The diary yesterday got gobbled up in the KOSmosphere...so let's try it again today, eh?
Imagine what would happen if a Category 5 viral storm hit every state. Health officials from all over the world are scrambling to figure out how to ward off a global outbreak of deadly flu. USA Today.
Millions 'will flee degradation. There will be as many as 50 million environmental refugees in the world in five years' time, according to UN experts. Climate change, land degradation, desertification, and flooding will force many people from their homes. BBC
America 'faces worst disaster in its history. A plan drawn up by the Bush Administration to combat a pandemic bird flu outbreak reveals that America is grossly unprepared to deal with what would likely be the worst disaster in US history. London Times
Fear centered below surface at polluted sites. Hurricane Katrina battered six of the nation's most seriously polluted hazardous waste sites. Now the effects of Hurricane Rita on five other "Superfund" sites are causing even more concern.
USA Today
Flood plain developers dare nature. The longest outdoor strip mall in America starts with Target and, more than a mile later, finishes with Home Depot and a 14-theater multiplex, all on farmland that in 1993 was under 15 feet of brown Missouri River water. Chicago Tribune
Flooding Kills 1,292 In China Through October, Government Says. Torrential rains and typhoons have killed 1,292 people in China so far this year and left 332 missing, state media reported Sunday. Agence France-Presse.
More energy security vs. hazy views in US parks. A plan to add 3,100 new gas wells on public lands managed by the BLM is putting air quality and views at risk in nearby wilderness areas and the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Christian Science Monitor
South Asia a hotbed for earthquakes. The area stretching across Pakistan into India and Afghanistan is a hotbed for seismic activity that erupts each time the Indian subcontinent slams into Asia. Associated Press
Major drought in Amazon rainforest. The worst drought in more than 40 years is damaging the world's biggest rainforest, plaguing the Amazon basin with wildfires, sickening river dwellers with tainted drinking water, and killing fish by the millions as streams dry up. Reuters
Wild weather brings change of attitude for insurers. Is climate change a myth? Insurance companies around the world increasingly don't think so after hurricane Katrina, the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history, threw the issue into the spotlight. Toronto Globe and Mail
High temperatures killed pinyon trees. High temperatures caused a massive die-off of pinyon pines in the recent SW drought. Researchers said the unusual speed of this large die-off raises concern about how to deal with the changing climate. USA Today
What's killing our fish? The thousands of smallmouth bass that died this summer in central Pennsylvania rivers might be part of a broader national problem that's being spurred by pollution, climate change and even pharmaceuticals. Harrisburg Patriot-News
Federal rules interfere with drug disposal effort. Wisconsin researchers continue to gather evidence showing the ubiquity of pharmaceutical-laced water and its potential ill effects on wildlife. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Bad science causes bad U.S. public health policy. The president's principal lab partners in the making of science-related federal government policy are American business interests such as the petroleum industry, and the Christian right, two cornerstones of the president's political support. Bangor Daily News
Bush all talk on energy conservation. We welcome the administration's sudden exhortations on energy savings. It should be accompanied by legislation to reduce U.S. use of overseas oil. Denver Post
Why are non-stick chemicals in our babies?*Tests on blood taken from the umbilical cords of nearly 30 new-born babies and from more than 40 new mothers were analysed for the presence of eight groups of chemicals, ranging from artificial musks used in cosmetics and cleaning products to flame retardants and chemicals used to make plastics and non stick and water-proof coatings. WWF
*Green Fuel Revolution a Challenge for Grain Sector. The multibillion-dollar US grain sector faces a major challenge as soaring oil prices boost demand for 'green' fuels, setting up a competitive tussle between energy refiners and traditional users of grain as food. Reuters
Pesticide case is upping the ante. When toxic fumigant sprayed Arturo Becerra across the face, his vision blurred, his skin tingled and "it felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head." Los Angeles Times
Tireless Parisian activists leave SUVs gasping for air. If the French marauders known as The Deflated waged their brand of urban subversion in Southern California, the mecca of the sport utility vehicle, by now they would probably have been jailed, beaten, shot or at least sued. Los Angeles Times
Global warming drying out source of China's mighty Yellow River. Global warming is drying out the source of the Yellow River, threatening water supplies to 120 million people, an environmental group said Monday. Agence France-Presse.
Evidence suggests water went under, not over, some levees. The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina rose with such force that water flowed underneath levees near Lake Pontchartrain, pushing them in and cracking massive concrete flood walls, according to preliminary evidence gathered by investigators. USA Today
Mayan Towns to Be Declared Mass Graves. Guatemalan officials said they would abandon communities buried by landslides and declare them mass graveyards. Associated Press
Store-bought swordfish and tuna contain mercury levels that the federal government has determined may be hazardous to human health, particularly children. 50% of swordfish purchased in 22 states exceeded FDA standards. Average measurements in tuna revealed that a 44 lb. child consuming only six ounces of tuna a week would be exposed to 4 times the EPA safe dose. Fair warning: why grocery stores should tell parents about mercury in fish. Published by Mercury Policy Project, Oceana.