Half of killer whales doomed to die from pollution – “It is like a killer whale apocalypse”

By Damian Carrington 27 September 2018 (The Guardian) – At least half of the world’s killer whale populations are doomed to extinction due to toxic and persistent pollution of the oceans, according to a major new study. Although the poisonous chemicals, PCBs, have been banned for decades, they are still leaking into the seas. They […]

Typhoon Trami batters Japan, halting East Japan Railway trains in Tokyo for the first time ever – Typhoon Kong-rey looms as new threat

By Yuko Takeo and Kazumi Miura 29 September 2018 (Bloomberg) – A typhoon is bringing Tokyo to a standstill. East Japan Railway Co., which operates major rail lines in the Japanese capital, suspended all train services in the Tokyo area from 8 p.m. on Sunday in preparation for Typhoon Trami, which made landfall in the […]

Powerful Typhoon Trami to slam Japan, with life-threatening impacts

By Eric Leister 27 September 2018 (AccuWeather) – Trami will threaten lives and property as it slams the Ryukyu Islands and barrels into mainland Japan with destructive winds, flooding rain and an inundating storm surge Friday night into Monday. The powerful typhoon is currently equal to a Category 3 major hurricane in the Atlantic or […]

Super Typhoon Trami to remain a powerful typhoon as it slams Japan with wind, rain this week

By Eric Leister 26 September 2018 (AccuWeather) – Trami remains a powerful typhoon on Wednesday as it slowly meanders toward the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. The powerful cyclone is currently equal to a Category 3 major hurricane in the Atlantic or East Pacific oceans. Trami will remain over the open ocean in an ideal environment […]

Japan’s Typhoon Jebi demonstrates the vulnerability of airports to storm surge – Jebi brought the highest storm surge on record to Osaka Bay

Dr. Jeff Masters 21 September 2018 (Weather Underground) –  In a stunning demonstration of the destructive potential of typhoon storm surge—and the human propensity to under-engineer infrastructure designed to withstand the worst nature has to offer—Japan’s third busiest airport, Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay, was inundated by Category 2 Typhoon Jebi’s storm surge on […]

Super Typhoon Trami strengthens to Category 5, takes aim at Japan

By Bob Henson  24 September 2018 (Weather Underground) – Storms are being classified and declassified at a snappy pace in the Atlantic, as several weak systems have been fighting off dry air and wind shear. We may yet see one or more of these systems strengthening as the week unfolds—and there is no question about […]

U.S. has the highest maternal death rate in the developed world – “It should not be allowed to continue. It is America’s shame.”

By Chris Heide 24 August 2018 (Second Nexus) – A USA TODAY report has determined that the United States has become the “most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world.”More than 700 women in the United States die from complications directly related to childbirth each year. In addition, more than 50,000 American women […]

Japan begins clean-up after Typhoon Jebi kills 11 – Jebi was most powerful storm to hit Japan in 25 years, had highest winds ever recorded in parts of the country

By Kaori Kaneko 4 September 2018 TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan began on Wednesday to clean up after a powerful typhoon killed 11 people, injured hundreds and stranded thousands at a flooded airport, though when the airport in an industrial and tourist hub might reopen was not clear.Typhoon Jebi, or “swallow” in Korean, was briefly a […]

Global debt soars to $169 trillion, along with fears of crisis ahead – “We were supposed to correct a debt bubble. What we did instead was create more debt.”

By David J. Lynch 3 September 2018 (The Washington Post) – Ten years after the worst financial panic since the 1930s, growing debt burdens in key developing economies are fueling fears of a new crisis that could spread far beyond the disruption sweeping Turkey. The loss of investor confidence in the Turkish lira, which has […]

Image of the Day: Satellite view of black carbon from North America wildfires and other aerosols, 23 August 2018

By Adam Voiland 24 August 2018 (NASA) – Take a deep breath. Even if the air looks clear, it is nearly certain that you will inhale millions of solid particles and liquid droplets. These ubiquitous specks of matter are known as aerosols, and they can be found in the air over oceans, deserts, mountains, forests, […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial