Performance of the PYCO Symphony Orchestra at the Holiday Concert "Caroling We Go" on December 10, 2023 at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Perrysville, PA. Pablo Ardiles, conductor.
Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Vulkanausbruch auf Island
Um 22.17 Uhr am Montagabend ist der Vulkan auf der Halbinsel Reykjanes im Südwesten Islands ausgebrochen
Foto: Halldór Björnsson/Icelandic Met Office
Wochenlang brodelte es im Untergrund. Tausende Erdbeben gab es in den vergangene Wochen in der Region. Auf eine weitere Serie am Montagabend folgte der lange befürchtete Ausbruch!
Ab 22.17 Uhr schleuderte der Vulkan auf der Halbinsel Reykjanes im Südwesten Islands Lava und Geröll in die Luft, so das isländische Wetteramt. Rauch stieg kilometerweit am Nachthimmel auf, tauchte ihn in leuchtendes Orange. Auf Video ist zu sehen, wie Lava aus einem kilometerbreiten Riss sprudelt.
Der Spalt vergrößerte sich im Laufe der Nacht und wuchs bis zum frühen Morgen auf etwa vier Kilometer an, wie ein Vulkanologe sagte. Der Riss ist Experten zufolge um ein Vielfaches länger als bei den Ausbrüchen der vergangenen Jahre auf der Halbinsel Reykjanes.
Auch der Lavastrom sei viel größer, etwa 100 bis 200 Kubikmeter Lava pro Sekunde strömten aus dem Spalt heraus. Der Zivilschutz rief die Notfallstufe aus.
Der Vulkanologe Ármann Höskuldsson sagte, der Riss erstrecke sich Richtung Grindavík. Glücklicherweise fließe keine Lava in Richtung der dortigen Kraftwerke. Gebäude seien derzeit nicht gefährdet, hieß es. Die Eruption könnte seiner Einschätzung nach eine Woche bis zehn Tage andauern, sagte Höskuldsson dem isländischen Rundfunksender RÚV.
Der Ausbruch tauchte den Nachthimmel in gleißend orangefarbenes Licht
Der Geophysiker Benedikt Ofeigsson von der isländischen Wetterbehörde sagte örtlichen Medienberichten zufolge, die Eruption sei am Sundhnjúka-Krater lokalisiert worden. Derzeit sei es schwer zu sagen, ob Infrastruktur oder der Ort Grindavík in Gefahr seien. Islands Präsident Gudni Jóhannesson schrieb auf Facebook, es sei noch unklar, welchen Schaden der Ausbruch anrichten könnte. Er bat die Menschen vor Ort, „in diesem gefährlichen Moment“ allen Empfehlungen der Rettungsdienste zu folgen. Der Bürgermeister von Grindavík, Fannar Jónasson, sagte, er sei vom Zeitpunkt des Ausbruchs etwas überrascht gewesen, da sich die Erdbeben in den letzten Tagen etwas beruhigt hätten.
Regierungschefin Katrin Jakobsdottir erklärte, sie sei in Gedanken bei der Bevölkerung der Gegend. „Wir hoffen das Beste, aber es ist klar, dass es sich um einen bedeutsamen Ausbruch handelt.“
Wochenlange Erdbeben-Serie
Im November evakuierte die Polizei die Stadt Grindavik, nachdem starke seismische Aktivitäten in der Gegend Häuser beschädigt und Befürchtungen über einen bevorstehenden Ausbruch geweckt hatten. In den vergangenen zwei Monaten hatte es in der Region Tausende von Erdbeben gegeben.
Grindavik, ein Fischerdorf mit 3400 Einwohnern, liegt auf der Halbinsel Reykjanes, etwa 50 Kilometer südwestlich der Hauptstadt Reykjavik und unweit des Flughafens Keflavik, dem wichtigsten isländischen Flughafen für internationale Flüge. Die nur wenige Kilometer vom Ort entfernt liegende Touristenattraktion Blaue Lagune war nach einer vorübergehenden Schließung erst am Wochenende wieder eröffnet worden. Sie liegt nur rund 40 Kilometer südwestlich von der Hauptstadt Reykjavík. Zum Zeitpunkt der Eruption befand sich den Berichten zufolge kein Gast dort.
Für die Luftfahrt wurde vorübergehend die rote Warnstufe ausgerufen, diese wurde dann aber wieder auf Orange herabgestuft. Der Flughafenbetreiber Isavia erklärte auf seiner Website, derzeit gebe es bei Starts und Landungen am internationalen Hauptstadtflughafen Keflavik keinerlei Behinderungen.
Der jetzige Vulkanausbruch ist der vierte auf Island innerhalb von zwei Jahren. Island ist mit mehr als 30 aktiven Vulkansystemen die größte und aktivste Vulkanregion Europas. Island liegt zwischen der eurasischen und der nordamerikanischen Erdplatte. Da sich die Platten in entgegengesetzte Richtungen bewegen, kommt es in dem Inselstaat immer wieder zu Erdbeben und Vulkanausbrüchen. Im Jahr 2010 hatte der Ausbruch des Vulkans Eyjafjallajokull hunderte Isländer aus ihren Häusern vertrieben. Rund 10 000 Flüge mussten gestrichen werden.
Proactive measures needed to address impending El Niño
Dec 19, 2023 07:17 AM
The recent warning from Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum about the anticipated impact of a strong El Niño, “affecting around 65 provinces with drought and six provinces facing a dry spell by the end of May (of 2024),” is a call for swift and proactive action.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the urgency of the situation, emphasizing the necessity for “closer collaboration” between the government and the private sector to address the potential consequences of El Niño.
“I do not mean to frighten anyone… but it is a serious problem. We are familiar with the capabilities of both the private sector and public sector. Put us together and there's much that we can do,” the President said. “Let us continue to work together so that we can provide our people with the best quality services that they truly deserve.”
In light of El Niño's projected persistence until the second quarter of 2024, Marcos stressed the need to prioritize the repair of water pipes to prevent leakages and complete ongoing water supply projects. He also called for intensified vigilance from concerned government agencies overseeing the construction of water supply facilities, particularly in regions grappling with water scarcity.
“What we need to do is to prepare, further capacitate …so that should the El Niño extend to the second quarter of next year, we are still at the very least able to supply potable water, especially in the urban areas; (and) we are able to supply our agriculture,” he said. “We also have to be thinking about our hospitals. Hospitals cannot operate without water and with the onset of a drought, that will become more important as it goes on.”
Aside from calling on the support of the private sector, the President also reported that the El Niño Task Force has been reorganized, as part of the extensive efforts to ensure food, water, and power security amid the weather phenomenon.
“I have created under the Office of the President a Task Force El Niño. There already exists one… but we will change its structure,” Marcos said. “I think [of] a more serious and a more extensive effort because we really have to get everybody involved to be able to prepare, to make sure we can minimize, alleviate, and adapt to climate change.”
The El Niño Task Force was reconstituted in May this year, in response to the President’s call for a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-nation” approach to address El Niño. He emphasized the importance of public awareness and education on El Niño, encouraging an info campaign to inform people about the situation. He also called for collective action at the household, farm, and industrial levels, urging citizens to contribute to water conservation efforts.
“I call on the Department of Agriculture, the NIA (National Irrigation Administration) to assess the farmers’ needs to accelerate the construction of irrigation facilities from existing water sources. We must be prepared to address the effects of El Niño,” Marcos said.
This early call for preparedness is a crucial step to mitigate the potential disastrous consequences of El Niño. History has shown that lack of preparation can risk lives, livelihoods, and food security. In an era where technology provides the tools to anticipate challenges and there is enough data to assess the situation accurately, there are no excuses for being unprepared, such as acting “wet behind the ears” when the dry spell starts.
What is one food that only Germans eat?
Lou Coury
Music fan, chemist
454 followers
983 following
Chemist and progressive rock fan
Name one food that only the Germans eat?
The last time I visited Hamburg, I ordered the "typical Hamburg" dinner at a restaurant near our hotel.
The entree was white fish with bacon and mustard gravy served over steamed pickles.
This combination is not something I have encountered elsewhere (Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic). So while I am not qualified to say this is something only eaten in Germany, it is what I think of when I think of northern Germany. And let me just say, this meal was delicious.
For dessert, I had Rote Grütze, a northern German dessert dish made from red currants and served with quark cheese or vanilla sauce. It was originally made with groats (hence the name), but is sometimes made with potato starch instead.
I am aware that there is a similar Danish dessert called Rødgrød, so this dish probably does not qualify as “something only Germans eat.” But I believe the version typically found in Hamburg has some unique aspects. There are also apparently blue and green versions, as well, made from blackberries and gooseberries/kiwi.
If it is true that only Germans eat these dishes, that’s a shame! The rest of us are missing out!
Sports as preparation for Christmas
.jpg)
By Fr. Roy Cimagala
Chaplain
Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)
Talamban, Cebu City
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
CHRISTMAS being the birth of Christ our Redeemer, we should be properly prepared for it in both body and soul. The spiritual preparation, of course, takes precedence over the bodily preparation, but the latter also needs to be given due attention, otherwise our spiritual readiness to receive Christ on Christmas Day would be undermined.
One good way to make ourselves bodily prepared for Christmas is through sports. If its true purpose is understood and lived well, sports can give us a tremendous help in properly welcoming Christ into our lives.
We have to understand that sports should not just be a matter of winning in a game or in a race. While that is the immediate intention of anyone who plays, we should go beyond that level and capture the more important purpose of sports.
Sports should train our body and all its faculties—the senses, emotions, passions, imagination, memory, etc.—to be properly aligned to the true dignity of man which is that of being the image and likeness of God, children of his, sharers of his divine life and nature.
In short, sports should make us like Christ, the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity. How? By seeing to it that we regard our life here on earth like a sport too, where we have to train ourselves, submitting ourselves to a certain discipline, etc.
We should echo what St. Paul once said: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly. I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” (1 Cor 9,25-27)
This discipline required in sports and in our life is somehow indicated in the readings of the Mass of December 19 where we are told about Samson whose hair should not be cut (cfr. Judges 13,2-7.24-25), and about John the Baptist who would not take strong drinks. (cfr. Lk 1,15)
The real victory that our sports should give us is not so much a matter of winning a particular game, or of making a lot of points, etc., as in making us more a child of God, filled with love for God and for everybody else, whether we win or lose in a game.
Aside from a strong sense of self-discipline and submitting ourselves in a continuing training program, an indispensable ingredient of this healthy sporting spirit is the sense of acceptance and abandonment that we need to deliberately cultivate. This does not come automatically, as if it’s part of our genes. We have to develop them.
We have to be sport and adventurous in facing the different conditions of our life. And it would greatly help if we too can have an abiding sense of humor. Otherwise, we would just fall into states of sadness, pessimism and despair which actually are unnecessary and are avoidable.
This we can do if first of all we have a strong and deep faith in God, our Creator and Father. If we have that faith, we know that God holds everything in order through his providence. He takes care of everything, irrespective of how things go. Ours is simply to relate everything to him and to go back to him everytime we go astray, especially at the end of the day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)