So, what’s it about? It’s a citizen journalism contest hosted by publishing website Helium in collaboration with partners online US news company focusing on international news, GlobalPost; and UniversalGiving, the San Francisco-based online nonprofit org, focusing on international fundraising for charities throughout the world. Theme is titled “Haiti’s Earthquake: Two Years After,” and everybody has multiple opportunities to win as they can submit up to five articles within the allotted timeframe. It will take no more than a panel of professional journalists to select the best article and determines who wins the $250 prize money! In addition, any of the selected articles will be published on the websites of all companies involved – Helium, GlobalPost, and UniversalGiving.

For more details, you can visit the helium.com website, or copy and paste this link: “http://www.helium.com/content/helium-community/global-post-universal-giving-haiti-contest-css” in the address bar.

New Zealand city of Christchurch was wracked by two large earthquakes in 2011. The first occurred on February 22 and caused widespread damage in the city centre and eastern suburbs. The second, more severe quake, occurred 6 months later on September 4 and again caused significant structural damage in an already battered city. Mercifully no one was killed in the second quake, although 181 lost their lives in the first New Zealand quake. About half of the deaths were caused by the collapse of the six storey Canterbury Television Building. Approximately 10,000 people were made homeless in the aftermath of the initial New Zealand quake. Lives have been devastated and disrupted and businesses have been severely affected by the disaster. This is particularly marked in the central business district where there are still concerns about the structural integrity of some of the buildings. The iconic Christchurch cathedral was badly damaged and will have to be completely rebuilt. Following the quake, the central region of the city was cordoned off by the authorities in part to prevent looting but also to protect citizens from unsafe buildings.

Seismic Activity

New Zealand is no stranger to seismic activity and there are number of active fault lines traversing both the north and south islands. As well as active fault lines New Zealand is also home to several active volcanoes situated in a belt on the centre of the north island; the region is renowned for its thermal activity and hot pools.

The New Zealand Quake of 1931

The Christchurch quakes, in total, caused between 20-30 billion dollars in damage and represent the single most costly natural disaster in New Zealand’s history. This is a hefty economic burden for a nation of 4.5 million people. However, it is not the worst natural disaster in New Zealand history. The New Zealand quake of 1931 takes first place. The 1931 quake virtually destroyed all buildings in the towns of Napier and Hastings. Fires quickly broke out in Napier which spread throughout the town. The quake, and subsequent fire, was responsible for a total of 256 deaths; many thousands were injured. Both towns were rebuilt in art deco style, which was highly fashionable at the time.

Christchurch After Shocks

Sadly, Christchurch has had to suffer a large number of after shocks, which continue to this day. This is sorely testing the natural resilience of the Christchurch population who can see no end to their woes. Initially, it has been estimated that one fifth, or about 70.000, of the Christchurch population left the city immediately following the February 2011 earthquake. At this stage it is unsure how many of Christchurch’s citizens will be leaving the city for good. The uncertainty engendered by the continuing quakes will no doubt be a significant factor in determining whether people stay.

After The New Zealand Quake: The Future

What does the future hold for Christchurch following the great New Zealand quake nearly a year after the initial event? Recovery will come, but it will take time, and of course, lots of money. The Christchurch council has recently released its vision of how Christchurch will be rebuilt at an estimated cost of 2 billion dollars spread over 10 to 20 years. However, the questions that need to be answered are: will the people stay and will commercial confidence ever return?

There were environmental disasters like the earthquakes in Japan. Mass fish, bird, other wildlife and allot of celebrity deaths. R.I.P Heavy D! In between all this there were great moments in sports, media, music and entertainment.

Also there were massive illegal, unsanctioned, detainment and assassinations without people ever being tried in court. While most Americans were eating Turkey and stuffing, the president was reviewing a bill which abolishes the Constitution and institutes martial law.  Under The NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) Section 1031 which has been changed to Section 1021 gives the president the right to assassinate any US citizen suspected of being a terrorist. No proof…suspected.  Google Bill NDAA for more information and check the video about it below. Along with a collection of clips highlighting the triumphs and tragedies of 2011.

How do we know the world is ending? Here are the main indicators of a failing planet:

Natural Disasters: In 2011, there were numerous natural disasters that shook the world, some more literally than others. The first thing that comes to mind is the Japanese earthquake of March 11, the biggest earthquake ever recorded in Japan (which contributes to about 20% of the world’s earthquakes greater than magnitude 6). The utter destruction of this disaster was mind blowing. The ensuing tsunami swept away entire towns and accounted for about 20,000 deaths. As well as this, earthquakes continue in the region. The nuclear disaster that followed at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant shows the increasing conflict between our planet and ourselves. The second largest earthquake of the year was in Christchurch, New Zealand. It destroyed the city and killed over 200 people in a country with a population of only four million. Large earthquakes also occurred in Turkey, Pakistan, Fiji, Chile, Alaska and numerous other places.
Aside from earthquakes, there were deadly and destructive floods in Australia, the Phillipines, Southern Africa, and South America. There were the cyclones, Yasi, Wilma and Vania, blizzards in North America, strong tornadoes in New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia and across North America, and volcano eruptions in Chile, Iceland and Mexico. In addition to this, there were droughts in China and Texas. Overall, the year 2011 was pretty destructive and the continuation of such disasters is leading many people to believe the Mayan prophecy of doom. We can only wait and see what 2012 will bring.

Social Unrest: The social unrest that has been unfolding across the world is a sign of worse times to come. Our society is destroying itself. Last year, there were revolutions all across the Arab world. These revolutions were viewed by the Western world as highly progressive as they overthrew unfair and corrupt regimes with the hope of democracy. However, some were more successful than others. In Libya, for example, the government didn’t back down, leading to extended conflict in the nation. In some countries the revolutions lead to martial law which, ultimately, is undemocratic and not what anyone set out to achieve. Other places are now suffering from conflict and social unrest caused by uprisings. How will these societies hold up in the coming year?
Another example of social unrest is the wide spread riots which occurred in August 2011 across England. These were not protesters with a cause, like those in the Arab countries. These rioters were nothing more than thugs and criminals inciting mass violence, destruction and civil unrest. In a developed Western country, this is surely a sign of a weakening society that may serve as a warning for everyone across the globe.
Then there was the Occupy movement. This movement spread all across the world from protests in New York that were the first of the movement to receive widespread media coverage. These protests are trying to highlight economic and social inequality in our society, mainly the fact that a majority of the wealth in developed countries is held by a small percentage of top earners. These protests do not have a clear cut goal or demand however, yet they have continued into the new year. Not only do these protests point out an important flaw in our society (another indicator of a failing world) but they show that the citizens of the world are not willing to sit quietly. This surely heralds more social unrest to come…  

War: 
The above image shows the locations of current ongoing conflicts. Those marked in dark blue are major wars which cause 1000+ violent deaths per year. Those in light blue are minor wars but still cause 10 – 1000 violent deaths per year. These figures do not include all those injured in the conflicts. These are also only the locations of the wars — it does not include all the countries that are fighting them. If they were to be included, nearly every nation on the planet would be involved in some kind of warfare. This shows that peace on our planet is disintegrating. How long can this keep up before we are all dead?
Nuclear Arms: The idea of a nuclear holocaust goes back over half a century. Even though it is far from most people’s minds at present, it is still just as much of a threat as it was 50 years ago.The above image shows all the countries that are known to have nuclear weapons, or are suspected of having them or a nuclear program. Those in green formerly possessed nuclear weapons but no longer have them. The sheer amount of countries that possess these weapons of mass destruction is quite scary. Those highlighted in red, are countries that posses nuclear weapons and are not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That means that they have never said they won’t use their weapons for an aggressive attack. These countries, India, Pakistan and North Korea, pose a threat to the whole world. If they were to attack, would the other countries possessing WMD use them as well?
Politics: Recently, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il, passed away leaving the whole world on alert to see how the most isolated country in the world would react. North Korea has conducted nuclear tests in the past and is currently still in ongoing conflict with their rival neighbour, South Korea. Who knows what kind of conflict could arise with such a politically tense situation.Another unfolding situation is the US sanctions on Iran. Iran has threatened the US Navy after sanctions on the country have begun to take effect. This could easily lead to another conflict in a region already riddled with war and destruction.
As you can see, the world appears to be in the midst of it’s destruction. This does not even go into the issues of global warming, over population, pollution, loss of biodiversity and the numerous other problems that are beginning to plague our planet. This all seems to point to one thing — the end of the world in 2012. Maybe the Mayans were wrong about the date, however. There are a lot of bad things going on; it wouldn’t be surprising we were all gone before December 21.

Imagine how you would feel living in this city, having experienced ongoing quakes since September 2010. Fortunately this time no lives have been lost, but that doesn’t make the experience any less terrifying for those who have gone through this so many times in such a short time.

Fifteen months ago most of us here in New Zealand had never  heard of liquefaction, when the stress of the quake turns soil to liquid. Now this is a dreaded but common word in the vocabulary of people living in Canterbury, the province of which Christchurch is the major city. After all the cleaning up after the September 2010 and the even more devastating February 2011 earthquakes, to be then followed by the June earthquakes, people of Christchurch must have had enough. How much shaking and destruction can these poor people endure?

Today’s first jolt occurred earlier this afternoon, and was apparently quite sharp and violent. Just when people were starting to relax, what could be worse than further disaster in their city just two days before Christmas.  As I write, power is still off to over 1500 households. The airport has reopened, and Air New Zealand is working to clear the backlog of people either returning home for Christmas, or trying to leave the city.

Hearts and spirits must be broken down in the South Island of New Zealand. These people have suffered so much and now they don’t even have the peace of Christmas to look forward to. It is not the Christmas present any of them would have wished for.

Have you seen the video Turkish amateur when the earthquake happened and the video after the earthquake in Turkey?

Here’s the video amateur event ‘Turkey earthquake’: ‘Earthquake in Turkey 23.10.2011′

And here is the video after the earthquake in Turkey: ‘Rescuers scramble to reach earthquake victims in Turkey Van’

Appears in the video that shocks the Turkey earthquake was large. According to the news, a magnitude 7.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Turkey’s Southeast region led to dozens of buildings collapsed and claimed the lives of an estimated 1,000 people (As I have written in previous articles on: Turkey Earthquake Kills Up to 1.000 People.)

Turkey after the earthquake, the SAR team helped evacuate residents struggled to rescue the victim.

Rescuers search for quake victims on Monday in eastern Turkey.

“The search and rescue will be continued until the evening,” said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who rushed to the province of Van, which is densely populated, and warned the death toll could rise temporarily many victims were found under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Television footage showed search and rescue teams found the bodies from under rubble in the city of Van and peas, with the illumination of the generator at night fall.

This article is not about facts, so I apologise if someone has come here looking for data, facts and figures to support arguments, or even an intelligent outline of what has happened in New Zealand and how the people are coping. There plenty of other places online you can find the information you may be looking for. Here I am simply writing from my heart, pouring out my feelings on what my small country, often referred to as Paradise down under, is going through. Surely we have suffered enough for now.

It all started with the Pike River Coal Mining disaster last year, where 29 lives were needlessly lost. The court hearing is currently in progression, bringing out a lot of information that hurts to hear. A whole community suffered from this event and will do for a long time yet. It is hard to accept that so many lives were lost because of possible money saving measures.

Then came the Christchurch earthquakes, the first in September 2010. The next in February this year was of a lesser magnitude but created more damage. The earthquakes continue, the poor people of Christchurch and Canterbury are yet to go to sleep at night feeling their city has stopped rocking and rolling. The major part of a city has been flattened, lives lost, jobs no longer existing for many and still many years to come of cleaning up and rebuilding ahead. Many have moved away from the rocky Canterbury region, not able to cope with the constant quakes and after shocks. Others have bravely chosen to stay on, where they feel they belong, to be part of the rebuilding of a magnificent city.

Now one of our beautiful coastlines is being destroyed by what has been called New Zealand’s worst environmental disaster. Just over a week ago the container ship Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef just offshore from Tauranga, one of New Zealand’s most beautiful beach resorts in the Bay of Plenty. Oil is spilling into the ocean and washing up on the beaches and locals have joined the fight to save birds and other wildlife, as well as their beaches.

This has happened as New Zealand looks forward to summer. Not only is the oil spill an environmental disaster, but will also be a financial disaster for many living in this part of the country. This is the third event having major impact on much of New Zealand in the last twelve months.

One wonders how much destruction and pain the people of a small country can suffer. I know there are other countries in the world where ongoing suffering through wars, political regimes, weather extremes and other events impose even more hardship on people than I have just written of. My heart also goes out to the people in those countries.

For now, I’m sure the people of New Zealand would like some time to mourn, clean up, and to rebuild their lives and their country. New Zealanders are a hardy breed. So many people are doing wonderful things here for fellow New Zealanders. A true community spirit has united people throughout the country. But, wouldn’t it be nice to have a rest from disasters for a while.

Before the record was broken by the death of Steve Jobs. Highest number reached 8868 per chirp second. This note is obtained when Beyonce Knowles (wife of Jay-Z) when he announced her pregnancy at intervals the MTV Music awards show.

In the women’s World Cup final this year, tweet up on 7196 figures every second. This includes the tweet support of u.  s. President Barack Hussein Obama. At that time, Japan beat the u.  s.. Last year, the quantity of tweets on average reached 600 per second.

New Zealand Earthquake

Just after the 7.1 scale earthquake, on the Richter scale, New Zealand is hit with another earthquake and this time at one their CDB Christchurch.  Christchurch, as seen on the map, is located in the South Island of New Zealand along the eastern coast. This earthquake occurred on 12:51 pm local time on the 22nd of February Local time just 5 kilometres deep and ten kilometres south of Christchurch with a 6.3 on the Richter scale. Although the new earthquake is New Zealand has been less powerful in terms of the Richet scale, unlike the other earthquake in September which hit suburban areas this one hit a CBD.

Image credits: http://s3.amazonaws.com/readers/2011/09/28/6119d8644901b1ed3de76c40e238_1.gif

This catastrophic earthquake has caused the death of 1455 people and over 200 people are still missing. The cause of this earthquake had been the clash of the Indo-Australian and Pacific plate which was another reason for the huge amount of damage is that most of the buildings destroyed were older than fifty years and they were not earthquake proof. Also the newly discovered fault line near Christchurch which caused the earthquake was unknown. A lot of New Zealand’s seismologists say that the newly discovered fault line was cleverly hidden and could not have been discovered without extensive research.

The many consecutive events of the New Zealand and Australian natural disasters have caused an increase in the cost of living.

“It expected a $NZ3.5 million after-tax hit.” Said Tower managing director Rob Flanagan.

According to Miyamoto International the overall loss of the earthquake and its aftershock will be at least $12 billion dollars.

There is no doubt that the cost of living will go up but by how much is still a question because many of the buildings destroyed were partially destroyed by the first earthquake.

Mr. Higginbotham, structural engineer, says that the city will take five years to rebuild and that one in ten buildings was destroyed and the other damaged buildings could be re-built probably.

After the earthquake of September which had a death toll of zero, the tourism in New Zealand was considerably low. Now after the second earthquake in five months it will take a miracle for New Zealand’s economy to pick up. Tourism will most likeably be, as said by businessweek.com, hammered and since the country was on the verge of recession it will take a long time for New Zealand to recover. It seems almost unbelievable that on the morning of the earthquake it had seemed like a good day for New Zealand’s economy as the wages of milk and dairy product farmers went up by over fifty percent.

The effect on natural environment has been obvious. Liquefaction, where very wet solids start to act like liquids, has occurred across the widespread soil. Many cliff faces have fallen off from the violent shakings and pollution has increased because of all the debris and waste.

Information on death toll and people missing is from 26th of February

copyright publisharjun09

(image from flickr)

In the days of our grandparents, there were no cellphones, the Internet is only for a selected few i.e the military (Atleast that’s what I’ve read about.) But now we have the convenience of the Internet which were not around before.

The Internet allows us to communicate with our loved ones who are far away

When a relative goes abroad, before, they wrote their letters via mail which would take months before coming. It’s sweet. Yes. But now in a fast-pace world, sometimes, what you have sent now will be irrelevant the moment it arrives to the receiver. With the Internet we can communicate with our loved ones even though they are very far away. Just one click on Facebook will direct you to your relative’s page and you can send him a message instantly. Even emails are becoming old-fashioned for some. Unfortunately, for me, I still rely on my old Hotmail to send and receive emails (I like it that way.)

The Internet allows communication of people who share the same hobbies

As the previous article of mine suggests, I am a fan of Japanese culture. Unfortunately, I currently live in a place surrounded with buildings and people not sharing the same interest as mine. When I came across a forum which are Japan-culture related, I found people who share the same interest with me. And it’s all thanks to the Internet that I came to know people who are now my real life friends.

The Internet allows exchange of ideas between ideologies

Take a video game site called Kotaku. In most of the comments articles of theirs, you will find people who are living in virtually different parts of the world, yet exchanging blows as to what is to someone right and to the other person wrong. The Internet allows this kind of exchange as part of every individual’s rights to express their beliefs and opinions. 

The Internet allows us to know what’s happening anywhere in the world

When the earthquake in Haiti occurred, we see uploads of pictures from the people there telling the world of their situation. We see pictures from the earthquake in Japan telling us the devastation they just faced. 

The Internet tells us what’s happening in the world, even if the mainstream media doesn’t want to show it

There are countries around the world that censor its media. They censor the news so that the rest of the world will think that everything is going well, or at least not as horrible as we think. And then we will see pictures in the Internet uploaded by people who are from those places which literally speaks the opposite. Only in the Internet can we find that. Nowhere else.

We can do anything in the Internet

Anything. Yes. Make a blog and earn money. Publish on Triond and have people know what you think. We see people becoming youtube sensations. We saw Jim Carrey on a video asking for the Myanmar government to release Aung San Suu Kyi. We can do anything. And that’s the greatest benefit that the Internet do to us.

Caveat. Just a quick note:

But there’s always a certain word called “responsibility.” Whatever you write in the Internet, you will be responsible for it. Post provocative pictures of yourself on a certain site and don’t even try to question why suddenly you become an Internet sensation in a negative sense. The power of the Internet also bears a big responsibilty to its users. I will not be talking about it in length (maybe next time) but just a simple reminder: try to think first of the consequences of your actions on the Internet before even doing those things. You might be facing lawsuits in real-life over something you bothered writing on the virtual reality that is the Internet.

Until next time!