Too many stories of interest to go into deeply.
Australians Think About Objectives and Key Performance Indicators for Bushfire Management
It’s always interesting to see how other countries deal with the same issues we do.
The Goals described in the National Bushfire Management Policy Statement for “Effectively Managing the Land with Fire” can be divided into the following objective themes. These themes then need to be expressed in more specific terms to become landscape-level management objectives. For a management objective to be useful, it must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). The themes identified are:
a) Reduce wildfire severity and extent
b) Reduce impact of fire on human life and property, social and commercial values, and critical
infrastructure.
c) Maintain viable, resilient and sustainable ecosystems
d) Maintain or enhance landscape productivity including wood, water, carbon, biodiversity and
other ecosystem services
e) Use adaptive management
f) Increase or maintain the level of social licence to manage forests and rangelands
g) Increase or maintain the level of Indigenous cultural and social connection through use of fire
The objectives and KPIs seem very down to earth. check it out here KPI-Doc. Lots of interesting stuff in this document.
Housing
Interesting story on resort towns where people can’t afford to live.. related to difficulties FS employees’ retention.
Compelling New Technologies
Number 1.. sustainable batteries which also don’t depend on imported minerals..
Stora Enso and Northvolt are joining forces to create sustainable batteries using lignin-based hard carbon produced with renewable wood from the Nordic forests. The aim is to develop the world’s first industrialised battery featuring anode sourced entirely from European raw materials, lowering both the carbon footprint and the cost.
The companies have entered into a Joint Development Agreement to create a sustainable battery featuring anode produced from renewable raw materials sourced sustainably and locally in the Nordic countries.
“The joint battery development with Northvolt marks a step on our journey to serve the fast-growing battery market with renewable anode materials made from trees. Our lignin-based hard carbon, Lignode® by Stora Enso, will secure the strategic European supply of anode raw material, serving the sustainable battery needs for applications from mobility to stationary energy storage,” says Johanna Hagelberg, Executive Vice President for Biomaterials at Stora Enso.
And Number 2. (of course), from the always-informative and entertaining Cowboy State Daily.
What A Way To Go: ‘Krapp Strapp’ No. 1 Way For Wyo Outdoorsmen To Do No. 2, Inventor Says
The company specializes in hunting decoys, but one of its best-selling products is the “Krapp Strapp.” It’s a device that allows users to lean into a padded strap, thereby taking the weight off their joints while answering nature’s call. ..
When shown a photo of the Krapp Strapp, noted Wyoming outdoorsman Paul Ulrich agreed it would be great for older adventurers or other people with joint problems. But he was incredulous about its practicality for younger, fit hunters trying to pack light in grizzly country.
“Reminds me of the scene with the goat in ‘Jurassic Park,’” Ulrich told Cowboy State Daily. “Nothing easier for a predator than a meal tethered to a tree with its pants down.”
This excerpt would be incomplete without a photo..
Californians Disagree About Solar
One of my favorite reporters, Sammy Roth, covers the always-watchable Californians grappling with decarbonization. Basically, people have solar panels. How much should utilities pay them for their energy? Does that come out of the pockets of people who can’t afford solar panels? How do you do decarbonizing and social justice at the same time? Indeed, liquids are bubbling in the laboratories of democracy.
But it could still have dramatic ripple effects in the burgeoning rooftop solar market as the Golden State struggles to phase out planet-warming fossil fuels while avoiding blackouts and keeping electricity bills from spiraling out of control. And it’s sure to spark a bitter fight in Sacramento, as rooftop solar installers, monopoly utility companies and labor unions whose members build large-scale solar farms duke it out over the best way for California to confront the climate crisis. Already, the new plan is generating criticism from both the solar industry and a group backed by Southern California Edison and other utilities. The utilities say low-income households are being forced to subsidize wealthier solar customers.