The Insanity of what is going on in Haiti

A series of cargo flights containing a portable field hospital was denied landing privileges at Port au Prince. The planes have been forced to land in the Dominican Republic and the hospital equipment trucked overland. What is wrong with people? I know ramp space and such is at a premium at the airport, but surely this organization can be made an exception.

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=4176&cat=press-release

Wings of Hope in Haiti

The organization Wings of Hope is a non sectarian organization based in the St. Louis metro area which provides pilot volunteers to fly humanitarian missions using small aircraft. They have missions all over the world. Right now, they are flying missions into Haiti and are functioning under an emergency budget and are seeking donations to continue their efforts. Since the begining of the crisis they have flowing over 20,000 pounds of cargo from both the Dominican Republic and Pureto Rico. Their emergency funds are rapidly being used up as high fuel and drug costs are taxing their usual donation base.

You are welcome to visit their website and see if you would wish to donate to their cause.

http://www.wings-of-hope.org/

They are a well established charity with hundreds of volunteers and missions in 43 countries.

Their efforts in Haiti are detailed in this report from the local NBC Affiliate in St. Louis.

http://www.ksdk.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=62065413001

A Very Good Blog - Move your money

http://tammidee.multiply.com/journal/item/653/Bill_Maher_Explains_Why_You_Should_Move_Your_Money_VIDEO

Global Warming - Ice Boxes to Eskimoes

Inuits need cash for freezers in warming Arctic

Posted Sun Dec 13, 2009 3:48pm AEDT

Inuit communities need funds to adapt to climate change in the Arctic, including measures to build communal deep freezers to store game, an Inuit leader said on Friday.

The Inuit, the indigenous people of Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia, have traditionally hunted for Arctic species from seal to polar bear, whale to caribou.

The Inuit Circumpolar Council's (ICC) Violet Ford says she sees climate changes "on a daily basis".

Ms Ford, who was born and raised in the Inuit community of Makkovik, says more funds are needed for adaptation and response to climate change in the Arctic.

"That should also be going to the Inuit communities as a response to climate change," she said.

"We need infrastructure. We want community deep freezers if the hunting patterns change so much that we can only go hunting a few times a year."

'Disappearing' culture

ICC chairman James Stotts says his 78-year-old uncle fell through the ice and froze to death at a time of year when the ice normally would be thick and safe.

"Inuits have to find other ways to store their meat. Some of our villages are literally falling into the seas because of erosion," he said.

Mr Stotts said he hoped governments gathered for the United Nations' climate conference in Copenhagen would come up with a "real deal ... something that really will work".

ICC vice chairman, Aqqaluk Lynge, said that the ice cap is melting much faster than before, which would raise ocean levels, reduce winter ice and threaten the Inuit way of life.

"The hunters' area is very large ... they drive around on dog sledges, but for us the dog sledges are disappearing," he said.

"That part of the culture is disappearing. We are paying for the changes already in many ways."

-Reuters