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Category Archives: Islands

With the U.S. distracted, China builds 'The Mischief Islands'

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As if there aren't enough territorial disputes the world over, China is literally manufacturing a new one in the South China Sea by transforming a series of lonely reefs into small islands.

Where nautical charts once identified bumps in the sea as Mischief Reef, Gaven Reef and others, China is dredging massive amounts of sand to create artificial islands. Over the past year or so, at least five of these new land masses have popped up in the chain of ocean specks and dots known as the Spratly Islands.

An example: Johnson South Reef, formerly a concrete platform atop submerged rock, now appears via satellite photos to be a sandy island hopping with Chinese construction activity. There's speculation China is building an airstrip.

This land grab on water has the attention of the United States because it raises new concerns about China's intentions as a rising Pacific power.

There is nothing new about competing territorial claims over the Spratlys. But only China claims the near entirety of the South China Sea. And only China is audacious enough to try to bolster that claim by building islands, and assigning military forces to protect them.

China's neighbors are not happy. Five other governments have claims on all or some of the Spratlys: the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. None recognizes China's contention that it controls of the South China Sea. The U.S., with a strong interest in defending international law and protecting open sea lanes, also rejects China's claims.

A U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that China's actions are "destabilizing." James Hardy of Jane's Defence Weekly went further, telling the Journal: "We can see that this is a methodical, well-planned campaign to create a chain of air- and sea-capable fortresses across the center of the Spratly Islands chain."

The question is what to do. This is a conflict that could turn volatile. And there's probably no way to untangle all the competing ownership claims over every atoll and islet. But there may be a way to draw China and the others toward a compromise that keeps the peace. A shooting war is not an option.

If you look at a map of the South China Sea, you might wonder why Beijing is involved. Most of the Spratlys are between the Philippines and Vietnam. China's nearest shoreline is 500 miles away. Its claim is based on the assertion that Chinese navigators discovered the islands and that Chinese fishermen have plied those seas for many centuries.

There's reason to covet the area. It's still a rich fishing ground, and there are likely significant oil and gas reserves below. Mostly, though, claiming the islands means expanding territorial control, and for China that means projecting sea power. Vietnam and China battled over Johnson South Reef in 1988. China won; about 70 Vietnamese sailors died. "When you get to the heart of it, it's about nationalism," Gregory Poling, a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tells us.

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With the U.S. distracted, China builds 'The Mischief Islands'

Cyclone Pam and climate change: Are the Pacific Islands ready?

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At least eight people have been killed after one of the most powerful cyclones to hit the Pacific Ocean tore through the islands of Vanuatu early Saturday, multiple news outlets reported.

Packing winds up to 270 kilometers (168 miles) per hour, Cyclone Pam blew down or destroyed homes and cut off power, water, and communication lines, especially on the archipelagos outer islands, The Associated Press reported.

As of Saturday, eight have been reported dead, but aid workers have said it could take weeks before the storms impact is fully evaluated.

"It felt like the world was going to end," Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Childrens Fund, told Reuters from Vanuatu. It's like a bomb has gone off in the center of the town.

Scientists have said its nearly impossible to attribute any single weather event to climate change, according to The Associated Press. Still, the Category 5 cyclone the worst to hit the archipelago since Cyclone Uma left 5,000 people homeless and one man dead in 1987 has once more raised concerns about the readiness of Pacific island nations to respond to severe weather events exacerbated by rising temperatures and sea levels.

The Pacific region has been one of the areas most affected by changes in global temperatures in recent years. In 2013, countries in the Pacific Basin recorded the highest increases in sea levels in the world, according to a report by The Christian Science Monitor, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Last September, the president of the Marshall Islands, a tiny archipelago near the equator, called on world leaders to act on climate change as the countrys atolls become increasingly unlivable due to rising seas, severe floods, sudden storms, and droughts, The Guardian reported.

The Pacific is fighting for its survival, President Christopher Loek said. Climate change has already arrived."

Countries in and around the Pacific, including China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia, have also experienced the most tropical cyclone strikes since 1970, the same Monitor report found.

Of the five typhoons to affect the most number of people in the Philippines, four occurred within the last 10 years, according to Philippine news outlet Rappler. The worst was also the most recent: Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the archipelago in late 2013, affected more than 16 million people, including 6,000 dead. The estimated cost of damage was about $2 billion, Rappler reported.

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Cyclone Pam and climate change: Are the Pacific Islands ready?

Historic cyclone batters small islands in Pacific – VIDEO: Dozens feared dead after storm

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March 14, 2015: In this photo provided by non-governmental organization 350.org, debris is scattered over a building in Port Vila, Vanuatu(AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand Officials struggled Sunday to determine the scale of the devastation wrought by a monstrous cyclone that tore through the tiny South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, with death counts varying in the single digits but expected to rise once communications are restored with outlying islands.

Cyclone Pam tore through Vanuatu early Saturday, packing winds of 168 miles per hour, and leaving a trail of destruction and unconfirmed reports of dozens of deaths.

Two people were confirmed dead in the capital, Port Vila, with another 20 injured there, said Paolo Malatu, coordinator for the National Disaster Management Office. Earlier, Chloe Morrison, a World Vision emergency communications officer, said Vanuatu's disaster response office told her agency that at least eight people died. She had also heard reports of entire villages being destroyed in more remote areas.

The confusion over the death toll is due largely to a near-total communications blackout across the country. With power lines and phone circuits down, officials in the capital had no way of knowing what the scope of the damage was on the outer islands, where the storm scored a direct hit.

"We haven't been able to communicate outside Port Vila," Malatu said. "At this point, the damage is severe and we haven't had figures of how many houses destroyed. ... It's really bad, it's really bad."

Officials are planning to head to the outer islands Monday in helicopters, small planes and military aircraft to get a better sense of the destruction, Malatu said.

Telephone networks are notoriously spotty in South Pacific island nations such as Vanuatu, particularly in the aftermath of storms. It often takes days before networks can be restored, making it incredibly difficult for officials to quickly analyze the breadth of devastation following natural disasters.

Vanuatu's government has declared a nationwide state of emergency, and Australia and New Zealand have sent in relief supplies. Port Vila's airport was damaged by the storm and closed for commercial flights, but the first delivery of supplies arrived Sunday from the Red Cross, Malatu said.

"People are really upset and it's really hard, just because for the last couple of years, we haven't received a really big cyclone like this one," said Isso Nihmei, Vanuatu coordinator for the environmental and crisis response group 350. "Most people right now, they are really homeless."

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Historic cyclone batters small islands in Pacific - VIDEO: Dozens feared dead after storm

Cyclone Pam and climate change: Are the Pacific Islands ready? (+video)

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At least eight people have been killed after one of the most powerful cyclones to hit the Pacific Ocean tore through the islands of Vanuatu early Saturday, multiple news outlets reported.

Packing winds up to 270 kilometers (168 miles) per hour, Cyclone Pam blew down or destroyed homes and cut off power, water, and communication lines, especially on the archipelagos outer islands, The Associated Press reported.

As of Saturday, eight have been reported dead, but aid workers have said it could take weeks before the storms impact is fully evaluated.

"It felt like the world was going to end," Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Childrens Fund, told Reuters from Vanuatu. It's like a bomb has gone off in the center of the town.

Scientists have said its nearly impossible to attribute any single weather event to climate change, according to The Associated Press. Still, the Category 5 cyclone the worst to hit the archipelago since Cyclone Uma left 5,000 people homeless and one man dead in 1987 has once more raised concerns about the readiness of Pacific island nations to respond to severe weather events exacerbated by rising temperatures and sea levels.

The Pacific region has been one of the areas most affected by changes in global temperatures in recent years. In 2013, countries in the Pacific Basin recorded the highest increases in sea levels in the world, according to a report by The Christian Science Monitor, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Last September, the president of the Marshall Islands, a tiny archipelago near the equator, called on world leaders to act on climate change as the countrys atolls become increasingly unlivable due to rising seas, severe floods, sudden storms, and droughts, The Guardian reported.

The Pacific is fighting for its survival, President Christopher Loek said. Climate change has already arrived."

Countries in and around the Pacific, including China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia, have also experienced the most tropical cyclone strikes since 1970, the same Monitor report found.

Of the five typhoons to affect the most number of people in the Philippines, four occurred within the last 10 years, according to Philippine news outlet Rappler. The worst was also the most recent: Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the archipelago in late 2013, affected more than 16 million people, including 6,000 dead. The estimated cost of damage was about $2 billion, Rappler reported.

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Cyclone Pam and climate change: Are the Pacific Islands ready? (+video)

Islands | New Music And Songs | MTV

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Alternative

After the breakup of experimental lo-fi indie rock band the Unicorns, members Nicholas Thorburn (aka Nick Diamonds; vocals, guitar, keyboard) and Jaime Thompson (aka J'aime Tambeur; drums) formed Islands, which found the two more focused on brighter production and neo-psychedelic indie pop. Since forming in early 2005, the Canadian band has also featured a fluctuating lineup of contributors on a wide variety of instruments, both in concert and on record. That list includes Alex and Sebastian Chow (the 1993 and 1994 World Super NES Fest champions), Jim Guthrie (grandson of Woody and nephew of Arlo), and rappers Subtitle and Busdriver. Islands released the debut album Return to the Sea in April 2006, supporting its international release with a tour alongside Metric. That May, however, founding member Tambeur announced his departure from the band, a move that required the group to quickly revise its lineup in time for a European tour. Two years later, Islands inked a new contract with ANTI- Records and issued a second album, Arm's Way, which differentiated itself from the previous record by eschewing all guest appearances. The band did end up opening its doors to one particular guest, however, as Tambeur rejoined Islands just in time to appear on their third release, Vapours. His return would be short-lived, however, as the group would announce Tambeur's departure again in 2010, with drummer Aaron Harris, a bandmember between 2006 and 2009, arriving back in the lineup to take his place. The band's next album, A Sleep & a Forgetting, appeared early in 2012. The record was inspired by the dissolution of Thorburn's marriage and featured the most sincere and direct music of the band's career to date. ~ Kenyon Hopkin, Rovi

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Islands | New Music And Songs | MTV

Cyclone Pam and climate change: Are Pacific Islands ready?

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At least eight people have been killed after one of the most powerful cyclones to hit the Pacific Ocean tore through the islands of Vanuatu early Saturday, multiple news outlets reported.

Packing winds up to 270 kilometers (168 miles) per hour, Cyclone Pam blew down or destroyed homes and cut off power, water, and communication lines, especially on the archipelagos outer islands, The Associated Press reported.

As of Saturday, eight have been reported dead, but aid workers have said it could take weeks before the storms impact is fully evaluated.

"It felt like the world was going to end," Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Childrens Fund, told Reuters from Vanuatu. It's like a bomb has gone off in the center of the town.

Scientists have said its nearly impossible to attribute any single weather event to climate change, according to The Associated Press. Still, the Category 5 cyclone the worst to hit the archipelago since Cyclone Uma left 5,000 people homeless and one man dead in 1987 has once more raised concerns about the readiness of Pacific island nations to respond to severe weather events exacerbated by rising temperatures and sea levels.

The Pacific region has been one of the areas most affected by changes in global temperatures in recent years. In 2013, countries in the Pacific Basin recorded the highest increases in sea levels in the world, according to a report by The Christian Science Monitor, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Last September, the president of the Marshall Islands, a tiny archipelago near the equator, called on world leaders to act on climate change as the countrys atolls become increasingly unlivable due to rising seas, severe floods, sudden storms, and droughts, The Guardian reported.

The Pacific is fighting for its survival, President Christopher Loek said. Climate change has already arrived."

Countries in and around the Pacific, including China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia, have also experienced the most tropical cyclone strikes since 1970, the same Monitor report found.

Of the five typhoons to affect the most number of people in the Philippines, four occurred within the last 10 years, according to Philippine news outlet Rappler. The worst was also the most recent: Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the archipelago in late 2013, affected more than 16 million people, including 6,000 dead. The estimated cost of damage was about $2 billion, Rappler reported.

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Cyclone Pam and climate change: Are Pacific Islands ready?

Cyclone Pam damages some islands in Vanuatu archipelago, according to reports

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A powerful cyclone descends upon the Pacific island chain of Vanuatu on Friday.

Wellington, New Zealand An extremely powerful cyclone blew over islands in the Pacific's Vanuatu archipelago late Friday after a westward change of course put populated areas directly in the path of its destructive 270 kilometer- (168 mile-) per-hour winds, according to relief workers.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a release there were unconfirmed reports of deaths in Vanuatu's northeastern islands after Cyclone Pam moved off its expected track.

The Category 5 cyclone had average wind speeds of 250 kph to 270 kph, with gusts up to 340 kph, according to the office. It said the periphery of the eye of the storm had passed over islands that are home to several thousand people and was expected to hit or come close to the island of Efate, home to the capital, Port Vila.

Located about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii, Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital.

Vanuatu had earlier issued a red alert to its residents, urging them to take shelter from Pam.

Authorities said they feared the cyclone would destroy homes as well as cause landslides and severe coastal flooding.

The cyclone has already destroyed some homes and caused damage to other Pacific islands including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

David Gibson, acting director of the Vanuatu meteorology and geo-hazards department, said the winds could cause severe damage to the nation's buildings.

Alice Clements, a spokeswoman for relief agency UNICEF who is in Port Vila, said earlier Friday the capital was like a ghost town as people took shelter. She said the pelting rain was blown horizontally by the wind.

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Cyclone Pam damages some islands in Vanuatu archipelago, according to reports

Cyclone Pam hits Pacific Ocean's Vanuatu islands

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Cyclone Pam was dropping rain at rate of 6.2 inches per hour (NASA)

An extremely powerful cyclone lashed islands in the Pacific Oceans Vanuatu archipelago late Friday, packing 168-mile-an-hour winds.

The storm may have caused deaths in Vanuatus northeastern islands, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported.

The cyclone made a direct hit on populated areas after a sudden change of direction.

The Category 5 cyclone had average wind speeds of 155 mph to 168 mph, with gusts up to 211 mph, according to the office. It said the periphery of the eye of the storm had passed over islands that are home to several thousand people and was expected to hit or come close to the island of Efate, home to the capital, Port Vila.

NASA said Pam was a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale when its Aqua satellite passed overhead Friday. Aqua saw the eye of the major hurricane just to the east of Vanuatu

Located about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii, Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital.

Vanuatu had earlier issued a red alert to its residents, urging them to take shelter from Pam. Authorities said they feared the cyclone would destroy homes as well as cause landslides and severe coastal flooding.

Authorities in New Zealand are preparing for the storm, which is forecast to pass north of the country on Sunday and Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Cyclone Pam hits Pacific Ocean's Vanuatu islands

Cyclone Pam leaves trail of destruction on South Pacific island nation

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Wellington, New Zealand Residents in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu hunkered in emergency shelters for a second straight night Saturday after venturing out to find their homes damaged or blown away by the powerful storm, aid workers said.

Packing winds of 270 kilometers (168 miles) per hour, Cyclone Pam tore through the tiny South Pacific archipelago early Saturday, leaving a trail of destruction and unconfirmed reports of dozens of deaths.

Power remained out across Vanuatu later Saturday and people on many of the outer islands had no access to running water or outside communications, said Chloe Morrison, a World Vision emergency communications officer in the capital, Port Vila.

Morrison said communications have been so problematic that her aid group hasn't yet been able to account for many of its own 76 staff on the islands and authorities have been unable to assess the extent of the damage.

"I can say that for anybody who wasn't in a secure shelter last night, it would have been a very, very tough time for them," she said.

Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital.

Morrison said authorities did a good job Friday moving thousands of people in Port Vila into 23 evacuation centers. With the winds and rain easing Saturday, many people stepped out only to find that their homes were missing a roof or had disappeared, and were forced to return to the shelters.

Teetering trees and downed power lines in Port Vila have made many areas hazardous, Morrison said, adding that she had heard reports of entire villages being destroyed in more remote areas.

"It's still really quite dangerous outside. Most people are still hunkering down," she said.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the impact and scope of the disaster caused by the cyclone wasn't yet clear, but he feared the damage and destruction could be widespread.

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Cyclone Pam leaves trail of destruction on South Pacific island nation


  1. Islands