Interior chief to visit Alaska amid road fight, filing says
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is expected to visit Alaska in September, according to a court filing in a long-running dispute over a proposed land exchange aimed at building a road through a national wildlife refuge.
Haaland committed during her confirmation process to meeting with residents of King Cove, a community at the center of the dispute, according to the filing from Justice Department attorney Michael T. Gray. Those meetings aren't possible before an appeals court is set to hear arguments in the case Aug. 4 because people in the community will be busy with the subsistence fishing season, Gray said.
Haaland “will not complete her review of this matter until she has an opportunity to visit King Cove in person and meet with the people of King Cove and other stakeholders,” Gray wrote.
Gray said the dates of the trip are not set. Melissa Schwartz, an Interior Department spokesperson, said she had no details to add.
Residents of King Cove have long sought a land connection through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to Cold Bay, which has an all-weather airport. They call it a safety issue.
The refuge, near the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, contains internationally recognized habitat for migrating waterfowl.
Interior Department officials in 2013 declined a land exchange, citing an environmental review that showed a road would lead to “significant degradation of irreplaceable ecological resources that would not be offset by the protection of other lands to be received under an exchange."
Efforts during the Trump administration to move forward with a land exchange faced legal challenges.
A federal judge last year set aside a proposed agreement from 2019 between the Interior Department and King Cove Corp., an Alaska Native village corporation. The judge found in part that then-Interior Secretary David Bernhardt had failed to provide adequate reasoning to support a change in policy in favor of a land exchange and road. That case is now before an appeals court.
Becky Bohrer, The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Britain supports U.S. plan for deep space radar station
British military leadership said over the weekend that they are interested in hosting one of three giant radar systems designed by the U.S. Space Force to help detect threats in space. File Photo by Eric A. Clement/U.S. Navy/UPI | License Photo
July 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. Space Force plan to position a system in Britain to monitor spacecraft up to 22,400 miles from earth drew the approval of the Royal Air Force chief.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston, in the United States to examine the plans, said Britain is "very interested" in hosting an element of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability, under development by the Space and Missile Systems Center of the U.S. Space Force.
The project, known as DARC, would double the range of detection of objects in space, with an array of 10 to 15 parabolic antennas, or large satellite dishes, covering about 0.4 square miles.
Each dish would be about 50 feet in diameter, with additional DARC locations in Texas and Australia.
RELATED Maj. Gen. Michael Guetlein nominated to lead USSF Space Systems Command
It was announced in May that the USSF will seek a request for proposals to develop prototypes of deep space radar sensors that can monitor satellites and space debris in geostationary orbits.
Sensors would "detect and track targets which could potentially be threats to our high-value assets," USSF Lt. Col. Jack Walker told the BBC.
"It could be from the Chinese, it could be from the Russians, it could be anti-satellite or it could be debris in space," Walker said.
Current early warning systems can only detect objects in space up to 12,400 miles from earth. Walker noted that the proposed system could detect an object the size of a football up to 22,400 miles away.
Over 1,000 satellites were launched into space in 2020, many by China, and there is concern that Chinese anti-satellite armaments could threaten U.S. assets in space.
"We see activity by countries like China and Russia which is a cause for concern," Wigston said in a radio interview in Britain.
RELATED USAF's Red Flag 21-1 exercise involves space, cyberspace elements
"It is reckless activity, deploying and testing of systems that look like weapons in space, so any system like the radar we are talking about which gives us a better picture of what is going on is incredibly important to us," Wigston said.
The Chinese government responded to the plans on Sunday with concern.
"The U.S. has been developing its space situational awareness for a long time," an editorial comment in Global Times, a publication of the Chinese Communist Party, said in part.
The editorial suggests that China and Russia need to "expose" what it sees as a U.S. effort "hyping the so-called space threat" from the two countries.
"China and Russia must strongly oppose the U.S. efforts to extend the military competition among major powers into space, and oppose its attempts to construct DARC with its allies," the commentary said.
British military leadership said over the weekend that they are interested in hosting one of three giant radar systems designed by the U.S. Space Force to help detect threats in space. File Photo by Eric A. Clement/U.S. Navy/UPI | License Photo
July 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. Space Force plan to position a system in Britain to monitor spacecraft up to 22,400 miles from earth drew the approval of the Royal Air Force chief.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston, in the United States to examine the plans, said Britain is "very interested" in hosting an element of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability, under development by the Space and Missile Systems Center of the U.S. Space Force.
The project, known as DARC, would double the range of detection of objects in space, with an array of 10 to 15 parabolic antennas, or large satellite dishes, covering about 0.4 square miles.
Each dish would be about 50 feet in diameter, with additional DARC locations in Texas and Australia.
RELATED Maj. Gen. Michael Guetlein nominated to lead USSF Space Systems Command
It was announced in May that the USSF will seek a request for proposals to develop prototypes of deep space radar sensors that can monitor satellites and space debris in geostationary orbits.
Sensors would "detect and track targets which could potentially be threats to our high-value assets," USSF Lt. Col. Jack Walker told the BBC.
"It could be from the Chinese, it could be from the Russians, it could be anti-satellite or it could be debris in space," Walker said.
Current early warning systems can only detect objects in space up to 12,400 miles from earth. Walker noted that the proposed system could detect an object the size of a football up to 22,400 miles away.
Over 1,000 satellites were launched into space in 2020, many by China, and there is concern that Chinese anti-satellite armaments could threaten U.S. assets in space.
"We see activity by countries like China and Russia which is a cause for concern," Wigston said in a radio interview in Britain.
COLD WAR IN SPACE
RELATED USAF's Red Flag 21-1 exercise involves space, cyberspace elements
"It is reckless activity, deploying and testing of systems that look like weapons in space, so any system like the radar we are talking about which gives us a better picture of what is going on is incredibly important to us," Wigston said.
The Chinese government responded to the plans on Sunday with concern.
"The U.S. has been developing its space situational awareness for a long time," an editorial comment in Global Times, a publication of the Chinese Communist Party, said in part.
The editorial suggests that China and Russia need to "expose" what it sees as a U.S. effort "hyping the so-called space threat" from the two countries.
"China and Russia must strongly oppose the U.S. efforts to extend the military competition among major powers into space, and oppose its attempts to construct DARC with its allies," the commentary said.
IT HAS HISTORY AS A TORTURE DEVICE
Shock therapy safe, effective for tough-to-treat depression
By Amy Norton, HealthDay News
"Shock" therapy often helps lift severe depression, but fear and stigma can deter patients from getting it. Now a large new study is confirming the treatment's safety.
Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, as it's medically known, has been around for decades. For almost as long, it's been seen in a bad light -- fueled by disturbing media portrayals like those in the 1975 film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
But today's approach to ECT is much different from decades ago, and it's now a recommended treatment for severe depression that does not respond to standard antidepressants.
The new study -- recently published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry -- adds to evidence that ECT does not raise the risk of serious medical complications.
RELATED Injected electrode could offer pain relief without medications
Of more than 10,000 patients hospitalized with a serious depressive episode, those who received ECT were no more likely than other patients to die over the next month or end up in the hospital for a medical problem.
If anything, ECT might have saved some lives, the study found: Patients who received the treatment were less likely to die by suicide after their hospital discharge.
"I think this reinforces what we've known from less-systematic studies and from our own clinical experience," said Dr. Joshua Berman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
RELATED Study: Shock treatment good for six months
"ECT is a very effective treatment," said Berman, who was not involved in the study. "And though it's not risk-free, it is generally safe."
ECT can have side effects, including short-term problems with memory and learning. Some patients end up with permanent memory gaps about past events.
But people often see the procedure as more dangerous. In one survey, 20% of respondents cited "fear of death" as a major concern with ECT, said study author Dr. Tyler Kaster, from the University of Toronto.
RELATED FDA proposes ban on 'shock' device used to curb self-harm
Both he and Berman said negative media portrayals are one reason. In other cases, Berman said, people may have heard about a bad experience an older relative had with the treatment.
During ECT, electrodes are placed on the head to deliver small electrical pulses to the brain -- intentionally causing a brief seizure. Years ago, that might be done without any medication, and some patients suffered injuries, including bone fractures, during the seizure.
But these days, ECT is performed under general anesthesia, and patients receive muscle relaxants to prevent seizure-related injuries.
A number of studies have indicated that ECT is similar to other "low-risk" medical procedures when it comes to complications.
The new research is more comprehensive -- comparing ECT patients with other patients who were similarly depressed but did not have the procedure.
Kaster and his colleagues at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto analyzed medical records from more than 10,000 patients. All had been admitted to psychiatric hospitals in Ontario, Canada, between 2007 and 2017 with serious depressive episodes.
Half of the patients had received ECT, and they were compared with similar patients who had not undergone the procedure.
Of 5,008 ECT patients, the study found, 105 had a "serious medical event" within 30 days. That compared with 135 of 5,008 patients who did not receive ECT. Those events included non-suicide deaths or hospital admission for a medical complication.
Few patients died by suicide after leaving the hospital. But the risk was even lower after ECT: No more than five deaths were attributed to suicide in that group, versus 11 in the comparison group.
This study did not gauge the effectiveness of ECT, Kaster said. But it's estimated that up to 80% of patients with severe depression see their symptoms substantially improve after ECT, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
That does not mean they are cured. Without ongoing care -- such as medication and "talk therapy" -- relapse is likely, Kaster said. Some patients receive "maintenance" ECT sessions over a longer period.
Researchers are not entirely certain why ECT works. But it seems to operate through multiple mechanisms, Berman said.
Studies have found the electrical stimulation can improve communication among cells in brain regions known to respond to antidepressants. Berman said ECT also seems to trigger the release of "neurotrophic" factors, which can help brain cells grow.More information
The American Psychiatric Association has more on electroconvulsive therapy.
Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Shock therapy safe, effective for tough-to-treat depression
By Amy Norton, HealthDay News
"Shock" therapy often helps lift severe depression, but fear and stigma can deter patients from getting it. Now a large new study is confirming the treatment's safety.
Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, as it's medically known, has been around for decades. For almost as long, it's been seen in a bad light -- fueled by disturbing media portrayals like those in the 1975 film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
But today's approach to ECT is much different from decades ago, and it's now a recommended treatment for severe depression that does not respond to standard antidepressants.
The new study -- recently published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry -- adds to evidence that ECT does not raise the risk of serious medical complications.
RELATED Injected electrode could offer pain relief without medications
Of more than 10,000 patients hospitalized with a serious depressive episode, those who received ECT were no more likely than other patients to die over the next month or end up in the hospital for a medical problem.
If anything, ECT might have saved some lives, the study found: Patients who received the treatment were less likely to die by suicide after their hospital discharge.
"I think this reinforces what we've known from less-systematic studies and from our own clinical experience," said Dr. Joshua Berman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
RELATED Study: Shock treatment good for six months
"ECT is a very effective treatment," said Berman, who was not involved in the study. "And though it's not risk-free, it is generally safe."
ECT can have side effects, including short-term problems with memory and learning. Some patients end up with permanent memory gaps about past events.
But people often see the procedure as more dangerous. In one survey, 20% of respondents cited "fear of death" as a major concern with ECT, said study author Dr. Tyler Kaster, from the University of Toronto.
RELATED FDA proposes ban on 'shock' device used to curb self-harm
Both he and Berman said negative media portrayals are one reason. In other cases, Berman said, people may have heard about a bad experience an older relative had with the treatment.
During ECT, electrodes are placed on the head to deliver small electrical pulses to the brain -- intentionally causing a brief seizure. Years ago, that might be done without any medication, and some patients suffered injuries, including bone fractures, during the seizure.
But these days, ECT is performed under general anesthesia, and patients receive muscle relaxants to prevent seizure-related injuries.
A number of studies have indicated that ECT is similar to other "low-risk" medical procedures when it comes to complications.
The new research is more comprehensive -- comparing ECT patients with other patients who were similarly depressed but did not have the procedure.
Kaster and his colleagues at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto analyzed medical records from more than 10,000 patients. All had been admitted to psychiatric hospitals in Ontario, Canada, between 2007 and 2017 with serious depressive episodes.
Half of the patients had received ECT, and they were compared with similar patients who had not undergone the procedure.
Of 5,008 ECT patients, the study found, 105 had a "serious medical event" within 30 days. That compared with 135 of 5,008 patients who did not receive ECT. Those events included non-suicide deaths or hospital admission for a medical complication.
Few patients died by suicide after leaving the hospital. But the risk was even lower after ECT: No more than five deaths were attributed to suicide in that group, versus 11 in the comparison group.
This study did not gauge the effectiveness of ECT, Kaster said. But it's estimated that up to 80% of patients with severe depression see their symptoms substantially improve after ECT, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
That does not mean they are cured. Without ongoing care -- such as medication and "talk therapy" -- relapse is likely, Kaster said. Some patients receive "maintenance" ECT sessions over a longer period.
Researchers are not entirely certain why ECT works. But it seems to operate through multiple mechanisms, Berman said.
Studies have found the electrical stimulation can improve communication among cells in brain regions known to respond to antidepressants. Berman said ECT also seems to trigger the release of "neurotrophic" factors, which can help brain cells grow.More information
The American Psychiatric Association has more on electroconvulsive therapy.
Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
CRIMINAL CRYPTO CAPITALI$M
US Senate to investigate links between cryptocurrencies, cybercrime
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., announced Tuesday that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will investigate the role cryptocurrencies play in encouraging and emboldening cybercrime. File Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, announced Tuesday an investigation into the role cryptocurrencies play in encouraging cybercrime.
In a statement, Peters, D-Mich., noted that ransomware attacks, in which hackers illegally obtain or lock company data and charge a ransom for it to be restored, increased 150% from the previous year in 2020, with more than $412 million in cryptocurrencies paid to cybercriminals.
"The increased use of cryptocurrencies as the preferred method of payment in ransomware attacks shows that cybercriminals believe they can commit attacks without being held accountable," Peters said. "These attacks can have a devastating effect on Americans' lives and livelihoods and we must do everything we can to deter them -- including understanding what additional regulations, actions and reforms are needed to adequately tackle complicated cybersecurity threats."
Peters said the investigation will examine the rise in ransomware attacks, how cryptocurrency emboldens cybercriminals and what steps lawmakers and federal regulators can take to disrupt hackers from committing crimes to obtain cryptocurrencies.
It will also examine current oversight and regulations into virtual currencies and how to ensure that Americans can safely access and benefit from cryptocurrencies.
Last month, meat producer JBS said it paid $11 million in cryptocurrency ransom after a cyberattack shuttered its meat processing plants in the United States and Australia and the Colonial paid $4.4 million in cryptocurrency after its pivotal Colonial Pipeline was shut down by a cyberattack but much of it was recovered by the Justice Department.
In February, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen described bitcoin, one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, as highly speculative and "inefficient" adding that it is often used for illegal transactions.
The Treasury Department in May also said it will require all transfers worth at least $10,000 to be reported to the Internal Revenue Service in a bid to crack down on cryptocurrency scams.
Recession from COVID-19 was shortest in U.S. history, record-keeper says
A furniture store is boarded up after closing for several weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 12, 2020. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- The economic recession in the United States brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic last year was the shortest in American history -- lasting for about two months, according to the official record-keeper.
The National Bureau of Economic Research, a private nonprofit research organization that tracks the beginnings and endings of U.S. recessions, said the coronavirus-induced contraction began in February 2020 and ended in April 2020.
A recession occurs when there's a decline in gross domestic product over consecutive months.
The NBER said that although U.S. GDP declined by a dramatic 31% in the second quarter of 2020, government stimulus policies helped stabilize the economy.
"The recession lasted two months, which makes it the shortest U.S. recession on record," the bureau said in a statement.
"The previous shortest recession occurred in the first half of 1980 and lasted six months."
Normally, a recession is defined by a decline in economic activity that lasts for more than a few months. But the NBER said last year's two-month decline was deep enough to qualify as a recession.
"The recent downturn had different characteristics and dynamics than prior recessions," it said. "Nonetheless, the committee concluded that the unprecedented magnitude of the decline in employment and production, and its broad reach across the entire economy, warranted the designation of this episode as a recession, even though the downturn was briefer than earlier contractions."
The NBER said many U.S. economic indicators have returned to prepandemic levels. It said employment, however, continues to lag -- as there are still more than 7 million workers missing from the workforce compared to February 2020.
AXIS OF EVIL😱
Report: U.S. mum on Mexico's public overtures to North Korea
The United States is staying quiet after comments from Mexico’s foreign minister on improving ties with North Korea, according to a press report Tuesday.
The United States is staying quiet after comments from Mexico’s foreign minister on improving ties with North Korea, according to a press report Tuesday.
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- A U.S. official at the United Nations said they had no comment after Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico is seeking to "reopen" its relationship with North Korea.
Radio Free Asia's Korean service reported Tuesday the U.S. representative declined to comment on an issue addressing the positions of other countries on North Korea.
The report comes after Ebrard said Friday at the United Nations that Mexico wants to resume diplomacy and trade with Pyongyang.
Mexico had expelled former North Korean Ambassador Kim Hyong Gil in 2017, declaring the diplomat persona non grata after North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test in September 2017.
"We have a position of hands-off around the world, we respect all governments, and we want to reopen the relationship with North Korea as well, like any other country," Ebrard said after a U.N. Security Council meeting in New York, according to Bloomberg.
Mexico's top diplomat also said North Korea had violated international law by conducting nuclear tests and launching missiles, the report said.
Mexico was among a handful of countries that include Peru, Kuwait, Spain and Italy that expelled North Korean ambassadors after the sixth test. Mexico did not sever diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, however, according to RFA.
North Korea and Mexico may have begun to restore ties after Andrés Manuel López Obrador assumed office. On Sept. 29, 2020, an official Mexican account confirmed the presidential office received the credentials of new North Korean Ambassador Song Sun Ryong.
Ties between Mexico and North Korea deteriorated after Mexican authorities detained the 6,700-ton Mu Du Bong in 2014.
Mexico had said the ship belonged to North Korea's Ocean Maritime Management, a firm blacklisted by the U.N.'s North Korea sanctions committee for engaging in illicit arms trades in the past.
The North Korean crew was released in 2015.
July 20 (UPI) -- A U.S. official at the United Nations said they had no comment after Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico is seeking to "reopen" its relationship with North Korea.
Radio Free Asia's Korean service reported Tuesday the U.S. representative declined to comment on an issue addressing the positions of other countries on North Korea.
The report comes after Ebrard said Friday at the United Nations that Mexico wants to resume diplomacy and trade with Pyongyang.
Mexico had expelled former North Korean Ambassador Kim Hyong Gil in 2017, declaring the diplomat persona non grata after North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test in September 2017.
"We have a position of hands-off around the world, we respect all governments, and we want to reopen the relationship with North Korea as well, like any other country," Ebrard said after a U.N. Security Council meeting in New York, according to Bloomberg.
Mexico's top diplomat also said North Korea had violated international law by conducting nuclear tests and launching missiles, the report said.
Mexico was among a handful of countries that include Peru, Kuwait, Spain and Italy that expelled North Korean ambassadors after the sixth test. Mexico did not sever diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, however, according to RFA.
North Korea and Mexico may have begun to restore ties after Andrés Manuel López Obrador assumed office. On Sept. 29, 2020, an official Mexican account confirmed the presidential office received the credentials of new North Korean Ambassador Song Sun Ryong.
Ties between Mexico and North Korea deteriorated after Mexican authorities detained the 6,700-ton Mu Du Bong in 2014.
Mexico had said the ship belonged to North Korea's Ocean Maritime Management, a firm blacklisted by the U.N.'s North Korea sanctions committee for engaging in illicit arms trades in the past.
The North Korean crew was released in 2015.
HOW COME WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS
China's new maglev train can travel at 370 mph, engineers say
China operates a magnetically levitating, or maglev, train in Shanghai, and has plans to build a network with 620 miles of tracks, according to a press report Tuesday. File Photo by Qilai Shen/EPA
July 20 (UPI) -- China unveiled a new maglev train that it said can travel as fast as 373 mph, which would make it the fastest land-based transportation vehicle in the world, according to multiple press reports.
China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. said Tuesday that China soon would become a "transport superpower" with the new train that floats above tracks through the use of electromagnetic force, the South China Morning Post reported.
The firm began work on the project in 2016 jointly with 30 companies, research universities and other institutes, according to HK01 on Tuesday.
The train was built in the city of Qingdao, on China's eastern coast. Chief engineer Liang Jianying had said earlier this year that the train would be available to the public in five to 10 years, according to the Post.
China last year revealed ambitious new plans to launch more maglev routes. In July 2020, the government said it planned to build a network with as many as nine maglev lines that include 620 miles of tracks, the report said.
China's maglev trains are currently limited to short distances. A line in Shanghai operates between an airport and city center.
Other high-speed trains have begun operation this year.
Trains that operate at a maximum speed of 217 mph in Tibet went into service June 25. The 250-mile network, which connects the Tibetan capital Lhasa to the city of Nyingchi, took six years to complete and cost $5.6 billion, according to CNN.
Maglev projects are costlier than other technologies.
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in Washington said maglev trains in China cost 1 1/2 times more than conventional high-speed trains, according to the Post.
"There are many technological issues to overcome to develop and deploy high-speed maglev trains as part of an integrated transport system," the foundation said in April.
It added: "There is also the overarching question as to whether there is an ideal distance and market that can leverage maglev's higher speeds at an affordable price.
At the moment, China's government is betting that it can do both as it throws significant financial resources and policy support behind its firms to make maglev trains happen."
Germany, Ireland more open than U.S. to renewable energy close to homes
Solar panels are shown on a roof top. File Photo by Craig Russell/Shutterstock
July 19 (UPI) -- People in Germany and Ireland are more willing to accept renewable energy sites closer to their homes than their U.S. counterparts, but all three wanted carbon-based energy sites farther away and favored decarbonization overall, a new study found.
The new study, published Monday in The Energy Journal, examined people's preferences for various energy technologies across the United States, Ireland and Germany amid many countries planning to decarbonize their energy systems by expanding renewable energy sources.
The 4,500 survey respondents in total, across the three countries, were asked about five energy sources, including the renewable sources, such as wind turbines and solar power technology, as well as more traditional electrical power sources such as biomass, coal or natural gas.
In general, respondents in all three countries were more in favor of having renewable energy sources located close to their homes than more traditional sources.
While Americans favored having renewable energy sources close to their homes over traditional energy sources, they still weren't as open to having renewable energy sources close to their homes as Irish and German people, the study found.
German people were the most open to renewable sources, according to the survey, with 74% open to solar infrastructure less than a mile from their homes, compared to 42% of Irish respondents and 24% of American people.
"People in Germany and Ireland were more open to having renewable energy technologies closer to where they lived, perhaps because they have less space than in the U.S.," University of Georgia researcher and study author Thomas Lawrence told UGA Today.
"In the U.S., I was happily surprised to see overall support for a transition of power sources -- especially to solar and wind -- in the electrical grid, and it was stronger than I would have guessed," Lawrence said.
Lawrence added that German people's greater acceptance of renewable energy infrastructure was not a surprise.
"Germany has been leading the charge in transition away from carbon-based energy sources," he said. "Over 30% of their power right now is through wind or solar. People there are used to seeing wind farms and solar panels on roof tops."
How do wind turbines impact Golden Eagles?
IMAGE: RESULTS FROM A STUDY PUBLISHED IN IBIS SHOW THAT HOW CLOSE GOLDEN EAGLES WILL FLY TO WIND TURBINES DEPENDS ON HABITAT SUITABILITY INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF A WIND FARM. view more
CREDIT: DR. WHITFIELD
Results from a study published in Ibis show that how close Golden Eagles will fly to wind turbines depends on habitat suitability inside and outside of a wind farm. Also, the largest impact of wind farms was a loss of Golden Eagle habitat, which could be mitigated by including the study's findings in wind farm planning.
The study included data from 59 GPS-tagged Golden Eagles before and after turbine operation at 80 wind farms across Scotland.
"Previous research on Golden Eagles, notably in the United States, has tended towards collision with turbine blades as the main consequence of their interaction with wind farms. Our study shows that across numerous wind farms in Scotland, this was not the case, but that deleterious habitat loss through avoidance of turbines was the main impact," said corresponding author D. Philip Whitfield, PhD, of Natural Research Ltd, in the UK.
###
Wind turbines can be clustered while avoiding turbulent wakes of their neighbors
The angles of wind turbines relative to the horizon -- their yaw -- must continually adjust to prevent their wakes from disrupting the efficiency of their neighbors. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo
July 20 (UPI) -- Clustering wind turbines can help power producers generate more electricity while taking up less space. Unfortunately, the air turbulence created by a spinning wind turbine -- sometimes called its wake -- can disrupt the efficiency of the turbine's neighbors.
According to a new study, published Tuesday in the journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, scientists have developed a new data analysis method to help wind farm operators adjust the yaw of clustered turbines to avoid interference.
Simulations showed the new method, which requires no new sensors, can provide a 1% to 3% boost of energy.
"There was a huge gap in how to determine, automatically, which turbine is in the wake of another in the field with variable wind conditions," co-author Stefano Leonardi said in a press release
"This is what we solved. This is our contribution," said Leonardi, a researcher with the Center for Wind Energy at the University of Texas at Dallas.
When building and managing wind farms, operators must consider a variety of factors, such as topography and temperature, when optimizing the energy production of each individual turbine. But engineers must also consider how each turbine effects those around them.
The wake from an upwind turbine can reduce the power production of a turbine downwind by as much as 60 percent.
One of the tools that can be used to optimize an individual turbine's power production is its yaw, the turbine's angle relative to the horizontal plane. A turbine's yaw can also be adjusted to reposition its wake away from downwind neighbors.
Unfortunately, wind conditions frequently change. To keep turbines optimized and wake-free, yaws must be adjusted as the wind changes.
For the new study, scientists showed how data already being collected by turbine sensors can be used to inform yaw adjustment. Models suggest the automatic yaw adjustment system can boost a wind farm's power production by 1 percent.
If adopted industry-wide, such an increase in production would translate to 3 billion kilowatts per year.
"The exciting part about our work is that it matches reality, impacting real people," said study co-author Federico Bernardoni. "Operators can use these results to identify when they should apply yaw control, and to which group, to maximize wind power gain."
The data analysis system, however, is not a model, as it makes no assumptions about environmental conditions. The system works by analyzing data fielded directly from the individual turbines that make up a wind farm.
"By just making turbines smarter, we're getting more energy from something that already exists," said Leonardi. "Using just simple math, we're increasing energy, so that's a very clean, green 1% to 3%."
One of the tools that can be used to optimize an individual turbine's power production is its yaw, the turbine's angle relative to the horizontal plane. A turbine's yaw can also be adjusted to reposition its wake away from downwind neighbors.
Unfortunately, wind conditions frequently change. To keep turbines optimized and wake-free, yaws must be adjusted as the wind changes.
For the new study, scientists showed how data already being collected by turbine sensors can be used to inform yaw adjustment. Models suggest the automatic yaw adjustment system can boost a wind farm's power production by 1 percent.
If adopted industry-wide, such an increase in production would translate to 3 billion kilowatts per year.
"The exciting part about our work is that it matches reality, impacting real people," said study co-author Federico Bernardoni. "Operators can use these results to identify when they should apply yaw control, and to which group, to maximize wind power gain."
The data analysis system, however, is not a model, as it makes no assumptions about environmental conditions. The system works by analyzing data fielded directly from the individual turbines that make up a wind farm.
"By just making turbines smarter, we're getting more energy from something that already exists," said Leonardi. "Using just simple math, we're increasing energy, so that's a very clean, green 1% to 3%."
Data identifies turbine wake clustering, improves wind farm productivity via yaw control
Truly green energy by seeing the forest despite the trees
IMAGE: YELLOW AREAS INDICATE LOW VELOCITY WAKES THAT EXTEND DOWNSTREAM OF WIND TURBINES, AND THE ALGORITHM IDENTIFIES CLUSTERS OF TURBINES (REPRESENTED BY COLORED RECTANGLES) THAT CAN BE OPTIMIZED AS A GROUP... view more
CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2021 -- In the wind power industry, optimization of yaw, the alignment of a wind turbine's angle relative to the horizonal plane, has long shown promise for mitigating wake effects that cause a downstream turbine to produce less power than its upstream partner. However, a critical missing puzzle piece in the application of this knowledge has recently been added -- how to automate the identification of which turbines are experiencing wake effects amid changing wind conditions.
In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas describe a real-time method for potentially helping turbine farms realize additional power from the clustering of their turbines. Their method requires no new sensors to identify which turbines at any given time could increase power production if yaw control is applied, and validation studies showed an increase of 1%-3% in overall power gain.
"There was a huge gap in how to determine, automatically, which turbine is in the wake of another in the field with variable wind conditions," said co-author Stefano Leonardi. "This is what we solved. This is our contribution."
Wind farms consist of multiple turbines built close together, each converting kinetic energy into electricity. Optimizing power production from an individual turbine depends on many factors (e.g., stratification, temperature, turbulence, topography, etc.), but optimizing production of the farm as a whole also involves interactions between turbines. A downstream turbine in the wake of another encounters decreased wind, reducing turbine power production up to 60%.
The researchers identified how to create clusters or links between turbines by identifying correlations in data currently collected by turbine sensors. Wind farm owners can then use this automated information to guide employment of a standard procedure for yaw control, based on the past decade of studies about yaw optimization. Each 1% increase in energy production would represent 3 billion kilowatts per year.
"The exciting part about our work is that it matches reality, impacting real people," said co-author Federico Bernardoni. "Operators can use these results to identify when they should apply yaw control, and to which group, to maximize wind power gain."
Since the turbines already have the hardware and sensors, and the land is already committed to the wind farm, any increase in power production using this method would be truly green energy. The method is also unique because it is model-free. It makes no assumptions about current parameters or conditions, minimizing the effects of uncertainty present in current wake models.
"By just making turbines smarter, we're getting more energy from something that already exists," said Leonardi. "Using just simple math, we're increasing energy, so that's a very clean, green 1[%]-3%."
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The article "Identification of wind turbine clusters for effective real time yaw control optimization" is authored by Stefano Leonardi, Federico Bernardoni, Umberto Ciri, and Mario Rote. The article will appear in Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy on July 20, 2021 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0036640). After that date, it can be accessed at https:/
ABOUT THE JOURNAL
Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy is an interdisciplinary journal that publishes across all areas of renewable and sustainable energy relevant to the physical science and engineering communities. Topics covered include solar, wind, biofuels and more, as well as renewable energy integration, energy meteorology and climatology, and renewable resourcing and forecasting. See https:/
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