Monday, October 31, 2011

High concentrations of radiation hit US and Canada

URL:
http://enenews.com/high-concentrations-cesium-137-hit-canada

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
SOURCE: Xenon-133 and caesium-137 releases into the atmosphere from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, Stohl, A., Seibert, P., Wotawa, G., Arnold, D., Burkhart, J. F., Eckhardt, S., Tapia, C., Vargas, A., and Yasunari, T. J., October 20, 2011
Here are some excerpts concerning North America [Emphasis Added]:
  • “Already on 15 March, a first isolated 133Xe cloud reached western North America, followed by the arrival of high concentrations of both 133Xe and 137Cs on 19 March.”
  • “The main part of the radioactive plume entered western North America on 17–18 March. On 18 March at 12:00UTC, the head of the plume had already arrived over the North Atlantic, but the main part was located over the eastern Pacific Ocean and western North America, where it could be detected at monitoring sites. This part of the plume was also rich in 137Cs, as it was still close to the surface south of 50 [Most of US/Canada border is 49°]. At the same time, the plume penetrated the subtropics and arrived at Hawaii on 19 March.”
  • “A map of the simulated surface concentrations of 133Xe for 22 March shows that all of western North America was engulfed by the FD-NPP plume, as well as parts of eastern North America and eastern  Asia.”
ABSTRACT: ACPD – Xenon-133 and caesium-137 releases into the atmosphere from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant: determination of the source term, atmospheric dispersion, and deposition
SOURCE: Discussion Paper
Note Florida, in comparison to the rest of the southeastern U.S.:

Thursday, October 27, 2011

A Declaration to Restore the Constitutional Republic- Special Message from Brigadier General Charles Jones III

A Declaration to Restore the Constitutional Republic- Special Message from Brigadier General Charles Jones III
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“A CALL TO STAND!”—-  Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should be the goal of every adult American citizen, not only for themselves, but for future generations.

That quest cannot become a reality unless each adult citizen possesses a patriotic mindset.  The facts show that amassing self-serving political power and gaining wealth has displaced American patriotism among our government representatives, resulting in a deplorable lack of integrity and honor from our elected and appointed officials.  Most Americans no longer trust their government.

Concerned American veterans and patriots, spurred to action by flawed and misguided interpretations of the Constitution, are determined to correct these ill-advised, if not traitorous, Constitutional perversions.
In accordance with The Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence, they seek a peaceful solution to the tyranny facing We the People and the generations that follow.
It is apparent, based on many indisputable facts, that individual liberty, possession of property, national sovereignty, national security, and freedom will not survive if the present political power base prevails.
Therefore a course change is now required as determined by millions of Americans, and spelled out in “A Declaration to Restore the Constitutional Republic.” 

The electorate voted for a President, not a tyrant.  They do not want autocrats in any branch of government.  Despots by their nature ignore constitutions and run roughshod over the laws of the land.  Tyrants also over-regulate, and confiscate the citizen’s wealth; the people end up becoming economic slaves.
We The People are the back-bone of The Constitutional Republic of the United States of America.  When 20 to 30 million citizens band together to petition for redress of “a long train of abuses and usurpations,” those grievances must be acted upon.
It must not be forgotten that all Legislative, Executive and Judicial powers are derived from the people.  The restoration of the Constitutional Republic that we were entrusted with now begins by way of the “Declaration to Restore the Constitutional Republic,” and by We The People assembled, banded, and standing together as one unified citizenry.
Charles Jones, B/Gen., USAF (Ret)
Be in D.C. 11.11.11!

Extreme Melting On Greenland Ice Sheet, Team Reports; Glacial Melt Cycle Could Become Self-Amplifying

Extreme Melting On Greenland Ice Sheet, Team Reports; Glacial Melt Cycle Could Become Self-Amplifying

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2011) — The Greenland ice sheet can experience extreme melting even when temperatures don't hit record highs, according to a new analysis by Dr. Marco Tedesco, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at The City College of New York. His findings suggest that glaciers could undergo a self-amplifying cycle of melting and warming that would be difficult to halt.

"We are finding that even if you don't have record-breaking highs, as long as warm temperatures persist you can get record-breaking melting because of positive feedback mechanisms," said Professor Tedesco, who directs CCNY's Cryospheric Processes Laboratory and also serves on CUNY Graduate Center doctoral faculty.
Professor Tedesco and his team collected data for the analysis this past summer during a four-week expedition to the Jakobshavn Isbræ glacier in western Greenland. Their arrival preceded the onset of the melt season.
Combining data gathered on the ground with microwave satellite recordings and the output from a model of the ice sheet, he and graduate student Patrick Alexander found a near-record loss of snow and ice this year. The extensive melting continued even without last year's record highs.
The team recorded data on air temperatures, wind speed, exposed ice and its movement, the emergence of streams and lakes of melt water on the surface, and the water's eventual draining away beneath the glacier. This lost melt water can accelerate the ice sheet's slide toward the sea where it calves new icebergs. Eventually, melt water reaches the ocean, contributing to the rising sea levels associated with long-term climate change.
The model showed that melting between June and August was well above the average for 1979 to 2010. In fact, melting in 2011 was the third most extensive since 1979, lagging behind only 2010 and 2007. The "mass balance," or amount of snow gained minus the snow and ice that melted away, ended up tying last year's record values.
Temperatures and an albedo feedback mechanism accounted for the record losses, Professor Tedesco explained. "Albedo" describes the amount of solar energy absorbed by the surface (e.g. snow, slush, or patches of exposed ice). A white blanket of snow reflects much of the sun's energy and thus has a high albedo. Bare ice -- being darker and absorbing more light and energy -- has a lower albedo.
But absorbing more energy from the sun also means that darker patches warm up faster, just like the blacktop of a road in the summer. The more they warm, the faster they melt.
And a year that follows one with record high temperatures can have more dark ice just below the surface, ready to warm and melt as soon as temperatures begin to rise. This also explains why more ice sheet melting can occur even though temperatures did not break records.
Professor Tedesco likens the melting process to a speeding steam locomotive. Higher temperatures act like coal shoveled into the boiler, increasing the pace of melting. In this scenario, "lower albedo is a downhill slope," he says. The darker surfaces collect more heat. In this situation, even without more coal shoveled into the boiler, as a train heads downhill, it gains speed. In other words, melting accelerates.
Only new falling snow puts the brakes on the process, covering the darker ice in a reflective blanket, Professor Tedesco says. The model showed that this year's snowfall couldn't compensate for melting in previous years. "The process never slowed down as much as it had in the past," he explained. "The brakes engaged only every now and again."
The team's observations indicate that the process was not limited to the glacier they visited; it is a large-scale effect. "It's a sign that not only do albedo and other variables play a role in acceleration of melting, but that this acceleration is happening in many places all over Greenland," he cautioned. "We are currently trying to understand if this is a trend or will become one. This will help us to improve models projecting future melting scenarios and predict how they might evolve."
Additional expedition team members included Christine Foreman of Montana State University, and Ian Willis and Alison Banwell of the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK.
Professor Tedesco and his team provide their preliminary results on the Cryospheric Processes Laboratory webpage (http://greenland2011.cryocity.org/). They will will be presenting further results at the American Geophysical Union Society (AGU) meeting in San Francisco on December 5 at 9 a.m. and December 6 at 11:35 a.m.
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the NASA Cryosphere Program. The World Wildlife Fund is acknowledged for supporting fieldwork activities.

Giant ozone hole found above Arctic

Giant ozone hole found above Arctic

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Paul Cahalan
Monday, 3 October 2011

Scientists have discovered a hole five times the size of Germany in the ozone layer above the Arctic, allowing harmful ultraviolet radiation to hit northern Canada, Europe and Russia this spring.

The 2 million square kilometre Arctic hole is similar to the hole over the Antarctic, researchers write in the journal Nature, released yesterday.
They say 80 per cent of the ozone was lost about 20km (13 miles) above the Arctic and that a prolonged spell of cold weather – when chlorine chemicals which destroy ozone are at their most active – was to blame.
"Why [all this] occurred will take years of detailed study," said Michelle Santee from Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, part of the group that monitored the hole from space using satellites. "It was continuously cold from December through April, and that has never happened before in the Arctic."
It is thought global warming could be responsible for some of the damage because greenhouse gases trap energy at lower altitude, heating up the atmosphere nearer the ground but cooling the stratosphere, creating conditions for the formation of chemicals that break apart oxygen molecules of ozone.

The US Is Fast Becoming a Third World Police State

- Infowars - http://www.infowars.com -
The US Is Fast Becoming a Third World Police State
The Dollar Vigilante
Thursday, October 27, 2011
As a P.T. (often referred to as perpetual traveller, permanent tourist or prior taxpayer), I have travelled to nearly 100 countries.  During those travels there has always been one defining moment, upon entry into a country, which shows that the country is what is generally thought of as a “third world country”.

It is the moment when, upon arrival, you are charged a fee to enter the country.  The reason generally being that the government of the country has so destroyed the economy and/or they have so little understanding of what creates wealth that they think that the way to make their country prosperous is to charge a fee upon entry rather than allowing people to enter freely and transact, trade and spend their money in the economy.  Either that or the government is so desperate for money that it uses this as a significant source of revenue.
They have this in Cambodia, Indonesia, Bolivia and numerous other similar countries.  And now, they have it in the US.
The US has long-used “visa application fees” to bilk money from people in countries like Thailand as a way to raise money but now the US has announced that they are going to charge a $5.50 fee to Canadians upon entering the US.
The fee is ludicrous and counterproductive for many reasons.  Not least of which is making it five dollars and fifty cents, ensuring that payment of the transaction will take twice as long as normal to make the extra change.  Canadians who are one of the only large groups of people still bringing some economic activity into the US will both be turned off by having to pay to enter the US but also by the extra long lines to enter as they make change for this fee.
Not to mention the hilarity of calling it an “inspection fee”.  Does this mean that if we would not like to be inspected then we don’t have to pay?
CHECKPOINTS POPPING UP EVERYWHERE IN THE US
    Checkpoints have recently gone up in Flint, Michigan and TSA VIPR (Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response) teams have spread our across Tennessee to stop drivers and “check their documents”.
    As well, at the recent Libertopia conference I attended in San Diego I met three young freedom-lovers who told me that on their drive from Phoenix to San Diego they encountered three different checkpoints.
    HARD TO GET IN – EVEN HARDER TO GET OUT
    I have just returned from the US and, as usual, I had to make it through a plethora of government people to get out.
    Luckily, I didn’t try to leave via one of the airports, like Boston Logan where the TSA has begun to conduct “chat-downs” where TSA goons will slime their way through crowds in the airport and chat with you!  Should you refuse to chat with them you will be taken away for extra-screening!
    However, I did go for my standard TSA patdown and, as is becoming more and more common, when you walk down the gangplank to the airplane there are a number of other government people hiding around the corner who stop you and ask if you are taking more than $10,000 with you.  I snapped a photo of them on my way down.

    As I walked down the runway, one of the men with guns told me, “go to the third man down, he can take care of you there.”  Oh, is that what they are doing, taking care of us?  It doesn’t feel that way.
    CHRONIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDER INJECTIONS ALSO NOW AVAILABLE
    Things in the US just get more and more bizarre.
    As though all the government harassing isn’t enough, as I was about to leave the San Diego airport I spotted this “H1N1 vaccination station”.

    H1N1 (remember the Swine Flu hoax?) has been shown to be nearly harmless yet still to this day, in the USA, there are places offering to give you H1N1 vaccinations.  Those vaccinations, by the way, have been proven to cause chronic nervous system disorders.  I, tragically, had this hit very close to home last year when my mother, unbeknownst to me, got talked into taking a Swine Flu vaccine shot.  A few days later and she couldn’t walk anymore.  She still, to this day, cannot walk.
    THE POLICE STATE CONTINUES
    The photos coming out of the US continue to look like something you’d see in a country like North Korea or in the old Soviet Bloc.
    This photo, from a small gathering of Occupy Wall Street protesters in Phoenix, shows that not only the police outnumbered the protesters but showed the level of intimidation and force used against just a few people sitting in a park.  Their crime?  They were there after “curfew”.  I’ve been searching my copy of the US Constitution for any reference to curfew but have yet to find anything.

    MY DAYS VISITING THE US ARE NUMBERED
    I have already stated that I will never bring my family to the US until I see major changes and the TSA stop their radiation baths and groping.  However, it is now getting very close to the point where I will stop going altogether.
    For anyone who has their eyes open and are paying attention, the writing is on the wall as to what is going to happen in the US.  All it will take is another 9/11 event or for the US Government to default on its debts or for the dollar to enter hyperinflation and the US will be locked down like a prison.

    In many ways, it already is.
    For those who live in the US, it is imperative to begin making moves now to protect yourself.  Action items like attaining a foreign passport, moving your assets outside of the country and owning precious metals are just some of the things that all rational people in the US should be doing now.

    Cellphone Towers EMR Damaging Biological Systems of Birds, Insects, Humans

    Cellphone Towers EMR Damaging Biological Systems of Birds, Insects, Humans


    Anthony Gucciardi
    Infowars.com
    October 26, 2011
    The electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emitted from mobile towers is so powerful that it affects the biological systems of birds, insects, and even humans. The study, released by the environment ministry, called for the protection of flora and fauna by law.
    ‘The review of existing literature shows that the EMRs are interfering with the biological systems in more ways than one and there had already been some warning bells sounded in the case on bees and birds, which probably heralds the seriousness of this issue and indicates the vulnerability of other species as well,’ the study found.
    In September of 2010, the ministry established a 10-member committee under Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) with director Asad Rahmani to study the impact of cellphone towers on birds and bees. The group of experts reviewed 919 studies performed in India and abroad regarding the effects of cellphone towers on birds, insects, animals, wildlife, and humans.
    What the group found was quite startling.
    Electromagnetic radiation may play a role in the decline of animal and insect populations
    Of the 919 studies, a staggering 593 showed the negative impact of mobile towers on birds, bees, humans, wildlife and plants. The experts even cited an international study that pinpointed cellphone towers as a potential cause in the decline of animal populations. They went on to say that there was an urgent need to focus more scientific attention on the subject before it was too late.
    In addition to calling for a law protecting urban flora and fauna from emerging threats of electromagnetic radiation, the experts are also suggesting bold signs and messages on the dangers of cell phone tower and radiation to be posted near the position of cellphone towers.
    ‘To prevent overlapping high radiations fields, new towers should not be permitted within a radius of one kilometre of existing towers. If new towers must be built, construct them to be above 80 feet and below 199 feet … to avoid the requirement for aviation safety lighting,’ it said.
    The negative effects of EMR on life is something that has been ignored by health officials and legislators for years. As cellphone subscriptions outnumber the total number of US citizens, more and more mobile phone towers are popping up around the globe. As the experts cautioned, it is extremely pertinent that further independent research is conducted to highlight the dangers of EMR.

    Wednesday, October 26, 2011

    UN State of the World Population Report 2011

    see URL:

    http://foweb.unfpa.org/SWP2011/reports/EN-SWOP2011-FINAL.pdf

    World population reaches 7 billion

    World population reaches 7 billion

    It could reach 10bn, but 15bn is also possible: UN

    The world's population of seven billion is set to rise to at least 10 billion by 2100, but could top 15 billion if birth rates are just slightly higher than expected, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
    In a report ahead of ceremonies on October 31 to mark the seven billionth human alive today, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned demographic pressure posed mighty challenges for easing poverty and conserving the environment.
    New estimates see a global human tally of 9.3 billion at 2050, an increase over earlier figures, and more than 10 billion by century's end, UNFPA said.
    But, it added, "with only a small variation in fertility, particularly in the most populous countries, the total could be higher: 10.6 billion people could be living on Earth by 2050 and more than 15 billion in 2100."
    The 126-page document, "The State of the World Population 2011", highlights a surge that began with the post-World War II baby boom -- a numbers "bulge" that shows up in following generations as they in turn grow up and have children.
    In contrast, prosperity, better education and access to contraception have slashed the global fertility rate to the point that some rich countries have to address a looming population fall.
    Over the past six decades, fertility has declined from a statistical average of 6.0 children per women to about 2.5 today, varying from 1.7 in the most advanced economies to 4.2 in the least developed nations.
    Even so, 80 million people each year are added to the world's population. People under 25 comprise 43 per cent of the total.
    "Our record population can be viewed in many ways as a success for humanity -- people are living longer, healthier lives," said Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA's executive director.
    "How did we become so many? How large a number can our Earth sustain?" he asked.
    "These are important questions, but perhaps not the right ones for our times. When we look only at the big number, we risk being overwhelmed and losing sight of new opportunities to make life better for everyone in the future."
    The report highlighted these challenges:
    - HELPING YOUTH: Having large numbers of young adults offers many poor countries the hope of rising from poverty.
    But, warns the UNFPA, "this opportunity of a 'demographic dividend' is a fleeting moment that must be claimed quickly or lost." Finding jobs for this swelling sea of youngsters is essential.
    The report notably quotes from a report by the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO) which suggests the 23.4-percent youth unemployment in the Arab world was a major contributor to the uprisings there.
    - GREEN WORRIES: The report cites environmental problems that are already pressing and set to intensify as demand grows for food, energy and homes.
    Referring to a yardstick of sustainability used by the environmental thinktank Global Footprint Network, the report said it now takes the Earth 18 months to regenerate the natural resources that we use in a year.
    "Climate change and rapid population growth are among the many factors contributing to the current drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, which has affected more than 12 million people," it says.
    Future concerns focus especially on water stress. "Analysis suggests that the world will face a 40-percent global shortfall (in water) between forecast demand and available supply by 2030," says the report, citing Egypt -- hugely dependent on the Nile -- as a particular example.
    - CITY FUTURES: The balance between rural and urban populations "has tipped irreversibly" towards cities in today's world of seven billion. The biggest urban agglomeration, as defined by the UNFPA, is Tokyo, with 36.7 million people, followed by Delhi, with 22 million, Sao Paulo, 20 million and Mumbai, with 20 million.
    As the world's population expands, better urban planning, with closer involvement of residents, will be essential. Adequate housing, sanitation and green spaces should be incorporated in the shaping of cities rather than ad-hoc growth that leads to shanty towns.
    - IMMIGRATION: In rich countries where populations are becoming top-heavy with the elderly, the task will be to meet growing demands for labour. Immigration, one of the options, needs to be orderly and managed so that migrants are better integrated and protected.
    - FAMILY PLANNING: Dozens of countries are lagging in achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goal of providing universal access to reproductive health, said the report.
    "A stable population is a sine qua non for accelerated, planned economic growth and development," said Osotimehin.
    FACTS & FIGURES
    - Around 2,000 years ago, the world's population was around 300 million. Around 1800, it reached a billion. The second billion was notched up in 1927. The three billion mark was swiftly reached in 1959, rose to four billion in 1974, then accelerated to five billion in 1987, six billion in 1999 and seven billion in 2011.
    - By 2050, there will be around 9.3 billion people and more than 10 billion by 2100. But this could be as high as 10.6 billion by 2050 and more than 15 billion in 2100 with only a small rise in fertility in high-population countries.
    - Each year around 80 million are added to the world's population, a number roughly equivalent to the population of Germany, Vietnam or Ethiopia. People under 25 comprise 43 percent of the world's population.
    - The main reason for the demographic surge of recent decades is the Baby Boom of the 1950s and 60s, which shows up in ensuing "bulges" when this generation reproduces.
    - Average life expectancy rose from about 48 years in the early 1950s to about 68 in the first decade of the new millennium. Infant mortality fell by nearly two-thirds.
    - Contraception, prosperity and changing cultural attitudes have also brought about a fall in fertility, from a statistical 6.0 children per woman to 2.5 over six decades.
    - In more advanced economies, the average fertility rate today is about 1.7 children per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1. In the least developed countries, the rate is 4.2 births, with sub-Saharan African reporting 4.8.
    - Asia accounts for 4.2 billion of the world's population. It is projected to reach 5.2 billion in 2052 before declining slowly. The biggest rate of increase is in Africa, whose population first surpassed a billion in 2009 and is expected to add another billion by 2044.
    - China is the world's most populous country, with 1.35 billion, followed by India with 1.24 billion. In 2025, India will have 1.46 billion, overtaking China's 1.39 billion. China's population will decline to about 1.3 billion by 2050; India's will peak at 1.7 billion by 2060.
    - Under the UN Millennium Goals, access to reproductive health should be universal by 2015. But there are still 46 countries where a fifth or more of women who are married or living in a union still have an unmet need for contraception, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Gender equality and women's empowerment are also keys to lowering birth rates.
    SOURCE: The State of World Population 2011, published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

    Tuesday, October 25, 2011

    October, 2011 Turkey earthquake – in pictures

    see URL:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2011/oct/23/turkey-earthquake-in-pictures

    Police brutality charges sweep across the US

    Police brutality charges sweep across the US
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Police brutality charges sweep across the US

    From Naomi Wolf's arrest in New York to shootings in Tucson and Florida, forces face allegations of abuse of power

    Naomi Wolf being arrested in New York during the Occupy Wall Street protest Photograph: Mike Shane
    Officer Michael Daragjati had no idea that the FBI was listening to his phone calls. Otherwise he would probably not have described his arrest and detention of an innocent black New Yorker in the manner he did.
    Daragjati boasted to a woman friend that, while on patrol in Staten Island, he had "fried another nigger". It was "no big deal", he added. The FBI, which had been investigating another matter, then tried to work out what had happened.
    According to court documents released in New York, Daragjati and his partner had randomly stopped and frisked a black man who had become angry and asked for Daragjati's name and badge number. Daragjati, 32, and with eight years on the force, had no reason to stop the man, and had found nothing illegal. But he arrested him and fabricated an account of him resisting arrest. The man, now referred to in papers only as John Doe because of fears for his safety, spent two nights in jail. He had merely been walking alone through the neighbourhood.
    The shocking story has added to a growing sense that there are serious problems of indiscipline and law-breaking in US police forces. Last week the feminist author Naomi Wolf was arrested outside an awards ceremony in Manhattan. She had been advising Occupy Wall Street protesters of their rights to continue demonstrating outside the event. Instead, as she joined the protest, she was carted off to jail in her evening gown. That incident is only the most high-profile of many apparently illegal police actions around the protests. One senior officer, deputy inspector Anthony Bologna, created headlines worldwide when he pepper-sprayed young women behind a police barricade.
    A report from the New York Civil Liberties Union recently looked at police use of Taser stun guns in the state, and revealed that in 60% of incidents where they were used, the incident did not meet the recommended criteria for such a weapon. Some cases involved people already handcuffed and 40% involved "at risk" subjects such as children, the elderly or mentally ill. "This disturbing pattern of misuse and abuse endangers lives," said the NYCLU's executive director, Donna Lieberman.
    In Los Angeles, officers in the sheriff's department are accused of physically abusing some prison inmates and having sex with others. An internal report, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, revealed allegations that included beating people visiting relatives in jail. In Pittsburgh, there is the case of Jordan Miles, a high-flying high-school student stopped by three plainclothes policemen. Miles, 18 at the time, was walking to his grandmother's house and had no idea who the men were, as they did not identify themselves. He ran, but the officers caught him and beat him so badly that he ended up in hospital. He is undergoing neurological treatment for memory problems and has had to drop out of college.
    Yet it was Miles who was charged with aggravated assault – a case that a judge later threw out. His mother, Terez Miles, said: "We are no strangers to police brutality in the city of Pittsburgh, but what they did was terrible and then they lied about it."
    In Chicago, Jimmel Cannon, 13, was shot eight times by police who claimed that he had a BB gun in his hand. His family said that he had his hands in the air. In Tucson, Arizona, former marine Jose Guerena was killed by a Swat team on a drugs raid. They found nothing illegal, but Guerena was shot 23 times.
    The list goes on. Miami is still dealing with the fallout of the fatal shooting of Raymond Herisse. He had been driving a car out of which police claimed gunshots came. However, it took three days before they produced a weapon. They also confiscated and destroyed the phones of people trying to record the incident.
    "There is a widespread, continuing pattern of officers ordering people to stop taking photographs or video in public places, and harassing, detaining and arresting those who fail to comply," said Chris Calabrese, of the American Civil Liberties Union. Campaigners say the spread of camera phones is why so many incidents of brutality are appearing.
    In another recorded call, Daragjati complained to a friend: "I could throw somebody a beating, they catch me on camera, and I'm fired." Some activists have taken that to heart. Diop Kamau, a former officer, runs the Florida-based Police Complaint Centre, which investigates allegations of police abuse nationwide. "Police are now facing an onslaught of scrutiny because everyone has a cellphone," he said.
    Kamau said that many police departments still had a culture of secrecy and many officers believed that there was little likelihood of punishment even if caught. "The police fill in the blanks. They say what happened and they will be believed," he said.
    One weakness is that there is no central organisation for the police, and local departments do not release data on complaints or allegations of abuse. "The problem is that there is an absence of research," said Professor John Liederbach, an expert in American policing at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. As the list of complaints and incidents grows, that might be about to change.

    Scientists Radically Raise Estimates Of Fukushima Radiation

    Global data on Fukushima challenge Japanese estimates.



    The Fukushima accident led to mass evacuations from nearby towns such as Minamisoma.AP Photo/S. Ponomarev
    The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March released far more radiation than the Japanese government has claimed. So concludes a study1 that combines radioactivity data from across the globe to estimate the scale and fate of emissions from the shattered plant.
    The study also suggests that, contrary to government claims, pools used to store spent nuclear fuel played a significant part in the release of the long-lived environmental contaminant caesium-137, which could have been prevented by prompt action. The analysis has been posted online for open peer review by the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.
    Andreas Stohl, an atmospheric scientist with the Norwegian Institute for Air Research in Kjeller, who led the research, believes that the analysis is the most comprehensive effort yet to understand how much radiation was released from Fukushima Daiichi. "It's a very valuable contribution," says Lars-Erik De Geer, an atmospheric modeller with the Swedish Defense Research Agency in Stockholm, who was not involved with the study.
    The reconstruction relies on data from dozens of radiation monitoring stations in Japan and around the world. Many are part of a global network to watch for tests of nuclear weapons that is run by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in Vienna. The scientists added data from independent stations in Canada, Japan and Europe, and then combined those with large European and American caches of global meteorological data.
    Stohl cautions that the resulting model is far from perfect. Measurements were scarce in the immediate aftermath of the Fukushima accident, and some monitoring posts were too contaminated by radioactivity to provide reliable data. More importantly, exactly what happened inside the reactors — a crucial part of understanding what they emitted — remains a mystery that may never be solved. "If you look at the estimates for Chernobyl, you still have a large uncertainty 25 years later," says Stohl.
    Nevertheless, the study provides a sweeping view of the accident. "They really took a global view and used all the data available," says De Geer.

    Challenging numbers

    Japanese investigators had already developed a detailed timeline of events following the 11 March earthquake that precipitated the disaster. Hours after the quake rocked the six reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, the tsunami arrived, knocking out crucial diesel back-up generators designed to cool the reactors in an emergency. Within days, the three reactors operating at the time of the accident overheated and released hydrogen gas, leading to massive explosions. Radioactive fuel recently removed from a fourth reactor was being held in a storage pool at the time of the quake, and on 14 March the pool overheated, possibly sparking fires in the building over the next few days.
    But accounting for the radiation that came from the plants has proved much harder than reconstructing this chain of events. The latest report from the Japanese government, published in June, says that the plant released 1.5 × 1016 bequerels of caesium-137, an isotope with a 30-year half-life that is responsible for most of the long-term contamination from the plant2. A far larger amount of xenon-133, 1.1 × 1019 Bq, was released, according to official government estimates.
    Click for larger image
    The new study challenges those numbers. On the basis of its reconstructions, the team claims that the accident released around 1.7 × 1019 Bq of xenon-133, greater than the estimated total radioactive release of 1.4 × 1019 Bq from Chernobyl. The fact that three reactors exploded in the Fukushima accident accounts for the huge xenon tally, says De Geer.
    Xenon-133 does not pose serious health risks because it is not absorbed by the body or the environment. Caesium-137 fallout, however, is a much greater concern because it will linger in the environment for decades. The new model shows that Fukushima released 3.5 × 1016 Bq caesium-137, roughly twice the official government figure, and half the release from Chernobyl. The higher number is obviously worrying, says De Geer, although ongoing ground surveys are the only way to truly establish the public-health risk.
    Stohl believes that the discrepancy between the team's results and those of the Japanese government can be partly explained by the larger data set used. Japanese estimates rely primarily on data from monitoring posts inside Japan3, which never recorded the large quantities of radioactivity that blew out over the Pacific Ocean, and eventually reached North America and Europe. "Taking account of the radiation that has drifted out to the Pacific is essential for getting a real picture of the size and character of the accident," says Tomoya Yamauchi, a radiation physicist at Kobe University who has been measuring radioisotope contamination in soil around Fukushima.
    Stohl adds that he is sympathetic to the Japanese teams responsible for the official estimate. "They wanted to get something out quickly," he says. The differences between the two studies may seem large, notes Yukio Hayakawa, a volcanologist at Gunma University who has also modelled the accident, but uncertainties in the models mean that the estimates are actually quite similar.

    The new analysis also claims that the spent fuel being stored in the unit 4 pool emitted copious quantities of caesium-137. Japanese officials have maintained that virtually no radioactivity leaked from the pool. Yet Stohl's model clearly shows that dousing the pool with water caused the plant's caesium-137 emissions to drop markedly (see 'Radiation crisis'). The finding implies that much of the fallout could have been prevented by flooding the pool earlier.
    The Japanese authorities continue to maintain that the spent fuel was not a significant source of contamination, because the pool itself did not seem to suffer major damage. "I think the release from unit 4 is not important," says Masamichi Chino, a scientist with the Japanese Atomic Energy Authority in Ibaraki, who helped to develop the Japanese official estimate. But De Geer says the new analysis implicating the fuel pool "looks convincing".
    The latest analysis also presents evidence that xenon-133 began to vent from Fukushima Daiichi immediately after the quake, and before the tsunami swamped the area. This implies that even without the devastating flood, the earthquake alone was sufficient to cause damage at the plant.
    The Japanese government's report has already acknowledged that the shaking at Fukushima Daiichi exceeded the plant's design specifications. Anti-nuclear activists have long been concerned that the government has failed to adequately address geological hazards when licensing nuclear plants (see Nature 448, 392–393; 2007), and the whiff of xenon could prompt a major rethink of reactor safety assessments, says Yamauchi.
    The model also shows that the accident could easily have had a much more devastating impact on the people of Tokyo. In the first days after the accident the wind was blowing out to sea, but on the afternoon of 14 March it turned back towards shore, bringing clouds of radioactive caesium-137 over a huge swathe of the country (see 'Radioisotope reconstruction'). Where precipitation fell, along the country's central mountain ranges and to the northwest of the plant, higher levels of radioactivity were later recorded in the soil; thankfully, the capital and other densely populated areas had dry weather. "There was a period when quite a high concentration went over Tokyo, but it didn't rain," says Stohl. "It could have been much worse." 

    Monday, October 24, 2011

    Paul Ehrlich, the prophet of global population doom, sees Imminent Collapse of Civilization

    Paul Ehrlich, the prophet of global population doom, sees Imminent Collapse of World Civilization
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Population surge means there is only a 10% chance of avoiding a collapse of world civilisation, says professor Ehrlich.


    A starving four-month-old boy in Somalia. Paul Ehrlich insists his vision only builds on famine, drought, poverty and conflict already prevalent around the world. Photograph: Dai Kurokawa/EPA
    The population of Earth has doubled since Paul Ehrlich first warned the world that there were too many humans. Three and a half billion people later, he is more pessimistic than ever, estimating there is only a 10% chance of avoiding a collapse of global civilisation.
    "Among the knowledgeable people there is no more conversation about whether the danger is real," Ehrlich told the Guardian. "Civilisations have collapsed before: the question is whether we can avoid the first time [an] entire global civilisation has given us the opportunity of having the whole mess collapse."
    The idea sounds melodramatic, but Ehrlich insists his vision only builds on famine, drought, poverty and conflict, which are already prevalent around the world, and would unfold over the "next few decades".
    "What it would look like is getting to the situation where more and more people are living in uncertainty about their future, subject to all kinds of disease," he said. "The really big discontinuity you can't predict is even a small nuclear war between [say] India and Pakistan.
    "Of course a new emerging disease or toxic problem could alone [also] trigger a collapse. My pessimism is deeply tied to the human failure to do anything about these problems, or even recognise or talk about them."
    Ehrlich has become the modern day equivalent of Malthus, the 18th-century English clergyman who popularised the idea that the number of people would eventually outstrip food production.
    Now Bing professor of population studies at Stanford University in California, Ehrlich reignited the issue in 1968 with his book The Population Bomb – co-written, without acknowledgment, with his wife, Anne Ehrlich – which has sold more than 2m copies.
    Central to the argument of the book was the idea that Earth has a finite capacity to provide the resources needed to feed and protect a global population which was growing exponentially in numbers and its demands to consume.
    The book succeeded, slowly, in getting the issue of overpopulation into political and public consciousness, an idea now acknowledged by calculations of the "ecological footprint" of anything from nappies to nations.
    The global population has since doubled and, although growth is slowing, is still on course to rise beyond the two billion maximum Ehrlich believes Earth can sustain without irrevocably destroying its water, earth and air.
    "The next two billion people, should we get them, will put more and more pressure on environmental systems that are struggling today," he said. "Each individual has to have food from more marginal land … materials from poorer ores, we're going to use more oil so we have to drill deeper: we're past the point of diminishing returns."
    The threat of climate change also turned out to be much greater than scientists thought in the 1960s, he adds.
    Ehrlich accepts his prediction of widespread famine in the 1970s underestimated the "green revolution" which industrialised farming. But he still dismisses hope that technology will allow mankind to stretch resources ever further.
    "Can we solve this technologically? Theoretically, since we can't know anything for certain, so we could come up with a magic way of producing food and that could save us. But my answer, always, to that is: we have all sorts of people in despair today. Don't tell me how easy it's going to be to feed nine billion people; let's feed seven billion first, then I'll be willing to talk to you about whether technology will take care of all those people.
    "We could support a lot more people on the planet if humans were willing to share equally, but they don't: we want to design a world where everybody can lead a decent life without everybody being fair."
    Ehrlich – who originally wanted his book called Population, Resources and Environment – also agrees most population reductions are linked to rising affluence, and so consumption, which causes its own pressure on resources.
    But he denies those worried by these problems should therefore focus only on reducing the impact of consumption, likening the problem to the way two sides of a rectangle are multiplied to calculate the area inside.
    "If you halved the amount of consumption and allowed population to grow so the other side doubled you have got the same area."

    Wolrd Earthquakes Growing in Number and Intensity

    URL:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sWk82LzGbiY

    America's Descent to Depravity

    URL:


    http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=27180

    TSA Now Searching for Gold and Silver

    URL: http://www.prisonplanet.com/tsa-agents-harass-man-over-silver-coins.html


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    TSA Agents Harass Man Over Silver Coins
    Posted By admin On October 24, 2011




    Federal agency tasked with airport security now routinely interrogates Americans about their financial affairs
    Paul Joseph Watson & Alex Jones
    Prison Planet.com
    Monday, October 24, 2011
    A traveler flying into Las Vegas was questioned by the TSA about his small collection of silver coins, another example of how the federal agency is acting more like a secret police unit than an airport security outfit, routinely interrogating Americans about their financial affairs.
    Alex Jones talked to Jeff, a software engineer, after he passed through security, who told him that TSA agents had questioned him about why he was carrying silver coins and demanded to know their value. The screeners also asked if Jeff was collecting them for a hobby or an investment.
    Jeff explained that he was simply planning to cash in the coins and use that money on his vacation instead of dipping into his bank account. The total value of the coins was no more than $600 dollars.
    The delay led to TSA agents telling Jeff they couldn’t guarantee that his bags would even make it onto the plane.
    This is not the first time US citizens have been harassed by TSA screeners for carrying items of any value, or refusing to answer invasive questions about their financial affairs.
    In 2009, Ron Paul campaign treasurer Steven Bierfeldt was detained and interrogated for nearly half an hour [1] by TSA officials for the crime of passing a cash box through a metal detector which contained $4,700 in campaign funds.
    During the interrogation, Bierfeldt was threatened with arrest and bombarded with questions about his personal life and political viewpoints.
    “I do not believe I should give up my constitutional rights each time I choose to travel by plane. I was doing nothing illegal or suspicious, yet I was treated like a potential criminal and harassed for no reason,” said Bierfeldt-
    The Department of Homeland Security is training TSA agents to act like secret police, quizzing people on their financial status and political persuasions. This has nothing to do with airport security.
    Another example involved war reporter Michael Yon [2], who was handcuffed and detained after TSA officials demanded to know Yon’s personal income.
    “No country has ever treated me so badly,” Yon wrote in a Facebook message. “Not China. Not Vietnam. Not Afghanistan. Definitely not Singapore or India or Nepal or Germany, not Brunei, not Indonesia, or Malaysia, or Kuwait or Qatar or United Arab Emirates. No county has treated me with the disrespect can that can be expected from our border bullies.”
    Yon said he stood firm and refused to allow his privacy to be violated by TSA thugs because his friend had told him of how she was forced to hand over her Internet passwords and watched in horror as TSA screeners read her private emails.
    Eventually, Yon was released by Port Authority police because the TSA had no legitimate grounds to hold him.
    Given that TSA goons are now stationed at highway checkpoints [3] in order to conduct searches of vehicles, we can expect to see many more examples of invasive interrogations where Americans are guilty until proven innocent, as the country begins more and more to resemble an authoritarian police state where citizens are constantly mandated to show their papers in order to travel anywhere.
    *********************
    Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com [4]. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show.

    Article printed from Prison Planet.com: http://www.prisonplanet.com
    URL to article: http://www.prisonplanet.com/tsa-agents-harass-man-over-silver-coins.html
    URLs in this post:
    [1] Steven Bierfeldt was detained and interrogated for nearly half an hour: http://www.aclu.org/blog/technology-and-liberty/aclu-sues-tsa-unlawful-detention-ron-pauls-campaign-liberty-treasurer
    [2] Another example involved war reporter Michael Yon: http://www.prisonplanet.com/harassed-war-reporter-we-must-stand-up-to-tsa-thugs.html
    [3] Given that TSA goons are now stationed at highway checkpoints: http://www.naturalnews.com/033961_TSA_security_checkpoints.html
    [4] Prison Planet.com: http://prisonplanet.com/

    Last Chance to Stabilize Climate Under Two Degrees

    Durban May Be Last Chance to Stabilize Climate Under Two Degrees

    by Stephen Leahy
    CHANGWON, South Korea - The window to limit global warming to less than two degrees C is closing so fast it can be measured in months, a new scientific analysis revealed Sunday.
    The International Energy Agency estimates that 80 percent of projected emissions from the power sector in 2020 are already locked in. (Credit:U.S. EPA/creative commons) Without putting the brakes on carbon emissions very soon, large parts of Africa, most of Russia and northern China will be two degrees C warmer in less than 10 years. Canada and Alaska will soon follow, the regional study shows.
    "If one is sincerely committed to limit global temperature increase to below two degrees C... (governments) committing to a global peak emission level and peak year makes sense from a science perspective," said Joeri Rogelj of the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science in Zurich, who headed the analysis published Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
    Governments will be meeting in Durban, South Africa starting Nov. 28 to launch the next round of climate treaty negotiations, which so far have failed to ensure their goal of less than a two-degree C increase will be achieved.

    IPS asked Rogelj if government delegates in Durban ought to set a specific year by which global emissions will peak and then decline to ensure the two-degree C target will be met.

    "Committing to such targets would ensure that we embark globally on a technologically and economically feasible low-emission path," Rogelj said.

    Rogelj and a group of leading experts show in this state-of-the-art analysis that to have a 66-percent or better probability of staying below two degrees C this century, global carbon emissions must peak before 2020. Global emissions ought to be around 44 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2020. That is four billion tonnes (also called gigatonnes, Gt) less than the estimated emissions for 2010.

    After 2020 emissions must decline rapidly, about two to three percent less each year until they fall to 20 Gt by 2050, according to the computer models. This is an emissions "pathway that will be very challenging to achieve", Rogelj and colleagues conclude in their study.

    "Very challenging" is scientist-talk for something that will be extremely difficult to do. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that 80 percent of projected emissions from the power sector in 2020 are already locked in, as they will come from power plants that are currently in place or under construction today.

    "This significant increase in CO2 emissions and the locking in of future emissions due to infrastructure investments represent a serious setback to our hopes of limiting the global rise in temperature to no more than two degrees C," said Dr. Fatih Birol, chief economist of the IEA, last May.

    The heating of the planet from burning fossil fuels is uneven since 70 percent of the planet is water, and most of that is cold water. For various reasons, the Arctic, Canada, Eurasia and parts of Africa are warming faster and will be substantially warmer now and in the coming decades. It also important to understand that returning the planet to pre-global warming temperatures is very unlikely.

    Another new re-analysis also published in Nature Climate Change Sunday puts some dates on when much of the Northern Hemisphere and parts of Africa will cross the two degrees of warming threshold. Without major emission reductions, the African Sahel, including the Horn of Africa, along with northern Eurasia and the Arctic will cross that threshold very soon - between 2020 and 2030 - according to a study led by Manoj Joshi of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.

    They also found that by the time a child born today reaches 50 years old, it will be at least two degrees warmer everywhere except the oceans.

    Even if carbon emissions cannot be cut fast enough to avoid two degrees C of warming in some parts of the world, urgent action will buy those regions valuable time - a decade or two - so they will have time to adapt, assuming they can.

    Although two degrees C seems like a small amount, it is akin to a person running a high fever, with all kinds of consequences for the human body. On planet Earth, that amount of warming has serious consequences for food, water and biodiversity. It will guarantee more and stronger extreme weather events, including droughts and flooding.

    Two degrees C puts humanity on a new hotter, stormier planet that is less compatible with human survival.

    As for staying below 1.5 degrees C, as African nations, Pacific Island states and others believe is essential for survival, it may already be too late. In all the 193 scenarios examined by Rogelj et al, there were only two that suggest is it possible to stay below 1.5 C during this century. And that includes heavy use of bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration.

    More extreme measures, such as a technical study called The Energy Report by Ecofys, a leading energy consultancy in the Netherlands that developed a plan to shift the world to 100-percent renewable energy by 2050, were not included, said Rogelj.

    "The [two] scenarios we analyse indicate it would be technologically and economically possible to follow such a future path (1.5 degrees C). They do not take into account the fact that there could be political and societal barriers," he said.

    The two-degree C window, not to mention the 1.5 C window, is closing faster than most realise. There are less than 100 months left for governments, industry and the public to reduce global emissions by at least four Gt. It will be very difficult but it can be done, Rogelj et al note in their study.

    Starting sooner is far easier than later. The Durban climate talks may be the last chance for governments to do what is necessary to keep their promise of less than two degrees.

    The Rogelj study concludes with an uncharacteristically blunt warning to governments and the public.

    "Without a firm commitment to put in place mechanisms to enable an early global emissions peak followed by steep reductions thereafter, there are significant risks that the two degrees C target, endorsed by so many nations, is already slipping out of reach."

    Thursday, October 20, 2011

    UC Santa Cruz Disorientation Guide 2011-2012

    see url:

    http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/09/15/18690429.php





    <br>
    <br>
    <br>

    Economic Martial Law to be Declared

    Gerald Celente Warns It Is A Matter Of Time Before Global Mass Financial Panic Is Used To Declare Economic Martial Law To Put A Noose Around The Necks Of The Masses.

    By Mac Slavo
    SHTFplan.com
    August 1st, 2011
    In his latest quarterly Trends Journal (Summer 2011), Gerald Celente provides us another “history of the future,” in which he discusses global economic, monetary, and political events as they happen and what their consequences will be for months, years and decades to come.
    As he has said before, it is only a matter of time before a major terror attack is executed in a major Western nation. And once it happens it will send shock waves throughout the world, leading to mass global panic and a further tightening of the noose around the necks of the populace:
    What will another major terror strike mean? Should an attack hit one of the major NATO nations, the effects, this time, will go global. Bank holidays will be called, the US and other fragile economies will crumble, gold and silver will soar, and already-troubled currencies will crash.
    Economic martial law will be declared. Introduced as a temporary measure, once in place it will remain in place (like the curfews and draconian security precautions installed by despots and dictators everywhere). Civil rights will be suspended and, particularly in America, Homeland Security, already intolerably intrusive, will achieve an Orwellian omnipresence.
    With banks closed and economic martial law inplace, restrictions will be set on the amounts, times and frequency of withdrawals. As we have cautioned before, it will be essential to have a stash of cash on hand. Even though governments will devalue their currencies, it will happen in stages. Speaking only for ourselves, we at The Trends Research Institute will not be storing precious metals in bank safe deposit boxes.
    Since “terrorism” is now a term we can use to describe just about any action deemed a threat to the public and government infrastructure, the possibilities for what the next “terror attack” will look like are endless.
    It can come in the form of suicide bombers at your local shopping mall, a cyber attack on financial markets launched via the internet, or any number of other potential threats that have been recently highlighted by our Department of Homeland Security.
    There need be only a single event that occurs at an opportune time and is pushed by the mainstream media and all hell will break loose.
    Imagine, for a minute, what America would look like if nationwide curfews were implemented, civil rights were suspended (including confiscation of guns), the US dollar crashed, ATM’s and credit card transactions were restricted, and food and gas purchases were limited.
    The Presidential executive orders are in place, Fusion Centers and FEMA detention camps are operational, and 20,000 US troops have been trained to deal specifically with economic collapse and civil unrest and are ready to be deployed immediately.

    Wednesday, October 12, 2011

    BRITAIN FACES A MINI 'ICE AGE' due to an eventual shutdown of North Atlantic Current

    http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/276516/Britain-faces-a-mini-ice-age-/

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Britain is set to suffer a mini ice age that could last for decades
    Monday October 10,2011

    By Laura Caroe


    BRITAIN is set to suffer a mini ice age that could last for decades and bring with it a series of bitterly cold winters.
    And it could all begin within weeks as experts said last night that the mercury may soon plunge below the record -20C endured last year.
    Scientists say the anticipated cold blast will be due to the return of a disruptive weather pattern called La Nina. Latest evidence shows La Nina, linked to extreme winter weather in America and with a knock-on effect on Britain, is in force and will gradually strengthen as the year ends.
    The climate phenomenon, characterised by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Pacific, was linked to our icy winter last year – one of the coldest on record.
    And it coincides with research from the Met Office indicating the nation could be facing a repeat of the “little ice age” that gripped the country 300 years ago, causing decades of harsh winters.
    ì
    Britain is set to suffer a mini ice age that could last for decades
    î
    The prediction, to be published in Nature magazine, is based on observations of a slight fall in the sun’s emissions of ultraviolet radiation, which may, over a long period, trigger Arctic conditions for many years.
    Although a connection between La Nina and conditions in Europe is scientifically uncertain, ministers have warned transport organisations and emergency services not to take any chances. Forecasts suggest the country could be shivering in a big freeze as severe and sustained as last winter from as early as the end of this month.
    La Nina, which occurs every three to five years, has a powerful effect on weather thousands of miles away by influencing an intense upper air current that helps create low pressure fronts.
    Another factor that can affect Europe is the amount of ice in the Arctic and sea temperatures closer to home.
    Ian Currie, of the Meterological Society, said: “All the world’s weather systems are connected. What is going on now in the Pacific can have repercussions later around the world.”
    Parts of the country already saw the first snowfalls of the winter last week, dumping two inches on the Cairngorms in Scotland. And forecaster James Madden, from Exacta Weather, warned we are facing a “severely cold and snowy winter”.
    Councils say they are fully prepared having stockpiled thousands of tons of extra grit. And the Local Government Association says it had more salt available at the beginning of this month than the total used last winter.
    But the mountain of salt could be dug into very soon amid widespread heavy snow as early as the start of next month. Last winter, the Met Office was heavily criticised after predicting a mild winter, only to see the country grind to a halt amid hazardous driving conditions in temperatures as low as -20C.
    Peter Box, the Local Government Association’s economy and transport spokesman, said: “Local authorities have been hard at work making preparations for this winter and keeping the roads open will be our number one priority.”
    The National Grid will this week release its forecast for winter energy use based on long-range weather forecasts.
    Such forecasting is, however, notoriously difficult, especially for the UK, which is subject to a wide range of competing climatic forces.
    A Met Office spokesman said that although La Nina was recurring, the temperatures in the equatorial Pacific were so far only 1C below normal, compared with a drop of 2C at the same time last year.
    Research by America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that in 2010-11 La Nina contributed to record winter snowfalls, spring flooding and drought across the world.
    Jonathan Powell, of Positive Weather Solutions, said: “The end of the month and November are looking colder than average with severe frosts and the chance of snow.”
    However, some balmy autumnal sunshine was forecast for this week.

    Tuesday, October 4, 2011

    TSA Rolls Out Intelligence Gathering Scheme at Airports

    Infowars » TSA Rolls Out Intelligence Gathering Scheme at Airports » Print
    - Infowars - http://www.infowars.com -
    TSA Rolls Out Intelligence Gathering Scheme at Airports
    Kurt Nimmo
    Infowars.com
    October 4, 2011
    The TSA insists citizens can possibly avoid cancer-causing naked body scanners and sexual molestation pat-downs if they elect to divulge personal information to the government.


    “A select group of travelers may find it easier Tuesday getting through security checkpoints at four major U.S. airports in return for voluntarily providing more personal information to the federal government as part of a new pilot program,” the Associated Press reports.
    It was not revealed what personal information the TSA will collect and it was not disclosed what “security steps” participants might avoid, if any.
    The program was rolled out in response to widespread outrage over the TSA’s Gestapo tactics.
    The Associated Press describes the “PreCheck” program ordered by the Obama administration as a “move away from a one-size-fits-all security approach and toward a more risk-based, intelligence-driven model. It comes after complaints about full-body pat downs and intensive searches of children and the elderly.”
    TSA boss John Pistole said the new intelligence gathering effort will marry information gathered at airports with “our other layers of security” and will supposedly allow authorities to concentrate on “higher-risk and unknown passengers.”
    PreCheck will be merged with other frequent-flier programs, including Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI and will for now operate primarily out of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airports.
      PreCheck will also cover “selected travelers” enrolled in American Airlines’ frequent-flier program who travel through Miami International and Dallas-Fort Worth International airports and will involve between 5,000 to 8,000 travelers per day.
      The SENTRI program run by the Department of Homeland Security offers “expedited” U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing. Voluntarily applicants must undergo a thorough background check against criminal, law enforcement, customs, immigration, and terrorist databases. Applicants must provide a 10-fingerprint law enforcement check and a personal interview with a CBP Officer. SENTRI has an “enrollment fee” of $122.25.
      NEXUS participants are checked for criminal history and positive matches on FBI, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, United Nations, and Interpol terrorism and no-fly list databases and United Kingdom’s Police National Computer.
      “This new screening system holds great potential to strengthen security while significantly enhancing the travel experience whenever possible for passengers,” Pistole said.
      The TSA describes the surrender of personal information as a “trade off” and warns that participating in the program does not necessarily mean travelers will avoid intrusive sexual molestation pat-downs or dangerous radiation-emitting body scanners.
      The TSA said no one is guaranteed a quicker screening and that “random and unpredictable security steps” will still be used at the airports, according to the AP report.

      Article printed from Infowars: http://www.infowars.com
      URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/tsa-rolls-out-intelligence-gathering-scheme-at-airports/
      Copyright © 2010 Infowars. All rights reserved.

      Marching Towards World War 3

      Towards a World War III Scenario.
      Towards a World War III Scenario.
      New E-Book from Global Research Publishers

      Global Research, June 30, 2011

      The following is a preview from the preface of a newly released E-book by Global Research Publishers
      "Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War" by Michel Chossudovsky 
      E-Book Series No. 1.0
      Global Research Publishers
      Montreal, 2011,
      ISBN 978-0-9737147-3-9

      76 pages (8.5x11)
      Tables, color photographs, maps, text boxes.
      Active hyperlinks to major references in the text, hyperlinked footnotes.  


      Scroll down for Detailed Table of Contents
      Order your pdf of this important new book from Global Research here 

      Introductory offer: $5.00 (plus $1.50 processing fee. Sent directly to your email!)
      OR receive this book FREE with your Global Research Annual Membership! Click to learn more.


      The World is at a critical crossroads. The Fukushima disaster in Japan has brought to the forefront the dangers of Worldwide nuclear radiation.
      Coinciding with the onset of the nuclear crisis in Japan, a new regional war theater has opened up in North Africa, under the disguise of a UN sponsored "humanitarian operation" with the mandate to "protect civilian lives".
      These two seemingly unrelated events are of crucial importance in understanding both the nuclear issue as well as the ongoing US-NATO sponsored war, which has now extended its grip into Libya. The crisis in Japan has been described as "a nuclear war without a war". Its potential repercussions, which are yet to be fully assessed, are far more serious than the Chernobyl disaster, as acknowledged by several scientists.
      The crisis in Japan has also brought into the open the unspoken relationship between nuclear energy and nuclear war. Nuclear energy is not a civilian economic activity. It is an appendage of the nuclear weapons industry which is controlled by the so-called defense contractors. The powerful corporate interests behind nuclear energy and nuclear weapons overlap. In Japan at the height of the disaster, "the nuclear industry and government agencies [were] scrambling to prevent the discovery of atomic-bomb research facilities hidden inside Japan's civilian nuclear power plants".[1] The media consensus is that the crisis at Fukushima's five nuclear power plants has been contained. The realties are otherwise. The Japanese government has been obliged to acknowledge that "the severity rating of its nuclear crisis ... matches that of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster". Moreover, the dumping of highly radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean constitutes a potential trigger to a process of global radioactive contamination. Radioactive elements have not only been detected in the food chain in Japan, radioactive rain water has been recorded in California:
      "Hazardous radioactive elements being released in the sea and air around Fukushima accumulate at each step of various food chains (for example, into algae, crustaceans, small fish, bigger fish, then humans; or soil, grass, cow's meat and milk, then humans). Entering the body, these elements - called internal emitters - migrate to specific organs such as the thyroid, liver, bone, and brain, continuously irradiating small volumes of cells with high doses of alpha, beta and/or gamma radiation, and over many years often induce cancer".[2]
      A New War Theater in North Africa
      The War on Libya was launched within days of the Fukushima disaster. As we go to press, a dangerous process of military escalation is ongoing. NATO warplanes are hitting civilian targets in Libya including residential areas and government buildings in violation of international law.
      The war on Libya is an integral part of the broader military agenda in the Middle East and Central Asia which until recently consisted of three distinct areas of conflict : Afghanistan and Pakistan (the AfPak War), Iraq, Palestine. A fourth war theater has opened up in North Africa, which raises the issue of escalation over a vast geographical area. These four war theaters are interrelated. They are part of a broader region of conflict, which extends from North Africa and the Middle East, engulfing a large part of the Mediterranean basin, to China's Western frontier with Afghanistan, and Northern Pakistan.
      How does the war on Libya relate to this broader US-NATO military agenda?
      Is a World War III scenario unfolding?
      Is the use of nuclear weapons contemplated in North Africa?
      With regard to nuclear doctrine, the concept of a US sponsored pre-emptive nuclear attack applies to a number of countries or "rogue states" including Libya. An all out war against the Qadhafi regime has been on the drawing board of the Pentagon for more than 20 years, Moreover, Libya was the first country to be tagged for a preemptive attack using tactical nuclear weapons.[3] The Clinton administration's plan to nuke Libya had been announced in no uncertain terms in a 1996 Department of Defense press briefing:
      "[The] Air Force would use the B61-11 [nuclear weapon] against Libya's alleged underground chemical weapons plant at Tarhunah if the President decided that the plant had to be destroyed. 'We could not take [Tarhunah] out of commission using strictly conventional weapons,' Smith told the Associated Press. The B61-11 'would be the nuclear weapon of choice,' he [Assistant Secretary of Defense Harold P. Smith] told Jane Defence Weekly.[4]
      Clinton's Defense Secretary William Perry had confirmed in a statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that "the U.S. retained the option of using nuclear weapons against countries [e.g. Libya] armed with chemical and biological weapons."[5] The Department of Defense's objective was to fast track the "testing" of the B61-11 nuclear bomb on an actual country and that country was Libya: "Even before the B61 came on line, Libya was identified as a potential target".[6]
      While the 1996 plan to bomb Libya using tactical nuclear weapons was subsequently shelved, Libya was not removed from the "black list": "The Qadhafi regime" remains to this date a target country for a pre-emptive ("defensive") nuclear attack. As revealed by William Arkin in early 2002, "The Bush administration, in a secret policy review... [had] ordered the Pentagon to draft contingency plans for the use of nuclear weapons against at least seven countries, naming not only Russia and the "axis of evil" Iraq, Iran, and North Korea but also China, Libya and Syria.[7]

      Operation Odyssey Dawn. Nuclear Weapons against Libya? How Real is the Threat?
      Has the project to nuke Libya been definitively shelved or is Libya still being contemplated as a potential target for a nuclear attack? (This preface serves as an update on the potential dangers of a nuclear war against a defenseless non-nuclear State). The air campaign directed against Libya commenced on March 19, 2011. America deployed its Bat-shaped B-2 Spirit Stealth bombers operating out of the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Described as "deadly and effective", the B-2 was used as an instrument of "humanitarian warfare".
      Barely two weeks after the commencement of the war, the Pentagon announced the testing of the B61-11 nuclear bomb using the same B-2 Stealth bombers which had been deployed to Libya at the very outset of Operation Odyssey Dawn. The B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber is the US Air Force's chosen "carrier" for the delivery of the B61-11 nuclear bomb. These timely tests pertained to the installed equipment, functionality and weapon's components of the B61-11 nuclear bomb. The tests were conducted by the B-2 bombers operating out of the same Air Force base, from which the B-2 bombing raid on Libya were conducted.[8]
      Is the timing of these tests in any way related to the chronology of the Libya bombing campaign?
      The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command was in charge of both the JTA tests of the B61-11 as well as the deployment of three B-2 Spirit Stealth bombers to Libya on March 19 under operation Odyssey Dawn. Both the deployment of the B-2s to the Libya war theater as well as the tests of the equipment of the B61-11 (using the B-2 bomber for delivery) were coordinated out of Whiteman Air Force base.

      America's Long War: The Global Military Agenda
      The US has embarked on a military adventure, “a long war”, which threatens the future of humanity. The first two chapters of this E-book focus on the "Cult of Death and Destruction" underlying this global military agenda. US-NATO weapons of mass destruction are portrayed as instruments of peace. Mini-nukes are said to be "harmless to the surrounding civilian population". Pre-emptive nuclear war is portrayed as a "humanitarian undertaking". Nuclear war has become a multibillion dollar undertaking, which fills the pockets of US defense contractors. What is at stake is the outright "privatization of nuclear war".
      US nuclear doctrine is intimately related to "America's War on Terrorism" and the alleged threat of Al Qaeda, which in a bitter irony is considered as an upcoming nuclear power. Under the Obama administration, Islamic terrorists are said to be preparing to attack US cities. Proliferation is tacitly equated with “nuclear terrorism”. Obama's nuclear doctrine puts particular emphasis on “nuclear terrorism” and on the alleged plans by Al Qaeda to develop and use nuclear weapons.
      Chapter III focusses on America's Holy Crusade and the Battle for Oil. The “Global War on Terrorism” requires going after the terrorists, using advanced weapons systems. US foreign policy upholds a pre-emptive religious-like crusade against evil, which serves to obscure the real objectives of military action. In the inner consciousness of Americans, the attacks of September 11, 2001 justify acts of war and conquest against evil-doers. The Global War on Terrorism is presented as a “clash of civilizations”, a war between competing values and religions, when in reality it is an outright war of conquest, guided by strategic and economic objectives. The lies behind 9/11 are known and documented. The American people’s acceptance of this crusade against evil is not based on any rational understanding or analysis of the facts. "The American inquisition" purports to extend Washington’s sphere of influence. Military intervention is justified as part of an international campaign against “Islamic terrorists”. Its ultimate intention, which is never mentioned in press reports, is territorial conquest and control over strategic resources. Ironically, under the Global War on Terrorism, these plans of conquest are instrumented by covertly supporting Islamic paramilitary armies, which are then used to destabilize non-compliant governments and impose Western standards of "governance" and "democracy".
      World War III Scenario
      The contours of a World War III scenario are discussed in Chapter IV. The Pentagon’s global military design is one of world conquest. The military deployment of US-NATO forces is occurring in several regions of the World simultaneously. Militarization at the global level is instrumented through the US military's Unified Command structure: the entire planet is divided up into geographic Combatant Commands under the control of the Pentagon. According to (former) NATO Commander General Wesley Clark, the Pentagon’s military road-map consists of a sequence of war theaters: “[The] five-year campaign plan [includes]... a total of seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan.”
      Chapter V focusses on war preparations pertaining to Iran, including the launching of a pre-emptive nuclear attack on the Islamic Republic. While Iran remains on the Pentagon's drawing board, a fundamental shift in the sequencing of military operations has occurred. The US-NATO-Israel alliance realizes that Iran has significant capabilities to respond and retaliate. With the onset of the US-NATO led war in North Africa, Washington and its allies have chosen to wage war on countries with lesser military capabilities. This factor in itself has been crucial in the decision by the US and its allies to put "the Iran operation" on hold, while launching a "humanitarian war" on Libya.
      How to Reverse the Tide of War
      Chapter VI focusses on antiwar actions directed against this diabolical military agenda. Central to an understanding of war, is the media campaign which grants it legitimacy in the eyes of public opinion. A good versus evil dichotomy prevails. The perpetrators of war are presented as the victims. Public opinion is misled: “We must fight against evil in all its forms as a means to preserving the Western way of life.” Breaking the "big lie" which upholds war as a humanitarian undertaking, means breaking a criminal project of global destruction, in which the quest for profit is the overriding force. This profit-driven military agenda destroys human values and transforms people into unconscious zombies.
      The holding of mass demonstrations and antiwar protests is not enough. What is required is the development of a broad and well organized grassroots antiwar network, across the land, nationally and internationally, which challenges the structures of power and authority. People must mobilize not only against the military agenda, the authority of the state and its officials must also be challenged. This war can be prevented if people forcefully confront their governments, pressure their elected representatives, organize at the local level in towns, villages and municipalities, spread the word, inform their fellow citizens as to the implications of a nuclear war, initiate debate and discussion within the armed forces.
      The object of this E-Book is to forcefully reverse the tide of war, challenge the war criminals in high office and the powerful corporate lobby groups which support them.
      Break the American Inquisition.
      Undermine the US-NATO-Israel military crusade.
      Close down the weapons factories and the military bases.
      Members of the armed forces should disobey orders and refuse to participate in a criminal war.
      Bring home the troops.

      Notes
      1. See Yoichi Shimatsu, Secret Weapons Program Inside Fukushima Nuclear Plant? Global Research, April 12, 2011
      2. Helen Caldicott, Fukushima: Nuclear Apologists Play Shoot the Messenger on Radiation, The Age, April 26, 2011
      3. See Michel Chossudovsky, America's Planned Nuclear Attack on Libya, Global Research, March 25, 2011.
      4. Federation of American Scientists, The Nuclear Information Project: the B61-11
      5. Ibid, See also Greg Mello, The Birth Of a New Bomb; Shades of Dr. Strangelove! Will We Learn to Love the B61-11? The Washington Post, June 1, 1997
      6. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - September/ October 1997, p. 27. For further details see Michel Chossudovsky, America's Planned Nuclear Attack on Libya, Global Research, March 25, 2001
      7. See William Arkin, "Thinking the Unthinkable", Los Angeles Times, March 9, 2002.
      8. In late March or early April (prior to April 4), the B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber from the 509th Bomber Wing operating out of Whiteman Air Force Base, was used in the so-called "Joint Test Assembly" (JTA) of the B61 Mod 11 nuclear bomb.
      The announcement of these tests was made public on April 4; the precise date of the tests was not revealed, but one can reasonably assume that it was in the days prior to the April 4 press release by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA. Press Release, NNSA Conducts Successful B61-11 JTA Flight Test, April 4, 2011. For further details see Michel Chossudovsky, Dangerous Crossroads: Is America Considering the Use of Nuclear Weapons against Libya? Global Research, April 7, 2011
      Montreal, May 2011

      Order your pdf of this important new book from Global Research here
      Introductory offer: $5.00
      (plus $1.50 processing fee. Sent directly to your email!)
      OR
      receive this book FREE with your Global Research Annual Membership! Click to learn more.


      Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (Emeritus) at the University of Ottawa. He is the Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal and Editor of the globalresearch.ca website. He is the author of The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order (2003) and America’s “War on Terrorism” (2005). He is also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His writings have been published in more than twenty languages.
      This E-Book is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alice C. Tang, who devoted her life to global peace, the pursuance of truth, military disarmament and the prevention of nuclear war. Alice Tang's proposal was titled “Two Percent, No First Strike.” The pledge would be that no nation shall spend more than 2 percent of its GDP on military purposes, and no nation would be a “first strike” aggressor with nuclear weapons.
      Acknowledgments
      Research for this E-book was conducted over a period of almost ten years. Our sincere thanks to Global Research members and our readers, whose support has enabled us to develop our publishing and educational outreach activities.

      I am much indebted to Maja Romano of the Center for Research on Globalization (CRG) for her support in the editing process as well for the creative design of the front page graphics. I extend my thanks and appreciation to Réjean Mc Kinnon, for the careful typesetting, layout and production of the E-Book and to Drew McKevitt for her assistance in the copyediting of the manuscript.



      "Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War" by Michel Chossudovsky

















      E-Book Series No. 1.0
      Global Research Publishers
      Montreal, 2011

      ISBN 978-0-9737147-3-9
      76 pages (8.5x11)
      Tables, color photographs, maps, text boxes.
      Active hyperlinks to major references in the text, hyperlinked footnotes.  


      Order your pdf of this important new book from Global Research here

      Introductory offer: $5.00
      (plus $1.50 processing fee. Sent directly to your email!)OR receive this book FREE with your Global Research Annual Membership! Click to learn more.



      DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS
      PREFACE 
      A New War Theater in North Africa                               
      Operation Odyssey Dawn  
      Nuclear Weapons against Libya? How Real is the Threat?       
      America's Long War: The Global Military Agenda                         
      How to Reverse the Tide of War                                   
      World War III Scenario 
      Acknowledgments     

      CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION                                 
      The Cult of Killing and Destruction                                 
      America’s Mini-nukes 
      War and the Economic Crisis                                     
      Real versus Fake Crises                             

      CHAPTER II: THE DANGERS OF NUCLEAR WAR                      
      Hiroshima Day 2003: Secret Meeting at Strategic Command Headquarters           
      The Privatization of Nuclear War: US Military Contractors Set the Stage             
      9/11 Military Doctrine: Nuclear Weapons and the “Global War on Terrorism”         
      Al Qaeda: “Upcoming Nuclear Power”                               
      Obama’s Nuclear Doctrine: The 2010 Nuclear Posture Review                 
      Post 9/11 Nuclear Doctrine                                       
      “Defensive” and “Offensive” Actions                                 
      “Integration” of Nuclear and Conventional Weapons Plans                     
      Theater Nuclear Operations (TNO)                                   
      Planned Aerial Attacks on Iran                                     
      Global Warfare: The Role of US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)             
      Nuclear Weapons Deployment Authorization                             
      Israel’s Stockpiling of Conventional and Nuclear Weapons                     
      The Role of Western Europe                                   
      Germany: De Facto Nuclear Power                                 
      Pre-emptive Nuclear War: NATO’s 2010 Strategic Concept                   
      The World is at a Critical Crossroads                                 

      CHAPTER III: AMERICA’S HOLY CRUSADE AND THE BATTLE FOR OIL           

      America’s Crusade in Central Asia and the Middle East                       
      “Homegrown Terrorists”                                       
      The American Inquisition                                     
      Washington’s Extrajudicial Assassination Program                         
      The Battle for Oil       
      The Oil Lies in Muslim Lands                                     
      Globalization and the Conquest of the World’s Energy Resources               

      CHAPTER IV: PREPARING FOR WORLD WAR THREE                   
      Media Disinformation   
      A “Pre-emptive” Aerial Attack Directed Against Iran would Lead to Escalation         
      Global Warfare     
      US “Military Aid”     
      The Timetable of Military Stockpiling and Deployment                       
      World War III Scenario                                       
      The United Nations Security Council                                 
      The American Inquisition: Building a Political Consensus for War               

      CHAPTER V: TARGETING IRAN WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS                 

      Building a Pretext for a Pre-emptive Nuclear Attack                         
      “Theater Iran Near Term”                                       
      The Military Road Map: “First Iraq, then Iran”                           
      Simulated Scenarios of a Global War: The Vigilant Shield 07 War Games             
      The Role of Israel       
      Cheney: “Israel Might Do it Without Being Asked”                       
      US Israel Military Coordination                                     
      Tactical Nuclear Weapons directed against Iran                           
      Radioactive Fallout   
      “The Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB) Slated to be Used Against Iran               
      Extensive Destruction of Iran’s Infrastructure                             
      State of the Art Weaponry: “War Made Possible Through New Technologies”         
      Electromagnetic Weapons                                       
      Iran’s Military Capabilities: Medium and Long Range Missiles                 
      Iran’s Ground Forces   
      US Military and Allied Facilities Surrounding Iran                         

      CHAPTER VI: REVERSING THE TIDE OF WAR                         

      Revealing the Lie     
      The Existing Anti-War Movement                                   
      Manufacturing Dissent 
      Jus ad Bellum: 9/11 and the Invasions of Yugoslavia and Afghanistan             
      Fake Antiwar Activism: Heralding Iran as a Nuclear Threat                     
      The Road Ahead       
      The Antiwar Movement within the State Structure and the Military               
      Abandon the Battlefield: Refuse to Fight                               
      The Broader Peace Process                                     
      What has to be Achieved   

      Order your pdf of this important new book from Global Research here Introductory offer: $5.00 (plus $1.50 processing fee. Sent directly to your email!)
      OR receive this book FREE with your Global Research Annual Membership! Click to learn more.