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Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 5/12/2012 4:58:03 PM
	2,000 Birds Found Dead in Chile: Are Fishermen To Blame? by Kristina Chew May 11, 2012 Some 2,000 birds have been found dead on a four-mile stretch of beach in central Chile. The birds include grey petrels, pelicans, gannets and Guanay cormorants. Jose Luis Brito, a natural history and archeology museum director, says that the birds get caught in fishermen’s nets but that “nothing” is done to help them. The birds drown and the fishermen simply throw their bodies back into the sea. Brito’s museum is in the coastal city of Santo Domingo and he says the museum intends to file a complaint. According to Agence France-Presse via Raw Story, some 100 bird carcasses were found just on Sunday on a beach. Another theory is that excessive fishing has led to stocks of anchovies — a favorite food of sea-birds — running low, so that the birds are starving to death. The mysterious reportings of dead birds in Chile follow other grisly discoveries in neighboring Peru. Thousands of maritime birds including pelicans as well as dolphins have been found dead on Peru’s shores in recent weeks. While environmentalists have suggested that oil exploration work is a possible culprit, government authorities blame warm water. According to CNN, the Peruvian National Center for the Study of El Nino says that, since February, marine currents have led to an abundance of warm water: The warm water has led fish such as anchovy and other species that live in surface waters to migrate to deeper water toward the south. As a result, pelicans and other birds that feed from the surface of the water died of starvation. “If these oceanographic conditions persist, it is likely that its impact will spread to other areas of the (Peruvian) coast even during the fall, which could make the numbers increase and affect other marine species” said the report. The deputy minister for strategic development of natural resources, Gabriel Quijandria, says that seafood is still safe to eat and that people can still visit the beaches, but should “avoid contact with the remains of pelicans, dolphins and other animals that are stranded.” An investigation into what caused the death of 900 dolphins that washed up in the Lambayeque region in Peru between January and April of this year is ongoing. The health ministry is waiting to see what might be revealed in testing for a morbillivirus, which belongs to the same group of viruses that causes measles in humans. Authorities are advising people to stay away from beaches in northern Peru while scientists investigate. But getting real answers about the deaths of so many marine animals is fraught with difficulties of its own. According to Discovery News, deputy minister of fishing Patricia Majluf has said that she was resigning on Friday as the office was “in disorder, full of irregularities and corruption” — not the kind of set-up needed to move quickly and solve the puzzle of the deaths of so, so many birds and dolphins. Related Care2 Coverage Over 500 Pelicans Found Dead in Peru: What Happened? Update: Over 260 Dead Dolphins Wash Up In Peru Dead and Deformed Sea Creatures Point to BP Oil Spill Read more: bird, child, dolphin, el nino, marine life, near threatened species, ocean life, pelican, peru Photo by Alistair Rae Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/2000-birds-found-dead-in-chile-are-fishermen-to-blame.html#ixzz1ufvQ9bqs
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
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Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 5/12/2012 5:03:48 PM
	House Passes Controversial Sportsmen’s Heritage Act by Alicia Graef May 11, 2012 A controversial pro-hunting bill, the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act, was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 274-146 and now heads to the Senate. This bill combines a number of measures that could negatively impact wildlife, the environment and nature enthusiasts by opening the majority of public lands, including wildlife refuges and national monuments, to hunting and opening portions of roadless areas to motorized vehicles, which are currently prohibited by the Roadless Rule, and could potentially pave the way for logging, mining, drilling and other forms of development in designated Wilderness Areas. It would also cause problems in three other major areas by allowing the import of polar bear trophies from Canada, preventing the EPA from regulating lead ammunition and undermining current laws that are in place to protect the environment by exempting decisions about hunting and fishing from environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act. “This bill should be renamed the ‘Sportsmen’s Death Knell Act,” said Bill Snape, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It flies in the face of traditional American hunting values to conserve ― not needlessly kill ― our game. Instead of upholding values dear to many hunters, it degrades wildlife habitat on public lands and mandates continued use of known poisonous lead bullets and sinkers that are unhealthy for hunters and anglers as well as our wildlife. There are powerful reasons we banned toxic lead from gasoline, plumbing and paint; now it’s time to finally rid this toxin from our bullets and fishing sinkers.” The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act is described as a way to promote hunting and fishing, but hunters and anglers already have access to most federal lands. This legislation won’t do anything but compromise wilderness values and lead to the destructive activities in what’s left of our pristine wilderness. Please contact your Senators and ask them to vote no on H.R. 4089 and sign the National Parks Conservation Association’s petition opposing hunting and recreational shooting in our national parks. Related Stories: Stop Dangerous Pro-Hunting Laws from Passing Deadly Booby Traps Set on Popular Utah Trail It’s Time to End Wildlife Poisoning from Lead Hunting Ammunition Read more: Photo credit: Thinkstock Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/house-passes-controversial-sportsmens-heritage-act.html#ixzz1ufwkZ3lt
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
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Luis Miguel

1162

61587

Lima

RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?

5/14/2012 4:53:41 PM

Fighter Pilots Claim Intimidation Over F-22 Raptor Jets

By LEE FERRAN and MEGAN CHUCHMACH | ABC News – Mon, May 7, 2012

Fighter Pilots Claim Intimidation ...

Two F-22 Raptor pilots have said publicly that not only are they afraid to fly the most expensive fighter jets in American history, but the military has attempted to silence them and other F-22 pilots by threatening their careers.

"There have been squadrons that have stood down over concerns. And there's been threat of reprisals," F-22 pilot Josh Wilson toldCBS News' "60 Minutes" Sunday. "There's been threat of flying evaluation boards clipping our wings and doing ground jobs. And... in my case, potentially getting booted out of the Air Force.

"So right now there's an example being set of, 'Hey, if you speak up about safety, you're going to be out of the organization,'" Wilson said.

Despite the Air Force's glowing descriptions of the next-generation jet as America's future of air dominance, as an ABC News "Nightline" investigation broadcast last week found, unknown problems with the plane's oxygen system have already contributed to the death of one pilot, the near-death of another and mid-air scares for dozens more.

READ Exclusive: Family Demands Truth in Air Force F-22 Pilot's Death

Wilson and fellow F-22 pilot Jeremy Gordon, both veteran fighter pilots for the Virginia Air National Guard who came forward under whistleblower protection from Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R.-Ill.), have asked not to fly the F-22 anymore, according to CBS News, citing their concerns with the oxygen problem.

Gordon said that two weeks after he requested not to fly the jet, he was called before a board of officers.

"I was asked to make a decision that day whether I wanted to fly or find another line of work," he said.

Several current and former F-22 pilots contacted by ABC News for its investigation either did not respond or quickly declined to comment on the plane and two relatives of flyers told ABC News that the pilots had been instructed not to speak to the media on penalty of potentially losing their post with the F-22 -- a coveted position despite the safety concerns. One pilot, when initially contacted by ABC News for comment, agreed to speak on the record but only after he checked with the Air Force public affairs office. Since then, the pilot has not responded to any of ABC News' attempts to communicate.

Air Force spokesperson John Dorrian told ABC News he has no information about any pilots being explicitly told not to speak to the media about the Raptor and noted that several F-22 pilots have been made available to the press at Air Force events. Dorrian did say that if a member of the Air Force wishes to speak with the media as a representative of the Air Force, that engagement is conducted through the Air Force public affairs office, but whistleblowers are still protected.

"Corporately, the Air Force position is the Air Force is not going to tolerate any reprisal actions against whistleblowers," Dorrian said.

Since Wilson and Gordon are assigned to the Virginia Air National Guard, Dorrian said he did not have specific information on their case. Officials at the Virginia Air National Guard did not immediately return requests for comment for this report.

Top officials at the Air Force and Lockheed Martin refused to take part in one-on-one interviews with ABC News for its broadcast report, but the Air Force provided a statement last week in which it says the service is committed to "unparalleled dedication to flight safety."

"Flying America's premier fighter aircraft always entails risk but the Air Force has, and always will, take every measure to ensure the safety of our aircrews while delivering air superiority for the nation," the statement said. The Air Force has also stressed that reports of "hypoxia-like symptoms" are exceedingly rare -- more than two dozen compared to the thousands of flights flown without incident.

READ: Air Force's Full Statement in Response to ABC News Investigation

Last week the Air Force officially received the last F-22 Raptor from defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin, completing an order of 187 planes that cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $79 billion -- meaning that including research, development and production among other costs, each plane has a price tag of more than $420 million. Despite being the most advanced fighters on the planet, none of the planes have been used on a combat mission since they went combat-ready in late 2005. Critics told ABC News that's because the jet was designed to fight rival, sophisticated fighters – an enemy that doesn't exist right now.

READ: Final F-22 Delivered, McCain Says $79B Jets Still Have No Mission

F-22 Pilot Blamed in Fatal Crash After Plane Malfunction

Capt. Jeff Haney was flying the Air Force's next-generation stealth F-22 Raptor on a routine training mission in Alaska in November 2010 when a sudden malfunction cut off his oxygen completely. Capt. Haney never made a distress call but took his plane into a dive and, a little over a minute later, crashed into the winter wilderness at faster than the speed of sound.

After a lengthy investigation, an Air Force Accident Investigation Board could not find the cause of the malfunction but determined "by clear and convincing evidence" that in addition to other factors, Haney was to blame for the crash because he was too distracted by his inability to breathe to fly the plane properly.

READ: Air Force's Accident Investigation Board Report (PDF)

But Haney's sister, Jennifer, told ABC News in an exclusive interview she believes her brother blacked out trying to save himself and said that by blaming him, the Air Force was attempting to deflect attention from the ongoing, mysterious oxygen problem with the costly planes.

"I don't agree with [the Air Force]. I think there was a lot more going on inside that cockpit,"Jennifer Haney said. "A cover-up? I don't know. But there's something."

In at least 25 cases since 2008, F-22 pilots have reported experiencing "hypoxia-like symptoms" in mid-air, according to the Air Force. Last year the Air Force grounded the full fleet of F-22s for nearly five months to investigate, but still no one knows what is going wrong, even as the planes are back in the air. Hypoxia is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain and is characterized by dizziness, confusion, lack of judgment and, eventually, unconsciousness.

In one case before the grounding, a pilot became so disoriented that his plane dropped down and skimmed treetops before he managed to save himself and return to base, an Air Force spokesperson told ABC News. Presumably speaking of the same incident, Gordon told "60 Minutes" the pilot had to be told he had hit the trees -- he didn't remember doing it himself.

Wilson described experiencing apparent hypoxia while in the cockpit as a "surreal experience" and Gordon said the onset is "insidious."

"Some pilots will go the entire mission, land and not know anything went wrong," Gordon said.

To Jennifer Haney, every time an F-22 goes up, it's risking the life of its pilot. She spoke to ABC News because she said she couldn't stand to see another family go through what hers had.

"I know that the Air Force has said that they were very proud to have Jeff and are very sorry for our loss -- well then, in Jeff's name, fix this," she said. "We want to make sure Jeff did not die in vain -- that his death will mean something and that if it saves lives of pilots now, future pilots, then he died for the greater good or something."

The Air Force has already begun to enact changes to the jet in hopes of mitigating the oxygen problem, including adding pilot-monitoring equipment and improving the emergency oxygen system.

But for all their effort, the Air Force still doesn't have what Jennifer Haney said is most important both to her family and to the families of pilots that risk their lives every day at the controls of the F-22: answers.

"I believe Jeff deserves that. That was my baby brother and I believe he deserves that. He deserves the truth to be told as to what happened. Not anybody's guesses," she said. "He deserves the truth. He deserves honor and so do his little girls."

WATCH '60 Minutes': Is the Air Force's F-22 Fighter Jet Making Pilots Sick?

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

Luis Miguel

1162

61587

Lima

RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES?

5/15/2012 4:39:43 PM

Dead Dolphins and Birds Are Causing Alarm in Peru

A blue-footed booby found Sunday on a beach south of Lima. Officials say seabirds may be starving, and dolphins may have a virus.

By DAVID JOLLY and ANDREA ZARATE

Published: May 7, 2012

Late last year, fishermen began finding dead dolphins, hundreds of them, washed up on Peru’s northern coast. Now, seabirds have begun dying, too, and the government has yet to conclusively pinpoint a cause.

The New York Times
Dead animals have washed up along Peru’s northern coast.
Officials insist that the two die-offs are unrelated. The dolphins are succumbing to a virus, they suggest, and the seabirds are dying of starvation because anchovies are in short supply.

But even three months after officials began testing the dolphins, the government has not released definitive results, and there is growing suspicion among the public and scientists that there might be more to the story. Some argue that offshore oil exploration could be disturbing wildlife, for example, and others fear that biotoxins or pesticides might be working their way up the food chain.

At least 877 dolphins and more than 1,500 birds, most of them brown pelicans and boobies, have died since the government began tracking the deaths in February, the Environment Ministry said last week. The dolphins, many of which appeared to have decomposed in the ocean before washing ashore, were found in the Piura and Lambayeque regions, not far from the border with Ecuador.

The seabirds, which seem mostly to have died onshore, have been found from Lambayeque to Lima. “Never in my 40 years as a fisherman have I seen anything like this,” said Francisco Ñiquen Rentería, the president of the Association of Artisanal Fishermen in Puerto Eten, in the Lambayeque region. “Sometimes in the past, you’d randomly see a dead dolphin or a pelican, but this, what’s happening now, is really alarming.”

“It is odd indeed,” Gabriel Quijandría, the deputy environment minister, acknowledged in an e-mail. “But they are not related.”

The federal Ocean Institute has said that the most likely culprit in the dolphin deaths is the morbillivirus, from a family of viruses linked to previous mass deaths of marine mammals, Mr. Quijandría said, though officials in recent days have sounded less certain.

For the seabirds, he wrote, the “most plausible hypothesis so far” from the National Agricultural Health Service is that they are dying from a lack of food, mainly anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), a Peruvian anchovy, as a result of the sudden heating of coastal waters.

The Environment Ministry said the dolphin deaths had no link to fisheries, red tides or other biotoxins, bacteria, heavy metals or pesticides. It said it had also ruled out any connection to offshore seismic testing by companies to locate oil and gas deposits under the seabed.

Still, fishermen, environmentalists and others suspect that government officials are not being completely candid.

The discovery of dead animals on beaches near Lima, the capital, in recent days has complicated matters. Over the weekend, the Health Ministry issued an alert advising people to avoid the waters around Lima and to the north, “until we know the cause of the recent deaths of marine species.”

It advised people not to eat raw seafood, an ingredient of the national favorite ceviche, and recommended that people disposing of dead marine animals wear gloves and masks. The warning sowed confusion, given earlier government statements indicating that the seabirds were probably starving rather than falling ill from some disease.

The Peruvian coast, nourished by the cold Humboldt Current, is one of the richest marine habitats on earth. Flowing north from Antarctic waters, the current lifts nutrients from the ocean depths into zones nearer the surface.

So plentiful are the plankton in these waters that the area has the world’s largest fishery, focused on the anchoveta. The fish is an important component of the diets of the dolphins, seabirds and other predators.

The Environment Ministry says that data from the South American institute for the study of the effect of El Niño show that coastal water temperatures have been above average in recent months. The anchoveta prefer the colder water, and if they descend below a depth of six or seven feet the pelicans cannot reach them.

David Jolly reported from Paris, and Andrea Zarate from Lima, Peru.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: May 9, 2012

A picture caption on Tuesday with an article about mysterious dolphin and seabird deaths in Peru misidentified the dead bird shown. It was a blue-footed booby, not a cormorant.

More HERE

"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 5/15/2012 4:56:30 PM
	JP Morgan's $2 Billion 'Oops': What Else Is Out There? by Jessica Pieklo May 14, 2012 Ignore for a minute the fact that Jamie Dimon, CEO of mega-bank JP Morgan is one of the chief architects of the campaigns to water down Wall Street reform, and ignore even for another second his ties to the New York Fed, and ignore for one final second the fact that his defense of his bank’s $2 billion trading blunder rests solely on the fact that they gambled too big with house money in trades wouldn’t have been stopped by the Volcker Rule anyways and what we have is the inescapable conclusion that risk-taking to the level of blind and ignorant stupidity is inherent in the investment banking world. Or, we could use Dimon’s own description. “We know we were sloppy. We know we were stupid. We know there was bad judgment. We don’t know if any of that is true yet. And of course regulators should look at something like this. That’s their job so we are totally open to regulators and they will come to their own conclusions,” Dimon said. “We took far too much risk, the strategy that we had was barely vetted, it was badly monitored. It should never have happened.” So far it looks like one of the highest-ranking women on Wall Street is taking the fall as the bank tries to deal with this story and quick. Ina Drew, chief investment officer offered to resign as news of the trading loss broke Thursday, but now it’s official. Reports indicate at least two other executives at the bank will leave, but so far there’s been no indication that Dimon will be among those out. Who is surprised? Related Stories: Shareholders Say No To Big Pay At Citigroup Read more: dodd frank, jamie dimon, jp morgan chase, wall street, wall street reform Photo from Mike Licht NotionsCapital.com via flickr. Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/jp-morgans-2-billion-oops-what-else-is-out-there.html#ixzz1uxSff2rJ
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
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