Sunday, November 13, 2016

Large Earthquake in New Zealand, Fukushima Daiichi Continues to Look Terrible



Charlotte Greenfield. 2016, November 13. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck central New Zealand just after midnight, the U.S. Geological Survey said, causing widespread damage and generating a tsunami. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-quake-newzealand-idUSKBN1380CI?il=0

Fukushima Daiichi TEPCO cam 1




TBS cam is still off the air. 

Meanwhile, American life expectancy continues to fall (Thanks Greg for the link), although "lifestyle" choices are blamed:
Ben Steverman October 28, 2016. Americans Are Dying Faster. Millennials, Too. Bloomberg. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-dying-faster-millennials-too-100032333.html

The latest, best guesses for U.S. lifespans come from a study (PDF) released this month by the Society of Actuaries: The average 65-year-old American man should die a few months short of his 86th birthday, while the average 65-year-old woman gets an additional two years, barely missing age 88.

This new data turns out to be a disappointment. Over the past several years, the health of Americans has deteriorated—particularly that of middle-aged non-Hispanic whites. Among the culprits are drug overdoses, suicide, alcohol poisoning, and liver disease, according to a Princeton University study issued in December.

Partly as a result, the life expectancy for 65-year-olds is now six months shorter than in last year’s actuarial study. Longevity for younger Americans was also affected: A 25-year-old woman last year had a 50/50 chance of reaching age 90. This year, she is projected to fall about six months short. (The average 25-year-old man is expected to live to 86 years and 11 months, down from 87 years and 8 months in last year's estimates.) Baby boomers, Generation X, and yes, millennials, are all doing worse.
Although we live in a period designated the "Anthropocene,"  experts believe that the deterioration in human life prospects is entirely a result of poor, individualized lifestyle choices.

4 comments:

  1. There is considerable and ever growing evidence that there have been very advanced civilizations on this planet, ones more advanced than ours is. So maybe we are simply one in a series and are now on the way out. Things may not be as grim as we think. What we actually know for certain is really very little. For example, is reincarnation a reality? If so that would throw a very different light on things. If most people on the planet were Buddhists of the Thich Nhat Hanh sort the big troubles would vanish. But that is almost impossible to imagine. I am now wondering how long before big earthquakes hit the west coast? It would seem like post modern people are quite fragile. Though I am sure there are paid rioters at work now in these demonstration still it takes weak people to go out and get sucked into violent actions. But that will quiet down soon. It is a big relief that the election is over. Time to relax. And it looks like we will not need to flatten Iran or go into a third world war!

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  2. The Russians continue to work whole heartedly to sell their lousy nuclear reactors around the world.

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    1. yes Ive noticed that. Turns out they're all flawed but the corporations that design them are powerful indeed.

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  3. Most recent kunstler blog excerpt

    On trumps election
    "Mr. Trump might not know it yet, but his chief task will be managing contraction. It would appear to be problematic, since his chief promise — “to make America great again” — is based on restarting the epic expansions of the 19th and 20th centuries. Well, things have changed. This is no longer a virgin continent filled with motherlodes, untapped oil bonanzas, and fabulous soils begging to be exploited. In fact, we’re close to being played out where those resources are concerned. And the techno-industrial economy engineered out of those assets is wobbling badly.

    There is a Great Wish that this system might be replaced just-in-time with some as-yet-unrealized Green Alt Economy of solar-charged driverless electric cars — but, of course, the unchallenged pathetic idiocy of the assumed car dependence at the center of this fantasy ought to tell you how exactly unreal it is. The contraction we face has mandates of its own, and it doesn’t include the continuation of Happy Motoring on any terms. I’m quite certain that the Trump forces haven’t even imagined it."

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