Earth ChangesS


Attention

Diver killed by shark off the coast of South Africa


IOL
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 13:00 UTC
Shark attacks
NSRI Shelley Beach, NSRI Port Edward and Police Search and Rescue were activated following reports of a scuba diver missing during a dive at the Northern Pinnacle, Protea Banks on the South Coast.

The body of a man, believed to have been bitten by a shark, was later recovered.

According to fellow divers among a group on a charter scuba dive, they had been surfacing from a dive when they realised one of their group had disappeared.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the NSRI Shelly Beach sea rescue craft Caltex Challenger and Spirit of Dawn, the NSRI Port Edward sea rescue craft Wild Coast Sun Rescuer and a Police Search and Rescue boat launched to join a search operation already underway by multiple private boats.

"On arrival on the scene a co-ordinated search, assisted also by the Transnet National Ports Authority, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, NSRI Durban and Telkom Maritime Radio Services, continued."
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Attention

Researchers to study dead right whale found in Cape Cod Bay

Jason Kolnos and Mary Ann Bragg
Cape Cod Times
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 09:19 UTC
dead whale
A day after a new record sighting of North Atlantic right whales was recorded in Cape Cod Bay, a female whale was found dead in the area Thursday, striking another blow to the endangered species.

"We lost one today," said Charles "Stormy" Mayo, right whale habitat expert at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown.

For much of the day, researchers believed the dead animal was a right whale calf. Only four North Atlantic right whale calves have been documented in this winter's calving season. By early evening, however, the size of the cetacean indicated she was likely an adult.

"It looks too big to be a calf," Mayo said in a phone interview after the whale had been removed from the water at Northside Marina in Sesuit Harbor. "I'm inclined to think it's not a calf."

Since there are only 524 North Atlantic right whales in the world, the death of any member of this species is concerning for researchers, Mayo said. That this one was a female is particularly worrisome, he said.
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Attention

Elephant kills mahout in Tamil Nadu, India


The Hindu
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 08:39 UTC
Charging elephant
© GettyCharging elephant
An elephant trampled its mahout to death near Marthandam on Tuesday.

Police said the mahout, Prasanth (22) of Ananthamangalam, was returning home with the elephant being reared by an individual from Unnamalaikadai near Marthandam after participating in a temple festival at Nattalam.

When they were crossing Nallikulam, the pachyderm suddenly got agitated, dislodged Prasanth from its back and trampled him.

Prasanth, who sustained serious injuries, was rushed to a hospital, but he died on the way.

The body was sent to Kuzhithurai Government Hospital for a post-mortem.

Marthandam police have registered a case.
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Ice Cube

Proof cosmic rays are changing Earth's weather: Mini Ice Age 2015-2035

Adapt 2030
You Tube
Fri, 14 Apr 2017 08:33 UTC
Snow
© KTVL/Libby Dowsett
Svensmark's research into increasing cosmic rays and low cloud layer formation dovetails perfectly with the increase of the Grand Solar Minimum as our Sun enters a weakened activity state in its 400 year cycle. So if this is coming to fruition we should see record floods, snows and unusual out of season precipitation events intensifying globally. These are the six examples from last week.


Sources
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Fish

Thousands of dead perch found in Lake Michigan

Kris Millgate
Fox News
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 19:35 UTC
The perch in Lake Michigan may have died from a phenomenon known as
© Illinois Department of Natural Resources The perch in Lake Michigan may have died from a phenomenon known as "upwelling."
Thousands of dead perch in Lake Michigan raised alarm among fishermen last week.

CBS Chicago reports that anglers found the dead fish at an old dock, a popular local fishing spot. Photos of the scene were then passed on to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for investigation. Meanwhile, gulls and fish-eating ducks quickly devoured the perch, cleaning up the mess.

But though the fish may be gone, the mystery of their deaths remains.

According to WGN, authorities believe a phenomenon known as upwelling, or turnover, may be to blame for the die-off. Upwelling occurs when deep, cold water rises to the surface, displacing the warmer, nutrient-depleted water above. As the cold water ascends, fish are often drawn upward as well, which may explain why the perch surfaced.
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Arrow Down

Massive sinkhole leads to closing of part of Highway 25 in Lanaudière, Quebec


Montreal Gazette.
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 19:00 UTC
Sinkhole alongside Highway 25 in Lanaudière
© Pascal RobidasSinkhole alongside Highway 25 in Lanaudière
A large hole - nine meters in diameter and seven meters deep - has opened up next to Highway 25 in the Lanaudière region.

Transport Quebec has closed the highway in both directions around exit 44 near Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, about 50 kilometres north of Montreal.

Drivers detoured onto side roads caused significant traffic congestion Thursday morning.

The southbound portion of the highway has been closed since the cave-in was discovered on Friday morning. The northbound section was closed late Thursday night, said Transport Quebec spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun.
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Binoculars

Over a quarter of the UK's birds are at risk of extinction or steep decline

Harry Pettit
Daily Mail
Tue, 11 Apr 2017 17:45 UTC
The curlew, Europe's largest and most distinctive wading bird, is among those added to the red list, with numbers falling 64 per cent from 1970 to 2014
The curlew, Europe's largest and most distinctive wading bird, is among those added to the red list, with numbers falling 64 per cent from 1970 to 2014
More than a quarter of the UK's birds are struggling to survive, with species including curlews and puffins now joining the at-risk list, according to a new report.

Entries to the UK's 'red list' of endangered birds - those in urgent need of conservation - have swelled to 67 species out of a possible 247.

Since the last review in 2009, 15 new species have been added to the list, which is reserved for species in danger of extinction or that have seen a sharp drop in population or habitat in recent years.

The report comes from the RSPB, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), together with UK government conservation agencies.

The curlew, Europe's largest and most distinctive wading bird, is among those added to the red list, with numbers falling 64 per cent from 1970 to 2014.
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Butterfly

UK butterfly population crashes; fourth worst year on record


Butterfly Conservation.
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 17:25 UTC
Heath Fritillary
Heath Fritillary
UK butterflies suffered their fourth worst year on record in 2016 with the majority of species experiencing a decline in numbers, a study has revealed.

A mild winter followed by a cold spring contributed to conditions that saw both rare and widespread species struggle despite many parts of the UK enjoying a warm and dry summer.

Some 40 of the 57 species studied recorded a decline compared with 2015, the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) led by Butterfly Conservation, the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) revealed.

The highly threatened Heath Fritillary had its worst year on record for the second year running, while the Grizzled Skipper, Wall, Grayling, White-letter Hairstreak and White Admiral all recorded their worst ever years.

The Heath Fritillary, restricted to just a handful of sites in southern England, saw numbers slump by 27% compared to 2015. This ongoing decline raises fears for the long-term future of the butterfly whose numbers have fallen by 82% in the last decade.

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Wolf

Toddler hospitalized after pit bull attack in Elmwood Place, Ohio


wcpo.com
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 12:30 UTC
Dog attack
A toddler was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Wednesday night after a dog attacked her in her own back yard, according to police.

Keith McAfee said he was helping his cousin with yardwork nearby when he heard the sound of the girl's screaming.

"The next thing I see is a black pit bull had a little girl on the ground. (It) was basically shaking her around like she was a rag doll," he said.

He said he approached the dog and attempted to scare it away, but it continued to attack the girl. She only escaped, according to McAfee, when her mother stepped in to grab her and run. Multiple witnesses had called police, and the girl was taken to Children's Hospital in an ambulance.

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Arrow Up

Horse rescued from 14-feet deep sinkhole in Kittitas County, Washington


Komo News
Thu, 13 Apr 2017 11:45 UTC
Kittitas County firefighters helped rescue a horse after it fell into a sinkhole Tuesday evening, April 11, 2017.
© Lt. Crystal Campbell, Kittitas Co. Fire District #7Kittitas County firefighters helped rescue a horse after it fell into a sinkhole Tuesday evening, April 11, 2017.
Firefighters from Kittitas County Fire District #7 helped rescue a horse after it fell into a 14-feet deep sinkhole Tuesday evening.

The owner found the animal stuck in the sinkhole on his property on Book Lane, about eight miles west of Cle Elum off I-90, and called for help.

Firefighters said the sinkhole was about five feet wide at the surface and about 10 to 12 feet wide underground.

They helped harness and lower a veterinarian into the sinkhole to check on the horse named Copper.

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