Marian's Blog

Hurricane Katrina - Does Bush hear a Global warming wake-up call??

What if the current human and environmental tragedy on the Gulf Coast could be traced to effects of global warming? On one hand we have a no-book-readin' presidential jock - George Bush - now 'benevolently' promising to dole out "assets and resources" in the wake of a Category 4/5 hurricane. This is the same guy who for years has stonewalled repeated international requests for our country to sign a treaty to combat global warming. I have a feeling we are plumbing amazing new depths of cynicism. What do most of us know of scientific research on hurricanes, typhoons and global warming cited on this site from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Research Laboratory (which is part of NOAA - the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)? Why is NOAA part of the U.S. Commerce Department, anyway? The website states: "The strongest hurricanes in the present climate may be upstaged by even more intense hurricanes over the next century as the earth's climate is warmed by increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Although we cannot say at present whether more or fewer hurricanes will occur in the future with global warming, the hurricanes that do occur near the end of the 21st century are expected to be stronger and have significantly more intense rainfall than under present day climate conditions. This expectation is based on an anticipated enhancement of energy available to the storms due to higher tropical sea surface temperatures. ..." Hurricane Katrina pushes oil past an unbelievable $70 a barrel and cuts off oil supplies from the Gulf Coast, yet some of us like mindless sheep are out shopping for a huge, over-priced, gas-guzzling SUV ("truck") that in turn adds to the greenhouse gas burden on the entire planet, which is then going to spawn more intense, more devastating storms.

Europe's Nuclear & Toxic Waste Scandal in Somalia: Radiation Threatens East & Horn of Africa

The same Times of London article on the deadly man-made wastes now unleashed in Somalia was filed from Johannesburg, South Africa by Jonathan Clayton. All or virtually all these nuclear and other poisonous wastes were shipped into Somalia from Europe. At $8.00 a ton (eight bucks) European companies illegally dumped lethal, poisonous and radioactive wastes that would've cost as much as $1,000 a ton (a thousand dollars per ton) to dispose of in the white, northern world. Much of this story traces back to a Somali "leader" named Ali Mahdi - also as Ali Mahdi Mohamed -  who in the early 1990s "controlled north Mogadishu and worked closely with the UN..." The Times article claims that this Ali Mahdi has always refused to discuss his role in dumping nuclear and toxic waste in Somalia for profit. Just as importantly -- where is Ali Mahdi now, and - since authorities already know about this scandal - why isn't he in jail? But also, a report by Italy's parliament has already confirmed many of the dumping allegations. Quoting from the Times: "Initial reports indicate that the tsunami waves broke open containers full of toxic waste and scattered the contents. We are talking about everything from medical waste to chemical waste products,” Nick Nuttal, the Unep spokesman, told The Times. “We know this material is on the land and is now being blown around and possibly carried to villages. What we do not know is the full extent of the problem.” "Mr Nuttall said... a UN assessment mission ... recently returned from [Somalia] which has had no government since 1991, reported that several Somalis in the northern areas were ill with diseases consistent with radiation sickness. “We need more information. We need to find out what has been going on there, but there is real cause for concern,” he added. “We now need to urgently send in a multi-agency expert mission, led by Unep, for a full investigation.” "An initial UN report says that many people in the areas around the northeastern towns of Hobbio and Benadir, on the Indian Ocean coast, are suffering from far higher than normal cases of respiratory infections, mouth ulcers and bleeding, abdominal haemorrhages and unusual skin infections. “The current situation along the Somali coastline poses a very serious environmental hazard not only in Somalia but also in the eastern Africa sub-region...” "Local warlords, many of them former ministers in Siad Barre’s last government, received large payments from Swiss and Italian firms for access to their respective fiefdoms. "Most of the waste was simply dumped on remote beaches in containers and leaking disposable barrels. "Somali sources ... say ... the dumped materials included radioactive uranium, lead, cadmium, mercury and industrial, hospital, chemical and various other toxic wastes. In 1992, Unep said that European firms were involved in the trade, but because of the high level of insecurity in the country there were never any accurate assessments of the extent of the problem. "In 1997 and 1998, the [excellent] Italian newspaper Famiglia Cristiana, which jointly investigated the allegations with the Italian branch of Greenpeace, published a series of articles detailing the extent of illegal dumping by a Swiss firm, Achair Partners, and an Italian waste broker, Progresso. "The European Green Party followed up the revelations by presenting to the press and the European Parliament in Strasbourg copies of contracts signed by the two companies and representatives of the then “President” — Ali Mahdi Mohamed — to accept 10 million tonnes of toxic waste in exchange for $80 million (then about £60 million). ..."

Nuclear & Toxic Waste: Tsunami Uncovers Poisons Dumped Off Somali Coast

Reported in the Times of London - "Somalia's secret dumps of toxic waste washed ashore by tsunami." And all along virtually everyone's been ignoring tsunami effects in the Horn of Africa, Yemen, etc. "The huge waves which battered Somalia after the tsunami in December are believed to have stirred up tonnes of nuclear and toxic waste illegally dumped in the war-racked country during the early 1990s..." - What was done in the dark will show up in the light of day... As I see it the questions are: Which countries/corporations dumped it? And who in Somalia was paid to allow it? Is any of this related to the death of murdered Italian woman journalist Ilaria ["Hilary"] Alpi? Some folks say Alpi and her driver were shot dead in Mogadishu because of sensitive information she'd discovered on illegal dumping.

Organising South Asia Women for disaster management

Zubaan Books, a publisher in India, has updated and re-issued the book, Gender Dimensions in Disaster Management. The book "... aims to address the dearth of specific information on the subject of 'gender issues in disasters', particularly in the South Asian countries. This book is targeted at policy makers and development practitioners in South Asia, whose contribution is vital for effective disaster management and sustainable development in the sub-continent.

"The discussion of this book is based on the fundamental arguments that: the risk posed by natural hazards is a variable, which has direct implications on development in general, and livelihoods in particular. The gender concerns experienced in the development context are applicable in the context of disasters-with an added weight. The specific vulnerabilities and capacities of men and women, and the gender/social dynamics of disaster situations are often not obviously visible.... If ignored these concerns will impede development efforts reaching their goal. ..."

To get the book contact S. Sharma, Zubaan Books, K-92, First Floor, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi – 110016 INDIA. Tel: +91-11-26521008 and 26864497; email: zubaanwbooks/ at /vsnl.net.

Message from Sri Lanka Women & Media Collective - "Include Women in disaster Response"

This press release is from several women's organizations in Sri Lanka.

Contact information: Women and Media Collective, 20/1, 8th Lane, Nawala, Sri Lanka; e-mail: womedia at sltnet.lk; tel:94 + 011 + 2805127/2805579. Contact persons are Sepali Kottegoda and Kumudini Samuel.

PRESS RELEASE

Women's Groups appeal for an inclusive framework for disaster response

A collective of women's rights groups who have conducted a series of fact-finding missions in the tsunami-affected areas over the past week wishes to bring to public attention serious issues concerning the safety and wellbeing of women which have not been addressed so far in relief efforts.

We appreciate the many public initiatives to collect and deliver relief and assist those affected by the tsunami in whatever ways are possible. However, our observations indicate that these efforts need to be refocused to ensure that those who have suffered as a consequence of the tsunami are not subjected to further violence and abuse by unscrupulous persons. The heightened vulnerability of people in these areas due to the destruction of communication lines and the large-scale mass displacement and death of people has created situations in which women and girls become more likely to encounter violence.

a.. In particular, we have received reports of incidents of rape, gang rape, molestation, and physical abuse of women and girls in the course of unsupervised rescue operations and while resident in temporary shelters, particularly in the south. Apart from these incidents (the number of which is not known), these reports have also indicated that women's mobility continues to be restricted due to the fear of sexual violence. No proper monitoring body has been set up to receive complaints, to take action against perpetrators, or to ensure the safety of women in these areas.

  a.. We urge government authorities, and the Ministry of Women's Affairs,
in particular, to take note of these violations, and to take immediate measures to investigate such incidents. We also urge collaboration between state institutions and agencies such as UNHCR, OXFAM and other agencies working on gender-based violence in this matter. Provision of adequate security and establishing complaints mechanisms should be an urgent priority in the relief process.

  a.. We are also concerned that the information flowing from the Tsunami-hit areas does not provide detailed accounts of the numbers of specific vulnerable communities such as pregnant women, lactating mothers, persons with physical and mental disabilities, persons with special medical needs and requiring daily and consistent medication. The collection of such data is absolutely critical for identifying priority needs in the days to come. In addition, accurate record of all those hospitalised after the tsunami should be given wide publicity.

  a.. The lack of a system that could identify children separated from their families has also hampered efforts to locate families missing children or to resettle children with relatives in the locations where they were found. We strongly urge the National Child Protection Authority to work in coordination with the Department of Probation and Childcare Services to set up a mechanism to address this problem.

  a.. As an initial step, measures should be taken to call on all those who know whereabouts of unaccompanied children to register them at the nearest Police Station or at the desk of the Department of Child Care and Probation Services at the Divisional Secretariat, and to give adequate publicity through the print and electronic media as to the present whereabouts of children.

  a.. The role that the media can play in helping people to find missing persons and children should be systematised so that there is no duplication of efforts but rather a fruitful collaboration.

a.. The inadequate structures of coordination within the government bureaucracy at the level of Kachcheris and Divisional Secretariats is also a matter of grave concern. In view of the fact that government officers in local administration who were resident in the areas have also suffered personal loss during this time, it is imperative that the government seconds senior and middle-level government officials to take over administrative functions in the tsunami affected areas in order to ensure that these structures are able to function efficiently for relief efforts.

  a.. Considering the enormous destruction to life and property, we urge the government to postpone the Advanced Level Examination and all university
examinations.

Women's groups throughout the island are committed to extend their fullest support to both state and non-state structures that will work for the provision of immediate relief as well as for medium and long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation of all those people of Sri Lanka who have been affected by the tsunami in the framework of sustainable development and a lasting and just peace.

MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS OF LANKA
SRI LANKA WOMEN'S NGO FORUM
WOMEN'S ALLIANCE FOR PEACE
WOMEN'S ALLIANCE FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY
ACTION NETWORK FOR MIGRANT WORKERS

'Earthquakes' & 'Tsunamis' Corrected

A few days back here at Marian's Blog I should have qualified my remark that a tsunami can follow any earthquake. Not exactly true.

I should've said a tsunami can follow any underwater earthquake.

Not wishing to mislead I wanted to get this right. Perhaps we should all just speak a Latin language. Most of them - except French - use the same words to differentiate the 2 types of quakes. Les francais on the other hand went their own way with 'tremblement de terre' and 'tsunami'.

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese all use maremoto for a quake in the sea, ocean or water - and terremoto for "earthquake". To me these nuances are a sign of intelligence, of culture. Or at the very least of getting and sharing there's a difference worth noting.

Web Dev: Where's The Colored folks?

I wanted to re-read and share Molly Holtzschlag's short piece on the gender or race issue. Interesting she notes that women of color were 3 of the only 4 people of color she's met so far in her web dev career; though it's not always so.

I'm sure we'll be coming this way again, and thanks for the thought, Molly.

Gender roles? let’s talk race - published 7/10/04. Molly Holtzschlag:

"The “where are the women” adventure continues as Doug Bowman revisits the thread he originated last year. No matter what your persepective is on this issue, the mere fact that its got legs of its own proves that it’s something that people want to address.

So if we’re outing gender as a specific issue in our field, we have to also out a fact that bothers me personally far more than the gender issue, and that’s the issue of race integration in the web design and development field.

Stepping aside from the broader multinational aspects for a moment let’s ask this question: Where are the blacks? the Hispanics? The Native American Indians? I’m thinking over my entire career in IT and I can confidently say I’ve worked with or known exactly four black people in a 16 year career (three of them women, interestingly enough). Fewer Hispanics than that, even though where I live has a significant Hispanic population. One Native American, ditto on the significant population here in the desert.

I posted to Doug’s conversation a synopsis of my recent thinking on the gender issues, citing history, cultural expectations, and education as major factors. I believe the same concerns apply when we think about race integration, at least here in the U.S.

By the way, I don’t mean to leave out any specific race. If you feel your race is under-represented in our field, by all means say so."

Somalia tsunami: Up to 30-thousand need food in region crushed by water

FOOD FOR SOMALI VILLAGES SHATTERED BY TSUNAMI

Nairobi, 5 January 2004 - WFP has distributed 218 metric tonnes of food aid to 12,000 Somalis affected by the tsunami. Out of the spotlight but in need of help, up to 30,000 people require food assistance. Most of them are fishermen whose boats, fishing equipment and households were swallowed up by the ocean on 26 December. Others had their homes destroyed by tsunami waves that rocked towns on the Indian Ocean coastline of Somalia. So far WFP has dispatched 277 metric tons of food to provide assistance to 17,000 people. But additional supplies are expected to depart from Mombasa on Friday. A vessel carrying 1,300 tonnes of rice, maize, vegetable oil and corn-soya blend for the relief activities in Puntland, North-east Somalia will be reaching the port town of Bossaso a week later. ASSESSING DAMAGE WFP currently has four teams in some of the most inaccessible areas, assessing the magnitude of the damage and providing aid. 103 tonnes of food was delivered in Hafun district, including Foar and the village of Garan; 42 tonnes of food has been given to 1,400 people in Bander Beyla town, in Dharingar, and in Marraye and Garmaal in Eyl district (350 km south of Hafun); 52 tonnes of food aid has gone to people in Gara'ad town, Kulub, Qorigeesdher, Dhinawada, Ilfosche, Dhabarhagato villages. WFP teams on the ground have described the destruction caused by the wave, and the obstacles that relief efforts will face in delivering aid to these villages. SWEPT AWAY Kulub village near Gara’ad, for example, is still partly under water. Most of the 1,200 members of this fishing community live in makeshift huts of canvas and wood, all of which were swept away by the water. One of the few stone huts collapsed, killing an elderly woman. In Hurdiye, a village of some 1,000 people, mainly fishermen and salt producers, all 100 small fishing boats and other fishing materials were washed away. The salt production area is still under water and they cannot produce anything until the water retreats. FISHING SEASON This is fishing season in Somalia, and many families set up temporary fishing settlements along the shoreline. They were caught completely unaware by the tsunami, and lost all of their personal belongings and the precious fishing equipment that enables them to eke out a meagre living. Fishermen in Somalia will be paralysed by the tsunami for the foreseeable future. Sheep herders and other pastoralists have also been affected, as the waves damaged grazing land. WFP AID Over the next six months, WFP plans to provide up to 30,000 people with US$2.8 million worth of food aid to people whose precarious livelihoods have been devastated. Meanwhile, the agencywill continue to assist another 120,000 people in Puntland, victims of recurrent droughts and subsequent floods who were already receiving emergency food aid assistance before the tsunami hit the coast of Puntland.

Donate Online World Food Programme

It's easy to donate online to World Food Programme. Please send something now. You may designate which WFP appeal you want to fund - including Somalia's tsunami victims &/or others. The options are posted on the WFP website. Donors in the USA may click a link to donate tax-free. Contributions are accepted in 6 currencies: yen, pounds sterling, Canadian dollars, euro, Australian dollars and U.S. dollars. The breadth & scale of needs seem rather overwhelming but just a bit of assistance from each of us will help thousands of lives. Haitian proverb: "Men anpil chay pa lou" - Many hands make a heavy load light

Bahrain Peanuts for tsunami Relief??

Mahmood over in Mahmood's Den is cracking on Bahrain for its 2 million Dollar pledge for the Indian Ocean disaster. Word is the 2 mill might be mistaken for relief 'on the cheap'. Another part of the story according to M:

• the annual bonus for Bahraini govt ministers is over US$250 thousand dollars
• national daily income from Oil alone is over $6 million dollars
• South Asian people are the bulk of Bahrain's workforce
• the country's main relief agency waits for govt approval before it can start any relief effort
• Bahraini parliament members might have their 'hands full' dealing with their own retirement & health insurance

         ... picky picky picky.