Italian Mount Etna erupted with spectacular lava fountain
December 3, 2015 - SICILY, ITALY - Italy’s most active volcano, Mount Etna, erupted for the first time since 2013 on Thursday, sending lava and ash into the sky in a spectacular show.
The “dirty thunderstorm” caused lightning to strike through the clouds in a sight both terrific and terrifying.
The ash from the eruption covered the nearby cities of Messina in Sicily and Reggio Calabria on the Italian mainland, where the airport has been closed.
Motorists and motorcyclists have been urged to drive carefully in the ash, but some residents have fun, treating it like new-fallen snow.
The volcano is thought to have become active a month ago, with Thursday’s eruption the first large enough to reach the rim the Voragine, one of its five craters.
At 10,992 feet, Mount Etna is the tallest volcano in Europe with a basal circumference of 87 miles.
WATCH: Etna volcano erupts.
Since its first recorded eruption in 475 BC, Etna gained legendary status throughout the ages, with classical Greek stories portraying it as inhabited by gods of fire, a cyclops, and dragons.
Airspace had to be closed when Etna erupted two years ago. - RT.
December 3, 2015 - EARTH - One third of the world’s arable land has been lost to erosion or
pollution over the last 40 years, according to a new report. The study’s
authors call for vital action, warning that the global disaster could
have severe effects on world food production.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Sheffield’s
Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, involved analyzing numerous
pieces of research published over the past decade. The scientists
concluded that nearly 33 percent of the world’s adequate or high-quality
food-producing land has been lost at a speed surpassing nature’s
ability to replace diminished soil.
“Soil is lost rapidly but replaced over millennia and this represents one of the greatest global threats for agriculture,” said Duncan Cameron, professor of Plant and Soil Biology at the University of Sheffield, as quoted by Phys.org. He added that “erosion rates from ploughed fields average 10-100 times greater than rates of soil formation.”The researcher went on to note that “it takes about 500 years to form 2.5 centimeters of topsoil under normal agricultural conditions,” adding that if nothing is done, the world will move towards a situation similar to North America’s dust bowl in the 1930s.
The erosion of soil has mostly occurred due to a loss of structure caused by the continuous disturbances of crop planting and harvesting. If soil is repeatedly turned over, it is exposed to oxygen and its carbon is released into the atmosphere – a combination which results in the soil failing to bind as effectively. As a result, the soil’s ability to store water decreases, which negatively impacts its ability to effectively act as a buffer to floods and a healthy base for plants. Deforestation has also been dubbed detrimental to soil health.
The researchers, who spoke at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change on Wednesday, described the loss as “catastrophic,” adding that major changes to agricultural practices must be made.
“We aren’t quite at the tipping point yet, but we need to do something about it. We are up against it if we are to reverse this decline,” Cameron said, as quoted by the Guardian.
Those taking part in the study suggested a number of possible solutions to the soil loss, including recycling nutrients from sewage, using biotechnology to wean plants of fertilizer dependence, and rotating crops with livestock areas to relieve pressure on arable land.“We need to take land out of production for a long time to allow soil carbon to rebuild and become stable. We already have lots of land – it’s being used for pasture by the meat and dairy industries. Rather than keep it separated, we need to bring it into rotation, so that that there is more land in the system and less is being used at any one time,” Cameron said.
The drastic decline in soil comes as the world’s demand for food is rapidly increasing. It is estimated that the world will need to grow 50 percent more food by 2050 to feed an anticipated population of nine billion people. - RT.
December 3, 2015 - UNITED STATES - The mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, was the
deadliest gun violence episode in 2015 in the US, but far from being the
only one.
At least 40 other cases with at least four fatalities each, which is the FBI definition for a mass shooting, was reported in the US this year, according to shootingtracker.com, a website that aggregates gun violence data reported by the media.
WATCH: 14 dead in San Bernardino mass shooting, 2 suspects shot and identified.
Under a broader definition used by the site, which covers all cases with at least four people injured or killed by gunfire, including perpetrator or perpetrators, 355 mass shootings happened in 2015. Two, including the rampage in San Bernardino, happened on Wednesday.
Here are some other cases from this year.
February, Missouri: 8 killed, including shooter, 1 injured
On February 27 a gunman went on a door-to-door shooting spree in Missouri before killing himself. The police reported that the rampage may have been triggered by the perpetrator finding his mother dead in her home from apparent natural causes.
May, Texas: 9 killed, 18 injured
On May 17, several rival biker gangs clashed in a brawl at a restaurant
in Waco, Texas, which quickly escalated into a gun battle.
June, South Carolina: 9 killed
A shooting at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Charleston, South Carolina, claimed nine lives on June 17. The
perpetrator was later apprehended and identified as a self-proclaimed
white supremacist. The crime received worldwide publicity and triggered a
public debate on racism in the US.
August, Texas: 8 killed
A man with a history of abusing his former girlfriend gunned down the woman, her husband and six children on August 8 shortly before police arrived on the scene.
October, Oregon: 10 killed, including the shooter, 7 injured
A man went on a gun rampage on October 1 at the campus of Umpqua
Community College in southern Oregon. The shooter killed an assistant
professor and eight students before engaging in a short shootout, with
police responding to the violence and taking his life.
December 3, 2015 - UNITED STATES - Thanks to Obama’s open border policies there are now hundreds of
thousands of cases of Chagas Disease in the United States today.
This tropical disease is extremely dangerous!
Chagas disease,
also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a potentially
life-threatening illness caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma
cruzi (T. cruzi). It is found mainly in endemic areas of 21 Latin
American countries. The disease is transmitted to humans by contact with
feces of triatomine bugs, known as ‘kissing bugs.’
Chagas Disease
is spread by the Kissing Bug in Latin American countries. Chagas often
leads to a fatal condition known as Chagasic cardiomyopathy.
The National School for Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine released a list of facts on Chagas Disease. According
to this prestigious school of medicine there are an estimated 300,000
cases of Chagas disease in the United States today with a high level of
cases in Texas. The disease was mostly imported from Latin America.
• Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a serious infection caused by a parasitic microorganism, Trypanosoma cruzi, and is transmitted by kissing bugs.
• Chagas disease is a leading cause of heart disease resulting in a debilitating and often fatal condition known as Chagasic cardiomyopathy. One in six people with Chagasic cardiomyopathy will die within five years.
• An estimated 9 million people are infected in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in impoverished areas. According to the World Health Organization, the largest number of people living with Chagas disease are in poor areas of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, while Bolivia has the highest prevalence (percentage of people infected).
• The infection can be passed from mother to baby. There are an estimated 40,000 pregnant women in North America alone who have Chagas, and they will transmit the infection to their babies around 5 percent of the time.
• The CDC estimates that 300,000 cases occur in the United States, mostly imported from Latin America.
• Scientists at the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor, including Drs. Kristy Murray and Melissa Nolan Garcia, have uncovered a previously unrecognized level of transmission in the state of Texas.
December 3, 2015 - MIDDLE EAST - Moscow has deployed its newest S-400 air defense missile system to
Khmeimim in Syria as part of a security boost following the downing of a
Russian jet by Turkey last week.
“In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces, today (on Monday) an S-400 air defense missile system has been promptly delivered, deployed and already began combat duty to provide cover for the area around the Russian Khmeimim air base in Syria,” General-Major Igor Konashenkov, Russia’s Ministry of Defense spokesman, said.
Commenting on the decision, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said there was previously no need for such measures, because "no-one imagined the Russian aircraft could be in danger. Russia would've brought S-400s to Syria a long time ago to protect its warplanes, if it entertained the possibility of a traitorous backstab."
Putin reiterated, however, that the S-400 systems are not targeting Russia's partners, "with whom we fight terrorists in Syria together."
But the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber by Turkey prompted Russia to “ensure the safety of our aircraft during their operations against IS [and] against terrorists LIH and other terrorist groups via more reliable means,” Defense Ministry spokesman Konahsenkov said in a media briefing.
The S-400 is the most advanced anti-aircraft defense system in Russia, and is unparalleled in the world.
It’s designed to ensure air defense using long- and medium-range missiles that can hit aerial targets, including tactical and strategic aircraft as well as ballistic and cruise missiles, at ranges of up to 400 kilometers.
The system consists of a set of radars, missile launchers and command posts, and is operated solely by the Russian military.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Su-24 was shot down by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet near the Turkish-Syrian border.
One Russian pilot was killed by Syrian rebels while parachuting, with the other one was rescued and delivered to Khmeimim airbase.
WATCH: Russian S-400 defense missile system deployed in Syria.
Despite claims from Ankara, Moscow maintains that its jet, which crashed in Syria, didn’t violate Turkey's airspace.
Shortly after the incident, the MoD announced three steps which were to be taken following the attack on the Russian Su-24 bomber, including the provision of aerial cover by fighter jets for every airstrike, the boosting of air defense by deploying guided missile cruisers off the Latakia coast, and suspending all military-to-military contacts with Turkey.
Khmeimim airbase in Latakia, Syria, accommodates Russian Air Force squadrons of Su-27SM and Su-30 fighter jets, Su-34 and Su-24 tactical bombers, which are all taking part in airstrikes on Islamic State and other terror groups in the country.
The airbase is protected by state-of-the-art air defense systems and radars. Khmeimim also has a fully operational unit for maintaining fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft and providing logistical assistance to pilots.
Russia halts Turkish Stream project over downed jet
Moscow has suspended the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project in response to Turkey shooting down a Russian jet in Syria, according to Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak.
"The negotiations on Turkish Stream have been suspended,” said Novak. The pipeline was discussed in the framework of the Russian-Turkish Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, which has been suspended, he added.
Gazprom's project has been on hold since the jet incident, awaiting instructions from the Russian government.
“We're expecting the head of state, in all likelihood, could declare the freezing of Turkish Stream, or at least some kind of timeout could be announced," an anonymous Gazprom source told Reuters on Wednesday.
“We are still hoping that Turkish Stream will be pushed back by a few years, rather than completely canceled," a second source said.
The Turkish Stream gas pipeline is one of the major projects for Russia and Turkey. It aims to deliver Russian natural gas to Turkey via the Black Sea, and then further to Southern Europe. The start of construction was scheduled for June but has been delayed as Moscow and Ankara failed to reach an intergovernmental agreement.
Since the incident with the Russian warplane, the future of the project has been unclear. Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev assumed last month that Turkish Stream and the Akkuyu nuclear power station could be among the projects affected by sanctions against Turkey.
However, neither Turkish Stream, nor Akkuyu were included in the list of economic sanctions against Turkey ratified by the Russian government on Tuesday. The list included an embargo on food products and a ban on charter flights.
Problems with the Turkish Stream project have not affected the delivery of Russian gas to Turkey via the existing Blue Stream pipeline.
1st British airstrikes on oilfields deal ISIS ‘real blow’ – Fallon
RAF bombing raids against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria have dealt “a real blow” to the financing of the terror group, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, after MPs voted overwhelmingly for war on Wednesday night.
The raids, which took place early on Thursday morning, targeted oil fields in the north of the country. Analysis indicates “the strikes were successful,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) claimed.
Fallon told the BBC he had approved the targets before the House of Commons vote on Wednesday evening, and gave permission for the raids to go ahead once MPs had rubberstamped extending airstrikes against ISIS form Iraq into Syria.
WATCH: Cameron - There is a Syria strategy, 1st step to stop ISIS now.
He added that airstrikes against extremists are likely to continue for years.
“This is not going to be quick,” he said.
“I can confirm that four British Tornados were in action after the vote last night attacking oil fields in eastern Syria – the Omar oil fields – from which the Daesh [IS] terrorists receive a huge part of their revenue.”
“This strikes a very real blow at the oil and the revenue on which the Daesh terrorists depend.”
The Tornado jets are based at Britain’s Akrotiri base in Cyprus, from which they flew to Syria to conduct the raids shortly after the result of the vote was known.
Some 397 MPs voted in favor of airstrikes, while 223 voted against, giving them a majority of 174. A total of 67 Labour MPs rebelled against party boss Jeremy Corbyn to back the Conservative government’s motion.
Prime Minister David Cameron said it was “the right decision to keep the UK safe.”
Fallon said the decision had allowed RAF bombers to target the extremist group on both sides of the Iraqi/Syrian border.
“They have been able to attack these terrorists on one side of the border. Now they are free to be able to attack some of their key targets on the other side of the border as well – a border that Daesh/ISIL have never respected themselves.”
He explained the planes had attacked oil fields in the north of the country.
“I approved yesterday a series of targets in the Omar oil field – wellheads from which the oil production is derived which helps to finance Daesh.
“All four Tornados have now successfully returned and we will be assessing later this morning the actual damage done. They were using Paveway munitions in an area of oilfields where there was simply oil infrastructure in eastern Syria, a long way from Raqqa itself, down near Iraq.
“It’s a very good illustration of a target that is literally one side of the border and couldn’t previously be attacked.”
However, a report for Al Arabiya published in October suggests the routes to these oilfields were already destroyed in airstrikes earlier in the year, suggesting the oilfields may not actually have been in use.
The parliamentary debate to extend airstrikes was met with protests organized by the Stop the War Coalition, a group previously chaired by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
It called the decision to bomb Syria “profoundly mistaken and dangerous.”
“A new war will not increase the prospects of peace in Syria, nor will the British people be safer from terrorism. And the record of two years’ bombing of IS in Iraq shows that it will not be dislodged by a great-power air war.”
December 3, 2015 - PACIFIC OCEAN - The lack of the sense of crisis over Fukushima is in stark contrast to the gravity of the crisis. Fukushima is now undeniably a global security issue. The unstoppable contamination of the Pacific Ocean and the atmosphere with ionizing radiation from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear reactors is seriously menacing the West Coast
of the United States. Japan should make utmost efforts to cope with the
Fukushima crisis by retreating from the Tokyo Olympic Games that
disseminate the false impression that Fukushima is under control.
Deteriorating situation in Fukushima — Japan is laboring under the consequences of the Accident never before experienced by humanity,
including the simultaneous destruction and meltdown of three commercial
nuclear reactors.
Four and half years after the 3.11 disaster, it has
been shown that a severe nuclear accident cannot be brought under control by a single state… It is questioned if Japan is in possession of the governability and the capacity needed to cope with the impending crisis. The melted cores of the reactors from Units 1, 2 and 3 remain inaccessible…
If the molten nuclear fuel rods are exposed through cracks to the
atmosphere due to a mega earthquake or the liquidization of soils on the
site that could cause the collapse and breach of Fukushima’s spent fuel
pools, Japan’s landmass would become uninhabitable to a large extent… The whole of Japan is threatened by the worsening situation emanating from the molten fuel rods, which continue to widely disseminate large amounts of dangerous radionuclides into the sea and atmosphere. Limitless steam observed evokes the possibility of re-criticality at the site.
The undeniable necessity for international verification of the suspected re-criticality at the site should bring about the indispensable international cooperation to cope effectively with the Accident.
The ongoing radioactive contamination of the sea with no prospect for a solution is dishonoring Japan, causing it to be criticized for harming the global environment. In spite of all this, attempts are shamefully being made to hide Fukushima…World is menaced by the spreading contamination… The
consequences of the radioactive contamination of the Pacific Ocean from
Japan to the West Coast of the United States are drawing increased
attention. Some experts now estimate that the wave of radiation
from Fukushima will be 10-times bigger than all of the radiation from
the entire world’s nuclear tests throughout history combined… The Tokyo Olympic Games belittle the Fukushima crisis — It
is undeniable that the Tokyo Olympic Games constitute serious
impediments for coping with the consequences of the March 11 Disaster…
My interview article was published in the magazine “Monthly Japan”
(September 2015). It is entitled “An honorable retreat from the Tokyo
Olympic Games” and is given a central place. Reactions are noteworthy
and expanding… The Tokyo Olympic Games diverts attention from Fukushima
and gives the false impression to the world that Fukushima no longer
poses a threat. The advancement of the Tokyo Olympic Games comes at the
expense of the funds needed to address the host of environmental
disasters created by the destroyed Fukushima nuclear reactors… The
future of the Olympic Games is at stake. It is as a believer in the
spirit of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement that I am pleading
for an honorable retreat, and this, in order for Japan to devote maximum
efforts to controlling the Fukushima crisis. - (emphasis added) - November 1, 2015 - Mitsuhei Murata, former Japanese Ambassador to Switzerland. From last month:Former
Japan Ambassador: Uncontrolled nuclear chain reactions could be
underway at Fukushima -- "Troubling indications of recurring
criticality" as Tellurium-132 detected over 100 miles from plant --
'Recriticality' discussed by Japan's top nuclear official
December 3, 2015 - NICARAGUA - Thousands of people in Nicaragua have been asked to evacuate an area of
about four miles surrounding the Momotombo volcano after it erupted for
the first time in 110 years spewing lava, ashes and smoke.
"The seismic tremor is increasing and in the volcano's crater there are
explosions every four seconds," said Wilfried Strauch, a scientific
adviser for the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies or INETER.
Strauch said that scientists at INETER have detected a flow of
lava in the depths of the volcano and that it is overflowing toward the
northern end of it.
The institute said activity could continue to increase and recommended
the local population to move away at least four miles from the
Momotombo.
The volcano, which has an altitude of close to 1,300 meters or 4,265
feet, is located in the northern side of the Managua or Xolotlan lake.
WATCH: Momotombo erupts.
The volcano last erupted in 1905. In 1610, the Momotombo erupted so fiercely it forced the city of Leon to move.
The INETER said that the volcano on this occasion has spewed ashes over 3,280 feet into the air.
This Wednesday, the volcano also spewed red hot lava, a day after it emitted gas and ash.
A government spokesperson said that the lava was headed toward areas that are sparsely populated. - TeleSUR TV.
December 3, 2015 - REYKJAVIK, ICELAND - Residents of Icelandic capital Reykjavik woke up to 42 cm (16.5 inches) of snow this morning - the highest depth of snow in December since records began.
According to the Icelandic Met Office, the previous record was set back
in 2011, when snow lay 33 cm (13 inches) deep in Reykjavik on 29
December that year.
The highest ever depth of snow recorded in in Reykjavik was 55
cm (21.5 inches) back in January 1937, and if snows continues to fall on
the city, this record might also be broken - and soon.
Now at 42 cm, snow levels in Reykjavik were 32 cm just four days ago on Saturday.
December 3, 2015 - HONG KONG - As Hong Kong seeks to expand its international airport and with a major
new bridge project under way, campaigners warn that the dwindling number
of much-loved pink dolphins in surrounding waters may disappear
altogether.
Conservationists say their repeated concerns have fallen on deaf ears,
with what they describe as a "rapid" decline of the mammal in the past
few decades.
The Chinese white dolphin—popularly known as the pink dolphin due to its
pale pink colouring—draws scores of tourists daily to the waters north
of Hong Kong's Lantau island.
It also became Hong Kong's official mascot for the handover ceremony in 1997, when Britain returned the territory to China.
But despite the affection felt towards the dolphin, campaigners say there may soon be none left.
The proposed construction of a third runway at Hong Kong's busy Chek Lap Kok airport could be the nail in the coffin, they say.
But despite the affection felt towards the dolphin, campaigners say there may soon be none left.
The proposed construction of a third runway at Hong Kong's busy Chek Lap Kok airport could be the nail in the coffin, they say.
"We think that if that project goes ahead, then it will probably drive
the dolphin away from Hong Kong waters," said Samuel Hung, chairman of
the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, who has been going out to
sea at least twice a week to monitor dolphin activity for almost 20
years.
"In some ways it seems like we are pushing them closer and closer to the
edge of the cliff and if we're making that final push, they will be
gone forever. I think now is the time to get our act together."
Hung says there are only around 60 dolphins left in Hong Kong waters—a drop from 158 in 2003.
"The dolphin decline is caused by a number of factors, including overfishing and environmental pollution but I think
the major contribution is coming from the increase of high-speed ferry traffic," Hung said.
The dolphins have either gone to neighbouring Chinese waters or may have died off, says Hung.
Habitats destroyed
Dolphin habitats have also been affected by the ongoing construction of a
50-kilometre (30-mile) bridge connecting Hong Kong to the gambling
enclave of Macau.
The bridge looms on the horizon behind the village of Tai O, on the
western tip of Lantau island, from where dozens of dolphin tours go out
daily.
"Since the construction of the bridge in 2012 the situation has
worsened," says Hung, who blames land reclamation encroaching on dolphin
habitats and continuing construction creating disturbance.
The WWF recently placed volunteers on the dolphin-spotting boats to tell tourists about the problems the animals are facing.
"Pollution is quite serious in the air and water... We worry about the
marine life being affected," said Hong Kong bank worker Yeung Ka-yan,
30, after taking a short boat trip.
"We were a little disappointed," added her boyfriend, a 26-year-old chef
from Taiwan, after failing to spot any dolphins—a scenario that could
become all too common in the years ahead if conservationists' fears are
realised.
'Disaster awaits
Tourist boat operator Wong Yung-kan, who was born in Tai O and has lived
most of his life there, said residents used to dislike the dolphins
because they ate catch from fishermen's nets, when fishing was the
village's most important trade.
"Now the fishing industry has reduced in size, we have had to change our
line of work from fishing to taking tourists out on boats to see
dolphins," said Wong, 67.
Dolphin-watching accounts for 10 percent of Tai O's tourism business.
"Of course we want them to remain here... the tourists will be happier and we'll be happier as well," adds Wong.
Unlike conservationists, he says he is optimistic for the dolphins'
future—but if the worst happens, villagers will adapt as they did
before.
"These natural things won't disappear... if you are not actively eliminating them, then they won't go away," Wong told AFP.
"(But) if this species has to go extinct, there's nothing we can do about it. We can find another way to make a living.
People know how to cope with change."
The government refused to be interviewed but told AFP in an email that
potential impacts the proposed third-runway could have on the pink
dolphins had been "properly assessed and addressed".
"To compensate for the permanent loss of Chinese white dolphin habitats
arising from the land formation works, the designation of a new marine
park of approximately 2,400 ha (24 square kilometres) in the waters
north of the third-runway project has been proposed," the statement from
the agriculture, fisheries and conservation department said.
But campaigners criticised the plan, saying the marine park would not be
established until at least 2023, when reclamation work for the third
runway is expected to finish.
"We don't even know whether the dolphin can hang on and survive and wait," Hung said.
"We have been following some of them for nearly 20 years so those are our old friends.
"They don't realise that there is more disaster waiting for them." - PHYS.
