Nasa warns solar flares from 'huge space storm' will cause devastation

Image via Wikipedia

Britain could face widespread power blackouts and be left without critical communication signals for long periods of time, after the earth is hit by a once-in-a-generation “space storm”, Nasa has warned.

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk National power grids could overheat and air travel severely disrupted while electronic items, navigation devices and major satellites could stop working after the Sun reaches its maximum power in a few years. Senior space agency scientists believe the Earth will be hit with unprecedented levels of magnetic energy from solar flares after the Sun wakes “from a deep slumber” sometime around 2013, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. In a new warning, Nasa said the super storm would hit like “a bolt of lightning” and could cause catastrophic consequences for the world’s health, emergency services and national security unless precautions are taken. Scientists believe it could damage everything from emergency services’ systems, hospital equipment, banking systems and air traffic control devices, through to “everyday” items such as home computers, iPods and Sat Navs. Dr Fisher, a Nasa scientist for 20 years, said these two events would combine in 2013 to produce huge levels of radiation.

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Sun is waking up (beliefnet.com)
• NASA Prepares For Emergency - Nasty Space Weather Ahead (econotwist.wordpress.com)
• The Coming Solar Storms of 2012 (lewrockwell.com)
• As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Wary Eye on Space Weather (spacefellowship.com)
• Is the Sun about to destroy every single piece of electronics you own? (crunchgear.com)
• NASA's New Eye on the Sun Delivers Stunning First Images (spacefellowship.com)
• White Light Solar Flares Finally Explained (wired.com)
• Sun's New Active Phase Threatens Important Satellites (shoppingblog.com)
• NASA Takes Best Look at the Sun Ever (space.com)
• Mars Needs Better Space Storm Forecasts (space.com)

Poland's president and wife among at least 88 dead as their plane crashes in Russia

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk Polish president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria have been killed after their plane crashed on approach to Smolensk airport in western Russia. There were conflicting reports today of the number of people on board the flight. Russian news agencies reported at least 88 people died in the crash near Smolensk airport in western Russia, citing the Russian Emergencies Ministry. They reported 132 people were aboard the Tupolev Tu-154. According to reports, the pilot accelerated as the plane came in to land and at that point lost contact with air traffic control. Shock: Within hours of the tragic news breaking, thousands of Poles took to the streets to mark the passing of their president Tributes: Thousands of Poles flooded the streets around Warsaw's presidential palace on haring news of the plane crash which killed Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria

Related articles by Zemanta

• Polish President's Plane Crashes in Russia; 87 Dead (nytimes.com)
• Polish president 'in plane crash' (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Polish president, top officials killed in plane crash (nationalpost.com)
• Breaking: Polish president's plane crashes during landing (americablog.com)
• Polish president among 132 dead in jet crash (msnbc.msn.com)

Haiti Earthquake: Help Is Delayed by Access - WSJ.com

Image via Wikipedia

• Haiti Earthquake: Help Is Delayed by Access - WSJ.com

  "A seriously damaged national port. An already swamped airport. Hospitals in shambles. A homeless president. No fuel. A capital city without phone service or electricity. As military and rescue teams began to stream in Thursday from the U.S. and other countries, veterans of past disasters say the grim realities of the Haiti earthquake set it apart from many other calamities, including the 2004 tsunami that devastated communities around the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated quarter million people. "There are a lot of dimensions that make this an especially complicated situation," said Steve Hollingworth, chief operating officer at the Atlanta-based relief group CARE. Haiti's almost nonexistent government and its battered infrastructure are among the top challenges that will plague relief efforts in coming days and weeks, aid veterans say. Also high on their lists: the country's extreme poverty and history of violence. "When a country's capital city is decimated, you lose a lot in terms of staging and organization," said Randy Martin, head of global emergency operations at Mercy Corps International. Little organization and crumbling infrastructure has stalled relief efforts in Haiti, where time is running out for possible survivors in the rubble. Military and aid groups began to encounter huge obstacles getting relief into the country, less than two days after the earthquake killed an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people. U.S. military specialists reestablished communications at the Port-au-Prince airport, but a lack of fuel and a crammed tarmac prompted the Haitian government to halt incoming flights. While one airport runway was usable, air-traffic control was limited, able to handle only four aircraft at a time, logistics companies said. "

  tags: earthquake, US, Government, Haiti, Rescue, Airports

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Remarks: Hillary Clinton on Haiti January 13, 2010 - The Page by Mark Halperin - TIME.com (thepage.time.com)
• Haiti missing-persons site gets quick response (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Bill Clinton: What Haiti Needs (time.com)
• The Stock Market Rises After Haiti Earthquake (trueslant.com)