RECENT 6.0+ QUAKES

6.2 Kamchatka, Russia (July 30)

6.4 Mindanao, Philippines (July 29)

6.0 Tonga (July 26)

6.5 Mindanao, Philippines (July 24)

7.4 Mindanao, Philippines (July 23)

7.6 Philippines (July 23)

6.2 Vanuatu (July 22)

6.1 Indonesia (July 21)

7.3 Papua New Guinea (July 18)

6.7 Aleutian Islands, Alaska (July 18)

Of interest: Minor quake in D.C. area USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

Ebeko Paramushir (Kuril) Island; Ulawun New Britain Papua New Guinea; Kilauea, Hawaii; Gorely Kamchatka, Russia; Karymsky, Eyjafjoll, Iceland; Batu Tara, Indonesia; Chaiten, Chile; Shiveluch, Russia; Soufriere Hills, Montserrat; Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan Recent photo of Kilauea Volcano - USGS webcam

U.S. Status Map | Global Volcanism

SOLAR ACTIVITY [NASA link]

Latest solar observations [NASA]

Sunspots: 1089, 1092 | > solar maximum

Solar Flare probabilities: M-1%; X-1%

Geomagnetic Storms: < 5% Severe

SPACE ALERTS

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) There are currently 1132 known PHAs... The one to watch is 2004 MN4; it's 320 meters wide and has a one-in-60 chance of colliding with Earth on April 13, 2029. [NASA link]

Jupiter Update: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken the sharpest visible-light picture yet of atmospheric debris from an object that collided with Jupiter on July 19. Image link | NASA link NEWS: Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have discovered carbon molecules, known as "buckyballs," in space for the first time. These soccer-ball-shaped molecules were first observed in a laboratory 25 years ago. NASA link

U.S. WEATHER ALERTS

Flood Warnings: North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Texas (details)

Severe Weather: Heat Advisories in Texas and Louisiana National Hurricane Center link

Note: Conditions change rapidly, visit NOAA National Weather Hazards for up-to-the-minute alerts. Be prepared.

CLICK HERE for current NOAA Weather Forecast Map of the U.S.

El Nino Status: > ENSO-neutral - Details

Gulf Oil Spill... Developments: Cap Still Holding Finally, progress in capping the oil gusher... Relief wells said to be online in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, British Patroleum (BP) still faces fines, damages and a (well deserved) PR nightmare. Links: NOAA Trajectory Maps Gulf Oil Spill Satellite Images

U.S. & World Population World 6,858,752,780 U.S. 309,845,618

The State of the Planet

IN THE NEWS... BP spill response plans severely flawed AP Alaotra grebe confirmed extinct BBC EPA Scientists Say East Coast Beaches Threatened by Sea Level, But Nobody's Listening Wired What lurks in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch thedailygreen Air Quality Improving in U.S. ENN 2,500 sq. km (965 sq. mile) Iceberg breaks off from glacier in Antarctica Reuters story here > The Industrial Revolution brought an increasing reliance on the burning of fossil fuels for heat, power, transportation and manufacturing. Today it is the general consensus within the scientific community that this, along with other human activities and natural influences, are contributing to the rise in our planet's surface temperature. Heavy usage of fossil fuels help dramatically increase greenhouse gases (so named for their heat-trapping properties) -- far more than can be naturally absorbed. Over the past 250 years, CO2 concentrations rose nearly 30% and methane concentrations increased over 50%, enabling the atmosphere to retain more heat. Carbon dioxide concentration in the air is up to more than 385 parts per million (climate.gov); compare that to 150 years ago when it was 280 ppm. Temperatures have risen one degree Fahenheit in the past century with accelerated warming occuring over the past two decades. 10 of the past 15 years were the hottest on record. These rising temperatures disrupt weather patterns, bringing about severe storms. The increase in evaporation, in turn, increases precipitation. Melting ice sheets and glaciers raise sea levels which cause flooding. For example, Antarctica's ice sheet holds 70% of the world's fresh water supply. Glacial melt is a major contributor to ocean level rise. Only half of the world's original 6 million acres of rainforest currently remain while each second an area the size of a football field is cut down. The United Nations estimates that 3.1 billion cubic metres of wood were removed globally for timber and fuel and; we lose an area of forest the size of Greece each year (approx. 13 million hectares). Between 1995 and 2004, disasters caused by extreme weather cost $570 billion.

GOING GREEN

THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY... Save energy by switching over to LED and CFL lighting. Check insulation on doors, windows, basements, attics and garages. Conserve fuel by taking less trips. Teleconference and telecommute. Use public transportation or try walking for a change. Recycle everything that can be recycled. Reuse boxes, packaging, containers and even shipping envelopes. Repair, paint and or find alternative uses for fixtures, furnishings, etc. Purchase items and/or donate items that can be used by non-profits or the poor. Use renewable energy sources like solar panels, portable solar devices, etc... Purchase eco-friendly produced materials and non-toxic alternatives to chemical products.

Blarchive GREEN LINKS Page

GLACIER MELT by Tony Caravan ---Recent admissions by the U.N. climate chiefs on Himalayan glacier melt; and updated satellite data suggesting that Alaskan glaciers are melting slower than previously reported, have fueled climate change deniers to try and dismiss all of the scientific evidence on global warming. It should be noted that in both of the above instances, there is no argument over whether or not the glaciers are melting, rather the degree to which they are melting. --- Glacial retreat in Europe and South America as well as Greenland and Antarctica remain undisputed and represent a clear and present danger to the planet. Whether it's sea level rise or lack of fresh water, there should be no doubts that climate change is affecting us all, and will have an even greater effect on future generations.

Beauty and a Warning: Icebergs in the Antarctic (POCKiTZINE)