40 years ago today, “The Big Chill,” a movie about a group of U-M grads written and directed by alum Lawrence Kasdan, debuted in theaters. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/fUVDNGXSNW
— Alumni Association of the University of Michigan (@michiganalumni) September 28, 2023
“Ironically, on the 200th anniversary of our Bill of Rights, we find free speech under assault throughout the United States, including on some college campuses. The notion of political correctness has ignited controversy across the land. And although the movement arises from the laudable desire to sweep away the debris of racism and sexism and hatred, it replaces old prejudice with new ones. It declares certain topics off-limits, certain expression off-limits, even certain gestures off-limits.”
One characteristic of the “customer experience” of school children, dormitory residents, patients in university-affiliated hospitals and attendees of large athletic events is the quality of food. School districts and large research universities are responsible for hundreds of food service enterprises for communities that are sensitive to various points along the food supply chain.
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) is one of the first names in standards setting for the technology and management of the major components of the global food supply chain.  It has organized its ANSI-accredited standards setting enterprise into about 200 technical committees developing 260-odd consensus documents*.  It throws off a fairly steady stream of public commenting opportunities; many of them relevant to agricultural equipment manufacturers (i.e, the Producer interest where the most money is) but enough of them relevant to consumers (i.e. the User interest where the least money is) and agricultural economics academic programs that we follow the growth of its best practice bibliography.
A few of the ASABE consensus documents that may be of interest to faculty and students in agricultural and environmental science studies are listed below:
Safety for Farmstead Equipment
Safety Color Code for Educational and Training Laboratories
Recommended Methods for Measurement and Testing of LED Products for Plant Growth and Development
Distributed Ledger Technology applications to the global food supply chain
The ASABE bibliography is dominated by product-related standards; a tendency we see in many business models of standards setting organizations because of the influence of global industrial conglomerates who can bury the cost of their participation into a sold product. Our primary interest lies in the movement of interoperability standards — much more difficult — as discussed in our ABOUT.
The home page for the ASABEs standards setting enterprise is linked below:
As of this posting we find no live consultation notices for interoperability standards relevant to educational settlements. Sometimes you can find them ‘more or less concurrently’ posted at the linked below:
We always encourage our colleagues to participate directly in the ASABE standards development process. Students are especially welcomed into the ASABE Community.  Jean Walsh (walsh@asabe.org) and Scott Cederquist (cedarq@asabe.org) are listed as contacts.
Geothermal cooling plants have far fewer moving parts and thus pay for themselves by combining immediate energy savings, revenue from excess energy or services, government incentives, and long-term operational efficiency. “Classical” payback period depends on factors like the plant’s scale and available incentives through DTE Energy.
1. Energy Cost Savings
Reduced Operating Costs: Geothermal systems use the relatively constant temperature of the earth to provide heating and cooling, which can be much more energy-efficient than traditional HVAC systems. This efficiency leads to lower utility bills for the facility, resulting in significant cost savings over time.
Lower Maintenance Costs: Geothermal systems generally have fewer moving parts than conventional systems, leading to lower maintenance and repair costs.
2. Revenue Generation
Selling Excess Energy: In some cases, geothermal plants can produce more energy than needed for cooling. This excess energy can be sold back to the grid or used for other purposes, providing an additional revenue stream.
Leasing and Service Agreements: Some facilities enter into agreements with nearby buildings or industries to provide geothermal cooling services, generating income.
3. Government Incentives and Subsidies
Tax Credits and Rebates: Many governments offer financial incentives, such as tax credits, grants, and rebates, for the installation and operation of geothermal systems. These incentives can significantly reduce the upfront costs and improve the payback period.
Renewable Energy Certificates(RECs): In some regions, geothermal plants can earn RECs for generating renewable energy. These certificates can be sold to other companies to offset their carbon emissions, generating additional income.
4. Environmental and Social Benefits
Carbon Credits: By reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional systems, geothermal plants can earn carbon credits, which can be sold or traded in carbon markets.
Sustainability Branding: Businesses that use geothermal cooling can market themselves as environmentally friendly, potentially attracting more customers or tenants, which indirectly supports the plant’s financial viability.
5. Long-Term Investment
Long Lifespan: Geothermal systems typically have a long lifespan (20-50 years), allowing for a long-term return on investment. While the initial capital costs are high, the system’s durability and low operating costs contribute to a favorable payback over time.
Resilience Against Energy Price Volatility: Geothermal systems provide protection against fluctuating energy prices, offering stable and predictable costs, which is financially beneficial over the long term.
6. Financing Models
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): Some geothermal plants are financed through PPAs, where a third party finances the installation and the facility pays for the energy produced, typically at a lower rate than conventional energy sources.
Energy Service Companies (ESCOs): These companies can finance, install, and maintain geothermal systems, with the facility paying for the service over time, usually based on the energy savings achieved.
7. Scalability and Integration
Integration with Other Renewable Systems: Geothermal cooling can be part of a broader renewable energy strategy, integrating with solar or wind power to further enhance efficiency and reduce costs, improving the overall financial outlook.
Playing field turf (natural or artificial) for a regulation U.S. football field, including the end zones, measures 360 feet long and 160 feet wide is 6,400 square feet (5,350 square meters)
Mike Anthony with Engineering Students | April 2024
Progress on the North End scoreboard as of July 1.
The college lineman’s rodeo for electricians is an annual event where aspiring electricians showcase their skills in a competitive and thrilling environment. Participants demonstrate their agility, precision, and speed in tasks such as climbing utility poles, repairing electrical lines, and troubleshooting electrical systems. Similar to a traditional rodeo, this event celebrates the mastery of essential skills in a high-stakes setting, fostering camaraderie and professional development among contestants.
It serves as a platform for honing expertise, exchanging knowledge, and highlighting the importance of safety and efficiency in the electrical industry, ultimately shaping future leaders in the field.
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New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
