All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Weapons go to conflict zones, the money comes to Germany

New figures show that German weapons exports increased yet again this year, especially sales of small arms to countries outside NATO. Critics say you need look no further for the root of displaced people in Europe.

Source: Weapons go to conflict zones, the money comes to Germany

Terrace Farming – an Ancient Indigenous Model for Food Security

Terraces built by Atacameño Indians in the village of Caspana in Alto Loa, in the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta. This ageold farming technique represents an adaptation to the climate, and ensures the right to food of these Andes highlands people. Credit: Marianela Jarroud/IPS

Terraces built by Atacameño Indians in the village of Caspana in Alto Loa, in the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta. This ageold farming technique represents an adaptation to the climate, and ensures the right to food of these Andes highlands people. Credit: Marianela Jarroud/IPS

By Marianela Jarroud
CASPANA, Chile, Oct 21 2015 (IPS)

Terrace farming as practiced from time immemorial by native peoples in the Andes mountains contributes to food security as a strategy of adaptation in an environment where the geography and other conditions make the production of nutritional foods a complex undertaking.

This ancient prehispanic technique, still practiced in vast areas of the Andes highlands, including Chile, “is very important from the point of view of adaptation to the climate and the ecosystem,” said Fabiola Aránguiz.

“By using terraces, water, which is increasingly scarce in the northern part of the country, is utilised in a more efficient manner,” Aránguiz, a junior professional officer on family farming with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), told IPS from the agency’s regional headquarters in Santiago, some 1,400 km south of the town of Caspana in Chile’s Atacama desert.

In this country’s Andes highands, terrace farming has mainly been practiced by the Atacameño and Quechua indigenous peoples, who have inhabited the Atacama desert in the north for around 9,000 years.

Principally living in oases, gorges and valleys of Alto Loa, in the region of Antofagasta, these peoples learned about terrace farming from the Inca, who taught them how to make the best use of scant water resources to grow food on the limited fertile land at such high altitudes.

The terraces are “like flowerbeds that have been made over the years, where the existing soil is removed and replaced by fertile soil brought in from elsewhere, in order to be able to grow food,” the Agriculture Ministry’s secretary in Antofagasta, Jaime Pinto, told IPS.

“This has made it possible for them to farm, because in these gorges where they terrace, microclimates are created that enable the cultivation of different crops,” Pinto, the highest level government representative in agriculture in the region, said from the regional capital, Antofagasta.

The official said that although water is scarce in this area, “it is of good quality, which makes it possible, in the case of the town of Caspana, to cite one example, to produce garlic or fruit like apricots or apples on a large scale.”

According to official figures, in the region of Antofagasta alone there are some 14 highlands communities who preserve the tradition of terrace farming, which contributes to local food security as well as the generation of income, improving the quality of life.

Communiities like Caspana, population 400, and the nearby Río Grande, with around 100 inhabitants, depend on agriculture, and thanks to terrace farming they not only feed their families but grow surplus crops for sale.

But people in other villages and towns in Alto Loa, like Toconce, with a population of about 100, are basically subsistence farmers, despite abundant terraces and fertile land. The reason for this is the heavy rural migration to cities, which has left the land without people to farm it, Pinto explained.

The town of Caspana, 3,300 metres above sea level, in the Atacama desert in northern Chile. Its 400 inhabitants depend on small-scale agriculture as they proudly declare on a rock at the entrance to the village, thanks to the use of the ancient tradition of terrace farming. Credit: Marianela Jarroud/IPS

The town of Caspana, 3,300 metres above sea level, in the Atacama desert in northern Chile. Its 400 inhabitants depend on small-scale agriculture as they proudly declare on a rock at the entrance to the village, thanks to the use of the ancient tradition of terrace farming. Credit: Marianela Jarroud/IPS

“Ours is fertile land,” Liliana Terán, a 45-year-old mother of four and grandmother of four who belongs to the Atacameño indigenous community, told IPS. One of her income-generating activities is farming on the small terrace she inherited from her mother in Caspana.

“Whatever you plant here, grows,” she added proudly.

The name of her indigenous village, Caspana, means “children of the valley” in the Kunza tongue, which died out in the late 19th century. The village is located 3,300 metres above sea level in a low-lying part of the valley.

Caspana is “a village of farmers and shepherds” reads a sign carved into stone at the entrance to the village, which is inhabited by Atacameño or Kunza Indians, who today live in northwest Argentina and northern Chile.

Each family here has their terrace, which they carefully maintain and use for growing crops. The land is handed down from generation to generation.

Each village has a “juez del agua”, the official responsible for supplying or cutting off the supply of water, to ensure equitable distribution to the entire village.

“The water flows down through vertical waterways between the terraces, from the highest point of the river, and is distributed in a controlled mmaner,” said Aránguiz.

“With this system, better use is made of both irrigation and rainwater, and more water is retained, meaning more moisture in the soil, which helps ease things in the dry periods,” she added. “And the drainage of water is improved, to avoid erosion and protect the soil.”

All of these aspects, said the FAO representative, make terrace farming an efficient system for fighting the effects of climate change.

“Well-built and well-maintained terraces can improve the stability of the slopes, preventing mudslides during extreme rain events,” she said, stressing “the cultural importance of this ancestral technique, which strengthens the economic and social dynamics of family agriculture.”

Aránguiz pointed out that indigenous people in the Andes highlands have kept alive till today this tradition which bolsters food security. She specifically mentioned countries like Bolivia and Peru, noting that terrace farming is used in the latter on more than 500,000 hectares of land.

Luisa Terán, 43, who has an adopted daughter and is Liliana’s cousin, works the land on her mother’s terrace.

When IPS was in the village the day before the traditional ceremony when the local farmers come together to clean the waterways that irrígate the terraces, Luisa was hard at work making empanadas or stuffed pastries for the celebration.

“This ceremony is very important for us,” as it marks the preparation of the land for the next harvest, she said.

Pinto underlined that “maintaining these cultivation systems is a responsibility that we have, as government.”

He said that through the government’s Institute of Agricultural Development, the aim is to implement a programme for the recovery and maintenance of terraces that were damaged in the most recent heavy storms in northern Chile.

In addition, projects are being designed “to help young people see agricultural development as an economic alternative.”

This goes hand in hand with the fight against inequality, Pinto said.

“We are working on creating the conditions for food autonomy and it is this kind of cultivation that can generate contributions to agricultural production to feed the region,” he added.

Edited by Estrella Gutiérrez/Translated by Stephanie Wildes

Justice Obstructed: Senate Confirms Only 8th Judge of 2015

Posted by: 

Amelia Bell, Fellow

Yesterday, the Senate voted 95-2 to confirm Ann Donnelly to serve as a judge on the District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Donnelly is highly qualified for this position, after spending close to 25 years as a prosecutor in the New York County District Attorney’s Office, serving as a judge on the New York State Court of Claims, and most recently as a trial judge in the Kings County Supreme Court. She will make a great addition to the Eastern District of New York.

capitol_000014985993small.jpgHowever, Donnelly is only the eighth judge the Senate has confirmed this year even though 30 judgeships have been vacant so long that they have been declared official judicial emergency vacancies. Donnelly’s confirmation filled one of those judicial emergency vacancies, but dozens of other vacancies unjustifiably remain. Just in New York, there are two judicial nominees that were approved by the Judiciary Committee with no opposition, yet requests for final votes on those nominees have inexplicably been denied.

So while Ann Donnelly’s confirmation is great news for the Eastern District of New York, many other courts and the people who rely on them for justice are left to suffer the consequences of unfilled judgeships and overburdened courts while the Senate continues to inexcusably obstruct the confirmation process.

Regarding that 99.9% Probability Of A > M5.0 L.A. Earthquake Study

image

 Credit USGS – Probability of the `Big One’ over 30 years

 

 

# 10,646

 

Earthquake predictions are a dime a dozen on the Internet, and if you add in killer asteroids, the approach of planet Nibiru, and extraterrestrial invasions, even a little cheaper on Youtube.  Once a week someone posts a video about the imminent eruption of Yellowstone, a catastrophic pole shift, or a  mega-tsunami coming to your neighborhood soon. 

And on a cosmic timescale, all of these are possible (except the nonsense about Nibiru, which doesn’t exist).

Despite this inane chatter, there are serious scientists out there who are looking for NEOs (Near Earth Objects), who study fluctuations in the earth’s magnetic field, and who are attempting to pick up geological signals that can `predict’ earthquakes.  

 

It isn’t all rubbish.

 

So when a study, prepared by scientists at California’s JPL, appearing in a respected journal like Earth and Space Science, predicting a 99.9% probability of a M5.0 magnitude (or greater) quake in Los Angeles over the next three years, the media – and other scientists – take notice.

 

The full study may be read at:

 

Potential for a large earthquake near Los Angeles inferred from the 2014 La Habra earthquake

Andrea Donnellan1,2, Lisa Grant Ludwig3, Jay W. Parker1, John B. Rundle4, Jun Wang5, Marlon Pierce5,
Geoffrey Blewitt6, and Scott Hensley1

Abstract

Tectonic motion across the Los Angeles region is distributed across an intricate network of strike-slip and thrust faults that will be released in destructive earthquakes similar to or larger than the 1933 M6.4 Long Beach and 1994 M6.7 Northridge events. Here we show that Los Angeles regional thrust, strike-slip, and oblique faults are connected and move concurrently with measurable surface deformation, even in moderate magnitude earthquakes, as part of a fault system that accommodates north-south shortening and westerly tectonic escape of northern Los Angeles. The 28 March 2014 M5.1 La Habra earthquake occurred on a northeast striking, northwest dipping left-lateral oblique thrust fault northeast of Los Angeles. We present crustal deformation observation spanning the earthquake showing that concurrent deformation occurred on several structures in the shallow crust. The seismic moment of the earthquake is 82% of the total geodetic moment released. Slip within the unconsolidated upper sedimentary layer may reflect shallow release of accumulated strain on still-locked deeper structures. A future M6.1–6.3 earthquake would account for the accumulated strain. Such an event could occur on any one or several of these faults, which may not have been identified by geologic surface mapping.

 

Although you have to read through a heavy dose of science and math, the money quote can be found near the end, where the authors write:

 

The calculated probability for a M ≥ 6 earthquake within a circle of radius 100 km, and over the 3 years following 1 April 2015, is 35%. For a M ≥ 5 earthquake within a circle of radius 100 km, and over the 3 years following 1 April 2015, the probability is 99.9%.

 

Before anyone gets too shook up (sorry, couldn’t resist), over the past 81 years Los Angeles has seen 32M5.0 quakes, and the USGS already had set the three-year risk of that size quake at a respectable 85%. This report ups the ante, but either way, the risks of seeing a M5.0 quake in L.A. during that time frame are pretty high.

 

A 99.9% certainty is a pretty bold prediction, however, and the USGS has posted a statement on their Facebook page urging caution in interpreting these results.

 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

11 hrs ·

USGS Statement on JPL La Habra Study in the news:

This paper claims a 99.9% probability of an earthquake of magnitude 5 or greater occurring in the next 3 years within a large area of Southern California without providing a clear description of how these numbers were derived. The area—a 100 km radius circle centered on the city of La Habra—is a known seismically active area. For this same area, the community developed and accepted model of earthquake occurrence, “UCERF3”, which is the basis of the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps, gives a 3-year probability of 85%. In other words, the accepted random chance of a M5 or greater in this area in 3 years is 85%, independent of the analysis in this paper.

While the earthquake forecast presented in this paper has been published in the online journal Earth and Space Sciences, it has not yet been examined by the long-established committees that evaluate earthquake forecasts and predictions made by scientists. These committees, the California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council, which advises the California Office of Emergency Services, and the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council, which advises the U.S. Geological Survey, were established to provide expert, independent assessment of earthquake predictions.

The earthquake rate implied by the 99.9% probability is significantly higher than observed at any time previously in Southern California, and the lack of details on the method of analysis makes a critical assessment of this approach very difficult. Therefore, the USGS does not consider the analysis presented in this paper a reason to change our assessment of the hazard.

http://on.doi.gov/1GjakvD

 

 

None of this falls in my wheelhouse, so I can offer no opinion other than to say – while the consequences aren’t as dire – the difference between these two estimates is essentially the difference between playing Russian Roulette with 6 rounds in the chamber (JPL), or only 5 (USGS).  Either way, you’re going to wish you had your insurance premiums paid up.

 

In this case, `insurance’ is preparedness.  

 

And while this JPL prediction centers on Los Angeles, a recent  USGS study published in the journal Earthquake Spectra, nearly doubles – to 143 million – the number of Americans who live or work in areas susceptible to potentially damaging ground shaking  (see USGS: Nearly Half Of U.S. Population Exposed to Potentially Damaging Earthquakes).

 

Every home should have no less than a 72-hour supply of emergency food and water, for all of its occupants (including pets!). 

image

Basic kit : NWS radio, First Aid Kit, Lanterns, Water & Food & cash

 

This is a bare minimum, here in the United States many agencies and organizations recommend that households work towards having a 10-day supply of food, water, and emergency supplies on hand.

In When 72 Hours Isn’t Enough, I highlighted  a colorful, easy-to-follow, 100 page `survival guide’ released by Los Angeles County, that covers everything from earthquake and tsunami preparedness, to getting ready for a pandemic.

image

While admittedly California-threat specific, this useful guide may be downloaded here (6.5 Mbyte PDF).

 

For more on earthquake risks, and preparedness, you may wish to revisit:

Dr. Lucy Jones: `Imagine America Without Los Angeles’

California Quakes : Concrete Concerns

Estimating The Economic Impact Of A San Andreas Quake

USGS/OGS Joint Statement On Increased Earthquake Threat To Oklahoma

Bangladesh – Threatening email orders Bangladeshi media to fire women

Reporters Without Borders condemns the threats against news media and bloggers contained in a email that was sent to a score of Bangladeshi print and broadcast media outlets on 19 October, and calls on the authorities to take concrete measures to protect all those targeted.

Sent by Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a militant Islamist group that has claimed the murders of four bloggers this year, and signed by a person identifying himself as ABT spokesman Abdullah bin Salim, the Bengali-language email constituted a clear threat to all media that fail to adhere strictly to Islamic law.

The email included a demand for news media to fire all female employees and to refrain from publishing any ads that show women or any photos that include a woman not wearing a burqa.

Telling media outlets to fire women employees is appalling, especially as women journalists are already in the minority in news organizations and are exposed to additional difficulties and threats because they are women,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk.

The authorities must take action to prevent women journalists being silenced. At the same time, bloggers are still being threatened so the government must be especially vigilant and end the culpable passivity that has already resulted in the deaths of four bloggers since the start of the year. These new threats must be investigated and the investigation must make rapid progress leading to the arrest of this extremist group’s members.

The email also included death threats against 15 bloggers – nine living abroad and six living in Bangladesh – said to have participated in an “anti-Islam campaign” on social networks, as well as all those who “support atheists” and all those whose “freedom of expression breaks the limit we have set.

Naming three of the four bloggers murdered this year – Niloy Neel, Washiqur Rahman and Avijit Roy – and referring menacingly to their fate, the email warned that “the consequences will be severe if you do not walk the path of Islam.”

The email continued with a series of directives banning any criticism or negative publicity about the “soldiers of Islam” and any content contrary to the Sharia. Media outlets criticizing those responsible for the death of an “atheist” would be regarded as encouraging atheism and would “face the consequences,” the message added.

Imran H. Sarker, one of Bangladesh’s most popular bloggers, with about a million followers on social networks, received similar death threats on 17 October from a Facebook account apparently linked to the Islamic State.

All of the bloggers murdered since the start of 2015 – Washiqur Rahman, Ananta Bijoy Das, Niloy Neel and Avijit Roy, the founder of the Mukto-Mona discussion website – criticized religious fundamentalism and advocated tolerance, free speech and freedom of thought in their blogs.

Bangladesh is ranked 146th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.