Home/Posts Tagged ‘tsunami’
Posts Tagged ‘tsunami’
Pollution, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 12th, 2012,
Residents and visitors of a popular beach in the US State of Oregon were stunned when a massive rectangular dock float washed up on shore last week. The float turned out to be one of four from the fishing town of Misawa, Japan, which were pulled out to sea during last year’s tsunami. Another float washed up on a nearby island, while the other two have not been found. The dock was covered in hundreds of millions of flora and fauna, native to Japanese waters, but strangers to the Pacific Coast of the United States. The structure is home to…
Tags: debris, japan, Oregon, tsunami, US
Natural disasters, Pollution, May 2nd, 2012,
95% of debris from the 2011 tsunami that devastated parts of Japan will end up in that swirling vortex of plastic and other rubbish – the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, but some will hit the shores of North America. Lighter debris has already reached places like Alaska, where a Japanese teenager’s football washed up on Middleton Island. The man who found the ball is married to Japanese woman, who was able to read the teenager’s name plus the name of his school. Amazingly, a moving crate containing a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a set of golf clubs was found on…
Tags: Alaska, America, British Columbia, debris, japan, tsunami
Natural disasters, Apr 12th, 2012,
In the space of just two days, Mexico has been hit by two separate earthquakes of 6.5 and 6.9 magnitudes, respectively, while Indonesia suffered two quakes of 8.6 and 8.2 magnitudes off its coast, resulting in 5 deaths and 7 injuries. The quakes in Mexico came just over 3 weeks after a quake of 7.4 magnitude that caused extensive damage in the southwest of the country. No major damage has been reported concerning the latest earthquakes in Mexico, but they did raise concerns about possible resulting tsunamis, due to the location and nature of the quakes. From Reuters UK: The…
Tags: earthquake, fracking, Indonesia, magnitude, Mexico, tsunami
Pollution, Mar 27th, 2012,
Of Japan’s 54 nuclear power reactors, only one is currently operating, following the shutdown of a Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactor by Tokyo Electric Power Co. The remaining nuclear reactor still in operation is expected to be taken offline in early May. Japan’s about face turn from nuclear power of course follows the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011, which saw Level 7 Nuclear Events at three of its reactors. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami that caused the meltdowns at Fukushima are not the only earthquake-related nuclear power troubles that Japan has faced. The recently shut down plant…
Tags: earthquake, Fukushima, japan, nuclear power, reactor, tsunami
Climate Change, Natural disasters, Dec 30th, 2011,
Happy New Year, everyone! Best wishes for 2012. Hopefully it will not be the year of environmental catastrophe that 2011 was. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t hold my breath, even if it would slightly reduce my own personal CO2 output. Let’s have a quick rundown of the stresses and bad headlines that dominated eco-news in 2011. Firstly: • The global population reached 7 billion. • The second worst nuclear incident in history occurred in Fukushima as the result of a catastrophic tsunami. • Greenhouse gases rose to record levels, Arctic sea ice went down and global temperatures…
Tags: 2011, drought, environmental, record, tsunami, US
Conservation, Dec 9th, 2011,
2.3bn yen ($29 million/ €22 million) in victims’ aid for the March 11 tsunami, which devastated communities on the northeastern coast of Japan, has been diverted to the country’s whaling industry. This discovery has sparked outrage from environmentalist groups like Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd and could further damage Japan’s international reputation. Junichi Sato, executive director for Greenpeace Japan, is quoted in the Independent: Not only is the whaling industry unable to survive without large increases in government handouts, now it’s siphoning money away from the victims of the 11 March triple disaster, at a time when they need it most….
Tags: Greenpeace, japan, minke, Sea Shepherd, tsunami, whale
Politics, Pollution, May 24th, 2011,
Four major power companies warned that the post-Fukujima backlash against nuclear power in Germany country could result in future winter blackouts. These blackouts would ostensibly occur if Germany decides to decommission all its nuclear power stations. The companies claim that solar and wind power could not meet demand in the case of insufficiently windy or sunny weather. Chancellor Angela Merkel recently signaled she would support closing all of Germany’s 17 nuclear power stations by 2022. Seven nuclear power stations have been off-grid ever since Merkel announced in the immediate aftermath of the Fukushima disaster a “three-month moratorium” on her controversial…
Tags: blackouts, earthquake, Fukushima, Germany, Green Party, japan, Merkel, nuclear, plants, power, reactors, tsunami
Nature, Videos & Documentaries, Apr 7th, 2011,
Japan’s meteorological institute issued a tsunami alert after a quake measured at 7.1 struck the country’s northeast Thursday night – the same part of the country which suffered from the massive 9.0 quake and resultant tsunami in March. The earthquake was first believed to be 7.4, but was later downgraded to 7.1 by the U.S. Geological Survey, and the tsunami warning has since been lifted. Nonetheless, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioned: Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100km of the earthquake epicenter. 28,000 people are dead or still missing…
Tags: earthquake, japan, tsunami, warning
Animals, Natural disasters, Videos & Documentaries, Mar 31st, 2011,
There have been many victims of this month’s earthquake and resultant tsunami disaster in northern Japan. The loss of human life, livelihood and property is immense and the suffering continues. Less attention has been given to the countless animals – wild, domestic and livestock – who have also suffered and are still in dire need of help. The title of this post has two meanings because there are two categories of help. There are still many animals stranded in or facing terrible and dangerous conditions in the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. There are also many who have…
Tags: animals, disaster, dogs, earthquake, japan, rescue, tsunami
Politics, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Mar 19th, 2011,
The debate over nuclear energy has heated up in Europe. Though always controversial, the events post earthquake and tsunami in Japan have brought the issue to the forefront in the media and political arenas in some European countries. In May a government safety review of nuclear plants in the UK will be released, taking account of the events at Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. For more on this story see this article from BBC News. In Germany, where nuclear power is always especially controversial, the issue has sparked political action of late. From Deutsche Welle: The governing CDU/FDP coalition…
Tags: debate, earthquake nuclear, Europe, Germany, japan, plant, power, tsunami, UK
Nature, Pollution, Mar 16th, 2011,
Japan is struggling to cope with a difficult tsunami/earthquake relief effort in the face of cold temperatures, food shortages, power outages and nuclear crisis. Please refer to this post for a list of links for aid agencies to donate to the relief effort. From the Guardian’s previous live blog (no longer being updated): The country faces an increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis caused by the direct effects of Friday’s huge earthquake and resultant tsunami, one made worse by freezing weather. The official death toll has now hit 4,255 deaths, with 8,194 people registered as unaccounted for. Survivors, many of them homeless,…
Tags: cold, disaster, earthquake, Fukushima, japan, nuclear, relief effort, tsunami
Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Mar 15th, 2011,
Japan has suffered greatly in recent days after a 9.0 earthquake struck the north of the country and triggered a tsunami which destroyed countless homes and likely killed over 10,000 people. Millions have been left without electricity, while food and water scarcity as well as lack of heat are threatening parts of northern Japan. Most of the media, however, has been gripped by the explosions and resultant radiation leaks at three reactors at a Japanese nuclear power plant called Fukushima Daiichi in Fukushima prefecture. The nuclear safety crisis that Japan now finds itself in the grip of is perhaps the…
Tags: Daiichi, diaster, earthquake, explosion, Fukushima, japan, nuclear, plant, radiation, tsunami
Natural disasters, Mar 13th, 2011,
In addition to Google Person Finder’s 2011 Japan Earthquake service and ShelterBox’s aid program for victims, several other organizations are mobilizing to help those affected by the recent tsunami and earthquake in northern Japan. Japanese authorities have upgraded the quake to a 9.0 on the Richter scale. I have been keeping up to date on the situation via the Guardian’s live news blog, where it was posted that Save the Children has set up a fund for Japan’s earthquake/tsunami victims. You can access Save the Children’s UK earthquake/tsunami site here and the US version here. Yahoo News has also provided…
Tags: aid, donate, earthquake, help, japan, tsunami, victims
Nature, Mar 11th, 2011,
Japan is reeling from one of the worst earthquakes in recorded history and the resultant tsunami and flooding. The quake measured at 8.9 on the Richter scale, causing severe damage and massive floods in the northeast of the country. Aftershocks continue to affect the nation while other pacific countries, particularly Oceanic islands, the Philippines and Indonesia are preparing for tsunamis. Though it’s early days yet, there are ways being set up to aid victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Google Person Finder has set up a page for the 2011 Japan Earthquake for people to post messages looking for lost loved…
Tags: aid, earthquake, help, japan, Person Finder, ShelterBox, tsunami
Climate Change, Nature, Oct 30th, 2010,
Last night the Merapi volcano on Java erupted again, killing at least 2. This brings the death toll to 38 since the first eruption of the volcano earlier this week. Last week alone, with the tsunami hitting the shores of several Indonesian islands and with the eruption of Merapi, at least 450 people were killed. 300 people are still missing in the regions where the tsunami reached Indonesia. Rescue workers are having a hard time to look for survivors due to bad weather conditions and lack of adequate equipment.
Tags: Indonesia, Java, merapi, natural disasters, tsunami, volcano
Climate Change, Nature, Oct 27th, 2010,
Last Monday we reported an earthquake of 7,5 on the Richter scale hit south of Sumatra. Yesterday Java’s Merapi volcano erupted, killing 25 people. Then a tsunami hit the western part of Indonesia, killing at least 113 people, many more still reported missing. Although the Indonesian authorities did alert the population on Monday for the dangers of a possible tsunami following the 7,5 magnitude earthquake, they revoked the alarm soon after. The tsunami eventually did reach the western part of Indonesia, with 3-meter high waves breaking on the shores of several islands. 400 homes where washed away in the process….
Tags: earthquake, Indonesia, Java, natural disaster, tsunami, volcano, yanomami
Climate Change, Nature, Oct 25th, 2010,
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7,5 on the Richter scale hit south of Sumatra earlier today, in the area of the Mentawi islands. A tsunami alarm was issued shortly after the earthquake to warn local population, but the alarm has been revoked in the meantime. There is currently no report of damages or casualties caused by the earthquake.
Tags: earthquake, Richter scale, Sumatra, tsunami
Climate Change, Videos & Documentaries, Apr 13th, 2010,
I didn’t know a tsunami could occur in a lake. I didn’t know a falling piece glacier could cause a tsunami either. But that’s just what happened in the Peruvian Andes when an ice block broke from the massive Hualcan glacier and plunged into a lake, creating a 23-meter tsunami. The resulting rush of water flooded several towns and resulted in at least one death. The governor of the region that includes the area where the tsunami occurred blamed the disaster on climate change. He may have a point. From a report in the Guardian: It was the latest evidence…
Tags: Andes, death, glacier, lake, Peru, Peruvian, tsunami
Natural disasters, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 23rd, 2010,
Every year, thousands of people are killed by violent acts of nature. This year, we’ve already seen earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and volcano eruptions. Even with warning systems in place, people still fall victim to nature’s wrath. Perhaps they were unprepared or tried to play the hero. Most likely, they were misinformed or simply didn’t know what to do during such an event. I have compiled some basic information on what to do when severe weather or forces of nature are heading your way. Check it out: Earthquake As soon as you are aware that an earthquake may happen, turn off…
Tags: earthquake, flood, how to survive a natural disaster, hurricane, natural disasters, Nature’s wrath, tornado, tsunami, volcano
Climate Change, Mar 15th, 2010,
Tropical Cyclone Tomas hit Fiji’s northern islands Monday evening (local time) with winds of up to 275 km/h (170 mph) and heavy rain showers. Currently, there is no immediate report of extreme damage. The Category 4 storm is supposed to be the heaviest cyclone to hit the islands in the past twenty years, and it’s the second-most destructive on a five-point scale. As it heads northeast, it is expected to reach its peak force during the night of Monday to Tuesday and sideswipe the main island, Viti Levu. Predictions suggest that the cyclone will cause floods due to the heavy…
Tags: Cyclone, Fiji, floods, heaviest cyclone, tropical storm, tsunami, Viti Levu
