Tsunami Possibility for Atlantic Coast
Scientists have discovered cracks on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean that could pose a tsunami threat to the Atlantic Coast. The system of cracks runs along the edge of the continental shelf for about 25 miles in an area located east of Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay. According to the May issue of Geology magazine, scientists are concerned that if the fissures are active it could be an indication of a possible undersea landslide. A landslide from these fissures could cause a 2- to 20-foot high tsunami to hit the shoreline. The areas most at risk are the Virginia-North Carolina coastline and the lower Chesapeake Bay because they are low lying, and in a direction opposite to the potential slide motion. Some 18,000 years ago, an Ice Age landslide occurred just south of the newly discovered fissures, and the fact that it has happened before in the same area has scientists concerned. At this time, scientists are not clear as to whether or not the cracks are active and therefore at risk to produce a landslide in the near future, or merely fossil features that pose no threat. A team of researchers set out to sea on May 6 to further investigate the potential landslide area. They will use special sonar equipment to examine the area and determine whether or not the cracks are a recent occurrence and worthy of concern for triggering a tsunami.
In a May 2, Washington Post article, emergency management officials in Virginia, Maryland and the Washington D.C. area said that they were surprised by the report and never considered the possibility of a tsunami hitting their areas. "This is not something you traditionally hear of in the East Coast," said Janet Clements of the Virginia Department of Emergency Services. According to officials, "If a surge of water moved up the Potomac, low-lying areas such as Reagan National Airport, Old Town Alexandria, Mount Vernon and the George Washington Memorial parkway could be under water."
When GMS was asked to comment on the possibility of a tsunami in the area he said, "Due to a series of core shifts beginning in 1936, a land mass in the Atlantic Ocean has been steadily pushing upward and will eventually break through the water. This land mass is larger than the state of Texas." This area is also in the region where GMS believes Atlantis once existed. (See GMS' Future Map of North America.) He went on to say, "The event that caused the sinking of Atlantis was the collapse of a sub-tectonic plate. Internal pressures due to the core shifts are now pushing that plate back up to the surface."
Organic Farming Withstands Severe Drought
"[Organic farming] will continue its upward rise as long as the economic conditions are strong. They will find a marketplace as long as there are those who will pay for it. Awareness in itself will not bring this industry to its fullness. It will take greater shifts in consciousness and lower costs before this occurs. And, in this new century, there will come a time when that is all that will be available - by mandate!"
- GMS, ECR 1/2/2000
Last fall, after one of the worst droughts on record, an organic farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania yielded 24 to 30 bushels per acre of organic soybeans compared to only 16 bushels per acre from conventionally-grown crops. The harvest came from Rodale Institute's Farming Systems Trial, which uses test plots to compare organic farming methods with conventional methods. Improved soil quality under organic management is credited for the high performance of Rodale's organic crops during last year's unusual drought. "These are very significant findings for farmers around the world," says Rodale Farm Manager, Jeff Moyer in a report published on Rodale Institute's website. "Our trials show that improving the quality of the soil through organic practices can mean the difference between a harvest of hardship in times of drought," he said. Last summer, Pennsylvania was just one of fourteen states declared drought disaster areas by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA). Kutztown received only 4.4 inches of rain from June through August compared to an averate of 13.4 inches in normal years. Rodale has been comparing organic methods of farming with conventional methods since 1981. "Over time, organic practices encourage the soil to hold on to moisture more efficiently than conventionally managed soil," says Moyer. "The higher content of organic matter also makes organic soil less compact so that root systems can penetrate more deeply to find moisture." In addition, organic farming reduces nitrate leaching and erosion.
With droughts threatening much of our growing areas in this country, and drought-induced famine affecting millions of people in parts of Africa and Asia, organic farming would seem to be a viable solution. Yet, according to a report in the April 9, New York Times, organic farming only accounts for 1% of farmland in the United States. At the same time, sales of organic foods are soaring with some 90% of American consumers either buying or considering buying organic products. This number is up from 60% two years before. There is even more interest in Europe and Japan, where people are fearful of the use of genetically altered products, pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics used in conventional farming. There is so much concern in Europe that several countries subsidize farmers who switch to organic methods, including Sweden, which hopes to convert 20% of its farmland over the next five years.
In this country, however, there are no incentives and there are many hurdles for the would-be organic farmer to overcome. The agriculture industry as a whole has a heavy investment in conventional farming methods. It is difficult to get information on how to get into organic farming, and converting from conventional to organic takes some time. According to Rodale's research it takes from 3 to 5 years for a farmer to build up the soil fertility to be able to successfully farm organically. As a result, most of the growth in the organic industry has come from small farmers, new to the industry. However, that may be changing.
Last March, the new USDA national organic standards were released after going through major modifications since their initial release in 1997. According to a report in the May/June Organic Gardening magazine, 275,603 people commented on the proposed standards which originally would have allowed food grown with genetically modified organisms, sewage sludge, chemical pesticides, and fertilizers to be labeled as organic. The new proposed standards, now underfoing their final comment period, have resolved these issues and are regarded by the organic movement as a watershed victory. Dr. Margaret Mellon, director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Agriculture and Biotechnology Program said, "This ruling marks the first time the USDA has responded to the wishes of consumers and supported an alternative opposed by their traditional constituency - large food producers and agribusiness." The public comment period ends on June 12, at which time it is hoped that these new proposed standards will be finalized. In addition the USDA has proposed to add $5 million to President Clinton's fiscal 2001 budget to be used for research to develop new organic markets, and improve organic production and processing methods. While this amount is minimal in comparison to the billions of tax dollars dedicated to research for chemical farming, the organic movement sees it as a welcome start.
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There is SO MUCH more in this issue of Intuitive Flash (formerly Earth Changes Report - ECR) that I can't begin to share it all here. For one thing, the new "Planetary Matrix" map. If you enjoy reading this, I suggest that you go to Gordon-Michael Scallion's website, www.IntuitiveFlash.com, and subscribe to this wonderful magazine.
Angels are with you.
Love, Caro
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