CNR dean J Keith Gilless and ESPM professor Scott Stephens are both featured in this article on the 17 North Bay fires that erupted on the evening of October 8. Stephens said that all of the fires seemed to ignite between midnight and 2 a.m. Monday, when 50-mph winds were the strongest. Gilless noted that Sunday’s weather — high winds, high temperatures and low relative humidity — was conducive for bad fires.
CNN | October 10, 2017
Hands Free Hectare, a UK farming joint venture between Harper Adams University and Precision Decisions, is the first farm int he world to use automated machines to successfully plant, tend, and harvest a crop. Automation technology and implementation has been rising worldwide, but there are still many limitations as well as social and country-specific considerations. "Technically, complete automation is feasible everywhere, but economically and socially it only makes sense in certain situations," commented ARE professor David Zilberman
San Francisco Chronicle | October 09, 2017
ESPM professor Scott Stephens comments on this editorial article on California's increasingly lengthy and catastrophic fire seasons. Development that doesn’t facilitate disaster can be promoted by getting “the fire service much more involved in land-use decisions,” said Stephens. Given the inevitability of wildfires, Stephens added, the state also should make more systematic efforts to empower citizens to prevent and even fight wildfires.
Experts from diverse fields lead economic and social discussions at two-day Berkeley India Conference
Times of India News | October 09, 2017
Gump South Pacific Research Station executive director Neil Davies is highlighted in this article on artificial islands that have the potential to serve as laboratories for testing new technologies and exploring different social structures. Davies, who is advising the seasteaders on site selection and environmentally positive design choices, believes these floating "sea stations" could allow low-cost long-term access to the ocean for research, especially for students in tropical countries "where natural systems are among the most sensititve to human activities."
The Conversation | October 08, 2017
ARE professor Max Auffhammer and associate professor Meredith Fowlie authored this article on Energy Secretary Rick Perry's proposal to federal regulators that will effectively subsidize coal and nuclear power plants, as long as they store 90 days of fuel on site. The authors discuss coal's significant negative externalities and note that the proposed regulation is based on key arguments that contradict the Department of Energy's own expert analysis in the energy grid report.
MIT Technology Review | October 07, 2017
ARE professor David Zilberman comments on new-to-market Arctic apples that have ben genetically altered to suppress browning. Produced by Okanagan Speciality Fruits, these apples, which will be sold as bags of pre-sliced fruit, will not come with any packaging identifying them as GMO's, and will instead have a QR code that links to a web page with detailed information. Zilberman says the apple doesn’t present any health risks and that Okanagan’s decision for discreet labeling is justified.
Nature | October 04, 2017
Gump South Pacific Research Station executive director Neil Davies is highlighted in this article on artificial islands that have the potential to serve as laboratories for testing new technologies and exploring different social structures. Davies, who is advising the seasteaders on site selection and environmentally positive design choices, believes these floating "sea stations" could allow low-cost long-term access to the ocean for research, especially for students in tropical countries "where natural systems are among the most sensititve to human activities."
The Sacramento Bee | October 02, 2017
ESPM CE specialist emeritus Rick Standiford authored this op-ed on the critical need for sustainable forest management in California. Standiford notes that a recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California found that "managemnet techniques, including prescribed fire and mechanical thinning, can help rebuild resilient forests."