Life is Healthy

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, and Now I'm Looking in Places I've Already Looked

The Day We Came Back On the Replacement Bus Service

There Are Also Ways Such As Down, Left and Right

Einstein-a-Come-Back

It's Actually About 60/40 What You Do/The Way That You Do It

(Yes, You, I'm Talking to You) The Rocksteady Crew

Leavin’ a Note On Heaven’s Door

Bring Your Daughter Back and Explain Why You Thought That the Slaughter Would Be an Appropriate Place to Take Her

Hang On a Sec, Isn’t That Your Lovin’ Feelin’ Over There?

I Just Called to Say Did You Get My Last Message?

(Like these? Try these.)

Blogger in beta initially launched without a few features -- it's still a beta version after all -- and it turned out that one of the ones folks missed the most was having an Edit HTML view for their templates in the new Layouts system. I can sympathize with that myself. Complete template control was one of the things that originally made me choose Blogger over the other available options almost four years ago (and yes, that was before I worked here). That kind of personalization and customization is important to us here at Blogger, so I hope no one thought this feature was gone for good.

I love the fact that we've got such cool new ways to just drag 'n' drop parts of your template around, and change fonts and colors with the click of a mouse. And that "shuffle blog colors" option can keep me entertained for hours. But still, there are times when you really just want to muck around in the code and nothing else will do. So for those of you who feel that way, have at it! Edit HTML is now available for Layouts.

One quick warning before you all dive in, though: The new template language is completely different from the old one. So even if you're used to working with classic templates, you'll need to learn some new tricks to directly edit the new templates for Layouts-enabled blogs. We've got some starter documentation on it, with more to come later. Personally, I recommend making a test blog to experiment on while you learn how it all works.

Have fun!

Again, in order to see water saved, we need human will to be triumphant over greed. Also, we need to address other issues besides ways of storing water, and in using less water intensive crops. We need to also address over population, pollution, government corruption, and political interference regarding amicable resolutions between countries regarding water disputes. And above all, we need to reign in the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases such as methane that contribute to the global warming causing droughts, with severe drought currently in much of the world.

I believe it is correct to say we have the resources to fight any scarcity problems we have be they economic or physical. However, that depends on all of us working together globally after first realizing how important it also is to look beyond the political, and more to the human and moral aspects of this problem. For as was illustrated in my previous entry today, our behavior and moral deafness is giving us less and less time to turn this around.

Water For Food.Water For Life Report

Study cites flood of solutions for water scarcity

21 August 2006
Source: SciDev.Net
Water shortages affect a third of the global population but solutions to the problem abound, says a major report published today (21 August).

The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture was launched at the World Water Week meeting in Stockholm, Sweden. It urges policymakers to take radical action to make water supplies sustainable. The report says a quarter of the world's people live where water is naturally scarce and tends to be over-used. This causes groundwater levels to decline and rivers to dry up.

The report calls for awareness that there is no more 'new' water for such scarce regions, particularly in Asia and North Africa. Another billion people live in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa where water is available but 'economically scarce' — it is inadequately distributed due to mismanagement or a lack of investment. The report says that storing more water remains a key priority for these regions. Some 700 experts conducted the assessment over five years. Their report reviews the impacts of various water management strategies adopted over the past 50 years and recommends ways of easing water shortages.

It says agriculture uses up to 70 times more water than domestic uses such as drinking, cooking or bathing. But solutions exist that would allow agriculture to feed an extra 2-3 billion people, using only half the amount of water currently expected. The report highlights the importance of low-cost technologies, such as treadle pumps, that could increase poor farmer's access to water resources. Water could also be used more efficiently through better irrigation, and by efforts to develop higher-yielding crops. Africa's savannahs — where agriculture depends on variable rainfall — are singled out as having the greatest potential for making better use of limited water supplies.

The report also says urban wastewater could be a productive resource if health risks linked to its use are addressed. David Molden of the International Water Management Institute, who led the study, said a key trade-off was with the environment. He warned against solutions that would further harm the environment, such as building more dams, diverting more water to agriculture, or clearing more space for rain-fed crops.

View from the top ...
Two images of the Upsala glacier in Argentina show the retreat of the ice (top: 1928; bottom: 2004).
Photograph: Greenpeace/Reuters

This article shows how climate change and the global water crisis are inextricably linked to each other. Just keep burning those fossil fuels.

Cities in peril as Andean glaciers melt

Ice sheets expected to last centuries could disappear in 25 years, threatening water supplies

John Vidal, environment editor

Tuesday August 29, 2006

Andean glaciers are melting so fast that some are expected to disappear within 15-25 years, denying major cities water supplies and putting populations and food supplies at risk in Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia.

The Chacaltaya glacier in Bolivia, the source of fresh water for the cities of La Paz and El Alto, is expected to completely melt within 15 years if present trends continue. Mount Huascarán, Peru's most famous mountain, has lost 1,280 hectares (3,163 acres) of ice, around 40% of the area it covered only 30 years ago. The O'Higgins glacier in Chile has shrunk by nine miles in 100 years and Argentina's Upsala glacier is losing 14 metres (46ft) a year.

Although a few glaciers in southern Patagonia are increasing in size, almost all near the tropics are in rapid retreat. Some glaciers in Colombia are now less than 20% of the mass recorded in 1850 and Ecuador could lose half its most important glaciers within 20 years.

The rate of glacier retreat has shocked scientists, says a report on the effects of global warming in Latin America by 20 UK-based environment and development groups who have drawn on national scientific assessments. Their study says climate change is accelerating the deglaciation phenomenon.

"The speeding up of the ... process is a catastrophic danger," says Carmen Felipe, president of Peru's water management institute. In the short term, the president says, it could cause overflows of reservoirs and trigger mudslides, and in the longer term cut water supplies.

According to the Colombian institute of hydrology, back in 1983 the five major glaciers in El Cocuy national park were expected to last at least 300 years, but measurements taken last year suggest that they may all disappear within 25 years. Meanwhile, the ice sheet on the Ecuadorean volcano Cotopaxi and its glacier has shrunk by 30% since 1976.

"The [drastic melt] forces people to farm at higher altitudes to grow their crops, adding to deforestation, which in turn undermines water sources and leads to soil erosion and putting the survival of Andean cultures at risk," says the report by the Working Group on Climate Change and Development, which includes the International Institute for Environment and Development, Christian Aid, Cafod, WWF, Greenpeace and Progressio.

Their report, Up in Smoke, says snow and rainfall patterns in South America and the Caribbean are becoming less predictable and more extreme. "East of the Andes, rainfall has been increasing since about 1970, accompanied by more destructive, sudden deluges. Meanwhile, the last two hurricane seasons in the Caribbean rim have caused $12bn (£6.3bn) damage to countries other than the US. Tropical storms are expected to become more destructive as climate change intensifies. Climate change models predict more rainfall in eastern South America and less in central and southern Chile with a likelihood of greater and opposite extremes. The 2005 drought in the Amazon basin was probably the worst since records began."

End of excerpt.

View Of Chacaltaya Glacier
Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Water scarcity is simply again not just the process of fixing leaky pipes. Although infrastructure is absolutely one of the top concerns and priorities regarding this global crisis, this report and article clearly illustrate that human behavior is also contributing to the water crisis in our world. Weather patterns particularly regarding rainfall also show in some cases not just a shift in patterns, but a complete reversal. The effects of these glaciers melting completely will then be past crisis stage if the people who depend on the freshwater provided from them and a rainfall they cannot depend on are left with nothing to use for farming and other needs. Higher elevation farming will only lead to soil erosion and deforestation which in turn will then lead to flooding of crops, and effect the very way of life for thousands of people who without water to survive would then have no choice but to migrate elsewhere.

Also see;


Amazon Drought Widens

I go for a run in the park. A man stops me and asks for my help. It is important for the clarity of this story to point out that this man is (a) on crutches and (b) black. I would not normally point such things out being (a) not disablist and (b) not Ron Atkinson, but these facts are pertinent.

He says, “My dog has run off and I can't run after him. Will you fetch him please?”

He points to a large black dog that is already barely a speck on the other side of the football pitch. I don’t want to run after the dog. I am knackered and still have scars on my leg from where a dog bit me when I was 12.

“He doesn’t bite”, says the man, playing the best card that he has. I sigh, then pretend that it is because I am out of breath.

“What is your dog’s name?” I ask, remembering that dogs often come when called.

“Blackie.”

“Blackie?”

“Blackie.”

I run off after the dog. I do not want to shout "Oi, Blackie! Come here!" across the park in case a man of African or Afro-Caribbean descent thinks that I am picking a fight with him. I am not good at fighting. So I decide that I will just run after the dog and not call its name.

Whilst I am running I try to think of a set of circumstances that would lead to a black man owning a dog called Blackie. Perhaps he is reclaiming the word, like young African-Americans did in bands such as Niggaz With Attitude. But the man is middle-aged and this is leafy North-West London, not South Central LA.

I nearly catch up with the dog. The dog runs off again.

I decide that perhaps the dog was once owned by a white friend of his who, tired of being beaten up every time he called his dog in the park, gave the dog to his black friend. Perhaps this man only had one black friend and gave it to him by default, despite his obvious unsuitability for taking animals for walks. I am pleased with this explanation.

I nearly catch up with the dog. The dog runs off again.

As I chase after it I wonder, like I wonder about three times a week on average, if I am being filmed by hidden cameras. It would be a hilarious idea for a show. Even if the victim was too embarrassed to shout “Oi, Blackie!” in the most racially diverse area of the country you would still have some great footage of an out-of-breath man failing to catch a dog. That is always funny.

I nearly catch up with the dog. The dog runs off again.

This is actually quite good exercise. I usually find running dull, but I have probably done my entire distance by now without getting bored. Perhaps I should find a black person who is having problems walking their West Highland Terrier, Honky, and offer to chase it round the park for them on a regular basis.

Eventually, the dog tires of this game. I catch him and gasp “Stay”. He sits obediently, looking up at me. Perhaps I remind him of his old master. Then I remember that, unlike humans, dogs are colour-blind.

The dog’s owner hobbles over and thanks me. The hidden cameras remain hidden.

Rice farmer Hu Zizhong shows his drought damaged rice crop and cracks in the rice terrace soil, at Tieshi village, Chongqing Municipality on 20 August 2006. The worst drought in southwest China in half a century has severely impacted local farms, causing a combined loss of five million tonnes of grain, state media said.(AFP/File/Mark Ralston)

CHINA: August 25, 2006

BEIJING - A drought in southwest China, the worst in 50 years, has led to the loss of five million tonnes of grain and damaged more than two million hectares (7,700 sq miles) of farmland, state media said on Thursday.

Sichuan province was helping farmers plant crops like potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams which can be harvested later in the year to make up for the grain shortage, one provincial agricultural official told Reuters.

Most of the damaged crops was rice, officials said. State media has estimated that the drought, which has also hit neighbouring Chongqing, has cost farmers more than US$1 billion. It has not said whether there have been any deaths.

More than half Sichuan's counties were drought-stricken and almost 10 million people had restricted access to drinking water, the newspaper said. It quoted a scientist as saying that a gas leak in March in Chongqing that forced the evacuation of 5,000 people could have intensified the drought, as methane caused a mini-greenhouse effect, raising temperatures. But another scientist said it was purely a weather-related drought and had nothing to do with methane.

This week, an agricultural official told Reuters the drought had helped push up prices for vegetables, poultry and pork, though it had yet to affect grain. The drought has been so severe that the government is helping 100,000 farmers move to the far-western region of Xinjiang to pick cotton after their own fields withered.

And the dry weather is causing water levels in China's largest freshwater lake, the Poyang, in southeastern Jiangxi province, to fall as it is fed by the Yangtze which flows through Sichuan.Grain analysts say the total rice harvest this year is likely to grow from last year's 180 million tonnes because of acreage expansion in the northeast. "Northeast provinces have increased their rice acreage by a big margin, which can offset the losses," said one analyst at the China National Grains and Oils Information Centre. "The weather in the northeast is pretty good."
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
About Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake:
Poyang Lake

But this is what people are having to do more and more in China:













For even though water may at times be abundant, it is too toxic to use.

And from China Daily:
Water Level Of The Yangtzee Continues To Fall

And humans are not the only ones who depend on this lake:
More Bird Species Wintering in Poyang Lake

I'm saddened to have to do this again, but today we're saying our collective goodbyes to Jason Goldman, Mr. Goldtoe.net, who's been Blogger's phenomenal Product Manager for the past three and a half years. There's a blank line in title above, because you could fill it in with any aspect of Blogger's evolution at Google and be assured that Jason played a significant role in its development. Fortunately though, Blogger's future continues to be incredibly bright and we're looking forward to moving out of beta and into the exciting times beyond!

Good luck with with all your endeavors Jason, and thank you for all your time, energy, insights and the eternal entertainment.

-Eric and the Blogger Gang

How To Avoid War Over Water

This is a must read article. It also mentions the repercussions of fhe Israeli bombing in Lebanon and the hidden motivations we won't see covered on CNN, and the war in Sri Lanka that I also wrote about. And the four broad recommendations were right on. Also, access to water must be declared a global human right to keep corporate hands off of water that doesn't belong to them. Just because your name is Coca Cola that doesn't give you the inherent right to take away water that is needed to sustain life, or to pollute it.

Again, great article. And also, perhaps by speaking up about the potential of all out war over this resource and warning against it, we will foster peaceful negotiations and cooperations in the end. However, the bottomline is that those of us in parts of the world where water is plentiful must think about conserving it for our future and helping those who do not have the potable water they need to meet their needs. War or not that is simply the moral and ethical thing to do.

Excerpt from article:

Published on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 by the International Herald Tribune / Paris, France
How to Avoid War over Water
by Kevin Watkins and Anders Berntell

The facts behind the crisis tell their own story. By 2025, more than two billion people are expected to live in countries that find it difficult or impossible to mobilize the water resources needed to meet the needs of agriculture, industry and households. Population growth, urbanization and the rapid development of manufacturing industries are relentlessly increasing demand for finite water resources.

Symptoms of the resulting water stress are increasingly visible. In northern China, rivers now run dry in their lower reaches for much of the year. In parts of India, groundwater levels are falling so rapidly that from 10 percent to 20 percent of agricultural production is under threat.From the Aral Sea in Central Asia to Lake Chad in sub-Saharan Africa, lakes are shrinking at an unprecedented rate. In effect, a large section of humanity is now living in regions where the limits of sustainable water use have been breached - and where water-based ecological systems are collapsing. The disputes erupting within countries are one consequence of increasing scarcity. But water is the ultimate fugitive resource. Two in every five people in the world live in river and lake basins that span one or more international borders. And it is this hydrological interdependence that has the potential to transmit heightened competition for water across frontiers.

The Tigris and Euphrates river systems figure prominently at World Water Week. No river system better demonstrates the nature of hydrological interdependence. In Turkey, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are seen as an underexploited source of power and irrigation. Viewed from Syria and Iraq, Turkish dams are a threat to hundreds of thousands of livelihoods, with farmers losing access to water. Underpinning the rivalry between states is the idea that sharing water is a zero-sum game: Every drop of water secured by Turkish farmers appears as a loss to Syrian farmers.Consider, too, the huge river-diversion programs under consideration in China and India, which see them as part of a national strategy for transferring water from surplus to deficit areas. Neighboring governments fear a catastrophic loss of water. Bangladesh has warned that any diversion of the Ganges to meet the needs of India's cities could undermine the livelihoods of millions of vulnerable farmers.

Identifying potential flashpoints for conflict does not require a doctorate in hydrology. In the Middle East, the world's most severely water-stressed region, more than 90 percent of usable water crosses international borders. Forget oil: The most precious resource in the region flows in the River Jordan, or resides in the aquifers that link Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The threats posed by competition for water are real enough - but for every threat there is an opportunity. Cooperation tends to attract less news than violent conflict. Perhaps that is why "water wars" get such exaggerated coverage.

The agreement under which Lesotho provides water to the greater Johannesburg area in South Africa in return for watershed management finance does not make front page news. Nor does the Nile Basin Initiative, through which Egypt, Ethiopia and other countries are exchanging the benefits of cooperation on the Nile. And cooperation in West Africa between Senegal, Mali and Mauritania to share the Senegal River is not likely to make prime- time new slots in Europe. Yet cooperation over water is far more widespread than conflict. None of this is to play down the risk of water wars. Like oil and other energy resources, water is a source of life and livelihoods. It follows that water security is every bit as integral to human progress as energy security, with one large caveat: unlike oil, water has no known substitutes. That is why no country can afford to suffer a catastrophic loss of water resources.

Eighty percent of all fresh water consumed in the United States is used to produce food. And a vast percentage of that water is wasted as run off that runs into lakes and rivers polluting them due to pesticides, fertilizers, and other wastes the run off carries with it. Simply put, irrigation techniques in this country must be refined in order to cut down on wasted water, pollution, and less water intensive crops need to be focused on. And that includes the criminal waste put out by Factory Farms.

Tougher regulation of farm runoff needed

However, it is the more water intensive crops such as corn that carry the biggest price, since corn is also used for the production of ethanol and biofuel. Seems we find ourselves in quite a quandary. And make no mistake about it, it is a moral dilemma. Also, the other side to that equation and part of that moral dilemma is that we must learn to cut down on our consumption and wean ourselves off of our gluttonous ways in this country. We are so used to having bounty and not having to really want for anything, that now after twenty years of being warned about what this would bring us regarding water scarcity, just when we need to do what is necessary to conserve human nature will not allow us to comply.

However, farmers in states like Nebraska will have no choice, and have placed restrictions on digging new wells due to the level of acquifiers and taken farmland out of production in the Platte River Valley. Years of drought, diversion of water to growing cities, and now concerns about the climate crisis are changing the way farmers work. Specifically in harder hit areas like the Great Plains where farmers fear the Plains are now facing their limits as a world producer of wheat, beef, vegetable oils, and other crops due to water shortages. And they will become more pronounced without the rain necesary to replenish ground water supplies. That also has implications around the world as the U.S. feeds many parts of the world. Therefore, the adverse effects on the world economy must also be taken into account in weighing the moral implications to do what we must do to maintain not only our ability to feed the world, but ourselves.

According to the National Weather Service, persistant drought will run through Ocotber from Montana to Minnesota, through Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas (which is feeling it severely at this time (and is also involved in a current water dispute with Mexico involving the Colorado River)) which is the main wheat growing area in winter months. And we will then have to see just how the situation is regarding ice pack and snow melt which is the primary source of water in the West.

U.S. Drought Monitor

Without it production will be severely limited, and you know already who will pay for that at the grocery store. And this problem will be a growing one for farmers and those who depend on our harvests around the world in years to come.

World population is estimated to be at about 9 billion people by 2025. That will mean that more non -water irrigiation methods will have to be employed in order to feed the world. This includes drip irrigation, center pivot sprinklers, and conservation. Innovation will be the order of the day, and it will not be a choice but a necessity, while maintaining costs without conflict.

Also see: NOAA/Climate Prediction

On this day in 1999, Pyra Labs launched Blogger which Ev announced on his own blog. As you can see, Blogger was quite the looker back then.

From those humble roots, a bloggerish forest has grown. And a lot of what we continue to build today is informed by the philosophy of the original Pyra team.

For example, the idea of control. One feature of the new beta is the new photo removal tool. Anytime you go to delete a post with a photo, we'll show you the images associated with that post and ask whether you want to keep or remove them from the web. Handy.

In any case: Happy Birthday, Bloggers! Here's to 7 more.

(Oh, the birthday logo is a dog because of that whole "1 human year = 7 dog year" thing. And there should be more dogs in birthday hats, don'cha think?)

Bush-Coke-Pepsi Triumvirate Under Fire In India

I posted about Coca Cola's alleged human rights abuses in Columbia, and now India regarding the water shortages in the areas their companies are located in. Now Bush is standing up for these polluters at the expense of human health.

I say, BOYCOTT Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola. They are getting too rich off of poisoning people, taking their water, and addicting our children to their products. The millions of gallons of water they use to produce Coca Cola and Pepsi could go towards peoples' real NEEDS.

So what will Bush do now that the local Indian governments are pushing back for human rights and their freedom of choice? Shock and awe them? If India is a Democracy, why can't the people tell Coke and Pepsi to leave their country? Well, that's because the word Democracy is VERY exclusive, and only applies when Bush's cronies make money off of exploiting natural resources.

Fixing Leaks Will Avert World Water Woes

SWEDEN: August 22, 2006

STOCKHOLM - Fixing leaky pipes in conurbations from Mexico City to New Delhi is a better way to avert water shortages as the world population grows than costly schemes such as dams, a leading expert said on Monday. "There is no shortage of water in the world, but there is a crisis of management of water supplies," Asit Bitwas, head of the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico City, told Reuters during a meeting of 1,000 experts on water in Stockholm. "There is enough water, even in the Middle East, if we manage our water properly," Bitwas said, disputing the findings of an new international report that said one in three of the world's people lived in areas where water was in short supply.

He said many developing nations often wrongly put priority on expensive schemes to build dams or divert rivers in a bid to increase supplies. He said that the key was in simpler measures like fixing leaks. "In nearly all the megacities nearly 40 to 60 percent (of water) never reaches the consumer" because of leaks and poor maintenance, he said. "It is cheaper to fix your leaks, improve your maintenance systems which you can do in a couple of years rather than build a dam 200 kilometres away," he said. India, Mexico, China and Brazil were all among countries that could benefit. Bitwas, a Canadian citizen born in India, was to receive the conference's annual US$150,000 prize for his research. He said that many experts wrongly claimed that crises or even wars over water were looming. "It's baloney," he said.

Earlier, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) issued a report saying that a third of the world's population was living in regions with water shortages -- mainly in Africa and Asia. It said that demand for irrigation, which uses three quarters of all water used by humans, would rise because of factors including more demand to produce crops, for food and for biofuels, from a rising population. "The positive message is that we can increase the productivity of water," said Frank Risjerberman, head of the IWMI told Reuters. "We will simply have to make do with less."

Bitwas said that bad planning of water use was at the heart of suffering caused by famines, which often happened because of erosion caused by poor management. Bitwas said that China was likely by 2050 to have surged to become the world's largest economy trailed by the United States, India, Japan and Brazil. "These new economic giants of the future will need a lot of water," he said. Still, he said any problems were likely to be linked to poor water quality rather than water availability. "If there is going to be a crisis the problem will be because of continuing deterioration of water quality," he said.

Story by Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wholehearedly agree that fixing leaks and infrastructure will solve a great deal of the problem of water scarcity. Over 70% of water that is wasted is done so through leaks, irrigation, and run off (which also greatly contributes to ground water pollution and pollution of lakes and rivers.) However, in developing countries many villages not only do not have infrastructure, they do not have the funds necessary to build it. That's what organizations such as Water Partners International are doing. And these are also areas that are vulnerable to privatization of water resources, as Coca Cola has proven in India. Bolivia's recent fight against corporatization is well known as well as just one example of corporate influence interfering with our human right to access to potable water.

Mr. Bitwas also left out much regarding the effects of climate change on areas of this world where rivers are literally drying up due to excessive heat, with reservoirs from Spain to the U.S. at less than half of capacity. Also the fact that populations are expected to double in the world in the next twenty years with a finite supply of freshwater resources which will put a strain on infrastructure whether the pipes leak or not.

Therefore, while it is all well and good and right to say we have what we need to solve this crisis, to simply dismiss what is going on regarding corporate influence commoditizing this resource that takes it away from people who need it, governmental interference that takes precedence over the rights of people who live on the land, and other mitigating factors such as overpopulation is simply looking at this with blinders on.

He also says wars over water are baloney... well, he needs to then read the news over the last two decades and also read Dr. Vandani Shiva's book, Water Wars. She knows of what she speaks and as recently as this month there was a war in Sri Lanka over diversion of water. There are many areas of this world as well where war could break out due to excessive damming that diverts water, floods, ruins the environment, and displaces people from their traditional homelands.

It isn't just as easy as a quick fix by putting putty on a leaking pipe. However, it is good to see this issue being given the attention it deserves. Let's just hope those at this conference don't also fall prey to the corporate influences that would like people to believe it is only a leaky pipe causing this crisis. A little more research is definitely in order as there are many facets to this problem, chief among them the lack of moral will to share this resource amicably and declare it a human right, and also gross government incompetence on this issue globally, including right here in the United States.

This issue is too important to simply be dismissed as just a leaky pipe. People and animals are dying because of it. And I don't know about Mr. Bitmas, but I think that having 90% of your rivers severely polluted as China does presents a water scarcity problem as well. Water scarcity doesn't only result from lack of potable water, it comes from polluting our resources beyond the capacity for them to be potable and sustainable for life.

There is much that needs to be done globally regarding this crisis, especially in areas such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East which are experiencing water scarcity due to climate change, and also privatization of resources. Hopefully, this will be discussed as well rather than dismissing it as just a leaky pipe. Again, were it that simple in this world where greed, incompetence, amorality, and apathy seem to rule the hearts and minds of men.

World Water Week

From their site:

Experts from 140 Countries to Address Water, Environment, Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction in Stockholm


Sharing Benefits from Water, Water for Food, and Disaster Preparedness Issues Highlight Packed Agenda


STOCKHOLM – The 2006 World Water Week in Stockholm continues its important role at the nexus of the water, environment, development and poverty reduction fields when it takes place August 20-26 at the Stockholm City Conference Centre in the Swedish capital. The World Water Week is hosted and organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

The World Water Week will be a venue for the presentation of concrete examples of how problems of poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and gender inequality can in large measure be solved with water and sanitation as the key entry points. The week emphasises capacity-building, partnership-building and follow-up on the implementation of international processes and programmes in water and development. Participants in Stockholm will represent businesses, governments, the water management and science sectors, inter-governmental organisations, NGOs, research and training institutions, United Nations agencies and more.

Over 100 different organisations and programmes are on board as convenors or co-convenors of different activities and more than 1500 participants are expected from 140 countries. The week-long programme is comprised of plenary sessions, panel debates, workshops, seminars, side events, technical tours, social events and prize ceremonies.

In 2006, the overarching World Water Week theme is “Beyond the River – Sharing Benefits and Responsibilities”. This is a paradigm-shifting concept in the water sector, since for example livelihoods around the world are increasingly dependent upon transboundary and transbasin water contexts – shared water, in short – and societies are becoming more urban. How benefits from water are generated, distributed and shared in this context will help determine the overall welfare of both people and the planet in this century.

Further, three related sub-themes will explore the prospects for co-operation over shared waters, how our land use affects our water quality and water quantity, and what can be done to cope with weather- and climate-related disasters.

“’Sharing benefits’ is a future-oriented approach in water and development, because it means looking at water from the perspective of what can be derived from it, for whom and by whom, and not the water per se,” says Mr. Anders Berntell, Executive Director of SIWI. “The World Water Week this year will explore the links between benefits, costs and responsibilities, for instance, in physical planning and infrastructure design, including water and sanitation services and pollution abatement.”

The land is the home to human activities, and what happens there also affects water quality and quantity. “The landscape is the source and the sink for society’s needs and wants, and it mirrors human ingenuity as well as ignorance,” says Professor Jan Lundqvist of SIWI, chair of the week’s Scientific Programme Committee. “Natural resources use and waste disposal are intimately linked to human existence and must be managed more effectively.”
Also, the Stockholm meeting will look at natural disasters and society’s vulnerability to the forces of Nature. For different reasons, the impact of these forces is increasingly severe. While extreme events will come perhaps with greater frequency, it should be possible to plan and cope with emergencies and disaster situations so that suffering, loss of life and damage to property can be avoided on the scales as seen in the Tsunami aftermath, New Orleans and elsewhere.
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I will be following news about this all week.

And that is meant in more ways than one. China is literally the most damned country in the world due to water diversion. An estimated 550 million + people do not have enough water, and four hundred of China's 600 cities live with water shortages. This is due to overpopulation, pollution, and government incompetence. The brunt of the crisis is being felt in Northern China. Rivers are running dry and lakes are parched bowls of earth.

China's lack of water is actually a more serious threat to its economy, environment, and society than flooding. Water scarcity ruins more crops each year, an estimated 66 million tons or 17 percent of China's annual harvest than floods according to China's minister of water resources.

The Yellow River, the cradle of Chinese civilization, was once called "China's sorrow" because of its high waters that caused destruction. However, for the last twenty years it has been running dry every year. Water shortages also have sparked political battles among provinces along the Yellow River that are supposed to share the water.

Since its revolution in 1949, China's population has jumped by 700 million people, with little room to expand since massive desertification and mountain ranges keep people from moving. So most of the people are concentrated on farmland flanking China's rivers from the Yangtze River in the south to the Yellow River in the north. It is no wonder that their rivers are polluted and undrinkable, and now due to excessive heat brought on by climate change, drying up.

It is also estimated that China's population will jump to 1.6 billion in 2030 with per capita water demand rising with the standard of living. Flush toilets, showers, and washing machines are now standard in households which was not the case twenty years ago. Chinese are also eating more meat, whose production requires large amounts of water for crops used to feed livestock. And also, China's consumption of oil is rising due to more cars on the road which contributes to the behavior causing climate change. Again, China is damning themselves in more ways than one and is the clearest example of how NOT to run a government.

China's biggest water users are farmers, and the metric tons of water they use for irrigation are expected to rise to 665 billion by 2030. China's industries will also use five times as much water by 2030 as they do today. That is where the damns come in, and they are controversial.

The Death Of China's Rivers

This is an excellent article about the water problems facing China. The next entry will focus on dams, specifically the Three Gorges Dam.

In China, City of 4 Million, No Water

This article is about the chemical plant explosion that occurred in November of last year that spilled benzene into a local river that people count on for their water supply. This is one the worst problems facing China. There is nowhere for the population to expand, and near rivers is where these plants are as well. Severe pollution caused by these rivers effects public health and the environment, and it is the water these people use to drink and live.
This is an absolute global disgrace.

Sunflowers grow in a dry field in Spain during a drought. Wealthy nations are facing a water crisis mirroring the one experienced by drought-plagued poor countries, the environmental group WWF warned in a report.(AFP/File/Pedro Armestre)


Spain's Water Reserves Fall Further To 43.9 Percent

SPAIN: August 17, 2006

MADRID - Spain's reservoirs are now only 43.9 percent full, 1.4 points less than a week ago, the Environment Ministry said on Wednesday, showing that continuing drought and high temperatures were taking their toll.

Last year was the driest since records began, and the rain that fell over the winter and spring of this year was not enough to replenish reserves.
The 23,385 cubic hectometres of water now available compare with 23,866 in the same week last year and with an average for the past 10 years of 30,263 at the same date.

Regions in the south and east have the lowest reservoirs, while those in the northwest are mostly 60 to 70 percent full.

Irrigation water has been strictly rationed in parts of the country, which is likely to reduce the maize crop this year.

The power industry is also suffering from the shortage of rain. In a wet year 12 percent of Spain's electricity comes from hydroelectric plants, while in a bad year, like 2005, that fell to barely 8 percent.

Rain is forecast across the country on Thursday, but summer storms typically do little to replenish reserves.

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

Other resources:

EU Helps Drought Stricken Spain/Portugal

Spain Braces For Second Year of Drought

Iberian Misery As Drought Bites
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This will only get worse if we continue on this road.

Thanks very much to everyone who has submitted feedback thus far on the new Blogger in beta! I wanted to give an update on: migration, login problems and more features.

1) Migration

The biggest thing we've heard thus far is "When can I get it!" Believe me, we want to let everyone move over to Beta as quickly as possible. While we continue to increase the number of eligible users, we are doing so in an incremental way.

This is important because our highest priority is protecting user data during the migration process. By taking the approach we have, we've been able to fix bugs before they affect larger numbers of users. As it stands now, only a very small percentage of users have been affected by migration issues and we have fixed most of those problems. If you have experienced a problem related to migration, let us know and we will fix it (and don't worry your blog posts are safe!)

2) Login trouble

Rather than migration errors, the biggest problem we've seen thus far is folks who have tried to log into Blogger and are concerned because they see an empty dashboard. In almost all cases, this is because users are unknowingly being logged into the Beta instead of the current version of Blogger. The login box on www.blogger.com now accepts Google Accounts; by using the auto-complete function of your browser's password manager, you may be logged into Beta instead of the current version of Blogger.

It's important to remember, if you get logged in and see an empty dashboard, check the address bar of your browser to see if it says beta.blogger.com. If it does, you'll need to log out and go to www.blogger.com. Be sure to enter your current Blogger username and password at www.blogger.com and you will see your current list of blogs.

If you've forgotten your current Blogger username and password, you can retrieve them using our forgot password page.

3) More features

A lot of folks have been wanting to use new features like Labels but with their existing template. Or there are folks who are looking for more fine-grained control than offered with the new Layouts system.

Fortunately, it's always been part of our plan to introduce a new Edit HTML system for Blogger in beta. This system will not only let folks have the degree of customizability they desire, but it will let you create templates that are customizable with the Layouts system. Right now we are finishing the first version of this system and will be introducing in the "days not weeks" timeframe.

We are also going to be adding FTP support to the new version of Blogger which will allow open up migration to our existing external users. As we've noted in the migration documents, some of the new features rely on the new dynamic serving capabilities of Blog*Spot. We won't be able to support all of those features for our FTP users. We do intend to continue to support FTP and also come up with ways to make it possible and desirable for those folks (which includes me) to come back to Blog*Spot.

Finally, I wanted to point out a feature of the new Blogger in beta that's available today, but hasn't been much remarked on in the many reviews of the new app: updated spellcheck. This is not surprising, as our existing spellcheck is so cumbersome that many folks are probably conditioned not to use it at all. But now our spellcheck is powered by the same great experience users have been enjoying in Gmail. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Billions Face Shortages

We are wasting water like we are wasting oil and not thinking of the consequences.
We are not respecting the gifts we have been given.
We are making the wrong choices.
We are not thinking of the future...
Therefore, we are now at a point where just thinking about it isn't good enough.
It is time to do something about it.

Due to severe drought bordering on cataclysm, poor management of resources, severe pollution, and an economic boom that cannot keep up with water demand or population growth, China now faces the worst water crisis in the world.

According to a government report:

300 million Chinese drink unsafe water tainted by chemicals.

90% of China's cities have polluted ground water.


CHINA: August 14, 2006

The dry river bed of the Changjiang River is seen in Yunyang county, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality August 12, 2006. More than 17 million people in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and the neighbouring Sichuan province are tortured by serious lack of adequate drinking water due to continuous droughts and searing heat, Xinhua News Agency reported. Picture taken August 12, 2006.

Photo by CHINA DAILY
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And currently, 17 million people are without water because of drought.

17 Million Without Water

BEIJING (Reuters) - About 17 million people in southwest China don't have access to clean drinking water due to sustained drought, state media reported on Sunday.

Crops on large tracts of farmland in Sichuan province and the nearby Chongqing municipality have withered due to the month-long drought, causing economic losses of 9.23 billion yuan ($1.15 billion), the Beijing News and the Xinhua news agency said.

Local governments have allocated funds to help residents fight the drought by tapping ground water and improving water conservation facilities, Xinhua said.

The searing heat meant 14 million people in Chongqing and three million in Sichuan lack clean drinking water, the media said.

State television showed pictures of trucks transporting water to the worst-hit areas and villagers digging wells.

The water level in the Chongqing section of the Yangtze river -- China's longest river -- hit 3.5 metres (11.5 feet), its lowest in 100 years, the online edition of state broadcaster CCTV said.
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Is this the price humans must pay for economic expansion and indifference to our environment? And is it the economic expansion causing this crisis, or the fact that those responsible for maintaning water supplies for the people are too irresponsible and greedy?

China's infrastructure is in abysmal condition even though it's leaders promised clean water to its people. It would appear that China faces a calamity of untold proportions brought on by its own desire to be number one. Where have we seen this before?

The problems that plague China's water supply have been doing so for years, but never on this scale as irresponsibility, poor planning, massive pollution, waste, and the effects of climate change all work in tandem to undermine the economic growth China is experiencing. And at whose expense is this growth that is being squandered? The people of China, the species that live there, and our global environment.

China Mulling Raising Prices on Oil, Energy, Water

The government is now looking to raise prices on oil, energy, and water in an attempt to curtail waste. However, is this an effective way to curtail waste? Or will it simply burden small businesses and consumers unfairly? And what of the severe pollution plaguing China's waterways? The article above claimed that people desperate for water are digging wells... to access groundwater that is already polluted. This simply cannot go on and be sustainable to the people of China.

Also See:

China, Worst Water Crisis In The World

Global Warming Behind Killer Typhoons In China

In my next entry I will write more about the drought facing China, the rivers that run through it, the fallout from pollution that threatens all life especially in light of this severe drought, and actions organizations are taking to alleviate the suffering of those whose lives hang in the balance.

Alongside yesterday's Blogger Beta launch comes some great news for Blogger API developers — Blogger now has a Google Data API! This means:

• There's lots of great sample code in the Blogger/GData doc
• Downloadable Client Libraries are provided for both C# and Java developers
• Authentication is fully documented for both Installed Applications and Web Apps
• Your GData code should be easily reusable across other GData API apps, such as Calendar

FACTBOX - Climate change predictions for Asia

Mon Aug 14,

Reuters - Asia, home to more than half the world's 6.3 billion people, could be badly affected by climate change, many experts warn, as the predicted rising sea levels, melting glaciers, droughts, floods, and food and water shortages take their toll.

Here is an overview of how climate change might affect Asia:

TROPICAL STORMS:

- The western Pacific already experiences more typhoons than any other part of the world. Scientists fear Asia will be hit by more frequent and severe storms, the U.S. Climate Institute says.

- While nations like Japan, Korea and Taiwan can afford better protection, others around the Bay of Bengal such as Bangladesh probably will not, and their flat, dense settlements already make them badly susceptible to cyclones.

RISING SEA LEVELS

- India and Bangladesh will have to draw up permanent relocation plans for millions of people as sea levels rise. Around 15 percent of Bangladesh would be under water if the sea level rose by a metre in the next century, a leading climatologist said last year. Japan's major coastal cities, and island nations are also threatened.

- Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and China, could suffer sharp cuts in their gross domestic product because of rising sea levels, the World Bank said in April 2006.

MELTING GLACIERS, SCARCE WATER

- Glaciers around the world have been retreating since the 1850s, as the climate has warmed. Around 67 percent of Asia's Himalayan glaciers in Nepal, west China and north India, are now melting more rapidly because of global warming, conservation group the WWF said in a March 2005 report.

- Their melting poses a major threat to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and parts of China, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says.

- Water scarcity will worsen because seven of Asia's main rivers, including the Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra and the Mekong, begin in the Himalayas. Summer glacial meltwater is crucial to hundreds of millions of people downstream, who rely on it for irrigation and hydroelectric power.

- Asia already has 60 percent of the world's population but only 36 percent of the globe's freshwater, the UN World Food Programme has said.
DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHTS

- Northern China, already threatened by the advance of Mongolia's Gobi desert, faces the further loss of arable land to desertification. Warmer winters and less rainfall make topsoil more susceptible to being blown away by strong winds.

- Over a quarter of China's huge landmass is classified as desert, and up to 400 million people are threatened by fast-advancing deserts, Greenpeace said in 2003.

EXTINCTION OF SPECIES

- Climate-related risks to Asia's rich array of species are climbing. As many as 1,250 of India's 15,000 higher plant species are threatened, and similar trends are evident in China, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand, the IPCC said in 2001.

- Many of Asia's mammals and birds are likely to be wiped out because of the combined effects of climate change and habitat fragmentation, the IPCC says.

Sources: Reuters, IPCC, WWF, WFP, Greenpeace
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Do we have a moral obligation to do all we can to help mitigate this crisis? And is there not only one answer to this question? This problem isn't going away, and by our behavior contributing to these conditions, we are morally accountable for the effects of our actions. We do have what we need to alleviate the suffering of millions of people. Will we continue to allow politics to stand in our way? Or will we for once prove that human will is more important and stronger than political powerplaying? My next entry will be on the severe water crisis in China which has left millions without water.

Today we're launching a new version of Blogger in beta! You've been asking for ways to do more with your blog, and you can with this new release. With the beta you can:

• Categorize your posts with labels
• Control who can read your blog
• Change the appearance and content of your blog with your mouse instead of HTML

Can Clean Water Save Rwanda?

Water for People Initiative

The genocide in Rwanda that happened twelve years ago is still having an effect on the people of Rwanda regarding a devastating water crisis. The first link describes what it is doing to gorillas there as well as people. The second link announces an initiative by Water for People to
address the issue.

Rwanda: Prime Minister Calls For Water Security

So without political will, the people perish?

UNACCEPTABLE.

WE then have to take the initiative. The problem is, without rainfall, there is no source for water if what they have is drying up. That's how wars start, in expecting others to share what they have. And they say man is a "civilized" species. These people do not only need pumps, they need to learn how to MANAGE the resources they have. Drip irrigation, rainfall catchement, etc. To not provide this information to areas in the world that need it is just immoral.

The Moreau River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 200 miles long, in South Dakota in the United States. And due to intense drought, it is now dry.


Photo by JONATHAN ERNST
A man holds up a catfish carcass in the dried-out Moreau River on the Cheyenne River Indian reservation near Thunder Butte, South Dakota August 7, 2006. A severe drought has killed crops, left ideal conditions for wildfires, forced ranchers to sell cattle and has evoked memories of the Dust Bowl disaster in the 1930s.

The Moreau River

And it isn't as though this isn't a known fact. This document mentions specifically that the Moreau River's water levels tend to coincide withe the Missouri River because of its shape. Therefore, considering there is such an intense drought currently exacerbating this condition, why aren't measures being taken to protect the life in this river? Not only is this drought effecting the water level, it is effecting the livelihoods of the people who live along this river, and the life in it that depends on it. I guess because it flows near a reservation the government doesn't really give a damn.

I'm looking into this, and more information will follow.

I have previously written at least twenty two entries regarding water and the coming shortages, which if not effectively managed will lead to war over this resource which is now becoming evermore precious due to the heatwave currently hitting many parts of our world. As the report below corroborates, drought and heat which is being caused by climate change is truly making a "planetary emergency", however, people don't seem to be too worked up over this.

Is it because they only see this as freshwater and are ignorant to the fact that it is a FINITE resource, and once it is gone it is gone? Desalinisation won't solve the problem, as it is costly, and would be hard to get water to interior areas of countries landlocked. CONSERVATION of the freshwater resources we have NOW as well as action to mitigate the conditions causing these droughts is what we must see GLOBALLY. As this article also points out for example, 70% of Spain's water is being wasted in irrigation. The EU MUST take URGENT steps to preserve the freshwater left to apportion it and manage it equitably, because should the rains not come in October or not be sufficient there will be an environmental catastrophe taking hold of untold proportions, and that isn't an exaggeration.

In writing about Kenya, I showed a picture of a dead calve who had been emaciated to the bone due to drought and heat. I didn't show the children emaciated to the bone, but they are there too. The people of Kenya risk their LIVES looking for water that is potable enough to drink, and they are losing their lives because of it. If you then think it can't happen in Europe, or in time even here, think again. And make no mistake about it, people WILL KILL FOR WATER. Lack of potable water causes food shortages, disease, and death, and it will cause war. Is this truly the way we wish to see this world go?As my last entry also spoke of, I also believe controlling water resources is one of the reasons for the current Israeli-Hezbollah war, and if you have been following it mention was made yesterday that it may cease once the Israelis reach the Littani River... That is because they are looking to control ALL the sources of water in that region because they know that water is a very precious commodity in the Middle East, and it is then the one way they can control the Palestinians and Lebanese. If they control the water, they can make those who they deem worthy to share it pay dearly for it.

I truly believe if that is one of the reasons why the Israeli government is doing this, that it is absolutely despicable and a human rights abuse. If they truly are withholding water from farmers, denying water to the people supplied by these rivers because of price gouging, and or diverting water to their own source from the Littani, Wazzani, or Jordan Rivers, it is a human rights abuse. Look what they did to the Mediterranean Sea by their bombing that caused 15 million tons of oil to spill into it. You can't even desalinate water that has been poisoned to that extent.

PEOPLE WILL DIE WITHOUT WATER.

However, we will see more of this as the years go by if the issues regarding water scarcity, management, and declaring it a HUMAN RIGHT internationally are not addressed NOW.
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The record temperatures in July have had a dramatic effect on Europe's water resources. Many lakes and rivers are at record lows, aggravating problems already caused by bad water management. The heat wave that has gripped Europe this summer has been breaking records across the continent. In Germany, dramatically high temperatures made this July the second hottest since 1901. A 1911 record for the highest July temperature in Britain was broken when a village in Surrey hit 36.5 degrees Celsius (97.7 degrees Fahrenheit). And the Dutch meteorological institute said this July was the hottest month in the Netherlands since temperatures were first measured in 1706.

Even though it has cooled down somewhat in the past few days, last month was still three-and-a-half degrees warmer than average, said Gerhard Müller-Westermaier, an expert in climate monitoring at Germany's National Meteorology Service. He said that the heat wave is part of global warming. "It fits the picture and it will continue to get warmer," Müller-Westermaier said. "We have had a warming of about 0.8 degrees since the beginning of the 20th century and the forecast says that in the next 100 years, we may have temperatures 1.5 to 5.5 degrees warmer. A summer like this one will become a normal summer."Drought hit agricultural sector hard."

Despite the many summer storms that swept across Germany, the country had less than 70 percent of the average July rainfall. This had a severe impact on the agricultural industry. In the eastern German state of Brandenburg, for example, farmers said their wheat yield was down some 40 to 50 percent. B

ildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:

German farmers feel the heat

According to Müller-Westermaier, more heat required more precipitation. But he said rainfall trends due to global warming have become more difficult to predict. "The models are not very good, but what they say up to now at least for central Europe is that especially in winter we will have more precipitation," Müller-Westermaier said. "In summer, there will be less precipitation. This is, of course, not a good forecast, so perhaps we will have to change our agricultural production in the future."EU needs to wake up to water problemsThe situation is even worse for farmers in the Mediterranean countries of France, Italy and Spain.

In the last year, reservoir levels in Spain have dropped to nearly half of their capacity, which is a clear indicator of drought. Climate change has exacerbated the problems caused by bad water management. Martin Geiger, the head of the Freshwater Program at environmental group WWF, said that in countries like Spain, more than 70 percent of water resources are used in agriculture -- and much of this is wasted. He said the European Union needed to wake up to how precious a resource water is.
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We ALL need to wake up to how precious a resource water is. People in America take it for granted. Fountains, pools, washing SUVs, over watering lawns, and blatantlu and slfishly wasting huge amounts of water daily will only bring us to a tipping point as water levels in rivers continue to go down as heat goes up and the precipitation to replace it is not here due to the climate crisis we face now. WHY is it that so many people don't seem to be able to grasp this concept and continue to go about their lives as if it doesn't effect them? We are reaping the whirlwind, and where it concerns our global water supply, we are playing with fire.

Background in my own words:

After the Tamil Tigers refused to open an upstream sluice Sinhalese soldiers fought them near Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, with caused civilian casualties on both sides. It is believed by the Tamil Tigers that there has been favoritism by the government towards Sinhalese farmers because they have received better infrastructure assistance to water their crops. The Tamils see this as a plan for ethnic cleansing, and the fighting continues over the water sluice because it is the lifeline of the farmers there. However, as I have stated over and over again, this type of conflict will be more prevalent as water resources are diminished by climate change, privatization, and government interference. This is a poor island nation that is now suffering from the effects of war over a water sluice. People are dying as water is now being used as a political weapon. It is a tragic reflection on the true lack of humanity in this world. This current water dispute that seems to now be leading to all out war in Sri Lanka, is the result of years of ethnic conflict:

Source:

Ethnic Conflict In Sri Lanka.
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The Tamil Tigers: Terrorists, or Freedom Fighters?

Tamil Tigers: A Fearsome Force

They kill children, so to me they are terrorists, and it is shameful that water is now being used as a weapon in this conflict. But also, in reading the history of this conflict, again we must take into consideration the economic oppression and disputes over land that led to the spawning of this group. It tends to remind me of another area of our world currently involved in a war for land and water as well.
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Sri Lankan government rejects water deal

By Rahul Bedi in New Delhi(Filed: 07/08/2006)

Thousands of Sri Lankans fled their homes yesterday as the military resumed its artillery onslaught on Tamil Tiger rebels after rejecting diplomatic efforts to bring a halt to hostilities.European negotiators had sought a ceasefire after more than a week of fierce exchanges between government forces and separatist rebels fighting for control of a waterway in the north-east of the island. The fighting is estimated to have claimed over 400 lives.The Tigers seized a facility that controls the flow of water in the region last month. Norwegian diplomats said the guerrillas had agreed to open the sluice gates and provide water to thousands of parched civilians.But the government in Colombo rejected the deal to lift the water blockade, saying access to the vital site in the Muttur district was "non-negotiable". The dispute and the increasing violence is jeopardising a four-year "ceasefire".
More at the link.
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More background on this:

Water and War In Sri Lanka

Tamil Terrorists Suffer Losses
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Water being used as a political weapon is despicable. However, for the 21st Century, this "blue gold" is the new oil.

This topic absolutely fascinates me. The fact that ice covers this water but it is not frozen because it is also heated by the Earth's core, brings forth the possibility of many different ecosystems living together in this ancient wonderland. I think it fascinates me moreso however, because the waters lying beneath the thick cover of ice that protect it have been undisturbed for milennia by human interaction.

It is a true picture of a primordial environment untouched by humanity, pollution, war, disease, and all other manmade horrors. It can give us the truest picture of where it is our planet evolved from, and perhaps where we evolved from. That particular facet of it excites me as well, and as someone who believes that we are not alone in this vast universe it excites me to think that the age old answers to the questions regarding our existence could be found in that abyss. And perhaps, even give us answers to life forms on other planets.

However, the question of whether we morally have the right to disturb such a pristine place challenges me. I am then posting this entire article here because it is excellent and also gives a picture of the dilemma we face in not destroying the very answers we are looking for by exposing it to the very environment we hope to save ourselves from.
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Exploring Lake Vostok Without Destroying It

TERRADAILY

Exploring Lake Vostok Without Destroying It
File Image: Subglacial lake distribution - Image by SiegertWashington - Mar 21, 2002

Lake Vostok, which lies buried under thousands of meters of ice high on the Antarctic Plateau, is thought to be home to unique habitats and microorganisms. Confirming the existence of life forms and unique biological niches without contaminating the pristine lake waters, however, is a difficult scientific and technical challenge with international ramifications.

According to a paper to be published in the March 21 issue of Nature, the hydrodynamics of the lake may make it possible to search for evidence of life in the layers of ice that accumulate on the lake's eastern shore. Scientists say such a possibility would provide another avenue for exploring the lake's potential as a harbor of microscopic life, in addition to actually exploring the waters of the lake itself.

The paper is authored by Robin E. Bell of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and her colleagues. Their research, who were supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), reveals that although the lake is perhaps millions of years old, its waters are relatively young. Bell's paper demonstrates that over a period of 13,300 years, all of the water was removed by the overlying ice sheet and replaced from other sources.

The lake water captured by the moving ice sheet was carried as layers of ice over Lake Vostok's eastern shoreline, and then eastward away from the lake. Exploring those ice layers, they argue, is equivalent to exploring the lake itself. "Our study is a critical step in the exploration of Lake Vostok," Bell said. "These frozen lake water samples will record the passage of the ice sheet and the processes across the lake. The data show that the location of the current research station on the lake may not be optimal for biological studies."

Bell added that that "Lake Vostok is absolutely devoid of interference. The youngest water in it is 400,000 years old. It doesn't know anything of human beings, fossil fuels, or plastics. It is a window into life forms and climates of primordial eras." Radar maps of the Antarctic interior made in 1996 revealed that a lake lay under the ice sheet. Lake Vostok is thought to be one of the world's largest, 48 kilometers (30 miles) wide by 225 kilometers (140 miles) long and 914 meters (3,000 feet) deep. Its waters have been sealed from air and light for perhaps as long as 35 million years under the tremendous pressure of the continental ice sheet.

An ice core -- one of the world's longest -- was drilled by a joint U.S., Russian, and French team at Russia's Vostok Station on the lake's western shore. But coring was stopped roughly 100 meters (328 feet) above what is thought to be the surface of the water to prevent contamination of the lake. The ice layers reveal a 400,000-year environmental record with microorganisms present throughout most of the core.

During the 2000-2001 Antarctic research season, NSF supported a detailed aerial mapping of the lake by specially equipped Twin Otter aircraft flown by the Support of Office for Aerogeophysical Research at the University of Texas at Austin. The radar sounding, laser altimetry, magnetics, and gravity surveys were a first, non-invasive step to explore Lake Vostok.

Bell and her team analyzed the radar data and determined that the ice formation in the southern half of Lake Vostok holds buckling patterns frozen into the ice sheet as it flows over the lake. Following the trends of the buckled ice patterns, scientists were able to construct movement trajectories across the lake. They then calculated the time it took ice to move from the west side of the lake to the east--20,000 years over a distance of about 56 kilometers (35 miles). By examining the ice flux out of the lake, the team determined that every 13,300 years the ice sheet removes the equivalent of the entire volume of Lake Vostok. As the ice sheet removes lake water like a continuous conveyor belt, lake waters must be replenished, either by melting of the ice sheet or by subglacial meltwater. The source of this water remains a mystery.
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The source of this water remains a mystery. That line grabs me, because this is also a spiritual place based on what I have been reading of it. I believe that this place is a true reflection of a spirit that lived in all corners of this Earth before man destroyed it.

This place then in my mind carries the essence of what this Earth was like over 400,000 years ago. How anyone couldn't be blown away by that is unbelievable. I don't then want this water disturbed by human intervention. If it means destroying perhaps the last part of our world that is truly pure, I would rather live with the mystery.

However, due to human behavior in now contributing to the CO2 and greenhouse gas levels that have exacerbated the melting of ice both here and in the poles and Greenland, I wonder just how protected this primordial world will be in years to come.

Antarctica, Ice Under Fire

And what of the International implications of anything discovered?

Three Nations To Share Vostok Ice Core
If this site is contaminated by human intervention, will it also be exploited for profit?

I am also concerned about prolonged deep drilling in this area.

That is a topic for a subsequent diary.

I chose to take a look at the controversy surrounding drilling at the site of Lake Vostok due not only to the scientific dilemma involved, but also the environmental and moral dilemmas involved regarding how far we can go regarding the living space of other organisms. I also chose to discuss this because of a hypothesis I have as well regarding the impact on such drilling in ice already melting due to climate change. I will present that below.
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Lake Vostok, located in central Antarctica, is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. It is as big as Lake Ontario, and 50 times larger than Lake Tahoe and is located 2 1/2 miles beneath the ice of Antarctica. It was discovered in full in 1996 by mapping of the flat ice surface from the European ERS 1 satellite. This flash animation will give you a good idea as to what the current controversy about continued drilling to the lake surface is about: Flash animation of Lake Vostok Also See: Michael Studinger's Homepage On Lake Vostok What is hidden in Lake Vostok? What kind of lifeforms can live in such an environment with no light and no nutrients?

Scientists are curious as to the answer, as microbes have been found suggesting that there are life forms supported under the ice, perhaps even fish. Studies of the core estimate its age at 420,000 years old, which means that Lake Vostok has been sealed under this ice for almost 500,000 years. This bacterium was found in melt samples taken from an ice core extracted from the bottom layer of a 2.5-mile-thick (4-kilometer-thick) Antarctic ice sheet. The microbe raises, and perhaps answers, questions about the ability of life to exist in extremely cold, dark, and nutrient-deprived environments.


Image courtesy NSF.
Image explanation courtesy of:

National Geographic Article:

The questions raised then are, what purpose does drilling in this pristine ancient world serve, and do we have the moral right to disturb it? Would any environmental effects be outweighed by the scientific advances that could be made from this research? Also, is that research accurate? Lake Vostok is also supersaturated with oxygen and other gases that are trapped in a icy cage (called a clathrate) making any bringing of it to the surface potentially volatile and hazardous to scientists and the surrounding environment, as well as hazardous to any lifeforms present there. However, scientists are hoping that confirming the presence of lifeforms in this environment will give credence to their hypothesis regarding life on Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter which shares similarities with Lake Vostok which would then answer many questions regarding the limits of life here on Earth. It could be a potentially groundbreaking discovery, but on the flip side, at what cost to our environment?
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Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition

From the site:

So what's the problem? Well, basically the issue turns on the reality that it is impossible to penetrate an isolated ecosystem without contaminating it. The catch 22 inherent in Lake Vostok is that the very thing that make it potentially unique: its millenia of isolation from the rest of the world, cannot be explored without introduction of the outer world to Lake Vostok. For instance, NASA, the US Space Agency, has expressed interest in penetrating Lake Vostok to search for microbes that might be similar to ones on other planets. According to NASA's Chric Mackay, "How the bacteria get energy (to survive) is an important question. The lake could be an analog to sub-ice Europa or subsurface Mars where conditions are similar."(Divining Water on Europa)

Can we penetrate Lake Vostok without disturbing the water? No one knows. For several years, Russia has planned to penetrate the lake, but ASOC, and others, have forced the delay of the project until 2003-2004, awaiting the writing of a Comprehensive Environmental Assessment (CEE) of the project. Russia has promised to submit a CEE for review by the Parties at ATCM XXVI in Madrid, June, 2003. Can this be done safely, without endangering the Environment? Are we rushing to drill into Lake Vostok without considering all the alternatives? Once the lake is penetrated, it will be impossible to pretend that the water is still isolated. What's the rush? Lake Vostok has sat untouched for millenia, another couple of years to ensure the protection of this unique resource won't hurt.
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Looks as though based on this, we would be the invasive species. And I agree with ASOC, what's the rush? Is there such a need to do this without any other alternatives being considered? In this age of modern technology is there no other way to determine the answers to their questions without drilling? What responsibility would we then have for any damage done to the ecosystem(s) below this vast expanse of ice? And also, according to my hypothesis, I believe such drilling done in a prolonged fashion may cause glacial earthquakes (which was confirmed in a 2003 study.)

*That will be covered in my next entry along with news regarding climate change effects in the Antarctic. Also, their corrolation to this issue as well as other future attempts to disturb pristine areas either for scientific reasons, or in the search for oil or water to satisfy our thirst for both.

This entry is in response to an article in the Edmonton Sun in which Klein trashed Al Gore's remarks regarding the oil sands extraction process in Alberta. I think people need to see the truth behind the environmental degradation being caused by this that will not in the longrun sustain our planet, but only an addiction that is costing people their planet. Many will get rich off of this process, but it will not be the people. The cost in continuing to contribute to the climate crisis we face will be immense if the people (particularly in Canada) do not speak out regarding the methods employed by the same status quo to continue this addiction by looking for any way to get their fix.

Like all projects surrounding oil, the potential for the development of this industry has been touted only by those who stand to profit most from it: oil companies, governments, and the media which serves them. However, there are environmental repercussions to oil sands extraction that contradict the moral courage we need to face the climate crisis head on.

Oil sands extraction is not one of the methods that will lead to our planet being sustainable for the future, and oil sand extraction is as Al Gore pointed out, just a way for a junkie to look desperately to get his fix. It is sustainable and alternate energy sources that will ultimately save this planet, along with all of us breaking the addiction we have to oil.

In this entry I hope to give information about what oil sand extraction is, and the environmental implications it has on land and especially groundwater and water resources.














Boreal forest, Alberta, Canada-Isn't it magnificent?

Some background:

The boreal forest of Alberta, Canada has remained a wilderness since it's creation from the receding glacial tundras that bore it, but has recently seen rapid resource development, mainly in oil sand extraction which has led to the land being stripped, rivers such as the Athabasca being polluted and diverted, and a true biogem being systematically destroyed for profit in order to sustain an addiction that will only continue to harm the environment and contribute to the climate crisis we face in this world. Just as we should be reflecting upon our moral obligation to save our world from our behavior, the Albertan government seeks to only add to that immoral behavior by contradicting the Kyoto pledge of its government to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions at the expense of this magnificent and necessary link in the biosphere chain.

The boreal forest region covers 48% of Alberta, Canada and endangered species such as the whooping crane and woodland caribou make this wonderland their home and look to it for their survival. It is also a beautiful place of rolling landscapes, huge rivers, and heavily forrested bogs that account for 25% of the Earth's remaining forests, and covers 1.4 billion acres. Forty percent of North America's water fowl and 300 different bird species also depend on this magnificent land for their survival. And this is now what is being done to it:

Oil sand extraction:

"We appreciate the fact that Canada's tar sands are now becoming economical and we are glad to be able to get the access toward two million barrels a day."-George W. Bush, March 23, 2003.

Powers in this world are now salivating to be able to tear apart the boreal forest to satisfy their lust for greed. And make no mistake about it, it has nothing to do with caring about the people or other species because if it did alternate sources of energy that are safer for the environment and cleaner and more economical to use would be the order of the day, not the "new world order" of the Bushes of this world that seek only to destroy it for their own benefit. But then, getting his fix seems to be something Bush is accustomed to in his life.

Making crude oil from tar sands is a dirty wasteful business. It takes two tons of oil sands ore to yield ONE barrel of oil. Put that into perpsective of these people wanting two MILLION barrels a day, and then it is not hard to see the environmental degradation this process is causing. The oil sand is composed of silt, sand, clay, water, and bitumen. On average, bitumen contains 83.2% carbon. At two million or more barrels a day burning, you figure out the environmental impact of that. And there are two methods by which this noxious smelling concoction is brought to the surface.

It is either through strip mining it or situ recovery methods which are used to access deeper deposits. It is an arduous process that uses much water, which then results in groundwater being polluted and river water being diverted as large amounts of freshwater are required to flush bitumen from the sand to make crude oil. It also is increasing greenhouse gas emission in Alberta, which are spilling over. It is also such a complex process that I went searching for a source that could explain it all from beginning to end, and I found one. This to me is the most thorough and comprehensive source out there now to describe this process and the environmental and climate change effects it is having on our world. I HIGHLY recommend you read through this:

Oil Sands Fever

Then when you have the truth about the wastefulness of this procedure in regards to our future sustainability, read these:

Troubled Water, Troubling Trends

SUNCOR Fails to Show Environmental Leadership

Oil Sands Production Costs Skyrocket

Oilsands Sector Shudders

And, from Wikipedia:

Tar sands development has a direct impact on local and planetary ecosystems. In Alberta, the strip mining form of oil extraction completely destroys the boreal forest, the bogs, the rivers as well as the natural landscape. The mining industry believes that the boreal forest will eventually colonize the reclaimed lands, yet 30 years after the opening of the first open pit mine near Fort McMurray, Alberta, no land is considered by the Alberta Government as having been "restored."

Furthermore, for every barrel of synthetic oil produced in Alberta, more than 80 kg of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere and between 2 and 4 barrels of waste water are dumped into tailing ponds that have flooded about 50 km² of forest and bogs. The forecast growth in synthetic oil production in Alberta also threatens Canada's international commitments. In ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, Canada agreed to reduce, by 2012, its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% with respect to the reference year (1990). In 2002, Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions had increased by 24% since 1990.

And all I can say to this is WHY? WHY do people who KNOW what these processes do to our planet CONTINUE TO DO IT, when proven alternate methods that sustain ALL living creatures are available? Why do governments that claim to be there for the good of the people do NOTHING but work against their good? I look at what will be done to the boreal forest of Alberta and surrounding areas should this continue, and I weep.

Al Gore was once again correct. THIS process is not only detrimental to Alberta and surrounding regions, it is detrimental to our planet. It is time for the Canadian people to stand up to their government that is trying to Bushify their country, and say NO to oil sands development. The American people must also speak out for the boreal forest, and against anymore attempts to suck the life out of this planet for greed. Unless we do, we are only accomplices in our own suicide. And no, I do not believe that is too strong a description of our fate unless we wake up.

I cannot think of a better to conclude this;

Qwatsinas [Hereditary Chief Edward Moody], Nuxalk Nation:

"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees."

Ancient Indian Proverb:

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

And one last comment to Ralph Klein: You say Al Gore is full of hot air? Well, look around Alberta Canada, for it is now full of hot air that you condone being pumped into the atmosphere daily even though scientists have already consented that it is our behavior that is contributing to global warming by pumping it there. Al Gore is full of facts, while you seem to be filled with nothing but denial.