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Post by nodstar on Jun 8, 2010 16:06:41 GMT 4
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Post by caspa on Jun 8, 2010 16:42:32 GMT 4
[/size] [/quote] Sure does and it appears that Dan and Marci, two eco people, are planning something right after Tier 1 opens. I heard Marci say, "Raise the skull and crossbones, we'll fight for the whales!" As time goes by, they usually always DO what they plan.  Fran |
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Post by dan on Jun 8, 2010 16:48:49 GMT 4
[/size] [/quote] Sure does and it appears that Dan and Marci, two eco people, are planning something right after Tier 1 opens. I heard Marci say, "Raise the skull and crossbones, we'll fight for the whales!" As time goes by, they usually always DO what they plan. Fran[/quote] Indeed we do, ma'am! ;D
If Marcia chooses for us to sign on for a tour of duty, I'll risk my life to FIGHT FOR  and save a whale! I have known cetaceans up close, and I know for certain about their intellect, souls, intrinsic value. To me (and "us") it's 'persons acting to save another person.' There is no question in my being about that reality...not after meeting them.
I'll wait and see what she wants to do when the time comes.
Dan |
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Post by satchmo on Jun 8, 2010 19:04:09 GMT 4
As I said...like being hooked on Heroin. The more one uses, the more one needs.
Dan Is'nt that the truth Dan.....Petroleum is a nasty habit we definitly need to shed ! There are a LOT of offshore oilwells around this globe we live on. Sealife has just as much right to live as we do !  satchmo |
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Post by nodstar on Jun 9, 2010 3:40:39 GMT 4
Gulf Oil Spill: Media Access 'Slowly Being Strangled Off'[/size] www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/29/gulf-oil-spill-media-access_n_594592.html?ir=MediaMATTHEW BROWN | 05/29/10 05:25 PM NEW ORLEANS — Media organizations say they are being allowed only limited access to areas impacted by the Gulf oil spill through restrictions on plane and boat traffic that are making it difficult to document the worst spill in U.S. history. The Associated Press, CBS and others have reported coverage problems because of the restrictions, which officials say are needed to protect wildlife and ensure safe air traffic. Ted Jackson, a photographer for The Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans, said Saturday that access to the spill "is slowly being strangled off." A CBS news story said one of its reporting teams was threatened with arrest by the Coast Guard and turned back from an oiled beach at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The story said the reporters were told the denial was under "BP's rules." U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Aviation Administration officials said BP PLC, the company responsible for cleaning up the spill, was not controlling access. Coast Guard officials also said there was no intent to conceal the scope of the disaster. Rather, they said, the spill's complexity had made it difficult to allow the open access sought by the media. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Rob Wyman said personnel involved in the CBS dispute said no one was threatened with arrest. Vessels responding to the spill are surrounded by a 500 yard "standoff area" with restricted access, he said. "If we see anybody impeding operations, we're going to ask you to move. We're going to ask you to back up and move away," he said. Story continues below BP contractors are operating alongside the FAA and Coast Guard at command centers that approve or deny flight requests. Charter pilots say they have been denied permission to fly below 3,000 feet when they have reporters or photographers aboard. Those special flight restrictions, imposed on May 12, cover thousands of square miles of the Gulf and a broad swath of Louisiana's coast. Normally there are no restrictions on flying. The chief of the Coast Guard's public affairs programs branch said access had been hampered by a cumbersome approval process that stretched all the way to the White House. Chief Warrant Officer Adam Wine said White House officials had to sign off on requests for tours of the spill zone before they could proceed. The Coast Guard is attempting to increase access through guided boat and aircraft tours, he said. Still, there is no plan to lift restrictions on flights or boat traffic into offshore areas – including some barrier islands. White House officials referred questions about their involvement to Wyman. He said Wine's description of the chain of command was incorrect and that all requests from media were decided on by the command center in Robert, La. The Department of Homeland Security is notified, he said. Two weeks ago, oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau was turned away from waters near a wildlife sanctuary after the Coast Guard discovered a reporter and a photographer from The Associated Press were on board. Jackson, The Times-Picayune photographer, said he had been kept back from oil-covered beaches and denied a request to fly below 3,000 feet. "The oil spill from there is just a rumor," he said. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said hundreds of flights related to the recovery effort go each day into the restricted airspace. She said aircraft from the oil industry and law enforcement also are allowed in those areas.
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Post by nodstar on Jun 9, 2010 4:25:51 GMT 4
BP and Feds Withheld Videos Showing Massive Scope of Oil Spill
Coast Guard Told Public Not to 'Fixate' On Rate of Spill While Sitting On Video[/size] click on link to watch video abcnews.go.com/Blotter/bp-feds-withheld-videos-showing-massive-scope-oil/story?id=10819367By BRIAN ROSS, MATTHEW MOSK, and AVNI PATEL June 3, 2010 New videos show more clearly than ever how BP, with little resistance from the Coast Guard or other federal agencies, kept the public in the dark about just how bad things were beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. With an apparently complicit Coast Guard, BP held oil spill videos for weeks. On May 1, 11 days after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, and nine days after oil began spilling into the Gulf, the Coast Guard had still only released a single image of oil leaking a mile beneath the surface -- a fuzzy photograph of a broken pipe spewing oil. But inside the unified command center, where BP and federal agencies were orchestrating the spill response, video monitors had already displayed hours of footage they did not make public. The images showed a far more dire situation unfolding underwater. The footage filmed by submarines showed three separate leaks, including one that was unleashing a torrent of oil into the Gulf. BP officials said they made all the video available to federal officials. "The video has been available to the unified command from the very beginning," said Mark Proegler, a BP spokesman. "It's always been here from the beginning. They had it." Coast Guard officials told ABC News that BP refused to allow them to release the more startling images, arguing they were proprietary. But at the time, the agency was doing little to convey to the world what the images were showing. Coast Guard Admiral Mary Landry was sticking with estimates, calculated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which put the spill's size at about 5,000 barrels a day for several weeks. Coast Guard officials said they were focused on the response, and advised the public not to worry about just how much oil was pouring into the water. "I would caution you not to get fixated on an estimate of how much is out there," said Adm. Landry. Two days later, as oil continued to spew, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said much the same thing. "This fixation on the number of barrels is a little bit misleading," said Napolitano. BP officials said everyone inside the Unified Command center in Louisiana agreed that the 5,000 barrel figure was the best they could offer. But Dr. Ian MacDonald, an oceanographer and oil expert at Florida State University said he disagrees, and he remains "baffled and bothered" by the decision to keep under wraps the images that he believes indicated the spill was much bigger. "We need to know what's coming at us," he told ABC News. "You know, we are Americans, we respond to threats. Don't sugarcoat it. Tell us the truth and we'll do the best we can. And I think that's exactly what didn't happen here. The government, I'm sorry to say has been behind the information curve every step in this process." Sen. Bill Nelson , a Florida Democrat, said the apparent suppression of the tapes prevented an independent analysis of how much oil was spilling, a move that might eventually save BP millions, since federal fines are based on $1,000 a day per barrel. The difference between a spill of 5,000 barrels a day and 20,000 barrels a day is $15 million a day. "It clearly tells us why they drug their feet to release these tapes," Nelson said. "I guess they were hoping that they could get it under control and this whole problem would go away."
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Post by dan on Jun 9, 2010 13:44:00 GMT 4
As I said...like being hooked on Heroin. The more one uses, the more one needs.
Dan Is'nt that the truth Dan.....Petroleum is a nasty habit we definitly need to shed ! There are a LOT of offshore oilwells around this globe we live on. Sealife has just as much right to live as we do !satchmo  D |
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Post by galaxygirl on Jun 9, 2010 16:45:18 GMT 4
Hey folks . . . . I just returned from 10 days in Ukraine, where people are referring to this event as America's Chernobyl.
And I'll know that the truth about this catastrophe has truly penetrated the human psyche when we are able to refer to it for what it is:
AN OIL VOLCANO. As Above, So Below . . GG
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Post by ninathedog on Jun 9, 2010 19:16:46 GMT 4
Gulf Oil Spill: Media Access 'Slowly Being Strangled Off' [/size] www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/29/gulf-oil-spill-media-access_n_594592.html?ir=MediaMATTHEW BROWN | 05/29/10 05:25 PM NEW ORLEANS — Media organizations say they are being allowed only limited access to areas impacted by the Gulf oil spill through restrictions on plane and boat traffic that are making it difficult to document the worst spill in U.S. history. The Associated Press, CBS and others have reported coverage problems because of the restrictions, which officials say are needed to protect wildlife and ensure safe air traffic. Ted Jackson, a photographer for The Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans, said Saturday that access to the spill "is slowly being strangled off." A CBS news story said one of its reporting teams was threatened with arrest by the Coast Guard and turned back from an oiled beach at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The story said the reporters were told the denial was under "BP's rules." U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Aviation Administration officials said BP PLC, the company responsible for cleaning up the spill, was not controlling access. Coast Guard officials also said there was no intent to conceal the scope of the disaster. Rather, they said, the spill's complexity had made it difficult to allow the open access sought by the media. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Rob Wyman said personnel involved in the CBS dispute said no one was threatened with arrest. Vessels responding to the spill are surrounded by a 500 yard "standoff area" with restricted access, he said. "If we see anybody impeding operations, we're going to ask you to move. We're going to ask you to back up and move away," he said. Story continues below BP contractors are operating alongside the FAA and Coast Guard at command centers that approve or deny flight requests. Charter pilots say they have been denied permission to fly below 3,000 feet when they have reporters or photographers aboard. Those special flight restrictions, imposed on May 12, cover thousands of square miles of the Gulf and a broad swath of Louisiana's coast. Normally there are no restrictions on flying. The chief of the Coast Guard's public affairs programs branch said access had been hampered by a cumbersome approval process that stretched all the way to the White House. Chief Warrant Officer Adam Wine said White House officials had to sign off on requests for tours of the spill zone before they could proceed. The Coast Guard is attempting to increase access through guided boat and aircraft tours, he said. Still, there is no plan to lift restrictions on flights or boat traffic into offshore areas – including some barrier islands. White House officials referred questions about their involvement to Wyman. He said Wine's description of the chain of command was incorrect and that all requests from media were decided on by the command center in Robert, La. The Department of Homeland Security is notified, he said. Two weeks ago, oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau was turned away from waters near a wildlife sanctuary after the Coast Guard discovered a reporter and a photographer from The Associated Press were on board. Jackson, The Times-Picayune photographer, said he had been kept back from oil-covered beaches and denied a request to fly below 3,000 feet. "The oil spill from there is just a rumor," he said. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said hundreds of flights related to the recovery effort go each day into the restricted airspace. She said aircraft from the oil industry and law enforcement also are allowed in those areas.[/quote] from Mel Fabregas
June 8 at 10:30amListen to James Fox directly from Grand Isle, Lousiana. There is a MEDIA BLACKOUT. People are being ARRESTED. The media is not telling you the real story. Let's keep James in our thoughts. Audio below.www.manticoregroup.com/radio/2010/06jun/jamesfox2010.mp3Best, Mel www.veritasshow.com/ |
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Post by satchmo on Jun 9, 2010 19:20:14 GMT 4
Gulf oil spill 'may top 100,000 barrels a day'BP’s oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico may be up to four times the scale estimated by a government scientific panel, pumping out 100,000 barrels a day in what equates to the company’s “worst case scenario” and prompting new accusations that executives are stonewalling the truth. The news — revealed by one of the members of President Obama’s Flow Rate Technical Group, a panel that previously estimated that the flow was in the region of 12,000 to 25,000 barrels a day — counter to BP’s claims that it is now capturing “the majority” of the oil and channeling it into a tanker. Dr Ira Leifer , a researcher in the Marine Science Institute at the University of California who is a member of the technical group, said that the oil company’s operation to cut the leaking pipe and cap it with a new containment device last week may have increased the surge of oil not by 20 per cent, as BP and the White House had warned may happen, but several times over. “How much larger I don’t know, but let’s just quote BP,” he said, referring to the 100,000 barrel rate that BP executives indicated weeks ago would be their “worst case scenario. “In the data I’ve seen, there’s nothing inconsistent with BP’s worst case scenario,” he added in comments to McClatchy newspapers, stating that the previous 12,000 to 25,000 barrels a day estimate had simply been the “lower bound” estimate. BP’s “top kill” effort two weeks ago to stem the flow by firing mud and junk into the well appeared to have stepped up the rate of the leak, Dr Leifer said. The revelations are likely to form part of a lively congressional hearing next week, when BP’s chief executive, Tony Hayward, will appear on Capitol Hill to face a grilling by legislators. He will be quizzed not only on BP’s response to the disaster, and controversial personal statements that he has made himself in recent weeks, but also on its lack of preparedness for such a disaster. The company’s 2009 response plan setting out what it would do in the event of a leak in the Gulf of Mexico was seriously flawed, it emerged today, and showed a lack of understanding for the environment in which it was drilling. One of the wildlife experts it listed in the plan as a potential adviser died in 2005. Under the heading “sensitive biological resources,” the 528-page document lists marine mammals including walruses, sea otters, sea lions and seals — none of which are found anywhere close to the Gulf. The names and phone numbers of several marine life specialists to which it would turn for help are out of date, and marine mammal assistance services that it names are in fact no longer in service. Yet the document was approved by the federal government last year, prior to the Deepwater Horizon rig starting drilling on the Macondo well, despite vastly underestimating the potential impact that an accident might yield, even based on a leak ten times worse than the current spill. “BP Exploration and Production Inc. has the capability to respond, to the maximum extent practicable, to a worst case discharge, or a substantial threat of such a discharge, resulting from the activities proposed in our Exploration Plan,” the papers state, setting out how marine life would largely escape serious harm, beaches would remain clean, and water quality would be only a temporary problem. www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7146713.ece
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Post by dan on Jun 9, 2010 19:31:39 GMT 4
We are redeploying Isis-P, like we did in the Pacific, to attempt a confrontation against a depletion in dissolved oxygen in the water column. I am not sure whether it will have a positive outcome or not, but while the rest of our team is cleaning oil and birds , like Marcia and I will be doing soon, we'll do our best.
Meanwhile, Ann is deploying self-propagating Lotus units, along the Gulf Coast, near the kind (with a few important changes) the U.S. Army used in 2002 off Florida without my permission.
Love,
Dan
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Post by ninathedog on Jun 10, 2010 0:45:39 GMT 4
Gulf of Mexico Spill
Expert Recommends Killing Oil-Soaked Birds05/06/2010
Photo Gallery: 7 Photos
dpa
spiegel onlineA German biologist says that efforts to clean oil-drenched birds in the Gulf of Mexico are in vain. For the birds' sake, it would be faster and less painful if animal-rescue workers put them under, she says. Studies and other experts back her up. "Kill, don't clean,"   is the recommendation of a German animal biologist, who this week said that massive efforts to clean oil-soaked birds in Gulf of Mexico won't do much to stop a near certain and painful death for the creatures.Despite the short-term success in cleaning the birds and releasing them back into the wild, few, if any, have a chance of surviving, says Silvia Gaus, a biologist at the Wattenmeer National Park along the North Sea in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. "According to serious studies, the middle-term survival rate of oil-soaked birds is under 1 percent," Gaus says. "We, therefore, oppose cleaning birds." The oil spill -- which continues to pump more than 200,000 gallons (755,000 liters) of crude into the Gulf each day -- was caused by an April 20 explosion on a BP-operated oil rig about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast. In the path of the spill are several large protected areas for wildlife, including a vital nesting area for thousands of brown pelicans which were only removed from the US Endangered Species Program last year. Louisiana's Breton National Wildlife Refuge is by itself home to 34,000 birds. So far, the vast oil slick has yet to make significant landfall, limiting the numbers of birds affected, but observers worry that it is only a matter of time before beaches along America's Gulf Coast become blackened. Birds Will Eventually Perish from Long-Term CausesCatching and cleaning oil-soaked birds oftentimes leads to fatal amounts of stress for the animals, Gaus says. Furthermore, forcing the birds to ingest coal solutions -- or Pepto Bismol, as animal-rescue workers are doing along the Gulf Coast -- in an attempt to prevent the poisonous effects of the oil is ineffective, Gaus says. The birds will eventually perish anyway from kidney and liver damage. Gaus speaks from 20 years of experience, and she worked on the environmental cleanup of the Pallas -- a wood-carrying cargo ship that spilled 90 tons of oil in the North Sea after running aground in October of 1998. Around 13,000 birds drown, froze or expired due to stress as a result of the Pallas spill. Once covered in oil, a bird will use its bill and tongue to remove the toxic substance from their feathers. Despite oil's terrible taste and smell, a bird will still try and clean itself because it can't live without fluffy feathers that repel water and regulate its body temperature. "Their instinct to clean is greater than their instinct to hunt, and as long as their feathers are dirty with oil, they won't eat," Gaus says. Kill Them 'Quickly and Painlessly'But it's the instinct of biologists, who often feel compelled to save the birds out of duty and ethical reasons, that will ultimately lead a bird to a worse death, say some. It would be better to let the birds die in peace, Gaus says, or kill them "quickly and painlessly."
Even dyed-in-the-wool preservationists from the WWF agree with Gaus. At the time of the 2002 Prestige oil spill off the coast of Spain, a spokesman from the organization said: "Birds, those that have been covered in oil and can still be caught, can no longer be helped. … Therefore, the World Wildlife Fund is very reluctant to recommend cleaning." The Prestige spill killed 250,000 birds. Of the thousands that were cleaned, most died within a few days, and only 600 lived and were able to be released into the wild. According to a British study of the spill, the median lifespan of a bird that was cleaned and released was only seven days. egk -- with wire reportswww.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,693359,00.html (many thanks to Beth)
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Post by auroralaura on Jun 10, 2010 1:24:02 GMT 4
"The Prestige spill killed 250,000 birds. Of the thousands that were cleaned, most died within a few days, and only 600 lived and were able to be released into the wild. According to a British study of the spill, the median lifespan of a bird that was cleaned and released was only seven days." www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,693359,00.html 600 is better than 0. They all deserve a chance at being helped. If all those expensive BP suits really cared, they'd have their rear ends at the ever expanding ground zero doing anything they can to help. I have very strong words for those who feel they can continue to rape the Earth of anything they please regardless of consequence, but I'm sure many people do. It's well past time to shift the paradigm to better things...So, shall we get on with it, PLEASE! The world would be so much better if we expelled greed. Thank you Eagles and Members of the Eagles Team for your hard work and dedication. Thank you to everyone who posts to this forum as you have opened my eyes to many many things that deserve attention. Thank you to those who read these posts and try to do better. You are all loved and appreciated. May you all be blessed! ...And may we all work together to clean up all the messes we've all created. Love, AL |
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Post by ninathedog on Jun 10, 2010 10:41:45 GMT 4
moving this from Humanitarian thread, it makes sense to have it here as well.  We're doing everything we can. sesq (All Angel Eagles donations tagged for this operation go exclusively to the supplies to clean up the wildlife {like "Dawn" liquid}. All other activities, including the attempts with Isis and Lotus, and transportation come from separate Eagles Disobey, Inc. funds. All donations tagged strictly for food for the homeless, goes there, only. As soon as we have any personnel available, additional food for the homeless runs will be completed. We thank everyone for the wonderful outpouring of support! 
We know you're working your tails off!
With deep appreciation,
and love sent to you all!
Jen.Ocean currents likely to
carry oil along Atlantic coastJune 03, 2010
University Corporation for Atmospheric Researchwww.youtube.com/watch?v=pE-1G_476nAThis animation shows one scenario of how oil released at the location of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico may move in the upper 65 feet of the ocean. This is not a forecast, but rather, it illustrates a likely dispersal pathway of the oil for roughly four months following the spill. It assumes oil spilling continuously from April 20 to June 20. The colors represent a dilution factor ranging from red (most concentrated) to beige (most diluted). The dilution factor does not attempt to estimate the actual barrels of oil at any spot; rather, it depicts how much of the total oil from the source that will be carried elsewhere by ocean currents. For example, areas showing a dilution factor of 0.01 would have one-hundredth the concentration of oil present at the spill site.
The animation is based on a computer model simulation, using a virtual dye, that assumes weather and current conditions similar to those that occur in a typical year. It is one of a set of six scenarios released today that simulate possible pathways the oil might take under a variety of oceanic conditions. Each of the six scenarios shows the same overall movement of oil through the Gulf to the Atlantic and up the East Coast. However, the timing and fine-scale details differ, depending on the details of the ocean currents in the Gulf. The full set of six simulations can be found here -- www2.ucar.edu/news/oil-spill-animations (Visualization by Tim Scheitlin and Mary Haley, NCAR; based on model simulations.) [Download high resolution video here -- www.ucar.edu/multimedia/videos/2010/2monCol4.1386x1054-trimmed.mov]
[/blockquote] BOULDER—A detailed computer modeling study released today indicates that oil from the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico might soon extend along thousands of miles of the Atlantic coast and open ocean as early as this summer. The modeling results are captured in a series of dramatic animations produced by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and collaborators. The research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, NCAR’s sponsor. The results were reviewed by scientists at NCAR and elsewhere, although not yet submitted for peer-review publication. “I’ve had a lot of people ask me, ‘Will the oil reach Florida?’” says NCAR scientist Synte Peathingy, who worked on the study. “Actually, our best knowledge says the scope of this environmental disaster is likely to reach far beyond Florida, with impacts that have yet to be understood.” The computer simulations indicate that, once the oil in the uppermost ocean has become entrained in the Gulf of Mexico’s fast-moving Loop Current, it is likely to reach Florida's Atlantic coast within weeks. It can then move north as far as about Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with the Gulf Stream, before turning east. Whether the oil will be a thin film on the surface or mostly subsurface due to mixing in the uppermost region of the ocean is not known. The scientists used a powerful computer model to simulate how a liquid released at the spill site would disperse and circulate, producing results that are not dependent on the total amount released. The scientists tracked the rate of dispersal in the top 65 feet of the water and at four additional depths, with the lowest being just above the sea bed. “The modeling study is analogous to taking a dye and releasing it into water, then watching its pathway,” Peathingy says. The dye tracer used in the model has no actual physical resemblance to true oil. Unlike oil, the dye has the same density as the surrounding water, does not coagulate or form slicks, and is not subject to chemical breakdown by bacteria or other forces. Peathingy and her colleagues stress that the simulations are not a forecast because it is impossible to accurately predict the precise location of the oil weeks or months from now. Instead, the simulations provide an envelope of possible scenarios for the oil dispersal. The timing and course of the oil slick will be affected by regional weather conditions and the ever-changing state of the Gulf’s Loop Current—neither of which can be predicted more than a few days in advance. The dilution of the oil relative to the source will also be impacted by details such as bacterial degradation, which are not included in the simulations. What is possible, however, is to estimate a range of possible trajectories, based on the best understanding of how ocean currents transport material. The oil trajectory that actually occurs will depend critically both on the short-term evolution of the Loop Current, which feeds into the Gulf Stream, and on the state of the overlying atmosphere. The flow in the model represents the best estimate of how ocean currents are likely to respond under typical wind conditions. Picking up speedOil has been pouring into the Gulf of Mexico since April 20 from a blown-out undersea well, the result of an explosion and fire on an oil rig. The spill is located in a relatively stagnant area of the Gulf, and the oil so far has remained relatively confined near the Louisiana and Alabama coastlines, although there have been reports of small amounts in the Loop Current. The model simulations show that a liquid released in the surface ocean at the spill site is likely to slowly spread as it is mixed by the ocean currents until it is entrained in the Loop Current. At that point, speeds pick up to about 40 miles per day, and when the liquid enters the Atlantic’s Gulf Stream it can travel at speeds up to about 100 miles per day, or 3,000 miles per month.
The six model simulations released today all have different Loop Current characteristics, and all provide slightly different scenarios of how the oil might be dispersed. The simulations all bring the oil to south Florida and then up the East Coast. However, the timing of the oil’s movement differs significantly depending on the configuration of the Loop Current. The scenarios all differ in their starting conditions, a technique used in weather and climate forecasting to determine how uncertainty about current conditions might affect predictions of the future. Additional model studies are currently under way, looking further out in time, that will indicate what might happen to the oil in the Atlantic. “We have been asked if and when remnants of the spill could reach the European coastlines,” says Martin Visbeck, a member of the research team with IFM-GEOMAR, University of Kiel, Germany. “Our assumption is that the enormous lateral mixing in the ocean together with the biological disintegration of the oil should reduce the pollution to levels below harmful concentrations. But we would like to have this backed up by numbers from some of the best ocean models.” The scientists are using the Parallel Ocean Program, which is the ocean component of the Community Climate System Model, a powerful software tool designed by scientists at NCAR and the Department of Energy. They are conducting the simulations at supercomputers based at the New Mexico Computer Applications Center and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. *News media terms of use: Reproduction to illustrate this story and nonprofit use permitted with proper attribution as provided above and acceptance of UCAR's terms of use -- www.ucar.edu/legal/terms_of_use.shtml. Find more images in the UCAR Digital Image Library -- www.fin.ucar.edu/ucardil/. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.(many thanks to Matt L!) |
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Post by ninathedog on Jun 10, 2010 11:17:51 GMT 4
More Active Sun Means
Nasty Solar Storms AheadSpace.com Staff
space.com – Wed Jun 9, 6:00 pm ETThe sun is about to get a lot more active, which could have ill effects on Earth. So to prepare, top sun scientists met Tuesday to discuss the best ways to protect Earth's satellites and other vital systems from the coming solar storms. Solar storms occur when sunspots on our star erupt and spew out flumes of charged particles that can damage power systems. The sun's activity typically follows an 11-year cycle, and it looks to be coming out of a slump and gearing up for an active period. "The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity," said Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division. "At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms. The intersection of these two issues is what we're getting together to discuss." Fisher and other experts met at the Space Weather Enterprise Forum, which took place in Washington, D.C., at the National Press Club. Bad news for gizmosPeople of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. But smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity. A major solar storm could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina, warned the National Academy of Sciences in a 2008 report, "Severe Space Weather Events—Societal and Economic Impacts." [Photos: Sun storms.] Luckily, much of the damage can be mitigated if managers know a storm is coming. That's why better understanding of solar weather, and the ability to give advance warning, is especially important. Putting satellites in 'safe mode' and disconnecting transformers can protect electronics from damaging electrical surges. "Space weather forecasting is still in its infancy, but we're making rapid progress," said Thomas Bogdan, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo. Eyes on the sunNASA and NOAA work together to manage a fleet of satellites that monitor the sun and help to predict its changes. A pair of spacecraft called STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) is stationed on opposite sides of the sun, offering a combined view of 90 percent of the solar surface. In addition, SDO (the Solar Dynamics Observatory), which just launched in February 2010, is able to photograph solar active regions with unprecedented spectral, temporal and spatial resolution. Also, an old satellite called the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), which launched in 1997, is still chugging along monitoring winds coming off the sun. And there are dozens more dedicated to solar science. "I believe we're on the threshold of a new era in which space weather can be as influential in our daily lives as ordinary terrestrial weather." Fisher said. "We take this very seriously indeed." * Gallery: Hyperactive Sun * Video - How Space Storms Wreak Havoc on Earth * Gallery: Solar Storms * Original Story: More Active Sun Means Nasty Solar Storms Ahead
SPACE.com offers rich and compelling content about space science, travel and exploration as well as astronomy, technology, business news and more. The site boasts a variety of popular features including our space image of the day and other space pictures,space videos, Top 10s, Trivia, podcasts and Amazing Images submitted by our users. Join our community, sign up for our free newsletters and register for our RSS Feeds today!news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100609/sc_space/moreactivesunmeansnastysolarstormsahead
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and save a whale! I have known cetaceans up close, and I know for certain about their intellect, souls, intrinsic value. To me (and "us") it's 'persons acting to save another person.' There is no question in my being about that reality...not after meeting them.
D
is the recommendation of a German animal biologist, who this week said that massive efforts to clean oil-soaked birds in Gulf of Mexico won't do much to stop a near certain and painful death for the creatures.