10,000 fish die in delayed Brazil aquarium project

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil More than 10,000 fish died in temporary holding tanks in
Brazil during construction of what is being touted as the worlds largest freshwater
aquarium, local media reported.
Prosecutors in Campo Grande, the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul state, are probing
who is at fault after the local government and the company that dealt with the fish
blamed each other.
Billed as the biggest freshwater aquarium in the world by the former governor of
the state, work on the $53-million facility was supposed to have finished at the end of
last year but has been delayed, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported Saturday.
Since November, the fish had been in quarantine with a firm called Anambi, which
won a contract to care for the animals.
Some of the fish were imported from Africa, Asia and Oceania. An Anambi document
from May states that 80 percent of the fish died from a temperature drop as winter
approached in the southern hemisphere country.
The transfer of fish was planned between January and February, but the tanks were
not ready, Anambis Augusto Silva told the newspaper.
But government officials say they have identified several technical failures in the
temporary tanks, including poor oxygenation, the presence of bacteria and inadequate
cleaning.
A final date for completion of the aquarium has still not been finalized.

Centre Mulling Law To Punish Those

Polluting Ganga: Uma Bharti
NEW DELHI: The government will soon bring forth a legislation to
punish those who pollute the Ganga river, Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti said on
Monday.
In response to a question on whether the industries polluting Ganga
have been punished, the minister informed the Rajya Sabha that:
"There are 764 industries on the banks of Ganga which are polluting it.
We have taken action against some, and our government is committee
to taking most stringent action."
"We will propose an act on this after consulting state governments,"
the minister said.
She added: "Poor people go to jail even for stealing beedi, but those
polluting Ganga do not go to jail."
In response to another question on whether releasing prayer offerings
like flowers in the river was also polluting it, the minister said: "Ganga
is not polluted because of prayer offerings, it is because of industrial
effluents, sewage and plastic which obstructs the flow."
"But yes, when the prayer offerings get stuck in the stagnant water it
causes some pollution," she said.
The minister also said that the river is pious, but not chemically pure.
"Ganga is always pious... Sadly, if we test the water in a lab, from the
perspective of the chemical content, it is not clean... but from the point
of view of respect, it is pious," the minister added.

Typhoon Lionrock: Strong tropical storm slams into

Japan's north-east; at least 10 dead
At least 10 people are dead after a strong typhoon slammed into
north-eastern Japan, dumping heavy rain and generating high waves
that have caused flooding along the Pacific coast.
Nine people were found dead inside a home for elderly people, police
said on Wednesday, after the typhoon tore through the region.
"We are trying to confirm the identities of these bodies," Iwate
prefectural police Shuko Sakamoto told AFP, confirming that nine
corpses were found inside the care home in the town of Iwaizumi which
suffered flooding.
The death toll rose to 10 after an elderly woman was found dead in her
flooded home nearby, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told
reporters.
Typhoon Lionrock made landfall near the city of Ofunato shortly before
6:00pm (local time) on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said,
after moving up Japan's Pacific Ocean coastline.
Packing wind gusts of up to 162 kilometres per hour, the storm was
moving north-west at 50 kilometres per hour, it said.
It is the first typhoon to directly land in the region from the Pacific
Ocean since the country's present weather observation system was
introduced in 1951, the agency said.
Typhoons usually approach Japan from the south and south-west before
moving northward across the archipelago.
Local media has reported some minor injuries, such as a fall by a 40year-old woman in strong winds.
Authorities also warned of landslides and high water due to expected
heavy rain of up to eight centimetres per hour.

NASA flies to Africa to study climate

effects of smoke on clouds
NASA scientists and two research aircraft are on their way to a
unique natural laboratory off the Atlantic coast of southwest Africa
to study a major unknown in future climate prediction.
The coast of Namibia is one of three places on Earth with
persistent low-level clouds, and the only such location with a
steady supply of tiny aerosol particles in the form of smoke from
inland fires that mix with the clouds. NASA's Observations of
Aerosols Above Clouds and their Interactions (ORACLES) mission
will observe and measure how these particles interact with clouds
and change their ability to warm or cool the planet.
"This is the perfect natural laboratory to study aerosol-cloud
interactions, which are some of the largest uncertainties in the
prediction of future climate," said Jens Redemann, ORACLES
principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett
Field, California.
Some aerosols, such as dust and sea salt, have a natural origin.
But others, such as soot and smoke released by fires and
industry, are the result of human activities. Once aerosols enter
the atmosphere, they can cause either a warming or cooling
effect.

PAGASA: Tag-ulan na, hanggang 17

bagyo inaasahan
MANILA, Philippines Kahit hindi pasok sa kanilang pamantayan,
idineklara na rin ng Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) ang pagtatapos ng taginit at ang pagpasok ng panahon ng tag-ulan.
Sinabi ni Esperanza Cayanan ng weather division ng state weather
bureau na kadalasan ay tatlo hanggang limang magkakasunod na araw
na may ulan ang kanilang hinihintay bago magdeklara ng tag-ulan,
bukod pa rito ang pagkakaroon dapat ng 25 millimeter na dami ng ulan
sa walo nilang istasyon.
As you can see, cloud clusters are now covering most areas in the
Philippines and more are coming. This is a classical manifestation of
the onset of the rainy season, wika ni Cayanan.
Kung kukwentahin natin, not totally 100 percent nakuha 'yung criteria
(for rainy season announcement) na kailangan. In-assess na po natin
for the next three to five days weather, kaya inagahan na po namin
yung pag-announce, dagdag niya.
Ilang lugat sa Zambales at Bataan ang isinailalim sa yellow rainfall
warning kagabi, habang may mga lugar sa Metro Manila ang binaha
dahil sa pagbuhos ng ulan.
Nakikita na po kasi natin yung impact (of the rain), sabi pa ni
Cayanan.
Samantala, sinabi naman ni PAGASA Assistant Weather Services chief
Anthony Lucero na below normal pa naman ang dami ng ulan.
Napag-usapan din ang kanilang inaasahang bilang ng bagyong daraan
sa bansa gayung inaasahan ang La Nia kapalit ng El Nio.

Tungkol po sa bagyo, nagtatapos na po ang ating El Nio and papasok

na ang La Nia. Our forecast up to October is 8 to 17 yung tinatayang
number of cyclones, paliwanag ni Cayanan.
Aniya wala pa silang forecast sa bilang ng bagyo mula Nobyembre at
sa mga susunod na buwan nito.

Iresponsableng pagmimina sa Palawan,

nagdulot ng kontaminasyon sa ilog
Nakontamina ng pagmimina ng nickel sa isla ng Palawan ang ilog sa naturang lugar,
ayon sa mga grupong makalikasan.
Ibinunyag ng Friends of the Earth Japan (FoE-Japan) at Kalikasan Peoples Network
for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) noong Pebrero 22 ang resulta ng kanilang pagaaral na ginawa sa ibaba ng ilog malapit sa operasyon ng Rio Tuba Nickel Mining
Corporation at Coral Bay Nickel Processing Plant (CBNC).
Ang pag-aaral, na nagsimula pa noong 2009, ay nagsuri ng tubig at napatunayan na
hindi na ligtas ang antas ng hexavalent chromium(Cr-VI), isang nakalalasong
kemikal, sa Togupon River. Ipinakita nito na ang antas ng kontaminasyon ng Cr-VI sa
mga sinuring tubig mula sa Togupon River ay mula 0.1 to 0.3 milligrams per liter
(mg/L). Lampas ito sa pamatanayan ng Cr-VI sa Pilipinas na 0.1 to 0.2mg/L lamang.
The water contamination originated from upstream mining or/and refinery
operations, pahayag ni Hozue Hatae, isang mananaliksik mula sa FoE-Japan.
Ang Togupon River ay dumadaloy sa mga lugar kung saan nag-oopereyt ang RTNMC
at CBNC. Ang parehong proyekto ay pinondohan at kasosyo ng mga multinasyunal
at institusyong Hapon tulad ng Japan Bank for International Cooperation at Nippon
Export and Investment Insurance.
Ayon naman kay Clemente Bautista, tagapag-ugnay ng Kalikasan-PNE, malubhang
paglabag sa kalikasan at banta sa kalusugan ang kontaminasyon ng Cr-VI sa
Tagupon River. Maaari rin umanong makaapekto ito sa pangisdaan ng naturang
lugar.
Pinatutunayan lamang nito na ang malawakang pagmimina sa Palawan ay malayo
sa sinasabing responsableng pagmimina tulad ng gusto nilang palabasin, sa halip
ay negatibong nakakaapekto sa kalusugan at kabuhayan ng mga komunidad sa
paligid ng Rio Tuba at iba pang barangay, pahayag ni Bautista.

Nanawagan pa ang grupo sa administrasyong Aquino na suspendihin ang lahat ng

operasyon ng pagmimina sa naturang lugar at kaagad na magsagawa ng
imbestigasyon, gayundin sa mga kompanya ng pagmimina at awtoridad para sa
paglilinis at rehabilitasyon ng kontaminadong tubig para maiwasan ang posibleng
epekto nito sa kalikasan at mga mamamayan.

Cavite: Dahilan ng fish kill, di pa tukoy

ROSARIO, Cavite Hindi pa rin natutukoy ang pinagmulan ng
contaminants na pumatay sa libu-libong isda sa Malimango River
sa bayang ito noong Setyembre at Disyembre ng nakaraang taon.
Sinabi ni Mayor Jose Nonong Ricafrente, Jr. na hindi pa
nailalabas ang opisyal na report ng Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources (BFAR) at Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) tungkol sa misteryosong fish kill.
Ipinag-utos ni Ricafrente sa BFAR, DENR, gayundin sa Cavite
Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), na imbestigahan ang tungkol sa
fish kill noong Setyembre 25 at Disyembre 15 at maglabas ng
report tungkol sa insidente.
Nasa isang tonelada ng patay na isda ang iniahon mula sa ilog
noong Setyembre. Muli itong naulit makalipas ang tatlong buwan
at napatunayang kontaminado nga ang ilog.
Ayon sa paunang report ng BFAR at DENR, ang mga nakalalasong
kemikal at dumi, bukod pa sa mababang oxygen level, ang
nagbunsod ng fish kill sa ilog.

Pilipinas, ikatlo sa mga bansang nanganganib sa

epekto ng climate change World Bank
MANILA, Philippines Pumangatlo ang Pilipinas sa mga bansang
nanganganib sa mga sakunang dulot ng climate change.
Sa ulat ng World Bank (WB), nagbabala ito hinggil sa paglala ng
ibat ibang sakuna sa mundo bunsod ng patuloy na pagbabago ng
klima ng daigdig.
Kabilang dito ang pagtaas ng sea-level, mas malakas na mga
bagyo at sobrang tag-init sa ilang partikular na rehiyon sa mundo
kabilang ang Pilipinas.
Ayon sa World Bank, sa katapusan ng ika-21 siglo, tataas ng
hanggang labinlimang porsyento ang sea level sa timog-silangang
Asya na nangangahulugan ng mas madalas at mas mataas na
pagbaha.
Babala ng WB, pinaka-apektado rito ang mga informal settler
partikular na ang urban population ng Pilipinas na nakatirik ang
mga tahanan sa mga estero at iba pang waterways.
Kaugnay nito, hinikayat ng WB ang Pilipinas na dagdagan ang
pondo para sa mga programang may kaugnayan sa climate
change. (UNTV News)

End of El Nio at last, but La Nia may be looming

The state weather bureau announced on Wednesday the end of the El Nio
phenomenon and, with it, the coming of La Nia in the coming months.
According to PAGASA's latest El Nio Advisory, the month of July was welcomed with
neutral conditions in the central and equatorial Pacific, as both oceanic and
atmospheric indicators have returned to neutral values.
As of July, the sea surface temperatures are now in neutral condition.
However, PAGASA said that there is an ever-increasing possibility of La Nia
developing this year.
Posibleng magstart siya, more than 50 percent possibility na magdevelop ang La
Nia in the July-August-September season. Between July-August-September season
and August-September-October season, this is when La Nia starts to develop
typically. Hindi pa po full-blown La Nia, Weather Specialist Analiza Solis said in a
press conference.
A La Nia event is characterized by cooler than normal sea surface temperatures in
the Tropical Pacific. This, in turn, causes more raincloud-carrying winds to come into
the Philippines from the east.
Solis explained that, despite the end of the El Nio, some parts of the country are
still reeling from its effects.
In PAGASAs rainfall assessment for the month of June, the western section of
mainland Luzonparticularly the Bicol Regionas well as other parts of the country
including Southern Panay, Sarangani, and Davao Oriental received below to below
normal rainfall.
Solis said that, based on recent observations, the country may feel the effects of La
Nia during the last four months of the current year.
Starting September, yung po yung nakikita nating near-normal to above normal
ang ulan niya, na posibleng yun po ang potential impact ng La Nia, she said.
Solis said that, because of the El Nio, only 9 to 15 tropical cyclones are expected
within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) from July to December this year
significantly fewer than the average of 20 cyclones per year.
So far this year, only two tropical cyclones came within the PAR: Tropical Depression
Ambo and Typhoon Butchoy.

Indonesia Lifts Tsunami Warning After Massive 7.8

Magnitude Quake
JAKARTA, INDOESNIA:
A massive quake struck on Wednesday off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a
region devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean quake and tsunami, but initial fears of
another region-wide disaster faded as tsunami warnings were cancelled.
Indonesian and Australian authorities called off their tsunami alerts within two hours
of the 7.8 magnitude tremor, though it was still unclear if the quake had destroyed
any buildings or killed people in Sumatra.
A National Search and Rescue Agency official gave an initial report of some deaths,
but later withdrew those comments.
"Up until now, there is no information about deaths," said Heronimus Guru, the
agency's deputy head of operations.
Any rescue operation will be hampered by the dark, which falls early in the tropical
archipelago.
There were no immediate reports of damage, but the shallower a quake, the more
dangerous it is. The US Geological Survey originally put the magnitude at 8.2,
revising it down to 7.8.
The epicentre was 808 km (502 miles) southwest of the coastal city of Padang. It
was 24 km (15 miles) deep, it said, after first putting its depth at 10 km.
"So far there have been no reports (of damage)," Andi Eka Sakya, head of the
National Meteorological Agency, told TVOne. "In Bengkulu (in southwest Sumatra)
they didn't feel it at all."
Indonesia, especially Aceh, was badly hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
A 9.15-magnitude quake opened a fault line deep beneath the ocean on Dec. 26,
2004, triggering a wave as high as 17.4 meters (57 feet) that crashed ashore in
more than a dozen countries to wipe some communities off the map in seconds.
The disaster killed 126,741 people in Aceh alone.
Indonesia straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active
zone, where different plates on the earth's crust meet and create a large number of
earthquakes and volcanoes.

M8.9 na lindol at Tsunami, hinagupit

ang Japan
TOKYO & SENDAI, Japan- Magnitude 8.9 na lindol na nagresulta ng malalaki at
malalawak na pinsala kasunod ng matataas na tsunami sa Pacific Ocean ang
humagupit sa Japan. Alas-dos ng hapon dito sa Pilipinas at Alas-tres naman sa Japan
nang yumanig sa kanila ang isang pambihira at epikong lindol na nagresulta ng 30talampakang tsunami na tumama sa Sendai, ang epicenter ng lindol.
Halos nakita ng buong mundo ang live coverage ng Japanese news agencies ang
paglindol at tsunami. Kitang-kita bawat anggulo ang bawat pinsala at laki ng alon
mula sa dagat na pininsalaan ang mga malalawak na palayan at sinira ang mga ariarian.
Matapos ang lindol at Tsunami ay dumami naman ang kaso ng sunog sa bawat lugar
sa Tokyo, Fukishima Prefecture at Sendai. Isa na rito ang oil refinery na kasalukuyan
pa ring nasusunog.
Oras-oras binabantayan ng U.N. at Japan government ang apat na Nuclear power
plant at isang petrochemical plant na maaaring magresulta ng malawakang
radiation. Pinalikas na rin ang mga naninirahan malapit sa mga imprastrakturang
kemikal.
Agad na itinaas ng Pacific Tsunami Warning Center o PTWC ang Tsunami Alert sa 50
na bansa kasama na ang Pilipinas.
Dito naman sa Pilipinas ay itinaas sa 19 na lalawigan na nakaharap sa dagatPasipiko ang Tsunami Alert No. 2 na posibleng darating ang unang bugso ng alon
bandang 5-7pm at mga susunod na alon bandang 7-11pm kagabi.
Agad minonitor ng Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology o PHIVOLCS ang mga tsunami waves na papasok sa Philippine Area of
Responsibility at inutos naman ng National Disaster Risk Reduction Management
Council o NDRRMC ang forced evacuation sa 19 na lalawigan na itinaas sa Tsunami
Alert No. 2.
Agad nagpalabas ng hotline ang mga government agencies katulad ng DFA,
NDRRMC, PHIVOLCS at mga humanitarian foundation na nakadestino sa Pilipinas.
Naitala ng PHIVOLCS ang pinakamalaking alon na nasa .70cm sa Baler, Aurora at
Virac, Catanduanes.

Inasahang darating ang 8-talampakang tsunami waves sa Hawaii ngunit ang mga
dumating lang ay wala pang isang metro pero naghanda na ang mga mamamayan
doon para na rin sa kanilang kaligtasan.
Ang Google Japan naman ay naglunsad ng Person Finder para sa mga kaanak o
kaibigang nawawala o nawalan ng komunikasyon sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay.
Naglunsad na rin ang Red Cross Federation ng textline para sa mga donasyong
financial at in-kind para sa mga sinalanta ng lindol at hagupit ng tsunami.