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The Texas power grid operator has scrambled this week to meet soaring electricity demand in the face of a brutal heat wave, and residents of the second most populous U.S. state are one power plant shut-down away from rolling blackouts.
Power demand for Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc, or ERCOT, which runs the power grid for most of the state, hit three consecutive records this week as Texans cranked up air conditioners to escape one of the hottest summers on record.
The grid operator on Thursday cut power to some big industrial users, and businesses and households face a repeat of the rolling blackouts they faced in February, when a bitter cold snap interrupted power supplies.
Though ERCOT has done a good job balancing supply and demand, "You always have to expect the unexpected can happen," said Arshad Mansoor, senior vice president at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). "A unit can shut. The wind may not blow."
It's been a year of extreme weather for the Lone Star State, already suffering from the worst drought on record.
Read the original at The Examiner
Betty Doud, a painter who lives in one of the hardest-hit areas from the BP oil spill, spoke again to Examiner this week. She had posted a video on Facebook that showed some horrifically large tar "balls" that had washed up on the beach. These weren't balls - they were huge chunks, like dried petroleum bowling balls.
Examiner asked Betty if she'd respond to some questions. She ended up writing a thorough report of what she observed over just the past few days. Here's what she had to say (this has only been lightly edited for clarity):
© Betty Doud, July 30, 2011Huge tar chunk found by Betty Doud at Grand Isle. Some chunks were bigger than her foot.
Examiner asked Betty if she'd respond to some questions. She ended up writing a thorough report of what she observed over just the past few days. Here's what she had to say (this has only been lightly edited for clarity):
'Andre' even got help from a dentist who installed braces to close gashes
When rescued, he had a collapsed lung, pneumonia and holes in his shell that exposed his spinal cord and allowed in several pounds of sand - as well as a crab. Thirteen months later, and after surgeries that included braces to close gashes, he's a free turtle.
A sea turtle, to be more precise, one from an endangered species whose chances of bouncing back just got a little bit better.
When rescued, he had a collapsed lung, pneumonia and holes in his shell that exposed his spinal cord and allowed in several pounds of sand - as well as a crab. Thirteen months later, and after surgeries that included braces to close gashes, he's a free turtle.
A sea turtle, to be more precise, one from an endangered species whose chances of bouncing back just got a little bit better.
© NOAATropical Storm Emily on August 3 from NOAA's geostationary satellite GOES-EAST.
This year's hurricane season could be even more active than originally forecast, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NOAA issued its updated 2011 Atlantic hurricane season forecast today (Aug. 4), raising the number of expected named storms from its preseason outlook issued in May. The new forecast calls for 14 to 19 named storms (which include tropical storms and hurricanes), seven to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). The previous forecast called for 12 to 18 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes.
"The atmosphere and Atlantic Ocean are primed for high hurricane activity during August through October," said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "Storms through October will form more frequently and become more intense than we've seen so far this season."
The climate continues to show signs of an active season ahead. Exceptionally warm Atlantic Ocean temperatures (the third warmest on record), the possible redevelopment of La Niña and reduced vertical wind shear (which tends to cut off storm circulation) and lower air pressure across the tropical Atlantic all favor an active season.
The authorities were unable to explain the causes of the fissure in the ground measuring about 200 meters.
Fear, disbelief and surprise are some of the expressions of the neighbors in the south east of the city who see a large crack was created in front of their homes. The issue has concerned neighbors, who called on the authorities to go to the site and verify field causes strange phenomenon.
Until the area became ONEMI staff, Sernageomin, Aguas del Altiplano and the police, who cordoned off the affected site, located in a vacant lot of 1.700m2 Tucapel dividing populations VII and Villa Primavera, road frontage Ignacio Vergara (Spring) and William Source (Tucapel VII).
Franz was Schmauck, regional director of ONEMI, who said he is still working to determine the causes of the fact that last night was only a small area, and today dawned older residents said, with 170 meters and a width that reaches 10 cm. It is expected that the next few hours of awareness of the technical report to confirm the cause, however there is talk of a possible leak of water that would have caused the softening of the soil saline.
Fear, disbelief and surprise are some of the expressions of the neighbors in the south east of the city who see a large crack was created in front of their homes. The issue has concerned neighbors, who called on the authorities to go to the site and verify field causes strange phenomenon.
Until the area became ONEMI staff, Sernageomin, Aguas del Altiplano and the police, who cordoned off the affected site, located in a vacant lot of 1.700m2 Tucapel dividing populations VII and Villa Primavera, road frontage Ignacio Vergara (Spring) and William Source (Tucapel VII).
Franz was Schmauck, regional director of ONEMI, who said he is still working to determine the causes of the fact that last night was only a small area, and today dawned older residents said, with 170 meters and a width that reaches 10 cm. It is expected that the next few hours of awareness of the technical report to confirm the cause, however there is talk of a possible leak of water that would have caused the softening of the soil saline.
© Poleshift Ning.com
© USGSEarthquake Location
Thursday, August 04, 2011 at 13:51:36 UTC
Friday, August 05, 2011 at 01:51:36 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location:
48.784°N, 154.835°E
Depth:
49 km (30.4 miles)
Region:
KURIL ISLANDS
Distances:
230 km (142 miles) SSW of Severo-Kuril'sk, Kuril Islands, Russia
542 km (336 miles) SSW of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia
659 km (409 miles) NE of Kuril'sk, Kuril Islands
1907 km (1184 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan
© n/aGordon Edwards, president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, says that while radiation coming from Fukushima will lead to higher cancer rates in Canadian, the risk posed to individuals is very small.
In fact, there was reason to worry. Health Canada detected massive amounts of radioactive material from Fukushima in Canadian air in March and April at monitoring stations across the country.
The level of radioactive iodine spiked above the federal maximum allowed limit in the air at four of the five sites where Health Canada monitors levels of specific radioisotopes.
On March 18, seven days after an earthquake and tsunami triggered eventual nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan, the first radioactive material wafted over the Victoria suburb of Sidney on Vancouver Island.
The Maine Department of Transportation is going to use an underground camera to help determine what caused an 8-foot by 10-foot sinkhole to form in a U.S. Route 1 intersection in Ellsworth before making a permanent fix.
Department of Transportation crews filled the hole with gravel early Tuesday after the hole formed following a Monday night storm.
Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Latti says an old, underground drainage system was undermined during the storm. The hole was filled with 10 yards of gravel.
Latti tells the Bangor Daily News officials will make a more permanent repair, but they want to diagnose the problem properly first. So they're going to use an underground camera to investigate the drainage system.
Source: The Associated Press
Department of Transportation crews filled the hole with gravel early Tuesday after the hole formed following a Monday night storm.
Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Latti says an old, underground drainage system was undermined during the storm. The hole was filled with 10 yards of gravel.
Latti tells the Bangor Daily News officials will make a more permanent repair, but they want to diagnose the problem properly first. So they're going to use an underground camera to investigate the drainage system.
Source: The Associated Press
© Anchorage Daily News
The Alaska Volcano Observatory reports "heightened or escalated unrest" and the possibility of an eruption at the 5,676-foot volcano, according to the observatory's website.
Cleveland Volcano comprises the western half of Chuginidak Island, which sits about 115 miles west of Dutch Harbor and 950 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Satellite data and visual observations in late July revealed a lava dome about 140 feet in diameter growing in the volcano's crater, said volcanologist Chris Waythomas. The dome grew another 10 feet or so between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the observatory.
"Sometimes lava domes like that can be explosive and lead to ash production," Waythomas said.
The volcano observatory raised the advisory status from "advisory" to "watch" and the aviation warning level from yellow to orange.
© UnknownIraq Hit By Extreme Weather As Temperature Reaches 52 Degrees Celsius
With a humidity of five percent and winds with a speed of about 9 kilometres (2.6 miles) per hour, temperatures reached 52 degrees Celsius (125.6 degrees Fahrenheit) at Ali Air Base near the city of Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar Governorate. The record temperature was recorded at around 1 p.m. local time.
Others parts of Iraq also experienced extreme heat on Tuesday, including in Al Diwaniyah where forecasters said the temperature could still reach 53 degrees Celsius (127.4 degrees Fahrenheit) later in the day. In Baghdad, the country's capital, temperatures reached 51 degrees Celsius (123.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
