Food Shortages, Biofuels and Oil Wars

What are biofuels?
Wheat, corn and sugar processed into ethanol and diesel.

What does it take to create biofuel?
Oil

Biofuels are cheap and friendly for the environment, right?
It takes oil to produce (grow) biofuels. Farm subsidies, tractors and harvesting rely on oil.

What are biofuels?
They are the food we grow in order to survive. Wheat, corn and sugar. Extreme weather reduces the amounts of wheat and corn grown around the world.

Earth Policy Institute

Grain prices starting to rise.
- World Grain Stocks Fall to 57 Days of Consumption.
- World grain consumption is rising as world grain production is falling.
- World population growth is rising as world food production is falling.
- Each year world farmers try to feed an additional 70 million people.
- Grain intensive products: Meat, milk and eggs.
- World meat production 1950: 44 million tons.
- World meat production 2005: 265 million tons.
- One-fifth of the US corn harvest will be used to produce fuel-ethanol.
- One sixth of the US grain harvest will be used to produce ethanol.
- The US subsidize ethanol production at 51 cents a gallon.
- Underground water reserves are being depleted by intense farming.
- World temperature increases are lowering rice and grain harvests.
- Drier than usual winters lowered the barley harvests.
- 70% of water from rivers, lakes, and aquifers are used for irrigation.
- Water supplies are decreasing in countries that contain half the worlds people: China, India and the United States.

- A recent study, authored jointly by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), forecasts an acceleration in world biofuel usage over the next 10 years that would raise demand for maize, wheat, oilseeds and sugar, the trade-offs between food/feed and non-food uses for specific crop sectors were still unclear.

Heatwave Crippling Europe
- A deadly heatwave gripping central Europe sent electricity prices rocketing in Germany and caused the suspension of shipping on major rivers as water levels dwindle. Europe's shops and supermarkets are facing a shortage of vegetables later this year as a result of the current heatwave, a leading industry group have warned.

Biofuel Demand Hits Food
- FOOD companies such as Unilever, Nestle and Cadbury could face higher commodity costs over the long term as rising demand for biofuels pushes up prices for raw materials such as wheat, corn and sugar, a report by Goldman Sachs says.

Get Ready For 'Peak Grain'
- To put the 57 days in historical perspective, the world price for wheat went up six-fold in 1973, the last time reserves were this low. Wheat prices ricocheted through the food supply chain in many ways, from higher prices for cereal and breads eaten directly by humans to the cost of milk and meat from livestock fed a grain-based diet. If such a chain reaction happens this year, wheat could fetch $21 a bushel, about six times its current price. It might cost even more, given that there are now two other pressing demands for grains that were less forceful during the 70s.

Those happy days predated modern fads such as using grains for ethanol, now touted as an alternative to petroleum fuels for cars, and predated the factory barns that bring grains to an animal’s stall, thereby eliminating grazing on pasture grasses. University ethics classes and church elders can ponder the moral dilemmas imposed on the wealthy when they choose fuel and meat while others starve.

- World's Water Resources Face Mounting Pressure
- Planet Ark
- Green Fuels Dirty Secret

The Israeli Lebanon Water Wars

If the water resources in your country are rapidly decreasing, and the neighbouring country has an intact water supply... and if you think that in the future you will need the other countries water supply... then you will not attack that country saying you need their water. If you attack that country you will do so for another reason, hiding your real objective behind a wall of deception and lies. Israel has always had water problems.

Today, in 2006, Israel lives with increasing water shortages and a rapidly decreasing supply of fresh water. The river Jordan may run dry within the next two years, because of the vast amount of water being drawn from the river by the people living in the area. People cannot survive without water, towns and cities cannot survive without water, past civilisations have died out as water became scarce. You cannot grow crops without water, which means you cannot store food. Water is the life blood of a nation. The Great Illusion

In the Middle East, the supply of water is much less than its demand, thereby resulting in conflict over it. This is true for Israel and Lebanon, where there have been struggles, although not always armed, for the waters of the Litani River. At this point, Israel occupies southern Lebanon. Part of the Litani is located in this region.

Israel seemingly is tempted to reach beyond its border to get access to the needed water. "Almost half of the water currently used in Israel is captured, diverted or preempted from its neighbors." This is understandable, given water can be described as "Israel's vulnerable and fragile source of life."

Historically, Israel has been interested in the Litani, and conflict with Lebanon over the Litani is more likely given this. Essentially, control of the Litani has long been a dream of Israel in hopes of establishing a greater Zion from Sinai to ancient Babylon. Litani River Wikipedia


Israel hoped that it would have use of the Litani by the mid 1980s, when it projected that it would have fully used up the waters captured in the 1967 war. Israel hoped to meet this goal by securing the Litani in 1978. Israel had even included the Litani in calculations of their water resources.

Israel's significant sources of water are currently exploited, and the only other source is the Litani, which, in order for Israel to use it, would have to be in Israel's possession, which could possibly happen through seizure. The only other source of additional water would be recycled water.

Israel could increase its annual water supply by 800 MCM (approximately 40% of its annual water consumption in 1993) if it had continued access to the Litani through continued/permanent occupation of southern Lebanon. Another reason for Israel to want the Litani is that, especially along the Israeli coast, many aquifiers are stressed and their water is increasingly brackish. Lebanon Conflict

Israel's High Water Consumption
There is a general consensus among hydrologists and water planners in Israel that the country is currently developing all of its replenishable water stock. Indeed, the gap between water supply and demand is widening.

As mentioned earlier, although the occupation of Arab land in 1967 augmented Israel's water supply by about 40%, the Jewish state is utilizing almost all of the renewable water resources available to it. As water demand rises, its supply is becoming ever more finite. That raises two fundamental questions: one about the future of the territories, and the other about the alternative sources of water for Israel. To answer these questions one must evaluate the Israeli economy's degree of dependence on the resources of the occupied territories.

Politics and Economics of Water
Israel's Water War

The Emerging World Water Shortage

WATER DEFICITS GROWING IN MANY COUNTRIES
Water Shortages May Cause Food Shortages
Lester R. Brown

The world is incurring a vast water deficit. It is largely invisible, historically recent, and growing fast. Because this impending crisis typically takes the form of aquifer overpumping and falling water tables, it is not visible. Unlike burning forests or invading sand dunes, falling water tables cannot be readily photographed. They are often discovered only when wells go dry.

The world water deficit is recent by-product of the tripling of water demand over the last half-century and the rapid worldwide spread of powerful diesel and electrically driven pumps. The drilling of millions of wells has pushed water withdrawals beyond the recharge of many aquifers. The failure of governments to limit pumping to the sustainable yield of aquifers means that water tables are now falling in scores of countries.

We are consuming water that belongs to future generations. In some countries, the fall of water tables is dramatic. In Yemen, a country of 19 million, the water table under most of the country is falling by roughly 2 meters a year as water use far exceeds the sustainable yield of aquifers. World Bank official Christopher Ward observes that "groundwater is being mined at such a rate that parts of the rural economy could disappear within a generation."

Iran, a country of 70 million people, is facing an acute shortage of water. Under the agriculturally rich Chenaran Plain in northeastern Iran, the water table was falling by 2.8 meters a year in the late 1990s. But in 2001 the cumulative effect of a three-year drought and the new wells being drilled both for irrigation and to supply the nearby city of Mashad dropped the aquifer by an extraordinary 8 meters. Villages in eastern Iran are being abandoned as wells go dry, generating a swelling flow of water refugees.

Shortages of water in Egypt, which is entirely dependent on the Nile River, are well known. With the Nile now reduced to a trickle as it enters the Mediterranean, the three principal countries of the Nile River Basin-Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan-can each increase its take from the river only at the expense of the other two. With the combined population of these countries projected to climb from 167 million today to 264 million in 2025, all three are facing growing grain deficits as a result of water shortages.

In Mexico-home to 104 million people and growing by 2 million per year-the demand for water has outstripped supply in many states. In the agricultural state of Guanajuato, for example, the water table is falling by 1.8-3.3 meters a year. Mexico City's water problems are legendary. How the United States and Mexico share the water of the Rio Grande has become a thorny issue in U.S.-Mexican relations.

A World Bank study of the water balance in the North China Plain calculated an annual deficit of 37 billion tons of water. Using the rule of thumb of 1,000 tons of water to produce 1 ton of grain, this is equal to 37 million tons of grain-enough to feed 111 million Chinese at their current level of consumption. In effect, 111 million Chinese are being fed with grain produced with water that belongs to their children. Scores of other countries are running up regional water deficits, including nearly all of those in Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, plus India, Pakistan, and the United States.

Historically, water shortages were local, but in an increasingly integrated world economy, the shortfalls can cross national boundaries via the international grain trade. Water-scarce countries often satisfy the growing needs of cities and industry by diverting water from irrigation and importing grain to offset the resulting loss of production. Since a ton of grain equals 1,000 tons of water, importing grain is the most efficient way to import water. World grain futures will soon, in effect, become world water futures.

Although military conflicts over water are always a possibility, future competition for water seems more likely to take place in world grain markets. This can be seen with Iran and Egypt, both of which now import more wheat than Japan, traditionally the world's leading importer. Imports supply 40% or more of the total consumption of grain-wheat, rice, and feedgrains in both countries. Numerous other water-short countries also import much of their grain. Morocco brings in half of its grain. For Algeria and Saudi Arabia, the figure is over 70%. Yemen imports nearly 80% of its grain, and Israel, more than 90%.

Seventy percent of world water use, including all the water diverted from rivers and pumped from underground, is used for irrigation, 20% is used by industry, and 10% goes to residences. Thus if the world is facing a water shortage, it is also facing a food shortage. Water deficits, which are already spurring heavy grain imports in numerous smaller countries, may soon do the same in larger countries, such as China or India.

Even with the overpumping of its aquifers, China is developing a grain deficit. After rising to an historical peak of 392 million tons in 1998, grain production in the world's largest nation fell below 350 million tons in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The resulting annual deficits of 40 million tons or so have been filled by drawing down the country's extensive grain reserves. But if this situation continues, China soon will be forced to turn to the world grain market.

When this happens, it will almost certainly drive grain prices upward. Remember that when the Soviets decided after a poor harvest in 1972 to import grain rather than tighten their belts, the world wheat price climbed from $1.90 per bushel in 1972 to $4.89 in 1974.

The two keys to stabilizing aquifers are raising water prices and stabilizing population. The first step is to eliminate the pervasive subsidies that create artificially low prices for water in so many countries. The next is to raise water prices to the point where they will reduce pumping to a sustainable level by raising water productivity and reducing water use in all segments of society. Low-income urban consumers can be protected with Òlifeline ratesÓ that provide for basic needs at an affordable price.

The second key is to quickly stabilize population. Most of the 3 billion people projected to be added worldwide by mid-century will be born in countries already experiencing water shortages. Unless population growth can be slowed quickly by investing heavily in female literacy and family planning services, there may not be a humane solution to the emerging world water shortage. Population Press

Chemtrails or Phantom Clouds?

'Phantomwolken' - Bundeswehr gibt sich ahnungslos

“Phantom clouds” - German Military say they don't have a clue

I found this article at a German Weather website and have translated it as best I can using Google Translation Tools

This is interesting, because they caught the phantom clouds on radar registering as clouds (that from the ground were not there). People want to know what the military are spraying "up there" - but the military say they don't know. The article concludes that the military create more questions than they answer....

Nach einer Anfrage der Niedersächsischen Landesregierung hat auch die Bundeswehr ermittelt. Doch die Stellungnahme der Militärs wirft mehr Fragen auf, als sie beantwortet. Im Februar hat Donnerwetter.de den Fall der so genannten „Phantomwolke“ öffentlich gemacht. Im Juli 2005 zeigte das Wetterradar über Norddeutschland eine 350 Kilometer lange Wolke, die gar nicht existierte. Meteorologen verschiedener Organisationen, unter anderem des deutschen und des niederländischen Wetterdienstes, konnten natürliche Ursachen ausschließen. Einzige plausible Erklärung: Das Radarecho wurde durch Partikel oder Substanzen erzeugt, die in großer Menge in der Atmosphäre ausgesetzt wurden - so genannte „Düppel“. Zu welchem Zweck dies geschah, ist den Wissenschaftlern bis heute unklar. Donnerwetter.de erstattete deshalb Strafanzeige wegen des Verdachts illegaler Wetterexperimente und Umweltverschmutzung.

Im März tauchten dann mehrmals weitere, rätselhafte Strukturen in den Radarbildern über Deutschland auf - teilweise auch über Süddeutschland. Erst nach einer Anfrage des Grünen-Abgeordneten Ralf Briese an die Niedersächsische Landesregierung nahm die Bundeswehr Ermittlungen auf. Doch diese waren auch schnell wieder beendet. Dem Verteidigungsministerium sind die beobachteten Phänomene nach eigenen Angaben selbst nicht aufgefallen, Messdaten von der ersten ‚Radarwolke’ im Juli 2005 hat die Bundeswehr nicht gespeichert. Immerhin kommt auch das Verteidigungsministerium zu dem Schluss, dass „nur das Ausbringen sehr spezifischer Düppel in erheblicher Menge“ als Ursache in Frage käme. Und die Bundeswehr bestätigt auch, dass in der Nacht vom 22. auf den 23. März 2006 etwa 1 Stunde vor dem Auftauchen der merkwürdigen Echos auf dem Radar eine Luftkampfübung über den Niederlanden stattfand. Dabei seien auch Düppel ausgesetzt worden. Diese hätten sich jedoch nach etwa 1 Stunde und 10 Minuten „aufgelöst“. Zudem hätte die ausgesetzte Menge nicht für Radarechos in der beobachteten Größe ausreichen können, gibt das Verteidigungsministerium in seiner Stellungnahme an.

Wer für die Täuschungen des Wetterradars verantwortlich ist und zu welchem Zweck dies geschieht - diese Fragen werden von der Bundeswehr geschickt umschifft. Auf die Frage, ob es sich um militärische Experimente handelt, antwortet das Verteidigungsministerium: „Die Bundeswehr führt keine Experimente durch, die ein solches Phänomen hervorrufen könnte.“ Auch die Frage, ob es Kenntnisse über „entsprechende militärische Versuche über Norddeutschland mit dem Ziel der Terrorabwehr oder der Wetterbeeinflussung“ gebe, wird nahezu wortgleich beschieden: „Die Bundeswehr führt keine militärischen Versuche mit dem Ziel der Terrorabwehr oder zur Wetterbeeinflussung durch.“Die Bundeswehr scheidet also nach eigenen Angaben als Verursacher aus. Doch der Ursache der seltsamen Radarphänomene im deutschen Luftraum will die Bundeswehr offenbar auch nicht auf den Grund gehen. Und vor allem nicht der Frage nach dem Verursacher... Donnerwetter - Wetter Nachrichten

Google Translation: “Phantom clouds”
German Federal Armed Forces say they don't have a clue.

After an inquiry of the federal state government of Lower Saxony also the German Federal Armed Forces determined. But the statement that of military raises more questions, than it answers. In February Donnerwetter.de made the case „of the phantom cloud in such a way specified public “. In July 2005 the weather radar showed a 350 kilometers long cloud, which did not exist at all over Northern Germany. Meteoroligists of different organizations, among other things the German and the Netherlands weather service, could exclude natural causes. Only plausible explanation: The radar echo was produced by particles or substances, which were suspended in large quantity in the atmosphere - „chaff so mentioned “. At which purpose this happened, is the scientists until today unclearly. Donnerwetter.de refunded therefore charge because of the suspicion of illegal weather experiments and environmental pollution.

In March then several times further, puzzling structures dipped in the radar images over Germany up partly also over South Germany. Only after an inquiry of the Green delegate the German Federal Armed Forces determinations took up Ralf Briese to the federal state government of Lower Saxony. But these were also fast again terminated. The observed phenomena were noticeable to the Ministry of Defense according to own data themselves, measuring data of the first ‚radar cloud' in July 2005 the German Federal Armed Forces did not store. Also the Ministry of Defense nevertheless comes to the conclusion that „only the yield very specific chaff would come in substantial quantity “as a cause into question. And the German Federal Armed Forces confirm also that at the night of 22. on the 23. March 2006 about 1 hour before emerging the strange echoes on the radar a aerial engagement exercise over the Netherlands took place. Also chaff were suspended. These would have dissolved however after approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes „“. Besides the suspended quantity could have been sufficient not for radar echoes in the observed size, indicates the Ministry of Defense in its statement.

Who for the deceptions of the weather radar is responsible and for which purpose this happens - these questions are umschifft skillfully by the German Federal Armed Forces. To the question, whether it concerns military experiments, it answers the Ministry of Defense: „The German Federal Armed Forces do not accomplish experiments, which such a phenomenon could cause. “Also the question, whether it gives knowledge over „appropriate military attempts over Northern Germany with the goal of the terror defense or the weather influence “, is granted almost: „The German Federal Armed Forces do not accomplish military attempts with the goal of the terror defense or for weather influence. “ The German Federal Armed Forces separate thus according to own data as a causer. But the German Federal Armed Forces do not want to go to the cause of the strange radar phenomena in the German air space obviously also on the reason. And above all not the question about the causer...

Pieces of The Cosmic Puzzle

I caught the NASA news release below, which as it stands is a little misleading and confusing. On the NASA site they omit the "millions of years ago" roll theory reported at News In Science: Millions of years ago, Saturn's moon Enceladus may have somersaulted in space, creating an ice-spewing hot spot on the moon's south pole, scientists suggest. Science News


NASA-Funded Study Says Saturn's Moon Enceladus Rolled Over. Saturn's moon Enceladus - an active, icy world with an unusually warm south pole – may have performed an unusual trick for a planetary body. New research shows Enceladus rolled over, literally, explaining why the moon's hottest spot is at the south pole. Enceladus recently grabbed scientists' attention when the Cassini spacecraft observed icy jets and plumes indicating active geysers spewing from the tiny moon's south polar region. "The mystery we set out to explain was how the hot spot could end up at the pole if it didn't start there," said Francis Nimmo, assistant professor of Earth sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz (May 31, 2006).

Cassini-Huygens In January 2005 plumes of icy material extend above the southern polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus, imaged by the Cassini spacecraft. The monochrome view in the picture is presented along with a colour-coded image on the right.

Enceladus
is a small moon, which scientists on earth assumed to be dead, a floating ball of ice. The Cassini-Huygens satelite showed a different world than the one imagined. The satellite found a hot spot at the south pole, spewing massive heat, water and ice. The moon has an atmosphere. A cometary like jet tail emanates from The south pole. Heat is coming out of the interior.

Enceladus (Mythology) According to Greek mythology, Enceladus was one of the Gigantes, the enormous children of Gaia (Earth). During the battle between the Gigantes and the Olympian gods, Enceladus was disabled by a spear thrown by the goddess Athena. He was buried on the island of Sicily, under Mount Etna. The volcanic fires of Etna were believed to be the breath of Enceladus, and its tremors to be caused by him rolling his injured side beneath the mountain.

From Zecharia Sitchin's Website: The exciting news came from a report in the journal Science (10 March 2006), in which NASA revealed that its Cassini spacecraft discovered that Saturn’s fourth moon, Enceladus, spouts water geysers — “which hints at pockets of liquid water under the surface.” For that the temperature below the surface must be above freezing. In fact, even the moon’s above-surface temperature turned out to be 100 degrees warmer than what had been expected!

While planets generate internal heat from radioactive materials in their cores, the Saturn moon, it is now theorized, may be warmed by magnetic reactions as it orbits Saturn. One way or another, the astounding discovery corroborates scientifically the information that I have reported based on Sumerian writings: Yes, even that far away from the Sun, it can be hot enough for water to flow and life to emerge! March 2006 Z. Sitchin

Exploring the electric universe. From ancient mythology to cosmic plasma discharge: Thunderbolts.org The Hot Poles of Enceladus

The unexpected hot spot around Enceladus’ south pole is another indication of electric currents coursing through Saturn’s moon and connected with the electric circuits that compose Saturn’s plasma sheath.

Saturn's Comet The new-found jets on Saturn’s moon Enceladus are indistinguishable from the jets on comets. Like cometary jets, they are electrical in origin and indicative of electrical activity throughout the Saturnian system.

Thunderbolt's of The Gods

Shandong Province Mirage

Photograph of rare mirage off the coast of east China's Shandong Province.

Thousands of local residents and tourists witnessed a mirage of high clarity lasting for four hours off the shore of Penglai City in east China's Shandong Province Sunday. Mists rising on the shore created an image of the city, with modern high-rise buildings, broad city streets and bustling cars as well as crowds of people all clearly visible.

Penglai had been soaked by two days of rain before the rare weather phenomenon occurred. The mirage took place during the week-long Labour Day holiday. Experts said that many mirages have been recorded in Penglai, on the tip of Shandong Peninsula, which made it to be known as a dwelling place of the gods.

They explained that a mirage is formed when moisture in the air becomes warmer than the seawater temperature, refracting rays of sunlight to create reflections of the landscape in the sky. -- Xinhua (May 2006) Thoth Web

Other Dimensions
In the past few months mirages have appeared in many different areas of Mainland China. What are mirages all about? Most people believe that mirages are caused by reflections from the atmosphere. This explanation, however, is far from being completely convincing. With the advancement of modern science, scientists have come to understand that the dimension human beings inhabit is not the only one in the universe. There exist other dimensions that man can't see, which have matter and life-forms in them. A mirage is a way in which other dimensions can manifest in our dimension. That is to say the existence of other dimensions can "accidentally" display themselves in this space in the form of mirages, allowing us to see them. Pure Insight

NASA - Black Holes Are Green

NGC 4696 in the Centaurus Galaxy Cluster:

Black Holes Found To Be Green By NASA's Chandra Black holes are the most fuel efficient engines in the Universe, according to a new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. By making the first direct estimate of how efficient or "green" black holes are, this work gives insight into how black holes generate energy and affect their environment.

The new Chandra finding shows that most of the energy released by matter falling toward a supermassive black hole is in the form of high-energy jets traveling at near the speed of light away from the black hole. This is an important step in understanding how such jets can be launched from magnetized disks of gas near the event horizon of a black hole.

"Just as with cars, it's critical to know the fuel efficiency of black holes," said lead author Steve Allen of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. "Without this information, we cannot figure out what is going on under the hood, so to speak, or what the engine can do."

Allen and his team used Chandra to study nine supermassive black holes at the centers of elliptical galaxies. These black holes are relatively old and generate much less radiation than quasars, rapidly growing supermassive black holes seen in the early Universe. The surprise came when the Chandra results showed that these "quiet" black holes are all producing much more energy in jets of high-energy particles than in visible light or X-rays. These jets create huge bubbles, or cavities, in the hot gas in the galaxies.

The efficiency of the black hole energy-production was calculated in two steps: first Chandra images of the inner regions of the galaxies were used to estimate how much fuel is available for the black hole; then Chandra images were used to estimate the power required to produce the cavities."If a car was as fuel-efficient as these black holes, it could theoretically travel over a billion miles on a gallon of gas," said coauthor Christopher Reynolds of the University of Maryland, College Park.New details are given about how black hole engines achieve this extreme efficiency.

Some of the gas first attracted to the black holes may be blown away by the energetic activity before it gets too near the black hole, but a significant fraction must eventually approach the event horizon where it is used with high efficiency to power the jets. The study also implies that matter flows towards the black holes at a steady rate for several million years.

"These black holes are very efficient, but it also takes a very long time to refuel them," said Steve Allen who receives funding from the Office of Science of the Department of Energy.

This new study shows that black holes are green in another important way. The energy transferred to the hot gas by the jets should keep hot gas from cooling, thereby preventing billions of new stars from forming. This will place limits on the growth of the largest galaxies, and prevent galactic sprawl from taking over the neighborhood.

These results will appear in an upcoming issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program for the agency's Science Mission Directorate. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations from the Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Mass. Additional information and images can be found at:

Chandra-Press Room

Chandra-NASA

March 2006 Solar Eclipse

Below is a very nice description of the coming eclipse of the sun from: Astrology On The Web

The March 29 Solar Eclipse

The year's first solar eclipse occurs on Wednesday, March 29, 2006. A total eclipse will be visible from within a narrow corridor, which traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's shadow begins in Brazil and extends across the Atlantic, northern Africa, and central Asia, where it ends at sunset in western Mongolia. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the northern two thirds of Africa, Europe, and central Asia.

The eclipse path begins in eastern Brazil, where the Moon's umbra first touches down on Earth at 08:36 UT (Universal Time, or GMT), creating a 129-kilometre wide path. The umbra is the dark central zone of the Moon's shadow, as opposed to the penumbra, which is the lighter, outer part of the shadow. It quickly leaves Brazil and races across the Atlantic Ocean with no landfall for the next half hour. After crossing the equator, the shadow enters the Gulf of Guinea and encounters the coast of Ghana at 09:08 UT. The 1.7 million inhabitants of Ghana's capital city Accra can expect a total eclipse lasting 2 minute 58 seconds (09:11 UT).

Moving inland the umbra enters Togo at 09:14 UT. Unfortunately, the capital city Lome lies just outside the southern limit so its inhabitants will only witness a grazing partial eclipse. Two minutes later, the leading edge of the umbra reaches Benin, whose capital Porto-Novo experiences a deep partial eclipse. Continuing northeast, the shadow's axis enters Nigeria at 09:21 UT. Since Lagos is situated about 120 kilometres outside the umbra's southern limit, its population of over eight million will witness a partial eclipse of magnitude 0.968.

The umbra's axis takes about sixteen minutes to cross western Nigeria before entering Niger at 09:37 UT. During the next hour, the shadow traverses some of the most remote and desolate deserts on the planet. When the umbra reaches northern Niger (10:05 UT), it briefly enters extreme northwestern Chad before crossing into southern Libya.

The instant of greatest eclipse occurs at 10:11:18 UT when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to the center of the Earth. Continuing on a northeastern course, the umbra crosses central Libya and reaches the Mediterranean coast at 10:40 UT. Northwestern Egypt also lies within the umbral path where the central duration is 3 minutes 58 seconds.

Passing directly between Crete and Cyprus, the track reaches the southern coast of Turkey at 10:54 UT. With a population of nearly 3/4 million people, Antalya lies 50 kilometres northwest of the central line. The coastal city's inhabitants are positioned for a total eclipse lasting 3 minutes 11 seconds while observers on the central line receive an additional 35 seconds of totality. Konya is 25 kilometres from path center and experiences a 3 minute 36 second total phase beginning at 10:58 UT. Crossing mountainous regions of central Turkey, the Moon's shadow intersects the path of the 1999 Aug 11 total eclipse. A quarter of a million people in Sivas have the opportunity of witnessing a second total eclipse from their homes in less than seven years. Let's trust that they do not suffer the fate of so many of their compatriots under the previous cosmic time-bomb.

The eclipse will begin at 11:44 and the sun will be fully eclipsed at 12:41 - the eclipse ending at 13:39 European time CalSky-Germany

Celtic Mythology - Buddha & The Nagas

The Vernal Equinox (20 March) and as the sun moves into the first degree of Aries the Celts show gratitude for the Celtic "New Year" ... If truth be told, the Picts and the Celts did not have a New Year. Not the early tribes. They were star gazers and observers, and they paid attention to the progression of the heavens. They were aware of a larger and more pervasive "time-line" - that of Cosmos.

Secrets of the Celtic Cross

"Irish mythology says that the Tuatha Dé came to Ireland thousands of years ago from islands across the ocean where advanced spiritual practices flourished. The myths give various accounts of their arrival and origins, but one Irish source says that the wise agree that the Tuatha Dé came from heaven, because of the excellence of their knowledge. This tells us that whatever their origins, the source of their spiritual knowledge and power was ultimately the Otherworld.

"Another of their names suggests something about the quality of their shamanic interactions with the Otherworld. In later manuscripts, the Tuatha Dé were also called the Tuatha Dé Danu, often translated as the "Tribes" or "People of the Goddess Danu." However, the word dán in Old Irish means art, creation, or co-creation. Artists and craftspeople, as well as shamanic practitioners, were often called the Áes Dana, the People of Art, and were sometimes thought of as descendants of the Tuatha Dé.

"The word dán is used in a variety of ways. It can be an artistic or scientific gift, a gift from man to God, a gift from God to man, or an inspired poem or artwork. Dán in the largest sense is the power by which we co-create our lives with God -- the greatest art we can produce being a life in harmony with the Sacred. So the name Tuatha Dé Danu can also mean: The Co-creative Tribes of God."

To the Picts and the Celts Tolkien's: Lord of the Rings would not be what people today call fiction... Until today, in the highlands of Scotland, people there know that elves and faeiries are real. In many ways more real than todays mechanical, material world. The ancestors feel pity for the people of the modern world, those who do not know their own roots, and who know nothing of the real world. If you do not have the eyes to see (the eye of spirit), then you know you are caught in a trap, isolated from your origins and therefore lost.

In that respect the Nepal Buddha Boy: Palden Dorje Bio appears to be something or someone strange in a world that has lost its own knowing and wisdom. Buddha Dharma claim that he was born during the May 9 full moon in 1989. Perhaps the translation from the Nepalese calender was miscalculated? The May 9 Full moon was in 1990. Assuming that the May 9, 1990 Buddha full moon birth date is correct, then the Buddha boy was born with full moon conjunct Pluto.

Chart Source: http://astro.com

Recollecting the past incidents, the Guru said, "on Jestha 17, 2062 (May 29, 2003), Palden Dorje work up from meditation. I asked him if he did not like to stay at home. He replied that he did not like to do anything and all that he wanted to do was to meditate. I asked him why he did not take any food. I also asked him if he was not hungry. He replied that two Nagas (snakes) would sit here on the right and left side and the Naga sitting on the right side would give him milk and that was enough for him. He said that nobody should be worried about him."

The mythology of the Rainbow Serpent as the source of wisdom leaves only the question, is the rainbow serpent the divine within the DNA? Philip Gardiner writes: "In Scottish myth one of these fairies lived inside a tree and often appeared holding a limpet shell containing the ‘milk of wisdom’ which was called the “copan Moire..."

Related to the Buddha - "Naga is a Sanskrit term meaning literally Serpent (especially cobra) but it also holds the meanings ­ a tree; a mountain; the sun; the number seven; wisdom and initiate ­ all symbols and emblems we will become familiar with in the worship of the serpent. They are said to reside in Patala, however this has a meaning similar to antipodes, the same name given by the ancients to the America’s. It is a similar term to the Mexican Nagals, the medicine (healers) and sorcerers who always kept a god in the shape of a serpent. In Burma they are Nats or serpent gods. Esoterically Naga is a term for wise men. There is a folk tradition that Nagas washed Gautama (Buddha) at his birth ­ the wise men visiting the deity on Earth and cleansing the enlightened one. They are also said to have guarded him and the relics of his body after his death."

It is obvious that those who travel to stand and watch a sage meditate are lacking their own inner power of meditation. We are not on this earth to watch and comment (nor depend) on those who apply their skills of spiritual awareness, but each one has to discover and apply awareness of the divine for themselves. I would say: Leave the boy alone!

Bed Bahadur Thing, chief of the Om Namobuddha Tapaswi Seva Committee (formed to regulate devotees of the Buddha Boy), told reporters Bomjan had been found in the forest Sunday morning by a team of seven volunteers.'He was tired of the crowds and wanted to meditate in peace,' Thing reportedly said. 'So he went deeper into the forest seeking quiet.'

Master Of The Aether

... Or A New Era In Mankind?

TERRA RESEARCH LLC

12-February-2004 - Larry Park

Science has taken a wrong turn in 1887 when Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley conducted a famous experiment, called the Michelson-Morley Experiment. This wrong turn formed an errant foundation our current physics and science rests upon, starting from Albert Einstein (Einstein's Postulates & special theory of relativity) to modern day electromagnetic theory. This wrong turn will rock science to its foundation when realized. It will shatter theories and rewrite a century of books. Among the most devastating will be a crumbling of modern astrophysical theory on formation of our universe (big bang, age of, redshift, and more). Yet, an early scientist was acutely aware of this errant path, but considered it a blessing. Why? A quote:
"I am even grateful to Einstein and others because through their erroneous theories they lead mankind away from that dangerous path I followed." ”

Who is this scientist? It was Nikola Tesla, inventor of our current AC electrical power system. What does this have to do with earthquakes? This wrong turn has kept science from understanding a power which permeates our universe and is the power inside an earthquake. But this power is the fear Tesla expressed in 'dangerous path'. It is a fear that mankind will develop this power for the harm of mankind, rather than for the benefit of mankind.
This article is a bit lengthy and a little technical at times, please bear with me, there are a number of points to assemble here. But they are touched upon briefly.

Earthquakes are predictable
Now is the time where science needs to correct this wrong turn. Why? Too many people are suffering the tragedy of earthquakes in the world. These deaths may be averted. How? The earthquake energy starts hours to days before the ground shakes and is reliably detectable to give warning. Tesla accidentally stumbled across this effect in a resonance experiment, yet everyone has misinterpreted the real physics of what actually happened since today's science or understanding is based on this wrong turn. Earthquakes are predictable. Technology exists now that proves this and the real physics behind the earthquake. More on this further in article.

Science built foundation on 'sand'
Before explanation, let me state that a good part of science is based on proper observations and theory. Science assumes a solid foundation, such as an analogy of 'built upon rock'. However, if 'built upon sand' the foundation will shift and everything above could come crashing down. Already today, astrophysicists are searching for 'missing mass' in our universe, referred to as 'dark matter' as theories are having difficulty in explaining our universe and its formation. New Hubble space telescope discoveries have led to viewing galaxies far distant and beyond original land based telescope observations. This causes problems for light 'red shift' and original expanding universe theory (i.e. galaxy speeding away faster than light - how can we view its light if so). The Standard Model of particle physics has some serious problems - it cannot explain the 'dark energy' or 'dark matter' that astrophysicists are looking for. Theories are continually modified to account for a 'shifting' foundation. A foundation error can ripple throughout science.

'You are wrong, Mr. Einstein - ether does exist!'

Pretty powerful words. Again purported from Nikola Tesla's discovered manuscripts. It continues.

"They say much about the Einstein's theory now. According to Einstein the ether does not exist and many people agree with him. But it is a mistake in my opinion. Ether's opponents refer to the experiments of Maykelson - Morli [Michelson-Morley] who made attempts to detect the Earth's movement relative to the fixed-bed ether. These experiments failed, however it didn't mean the ether's non-existence. I always based as fact the existence of mechanical ether in my works and therefore I could achieve positive success." Nikola Tesla, [transcribed manuscript,(found in old fire-helmet as small manuscript book used as lining)].

Tesla knew of the existence of 'ether' or a 'medium' which the Michelson-Morley experiment tested to determine its existence as Tesla developed technology that interacted with the ether. The Michelson-Morley experiment didn't take into account a 'swirling' of the ether matching the earth's rotation. Einstein thus formed his famous Special theory of Relativity based on this erroneous indication of ether's non-existence. Tesla continues,

"What is the ether and why is it so difficult to detect it? I reflected on this matter for a seriously long time and here are the outcomes I have been led to: I think that all the contradictions about whether the ether exists or not are the result of wrong interpretation of ether's properties. The ether has always been presented as an aeroform environment [gaseous]. That was the essential mistake. The ether has a very strong density. It is known that of more dense a substance, the higher is the speed of wave propagation within it. When comparing acoustic speed in the air and the light speed I have drawn a conclusion that ether density is several thousand times higher than air density. It is not the ether that is aeroform [gaseous] but the material world is an aeroform to the ether!" Nikola Tesla

In other words, ether is a medium that permeates our entire universe but we don't see it like we see and feel objects in our world. Yet this ether is intensely linked to every atom in existence. An analogy is that ether exists as an intimate shadow to us and our world, but it is not directly observable. This intimate shadow is far denser than atoms in our world. This intimate shadow exists even in empty regions of space. It exists everywhere in our universe.

Is "Ether" God's Firmament?
Some think of it as a 'firmament' that our universe exists within. Tesla continues, "A good example for such an interaction becomes apparent in gravitation, which should rather be named, universal compression. I think the material bodies do not gravitate between each other but it is the ether that makes one material body to press to another."

"We wrongly call this phenomenon gravitation."

"We can also feel ether's reaction when sudden acceleration or braking."

"The stars, planets and all the universe appeared from the ether when some part of it, due to certain reasons, became less dense."

"It can be compared with formation of blebs [air bubbles] in boiling water although such a comparison is only rough. The ether tries to return itself to its initial state by compressing our world, but intrinsic electric charge within material the world substance obstructs this. It is similar to that when the water compresses blebs [air bubbles] filled with hot water steam. Until the steam does get cold the water is unable to compress the bleb. With time, having lost the intrinsic electric charge, our world will be compressed with the ether and is going to turn into ether."

"Having come out of the ether once - so it will go back into the ether." Nikola Tesla
Certainly, Tesla had a much different viewpoint than current scientific theory has today on matter formation. But Tesla was intimate with understanding of this 'medium' of ether and had time to investigate its effects in our world. His working understanding of ether led him to uniquely insightful realizations.

Other modern day scientists are re-discovering what Tesla understood. The staggering amount of energy in this 'ether' has scientists in awe. So much so that they speak of God. The interactive energy of the ether is known to science today as "Zero Point Energy" or ZPE.

ZERO POINT ENERGYSetterfield
Setterfield.org

"Question: I have been reading your article about Zero Point Energy, and I am fascinated by it. I was hoping you could elaborate on how in on cubic centimeter it contains more energy than all stars and space, that really baffles me."

"Setterfield: Thank you for the question. It lets me know there have been some misunderstandings, and I am happy for a chance to clear them up."

"The Zero Point Energy (ZPE) is indeed pervasive throughout the whole volume of space. Each cubic centimeter has the same amount of ZPE. It is an extremely large amount, but not quite as large as you seem to have been led to believe. Certainly, each cc [cubic centimeter] contains more energy than expended by all the stars in OUR GALAXY in a million years, but this is a 'few degrees' less than all the stars in space! How is this possible?"

"Think about a rubber band. Stretch it. Stretch it more. Until it is almost ready to break. You have just invested it with quite a bit of energy - all contained in that little bit of rubber."

"In the Bible, we read twelve times that God says He stretched the heavens. If this verb is correct, and I believe it is, then the entire fabric of space has been invested with energy past our ability to even imagine it. This is why each cc of space has such an enormous amount of energy in it. We cannot feel it because it is all around us and in us equally - and, besides, we're used to it! But it is there. The pressure of our atmosphere gives a good picture. You cannot feel fourteen pounds per square inch of pressure on your skin, but it is there. On the other hand, if that pressure were suddenly (or even slowly) released, you would literally explode. The same with the ZPE."

"I hope this helps. The energy itself is from God - from his action in stretching out the heavens."
Zero Point Energy in our universe becomes a mind boggling thought. For a cube about 1/3 an inch square is contained more energy than expended by ALL of the stars in OUR GALAXY in a million years!

Science 'goofed' on assuming ether is non-existent
Another 'goof' in science is that since ether didn't exist (Michelson-Morley experiment interpretation) is that this pesky term in Maxwell's equations could be fudged - or assumed to be zero. Scientist Oliver Heaviside didn't like the increasing complexity in solving equations in the full equation forms. By assuming this term 'non-physical' it allowed the simplification of equations and thus working with them. Turns out, this pesky term is not zero at all and is real. Oops.

What does this mean? It means that science has missed the fact of existence of this term. It means that this term implies an ability to interact with Scalar Field Effects - or Scalar waves. Tesla knew of these. He called them Longitudinal waves. And what does Longitudinal waves propagate within? A medium or the 'ether'.

How does Scalar Field Effects, Ether, and Zero Point Energy tie together? It means that the tremendous energy of ZPE can manifest in our world in a synchronized way. The earthquake. (for description of scalar waves see prior articles).

Our Changing World

Late-night mystery:
Dozens of readers from across Israel told Ynet about unusually loud “explosions” and tremors throughout the night, but attempts to shed light on the source of the blasts has been met with uncertainty.

October 28 - Y Net

Double Mystery:
Just three weeks after dozens of readers from across Israel told Ynet about unusually loud booms and tremors throughout the night, residents again reported hearing loud boom-like sounds in different parts of the country Tuesday, mainly in coastal regions, claiming their homes shook as a result. November 22 - Y Net

During the December 26, 2004 Earthquake off Sumatra, mysterious "sky booms" were heard in Sumatra a week before the quake.

What is an ‘Earthquake Boom’?

Earthquake Boom is a very loud, deep sounding explosion, which emanates from the earth. If directly above emanation, directional determination may be difficult as sound is not from a distinct direction as it is from a wide area of earth’s surface. It is a higher frequency audio form of the traditional shaking earthquake even though current seismographs cannot ‘see’ or ‘record’ them. Scalar devices are able to clearly ‘see’ these events along with the rest of the earthquake ‘family’ of earth-generated events such as the ‘silent’ or ‘slow’ earthquake. Another relative to the ‘family’ is the earth ‘lurch’ and a ‘fast version of slow’ earthquake – these yet to be discovered by mainstream science.

These loud explosions have been witnessed by many over the years. They also accompany traditional earthquakes as these are part of the mix of seismic activity (earthquake & earthquake boom).City residents of Spokane Washington in the summer of 2001 experienced a classic series of explosions (earthquake booms) and earthquakes in a flurry of shallow earthquake swarms. Seismologists were unable to record these booming events on seismographs. Terra Research



Bandar Abbas - Iran: A powerful earthquake has hit southern Iran, killing at least 10 people, injuring dozens more and damaging several villages, officials say. The 6.1-magnitude quake struck Qeshm island, home to 120,000 people, and the city of Bandar Abbas, state media said. BBC

Mystery Booms from 2004 - A loud explosion which sent residents running for cover has been heard in Wales for the second time in less than a week. Windows and homes shook in areas of Denbighshire and Conwy at around 17.50BST on Tuesday. North Wales Police received calls from worried residents who thought there had been an earthquake.

Glenn Ford, a seismologist with the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, said they had had no signals "consistent with an earthquake in the area". The small earthquakes are very similar to effects observed by sonic booms," he said. BBC News