Could North Korea launch a nuclear attack on the USA

North Korea, in advance of a unanimous United Nations Security Council vote to sanction the country for last month's underground nuclear weapons test, today threatened to pre-emptively nuke Washington. Pyongyang has long been known for its provocations, but this one is scary enough to warrant asking: Could they pull it off?

The Stalinist state doesn't have that capability—yet. North Korea has built a long-range ballistic missile, the Taepeodong 2 (TD-2), which could hit the West Coast of the United States. That is, if it worked. The last TD-2 test was in 2006; it failed in 42 seconds. North Korea's longest-range ballistic missile that works, the Musudan, has a range of only 2,500 miles—not nearly far enough to hit the continental United States, some 5,600 miles away, or even Hawaii, 4,800 miles away.

The same month that the vaunted TD-2 disintegrated over the Sea of Japan, the United Nations passed a resolution prohibiting North Korea from flight-testing ballistic missiles, giving the hermit kingdom a way to avoid further embarrassment. So North Korea began testing a non-military rocket capability based on TD-2 technology—the Unha rockets. These tests haven't always gone well, but in December an Unha-3 successfully placed a satellite into orbit. Intheory, a ballistic missile based on the Unha rocket could hit the western United States, but not Washington.

The ability to launch a satellite into orbit puts North Korea close to an intercontinental ballistic missile, but significant technological barriers remain. After all, an ICBM must do more than get into space—it has to return to earth and strike a target. That requires a miniaturized nuclear warhead, a reentry vehicle capable of surviving a fiery return to the Earth's atmosphere, and a guidance system capable of targeting specific cities thousands of miles away. North Korea hasn't yet demonstrated any of these capabilities.

It is difficult to predict when North Korea might have the capability to nuke the U.S. Not only are North Korea's existing capabilities unclear, but so is their ability to improve them. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested that North Korea might be able to strike the continental United States by 2015 or 2016. More recently, General Burwell Bell, former commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, estimated that North Korea was five to seven years from ICBM capability. At that point, they might only be able to reach the West Coast, sparing the capital from fire and brimstone.

But San Francisco and Seattle needn't panic, as there would be further hurdles to a successful strike. North Korea's Unha-3 is a liquid-fuel rocket. Since liquid fuel is corrosive and can't be stored for long periods inside the rocket, it needs to be fueled prior to launch—potentially giving U.S. warning of an attack and the opportunity to destroy the rocket before launch. Heavy liquid-fuel rockets can't be moved either, preventing North Korea from relocating a missile to evade a preemptive strike.

Teddy Roosevelt once said that the United States should "speak softly and carry a big stick." North Korea apparently has resolved on a different approach: Speak loudly and carry a small stick, or perhaps no stick at all. So breathe easy, Washington. North Korea's just talking crazy.

why cant we just get along?????

We just seem to be itching for a fight and we seem to forget there are still some heavy hitters lurking out there who's Sunday punch could certainly create a big dent in our ego or even escalate into a severe headache.

vote for world peace and lets try and overt total destruction

U.S. scoffs at North Korea's threat of 'thermonuclear war'

U.S. scoffs at North Korea's threat of 'thermonuclear war' against America in revenge for sanctions White House dismisses communist regime's 'ballistic missile' threats Strong words from North Korea followed the U.N.'s approval of new sanctions on Pyongyang following recent nuclear test Secretive state threatens to end 1953 peace pact with South Korea The Obama administration today dismissed a threat by North Korea and warned that U.S. is 'fully capable' of defending itself from a ballistic missile attack by the communist regime. White House spokesman Jay Carney was responding to the North's vow to launch a nuclear strike against America. North Korea state media warned of a 'thermonuclear war' as an unidentified spokesman for Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said the North will exercise its right for 'pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the headquarters of the aggressors.' Scroll down for video Show of strength: A mass rally of citizens and soldiers was held in the North Korean capital Pyongyang today after the regime threatened a 'pre-emptive' nuclear strike against the U.S. That threat came in retaliation for tough new U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang following its recent nuclear test. Carney says the sanctions further isolate North Korea and show its leaders what will happen if they defy the international community. He said the breadth and severity of the sanctions show the world takes seriously the threat of North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea boasts of nuclear bombs but isn't thought to have the ability to produce a warhead that could be used on a missile capable of reaching the U.S. In response to North Korea's third nuclear test on February 3, the U.N. Security Council voted to tighten financial restrictions on Pyongyang and crack down on its attempts to ship and receive banned cargo. The U.S.-drafted resolution, which was approved unanimously by the 15-nation council, was the product of three weeks of negotiations between the U.S. and China after North Korea's nuclear test on February 12. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, said the resolution 'sent an unequivocal message to [North Korea] that the international community will not tolerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons.' Threat: Kim Jong-Un claps at the launch of the Unha-3 rocket. North Korea vowed to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the U.S. as revenge for new sanctions In response to the threat of a nuclear strike two days ago, the U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, Glyn Davies, said America will take necessary steps to defend itself and its allies. Referring to threats from Pyongyang made in 'recent hours and days', he called on the North not to miscalculate and said the U.S. was working with South Korea to ensure it's ready for any threats that arise. Democrat panel chairman Robert Menendez said the North's 'absurd' threat of a nuclear strike on the U.S. would be tantamount to suicide. More... North Korea nuclear launch backfires as rogue nation hit with fresh sanctions by U.S. and China aimed at crippling its economy Dennis Rodman cancels ALL television appearances after saying he and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un are 'friends for life' Villages turned into CONCENTRATION CAMPS in North Korea as brutal regime struggles to house hundreds of thousands of political prisoners U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said: 'North Korea will achieve nothing by continued threats and provocations. 'These will only further isolate the country and its people and undermine international efforts to promote peace and stability in northeast Asia'. The latest U.N. resolution specifies certain luxury items that North Korea's elite will not be allowed to import, such as yachts, racing cars, luxury automobiles and certain types of jewelry. This is to close a loophole that previously allowed countries to decide for themselves what constitutes a luxury good. The United Nations Security Council unanimously approve a fourth round of sanctions on North Korea at the United Nations headquarters in New York Response: U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice (pictured) said North Korea would achieve nothing by threats US 'fully capable' of defending itself against nuclear attack Ambassador Rice said: 'The strength, breadth and severity of these sanctions will raise the cost to North Korea of its illicit nuclear program and further constrain its ability to finance and source materials and technology for its ballistic missile, conventional and nuclear weapons program. 'When North Korea tries to move money to pay for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, countries must now block those transfers even if the money is being carried in suitcases full of bulk cash.' China's Ambassador Li Baodong reiterated Beijing's calls for a resumption of the stalled six-party aid-for-disarmament talks between the two Koreas, United States, China, Russia and Japan. 'We want to see full implementation of the resolution,' China's U.N. Ambassador Li Baodong told reporters. 'The top priority now is to defuse the tension, bring down heat, focus on the diplomatic track.' Council diplomats say the point of the new measures is to bring the North Korea sanctions regime more in line with the tough U.N. measures in place against Iran. They say the U.N. sanctions regime against Iran over its nuclear program, which Western powers and their allies say is intended for making weapons but Tehran claims is peaceful, has been more effective than the restrictions on Pyongyang. North Koreans rally in support of the threat by the Supreme Command vowing to cancel the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War A billboard depicting a North Korean bayonet throttling a US soldier is seen during a rally in the capital Pyongyang on Tuesday Warning: Officials at a ceremony following a recent successful nuclear test in North Korea, which today sent a warning to the top U.S. commander in South Korea over its plans for joint drills Pyongyang was hit with U.N. sanctions for its 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests, measures that were subsequently tightened and expanded after several rocket launches. In addition to the luxury goods ban, there is an arms embargo on North Korea, and it is forbidden from trading in nuclear and missile technology. It imposes an obligation on the United Nations' 193 member states to block any financial services or monetary transfers that 'could contribute to the DPRK's nuclear or ballistic missile programs.' It also adds a binding obligation on countries to 'not provide public financial support for trade with the DPRK' if it could in any way support North Korea's nuclear or missile work. After Tuesday's announcement over the end of the 1953 armistice ending the Korean War, the North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun, said: 'With the armistice nullified, it would be no surprise if a global thermonuclear war breaks out.' Although North Korea boasts of nuclear bombs and pre-emptive strikes, it is not thought to have mastered the ability to produce a warhead small enough to put on a missile capable of reaching the U.S. It is believed to have enough nuclear fuel, however, for a handful of crude nuclear devices.

why do some people pretend to be green

Cape Wind: Regulation, Litigation And The Struggle To Develop Offshore Wind Power In The U.S.

time and time again we get the chance to do the right thing and miss he boat. Why would we oppose wind power anywhere, and yet not oppose fracking or oil pipes cutting through our poorer neighbors back yard. Here we see the rich folks not wanting to join the fight to help the planet. Two videos to watch and see what is going on in cape cod and how they want to keep there part of the planet THERE OWN!!!!!

one-third of fish is mislabeled

Oceana, an international ocean advocacy group, has released a report on national seafood fraud , and the results are disconcerting. The report, which is one ofthe largest on seafood fraud to date, found that onethird of fish was mislabeled. Oceana performed DNA testing from 2010 to 2012 on 1,215 fish samples from 674 retail outlets in 21 states. In this study, Oceana found seafood fraud everywhere it tested, with rates hitting as high as 52 percent in Southern California. Here are the full results:

The United States is the second largest seafood-consuming country worldwide (China is number one), and more than 90 percent of the seafood consumed is imported. Less than 1 percent is tested specifically for fraud
Red snapper and tuna had the highest mislabeling rate across the U.S., at 87 and 59 percent, respectively. Out of the 46 fish types tested, 27 were found to be mislabeled (59 percent). Only seven of the 120 red snapper samples were actually red snapper.See more results here:

 

Oceana The report found that sushi restaurants have the worst level of mislabeling, at a staggering 74 percent. Thirty-eight percent of seafood at non-sushi restaurants was mislabeled and 18 percent at grocery stores. “Some of the fish substitutions we found are just disturbing,” said Dr. Kimberly Warner, report author and senior scientist at Oceana, in a press release emailed to The Huffington Post. “Apart from being cheated, many consumers are being denied the right to choose fish wisely based on health or conservation concerns.” For example, 84 percent of the white tuna samples were actually escolar, a species that is known to cause digestive issues for certain individuals. Oceana also found that overfished and vulnerable species were substituted for what are commonly known as more sustainable choices. Atlantic halibut was sold as Pacific halibut, and speckled hind sold as red grouper.

Meteor explodes over Russian Urals,

Meteor explodes over Russian Urals, injuring more than 1,000 Almost 1,100 people have been injured after a huge meteorite flared spectacularly in the skies above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. It broke windows, damaged buildings and caused panic as mobile networks overloaded. Videos from the scene at 9:23am local time showed objects plunging through the clear morning sky and erupting into enormous fireballs to the sound of multiple explosions. Long vapour trails were seen hundreds of miles away. part 2

One resident of the city of Yekaterinburg, in the Ural mountains, said: ‘I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it was day. I felt like I was blinded by headlights.’

Some believed the world was ending and video footage posted online showed screaming youngsters at a school where corridors were littered with broken glass.

Gulnara Dudka, a resident of Chelyabinsk, 930 miles east of Moscow and the biggest city in the affected region, said: ‘I really thought it was doomsday.’

Teacher Valentina Nikolayeva, who tried to protect her pupils from the force of the blast said: ‘There was an unreal light that lit up all the classrooms.

‘That kind of light doesn’t happen in life, only at the end of the world – then a trail appeared like from a plane but only ten times bigger.’

The emergencies ministry said that more than 20,000 rescue workers had been dispatched to locate and help those injured in Russia’s industrial heartland and an area that houses nuclear and chemical weapons disposal facilities.

Amazingly, there were no fatalities and most of the wounded were hurt by flying glass – some 1.8million square feet of which will have to be replaced.

Russian news networks noted that the meteor struck just hours before the Earth was due its closest recorded shave with an asteroid. 

However, space experts said the arrival of the much larger asteroid was merely a coincidence.

Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, of Queens University Belfast, said there was ‘almost definitely’ no connection between the exploding meteor and asteroid 2012 DA14.

‘This is literally a cosmic coincidence, although a spectacular one,’ he said.

Russia’s emergencies ministry described the event as ‘a meteor shower in the form of fireballs’ and urged residents not to panic.

Prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said the meteor could be a symbol for the vulnerability of the economy – and the ‘whole planet’.

Meanwhile, the deputy prime minister quashed suggestions that the military had tried to shoot the meteor out of the sky, saying that, as yet, no one has the technology.

And Vladimir Zhirinovsky, an outspoken nationalist leader, said: ‘It’s not meteors falling. It’s the test of a new weapon by the Americans.’

British experts said that thousands of tons of material from space rains down on the Earth each day, but nearly all of it burns up and disintegrates far from the view of the naked eye.

Occasionally a meteor can come so close that its explosion is felt, as happened yesterday, or a small meteorite or large asteroid can actually hit the planet.

Dr Simon Goodwin, an astrophysicist from Sheffield University, said: ‘While events this big are rare, an impact that could cause damage and death could happen every century or so.

'It very much depends on where it hits. A big enough meteor could cause significant immediate death and maybe cause climate change by releasing dust into the air – these are maybe every few thousand years.

‘And a really big impact occurs every few ten millions of years and can cause mass extinctions.  One killed the dinosaurs.

‘Scientifically this is not hugely interesting. Probably its greatest importance is to make people realise that things fall from space all the time, and every now and then they can be dangerous.

‘And an impact in a heavily populated area could kill huge numbers of people with no warning or chance of stopping it.'

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CALL ON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO STOP THE PEBBLE MINE!

The EPA has determined that the Pebble Mine would spell disaster for Alaska’s Bristol Bay — its legendary salmon runs, its pristine environment and its Native communities. Please make your own voice heard at the White House immediately. 

Call on President Obama to save this national treasure by directing his EPA to use its authority under the Clean Water Act to stop the Pebble Mine!

Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit

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