By Sharon Meyer
Facebook has become a huge outlet for environmentalist groups like the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, which is reaching out to by status updating about an important public hearing.
Such a status update looks something like this:
New Jersey Highlands Coalition The DEP is taking testimony on PSE&G's applications for a Flood Hazard Area and an Individual Freshwater Wetlands permit.
Both permits can be viewed at http://www.pseg.com/companies/pseandg/powerline/updatesreports.jsp
Please come out and support us in the fight against the lines!
DEP Public Hearing on PSE&G Susquehanna-Roseland Transmission Line
Time:6:00PM Wednesday, April 28th
Location:BERKSHIRE VALLEY GOLF COURSE
With over 350 million people that are members of Facebook, according to answers.com, this means of medium had extended the coalitions reach for support nation wide.
There is a public meeting on April 28th at 6 pm on Wednesday about the Susquenhanna-Roseland Transmission line. PSE&G SAYS, “need to construct the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line, which is required to prevent the possibility of brownouts and blackouts and maintain the reliability of the power grid,” according to a PSE&G’s press release.
The NJ Highlands Coalition is asking for people to come out that day and voice their opinions on why the 16 townships PSE&G is planing to build the power line over should be spared for environmental reasons.
These are what public hearings are for, so that the residents of the township can ask questions and voice opinions on those concerns. Underneath a similar post about PSE&G’s Susquenhanna-Roseland transmission line some people did just that and voiced how they felt about the project under the comment section of the post. For example:
Salvatore Vaspol We should get them to put a wind turbine on top of every new tower!
March 17 at 11:05am
Roseann Procopio look out planes & birds....
Not only has the NJ Highlands Coalition taken advantage of such a smart medium, but Facebook appeal to people of all ages. It is perfect way to get the younger generations involved with environmental issues. The younger they get involve the better chance these environmental groups have of sustaining themselves in the future.
Getting the people to come out to the public hearings is the biggest challenge for environmentalists. The more the public voices their opinions on the issue, the greater chance that they will actually be heard.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Jersey-Highlands-Coalition/184738679280
Thursday, April 1, 2010
DuPont/Pompton Lakes Controversy: The Cancer Cluster
By Stephanie Noda
DuPont, one of America’s largest chemical companies, proclaims itself to be a leader in “the miracles of science.” Although they may try to make the world a better place with their research, they are actually causing harm to the very ones they want to help. The pollution from their factories is not only causing major harm to the environment, but causing dangerous health effect to the people living in the surroundings areas.
The most prominent example of DuPont’s effect on people, and the environment as a whole, is the pollution of the town of Pompton Lakes in Passaic County, New Jersey. According to an article in The Record called “Pompton Lakes residents begin suing DuPont over pollution” by James M. O’Neill and Elaine D’Aurizio, DuPont operated their factory in Pompton Lakes from 1902 until 1994. O’Neil and D’Aurizio go on to say that during the 1980s, there was determined to be groundwater contamination under the town. This factory produced explosives, which caused “elevated levels of chemicals or ‘intrusive vapors’ in the groundwater under as many as 400 buildings in the plume,” according to an article by Elaine D’Aurizio. The groundwater was “contaminated with several solvents used to degrease machinery, including PCE and TCE.”
One of the major health hazards associated with the chemical contamination of groundwater is the risk of cancer. In March 2009, according to another article by D’Aurizio, Mayor Katie Cole put in a request to see if citizens that live near the groundwater pollution in the northeastern part of the town had high cancer cluster. The study would include about 427 homes, but would also specifically research the citizens of two streets: Barbara Drive and Orchard Street. The residents who live on these streets have come to Cole at numerous meetings saying that they were experiencing many cases of cancer.
DuPont has announced that it will install vapor mitigation systems, which would involve a basement venting system that would be put in the affected homes. In addition to the venting system, O’Neil and D’Aurizio reports that DuPont removed soil from “dozens of homes bordering Acid Brook, a waterway that runs through DuPont’s site and into the adjoining neighborhood.” Along the backyard of this brook, toxic substances such as mercury and lead were discovered, which could potentially have led to these health effects.
Although DuPont had made these efforts to clean up the toxic waste from their former explosive factory, the damage is already done. Filtering the houses now will not cause the cancer to go away; these families must forever deal with the issues involved with cancer treatments. The citizens of this area had sued DuPont over the damage they had done to all of their lives. In 1997, “DuPont offered a $38.5-million settlement to hundreds of residents who claimed in a 1993 complaint that their health had been jeopardized by the surface contamination. Most settled for $70,000 to $80,000,” said reporters O’Neil and D’Aurizio. The biggest settlement was $271,000 for a child that was suffering from lead poisoning. The monetary compensation, however, will not be able to help the mental distress the citizens of Pompton Lakes were forced to live through.
DuPont, one of America’s largest chemical companies, proclaims itself to be a leader in “the miracles of science.” Although they may try to make the world a better place with their research, they are actually causing harm to the very ones they want to help. The pollution from their factories is not only causing major harm to the environment, but causing dangerous health effect to the people living in the surroundings areas.
The most prominent example of DuPont’s effect on people, and the environment as a whole, is the pollution of the town of Pompton Lakes in Passaic County, New Jersey. According to an article in The Record called “Pompton Lakes residents begin suing DuPont over pollution” by James M. O’Neill and Elaine D’Aurizio, DuPont operated their factory in Pompton Lakes from 1902 until 1994. O’Neil and D’Aurizio go on to say that during the 1980s, there was determined to be groundwater contamination under the town. This factory produced explosives, which caused “elevated levels of chemicals or ‘intrusive vapors’ in the groundwater under as many as 400 buildings in the plume,” according to an article by Elaine D’Aurizio. The groundwater was “contaminated with several solvents used to degrease machinery, including PCE and TCE.”
One of the major health hazards associated with the chemical contamination of groundwater is the risk of cancer. In March 2009, according to another article by D’Aurizio, Mayor Katie Cole put in a request to see if citizens that live near the groundwater pollution in the northeastern part of the town had high cancer cluster. The study would include about 427 homes, but would also specifically research the citizens of two streets: Barbara Drive and Orchard Street. The residents who live on these streets have come to Cole at numerous meetings saying that they were experiencing many cases of cancer.
DuPont has announced that it will install vapor mitigation systems, which would involve a basement venting system that would be put in the affected homes. In addition to the venting system, O’Neil and D’Aurizio reports that DuPont removed soil from “dozens of homes bordering Acid Brook, a waterway that runs through DuPont’s site and into the adjoining neighborhood.” Along the backyard of this brook, toxic substances such as mercury and lead were discovered, which could potentially have led to these health effects.
Although DuPont had made these efforts to clean up the toxic waste from their former explosive factory, the damage is already done. Filtering the houses now will not cause the cancer to go away; these families must forever deal with the issues involved with cancer treatments. The citizens of this area had sued DuPont over the damage they had done to all of their lives. In 1997, “DuPont offered a $38.5-million settlement to hundreds of residents who claimed in a 1993 complaint that their health had been jeopardized by the surface contamination. Most settled for $70,000 to $80,000,” said reporters O’Neil and D’Aurizio. The biggest settlement was $271,000 for a child that was suffering from lead poisoning. The monetary compensation, however, will not be able to help the mental distress the citizens of Pompton Lakes were forced to live through.
Ramapo River: The Pompton Dam Situation
By Stephanie Noda
The Ramapo River has had its share of flooding issues in the past. According to a press release from Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, the towns of Pompton Lakes, Wayne, and Oakland had the possibility of being flooded in the spring of 2006, since this has occurred in past years. If this flooding was left unchecked, it had the possibility of destroying homes and killing citizens. Bill Pascrell, a local congressman on the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, issued a press release that stated the cause of this flooding was created by “insufficient channel capacity, the backwater effect produced by the Pompton Dam and hydraulic constrictions produced by bridges that cross the water.” The press release goes on to say that this catastrophe could be averted if a flood protection program that is helping the Ramapo River receives $2.5 million. Senator Lautenberg and Senator Robert Menendez cited the Oakland flood plain that needed to be addressed. This flood control plan would include two contracts, according to Lautenberg’s press release: “(1) a channel modification of 5,800 feet of the Ramapo River and (2) the installation of flood control gates at the existing Pompton Lakes Dam.”
Lautenberg and Menendez’s fears of a flood that could harm their citizens were not unfounded; they sent a letter to the Senate Committee Chairman Domenici and Ranking Member Reid, to address the concerns of the Ramapo River. The main issues that these officials were worried about was the lack of a dam modification. In March 2006, the Pompton Lakes Dam flood control gates was not complete; although the “channel modification contract” has been completed, the installation of the flood gates was to be finished in August. However, according to Lautenberg and Menendez’s letter, “completing the existing contract on the Pompton Lakes Dam in FY06 will require an estimated $3.8 million, but only $1.3 million was provided to the Ramapo River at Oakland flood control project in the 2006 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act (P.L. 109-103).” The officials go on to add that an additional $2.5 million would be required to “complete the Pompton Lakes contract and to prevent shutdown or termination of the contract.”
The officials believe that created flood control gates at the Pompton Lakes Dam on the Ramapo River is the best way to solve the flooding problem in the area. This concern is probably fueled by the tragic Hurricane Katrina event in New Orleans in 2005; floodwaters from the storm destroyed the city due to the failures of the levee system. Lautenberg and Menendez’s goal in sending the Senate a letter was to prevent that sort of disaster in New Jersey.
“The Katrina disaster showed us first-hand the tragedy that can occur with dilapidated dams and floodgates,” stated Lautenberg and Menendez.
The Ramapo River has had its share of flooding issues in the past. According to a press release from Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, the towns of Pompton Lakes, Wayne, and Oakland had the possibility of being flooded in the spring of 2006, since this has occurred in past years. If this flooding was left unchecked, it had the possibility of destroying homes and killing citizens. Bill Pascrell, a local congressman on the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, issued a press release that stated the cause of this flooding was created by “insufficient channel capacity, the backwater effect produced by the Pompton Dam and hydraulic constrictions produced by bridges that cross the water.” The press release goes on to say that this catastrophe could be averted if a flood protection program that is helping the Ramapo River receives $2.5 million. Senator Lautenberg and Senator Robert Menendez cited the Oakland flood plain that needed to be addressed. This flood control plan would include two contracts, according to Lautenberg’s press release: “(1) a channel modification of 5,800 feet of the Ramapo River and (2) the installation of flood control gates at the existing Pompton Lakes Dam.”
Lautenberg and Menendez’s fears of a flood that could harm their citizens were not unfounded; they sent a letter to the Senate Committee Chairman Domenici and Ranking Member Reid, to address the concerns of the Ramapo River. The main issues that these officials were worried about was the lack of a dam modification. In March 2006, the Pompton Lakes Dam flood control gates was not complete; although the “channel modification contract” has been completed, the installation of the flood gates was to be finished in August. However, according to Lautenberg and Menendez’s letter, “completing the existing contract on the Pompton Lakes Dam in FY06 will require an estimated $3.8 million, but only $1.3 million was provided to the Ramapo River at Oakland flood control project in the 2006 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act (P.L. 109-103).” The officials go on to add that an additional $2.5 million would be required to “complete the Pompton Lakes contract and to prevent shutdown or termination of the contract.”
The officials believe that created flood control gates at the Pompton Lakes Dam on the Ramapo River is the best way to solve the flooding problem in the area. This concern is probably fueled by the tragic Hurricane Katrina event in New Orleans in 2005; floodwaters from the storm destroyed the city due to the failures of the levee system. Lautenberg and Menendez’s goal in sending the Senate a letter was to prevent that sort of disaster in New Jersey.
“The Katrina disaster showed us first-hand the tragedy that can occur with dilapidated dams and floodgates,” stated Lautenberg and Menendez.
Agent Orange: Veterans Fight for Their Rights
By Stephanie Noda
Vietnam veterans have had many problems to struggle through, such as the injuries they sustained during their time in service and the mental trauma of being in a war. However, these worries are not the only problems that the veterans must face; they have become subject to medical problems due to exposure to the chemical “Agent Orange.” Agent Orange is not the real name for the chemical; it received this nickname due to the orange band that was placed around the barrels it was stored, according to the Lewis Publishing House. Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used primarily throughout the Vietnam War. Although there were other herbicides used that were given similar color code names (“Agent Purple,” “Agent Pink,” etc.), Agent Orange is the most well known of these chemicals due to the health effects they cause that were later brought to light. These health effects were caused by an element called dioxin. Dioxin has been known to cause cancer, as well as skin disorders: “there were skin and liver diseases and what seemed to be an abnormal number of cancers to soft tissue organs such as the lungs and stomach,” according to the article “The Story of Agent Orange” by the U.S. Veteran Dispatch.
Agent Orange was used primarily throughout 1962 to 1971, in a period known as “Operation Ranch Hand”; during this operation, the “US military forces sprayed nearly 19 million gallons of herbicide on about 3.6 million acres of land in Vietnam and Laos to remove forest cover, destroy crops, and clear vegetation from the perimeters of US bases,” according to author Howard Frumkin in his article “Agent Orange and Cancer: An Overview for Clinicians” from the Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The reasoning behind this operation was to “deny an enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain by defoliating trees and shrubbery where the enemy could hide,” noted Lewis Publishing House. However, this chemical did more than just cause plants to die; it affected the health of the men spraying Agent Orange as well. The number of people that could have been exposed to Agent Orange is hard to predict, since people that weren’t actually spraying the chemical could have come into contact with it. Although people sprayed Agent Orange from boats, trucks, and backpack sprayers, airplanes and helicopters were also used to spread the chemical; since the chemical was coming from the air above them, any soldier that was in that area could possibly be affected, even if they had never worked with spraying Agent Orange themselves, noted the U.S. Veteran Dispatch.
Many veterans have felt ignored in their attempts to get compensation for the health issues they have received from serving in Vietnam and getting exposed to Agent Orange. One example of this is a case from August 2, 1990: “two veteran's groups filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., charging that federal scientists canceled an Agent Orange study mandated by Congress in 1979 because of pressure from the White House,” reported the U.S. Veteran Dispatch. Another case involved a $43 million study in Atlanta that was canceled since the researchers claimed there was no way of knowing which veterans were exposed to Agent Orange, added the U.S. Veteran Dispatch.
Even as recently as March 2, 2010, veteran groups were still fighting for compensation for Agent Orange related issues. According to Kelly Kennedy’s article “VA delay may stall benefits for Vietnam vets” in the NavyTimes, three veterans groups have “threatened the Veterans Affairs Department with a lawsuit if VA does not publish regulations by March 12 about three Agent Orange-related diseases that the Institute of Medicine has deemed should be presumed connected to military service.” The Institute of Medicine, otherwise known as IoM, has found in its latest review that “ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-cell leukemias all could be linked to Agent Orange exposure.” However, the United States Department of Veteran Affairs has not given veterans the benefits associated with these findings; even though the Agent Orange Act of 1991 is required to publish a regulation regarding the benefits within 210 days of the research findings, this deadline has passed on Feb 19. These veterans now have to fight for what should have been legally theirs.
Vietnam veterans had to deal with many problems after returning home from war. Having health concerns that are not being addressed by the government should not be one of these worries. The government needs to realize that there are many Americans suffering due to the flagrant misuse of unsafe chemicals and should take steps to make sure that these Americans are compensated for these unfortunate diseases.
Vietnam veterans have had many problems to struggle through, such as the injuries they sustained during their time in service and the mental trauma of being in a war. However, these worries are not the only problems that the veterans must face; they have become subject to medical problems due to exposure to the chemical “Agent Orange.” Agent Orange is not the real name for the chemical; it received this nickname due to the orange band that was placed around the barrels it was stored, according to the Lewis Publishing House. Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used primarily throughout the Vietnam War. Although there were other herbicides used that were given similar color code names (“Agent Purple,” “Agent Pink,” etc.), Agent Orange is the most well known of these chemicals due to the health effects they cause that were later brought to light. These health effects were caused by an element called dioxin. Dioxin has been known to cause cancer, as well as skin disorders: “there were skin and liver diseases and what seemed to be an abnormal number of cancers to soft tissue organs such as the lungs and stomach,” according to the article “The Story of Agent Orange” by the U.S. Veteran Dispatch.
Agent Orange was used primarily throughout 1962 to 1971, in a period known as “Operation Ranch Hand”; during this operation, the “US military forces sprayed nearly 19 million gallons of herbicide on about 3.6 million acres of land in Vietnam and Laos to remove forest cover, destroy crops, and clear vegetation from the perimeters of US bases,” according to author Howard Frumkin in his article “Agent Orange and Cancer: An Overview for Clinicians” from the Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The reasoning behind this operation was to “deny an enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain by defoliating trees and shrubbery where the enemy could hide,” noted Lewis Publishing House. However, this chemical did more than just cause plants to die; it affected the health of the men spraying Agent Orange as well. The number of people that could have been exposed to Agent Orange is hard to predict, since people that weren’t actually spraying the chemical could have come into contact with it. Although people sprayed Agent Orange from boats, trucks, and backpack sprayers, airplanes and helicopters were also used to spread the chemical; since the chemical was coming from the air above them, any soldier that was in that area could possibly be affected, even if they had never worked with spraying Agent Orange themselves, noted the U.S. Veteran Dispatch.
Many veterans have felt ignored in their attempts to get compensation for the health issues they have received from serving in Vietnam and getting exposed to Agent Orange. One example of this is a case from August 2, 1990: “two veteran's groups filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., charging that federal scientists canceled an Agent Orange study mandated by Congress in 1979 because of pressure from the White House,” reported the U.S. Veteran Dispatch. Another case involved a $43 million study in Atlanta that was canceled since the researchers claimed there was no way of knowing which veterans were exposed to Agent Orange, added the U.S. Veteran Dispatch.
Even as recently as March 2, 2010, veteran groups were still fighting for compensation for Agent Orange related issues. According to Kelly Kennedy’s article “VA delay may stall benefits for Vietnam vets” in the NavyTimes, three veterans groups have “threatened the Veterans Affairs Department with a lawsuit if VA does not publish regulations by March 12 about three Agent Orange-related diseases that the Institute of Medicine has deemed should be presumed connected to military service.” The Institute of Medicine, otherwise known as IoM, has found in its latest review that “ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-cell leukemias all could be linked to Agent Orange exposure.” However, the United States Department of Veteran Affairs has not given veterans the benefits associated with these findings; even though the Agent Orange Act of 1991 is required to publish a regulation regarding the benefits within 210 days of the research findings, this deadline has passed on Feb 19. These veterans now have to fight for what should have been legally theirs.
Vietnam veterans had to deal with many problems after returning home from war. Having health concerns that are not being addressed by the government should not be one of these worries. The government needs to realize that there are many Americans suffering due to the flagrant misuse of unsafe chemicals and should take steps to make sure that these Americans are compensated for these unfortunate diseases.
Global Warming for Dummies
By Ashleigh Schuddekopf
What is Global Warming?
Growing up I felt the phrase "Global Warming" was, and still is thrown around a lot. Within the passed decade, it has seeminling increased in popularity and has become a major concern to our Earth. In this blog, I would like to basically explain exactly what Global Warming is and clear up any misconceptions it has.
Global Warming is the increase of the Earth's average surface tempature. It began rising more rapidly from the start of the 20th centrury. What causes Global Warming is the greenhouse gases, which are caused by human activity such as fossil fuel and deforestation.
One misconception about Globel Warming is that we are going to burn a huge whole in the Earth and our lives are over. That is not true. Global Warming will effect not just climate change, but simple events in our Earth's paterns. Such as, it may change the frequency and intensity of precipitation.
Larger effects include melting ice and glaciers, however--do not be scared-- this happens over the course of many many years and will not harm us tomorrow.
That is why it is never too late to do your part. The first step is to gain informnation on the topic at hand. Learn what it is thats going on and how you can prevent this from harming our future.
Here are some tips that you can use in your daily life without going out of your way:
-Recycle
-Eat vegitarian or vegan foods
-Be sparing with water/use wisley
-Buy local produce
-Unplug unused electronics
-Ride a bike or use public transportation
-Use Refills
-Use reusable bags when shopping
Hope these helped!! Remember, Global Warming isnt just a phrase we dont understand much about-- its real. So please do your part and keep our Earth green :)
What is Global Warming?
Growing up I felt the phrase "Global Warming" was, and still is thrown around a lot. Within the passed decade, it has seeminling increased in popularity and has become a major concern to our Earth. In this blog, I would like to basically explain exactly what Global Warming is and clear up any misconceptions it has.
Global Warming is the increase of the Earth's average surface tempature. It began rising more rapidly from the start of the 20th centrury. What causes Global Warming is the greenhouse gases, which are caused by human activity such as fossil fuel and deforestation.
One misconception about Globel Warming is that we are going to burn a huge whole in the Earth and our lives are over. That is not true. Global Warming will effect not just climate change, but simple events in our Earth's paterns. Such as, it may change the frequency and intensity of precipitation.
Larger effects include melting ice and glaciers, however--do not be scared-- this happens over the course of many many years and will not harm us tomorrow.
That is why it is never too late to do your part. The first step is to gain informnation on the topic at hand. Learn what it is thats going on and how you can prevent this from harming our future.
Here are some tips that you can use in your daily life without going out of your way:
-Recycle
-Eat vegitarian or vegan foods
-Be sparing with water/use wisley
-Buy local produce
-Unplug unused electronics
-Ride a bike or use public transportation
-Use Refills
-Use reusable bags when shopping
Hope these helped!! Remember, Global Warming isnt just a phrase we dont understand much about-- its real. So please do your part and keep our Earth green :)
Bottled Water: Blue but Never Green
By Ashleigh Schuddekopf
Tap water has a bad reputation for no reason. People make assumptions claiming how horrible it is, containing lead, mercury, germs, etc. But--this is not true. Tap water will not harm us. In fact, it is very good (especially NYC's). But, over the past decade the popularity of bottled water has risen by 33 billion liters (30 gallons a person) in America [alone]. It even outsells milk and beer.
Producing bottled water is more harmful in the long run. This is why:
Two environmental scientists from the Pacific Institute ( a non-profit), Peter Gleick and Heather Cooley tested out exactly how much energy it takes to bring bottled water into your home. They took into consideration the following: making the plastic bottle, processing the water, making the label, filling and sealing the bottle, transporting the bottle to stores, and cooling it. This procedure requires 32 to 54 million barrels of oil, and that's just America. Outside the states it is three times the amount. That's an absurd amount of oil. One barrel is 158.987295 liters. That’s 80 2-liter sodas in one barrels. Starting to change your mind yet?
Producing and importing bottled water costs 1,100 to 2,000 times more energy than delivering the same amount of tap water. So, before you think about picking up a $1 bottle of Poland springs, just remember all the oil in that pretty creek in the picture on the label. Or, think about if that bottle's contents were water and oil what it would look like.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a thermos that works for hot and cold liquids and reuse it. You'll be saving your own money and being environmental friendly :)
Tap water has a bad reputation for no reason. People make assumptions claiming how horrible it is, containing lead, mercury, germs, etc. But--this is not true. Tap water will not harm us. In fact, it is very good (especially NYC's). But, over the past decade the popularity of bottled water has risen by 33 billion liters (30 gallons a person) in America [alone]. It even outsells milk and beer.
Producing bottled water is more harmful in the long run. This is why:
Two environmental scientists from the Pacific Institute ( a non-profit), Peter Gleick and Heather Cooley tested out exactly how much energy it takes to bring bottled water into your home. They took into consideration the following: making the plastic bottle, processing the water, making the label, filling and sealing the bottle, transporting the bottle to stores, and cooling it. This procedure requires 32 to 54 million barrels of oil, and that's just America. Outside the states it is three times the amount. That's an absurd amount of oil. One barrel is 158.987295 liters. That’s 80 2-liter sodas in one barrels. Starting to change your mind yet?
Producing and importing bottled water costs 1,100 to 2,000 times more energy than delivering the same amount of tap water. So, before you think about picking up a $1 bottle of Poland springs, just remember all the oil in that pretty creek in the picture on the label. Or, think about if that bottle's contents were water and oil what it would look like.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a thermos that works for hot and cold liquids and reuse it. You'll be saving your own money and being environmental friendly :)
Land of Fire and Ice Erupts Again
By Tara Lafemina
For the first time in 200 years, southern Iceland had to evacuate due to a volcano. The eruption has brought about concerns that an even more dangerous volcano may erupt in the future, according to The New York Times.
The Eyjafjallajokull (AYA-feeyapla-yurkel) volcano erupted March 20th at approximately 8 p.m. It put on a show of ash and molten shooting into the air. Scientist called the volcano safe due to the eruption happening on a slope instead of the summit.
There is no apparent danger of a nearby glacier being affected. After an aerial survey, scientists concluded the eruption hit an area of the glacier that was not icy.
Even with danger unexpected, nearby towns evacuated.
450 residents of nearby fishing and farming towns were told by officials to quickly leave the area. Officials issued a state of emergency.
Evacuation centers were set up in southern town such as Hella. Most people were able to return home in less than 24 hours. Livestock were the most affected due to the release of caustic gases.
The people that live 100 miles south of the capitol, Reykjavik, do not know what to expect next. An estimate of when a volcano will erupt is hard to predict.
''It could stop tomorrow, it could last for weeks or months. We cannot say at this stage,'' said Tumi Gudmundsson, a geologist at the University of Iceland.
Icelandic scientists have been measuring the volcano activity with seismometers and global positioning instruments. There have been thousands of small earthquakes in the past month, but the Eyjafjallajokull eruption went by unnoticed.
''The volcano has been inflating since the beginning of the year, both rising and swelling,'' said Pall Einarsson, a geophysicist at the University of Iceland's Institute of Earth Science. ''Even though we were seeing increased seismic activity, it could have been months or years before we saw an eruption like this ... we couldn't say that there was an imminent risk for the area.''
The Karla volcano is the next concern for Iceland. With its close proximity to Eyjafjallajokull and being under a large ice cap it could prove hazardous. If the Karla volcano erupts there will be massive flooding and explosives.
Volcanoes are not uncommon in Iceland. It is situated on a large volcanic hotspot. The volcanos are a result of magma pushing itself from the sea and shifts in Earth’s plates.
More information can be found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/21/world/AP-EU-Iceland-Volcano.html?_r=1&scp=8&sq=iceland&st=cse
For the first time in 200 years, southern Iceland had to evacuate due to a volcano. The eruption has brought about concerns that an even more dangerous volcano may erupt in the future, according to The New York Times.
The Eyjafjallajokull (AYA-feeyapla-yurkel) volcano erupted March 20th at approximately 8 p.m. It put on a show of ash and molten shooting into the air. Scientist called the volcano safe due to the eruption happening on a slope instead of the summit.
There is no apparent danger of a nearby glacier being affected. After an aerial survey, scientists concluded the eruption hit an area of the glacier that was not icy.
Even with danger unexpected, nearby towns evacuated.
450 residents of nearby fishing and farming towns were told by officials to quickly leave the area. Officials issued a state of emergency.
Evacuation centers were set up in southern town such as Hella. Most people were able to return home in less than 24 hours. Livestock were the most affected due to the release of caustic gases.
The people that live 100 miles south of the capitol, Reykjavik, do not know what to expect next. An estimate of when a volcano will erupt is hard to predict.
''It could stop tomorrow, it could last for weeks or months. We cannot say at this stage,'' said Tumi Gudmundsson, a geologist at the University of Iceland.
Icelandic scientists have been measuring the volcano activity with seismometers and global positioning instruments. There have been thousands of small earthquakes in the past month, but the Eyjafjallajokull eruption went by unnoticed.
''The volcano has been inflating since the beginning of the year, both rising and swelling,'' said Pall Einarsson, a geophysicist at the University of Iceland's Institute of Earth Science. ''Even though we were seeing increased seismic activity, it could have been months or years before we saw an eruption like this ... we couldn't say that there was an imminent risk for the area.''
The Karla volcano is the next concern for Iceland. With its close proximity to Eyjafjallajokull and being under a large ice cap it could prove hazardous. If the Karla volcano erupts there will be massive flooding and explosives.
Volcanoes are not uncommon in Iceland. It is situated on a large volcanic hotspot. The volcanos are a result of magma pushing itself from the sea and shifts in Earth’s plates.
More information can be found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/21/world/AP-EU-Iceland-Volcano.html?_r=1&scp=8&sq=iceland&st=cse
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)