Even if you are interested in wind energy in North Carolina (this blogger), and even if you attempt to feign interest in local policy matters (again, this blogger), the news last week that our governor’s office has requested an extended buffer against offshore wind farms may have flown under your radar. The NC Department of … Continue reading
One of the most effective arguments against offshore energy developments (of many types – not just offshore wind) is the negative impact to the local viewshed. In North Carolina in particular, the Outer Banks are dominated by land designated as ‘National Seashore,’ and therefore under much greater effective protection from any sort of development than … Continue reading
[audio http://cpa.ds.npr.org/pre/audio/2014/03/BUOYWINDENERGY-FINAL.mp3] Our department’s chair and my adviser, Harvey Seim, talks to NPR’s Jared Brumbaugh about our research into the offshore wind energy potential in North Carolina. In the next few days, we will be able to launch two buoys that have been down for repairs for almost a year or so. Harvey describes some of … Continue reading
This article is in follow-up to Serena’s earlier post about NOAA’s emerging guidelines in marine mammal acoustic protection. As Serena noted, marine mammals, including cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), are constantly communicating underwater using sound waves. Humans have also begun to use sound waves underwater to make processes of mapping the ocean floor easier and … Continue reading
Though America has numerous conventional inland wind farms, there are currently zero operational offshore farms. There are several proposed projects: the Cape Wind proposal off the coast of Massachusetts, as well as other schemes in the northeast and in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the timeline from proposal to a site becoming operational can be … Continue reading
UNder the C 