Natures might.

By, Uwe Paschen.

The might of nature displayed in its earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis, hurricanes, hail storms, blizzards and many more such natural phenomenon. Those on the one hand do fascinate us and yet can be so devastating that alone mentioning them will cause many to shiver and some to relive painful even horrifying memories caused by such events. Such as the recent powerful Haiti earthquake or the one in California, Japan and the most powerful and latest, the earthquake that just struck in Chile with a magnitude on the Richter Scale of 8.8.

Chile is also where we recorded the most powerful earthquake in modern times or since we have the means to record such natural phenomenon’s that have potentially devastating consequences for Humans and any other life forms for that matter.

We live on a planet that it self may seem alive and according to the British scientist James Lovelockand his Gaia hypothesis, our earth is very much alive in deed and may even have a consciousness of some sort. Even though this may be very hypothetical, leaving some to shake their heads in disbelieve, it is not really a new idea or believe.

Many cultures believed so and still do today and if one takes the scientific approach and analyses what we can observe and understand through science and logical deductions, then it could very well be that this hypothesis may reveal it self to be true and who knows, maybe we will even be able to prove it one day.

However, today we shall stay with the facts at hand that we are able to understand and proves through science, accumulated knowledge and data, all the wile remaining grounded in logic.

Earthquakes are caused by stress factors that are due to the movement of the continental plates, those in a way swim on the Earth inner layer that is made up of magma.

Since we live on the cooled down outer crust of this planet, one may say that we live on gigantic rafts that swim on a very hot and highly dense ocean. This is why those plates or rafts move, even if slowly their mass is such that any movement is felt, at least so it seems from our perspective since our lives are rather short in contrast to the age of our planet where this has been a continuous reality for billions of years. Further we are very small and there for notice those movements in the same manner then a microbe may perceive a twitch by its host wish can be as devastating for the microbe as the earthquake can be for us.

The single most devastating earthquake as far as casualties are concerned in recorded human history did happen in "Shaanxi", China in the 16^th century, causing over 830,000 fatalities. That earthquake is estimated have been of the magnitude of 8.0 or higher.

Some believe argue that we do have more earthquakes today then we ever had before, using records to prove their point, this theory is however flawed since we do have accurate and global records only for a very short time and all records prior to the 20^th century where only regional and did not monitor earthquakes on a global level.

Why we have only 12-recorded earthquakes above 6.9 in magnitude in the 19^th century compared to a 125 in the 20^th century. Some religious groups use this in their claim that the end of times is upon us, such claims do not hold up to science or logic though.

The average number of earthquakes per annum in the range above 6.9 in magnitude is 35 earthquakes, this is what can observe since we have accurate records. In the last decade we had 354 earthquakes of those six measured between 7.0 and 7.9 in magnitude none above that. Still there are far more earthquakes world wide on a daily base it is estimated that we have more then 300,000 earthquakes, most of then can not be noticed by us, only very sensitive seismograph do record those. The very powerful earthquakes such as the resent Chile earthquake are the once that do concern us. However, those seem to happen only two to six times every century from what we can deduct from recorded data and recorded history, those records predating the 20^th century are not very accurate, but historical records do give us an idea by their events how strong the earthquake may have been.

Now there are areas that are more prone to earthquakes then others are, nevertheless, an earthquake can happen anywhere because the tectonic plates keep moving since they first formed four billion years ago.

At one point, all our continents were one large land mass, that broke up into the continents we know today and those have been moving ever since in very much the same pattern.

Europe and Africa move away from the Americas by a measurable distance annually, where as North Americas, Asia and Australia are on a coalition course, off course there is a lot more to it as the map off the stress factors shows and tectonic plate movements illustrates best.

This is why some area such as Japan, the North American west coast and the Caribbean Islands are more prone to earthquakes then other areas would be. Those areas where we had the last four very powerful earthquakes are where the tectonic plates meet or collide. Due to their mass, the effects can be devastating for us mire mortal. Even though those movements are extremely small and slow, they can be of apocalyptic dimensions, especially when those earthquakes are followed by a tsunami such asthe tsunami of the 26^th of December 2004 in the Indian ocean whose epicentre was on the west cost of Sumatra in Indonesia. This Tsunami killed nearly 230,000 people with waves as high as 10 metres. The earthquake it self had a magnitude of 9.1 on the Richter’s scale. The energy released by that particular earthquake on the Earth's surface only, M_E, being the seismic potential for earth movement was estimated at 1.1×10¹⁷ joules or 26.3 megatons of TNT.

The scale below shows the hight of the 2004 tsunami wave.

                           

Tsunami waves are most frequent in the Pacific Ocean because of earthquakes in the "Ring of Fire", and an effective tsunami warning system has long been in place there. Since the 2004 Tsunami, talks are underway to establish such warning system through out the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean as well.

Not every earthquake does generate a tsunami, on March 28, 2005; a magnitude 8.7 earthquake hit roughly the same area of the Indian Ocean but did not result in a major tsunami.

Earthquakes always have an epicentre from wish the earthquake originates, most of those epicentres are located in the oceans of our planet and the waves are generated in two distinctive ways called body waves and surface waves.

“The body waves travel through the interior of the Earth. They follow raypaths refracted by the varying density and modulus (stiffness) of the Earth's interior. The density and modulus, in turn, vary according to temperature, composition, and phase. This effect is similar to the refraction oflight waves.”

“The surface waves on the other hand are analogous to water waves and travel along the Earth's surface. They travel more slowly than body waves. Because of their low frequency, long duration, and large amplitude, they can be the most destructive type of seismic wave. There are two types of surface waves: Rayleigh waves and Love waves.”

Those waves travel great distances, with a force that varies. One of the worth cased scenario is when those waves meet an obstacle, such as a bedrock from a mountain chain. From wish they are bounced back, like an echo and then meet with a second wave or after shock causing a devastating coalition of two forces as it happened on the 17^th of January 1995 at 05:46H in the morning with Great Hanshin earthquake in Japan, which claimed 6300 lives. That particular earthquake measured 7 on the scale ofJapan Meteorological Agency (JMA) or 6.8 on the Moment magnitude scale (USGS), and Mj 7.3 (adjusted from 7.2) on JMA magnitude scale.

Those that lived through such devastating earthquakes as the Great Hanshin earthquake, the Haiti Earthquake or the latest earthquake in Chile, are generally left with great scars that will stay for a lifetime. Nature displays all its might time and time again through its earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis and other phenomenon’s that fascinate us as much as they scare us.

However, nature does also give us a warning system, the trouble is though, most of us Humans are no longer able to listen, feel, or see the signs. Some still do and those know when it is time to run. Most wild animals know as well, Still farm animals do sense those early warning signs as well, even though some times latter then the wild once do. Maybe we should spend less time isolating our self’s from nature and more trying to reconnect with it, so we may hear, fell and see the warning signs our self’s as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcZtMFnyj1M&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZPNjLj8hR8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6H2-n7rZOs

Profit driven Agriculture causing famines and soil degradation.

Photos

Videos

Green Revolution to Famine? Nkuuhe interview

see larger video 

sourced byUwe Paschen

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By, Uwe Paschen.

Modern, new and high tech is not always the anther to our problems. This is especially true when it comes to agriculture and its environmental impact. Most importantly would be the long-term impact here; since some application may give great results at first with over 200% higher hild's and subsequent profits.

However, in the long run those methods may very well cause a great disaster accompany by the very famines and desertification that the new technology and methods where suppose to eradicate for ever.

(See: http://www.reference-global.com/doi/abs/10.1515/iabi.1997.27.4.333)

This due to the two opposing philosophies here, on the one hand we have Modern farming wish involves, “GMO, Pesticides, Herbicides, Toxins, Heavy machinery, Centralization, dependence from Monsanto and Pioneer, Fierce competition, Domination over Nature, Specialization (mono cultures) and Exploitation (similar to the principal of pest).”

On the other hand we have Organic or Ecological responsible agriculture, this once building blocks are lasting and highly adaptive, because they rely on the principals of “Decentralization (adapting to once environment), Independence (seed cultures adapted to a particular area and climate), Community, Harmony with Nature, Diversity (essential for adaptation to changes) and restrain (not taking more then one can give back).

Why it is so vital that the Planing and implementing in agriculture has to be made with great care and very long foresight? Simply because money and profits as well as opportunism and stock market shares are the source of mismanagement resulting in natural as well as humanitarian disaster.

This especially in areas that are already very vulnerable with a fragile ecosystem, whose balance can be tipped with the slightest mistake or exes. Such is the case of the Sub Sahara region and the equatorial rain forest.

(See: http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/desperate-farmers-dying-environment)

(and: http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/desertification-part-ii-history-sahara-desert-attem)

Today, American companies such as Pioneer and Monsanto are trying to force their products and ways onto the African continent in order to increase their sales and profits, this to satisfy their stock holders, all the wile accusing those that oppose this endeavour of trying to maintain famines and poverty through out the Sub Sahara region in Africa.

(See: http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/monsanto-gm-corn-disaster-south-africa)

Pioneer and Monsanto have already caused great harm, this not only in Asia where they gave GMO seeds away at first and encouraged the farmers to sale or eat their own seed reserves. This resulted in a dependence of those GMO seeds since the native seeds where now gone. Further those GMO seeds ended up requiring more chemicals and fertilizer then the native seeds did and yet did not bring in the promised higher hilds nor more profits. In most cases, the opposite happened, resulting in mass suicides and even famines.

(See: http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/1-500-farmers-india-commit-mass-suicide)

The US government is not only supporting companies such as Pioneer and Monsanto. The US does even fight every one and any one that opposes the ludicrous promises those claim and that by now have been proven to be, not only false or misleading, but even criminal and this not only from a humanitarian point of view, but also from an ecological perspective.

(See:http://my.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/monsanto-plans-boost-food-supply)

(And: http://bytestyle.tv/content/court-monsanto-guilty-false-claims-about-product-safety,

Study after study can show that farming with Chemicals, CMO and heavy machinery does not improve or create higher hilds, nor does it generate more profits then Organic farming. The opposite does happen over the long run. GMO do require large amount of Chemicals, these burn the topsoil and render it useless with in a generation or two. Depleting the top soil of all its valuable and essential organic building block. Further, this does destabilise the eco-balance all the wile causing desertification and contaminating the ground water with Nitrates and phosphates in great excesses. Those chemicals do eventually reach the rivers, lakes and the oceans, causing massive growth of algae’s that deplete the water of oxygen, wish ends up killing its fauna.

Meanwhile Organic farming, when conducted properly, does try to give back to the soil what it took all the wile adapting the crop to the soil and climate rather then adapting the soil and climate to the crop.

(See: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/organic.farm.vs.other.ssl.htm)

Introducing GMO seeds and more chemicals in the Sub Sahara area of Africa would cause further degradation of the already overstressed top soil and not only deplete the ground water levels more rapidly, it would contaminate the remaining fresh water with Nitrates and phosphates causing massive pollution, that in turn would affect the fauna and human population with disastrous consequences.

(See: http://www.tjclark.com.au/colloidal-minerals-library/soil-depletion.htm)

A good example how wrong the IMF, World Bank and US lead profit orientated thinking is, would be the introduction of rice cultures in a Sub Sahara environment such as Niger.

The IMF, the US and Monsanto supported this crop. Further the World Bank granted loans for fertilizer to improve the hild. Rice being a crop that demands large amount of water was supposed to solve the problem of famines in country plagued by droughts and over population.

This contributed to lower the water level of the Niger River further and contaminated the ground water with Nitrate concentrations as high as 10-meq l−1. (The 10-mg/l standard expressed as nitrogen (N) is equivalent to 45 mg/l expressed as nitrate.)  To identify the source(s) of this pollution, (nitrate and the15N contents) the polluted wells were monitored over a 20-month period by the University of Montreal in Quebec. Those level have increased since this initial study of 1996 by a factor of 8 and exceed the US maximum levels of Nitrate considered safe from Human consumption by a factor of 12, wish is highly dangerous for infants because they may cause methemologlobinemi a, a condition known as “blue baby.”

High nitrate levels interrupt the normal body processes of some infants. Nitrate becomes toxic when it is reduced to nitrite, a process that can occur in the stomach as well as in the saliva. Infants are especially susceptible because their stomach juices are less acidic and therefore are conducive to the growth of nitrate-reducing bacteria.

(See: http://my.nowpublic.com/world/world-bank-praising-niger-government)

The crops native to Niger, like Millet , Sorghum and Anasazi bean, all high in fibber, starch and protein and highly adapted to the arid climates, where neglected due to subsidy that promoted Rice and imported food at low cost.

This has not only contributed to new famines and caused pollution as well as water shortages. More over it has created a dependency off imported food since much of the rural population fled the land and abandoned farming native crops to establish them self in large Cities, now working for co-operations owned rice fields, funded by the IMF, the World Bank with subsidy from the Industrial nations. This is a major disaster that is yet to unfold it self. A Human and environmental catastrophe that is making Monsanto and its stockholders richer though.

Still, Monsanto and co do want more and demand to implement this madness through out the sub Sahara and the rest of the World. When will we finally wake up and say enough is enough?

How much more land and lives are we willing to sacrifice before we stop this destruction of our environment and Societies?

http://www.stone-env.com/docs/reports/StoneISD-PhaseIPrelimPovWBrpt.pdf

http://my.nowpublic.com/culture/hidden-message-avatar-protect-indigenous-cultures-2543790.html

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/german-court-allows-ban-monsantos-toxin-producing-seeds

http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/848d689047cb466780256a6b00298980/3cacfd251aab6d318025742700407f02!OpenDocument

http://pameladrew.newsvine.com/_news/2008/05/21/1502582-bad-news-about-pesticides-end-pesticide-reporting

http://my.nowpublic.com/health/new-movie-damns-monsantos-deadly-sins

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/biotechnology-seed-companies-accused-thwarting-research

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/superweeds-coming-your-neighborhood-soon

http://my.nowpublic.com/health/terrifying-new-disease-linked-genetically-altered-crops

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/monsanto-microsoft-food

http://www.springerlink.com/content/p644g58t85250673/

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V6C-3T7HHRX-2&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F10%2F1997&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1218851037&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=d144ee75f71e158b24e2ffc2fa35f58d

The cost of pollution, not only a matter of dollars. Lives too.

By, Uwe Paschen.

A study conducted by the London-based consultancy Trucost, which is due to be published this summer, found that the combined damage of only the world's 3000 biggest companies was worth US $2.2 trillion in 2008 alone. This is a figure bigger than the national economies of all but seven countries in the world for that year.

Would those companies have to pay for the damage they cause, they would have to disburse the equivalent of one third of their profits to do so.

The report on the economics of climate change by Sir Nicholas Stern is trying to put an accurate price tag on the damage inflicted unto the environment and find suggestion to prevent it as well. Wile the report, led by economist Pavan Sukhdev, suggest the abolition of all subsidies to harmful industries like agriculture, energy and transport, all the wile asking for tougher laws and higher taxes on polluting industries to stop the trend and enforce the much needed changes.

This of course may have some serious consequences and will affect not only on the customers and the companies profits, more so it will affect labour laws and pension plans all the same, as the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment report does suggest.

Centuries of mismanagement and abuse seem to come back to hunt us now with a revenge and a very high price tag as well. Failing to act will not only increase the sub sequential price tag to fix it. But, any further delay would make the task exponentially harder to achieve, allowing to reverse or rather limit the damage and the disaster that will come along with it, whose price tag can not even be estimated for it is simply to high to fathom.

Sukhdev told the annual Earthwatch Oxford lecture last week.

"The world's extinction crisis continues in 2010, the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. As humans, we have the power to protect nature or destroy it. As this lecture will demonstrate, we must urgently explore all the ways in which we can preserve and protect life on earth. After all, biodiversity is crucial to providing us all with health, food, fuel, wealth and the vital services on which our lives depend."

Ceres, an investors and environmentalist lobby group with over 80 funds and assets exceeding eight trillion dollar US, Is estimating that those environmental changes that are desperately needed will cost North America alone over 20,000 jobs and over one billion dollar a year just to agricultural companies due to water shortages in California and other areas.

Our pollution is not only starting to cost us dearly, in addition, the price keeps increasing the longer we wait to act with some serious intentions and methods. Sadly, the price tag in human lives keeps on increasing as well with each day we waste. This not only in numbers of jobs being lost or in reduction in pension plans or health care programs, but in real lives that will be inevitably sacrifices and lost. The numbers will exceed the hundreds of millions worldwide and maybe even worth. Much could still be saved and avoided would we have changed by now, sadly we have not rely tried so far.

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/newsroom/news_events/news-5-sukhdev.html

Climate change; is it for real or are we being mislead?

By, Uwe Paschen.

Climate change is on many peoples mind these days and some do wonder whether it is for real or if we are being mislead?

One may first have to define climate change. Climate change is any change from a given point of reference or an average of a period of reference wish would be either higher or lower then the point of reference, wish would be either colder or warmer then the point of reference.

The earth climate underwent many changes over the past billion years. Some of those drastic changes may have been caused by major natural disasters such as meteorite impacts on the earth. One of those major impacts is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, but this we can not say with absolute certainty, since other factors may very well have caused this massive extinction.

The last mini ice age or also called Little Ice age, that we underwent in the 17th century seems to have been caused by several factors coming together, for one, it was a period of enhanced volcanic activity. In the past two centuries, we have seen how volcanic activity can affect climate. After the eruption of Tambora in April 1815, the Earth cooled for at least two years with 1816 being recorded in many places as the Year without a summer. Cooling was also observed after the eruptions of Krakatau in 1883 and Pinatubo in 1991, although not as extreme as the cooling associated with Tambora.

Also the Solar observation of the 18th century suggest a decrease in solar activity, this does however not explain the onset of the Little ice age, since this one started in the 14th century and lasted until the 19th century. Further, the little ice age was limited to the northern hemisphere, the over all average temperature of that period was only one degree Celsius below normal.

In the period of the little ice age, in wish Western Europe experienced a general cooling of the climate between the years 1150 and 1460 and a very cold climate between 1560 and 1850 that brought dire consequences to its peoples. This colder weather affected agriculture, health, economics, social strife, emigration, and even art and literature. Increased glaciation and storms also had a devastating affect on those that lived near glaciers and the sea. The growing season changed by 15 to 20 percent between the warmest and coldest times of the millennium. That is enough to affect almost any type of food production, especially crops highly adapted to use the full-season warm climatic periods. During the coldest times of the Little Ice Age, England's growing season was shortened by one to two months compared to present day values.

Some do point out with good reason, that just before those drastic climate changes we had a period of massive overpopulation, great Empires, countless wars and massive deforestation conducted by the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Inca, Aztec and Chinese Empires. All making an accumulative impact on the earth environment and its ecological balance. Systematic burning of large Forest areas was practiced by most, in part to make room for farm land, but also to harvest wood for the construction of buildings, ships and to dismantle rebel groups that used the woods to hide and made the roads unsafe and expensive to police.

Europe lost 60% of its forest in that era, after the 16th century massive reforestation was practised in Europe, still it never recovered from the losses. In North America over 80% of all wood land has been clear cut in the past two centuries and not restored, this is adding to a great lack of CO2 filters we need.

Today though, we are faced with several more factors and our present climate change is far greater and faster then any thing humanity has witnessed so far on a global level.

We do burn fossil fuels, clear cut forest, and pollute the waters and the air with toxins and worth. We are also totally overpopulated. Yet, some claim that all this can not have any negative impact what so ever and persist that it is all the sun’s doing…

Well, granted we do know rather little, even though we behave as we where gods and all mighty. Our arrogance and shortsighted thinking may very well be our undoing. Why we see some argue that Humans cause only 3% of all CO2 produced. That is true, if we only count what we produce directly our self’s. However, once we add the CO2 caused by Man made activities and pollution such as clear cutting a forest and overfishing or destroying a coral reef. Then our human contribution is almost a quarter of all CO2 produced and should we take a deeper look into the missing trees and oceans wild life that can no longer absorb the CO2 because we simply destroyed them. Then our impact is even greater.

Now, I personally worry less about the CO2 then I do about the O2 that we destroy or rather lock up in the CO2 and in other forms such as C3H5(NO3)3 nitro-glycerine or O2 H2O 2e-→HO2.sup.- OH- Peroxide. The use of the Oxygen atom can be fund in many application and combination. The more it is used the less there is available. Why in part, our oxygen levels are falling. For instance, the more we burn energy the more oxygen is being locked away in form of CO2 and other combined Atoms. This oxygen became available in the air and made life possible on earth thanks to photosynthesis. The photosynthetic source of oxygen was probably in operation as long ago as 3.8 billion years.

Once the photosynthetic oxygen source exceeded the rate of supply of reduced minerals exposed by erosion and weathering, the accumulation of oxygen in the ocean and atmosphere could be controlled only by reaction of oxygen with reduced organic material. This stabilization mechanism still operates today. This balance has been compromised though, due to Human pollution and excessive burning of fossil fuels, wish leads us to an oxygen depletion of the atmosphere. At the time of the first homosapian the Oxygen levels of the air was 35% compared to 22% at the beginning of the 19th century and 20.9% today.

Why is this relevant? Well, should the level of oxygen in the air keep on falling and go bellow 19%, then we would simply start to suffocate. This is why Climate change, pollution and CO2 absorption do matter. This may be of greater concern to the next generation, then it is to the presently ruling baby boomer generation. Those BB are on their way out and won’t have to worry to much longer. Never the less, it is that generation of baby boomer that plays with the lives of the next generation, yet they wound be held accountable for it nor will they have to suffer the consequences of their abuses.

Now, the trouble with Climate change or global warming, is that it may cause an Ice age as well, at least in parts of the world, such as Europe and this due to the potential collapse of the Golf stream, wish allows for the moderate climate that Europe enjoys in its western and northern parts. This Golf stream is depended on the gravity of the Sea water and this one will change with even the smallest change in sea levels, wish will affect the golf stream almost instantly.

The Earth is a rather complex planet with delicate balances that allows life to exist and strive. It does not take much to upset this balancing act nor to destroy all life, as we know it.

A coral reef for instance does not tolerate any temperature changes be on and above one single degree Celsius nor can it survive a change in the PH of the water be on one point either way. Yet, that Coral reef contributes greatly to our biodiversity and balancing the climate, for one it is a great absorber of CO2.

Should the coral reefs dye out, as they seem to, we would then face another chain reactions of further genocidal events.

Life on earth has evolved and learned to deal with many variables such as the cycles of the sun and moon or even Comets and other cycles for wish it has fund ways over millions of years to compensate.

Humans are however, one factor the earth has not had near enough time to compensate for. We are the once that can tip this delicate balance with our irresponsible actions and life stiles.

Ironically the greatest opposition to this debate and for any change in reducing our pollution and cleaning up our planet comes from North America wish is coincidentally also the greatest contributor to the problem over the past two centuries and the one that has done the least to counter this pollution as well.

The leaders in Environmental technology and implementation are in Europe and Asian, This however, is not enough. Even China the US favourite scapegoat has invested more into renewable energy and to counter pollution over the past ten years then North America did.

What will we tell our grand children when they ask us where all the wild life has gone to and why we are having trouble breathing? Or when they are wondering why Grand Pa or Grand Ma did not do any thing to counter the destruction and death of the diversity of life on Earth but went on in stead driving SUVs and playing ignorant all the wile screaming for more cheep oil to be burned in their cars and houses?

I wonder how we will be able to justify all this to the coming generations?

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/climate-change-it-real-or-are-we-being-mislead

While the World condemns Niger's coup, its people party.

By, Uwe Paschen.

It has been three days since President Tandja was relieved from power by a military coup. By now, the first reactions from around the world where voiced.

The most important may be that of the African Union (AU or OUA) which has suspended Niger’s membership from the continental organization a day after the coup that ousted President Mamadou Tandja.

Uganda's AU ambassador Mull Sebujja Katende said,

“Niger is suspended from all activities of the African Union. Meanwhile, we will continue with the process of helping them to return to constitutional order… The ultimate for a situation like what is in Niger is that ultimately, every Nigerian will go to a booth, cast a vote, elect a leader he wants, eventually,"

Even though the African Union sanctions are generally considered to be of a symbolic nature with little power behind it, also the AU wants to change this and show some force this time, this in the form of travel embargos, economic sanctions and other forms of restriction as deemed necessary.

The AU counsel President Mr. Katende, expressed that the AU position is, that there is no good coup, and that in the case of Niger, two wrongs do not make a right. Even though the AU and EU did not approve of Niger’s former Presidents Tandja politics or his suspension of the constitution, a coup is hardly the right way of solving Niger’s troubles.

The AU does oppose all coups, even against leaders that hold power illegally, this in it self could be seen as double standard and a lack of compassion for the people that have to live under some of Africa’s Tyrants, even though in principal this is most commendable as a position to be taken by the AU. With out some major power and pressure, hardly holding any value alas.

The AU demands that Niger will hold elections with in a month; wish may be somewhat unrealistic from a logistic point of view.

The UN on the other hand has not even discussed the situation in Niger so far, even though the UN chief Ban Ki-moon added his voice to international condemnation of a coup that toppled Niger's president.

The EU for its part did as well condemn the coup in Niger through the voice of its High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

In the mean time wile the World leaders may fear for a shortage off Uranium and Oil supplies the people of Niger seem to be rather happy after all in Niamey, Maradi and Tahoua thousands are reported to openly celebrate in the streets and rejoice in the fact that Tandja is no longer in power.

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/curfew-has-been-lifted-only-day-after-nigers-coup

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/coup-niger-after-year-demonstrations-and-opposition

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/thousand-protesting-tandjas-hold-power-niger