Category Archives: International

International

Ring of Fire Seismic Events part 1

I am looking into seismic events around the Pacific Ring of Fire.  I was thinking of doing a review of the past 12 months, however, it has become clear by going back just to January of 2011, that the Ring of Fire is going non-stop with seismic events, so it might be a daunting task.

The events picked up frequency and intensity since the end of February, especially around Japan.  Hawaii is also seeing a change in seismic activity.

People might say: Hawaii and volcanoes, so?  The recent volcanic activity in Hawaii is cause for concern because the type of seismic readings geologist have gotten have radically changed.  The tremors have become denser.  Back in February a U.S. Geological Survey report said there was a “…unusually high number…” of volcanic tremors.

The most recent Global Volcanism Program report (from the first week of March) on volcanic activity shows almost all activity is around the Pacific Ring of Fire.  Most activity is in East Asia, mainly Japan, but also in Kamchatka, Luzon (Philippines), and Java (Indonesia). There is also activity in Hawaii, Mexico and Guatemala.  A volcano in the British Caribbean colony of Montserrat is also active, but that’s not in the Pacific.

Something of interest, in looking at maps I have discovered that Hawaii, Guatemala, Luzon and the volcanic activity in Mexico, takes place between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator.  Even Montserrat, in the Caribbean, is between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator (as well as Haiti, remember their big quake?).

I hope to get more done on this, to establish a time line that shows whether there is an increase in geologic activity, or not.

International

Movie Star Volcano in Southern Japan Erupts

The Shinmoedake volcano on the southern island of Kyushu, has erupted, again.  The volcano started erupting back in January.  This was part of a series of volcanic events that lead some people to predict a major geologic event for Japan.

The volcano had settled down for the past two weeks, but now, after the big quake event, it has roared back to life.  Witnesses say it is hurling huge boulders, and ash.

This volcano is a movie star; it was used as the bad guys hide out in the 1967 James Bond movie “You Only Live Twice”.

International

Wild Fires Spreading in Japan

An NHK reporter discovered, in an abandoned fishing town of Kesennuma, that fires that destroyed the city have spread to the country side.

No firefighting capabilities due to the destruction.  Wild fires likely to spread.

The reporter talked to the few survivors in the area and they said the fire was spread by a fishing boat, that was on fire, being pushed around the city by the tsunami.  Kesennuma was destroyed by flood and fire.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Japanese Car Makers Shutting Down, forget economic recovery

Japan’s NHK is reporting that Japanese car maker Toyota is extending its plant closers.  Other auto manufactures are joining Toyota in closing down operation. These include, Honda and Nissan.

It is not damage to their factories that caused them to shut down, it is the near total destruction of Japans infrastructure.  There is no power, and because roads are destroyed employees and supply of parts can not get to the factories.

The near total lose of infrastructure, in the northern half of the state of Honshu, guarantees that there will be no economic recovery for Japan, in the short run.  The northern area of Honshu is home to many of Japan’s major factories. This include factories that are for other products, besides automobiles.  If they can not operate, they can not sell anything.  Don’t forget that the area’s agriculture industry has been wiped out.

The only way Japan can recover quickly is with economic help equal to what the United States provided after World War 2, and the U.S. is not able to do that now.

 

International, Opinion, U.S.

Libya is Not in the Middle East

March 8, 2011, Chubbuck, Idaho.

I’m getting tired of U.S. media outlets constantly referring to the events in Libya as “more trouble in the Middle East”, or, “oil prices rising due to crisis in the Middle East” (and then showing video of Libya). Libya is not in the Middle East! Is this proof of the dumbing down of the U.S. Media? Ironically, Geography must not be important to media outlets that serve the Empire of the United States. Libya is in North Africa! Egypt, Libya, Tunis, Algiers, Morocco, these are the countries that make up the top half of North Africa. They are also countries that are continuously mislabeled as Middle Eastern. Just because there are a lot of Arabs (a branch of the Semitic) living there, and most of the people are Muslims, does not make it the Middle East.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

From Russia to Coca Cola; Big Profits. From Coke to Russia; $1 Billion.

Coca-Cola reported a third quarter profit for 2010.  Russia being their biggest market, with 30% growth in the past year.  Coke’s North American market (Canada, United States and Mexico) had only 2% growth.  A very obvious sign, I think, of who has the money to spend.

Coca-Cola has figured out where the money is and has announced that it will invest $1 billion into their Russian operation, over the next five years.  Another obvious sign, to me, that the U.S. economy isn’t ’bout to recover soon.

Who loves ya baby?  Not the the United States.  From Russia with love.

Business/Economics, International

Food Crisis: Drought, Floods, now Locust in Australia

Australia is struggling to keep it’s lucrative agriculture industry booming.  Some areas of Australia are dealing with the worst drought on record.  Other areas are dealing with floods, and now Locust.

PARKES, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 26: A lamb stands in a dry paddock on the 10,000 acre property owned by the Orr family on January 26, 2010 in Parkes, Australia.The Orr family received 13 inches of rain in 2009 and have been hand feeding stock for approximately 8 years. Drought in New South Wales has increased by 1%, the state is now believed to be 95% marginally or fully in drought despite some rain during the Christmas period. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
Parkes, Australia, dealing with drought.WANGARATTA, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Floodwaters surround Painters Island Caravan Park on September 6, 2010 in Wangaratta, Australia. Many parts of Victoria were devastated by flood waters when heavy winds and rains inundated the area causing the worst flooding in over a decade. The State Emergency Service has ordered the evacuation of several cities and are warning residents that the threat is not yet over. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Wangaratta, Australia, dealing with floods.
This is a major threat to Australia’s economy.  Their economy is based mainly on service industry, but, it’s their agriculture industry that’s boosting their economy.  Australia has profitable agriculture trade deals with other countries, that’s helping Australia see a 1.20% growth rate this year.  It’s also helping to keep their unemployment rate around 5.10%.
Margaret River Western Australia. 13/01/2010 Voyager Estate Winery www.voyagerestate.com.au Netting protects the crop from Silvereyes Photo Roger Parker
Margaret River, Australia, using Locust nets.

The struggles against Mother Nature in Australia will add to the growing price of agriculture commodities, and the looming Food Crisis.