Category Archives: Technology

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Government & Corporate Incompetence: USGS says 6 fold increase in U.S. earthquakes caused by Oil Industry! California watch out!

“A remarkable increase in the rate of M 3 and greater earthquakes is currently in progress in the U.S. midcontinent. The average number of M >= 3 earthquakes/year increased starting in 2001, culminating in a six-fold increase over 20th century levels in 2011.”-USGS study, Are Seismicity Rate Changes in the Midcontinent Natural or Manmade?

Around the beginning of January 2012, officials from the U.S. Geological Survey testified to Ohio state officials, that the fracking going on in their state was the cause of a sudden string of earthquakes.

In July 2011, the state of Arkansas banned fracking for the same reasons.

Now a new study by USGS geologists, published by Seismological Society of America (SSA), confirms that “…the seismicity rate changes described here are almost certainly manmade…”, due to “…oil and gas production.”

The study will be discussed in more detail at a meeting from April 17-19.

USGS scientists point out that the area of increased quake activity is not normal for that part of the United States: “A naturally-occurring rate change of this magnitude is unprecedented outside of volcanic settings or in the absence of a main shock, of which there were neither in this region.”

The abstract details of the study also say: “The modest increase that began in 2001 is due to increased seismicity in the coal bed methane field of the Raton Basin along the Colorado-New Mexico border west of Trinidad, CO. The acceleration in activity that began in 2009 appears to involve a combination of source regions of oil and gas production, including the Guy, Arkansas region, and in central and southern Oklahoma.”

But this is not the only recent study published by the SSA to link oil production with earthquakes. Another report linked the April 2010 Alice, Texas earthquake to oil production in the Stratton field: “We conclude it is plausible, although not proven definitively, that production in the Stratton field contributed to the occurrence of the 2010 Alice earthquake and an earlier similar earthquake that occurred on 24 March 1997.”

So far most of the quakes are taking place in areas that don’t normally have much seismic activity, but California has plenty of earthquakes, and there’s a lot of oil and gas drilling, including fracking, going on there!

“On the one hand, the Division [California agency regulating petroleum industry] remains in denial about fracking for oil. On the other hand, they ask for and receive funding to regulate it and then don’t do it, and have no plans to do it [‘it’ as in ‘regulate’].”-Bill Allayaud, Environmental Working Group

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Good and Bad news for Idaho’s Hoku Materials

On March 22, 2012, Hoku Solar (a subsidiary of Hoku Corporation, in turn majority owned by China’s Tianwei New Energy) was selected to build a 7.2 megawatt solar farm in Kaua’i, Hawaii.

In December 2011, Hoku Solar actually delivered a 1.18 megawatt solar energy facility, the largest solar power plant in O’ahu, Hawaii.

After the announcement of the 7.2 megawatt solar farm contract, Hoku Corp stock went up 11%.

Now the bad news, another subsidiary of Hoku Corporation, Hoku Materials, is getting hit again by the construction contractor in charge of completing the southeastern Idaho polysilicon factory.

There are reports that once again Hoku has not fully paid its contractor JH Kelly.  This has happened before, and is part of the main cause for many construction delays in the past.  JH Kelly officials say they are taking “action” against Hoku.

Hoku Materials has also played the same game with electricity supplier Idaho Power.  Their latest battle was settled by an Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) decision.

According to an 15 March 2012 IPUC statement, Hoku got a new electricity contract which: “… reduces Hoku’s monthly minimum payment to about $800,000 for up to 18 months through June 2013.  To protect customers and the company from the lost revenue from the lower minimum payment, Hoku will reimburse the difference between the current and the revised minimum charge in payments spread through November 2014, plus 6 percent interest.  Hoku will also make an initial payment of $3.8 million, with $2 million of that coming from a $4 million deposit already provided by Hoku. The remaining $1.8 million will be paid over the next 18 months at $100,000 per month.  Hoku must give Idaho Power 30 days’ notice when it plans to exceed 10 MW and six-months’ notice when it plans to exceed 20 MW.”  

HOKU MATERIALS’ CUSTOMERS WHO ‘PREPAID’ ARE GETTING IMPATIENT!

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: UANI goes after Korean car maker, UANI formed in 2008 specifically to go after companies doing business with Iran

“UANI’s unprecedented success in pressuring multinational corporations to cease business in Iran has alerted the business community of the serious financial and reputational risks of doing business with the Iranian regime.”-UANI statement

April 5, 2012, South Korean car maker, Hyundai, succumbed to the attacks from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).

Hyundai will stop exporting cars to Iran, however such a move will only hurt Hyundai, by reducing overall sales.  Iran has several car makers who will benefit by lack of foreign competition.

Hyundai is refusing to comment on the situation.

This is not about current U.S. sanctions against Iran.  I’ve already written how U.S. Congress, and George Bush Jr created a law in 2000 that exempted U.S. corporations from existing, and future sanctions against Iran, and North Korea.

UANI was created in 2008, for the express purpose of going after corporations that do business with Iran.

UANI also proudly admits they are the ones behind much of the anti-Iran legislation coming out of Washington DC.

UANI is also the main “official” source of anti-Iran info being used by the U.S. media.

UANI also proudly admits they are the ones behind the nuclear weapons scare mongering rhetoric concerning Iran.

Want proof, just go to their website.  You can find it yourself.

Want’s interesting is that UANI is claiming to be doing these things in the name of preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons, yet they are actually shutting down Western (European, Asian) competitors to U.S. corporations.  How does that prevent another country from getting nuclear weapons?

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: UANI goes after yet another French car maker, as well as a Japanese car maker

After shutting down a Peugeot Citroën factory, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is now going after Renault and Nissan.

On April 6, 2012, UANI sent a letter to Renault’s president.  As in its threatening letter to General Motors it is full of unsubstantiated claims against Iran: “Renault’s business dealings in Iran directly support the Iranian regime’s ability to develop its illegal nuclear weapons program, support its terrorist proxies and pursue a brutal campaign of repression against the Iranian people.”-UANI statement

Show me the proof you UANI ass hole liars!

This comes after UANI successfully threatened General Motors into pressuring their French business partner Peugeot Citroën.

Renault has actually seen business go up in Iran, producing 93,578 vehicles in Iran in 2011.

UANI is also attacking Nissan, after the Japanese car maker got a $1 billion USD deal to make taxis for New York City: “New York taxpayer dollars should not benefit a corporation, like Nissan, that partners with a regime that is the world’s number one state sponsor of terror and has formed an alliance with al Qaeda.”-UANI statement

The biggest lie about that statement is the fact that Iran is not associated with al Qaeda!!!  The U.S. created al Qaeda is actually at war with Iran!!! Al Qaeda leaders have issued fatwas calling for the killing of Shi’a Muslims, who just happen to make up the majority of people living in Iran, why the hell would Iran support such an organization?!?

Oh, and I thought al Qaeda was the number one terrorist organization?

It really looks like the U.S. sanctions against Iran are actually meant to hurt Western (European/Japanese) competitors to U.S. corporations.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. sanctions against Iran shut down Peugeot. Pressure from General Motors. Who are the sanctions really meant to target?

French based car maker Peugeot Citroën, has shut down a factory after parts shipped from Iran were stopped.

Peugeot Citroën has manufacturing deals with Iran Khodro, a major car maker in Iran.

220 people were laid off at the Vesoul factory in northeastern France.  This comes after a U.S. lobbyist group called United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), asked U.S. Congress to put pressure on the French car maker.

UANI also put pressure, should we say threatened, General Motors because GM holds 7% of Peugeot Citroën.  Officials from the French car maker said it was GM that pressured them to stop selling knock down kits to Iran.  A knock down kit is basically a unassembled car.

UANI has made completely unsubstantiated claims against Iran: “….it is unacceptable for GM to enter into a partnership with a company that so openly deals with a regime that is responsible for the deaths of U.S. and NATO servicemen and threatens U.S. and global security.”-Mark Wallace, UANI

How can Mark Wallace make such a claim?  Iran has never been connected to any terrorist actions against the United States. Where’s the undeniable proof?  What Mike Wallace is saying is the same old unproven ultra right wing neo conservative bull shit!

By the way, stopping Peugeot Citroën business with Iran will not hurt Iran’s economy.  Iran Khodro is doing extremely well with its own car designs, especially in the Central Asian market. So the real question is; who is really being targeted by the U.S. sanctions?

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Nuclear fire: France shuts down Nuclear power plant

Just after noon on April 5, 2012, two fires inside a nuclear power plant near the English Channel, resulted in a French nuke plant being shut down.

Firefighters say they found two pools of oil on fire inside the building. The oil came from pumps that were leaking (gee, that seems to be a common problem at these nuclear disaster reactors).

Smoke from the fire caused an automatic shut down of the reactors.

France supposedly has a good safety record with nuke reactors, and they also rely on a lot of them, 58 in total. Officials say they will now investigate.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Yahoo confirms, will lay off thousands of employees

“The changes we’re announcing today will put our customers first, allow us to move fast, and to get stuff done…smaller, nimbler, more profitable…We are intensifying our efforts on our core businesses and redeploying resources to our most urgent priorities.”-Yahoo memo to employees

On March 31, 2012, rumors hit the internet that Yahoo was in trouble and would fire thousands of employees.

April 4, 2012, Chief Executive Scott Thompson revealed they will indeed lay off 2,000 employees.

Thompson said he would reveal more details on April 17.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: China outproducing Exxon Mobil, North Sea major gas leak, Sudan bombs oil rich South Sudan, Iraqi Kurds stop oil shipments, Canada will stop selling cheap oil to the U.S.!

French oil company Total, could lose $2.5 million USD per day due to its North Sea oil rig leak.

The Elgin ocean rig, near Scotland, began leaking natural gas eight days ago.  It’s coming from a well that workers were trying to cap.  The situation in the North Sea now, is similar to the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico blow out.

Workers were evacuated for fear of a huge explosion. There are now reports of “oily sheen” on the ocean’s surface.

According to the North African country of South Sudan, their neighbor Sudan is bombing their oil rich areas, in order to drive off investors from the United States.

Officials from Sudan deny that they are specifically targeting oil wells, but U.S. President Barack Obama asked both sides to avoid targeting oil resources.  The U.S. supported the creation of the new country of South Sudan.

The Kurdish autonomous government in northern Iraq, have stopped oil shipments.  Kurdish officials say the Iraqi government has not made any of the payments promised for past oil shipments.

Iraqi officials responded by stating that the Kurds have not sent all the oil that was promised. However, a payment of $560 million USD is being reviewed.

Iraqi officials also say they have reason to believe the Kurds are illegally selling oil to neighboring Middle Eastern countries.  However, despite such claims of loss from Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraqi oil exports hit 2.13 million barrels per day in March.

The world’s biggest oil producer is no longer Exxon Mobil.  PetroChina is now the number one producer of petroleum oil.

According to Bloomberg, PetroChina is now producing a little more than 2.4 million barrels per day of oil.  Chinese officials say the petroleum company will actually increase its take over of other oil companies around the world, because China’s industries need the oil.

“Look, the very fact that a ‘no’ [a no on Keystone] could even be said underscores to our country that we must diversify our energy export markets. We cannot be, as a country, in a situation where our one and, in many cases, only energy partner could say no to our energy products. We just cannot be in that position.”-Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada

Canada has been selling its oil to the United States by at least half the going rate, but Canadian officials say that can’t continue, even if U.S. officials approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Canada will eventually jack up the price for U.S. customers.

“We have taken a significant price hit by virtue of the fact that we are a captive supplier and that just does not make sense in terms of the broader interests of the Canadian economy…”-Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada

 

 

 

 

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Terror Drones: March 26 – April 1, U.S. killing their own

The United States continues to increase drone attacks in the Arabian Peninsula country of Yemen.

On March 30, 2012, at least five people were killed, and a natural gas pipeline was blown up after a U.S. drone strike near Shabwa.

Official U.S. statements say they targeted “suspected” al Qaeda militants, one missile hit a car, the other missile hit a building.  Witnesses say a another vehicle was struck, killing everyone inside.  It was an entire family.  U.S. officials have no comment.

There are also reports that a drone attack hit a natural gas pipeline. U.S. officials claim the “suspected” militants blew up the pipeline after the drone strike.

According to Australia’s Brisbane Times, the United States has dramatically increased the use of drones in Yemen.  In May 2011, Peaceprize winner, Barack Obama, ordered an increase of drone strikes.  The result was at least 26 drone strikes in Yemen (keep in mind that officially the U.S. wasn’t supposed to be involved in Yemen).  Now, since January 2012 there have been at least nine drone strikes, five just in the month of March 2012.

It’s not just the number of drone strikes, the number of people being killed in each drone strike is going up as well.  London’s City University, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, reports that as many as 516 people have been killed in Yemen, with as many as 105 confirmed as civilians (including five pregnant women and 22 children), not “suspected” militants.

Another issue is the fact that many parts of Yemen are without electrical power.  The main reason is that power plants are repeatedly targeted, by U.S. and anti-government Mujahideen.

The latest case involves families who lost loved ones due to U.S. drone strikes. They are now attacking power stations demanding compensation for the loss of their relatives: “Victims of U.S. drone strikes constituted that the majority of locals attacked the electricity supply because their demands for compensation after the attack were not addressed.”-Saeed Ali al-Yousifi, The Yemen Observer

On March 25, 2012, the power station in Marib Province was attacked and shut down by an angry mob.  The angry crowd included people who had been victims of past drone attacks, including the family of a young man who lost both legs in a May, 2010, U.S. drone attack.

On March 31, the United States attacked the northeastern African country of Somalia, with drones. A Somali official, Hussein Mohamed Uraag, says several missiles were fired into the western portion of the city of Mogadishu.  At least 18 people were killed.

In South Asia, despite demands from Pakistan’s parliament, to stop drone attacks, on March 30 the U.S. destroyed a house with a drone strike.  At least four people were killed.

The attack took place in North Waziristan, officials say the targeted people were from Uzbekistan.

On April 1, the Pakistani Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS), announced that they will tie the ending of U.S. drone attacks to continued support for U.S./NATO supply convoys through Pakistan.

Pakistani Army Chief General, Ashfraq Pervez Kayani, said NATO has so far not contacted the Pakistani military regarding renewed support for U.S./NATO/ISAF supply convoys.

Pakistani Senator, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, said NATO should not be allowed to transport weapons through Pakistan, and that all other supplies will be allowed only if the United States stops drone attacks.

Maulana Abdul Maalik Wazir, National Assembly of Pakistan, said all NATO supply routes should be shut down, no more negotiating!

Pakistani Senator, Mudassir Sehar Kamran, demanded the United States pay for past damages caused by U.S. drone strikes!

On March 29, it was reported that Australia will be arming it’s troops in the Central Asian country of Afghanistan, with more surveillance drones.

It’s called the Shadow 200 Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (TUAS), and was first used by the U.S. in the Middle Eastern country of Iraq.  It is used for recon purposes.  It’s still used by U.S. forces.

April 6, 2012, will be the year anniversary of the first known case of U.S. forces killing two of their own with a Predator terror drone strike: “The two-man Predator crew responsible for this particular airstrike not only destroyed a young Navy corpsman’s life but also destroyed the lives of his entire family.”-Robert Rast, father of one of the victims

On April 6, 2011, a U.S. Navy corpsman, and a USMC Staff Sergeant, were killed in Afghanistan by a USAF Captain operating a Predator drone from his base in Nevada!

A 385 page report puts the blame on the U.S. Air Force for failing to communicate with U.S. Marines on the ground in Afghanistan: “Information was available to the Predator crew that potentially could have increased the commander’s understanding of the situation, but this information was not communicated to Marines on the ground who were directing the attack….In the final analysis the chain of events that led to Staff Sgt. Smith and (Hospitalman) Rast being targeted and ultimately killed by friendly fire was initiated by the on-scene ground force commander’s lack of overall situational awareness and the inability to accurately communicate his friendly force disposition with respect to the enemy.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Corporate Evil: Apple admits to slave labor conditions in their Chinese factories!

After several suicides in 2010, at Foxconn factories that made iPads and iPhones, Apple hired the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate.

FLA discovered at least 50 cases where workers were not paid!  They also discovered many cases of employees being forced to work excessive overtime hours, in violation of Chinese labor laws!

Foxconn is an affiliate of Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry and is Apple’s largest partner.  With a name like Foxconn, you should be suspicious (as in sly/tricky like a Fox, and con artist).