Ground System Milestones: 20 Years of Earth Observing Satellite Mission Operations

Aqua, Aura, and Terra are Earth observing satellites that serve in the Earth Observing System (EOS). Terra, the flagship mission of the EOS, was launched in 1998. Aqua was launched in 2002 and Aura was launched in 2004. Each spacecraft was designed for a 6 year lifespan. Currently, each spacecraft meets all mission and science requirements. As technology advances, the onboard hardware and software remain the same, however, our ground system progresses. In the past twenty years, many changes have taken place. Our goal is to describe the life of the ground system from launch, to present day, and touch on our future plans. The focus of our presentation will be how EOS has and continues to modernize our ground system for the future. We would like to share our experiences and give insight into the operational challenges of a 20 year old ground system. Our hope is for future mission operators and those maintaining potential age defying satellites to use our past experiences and lessons learned for future operational concepts

Rethinking disaster risk management and climate change adaptation

AbstractAustralian governments face the twin challenges of dealing with extreme weather-related disasters (such as floods and bushfires) and adapting to the impacts of climate change. These challenges are connected, so any response would benefit from a more integrated approach across and between the different levels of government.This report summarises the findings of an NCCARF-funded project that addresses this problem.The project undertook a three-way comparative case study of the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the 2011 Perth Hills bushfires, and the 2011 Brisbane floods. It collected data from the official inquiry reports into each of these events, and conducted new interviews and workshops with key stakeholders. The findings of this project included recommendations that range from the conceptual to the practical. First, it was argued that a reconceptualization of terms such as ‘community’ and ‘resilience’ was necessary to allow for more tailored responses to varying circumstances. Second, it was suggested that the high level of uncertainty inherent in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation requires a more iterative approach to policymaking and planning. Third, some specific institutional reforms were proposed that included: 1) a new funding mechanism that would encourage collaboration between and across different levels of government, as well as promoting partnerships with business and the community; 2) improving community engagement through new resilience grants run by local councils; 3) embedding climate change researchers within disaster risk management agencies to promote institutional learning; and, 4) creating an inter-agency network that encourages collaboration between organisations.Please cite this report as: Howes, M, Grant-Smith, D, Reis, K, Bosomworth, K, Tangney, P, Heazle, M, McEvoy, D, Burton, P 2013 Rethinking disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, pp. 63.Australian governments face the twin challenges of dealing with extreme weather-related disasters (such as floods and bushfires) and adapting to the impacts of climate change. These challenges are connected, so any response would benefit from a more integrated approach across and between the different levels of government.This report summarises the findings of an NCCARF-funded project that addresses this problem.The project undertook a three-way comparative case study of the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the 2011 Perth Hills bushfires, and the 2011 Brisbane floods. It collected data from the official inquiry reports into each of these events, and conducted new interviews and workshops with key stakeholders. The findings of this project included recommendations that range from the conceptual to the practical. First, it was argued that a reconceptualization of terms such as ‘community’ and ‘resilience’ was necessary to allow for more tailored responses to varying circumstances. Second, it was suggested that the high level of uncertainty inherent in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation requires a more iterative approach to policymaking and planning. Third, some specific institutional reforms were proposed that included: 1) a new funding mechanism that would encourage collaboration between and across different levels of government, as well as promoting partnerships with business and the community; 2) improving community engagement through new resilience grants run by local councils; 3) embedding climate change researchers within disaster risk management agencies to promote institutional learning; and, 4) creating an inter-agency network that encourages collaboration between organisations.&nbsp

Factors Influencing Wheat Yield and Variability: Evidence from Manitoba, Canada

Production functions to explain regional wheat yields have not been studied extensively in the Canadian prairies. The objective of this study is to employ a Just-Pope production function to examine the relationship between fertilizer inputs, soil quality, biodiversity indicators, cultivars qualifying for Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), and climatic conditions on the mean and variance of spring wheat yields. Using regional-level wheat data from Manitoba, Canada, model results show nitrogen fertilizer, temporal diversity, and PBR wheat cultivars are associated with increased yield variance. Mean wheat yield is reduced by the proportion of land in wheat, the interaction of growing temperature and precipitation, and spatial diversity. By contrast, higher soil quality and PBR wheat cultivars increase mean yield. The wheat yield increases attributed to PBR range from 37.2 (1.4%) to 54.5 kg/ha (2.0%). Plant Breeders’ Rights may have enhanced royalties from increased certified seed sales, but the benefits in terms of higher wheat yield or lower yield variability are limited. Future research is required to understand the interactive effects of fertilization practices, genetic diversity, and environmental conditions on regional wheat yield stability.climate, fertilizer, Manitoba, Plant Breeders’ Rights, production risk, wheat, yield, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use, Productivity Analysis, Risk and Uncertainty, O18, Q16,

JOUR 4500/6500: Web Publishing I: html/css (Syllabus)

Course Description: Creation and development of journalism/mass media web sites; incorporation of target audience analysis and web usability; application of information products\u27 conceptualization and layou

JOUR 4500/6500: Web Publishing I: html/css (Syllabus)

Course Description: Creation and development of journalism/mass media web sites; incorporation of target audience analysis and web usability; application of information products\u27 conceptualization and layout

\u27Taiwanization\u27 in the Strait Conflict: Public Opinion\u27s Effect on Peace vs Conflict

Since the election of Tsai Ing-wen, the Taiwan Strait Conflict has been rising in tension. Many scholars state that interdependence leads to peace; however, Taiwan and China extensively trade with one another, and peace has not occurred. To understand why the Taiwan Strait continuously suffers from conflict, one must explore mechanisms that can alter the effect of commercial interdependence on peace. In a democracy, this power would reside with the voting public. To understand why Taiwan’s trade relations have not led to peace, we must examine the Taiwanese public opinion. Most believe that peace has not come about because Taiwan does not desire unification and lacks the power to challenge China. By viewing this issue in this way, one is disregarding the legitimate influence that the people of Taiwan have on their political parties in Taiwan. Although Taiwan is a small island, the decisions of the Taiwanese government could launch the world into a massive war. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the policies of each Taiwanese president regarding mainland China. The Taiwanese people have favored maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait Conflict, but recent surveys show that the public is starting to consider taking steps toward independence. Should this trend continue, China will resort to war. Therefore, one must understand how this trend formed and how it influences the political parties of Taiwan. I call this phenomenon of Taiwan’s public viewing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a common enemy while utilizing grass-root movements to embrace its identity and alter mainland policy – Taiwanization. Many scholars have used this term in the past, and because my terminology differs, I will denote my term with the capital ‘T.’ Taiwanization steers Taiwan away from peaceful trade and creates tension between Taiwan and China

JOUR 4500/6500: Web Publishing I: html/CSS (Syllabus)

Course Description: Creation and development of journalism/mass media web sites; incorporation of target audience analysis and web usability; application of information products\u27 conceptualization and layout

\u27Taiwanization\u27 in the Strait Conflict: Public Opinion\u27s Effect on Peace vs Conflict

Since the election of Tsai Ing-wen, the Taiwan Strait Conflict has been rising in tension. Many scholars state that interdependence leads to peace; however, Taiwan and China extensively trade with one another, and peace has not occurred. To understand why the Taiwan Strait continuously suffers from conflict, one must explore mechanisms that can alter the effect of commercial interdependence on peace. In a democracy, this power would reside with the voting public. To understand why Taiwan’s trade relations have not led to peace, we must examine the Taiwanese public opinion. Most believe that peace has not come about because Taiwan does not desire unification and lacks the power to challenge China. By viewing this issue in this way, one is disregarding the legitimate influence that the people of Taiwan have on their political parties in Taiwan. Although Taiwan is a small island, the decisions of the Taiwanese government could launch the world into a massive war. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the policies of each Taiwanese president regarding mainland China. The Taiwanese people have favored maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait Conflict, but recent surveys show that the public is starting to consider taking steps toward independence. Should this trend continue, China will resort to war. Therefore, one must understand how this trend formed and how it influences the political parties of Taiwan. I call this phenomenon of Taiwan’s public viewing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a common enemy while utilizing grass-root movements to embrace its identity and alter mainland policy – Taiwanization. Many scholars have used this term in the past, and because my terminology differs, I will denote my term with the capital ‘T.’ Taiwanization steers Taiwan away from peaceful trade and creates tension between Taiwan and China

JOUR 4500/6500: Web Publishing I: html/css (Syllabus)

Course Description: Creation and development of journalism/mass media web sites; incorporation of target audience analysis and web usability; application of information products\u27 conceptualization and layout