interesting commentary
http://www.seekingtruthnews.com/2008/02/israel-looking-to-start-war.html
Missile-Ready China Warns US Against Satellite Shoot
Navy Aegis SM 3- Weapon of choice to shoot down US spy satellite
What does America’s rogue spy satellite look like?
GlobalSecurity.org space security specialist Charles Vick has worked up a drawing.
Satellite Shoot-Down Set: Intercept Near Hawaii; Debris Cloud Over Canada
Russia warns against US satellite shoot down
US spy satellite to be shot down
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Missile-ready China warns U.S. against plan to destroy spy satellite
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International Herald Tribune
By David Lague
February 18, 2008
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/18/asia/spy.php
BEIJING:
In response to a U.S. plan to shoot down a malfunctioning spy satellite, China has warned against threats to security in outer space, without mentioning its own successful anti-satellite missile test last year.
The Chinese government also stopped short of linking the planned U.S. strike with Beijing’s repeated calls for a complete ban on space weapons.
Security analysts have suggested that Beijing could use the planned U.S. interception to justify the Chinese military’s unannounced destruction of a defunct weather satellite in January 2007.
That interception drew criticism from senior U.S. military officials, who complained that it had left a cloud of debris that was dangerous to other space traffic. Chinese experts in turn have questioned the Pentagon’s explanation that it wanted to down the spy satellite to avoid contamination from hazardous fuel on board.
“In my opinion, this decision is imprudent and ill advised,” said Li Bin, an arms control specialist at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “If this satellite is shot down, the toxic fuel will still be there. Therefore, the pollution still exists.”
But, Li said, destroying the satellite would be an effective way to prevent sensitive technology from falling into the wrong hands.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said the Chinese government was highly concerned about the U.S. plan, Xinhua, the state-run news agency, reported late Sunday, noting that the target satellite was loaded with toxic fuel.
Liu also urged Washington to fulfill its international obligations and avoid threatening security in space and the security of other countries, Xinhua quoted him as saying, without elaborating.
“Relevant departments of China are closely watching the situation and working out preventative measures,” Liu said.
Just days after China and Russia renewed their call for a global ban on space weapons at a disarmament conference, the United States announced late last week that it was preparing to fire a missile at the crippled reconnaissance satellite during one of its passes over the Pacific by the middle of next week.
The United States opposes treaties or other measures to restrict space weapons.
In what will be a challenging test of the antiballistic missile technology that the United States and some of its allies are developing, the interceptor will be fired from an U.S. warship just before the satellite is expected to plunge uncontrollably back to earth.
The Pentagon said President George W. Bush had ordered the mission to prevent possible contamination of inhabited areas.
It said the interception was not a weapons test or a demonstration for potential adversaries.
Russia denounced the planned downing of the satellite on Saturday, saying it could be a subterfuge to test a space weapon.
China’s warning about the threat to security in space comes after a period of friction in the sometimes troubled military relationship that it has with the United States.
In November, Beijing unexpectedly denied permission for the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk and other U.S. warships to visit Hong Kong, setting off a diplomatic dispute.
Ship visits have resumed, but underlying tensions, particularly over Taiwan, mean the relationship is prone to further disagreements.
China, which claims sovereignty over the self-governing island, has not ruled out the use of force if Taiwan moves toward formal independence. Washington has become concerned in recent years about Beijing’s rapid military buildup in the area, which appears to be aimed at gaining superiority over the island’s defenses and deterring U.S. intervention in any conflict.
There are now fears that the U.S.-Chinese rivalry could spill over into an arms race in space, with both sides capable of destroying satellites.
The United States shot down a satellite with a missile fired from a fighter aircraft in a 1985 test.
For the Chinese military, the capacity to destroy U.S. navigation and communications satellites could undermine the overwhelming technological dominance that U.S. forces have enjoyed in recent conflicts, according to U.S. and Chinese security experts.
They say that space weapons including antimissile satellites could contribute to Beijing’s “area denial” strategies, which are intended to keep U.S. forces at bay in a war over Taiwan.
In academic papers, books and magazine articles, Chinese strategic thinkers have identified U.S. dependence on satellites for battlefield communications, guiding smart weapons, reconnaissance and weather forecasting as a potential weakness that could be exploited.
Senior U.S. military commanders have acknowledged that without the advantage of satellites, U.S. forces could be forced to fight as they did decades ago, without detailed information about the battlefield and enemy movements.
The successful destruction of the ailing U.S. spy satellite would send a reminder to Beijing that China’s space assets would also be at risk in a conflict, experts said.
But China is also increasingly vulnerable to this kind of warfare as it deploys high-technology weaponry. China has been devoting considerable resources to building and deploying its own communication, navigation and weather satellites in recent years.
Some analysts have suggested that Beijing ultimately wants to deploy an independent navigation satellite constellation with similar capabilities as the Global Positioning System network.
Yuan Xi contributed reporting.
China’s satellite shot down in Jan 2007
China and US begins space war since Jan 2007 China shot down their own aging weather satellite, in protest against Bush’s refusal to sign space weapons ban
The possible implications of satellite mutual destruction
Putin warns US about space race
here’s some related information about High Fructose Corn Syrup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup
The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup
By John Mericle M.D.
Dr. Mericle is devoted to achieving optimal health and peak performance through diet and lifestyle change.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Before we get to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), we will take a look at two other frequently used sweeteners, dextrose and maltodextrin.
Dextrose
Dextrose is more or less an industry term for glucose. Glucose is the most prevalent sugar in the human and the only molecule that the brain can metabolize. Dextrose is refined from corn starch. It has a very high glycemic index (no surprise since it is glucose) and while it contains no fructose, it is still a simple sugar that is very readily absorbed. It is not as dangerous as sucrose but it still is a highly processed product that should be avoided.
Maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is also a refined product usually made from either corn or potatoes. It is multiple glucose units somewhat loosely hooked together (a polymer). Because the bonds between the glucose units are very weak, it is also very readily absorbed and has a very high glycemic index. Like dextrose it should be avoided as much as possible. It has been called a “sugar substitute”but that is based on a rather strict definition of sugar as “sucrose.” It is a very common additive and I have found it in many packaged foods, including potato chips.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup is made by treating corn (which is usually genetically modified corn) with a variety of enzymes, some of which are also genetically modified, to first extract the sugar glucose and then convert some of it into fructose, since fructose tastes sweeter than glucose. The end result is a mixture of 55% fructose and 45% glucose, that is called “high fructose corn syrup.” Improvements in production occurred in the 1980’s making it cheaper than most other sweeteners. I remember in the 1980’s when the price of Pepsi dropped from about $3 for a sixpack to about $1.50. In 1966 refined sugar such as sucrose was the was the leading sweetener / additive. In 2001 corn sweeteners accounted for 55% of the sweetener market. Consumption of high fructose corn syrup went from zero in 1966 to 62.6 pounds per person in 2001. A 12 ounce soda can contain as much as 13 teaspoons of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup.
Once again, the dangerous combination: fructose and glucose.
When high fructose corn syrup breaks down in the intestine, we once again find near equal amounts of glucose and fructose entering the bloodstream. As covered in recent newsletters, the fructose short-circuits the glycolytic pathway for glucose. This leads to all the problems associated with sucrose. In addition, HFCS seems to be generating a few of its own problems, epidemic obesity being one of them. Fructose does not stimulate insulin production and also fails to increase “leptin” production, a hormone produced by the body’s fat cells. Both of these act to turn off the appetite and control body weight. Also, fructose does not suppress ghrelin, a hormone that works to increase hunger. This interesting work is being done by Peter Havel at UC Davis.
Some of the problems associated with high fructose corn syrup:
Increased LDL’s (the bad lipoprotein) leading to increasedrisk of heart disease.
Altered Magnesium balance leading to increased osteoporosis.
Increased risk of Adult Onset Diabetes Mellitus.
Fructose has no enzymes or vitamins thus robbing the body ofprecious micro-nutrients.
Fructose interacts with birth control pills and can elevate insulin levels in women on the pill.
Accelerated aging.
Fructose inhibits copper metabolism leading to a deficiencyof copper, which can cause increased bone fragility, anemia, ischemic heart disease and defective connective tissue formation among others.
The list below is from The San Francisco Chronicle February 18, 2004
“How much is too much?
The list below shows how much sugar, mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup, is in each of these single servings.
Sunkist soda: 10 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
Berkeley Farms low-fat yogurt with fruit: 10 teaspoons of sugar
Mott’s applesauce: 5 teaspoons of sugar
Slim-Fast chocolate cookie dough meal bar: 5 teaspoons of sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup: 1 teaspoon of sugar
Hansen’s Super Vita orange-carrot Smoothie: 10 teaspoons of sugar”
Today’s health tip:
Cut down or stop any food or drink with high fructose corn syrup.
High fructose corn syrup is made from genetically modified corn treated with genetically modified enzymes.
Stop or limit all foods with either dextrose or maltodextrin.
Once again, read all your food labels carefully.
Consumption of the limited amounts of fructose that occur in fresh whole organic fruit is not a problem.
Reference:
Stryer Biochemistry Fourth Edition
“Sugar coated We’re drowning in high fructose corn syrup. Do the risks go beyond our waistline?”
Kim Severson, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Kick the “sugar habit” with the only diet that is 100% Sugar-Free, the MericleDiet. Make the transition away from dangerous sugar additives to healty “organic” complex carbohydrates easy. To visit the MericleDiet follow the link below:
http://www.DrMericle.com
Thanks for your attention.
Copyright © John Mericle M.D. 2005 All Rights Reserved
http://DrMericle.com is devoted to achieving optimal health and peak performance through diet and lifestyle change. Dr. Mericle brings together a unique blend of formal training in organic chemistry and biochemistry, medical education, 29 marathons, 3 Hawaii Ironman competitions and a lot of practical real life experience.
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