This Blog is created to stress the importance of Peace as an environmental directive. “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell.” – Harry Truman
(I receive no compensation from any entry on this blog.)
By William Ysaguirre, Associated Press Writer BELIZE CITY — Flash flooding carried away houses and ripped a child from his father's grasp in Belize, while falling trees killed two people in Honduras, raising the death toll from Central America's twin tropical storms this week to at least nine. Prime Minister Dean Barrow declared a disaster area Tuesday in southern Belize's Stann Creek Valley, and the government rushed food, water and clothing to more than 13,000 people affected by the floods. Over the weekend, Pacific Tropical Storm Alma swept over Belize hours before Tropical Storm Arthur roared in from the Caribbean at the Mexico-Belize border. Witnesses said a couple and their 14-year-old daughter died when a flash flood swept away a house in Stann Creek Valley early Monday. The couple's 12-year-old son is missing. "The water just come right up and picked up their house and took it down there and mashed it up," Bedford Ritchie told Channel 7....
Belize districts affected by floods declared disaster areas The Event: Tropical Storm Arthur, formed on Saturday afternoon May 31, 2008 and immediately made landfall in northern Belize on the Yucatan Peninsula. Before becoming the first storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season Tropical Storm Arthur was Tropical Storm Alma which developed in the Eastern Pacific on May 27. TS Alma and Arthur dumped approximately 15 inches of rain across Belize causing flooding in low lying areas and severely affecting the northern and southern districts. Initial damage assessment reports have indicated a number of houses destroyed, damaged or submerged and approximately 1000 persons affected. Five deaths have been confirmed and two persons are reportedly still missing. The Prime Minister of Belize has declared as Disaster Areas the Stann Creek District and Gales Point, Manatee Village and Sittee River Village of the Belize District . Prognosis: Flood waters have begun to recede, but some areas are still under water....
Droughts are a natural disaster. The most profound aspect to the California drought, besides the lack of rainfall that is sometimes blamed on El Nino and the like, is the Human Induced Global Warming Reality of DISAPPEARING SNOWPACK. It will be a struggle to keep the reservoirs full.
...Drought is a gradual phenomenon (click here for link). Although droughts are sometimes characterized as emergencies, they differ from typical emergency events. Most natural disasters, such as floods or forest fires, occur relatively rapidly and afford little time for preparing for disaster response. Droughts occur slowly, over a multiyear period. There is no universal definition of when a drought begins or ends. Impacts of drought are typically felt first by those most reliant on annual rainfall -- ranchers engaged in dryland grazing, rural residents relying on wells in low-yield rock formations, or small water systems lacking a reliable source. Criteria used to identify statewide drought conditions do not address these localized impacts. Drought impacts increase with the length of a drought, as carry-over supplies in reservoirs are depleted and water levels in groundwater basins decline....
Schwarzenegger proclaims that California is in a drought (click here) SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a statewide drought Wednesday, warning that California's water supply is falling dangerously low because of below-average rainfall and court-ordered water restrictions aimed at protecting fish. "We must recognize the severity of this crisis we face," Schwarzenegger said at a Capitol news conference. He said this spring has been the driest on record in Northern California, which supplies most of the water to the state....
Australia's Drought is in Epic Proportions. There is little change in sight for reversing Human Induced Global Warming without a profound change in direction from the USA. There just isn't. The USA is responsible for the majority of CO2 emitted on Earth and that is a very sad scenario for the 'so called' wealthiest nation and the last 'so called' Superpower.
Australia's epic drought: The situation is grim (click here) By Kathy Marks in Sydney Friday, 20 April 2007 Australia has warned that it will have to switch off the water supply to the continent's food bowl unless heavy rains break an epic drought - heralding what could be the first climate change-driven disaster to strike a developed nation. The Murray-Darling basin in south-eastern Australia yields 40 per cent of the country's agricultural produce. But the two rivers that feed the region are so pitifully low that there will soon be only enough water for drinking supplies. Australia is in the grip of its worst drought on record, the victim of changing weather patterns attributed to global warming and a government that is only just starting to wake up to the severity of the position....
PM sets out vision for car industry (click here) June 5, 2008 - 4:29PM Fuel efficient and hybrid cars will be the centrepiece of a new plan for the Australian car industry, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says. The industry is already under review, with an inquiry headed by former Victorian premier Steve Bracks. Mr Rudd said it was time to confront the challenges of climate change and soaring oil prices, and the need to reduce fuel consumption. The industry had reinvented itself before and it needed to do so again, he said. "Two decades ago, the industry needed a plan to consolidate, increase its efficiency and lift its international competitiveness," Mr Rudd told Parliament in a ministerial statement marking World Environment Day....
There is significant water vapor in the troposphere, but, little reaches the ground. When it does it floods in torrential down pours. There isn't anything 'normal' about that climate.
June 3, 2008 Kinmundy, Illinois Photographer states :: A tornado-warned storm rolled through the Kinmundy, IL area destroying a machine shed, damaging a house, flipping a trailer, and downing trees. Photo by Steen Munter, WJBD.
June 3, 2008 10:47 PM EDT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Thunderstorms cut through south-central Indiana Tuesday night, spawning at least two tornadoes. Radar showed two tornadoes on the ground south of Indianapolis about 9:30 p.m., National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Tucek said. One was near Princes Lakes, north of Columbus, while the other was sighted near St. Paul on the Rush-Decatur county line. Widespread damage was reported, and more than 4,000 people were without electricity due to the storms. Duke Energy reported most of the outages were in Shelby County just southeast of Indianapolis and Wayne County in eastern Indiana. Earlier in the day, the weather service said a small tornado touched down near Waverly, where television reports showed several trees down and buildings damaged.
May 30, 2008 04:30 AM Re:UN to play mediator in Arctic disputes May 29 The future of the Arctic Ocean is an issue of significant international importance. Ideally decisions of such magnitude are made in open, consultative forums involving all stakeholders. Foreign ministers and senior officials from Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the U.S. attended the closed, invitation-only Arctic Ocean Conference in IIulissat, Greenland this week. The conference was called to discuss ways in which the nations bordering the Arctic can better co-ordinate efforts to manage the Arctic Ocean. The retreat of sea ice caused by climate change opens new opportunities for the expansion of economic activity, such as commercial fishing, shipping, and oil and gas exploration and exploitation in the Arctic Ocean. While potentially bringing short-term benefits to the economies of Arctic coastal states, the expansion of economic activity can also trigger overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, pollution from ships and offshore extraction of oil and gas, oil spills, invasion of alien species carried by ships' ballast water and other extremely harmful effects. In future, WWF urges the conference participants to discuss the urgent need for a new and stronger system for governance protecting the Arctic from climate change and other potential threats to its vulnerable marine environment. We also call for the Arctic coastal states to engage in open and constructive dialogue about the future of the Arctic Ocean. Neil Hamilton, Director, World Wildlife Fund International Arctic Program, Oslo, Norway
The weather at Glacier Bay National Park (Crystal Wind Chime) is:
Elevation :: 33 ft / 10 m
Local Time: 2:16 AM AKDT
Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Temperature :: 46 °F / 8 °C
Conditions :: Overcast
Windchill :: 46 °F / 8 °C
Humidity :: 93%
Dew Point :: 45 °F / 7 °C
Wind :: Calm
Pressure :: 29.83 in / 1010 hPa (Steady)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV :: 0 out of 16
Clouds: Few 1100 ft / 335 m Scattered Clouds 2800 ft / 853 m Overcast 3600 ft / 1097 m (Above Ground Level)
Get rid of the old infrastruture. Just that simple. You want jobs? Then allow the progression of the needed changes in the country proceed.
Bush and the OLD OIL GUARD need to be put out of business !
If any Senator or House member votes adversely to the needed Climate Change legislation, VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE. We need leaders that can save lives, return the economy and stop the 'exploitation' of the American people. Does it make sense to allow a government to continue to ignore their responsibility in Climate Change? No, it doesn't. There is no justifiable argument to support legislators that on the CHANGE we need in the USA . None !
Washington, 17 Oct (IPS/Danielle Knight) - Pollution from electric power plants in the United States shortens the lives of more than 30,000 people every year, according to a new report released here by environmental and health researchers. The study concludes that soot, or fine particle air pollution, from the nation’s ageing coal-fired power plants is causing tens of thousands of asthma attacks, cardiac problems and upper and lower respiratory problems each year.... In this July 10, 2007 file photos, the coal-fired Plant Schereris in operation at Juliette, Ga. Plant Scherer has for several years been the nation's single largest source of carbon dioxide, which most scientists believe contributes to global warming. The economic cost of confronting global warming - from higher electricity bills to more expensive gasoline - is driving the debate as climate change takes center stage in Congress. The Senate begins considering legislation Monday that for the first time would mandate a reduction in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from power plants, refineries, factories and transportation, in hopes of cutting heat-trapping pollution by two-thirds by mid-century. (AP Photo/Gene Blythe, File)
U.S. map shows per capita carbon dioxide emissions by metropolitan statistical area in 2005; 2c x 4 3/4 inches; 96.3 mm x 120.7 mm
Weather cancels first day of McGuire show (click here) By TODD MCHALE Burlington County Times MCGUIRE AFB — Severe weather in the area forced the cancellation of the U.S. Air Force 2008 Air Expo and Open house at McGuire Air Force Base yesterday. McGuire spokeswoman Angel Lopez said Col. Balan Ayyar, commander of the 305 Air Mobility Wing, decided it would be best to cancel the show yesterday due to the severe weather. “Our first priority is to the safety of our guests, so with this severe weather we didn't want anyone out on the flight line,” Lopez said. During the short time the show was in progress, two members of Fastrax, the 40-member Army Airborne parachute team, were were injured as they landed in the drop zone, according to a posting yesterday on the Air Force Web site. The soldiers were conscious following the incident and wee transferred by ambulance to a Trenton hospital. The two unidentified soldiers were taken to Helene Fuld Medical Cener with minor injuries, according to a story on the Star-Ledger Web site. Organizers first suspended the show yesterday about 11 a.m. with the hope of opening the base and resuming the air show later....
June 1, 2008 0730z UNISYS Infrared GOES East Satellite
These two images are ten hours apart. In the image below the center of the tropical storm is weakened and dissipating with lots of increased turbulence over the Central Plains of the USA under a thick blanket of carbon dioxide. The image above shows a far stronger 'central eye' to the tropical storm with far, far less turbulence over the Central Plains of the USA. NORMALLY, where there would be ample amounts of water vapor, the tropical storm would build and move into the Gulf of Mexico with 'velocity' from the storm, however, in this case that did not happen. What occurred instead was a dissipating of the tropical storm, while the troposphere 'shifted' its 'heat transfer' to higher levels of turbulence over North American.
June 1, 2008 1730z UNISYS Infrared Goes East Satellite (click for 12 hour loop - thank you).What is completely obvious in this loop is that while Tropical Storm Arthur was dissipating, the accumulation of turbulence over Oklahoma and Arkansas manifested. What will occur with "Arthur" is that the 'heat transfer' will continue closer to the Equator and in the Pacific, 'near shore' resulting in a Pacific tropical storm supported by Equatorial Water Vapor. The 'limit' to the water vapor above 18.4 N latitude WON'T ALLOW the movement of the Tropical Storm into the Gulf of Mexico to become an Atlantic storm/hurricane.
June 1, 2008 1830z UNISYS Infrared USA Satellite
June 1, 2008 1825s UNISYS Infrared Central Plains Satellite
Several areas of the nation will be facing strong to severe storms today from the Southeast to the High Plains. Meanwhile, today marks the first official day of the Atlantic Hurricane Season and the tropics have already been activated with the first tropical storm over the Gulf of Honduras. (click title to entry - thank you)
It is called 'oscillation.' Oscillation in 'Climate Systems' occur as the 'accumulated' heat waxes and wanes with STORMS such as Tropical Storms, Tornadoes and Hurricanes when they manifest and dissipate. So, while Earth 'takes a break' from tornadoes today, it has maifested severe tropical storms at the same time, etc., etc., etc.
And at WHAT Longitude and Latitude is this Tropical Storm occurring and remaining?
Latitude: 18 to 20 degrees North (Not far from 15 N) - 18.3 North to be exact and 'retreated' to 17.4 North when it dissipated. ? It lowered in latitude before dissipating ? Oh? It didn't build and make 'land fall.' I see !
Longitude: 85 to 87 West (90.7 West moving to 94.7 West. Hm. Toward the Pacific and NOT the Atlantic. Odd.)
What did I say about 'available' water vapor? Near shore and at latitudes near the Equator. Well, I find this interesting, huh?
Tropical Storm Arthur weakens to depression (click here) Posted on Sun, Jun. 01, 2008 The Associated Press MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Arthur has weakened to a tropical depression after soaking the Yucatan Peninsula. The National Hurricane Center in Miami reports that the governments of Belize and Mexico have discontinued all warnings related to the storm. At just before 11 a.m. EST, the center of the storm is located inland about 125 miles south of Campeche, Mexico. It is moving west-southwest at about 8 miles per hour. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 miles per hour.
The first tropical depression/storm/depression is expected to drop over a foot; YES that was 12 inches, 30.48 centimeters, one third of a yard; of RAIN over the Yucatan Peninsula and related weather areas. Tropical Storm Arthur allowed the troposphere 'heat relief' because we all know what these storms do. They transfer heat from the troposphere into the oceans and across the land through the mechanisms of wind and rain. We all know what kind of tragedy 12 inches of rain causes as well; landslides, flooding and injuries and deaths to people impoverished and unable to rescue themselves from such events.
(Click for larger image.) It is politically dangerous for Republicans to 'talk about' the results of Human Induced Global Warming in the way it manifests into weather and tragedy.
They separate the issues of Climate, Climate Change and Weather.
But, you will never hear a statement from Bush or any Republican Governor (Most of the Midwest are Red States.) that this was another tragic event caused by Human Induced Global Warming. So, as a result the press doesn't make that delineation either and will use excuses that there is no 'official' evidence to that effect. Well, hell, Bush stated "There is no such thing as Global Warming and Carbon Dioxide could never be a toxic gas." The 'critical thinking' skills of the press seems to stop at the Washington Press room these days.
It is completely obvious the USA has created its own climate crisis shrouded in a thick and lingering blanket of carbon dioxide EVIDENCED BY increasing tropospheric 'destabilization' resulting in record setting 'weather related' tragedy including the 2008 'string' of 'tornado outbreaks.' It is a "Climate Crisis" FIRST !
Ames Hit By Flooding; ISU and Athletics Facilities Threatened
"...it was something we never wanted people to look at...caveats were dropped over time...contradictory intelligence was talked about...the American people didn't have that forthright view...the intelligence was portrayed and packaged to be more grave that it was..."
"...the press becomes complicant enablers..."
The extension being bandied about regarding the USA Occupation in Iraq is a threat to USA national security. Any 'permanent' commitment by the Bush/Cheney Executive Branch will allow a globally imposed Iraq Occupation to 'contain' the USA in its expansion into other sovereign countries. The USA needs to return to policies of National Security and not one of aggression and occupation. That change in policy is necessary to return the USA to its place as a partner in peace rather than a despot for oil reserves.
Hayden has never been qualified for his current position and needs to be removed from his authority.
If the Democrats were not in the majority of both houses at this point in USA history, the McClellan book would have been swept out of the view of the American people just as every other 'Truth Teller' book about the Bush White House since that of Paul O'Neill's (click here), "The Price of Loyalty."
Published on: 05/30/08 WASHINGTON — Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, branded a "miserable creature" by ex-Sen. Bob Dole, could be headed for a congressional hearing examining his new book's account of Bush administration involvement in the disclosure of a CIA operative's identity. House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said Friday he will talk to McClellan about the book's account of the possible White House cover-up of top aides' involvement in the leak of Valerie Plame's name. Conyers said McClellan's revelations about the episode are "extremely troubling."...
The USA - Iraq Pact is an act of desperation the global community does not approve of.
...The United Nations mandate that allows foreign forces to occupy Iraq will not be renewed at the end of the year, so any future U.S. military involvement in the war-torn nation can continue only with such an agreement. (click title to entry)...
Any further occupation of Iraq will be viewed as an act of aggression within the Middle East and will provide a 'staging ground' for more war, instability and aggression at the hand of future USA presidents. The Iraq occupation has to end allowing Iraq to recover as a country, providing the people there with the opportunity to rebuild and take on an economic identity to pilgramage now denied to many Muslims in the face of chronic and provoked internal conflict.
The continued occupation in Iraq by both the British and Americans is about oil, not any form of National Security UNLESS one defines national security as a 'ready glut of Persian oil.' In revealing controversy recently in Russia, it was noted the CEO, Robert Dudly of TNK-BP is being asked to resign for his 'conflict of interest' in managing priorities in oil access and disaffecting Russian interests in countries like Iraq.
Allowing the USA and British occupation of Iraq would continue to insure no other country could provide stability to the country in cooperation with oil trade from the region. If the occupation ended, it would force MULTI-NATIONAL support to Iraq's military in order to provide the oil export business to thrive. Removing the USA-British occupation would 'demand' the return of Multi-National interests to Iraq forcing the global community to take an active role in securing the nation of Iraq. The ONLY reason the British and Americans are in Iraq is for the oil and HENCE the recent atrocities in Basra, the oil port city of Iraq.
Currently, the Iraqi government is forced to deal with companies and services allowed to them by Western interests. When that is the case there can be no negotiations with other countries such as Russia to bolster Iraq's military or police. Literally, the Iraq War is to secure America's strangle hold on Iraqi oil.
By Hassan Hafidh Last update: 6:16 a.m. EDT May 27, 2008
AMMAN (MarketWatch) -- After several months of negotiations and pressure from the Iraqi government, BP PLC (BP: BP p.l.c.XOM 88.76, -0.59, -0.7%) have finally submitted proposals to the Iraqi oil ministry on technical services contracts to boost production at Iraq's prized oil fields, sources close to the Iraqi ministry said Tuesday. Other oil majors, which have been negotiating similar deals with Baghdad, haven't yet submitted their plans, but they would follow suit, according to these sources. Iraq's Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani has threatened to cancel these technical services contracts, or TSC, if they are not signed in June. The TSCs are designed to boost Iraq's crude oil production in producing oil fields.... BP and Exxon Mobil's proposals include suggestions on how Iraq would pay them back for their services and the costs of equipment. The Iraqi oil ministry needs to approve these proposals before signing the contracts. Iraqi oil officials have said that each TSC would cost around $500 million....
The contracts were a little slow in coming because the 'terms' weren't attractive enough. Would the 'terms' have been more 'user friendly' for Iraq if there was Multi-National bidding for them? Of course they would be. The American occupation eliminates 'competition' in the market place for any of Iraq's needs. The continued and sustained occupation of Iraq is disaffecting not only the Iraqi people in continued conflict, but, also in defining their economic growth and opportunity. Literally, the Bush Era No Bid Contracts have caused a great deal of hardship to the Iraqi people, their ability to compete for better services and support and has caused massive impoverishment of the people while limiting its government's choices in alternatives to the Western influence.
Update: Storms spawn tornadoes, some flooding (click here) White, Benton counties under flash flood warning May 30, 2008 Carroll County has opened a severe storm shelter at the emergency management agency office in the basement of the courthouse. The office, however, has some water in it due to the extreme rains associated with the storms, said EMA director Dave McDowell. "Two small tornadoes were spotted by trained spotters at County Road 400 S and County Road 500 W moving due east," said McDowell. "But no damage has been reported yet." McDowell said the tornadoes were in a rural area with no buildings. Flooding is more of a problem in the county, he said. "We have water over a number of roads," he said. "My EMA office has water in it. We've had pretty extensive lightning in the Oakdale Dam area, so I don't doubt there are trees down." Stormspotters have been activated and firefighters and deputies are helping monitor the storms, he said.... May 31, 2008 0330z UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite North and West Hemisphere
May 31, 2008 0330z UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite (click on title to entry for 12 hour loop)
The hurricane over the Yucatan is taking shape.
May 31, 2008 0330z UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite USA
Posted by Ray Long at 6:22 p.m.; updated at 7:35 p.m. Update: The House went back into session at 7:13 p.m. before adjourning about 20 minutes later. SPRINGFIELD---A tornado warning interrupted debate in the Illinois House Friday night, sending lawmakers scurrying to the safe havens in the Capitol. As rolling thunder roared through Springfield, Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago) halted debate when warning sirens broke out in the Capitol. He told lawmakers to take cover in the basements and pedestrian tunnels in the Capitol complex. "That is a tornado warning that is being expressed at this point," Turner said. An official warned over loudspeakers: "Do not exit the building as this tornado is in Springfield." Winds are shaking the trees outside the Capitol and light hail has begun to bounce off the building. The local weathercaster told viewers a tornado has been spotted in Springfield. Twenty-five minutes after the House debate stopped, an official on a loudspeaker instructed all legislators and statewide officials to go to the tunnels until there is an "all clear" because a second storm also may be in the area. The interruption came as the General Assembly is seeking to pass a budget before its midnight Saturday deadline and get out of town during an election year.
Record setting pace for tornadoes this year (click here) May 30, 2008 07:00 PM EDT INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Central Indiana is under the threat of severe storms this evening. On Thursday, the same storm system exploded across the plains states. Tornadoes ripped through parts of Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. In all, the National Weather Service received 57 reports of tornadoes. The actual number of twisters is still being investigated. The damage to homes and businesses is massive, but fortunately, no one was killed and no serious injuries. But, that hasn't been the case so far this year. A year that is on a record setting pace. "Nearly 1200 reports of tornadoes, some of those are duplicates, so I'd estimate that we're somewhere between 900 and 980 actual tornadoes for the year," said Dan McCarthy of the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. "What's really notable is the number of fatalities we've had this year, we're already over 100 fatalities which is double the national average," said McCarthy. McCarthy, who worked at the storm prediction center in Norman, Oklahoma before coming to Indianapolis, says the record numbers of tornadoes back in February are to blame for the high death toll. "Many of your fatalities are heightened in February and November when people in the general public don't expect it," said McCarthy. Report by Steve Bray, WISH. Edited by Hyacinth Williams.
The Moscow Summit. I really don't believe Russia is a hurdle to more talks or disarmament or the demand for same by other countries, including India and Pakistan. It is a lot of campaign spin and rhetoric by the Republicans. ...As soon as the United States officially withdrew from the ABM Treaty, Russia promptly announced termination of START II (click here).[1] According to Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Moscow still hopes “to continue negotiations on issues surrounding the ABM Treaty,” thinking the balance between offensive and defensive strategic armaments is still important. Russians still hope to assuage their concerns of the “reversibility” potential, which they think the United States is getting through the Treaty of Moscow, in the Bilateral Implementation Commission this document established....
America withdraws from ABM treaty (click here).Neocons love war and death. The goal to this was to return the USA to Nuclear Weapon Technology Research such as the very high tech idea of 'Nuclear Tipped Bunker Buster Bombs' rather than simply Depleted Uranium in the bombs the USA Military has now. Yep. Iraq is a Geiger-counter's dream come true.
"I have concluded the ABM treaty hinders our government's ability to develop ways to protect our people from future terrorist or rogue-state missile attacks," Mr Bush announced following a meeting with his National Security Council. Russia's Reaction per the Former President and Current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin :: "This step was not a surprise for us. However, we consider it a mistake."
Obama to visit nuclear, biological weapons destruction facilities in former Soviet Union (click here) Tuesday, August 23, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington Contact: Robert Gibbs or Tommy Vietor, (202) 228-5511Illinois
Contact: Julian Green, (312) 886-3506
Date: August 23, 2005
Obama to visit nuclear, biological weapons destruction facilities in former Soviet UnionSchedule for Obama, Lugar Trip to Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and EnglandWASHINGTON - On Wednesday, August 24th, U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) will begin a trip to visit nuclear and biological weapons destruction sites in Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-IN). They will also meet with top political and military officials in each of these countries. The trip includes a strop in England and a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
In 1991, Senator Lugar (R-IN) and former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) authored the Nunn-Lugar Act, which established the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program. This program has provided U.S. funding and expertise to help the former Soviet Union safeguard and dismantle its enormous stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, related materials, and delivery systems. Since the law was passed, the program has deactivated or destroyed: 6,760 nuclear warheads; 587 ICBMs; 483 ICBM silos; 32 ICBM mobile missile launchers; 150 bombers; 789 nuclear air-to-surface missiles; 436 submarine missile launchers; 549 submarine launched missiles; 28 nuclear submarines; and 194 nuclear test tunnels. Obama and Lugar will be reviewing the status of current CTR programs as well as looking for opportunities to expand the scope and reach of this highly effective program....
Where does McCain stand on Nuclear Non-Proliferation? He is a "Flip-flopper" - So far he has taken TWO, count them two separate stands on the issue within the last year. First he stated he didn't consider it possible to have nuclear non-proliferation with 'peaceful use of nuclear technology' and NOW he states with international supervision he is all for it. Of course, taking the stance that there could be no peaceful use of nuclear technology, but, only that nuclear weapon technology must follow, places the USA at war with just about every country in the Middle East, including Israel (click here).
Two years after his Senator Obama visited Russia the Obama-Hagel Bill was passed in the Seante.
Senate Passes Obama-Hagel Provision Aimed at Preventing Nuclear Terrorism (click here) Tuesday, September 18, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Amy Brundage (Obama) or Jordan Stark (Hagel) Legislation requires plan to secure global stockpiles of nuclear weapons and material by 2012 WASHINGTON, DC -- The Senate recently passed a provision authored by Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) to help keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists. The legislation was included as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2008 State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill. The Obama-Hagel amendment requires the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan for ensuring that all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at vulnerable sites around the world are secure by 2012 from the threats that terrorists have shown they can pose. “Securing nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at their source is the most direct and reliable way to prevent nuclear terrorism,” said Senator Obama. “It is imperative that we build and sustain a truly global effort under an aggressive timeline to secure, consolidate, and reduce stockpiles of nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material to keep them out of the wrong hands.” “Nuclear proliferation will be one of the defining challenges for the United States and the world in the 21st century. The U.S. must actively engage the international community in a constructive dialogue that will focus on strengthening the current international nuclear nonproliferation framework. This amendment provides the directive for development of a comprehensive strategy to adequately secure and account for nuclear stockpiles throughout the world. There is no higher priority for America and the world than to address this great threat to mankind,” Senator Hagel said....
Storm derails train, damages buildings in Nebraska By NATE JENKINS Associated Press Writer Article Launched: 05/29/2008 11:18:24 PM PDT AURORA, Neb.—A storm bearing hail and possible tornadoes struck central Nebraska Thursday night, damaging businesses, derailing train cars, tearing down trees and disrupting power to thousands. A possible tornado touched down near Aurora, about 70 miles west of Lincoln, damaging a few businesses and damaging at least one house on the outskirts of town. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. Tornadoes were also reported in Kearney, about 60 miles west of Aurora, where 90 rail cars were blown off the tracks outside the city limits. There were reports of downed trees and power lines throughout Kearney, and reports of damage on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus and at a county fairgrounds. Initial reports from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency indicated several dozen homes were damaged in both Aurora and Kearney. A tornado also swept through a rural area near Belleville in north-central Kansas Thursday night, damaging about six homes, but no injuries were reported. Some residents were stranded in their damaged homes until they were rescued before midnight, said Raymond Raney of Republic County's emergency management department. Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman declared a state of emergency Thursday night, which allows access to state and federal resources for storm cleanup. He readied the Nebraska National Guard in case its help was needed. "We won't know the full extent of the damage until tomorrow. However, it appears that Kearney was hardest hit and that is where our assistance will be focused overnight," Heineman said. Heineman planned to travel to those areas Friday....
In addition to the storms now over Mid-North America there is a huge hurricane potential brewing near the Yucatan.
Iowa is going to get hit again ! Get them out of the way, this isn't over, the troposphere is far to unstable to even return to homes already destroyed.
"Lightning could strike twice !"
It is going to be a bad night, people should be taking shelter now !
It's unstable over Eastern Kansas, Southern Minnesota, Northern Texas and Western Oklahoma, too. It might not dissipate until it gets to Lake Superior, so Wisconsin and the Northern Peninsula of Michigan needs to pay attention. This is due to a super hot tropical wave advancing to meet the Arctic air already at lower latitudes. It is extremely unstable and why it is very unpredictable. The troposphere is very dangerous.
...The Senate Intelligence Committee was supposed to answer that question years ago by comparing what officials claimed about Iraq — its missing weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein’s hyped ties with Al Qaeda — with what they knew. Senator Pat Roberts, the former Republican chairman, tried to make sure the report never was completed. The current Democratic chairman, Senator John Rockefeller IV, is expected to finally issue it next week. We’ll be interested to see how Scott McClellan comes across.
Senator John Rockefeller is 'on the record' stating the Executive Branch has threatened Senate and House leaders in the use of their powers in exposing what is 'the truth' but classified as 'secret war documents.' To claim that the blame now shifts to a Senate Intelligence Committee in the face of blatant confessions and abuse of power by the Executive Branch is as hideous as it comes and WON'T work !!!!
By ANDRES OPPENHEIMER aoppenheimer@MiamiHerald.com MIAMI HERALD FILE Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald columnist Andres Oppenheimer, the author of five best-sellers on Latin American affairs, will be hosting a live chat at 1 p.m. on Thursday. Bravo! A new study has found widespread fear-mongering and reckless journalism by cable television hosts such as CNN's Lou Dobbs and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, who have made a career of bashing Hispanic undocumented immigrants and their home countries. Also good news: Likely Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told me in an interview last week that he shares concerns ''about the anti-immigrant tenor that I have seen in some of the broadcasts,'' which are helping create a climate of hatred against Hispanics. The study by Media Matters Action Network, a watchdog group, says Dobbs, O'Reilly and CNN's Glenn Beck serve up steady anger, resentment and myths ``seemingly geared toward creating anti-immigrant hysteria.''...
Published: July 10, 2004 Excerpts from opening statements of Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, and Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, vice chairman of the committee, at a news conference on Friday, as recorded by Federal News Service Inc., and the text of the committee's report: Comments by Senator Roberts A year ago, the Senate Committee on Intelligence made a commitment to the Congress and the American people that we should examine the quality and the quantity of intelligence that led to the war in Iraq. Now, the debate over many aspects of the United States liberation of Iraq will likely continue for decades, but one fact is now clear: before the war, the United States intelligence community told the president, as well as the Congress and the public, that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and if left unchecked, would probably have a nuclear weapon during this decade. Well, today we know these assessments were wrong, and as our inquiry will show, they were also unreasonable and largely unsupported by the available intelligence. The report the committee is releasing today seeks to explain how that happened....
When does Michael Moore (click here) get an apology from a hostile Republican Party and half a nation of non-believers?
Unlike the American Media, Mike is a "Truth Teller." He is more than a provacateur! He is a patriotic and dedicated American citizen.
It's all about money when it comes to Republicans (click here). Book profits should be directed to the families of dead soldiers and soldiers suffering sustained combat wounds from Iraq !!! Why didn't McClellan come clean while he was in the White House? I think he needs to be indicted on conspiracy against the American people along with Bush and Cheney ! This is worse than fraud. This is abuse of power. At least Nixon's impeachment was due to his own paranoia regarding his re-election. This is blantant abuse of power. Soldiers are dead. A nation in profound debt with a destroyed international reputation.
HELLO ? The media is guilty as hell here and they all know it !
Michael Moore could not be more correct or more patriotic. Who really loves the country? Those that seek its power to facilitate wealth at any cost or those that stand by the USA Constitution when its under attack?
Katie really nails the issue including the attacks on Americans that they were unpatriotic if they opposed the war. Charlie avoids the issue at all costs and the conversation ends with 'happy talk' about raising money for cancer research. Gee, what happened to News Anchors with angry voices that state, "So how does Bush and Cheney now justify nearly 5000 dead American soldiers, countless others including Iraqi citizens, the continued occupation of that country, an insurmountable federal debt, the backlash that has on states and cities and the outing of a CIA agent? Are they asking those questions yet ? I didn't think so.
"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." Eleanor Roosevelt
The storms are significantly dangerous. There are dearly few houses standing in the path of that tornado. F4. An aerial view of a residential neighborhood in Parkersburg, Iowa, is seen a day after a tornado struck the town, Monday, May 26, 2008. This year is already the deadliest for tornadoes since 1998 and is on track to break records for the number of twisters too, the National Weather Service says. (AP Photo/Kevin Sanders)
The biotic content of Earth was at a pinnacle before the ravages of Human Induced Global Warming occurred. There is a 'negative feedback loop' that occurs with Human Induced Global Warming. One aspect to this is the loss of biotic content. In this case, where there is a river flooding destroying the ability of plants to absorb carbon dioxide. The loss in regard to economics is easily noted when cattle are excluded from grazing, but, the increased accumulation of carbon dioxide due to decrease of available chlorophyll is still another element of Human Induced Global Warming 'negative feedback loop.'
May 24, 2008
Lexington, Nebraska
Photographer states :: 8-11 inches fell in 36 hours. Photo taken between Lexington and Cozad, Nebraska on the south side of the river. The Platte river crested at 3.5' over flood stage.
City man helps map floor of Arctic Ocean (click on title to entry) Work aims to aid Canadian land claim Lloyd Litwin with some of the photos of his Arctic adventure Photograph by : Richard Marjan
Elevation :: 33 ft / 10 m
Local Time: May 27, 2008 8:49 AM AKDT
Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Temperature :: 46 °F / 8 °C
Conditions :: Overcast
Windchill :: 44 °F / 7 °C
Humidity :: 81%
Dew Point :: 41 °F / 5 °C
Wind :: 5 mph / 7 km/h / 2.1 m/s from the West
Pressure :: 29.98 in / 1015 hPa (Steady)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV :: 1 out of 16
Clouds: Overcast 800 ft / 243 m (Above Ground Level)
It serves governments to 'separate' the issues of Human Induced Global Warming from Arctic Ocean demise. In the case of claiming sovereignty, it matters as to which countries are able to claim the Lion's Share of the Arctic Ocean. If the USA were able to prove it had sovereignty, under this adminisration, it would exploit the natural resources there without regard to the stability of Earth's climate. Other countries would be far more involved with stewardship of the natural resources found there and the extraction of same in relation to escalating Human Induced Global Warming. The Canadian and Russian claims look very promising.
Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC May 21, 2008 United States Participation in Arctic Ocean Conference (click here) Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte will lead the United States delegation to the Arctic Ocean Conference hosted by the Government of Denmark in Ilulissat, Greenland, May 27-29. Other members of the U.S. delegation include Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment and Science Affairs Claudia A. McMurray, Legal Adviser John B. Bellinger and U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark James P. Cain. The ministerial conference will consider key issues relating to the Arctic Ocean, and will also involve participation by the Governments of Canada, Norway and Russia. Deputy Secretary Negroponte looks forward to these discussions as well as bilateral meetings with his counterparts. 2008/413 Released on May 21, 2008
Ocean survey looks promising for Arctic sovereignty effort (click here) Randy Boswell Canwest News Service Published: Friday, May 16, 2008 A six-week scientific mission aimed at extending Canadian sovereignty across an underwater mountain chain in the Arctic Ocean has yielded a crucial finding that should bolster the country's claims with the United Nations, the project chief has revealed. Jacob Verhoef, the federal geoscientist leading Canada's bid to assert control of offshore territory in the High Arctic, told Canwest News Service on Friday that preliminary results of a seabed mapping project off Ellesmere Island suggest the submerged Alpha Ridge is attached to the Canadian landmass and appears likely to qualify under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as an extension of the country's continental shelf....
May 26, 2008 New Hartford, Iowa Photographer states :: Carla sifting through
May 26, 2008 Hugo, MN Photographer states :: Tornado damage in Hugo, Minnesota
These are F4 of not F5 tornadoes.
Houses lay demolished after severe thunderstorms swept through parts of Minnesota, causing damage Sunday, May 25, 2008 in Hugo, Minn., where one a young child died and nine others were injured. Residents reported a tornado touching down in the area, but that hadn't been confirmed by the National Weather Service. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
