian McNoldy tweeted earlier today. "It is now estimated at 165kts (190mph), with an 8.0 on the Dvorak scale... the highest possible value."

Update at 2:15 p.m. ET: Winds Strengthen Further

Haiyan's maximum sustained winds have grown to 170 knots (196 mph), according to the just-released update from the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii. Wind gusts are being measured at more than 230 mph.

The storm "has tracked westward at 21 knots over the past six hours," according to the update. "Maximum significant wave height ... is 50 feet."

End of Excerpt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update- November 7: Strongest Storm Of The Year Heads For Philippines

"Thousands of people in vulnerable areas of the Philippines are being relocated as the strongest storm on the planet so far this year spins toward the country. With sustained winds of 305 kph (190 mph) and gusts as strong as 370 kph (230 mph), Super Typhoon Haiyan was churning across the Western Pacific toward the central Philippines as one of the most intense tropical cyclones ever recorded.

Its wind strength makes it equivalent to an exceptionally strong Category 5 hurricane.

The storm, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, is expected to still be a super typhoon, with winds in excess of 240 kph (149 mph), when it makes landfall Friday morning in the region of Eastern Visayas.

The storm is so large in diameter that clouds from it are affecting two-thirds of the country.

More than 3,800 people to evacuation centers by late Thursday, Maj. Reynaldo Balido of the Philippine Office of Civil Defense said. Most of those relocated live in Tacloban City, which sits on the coast of the island of Leyte and has a population of more than 200,000.

iReport: Heavy rains as Philippines braces for typhoon In a speech Thursday, President Benigno S. Aquino III warned residents of the "calamity our countrymen will face in these coming days."

"Let me repeat myself: This is a very real danger, and we can mitigate and lessen its effects if we use the information available to prepare," he said."





Super Typhoon Haiyan A Serious Storm

"The expected track of Haiyan will take it directly over the areas hardest hit by a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 150 people in the middle of October.

Haiyan will also produce a severe and inundating storm surge, especially along the eastern coast of southern Luzon and Samar islands.

Residents are urged to take the necessary precautions now ahead of Haiyan's approach and heed all evacuation orders issued by local officials."

End of excerpt

~~~~~~~



Super Typhoon Haiyan

"The 2013 Western Pacific Ocean remains quite active in the tropics. Right now, we’re keeping a close eye on Super Typhoon Haiyan. Super Typhoon Haiyan, (or Yolanda, which is the name given the storm by the Philippines) is producing sustained winds of 160 mph (140 knots.) It is considered a Category 5 storm on the Saffir Simpson scale.

Haiyan is a powerful storm that will hit the Philippines on Friday around 0-6 UTC. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center believes this storm will still be a powerful Category 4 storm with sustained winds around 145 mph (125 knots) when it hits. If you live in the Philippines, you need to know that this storm could be devastating and you must prepare now.

Haiyan will become the fifth storm to directly affect the Philippines this year. According to Jeff Masters of Weather Underground, four storms have directly impacted the Philippines killing 30 people. The strongest of these, Typhoon Utor, which had sustained winds of 140 mph, hit the Philippines on August 12, 2013 and cost $25 million dollars in damage.

The Philippines typically average eight to nine storms per year, so activity has been slightly below average. However, the overall Western Pacific Typhoon season has been very active, especially north of the Philippines. So far in 2013, we have seen 28 named storms. The last time we had this much activity was back in 2004, when we recorded 32 named storms. In general, the Western Pacific is an area likely to spawn some of the strongest tropical cyclones in the world."

End of excerpt.



SST 29-30°C combined with deep ocean heat content means Typhoon Haiyan will remain Super Typhoon until landfall.

This is a monster. Be safe Philippines. (But remember the denier creed: warmer ocean temperatures, more moisture in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels and deforesting the planet producing more energy had nothing to do with this...)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Methane Feedback and Abrupt Climate Change: How Far Are We From It?

Disclaimer: I want to add this disclaimer to cover any posts here regarding Methane feedback. I absolutely DO NOT support the geoengineering of our atmosphere through spraying of chemicals as a solution to climate destruction. This could well tip our atmosphere even further with unknown consequences. ANY references to it on ANY sources I link to here are not supported by me. I have added certain sources simply to illustrate and inform regarding the real concern we must have with methane feedback- which can be addressed though initiatives to decrease of CO2/methane emissions such as a ban on fracking as well as through sustainable agriculture, afforestation, renewable energy and financial incentives not tied to markets but that hold markets accountable. Thank you.

Anyone who has been following the global events of the past three plus decades and has been doing so without political rose colored glasses on knows that what we are experiencing on planet Earth at this point in time is unlike anything we have experienced in the whole of human existence. CO2 PPM is at an unprecedented global high with our oceans warming at an increasing rate and acidifying more than they have been in thousands of years. Glaciers globally on the whole are melting as we see unprecedented melting continuing to take place in the Arctic. Climate change, the effect of global warming and our continued experiment on the atmosphere is now upon us and its effects including more of our planet experiencing extreme weather in response to our human forcing upon our climate, carbon and hydrologic cycles is evident with scientific reports warning us that continued effects will become worse particularly regarding water and food supplies.

Scientists now look at this new epoch beginning as the Anthropocene- the epoch where human influence on our planet is now being seen. The questions this particular post aims to examine are just how far will that human forcing go and how fast will the effects of it happen? If you look at the political answer to those questions, the amount of time to begin to address it is not nearly as urgent as it should be. For purposes of their climate meetings where they sit bickering over which country should foot the bill while coming to no real conclusions or solutions, they deem 2 degrees Celsius to be the point at which we really have to start taking action. I don't know what they are thinking about beyond their benefactors but after seeing the global effects of a close to 1.0 increase already it is clear we must address this now.

Discussing the culmination of the effects of this based not just on science but on our consumerism, industrialization, globalization, greed, hubris and political partisanship that impedes true progress on the climate front also requires that the effects of feedbacks (particularly methane clathrates) must be addressed and taken more seriously. We really do not know how much or how little of a forcing could catapult the planet into abrupt warming and at the rate we are consuming fossil fuels and depleting our carbon budget that point may be much sooner than we know :

Large Release of Methane Could Cause Abrupt and Catastrophic Climate Change as Happened 635 Million Years Ago, UCR-led Study Warns

An abrupt release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, about 635 million years ago from ice sheets that then extended to Earth’s low latitudes caused a dramatic shift in climate, triggering a series of events that resulted in global warming and effectively ended the last “snowball” ice age, a UC Riverside-led study reports.

The researchers posit that the methane was released gradually at first and then in abundance from clathrates — methane ice that forms and stabilizes beneath ice sheets under specific temperatures and pressures. When the ice sheets became unstable, they collapsed, releasing pressure on the clathrates which began to degas.

“Our findings document an abrupt and catastrophic means of global warming that abruptly led from a very cold, seemingly stable climate state to a very warm also stable climate state with no pause in between,” said Martin Kennedy, a professor of geology in the Department of Earth Sciences, who led the research team.

“This tells us about the mechanism, which exists, but is dormant today, as well as the rate of change,” he added. “What we now need to know is the sensitivity of the trigger: how much forcing does it take to move from one stable state to the other, and are we approaching something like that today with current carbon dioxide warming.”

Study results appear in the May 29 issue of Nature.

According to the study, methane clathrate destabilization acted as a runaway feedback to increased warming, and was the tipping point that ended the last snowball Earth. (The snowball Earth hypothesis posits that the Earth was covered from pole to pole in a thick sheet of ice for millions of years at a time.)

“Once methane was released at low latitudes from destabilization in front of ice sheets, warming caused other clathrates to destabilize because clathrates are held in a temperature-pressure balance of a few degrees,” Kennedy said. “But not all the Earth’s methane has been released as yet. These same methane clathrates are present today in the Arctic permafrost as well as below sea level at the continental margins of the ocean, and remain dormant until triggered by warming.

“This is a major concern because it’s possible that only a little warming can unleash this trapped methane. Unzippering the methane reservoir could potentially warm the Earth tens of degrees, and the mechanism could be geologically very rapid. Such a violent, zipper-like opening of the clathrates could have triggered a catastrophic climate and biogeochemical reorganization of the ocean and atmosphere around 635 million years ago.”

Today, the Earth’s permafrost extends from the poles to approximately 60 degrees latitude. But during the last snowball Earth, which lasted from 790 to 635 million years ago, conditions were cold enough to allow clathrates to extend all the way to the equator.

According to Kennedy, the abruptness of the glacial termination, changes in ancient ocean-chemistry, and unusual chemical deposits in the oceans that occurred during the snowball Earth ice age have been a curiosity and a challenge to climate scientists for many decades.

“The geologic deposits of this period are quite different from what we find in subsequent deglaciation,” he said. “Moreover, they immediately precede the first appearance of animals on earth, suggesting some kind of environmental link. Our methane hypothesis is capable also of accounting for this odd geological, geochemical and paleooceanographic record.”

Also called marsh gas, methane is a colorless, odorless gas. As a greenhouse gas, it is about 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and has largely been held responsible for a warming event that occurred about 55 million years ago, when average global temperatures rose by 4-8 degrees Celsius.

When released into the ocean-atmosphere system, methane reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and can cause marine dysoxia, which kills oxygen-using animals, and has been proposed as an explanation for major oceanic extinctions.

“One way to look at the present human influence on global warming is that we are conducting a global-scale experiment with Earth’s climate system,” Kennedy said. “We are witnessing an unprecedented rate of warming, with little or no knowledge of what instabilities lurk in the climate system and how they can influence life on Earth. But much the same experiment has already been conducted 635 million years ago, and the outcome is preserved in the geologic record. We see that strong forcing on the climate, not unlike the current carbon dioxide forcing, results in the activation of latent controls in the climate system that, once initiated, change the climate to a wholly different state.”

End of Excerpt

Also see:

Methane Hydrate Feedback

Also see:

Study Finds Climate Changing Methane Rapidly Destabilizing Off East Coast

A changing Gulf Stream off the East Coast has destabilized frozen methane deposits trapped under nearly 4,000 square miles of seafloor, scientists reported Wednesday. And since methane is even more potent than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas, the researchers said, any large-scale release could have significant climate impacts.

Temperature changes in the Gulf Stream are "rapidly destabilizing methane hydrate along a broad swathe of the North American margin," the experts said in a study published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

Using seismic records and ocean models, the team estimated that 2.5 gigatonnes of frozen methane hydrate are being destabilized and could separate into methane gas and water.

It is not clear if that is happening yet, but that methane gas would have the potential to rise up through the ocean and into the atmosphere, where it would add to the greenhouse gases warming Earth.

The 2.5 gigatonnes isn't enough to trigger a sudden climate shift, but the team worries that other areas around the globe might be seeing a similar destabilization.

This is one place seeing such destabilization:

Thawing Permafrost: The speed of coastal erosion in Eastern Siberia has nearly doubled

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As we continue to survey the effects of warming we are now seeing in the Arctic and our oceans this scenario does become more possible when paired with humanity's incessant rapacious consumption of fossil fuels and time lag effects.

Record Levels Of Greenhouse Gases Raise Concern Over Climate Change

As was discussed in my post regarding our carbon debt we are limited in the amount of fossil fuels we can continue to burn in order to not pass a threshold which will make this irreversible.

This threshold plus the mitigating circumstances that could lead us to abrupt climate change faster than we think and the urgent moral action we need to take now will be the topic of the next entry coming this week.

Part 2: Methane Feedback And Abrupt Climate Change

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