Saturday, October 1, 2011

Plutonium detected outside compound of Fukushima plant - 1st Oct 2011

The government has detected plutonium apparently from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant outside the compound of the plant for the first time, science ministry officials said Friday. The plutonium was detected at six locations in Fukushima Prefecture, including Iitate village around 45 kilometers northwest of the Fukushima complex, they said, adding the amounts were small and posed no danger to health.
The radioactive substance may have been carried by vapor or fine particles from the nuclear plant, said an official of Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the plant.
Plutonium has an extremely long half-life and is associated with a high risk of cancer if it enters the human body by breathing or other means. As plutonium is heavy, it does not spread far.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology also detected radioactive strontium at various locations including one around 80 km from the plant.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Emergency Military Unit heads for El Hierro as earthquakes increase in Strength - 28th Sept 2011

Two Military response units will be dispatched today from Tenerife to the island of El Hierro, to assist in evacuation activities as the seismic activity has increase din strength during the past 24 Hours.

The application was requested by the government of the Canary Islands and is supported by the Ministry of Defence, who will assist in the emergency evacuation of the citizens of El Hierro.

The first evacuation will take place today with the help of 31 soldiers, four buses and 6 trucks, residents will be moved to the Barracks located in La Caleta, at the same time the military is responsible of installing a camp that can house 2.000 people.

The minister has made it clear that this is part of 'Prevention against possible Risk' and that no eruption has taken place.

Shark attack at Fish Hoek beach, South Africa.

Cape Town - A man is in a critical condition after being bitten by a shark while swimming at Fish Hoek beach, the NSRI said on Wednesday.

"The NSRI and emergency officials are currently attending to him," said Craig Lambinon of the National Sea Rescue Institute.

He added that officials have asked the public to steer clear of the scene, and have urged people to stay out of the sea in the entire False Bay area.

Lambinon said the man was apparently fairly far out to sea when he was attacked. He could not yet say what type of shark attacked the man.

NASA To Make Announcement On Near-Earth Asteroids

NASA says it will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. GMT) on Thursday to reveal near-Earth asteroid findings and implications for future research. The briefing will take place at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission, launched in December 2009, captured millions of images of galaxies and objects in space. During the news conference, panelists will discuss results from an enhancement of WISE called Near-Earth Object WISE (NEOWISE) that hunted for asteroids.

The news conference panelists will include Lindley Johnson, Near-Earth Object program executive, NASA Headquarters, Washington; Amy Mainzer, NEOWISE principal investigator, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California; Tim Spahr, director, Minor Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Lucy McFadden, scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

The conference takes place on the same week that a 13-metre-wide asteroid, named SE58, passed within 0.6 Lunar Distances of Planet Earth. SE58′s approach occured in the early hours of Tuesday 27 September 2011.

The NASA conference also coincides with an ESA (European Space Agency) seminar on Space Situational Awareness, which also be held on Thursday in Warsaw, Poland. Participants will include senior managers, policy-makers and scientists from ESA, ESA Member States, the EU, European institutions and international partner organisations.

The Agency’s SSA Preparatory Programme was authorised at the November 2008 ESA Ministerial Council and formally launched on 1 January 2009. The objective of the SSA programme is to support Europe’s independent use of, and access to, space through the provision of timely and accurate information, data and services regarding the space environment, and particularly regarding hazards to infrastructure in orbit and on the ground. In general, these hazards stem from possible collisions between objects in orbit, harmful space weather and potential strikes by natural objects that cross Earth’s orbit.

It remains unclear at this point whether NASA or the ESA will reveal further information about a near-earth asteroid that is scheduled to pass between the moon and earth later this year.

The 1300-foot-wide (400 metres) asteroid, which is more than one and a half times the length of a soccer pitch, will pass within 0.85 lunar distances of the Earth on November 8, 2011.

Discovered on December 28, 2005 by Robert McMillan of the Spacewatch Program near Tucson, Arizona, 2005 YU55 is believed to be a very dark, nearly spherical object.

According to NASA’s Near Earth Object Program: “Although classified as a potentially hazardous object, 2005 YU55 poses no threat of an Earth collision over at least the next 100 years. However, this will be the closest approach to date by an object this large that we know about in advance and an event of this type will not happen again until 2028 when asteroid (153814) 2001 WN5 will pass to within 0.6 lunar distances.”

Stranded Humpback Whale towed out to sea, Australia - 28th Sept 2011

A HUMPBACK whale found stranded at ‘Pockets’ was towed out to sea by Marine Rescue NSW last Wednesday morning due to concerns over public health and safety.The possibility of a shark attack was reduced thanks to a great team effort by local residents and government agencies.
Local dive shop owner Steve Wilson was given the task of securing a rope around the whale’s tail in order to make the job possible.
Made difficult by the increasing swell and the whale being wedged up against the rocks, Steve had to work quickly when he jumped on the whale’s tail to wrap the rope around and secure it.
“It was the quickest knot I’ve ever tied,” he told the Times.
Steve then wedged his feet on the ocean floor and with the help of the swell released the whale from the crevice in the rocks.
NPWS Shorebird Recovery Coordinator Jodie Dunn and shire contractor Bill Hill had the job of managing the rest of the rope which had become heavy and difficult to control in the swell.
The next challenge was to drag the rope out to the Marine Rescue boats.
After some discussion and with the help of local surfer Murray Soulis it was decided it would be easier to drag the rope in from the boat.
NPWS South Coast Regional Operations Coordinator Ian Smith said the whale became stranded on rocks late Monday afternoon and died at about 9am on Tuesday.

Heavy rains affect 5,000 in southeastern Mexico - 27th Sept 2011

At least 5,000 people have been affected by torrential rains and flooding in the southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco, emergency management officials said Tuesday.

A total of 111 communities have been affected in the Gulf state by the heavy rains, which caused rivers to overflow their banks, the Tabasco state emergency management office said in a statement.

The cities of Balancan, Centro, Emiliano Zapata, Macuspana and Jalapa have reported the heaviest damage, emergency management office spokesman Roberto Lopez said.

There is flooding in the southern section of Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco, from the Mezcalapa River, the city's mayor, Jesus Ali, said.

"We have damage and are dealing with it," the mayor told Efe.

Officials in Villahermosa fear a repeat of the situation in 2007, when flooding caused extensive damage and affected nearly 1 million people, Ali said.

Five of the nine rivers that cross the Tabasco plain have overflowed their banks on some stretches, including the Grijalva, La Sierra and Usumacinta rivers, the National Water Commission, or Conagua, said.

The number of people affected by the rains could rise because officials in Emiliano Zapata, a city on the banks of the Usumacinta River, reported thousands of people affected by the rains, but the information has not yet been confirmed by the emergency management office.

More than 35,000 hectares (about 86,420 acres) of farmland and corn crops have been destroyed by the floodwaters, the state agriculture department said.

Tabasco Gov. Andres Granier has asked the federal government to complete a series of flood control projects to prevent future flooding in the state, where rivers regularly overflow their banks. Source

NASA Pinpoints Pacific Ocean Grave of Fallen UARS Satellite

The defunct Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) re-entered the atmosphere at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Saturday, falling into the Pacific at 14.1 degrees south latitude and 189.8 degrees east longitude

NASA and the military have pinned down exactly where and when a huge dead climate satellite fell to Earth on Saturday (Sept. 24).

The defunct Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) re-entered the atmosphere at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Saturday, falling into the Pacific at 14.1 degrees south latitude and 189.8 degrees east longitude (170.2 west longitude), according to the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA announced the new details today (Sept. 27).

These details close the case on NASA's 6 1/2-ton UARS satellite, which was launched on a space shuttle in 1991 to study Earth's ozone layer. The satellite was decommissioned in 2005, and has been slowly losing altitude since. [Photos of NASA's Huge Falling Satellite UARS]

"Six years after the end of its productive scientific life, UARS broke into pieces during re-entry, and most of it up burned in the atmosphere," NASA wrote in a final status update. "Twenty-six satellite components, weighing a total of about 1,200 pounds, could have survived the fiery re-entry and reach the surface of Earth."

UARS' final entry point places it in a "broad, remote ocean area in the Southern Hemisphere, far from any major land mass," according to the NASA statement.

UARS debris could have scattered between 300 miles and 800 miles downrange, or generally northeast of the re-entry point.

"NASA is not aware of any possible debris sightings from this geographic area," officials wrote.

Just after the UARS spacecraft's plunge into the Pacific, NASA officials said it was likely the satellite was at the bottom of the ocean, but the exact location and time of its re-entry might never be known. But today, NASA announced that it had identified the satellite's re-entry point.

NASA originally announced that UARS would fall back to Earth in an "uncontrolled re-entry" in late September or early October, and later refined the prediction down to the day. But no one could predict ahead of time exactly where or when the spacecraft would fall, because its trajectory depended on radiation from the sun and other varying conditions.

Even after the satellite came down, NASA could merely confirm that it had re-entered, most likely within 20 minutes of 12:16 a.m. EDT (0416 GMT), and probably over the Pacific Ocean. "We extend our appreciation to the Joint Space Operations Center for monitoring UARS not only this past week but also throughout its entire 20 years on orbit," Nick Johnson, NASA's chief scientist for orbital debris, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in a statement. "This was not an easy re-entry to predict because of the natural forces acting on the satellite as its orbit decayed. Space-faring nations around the world also were monitoring the satellite's descent in the last two hours and all the predictions were well within the range estimated by JSpOC."

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF LOYALTY ISLANDS - 27th Sept 2011

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake has struck Southeast of the Loyalty Islands at a depth of 34.9 km (24.5 miles), the quake hit at 17:42:31 UTC Tuesday 27th September 2011.
The epicenter was 55 km ( 34 miles) SSW of Ile Hunter, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No reports of Damage or Injuries reported at this time

Earth in cross-hairs of gigantic solar storm caused by sunspot measuring 62,000-miles across - 27th Sept 2011

A sunspot, 62,000 miles across - so big it would dwarf the Earth - is releasing gigantic solar flares that could in theory wreak havoc with electrical communications ranging from handheld electronics such as iPhones to sections of the power grid. Nasa has detected two X-class solar eruptions from 1302 – the most extreme possible – in the past week. One that occurred on September 24 produced an amazing light show over England last night – but it’s far from over, as the sunspot isn’t yet directly aligned with Earth.
NASA experts have said 'anything electrical' can be affected by such activity.
Known as ‘Active Region 1302’, it is producing bursts of radiation so intense that spectacular auroras, caused by the sun’s particles hitting the atmosphere, have been seen as far south as Oxfordshire.
Astronomer Dr Ian Griffin, CEO of Science Oxford, told MailOnline: ‘Active Region 1302 is the source of all of the auroras seen yesterday, and may well be the source of some more auroras over the next few nights. Read More

Video: Aftermath of fireball which destroyed part of Buenos Aires - 1 dead, 8 injured

Comment: Argentinian investigators name meteorite victim, rule out gas leak behind Buenos Aires explosion

Witness who photographed Buenos Aires meteor arrested for 'giving false testimony', police force him to change his story

That ain't no satellite! Meteorite impacts Buenos Aires, Argentina

Gulf oil spill could cause lasting damage to fish populations, study finds cell abnormalities and toxicity

Fish living in Gulf of Mexico marshes exposed to last year's oil spill have undergone cellular changes that could lead to developmental and reproductive problems, a group of researchers reported Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study, which was funded by the National Science Foundation and the BP-funded Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, suggests scientists are just beginning to capture the spill's ecological impact. The team of researchers from Louisiana State, Texas State and Clemson universities focused on the killifish, a minnowlike fish that is abundant and a good indicator of the health of wetlands.

Killifish residing in areas affected by the spill showed cell abnormalities, including impaired gills, two months after the oil had disappeared, researchers found. Killifish embryos exposed in the lab to water from the same site, which had only trace amounts of chemicals in it, developed cellular abnormalities as well.

"Their biology is telling us that they've been a), exposed to these chemicals and b), affected by them in negative ways," said Andrew Whitehead, an associate professor of biology at LSU and the paper's lead author. "Very low-level exposures can cause these toxic effects."

The group sampled killifish at six field sites spanning from Barataria Bay in Louisiana to Mobile Bay off Alabama. Researchers started sampling before oil made landfall in May 2010 and continued sampling as late as September 2010. They used satellite imagery as well as photographs to pinpoint where oil had hit marshes.

Whitehead said the findings were cause for concern because the fish, also known as bull minnow or cacahoe, were showing the same initial signs of toxicity that appeared in herring and harlequin ducks after Alaska's 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. These populations crashed, and some have yet to recover.

Tom Mueller, a BP spokesman, said in an e-mail that BP is reviewing the study and cannot comment on its conclusions or underlying data. "However, we support the efforts underway to better understand the potential, long-term impacts of the oil spill," he said.

Whitehead said the results show that just because fish from the gulf have passed federal inspections, it does not mean these species are unaffected by the spill.

"You can have a fish that's safe to eat but is still not healthy," he said, adding that as sediment containing hydrocarbons is dredged up by storms, it could expose species over time. "The sediments are going to act as this long-term reservoir of oil, of potential exposure."

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake CRETE, GREECE - 27th Sept 2011

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake has struck Crete, Greece at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 12:08:18 UTC Tuesday 27th September 2011.
The epicenter was 118 km (73.2 miles) South of Palaiokhora, Crete, Greece
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No reports of Damage or Injuries reported at this time

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake KASHMIR-XINJIANG BORDER REGION - 27th Sept 2011

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has struck the Kashmir-Xinjiang Border Region at a depth of 93.8 km (58.3 miles), the quake hit at 11:03:00 UTC Tuesday 27th September 2011.
The epicenter was 227 km (141 miles) ENE of Gilgit, Kashmir
No reports of Damage or Injuries reported at this time

El Hierro Residents told to Sleep with their travel documents and bags packed as Volcanic Alert Level is Raised to YELLOW - 27th Sept 2011

El Hierro has seen a spate of stronger eartquakes in the past 7 days prompting the alert level to be raised to YELLOW. Yesterday 38 earthquakes were registered due to magma bags nearing the surface of the island. These new movements are in addition to the 9202 Micro Quakes registered since the 1st of July 2011.

This week the activity of larger Earthquakes has increased day by day, and this morning so far has registered the following quakes in the area.

2.6 Magnitude at 07:42:08 UTC
2.6 Magnitude at 07:58:22 UTC
2.9 Magnitude at 08:04:05 UTC
2.6 Magnitude at 08:16:28 UTC
2.7 Magnitude at 08:43:27 UTC
3.4 Magnitude at 09:32:12 UTC
2.7 Magnitude at 09:37:26 UTC

At the Yellow Alert Level the chances of an eruption are still remote at 15%, although not ruled out to.

The most recent activity is located in the West and least populated Island beyond the enclaves of the Gulf and La Restinga. This does not stop the 10.000 residents of El Hierro worrying about the latest developments as they follow this event with concern and possible face evacuation of the Island.

The Directorate General of Security of Government has initiated a program in collaboration with the residents to discuss various recommendations in case of a Volcanic Eruption.

These recommendations will include: Respond to Yellow Alert Level and consist of Self Protection measures in order to provide greater effectiveness in the event the evacuation is initialized.

Advice from a yellow alert

- Once declared the yellow phase means you have to prepare for an unfavorable course of the phenomenon, and most importantly is to be attentive to the messages of prevention and self-government to be specific risk areas. The general advice given for high-risk areas are:

- Listen to the radio or watch television in the official reports of volcanic activity and its evolution. It is convenient to have a battery powered radio.

- Always have sufficient drinking water at home, first aid kit, regular medication should you need it, radio, batteries, and flashlights. Make sure you have enough medication to family members who use it regularly.

- Use 1-1-2 only in case of emergency.

- For any further questions call the number 012.

- Also available Internet pages of the Canary Islands and in this case, the Cabildo de El Hierro.

- Be sure to take home all personal documents and family organized and grouped housing to transport most important.

- It should be a small suitcase with a pair of silent shoes, toothbrush and other toiletries, small blanket, towel and mobile charger.

History:

El Hierro Volcano: Is one of the Smallest of the Canary Islands, the origins of the Island date back some 100 million years when the Ocean floor shifted with the movement of the Earth's mantle. The crust cracked into a three pointed star releasing flows of Magma.

After 3 Eruptions, the island emerged from the ocean as an imposing volcano more than 2,000 Meters high.

It has now been over 200 years since the last Eruption but El Hierro although being the smallest Island has the Largest number of Volcanoes with over 500 open Sky Cones and another 300 covered by the most recent outflows.

There has been uncertainty surrounding reports of a historical eruption taking place in 1793.

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA - 27th Sept 2011

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake has struck the Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska at a depth of 34.8 km (21.6 miles), the quake hit at 06:46:17 UTC Tuesday 27th September 2011.
The epicenter was 196 km (121 miles) Southwest of Amatignak Island, Alaska
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No reports of Damage or Injuries reported at this time

2 mln displaced by India flood

At least two million people have been hit by floods in India triggered by downpour, the BBC reports.

The most suffered regions are Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states.

Some regions were cut off by the water with more than 60,000 evacuated.

At least 80 people were killed by the disaster.

GEOMAGNETIC STORM--IN PROGRESS:

High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras. A strong (Kp=7) geomagnetic storm is in progress. Aurora alerts:text, voice.

Earth's magnetic field has been strongly disturbed since approximately 1300 UT on Sept. 26th when a CME hit our planet. The impact strongly compressed the magnetosphere, exposing geosynchronous satellites to solar wind plasma, and ignited auroras around both poles. Gordon McLellan photographed these pastels over Lake Michigan after sunset on Sept. 26th:

Elsewhere in the United States, auroras have been sighted in New York, South Dakota, and Maine. More states will surely join the list as the night unfolds. Stay tuned.

That ain't no satellite! Meteorite impacts Buenos Ares, Argentina

A bright blue fireball fell out of the sky and smashed into a suburban neighbourhood in Buenos Ares today, killing one woman and injuring six others. In other news, the Russian prime minister is set to become the president again and again.... no, wait, back up a second. WHAT just happened in a major capital city in Latin America??

Argentina: One woman killed and six injured as meteorite smashes into Buenos Aires

Believe it or not, incoming cometary debris may actually have killed someone today. The space debris also destroyed a house and some cars. People reported seeing a fireball descending followed by an explosion. One witness told local TV news that prior to the explosion the sky lit up and windows began to vibrate strongly. They had no idea what was happening as 'the thing' just appeared... within a few seconds somebody's home was obliterated.

An Argentinian SOTT reader reported:

The laughable thing is that the program hosts of local TV news, although considering the possibility of a meteorite being to blame, kept telling people about the satellites rubbish, that a "gas explosion in combination with street electricity cables" was to blame, and other things like that... they gave those hypotheses equal or even more credibility than the meteorite one.

Canary Islands Government Raises El Hierro Volcanic Risk Level

The Canary Islands Government has raised the alert level for the El Hierro volcano in the Canary Islands (Spain) to 'Yellow', the highest alert status since an unprecedented earthquake swarm commenced in mid-July.

Spanish seismologists, accompanied by the President of the Cabildo de El Hierro and the Minister of Security and Emergency Area, held a press conference on Sunday to reassure the 10,000 residents of the smallest of the Canary Islands that the raising of the alert level does not indicate that an eruption is imminent. They indicated, however, that the number of volcanic earthquakes detected beneath El Hierro continues to increase.

Hierro, a shield volcano, has had a single historic eruption from the Volcan de Lomo Negro vent in 1793. The eruption lasted approximately one month and produced lava flows.

The Canary Islands Government commenced an in-depth geological survey of El Hierro earlier this month in an effort to determine the source of an earthquake swarm.

The unprecedented seismic activity commenced on 19 July (the activity was first reported by iWeather Online on 26 July). In excess of 6,750 earthquakes have been recorded up to Monday, 26 September 2011. More than 50 earthquakes were recorded between midnight and 6:00 a.m. GMT on Monday alone. The earth tremors have ranged between 1 and 3 magnitude, the National Geographic Institute (IGN) reported.

The vast majority of the tremors have been recorded in the northwest of the 278.5-square-kilometre island at El Golfo, the location of a massive landslide that created a 100-metre high tsunami almost 50,000 years ago.

Speaking to the El Pais newspaper during the weekend, volcanologist Juan Carlos Carracedo suggested that an eruption on El Hierro would "not be a major surprise".

He explained: "It is the youngest of the Canary Islands. There is a ball of magma which is rising to the surface and it is stationed at the limit of the earth's crust. At the moment we do not know if that ball of magna will break the crust and cause an eruption."

Earthquake Swarms

Earthquake swarms are events where a local area experiences sequences of many earthquakes striking in a relatively short period of time. The length of time used to define the swarm itself varies, but the United States Geological Survey (USGS) points out that an event may last for days, weeks, or months.

Typhoon hits northern Philippines, 100,000 flee

Life-threatening high wind and torrential rain will strike the northern Philippines as the center of Typhoon Nesat crosses northern Luzon Island.

Ahead of the storm, 100,000 people were being evacuated as of Monday, the Manila Times said. Schools were closed, flights were grounded and the military was put on standby.

Winds as high as 100 mph will lash northeastern Luzon upon landfall Tuesday morning, local time (late Monday, Eastern Time).

Winds will weaken markedly following landfall, as the storm tracks inland over the rugged landscape of northern Luzon and returns to sea on the west side by Tuesday night, local time.

Highest rainfall unleashed will reach 10 to 20 inches by Wednesday, making flooding likely and dangerous landslides a possibility.

Although the forecast path of Nesat would spare greater Manila the worst of the storm's destructive punch, the metropolitan area could nevertheless sustain some wind damage and rain-driven flooding.

Once over the open South China Sea, Nesat will strengthen anew, potentially becoming a typhoon before threatening south China, between Hong Kong and Hainan Island, as early as Thursday.

Forecasters in the Philippines have dubbed the storm Pedring.

Sunspot 1302: It's big. It's bad. And it's coming our way

Sunspot 1302 has already produced two X-flares (X1.4 on Sept. 22nd and X1.9 on Sept. 24th). Each of the dark cores in this image from SDO is larger than Earth, and the entire active region stretches more than 100,000 km from end to end. The sunspot's magnetic field is currently crackling with sub-X-class flares that could grow into larger eruptions as the sunspot continues to turn toward Earth. Credit: NASA/SDO/HMI

5.1 earthquake, Vanuatu. Sep 27 12:36pm

5.1 earthquake, Vanuatu. Sep 27 12:36pm at epicenter (12m ago, 266km N of Santo (Luganville), depth 199km)
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No reports of Damage or Injuries reported at this time

5.5 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 27th Sept 2011

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake has struck the Fiji Region at a depth of 528.3 km (328.3 miles), the quake hit at 00:37:34 UTC Tuesday 27th September 2011.
The epicenter was 295 km (183 miles) ESE of Lambasa, Vanua Levu, Fiji
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No reports of Damage or Injuries reported at this time

Radioactivity in Japan Rice Raises Worries

Government officials on Saturday ordered more tests after detecting elevated levels of radiation in rice crops near the crippled nuclear power plant at Fukushima.

Radioactive substances have already been discovered in beef, milk, spinach and tea leaves, leading to recalls and bans on shipments. But officials have been especially worried about rice, a staple that makes up a significant part of the Japanese diet. Japan grows most of the rice that it consumes.

Preliminary tests on rice from paddies in the city of Nihonmatsu, about 35 miles from the Fukushima plant, showed the crops contained 500 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium, prefectural officials said. Under recently adopted Japanese regulations, rice with up to 500 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium is considered safe for consumption. (A becquerel is a frequently used measure of radiation.)

As a result of the latest findings, officials in Fukushima have ordered further checks on rice from the area, and they may ban shipments if similarly high levels of radiation are found again, prefectural officials told reporters.

Rice from more than 400 locations in Fukushima Prefecture has been tested, and the highest level of radioactive cesium previously detected was less than 150 becquerels per kilogram. Some experts have criticized the Japanese government for not doing enough to keep dangerous radioactive substances out of the food supply, threatening the health especially of children and pregnant women, who are thought to be more sensitive to radiation. more

Monday, September 26, 2011

Cancer cost 'crisis' warning from oncologists

The cost of treating cancer in the developed world is spiralling and is "heading towards a crisis", an international team of researchers says.

Their Lancet Oncology report says there is a "culture of excess" with insufficient evidence about the "value" of new treatments and technologies.

It says the number of cancer patients and the cost of treating each one is increasing.

It argues for reducing the use and analysing the cost of cancer services.

About 12 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year. That figure is expected to reach 27 million by 2030.

The cost of new cancer cases is already estimated to be about £185bn ($286bn) a year.
Rising costs

A group of 37 leading experts from around the world say the burden of cancer is growing and becoming a major financial issue.

Their report says most developed countries dedicate between 4% and 7% of their healthcare budgets to dealing with cancer.

"The issue that concerns economists and policymakers is not just the amount of money spent on healthcare, but also the rate of increase in healthcare spending or what has become known as the cost curve."

It says the UK's total spend on breast cancer has increased by about 10% in each of the past four years.

"In general, increases in the cost of healthcare are driven by innovation. We spend more because we can do more to help patients."

For example, the number of cancer drugs available in the UK has risen from 35 in the 1970s to nearly 100, but the report warns they can be "exceedingly expensive".

It adds: "Few treatments or tests are clear clinical winners, with many falling into the category of substantial cost for limited benefit."

The cost of drugs is not the only target for criticism.

Lead author Prof Richard Sullivan told the BBC: "It's not just pharmaceuticals. Biomarkers, imaging and surgery are all getting through with very low levels of evidence - the hurdles are set too low." more

Meltdown - A Global Tsunami, Part 2 of 4: From the CBC

Dozens arrested in 8th day of 'Occupy Wall Street' protests

About 80 people were arrested on the eighth day of protests in New York on Saturday, the greatest number since demonstrations started near Wall Street.

Earlier arrests in the week totaled about 20 on previous days for similar charges, according to New York City Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne.

The latest arrests include disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and assaulting a police officer, according to Browne.

The protests started September 17 in lower Manhattan and are aimed at drawing attention to the role powerful financial interests played in America's spiraling economy.

"We've got a whole bunch of people sitting in Washington that can't figure it out," said organizer Bill Csapo.

The mission is for " 20,000 people to flood into lower Manhattan, set up beds, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months," the official "Occupy Wall Street" website read.

By Saturday, the site had a series of updates on arrests, including the exact location of a police van holding arrestees. One was described as having a "very bad concussion, possibly life threatening" and urged participants to demand medicare care for those affected.

"It's just letting people know that it's going on," Csapo said on the website. "We need to call the police and tell them to let these people go." more

Greece faces more strikes as default looms

As the prospect of a disastrous debt default hung over Greece, the government faced more strikes and protests against its new austerity measures needed to appease the country's rescue creditors.

Athens commuters faced more misery as metro, tram and suburban rail workers were on a 24-hour strike, while buses and trolleys were to stop operating for several hours in the middle of the day. Airline passengers also faced delays as air traffic controllers implemented work-to-rule action, refusing to work overtime. A 48-hour strike by all transport workers is expected later this week.

Greek police held their own protest, with the force's Special Guards unit hanging a giant black banner from the top of Lycabettus Hill in the capital reading "Pay day, day of mourning." more

India floods situation worsens in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa

More than two million people have been affected by floods in India as torrential rains lash Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states.

Heavy monsoon rains have been battering parts of India for the past fortnight.

More than 80 people have died in flood-related incidents, and some areas have been cut off by rising waters.

Heavy rains in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have killed more than 30 people across the state. A flood alert has been issued in eight districts in Bihar.

In Orissa, the worst affected state, vast parts of 10 districts have been inundated by flood waters, officials say.

Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said 55 people had died - some drowned, while others died from snakebites and in wall collapses.

More than 10 people who had gone missing after the boat in which they were travelling overturned in the Brahmani river in Dhenkanal district were rescued on Monday, officials say.

Some areas have been cut off because of breaches to river banks and embankments. Helicopters are the only way to bring food and water to people stranded there.

Officials said that more than 130,000 in Orissa alone have been evacuated to safety as the relief and rescue operation moves into full swing. more

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