SuperBug NDM-1 found in Drinking Water

Back in August of 2010, it was reported that a SuperBug strain called NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1), had been discovered in the UK with links back to India. Today, in April of 2011, the ‘Lancet infectious Diseases journal’ reports that bacteria carrying the NDM-1 SuperBug has been discovered in the drinking water supply of New Delhi.
The Health Protection Agency has warned that 88 cases have been recorded so far.
The director of the HPA said that modern medicine will crumble if antibiotic-resistant strains overtake the ability to perform even simple and common procedures where the role of antibiotics fighting infections are crucial for recovery. “It’s vital to grasp that fighting the emergence of resistance is fighting evolution itself” said Dr. David Livermore.
There are barely a handful of antibiotics currently in the pipeline to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria. “The worldwide spread of genes resistant to last-resort antibiotics is a nightmare scenario” the World Heath Organization has said.
The WHO said the abuse of antibiotics for people and the abuse within the food chain is threatening to take the world to an era before the discovery of penicillin in the 1920's.
more information at http://dailymail.co.uk/health/
If you enjoyed this, or topics of preparedness or current events risk awareness, consider our survival blog RSS feed, new posts by E-mail, or bookmark us at Modern Survival Blog
View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

The Berkey Water Filters

We bought our ‘British Berkefeld’ Stainless Steel Gravity water filter about 8 years ago, for the purpose of providing safe drinking water during a 2-week vacation stay at a location in the Trinity Alp Wilderness area of northern California. It worked magnificently because none of us got sick from drinking the water.

Even though water may appear pristine, and even though water may be coming from a source that is far from the hustle and bustle of civilization, there is still a high risk of invisible ‘nastiness’ being in the water – which could readily get you sick. Most ‘campers’, or even vacationers, have experienced this ill-fated condition after having drunk ‘bad’ water. It’s not fun.

Ever since that first experience with that water filter, we’ve used it every time when we’ve vacationed in or at a similar location.

There are several features that we like about it that stand out from other types of filter systems.

It is a tabletop model, with a rubber ring around the bottom which holds it very secure without slipping on the table surface. We’ve even taken it with us on a rented motor-home road-trip while fully loaded with water on the edge of the counter and it never slipped.

The fact that it is gravity fed means no pumping required. You just add water to the upper chamber by lifting the lid, and then the water slowly dribbles through the filter ‘candles’ into the bottom chamber.

Another nice feature is the convenient spigot at the bottom for easy pouring.

The filter elements, sometimes called ‘candles’ seemingly last forever. The specification on the element type that our filter uses is rated for 1,000 gallons per candle. So, that’s 2,000 gallons before we need to swap them out. That’s a lot of drinking water!

The filter elements are impregnated with silver, so there is no issue regarding sterilization. I’m glad I bought my extra set of spare filters before the price of silver went through the roof Still worth it though…

About a year ago we actually began using the filter full-time at the house. It has it’s own spot in the room next to the kitchen and we top it off once a day to have delicious water at the ready. Makes for a great tasting morning pot of coffee too!

Our tap water here is actually quite good, in that it tastes much better than other waters that I’ve tasted around the country. I’m sure we all get used to the taste of our own water supply after awhile, but I am happy to know that the filter system is screening out nearly every impurity, no matter what the municipality adds to the water source. Great peace of mind.

For the prepper, I strongly urge you to invest in a GOOD water filter system, at least one. One similar to this which could provide a very large supply of drinking water over time, and one that is built to last a lifetime. You should also have at least one GOOD portable water filter too. We have a portable unit for each of our two car kits, which could also be used on a hike, or wherever.

One great sponsor of our site is ‘Jeff’, ‘The Berkey Guy’. He has been distributing Berkey water filters for many years and is well known in the industry. I know for certain that his products are the best there are when it comes to water filters, and I strongly urge you to visit his site and consider purchasing a potential life-saving piece of gear.

If the $hite ever hits the fan for real, the municipal water supplies could go down or become contaminated. You won’t regret having a high quality water filter.

Visit the Berkey Guy’s products here at http://directive21.com
Even if they were not a sponsor, I would still recommend them!

If you enjoyed this, or topics of preparedness or current events risk awareness, consider our survival blog RSS feed, new posts by E-mail, or bookmark us at Modern Survival Blog

berkey water filters swimming pool water

View the original article here

The Berkey Water Filters

We bought our ‘British Berkefeld’ Stainless Steel Gravity water filter about 8 years ago, for the purpose of providing safe drinking water during a 2-week vacation stay at a location in the Trinity Alp Wilderness area of northern California. It worked magnificently because none of us got sick from drinking the water.

Even though water may appear pristine, and even though water may be coming from a source that is far from the hustle and bustle of civilization, there is still a high risk of invisible ‘nastiness’ being in the water – which could readily get you sick. Most ‘campers’, or even vacationers, have experienced this ill-fated condition after having drunk ‘bad’ water. It’s not fun.

Ever since that first experience with that water filter, we’ve used it every time when we’ve vacationed in or at a similar location.

There are several features that we like about it that stand out from other types of filter systems.

It is a tabletop model, with a rubber ring around the bottom which holds it very secure without slipping on the table surface. We’ve even taken it with us on a rented motor-home road-trip while fully loaded with water on the edge of the counter and it never slipped.

The fact that it is gravity fed means no pumping required. You just add water to the upper chamber by lifting the lid, and then the water slowly dribbles through the filter ‘candles’ into the bottom chamber.

Another nice feature is the convenient spigot at the bottom for easy pouring.

The filter elements, sometimes called ‘candles’ seemingly last forever. The specification on the element type that our filter uses is rated for 1,000 gallons per candle. So, that’s 2,000 gallons before we need to swap them out. That’s a lot of drinking water!

The filter elements are impregnated with silver, so there is no issue regarding sterilization. I’m glad I bought my extra set of spare filters before the price of silver went through the roof Still worth it though…

About a year ago we actually began using the filter full-time at the house. It has it’s own spot in the room next to the kitchen and we top it off once a day to have delicious water at the ready. Makes for a great tasting morning pot of coffee too!

Our tap water here is actually quite good, in that it tastes much better than other waters that I’ve tasted around the country. I’m sure we all get used to the taste of our own water supply after awhile, but I am happy to know that the filter system is screening out nearly every impurity, no matter what the municipality adds to the water source. Great peace of mind.

For the prepper, I strongly urge you to invest in a GOOD water filter system, at least one. One similar to this which could provide a very large supply of drinking water over time, and one that is built to last a lifetime. You should also have at least one GOOD portable water filter too. We have a portable unit for each of our two car kits, which could also be used on a hike, or wherever.

One great sponsor of our site is ‘Jeff’, ‘The Berkey Guy’. He has been distributing Berkey water filters for many years and is well known in the industry. I know for certain that his products are the best there are when it comes to water filters, and I strongly urge you to visit his site and consider purchasing a potential life-saving piece of gear.

If the $hite ever hits the fan for real, the municipal water supplies could go down or become contaminated. You won’t regret having a high quality water filter.

Visit the Berkey Guy’s products here at http://directive21.com
Even if they were not a sponsor, I would still recommend them!

If you enjoyed this, or topics of preparedness or current events risk awareness, consider our survival blog RSS feed, new posts by E-mail, or bookmark us at Modern Survival Blog

berkey water filters swimming pool water

View the original article here

The Berkey Water Filters

We bought our ‘British Berkefeld’ Stainless Steel Gravity water filter about 8 years ago, for the purpose of providing safe drinking water during a 2-week vacation stay at a location in the Trinity Alp Wilderness area of northern California. It worked magnificently because none of us got sick from drinking the water.

Even though water may appear pristine, and even though water may be coming from a source that is far from the hustle and bustle of civilization, there is still a high risk of invisible ‘nastiness’ being in the water – which could readily get you sick. Most ‘campers’, or even vacationers, have experienced this ill-fated condition after having drunk ‘bad’ water. It’s not fun.

Ever since that first experience with that water filter, we’ve used it every time when we’ve vacationed in or at a similar location.

There are several features that we like about it that stand out from other types of filter systems.

It is a tabletop model, with a rubber ring around the bottom which holds it very secure without slipping on the table surface. We’ve even taken it with us on a rented motor-home road-trip while fully loaded with water on the edge of the counter and it never slipped.

The fact that it is gravity fed means no pumping required. You just add water to the upper chamber by lifting the lid, and then the water slowly dribbles through the filter ‘candles’ into the bottom chamber.

Another nice feature is the convenient spigot at the bottom for easy pouring.

The filter elements, sometimes called ‘candles’ seemingly last forever. The specification on the element type that our filter uses is rated for 1,000 gallons per candle. So, that’s 2,000 gallons before we need to swap them out. That’s a lot of drinking water!

The filter elements are impregnated with silver, so there is no issue regarding sterilization. I’m glad I bought my extra set of spare filters before the price of silver went through the roof Still worth it though…

About a year ago we actually began using the filter full-time at the house. It has it’s own spot in the room next to the kitchen and we top it off once a day to have delicious water at the ready. Makes for a great tasting morning pot of coffee too!

Our tap water here is actually quite good, in that it tastes much better than other waters that I’ve tasted around the country. I’m sure we all get used to the taste of our own water supply after awhile, but I am happy to know that the filter system is screening out nearly every impurity, no matter what the municipality adds to the water source. Great peace of mind.

For the prepper, I strongly urge you to invest in a GOOD water filter system, at least one. One similar to this which could provide a very large supply of drinking water over time, and one that is built to last a lifetime. You should also have at least one GOOD portable water filter too. We have a portable unit for each of our two car kits, which could also be used on a hike, or wherever.

One great sponsor of our site is ‘Jeff’, ‘The Berkey Guy’. He has been distributing Berkey water filters for many years and is well known in the industry. I know for certain that his products are the best there are when it comes to water filters, and I strongly urge you to visit his site and consider purchasing a potential life-saving piece of gear.

If the $hite ever hits the fan for real, the municipal water supplies could go down or become contaminated. You won’t regret having a high quality water filter.

Visit the Berkey Guy’s products here at http://directive21.com
Even if they were not a sponsor, I would still recommend them!

If you enjoyed this, or topics of preparedness or current events risk awareness, consider our survival blog RSS feed, new posts by E-mail, or bookmark us at Modern Survival Blog

berkey water filters swimming pool water

View the original article here

U.S. Air and Rain Water Contaminated with Radioactive Iodine... Linked to Japan

Low levels of radioactive iodine believed to be from Japan's disaster-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant have been detected in the atmosphere in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida, environmental officials said today. ~ Map

SEE GLOBAL RADIOACTIVE DIPERSION MAP

There is no current threat to public safety, said Progress Energy spokesman Drew Elliot.

Public health officials say drinking water is safeFlaws in U.S. radiation alert network has left parts of west coast without real-time warning system

Monitors at Progress Energy's nuclear plants in Hartsville, South Carolina, and Crystal River, Florida, picked up low levels of radioactive iodine-131. So did Duke Energy's monitors at its two nuclear facilities in South Carolina and the plant in Huntersville, North Carolina.

Mr Elliot said: 'If there were radiation coming from one our own sites, we would be seeing other types of radiation than iodine-131.

Warning system: Six of the Environmental Protection Agency's 12 California sensors are sending data with 'anomalies' to the laboratory that tests levels

'Other nuclear stations throughout the East Coast all started picking this up within the last week. It all points to something coming from overseas.

'The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency both say it poses no threat to public safety.'

Trace amounts of radioactive iodine have also turned up in rainwater samples in Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania and Washington state.

Public health officials said it posed no threat to drinking supplies.

Air samples from the same location in Massachusetts have shown no detectable radiation.

The news came as flaws in the US government’s radiation alert network have left a stretch of coastline between Los Angeles and San Francisco without a key real-time warning system in the event of a nuclear emergency.

A time lag of between 30 minutes and several hours could leave West Coast residents at risk from deadly radiation.

Detected radiation: Sensors in California, Washington, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have reported low radiation levels in rainfall, while North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida have reported radiation in the air

National network: Points on the map show the positions of radiation sensors in the U.S.

Six of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 12 California sensors are sending data with ‘anomalies’ to the laboratory in Montgomery, Alabama, that tests radiation levels, said Mike Bandrowski, manager of the EPA’s radiation programme.

The problem is some of the suspect information arriving at the lab via satellite has to be manually reviewed, a process that can take up to several hours.

The delay in updating a database to trigger the alarm could mean it could sound too late to give anyone any time to react to the potential danger, environmentalists said.

Rainwater samples were collected from more than 100 sites around the country as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Radiation Network monitoring system.

Danger? Three of the problematic sensors are close to the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near San Luis Obispo in California

'The drinking water supply in Massachusetts is unaffected by this short-term, slight elevation in radiation,' said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach.

'We will carefully monitor the drinking water as we exercise an abundance of caution,' he said.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. directed the Department of Environmental Protection to collect additional samples for testing from several water bodies across Massachusetts. Results will be available over the next several days.

At concentrations found, the radioiodine-131 would likely become undetectable in a 'relative short time,' according to a statement issued by agency.

Smoke rises from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex two days after the Japan earthquake. Trace amounts of radioactive iodine linked to the plant have been traced in rainwater in America

Trace amounts of radiation believed to have originated from damaged Fukushima Daiichi reactors in the aftermath of Japan's devastating 9.0 earthquake on March 11 have also been detected in air samples in several western U.S. states, but at levels so small they posed no risk to human health.

In Japan, mounting problems, including miscalculated radiation figures and inadequate storage tanks for huge amounts of contaminated water, stymied emergency workers Sunday as they struggled to bring the country's nuclear complex back from the edge of disaster.

Workers were trying to remove radioactive water from the nuclear compound and restart the regular cooling systems for the dangerously hot fuel.

March 28, 2011 - DailyMailUK

Submitted by SadInAmerica on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 5:28pm.

View the original article here

U.S. Air and Rain Water Contaminated with Radioactive Iodine... Linked to Japan

Low levels of radioactive iodine believed to be from Japan's disaster-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant have been detected in the atmosphere in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida, environmental officials said today. ~ Map

SEE GLOBAL RADIOACTIVE DIPERSION MAP

There is no current threat to public safety, said Progress Energy spokesman Drew Elliot.

Public health officials say drinking water is safeFlaws in U.S. radiation alert network has left parts of west coast without real-time warning system

Monitors at Progress Energy's nuclear plants in Hartsville, South Carolina, and Crystal River, Florida, picked up low levels of radioactive iodine-131. So did Duke Energy's monitors at its two nuclear facilities in South Carolina and the plant in Huntersville, North Carolina.

Mr Elliot said: 'If there were radiation coming from one our own sites, we would be seeing other types of radiation than iodine-131.

Warning system: Six of the Environmental Protection Agency's 12 California sensors are sending data with 'anomalies' to the laboratory that tests levels

'Other nuclear stations throughout the East Coast all started picking this up within the last week. It all points to something coming from overseas.

'The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency both say it poses no threat to public safety.'

Trace amounts of radioactive iodine have also turned up in rainwater samples in Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania and Washington state.

Public health officials said it posed no threat to drinking supplies.

Air samples from the same location in Massachusetts have shown no detectable radiation.

The news came as flaws in the US government’s radiation alert network have left a stretch of coastline between Los Angeles and San Francisco without a key real-time warning system in the event of a nuclear emergency.

A time lag of between 30 minutes and several hours could leave West Coast residents at risk from deadly radiation.

Detected radiation: Sensors in California, Washington, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have reported low radiation levels in rainfall, while North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida have reported radiation in the air

National network: Points on the map show the positions of radiation sensors in the U.S.

Six of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 12 California sensors are sending data with ‘anomalies’ to the laboratory in Montgomery, Alabama, that tests radiation levels, said Mike Bandrowski, manager of the EPA’s radiation programme.

The problem is some of the suspect information arriving at the lab via satellite has to be manually reviewed, a process that can take up to several hours.

The delay in updating a database to trigger the alarm could mean it could sound too late to give anyone any time to react to the potential danger, environmentalists said.

Rainwater samples were collected from more than 100 sites around the country as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Radiation Network monitoring system.

Danger? Three of the problematic sensors are close to the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near San Luis Obispo in California

'The drinking water supply in Massachusetts is unaffected by this short-term, slight elevation in radiation,' said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach.

'We will carefully monitor the drinking water as we exercise an abundance of caution,' he said.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. directed the Department of Environmental Protection to collect additional samples for testing from several water bodies across Massachusetts. Results will be available over the next several days.

At concentrations found, the radioiodine-131 would likely become undetectable in a 'relative short time,' according to a statement issued by agency.

Smoke rises from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex two days after the Japan earthquake. Trace amounts of radioactive iodine linked to the plant have been traced in rainwater in America

Trace amounts of radiation believed to have originated from damaged Fukushima Daiichi reactors in the aftermath of Japan's devastating 9.0 earthquake on March 11 have also been detected in air samples in several western U.S. states, but at levels so small they posed no risk to human health.

In Japan, mounting problems, including miscalculated radiation figures and inadequate storage tanks for huge amounts of contaminated water, stymied emergency workers Sunday as they struggled to bring the country's nuclear complex back from the edge of disaster.

Workers were trying to remove radioactive water from the nuclear compound and restart the regular cooling systems for the dangerously hot fuel.

March 28, 2011 - DailyMailUK

Submitted by SadInAmerica on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 5:28pm.

View the original article here

Radiation At Fukushima Water Jumps To Over 1 Sievert, 10 Million Times Higher Than "Normal", Plutonium Tests Ordered For The First Time

And the hits just keep on coming. Earlier today, TEPCO announced that the radiation in the water pool of reactor #2 had been measured at 1,000 millisieverts/h (1 sievert/h) - the highest reading so far recorded since the Fukushima disaster started. As a reminder, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says a single dose of 1,000 millisieverts is enough to cause haemorrhaging, which a ten hour exposure to this dose is enough to result in death. "The situation is serious. They have to pump away this water on the floor, get rid of it to lower the radiation," said Robert Finck, radiation protection specialist at the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, speaking before the operator expressed doubt about the high reading. "It's virtually impossible to work, you can only be there for a few minutes. It's impossible to say how long it will take before they can gradually take control." From Kyodo: "Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the concentration of radioactive substances of the puddle was 10 million times higher than that seen usually in water in a reactor core, but later decided to reanalyze the data because it found some errors." And keep in mind this is the idiocy that is resulting after last week the brilliant geniuses at TECPO came up with the plan to water each and every reactor: now it's time to remove the water, but the water just happens to be so radioactive, nobody can remove it. In the meantime the leak into the ocean keeps getting worse: "Radioactive iodine-131 at a concentration 1,850.5 times the legal limit was detected in a seawater sample taken around 330 meters south of the plant, near a drainage outlet of the four troubled reactors, compared with 1,250.8 times the limit found Friday, the agency said." And while Zero Hedge has long believed that the only possible outcome here is the Plan Z concrete entombment, which will guarantee an 80 km non-inhabitable radius around Fukushima in perpetuity, finally the "experts" are warming up to this idea: per Reuters: "Experts say there is still too much heat in the reactor cores and spent fuel at the Fukushima plant for a similar last-ditch solution to be considered yet."

LEVELS 10 MILLION TIMES ABOVE NORMAL

The latest scare came as engineers were trying to pump radioactive water out of a turbine unit after it was found in buildings housing three of the reactors.

Officials at first said the water in No. 2 was found to contain 10 million times the amount of radioactive iodine that is normal in the reactor, but noted the substance had a half-life of under an hour, meaning it would disappear within a day.

Later they said the element that gave the reading may have been cobalt 56, which has a half life of 77 days, and if this was the case the level of radioactivity would have been far lower.

Radiation levels in the sea off the plant rose on Sunday to 1,850 times normal, from 1,250 on Saturday, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.

"Ocean currents will disperse radiation particles and so it will be very diluted by the time it gets consumed by fish and seaweed," said Hidehiko Nishiyama, a senior agency official.

TOKYO RADIATION LEVELS NORMAL

The elevated radiation detected on Sunday was confined to the reactor, and radioactivity in the air beyond the evacuation zone around the plant remained in normal ranges.

In downtown Tokyo, a Reuters reading on Sunday afternoon showed ambient radiation of 0.16 microsieverts per hour, below the global average of naturally occurring background radiation of 0.17-0.39 microsieverts per hour.

Several countries have banned produce and milk from Japan's nuclear crisis zone and are monitoring Japanese seafood because of fears of radioactive contamination.

Kyodo news agency said Japan would call on World Trade Organisation members at a meeting this week not to overreact to the radiation scare and abide by rules that ban import restrictions not based on scientific grounds.

The accident has also triggered concern around the globe about the safety of nuclear power generation. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it was time to reassess the international atomic safety regime.

The crisis looked set to claim its first, and unlikely, political casualty. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel's party faced defeat in a key state on Sunday, largely because of her U-turn on nuclear power.

OVERSHADOWING RELIEF EFFORT

The drama at the plant has overshadowed a relief and recovery effort from the magnitude 9.0 quake and the huge tsunami it triggered that left more than 27,100 people dead or missing in northeast Japan.

In Otsu, 70 km (42 miles) south of the stricken nuclear facility, the townsfolk are faced with livelihoods derailed by the natural disaster and now the fear of radiation in the air.

Ninety-three-year-old Kou Murata sat cross-legged on the floor of a school classroom, her home for the past fortnight. Surrounded by piles of quilts and blankets, she fretted over what was to become of her in the twilight of her life.

"I am afraid because people are leaving, and we are alone," she said, looking small and frail in a jacket decorated with snowmen.

Murata's daughter, Hisae, said the government had not helped them.

"I want to go back home, but the situation is impossible," she said. "I applied to the government to get a temporary house, but we need a certificate to say the house was destroyed. Now all the temporary houses have been taken. We thought the government would come to us, but we need to go to them."

The first opinion poll to be taken since the disaster showed the approval rating for Prime Minister Naoto Kan had edged higher, to 28.3 percent, but more than half disapproved of how the nuclear crisis had been handled.

Making things much worse is that, apparently for the first time, TEPCO has ordered tests for highly toxic and extremely lethal plutonium on the site:

As the worst atomic accident since Chernobyl entered its third week, the government said soil near the Fukushima plant would be tested for plutonium contamination. The radioactive metal was used in one of the reactors and its presence outside the plant would suggest the fuel rods were damaged.

 “I’ve said the situation won’t immediately improve, and high radiation water is one of the unexpected things that I had said might occur,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a briefing in Tokyo today. “We want to continue cooling, and establish a direction toward ending the situation.”

Soil samples have been taken and will be tested for plutonium, Edano told reporters.

Radiation leaks have contaminated vegetables in regions around the plant and sparked scares over tap water in Tokyo, 227 kilometers (140 miles) southwest of the Tokyo Electric Power Co. Dai-Ichi power station.

Which of course means that up until now nobody had been measuring for plutonium fall out. Brilliant.

And while nobody really knows anything that is happening at the plant, one thing we can be sure of is that the latest surge in radiation by 10E6, will cause Joe LaVorgna to hike his GDP forecast for Japan by a comparable amount.

In other news, radiation burns suffered by three TEPCO workers while puddling along reactor 2 was just due to unfortunate combination of too much sun and little to no tanning lotion. We are confident repair on Reactor 2 will proceed immediately...by mutant 3 eyed ill-tempered seabass. Or was the seawater radioactivity count faulty too?

View the original article here

New Berkey Light Water Filter System With 2 Black Berkey Filters

Constructed of a shatter resistant, high impact strength non BPA copolyester; the system comes complete with two purification elements, a base and utilizes the latest technological advances. This system has a storage capacity of about 2.75 gallons and when in use it stands 26.5 in height with a diameter of 9. The system stands 21 when used without the base (included). Configured with two Black Berkey® purification elements the system can purify over 4 Gallons per hour. The Berkey LightTM system is designed for use during travel, outdoor activities and during unexpected emergencies. This powerful system purifies both treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may be substandard at best. Perfect for outdoor activities and a must in hostile environments where electricity, water pressure or treated water may not be available.

Price: $209.00

Click here to buy from Amazon

Desperation: Food, Water, Fuel, Electricity Run Short In Japan

It’s been ten days since the Tsunami swept through Japan and wiped out the entire infrastructure of the North Eastern part of the island. Like the US, just-in-time delivery made essentials like food and water as easily accessible as air. But when the grid goes down in an economy so dependent on inventory management, transportation, and electronic debit transactions, all hell breaks loose. Nearly two weeks on, the people in areas affected by the Tsunami and nuclear crisis have seen little relief. Many are just struggling to survive on a few hundred calories per day.

In another time, another place, Kazuhiro Takahashi could be taken for a tramp, out scavenging for food after a long night on the bottle. In fact, he is just another hungry victim of Japan’s tsunami trying to find food for his family.

“I am so ashamed,” says the 43-year-old construction worker after he realizes he’s been spotted. “But for three days we don’t have enough food. I have no money because my house was washed away by the tsunami and the cash machine is not working.”

If his haul wasn’t so pitiful – his bag had two packets of defrosted prawn dumplings and a handful of vacuumpacked seafood sticks inside – Takahashi might be taken for a looter. But in the port town of Ichinomaki, 320 kilometres north of Tokyo, his story is disturbingly common.

Japan might be a rich country, but a week after the tsunami struck it is struggling to feed and house the victims.

“I have a place in a rescue centre in the Aka’i Elementary School, but the food they are giving us is not enough,” Takahashi says. “My parents are in their 70s and we receive a tiny bowl of plain rice twice a day, with nothing else, just a pinch of salt. We are hungry, so I have come to look for food.”

Source: The Gazette

—

Gas station queues stretching for several kilometres, long waits at supermarkets, empty store shelves and shuttered businesses have become a part of the landscape in post-tsunami Japan.

At the foot of the Mount Iwate volcano, the people of Morioka city — almost 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the devastated coast — are still trying to adjust to the sudden absence of many things they had simply taken for granted.

At a gas station on the outskirts of the city, motorists waited hours on end before finally reaching the gas pump, clutching a 2,000 yen ($25, 17 euros) daily rationing coupon in their hands. The coupon is barely enough to buy a third of a tank on an average-sized city car.

…

“There are no more meat and vegetables. I’m eating instant meals all the time,” said Naohiko Seki. “I would like to regain my old life, but when I think about people who suffered from the tsunami, I tell myself I shouldn’t complain.”

…

Convenience stores, usually open around the clock, had row after row of empty shelves, where prepared foods like the normally ubiquitous ‘onigiri’ rice balls, water and milk products once stood.

…

“It’s really strange. The stores have almost no baby food and other items. It makes me uneasy and anxious. I am worried because I don’t know whether or not I will be able to buy what my child needs,” he said.

Source: AFP

Author Naseem Talib calls it a black swan – an extraordinary event so remote that one cannot plan or prepare for it. Donald Rumsfeld once described events in the Iraq war as “known unknowns” and “unknown unknowns.” The only thing we really do know with respect to disaster planning is that sometimes we just can’t know what to expect due to lack of available information or contemplation.

For those in Japan, even a cache of food, water, gas, and other reserve supplies would not have been enough. Many homes were simply wiped away, leaving residents with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs. In this situation, desperation sets in quickly. And without a local emergency response, or a culture of support, social norms, laws and decency can dissolve within days.

The Japanese, unlike disaster victims we’ve seen in other crisis regions like New Orleans or Haiti, have been handling themselves as well as they can, without much violence or reports of looting. Emergency responders, government and the private sector have not been completely ineffective, and have managed to keep the flow of commerce moving to those parts of Japan most affected, albeit not at the pace most would expect from a leading global player.

In Japan, ATM machines are down, and banks are closed in Tsunami areas and nuclear evacuation zones. This means that unless you had cash or something of value on your person at the time the disaster struck there is no way to acquire whatever goods are available without government assistance. Even within a technologically advanced society like Japan, however, even the basics become difficult to distribute for emergency responders and military personnel when we’re talking numbers in the millions of people.

In his book Indivisible, author Troy Grice writes of a ration-card solution that keeps commerce moving during a US dollar currency collapse. Grice wasn’t too far off in his fictional account. In response to the wide-spread regional disaster, the Japanese government has issued ration cards, which are seemingly the only viable course of action in the first world when the monetary unit of exchange, in this case the Yen, becomes unavailable.

Unlike the first few days of Katrina, where residents had no access to clean water or food, or Haiti, where gangs roamed the streets looking to loot and pillage essential supplies, the Japanese have been able to restore some of theirinfrastructure, namely food, water, limited gasoline and the sense that the country is starting to move forward.

Save a further degradation of the nuclear situation, the very worst – those initial days after crisis where families lost loved ones and food and water were unavailable – may be behind the people of Japan.

The Japanese people, it seems, have been able to hold strong. At least that’s what reports from the devastated region suggest thus far. Those who are of the ability to help have been doing so, as it is clear that the government is totally overwhelmed. Any nation whose people can respond by working together, by sharing, by comforting each other, will undoubtedly recover. Johann Hari, writes, in The myth of the panicking disaster victim, of how human beings have responded to disasters throughout history:

The evidence gathered over centuries of disasters, natural and man-made, is overwhelming. The vast majority of people, when a disaster hits, behave in the aftermath as altruists. They organise spontaneously to save their fellow human beings, to share what they have, and to show kindness. They reveal themselves to be better people than they ever expected. When the social scientist Enrico Quarantelli tried to write a thesis on how people descend into chaos and panic after disasters, he concluded: “My God! I can’t find any instances of it.” On the contrary, he wrote, in disasters “the social order does not break down… Co-operative rather than selfish behaviour predominates”.

On 18 April 1906, San Francisco was levelled by an earthquake. Much of the city collapsed, and the rest began to burn. Anna Amelia Holshouser – a middle-aged journalist – was thrown out of bed, and felt her house collapse around her. She wandered the streets, and found herself sleeping that night in the park. But then the daze wore off, and she did what almost everybody else did: she began to look after the people around her. She knitted tents out of old clothes to house all the children who had lost their parents. She set up a soup kitchen, and the local shop-keepers handed over the goods for free. Hundreds of people gathered there, as they were gathering around similar people across the city. Anna put up a sign that said: “One Touch of Nature Makes the Whole World Kin.

Hat tip Aussie Suzy, Rense.com

View the original article here

Katadyn Micropur MP1 Water Purification Tablets

Ultralight Katadyn Micropur tablets provide fresh drinking water anywhere you go. The only disinfection system effective against viruses, bacteria, Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Fresh tasting water-no unpleasant taste. Easy-to-use

Price: $13.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

Florida ground water rose after Japan earthquake

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The devastating earthquake that shook Japan caused a temporary jolt in groundwater levels throughout much of Florida, officials said. The South Florida Water Management District reports that a network of groundwater gauges registered a jump of up to three inches in the water table from Orlando to the Florida Keys about 34 minutes after the quake struck on March 11.

The oscillations were observed for about two hours and then stabilized.

Continues here

View the original article here

Warning issued over possible surface flooding, slips and fast-rising water levels

Infonews.co.nz Monday 21 March 2011, 9:55AM
By Environment Waikato
WAIKATO

Waikato Civil Defence is warning people to be aware of the dangers posed by heavy rain expected to hit the Coromandel later today, while a weather watch is also in place for the rest of the Waikato.

Emergency management officer Greg Ryan said the MetService had advised that up to 180mm was expected for the Coromandel Ranges from 4pm, with up to 100mm elsewhere on the Peninsula.

“Up to 50mm of rain could fall in an hour and this heavy rainfall has the potential to cause surface flooding, as well as slips on some of the Coromandel’s rural roads,” Mr Ryan said.

“Due to the intensity of this rainfall storm water drains could struggle to cope. The community can help minimise the impact of surface flooding by clearing debris and rubbish from drains and gutters.

“Motorists should ensure their headlights are on, so other road users can see their vehicles in the rain. Drivers should also reduce their speeds and increase their following distances to minimise their risk of a serious crash.

“The combination of the heavy rainfall, strong on-shore winds and higher than normal tides could also lead to flooding in low-lying areas.”

Mr Ryan advised water users to always check conditions prior to entering the coastal areas and adhere to all warnings.

He also reminded members of the public that the impact of the rainfall on rivers and streams would not be realised immediately and people should not endanger their lives by entering either flood waters, or swollen rivers or streams.

The Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is working closely with Environment Waikato to monitor the region’s rainfall and river levels.

On the web:
http://www.waikatoregioncdemg.govt.nz/
www.facebook.com/WaikatoCivilDefence
http://www.metservice.com/
http://www.aa.co.nz/

I wrote for Investigate Magazine from 2000-2005, then decided to invest my energy in the alternative media, when I became aware of the rise of fascism that was being concealed from the public under the guise of hoaxes, such as the "war on terror," by the mainstream media.

View the original article here

Lifesaver Bottle 4000 Ultra Filtration Water Bottle

Developed in response to natural disasters such as 2004's tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, and in response to the world's increasingly threatened supply of clean, drinkable water, the Lifesaver 4000 Ultra Filtration Water Bottle is a simple-to-use, chemical-free water purification system that removes water-borne pathogens and reduces chemical residues from the water making it safe to drink anywhere. The world's first all-in-one ultra filtration water bottle, the Lifesaver Bottle makes easy-to-use, portable water filtration a reality for travelers and outdoors people everywhere.

The Lifesaver bottle eliminates the need for iodine tablets, tedious boiling, chemicals, tubes, shaking, scrubbing, waiting, and effort from the water purification process. The bottle uses a long-term use replaceable filter, which can treat about 4,000 liters of water, 5.5 years of usage if you drank two liters of water every day. The bottle has a unique feature, which shuts the filter off when the cartridge has expired so you can get the maximum life out of your filter without the risk of drinking contaminated water.

The Lifesaver Bottle filters out all water-borne pathogens using a filter with holes 15 nanometers across to prevent even the smallest viruses, 25 nanometers across, to cross the filter, eliminating the need for chemicals to treat the water. The Lifesaver Bottle is fitted with a 4000UF replaceable purification cartridge that removes bacteria, viruses, cysts, parasites, fungi, and all other microbiological water-borne pathogens from your water.

The Lifesaver bottle also comes with an activated carbon filter made of a high specification activated carbon block, which reduces a broad spectrum of chemical residues including: pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds, medical residues, and heavy metals such as lead and copper. The Carbon filter also eliminates bad tastes and odors from contaminates such as chlorine and sulphur. The carbon filter is designed to last for approximately 250 liters.

In addition to the purification cartridge and carbon filter, the Lifesaver Bottle is supplied with a pre-filter disc. The pre-filter disc protects the membranes of the purification cartridge from objects such as gravel, sand, sticks, and mud, prolonging the overall life of the cartridge. Your pre-filter disc may also be used as a sponge to soak up water from those hard to reach areas like cracks in rocks or shallow puddles.

Exceptionally easy to use, the Lifesaver Bottle filters water on demand at the time of collection. Simply unscrew the base, dip the bottle in the nearest water source, and pump the water through the filter to a teat at the other end, purifying up to 750 milliliters of water in just under a minute. The clean water can be drank immediately, directly from the Lifesaver bottle or poured into a separate container for storage. Designed to work at any angle and in any axis, not only are you able to drink from the bottle in any position, but you can also fill mugs, water bottles, pans, and other water storage vessels from any position.

The Lifesaver Bottle utilizes failsafe technology to protect you from drinking contaminated water toward the end of the filter cartridge's life. As the cartridge approaches the end of its life, the bottle requires a greater number of pumps to induce water to flow. When no more water can be induced to flow despite continuous pumping, the cartridge has expired and it is time to replace it.

The Lifesaver Bottle is designed not to over-pressurize as a safety feature to prevent injury. Over-pumping the bottle will cause the flip lid to bulge. If pumping continues, then the teat will open and release the water and the pressure.

Due to its unique pneumatic action, the Lifesaver Bottle can be used to direct a jet of sanitized water directly onto a wound, cleaning away any other contaminants, allowing for levels of wound irrigation never before possible in the field.

Winner of the "Best Technological Development for Future Soldier System Enhancement" at Soldier Technology 2007, the Lifesaver bottle has earned the trust of the armed forces in delivering safe water anywhere in the world. Tested and approved for use by the United States EPA, the UK Water Compliance Guidelines, and the European Drinking Water Directive Council, the Lifesaver 4000 Ultra Filtration Water Bottle is a portable water purification system that you can rely on.

Filter Specifications:

• Cartridge service rating: 4,000 liters (1,056 U.S. gallons)
• Replaceable activated carbon filter
• Replaceable UF cartridge
• Bacteria retention: >99.999995 % (log 7.5)(2)
• Virus retention: >99.999 % (log5)(3)
• Activated carbon reduces chemical residues including: pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds, medical residues, and heavy metals

Bottle Specifications:

• Bottle storage capacity: 750 milliliters
• Chew-proof, replaceable drinking teat
• Watertight, snap-fit lid
• Cap seal
• Pump tube
• Protective sleeve
• Removable anti-slip base
• Twist lock pump handle
• Removable carry strap
• Dry weight of bottle including cartridge: 635 grams (approximately 22 ounces)

Operating Specifications:

• Minimum operating temperature: >0 degrees Celsius, 32 degrees Fahrenheit
• Maximum operating temperature: 50 degrees Celsius, 122 degrees Fahrenheit
• Minimum storage temperature: -10 degrees Celsius, 14 degrees Fahrenheit
• Maximum storage temperature: 60 degrees Celsius, 140 degrees Fahrenheit
• Initial flow rate: 2.5 liters per minute at 0.25 Bar(1)
• Flow rates and capacity depend on the quality of the feed water
• After first use the product should be protected against freezing

Compliance and Testing Specifications:

• U.S. compliance EPA: U.S. National Primary Drinking Water Regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act 93-523
• UK compliance: Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000
• EU compliance: European Drinking Water Directive Council, Directive 98/83/EC
• Tested by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine using Escherichia coli NCTC 10418 in accordance with the Protocol for Microbiological Water Purifiers in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines
• Tested by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine using Poliovirus Type 1 (Sabin vaccine strain) in accordance with the Protocol for Microbiological Water Purifiers in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines

Manufacturer Warranty
Two-year international limited warranty

Price: $149.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Datrex Emergency Water Packet - Case of 64

With a 5 year shelf life to match our Rations, our Emergency water packets provide a full meal?s hydration to one individual and are purchasable by the case of 64 or by the three-day supply (12 packets). Balanced with our rations to provide adequate hydration without over-burdening a carrier in case movement during a disaster is required, our Emergency Drinking Water is Coast Guard approved as sanitary and safe, unlike bottled water which is subject to absolutely no federal standards. Tough packaging stands up to weather and shields water against inhospitable conditions. Available for purchase by the 3-day pack or by the case. Case contains 64 individual water packets, to be consumed with meals, one packet four times a day. Shelf life: 5 years.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

SteriPEN Classic Handheld Water Purifier

Great for travel or an emergency-preparedness kit, this handheld water purifier destroys viruses, bacteria, and common protozoa. It weighs just 8 ounces with four AA, disposable batteries (not included) and purifies 16 ounces of water in 48 seconds, or 32 ounces in 90 seconds. The purifier employs ultraviolet light (UV) to destroy the DNA of microorganisms, making them unable to reproduce and cause illness. It's effective against outdoor microbes like giardia and cryptosporidium; pathogens that cause diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, and Legionnaire's Disease; household germs such as bird flu, E. coli, and salmonella; staph and strep; and natural-disaster risks like botulism, cholera, smallpox, and typhoid.

No pumping, no chemicals, no test strips, no timekeeping, no lubricating, and no replacement filters are required. All that is required is to push the water purifier's button (once for 32 ounces, twice for 16 ounces), place the pen-like lamp in clear water, and stir until an indicator light turns green. Water has no aftertaste after being purified. Measuring 7.6 inches long, the purifier comes with a nylon case and a user's guide. It exceeds U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for testing microbiological water purifiers.

Price: $79.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets

When drinking water is of questionable quality use Potable Aqua Germicidal Tablets to make most water bacteriologically suitable for drinking. Confidently trusted by those who have to know - militaries relief organizations and campers everywhere. Safe Drinkable water ... Anytime. Anywhere.

Price: $10.67

Click here to buy from Amazon

Mainstay Emergency Drinking Water (60 Pack)

Each case contains 60 (4.224 ounce) packs.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

Datrex Emergency Water Packet - 3 Day/72 Hour Supply

With a 5 year shelf life to match our Rations, our Emergency water packets provide a full meals hydration to one individual and are purchasable by the case of 64 or by the three-day supply (12 packets). Balanced with our rations to provide adequate hydration without over-burdening a carrier in case movement during a disaster is required, our Emergency Drinking Water is Coast Guard approved as sanitary and safe, unlike bottled water which is subject to absolutely no federal standards. Tough packaging stands up to weather and shields water against inhospitable conditions. Available for purchase by the 3-day pack or by the case. Case contains 64 individual water packets, to be consumed with meals, one packet four times a day. Shelf life: 5 years.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon