Download or read book Potential Hydrodynamic Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy on Nantucket Shoals Regional Ecology written by National Academies Of Sciences Engineeri and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2024-07-13 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The transition to renewable energy has spurred many efforts to scale up the U.S. portfolio of efficient clean energy resources, including the development of offshore wind farms. The Nantucket Shoals region off the coast of Massachusetts is the first large scale wind farm installation under development in U.S. waters. To ensure Nantucket Shoals region offshore wind energy installations are being planned, constructed, and developed in an environmentally responsible way, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) asked the National Academies to evaluate the potential for offshore wind farms in the Nantucket Shoals region to affect oceanic physical processes, and, in turn, how those hydrodynamic alterations might affect local to regional ecosystems. Of particular interest to BOEM are the potential effects of hydrodynamic changes on zooplankton productivity and aggregations, which may affect foraging for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. This report found the impacts of offshore wind projects on the North Atlantic right whale and the availability of their prey in the Nantucket Shoals region will likely be difficult to distinguish from the significant impacts of climate change and other influences on the ecosystem. Further study and monitoring of the oceanography and ecology of the Nantucket Shoals region is needed to fully understand the impact of future wind farms. This report recommends the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others should promote observational studies and modeling that will advance understanding of potential hydrodynamic effects and their consequent impacts on ecology in the Nantucket Shoals region during all phases of wind energy development.
Download or read book Environmental Impacts of Wind Energy Projects written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-09-27 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The generation of electricity by wind energy has the potential to reduce environmental impacts caused by the use of fossil fuels. Although the use of wind energy to generate electricity is increasing rapidly in the United States, government guidance to help communities and developers evaluate and plan proposed wind-energy projects is lacking. Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects offers an analysis of the environmental benefits and drawbacks of wind energy, along with an evaluation guide to aid decision-making about projects. It includes a case study of the mid-Atlantic highlands, a mountainous area that spans parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. This book will inform policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels.
Download or read book Marine Protected Areas written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-06-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the ocean-and the resources within-seem limitless, there is clear evidence that human impacts such as overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution disrupt marine ecosystems and threaten the long-term productivity of the seas. Declining yields in many fisheries and decay of treasured marine habitats, such as coral reefs, has heightened interest in establishing a comprehensive system of marine protected areas (MPAs)-areas designated for special protection to enhance the management of marine resources. Therefore, there is an urgent need to evaluate how MPAs can be employed in the United States and internationally as tools to support specific conservation needs of marine and coastal waters. Marine Protected Areas compares conventional management of marine resources with proposals to augment these management strategies with a system of protected areas. The volume argues that implementation of MPAs should be incremental and adaptive, through the design of areas not only to conserve resources, but also to help us learn how to manage marine species more effectively.
Download or read book Understanding the Long term Evolution of the Coupled Natural human Coastal System the Future of the U S Gulf Coast written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Long-Term Coastal Zone Dynamics: Interactions and Feedbacks Between Natural and Human Processes Along the U.S. Gulf Coast and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The U.S. Gulf Coast provides a valuable setting to study deeply connected natural and human interactions and feedbacks that have led to a complex, interconnected coastal system. The physical landscape in the region has changed significantly due to broad-scale, long-term processes such as coastal subsidence and river sediment deposition as well as short-term episodic events such as hurricanes. Modifications from human activities, including building levees and canals and constructing buildings and roads, have left their own imprint on the natural landscape. This coupled natural-human coastal system and the individual aspects within it (physical, ecological, and human) are under increased pressure from accelerating environmental stressors such as sea level rise, intensifying hurricanes, and continued population increase with its accompanying coastal development. Promoting the resilience and maintaining the habitability of the Gulf Coast into the future will need improved understanding of the coupled natural-human coastal system, as well as effective sharing of this understanding in support of decision-making and policies. Understanding the Long-term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System presents a research agenda meant to enable a better understanding of the multiple and interconnected factors that influence long-term processes along the Gulf Coast. This report identifies scientific and technical gaps in understanding the interactions and feedbacks between human and natural processes, defines essential components of a research and development program in response to the identified gaps, and develops priorities for critical areas of research"--Publisher's description
Download or read book Bridging Boundaries Through Regional Marine Research written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-03-06 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As appreciation of the interdisciplinary and multidimensional character of environmental issues has increased, there have been attempts to address regional needs more directly. One of these, the Regional Marine Research Program (RMRP), was established by Congress in 1990 to provide a mechanism to fund coastal marine research based on regionally-defined priorities. The RMRP legislation established a system of nine regional marine research boards around the United States. Each board was responsible for planning marine research to address issues of water quality and ecosystem health on a regional scale. Although all nine regions received funding for planning activities and development of a research plan, only the Gulf of Maine RMRP received funding for program implementation. The completion of the Gulf of Maine program, in 1997, presents an opportunity to evaluate whether the process for planning and managing the Gulf of Maine research was adequate, whether the research fulfilled the goals of the program, and whether this experience should serve as a model for similar regional programs elsewhere. Bridging Boundaries through Regional Marine Research is a study of the RMRP, with a specific review of the Gulf of Maine program as well as an assessment of other modesl for regional marine research. This report assesses the need for regional marine research,reviews processes by which regional marine research needs can be defined, and discusses existing programs for regional marine research in the United States. It also identifies short- and long-term approaches that might be taken by NOAA.
Download or read book Mitigating Shore Erosion Along Sheltered Coasts written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-05-04 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like ocean beaches, sheltered coastal areas experience land loss from erosion and sea level rise. In response, property owners often install hard structures such as bulkheads as a way to prevent further erosion, but these structures cause changes in the coastal environment that alter landscapes, reduce public access and recreational opportunities, diminish natural habitats, and harm species that depend on these habitats for shelter and food. Mitigating Shore Erosion Along Sheltered Coasts recommends coastal planning efforts and permitting policies to encourage landowners to use erosion control alternatives that help retain the natural features of coastal shorelines.
Download or read book A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-04-05 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reef declines have been recorded for all major tropical ocean basins since the 1980s, averaging approximately 30-50% reductions in reef cover globally. These losses are a result of numerous problems, including habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, disease, and climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions and the associated increases in ocean temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have been implicated in increased reports of coral bleaching, disease outbreaks, and ocean acidification (OA). For the hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs for food or livelihoods, the thousands of communities that depend on reefs for wave protection, the people whose cultural practices are tied to reef resources, and the many economies that depend on reefs for fisheries or tourism, the health and maintenance of this major global ecosystem is crucial. A growing body of research on coral physiology, ecology, molecular biology, and responses to stress has revealed potential tools to increase coral resilience. Some of this knowledge is poised to provide practical interventions in the short-term, whereas other discoveries are poised to facilitate research that may later open the doors to additional interventions. A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs reviews the state of science on genetic, ecological, and environmental interventions meant to enhance the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. The complex nature of corals and their associated microbiome lends itself to a wide range of possible approaches. This first report provides a summary of currently available information on the range of interventions present in the scientific literature and provides a basis for the forthcoming final report.
Download or read book Effects of Trawling and Dredging on Seafloor Habitat written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-08-09 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Concerns over the potential ecological effects of fishing have increased with the expansion of fisheries throughout the marine waters of the United States. Effects of Trawling and Dredging on Seafloor Habitat describes how assessment of fishing impacts depends on gear type, number and location of bottom tows, and the physical and biological characteristics of seafloor habitats. Many experimental studies have documented acute, gear-specific effects of trawling and dredging on various types of habitat. These studies indicate that low mobility, long-lived species are more vulnerable to towed fishing gear than short-lived species in areas where the seabed is often disturbed by natural phenomena. Trawling and dredging may also change the composition and productivity of fish communities dependent on seafloor habitats for food and refuge. The scale of these impacts depends on the level of fishing effort. This volume presents color maps of fishing effort for all regions with significant bottom trawl or dredge fisheries-the first time that such data has been assembled and analyzed for the entire nation.
Download or read book Climate Intervention written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2015-06-17 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The signals are everywhere that our planet is experiencing significant climate change. It is clear that we need to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from our atmosphere if we want to avoid greatly increased risk of damage from climate change. Aggressively pursuing a program of emissions abatement or mitigation will show results over a timescale of many decades. How do we actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make a bigger difference more quickly? As one of a two-book report, this volume of Climate Intervention discusses CDR, the carbon dioxide removal of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere and sequestration of it in perpetuity. Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration introduces possible CDR approaches and then discusses them in depth. Land management practices, such as low-till agriculture, reforestation and afforestation, ocean iron fertilization, and land-and-ocean-based accelerated weathering, could amplify the rates of processes that are already occurring as part of the natural carbon cycle. Other CDR approaches, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration, direct air capture and sequestration, and traditional carbon capture and sequestration, seek to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and dispose of it by pumping it underground at high pressure. This book looks at the pros and cons of these options and estimates possible rates of removal and total amounts that might be removed via these methods. With whatever portfolio of technologies the transition is achieved, eliminating the carbon dioxide emissions from the global energy and transportation systems will pose an enormous technical, economic, and social challenge that will likely take decades of concerted effort to achieve. Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration will help to better understand the potential cost and performance of CDR strategies to inform debate and decision making as we work to stabilize and reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide.
Download or read book The Use of Dispersants in Marine Oil Spill Response written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2020-04-24 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether the result of an oil well blowout, vessel collision or grounding, leaking pipeline, or other incident at sea, each marine oil spill will present unique circumstances and challenges. The oil type and properties, location, time of year, duration of spill, water depth, environmental conditions, affected biomes, potential human community impact, and available resources may vary significantly. Also, each spill may be governed by policy guidelines, such as those set forth in the National Response Plan, Regional Response Plans, or Area Contingency Plans. To respond effectively to the specific conditions presented during an oil spill, spill responders have used a variety of response optionsâ€"including mechanical recovery of oil using skimmers and booms, in situ burning of oil, monitored natural attenuation of oil, and dispersion of oil by chemical dispersants. Because each response method has advantages and disadvantages, it is important to understand specific scenarios where a net benefit may be achieved by using a particular tool or combination of tools. This report builds on two previous National Research Council reports on dispersant use to provide a current understanding of the state of science and to inform future marine oil spill response operations. The response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill included an unprecedented use of dispersants via both surface application and subsea injection. The magnitude of the spill stimulated interest and funding for research on oil spill response, and dispersant use in particular. This study assesses the effects and efficacy of dispersants as an oil spill response tool and evaluates trade-offs associated with dispersant use.
Download or read book Renewable Energy Integration to the Grid written by Neeraj Gupta and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2022-03-25 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive reference text discusses uncertainty modeling of renewable energy resources and its steady state analysis. The text discusses challenges related to renewable energy integration to the grid, techniques to mitigate these challenges, problems associated with integration at transmission and distribution voltage level, and protection of power system with large renewable power integration. It covers important concepts including voltage issues in power networks, use of FACTS devices for reactive power management, stochastic optimization, robust optimization, and spatiotemporal dependence modeling. Key Features: Presents analysis and modeling of renewable generation uncertainty for planning and operation, beneficial for industry professionals and researchers. Discusses dependence modeling of multi-site renewable generations in detail. Covers probabilistic analysis, useful for data analysts. Discusses various aspects of renewable energy integration i.e. technical, economic, etc. Covers correlation factors, and methodologies are validated with case studies with various standard test systems. The text will be useful for graduate students and professionals in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics and communication engineering, renewable energy, and clean technologies.
Download or read book Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Wind Energy written by David E. Newton and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2014-11-25 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While covering the fascinating history of wind power as a whole, this timely handbook focuses on current technological developments and the promise—and pitfalls—of wind energy as part of the world's energy future. The use of wind power for the generation of electricity holds vast potential for solving the world's energy problems, but numerous technical and social issues must be addressed before that potential can be realized. This handbook will both educate students about current issues related to wind energy and introduce the ways in which mankind has harnessed the wind through the ages. The book covers topics as diverse as early windmills in Europe, the United States, China, and the Middle East; the development of wind farms for electricity generation; and political factors involved in the development of wind energy today. Conventional wind turbine mechanics are explained, as are the technical improvements that drive modern wind turbines and other wind systems. What makes the handbook unique is that it combines hard science with perspective pieces that address topics such as potential environmental damage that can result from modern wind technology, and how recent developments in wind turbine technology hold the promise for considerably reducing the cost of this alternate energy source, making it competitive with conventional fossil fuels. Readers will be engaged by extensive discussion of the economic, political, and ethical issues raised by the expanding use of wind energy in the United States and elsewhere, and they will be intrigued by a look at what wind power can mean to the planet's energy future.
Download or read book Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports written by and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 1282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lists citations with abstracts for aerospace related reports obtained from world wide sources and announces documents that have recently been entered into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Database.
Download or read book Environment Abstracts written by and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Draft Eis written by United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-08-15 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Draft Eis
Download or read book Responding to Oil Spills in the U S Arctic Marine Environment written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2014-08-01 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U.S. Arctic waters north of the Bering Strait and west of the Canadian border encompass a vast area that is usually ice covered for much of the year, but is increasingly experiencing longer periods and larger areas of open water due to climate change. Sparsely inhabited with a wide variety of ecosystems found nowhere else, this region is vulnerable to damage from human activities. As oil and gas, shipping, and tourism activities increase, the possibilities of an oil spill also increase. How can we best prepare to respond to such an event in this challenging environment? Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment reviews the current state of the science regarding oil spill response and environmental assessment in the Arctic region north of the Bering Strait, with emphasis on the potential impacts in U.S. waters. This report describes the unique ecosystems and environment of the Arctic and makes recommendations to provide an effective response effort in these challenging conditions. According to Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment, a full range of proven oil spill response technologies is needed in order to minimize the impacts on people and sensitive ecosystems. This report identifies key oil spill research priorities, critical data and monitoring needs, mitigation strategies, and important operational and logistical issues. The Arctic acts as an integrating, regulating, and mediating component of the physical, atmospheric and cryospheric systems that govern life on Earth. Not only does the Arctic serve as regulator of many of the Earth's large-scale systems and processes, but it is also an area where choices made have substantial impact on life and choices everywhere on planet Earth. This report's recommendations will assist environmentalists, industry, state and local policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of this special region to preserve and protect it from damaging oil spills.
