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As wind-driven wildfires spread through the Los Angeles area in January 2025, fire-spotting technology and computer models were helping firefighters understand the rapidly changing environment they were facing. That technology has evolved over the years, yet some techniques are very similar to those used over 100 years ago. I have spent several decades studying combustion, including wildfire behavior and the technology used to track fires and predict where wildfires might turn. Heres a quick tour of the key technologies used today. Spotting fires faster First, the fire must be discovered. Often wildfires are reported by people seeing smoke. That hasnt changed, but other ways fires are spotted have evolved. In the early part of the 20th century, the newly established U.S. Forest Service built fire lookout towers around the country. The towers were topped by cabins with windows on all four walls and provided living space for the fire lookouts. The system was motivated by the Great Fire of 1910 that burned three million acres in Washington, Idaho and Montana and killed 87 people. Before satellites, fire crews watched for smoke from fire towers across the national forests. [Photo: K. D. Swan/U.S. Forest Service] Today, cameras watch over many high-risk areas. California has more than 1,100 cameras watching for signs of smoke. Artificial intelligence systems continuously analyze the images to provide data for firefighters to quickly respond. AI is a way to train a computer program to recognize repetitive patterns: smoke plumes in the case of fire. NOAA satellites paired with AI data analysis also generate alerts but over a wider area. They can detect heat signatures, map fire perimeters and burned areas, and track smoke and pollutants to assess air quality and health risks. Forecasting fire behavior Once a fire is spotted, one immediate task for firefighting teams is to estimate how the fire is going to behave so they can deploy their limited firefighting resources most effectively. Fire managers have seen many fires and have a sense of the risks their regions face. Today, they also have computer simulations that combine data about the terrain, the materials burning and the weather to help predict how a fire is likely to spread. Fuel models Fuel models are based on the ecosystem involved, using fire history and laboratory testing. In Southern California, for example, much of the wildland fuel is chaparral, a type of shrubland with dense, rocky soil and highly flammable plants in a Mediterranean climate. Chaparral is one of the fastest-burning fuel types, and fires can spread quickly in that terrain. For human-made structures, things are a bit more complex. The materials a house is made ofif it has wood siding, for exampleand the environment around it, such as how close it is to trees or wooden fences, play an important role in how likely it is to burn and how it burns. Weather and terrain Terrain is also important because it influences local winds and because fire tends to run faster uphill than down. Terrain data is well known thanks to satellite imagery and can easily be incorporated into computer codes. Weather plays another critical role in fire behavior. Fires need oxygen to burn, and the windier it is, the more oxygen is available to the fire. High winds also tend to generate embers from burning vegetation that can be blown up to five miles in the highest winds, starting spot fires that can quickly spread. Today, large computer simulations can forecast the weather. There are global models that cover the entire Earth and local models that cover smaller areas but with better resolution that provides greater detail. Both provide real-time data on the weather for creating fire behavior simulations. Modeling how flames spread Flame-spread models can then estimate the likely movement of a fire. Scientists build these models by studying past fires and conducting laboratory experiments, combined with mathematical models that incorporate the physics of fire. With local terrain, fuel, and real-time weather information, these simulations can help fire managers predict a fires likely behavior. Advanced modeling can account for fuel details such as ground-level plant growth and tree canopies, including amount of cover, tree height, and tree density. These models can estimate when a fire will reach the tree canopy and how that will affect the fires spread. Forecasting helps, but wind can change fast All these tools are made available to firefighters in computer applications and can help fire crews as they respond to wildfires. However, wind can rapidly change speed or direction, and new fires can start in unexpected places, meaning fire managers know they have to be prepared for many possible outcomesnot just the likely outcomes they see on their computer screens. Ultimately, during a fire, firefighting strategy is based on human judgment informed by experience, as well as science and technology. John W. Daily is a research professor in thermo fluid sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. investors have had a wild 2025 so far. Earlier this month, the beleaguered stock (Nasdaq: WBA) soared 25% after beating Q1 2025 expectations on revenue and earnings per share. Yet today, the companys stock is crashingWBA shares are currently down over 15% in early trading. But this stock price swing has nothing to do with sales. Instead, it likely has to do with Walgreens changes to its dividend payouts. Heres what you need to know. Why is Walgreens stock crashing? As of the time of this writing, Walgreens shares are down over 15% in early market trading. The reason for the crashing stock price likely has to do with a change the company announced to its dividend payouts. Todays WBA crash comes after the company announced yesterday that it would be suspending dividend payments to shareholders in order to better manage its capital allocation. This change in capital allocation is aimed at strengthening WBAs balance sheet by reducing debt over time and improving free cash flow, as the company works toward achieving a retail pharmacy-led turnaround underpinned by a sustainable economic model, the company said in a statement announcing the changes. The companys cash needs over the next several years, including with respect to litigation and debt refinancing, were important considerations as part of the decision to suspend the dividend. News of Walgreens pausing its dividend payments is historic. As the Associated Press notes, Walgreens has been making quarterly dividend payments to shareholders for nearly a century. What is a dividend? When it comes to the stock market, a dividend is usually a cash payment a company makes to shareholders. The payment is usually made every quarter and is deposited as cash in the shareholders brokerage account. A stockholder receives a set amount of cash for each share they own in the company. Many companies pay dividends, including tech giants like Apple and Nvidia. Dividends are a way to reward investors for their loyalty by allowing them to profit from the companys cash stockpiles directly. Dividends can also act as an incentive to hold onto a stock even if the stock itself isnt appreciating much in value, as investors are given a cash payout on a recurring schedulemeaning that simply owning the stock earns them recurring income. What does Walgreens pausing of its dividends mean? It suggests that the company is going to need all the cash it can get its hands on in order to implement its desired turnaround, which is aimed at reducing costs and increasing revenue. Instead of continuing to give cash directly to its investors, Walgreens believes that cash can be better spent on its turnaround effortswhich may benefit investors in the long run. However, many investors like to invest in stocks that offer dividends. And some of the share price fall in WGA seen this morning could represent some investors dumping their holdings since dividends are no longer being paid. But the stock price fall could also signal that Walgreens turnaround efforts are going to be more challenging and longer-lasting than many thought. That uncertainty may be causing some people to dump the stock this morning. WGA stock is still up for 2025 Today is the last trading day of January, but despite WGAs 15% drop in early trading, the stock is actually still up about 3.8% year-to-datemainly thanks to that 25% jump earlier this month. However, looking beyond the past month, theres no denying that Walgreens stock has been headed in the wrong direction for some time. Over the past 12 months, WGA stock is down more than 57%. Over the past five years, the stock has collapsed by around 81%. The pharmacy chain is facing a number of challenges, including decreased profits, increased online competition, and lower reimbursement rates for prescription drugs. As a result of some of these challenges, last year, the company announced plans to close as many as 1,200 stores.
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Apple has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged the iPhone maker sold early Apple Watch models that included batteries that could swell. The company has set aside $20 million to pay claims related to the suit. Heres what to know about the lawsuit and whether you are eligible to receive a cut of the payout. What is the Apple Watch class action lawsuit about? The class action lawsuit alleged that Apple sold its early Apple Watch models with an internal battery that could swell. According to the lawsuit settlement website, the swollen batteries violated consumer protection laws and breached warranties. Which Apple Match models are included? The class action lawsuit alleged that the swollen battery issue affected many of Apples earliest Apple Watch models. These models include: Apple Watch (First Generation) Apple Watch Series 1 Apple Watch Series 2 Apple Watch Series 3 Apple Watch models beyond the Series 3 are not included in the class action lawsuit or the settlement. What has Apple agreed to in the settlement? As part of the settlement, Apple has agreed to set up a $20 million settlement fund from which settlement claimants can receive compensation. In agreeing to enter into a settlement, Apple admitted to no wrongdoing and a court did not declare Apple was at fault. Companies frequently agree to settle class action suits instead of going to trial, as settlement agreements are frequently less than what it would cost a company to go to court. Fast Company has reached out to Apple for commment about the settlement. How much can I get from the settlement? If you are eligible to be considered a claimant under the settlement, the amount you will receive varies. It is estimated that claimants will receive at least $20 per Apple Watch that is covered under the settlement. Payouts are capped at a maximum of $50 per covered Apple Watch. The final amount a claimant will get depends on how many claimants are eligible for payment and how many Apple Watches are covered under the settlement that they owned. Who can receive a payout from the Apple Watch settlement? In order to receive a payout from the settlement, you must meet the qualifications to be considered a claimant. Those qualifications include: You must have owned one or more of the covered Apple Watch models (First Generation, Series 1, Series 2, or Series 3). You must have also previously reported issues that may have been related to battery swelling to Apple. Reports to Apple must have been made between April 24, 2015, and February 6, 2024. You must reside in the United States. How can I get my payment? You dont need to do anything to file a claim, as Apple will have a record of those who contacted the company to report potential battery swelling issues in covered Apple Watch models. However, you should make sure that Apple has your latest payment details so you can receive the payment if you are eligible. You can update your payment details on the official settlement website. The date you must confirm or update your payment information is April 25, 2025. Other dates apply if you want to exclude yourself from the settlement. Those who think they may be covered under the settlement should check out the official settlement website for full details, including how to opt out of the settlement. What’s the timeline for payments? First, a court has to approve the settlement. A final hearing date is set for April 10. At the hearing, the court will weigh factors such as whether the settlement is reasonable and if there are any objections.
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