Author: Isaac Gendler

Why Undergrounding Transmission Lines Will Not Completely Stop Wildfires

Why Undergrounding Transmission Lines Will Not Completely Stop Wildfires

12/26/19

“Why will fires start even if there are no transmission lines above ground?”

Undergrounding transmission lines is often talked about as one of the most effective actions that can be taken to stop wildfires from occurring. However, even if the entire grid goes underground wildfires can start from a variety of other causes. These can include anywhere ranging from camping mistakes to a car causing an ignition. This is Why Undergrounding Transmission Lines Will Not Completely Stop Wildfires.

Image credit http://www.transmissionhub.com

How Waveform Analytics Can Help Grid Resiliency

How Waveform Analytics Can Help Grid Resiliency

12/25/19

“How can we use waveforms to analyze the stability of the electric grid?”

The electrical grid is prone to crashing whether it be because of natural or human causes. When this happens, the waveform signals get distorted. As such, waveform analysis in real-time can help detect when the rent goes down and went to respond. This is How Waveform Analytics Can Help Grid Resiliency.

Atmospheric Rivers

Atmospheric Rivers

12/24/19

“How can there be flying rivers of water?”

Rain is usually delivered through means of water vapor held in clouds dissipating. By coastal areas, water can build up in the atmosphere from evaporation from the ocean and then move landside where it can hit elevation, become colder, and then burst and create serious downpours. These Atmospheric Rivers can give up words of over 50% of California’s annual rainwater.

Image credit http://www.frontiersin.org

How Insurance Companies Can Go Bankrupt from Climate Change

How Insurance Companies Can Go Bankrupt from Climate Change

12/23/19

“How can insurance companies go bankrupt just from climate change?”

Climate change is wreaking havoc on finances everywhere. And insurance companies are often responsible for securing the losses that their customers face. In 2018, the Paradise Fire in Northern California destroyed properties whose combined claims were valued at 64 million USD to the Merced Property & Casualty Company. The problem is, the company only had 23 million USD in assets! This caused the 112-year-old company to file for bankruptcy, illustrating How Insurance Companies Can Go Bankrupt from Climate Change. As time goes on, these companies will have to be more careful about their insurance policies and how their organizations operate.

How the Evolution of Early Warning Systems Are Already Saving Lives

How the Evolution of Early Warning Systems Are Already Saving Lives

12/22/19

“How are early warning systems to disasters already saving the lives of many?”

Environmental disasters are becoming more and more frequent with the advent of climate change. As a result governments around the world are looking into ways to build resilience in the new climate paradigm. One very simple yet effective method to implement is early warning systems. Early warning systems use sensors to monitor external conditions and parlay them into a mathematical algorithm to see if a disaster is coming. Examples could be the sensor that monitors the dryness of the air, the local temperature, and the wind speed to assess if a wildfire will begin and a system that measures the frequency and intensity of waves to check if there is an incoming tsunami. As the signal is triggered, nearby citizens can evacuate in time. When put in place, loss of life from disasters tend to go downwards. This can be seen from Zambia to Mumbai.

Why Mediterranean Climates Are More Prone to Wildfires

Why Mediterranean Climates Are More Prone to Wildfires

12/21/19

“Why are Mediterranean climates more prone to wildfires?”

Mediterranean regions are world-renowned for their natural beauty, temperate climates, and mellow settings. These zones usually start the year with a short, mild, and moist winter season followed by a long, warm dry, summer season. This means that a lot of foliage grows when it rains and then dies when the rain stops. This abundance of fuel in hot and dry conditions makes the perfect ingredient for wildfires to occur, which is Why Mediterranean Climates Are More Prone to Wildfires. This will only become more intense with the advent of climate change, as the Winter season is becoming shorter and wetter and the Summer longer and drier.

Wildfire Safety Zones

Wildfire Safety Zones

12/20/19

“Where can firefighters take shelter while fighting a wildfire?”

Firefighters have very difficult jobs. They have to respond to catastrophic emergencies at a moment’s notice, even if it means waking up in the middle of a night and rushing hours to the site. This can be especially difficult when fighting large-scale wildfires, which can go on for days and even weeks and take up enough land to fill a country. As a result, they will need time to rest during operations. To do this, they must seek out Wildfire Safety Zones which can provide refuge from the blaze and allow the firefighters to survive without being injured from exposure to the radiant and convective heat from the fire, and would not have to deploy and enter a fire shelter.

How Power Shutoffs Cause Economic Damage

How Power Shutoffs Cause Economic Damage

12/19/19

“How do power shutoffs cause economic damage?”

Power shutoffs are common in the developing world and are becoming frequently more common in the industrialized one due to climate change. When these do occur, all modern society of operations ground to a halt. Food goes rotten from lack of refrigeration, shops and workplaces have to close due to a lack of power access, and even interdependent infrastructures such as transportation and water can go down. All of these combined lead to great economic damage through lost commodities and working hours. This is How Power Shutoffs Cause Economic Damage.

Why Planting Native Trees Can Build Resilience to Wildfires

Why Planting Native Trees Can Build Resilience to Wildfires

12/18/19

“How can we build resilience to wildfires by simply planting trees that are native to the local ecosystem?”

Wildfires and how to build resilience against them are some of the hottest topics in areas with Mediterranean climates. Much of the time techniques using built infrastructure are proposed, such as building microgrids or housing with new flame-resilient materials. However, one of the most effective methods can be one does not require a single wire or piece of concrete. Due to globalism and colonialization, many Mediterranean climates contain invasive species of trees that are more likely to burn. By replacing these with tree species that are adapted to the local climate and are more resistant to burning, we can decrease the intensity of burnable fuel in an area and achieve better Wildfire resilience. This is Why Planting Native Trees Can Build Resilience to Wildfires.