Conspiracy or Truth - Russia Issues Grim Report On North American Magnetic Anomaly

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A grim report prepared by Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force Lieutenant-General Viktor Bondarev on the just completed scientific mission of North America carried out by 4 Tupolev Tu-95 strategic aircraft and 2 Ilyushin Il-78 aerial refueling tankers that “electronically swept” for “magnetic anomalies” from Alaska to California warns that a “catastrophic event” may be nearing for this region.

US officials, it should be noted, characterized this purely scientific mission as a “bombing run” that came within 50 miles of California, but which their Air Forces were able to repel by their launching of F-15 fighter jets.

This report, however, states that this scientific mission was necessitated by a “severe mysterious magnetic anomaly” detected by the Kosmos 2473 satellite on 3 June occurring in the Yellowstone region of the Western United States which resulted in what is called an “earthquake swarm.”

Most important to note about the 3 June Yellowstone “magnetic anomaly”, this report continues, are that satellite measurements show it being precipitated by the mysterious earthquake swarm hitting the Brooks Range mountains in Alaska, and which seismologists are still at a loss to explain.

The information relating to the linking of these two “events”, this report says, was further verified by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) magnetic anomaly maps and data for North America showing a strange magnetic “disturbance/ripple” emanating from Brooks Range and ending at Yellowstone on 3 June, both of these areas, it is important to note, being part of the Rocky Mountains that stretch more than 4,830 km (3,000 miles) from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States.

Of grave concern to Russian military authorities relating to these “events”, General Bondarev says in his report, was the “catastrophic effect” they had on the advanced “magnetoception” inertial navigation systems employed by many US-NATO-Russian warplanes which use these highly sophisticated aircraft flight devices.

Though no Russia military aircraft were near the “disturbed magnetic zone” emanating our from Yellowstone on 3 June, this report says, two US military aircraft were at its “boundaries” in the Southern California region on 4 June while this “event” was still “active” causing them both to crash.

The two US fighter jets crashing on 4 June, this report continues, were identified as a US Navy F-A-183 that went down when the pilot was attempting to land aboard the carrier Carl Vinson, and a US Marine Harrier AV-8B jet that crashed into a residential community in Imperial, about 90 miles east of San Diego, both of them occurring within hours of each other.

This report notes that no civilian aircraft would have been affected by this “magnetic anomaly” as only the most advanced military aircraft employ these “geomagnetic-satellite” coordinated flight systems which enable them to “hug the terrain” not unlike the magnetic systems used by birds and insects to navigate.

Russian concerns relating to “magnetic anomalies”, it is important to note, are related to the rapidly shifting north magnetic pole which since 2005 has been moving at a rate of 40 kilometers (25 miles) a year from Arctic Canada toward Siberia.

Frightening independent research from last year (2013) further warns that this shift is still picking up speed and according to this researcher should reach Siberia in at least within 2 years.

One of the effects of the rapidly shifting magnetic north pole being noticed the most, this report notes, are the airport runway systems being disrupted because of it, and as we can read one such 2011 example which occurred in the US:

     “Tampa International Airport was forced to readjust its runways Thursday to account for the movement of the Earth’s magnetic fields, information that pilots rely upon to navigate planes. Thanks to the fluctuations in the force, the airport has closed its primary runway until Jan. 13 to change taxiway signs to account for the shift, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
     The poles are generated by movements within the Earth’s inner and outer cores, though the exact process isn’t exactly understood. They’re also constantly in flux, moving a few degrees every year, but the changes are almost never of such a magnitude that runways require adjusting, said Paul Takemoto, a spokesman for the FAA.”

The most chilling aspects of General Bondarev’s report relating to these “events” are the equations he uses in postulating that what is now occurring in North America with these “mysterious magnetic anomalies” occurring over a large expanse of the Rocky Mountains, and when combined with the rapidly shifting magnetic north pole and growing evidence of global climate change, give “huge credibility” to what is called “The Expanding Earth Theory”.

The expanding Earth or growing Earth hypothesis asserts that the position and relative movement of continents is at least partially due to the volume of Earth increasing and stands in contrast to that of plate tectonics, but which new findings relating to “aether theories” and dark matter, General Bondarev summarizes, means “grave consideration” must be given to the words of University of California, Davis, cosmologist Dr. Andreas Albrecht who warned: “We've hit some really profound problems with cosmology Ð with dark matter and dark energy, that tells us we have to rethink fundamental physics and try something new.”

Or in simple terms, this report ends, “We may be on the verge of a catastrophic North American “event” that could possibly change the world forever, we should be prepared.”

Sorcha Faal
WhatDoesItMean

ENVIRONMENT - Acidification & Warming Threaten Various Species In Mediterranean Sea

This article is of particular importance to Mediterranean coastal societies with 300 million inhabitants (living and visiting), unique ecosystems, who love seafood and live off of tourism.

Research professor Patrizia Ziveri, from Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the UAB and the coordinator of the project says "We knew next to nothing about the combined effects of warming and acidification in the Mediterranean until this study, now we know that they are a serious double threat to our marine ecosystems."

     "Iconic Mediterranean ecosystems such as sea grass meadows, the colourful Coralligene reefs and Vermetid snail reefs are threatened and now facing rapid decline through acidification and warming. These are amazing ecosystem building species, creating homes for thousands of species, and also serve to protect shores from erosion, offer a source of food and natural products to society" says Prof Maoz Fine from Bar-Ilan University in Israel.
     "Subsea volcanic activity spews carbon dioxide into the seawater making the waters more acidic and an amazing natural laboratory, showing how a future Mediterranean Sea may look like. Unfortunately this window into a high CO2 sea shows us that life will become difficult for some species, invasive species may do well, biodiversity will decrease and some species will become extinct" comments Prof Jason Hall-Spencer from University of Plymouth.

Research professor. James Orr from Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l`Environnement "It is clear that to save these amazing ecosystems human society worldwide must reduce fossil fuel emissions. It is not just someone else's coasts that will be impacted but all our seas and coasts. We all need to act and there is no time to loose".

Over 100 scientists from 12 countries involved in the study have pooled their findings and produce a 10 point summary to warn society, policy- and decision-makers as well as the general public (attached). They have launched this at the final meeting today, at Barcelona.

The MedSeA project - Mediterranean Sea Acidification in a changing climate (MedSeA) project is funded by the European Commission under 7th Framework Programme. It involves 22 institutions from 12 countries, led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). MedSeA focuses on the impacts of its seawater warming and acidification on the important species and ecosystems of the region and how that may impact human society

Piraeus Port To Be Patrolled By Robotic Fish

A robotic fish is apparently going to patrol the port of Piraeus with the aim of monitoring the quality of seawater. The Piraeus Port Agency is expected to release the robot in the water on the occasion of the World Environment Day, which is going to be celebrated on Thursday, June 5th, 2014.

The robotic fish has a length of 1,10 meters, weighs in at some 50 kg and is part of the European program SUPPORT.

According to the state news agency its sensors are continually going to measure various chemicals in the seawater. This system, which can work either automatically or manually, is then expected to transmit information and images to the Environmental Center of the Port of Piraeus.

Shock and Dismay Over The Suspected Privatisation of Beaches On Elafonisos

Locals and environmental groups are lobbying to block privatisations of the best beaches on the island of Elafonisos, which are protected under the EU Natura 2000 program and for good reason. The state privatization fund might have taken a step back from the planned privatisation of some of these pristine and prized beaches, but local protests and a nationwide uproar remains.

In a nutshell, the backlash involves a 50-year lease of the best beaches of Elafonissos island, Simos and Sarakinos, which locals stress are protected under the EU's Natura 2000 network of protected areas, as is the entire island, which is noted for its unique plant life.

The state-owned beach side properties to be exploited covers an area of nine hectares, and they are just two of the 13 beaches that the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (Taiped) reportedly seeks to privatise.

Though confirming that the fund owns the property, Taiped actually issued a statement earlier this week claiming that it has not yet incorporated it in any specific development program, and when it is, there will be an official open dialogue, with normally includes input from private citizens, as well as civic, and environmental groups.

(Same old dust in the eyes trick... and then back to business as usual)

Beachside properties currently advertised on the Taiped website include Agia Triada near Thessaloniki, Asprovalta in Halkidiki, and the beach of Thermisia in Ermioni (Peloponnese). Another beach side property that Taiped had put on the bloc in 2013 is Agios Ioannis in Sithonia, Chalkidiki, which has an area of 200,000 square metres and boasts a 2km beach line.

Taiped basically asserts that its plans for privatisation of these properties provide for an "especially mild and ecological development". And we ask, how can loud music, beach front bars, and mega hotels provide ecological development?

Why can't our leaders just admit the truth?

Let us be more specific. Based on a medium-term bailout deal passed by parliament in 2011 (yes under the George Papandreou government), the real estate privatisation scheme provides that such 50-year leases are going to provide investors with exclusive use of the beaches and seashores.

And so we ask again... (as concerned citizens), is this ecological development? Sounds like corporate development... and it is a disgusting thought.

HellasFrappe has supported the government on many fronts, especially on many much needed reforms. But it will not support the government on a project that clearly aims to fatten the pockets of some greedy politicians and investors who couldn't give a sh***t about the areas pristine and natural beauty.

And just in case we get criticized once again for lashing out at the PASOK-Papandreou government (for basically signing over all of Greece to his friends at the IMF) it would be wise for all of you to know that the Papandreou government opted for the solution of long-term land leases in early 2011, in an attempt to avoid future legal challenges to real estate privatisation. Many Leftist organizations and wannabes should think about that before lashing out at the government for moving ahead with something that is clearly out of its control.

Nonetheless, the government can find a clause in this controversy and obstruct this from ever happening.

In an ongoing civil society campaign on the Avaaz website, over 131,000 citizens have signed a petition demanding that the European Parliament address the issue of the use of and free access to beaches.

     "It sounds outlandish but this summer may be the last one that we can freely enjoy access to Greek beaches," the petition warns.

Taiped, which is clearly following the Memorandums signed by George Papandreou's government, hopes to collect 500 million Euros in revenues from real estate leasing and development by the end of 2014.

Friends, anyone who has ever visited the area of Elafonissos for example is marvelled by this small island. Located off Cape Malea in the southern Peloponnese, it is a main attraction for nature lovers and tourists in the summer. Its white sand beaches of Simos and Sarakinikos (the only two on the island) which stretch around a bend in the coastline and are connected by a thin strip of sand to a tiny, sandy almost-island, forming between them natural turquoise lagoons. The beaches form part of a wider ecosystem of extensive sand dunes which are increasingly rare in the Mediterranean. Once a well-kept secret, they have recently been featured in publications including the Guardian newspaper.

A separate article analyzing this controversy on PressProject says that now these areas may grow even rarer, since it has been transferred to the HRADF with a view to offering a 50-year lease on the property to private investors.

Certainly, the revelation of such a development provokes an immediate outcry. And this is because not only is the area of obvious, outstanding natural beauty, it is also included in the European NATURA network of protected areas. In fact, notes the same article, coastal sand dunes such as those in Elafonissos are particularly important for biodiversity, being refuges for plants and animals.

     "They are also increasingly being lost due to human activity. Numerous species of birds, small mammals and reptiles breed in the area, and the dunes form habitats for endangered plant species such as the sea daffodil (Pancratium maritimum). Currently the only development in the area is a small camping ground (itself the subject of numerous legal challenges), but which is sited away from the dunes."

The same article further reveals that the HRADF is now attempting to defuse the situation. In such a framework, it released a press release claiming that there have been no moves to develop the area, but, notes the same article, that conclusion is contradicted by the Fund’s own admission that the area has indeed been transferred to its portfolio.
According to recent Memorandum laws, all properties transferred to the HRADF must be privatized and cannot be transferred back to the state. So effectively, concludes the author of the same article, it is only a matter of time before such plans are established. (Makes perfect sense)

The Fund also apparently states that any future development plans would be particularly gentle and proceed with respect to the natural ecosystems.

Once again, says the author, the Fund is contradicting itself as is clear from the HRADF’s own description of the property.

     "The Fund’s own ‘Proposed Development Concept’ is for a hotel and vacation homes to be built on the property, and it is clear from the accompanying slides that the buildings would be sited directly on top of the sand dunes."

Therefore even if one takes at face value the Fund’s assertion that any development would occur following proper environmental assessments and public consultation, it is still difficult to see how even with modifications to the initial recommendations (which are portrayed to investors as feasible) any development could go ahead which would not cause irreversible damage to one of the most unique coastal areas in the entire country.

(Sources, ProtoThema, PressProject)

Greek & German Researchers Prove That Paintings of Sunsets Estimate Pollution Levels

IMAGE : The Lake, Petworth: Sunset, Fighting Bucks (c. 1829) was one of the paintings by J. M. W. Turner analyzed by Zerefos et al. to study the past atmosphere. Credit: This work, obtained from WikiPaintings, is in the public domain.

A team of Greek and German researchers has shown that the colours of sunsets painted by famous artists can be used to estimate pollution levels in the Earth's past atmosphere. In particular, the paintings reveal that ash and gas released during major volcanic eruptions scatter the different colours of sunlight, making sunsets appear more red. The results are published today in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, an open access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

When the Tambora volcano in Indonesia erupted in 1815, painters in Europe could see the colours of the sky changing. The volcanic ash and gas spewed into the atmosphere travelled the world and, as these aerosol particles scattered sunlight, they produced bright red and orange sunsets in Europe for up to three years after the eruption. J. M. W. Turner was one of the artists who painted the stunning sunsets during that time. Now, scientists are using his, and other great masters', paintings to retrieve information on the composition of the past atmosphere.

     "Nature speaks to the hearts and souls of great artists," says lead-author Christos Zerefos, a professor of atmospheric physics at the Academy of Athens in Greece. "But we have found that, when colouring sunsets, it is the way their brains perceive greens and reds that contains important environmental information."

Zerefos and his team analysed hundreds of high-quality digital photographs of sunset paintings done between 1500 and 2000, a period including over 50 large volcanic eruptions around the globe. They were looking to find out whether the relative amounts of red and green along the horizon of each painting could provide information on the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere.

     "We found that red-to-green ratios measured in the sunsets of paintings by great masters correlate well with the amount of volcanic aerosols in the atmosphere, regardless of the painters and of the school of painting," says Zerefos.

Skies more polluted by volcanic ash scatter sunlight more, so they appear more red. Similar effects are seen with mineral (desert dust) or man-made aerosols. Air with a higher amount of aerosols has a higher 'aerosol optical depth', a parameter the team calculated using the red-to-green ratios in the paintings. They then compared these values with those given by independent proxies such as ice-core and volcanic-explosivity data, and found good agreement. The results obtained validate those of the team's previous study, published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics in 2007.

To further support their model, the researchers asked a famous colourist to paint sunsets during and after the passage of a Saharan dust cloud over the island of Hydra in June 2010. The painter was not aware of the dust event. The scientists then compared measurements of the aerosol optical depth made by modern instruments with those estimated from the red-to-green ratios of the paintings and of digital photographs, and found that they all matched well.

Since aerosols scatter sunlight, less of it reaches the surface, leading to cooling. The Tambora eruption, the largest in recorded history, killed some 10,000 people directly and over 60,000 more due to the starvation and disease during the 'volcanic winter' that followed. Aerosol optical depth can be directly used in climate models, so having estimates for this parameter helps researchers understand how aerosols have affected the Earth's climate in the past. This, in turn, can help improve predictions of future climate change.

     "We wanted to provide alternative ways of exploiting the environmental information in the past atmosphere in places where, and in centuries when, instrumental measurements were not available," concludes Zerefos.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics - link to the paper (TBA)

900mln Euros in Programs To Reduce Energy Costs

 (Photo credit: janie.hernandez55)

While addressing a conference on "Sustainable Communities in SE Europe" Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis said the achievement of European energy saving targets can reduce costs by 240 billion euros annually at a European level and create 2,000,000 new jobs in the next 10 years.

At the event, which was organized by the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources, Maniatis also presented several programs worth 200 million Euros in support of saving energy initiatives. Moreover, about 700 million Euros in resources have been provided for the energy upgrade of over 65,000 low and middle income Greek households.

 "The programs" said the Minister "aim at improving the municipalities΄ energy efficiency, reducing the budgetary cost of energy and protecting the natural environment through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, improvement of the quality of citizens΄ life, and the creation of new jobs."

Samaras: Adriatic & Ionian Seas, A Strategic Field for Growth & Security

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday presented the Greek presidency's action plan to promote the region of the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas as a strategic field for growth and security, during the opening of an EU conference held in Athens on the issue.

Samaras emphasized that the cooperation for the Adriatic and the Ionian should evolve to an axis of economic cooperation in Europe, underlining that the Greek presidency has put all matters of maritime policies on the agenda, highlighting the geostrategic importance of the sea.

     "The sea has made Europe what it is. Europe has dominated the sea and now it's time to treat it in a strategic way," he said, adding there were still many possibilities for economic growth.

Samaras presented the four principles on which the European strategy would be based: shipping and shipbuilding, the exploitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone, which he said can ensure greater energy independence, the enhancement and improvement of the natural environment and the environment-oriented economy and research as well as the development of tourism across the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas.

     "The sea is an integral part of our European identity, it is a constant challenge and an inexhaustible source of wealth," Samaras said, noting that the strategy for the Adriatic and the Ionian has already given scope for cooperation, development and prosperity. (AMNA)

Can climate change threaten the Winter Olympics?

This is a chart showing former Winter Olympic locations that are climatically suitable for future games. Credit: Daniel Scott, University of Waterloo

Only six of the previous Winter Olympics host cities will be cold enough to reliably host the Games by the end of this century if global warming projections prove accurate. Even with conservative climate projections, only 11 of the previous 19 sites could host the Games in the coming decades, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and Management Center Innsbruck (Austria).

     "The cultural legacy of the world's celebration of winter sport is increasingly at risk," said Professor Daniel Scott, a Canada Research Chair in Global Tourism and lead author of the study. "Fewer and fewer traditional winter sports regions will be able to host a Olympic Winter Games in a warmer world."

The study finds that internationally renowned Olympic sites, such as Squaw Valley (USA), Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany), Vancouver (Canada) and Sochi (Russia) would no longer have climates suitable to reliably host the Games by the middle of the 21st century. With additional warming projected for later decades of this century, as few as six former host locations would remain climatically suitable.

     "This report clearly points out the challenges that lie ahead for the Olympics because of climate change," said Chris Steinkamp, executive director of Protect Our Winters and who was not involved with the study. "It's particularly powerful to see how past Olympic host cities could be impacted under a higher emission scenario, so hopefully this will serve as a wake up call to the IOC and world leaders that major commitments to carbon reductions need to be made."

The need for weather risk management strategies by Olympic organizers has intensified as the average February daytime temperature of Winter Games locations has steadily increased – from 0.4°C at Games held in the 1920-50s, to 3.1°C in Games during the 1960-90s, and 7.8°C in Games held in the 21st century.

     "Today it would be difficult to imagine successfully delivering the diverse Games program exclusively on natural ice and snow, as it was in the early decades of the Olympic Winter Games," said Dr. Robert Steiger of the Management Center Innsbruck.

Weather risk management will become even more important in the coming decades with average February temperatures in past Winter Olympic host locations expected to warm an additional 1.9 to 2.1°C by mid-century and 2.7 to 4.4°C in late century.

The study found that the success of the Games is often partially attributed to favourable weather, while poor weather is highlighted as one of the greatest challenges faced by Olympic Organizing Committees. Weather affects the ability to prepare for the Games and can directly impact outdoor opening and closing ceremonies, fairness of outdoor competitions, spectator comfort, transportation, and visibility and timing of television broadcasts.

The study also examines how technological advancements and strategies developed over several decades have been used to manage weather risk at the Winter Olympics. Technology like snowmaking, track/jump refrigeration and high-resolution weather forecasting are now critical components of staging a successful Winter Games.

     "Despite technological advances, there are limits to what current weather risk management strategies can cope with," said Professor Scott. "By the middle of this century, these limits will be surpassed in some former Winter Olympic host regions."

The study provides an important opportunity for reflection on the long-term implications of global climate change for the world of sport and the world's collective cultural heritage symbolized by the Olympic Movement. It also reveals that for some cities and regions interested in hosting a future Winter Olympics, the time to bid for the games might be sooner than later.

North America Gripped By Polar Vortex

North Pole (credit: Wikipedia)

Timofei Belov (Pravda) - The United States of America is set to face what is known as a Polar Vortex, a large-scale cyclone located near the North Pole sending freezing air circulating thousands of miles away, promising to bring a winter freeze of unprecedented proportions to over one hundred and fifty million Americans.

The center of the current stratospheric Polar Vortex is located near Baffin Island. Just occasionally, the wind flows reach much farther south than usual, and 2014 promises to witness one of these events, the last of which was in 1985. Such events occur when the jet stream develops meanders in its currents of air and a vortex occurs, with warmer air swirling over the Pole, and polar air spiraling southwards.

Is global warming to blame?

Some scientists claim that a reduced snow cover over the Pole reflects less sunlight and so there is an increase in evaporation, altering the air pressure and changing the temperature at the pole. As the polar vortex weakens, it becomes susceptible to changes or meanders in the west-to-east jet stream (the Polar Night Jet), sending cold air swiveling out over larger-than-normal swathes of the northern hemisphere. Low ozone levels have been identified in recent scientific papers as being present in such occurrences.

The polar vortex reaches up from the troposphere (0 to 10 kilometres in altitude), starting at the tropopause (the frontier between the troposphere and stratosphere, around 12 to 15 km), up into the stratosphere (10 to 50 km), through the stratopause (at 50 km.) and into the mesosphere (50 to 90 km). What happens is that the air inside the vortex comes down in a column from the stratosphere and the mesosphere.

At present sweeping over the Great Lakes, the vortex is expected to cover much of the Eastern USA in the coming days.

Inside the vortex, the temperatures reach around 195Kelvin (minus 80 Celsius and minus 112 Fahrenheit). The wind chill factor could send the ground temperatures to as low as minus 70 Celsius. The duration of the cold blast is expected to be several days, less than a week, and there will be a front of warmer air coming in behind.

Greek economic crisis leads to air pollution crisis

In the midst of a winter cold snap, a study from researchers in the United States and Greece reveals an overlooked side effect of economic crisis – dangerous air quality caused by burning cheaper fuel for warmth.

The researchers, led by Constantinos Sioutas of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, show that the concentration of fine air particles in one of Greece's economically hardest hit areas has risen 30 percent since the financial crisis began, leading to potential long-term health effects.

These fine particles – measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter (approximately 1/30th the diameter of a human hair) – are especially dangerous because they can lodge deep into the tissue of lungs, according to the EPA.

     "People need to stay warm, but face decreasing employment and rising fuel costs," explained Sioutas, senior author of the study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology and Fred Champion Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the USC Viterbi School. "The problem is economic hardship has compelled residents to burn low quality fuel, such as wood and waste materials, that pollutes the air."

Unemployment in Greece climbed above 27 percent in 2013. Meanwhile, heating oil prices have nearly tripled in Greece during the Greek financial crisis of the last few years – driven in part by a fuel tax hike. Cold Greeks, it would appear (according to the air quality), have turned to wood as a major fuel source.

In their study, the researchers collected air samples that supported anecdotal evidence of Greek residents burning of wood and trash for heating. Taken over two-month stretches in Winter 2012 and again in Winter 2013, the samples reveal a dramatic increase in airborne fine particles since the beginning of the economic crisis.

The concentration of these particles, which has been linked to increased risk for heart disease and respiratory problems, rose from 26 to 36 micrograms per square meter over the study period, the researchers found. The EPA standard in the United States is an average of 20 micrograms per square meter over a 24-hour period. Worse yet, the concentrations of carcinogenic organic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) increased five-fold during the study period, the researchers found.

The concentration of the particulates was highest in the evening, presumably when more people were burning fuel for warmth, the study found. An analysis of the air samples also showed a two-to-five-fold increase in the airborne concentrations of organic compounds such as levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan, which indicate the burning of biomass. The presence of these compounds has been strongly correlated in past research to oxidative stress in human cells, which is linked to inflammation, aging and the development of age-related diseases.

     "Wood's cheap, but it's having a major negative impact on air quality," Sioutas said. 

The authors recommend active involvement of public authorities and local agencies to implement effective air pollution control strategies. They suggest increasing natural gas distribution in residential areas as a practical long-term solution. Catalytic domestic wood burners and increasing the energy efficiency of existing buildings might be additional possible solutions, according to the report.

Sioutas collaborated with researchers from USC, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Wisconsin-Madison on the study. Arian Saffari, a Provost PhD fellow at the USC Viterbi School, is lead author of the study. The research was funded by the USC Provost, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the City of Thessaloniki Mayor's office.

Drought & Climate Change: An Uncertain Future?

Drought frequency may increase by more than 20% in some regions of the globe by the end of the 21st century, but it is difficult to be more precise as we don't know yet how changes in climate will impact on the world's rivers.

The results come from a study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), which examined computer simulations from an ensemble of state of the art global hydrological models driven by the latest projections from five global climate models used for the fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The research was led by Dr Christel Prudhomme from the UK's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology working with colleagues from the UK, USA, the Netherlands, Germany and Japan.

Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are widely expected to influence global climate over the coming century. The impact on drought is uncertain because of the complexity of the processes but can be estimated using outputs from an ensemble of global hydrological and climate models.

The new study concluded that an increase in global severity of hydrological drought - essentially the proportion of land under drought conditions - is likely by the end of the 21st century, with systematically greater increases if no climate change mitigation policy is implemented.

Under the 'business as usual' scenario (an energy-intensive world due to high population growth and slower rate of technological development), droughts exceeding 40% of analysed land area were projected by nearly half of the simulations carried out. This increase in drought severity has a strong signal to noise ratio at the global scale; this mean we are relatively confident that an increase in drought will happen but we don't know exactly by how much.

Dr Prudhomme said:

     "Our study shows that the different representations of terrestrial water cycle processes in global hydrological models are responsible for a much larger uncertainty in the response of hydrological drought to climate change than previously thought. We don't know how much changed climate patterns will affect the frequency of low flows in rivers."

One important source of uncertainty depends on whether the models allow plants to adapt to enriched carbon dioxide atmosphere. If this is accounted for, the increase in droughts due to warmer climate and changes in precipitation is mitigated by reduced evaporation from plants, because they are more efficient at capturing carbon during photosynthesis. The process of plant adaptation under an enriched carbon dioxide atmosphere is currently absent from the majority of conceptual hydrological models and only considered on a few land surface and ecology models.

Dr Prudhomme added:

     "When assessing the impact of climate change on hydrology it is hence critical to consider a diverse range of hydrological models to better capture the uncertainty."

The study is to be published in a special feature of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that assembles first results of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project, a unique community-driven effort to bring research on climate change impacts to a new level.

High Levels Of Harmful Smog Over Attica Because Of Fireplace Use

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Unprecedented high levels of harmful suspended particles in the atmosphere were noted in the Attica region over the weekend by the air pollution monitoring network of stations, the Environment, Energy and Climate Change ministry announced on Sunday.

Based on forecasts by the National Weather Service, there would be favourable weather conditions for further accumulation of suspended particles in the air until Monday morning, the announcement added.

The ministry appealed to citizens who are living in the Greek capital to limit the use of their fireplaces, thus contributing to protecting Attica residents' health.

Wind Storm Beats Attica, North Gets First Snow, Sharp Drop in Temperatures (VIDEO)

Winter has finally set in all over Greece. On Tuesday trees fell from storm winds in Attica blocking traffic in the Greek capital and leading to hundreds of calls to the fire brigade for help. In the northern part of the country there was a severe drop in temperatures while many cities got their first snow of the season.

In Attica, police officials diverted traffic in Menidi (in the western part of the city) after winds that reached 8 Beaufort uprooted trees, and traffic had to be redirected. In the heart of downtown Athens, and speicifically in the Patisia district, as well as in Piraeus (on Venizelou Street) it was the same scene. Many automobiles got damaged from fallen trees all over the city, where winds reached as much as 10 Beaufort.

In Thessaloniki, temperature fell to 7C, while Florina had flurries and 2C on Tuesday morning and Kozani had rain with 6C. Cars had to use chains to move on rural roads off Kastoria and police advised chains for cars driving to the ski centres of Vassilitsa in Grevena and Kaimaktsalan.

STRANGE - 7 Volcanoes In 6 Countries All Start Erupting Almost At The Same Time

Chris Carrington (Activist Post) - A new island has appeared in the Pacific. A submarine eruption just off Nishino-Shima Island Japan has erupted for the first time in 40 years. The Japanese Navy noticed the explosions as boiling lava met sea water giving rise to plumes of steam and ash.

Almost 7,000 miles away in Mexico, the Colima volcano blew its top after a period of relative calm. A steam and ash cloud rose two miles into the sky and the grumbling of the mountain could be heard in towns a few miles away.

In Guatemala the ‘Fire Mountain’ belched out lava and sent up a moderate ash cloud causing an ash fall over nearby towns. The explosions and shock waves occurring in the volcano can be felt by residents over 6 miles away. Doors and windows are reported to be rattling, but there has been no damage so far.

In Vanuatu the Yasur volcano is giving some cause for concern. Although the explosions are quite weak the continuous ash that is coming from the mountain is starting to build up on farming land.

Over to Italy, Mount Etna is putting on quite a display. The current eruption started a few days ago and has been getting stronger as time moves on. A massive eruption lit up the sky and disturbed residents yesterday. The ash cloud was high enough to see flights canceled. The lava flow was the biggest in years, and the town of Zafferana which lay in its path saw some damage. Lava diverters were put into place, and most of the town escaped unscathed.

n Indonesia a four mile high ash cloud is making life hard for residents. Mount Sinabung came back to life in 2010 after dormancy of hundreds of years. Occasionally coming to life after its 2010 awakening, the rumbling of the volcano prompted the evacuation of over 6000 people as scientists feared a major eruption. There has been no lava flows so far but the ash cloud is growing.

Still in Indonesia but on the island of Java this time, Mount Merapi exploded yesterday. Hundreds of people were killed when it last erupted in 2010. There is no news of casualties at this point.

So, we have eruptions big enough to prompt evacuations. Flights are canceled, and a new island pops up off the coast of Japan. I would have called that newsworthy myself but obviously I’m wrong. If I was right it would have been common knowledge right? Reports may have been on the news right?

So many volcanoes throwing so much gas, ash and particulates into the air can have an effect on climate, this is a scientific fact. I’m not saying that these volcanoes herald the start of a new ice age but the planet certainly seems to be getting a bit more active of late.

Continued large eruptions put a huge amount of particulate matter into the atmosphere, and these particles reflect sunlight away from earth and when there is enough of them the temperatures can drop.

The Mount Pinatubo eruption lowered temperatures by around 0.5°C across the Northern Hemisphere.

Considering that we are in a cooling period anyway, having so many volcanoes going off at the same time is not good. Aside from the devastating effects the lava and ash can have on the lives of those living near to them, the global impacts can be enormous.

Lost crops due to ash fall and lower temperatures can lead to hunger and famine, as happened after the Tambora eruption in 1815.

Economic losses due to lost crops and canceled flights runs into millions of dollars a day, as with the Icelandic eruption of Eyjafjallojkull (pronounced: aya fiat la u cud la) in 2010.

The spasms of the earth come without warning, but at the same time those spasms should be a wake up call to all of us that change can happen in the blink of an eye.

Better be prepared for it.

Sources:

• http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24602#.Uo33TaU0H8t
• http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_11_19/photo-Etna-volcano-shoots-ash-into-sky-in-spectacular-nightime-show-0497/
• http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/vanuatu/yasur/news/38906/Yasur-volcano-Tanna-Island-Vanuatu-activity-update-ash-emissions-weak-strombolian-explosions.html
• http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/fuego/news/38911/Fuego-volcano-Guatemala-increasing-lava-flows.html
• http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=264040

Chris Carrington is a writer, researcher and lecturer with a background in science, technology and environmental studies. Chris is an editor for The Daily Sheeple, where this first appeared. Wake the flock up!

Athens Tests Turfgrass In Shallow Green Roof Substrates

 Rolling acres of turfgrass, Hom Green (credit: Wikipedia)

Green roofs, rooftops covered with vegetation, provide multiple environmental and aesthetic benefits. These "living roofs" are increasing in popularity worldwide. As more cities invest in green roofs, planners are challenged to find plants that can thrive in shallow planting conditions and with minimal maintenance. A new study from researchers in Greece offers recommendations for the use of turfgrass in green roof environments.

Nikolaos Ntoulas, Panayiotis A. Nektarios, and Efthimia Nydrioti from the Department of Crop Science at Agricultural University of Athens published the results of their experiments with Manilagrass in HortScience. Author Nikolaos Ntoulas explained that although turfgrasses meet the three requirements of plants recommended for use in urban environments (aesthetics, function, and recreation), these grasses have seldom been evaluated on extensive green roofs due to their high water demands. Ntoulas and colleagues compared the growth of Zoysia matrella 'Zeon' in two different substrates. They also investigated the impact of increasing either substrate depth or the amount of irrigation on Manilagrass growth and recovery potential during and after moisture deficit periods. The 2-year outdoor study was conducted on a rooftop at the Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture in Athens.

The experiments involved three factors: two substrate types, two substrate depths, and two irrigation regimes replicated five times. "The results showed that, during moisture deficit periods, green turf cover (GTC), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and leaf relative water content (RWC) were most affected by substrate depth, moderately affected by irrigation regime, and, to a lesser extent, by substrate type," the authors said. "Turfgrass growth and physiological status were best during moisture deficit conditions in the deeper profile (15 cm) using the higher amount of irrigation (6 mm) and the locally mixed substrate."

The scientists concluded that substrate depth was the most significant factor that improved growth and drought resistance of Manilagrass; the deeper substrate resulted in improved drought tolerance when compared with the shallow substrate. "However, because load is a crucial issue on green roof construction, if substrate depth must be reduced to 7.5 cm, then irrigation should exceed 6 mm every 3 days to have adequate growth and successfully overcome summer moisture deficit periods," they recommended.

The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/48/7/929.abstract

Hottest Days in Europe Warm Up 4 Times More Than Global Average

Some of the hottest days and coldest nights in parts of Europe have warmed more than four times the global average change since 1950, according to a new paper by researchers from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Warwick, which is published today (11 September 2013) in the journal 'Environmental Research Letters'.

The researchers translated observations of weather into observations of climate change using a gridded dataset of observations stretching back to 1950. The hottest 5 per cent of days in summer have warmed fastest in a band from southern England and northern France to Denmark. By contrast, the average and slightly hotter than average days have warmed most in regions further south in France and Germany. In eastern Spain and central Italy there has been broad warming across all types of days, but in most places those days which are cooler than average have not warmed so much.

The paper points out that some locations and temperature thresholds have seen little change since 1950. The authors suggest that the results highlight the scale of the difference between global change and the local climate changes felt by individuals.

Dr. David Stainforth, the lead author on the paper, said: "Climate is fundamentally the distributions of weather. As climate changes, the distributions change. But they don't just shift, they change shape. How they change shape depends on where you are. In Britain, climate change will feel very different if you live in Northumbria to if you live in Oxfordshire; different again in Devon."

He added: "Our results also illustrate that the international goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to 2°C would involve far greater changes for some places and for some aspects of climate, and therefore for particular individuals, communities and industries."

This paper presents maps of the changing shape of such climatic distributions for summer and winter, daytime and night-time temperatures, across Europe. It uses a new method developed by this interdisciplinary team and reported in a paper by the same authors which was published in the journal 'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society' earlier this year.

Professor Sandra Chapman, another author of the paper, said: "It is common to discuss climate change in terms of changes in global average temperatures but these can be far from people's perceptions of climate change. The results in this paper begin to provide a picture of how local climate has been changing across Europe. It is a picture which is closer to that experienced by individuals."

Dr. Stainforth described the relevance of the work: "Changes in local climate pose challenges for decision makers across society not just when preparing for the climate of the future but even when planning for the climate of today. We need to design buildings so that they don't overheat, decide which are the best crops to plant, and even plan for variations in large scale productivity. These would all benefit from knowledge of how the climate distribution has changed at particular locations. This work begins to provide such information."

The authors expect the research to be of great value for 'climate services', the provision of information which helps organisations prepare for a climate which is already different from the past and will inevitably change more in the future. The World Meteorological Organisation and many national organisations, such as the UK Met Office, are investing substantially in the provision of such information.

In addition to their value for planners making climate sensitive decisions, these results should help researchers understand the way large scale changes in climate can be related to changes at local scales. As part of that process they will provide a valuable reality check when evaluating the results of complicated computer models of the climate system.

The paper also present the results for changes in the frequency of nights which fall below freezing in winter and days which rise above 28 degrees in summer. These are two thresholds which are important for many impacts such as the availability of snow in ski resorts, building design, and labour productivity.

Other regional highlights from the paper include:

A band from southern England / northern France, across the low countries and northern Germany, to Denmark has experienced the greatest increase in temperatures in the hottest summer days. In this band, the hottest 5 per cent of days have got hotter by more than 2°C in many places.

The region of greatest change in average summer daytime temperatures is further south in central France and Germany.

Most regions of Europe have seen little change in the temperatures of the coolest summer days although in eastern Spain and central Italy these days have warmed along with all other types of summer days. Average temperature days in these regions of eastern Spain and central Italy have warmed by more than 2°C in many locations.

The results show little warming in summer daytime temperatures for most locations in Norway and Sweden, for all types of summer days – hot, average and cool.

In Europe, the coldest 5 per cent of winter nights have warmed most in eastern France, western Germany and Belgium where changes of over 2 or even 2.5°C are not uncommon. The coldest 5 per cent of winter days have not changed as much in these regions but in northern Italy and the Balkans changes of over 1.5 or 2°C are seen in the data.

In Spain and much of Italy there has been little change in winter night time temperatures of all types – warm, average and cool.

In Norway and Sweden many regions have seen large (> 2°C) changes in winter night time temperatures for average and colder than average nights. Warmer than average nights in this region have warmed less.

In the United Kingdom the frequency of nights which fall below zero has decreased most substantially in the north east where reductions of at least 10 per cent are seen in the observations for some locations.

Can solar energy help save Greece?

Anthropological analysis in 'Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy' puts perspective on solar sector's potential role in recovery

What happens to renewable energy programs in a country that gets whacked by a full-scale debt crisis, like the one that struck Greece beginning in 2009 -- do the programs whither and die in the winds of austerity? And how do people view such programs when many of them can't afford to heat their houses?

The answers to these two questions are actually linked, according to a new analysis in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, which is produced by AIP Publishing.

Renewable energy programs, particularly solar, may be more relevant than ever in Greece and could lower domestic energy costs while providing an export commodity that would help to ameliorate the economic crisis -- but only if public concerns are addressed, according to Daniel Knight of the London School of Economics, who did the analysis with Sandra Bell of Durham University in the U.K.

Knight and Bell found that one of the major unmet challenges facing the solar industry in Greece is a public that has become dubious of programs that involve international companies, foreign government and banking forces outside their borders. Addressing those public concerns is crucial to realizing solar's potential, said Knight.
     "It is necessary to understand not only the role of government policy but also to think about social relations and historical consciousness among Greeks," Knight said.

Perspective on the Greek Street: What Policy Makers Need to Understand

When the global recession spilled over up into a full-scale national debt crisis in 2010, Greece was squeezed by oil and gas prices that were reaching record highs while household incomes were falling fast. Parts of the country were returned to pre-modernity almost overnight, Knight said.

The effects of the crisis as felt were also profound. Today many Greeks can no longer afford to run cars, cook dinner or heat their homes, and last winter people regularly burned old furniture, clothes and plastics to stay warm. The illegal harvesting of firewood is rampant and environmentally-destructive lignite ('dirty coal') is the primary source of energy in Greece, he added.

Applying the methods of anthropology research, Knight lived with locals in central Greece for extended periods over the past two years to understand the influence of communities on renewable energy initiatives in Greece and both he and Bell interviewed homeowners, farmers, local government officials, engineers and renewable energy entrepreneurs, scrubbed archives and tracked media stories.

Many of the people they spoke with, including some energy providers and wholesalers, acknowledge that Greek solar initiatives in their current form are unsustainable and that policy changes will be needed in the future. But they also found that the government and the European Union (EU) as a whole are very poor at communicating policy to the local level, leaving people to discover energy initiatives by word of mouth.

Historically this has caused solar power to be clouded by suspicion, as many mainstream Greeks have feared that a rapidly privatizing energy sector would come to exploit them. Some people they spoke with said that they already felt compelled to put solar panels on their agricultural land, due to strict EU, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank austerity measures.

These sorts of fears are not helped by overlapping national and EU policies that are changing constantly, Knight said, and a general failure to communicate such changes to people at the local level.

     "Resistance to renewable energy programs and policies is often deeply rooted in local history and culture," Knight said, "and this context must be appreciated if solar initiatives are to be successful and sustainable in the long-term."

The article, "Pandora's Box: photovoltaic energy and economic crisis in Greece" by Daniel Knight and Sandra Bell appears in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. See: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4807477

"CoralWarm" European project for study on coral reefs and global warming

The European Research Council (ERC), an agency supporting cutting-edge research in the EU, has awarded a grant of more than three million Euros to conduct a study on corals and global warming to Zvy Dubinsky, a leading researcher of aquatic photosynthesis at Bar-Ilan University's Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, and coral biologist Stefano Goffredo and Guiseppe Falini, an expert in bio-mineralization, of Italy's University of Bologna, as well as a team of scientists including Luca Pasquini, of the University of Bologna, and Oren Levy, a molecular biologist at Bar-Ilan.

Palestinian scientists and students from Al-Quds University will also collaborate on the project.

The project, entitled "Corals and global warming: the Mediterranean versus the Red Sea (CoralWarm)", will be carried out over a period of five years. The main goal of the project is to create a mathematical model which will enable scientists to foresee how Mediterranean and tropical coral reefs will change over the next 50-100 years, following temperature and acidity increase, as forecasted by IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Scientists involved in the project will collect data about Meditteranean and Red Sea key coral species. All the data collected from the stations during Scuba dives will then be analyzed from different approaches: the chemical, bio-molecular, physiological and morphological aspects. Additional data will be collected via corals raised in aquaria at Bar-Ilan University. All of the data will help understand how coral populations will change in relation to solar radiation and pH variations.

Corals are major bio-constructors on earth. They build tri-dimensional habitats, which then host the rest of the food chain actors. That's why a coral reef reduction or deterioration will cause major effects not only on the environment, but also to the economy. The negative effects will affect fishery, tourism and also the protection of coastlines that is now guaranteed by tropical coral reef.

CO2 Degassing From Hydrothermal Vents In Aegean Sea

The Kolumbo lies about 8 km northeast of Cape Kolumbo, Santorini Island and I an active underwater volcano in the Aegean Sea. This is one of the largest underwater volcanoes in the world but has not seen any major eruptions for a long time. credit top 10 list

Hydrothermal vents in the crater of Kolumbo submarine volcano (Aegean Sea) are discharging carbon dioxide together with fluids at temperatures up to 220 degrees C. The gas is dissolving into seawater close to the bottom, leading to significant acidification of the water inside the crater with pH levels down to 5.0.

This water is trapped within the bowl-shaped crater because of its increased density associated with high carbon dioxide contents. Lack of abundant macrofauna at the Kolumbo hydrothermal vents and the occurrence of carbonate-poor sediment in the crater appear to be consequences of this local anomaly in ocean acidification.

These sites provide important opportunities to study the composition of gases released to the ocean and their contribution to the global carbon flux. Build-up of CO2-rich water in the bowl-shaped crater of Kolumbo may be producing hazardous conditions analogous to some African volcanic lakes (Monoun and Nyos) where overturn of gas-rich bottom waters led to abrupt releases of CO2 at the surface.

Water samples collected near the floor of Kolumbo volcano released gas when they were brought to the surface and exposed to atmospheric pressure. A minimum estimate of 1.4 by 105 cubic meters of excess CO2 may exist in the bottom 10 meters of the Kolumbo crater.

CRETE - Attempt To Break Guinness Book of Records For Mass Release of Vultures

Ten vultures who had suffered poisoning and were treated at the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital on the island of Aegina, are going to finally be released back into the wild on Saturday and once done it could mean a new world record. Authorities claim that the birds are to be released at 11.30 a.m. in the area of Archanes. Apparently organizers have applied for the event to be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest mass release of vultures of its sort in world history. Will they be successful? Guess we just have to wait until the weekend to find out.