E. coli bacteria easily killed with spices like garlic, clove, cinnamon, oregano and sage


A recent outbreak of a virulent strain of E. coli has killed 19 people in Europe and infected more than 2,000 in at least 12 countries. The source of the outbreak hasn’t been pinpointed but the World Health Organization and the CDC are focusing on fresh naturally grown foods like tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers which were packaged in Germany.

Entire suspect crops are ordered destroyed by the WHO and the CDC every year when an E. coli outbreak is declared.

Why does the WHO and the CDC order crops destroyed? In recent years there appears to be a concerted effort by the WHO and the CDC to target only the foods that are essential for a healthy diet and life for millions of people. Foods which helps prevent disease, illnesses and viral infections.

Every year the WHO and the CDC issues E. coli outbreak bulletins and they always accuse anti-cancer, anti heart disease and anti-microbial foods like lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, peas and beans.

No E. coli alert have been made against processed foods that make up the entire menu at fast food outlets. Fast processed foods are linked to heart disease, cancer, obesity, viral infections and a host of other ailments and illnesses. The intent of the WHO and the CDC is to destroy only the healthy natural food groups.

Yes the death of 19 people is a good argument in favor of destroying a crop linked to an E. coli outbreak but the destruction of the entire crops affects millions. Without these healthy food crops thousands, even millions will become inflicted with disease, illnesses and viral infections and die.

Did you know that E. coli illnesses and deaths can be eliminated entirely with spices? Spices like cinnamon has a long history both as a spice and as a medicine. Cinnamon’s essential oils is an “anti-microbial” food, and the spice has been studied for its ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi.

Cinnamon’s antimicrobial properties are so effective that research demonstrates this spice can be used as an alternative to traditional food preservatives.

"Researchers at Kansas State University have found that spices is effective in eliminating E. coli bacteria"
An outbreak of E. coli in 1996 was allegedly traced to unpasteurized apple juice that killed one child and sickened many others.

After that E. coli outbreak the US government ordered all apple juice and other fruit juices to be pasteurized – henceforth killing all nutritional benefits of the natural fruit juices. Another E. coli outbreak years before destroyed all nutritional benefits of another essential food – milk.

Pasteurization of milk destroys it life giving and anti-disease nutrients – including natural Vitamin D and essential natural probiotic bacteria. Any trace of E. coli in milk is eliminated naturally with raw unpasteurized milk’s probiotic bacteria.

Daniel Y.C. Fung, a Kansas State food microbiologist, and Erdogan Ceylan, a research assistant, studied the antagonistic effect different doses of cinnamon alone and in combination with preservatives would have on E. coli bacteria in apple juice. Ceylan added 1 million E. coli bacteria cells to one milliliter of pasteurized apple juice.

The number of bacteria cells added to the juice was higher than the amount of bacteria cells that would be found in consumer food products and was done for experimental purposes only. After adding approximately 0.3 percent of cinnamon – roughly over one teaspoon of the spice to a 64-ounce bottle – about 99 percent of the E. coli was killed. Fung’s research found that several spices, including garlic, clove, cinnamon, oregano and sage killed 99 percent of E. coli bacteria.


There is absolutely no need to pasteurize, destroy or add harmful chemicals to our natural food supply when preparing and cooking our food with natural spices like garlic, clove, cinnamon, oregano and sage kills E. coli bacteria. More people will die as a result of pasteurization, crop destruction and adding harmful chemicals than from any E.coli outbreak.

Short URL: http://presscore.ca/2011/?p=2802

SAGE

Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a small evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region.

It is much cultivated as a kitchen and medicinal herb, and is also called Garden sage, Kitchen sage, and Dalmatian sage. In southern Europe related species are sometimes cultivated for the same purpose, and may be confused with the common sage.


CINNAMON

Cinnamon Treatment for Diabetes

Various foods and plants have been proven to have a substantial effect on the blood sugar level and insulin response. One of these plants is cinnamon, a well known ingredient that is used by a lot of people around the world. But when people think of cinnamon, they usually think about sweet desserts and such; but can cinnamon treatment for diabetes really be helpful?

Well, let me give you a short introduction to the wonderful plant that is cinnamon. Cinnamon is a short tree that measures up to 15 meters in height. While it is indigenous to Sri Lanka, it can be found in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Brazil, just to name a few… Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices ever used and is prepared by rolling up the dried bark of the tree into sticks. The distinguishable taste of cinnamon comes from an aromatic essential oil that counts for less than 1% of its composition.

While there are many types of cinnamon, the most popular types are Ceylon cinnamon, which stands for the former name of Sri Lanka, and Cassia. Cinnamon has been used for ages as a treatment for various diseases such as colds and diarrhea. In Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, it is used to treat indigestions; and in traditional Chinese medicine, it is used for a variety of disorders from energy loss to painful menstrual periods.
Cinnamon Treatment for Diabetes


But how can cinnamon help people with diabetes? Well a study that was published in a journal called Diabetes Care in 2003 suggested that there was a relation between cinnamon intake and lower blood glucose levels.

The study was conducted on 60 people affected by type 2 diabetes. Each participant had to take the equivalent of one quarter to one and a half teaspoon worth of cinnamon over the period of 40 days.

After the 40 day period, all 3 amounts of cinnamon reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL cholesterol by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%. However, there was no difference between the participants who took the equivalent of a quarter of a teaspoon of cinnamon versus those who took one and a half teaspoon worth of cinnamon daily.

Another study that was conducted on a small group of Swedes who were given either rice pudding alone or rice pudding with cinnamon showed that the participants who were administered a portion of rice pudding with cinnamon experienced a lower rise in blood sugar after their meal compared to those who took rice pudding without cinnamon.

So there is strong evidence that proves that cinnamon treatment for diabetes does indeed have an effect on the blood glucose level and can help diabetics control their blood sugar. Adding cinnamon to your recipes or drinking a cup of cinnamon tea in the morning is a great way to insert cinnamon in your diet. However, make sure you don’t replace your regular medication with cinnamon; it might lead to serious complications…

OREGANOoregano-dried

Oregano is high in thymol, a powerful antioxidant, and one tablespoon of oregano (fresh) has about as much antioxidant potential as a medium sized apple (You know. . . "An apple a day keeps the doctor away.").

If you've been hiding behind the potting shed and haven't heard about antioxidants, they are widely believed to help repair the body on a cellular level. Antioxidants, like thymol, help fight cancer, maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, reduce blood pressure, and slow macular degeneration. The list goes on, but you get the idea.

Oregano is also an antibiotic and antifungal. Based on a study conducted by Georgetown University, a substance called carvacrol in oregano may have as much antibiotic power as penicillin or streptomycin.

You can get oregano supplements at your local health food store, or add more oregano to your stews, sauces and side dishes.


CLOVE


Clove

Syzygium aromaticum - (syn. Eugenia caryophyllata)

The clove plant is a small, bushy, evergreen tree with ascending branches and shiny, dark green, leathery and aromatic leaves.

The beautiful, fragrant flowers are beige turning to red, when the stamens wither. The berries are purple in colour and very aromatic.

The spice known as clove is the flower bud, that's collected just before it opens and then sun-dried.

Cloves - Syzygium aromaticum

The clove tree is native to the Moluccas - also known as The Spice Islands - and that's where the finest cloves come from.

Today it's also grown in Tanzania, Madagascar, Brazil, and Sri Lanka. Main exporters are Tanzania and Madagascar.

Whole or ground cloves are used for culinary purposes.

Cloves are also used in liqueurs such as the French Benedictine.

The large amounts of essential oils from flower buds and leaves are used in various dietary supplements and herbal remedies, in dentistry and as flavourings in perfumes, beverages, tooth pastes, and Indonesian cigarettes.



Recipe

For best result, use whole, dried clove flower buds (cloves). The cloves must be of good quality - oily and dark brown.

Direction:

  • Put 10 whole cloves in a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
  • Add 25 centiliter clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% alcohol content (80 proof).
  • Let steep for 2 days in a dark place at room temperature,
    18-20°C (64-68°F).
  • Shake lightly and taste it from time to time.
  • Strain and filter your infusion into a clean glass bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.
  • Store (age) for a month or so in a dark place at room temperature before serving.


Spices Kill Bacteria and Protect Cells

November 10, 2002
Posted by Jean Carper

I love cinnamon and ginger in pumpkin pie, sage in stuffing, oregano in onions, garlic in potatoes, even turmeric in dip. And I know that herbs and spices are more than holiday treats for taste buds: Recent research shows that it’s health-savvy to sprinkle herbs and spices in your food all year long.

“We now know they act as potent antibiotics, blood thinners, anti-cancer agents, anti-inflammatories, insulin regulators and antioxidants,” says Harry G. Preuss, Ph.D., physiologist at Georgetown University Medical Center and a top researcher in the field. “In tiny doses, eaten regularly in food, common herbs and spices are unique health boosters.”

4 formidable herbs and spices

– Ginger vs. inflammation. Inflammation is a suspect in heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis. The exciting news: Ginger compounds (gingerols) reduce pain in animals and act as Cox-2 inhibitors, similar to the anti-arthritis drug Celebrex, Australian scientists have found. Further, gingerols thin the blood “just like aspirin,” the scientists noted, suggesting that gingerols also fight heart disease. The best evidence that ginger is anti-inflammatory: University of Miami research shows that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who took 255 milligrams of ginger extract twice a day for six weeks had less knee pain than those not getting ginger. As a side effect, ginger-takers had more episodes of mild gastrointestinal distress.

– Oregano vs. germs. “No wonder oregano has been used since antiquity to fight infections,” Preuss says. He recently found oregano oil as effective as the common antibiotic drug vancomycin in treating staph infections in mice. Bonus: It wiped out an infectious fungus. A daily dose of oregano oil, mixed with oils from fenugreek, cumin and pumpkin seeds, reduced blood pressure and improved blood sugar and insulin sensitivity in diabetic rats. In Texas research, oregano killed parasites in humans. The point, Preuss says: People who eat small regular doses of oregano may get antibiotic and antidiabetic benefits, although more tests on humans are needed to verify it.

– Turmeric vs. cancer. The yellow spice turmeric, a constituent of curry powder, contains high concentrations of the potent antioxidant curcumin. New tests suggest curcumin helps stifle cancer. In test tubes, 80% of malignant prostate cells self-destructed when exposed to curcumin. Feeding mice curcumin dramatically slowed the growth of implanted human prostate cancer cells. It may do the same in breast and colon cancer cells, researchers say, speculating that curcumin blocks the activation of genes that trigger cancer. Bonus: Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory activity reduces arthritic swelling and progressive brain damage in animals. In UCLA research, eating food laced with low doses of curcumin slashed Alzheimer’s-like plaque in the brains of mice by 50%.

– Cinnamon vs. diabetes. Adding cinnamon to food, especially to sugary ones, helps control spikes of blood sugar, says researcher Richard Anderson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Cinnamon can help normalize blood sugar by making insulin more sensitive,” he says. He recently isolated cinnamon’s most active ingredient: methylhydroxy chalcone polymer, or MHCP, which increased the processing of blood sugar by 2,000%, or 20-fold, in test-tube studies. So using cinnamon in tiny amounts — even sprinkled in desserts — makes insulin more efficient. Cloves, turmeric and bay leaves also work, but they’re weaker. This is a big deal. Avoiding high circulating levels of blood sugar and insulin may help ward off diabetes. In animals, steady lower insulin levels are a sign of slower aging and greater longevity.


Racking up the spices

– Strongest antibiotics. The most ferocious killers of 30 bacterial species in Cornell University tests are (in order) onion, garlic, allspice, oregano, thyme, tarragon, cumin, cloves, bay leaf and cayenne pepper.

– Strongest antioxidants. Tops are oregano, thyme, sage, cumin, rosemary, saffron, turmeric, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, coriander (cilantro), basil and tarragon, according to several reports. A new test at the University of California, Davis, finds thyme similar to vitamin E in antioxidant power.

– Dried vs. fresh. All forms have similar benefits; the healthful compounds are more concentrated in dried herbs and spices.

– Warnings. Spices may be more beneficial taken together than taken separately. Proper doses are unknown. If you want to try therapeutic doses, consult your doctor.

SCIENTIFIC SOURCES FOR THIS ARTICLE

Strongest Antioxidants
– Martinez-Tome M, J Food Prot 2001 Sept :64 (9): 1412-9
– Lee KG, J Agric Food Chem 2002, Aug 14; 50(17): 4947-52

Strongest Antibiotics
– Sherman, P. and Billing, citation TK

Turmeric: Anti-Cancer
– Naidu KA, Mol Cell Biochem 2002 Jan; 229(1-2): 19-23
– Cole, et al. J Neuroscience 2001 Nov 1; 21(21): 8370-7

Ginger–Anti-Inflammatory
– “Food Chemical News”, December 17, 2001
– Altman RD, Arthritis Rheum 2001 Nov; 44(11): 2531-2

Cinnamon: –Anti-Diabetes
– “Agricultural Research”, July 2000

This EatSmart column is reprinted from USAWEEKEND Magazine and is copyrighted by Jean Carper. It cannot be reprinted without permission from Jean Carper.


Cinnamon Eliminates E. coli bacteria


By Kevin Flatt

Cinnamon has a long history both as a spice and as a medicine. Cinnamon’s essential oils also qualify it as an “anti-microbial” food, and the spice has been studied for its ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi. Cinnamon’s antimicrobial properties are so effective that research demonstrates this spice can be used as an alternative to traditional food preservatives.

Researchers at Kansas State University have found that cinnamon is effective in eliminating E. coli bacteria in apple juice. An outbreak of that E. coli strand in 1996 was traced to unpasteurized apple juice that killed one child and sickened many others.

Daniel Y.C. Fung, a K-State food microbiologist, and Erdogan Ceylan, a research assistant, studied the antagonistic effect different doses of cinnamon alone and in combination with preservatives would have on E. coli bacteria in apple juice. Ceylan added 1 million E. coli bacteria cells to one milliliter of pasteurized apple juice.

The number of bacteria cells added to the juice was higher than the amount of bacteria cells that would be found in consumer food products and was done for experimental purposes only. After adding approximately 0.3 percent of cinnamon - roughly over one teaspoon of the spice to a 64-ounce bottle - about 99 percent of the E. coli was killed.

"Nobody expects apple juice to be a problem," Fung said. "But there have been previous outbreaks of E. coli. We found out that some spices can inhibit the growth of E. coli."

"The objective of this research was to study the inhibitory effect of cinnamon on E. coli 0157: H7 in apple juice and reduce the amount of preservatives used in apple juice," Ceylan said. "We can do it with chemicals but we think using natural resources is a better way."

Previously Fung found that several spices, including garlic, clove, cinnamon, oregano and sage killed 99 percent of E. coli bacteria in ground beef. Fung and Ceylan released their findings at the annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists.

Compiled and edited by : Mohd Ezli Mashut

Deaths reported as Israeli troops open fire


At least 20 reportedly killed along Syrian frontier during pro-Palestinian rally marking "Day of Defeat" in 1967 war.
Last Modified: 05 Jun 2011 09:52
The protesters had gathered to observe the anniversary of the 'Day of Defeat' marking the end of the 1967 war

Syrian state TV says at least 20 people have died and 220 more wounded after Israeli forces opened fire along the frontier to disperse pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempting to breach the border.

The reported deaths, including that of a 12-year-old boy, occurred as the protesters marching from the Golan Heights approached the border on Sunday, a day observed as "Naksa Day" or "Day of Defeat", marking the 44th anniversary of the 1967 war, when Israel occupied the area.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from occupied Jerusalem, said Israeli forces opened fire in the air, but made no comment on any casualties.

"Although Syrian television is reporting casualties, there is no way of verifying it at this stage," he said.

"But we have seen this advance of a large number of protesters who managed to breach one line of razor wire and then effectively got positioned in the centre of it all in a trench area."

Protesters, most of them young men, eventually managed to cut through coils of barbed wire marking the frontier, entering a buffer zone and crawling towards a second fence guarded by Israeli troops.

Every so often, demonstrators were seen evacuating a dead or wounded protester.

US 'deeply troubled'

The protests along Israel's borders are designed to draw attention to the plight of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled from their homes during Israel's war of independence in 1948.

Now, around half a million Palestinian refugees live across 13 camps in Syria.


Interview with UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk

The US state department expressed its concern over the clashes, saying: "We are deeply troubled by events that took place earlier today in the Golan Heights resulting in injuries and the loss of life.

"We call for all sides to exercise restraint. Provocative actions like this should be avoided."

The US statement emphasised that "Israel, like any sovereign nation, has a right to defend itself".

Reacting to Sunday's incidents, Mustafa Barghouthi, an independent Palestinian politician, told Al Jazeera: "What we saw in the Golan Heights, in front of the checkpoint to Jerusalem, were peaceful Palestinian demonstrators demanding their freedom and the end of occupation, which has become the longest in modern history.

"And they were encountered by terrible violence from Israel. They have used gunshots, tear gas, sound bombs and canisters emanating dangerous chemicals against demonstrators.

"They also beat us. I was one of those who was beaten today by the Israel soldiers today while we were peacefully trying to reach the checkpoint to Jerusalem."

Israeli account

Giving Israel's version of the events, Avital Leibovich, the Israeli army's spokesman, told Al Jazeera: "We [the military] saw near 12 noon an angry mob of a few hundreds of Syrians trying to reach the border fence between Israel and Syria.

"We did three steps. We first warned them verbally, we told them not to get close to the fence in order for them not to endanger their lives.

"When this failed, we fired warning shots into the air. When this failed, we had to open fire selectively at their feet in order to prevent an escalation."

The Israeli military also accused the Syrian government of instigating the protests to deflect attention from its crackdown of a popular uprising at home.

"This is an attempt to divert international attention from the bloodbath going on in Syria,'' Leibovich said.

Israel had vowed to prevent a repeat of a similar demonstration last month, in which hundreds of people burst across the border into the Golan Heights.

More than a dozen people were killed in that unrest, in which protesters had gathered to mark the 63rd anniversary of the "Nakba", to mark the expulsion of an estimated 700,000 Palestinians following Israel's 1948 declaration of statehood.

When will China's economy overtake America's?


Global economic leadership will soon pass from the US to China, leaving nation little time to prepare for a new role.
Last Modified: 04 Jun 2011 09:12
As China's economy continues to grow, the world will demand that the Asian powerhouse assumes greater responsibility for global economic stability, but China has little time to prepare [GALLO/GETTY]

Is China poised to surpass the United States to become the world's largest economy? The International Monetary Fund recently predicted that the size of China's economy would overtake that of the US in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) by 2016.

But a recent co-authored study by Robert Feenstra, an economist at the University of California, Davis, shows that global economic leadership would pass to China in 2014. And, even more radically, Arvind Subramanian of the Peterson Institute of International Economics argues that China actually surpassed the US in PPP terms in 2010.

Purchasing power parity measures a country's income using a set of international prices applied to all economies. Prices in developing countries are usually lower than in developed countries. Therefore, their income could be underestimated if calculated only according to the exchange rate. Income measured in PPP helps to avoid this problem.

But estimating PPP income raises its own set of problems. One consists in the fact that every country has a different consumption basket, with the greatest disparity between developing and developed countries. For example, foods usually account for 40 per cent or more of household expenditure in a typical developing country, whereas the figure is less than 20 per cent in most developed countries.

The purpose of PPP comparison is to measure a country's real quality of life. In this case, it can be thought of as comparing each country's aggregate good, composed of the goods in each country's consumption basket. But this aggregate good does not have the same components across countries. That is, PPP calculations effectively compare apples with oranges.

This argument may sound technical, but it has profound implications for cross-country comparisons of life quality. Suppose we compare two countries. One of them is agriculture-based, and people consume only food, while the other is industry-based, and people not only consume food but also buy clothes. The share of their expenditure on these two items is 20 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively.

Suppose, further, that per capita nominal income at the market exchange rate in the second country is four times higher than in the first. Food prices are the same in the two countries, while in the second country, the price of cloth is five times higher than the price of food.

In this example, the price of the aggregate good in the second country is 4.2 times the price of the aggregate good in the first country. Further calculation reveals that, in PPP terms, a person in the second country is five per cent poorer than a person in the first country!

This absurd result is possible only because PPP is comparing two different consumption bundles. But the consumption basket of an average Chinese consumer is vastly different from the consumption basket of an average American, so PPP comparisons between China and the US can be misleading.

PPP gives an answer to the following question: how much does a Chinese worker need to earn to maintain their quality of life in China if they were to move to the US?

But this question is neither intuitive nor realistic. When it comes to the comparison of purchasing power in the international market, a more sensible question is: how many goods can a Chinese worker buy in the US using the income they earn in China? One must rely on nominal income to provide an answer to this question. In this case, a 10 per cent appreciation of the renminbi increases the purchasing power of a Chinese person in the US by exactly 10 per cent, whereas his life quality does not change in PPP terms.

But China would surpass the US in a relatively short period of time even if we measured both countries' economies in nominal terms. Assuming that the Chinese and US economies grow, respectively, by eight per cent and three per cent in real terms, that China's inflation rate is 3.6 per cent and America's is two per cent (the averages of the past decade), and that the renminbi appreciates against the dollar by three per cent per year (the average of the past six years). China would become the world's largest economy by 2021. By that time, both countries' GDP will be about $24 trillion, perhaps triple the size of the third largest economy, either Japan or Germany.

Assuming eight per cent growth for China may or may not be a sure bet. But if China grew by 9-10 per cent in the first five years and by 6-7 per cent in the subsequent five years, the target for an average of eight per cent between now and 2021 would be met.

The world has already begun to demand that China assume greater responsibility for the global economy's health. As China's economy continues to grow and eventually matches US GDP, this demand will become stronger. By almost all recent estimates, China has little time to prepare.

Yao Yang is the Director of the China Center for Economic Reform at Peking University.

A version of this article first appeared on Project Syndicate.

Robotic Hummingbird UAV Flies Out of DARPA Lab


A tiny robotic hummingbird may soon join its much larger drone cousins patrolling modern-day battlefields for the U.S. military. Its small size and unique hovering ability means that it can also perform indoor as well as outdoor military missions in the tight quarters of city environments.


All those early setbacks let to a more rugged final version of the ultra-lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle that can keep flying despite wind gusts. Human operators can steer the barely 6 inch (15 cm) sized drone with an on-board camera that sends video to the pilot in real-time.The so-called "Nano Hummingbird" can hover and fly forward using just the rapid flapping of its two wings. But the robotic wonder experienced plenty of crashes since development by AeroVironment began in 2005, as seen in a new video from the Pentagon's DARPA labwhich funded the project.


Such a creation points to a trend toward flocks of smaller drones, as listed by the U.S. Air Force on its wish list. Having many tiny drones such as the Nano Hummingbird also calls for new nature-inspired capabilities such as insect vision and reflexes to avoid midair collisions. Part of that smaller drone future may very well include more flying robots based on birds, if engineers have mastered the tricky flight mechanics of the hummingbird.

Follow InnovationNewsDaily on Twitter @News_Innovation, or on Facebook.

Solar Eclipse Pictures


Track the Partial Solar Eclipse, June 1, 2011



 Solar eclipse picture: sun over China on June 2, 2011

The moon nibbles at the sun's disk during a solar eclipse over China's Changchun Province near dawn on Thursday.

Visible from much of Earth's remote northern reaches, the partial solar eclipse began over the eastern edge of Asia before moving "backward" across time zones to areas of Siberia, Scandinavia, Iceland, Canada and Alaska.

In some regions where the sun doesn't set in June, sky-watchers had the rare opportunity to see a midnight solar eclipse.


Solar eclipse picture: sun over Finland on June 2, 2011


Seen from Finnish Lapland, last night's partial solar eclipse occurred during the first appearance of 2011's midnight sun in the area, according to photographer B. Art Braafhart. "Almost perfect circumstances with some clouds," Braafhart said in an email.

Solar eclipses occur when Earth, the moon, and the sun are aligned so that—as seen from Earth—the moon appears to cover all or part of the sun's disk.


Solar eclipse picture: sun over Finland on June 2, 2011


The sun "smiles" over northern Finland last night during a midnight solar eclipse.

Partial solar eclipses, such as last night's, which is the second of 2011—happen when Earth crosses only through the faint outer part of the moon's shadow, known as the penumbra. (See pictures of January's partial solar eclipse.)

By contrast, during a total eclipse the sun is completely blotted out by the moon as its dark, central shadow, called the umbra, falls in a very narrow strip along Earth's surface.


Solar eclipse picture: sun over China on June 2, 2011


The partially eclipsed sun swings low over misty mountains in Changchun, China, early this morning.

The first hint of the moon's silhouette taking a bite out of the sun's disk was seen from northern China and northern Japan between 4 and 5 a.m., local time, on Thursday. Shortly thereafter, about 60 percent of the sun went dark over Siberia, Russia.

Moving east to west, the solar eclipse's pathway crossed the date line, so far-northern European observers saw the eclipse around 11:30 p.m., local time, on Wednesday.


Solar eclipse picture: sun over China

The moon comes between Earth and the sun—already partly obscured by the horizon—over Changchun, China, Thursday morning.

The next solar eclipse, on July 1, will be even more obscure than tonight's—visible from only a small patch of ocean off Antarctica, said Williams College eclipse expert Jay Pasachoff, whose work has been funded by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration. (The Society owns National Geographic News.)

"No airplane flights seem to be passing through that region at the proper time," he said. "So it is probable that no human will see it."


The "Midnight Eclipse" in Bodø, Norway with More Clouds


In Bodø, Norway some transparent clouds made the partial solar eclipse of June 1-2, 2011, look more dramatic. Observed with a H-alpha filter, more details on the sun are visible. The rare "midnight eclipse" began on Thursday, June 2, 2011, but crossed the International Date Line to end on Wednesday, June 1.


The "Midnight Eclipse" in Tromsø, Norway


The partial solar eclipse of June 1-2, 2011, at maximum is shown as observed from Tromsø in Norway. The rare "midnight eclipse" began on Thursday, June 2, 2011, but crossed the International Date Line to end on Wednesday, June 1.

"Midnight" Partial Solar Eclipse Over Bratsk, Russia

"Midnight" Partial Solar Eclipse Over Bratsk, RussiaCredit: Svetlana KulkovaPhotographer and skywatcher Svetlana Kulkova snapped this view of the partial solar eclipse of June 1-2, 2011 just after sunrise on June 2 from Bratsk, Russia. The partial solar eclipse was dubbed a "midnight" eclipse as its viewing path crossed the International Date Line.
"Midnight" Partial Solar Eclipse Over Bratsk, Russia









“Land Around Fukushima Now Radioactive Dead Zone”

“Land Around Fukushima Now Radioactive Dead Zone”
by Mike Adams

“(NaturalNews) It is nothing short of astonishing that the nuclear catastrophe we've all been told was "no big deal" has now escalated into the worst nuclear disaster in the history of human civilization. It's so bad now that soil samples taken from outside the 12-mile exclusion zone (the zone considered safe enough by the Japanese government for schoolchildren to attend school there) are higher than the 1.48 million becquerels a square meter limit that triggered evacuations outside Chernobyl in 1986.

In other words, the radiation level of the soil 12 miles from Fukushima is now higher than the levels considered too dangerous to live in near Chernobyl. This is all coming out in a new research report authored by Tomio Kawata, a fellow at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan. That same report also reveals that radiation from Fukushima has spread over 230 square miles. What we're facing here, folks, is a Fukushima dead zone where life will never return to its pre-Fukushima norms.

Radiation levels similar to nuclear bomb test site: Bloomberg is now reporting, "Tetsuya Terasawa said the radiation levels are in line with those found after a nuclear bomb test, which disperses plutonium. He declined to comment further." One soil sample taking 25 kilometers away from Fukushima showed Cesium-137 exceeding 5 million becquerels per square meter. This level, of course, makes it uninhabitable by humans, yet both the Japanese and U.S. governments continue to downplay the whole event, assuring their sheeple that there's nothing to worry about. By their logic, since all the people are sheeple anyway, as long as the area is safe enough for sheep, it's also safe enough for the human population.

Both Japan and the U.S. have made huge efforts to raise the limits of allowed radiation exposure in foods and beverages. This was, of course, a deceitful tactic to try to reclassify radiation contamination as somehow magically being "safe" by redefining it. The outright lying and tactics of deception that have been used to try to downplay the severity of the radioactive fallout from Fukushima are nothing less than despicable. In a time when radiation threatens the safety and food supply of hundreds of millions of people, we are getting nothing but a Fukushima whitewash.

Fukushima is now far worse than Chernobyl ever was and yet we're all being told it's no problem and that the government has it all under control. I ask: How is 5 million becquerels per square meter not a problem? It's amazing that we even got this information, considering how frequently TEPCO claims its sensors and meters aren't working (basically any time they get a reading that's "too high").
The Japanese government can't wait to corral the sheeple back onto the radioactive soil, by the way. "Basically, the way in which the current zones have been drawn up aren't a concern in terms of the impact on health," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. "Using Mr. Kawata's report as a guide, we want to do what we can to improve the soil, so people can return as soon as possible." Barely two weeks ago, TEPCO finally admitted Fukushima suffered multiple core meltdowns in the hours following the tsunami strike. This was the first time TEPCO openly admitted to something the alternative media had been reporting for months. What has become perfectly clear in the reporting on Fukushima is that:

• Governments lie to the people.
• Mainstream media lies to the people.
• Only the alternative media was correct in reporting the severity of the core meltdowns and the release of radioactive material into the environment.

That's why more and more people are turning away from traditional sources of (mis)information and instead relying on the alternative media to get accurate information about world events."

TERKINI

ANALISIS | RS-2: Menuju Kuasa Ekonomi ASEAN - Selangor Mesti Jadi Negeri Kaya Peluang, Bukan Sekadar Kaya Angka

--- Penulisan Disusun Oleh : Mohd Ezli Mashut Sumber Infografik : Imej Janaan AI Oleh : Mohd Ezli Mashut --- Bayangkan Selangor pada tahun 2...