Three years into drought, Californians adapt to a drier way of life

Three years into a historic drought in California, with 2013 being the driest year on record for the state, stories like the ones above are proliferating. They point to the fact that Californians are finally turning their concern about the drought into changed behavior. “I think people are just taking it more seriously,” says John Moore, an insurance salesman from Sherman Oaks.

Doctor’s death marks second U.S. Ebola fatality

A doctor who spent time treating Ebola patients in West Africa died from the virus Monday. The death of Dr. Martin Salia, who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone, marks the second time Ebola has claimed a victim in the United States.

Kiss Your Guacamole Good-Bye: Drought-Stricken California Farmers Stop Growing Avocados

When Chipotle warned investors back in March that it might suspend serving guacamole at its restaurants if avocado prices rose because of the California drought, climate change hit home for chip-and-dip lovers, who took to Twitter in distress. Things have not gotten better since then. It takes 74 gallons of water to produce one pound of avocados—and drought-stricken California produces 95 percent of the avocados grown in the United States.

The number of Ebola cases rise sharply in Sierra Leone

The number of new cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone has jumped dramatically, putting paid to any hopes that the infection rate is slowing. Official figures released by the minister of health and sanitation show there were 111 new cases registered on Sunday, the highest daily rate since the ministry started publishing figures in August. There were 45 new cases the day before, including 24 in the capital, Freetown.

NASA Warns California Drought Could Threaten U.S. Food Supply: ‘There will be some definite changes’

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has sounded a stark warning over California’s sustained drought, publishing its latest findings where satellite surveys show a rapidly depleting groundwater supply. And with California as the United States’ most valuable agricultural state, and thus key to America’s food supply (and much of the world’s as well) that could mean drastic consequences for food commodity prices and potential shortages. The Nature Climate Change journal carried the report, which Think Progress summarized:

Asteroid will pass so close to Earth in 2029 it will trigger asteroid avalanche

The more pessimistic among our readership might already be digging bunkers in their backyards in anticipation of April 13th, 2029. On that day (a Friday nonetheless), an asteroid called 99942 Apophis will come perilously close to Earth. The most recent data suggests that it will miss us by a mere 35,000 kilometers, a hairs breadth in astronomical terms.

Ebola in Sierra Leone is ‘spreading nine times faster than two months ago’, campaigners warn

Cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone are still rising quickly, campaigners have warned. In rural parts of the country, the virus is spreading nine times faster than two months ago, a report from the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) found. AGI – an organisation set up by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair – said rates are also increasing in the capital Freetown, with six times more new cases recorded per day than two months ago.

Ebola outbreak caused by new strain never seen before; was it weaponized?

Noted infectious disease experts have said that the current strain of Ebola virus plaguing Africa and slowly spreading in the United States is potentially much more lethal than previous strains identified by virologists. As reported by Washington’s Blog, Dr. Michael Osterholm, the head of the Center for Infection Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, a prominent public health researcher who is nationally recognized, gave a talk in recent days explaining what another top Ebola virologist has found.

Possible Oregon Ebola Case, Local Hospitals On Alert

State health officials announced in a press conference today that a woman who has been under monitoring for Ebola has been isolated at a Portland-area hospital and is no danger to the public. The woman had recently traveled to one of the three countries where the Ebola outbreak is occurring—Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone—and was being actively monitored by public health officials. She developed a sustained fever this morning, after which she received an in-person assessment by an EMS team wearing personal protective equipment.

Government Agencies Scramble to Purchase Hazmat Suits

Government agencies across the world are rushing to snap up protective gear as concerns about the spread of the Ebola virus continue to dominate, with Lakeland Industries announcing that it has received 1 million orders for Hazmat suits alone. Lakeland hit the headlines last month when it was revealed that the U.S.

Reported Ebola cases jump 30 percent in just four days

The World Health Organization says the number of reported Ebola cases has surpassed 13,700, a jump of more than 30% since the last numbers were released four days ago. Dr. Bruce Aylward, assistant director-general of the WHO, said the big increase in cases is likely because of previous under-reporting.

Ebola survives on surfaces for up to 50 days

Little-known research published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology back in 2010 is upsetting the official story regarding Ebola, which government officials claim cannot be spread through contaminated surfaces. Scientists from the Biomedical Sciences Department at the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory in the UK found that, contrary to mainstream claims, Ebola can survive for up to 50 days on dried surfaces, specifically on cold glass. In order to better understand how filoviruses are transmitted, the team tested several strains of Ebola, including the ZEBOV (Zaire ebolavirus) species currently believed to be in circulation, to see how they survived under various conditions.

CDC Expands Ebola Risk Factors For Forcible Quarantine

The Centers for Disease Control has expanded the list of risk factors for Ebola that increase the federal agency’s power to forcibly quarantine individuals suspected of being exposed to the virus. Under the new guidelines, issued on Monday, individuals are subject to “movement restrictions” if they have briefly been in the vicinity of an Ebola victim. Previously the CDC outlined how, “Brief interactions, such as walking by a person or moving through a hospital, do not constitute close contact.

7 Key Tips To Getting Your Emergency Food Pantry Off The Ground

Re-published From Hersite I have to admit, when it comes to food saving, canning, and food storage, I have a long way to go in terms of learning the trade. I am willing to press in and learn little by little, and think it is one of the skills we are no longer taught that is of high value. You may be in the same boat…