Libyan rebels retreating after Gadhafi onslaught

RAS LANOUF, Libya – Libyan government tanks and rockets pounded rebel forces into a panicked full retreat Tuesday after an hourslong, back-and-forth battle that highlighted the superior might of Moammar Gadhafi's forces, even hobbled by international airstrikes.

No such strikes were launched during the fighting in Bin Jawwad, where rebels attempting to march on Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte ended up turning around and fleeing east under overcast skies. Some fleeing rebels shouted, "Sarkozy, where are you?" — a reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, one of the strongest supporters of international airstrikes.

World leaders in London, meanwhile, debated how far they should go to force an end to Gadhafi's 41-year autocratic rule. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the world must speak with a single voice to ensure that the North African country "belongs not to a dictator, but to its people."

Rockets and tank fire sent Libya's rebels in a panicked scramble away from the front lines. The opposition was able to bring up truck-mounted rocket launchers of their own and return fire, but they went into full retreat after government shelling resumed.

The two sides traded salvos over the hamlet of Bin Jawwad, now pockmarked with shrapnel and small arms fire. Rockets and artillery shells crashed thunderously as plumes of smoke erupted in the town. The steady drum of heavy machine gun fire and the pop of small arms could be heard above the din as people less than a mile (a kilometer) outside the village scaled mounds of dirt to watch the fighting.

"This today is a loss, but hopefully we'll get it back," said Mohammed Bujildein, a 27-year-old from Darna. He was gnawing on a loaf of bread in a pickup truck with a mounted anti-aircraft, waiting to fill up from an abandoned gas tanker truck on the eastern side of Ras Lanouf.

Even in Ras Lanouf, roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Bin Jawwad, there appeared to be shelling — there were thuds in the distance and black smoke rising from buildings. Some rebels pushed farther east.

"If they keep shelling like this, we'll need airstrikes," Bujildein said. It makes it easier to go to Sirte. If there's air cover, we'll be in Sirte tomorrow evening."

Rebel forces had been on the brink of defeat by government forces before a U.N.-mandated no-fly zone and campaign of strikes by the U.S. and its allies helped them regain lost territory. It is unclear, however, if international support exists to deepen the air campaign and attack Gadhafi's heavy weaponry enough to help the rebels make further advances. Some countries, including Russia, contend the airstrikes already have gone beyond the U.N. mandate of protecting civilians from attacks by Gadhafi.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Tuesday there are plenty of "non-military means at our disposal" to oust the Libyan leader.

France, which has been at the forefront of the international campaign, struck a more forceful tone.

"We, the French and English, we consider that we must obtain more" than the end of shooting at civilians, Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said on France-Inter radio. He also said Libyan politicians could be targeted since they gave orders to the military.

In London, Clinton, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Arab League, the African Union and around 40 foreign ministers began discussing the future of Libya and how to ratchet up pressure on Gadhafi.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said several nations planned to put forward a deal that would propose a cease-fire, exile for Gadhafi and a framework for talks between Libya's tribal leaders and opposition figures on the country's future.

In signs of emerging ties between the opposition and the international community, Clinton met with Libyan opposition envoy Mahmoud Jibril in London, and a senior Obama administration official said the U.S. would soon send an envoy to Libya to meet with rebel leaders.

The official said Chris Stevens, former U.S. envoy to Tripoli, will travel to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in the coming days to establish better ties with groups seeking to oust the longtime Libyan leader. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, stressed that the move doesn't constitute formal recognition of the opposition.

In an open letter to the international community, meanwhile, Gadhafi called for a halt to the "monstrous assault" on Libya and maintained that that the rebels were supported by the al-Qaida terrorist network.

"What is happening now is providing a cover for al-Qaida through airstrikes and missiles to enable al-Qaida to control North Africa and turn it into a new Afghanistan," he said, accusing the international community of carrying out genocide against the Libyans.

Libyan state news agency JANA quoted a military official as saying that airstrikes of the "crusader imperialist assault" targeted civilian and military targets in Misrata, Tripoli, Zlitan, Mazdah and Watayah.

Prime Minister David Cameron, however, said Britain had received reports that it was Gadhafi who was pounding Misrata, the main rebel holdout in the west, and relentlessly targeting civilians.

"Gadhafi is using snipers to shoot them down and let them bleed to death in the street. He has cut off food, water and electricity to starve them into submission," Cameron said.

Rida al-Montasser, an activist in Misrata, confirmed heavy shelling on two streets in the city, but said rebels remain in control. Three people were killed in Misrata on Monday and several others were wounded.

The rebels remain woefully outgunned by Gadhafi's forces, though they do show some improvements since their seige of Ajdabiya a week ago. They have more ammunition and heavy weapons that they've captured from government forces, and they are showing better efforts at using them. But it is still unclear how they can take the stronghold of Sirte without further aggressive international air support.

The rebel advance reached Nawfaliyah, some 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Sirte, on Monday, but the next day they were driven back to the hamlet of Bin Jawwad, a few dozen miles (kilometers) to the east.

In a scene reminiscent of the rebels' rout last week, panicked volunteers jumped into their pickup trucks and attempted to speed away from the bombardment, kicking up dust clouds and choking the narrow coastal highway in a mad scramble of vehicles.

Sirte is dominated by members of the Libyan leader's Gadhadhfa tribe and was used as a second capital by Gadhafi. Its loss would be a symbolic blow and open the way to the capital, Tripoli.

"This is their last defensive line. They will do everything to protect it," explained rebel fighter Twate Monsuri, 26. "It's not Gadhafi attacking us, he's just defending himself now."

Gadhafi forces continued to besiege Misrata and Libya's third-largest city. Residents reported shelling by government tanks of residential areas, with three people killed.

The U.S. Navy reported that two of its aircraft and a guided missile destroyer attacked a number of Libyan coast guard vessels, rendering them inoperable, in the port of Misrata. It said the Libyan vessels had been "firing indiscriminately" at merchant ships.

One of Libya's top officials, meanwhile, abruptly made a "private visit" to Tunisia late Monday, according to the official news agency there.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim in Tripoli insisted on Tuesday that Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa's visit was not a defection.

2 Koreas agree on need for joint volcano research

SEOUL, South Korea – North and South Korean experts have agreed on the need for joint research into an active volcano amid worries over natural disasters after Japan's earthquake and tsunami.

Geologists and volcanologists met at a South Korean border village Tuesday for talks on volcanic activities at the North's Mount Paektu, touted in the North as leader Kim Jong Il's birthplace.

Chief South Korean negotiator and geologist Ryu In-chang says the two Koreas realize they need to research the volcano.

But he says North Korea proposed one more round of experts' talks in early April and South Korea plans to respond soon.

The volcano last erupted in 1903, but minor earthquakes increased there between 2002 and 2005.

Japan finds plutonium in soil at stricken nuclear plant

(Reuters) - Plutonium found in soil at the Fukushima nuclear complex heightened alarm on Tuesday overJapan's battle to contain the world's worst atomic crisis in 25 years, as pressure mounted on the prime minister to widen an evacuation zone around the plant.

Some opposition lawmakers blasted Naoto Kan in parliament for his handling of the disaster and for not widening the exclusion zone. Kan said he was seeking advice on such a step, which would force 130,000 people to move in addition to 70,000 already displaced.

The drama at the six-reactor facility has compounded Japan's agony after an earthquake and tsunami on March 11 left more than 28,000 people dead or missing in the devastated northeast.

In a gesture of support, France said it had sent two nuclear experts to Japan to help contain the accident and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will visit on Thursday for a meeting with Kan.

France is the world's most nuclear-dependent country, producing 75 percent of its power needs from 58 nuclear reactors, and selling state-owned Areva's reactors around the world. Sarkozy will be the first foreign leader to visit since the earthquake.

In the latest blow to hopes authorities were gradually getting the plant under control, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co said plutonium was found at low-risk levels in soil samples at the facility.

A by-product of atomic reactions and also used in nuclear bombs, plutonium is highly carcinogenic and one of the most dangerous substances on the planet, experts say.

They believe some of the plutonium may have come from spent fuel rods at Fukushima or damage to reactor No. 3, the only one to use plutonium in its fuel mix.

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said while the plutonium levels were not harmful to human health, the discovery could mean the reactor's containment mechanism had been breached.

"Plutonium is a substance that's emitted when the temperature is high, and it's also heavy and so does not leak out easily," agency deputy director Hidehiko Nishiyama told a news conference.

"So if plutonium has emerged from the reactor, that tells us something about the damage to the fuel. And if it has breached the original containment system, it underlines the gravity and seriousness of this accident."

Sakae Muto, a Tokyo Electric vice-president, said the traces of plutonium-238, 239 and 240 were in keeping with levels found in Japan in the past due to particles in the atmosphere from nuclear testing abroad.

"I apologize for making people worried," Muto said.

With towns on the northeast coast reduced to apocalyptic landscapes of mud and debris following the quake and tsunami, more than a quarter of a million people are homeless. The event may be the world's costliest natural disaster, with estimates of damage topping $300 billion.

THE PLANET IS WARMING AND THE OCEAN BEGINS TO DIE DUE TO HUMAN ACTIVITIES

Here are the facts about warming...

According to the Third Assessment Report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released in 2001, "There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities." Greenhouse gases accumulating from burning fossil fuels, and other gas-producing activities of industry, are blanketing the Earth and so causing the warming trend.
The blanket of greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and tropospheric ozone) keeps the planet about 59F (15C) warmer than it would be without the cover. Water vapor is by far the most abundant greenhouse gas. The greenhouse effect gets its name because a layer in the atmosphere acts like the glass in a greenhouse, letting the Sun's light energy in, but preventing reflected lower energy heat radiation from escaping.


All the greenhouse gases that occur naturally are also produced by human activities, thus increasing their levels in the atmosphere at an accelerating pace. In addition to the "natural" greenhouse gases are the fluorocarbons, which only appeared in the atmosphere when introduced by humans. Over the millennium before the Industrial Era, the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases remained relatively constant, according to the IPCC report. Chlorofluorocarbons are believed by most scientists to be responsible for depleting the ozone layer that exists at the top of the stratosphere, the second layer in the Earth's atmosphere. The upper stratospheric ozone layer shields the Earth from intense ultraviolet radiation that causes skin cancer.



According to the IPCC, solar variation and volcanic aerosols are the two major natural factors that affect global warming. The major sources of anthropogenic aerosols are fossil fuel and biomass burning. Anthropogenic factors impacting the global climate are human population growth, urbanization, the energy supply mix and the efficiency with which energy is produced and consumed, deforestation rates, and emission rates of chlorofluorocarbons and other synthetic greenhouse gases. With the population expected to reach 8 billion by mid-twenty-first century, all the human activities that affect climate will increase proportionally. Many countries' growing dependence on fossil fuels has produced not only political and economic problems, but environmental problems as well, increasing the amount of synthetic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.



Models developed by the IPCC and other research groups indicate that global warming will profoundly affect our quality of life. The factors that influence global climate are extremely complex and interrelated. There are some scientists who minimize our role in global warming. If there is no moderation in population growth, fossil fuel use, and urban sprawl, global warming will continue to increase, weather events will be more extreme, and ocean levels will rise as glaciers melt.



Here are the facts about the oceans


PEW Oceans Commission. In May 2003, this commission submitted to the United States Congress it's report "America's Living Oceans -Charting A Course For Sea Change". This authoritative report, created by this independently appointed prestigious commission of scientists, economists, fishermen and other experts and chaired by Leon E. Panetta, outlines the problems facing America in regards to it's coastal waters, and offers realistic and sound solutions to be implemented by our government. And the sad truth is, similar reports, reaching the same conclusions, would be generated by commissions just like the PEW Commission for every country in the world that wished to do so.



The facts are in. Our oceans, it's habitats and it's creatures, worldwide are under assault -primarily  from four different forces: coastal development, over fishing, pollution and poor ocean governance. Without change for the better, these four forces will continue to wreak havoc, grow stronger and eventually we will see more and more species of sea animals and fish disappear, vast areas of the ocean's coastlines turned into dead lifeless wastelands and the possible catastrophic disruption of the ocean's vital role as climate regulator, resulting in climate change that will make anything prior to it in human history to it seem like a spring day in May.

1) Over Fishing: Over fishing is the single biggest threat facing the oceans. More than two-thirds of the world's fisheries have been already fully exploited or over fished. Fleets the world over are now exceeding the ocean's limits, and a number of species have already been fished to commercial extinction. Populations of many fish, including tuna, cod, grouper, marlin, swordfish and sharks are only a shadow of their former populations, and without intervention and enlightened management, extinction will be the end result. The fish of the ocean, irregardless of how fast they swim, are no match for modern fishing fleets, with their sophisticated boats, computerized fish finding sonar and equipment and devastatingly efficient heavy trawl nets, which destroy non-wanted species -including innocent turtles, whales, and dolphins as well as so called "trash fish". 300,000 dolphins, porpoises and whales die an agonizing death each year as a result of becoming entangled in fishing nets and each year billions of unwanted "by-catch" fish are tossed overboard from fishing vessels, dead or dying, because of regulations or lack of markets. This horrific waste is absolutely uncalled for, unnecessary, preventable and immoral!

2) Pollution: Everything eventually ends up in the oceans! Oil, fertilizer, gas, pesticides, paint and hundreds of other chemical that are spilled on the ground, or in parking lots, finds their way as run off into local brooks and streams. From there these pollutants are carried to bigger streams and rivers, and eventually to the oceans, killing fish and aquatic life along the way as well.  Every year in America alone, 28,000,000 gallons of oil from human activities  (driving cars, heating homes to name just two) end up on the ground in parking lots, roads and yards and then in our rivers on it's way to the sea.  And this pollution creates massive problems in estuaries and coastlines where the rivers enter the sea. There now exist in many parts of the world "Dead Zones"  along coastlines,  places where very little marine life exists and the pollution is so bad in some areas the surface of the water has been known to catch on fire. Additionally, many estuaries and harbors around the world  receive so much nutrient rich  runoff that huge algal blooms occur, causing sea grass meadows, kelp beds and other coastal habitats to die. The direct cause is overuse of fertilizer by the farmers of the world, and the end result is the killing of part of our oceans. Another growing source of ocean pollution is certain types of fish farming, where coastal waters near these unregulated  farms are severely polluted with antibiotics, fish waste and other pollutants. And in a sad irony, human caused pollution recoils directly onto our children and those who wish to use the ocean for innocent fun -in America in 2002 over 12,000 beaches were closed due to pollution! Add to this mix, the many oil spills , cruise ship dumps of waste material, people throwing trash overboard and other obvious rapes of the ocean and the pictures gets really distressing.

3) Coastal Development: Humanity's  urge to  live near the ocean  has resulted in the carving up of coastlines all over the world for hotels, resorts, housing, roads and fish farms. This development is resulting in wholesale destruction of estuarine and coastal habitats at an alarming rate -wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, shellfish beds and marshes worldwide are all disappearing almost overnight. All of these habitats are critical and important breeding grounds for many marine species. If we lose these vital ecosystems, then whole populations of fish and other animals will disappear -no place left for the babies to hide and grow! In America alone, marshes that trap floodwaters, filter out pollution and nurture fish, birds and other wildlife are disappearing at the rate of 20,000 acres a year! And this scenario is being repeated all over the world.

4.) Poor Ocean Governance: The world over, there are few or weak regulations in place to deal with over fishing, pollution and coastal development. Without the will to address these problems, things will only get worse for countries that turn a blind eye. In America, with the presentation of the Pew Oceans Commissions report, a step in the right direction has begun and recommendations made to our government for change.  The question then remains however, how do these changes occur, given the unenlightened state and weak, self-serving nature of many of our government officials and those in power. The answer is simple. Visit the links to the left, join one or all of these organizations and participate in their activities and actions aimed at changing the way our government does business. These folks know how to get the job done and are in the front lines.

SIMPLE WAYS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE

The typical American family wastes between 25 and 50 percent of the food they purchase, and that’s just when you’re looking at the food itself. Add in the bulky packaging that goes along with many convenience foods, and that number shoots up even more. Food waste might seem like a fact of life, but with some careful planning and savvy shopping, you can help reduce the amount of food waste that you send to the landfill!

1. Order and Cook Less

Whether you’re eating out or cooking at home, take a hard look at what you’re planning for your meals. Of course, you want to make sure you have enough food prepared for you and your family, but over ordering or cooking way too much just leads to waste. This might take some observation as you get a feel for how much you guys actually eat, but the reduction in waste is not only good for the planet, it’s good for your wallet!

It’s important to balance this out. You don’t want to feel guilted into the clean plate club. Remember: food you eat after you’re full is just as wasted as food you throw away.

2. Eat Those Leftovers

Whether you planned to have leftovers or accidentally ordered or cooked too much food, making sure you eat them before they go bad is key to reducing food waste. You can try revamping those leftovers into a whole new meal or just plan to eat them later on in the week on a night that you don’t feel like cooking. Either way, it’s important not to shove that leftover food into the back of the fridge to rot. If you don’t think you’ll be able to eat them before they go bad, why not portion that leftover food into servings and stick them in the freezer?

3. Cut the Packaging

You might not think of that take out container or the bag your pre-washed lettuce came in as food waste, but all of that packaging really adds up. Next time you’re ordering take out, see how the restaurant feels about you bringing it home in your own, clean, reusable container. At the grocery store, just being more conscious of packaging can make a big difference. Instead of pre-cut broccoli florets in a plastic bag, for example, you can pick up a head of broccoli and cut it up youself. Voila! You’ve dodged a bit of waste and probably saved a buck at the same time.

For something like broccoli, you can probably get away without using a produce bag, but for dry goods like beans or more delicate produce like lettuces, you do need some kind of bag. In those situations, why not trytoting your own reusable produce bags?

4. Don’t Shop Hungry

This might seem like a no-brainer, but how many times have you bought far too much at the grocery store because you were shopping on an empty stomach? Hungry shopping leads to impulse buys, often of packaging-heavy, processed foods. Even if you just end up with way too many fruits and veggies, are you going to be able to eat all of that food before it spoils? A quickie snack before you head to the store can go a long way toward preventing waste in your kitchen.

5. Compost Your Food Scraps

One of the biggest problems with food waste is that all of that organic material breaks down into methane, a greenhouse gas many times more harmful than CO2, in the landfill. Rather than tossing veggie scraps into the trash, toss them into your compost bin where they can break down into nutrient-rich dirt.

Even apartment dwellers can get in on the composting action! You might think a small space would make composting too hard, but it’s easy as pie to get a bin going even in a tiny apartment. If you don’t have a garden to benefit from all of that good compost, you can use it to nourish potted plants or just dump it outside.

I bet there are even more ways to cut back on food waste. What are some ways that you’re lightening your footprint in the kitchen?

5 Things to know about SUPERMOON

The supermoon is coming! But what exactly does that mean? Are the Internet rumors of doom and gloom to be believed? Will the moon steal my children? And why the fuss? Read below as I dissect this semi-rare celestial event known as the supermoon — and why this weekend's nighttime event is one worth catching.

1. What is a supermoon? 

Since its 27.3-day orbit is elliptical, the moon alternates between its farthest point (254,000 miles) and closest point (220,000 miles) roughly every two weeks. What makes the moon a supermoon is when, at its closest approach, it also happens to be a new moon or full moon.

As Fast Company notes, the March 19 moon will be a supermoon because "the crest of the moon’s full phase comes within an hour of the moon’s closest point to earth."

Steve Owens at Dark Sky Diary adds that the moon will be about 8 percent closer to earth than usual and about 2 percent closer to earth than the average lunar perigee. In fact, it'll be the closest positioning since 1992.

2. What can a supermoon do to our planet?

According to scientists, not much. Any time there is a full moon — when the sun, earth, and moon are near a straight line in space — the gravitational effects on the ocean tides is greater. When a supermoon is in play, these forces are exaggerated. That being said, the force at this maximum is considered too weak to be of great consequence.

Said John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, "Practically speaking, you'll never see any effect of lunar perigee," he told Life's Little Mysteries. "It's somewhere between 'It has no effect.' and 'It's so small you don't see any effect.' "

The only concern should be for those near the coast looking to take advantage of lower-than-normal seas. As an example, the Irish Water Safety body has issued a warning urging people to avoid "becoming stranded whilst walking or picking shellfish on our beaches over the weekend."

Should a storm also roll along a coastline during a supermoon, there's the possibility of increased flooding because of the tides. It's worth taking precautions during an event like this should such a combo of factors hit.

3. Did a supermoon cause last week's earthquake in Japan?

Some studies have shown a weak correlation between increased lunar activity and shallow, low-intensity earthquakes — but nothing on the scale that Japan experienced last week.

Also, when the earthquake struck on March 11, the moon was actually closer to its farthest point (called apogee) than its closest (perigee). The same holds true for the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, which some have also blamed on a supermoon.

4. Will the moon ever be closer to our planet? 

Yes and no. The moon is actually being "pushed" away from the Earth at a rate of 1.6 inches annually. Astronomers predict that several billion years from now the moon's orbit around the earth will take 47 days, rather than the current 27.3.

However, another more dramatic event could take place that would position the moon within a sky-filling 11,470 miles above the planet, termed the Roche limit. This would only happen if the sun mutated into a red giant, causing the moon's orbit to decay. Of course, life would cease to exist on the planet in this stage, so this "mother of all supermoons" would not be much of a concern to us.

5. When should I look for this weekend's supermoon?

Hopefully, you've got clear skies — but that's never a good bet for March. To find out exactly when the supermoon will come into view for you, check out this handy chart over on 40-Below.com. You can also grab the latitude/longitude data for your city to get more accurate info here.

The next supermoon will occur on Nov. 14, 2016.

What will happen in 2016 when supermoon comes again? Are we ready for this next supermoon? we don't know what will happen, hence we should be ready all the time...

Environmental issues in the Philippines

The Philippines is prone to natural disasters, particularly typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, 
 earthquakes, and tsunamis, lying as it does astride the typhoon belt, in the active volcanic region known as the 
 “Pacific Ring of Fire,” and in the geologically unstable region between the Pacific and Eurasian tectonic plates. 


The Philippines also suffers major human-caused environmental degradationaggravated by a high annual population growth rate, including loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, improper disposal of solid and toxic wastes, loss of coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse of coastal resources, and overfishing. 

According to Greenpeace SouthEast Asia, the Philippines major historical river, the Pasig River is now biologically dead due to negligence and industrialization. Currently, the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources has been busy tracking down illegal loggers and been spearheading projects to preserve the quality of many remaining rivers that are not yet polluted.

What can you do to save our country specially mother earth??? post your comments here and spread this out so that we can coupe up and make for the best by protecting and saving mother earth... By: Marvin Chua