Gulf of Mexico Has Long Been Dumping Site

Sat, 2010-07-31 06:21 — mdmcdonald

This article states that the social ecology of the Gulf region has evolved into accepting environmental abuse and a passive resignation that the petrochemical industry in the Gulf Region is intertwined with its political and economic systems. The Deepwater Horizon oil/natural gas spill crisis, as perhaps the United States worst environmental catastrophe, according to this article is only one act of many over a 50 year period that has caused the Gulf of Mexico to become an accepted dumping group for environmental pollutants. If so, what will bring the Gulf back to a having a healthy environment and a resilient and sustainable social ecology? The following excerpt from this New York Times article provides the reader with a sense of the resignation, apathy, and lack of education within the Gulf coast citizenry of what they can do to be a part of bringing the Gulf back from the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON Published: July 29, 2010 "...The gulf has changed, Mr. Pitre said: “I think it’s too far gone to salvage.” The BP oil spill has sent millions of barrels gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, focusing international attention on America’s third coast and prompting questions about whether it will ever fully recover from the spill.

Global
Pollution
Problem

Science alone not enough to boost world farm output

Fri, 2010-04-23 08:28 — mdmcdonald

(Reuters) - Feeding a fast-growing global population in the face of climate change and stagnant funding for food aid and farm research will require a fundamental revamp of agriculture, agricultural experts said. GREEN BUSINESS | COP15 But unlike the "Green Revolution" that dramatically hiked agricultural output in Latin America and Asia from the 1950s, a new agricultural restructuring will need to focus as much on new seed varieties as on good governance, women's empowerment and things like curbing commodities speculation, they added. "We cannot address world food security risks effectively only through a science and technology agenda," Joachim von Braun, former director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), told a conference Sunday. "We need to get appropriate market regulations to prevent excessive speculation," he added on the opening day of the conference held in southern France to discuss a roadmap to reform agricultural research to meet development goals. Speculation in food markets contributes to fuelling price swings that can undercut the ability of farmers to plan, often leading them to over or under-produce.

Global
Agriculture
Solutions
Problem

Clean Water from Dirty Salt Water

Wed, 2010-03-24 09:45 — mdmcdonald

Here is an interesting technology that could make a huge difference around the world, if its commercial application application end up being inexpensive and sufficient for most families.

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-03/low-power-desalination-and-purification-technology-brings-clean-water-remote-villages

No statements yet on how long the chips will last.

My biggest concern is that this may become an excuse for human's continuing to foul their planetary nest, without consideration of the larger implications.

Cyclone Tomas in Fiji

Mon, 2010-03-15 03:45 — Liliana Santirso

Emergency morgues set up in Fiji (Source: ONE News)

Residents in southern Fiji are stocking up on groceries and boarding up their homes in preparation for the brunt of Cyclone Tomas, as reports come through of a death.

A woman drowned after battling to save others in massive waves pounding a beach off Fiji's Vanua Levu.

Fiji's Disaster Management Centre has confirmed it is setting up emergency morgues around the country as they prepare to be battered by the cyclone. There have been unconfirmed reports of fatalities and injuries.

Resilience experiences...

Thu, 2010-03-04 01:25 — Liliana Santirso

Resilience experiences...

When thinking in what Resilience implies after an event,it comes to mind that a community may not only be able to cope and to recover, but that it may also change to reflect different priorities arising from the disaster.

Creativity and flexibility will show the ability to recover from trauma or crisis in the aftermath of traumatic events .In this process building resilience interventions at the same time that the tragic events are happening is a major key issue.

Earthquake aftermath

Tue, 2010-03-02 02:46 — Liliana Santirso

Martial law in Chile

President Bachelet declared a state of siege on the basis that it was necessary to maintain order and distribute aid. Government officials blamed looters for interfering with the rescue and aid effort.
So far, the death toll from the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami stands at 723 and is expected to rise. Many who are now missing are believed to have drowned at sea, while others are still buried under the rubble. Some 1.5 million homes were destroyed, many of them wiped out by the tsunami.

How big an impact will the Chilean 8.8 earthquake have on Chile and the world?

Sun, 2010-02-28 13:05 — mdmcdonald

For such a large earthquake, it would seem that the death toll should be far higher, unless the buildings and infrastructure were designed to face a huge earthquake with low casualties.

Beyond the immediate death toll, what is the impact of this 8.8 Mw earthquake on Chile and the world?

International Aid to quake-stricken Chile

Sun, 2010-02-28 05:20 — Liliana Santirso

EU pledges three million euros

The European Union says it is readying some 3 million euros ($4 million) in immediate aid to help Chile cope with the aftermath of an earthquake that has killed at least 300 people.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement he was "deeply shocked at the extent of the devastation" in Chile as he announced the European Union's intention to do whatever it took to help.

Tsunami Warning from Chile's 8.8 Earthquake Triggering Evacuations

Sat, 2010-02-27 10:07 — mdmcdonald

Chile earthquake: tsunami warnings trigger evacuations across Pacific
The devastating earthquake in Chile has triggered a tsunami which is radiating across the Pacific and has already caused serious damage on the islands said to have inspired Robinson Crusoe.

By David Barrett
Published: 1:37PM GMT 27 Feb 2010
Previous1 of 3 ImagesNext

Chile's President Michelle Bachelet declares a 'state of catastrophe' Photo: AP

Chile 8.8 Mw Earthquake: Impacts on Infrastructure, Limited Deaths Due to Preparedness

Sat, 2010-02-27 10:04 — mdmcdonald

Chile well prepared for quakes

By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News

It is not possible to predict the time and magnitude of an earthquake, but certain places on the Earth know they are always at risk from big tremors. Chile is one of those places.
It lies on the "Ring of Fire", the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.

USGS Report: 8.8 Mw Tsunamigenic Earthquake Off Chile on 2/26/10

Sat, 2010-02-27 10:01 — mdmcdonald

== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==

***This event has been revised.

Region: OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE
Geographic coordinates: 35.846S, 72.718W
Magnitude: 8.8 Mw
Depth: 35 km
Universal Time (UTC): 27 Feb 2010 06:34:14
Time near the Epicenter: 27 Feb 2010 03:34:14
Local standard time in your area: 27 Feb 2010 06:34:14

Location with respect to nearby cities:
104 km (65 miles) WSW (246 degrees) of Talca, Chile

Emergency Doctors Leave Haiti

Thu, 2010-02-25 08:52 — mdmcdonald

By IANTHE JEANNE DUGAN

PORT-AU-PRINCE—Doctors here are bracing for another onslaught of patients, as emergency workers leave the country and thousands of surgeries done after the January 12 earthquake need to be redone.

Al Jeezera television: Rebuilding Haiti

Fri, 2010-02-12 21:37 — admin

An excellent video about the rebuidling of Haiti.

Haiti: The politics of rebuilding

A product of Al Jazeera's "Fault Lines" television series, here is the synopsis from their website:

Just weeks after the earthquake that took more than 200,000 lives and devastated Haiti's capital city, a new normalcy is taking shape in Port-au-Prince.

Lessons Learned and Suggestions: Working with the Citizens in Haiti

Tue, 2010-01-26 16:12 — admin

Doctors Tom and Carol Ritter have been donating their services to the people of Haiti for the past several years. On his blog posting from Haiti 24 January, Tom offers lessons learned, and suggestions for response in Haiti:

1. Utilize local "organic" organizations that have been created out of the chaos of this disaster and praise them for what they have done right, under these impossible circumstances. Help them by asking them what they need to improve the crude but somewhat effective systems they already put in place, and resist the temptation to replace it quickly with a Western model.

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