Archive - Aug 2011

Hurricane Irene - Nassau, Bahamas

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Irene’s Damage: Deaths, Flooding, Power Losses State-by-State

Hurricane Irene killed at least 15 people from Puerto Rico to New York, caused an estimated $3 billion in damage and cut electric power to more than 4 million homes and businesses across the eastern U.S.  read more »

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Full Disc Image Shows Hurricane Irene (Photo of the Day)
I think that there is probably nothing as beautiful as a full disc image of Earth, though I would like it if I could find one that didn’t focus on the Americas. Either way, this most recent image was taken on August 24, 2011, by the NASA/NOAA GOES-13 satellite. In the middle of the image can be seen Hurricane Irene as it sweeps in over the Bahamas at 12 miles per hour. To the right is the far west corner of Africa, and you can just see the Antarctic Peninsula down the bottom, reaching up to try and meet the southern tip of South America.

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Images courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

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More arrests on second day of oil pipeline protests
A Toronto woman was among those arrested on the second day of a mass protest held outside the White House to denounce a planned pipeline that would transport Canadian oil from Alberta to Texas. Dozens of protesters were removed by U.S. Park Police on Sunday for failing to obey orders governing demonstrations on the grounds of the White House.

Patricia Warwick, 68, of Toronto, and a 65-year-old woman from Massachusetts were arrested shortly before noon and by the end of the day about 50 people had been detained. U.S. Park Police Sgt. David Schlosser said late Sunday everyone arrested was later released.  read more »

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An Ocean Miracle in Cabo Pulmo National Park, Baja California, Mexico - Can We Have More of This, Please?
For generations we have been taking fish out of the ocean at a rate faster than they can reproduce. The problem is that there are fewer and fewer fish to meet an ever-increasing demand. The solution is simply to take less so that we can continue eating fish for a longer time.

Opponents of conservation, however, argue that regulating fishing will destroy jobs and hurt the economy - but they are wrong, and there are real-world examples that prove this. A scientific study published today by the Public Library of Science shows that protecting an area brings the fish back, and creates jobs and increases economic revenue for the local communities. I have seen it with my own eyes and, believe me, it is like a miracle, only that it is not - it’s just common business sense.  read more »

[Aug 5, 2011] A heat wave affected southern US states from California to North Carolina, and temperatures topped 100F (38C) in parts of Texas for the 38th consecutive day.

Texans have endured over a month of extreme heat and drought.

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The South burns! Dallas sizzles in more than 100 degree heat for 38th day in a row - and looks set to break 1980 record of 42 days

Record breaking temperatures scorched the South today, with Dallas baking under more that 100F heat for the 38th day in a row. After enduring a high of 108F today, forecasts suggest there will be no let up in the area, with temperatures continuing to rage until well into next week. If, as meteorologists predict, the mercury keeps hitting above 100F every day until Sunday, the state will break a 31 year record for the longest running heatwave.  read more »

*Update* March 19, 2012 - http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/ - "The Outstanding Public Debt as of 19 Mar 2012 is: $15,580,446,972,442
The estimated population of US is 312,429,020
Each citizen's share of this debt is $49,868.76.
The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $4.02 billion per day since September 28, 2007!"

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[Aug. 2, 2011] Holly Matthews, 7, of Kansas City, Mo., holds a sign supporting a balanced budget amendment just before the House voted Monday to pass debt legislation on Capitol Hill in Washington.

08/17/2011 abcnews.com 14.7M Children in Poverty One child out of every five in the U.S. suffers from hunger - stunning key findings

11/23/2011 CNN Report: 1 in 5 U.S. children at risk of hungerThe number of families that struggle to get enough food has increased in recent years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that in 2010, 14.5% of households in US -- about 17.2 million -- lacked the resources to provide enough food for everybody.  read more »