Tag Archives: health

Pocatello Charlotte Fire update: 50% contained. BBQ outlawed! No return home until Monday! Sunday critical weather day

“I’m still in shock from what happened. My home just seemed to vaporize.”-Suzanne Bielinski

Saturday morning, 30 June 2012, officials reported the Charlotte Fire 50% contained, with hopes for full containment by Sunday.  At least one building re-ignited overnight.

Officials think homes in the Johnny Creek area escaped damage.

Pocatello Police and Bannock County Sheriff’s deputies are escorting some residents back to their homes, however there’s been an increase of looky loos trying to sneak in by car, or even trying to hike in: “Please don’t make us start arresting people.”-Lorin Nielsen, Bannock County Sheriff

Not only are fireworks banned, in Pocatello, but so are outdoor BBQs.

People are reporting lost pets, but officials said it will be at least Monday before pet owners can check with Pocatello Animal Shelter.

 “I’m sorry that people lost their houses but we did the best we could. Every agency worked their guts out trying to save those houses, but we couldn’t save them all.”-Steve Hadley, Bannock County Commissioner

Friday, 29 June 2012, evacuees from the Charlotte Fire at the south end of Pocatello, Idaho, were told Monday would be the soonest they could enter the burn area.

Buildings the Charlotte Fire missed. Near Mink Creek, Johnny Creek and Gibson Jack areas Pocatello, Idaho, 29 June 2012.

Many people are wondering why such a delay in allowing residents back in, especially when it looks like the fire is out? Local officials insist there are still hot spots, and many downed power lines.  They are also concerned about weather conditions, as air temperatures are expected to be even hotter on Saturday and Sunday. Weather forecasts are calling for near record high temps.

Smoke still rising from Mink Creek, Johnny Creek and Gibson Jack areas, 29 June 2012.

The wind is also an unpredictable factor, as anyone who lives here can tell you.  Forecasts are calling for single digit wind speeds, but as temps rise so does the wind speed.  The winds are also finicky as to which way they like to blow, wait five minutes and wind’ll change direction.

Another reason is that more than a dozen investigators are trying to find out why the fire started.  They say they’ve determined the ignition point, but are still trying to figure out how it started.

At this point 66 homes were lost, along with 29 outbuildings (sheds, detached garages, barns, etc).  A rough estimate on the cost of damage to homes is $7.6 million USD.  There is still conflicting acreage reports.  Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center claims an estimated 1,038 acres burned, however, state and federal fire agencies say only 450 acres burned.

More than 1,000 people were evacuated from the Mink Creek, Johnny Creek and Gibson Jack areas.  Some roads around the burn area are open to residents only, who must prove they live there using identification such as Idaho drivers license.

Little Bird (Air Tractor 802F) water dropper ready for another run, Pocatello (Pokey) airport, 29 June 2012.

So far the cost to fight the Charlotte Fire has exceeded $1 million USD.  Despite some evacuees being a little upset about not being allowed back home ’till Monday, they applauded efforts to fight the fire.

Ex USN PV2 Neptune, now a water bomber operated by Neptune Aviation Service of Montana.

Charlotte Fire, 66 homes now destroyed

Pocatello Charlotte Fire still burning! 66 homes now destroyed! Residents not allowed to return until Sunday, maybe. New 10 Mile Fire east of McCammon

“It’s a long ways from being out, even though we don’t see big 40 foot flames.”-Brian Blad, Mayor of Pocatello

Click on the pics to make them bigger.

Smokey night Charlotte Fire 

Overwhelming proof that printer ink gives you Cancer

For at least a decade now there have been cancer cases, and studies from around the world suggesting that printer ink, and other chemicals used for printers, cause cancer.

Recently the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, in Japan, announced they are now studying the high rate of cancer among people who work in printing operations.

This came after several researchers revealed that people in one factory were dying from an unusually high rate of bile duct cancer.

According to Shinji Kumagai, an associate professor at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, the cancer rate at this particular printer company is 600 times higher than the average Japanese man who dies from bile duct cancer.

University researchers began looking into the situation last year, when a former employee died of bile duct cancer.  He claimed that many of his coworkers had the same cancer.  He had quit the factory five years prior, saying “The work environment is bad, with organic solvents in the air.” 

Four people recently died from the cancer in Osaka, in western Japan.  Another person died in Miyagi Prefecture, in northern Japan.  A former printing company worker in Tokyo has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, says they are now investigating at least 500 printing companies throughout Japan.

In 2007 an Australian study showed that printer ink can get into the air when printing.  Printer inks contain Carbon Black, which causes cancer.  There was also concern with other toxic chemicals in the inks.

In 1996, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported that many studies through out the 90s revealed “significant” increases in cancer rates among people involved with all kinds of printing, from newspapers to silk screen.  The cancers studied were of the lung, oropharynx, bladder and kidney, and Leukemia.

However the IARC downplayed the dozens and dozens of studies by prefacing the case reports with “…studies did not provide clear patterns of results.”“…poor specificity of exposure information.”  and “…the findings are not strong or consistent enough to be evaluated.”

2018 Update, here’s a list of main stream articles and/or studies concerning cancer and inks:

UrduPoint News: Ink When Mixes With Oily Foods Can Cause Cancer

Cure Today: Think Before You Ink 

U.S. National Library of Medicine (PebMed): Tattoo ink particles can spread into lymph nodes

ScienceAlert: Ancient Chinese Ink Could Hold a Surprising New Way to Kill Cancer

Science Daily: Ink from ancient Egyptian papyri contains copper

SafeCosmetics:  Carbon black is a dark black powder used as a pigment in cosmetics  … been linked to increased incidence of cancer and negative effects on organs.

Karger:  Carbon Black Nanoparticles and Other Problematic Constituents of Black Ink

Emerging Technologies: Nanoparticles in tattoo ink could cause cancer

OnLineLibrary: Risk of lung cancer following exposure to carbon black, titanium dioxide and talc: Results from two case–control studies in Montreal

Cancer related Blind Bat News: HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE? BLACK, WHITE OR ASIAN? OR, WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CANCER WITH YOUR TEA OR ENERGY DRINK?

 

Pocatello burning! Evacuations! Southeast Idaho burning! Bannock County bans fireworks, declares state of emergency!

Click on pics to make them bigger. Pics by me.

 

One Year Later: Record level radiation at Reactor 1, Fukushima Daiichi! Proof of near full blown melt down!

27 June 2012, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) reporting highest radiation levels yet inside Reactor 1 of the GE (General Electric) designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power factory.

Using endoscopes and dosimeters on 26 June 2012,  TEPCo employees detected 10,300 millisieverts per hour inside the reactor!  That level will kill you in less than an hour!

That level of radiation was picked up 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) from a pool of water.   At 4 meters (13 feet) above the water 1,000 millisieverts per hour was detected (which is ten times more than Reactor 2 or 3).

TEPCo officials say the high radiation levels from Reactor 1 are because the reactor was closer to a full blown runaway melt down, than any of the other reactors.

 

What Economic Recovery? Cyprus joins growing list of European countries asking for a bailout!

25 June 2012, the small island country of Cyrus has asked the European Union (EU) for a bailout.  It’s the fifth country to do so, after Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal.

The economy of Cyprus is directly tied to Greece, and the economic disaster there has dragged down banks in Cyprus.

Fitch just downgraded the Cyprus’s sovereign credit (bonds) grade by one notch to a junk status of BB+.  Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s also rank Cyprus at junk level.

One Year Later: You can now call Reactor 4 the Leaning Tower of Fukushima!

25 June 2012, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) announcing today that they discovered, last month, that the outer walls of the building housing Reactor 4 are tilting!

TEPCo officials claim the building is still structurally safe! The third floor has the most extreme tilt, at 4.6 centimeters (1.8 inches).

Reactor 4, of all the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, has the largest number of spent fuel rods located in a giant pool at the top of the building, housing more than 1,500 fuel rods. TEPCo says there is no worry about the spent fuel pool  as it is supported by central pillars, and not the outer walls.  (how many times has TEPCo made such statements that became famous last words?)

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 19 June – 22 June. Dozens killed in hotel attack! Increased attacks on women & children! Increased attacks on Afghan forces! U.S. troops killed! So much for the U.S. occupation stabilizing Afghanistan!

22 June 2012

Afghan Mujahideen attack the Spozhmai Hotel in Kabul city, at least 12 people killed (six cops and six civilians).

Kabul police say the attack began late night, 21 June 2012.  They claim they rescued 20 hostages, but there are dozens more inside: “It would be very easy for police to kill them, but we are afraid because there are civilians, including women and children, trapped inside. We are waiting for daylight.”-General Mohammad Zahir, Kabul police

Mujahideen claim they attacked two hotels, killing at least 25 people including 14 “high profile” elitist Afghans.

21 June 2012

ISAF admits a U.S./NATO helicopter went down in eastern Afghanistan, calling it an emergency landing.  However, reports out of Khost Province say a U.S. helicopter crashed and burst into flames.

Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, says Mujahideen attacks on Afghan troops have increased: “Every day we have at least 20 to 25 casualties, every day at least 20 to 25 of our youths are making the sacrifice for this country and are being killed!”

A United Nations article says that official documentation of women and children, who suffer from violence, show an increase in violence.  However, there is no baseline because official documentation of such violence was started only a few years ago.

The UN article does say that the ongoing war (should read U.S. occupation) is actually making things worse for women and children.

The UN article was published last week.  Today, 21 June 2012, the Afghan government reports several violent domestic crimes in the past few days.  They include the violent rape of an 8 year old, the rape of a 7 year old, and the torturing of a 6 month old and the mother, apparently all in the same province.

20 June 2012 

A suicide bomber kills at least 21 people. Major Martyn Crighton, of NATO, said the attack was against a U.S./NATO checkpoint in the city of Khost.  The U.S. embassy confirmed that three of those killed were U.S. personnel.

It was the third day in a row that U.S. forces were targeted.  According to iCasualties.org, 208 U.S. led occupation personnel have been killed so far this year, 152 being U.S. personnel.

While the city of Khost was attacked, another explosion hit eastern Khost Province. A suicide bomber attacked a U.S./NATO convoy.  Local hospital officials say at least 18 people were killed and 36 wounded.

At least eight people were killed, four wounded, in Logar Province, after a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew up. Local officials believe the bomber was attempting to join the attack on the U.S./NATO convoy in Khost Province.

In Kunar Province, local officials claim a U.S./NATO airstrike killed at least 21 people.

In Faryab Province, local officials say they stopped four suicide bombers from carrying out their attacks.

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) claim they captured yet another “leader”, this time in Paktiya Province.  ISAF also claims to have captured a “leader” from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, in Badakhshan Province.  A “facilitator” was arrested in Kandahar Province.

19 June 2012

ISAF reports a U.S. led occupation troop was killed in southern Afghanistan: “Initial reports indicate that seven insurgents launched an attack on a NATO installation and initially were successful in breaching the outer security perimeter.”

Provincal officials from Kandahar say Mujahideen attacked a U.S. base in Kandahar, wounding at least 10 U.S. personnel.  Mujahideen claim they killed or wounded 40 U.S. personnel, and that 17 Mujahideen were wounded in the attack.

Also in Kandahar Province, a Afghan military checkpoint was attacked by men wearing Afghan police uniforms.  At least seven people were killed.

In Kunar Province, a U.S. assassination drone crashed while providing air support to Afghan and U.S. forces on the ground.

In Helmand Province at least 8 people were killed, five wounded, when they drove over a mine.

In Bamiyan Province, 46 school girls were poisoned.

ISAF says more “leaders” captured in Helmand and Paktia provinces.

President Karzai fires the boss of the Academy of Science, and the boss of Social Affairs and Human Science Department, after they tried to publish a book that was racially slanted against non-Pashtuns.  One ethnic group was actually labeled as being thieves and liars, and a threat to Islam.  Pashtuns are the dominant ethnic group of Afghanistan.

One Year Later: Left behind; Fukushima pets still without homes, new kittens found near nuclear plant

Volunteer animal rescuers in Japan are reporting that pets are still being found in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster area.

Recently six kittens were found and taken to a animal hospital in Tokyo.  They were taken to Tokyo because local animal shelters are still full of abandoned pets from the March 2011 disasters. More than one year later volunteers say there are still hundreds of abandoned cats and dogs living near the nuclear power plant!

The animal hospital in Tokyo reported that the kittens were healthy, and homes were found for them.  Volunteer animal rescue groups say they will increase the use of the internet to send out international SOSs for the pets that were left behind.

ONE YEAR LATER: TUNA CAUGHT NEAR UNITED STATES CONTAMINATED WITH RADIATION! U.S. MEDIA TRYING TO DOWNPLAY

Global Economic War: Japan government to insure ships carrying Iraninan oil!

On 1 July 2012, the European Union’s sanctions against Iran kick in.  This includes European shipping insurers (who dominate the market) ending insurance on ships carrying Iranian oil.

20 June 2012, the Japanese Diet has passed a law that allows the government to cover Japanese tanker ships transporting oil from Iran.

The law was unanimously passed by the Upper house, and will provide up to $7.6 billion USD in coverage.  Many Japanese insurance companies expressed concern for providing enough insurance due to the warmongering by the U.S. and EU against Iran.

The government insurance policy goes into effect several days before the EU sanctions on 1 July.