Monthly Archives: August 2012

August 12-17

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August  12-18

Overall Color for the Week:    Frosty White

More surprises this week on every level.  Be strong in WHO you are as there can be some shake-ups, unexpected announcements, setbacks, and/or victories on the family front, and this includes those whom you consider your closest friends.  This is a week also for revelations, and some of them will be concerning yourself.  It is time to be aware of your own uniqueness, of your own specialness. Many of the things that you take for granted about yourself are things that others would never, ever be able to do.  It is time to realize just what it is that you are capable of.  Do not trivialize your abilities. They are amazing.  And you will need all your capabilities, all your power, all your knowing, all your compassion as the shifts and change accelerate  as this month progresses and as the year goes forward.  You have the strength, knowledge, wisdom, depth, resources, etc. to deal with everything that comes your way.  It is important to stay centered and grounded in your heart’s true knowing.  Stay rooted in your Core Self.  And use that wonderful vision that allows you to see not only what seems to be but also what lies beneath the seeming.  There can be surprises, upsets, tears, but there can also be revelations, messages, and love.  Never doubt that.  Love is there if you just call for it.

 

Sunday, August 12:    Grainy White

There are things going on around you that can distract and disturb.  You need to know where you stand in relation to the stuff around you.  If you are rooted and strong, your vision will be clear and your knowing single-pointed.  There is no longer the time to play the popularity game.  It is a game with no meaning, a game no one wins.  It is ephemeral.  A game anyone can define and does.  Silly stuff.  High school is over.  It is time to let all that go.  We have all grown, changed, expanded.  Change your perspective.  Open your vision.  All is energy, and energy is all.  Let go of the regrets, the sorrows and welcome the new energy that comes in to assist, to accompany, to direct.  It is all over the place today.

Monday, August 13:    Light Yellow Green

This is a good day for relaxing, stepping back from all the stuff that has been clamoring for your attention, from all the tasks you have to get done, correspondence to acknowledge, dust bunnies to attack. You know how it is, that as you go through the day to day all sorts of stuff accumulates on the periphery.  Let it go today.  It is interesting that when you take your concern or angst away from some stuff, it just melts away.  Priorities are changing.  You are moving into WHO you are.  Today you can get a sense of just what that means as you bye-bye things that you never cared about, only thought you should.  Enjoy the feeling.  You might just go to bed tonight with a smile on your lips and a greater sense of your own power.

Tuesday, August 14:    Light Blue Green

The energies today seem calming and friendly, however there is a bit of the pixie behind it all, that little charmer, that little Trickster who can throw stones in your path.  You may find yourself being tongue-tied or out of step with things around you.  That is the pixie playing her tricks.  This is a good vibration in which to hone your skills of observation as there is a clarity she brings that can allow you to find focus on things at the periphery that were hidden or somewhat obscured before.  This can lead to some interesting ah-ha moments.  The pixie also brings thoughts of childhood, so be ready for some remembrances of things past.  When they come, look at them from your current perspective to see what the messages were at that time.  We all forget the wisdom we had a s children, before all the stuff of adults and others was dumped n us, making us question what we knew.  There are things of today that you will wish to remember later on, so it is a good idea, as the night arrives, to do some journaling or tie some strings that you can refer to as the weeks go by.

Wednesday, August 15:   Bermuda Blue

You are in the middle of things in so many ways.  The middle of the month.  The middle of the quarter.  The middle of all the changes that are happening.  You will see this today and it will take on a most interesting meaning for you according to  what level you are willing to/able to/brave enough to take a look at things.  A sense of humor coupled with compassion will bring new revelations and new connections.  The day can end with a the wow, but only if you go into it with no definition, no judgment, no limitations.  You know how to do this.  So just be.  Oh, and it is a good idea to be aware of things that are going on beneath the surface.  These things will be drifting to the top as the weeks go on.  If you get a feel for them now, when they come closer you will be able to identify them, classify them, and put them in their places.

Thursday, August 16:    Cloudy White

Emotions can be close to the surface today, so be ready to step back from situations that will evoke quick responses.  This is an excellent time in which to be the observer.  Much of what will be happening around you is merely a shifting of positions.  It is not time to react now as everything is still in flux.  It is important that you are grounded and centered in your Core Self.  Use the wisdom eyes of your heart to see through a lot of the seems-to-be out there.  Agendas are at work, but only item by item.  You will not have enough information to know the whole thing.  It is best always to formulate your opinions based on real facts.  As the day winds to a close some unexpected information can be coming your way.

Friday, August 17:     Blue and Orange

So, there are things to be said today, but watch out for the emotions.  You are conflicted in terms of who and what you want to be right now. You will feel the pull of societal norms and all the so-called right things, while standing on the precipice and seeing all the could-be’s.  Which way will you go?  This is a day for dealing with WHO you truly are.  You know the answer to that on an intuitive level, however whether or not you will act upon your knowing is up to you.  This is a dress rehearsal.  Be glad of that.  Many questions and issues will pop up.  Work with them.  Play the part.  See how they fit you.  Just know that the real performance is not far away. Oh, and since you are the star, and the audience and the critic are you, well, you have the freedom to make it be as you wish.

Saturday, August 18:    Light Rose

Well, the week is finally drawing to a close, and in retrospect, there are some things you are proud of, some things you got done, some things that you might have done better, and some things that made absolutely no sense at all.  (Did you expect them too?)  It is such crazy energy now that from one moment to the next you may question what you were doing and how you got there and is this the right rabbit hole and …  But the week is over and there is a bit of a respite in the air today.  You will find that you will be looking at things differently.  Your reactions are changing.  Those same old buttons do not work as they did before. (This can be a challenge for some of those who thought they knew you so well.)  In many ways you have paid your dues, done the right thing, been the proper person, but all that is shifting now.  Today you are at the proverbial (stinking) crossroads.  What to do?  Follow the deep knowing of your heart, and a new world can open up to you.

Wayne Dyer on Results of Imagining

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The Second Wishes Fulfilled Foundation: Live From The End

Wayne W. Dyer
a message from Wayne W. Dyer
Friday, 10 August, 2012
The Power of Your Imagination

Figuratively tattoo these words of Neville onto your forehead. In other words, memorize them, and repeat them to yourself every time you look into the mirror:

Disregard appearances, conditions, in fact all evidence of your senses that deny the fulfillment of your desire. Rest in the assumption that you are already what you want to be, for in that determined assumption you and your Infinite Being are merged in creative unity, and with your Infinite Being (God) all things are possible. God never fails.

Your concept of yourself is being replaced by a new concept of yourself.

A new self-concept begins with you placing it in your imagination and living from this new perspective. You can count on your five senses to attempt to convince you that you should pay homage only to them and treat your imagination as unimportant and illusory. But that doesn’t mean that you have to allow them to usurp your new concept of yourself.

Right now, in this moment, you can practice this. Say aloud or to yourself, By placing new I ams into my imagination, my future dream is a present fact. Repeat the statement a few times. Can you feel your ego resisting? Which of your five senses is most adamantly annoyed? Notice and repeat. This new concept of yourself as God, or at least as a spark of God, asks you to think like God, Who “calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

Here, you are creating an ideal of what you want to be and assuming that you already are that person. This is what Neville calls the Law of Assumption, and he states emphatically, “If this assumption is persisted in until it becomes your dominant feeling, the attainment of your ideal is inevitable.”

Remind yourself that your imagination is yours to use as you decide, and that everything you wish to manifest into your physical world must first be placed firmly in your imagination in order to grow. Let Neville’s words guide you:

Therefore, to incarnate a new and greater value of yourself, you must assume that you already are what you want to be and then live by faith in this assumption—which is not yet incarnate in the body of your life—in confidence that this new value or state of consciousness will become incarnated through your absolute fidelity to the assumption that you are that which you desire to be.

This is a total transformation of your entire being.

Within your imagination, you can conceive thoughts of what you want as already here—prior to their birth in form in the sensory world. This means that your thoughts aren’t along the lines of: I will be. I hope it works out. I’m praying for good results. Instead, you say to yourself: I am—acknowledging the I am presence as God dwelling in me. Then your mind as that I am presence will become the dominant creative feature in your life. This generative force will gently assert its authentic creativity and power as you conceive it, and in the process replace a dependency on your physical and intellectual abilities. Your renewed reality does not rely exclusively on those five senses that keep you attached to the false beliefs that you are your body or its possessions, achievements, and reputation.

You’ve already discovered that the different bodies you’ve occupied throughout your life so far no longer exist for your senses to experience. Now you can choose to consciously participate in this nonsensory supreme reality—your imagination—where you assume your future dream to be a present fact and live from this new awareness. This isn’t pretending or fooling yourself, it is inviting your spirit rather than your physical form to generate the creative essence of your reality. It’s what it means to transform your life.

The word transformation has the word form right smack in the middle, preceded by trans—meaning going beyond form. Live from the place that will indeed take you way beyond the limits of your seemingly limited life. Explore imagination, which is the Source of all being or physical reality.

Throughout my life I’ve often been called excessively persistent and even obsessive in going after what I wish to fulfill. The truth is that I have within me a very powerful knowing that when I place something into my imagination, it is already a fact for me. I just don’t seem to have the capacity to erase from my mind what it is that is already my reality. For instance, earlier in my life when I applied to a doctoral program, I already saw myself with a doctorate, although I hadn’t taken even one course toward that degree. When I was told that nine out of ten doctoral students do not receive their degree because they cannot complete the vigorous requirements of writing a dissertation, I knew that this did not apply to me, because I was already a doctor in my imagination. I persistently acted as if my dream were a present fact.

I’ve had this same kind of “thinking from the end” in every phase of my professional career. As a young boy I saw myself on television shows and vehemently held this inner picture in my imagination, ignoring a lot of naysayers! And these imaginings ultimately were taken from my mind, where they were real, to the material world, where my senses finally caught up and confirmed them as truths.

The facts are, for me, that a picture in my imagination is already my reality. I live from this perspective, and nothing can dissuade me from this stance because I am not hoping to get someplace else. I am already there. I just don’t know how to erase what I am living in my imagination, even if the whole world attempts to persuade me of the folly of my dreams. This is a mind-set you can choose to embrace.

Let go of all doubt, forget about the when. It will develop into a material fact on Divine time. Forget about the how. Live it inwardly. This is a great power that you possess if you are willing to claim it as your own.

I cannot emphasize strongly enough how vital it is for you to claim this inherent power of God and use it for manifesting the life you desire. Be obstinate regarding this idea. Hold your vision relentlessly, and more than that—live each day as if that idea you have in your imagination is in fact your reality. In The “I AM” Discourses, Saint Germain repeatedly reminds us that we are the master and have dominion in our lives; once this is part of your awareness, you can access the energy, power, and intelligence of the mighty I am presence, which is your very birthright. This I am presence is always with you.

~~~~~

An Excerpt from the Book “Wishes Fulfilled“

Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He’s the author of 30 books, has created many audio and video programs, and has appeared on thousands of television and radio shows.   See Wayne in his new feature length movie The Shift. Visit www.drwaynedyer.com for details.
from:    http://spiritlibrary.com/wayne-w-dyer/the-second-wishes-fulfilled-foundation-live-from-the-end

Now Showing — Perseid Meteor Shower

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THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER IS UNDERWAY: Earth is entering a stream of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, source of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Worldwide observers are now reporting more than 30 Perseids per hour, a number that could triple during the weekend when Earth reaches the heart of the debris zone. Forecasters recommend looking during the dark hours before dawn, especially Sunday morning, August 12th, when activity is expected to be highest.

Got clouds? Tune into SpaceWeather Radio for live echoes from Perseid meteors flying over the US Space Surveillance Radar in Texas.

The multi-station Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar, sponsored by NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, is also monitoring the Perseids. Live data are available here. Bright spots in this sample radar sky map show the radiants of currently active showers:

Clearly, the Perseids are not the only meteors in the sky this weekend. The Northern and Southern Delta Aquarids (NDA and SDA) are also active. These showers, which are minor compared to the Perseids, spring from 96P/Machholz, a comet that some researchers suspect is a visitor from another star system.

This is a great weekend for watching meteors–but that’s not all. Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon are lining up in the pre-dawn sky right in the middle of the Perseid display. The conjunction of planets guarantees that you will see something beautiful even in the unlikely event that the shower fizzles.

from:   spaceweather.com

Tabriz, Iran Dangerous Earthquakes

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2 extremely dangerous shallow earthquakes in the greater Tabriz, Iran area – 50+ people injured, more reports to come

Last update: August 11, 2012 at 3:35 pm by By

 

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : M6.2
UTC Time : Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 12:23:17 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 03:53:17 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 9.7 km
Geo-location(s) :
20 km (12 miles) WSW of Ahar, Iran
60 km (37 miles) ENE of Tabriz, Iran

Shaking map based on a Magnitude of 6.2 and a depth of 9.7 km – image courtesy USGS

Important update 13:00 UTC : The first M6.2 earthquake was followed 11 minutes later by an even stronger M6.3 aftershock. This second earthquake had a slightly different epicenter.

Based on preliminary data a strong to very strong earthquake happened a few minutes ago in Western Iran.
We are currently collecting more material and will report accordingly
Preliminary epicenter at 60 km from Tabriz. Tabriz has a population if 1.4 million people). Tabriz is not too close to the epicenter, wo damage, if any, will be moderate
The closest city to the epicenter is however Ahar, a city with a population of 94348 (latest census).
Theoretical intensity calculations are expecting very strong to severe shaking in the epicenter area.
We will start-up an in-depth article as soon as possible.

Update 14:29 UTC : The city of Varzeghan is reported by Iran media as the epicenter of this earthquake. Varzeghan or Varzgan is not a small village but rather a small town (see satellite image below).

Satellite image of the city of Varzeghan (Varzgan, vrzgan) epicenter of the August 11 2012 Iran earthquake

Important update 14:12 UTC : ER reader Mehran comments that Mehr news is reporting heavy damage to clay housing, victims transferred to hospitals, and the epicenter is reported to be the village of Varzgan.

Update 14:07 UTC : Emergency evaluation teams have been send to Tabriz and Ahar were telecommunications and power have been cut. Iran has very good organized emergency and SAR teams and can handle a lot of damaging earthquakes with their own troops and material. Earthquake-Report.com evaluates Iran earthquake response as one of the best in the world!

Update 13:54 UTC : Mobile telecommunication problems in Tabriz. Panic but no reports of damage or casualties yet. Iran has one of lowest attenuation q values meaning that seismic waves attenuate or diminish faster with distance than other parts of the world.

Update 13:53 UTC : USGS has just updated his Iran report and comes now with at least 6000 people who will have experienced the super dangerous Severe shaking (MMI VIII) and 186000 people having received a very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Satellite view of Ahar, Iran a city with 85000 inhabitants and close to the epicenter – image courtesy Google and its contributors

Important update 13:43 UTC : WAPMERR, the theoretical earthquake damage engine, has calculated that based on the Geofon earthquake data and epicenter, 100 to 500 deaths may be expected. Our experience with Geofon is that this estimate will be hopefully reviewed to lower numbers (like often elsewhere). WAPMERR is however an indication that this earthquake is a really dangerous one!

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/08/11/extremely-dangerous-shallow-earthquake-in-the-greater-tabriz-iran-area/


Power Plant Pollution & States

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Toxic Power:Report Ranks States With Worst Air Pollution From Power Plants

August 10, 2012
Image Credit: Jarous / Shutterstock

April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

According to a report released Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Texas is the 10th worst state in the nation when it comes to exposing residents to toxic air pollution from coal-fired plants.

Unfortunately, that’s not all the report had to say about the Lone Star State.

Texas also ranked 10th in toxic air pollution from the electric sector, emitting nearly 10.5 million pounds of harmful chemicals. This accounts for 25 percent of the state’s pollution and 3 percent of toxic pollution from all power plants in the U.S.

Texas ranked 1st among all states in industrial mercury air pollution from power plants with nearly 12,740 pounds emitted in 2010. This accounts for 78 percent of the state’s mercury air pollution and 19 percent of the overall U.S. mercury air pollution.

The report did have some good news. On the national level, there was a 19 percent drop in all air toxins emitted from power plants in 2010, the most recent data available, compared to 2009 levels. The drop, which also includes a 4 percent decrease in mercury emissions, results from two key factors. One is the increasing use by power companies of natural gas, which is cleaner and cheaper than coal; the other is the installation of state-of-the-art pollution controls by many plants. These new controls are put into place in anticipation of new health protections issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“Toxic pollution is already being reduced as a result of EPA’s health-protecting standards,” said John Walke, NRDC’s clean air director. “Thanks to the agency’s latest safeguards, millions of children and their families in the states hardest hit by toxic air pollution from power plants will be able to breathe easier. But these protections are threatened,” Walke said, “because polluters are intent on persuading future Congresses or presidential administrations to repeal them.”

EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards will cut mercury air pollution by 79 percent from 2010 levels, beginning in 2015.

The EPA standard has come under fire, however. Senator James Inhofe, R-Okla, attempted to repeal the standard, assisted by both Senators Cornyn and Hutchison from Texas.

In the study, “Toxic Power: How Power Plants Contaminate Our Air and States,” NRDC also found that coal- and oil-fired power plants still contribute nearly half (44 percent) of all the toxic air pollution reported to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The report also ranks the states by the amount of their toxic air pollution levels.

How did other states fair in this analysis?

NDRC started releasing its “Toxic 20″ list in 2011. The list is created using publicly available data in the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), a national database of toxic emissions self-reported by industrial sources to rank states by air pollution levels from 2009.

Despite the overall reductions in total emissions, 18 of the Toxic 20 from 2009 remain in the 2010 list released this week, although several states have made significant improvements highlighted in the report.

The states on the “Toxic 20″ list (from worst to best) are:

1. Kentucky
2. Ohio
3. Pennsylvania
4. Indiana
5. West Virginia
6. Florida
7. Michigan
8. North Carolina
9. Georgia
10. Texas
11. Tennessee
12. Virginia
13. South Carolina
14. Alabama
15. Missouri
16. Illinois
17. Mississippi
18. Wisconsin
19. Maryland
20. Delaware

Source: April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112673464/toxic-power-air-pollution-report-nrdc-081012/
redOrbit (http://s.tt/1kuf2)

Drought Devastates Corn Yield, Affects Food Prices

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U.S. Corn Production Outlook Cut As Drought Takes Toll

AP  |  By Posted: 08/10/2012 9:34 am Updated: 08/10/2012 11:02 am

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The government slashed its expectations for U.S. corn and soybean production for the second consecutive month Friday, predicting what could be the lowest average corn yield in more than 15 years as the worst drought in decades continued punishing key farm states.

Nonetheless, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a statement supplied exclusively to The Associated Press, insisted that U.S. farmers and ranchers remain resilient and that the country would continue to meet demand as the global leader in farm exports and food aid.

The U.S. Agriculture Department cut its projected U.S. corn production to 10.8 billion bushels, down 17 percent from its forecast last month of nearly 13 billion bushels and 13 percent lower than last year. That also would be the lowest production since 2006.

The USDA, in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, now expects corn growers to average 123.4 bushels per acre, down 24 bushels from last year in what would be the lowest average yield in 17 years.

Soybean production is now forecast at 2.69 billion bushels, a 12 percent decline from last year and well off the 3.05 billion bushels the USDA had expected last month. Expected yields on average of 36.1 bushels per acre would be the lowest since 2003.

Friday’s revised outlook comes months after corn farmers forecast a record year when they planted, sowing 96.4 million acres — the most since 1937. But the USDA now forecasts the area to be harvested at 87.4 million acres.

On Thursday, the U.N. food agency drew a direct correlation between price hikes in basic food commodities and the months of parched conditions in farm states. The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said in its monthly price report that its overall food price index climbed 6 percentage points in July, although it was well below the peak reached in February 2011. The FAO’s index, considered a global benchmark used to track market volatility and price trends, measures the monthly price changes for a basket of food items including cereals, oils and fats, meat, dairy products and sugar.Severe drought punishing the U.S.’s midsection has sent corn prices soaring, and expectations of worsened crop prospects in Russia because of dry weather sent world wheat prices up 19 percent, according to the FAO, which keeps close tabs on volatile global prices. Spikes in the prices of staple foods have led to riots in some countries in recent years.

But on Friday, Vilsack tried to tamp down such concerns.

“Americans shouldn’t see immediate increases in food prices due to the drought,” said Vilsack, as he visited drought-stricken Nebraska and with plans to be in Iowa next week. “What is important going forward is that we continue to do all we can to help the farmers, ranchers, small businesses and communities being impacted by this drought.”

Rick Whitacre, a professor of agricultural economics at Illinois State University, said consumers may see modest increases in prices in grocery stores due to tightened corn supplies because the grain is so ubiquitous, found in everything from cosmetics to cereal, soda, cake mixes and candy bars. But he believes the bigger fallout will come in 4 to 6 percent price increases for beef and pork, with many ranchers having sold off their livestock as feed costs rise and the drought burned up their pasturelands.

“You’re going to see the ripple of this go out for quite a distance,” Whitacre said. “We may see some upward pressure (on prices), especially in things like vegetable oil and a lot of our food products,” but that should be manageable.

The U.S. leads the world in exporting corn, soybeans and wheat, and the surging prices are expected to be felt across the international marketplace, hurting poor food-importing countries, said a study by British charity Oxfam issued on the eve of the U.N. report.

Vilsack said he has pressed Congress to pass a comprehensive, multi-year farm bill “that gives farmers and ranchers more certainty in this tough time, while giving USDA tools to help those producers affected by weather-related events beyond their control.”

The USDA foreshadowed the newly lowered yield projections, noting earlier this week that exactly half of the nation’s corn crop was rated poor to very poor, up 2 percentage points from the previous week and creeping closer to the peak of 53 percent of 24 years ago. Some 39 percent of soybeans now fall under those two categories, rising 2 percentage points for the second straight week and eclipsing the 1988 benchmark of 37 percent.

The nation’s rangeland and pastures are faring even worse, with roughly three-fifths rated to be in poor to very poor shape — the largest area thus affected in 18 years.

Friday’s USDA report amplified the troubling picture painted a day earlier when the latest weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map showed that the drought conditions continue to worsen in Plains states, where production of corn and soybeans is key. That update showed that the expanse still gripped by extreme or exceptional drought — the two worst classifications — rose to 24.14 percent, up nearly 2 percentage points from the previous week.

Federal scientists say this July was the hottest on record, smoking out even the sweltering temperatures set in the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Wednesday that the first seven months of 2012 were the warmest on record while the stretch from August 2011 through July this year was the balmiest 12-month period the U.S. has experienced.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/10/us-corn-production_n_1763943.html

Jeff Masters on New Tropical Activity

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Little change to TD 7; 93L may develop off the coast of Africa
Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 1:57 PM GMT on August 10, 2012 +21

Tropical Depression Seven continues westward across the central tropical Atlantic with little change in appearance. Looking remarkably like the tropical depression that became Tropical Storm Ernesto last week, TD 7 has a limited region of heavy thunderstorms, as seen on satellite loops. A large amount of dry air to the west and north is visible on water vapor satellite loops, and this dry air is interfering with TD 7’s heavy thunderstorms. Wind shear is a light 5 – 10 knots, which is favorable for intensification. Ocean temperatures are 26.5°C, which is a bit on the cool side, but these temperatures are 0.5° warmer than on Thursday. Winds at the Middle Atlantic buoy 41041 peaked at 29 mph, gusting to 38 mph, at 1:50 am EDT this Friday morning, when the center of TD 7 passed about 40 miles to the south. TD 7 will pass about 60 miles south of buoy 41040 near midnight tonight. The first hurricane hunter mission into TD 7 is scheduled for Saturday morning.


Figure 1. Morning satellite image of TD 7.

Forecast for TD 7
TD 7 formed about 400 miles east-northeast of where Ernesto became a tropical depression, as seen on our wundermap. Atmospheric and oceanic conditions are currently quite similar to what Ernesto experienced, and I expect TD 7 will struggle with dry air like Ernesto did. The SHIPS model predicts that shear will remain light through tonight, then rise to the moderate range on Saturday, when the storm will encounter upper-level southwesterly winds associated with a trough of low pressure. However, ocean temperatures will warm to 28°C, which may partially counteract the increase in shear, as far as maintaining a favorable environment for development. Dry air and shear may be significant enough to destroy TD 7 on Sunday, as predicted by the GFS and ECMWF models. These models tried to kill off Ernesto in a similar situation last week, so I am inclined to believe TD 7 will survive for the coming five days, but struggle. The official NHC forecast of a 45 mph tropical storm moving through the Lesser Antilles Islands Saturday night and Sunday is a reasonable one.


Figure 2. Morning satellite image of Invest 93L.

93L
A strong tropical wave in the far Eastern Atlantic that emerged off the coast of Africa Thursday night was designated Invest 93L by NHC. In their 8 am Tropical Weather Outlook, NHC gave 93L a 50% chance of becoming a tropical depression by Sunday morning. Satellite loops show a pronounced spin to the atmosphere at mid levels, but little in the way of heavy thunderstorm activity. The latest Saharan Air Layer Analysis from the University of Wisconsin shows that while the atmosphere immediately surrounding the disturbance is moist, there is a large area of dry air from the Sahara to the west and north. This dry air will be a significant impediment to development during the coming week. The ECMWF model shows some weak development of 93L over the coming week, and predicts a general west-northwesterly track. The storm may be something Bermuda needs to be concerned about in eight or so days.

from:    http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2179

Submarine Eruption — New Zealand

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Submarine Eruption Makes it Three for New Zealand

Aerial view by the New Zealand Navy of a pumice raft spotted near Raoul Island in the Kermadec Islands on August 10, 2012. Image from the New Zealand Herald.

Just think, one week ago I was saying that 2012 was a relatively quiet year for volcanic eruptions. We haven’t made up all the ground of the more active years like 2010-11, however New Zealand had one of its more exciting volcanic weeks in a century – White Island and Tongariro both had eruptions and yesterday a large pumice raft was spotted north of the island nation. This pumice raft (see above) is the product of a submarine volcanic eruption from one of the multiple of seamounts that are part of Kermadec arc north of New Zealand. Exactly which volcano is the source of the pumice is unclear – early on, it was suggested that Monowai was the source, but that seems to be in some question based on the location of the 26,000 square kilometer pumice raft (see below). The raft is located to the northeast of Raoul Island, one of the active volcanoes of the Kermadec Islands that is above the sea surface. The next known active volcano to the northeast of Raoul is Monowai, thus the suspicion that it may be the source. Likely the only way this actual source will be identified is through matching the composition of this pumice with that of known material from Monowai (or another Kermadec volcano). Rafts like this can travel great distances – some of the pumice rafts from the Krakatau eruption in 1886 washed up on African beaches months later – so trying to determine the exact source of the pumice when it is so widespread is challenging. However, this is likely a significant eruption based on the size of the pumice raft across the ocean surface. Monowai does seem reasonable, though, as it has produced significant eruptions in the last few years.

 

A raw Aqua/MODIS image of the pumice raft off Raoul Island in the Kermadecs, seen on August 10, 2012. Image courtesy of NASA.

Much like I said yesterday, none of these eruptions are directly connected – Tongariro, White Island and this submarine eruption in the Kermadecs are too far apart to be sharing any magmatism. However, the tectonics that control the formation of volcanoes are all the same – the subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Australian Plate.

from:    http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/submarine-eruption-makes-it-three-for-new-zealand/#more-124626

8/9 New Zealand Eruptions — White Island & Tongariro

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New Zealand Eruption Update for August 9, 2012: White Island and Tongariro

Steam seen on August 8, 2012 from one of the sources of the August 6 eruption of Tongariro in New Zealand. Image from OneNews.

The hits just keep on coming this week in New Zealand. We’re seen eruptions from both Tongariro and White Island this week – and White Island seems to be picking up the pace. Last night, reports of volcanic lightning from White Island abounded along the Bay of Plenty and a 300 meter eruptive plume was confirmed for the volcano, meaning. Ash fall was also reported at Papamoa, on the coast near Tauranga, the first ash produced from White Island since 2001. To my knowledge, tours of White Island have not been officially banned yet – even the wording of the GNS Science report suggests that tours are still going on: “GNS advises visitors to take a high level of caution.” This is fascinating because as Eruptions reader Claude G. pointed out, the New Zealand government quickly closed access to the Tongariro area after its eruption on Monday, but the same ban has not been produced for the more-vigourously active White Island. My post from Monday that was lost in tall the eruptive excitement gets into some of the issues of these tours to active volcanoes like White Island. The volcano is still at alert level 2 and aviation alert orange according to the latest GNS Science update.

 

Meanwhile, more of the results (video) of the Tongariro eruption have become apparent. At least three blast craters were formed along with a fissure on the volcano during the eruption and the volcanic tephra produced a small debris flow that travelled a few kilometers from the crater (like caused by a breached lake at the Te Mari crater and/or mixing with snow on the volcano). The GNS Science overflight also captured some cool images of impact craters from the bombs thrown from the vent area. Things have settled down at Tongariro, with only low levels of seismicity under the volcano, but new video footage of the Te Mari crater area shows the vigorous steaming (see above) around the area of the eruption. Be sure to check out the great gallery of images from Tongariro on the GNS Science Flickr stream. Some early analyses of the Tongariro ash show that is was somewhat fluorine rich – an issue especially important for agricultural interests near the volcano. However, this eruption didn’t produce sufficient volume of ash for the fluorine to be problematic, but a larger, sustained eruption might change that. I did find it frustrating how some media made it seem like fluorine in the ash was both surprising and dangerous. This isn’t really the case as almost all volcanic ash as some fluorine. More interestingly, these early ash analyses suggest that little to no juvenile (new magma) material present. Speaking of the ash plume, the NASA Earth Observatory posted a great night image of the plume from the eruption showing it stretching eastward across the North Island. GNS Science has left Tongariro at alert level 2/aviation alert yellow.

Now, one question that I’ve seen asked in a number of places is “are these eruptions related?”. The answer is yes and no. Yes, White Island and Tongariro are both part of the same volcanic arc, where the Pacific Plate is being subducted under the Australian Plate. This means that the processes that generate the primary magmas that feed the volcanoes are the same – as they are for all the volcanoes of New Zealand. However, White Island and Tongariro are geographically separated by over 220 km, so, no, their respective eruption did not cause/prompt the other. Instead, we’re just seeing another example of the random distribution of volcanic activity that produced a beguiling but ultimately false correlation. Now, if Tongariro erupted in quick succession with Ruapehu, only ~17 km away, then there could be more argument for a shared cause (think something like the Katmai eruption in Alaska in 1912). However, White Island and Tongariro are just too far apart to be directly connected in their magmatic systems.

from:    http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/new-zealand-eruption-update-for-august-9-2012-white-island-and-tongariro/

Kale —The New Beef!

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7 Reasons Kale Is the New Beef

Written by Jill Ettinger

 

Dinosaur Kale

Like the saying goes, the only constant is change. We may resist it all we want, but Time and its inevitable evolution of everything in its path is unaffected by our attempts to stop it. The resulting trajectory of humanity’s nascent ascent appears to be positioning itself to sweep us into progressive new times, especially where our food choices are concerned, as nearly 7 billion people are now standing on the little scraps of land that we share with some 55 billion rather large animals raised for food each year. (As another famous saying goes: This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.) So, beef (and all factory-farmed meat) may be going from rib-eye to relic as we transition to a greener world… literally—as in leafy, green vegetables.

Environmentalists cite meat production as one of the biggest contributors to global warming, and the USDA’s new food pyramid (MyPlate) suggests the healthiest choice is making vegetables and fruit the biggest part of every meal by reducing consumption of animal proteins. Kale is far more nutritious than other leafy greens, but these seven reasons why it is such an important futurefood may just surprise you.

1. Anti-inflammatory: Inflammation is the number one cause of arthritis, heart disease and a number of autoimmune diseases, and is triggered by the consumption of animal products. Kale is an incredibly effective anti-inflammatory food, potentially preventing and even reversing these illnesses.

2. Iron: Despite the myth that vegetarians are anemic, the number of non-vegetarians with iron-deficiencies is on the rise. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef.

3. Calcium: Dairyand beef both contain calcium, but the U.S. still has some of the highest rates of bone loss and osteoporosis in the world. Kale contains more calcium per calorie than milk (90 grams per serving) and is also better absorbed by the body than dairy.

4. Fiber: Like protein, fiber is a macronutrient, which means we need it every day. But many Americans don’t eat nearly enough and the deficiency is linked to heart disease, digestive disorders and cancer. Protein-rich foods, like meat, contain little to no fiber. One serving of kale not only contains 5 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber, but it also provides 2 grams of protein.

5. Omega fatty acids: Essential Omega fats play an important role in our health, unlike the saturated fats in meat. A serving of kale contains 121 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 mg of omega-6 fatty acids.

6. Immunity: Superbugs and bacteria are a serious risk to our health. Many of these come as a result of factory farm meat, eggs and dairy products. Kale is an incredibly rich source of immune-boosting carotenoid and flavanoid antioxidants including vitamins A and C.

7. Sustainable: Kale grows to maturity in 55 to 60 days versus a cow raised for beef for an average of 18-24 months. Kale can grow in most climates and is relatively easy and low impact to grow at home or on a farm. To raise one pound of beef requires 16 pounds of grain, 11 times as much fossil fuel and more than 2,400 gallons of water.

from:    http://www.organicauthority.com/health/reasons-kale-is-the-new-beef-nutritious-sustainable.html