Latest news with #Schultz
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- Science
- NZ Herald
A company is sending satellites into space to detect wildfires with unprecedented precision
Schultz's hope is part of a growing recognition among both firefighters, technology companies and the US government that there needs to be advancements in tracking and extinguishing increasingly dangerous blazes. Part of the focus is on the atmosphere, where private enterprises are launching satellites into space that could more accurately detect fires, signalling an investment in monitoring a form of extreme weather that has not historically received as much attention. 'In comparison to hurricanes, our fire models are not as good,' said Jessica McCarty, an earth scientist at Nasa who studies wildfire. 'We haven't spent as long or as much money investing in how to improve fire modelling.' Aerial tracking of fires from space isn't new, but as it exists, there are limitations, either in how precise the images are or how often they are taken. A few satellites detected the Eaton fire that devastated Altadena, California. The detections were helpful, officials said, but had shortcomings including low resolution and potential gaps between when the imagery was recorded. One of the country's most real-time methods of tracking fires, known as FireGuard, uses information from military satellites, cleansed of classified material by members of the National Guard, who then create an approximate map of the fire. That works well enough, said Schultz, the director of Wildland Fire Solutions at Esri, which develops digital maps. But it involves a bit of red tape and it doesn't pick up every fire in the US. 'We don't have a scalable, repeatable way where agencies can just go to a single marketplace and request fire imagery,' he added. Some private companies are trying to change that, part of a fresh influx of start-up ventures focused on fire. More than 100 new wildfire-related technologies have launched in the US and around the world since 2023, according to Lori Moore-Merrell, who served as US fire administrator during the Biden Administration. 'Out of necessity comes innovation,' Moore-Merrell said. 'We're seeing fast fires and they're hitting communities more often.' Unmanned lookout poles that use AI to sense smoke have been erected in the West. Swarms of military-grade drones are increasingly used for wildfire detection and management. AI technology also tracks lightning strikes, which can ignite wildfires. They contribute to an arsenal of weapons fighting a natural enemy that's only getting more severe and destructive. 'It is warfare,' said Dan Hart, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. 'You have an adversary that you detect and that is moving, and you have to figure out how to engage that adversary.' As America contends with what is already a punishing year of wildfires across massive swathes of the country, new, extremely precise satellite images beamed from space from the initiative FireSat signalled the potential of a new era of private industry trying to detect and record increasingly catastrophic blazes. In March, a satellite outfitted with infrared sensors was launched more than 600km into space with the sole task of detecting and monitoring fires. With the ability to loop millions of kilometres around the planet each day, it found active fires and burn scars using bands of infrared light, demonstrating technology that the project's leaders and its early adopters said could be integral to filling technological gaps in the way they fight burns. The satellite initiative was launched by a non-profit coalition called Earth Fire Alliance (EFA). Its partners include: Muon Space, which is developing the satellites; Google, which is using AI to help filter through the images; the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; and the Environmental Defence Fund. The goal is to have 50 satellites in orbit by 2030 to capture the entire world. At full capacity, the constellation is aiming to sweep the entire Earth every 20 minutes to detect small fires. By spring or summer of next year, it plans to launch three more satellites into space that will co-ordinate with agencies in states including California and Colorado to help them detect and fight fire. 'These satellites from EFA are going to exponentially increase our situational awareness of where the fire perimeter is,' said Phillip SeLegue, the staff chief of Cal Fire's intelligence programme. The images released last week included one of a small June 23 fire outside of Medford, Oregon, that no other space-based systems picked up, said Brian Collins, the executive director of the EFA. It occurred on the side of the road and was spotted by people on the ground but had the potential to expand if undetected. 'If this had occurred in any large, remote area, this fire could smoulder and move around ... and nobody would notice,' he said. Sean Triplett, who worked as a wildfire fighter in Alaska, said teams in the region used to fly over the state's remote terrain after lightning storms, just to see if any concerning fires had sparked. Now EFA's data integration and operations lead, Triplett sees value in getting that early detection without the effort of a plane ride. The satellites would also gather data on active fires that could be essential for those fighting them on the ground. Currently, monitoring lacks the ability to measure in real time how fast a fire is burning and how hot the fire is, he said. With FireSat, first responders in the field would receive updates in 20-minute intervals on where an active fire is spotted through phones, tablets or laptops that could help them make decisions about where they should deploy, SeLegue said. The data on the blazes' intensities would also help improve future fire modelling, he added. 'This has been a gap for all of us for a very long time.' Another image showed a blaze near Petawanga Lake in northwest Ontario, Canada, on June 15 that included an active fire, how heat had built up and where the land was warming faster because of a lack of vegetation from past fires. If a blaze is hot and moving quickly, people on the ground should know that, Collins said. The technological advancements on firefighting are necessary and show promise but implementing them across the country is a different story, said Dan Munsey, fire chief of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. 'We don't have a wildfire technology crisis, we have a wildfire technology adoption crisis,' he said. 'This tech exists but when we adopt it it's really siloed or we're not adopting it at all.' The US Government is pushing for change. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in June that called for technological advancements in fighting and detecting wildfires. Bipartisan legislation in the Senate has also called for prioritising and streamlining emerging technologies on wildfire. 'Wildfire has unfortunately been seen as just a California problem or just a Colorado problem when really it's a whole country problem,' McCarty said. That perception has shifted in around the last 10 years with attention on blazes in places including New Jersey, North Carolina, and Tennessee. 'We need to catch up,' she said, 'quickly.'
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
WATCH: C.J. Stroud drops dime to TE Dalton Schultz for TD at training camp
Last season might have been the fluke year for Dalton Schultz in a Houston Texans' uniform. It certainly looks like the 2024 campaign was the outlier for the Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud. And together? Fans and the media could owe the duo an apology. Stroud, who excelled during red zone drills at the Methodist Training Center in front of fans, once again got the tight ends involved thanks to the play design of new offensive coordinator Nick Caley. After maneuvering away from a sack, he floated a dime toward the back pylon to Schultz for an impressive catch and touchdown reception. Here's a look at the must-see play below. Stroud and Schultz are both looking to "rebound" after setbacks from their steller 2023 campaigns. Stroud, who won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 4,000 yards, only tossed 20 touchdown passes while also throwing a career-high 12 interceptions. Even though his on-field play wasn't perfect, he was still able to guide the Texans to a second division title and playoff victory in the wild-card round. Schultz, who signed a three-year extension worth $36 million in the offseason after his career-high year as Stroud's security blanket, only managed to total two touchdown receptions off 53 catches for 523 yards. His role could expand now with the hiring of Caley, a longtime tight ends coach with the Patriots and Rams, as the new offensive coordinator. The Texans return to practice on Tuesday. They'll be in Houston through the week before leaving for The Greenbriar in West Virginia next week ahead of their preseason matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
LOOK: Texans QB C.J. Stroud makes no-look pass during training camp
If C.J. Stroud makes these throws on the regular, it'll be hard to slow him and the Houston Texans' offense down this fall. During Saturday's open practice to the fans, Stroud evaded a pair of defenders to connect with tight end Dalton Schultz for a first-down gain. The no-look pass is what will bring people to social media, but credit to Schultz for making the one-handed grab and completing the play. Here's a look at the snap below. Stroud and Schultz are both looking to rebound after setbacks from their breakout 2023 campaigns. Stroud, who won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 4,000 yards, only tossed 20 touchdown passes while also throwing a career-high 12 interceptions. Even though his on-field play wasn't perfect, he was still able to guide the Texans to a second division title and playoff victory in the wild-card round. Schultz, who signed a three-year extension worth $36 million in the offseason, only managed to total two touchdown receptions off 53 catches for 523 yards. His role could expand now with the hiring of Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and passing-game coordinator Nick Caley as the new offensive coordinator. The Texans return to practice on Monday. They'll be in Houston through the week before leaving for The Greenbriar in West Virginia next week ahead of their preseason matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Age
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Fallout from Schultz concussion reverberated through the AFL. He remembers the aftermath for a different reason
'So I think that just shows how great footy can really be.' Schultz says he does not remember leaving the field, but has a clear recollection from the time he reached the interchange bench. 'I think it looked a lot worse than what it was. Obviously, I was out pretty quickly, but once I got back into the rooms and I sat down, I was able to recompose a little bit and I felt way better. 'It was just like a normal concussion. You are a bit groggy for a few days after it, but you come back to terms pretty quickly.' Loading Schultz did not delve into the public spat that followed, largely involving the umpire fraternity and then head of football Laura Kane, because he prefers to stay disconnected from outside noise. 'I was the person that was involved in it, but I had nothing to do with it,' he says of the debate that followed. 'Everyone's just trying to do their job and do it to the best of their ability and that goes for umpires as well.' As Schultz, 27, continues to make his mark at Collingwood this year, after a tough opening season in the black and white, he has also found reason to celebrate off the field. He and childhood sweetheart Maddie Oberin, who he first met at Moama Grammar, became engaged during Collingwood's June bye weekend on a trip to Hamilton Island. After sneaking the ring onto their Queensland flight in his carry-on luggage, Schultz then hired a boat at the island and set sail for a deserted beach with a picnic basket and a bottle of champagne before popping the question. 'I sort of just winged it,' he said. 'I reckon she had an inkling. She would never say that she knew it was coming, but I reckon she knew. She was very happy, thank God, but the pressure was on [to propose].' Schultz and Oberin rekindled their high school romance about the time he joined Fremantle at the end of 2018. She was also central to his decision five years later to request a move home so they could be closer to their families in Echuca and Moama. News of his trade to Collingwood in exchange for pick 34 and a future first-rounder did not filter through straight away. The pair were on safari in Tanzania. 'It was pretty weird actually because over there you've got no service when you're out on safari,' he says. 'You've got no idea what's going on in the world, and then you get back to the safari lodges and hit Wi-Fi and your phone blows up. That's pretty much how I found out.' It was a familiar off-the-grid theme when Schultz was taken at pick 57 by the Dockers as a 20-year-old in the 2018 national draft. He had played TAC Cup for Bendigo Pioneers, was named best-on-ground as a 17-year-old for Moama in a losing Murray League grand final before joining Williamstown for three years in the VFL. 'I was a plumber for five years before I got drafted. I left school at 15,' he says. 'I knew the draft was on, and I was hopeful that I was going to get picked up, but I still had to get to work. I was working in the basement of a house in Camberwell and I had no reception, so I'm going in and out of the basement to let my phone catch up to what was going on. 'I walked out of the basement and my phone just started ringing, and it was [then Dockers coach] Ross Lyon and my boss calling me and saying, 'Mate, you've just been picked up, get off the job site'.' Schultz's return to Melbourne did not go as smoothly as he had hoped. Collingwood suffered a premiership hangover and the small forward suffered a dip in form. The criticism followed. 'I copped it from all angles,' Schultz says as he reveals he switched off public comments on his social media channels to hold out the negativity. 'I was a little bit naive coming into the club. I just thought, coming out of Freo where I had put together a couple of decent seasons and going into a club that's just won a flag, I probably assumed a little bit too much.' The frustration reached boiling point last year during Collingwood's round eight clash against Carlton when their new recruit lashed out at 'one of my best mates' Blake Acres and copped a one-match ban. It led him to coach Craig McRae's door for a heart-to-heart about the destructive nature of his expectations. 'I was too caught up in looking at the bigger picture,' he says. 'I was worried about having a good season rather than having a good moment in a game, or I was worried about trying to put together a good month rather than just trying to focus on the next game.' Schultz said McRae helped him to put a stake in the ground, and he finished the season as Collingwood's defensive player of the year. 'I feel like this year I have really found my straps and obviously, it's been frustrating with being injured for the majority of it, but I'm still just loving being there,' he says. 'I love the club, I love the culture, and it's just a great place to go to every day. You wake up pretty happy that's for sure.'
The Age
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Which has more pressure: playing for the Pies, or smuggling a diamond ring onto a plane?
'So I think that just shows how great footy can really be.' Schultz says he does not remember leaving the field, but has a clear recollection from the time he reached the interchange bench. 'I think it looked a lot worse than what it was. Obviously, I was out pretty quickly, but once I got back into the rooms and I sat down, I was able to recompose a little bit and I felt way better. 'It was just like a normal concussion. You are a bit groggy for a few days after it, but you come back to terms pretty quickly.' Loading Schultz did not delve into the public spat that followed, largely involving the umpire fraternity and then head of football Laura Kane, because he prefers to stay disconnected from outside noise. 'I was the person that was involved in it, but I had nothing to do with it,' he says of the debate that followed. 'Everyone's just trying to do their job and do it to the best of their ability and that goes for umpires as well.' As Schultz, 27, continues to make his mark at Collingwood this year, after a tough opening season in the black and white, he has also found reason to celebrate off the field. He and childhood sweetheart Maddie Oberin, who he first met at Moama Grammar, became engaged during Collingwood's June bye weekend on a trip to Hamilton Island. After sneaking the ring onto their Queensland flight in his carry-on luggage, Schultz then hired a boat at the island and set sail for a deserted beach with a picnic basket and a bottle of champagne before popping the question. 'I sort of just winged it,' he said. 'I reckon she had an inkling. She would never say that she knew it was coming, but I reckon she knew. She was very happy, thank God, but the pressure was on [to propose].' Schultz and Oberin rekindled their high school romance about the time he joined Fremantle at the end of 2018. She was also central to his decision five years later to request a move home so they could be closer to their families in Echuca and Moama. News of his trade to Collingwood in exchange for pick 34 and a future first-rounder did not filter through straight away. The pair were on safari in Tanzania. 'It was pretty weird actually because over there you've got no service when you're out on safari,' he says. 'You've got no idea what's going on in the world, and then you get back to the safari lodges and hit Wi-Fi and your phone blows up. That's pretty much how I found out.' It was a familiar off-the-grid theme when Schultz was taken at pick 57 by the Dockers as a 20-year-old in the 2018 national draft. He had played TAC Cup for Bendigo Pioneers, was named best-on-ground as a 17-year-old for Moama in a losing Murray League grand final before joining Williamstown for three years in the VFL. 'I was a plumber for five years before I got drafted. I left school at 15,' he says. 'I knew the draft was on, and I was hopeful that I was going to get picked up, but I still had to get to work. I was working in the basement of a house in Camberwell and I had no reception, so I'm going in and out of the basement to let my phone catch up to what was going on. 'I walked out of the basement and my phone just started ringing, and it was [then Dockers coach] Ross Lyon and my boss calling me and saying, 'Mate, you've just been picked up, get off the job site'.' Schultz's return to Melbourne did not go as smoothly as he had hoped. Collingwood suffered a premiership hangover and the small forward suffered a dip in form. The criticism followed. 'I copped it from all angles,' Schultz says as he reveals he switched off public comments on his social media channels to hold out the negativity. 'I was a little bit naive coming into the club. I just thought, coming out of Freo where I had put together a couple of decent seasons and going into a club that's just won a flag, I probably assumed a little bit too much.' The frustration reached boiling point last year during Collingwood's round eight clash against Carlton when their new recruit lashed out at 'one of my best mates' Blake Acres and copped a one-match ban. It led him to coach Craig McRae's door for a heart-to-heart about the destructive nature of his expectations. 'I was too caught up in looking at the bigger picture,' he says. 'I was worried about having a good season rather than having a good moment in a game, or I was worried about trying to put together a good month rather than just trying to focus on the next game.' Schultz said McRae helped him to put a stake in the ground, and he finished the season as Collingwood's defensive player of the year. 'I feel like this year I have really found my straps and obviously, it's been frustrating with being injured for the majority of it, but I'm still just loving being there,' he says. 'I love the club, I love the culture, and it's just a great place to go to every day. You wake up pretty happy that's for sure.'
