Earth ChangesS


Red Flag

Dangerous sea level rise on U.S. East Coast reported by scientists


Sputnik
Wed, 25 Feb 2015 23:59 UTC
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© AP Photo/Richard Drew
Sea levels along North America's northeastern coast experienced a record rise from 2009 to 2010, according to a report by a team of scientists in the United States.

From New York to Newfoundland, coastal waters rose by as much as 128 millimeters - more than five inches - over the two-year span, states the report, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Nature Communications.

"The extreme sea level rise event during 2009-10 along the northeast coast of North America is unprecedented during the past century," Professor Jianjun Yin of the University of Arizona told BBC News.

"Statistical analysis indicates that it is a 1-in-850 year event."

The extreme rise caused flooding all along the northeast coast, and as far south as Cape Hatteras off the coast of North Carolina, Phys.org reported.

Comment: Coastal communities appear to be very unsafe areas to reside at this time. It would be safer for most individuals to move inland to avoid the threat of flooding that coastlines are experiencing.

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Cloud Precipitation

15,000 evacuated following flooding in the Dominican Republic

Richard Davies
floodlist.com
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 23:04 UTC
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Floods in Dominican Republic
Heavy rain and floods have prompted emergency authorities in the Dominican Republic to evacuated over 15,000 people, mostly in the country's north and eastern regions.

Over 70 mm of rain fell in 24 hours between 20 and 21 February in Savana de la Mar, a town in the Hato Mayor province of the Dominican Republic. Puerto Plata in the northern province Puerto Plata, saw 53.7 mm during the same period. The following day the Las Americas airport area close to Santo Domnigo saw 58.9mm of rain.

The worst affected districts are Puerto Plata, Espaillat and María Trinidad Sánchez, which as of yesterday were under red flood alert, while Santiago, Duarte, Sanchez Ramirez and Hermanas Mirabal were on yellow flood alert.

The heavy rain caused rivers to overflow. Damage has been reported to crops and roads, as well as one bridge.

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Cloud Precipitation

It's raining glyphosate! Toxic herbicide found in over 75% of air and rain samples

Christina Sarich
Natural Society
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 15:43 UTC
crop sprayer
© unknown
A new study proves just how invasive Monsanto's best selling chemicals are, revealing how herbicide toxins are appearing in 75% of rain and air samples.

Take a deep breath. Thanks to the massive use of herbicides across the planet, you likely just inhaled a dose of Monsanto's best-selling herbicide, Round Up - at least according to the latest US Geological Survey published in the journal Enviromental Toxicology and Chemistry.

The chemical ingredient used in Round Up, known as glyphosate, as well as other 'inert' toxic chemicals, were found in over 75% of the air and rain samples tested from Mississippi in 2007 - a large river that cuts through the middle of the US, and is the basin in which hundreds of farms' runoff drains.

An evaluation of numerous pesticides currently used were measured through water and air samples collected from 1995 to 2007 during growing season along the Mississippi Delta agricultural region. If 75% of samples containing Round Up isn't shocking enough, there's more:

Comment: Monsanto seems hellbent on targeting all that is natural and normal. In their hubris they fail to notice that, in the end, mother earth always bounces back.

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Wolf

12-yr-old boy dies in dog attack, 5th victim in 40 days in Bareilly, India

Priyangi Agarwal
The Times of India
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:47 UTC
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Stray dogs in India
A pack of stray dogs attacked and killed a 12-year-old boy in Navayal, Bareilly, on Sunday evening, making him the fifth victim in the region in the last 40 days.

According to reports, Ashok, along with his two friends, were attacked by the dogs that also bit the other two when they tried to save him.

Shockingly, the boy is the fifth in just the last month or so to lose his life in vicious attacks by stray dogs in the region. Explaining the reason behind the rising attacks by strays on children, Dr Abhijit Pawde, co-ordinator at the referral veterinary polyclinic, Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), said: "Dogs are hungrier in winter compared to the other seasons. They have started attacking children as they probably are not able to feed on their regular meal."

Comment: The other earlier reports: Eight-year-old boy attacked by pack of dogs in Baheri, India

Feral dogs kill 5-yr-old in Bareilly, India: Third fatality in a month of 10 attacks

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Wolf

Family dogs attack a 3-year-old girl and her grandmother in Amite, Louisiana

Ashley Rodrigue
wwltv.com
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:25 UTC
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© WWLTVA family dog is on day six of a ten day bite quarantine
A family dog is on day six of a ten-day bite quarantine hold at the Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter.

It's a Cane Corso, a large breed not known to show aggression.

But authorities say the dog, and another like it, are responsible for putting a 3-year-old and her grandmother, their owner, in the hospital last week.

Shelter Director Chip Fitz said the child was on a swing outside of her grandmother's home near Amite, with her grandmother watching in the yard, when the animals suddenly attacked.

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Binoculars

Eurasian hoopoe migrates in the wrong direction and ends up in Kimberley, Australia


perthnow.com.au
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 17:35 UTC
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© Department of Parks and WildlifeA eurasian hoopoe bird caught on camera.
One of Australasia's most camera-shy birds has been snapped in the Kimberley after flying off course.

WA's Department of Parks and Wildlife said it was only the third sighting of the eurasian hoopoe bird in the country and it was "excited" to find it on its cameras.

The sighting of the flamboyant hoopoe, usually native to Eurasia and northwest Africa, is thought to be a result of the birds flying off course during their migration.

The cameras, installed on Adolphus Island to monitor cane toad populations, have also revealed the largest range of wildlife in the area.

The 35 cameras have recorded large numbers of native bird species and endangered Northern Quolls.

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© Micha JacksonA eurasian hoopoe spotted in Broome in 2011.
Source: Australian Associated Press
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills six schoolchildren and teacher in Tanzania


Daily Mail, UK
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 17:17 UTC
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A lightning strike at a school in northwestern Tanzania has killed six children and their teacher, officials said on Tuesday.

"A teacher and six students died on the spot and 11 students were injured after being struck by a lightning bolt in their classroom following heavy rains," Tanzania president's office said in a statement.

"The accident occurred on the weekend of Feb. 22 when the teacher and the students were in their classroom."

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said in a statement he was "shocked and saddened" by the incident, which occurred in Kigoma region, and called for calm from teachers and students.

The schoolchildren killed by the lightning strike were aged between 11 and 14 years old, police officials said. (Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; Editing by Drazen Jorgic and Catherine Evans)

Source: Reuters
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Snowflake

Heavy snowfall paralyses life for the residents of Azerbaijan

Robert Felix
iceagenow.info
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 15:56 UTC
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Damage caused by heavy snowfall in Azerbaijan
Heavy snowfall has paralyzed life for residents in the Salyan and Neftchala regions (near the Caspian Sea), according to the correspondent of Shirvan bureau haqqin.az.

As a result, high-voltage lines on the evening of February 21 discontinued supplying electricity to these areas. In the homes of the residents of Salyan and Neftchala regions there is still no light.

40-50 cm (16 to 20 inches) of snow on the streets made it impossible to travel, leaving many stores without bread and essential goods.

Unable to withstand the weight of snow, many trees fell on homes and commercial properties. Dozens of electricity poles collapsed under the weight of snow. Residents were trapped in their homes. In Neftchale a few people went to a doctor because of injuries resulting from falls on icy streets.

According to old-timers, the last time such a snowfall in the far 1968.

Thanks to Argirist Diamantis for this link

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Damaged electricity pole in Azerbaijan
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Attention

20 manatees get stuck in Florida storm drain while trying to warm themselves

Barbara Liston
news.yahoo.com
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 15:27 UTC
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Manatee rescue
About 20 Florida manatees were freed by early Tuesday morning from a storm drain near Cape Canaveral, where they were apparently trying to warm themselves, officials and local media said.

Video footage showed a rescuer comforting one manatee floating at the opening of the pipe, which was cut open during the hours-long rescue.

The footage, posted online by Central Florida News 13 and Florida Today newspaper, also showed a manatee being carried in a sling to a nearby canal, where it was released to cheers from onlookers, and two other manatees being petted after being hoisted out of the water by heavy machinery.


Comment: See also: Over 300 manatees converge on Three Sisters Spring in Florida to escape cold temperatures

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Blue Planet

Dozens of new craters suspected in northern Russia

Anna Liesowska
The Siberian Times
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 01:41 UTC
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© Marya Zulinova, Yamal regional government's press serviceB1 - famous Yamal hole in 30 kilometres from Bovanenkovo, spotted in 2014 by helicopter pilots.
Satellites show giant hole ringed by 20 'baby craters'.

Respected Moscow scientist Professor Vasily Bogoyavlensky has called for 'urgent' investigation of the new phenomenon amid safety fears.

Until now, only three large craters were known about in northern Russia with several scientific sources speculating last year that heating from above the surface due to unusually warm climatic conditions, and from below, due to geological fault lines, led to a huge release of gas hydrates, so causing the formation of these craters in Arctic regions.

Two of the newly-discovered large craters - also known as funnels to scientists - have turned into lakes, revealed Professor Bogoyavlensky, deputy director of the Moscow-based Oil and Gas Research Institute, part of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Examination using satellite images has helped Russian experts understand that the craters are more widespread than was first realised, with one large hole surrounded by as many as 20 mini-craters, The Siberian Times can reveal.
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