Further Punishing the Wrongfully Accused: Manuel v. City of Joliet, the Fourth Amendment, and Malicious Prosecution

Manuel v. City of Joliet is before the Supreme Court to determine whether detention before trial without probable cause is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, or whether it is merely a violation of the Due Process Clause. Every circuit except the Seventh Circuit treats this type of detention as being a violation of the Fourth Amendment; only the Seventh Circuit considers this question under the Due Process Clause. This commentary argues that the Supreme Court should look to its precedent, which clearly treats pretrial detention without probable cause as being a Fourth Amendment issue, and reverse the Seventh Circuit. To hold otherwise would deprive the wrongfully accused of a potential federal remedy, and reduce them to seeking a remedy in potentially biased state courts

Wind turbulence inputs for horizontal axis wind turbines

Wind turbine response characteristics in the presence of atmospheric turbulence was predicted using two major modeling steps. First, the important atmospheric sources for the force excitations felt by the wind turbine system were identified and characterized. Second, a dynamic model was developed which describes how these excitations are transmitted through the structure and power train. The first modeling step, that of quantifying the important excitations due to the atmospheric turbulence was established. The dynamic modeling of the second step was undertaken separately

Atmospheric turbulence parameters for modeling wind turbine dynamics

A model which can be used to predict the response of wind turbines to atmospheric turbulence is given. The model was developed using linearized aerodynamics for a three-bladed rotor and accounts for three turbulent velocity components as well as velocity gradients across the rotor disk. Typical response power spectral densities are shown. The system response depends critically on three wind and turbulence parameters, and models are presented to predict desired response statistics. An equation error method, which can be used to estimate the required parameters from field data, is also presented

Wind response characteristics of horizontal axis wind turbines

It was the objective of the work reported here, and in the companion paper 1 . A broader examination of wind turbine dynamic response to turbulence, and attempts to ascertain the features of turbulence that wind turbines are most sensitive to were made. A statistical description of the wind input including all three wind components and allowing linear wind gradients across the rotor disk, was used together with quasi-static aerodynamic theory and an elementary structural model involving only a few degrees of freedom. The idea was to keep the turbine model simple and show the benefits of this type of statistical wind representation before attempting to use a more complex turbine model. As far as possible, the analysis was kept in the simplest form, while still preserving key physical responses

Developing Laboratory Activities to Increase Student Motivation in Earth Science

Teachers for generations have struggled with the challenge of motivating students to learn in their classes. Literature suggests that a positive way to increase student motivation and academic achievement in science is with the laboratory experience. With the lack of adequate laboratory space in our schools, teachers are having to make do in science classes with limited space and budget. A need exists for 9th grade Earth Science laboratory activities that meet county course objectives and yet are simple enough to be used in a classroom setting, thereby eliminating the need for extra expenses for the science department. This project has developed a set of laboratory experiences appropriate for 9th grade Earth Science courses in Duval County

Adaptation to Climate Change via Insurance and Financial Incentives

Catastrophic climatic events have accounted for 72% of global insurance claims and totaled ~$1 trillion from 1980 to 2012. Costs are driven by socio-economic developments and an increased frequency and severity of climatic disasters in which climate change may have been a contributing factor. Climate change is projected to become a more prominent driver of these changes in the decades ahead. Government policies to reduce systemic risk have been the predominant approach for multi-level mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The analysis presented here shows how forceful and effective market-based approaches for adaptation and mitigation to climate change already operate via the insurance industry. Feedbacks from insurance to society include these primary changes: 1) premiums and insurance policies, 2) non-coverage, and 3) policy making and litigation (Chapter 1). Through these mechanisms, the insurance industry actively manages climate change adaptations and creates incentives to lessen impacts on industry and society. For mitigation of climate change, renewable energy-based energy production has become more of a priority for utilities in recent years (Chapter2). However, renewable energy is competitively disadvantaged compared to fossil-fuel based systems due to high investment costs, the intermittent nature of renewables, and a lack of pricing for externalities (Chapter 2). A model is used for calculating the total cost of a renewable utility and the cost of energy for that utility. Three scenarios were modeled (a null scenario with no incentive, an existing incentive in Nebraska, and a federal incentive that until recently was available to renewable utilities) to show the effects of incentives on the cost of production to the utility and the costs to the incentive providers. In Nebraska, the incentive was found to provide some relief to the utility compared to the null scenario and the federal incentive provided significantly more relief to the utility. Costs for the incentive investor with the federal incentive were significantly higher than with the Nebraska incentive, compared to the null scenario. To develop renewable-energy production and mitigate climate change impacts, incentives enable market entry where externalities for fossil fuels are not adequately priced. Adaptation to climate change requires thorough understanding of how the impacts affect society (Chapter 1) and how society might mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change (Chapter 2). Advisors: Adam J. Liska & Michael J. Haye

Comprehensive and Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories for Nebraska and the Midwest as Baselines for Climate Change Mitigation

Climate change is the paramount challenge of today for a sustainable future. Mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is necessary to reduce the associated risks and impacts on society. Using the EPA’s SIT and literature review, comprehensive GHG-emissions inventories were developed for the state of Nebraska over 25 years (1990-2015) and agricultural GHG emissions inventories were developed for the Midwest U.S for one year (2016). Nebraska’s net emissions increased from 56.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMtCO2e) in 1990 to 87.4 MMtCO2e in 2016. Agriculture was found to be the sector with the most emissions (36 MMtCO2e), primarily from beef cattle, followed by electricity generation (21 MMtCO2e), primarily from coal. Total emissions in Nebraska were found to be 47.4 MtCO2e per capita in 2015, compared to 20.6 in the U.S. due to concentrated agricultural emissions and low population. Total agricultural GHG emissions per state in the Midwest in 2016 were found to range from 10.3 MMtCO2e (Michigan) to 41.0 MMtCO2e (Iowa), with an average of 23.3 MMtCO2e. In 2016, Wisconsin was the least efficient state (0.86 MtCO2e/kg product) and Illinois was the most efficient (0.34 MtCO2e/kg product) in terms of emissions per product, which aligned with these states having the highest (71.5%) and lowest (21%) percentage of livestock out of total agriculture. Agricultural emissions per capita ranged from 1.0 MtCO2e (MI) to 26.2 MtCO2e (SD), driven by cattle and state population. A review of literature was also conducted to explore the interactions between climate change and the insurance industry. Climatic events accounted for 91% of $1.05 trillion in insured costs for global catastrophic events from 1980 to 2016. Insurance feedbacks in response to disaster events caused by climate change include changes in 1) premiums and insurance policies, 2) non-coverage, and 3) policy making and litigation. Alongside a suite of strategies, including government policies, insurance feedbacks could be used to facilitate and manage climate change mitigation. Advisors: Adam Liska and Michael Haye