Volcanic Ash Crisis Deepens In Europe

Volcanic Ash Crisis Deepens In Europe

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/04/18/volcanic-ash-crisis-deepens-in-europe/


When the volcanic ash crisis struck Europe last Thursday, it seemed - at first - almost comical. But as we head into day five of a near complete halt on air travel - not to mention collateral damage in the areas of health, education and the economy - this whole thing seems a good deal less funny.

Few people could believe it when they awoke on Thursday to the news that a long dormant volcano had erupted on Iceland, spewing black clouds of ash that were sufficient to close all airports in the U.K. I mean, c'mon. An exploding volcano in Iceland, of all places? Isn't it supposed to be - oh I don't know - icy up there? It sounded like something straight out of the movie Magnolia. (Remember the scene when it rained frogs?)

And that was only the beginning. You've probably heard tell of the myriad airport closures that have spread across Northern Europe as winds have blown the ash cloud Eastward. About 20 countries have closed their air space entirely. Yesterday alone, European airlines canceled more than 77% of their flights.

There may be some hope that the crisis will lift. Major airlines sent passengerless test flights into European air space on Sunday and encountered no damage, according to the Associated Press. While meteorologists still warn of dangers since the volcano continues to spew ash into the atmosphere, the AP said that European Union officals say that flights could return to half their normal level Monday if the cloud begins to dissipate.
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But the disruptions already have affected hundreds of thousands of travelers across the globe. President Obama had to cancel his visit to attend the funeral of the late Polish president.

Others have scrambled to get where they need to go however they can. The actor John Cleese - of Monty Python Fame - famously took a $5,000 taxi ride from Norway to Belgium. The British Government is currently contemplating any manner of emergency measures to get Britons back home. Ideas include flying those outside the no-fly zone to Spain (which lies below the cloud) and then using the Royal Navy and requisitioning merchant ships to help return them to the UK.

But that's not all. Experts are estimating that the airline industry alone will have lost an estimated £520 million (approximately $800 million) by the end of Sunday, with losses of £130 million ($200 million) for every day of disruption. Economists at the Centre for Economic and Business Research in London estimate that the wider economy is also expected to suffer losses of at least £100 million a day ($154 million) from lost revenue and extra costs.

And it's not just the economy that's been affected. This crisis slowly seeped into other areas of life as well. As dust from the volcanic cloud begins to filter its way down to the ground, the authorities have issued health warnings for people with breathing difficulties to take extra precautions. Schools will also be affected by the crisis in air travel, with some closures expected due to inadequate staffing. Meanwhile, fresh produce flown in from other countries that normally stocks British supermarkets is being destroyed overseas as it rots, causing shortages in flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables.

Volcanologists said eruptions from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano could go on for months (not to mention its sister volcano, Katla). In the U.K., at least, all major airline carriers have suspended service for Monday and some of the smaller carriers have already done so through Wednesday. Right now, everything is being taken day by day. So who knows when normalcy will return?

This isn't an idle question for me. My mother - who's been visiting for the past two weeks from the States - was scheduled to leave London this past Saturday. Right now they are telling her that she might get out next Saturday. She's run out of her daily blood pressure medicine and I must now see if my G.P. will be willing to write a prescription for her so that she can have it for the next...week? Two weeks?

Meanwhile, my son has asthma as well as seasonal hay fever. And, oh yes, did I mention that we're about to move? Which means that having an extra house guest right now was not exactly in the cards.

Maybe I'll go see if Magnolia is playing on the telly.