Press CTRL+D to bookmark this page!

THE AWAKENING -- issue 167, January 22nd - 28th, 2001

AMERICAN INDIAN NEWS TICKER!!!

But to most Kenyans, the unusual January rains are a blessing in disguise.

The country has borne the brunt of severe drought after the rains failed in

the past two years, causing the government to impose stringent power and

water rationing in most towns.

The power rationing, sometimes lasting up to 18 hours a day in parts of

Nairobi, has cost Kenya's struggling economy over 500 million US dollars in

lost industrial revenue in the past six months alone.

This year, however, if the rains continue for another month, heavy harvests

are expected in many parts of the country.

But even as Kenyans celebrated the rains, the World Food Programme (WFP)

warned of a difficult year because of the drought and food insecurity since

last year.

WFP's information officer, Lindsey Davies, said this sordid scenario would

greatly hamper the recovery and restoration efforts of many Kenyan families.

Although there has been improvements in many parts of the country, the

situation has not changed in the northern and southern parts of Kenya, she

said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200101250429.html

------------------------------

18. Heavy rains hit Mozambique...01-25

Torrential rains have caused floods which displaced several thousand people

in the central Zambezia province of Mozambique.

State radio said at least two people had died.

The floodwaters have cut roads, left thousands of hectares of land under

water.

Mozambique Radio said the government had declared an emergency in the

province and was trying to provide food and shelter for hundreds of

displaced families.

The floods that hit Mozambique last year claimed more than seven-hundred

lives and caused massive damage.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1139000/1139334.stm

------------------------------

19. Ash Rain Falls on Indonesia Village...01-25

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Ash-filled rain fell Thursday on a village on the

slopes of rumbling Mt. Merapi as lava flows and clouds of noxious gases

spewed from the volcano every few minutes, scientists said.

Volcanologist Syamsul Rizal said activity within the mountain had increased

slightly within the past 24 hours.

He said authorities were still calling on people living around the volcano

to prepare to evacuate as clouds of ash mixed with rain fell on nearby Deres

village.

In 1994, 66 people were killed when they ignored an order to evacuate from a

village on the volcano's slopes. The most devastating eruption last century

was in 1930 when 1,300 people perished.

The latest activity started about two weeks ago and scientists have warned

that there could be a major blast at any time.

------------------------------

20. Several Areas in Slovakia Without Electricity Due to Icy Weather

BRATISLAVA, Jan 27, 2001 -- (CTK - Czech News Agency) A bad frost and strong

winds this week have led to several places around Krupina, Central Slovakia,

and Zahorie, West Slovakia, being without electricity, the Slovak media

reported today.

Part of Banska Stiavnica, Central Slovakia, and most adjacent towns and

villages are without electricity for the second day. The villages will be

without electricity for a few more days as repairmen cannot get to the

electrical poles due to the difficult terrain.

The frosts in Central Slovakia have put 120 transformer stations out of

service and the strong winds have blown down hundreds of poles.

At Zahorie winds of 150 km an hour on Wednesday uprooted high-tension pylons

and there was apparently fifteen-centimeter thick ice on the electricity

lines. Some places got their electricity back at lunchtime today. ((c) 2001

CTK - Czech News Agency)

http://centraleurope.com/news.php3?id=270886

------------------------------

21. Heavy snow brings chaos to Japan...01-27

Heavy snow has blanketed wide swathes of Japan causing injuries and traffic

problems.

In Tokyo, where heavy snowfall is uncommon, at least 20 residents suffered

snow-related injuries.

At Haneda Airport, 192 domestic flights were cancelled as snow piled up on

runways.

There were, however, no delays reported at Tokyo's main international

airport, 21 miles east of the city.

The Meteorological Agency predicted continued heavy snowfall of up to 28

inches later in mountainous parts of Yamanashi and Kanagawa prefectures

(states).

The agency expected more than four inches of snow to fall on central Tokyo.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_187458.html

------------------------------

22. Moderate Earthquake in Mexico...01-26

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A moderate earthquake shuddered through southern coastal

Mexico on Friday, causing minor damage to hundreds of homes. No injuries

were reported.

The magnitude-5 quake occurred at 8:19 a.m. and was centered on the coast of

the southern state of Oaxaca, the national Seismological Service reported.

The quake was felt as far away as Mexico City, about 220 miles to the north,

where some buildings swayed slightly.

In the coastal Oaxacan municipality of Jamiltepec, the quake cracked walls

and left minor fractures in the structures of about 300 houses, city hall

and the local church, Mayor Martin Echeverria said.

http://wire.ap.org/APnews/?SITE=WIWAU&FRONTID=HOME

------------------------------

23. Australia swelters in heatwave...01-27

Australia's train service is suffering in the intense heat

By Phil Mercer in Australia

Parts of eastern Australia are in the grip of a severe heat wave that has

sent temperatures soaring to almost 50 degrees Celsius.

Railway timetables have been thrown into confusion after tracks buckled in

the intense heat. Emergency services are gearing up for the threat of more

bush fires.

In New South Wales, rail commuters have found themselves in the frontline of

the state's losing battle against unusually high summer temperatures.

Hot and bothered

For many people, journeys have become a hot and sticky nightmare.

People have been flocking to the beach

The heat has caused cooling systems in many carriages to break down, leaving

passengers sitting on slow trains on plastic seats in 40 degree heat.

"It really is a joke," said one angry traveller. "It's like being inside an

oven," said another.

It is even hotter in the Australian outback. In the remote town of Cobar in

New South Wales, the mercury rose to an unprecedented 47 degrees Celsius -

more than 116 degrees Fahrenheit.

One shopkeeper said stepping out into the street was like "walking into a

blowtorch".

Firefighters are on high alert. Bush fires are raging to the north of Sydney

and emergency services have introduced a complete fire ban across New South

Wales.

National Parks and Wildlife Service personnel have been fighting 13 fires in

parks across the state.

Car hazard

As the heat rises, police in Sydney have launched a new campaign aimed at

cutting the number of children left in cars by their parents on boiling hot

days.

Inside a vehicle the temperature can be as much as 40 degrees hotter than

outside.

Doctor David Schell, from the Westmead hospital in Sydney, says that cars

can become deadly greenhouses for anyone locked inside.

"A child can be unconscious in a car within 20 minutes and potentially dead

within an hour," he said.

Energy and water companies are struggling to keep up with record demand.

Continued heat forecast

Meteorologists say the heatwave is caused by high pressure systems south of

Australia that are bringing hot air from desert areas across the more

populated southern and eastern coasts.

They are predicting that the sweltering conditions will last well into the

Australia Day holiday weekend.

Hospital receptions are crowded with people feeling the heat

"We have had nothing much to cool us down - the cool fronts keep missing

us," a weather bureau spokesman said.

Up to 50,000 people are expected to cram onto Australia's most famous beach

at Bondi in Sydney as the heat continues.

Others have taken a more unconventional way to cool off.

One hospital has been swamped by people not needing medical treatment -

simply looking to take advantage of its spacious air conditioned reception

area. A doctor said it was so busy, there was standing room only.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_1138000/1138637.stm

------------------------------

24. Climate problems predicted for Africa...01-24

Mozambique floods were blamed on global warming

Africa is facing an increase in natural disasters if the world's main

economic powers do not ratify a key protocol on climate change as soon as

possible, a key UN environmentalist has warned.

The executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep),

Klaus Toepfer, was speaking after scientists released a new report on

climate change.

Industrial activity is adding to global warming

The report, drawn up by scientists from 99 countries, says that increased

industrial activity has forced them to revise upwards their predictions of

the increase in global temperatures.

Mr Toepfer pointed out that Africa contains 14% of the world's population,

but is only responsible for 3.2% of global carbon emissions. It is Africa,

he said, that bears the brunt of some of the world's worst weather

conditions.

Global warming

Unep believes that the extreme weather conditions experienced in Africa,

such as the recent floods in Mozambique and the famine in the Horn of Africa

are closely connected to climate change.

The UN agency also says that developed countries have a "moral obligation"

to tackle the scourge of climate change.

But last year's climate conference in The Hague ended without an agreement,

as countries argued over the detail.

Scientists are now predicting that global temperature will rise between 1.4C

and 5.8C. The previous forecast put the figures at 1C and 3.5C respectively

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1135000/1135064.stm

------------------------------

25. Bush confirms 'Star Wars' plan

US President George W Bush has confirmed that he will go ahead with a

controversial missile defence system, despite the concerns of some Nato

allies and the outright opposition of Russia and China.

He also restated his intention to cut back the US nuclear arsenal.

"The president has not been ambivalent about this," the new US Defence

Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, told a Pentagon news conference, referring to

the missile defence system.

"He intends to deploy."

He has concluded that it's not in our country's interest to perpetuate

vulnerability

Donald Rumsfeld

Mr Rumsfeld dismissed suggestions that the national missile defence (NMD) -

nicknamed "Son of Star Wars" - would contravene the 1972 Anti-Ballistic

Missile treaty, which is one of the cornerstones of superpower arms control.

Mr Rumsfeld said the ABM treaty was fashioned a long time ago and the Soviet

Union - which signed it with the United States - no longer existed.

Russian warning

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, had earlier repeated his warning that

the United States should not deploy such a system.

Tests on the system failed last July

Mr Putin said NMD deployment would do "irreparable damage to the

architecture of international relations".

President Bush on Friday reiterated that he would fulfil two campaign

promises: to deploy the NMD and reduce the US nuclear arsenal.

"I think it's important for us, commensurate with our ability to keep the

peace, to reduce our nuclear arsenal on our own, and I'm going to fulfill

that campaign promise," he said.

"We'll see how that affects possible arms talks."

Referring to NMD, he said: "I want America to lead the world toward a more

safe world when it comes to nuclear weaponry.

"On the offensive side we can do so, and we can do so on the defensive side

as well."

Former President Bill Clinton left any decision on NMD deployment to the

next administration, after two out of three tests on the system failed.

Missile cuts

Russia and the United States agreed under the Start II treaty to cut their

nuclear arsenals from more than 6,000 deployed weapons to 3,000 - 3,500 by

2007.

Donald Rumsfeld: Post-Cold War world is "very different"

Mr Putin has warned that Russia will scrap all existing arms control

agreements if Washington reneges on the ABM treaty.

During the US election campaign Mr Bush said the US could cut its nuclear

arsenal beyond the limits set out in existing treaties without harming

national security.

The Bush administration plans to conduct a thorough review of US relations

with Russia.

"Our relationship with Russia is very complex," said White House National

Security Council spokeswoman Mary Ellen Countryman.

"We are going to be doing a comprehensive review, we want to address all

issues."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1139000/1139193.stm

------------------------------

26. Azerbaijan: three dead in avalanche...01-28

Three people have been killed in an avalanche caused by unusually heavy

snowfalls in southern Azerbaijan.

The state emergency commission said all three were residents of a mountain

village in the Astara region.

It said the snow both in Astara and Lenkoran region, near the Iranian

border, had reached a depth of one meter.

Power lines had been destroyed, and roads to the Azeri capital, Baku, were

blocked.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_1139000/1139058.stm

------------------------------

27. India's seismic suffering...01-26

A continental collision is the cause

By BBC News Online science editor Dr David Whitehouse

The earthquake that rocked north-western India is classified as a major

event. Only about 18 quakes of this strength occur each year. It was a rare

large quake in a region that is frequently shaken by smaller ones.

The last comparable quake in the region occurred on 16 June, 1819, killing

2,000 people. That quake was estimated to be about magnitude 7.7 on the

impulse scale, slightly less than the current quake.

Friday's quake occurred at 0316 GMT (0846 local time). Seismometers at the

British Geological Survey's (BGS) headquarters in Edinburgh detected the

passing shock waves from the quake some 10 minutes after it occurred.

Their initial estimates suggest that it was a relatively shallow one that

delivered much destructive energy to the surface.

Slow-motion crush

India is no stranger to earthquakes as it lies next to the region where the

greatest continental collision on Earth is taking place.

The surface of the Earth is divided into seven major moving tectonic plates.

Seismic signals detected by the BGS in the uk

About a hundred million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the continental

masses, the so-called Tethys Sea lay partly between the Indo-Australian and

the Eurasian plate.

But about 60 million years ago, the Indo-Australian plate collided with the

Eurasian plate - and neither would give way.

The collision is a slow-motion one, the closing speed is only 2 cm (1 inch)

a year but the energies are colossal. The interface between the two plates

has crumpled and been pushed upwards forming the Himalayas, the greatest

mountain range on the planet.

The impact continues to this day and the Himalayas are still rising.

Satellite measurements puts their ascent at about 5 millimetres a year.

Although an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 is rare, it is by no means

unprecedented in a region that has been subjected to much seismic suffering.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1138000/1138262.stm

------------------------------

28. Coral shows El Nino's rise...01-25

Coral may explain how El Nino relates to climate warming

By environment correspondent Alex Kirby

Scientists say the El Nino weather phenomenon appears to have reached an

unusual peak over the last century.

The scientists, from the UK and the US, say it has been more intense since

1900 than at any time in the last 130,000 years.

Their research, based on analysis of Pacific coral reefs, also suggests the

phenomenon is weaker during ice ages. It should help to clarify the

relationship of El Nino to climate change.

El Nino occurs when a huge mass of warm water builds up in the western

Pacific and moves eastwards to the normally colder waters off the coast of

South America, with widespread effects on weather in many parts of the

world.

Climatic 'windows'

When it happens, El Nino can have severe and often very damaging effects on

rainfall around the world.

Fire in the Amazon: El Nino's handiwork

The two scientists are Dr Sandy Tudhope, of the University of Edinburgh, UK,

and Professor David Lea, of the University of California, Santa Barbara, US.

Writing in the journal Science, they describe their analysis of coral reef

terraces on the Huon peninsula of New Guinea.

Analysis of isotopic and chemical variations in reef samples dating back

130,000 years yielded 14 different climatic "windows", each spanning 20 to

100 years. By analysing the temperature and salinity of the water, recorded

in the coral, the scientists were able to reconstruct past climate.

They analysed cold periods 40,000 years ago and warm periods 125,000 years

ago to evaluate the behaviour of El Nino during different climatic

conditions. They found that El Nino had been strongest during the warmest

periods, and about 50% weaker during ice ages.

Professor Lea said: "The samples indicated that El Nino was never more

intense than the events of the last hundred years.

"Over the last century, we have very accurate records of El Nino, with

1982-83 and 1997-98 being the largest events on record.

"Everyone wants to know if the intensity of these large events is somehow

related to global warming. Our data suggest that the behaviour of the

tropical Pacific over the last 100 years is atypical, but it does not

pinpoint which factors modulate El Nino."

Patchy record

Professor Lea acknowledged that the 14 climatic windows he and Dr Tudhope

identified are a patchy record of the last 130,000 years, comparing their

evidence with a book with missing pages.

He said: "That's just the way this science works. It's the same for other

fields, like archaeology. You're not likely to get a continuous record."

The coral records past climate data

Dr Mike Hulme is director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research

at the University of East Anglia, UK. He told BBC News Online: "The evidence

from models that climate change alters El Nino remains equivocal.

"But it would be most remarkable if El Nino didn't change its behaviour as

the world warms. I shouldn't like to say we've pinned down how El Nino will

change.

"But this research is especially interesting because of the long timescale.

It's quite provocative evidence that we've seen more extreme El Nino

behaviour this last century.

"And it provides us with a new, rich source of evidence that will help us to

narrow down the hypothesis that El Nino and global warming are linked."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1136000/1136834.stm

------------------------------

29. Meteorite clue to water on Mars...01-24

The surface of Mars shows apparent evidence of water

By BBC News Online science editor Dr David Whitehouse

Scientists have put forward new evidence that running water may have flowed

on Mars in the relatively recent past.

The evidence comes from a study of the Shergotty meteorite, one of only 15

lumps of rock found on Earth which are known to have originated on the Red

Planet.

The analysis suggests that molten rocks from deep within Mars could have

carried substantial amounts of water on to the planet's surface.

Dramatic images of what appear to be water-carved gullies and

water-deposited sediments on Mars have already indicated that the planet

probably had a much warmer and wetter past. Now, the new meteorite study by

Harry McSween, of the University of Tennessee, and co-workers provides a

possible source for all the water.

And since the Shergotty meteorite was blasted off Mars as recently as 175

million years ago, their work implies that this water could have flowed on

Mars in the very recent geological past.

Process of outgassing

There are abundant features on the Martian surface that testify to the vast

amounts of water that must have run across the planet some time in the past.

It is quite possible Mars once had oceans.

The meteorite suggests Mars was wetter

Much of the water on the young Mars is thought to have spewed out as steam

from the planet's hot interior. All sorts of volatile substances dissolved

in magma would have come fizzing out of molten rocks as they hit the reduced

pressure that existed on the planet's surface - water included.

But there is a problem with this theory. Samples of volcanically formed

rocks from Mars show little sign of having solidified from magma that was

once rich in water.

Now, in a series of experiments, McSween's team show that this evidence of a

low-water content in Martian magma may be misleading. They find that the

mineral grains in the interior of the Shergotty meteorite contain a lot of

water-soluble elements compared with those in its outer skin.

Separate journey

The grains from the rock's interior are thought to have come from deep

inside Mars, whereas the water-poor crust of the rock would have come from

nearer the surface.

The team conducted experiments on molten rock to reproduce the conditions

magma would have experiences as it rose towards the Martian surface. From

this, the researchers were able to show that the magma from which the

Shergotty meteorite formed must have begun its ascent containing a lot of

water, about 1.8%. This is much more than had previously been believed.

The researchers think that as various components crystallised out of the

magma during its ascent, the water would have been driven out to make its

way separately to the surface. This is why the Martian surface rocks appear

water-poor.

Because the Shergotty meteorite is 175 million years old, the water that

outgassed from its parent rock must have gushed on to the planet's surface

at that time. This supports the notion that water was running on Mars in the

recent geological past.

The substantial amounts of water released from magmatic outgassing would

have caused surface erosion, also suggesting that many of the fluvial

features we see on the surface of Mars have a much more recent origin than

was once thought.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1135000/1135028.stm

------------------------------

30. Global BSE warning issued...01-26

The U.N. says all countries who imported beef from W. Europe are at risk of

BSE

ROME, Italy -- The United Nations has warned the international community to

act now to reduce the risk of mad cow disease spreading beyond European

Union states.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said any country that

imported cattle, meat or bone meal from Western Europe since the 1980s was

at risk.

In a statement, the FAO urged countries around the world, "to be concerned

about the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its human form,

the new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)."

It added: "All countries which have imported cattle or meat and bone meal

from Western Europe, especially Britain, during and since the 1980s can be

considered at risk from the disease."

The Middle East, Eastern Europe, North Africa and India have the highest

risk among countries outside Western Europe of harbouring mad cow disease,

the FAO experts said.

So far, Switzerland is the only non-EU to report the appearance of BSE.

More than 80 people in Britain and three in France have so far died of vCJD,

while cases of BSE have been reported in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Belgium,

Republic of Ireland and Spain.

The Rome-based organisation, best known for its drive to reduce world

hunger, wants countries with big dairy industries, and which have imported

large quantities of meat and bone meal from countries hit by BSE, to

consider banning the use of it in cattle feed.

"As an immediate measure, countries which have imported animals and MBM from

BSE-infected trading partners should consider a precautionary ban on the

feeding of MBM to ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats) or, to reduce the risk of

infection even further, to all animals," the statement said.

Ahmed Sidahmed, technical adviser with the U.N. International Fund for

Agricultural Development (IFAD) doubts many BSE cases would emerge in

developing states as farmers tended to feed cattle on grass rather than MBM.

"If animals are grazing, I don't think the BSE risk is that high," he said,

but added that the FAO's warning would encourage countries outside the EU to

pursue farming practices in tune with nature to reduce and prevent the risk

of BSE.

Speaking on Thursday, FAO experts encouraged countries to consider testing

older cattle for BSE and banning the use of Specified Risk Materials (SRMs),

such as cattle'e eyes, spinal cords and brain tissue, if they identified BSE

risks.

Under tough new EU rules, all cattle aged over 30 months must be tested for

BSE. The practice has already proved effective in uncovering cases of the

disease.

The EU has imposed a six-month ban on the use of meat and bone meal in

animal feed for until June 30. Many scientists believe the use of it in

cattle feed spreads BSE.

Germany, which has registered 20 cases of mad cow disease since November,

said on Friday it planned to reduce the age limit for BSE tests in cattle to

24 months from 30.

The FAO said it was working with the U.N. World Health Organization to draw

up guidelines for safe feeding of livestock.

http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/france/01/26/bse.un/index.html

------------------------------

31. Senate Hearing Calls for Improved Disaster Preparedness...01-24

Sens. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) kicked off the Senate

Natural Hazards Caucus for the 107th Congress on Monday (Jan. 22), hearing

testimony from government and private-sector witnesses on the importance of

reducing the effects of natural disasters. The caucus, first formed in June

2000, is dedicated to building awareness about disasters and encouraging

disaster mitigation throughout the country.

At Monday's hearing, representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey and the

American Meteorological Society (AMS) testified to the importance of

natural-hazards preparation. Natural disasters are inevitable, said Dr. Bill

Hooke, a senior fellow at AMS, but we should work harder to lessen their

impacts on humans.

Witnesses at the Senate Natural Hazards Caucus hearing, held Jan.22, testify

to the importance of disaster mitigation "Our planet does its business

through extreme events," Hooke said. "We want to learn from experience."

Sens. Edwards and Stevens, co-chairs of the caucus, noted the toll that

natural disasters have taken on their home states. In North Carolina,

Edwards said, more than 400 families are still living in temporary shelters

after Hurricane Floyd destroyed their houses in 1999. And Stevens'

constituents in Alaska struggle with the year-round threat of earthquakes.

"We need to document the costs of disasters in the United States," Stevens

said. He called on the Natural Hazards Caucus Work Group, a group of

representatives from more than 40 corporate and nonprofit organizations, to

compile statistics on natural events that occur repeatedly in the same

place. "How many disaster-affected communities should not have been

rebuilt?" he asked. "Is it more cost-effective to relocate some of these

communities, rather than repair?"

Nearly every corner of the United States has been affected by a natural

disaster — and some areas are hit repeatedly.

Among the goals of this year's Natural Hazards Caucus Work Group are to

encourage Congressional action on the following issues:

Determining the costs of disasters

Demonstrating and documenting the cost-effectiveness of mitigation

Improving emergency response

Improving long-term recovery processes after a disaster

The American Red Cross is an active member of the Natural Hazards Caucus

Work Group. In addition to its role as one of the nation's leading disaster

relief providers, the Red Cross is also involved in disaster mitigation —

educating communities on the best ways to protect their families in the

event of a hurricane, earthquake, tornado or other emergency event.

Sue Richter, Senior Vice President of the American Red Cross, testified at

last year's launch of the Natural Hazards Caucus.

"The American Red Cross has made disaster mitigation a top priority. Our

goal is to build a culture of disaster prevention and preparedness," Richter

said in June. "We've joined forces with local, state and national partners …

to make hazard-loss reduction a national priority and a public value."

Sen. Stevens (R-Alaska), caucus co-chair, listens to testimony on disaster

mitigation. According to a discussion paper prepared for Monday's meeting by

the Natural Hazards Caucus Work Group, the human and financial effects of

disasters are powerful: "The costs of natural disasters are rising in the

United States, despite our unprecedented scientific understanding of the

nature of natural hazards … and an unparalleled ability to forecast and warn

the population." As the U.S. population rises, and the nation's wealth

increases, more and more people are moving into high-risk areas.

"The challenge to the Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus," Work Group

leaders wrote, "is to demonstrate that the intersection of the violent

forces of nature with our prosperous nation should not inevitably result in

more human suffering and higher economic costs."

http://www.disasterrelief.org/Disasters/010123SenateCaucus/

------------------------------

32. Earthquake Shakes Ohio

A minor earthquake shook northern Ohio Thursday (Jan. 25). The magnitude 4.2

quake was centered in Lake Erie about 60 miles north of Cleveland. According

to CNN, the quake destroyed chimneys on some homes, knocked out power in the

city of Ashtabula and caused an underground gas line to burst. No injuries

have been reported.

http://www.disasterrelief.org/Disasters/worldglance.html#1

------------------------------

33. Thousands of Homeless Quake Victims Fill Salvadoran Shelters...01-26

It will take years for El Salvador to recover from the deadly earthquake

that shook the tiny nation on Jan. 13, setting off mudslides that crushed

homes and nearly buried entire towns. More than one-sixth of the country's

population was affected. As relief workers continue to dig through the mud

and rubble, new damage reports emerge almost daily. The official death toll

as of Thursday, Jan. 25, was 726, with hundreds of people still missing.

Nearly 200,000 homes were partially or fully destroyed.

Salvadoran President Francisco Flores told the media this week that he would

devote the remainder of his three and a half years in office to rebuilding

the country.

"There is nothing else I can do," he told CNN.

Relief teams have set up headquarters in San Salvador, but shelters are

located all over the country. About half of the victims died in Las Colinas,

a suburban neighborhood located in Santa Tecla, about 7 miles west of the

capital, San Salvador. The 7.6-magnitude earthquake caused a massive

landslide there, burying hundreds of homes under rock and dirt. More than

500 people remain missing from the community.

Relief teams are working day and night to help the thousands of families now

homeless in El Salvador. In many areas, even those families whose homes are

still intact are afraid to move back in; more than 2,000 aftershocks have

occurred since the Jan. 13 quake, and the frightened residents are worried

that another major quake could hit during the night. Many people are living

in temporary shelters or sleeping outside, on the ground.

El Salvador's Ministry of Health requested that the Salvadoran Red Cross

take over the management of 130 relief shelters, set up across the country

in schools, churches and public buildings. About 50,000 people are housed in

these shelters. The largest shelter is "El Cafetelón," near Las Colinas,

where 5,000 people stayed this week. With so many people eating and sleeping

in such tight conditions, health officials are warning of the high risk of

disease outbreak.

El Cafetalón is one of 130 shelters — more like camps — where homeless quake

victims can go for food, supplies and a place to sleep.

"Those living in precarious conditions — in temporary and makeshift shelters

— are especially vulnerable to outbreaks of dengue fever, malaria and

diarrhoeal diseases," said Dr. Fidel Font Sierra, a senior health officer

for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The Red Cross is setting up mobile community health brigades, which will

travel throughout the country to train residents in prevention and treatment

of communicable diseases.

Clean, drinkable water is one of the most critical relief supplies.

Distribution of food, clean water and relief supplies to shelters and

neighborhoods will be coordinated by a newly formed committee, made up of

representatives from the Ministry of Health, Salvadoran Red Cross,

International Federation and the Pan American Health Organization. In the

days following the disaster, much of the search and relief work was done by

more than 2,000 Salvadoran Red Cross volunteers. Teams of volunteers were

mobilized within minutes to take part in search and rescue, first aid,

emergency food distribution and damage assessment.

The American Red Cross has also assisted in the relief effort, providing

plastic sheeting, blankets, toiletries, diapers and air mattresses. About

271,000 liters of potable water have been delivered to the regions of

Usulutan, La Paz, La Libertad and Sonsonate.

Trained Red Cross mental health counselors are also traveling throughout the

area, working with the many children and adults who lost friends, family

members and homes in the quake.

In addition to an eight-member team from the International Federation,

delegates from 12 Red Cross national societies around the world are also in

El Salvador, helping with the long-term relief effort.

http://www.disasterrelief.org/Disasters/010125salvadorquake6/

------------------------------

34. Soldiers Pull Woman Alive From Indian Quake Rubble...01-28

BHUJ, India (Reuters) - Indian soldiers pulled a woman alive from the rubble

of the quake-devastated town of Bhuj Sunday after being buried for 56 hours.

Kusam D. Soni, in her mid-thirties, had been pinned down by a ceiling fan

until Sikh soldiers combing the rubble in the town, near the epicenter of

the quake, pulled her out from a collapsed eight-story building.

The soldiers used everything from screwdrivers and spanners to get her out,

while her husband, who had held vigil at the site since Friday's quake,

stood by holding a large shawl.

As the soldiers finally eased her out, Soni broke into a big smile.

At least 15,000 people are feared to have died in the quake, which struck

the western state of Gujarat in the worst disaster to hit India in half a

century.

------------------------------

35. World Watch 2001

In 2001, there have been...

-droughts in: Sudan; United States; Namibia, Pakistan; Ethiopia

-flooding in: England; Australia; Mozambique; France; Bloivia; Cambodia;

Kenya.

-extreme cold in: Russia; Mongolia; Unites States; India; Bangladesh.

-extreme heat in: Australia.

-severe storms/ high tides: South Africa; United States; Argentina;

Australia; Cuba; Kenya; Slovakia; Japan; Azerbaijan.

-major earthquakes (6+ mag) in: Philippines(6.6,6.2); Alaska(6.7);

Vanuatu(6.9); El Salvador(7.6); India (7.9).

-volcanic eruptions in: Indonesia, Mexico.

Countries reporting a major natural distaster in 2001: El Salvador; India;

Bolivia; Ethopia; Sudan.

Countries reported to be under threat of food shortages/ famine in 2001:

Sudan; Etiopia; Cambodia.

Countries reporting severe crop damage in 2001: Britian; US; Cuba; Bolivia;

Cambodia.

------------------------------

35. Latest Quakes

Updated as of Sat Jan 27 21:23:12 GMT 2001.

DATE-(UTC)-TIME LAT LON DEP MAG Q COMMENTS

yy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss deg. deg. km

01/01/25 02:51:50 55.65N 156.58W 33.0 4.2Mb B SOUTH OF ALASKA

01/01/25 05:29:39 60.15N 152.33W 74.0 5.1Mb <AEIC> SOUTHERN ALASKA

01/01/25 06:49:13 5.83S 103.82E 33.0 5.5Mb B SOUTHERN SUMATERA,

INDONESIA

01/01/25 10:01:51 85.81N 29.72E 10.0 4.7Mb A NORTH OF SVALBARD

01/01/25 10:28:49 12.67N 88.79W 33.0 5.3Mb B OFF COAST OF CENTRAL

AMERICA

01/01/25 12:18:05 44.56N 129.15W 10.0 3.7Mb B OFF COAST OF OREGON

01/01/26 01:50:29 14.38N 92.02W 33.0 4.7Mb B NEAR COAST OF CHIAPAS,

MEXICO

01/01/26 03:03:19 41.99N 80.83W 5.0 4.2Lg A OHIO

01/01/26 03:16:41 23.40N 70.32E 23.6 7.9Ms B SOUTHERN INDIA

01/01/26 03:33:30 23.16N 69.44E 33.0 5.2Mb C SOUTHERN INDIA

01/01/26 03:59:03 23.27N 70.06E 33.0 5.1Mb C SOUTHERN INDIA

01/01/26 04:23:44 23.20N 70.42E 10.0 5.0Mb C SOUTHERN INDIA

01/01/26 07:32:33 23.43N 70.07E 33.0 5.5Ms B SOUTHERN INDIA

01/01/26 08:42:13 29.33N 129.54E 33.0 4.8Mb B RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

01/01/26 14:19:35 16.11N 97.73W 33.0 5.0Mb A OAXACA, MEXICO

01/01/26 15:59:34 10.71S 161.53E 33.0 5.3Mb B SOLOMON ISLANDS

01/01/27 01:58:15 51.31N 179.66W 33.0 4.4Mb B ANDREANOF ISL, ALEUTIAN IS.

01/01/27 06:32:00 29.53N 130.45E 43.5 5.0Mb A RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

01/01/27 06:55:09 6.36N 73.00W 100.0 4.4Mb B NORTHERN COLOMBIA

01/01/27 09:08:46 53.07N 166.83W 33.0 4.3Mb A FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN

ISLANDS

01/01/27 19:25:22 23.67S 65.91W 204.0 4.8Mb B JUJUY PROVINCE, ARGENTINA

------------------------------

END

Shapeshift to WOVOCA! to view this site's main page