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Ring of Fire in the Sky: Storm Clouds Form an Astonishing Circle at Sunset in Hungary


The Daily Mail
Wed, 26 May 2010 12:02 UTC
shelf cloud
© EPA
Shelf cloud forms a vast ring of Gyoer, 70 miles west of Budapest, following a torrential shower and hail storm.
A circle of clouds forms a ring of fire above the Hungarian countryside as the sun sets after a day of torrential rain and hail storms which brought havoc to the country and much of central Europe.

This dramatic picture was taken after more than 2,000 people were forced from their homes in northern Hungary as flash floods triggered by heavy weekend rains blocked off villages and cut power in parts of the country.

Unusually bad weather, with heavy gusts of wind and two months' worth of rain in some areas, sent water levels surging to record highs on smaller rivers.

'It's hard to predict when the situation will normalise because of the weather, we have not seen such floods in the valleys of the rivers Sajo and Hernad since 1974,' said Csaba Csont, a spokesman for the water management authority in northern Hungary.
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Igloo

India: 25 Bakkarwals Perish in Snowstorm, Many Missing


Kashmir Observer
Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:56 UTC
Jammu - At least 25 members of Bakkarwal tribe, including women and children, were feared killed along with their livestock while several others are reportedly missing after unprecedented snowstorm in Kishtwar district, official sources today said.

Several nomad families at various migration routes in upper reaches of Kishtwar were reportedly missing since untimely heavy snowfall and rain struck the Pir Panjal mountain ranges last week, UNI said quoting a senior police officer who requesting anonymity.

As per official assessment, over 4,000 cattle, including goats, sheep, horses, cows and buffaloes, have been killed due to a turbulent weather on May 27, 28 last month in inaccessible high reaches of Warwan, the officer said.

"Exact number of people killed in this natural disaster in Warwan area, which connects Kishtwar to Kargil (Ladakh area), could be known only after the administration teams reach the places,'' the officer said, asserting that it takes three days to reach the locations where the deaths of nomadic Bakkarwals have been reported and there is no telecommunication facility in the area.

"So far we can just say several nomadic families are missing as we have not been able to establish contact with them,'' the officer said.
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Umbrella

Japan: Mystery of falling tadpoles returns


The Japan Times Online
Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:40 UTC
tadpoles
© Kyodo Photo
Out of their element: Tochigi resident Takao Nagano shows off tadpoles he claims fell from the sky Monday.
Utsunomuya, Tochigi Pref. (Kyodo) - The mystery of the raining tadpoles is back.

On Monday morning, a man working in a field in front of his house in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, reported that he found about 10 tadpoles, which he suspects fell from the sky.

Since last June, tadpoles falling from the sky have been reported in Ishikawa, Miyagi and Saitama prefectures. While some experts believe the tadpoles are dropped by birds, other lay the blame on tornadoes.

At around 8:30 a.m. Monday, Takao Nagano, 65, said he heard the sound of something dropping to the ground while he was planting melon seedlings in his field. He initially thought it was hail, but when he looked up the sky was clear, he said.

Then he found the tadpoles, each measuring about 2 cm, on the ground. Some were still moving, he said, noting they lying about 40 cm apart, almost in a straight line.

"Since the tadpoles had left a clear impression in the ground, they must have fallen from a great height," he said, adding that he didn't see any birds or airplanes flying over at the time.
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Bizarro Earth

Dying, dead marine wildlife paint dark, morbid picture of Gulf Coast following oil spill

Matthew Lysiak and Helen Kennedy
Daily News
Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:52 UTC
Carcass of a decomposing dolphin
© DelMundo
Carcass of a decomposing dolphin on rocks at Queen Bess Island in Gulf of Mexico.

Here's what President Obama didn't see when he visited the Gulf Coast: a dead dolphin rotting in the shore weeds.

"When we found this dolphin it was filled with oil. Oil was just pouring out of it. It was the saddest darn thing to look at," said a BP contract worker who took the Daily News on a surreptitious tour of the wildlife disaster unfolding in Louisiana.

His motive: simple outrage.

"There is a lot of coverup for BP. They specifically informed us that they don't want these pictures of the dead animals. They know the ocean will wipe away most of the evidence. It's important to me that people know the truth about what's going on here," the contractor said.

"The things I've seen: They just aren't right. All the life out here is just full of oil. I'm going to show you what BP never showed the President."
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Bizarro Earth

Mother of all gushers - BP Oil Disaster in Gulf of Mexico - A Timeline

Niall Bradley and Richard Sawyer
Sott.net
Mon, 31 May 2010 11:03 UTC
Image
© Gerald Herbert/AP
We are in deep water
"This is the Seventh Sign: You will hear of the sea turning black, and many living things dying because of it."

White Feather, a Hopi of the ancient Bear Clan.
On Wednesday 21st April an explosion rocked an offshore oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, sending a column of fire into the sky and claiming the lives of 11 oil workers. 52 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana, Deepwater Horizon was built in 2001 by Hyundai Heavy Industries Shipyard in South Korea. It was owned by Houston based Transocean Ltd, under contract to British Petroleum Plc. Almost immediately a federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of one of the victims in New Orleans, Louisiana, alleging the companies connected to the oil rig explosion were negligent.

The mainstream media has been performing consistently in downplaying just how catastrophic this disaster is, for marine life in the Gulf of Mexico, for inhabitants along the coast and, depending on how this plays out, possibly for the entire planet. Never before has the blind greed of so few been so immediately damaging and obvious to so many. Let us hope that the shock, revulsion and anger generated by this truly catastrophic event inspires masses of people to see how the psychopaths that rule our world guide humanity's destructive trajectory towards oblivion for all life on Planet Earth.
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Binoculars

Squirrels Show Softer Side by Adopting Orphans, Study Finds


ScienceDaily
Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00 UTC
Image
© Ryan W. Taylor
A female North American red squirrel moves a newborn pup to a new nest.
Those neighbourhood squirrels you often see fighting over food may not seem altruistic, but new University of Guelph research has found that the critters will actually take in orphaned relatives.

The study by Guelph Prof. Andrew McAdam, along with researchers from the University of Alberta and McGill University, revealed that red squirrels will adopt pups that have lost their mother.

It's a significant finding because while such adoptions are typical among species that live in extended family groups, it's much less common among asocial animals, such as squirrels.
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Sherlock

Diver Reveals Eerie Underwater World of Ice-Filled Alpine Lake


The Daily Mail
Mon, 31 May 2010 08:53 UTC
Image
© Franco Banfi/Barcroft Media
A scuba diver explores the eerie underwater world of an ice cave in Lake Sassolo, Switzerland
These stunning shots show the beautiful and eerie underwater world of a Swiss ice-filled Alpine lake.

Taken in Lake Sassolo, close to the southern border with Italy, these were taken by diving photographer Franco Banfi.

Although the high altitude region is known for its sunny weather, the lake was formed by the run-off of the Alps surrounding it.

The giant ice structures dwarf the tiny divers as they explore the nooks and crannies of the icebergs.

The pictures show the lake's massive ice formations, smoothed by the flow of the water into unusual formations.

In one shot there even seems to be a face peeking out of the ice to greet the divers.
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Bizarro Earth

Vanuatu's Volcano Causing Havoc


TVNZ
Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:23 UTC
Mt Yasur
© NZPA
Tourists climb Mt Yasur while a dense cloud of ash and smoke spews from the crater during volcanic activity on Tanna Island, Vanuatu.
Ash belching from a Vanuatu volcano is an increasing health threat to islanders and their water supplies.

The cloud from erupting Mount Yasur has billowed some 1,800 metres high and affected flights in neighbouring New Caledonia.

Tourists have been banned from the scenic spot under persistent bombardment from lava and burning rocks.

Government officials have visited the island of Tanna to assess the overall impact of the eruption.

"They have come across some experiences where young children have gone through like headache, stomach ache," Donald Manses, operations officer for the Vanuatu Disaster Management Office, told Radio New Zealand.

"They have found out also that the water is contaminated."
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Frog

World's 'number one frog' faces extinction from New Zealand government

Jeremy Hance
MongaBay.com
Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:36 UTC
Image
© Unknown
Archey's frog
Archey's frog is a survivor: virtually unchanged evolutionarily for 150 million years, the species has survived the comet that decimated the dinosaurs, the Ice Age, and the splitting of continents. Seventy million years ago New Zealand broke away from Australia, essentially isolating Archey's frog and its relatives from all predatory mammals. Yet, if the New Zealand government has its way this species may not survive the century, let alone the next few decades.

The New Zealand government has put forward a controversial proposal to begin opening three of the nation's protected areas to mining: Great Barrier Island, Paparoa National Park, and Coromandel Peninsula where the last populations of Archey's frogs live. According to critics, the government's proposal could push Archey's frog toward extinction, while negatively impacting a number of other endangered species, beloved wild lands, and a nation driven by tourism.
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Light Saber

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary says ash cloud 'was mythical'


Irish Independent
Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:46 UTC
Image
© Getty Images
Michael O' Leary said the volcanic ash cloud was 'mythical.'
Michael O'Leary has refused to soften his stance on compensation as he admitted the volcanic ash cloud cost the airline around €50m.

Ryanair's chief executive said his airline was gearing up for a legal challenge against "unfair" EU regulations, which forced carriers to cover the costs of refreshments and accommodation for passengers who could not get home.

Mr O'Leary said the firm planned to use the top 20 "most ludicrous" claims as part of a test case in the courts. He said one customer stranded in the Canary Isles, hoping to return to Dublin, put in a claim for €3,000 for a luxury apartment.

The outspoken boss said the "mythical" cloud had left his business with a bill of around €50m so far.

"There was no ash cloud," he told a press conference on Tuesday. "It was mythical. We've not been able to find it." He went on: "It's become evident the airspace closure was completely unnecessary."

Mr O'Leary blamed the "incompetence" of the Met Office for identifying an ash cloud "that just wasn't there".
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