Hooved Helpers Ward Off Wildfires
When a Colorado wildfire threatened one of Lockheed Martin’s plants last summer, the big defense contractor decided they needed better fire protection measures. So, the company called in an unlikely emergency workforce — a battalion of 1,200 grazing goats. Lockheed contracted Goat Green, a local Colorado company, to put its herd of hungry Cashmere goats to work clearing 98 acres of wilderness terrain near the company’s worksite, which includes a $350 million satellite-manufacturing facility. The terrain is too steep and hazardous for machine clearing or human crews, but it posed little challenge to the goats. Their mission: to eliminate fuel for future fires and clear paths for firefighters, if needed. The goats could mow down an acre of land
dense with plants and underbrush in a day, eliminating invasive vegetation and reducing the terrain to a nearly level, trimmed surface. The goats’ work also prevents overgrowth near powerlines, where fires often start. Lockheed embraced this unusual fire- protection strategy after last year’s 580-acre Quarry Fire came within a mile of the company’s Waterton aerospace facility near Littleton. Five firefighters were injured battling the blaze, which forced the evacuation of 600 homes and put thousands of Colorado residents on edge. Goat Green has contracted with parks, government agencies, municipalities, farms, ranches, and private land owners across 15 states to provide low-tech clearing services. The company’s workforce consists of 1,500 Cashmere goats native to the Himalayas and comfortable in cold, dry temperatures.
Unlike most domestic goats destined for the
slaughterhouse early in life, Goat Green’s
employees work for about 12 years for as many as 265 days a year. Kids are born on the worksites and learn to eat a wide range of weeds and forage as adolescents. These
goats even have a retirement plan: After losing their teeth, they live out their final days in peace on a ranch. After a dozen wildfires in the last 10 years in the Littleton area, residents are bracing for another wildfire season. The area is a little bit safer this year, however, thanks to the goats. As one regional fire-protection official said on Facebook, “These goats are a wonderful partner to us.”
ARE DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS MAKING THE ROADS SAFER? Help or Hazard?
ADAS include lane departure alerts, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Adaptive cruise control brings vehicles to a stop if a vehicle ahead stops. Side guard assist warns the driver if the passenger side of their truck comes too close to a vehicle or pedestrian. Some trucks also have in-cab cameras and sensors to monitor the driver’s alertness. Safety advocates regard the systems as a game-changer that can reduce accidents. One insurance industry study in Germany estimated that an automatic braking system prevented 12% of all truck accidents, and a lane departure warning system prevented 39% of all truck accidents caused by lane departures. Separately, a 2020 study by vehicle safety researchers in the Netherlands showed that lane departure and driver monitoring systems led to a 14% reduction in crashes. Systems that sound alerts for drowsy drivers were linked with a 10% reduction in crashes. But ADAS also can be dangerous at times. Adaptive cruise control was linked in the 2020 study to an 8%–12% increase in crashes. Also, while vehicles with forward collision warning and automatic braking systems are less likely to hit other vehicles from behind, they are more likely to be rear-ended themselves. Under new federal regulations, automatic electronic braking will be required on cars and light trucks as of September 2029. But despite support from regulators and the insurance industry, widespread adoption of ADAS by the commercial trucking industry still faces some tall hurdles.
Drop into any online truckers’ forum these days and you are likely to see posts about Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) — part of a growing list of vehicle monitors and controls designed to prevent crashes. A growing number of fleet operators are using ADAS, and many newer truck models come equipped with them. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has promoted the adoption of ADAS through industry outreach and studies. But independent trucker groups have raised questions about how well the technology works in the real world. Many drivers claim it can generate false alerts and interfere with their ability to control their truck, especially in bad weather. Also, smaller operators have tended to avoid ADAS because of the cost of installing and maintaining the systems.
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