China has experienced two major earthquakes in the last three years. Image from Wikimedia.

At 7:49 a.m. local time in China, earthquake today killed more than 400 people and injured more than 10,000 people. The Qinghai Earthquake started with a 6.9 shake, and was followed by aftershocks that clocked in at 5.3 and 5.8. The China earthquake today hit a Tibetan area in the south of Qinghai province. After last year’s 7.9 earthquake disaster, the China earthquake today further hinders the debt repair of these poverty-stricken regions in China.

Qinghai China earthquake today

In the Qinghai earthquake, more than 90  percent of the houses and buildings in the local area toppled with the first major Qinghai earthquake. The China earthquake today also toppled a vocational school where students are trapped and buried. China has dispatched rescuers, tents, food and supplies to help the victims of the Qinghai earthquake, but the damaged roads, airports and communications systems are hindering rescue efforts. Many countries are already stepping up with offers of fast cash loans, aid, and relief workers.

Map of China earthquake

The China earthquake today was centered in the township of Jiegu, in the county of Yushu. The area is mountainous and rural, with a population of mostly farmers, sheepherders and tradespeople. The largest nearby city is Qamdo, Tibet.

Strength of China earthquake today

The Qinghai earthquake is being reported as two different magnitudes. The US Geological Service is reporting that the quake measured as 6.9 magnitude on the Richter scale. However, agencies in China map the earthquake as 7.1 magnitude. There have been 18 aftershocks thus far, two of which have been over 5 on the richer scale.

Large earthquakes causing significant damage

Just two years ago, a large China earthquake hit just 800 kilometers away from today’s Qinghai earthquake. That earthquake left over five million homeless and 87,000 people dead or missing. Just in the last three months, Haiti, Chile, Taiwan, Northern Mexico, and Indonesia have seen significant earthquakes. The major activity is mostly reported as being a part of natural earthquake cycles. However, this China earthquake today is re-igniting fears of large earthquakes in other areas of the world.

Sources:

The Associated Press at dspdDB0WaMv_An4A-NvHB_DwmCwD9F2NQ5G0
Mapreport at http://www.mapreport.com/subtopics/d/e.html#m0

Helping Haiti is as easy as sending a one-word text message.

The “text Haiti to 90999″ campaign has raised a lot of money, despite the fact that modern technology has allowed more than one Haiti earthquake hoax to spread. Twitter bred a couple of hoaxes, including UPS to Haiti free shipping and airlines flying doctors to Haiti for free. However, the positive things that technology has done to help victims of the Haiti earthquake of 2010 outweigh the negative side effects.

While some shady people harness the ease with which modern technology allows people to conduct business, others are harnessing it for good. The text-to-donate campaigns, such as Haiti to 90999,  that have been set up to help Haiti have been very successful, and it’s easy to see why.

Simple and sensible

Of course, people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck and regularly getting payday cash advances might not be able to afford to donate $10 to help people in Haiti. However, the majority of Americans won’t even notice a $10 difference in their budgets. Text-to-donate campaigns are genius because it makes it so incredibly easy to give. Plus, automatically setting it at a $10 donation, which is very affordable for most people, means that it’s so easy and inexpensive that people practically have to feel guilty if they don’t do it. And they should.

A lot of people might be wary of this method of donating because they fear it’s a hoax. However, the message to text Haiti to 90999 has been spread by trusted news organizations. It’s also all over social networking sites, so I have seen the message posted by several friends who I trust and who I know are well-informed. It’s smart to be wary of messages asking for money, but thanks to trusted sources spreading the word about Haiti to 90999, that campaign  has raised $4 million. Other text-to-donate campaigns have raised money as well. To donate to Wyclef Jean’s foundation, text Haiti to 501501, and to donate to the Clinton Foundation for Haiti earthquake relief, text Haiti to 20222.