**** Looking for a Mother's Day gift idea? Don't forget about the fascinating paperback book called The Aftermath: A Diary From the Future, which was written by a longtime website reader. In it, Washington state is transformed, as are the lives of the few disaster-prepared survivors, following quakes, volcanic eruptions and a tsunami. Authentic historical facts and useful survival information are interspersed within the imaginative storyline. Everyone who has felt uneasy about the current increase in the number of natural disasters and in the spreading threat of terrorist activity would enjoy this book.****

Thursday, May 1, 2008 -

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY -

Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.

QUAKES -

World map of the quakes in the past 7 days.

Quake list.

Largest quakes yesterday -

4/30/08 -

5.0 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.

5.1 FIJI REGION

5.2 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION

5.3 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

IRAN - an earthquake with a magnitude 4.7 has injured more than 100 people in western Iran. The mild quake jolted three towns in Lorestan province at 04:45 local time Thursday. At least 70 people were wounded in the city of Boroujerd, 350 kilometres southwest of the capital Tehran. Iran is located on several seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes, experiencing at least one slight quake every day on average. In March 2006, three earthquakes and nine aftershocks hit the same area in quick succession, killing at least 70 people and injuring about 1,200.

VOLCANOES -

WASHINGTON - MOUNT ST. HELENS - An unusual visitor stopped by Mount St. Helens Tuesday. Someone placed a gnome in front of the webcam at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The camera broadcasts near real-time images of the mountain online, recorded at an elevation of roughly 4,500 feet. The webcam is about 5 miles from the volcano itself. The folks at Mount St. Helens aren't sure how the gnome got there. But a webmaster for Forest Service credits the gnome for clearing the heavy snowfall that has blocked the views of Mount St. Helens for much of the winter. Access to the JRO (Johnston Ridge Observatory) is all but impossible except by Forest Service Snow Cat. (photo)

TRINIDAD - Villagers who live on the perimeter of the mud volcano at Colombia Estate, Fullerton Village, said that for the past few days, hot mud has been flowing constantly as the earth trembles near the volcano. The mud volcano is usually dormant. Scattered about the plateau are mounds of other smaller cones which spewed hot mud every few minutes. Villagers said that when there is a steady overflow, the volcanic mud seeped into their backyard gardens. Situated approximately four miles into a heavily forested area, the volcano’s recent activities have left villagers fearing a major eruption. To allay these fears, they went to the site and together with a pundit, offered prayers and even threw flowers and fruits in a solemn act of “feeding the monster within the bowels of the earth’s crust”. Devotees said they performed the puja (prayer) at the mouth of the volcano in the hope that the “devil” in the earth’s crust will not explode. The mud volcano is among some 20 dormant ones in south Trinidad. There has never been an eruption of the Colombia Estate volcano in recorded history. The only such eruption of a mud volcano was at the Piparo mud volcano and this occurred in 1996. It destroyed 15 homes.

TROPICAL STORMS -

Map.

Projected storm paths .

Cyclone NARGIS was 419 nmi W of Rangoon, Burma.

BANGLADESH - cyclone Nargis in the Bay of Bengal is expected to hit the southeast coast of Bangladesh within a day, a government meteorologist warned Thursday, as disaster management officials met for urgent talks. The warning came less than six months after cyclone Sidr caused massive devastation in southern Bangladesh, leaving more than 3,000 people dead. "Cyclone Nargis is intensifying and is heading towards the coast. It will hit the Chittagong area on Friday afternoon." Fishing crews have already been told to stay close to the shore and not to venture into the Bay of Bengal. Half a million people perished in a cyclone in 1970. Some 138,000 died in 1991 in a tidal wave caused by a cyclone.

EXTREME HEAT / WILDFIRES / DROUGHT -

INDIA - The searing heat wave conditions continued in many parts of the country with a man dying due to sunstroke in Kolkata as the nationwide toll this summer mounted to 39. The national capital blazed at 42.2 degrees Celsius, the highest this season, as hot surface winds that blew across the city during the day added to the misery of the people. Heat wave in most pockets of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh intensified as maximum temperatures were four to six notches above normal. Hisar in Haryana remained the hottest place with a high of 45.2 degrees. Long power cuts and shortage of water supply added to the woes of the people.

GEORGIA - Drought not over; Lake Lanier Lower Than This Time Last Year. The report is grim. Lake Lanier is up from where it was at wintertime but it's still 13 and a half feet below where it should be. Areas like Lake Lanier have shown improvement but the forecast for the summer and drought relief is bleak. "We are at the best that we can expect probably through October." It's a sobering statement from the Georgia state climatologist. The consensus among drought experts is that the UNPRECEDENTED drought is not over.

AUSTRALIA - For the first time in its history, the King Island Dairy has had to stop producing some of its top end products because of the drought. Cheeses are not affected, but yogurts, dairy desserts and creams will be off the market for another two weeks. "when milk production is low, getting hold of product can be difficult. We ceased manufacture when we knew we didn't have enough milk and we'll get back into production and be able to supply around the country as soon as we possibly can."

CLIMATE CHANGE - COLD NOW?!?!-

The Earth's temperature may stay roughly the same for a decade, as natural climate cycles enter a cooling phase, scientists have predicted. A new computer model suggests the cooling will counter greenhouse warming. However, temperatures will again be rising quickly by about 2020. The key to the new prediction is the natural cycle of ocean temperatures called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, which is closely related to the warm currents that bring heat from the tropics to the shores of Europe. The cause of the oscillation is not well understood, but the cycle appears to come round about every 60 to 70 years. It may partly explain why temperatures rose in the early years of the last century before beginning to cool in the 1940s. The new projection diverges from other computer models only for about 15-20 years; after that, the curves come back together and temperatures rise. Parts of North America and Europe may cool naturally over the next decade, as shifting ocean currents temporarily blunt the global-warming effect caused by mankind. Average temperatures in areas such as California and France may drop over the next 10 years, influenced by colder flows in the North Atlantic. This regional cooling effect may temporarily neutralize the long- term warming phenomenon caused by heat-trapping greenhouse gases building up around the earth. "If we don't experience warming over the next 10 years, it doesn't mean that greenhouse-gas warming is not with us. There can be natural fluctuations that may mask climate change in the short term." "Natural variations over the next 10 years might be heading in the cold direction. If you run the model long enough, eventually global warming will win." Global temperatures can't rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) without risking the worst effects of climate change. The world is expected to become at least 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer by 2100.

Contrary to climate-alarmist contentions that warmer temperatures lead to more frequent and intense floods and droughts, evidence from China suggests just the opposite. In addition, their 1000 year temperature records indicate that the warmest 50-year periods of the past millennium occurred during the Medieval Warm Period and not during the 20th century, which is also just the opposite of what climate alarmists typically contend for most of the world.

HEALTH THREATS -

Latest bird flu news from the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy.

Global Bird Flu Breaking News - updated every 10 minutes.

Tree-lined streets 'cut asthma' a study suggests. Asthma rates among children aged four and five fell by 25% for every extra 343 trees per square kilometre. More trees may aid air quality or simply encourage children to play outside, although the true reason for the finding is unclear. "There may be something else healthful about the areas that had more trees." US rates of childhood asthma soared 50% between 1980 and 2000, with particularly high rates in poor, urban communities. In New York City, asthma is the leading cause of admission to hospital among children under 15. New York City is planning to plant 1 million extra trees by 2017.

Mediterranean diet 'cuts baby asthma risk' - Pregnant women who eat a Mediterranean diet may help protect their children from asthma and other allergies, researchers say. Asthma and allergies were significantly less common in children whose mothers ate lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts and fish during pregnancy. The study also found eating high levels of red meat (more than three to four times a week) increased the risk. Consumption of vegetables more than eight times a week, of fish more than three times a week, and of legumes more than once a week, seemed to be particularly protective.

FOOD / WATER-

CORN - Corn futures in Chicago climbed to a new record on Monday. Farmers in the U.S., the world's biggest producer, have planted only half as much as a year ago because of cold, wet weather. About 10% of the corn crop was planted in the top 18 producing states as of April 27, compared with 20% a year earlier. Over the past five years, the average for the date has been 35%. Sowing delays and rising prices may worsen global food shortages that have driven wheat, rice and soybeans to records this year. The U.S. government has already forecast a drop in corn acreage and later planting may further hurt production. The yield potential for corn declines unless seeds are sown before the end of April in the southern Midwest or by the middle of May in the rest of the region, because plants need to pollinate before the arrival of hot summer weather. Soybean prices have surged 78% in the past year, after U.S. farmers last year planted the lowest area in more than a decade. Planting of soybeans usually begins in early May. About 46% of the winter-wheat crop was in good or excellent condition as of April 27, compared with 56% a year earlier.

Poor could gain as commodities soar - countries that import a lot of energy, food and metals - notably the US and most countries in the European Union - are losing out. Commodity-rich nations - such as Nigeria, Oman and Kazakhstan, to name but a few - are the winners. "This is the biggest transfer of wealth that has happened in years." Rich nations are getting poorer relative to formerly poor nations that are now getting richer - an almost accidental implementation of at least some of the targets that anti-poverty campaigners have been calling for years. Nowhere is this more true than in countries with large energy deposits, such as oil, gas and coal - though it is worth noting that many of these countries were phenomenally wealthy even before the latest surge in energy costs. "There has been a shift of financial weight from West to East, particularly to China, Asia, the Middle East and other energy countries." Many in the financial markets expect to see the wealth, and thus the geo-political power, of developing nations to continue to grow in the years ahead. None of this means poverty is about to be eradicated; most of the wealth is sticky, with little trickling down to those who need it the most. "A lot of African countries are getting their act together." Whereas in the West, "we're going to have leaner times ahead".

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 -

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY -

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings,

and all beings in his own Self,

and looks on everything with an impartial eye.

QUAKES -

World map of the quakes in the past 7 days.

Quake list.

This morning there has been a 5.2 quake in NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Largest quakes yesterday -

4/29/08 -

5.9 BANDA SEA

5.3 MICHOACAN, MEXICO

5.8 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION

CALIFORNIA - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake shook a rural part of northern California on Tuesday evening. The moderate quake hit shortly after 8 p.m. (11 p.m. ET) about 11 miles east-southeast of Willow Creek, which is about 190 miles northwest of Sacramento. Officials had received no reports of injuries or damage.

‘Sonic boom’ preceded the 5.2 quake - The Unites States Geological Survey termed it a level VI temblor with a strong shake and light damage. A magnitude-2.0 aftershock hit five minutes later, 16 miles to the east of Willow Creek. “It was sort of like a sonic boom. It was a very loud noise before the house started shaking. It was pretty scary, the biggest thing I’ve ever felt here. (It) lasted 10 seconds max. I didn’t feel the aftershock.” “We felt it good. It was a short one with a heavy shake. We’ve got a free-floating ceiling fan and it was rocking and rolling.” “Everyone had time to go outside and come back and the glass shelf was still shaking. It was a hard jolt, but things kept swaying for a couple minutes afterwards. We had a few things fall off the shelf. Nothing major. It wasn’t as bad as the big one in Ferndale a few years ago. That knocked me off my feet.” “I’ve felt earthquakes before, but NEVER HEARD THAT LOUD OF A NOISE BEFORE.”

NEVADA - Residents in Reno are being shaken, literally, by an ongoing series of earthquakes, which experts warn could be a precursor to a major seismic event. Since late February, hundreds of earthquakes have rattled parts of west Reno. The strongest quake — with a magnitude of 4.7 — hit shortly before midnight last Friday, cracking walls and breaking windows. More than 200 additional small quakes have followed, including two Monday evening and some small earthquakes Tuesday. "My nerves are shot. I can't do it anymore," said a woman who has moved to a relative's house in the southern part of Reno, away from where the quakes have clustered. She plans to stay away "as long as it takes." The Reno earthquake swarm is UNUSUAL. That's because a primary earthquake usually is followed by aftershocks diminishing in strength. These quakes started out small and the general trend shows them building in strength. Previously a California resident said she's accustomed to earthquakes, and has experienced bigger ones than are occurring in Reno. "But not swarms of them. Not day after day after day. It's getting very tiresome."

TROPICAL STORMS -

Map.

Projected storm paths .

Cyclone NARGIS was 495 nmi S of Calcutta, India.

NARGIS - As has been forecast already, the Bay of Bengal has thrown up a major tropical cyclone, Nargis, on Tuesday. Nargis is threatening to whip up speed and intensity, if forecasts by the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre are any indication. The JTWC observed that the powerful storm-in-the-making had brought its huge belly to bear down on the open waters 290 nautical miles (537 km) east of Chennai on Tuesday. The massive system seems to have stopped on its tracks at this position, but was rustling up the attributes that would transform it to a system of significant intensity over the next 36 hours. Nargis would then recurve along a path back to the high seas, move away from the southeast Indian coast and head north-east towards the Myanmar coast over the next four days. The JTWC assessed that the storm would pack maximum sustained wind speeds clocking 95 knots (175 kmph) gusting up to 115 knots (213 kmph) over the next 36 hours. This would make it powerful storm. Nargis is now a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (Category 4). The storm already features an eye, around which it would build its destructive strength thanks to the favourable environment provided by the warmth of the seas, low vertical wind shear, and good ventilation effect at the top of the towering formation rising to 10 to 12 km in height.

PHILIPPINES are bracing for a typhoon-intensive year as around 20 tropical cyclones are expected to hit the archipelago in the coming rainy season. As the month of May is about to arrive, the government has started making preemptive preparations for the "typhoon season." The disaster preparedness skills include water and urban search and rescue, hazard mapping and ensuring enough stocks of food and other necessities.

HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING / LANDSLIDES / UNUSUAL & OUT-OF-SEASON WEATHER -

PHILIPPINES - North Cotabato officials have declared a state of calamity in the province after floods last Saturday caused millions worth of damage to crops and infrastructure. The floods severely affected the towns of Pigkawayan, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan, Alamada, Pikit and Matalam. Millions worth of palay and corn as well as infrastructure were reported to have been damaged. No fatalities were reported in the floods.

SRI LANKA - Floods, landslides hit several areas - Torrential rains have sent several areas in Ratnapura, Kalutara and Galle under water forcing the education authorities to close down schools. Several rivers in Ratnapura, Kuluganga, Weganga, Kuruganga and Hangamu Ganga were at spill level. Hundreds of families in Pelmadulla and Devalegama areas were evacuated because of floods. An earthslip occurred in Ratmalgoda when a house was crushed and buried under tons of mud around 6.30 p.m. on Sunday. 6 people were killed. The Meteorology Department warned that a tropical storm that had developed in the Bay of Bengal would bring heavy showers and landslides. The tropical storm was 700 km away from Jaffna and rain would continue in the south-western parts of the island. “There will be intermittent showers or thundershowers accompanied by fairly strong winds." The Met Department also warned that there would be landslides with loosening of soil due to heavy downpours.

AUSTRALIA - Flooding causes major damage to NSW dairy region - Dairy farmers in the Manning Valley on the NSW mid-north coast have begun assessing flood damage after 400 millimetres of rain fell in just eight days. Milk tankers haven't been able to get to a number of properties and farmers have had to dump milk. An estimated 500 hectares of recently sown pastures have been lost, and will cost up to $400,000 to re-sow in time for winter. A lack of feed will lead to less milk production. "I think it'll be down probably by anywhere up to 20%. The cows have just had to be take off pastures and hand-fed in a lot of areas.

HEAVY SNOW / EXTREME COLD -

TEXAS - A RECORD LOW temperature of 42 was set for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Tuesday morning. A cold front on Sunday brought unseasonal lows for the end of the month.

HEALTH THREATS -

Latest bird flu news from the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy.

Global Bird Flu Breaking News - updated every 10 minutes.

Hunger makes bats 'act strangely' - Bats found lying on the ground and being mobbed by birds flying in daylight could be linked to extreme hunger, an expert has said. The handful of incidents may be related to last year's poor summer and autumn in Britain. It is too early to tell if the problem is more widespread. Last year, adult bats were reported abandoning their young as they struggled to cope with bad weather. The first bats of the season are emerging from hibernation. "Down here in the central belt people have found grounded bats which were very weak and very hungry. This may be a reflection of last summer and juveniles not getting enough food to build up fat to survive through hibernation..."Someone visiting Mull reported seeing a bat flying during daylight and mobbed by birds. For bats to be flying in daylight is something strange and you don't normally see and could mean the bat was really hungry." In day time bats run the risk of falling prey to other animals and it has been known for them to be mobbed and eaten by crows.

FOOD / WATER-

100 million people have already been pushed into poverty over the last two years due to a man-made food crisis, while as many as two billion are on the verge of disaster. “This is not a natural disaster,” said the president of the World Bank. “Make no mistake; there is nothing natural about this. But for millions of people it is a disaster.” He noted that hunger and malnutrition were already the underlying causes of death of over 3.5 million children every year, robbing the future potential of many millions more. In Washington, a US government commission is investigating claims that big investors who buy large quantities for future trading are largely responsible for the current UNPRECEDENTED hike in food prices across the world. The use of corn and soyabean as bio-fuel also contributed to this crisis by moving farmers away from food to cash crops and by driving food prices beyond the reach of common people. After an annual meeting in Washington earlier this month, the bank warned that the world is facing an UNPRECEDENTED food crisis which may cause riots and wars if not checked. "The next few weeks are critical for addressing the food crisis. For 2 billion people, high food prices are now a matter of daily struggle, sacrifice and for too many, even survival.”

Thailand, the world’s biggest rice exporter, faces no shortage rice even as global prices are soaring. Thailand isn’t suffering a rice shortage and will continue to export the grain. Thailand has not imposed any export restrictions so far. But if exports cross 11-12 million tonnes, a restriction might be imposed. Thailand has seen its overseas sales of rice jump 67% in the first four months of 2008 partly due to export restrictions in India and Vietnam. Rice Exporters Association of Thailand said that limits imposed on rice purchases in US stores spread panic among consumers. This has led to people stocking rice. Instead of buying two bags, they buy 10. Prices of Thai rice for export - considered a regional benchmark - have tripled since December to about $1,000 a ton. White rice exports have soared 184% while high end jasmine rice is up almost 23% as Indian exports stopped.

India’s food grains production (rice and corn) is all set for a RECORD HIGH in 2007-08 at 227.3 mn tonnes. The total foodgrains production is slated to reach an all-time high at 227.3 million tonnes, recording an increase of 4.6 per cent over the previous year (217.3 million tonnes). The production during 2007-08 would exceed the target set earlier (221.5 million tonnes) by 5.8 million tonnes. The bumper crop of rice followed in the wake of above-average monsoon rains during the June-September monsoon.

Wheat crop failures could be total, experts warn - On top of record-breaking rice prices and corn through the roof on ethanol demand, wheat is now rusting in the fields across Africa. Officials fear near total crop losses, and the fungus, known as Ug99, is spreading. Wheat prices have been soaring this week on top of already high prices, and futures contracts spiked, too, on panic buying. Experts fear the cost of bread could soon follow the path of rice, the price of which has triggered riots in some countries and prompted countries to cut off exports. The deadly fungus, Puccinia graminis, is now spreading through some areas of the globe where "crop losses are expected to reach 100%.” Losses in Africa are already at 70% of the crop. "The ramifications are serious. Food rioting continues to expand around the world. We saw the most recent in Johannesburg. So far this unrest has been directed at rising prices. ACTUAL SHORTAGES ARE STILL TO COME.” The fungus has spread from its initial outbreak site in Africa to Asia, including Iran and Pakistan. Spores of the fungus spread with the winds. Approximately a quarter of the world’s global wheat harvest is currently threatened by the fungus. Scientists fear that the spores could spread on the wind and reach the U.S. and Canada or Europe. "It will take five to eight years to genetically engineer a resistance. In the interim, U.S. agriculture faces higher risk.” Meanwhile, global wheat stocks are at lows not seen in half a century.