Today is winter solstice–the day the sun appears to stand still before beginning its journey back from the southern sky. Throughout human history, this has been a day of celebration, and in many cultures the beginning of weeks of celebration as the return of the sun is welcomed, encouraged and–as some thought–induced by their rituals.
The precise moment of solstice was 5:37AM Pacific time this morning.
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NYT – Europeans, who have been avoiding beef since the rampant spread of Mad Cow Disease there, have now been told it is unsafe to eat fish. Scientists there warn that unacceptablyhigh levels of industrial chemicals have been found in the region?s seafood. Johan Reyniers, of the European Union,said it was safe to eat fish in moderation, but “if you eatfish every day, you are likely to have a problem.”
The Scientific Committee for food reports that fish from fish farms, as well as fish caught from the ocean, are contaminated by dioxins, which have been linked to hormonal changes and cancer. The most polluted fishing areas are the North Sea and the Baltic around Scandinavia.
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After erupting more dramatically Monday and Tuesday than it has in 1,200 years, according to scientists, the Popocatepetl volcano 35 miles from Mexico City staged a sudden shutdown.
This was not the ominous pause that volcanologists had feared, which would have been accompanied by tremors indicating a dangerous buildup of internal pressure, but a return to a quieter state. Hopefully, this means that the eruptive period has ended without major loss of life or property damage. However, the Mexican government plans to provide residents with shelter outside of the danger area until after Christmas.
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Mexican authorities were on maximum alert Tuesday afternoon as el Popo began to show signs of a possible serious eruption, and a glacier at the summit was endangered by rising surface temperatures. Red-hot rocks the size of beach balls were exploding out of the crater.
Authorities have closed off a 10-kilometer ring around the volcano, and 30,000 people had been evacuated by noon Tuesday. Residents are no longer resisting Federal efforts at evacuation. When President Vincente Fox visited the area by helicopter, he was besieged by locals who told him that the recent upsurge in activity has frightened them badly. Nobody can remember a time when the volcano was this violent.
Through the night, Popo created a spectacular light show above Mexico City.
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