Region: California

Sacramento debates renewable energy, jobs

With Ken posting about California’s renewable energy goals and ways to meet them, I’ll point out the battle waging this week in the state legislature over SB 14, a bill that would legislate and broaden the 33%-RPS-by-2020 Ken discussed here (currently derived from an executive order).  This from the LA Times: Under the measure, by Sen. …

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Please don’t take my sunshine away

Just when we thought we were gaining momentum in the effort to get solar panels installed throughout the state, the word from Napa is that thieves are stealing ground-based solar panels from wineries. While the problem may not be widespread yet, it reveals a potential challenge for ground-based solar installations (a topic that Ken mentions …

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Travel is Broadening: Idaho & the Wider Reality of Water Supply and Water Waste

They say that travel is broadening.  The recent experience of this Californian in the wilds of Idaho attests to the wisdom of that axiom. Earlier this month, I had to journey to Idaho to attend a conference and give a talk.  While there, I listened with interest as a former Idaho Supreme Court justice and …

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“Removing the Roadblocks” op-ed

Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and I had an op-ed published in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle that outlined steps to remove the barriers to more sustainable development. The op-ed is based on findings from the report that the environmental law programs at UCLA and UC Berkeley and the California Attorney General’s Office released last week, …

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The Fire This Time

Here in southern California, we are currently living through our annual late August-early September ritual of wildfires.  In the San Fernando Valley, where I live, the air is heavy with smoke, and people are staying inside.  It was worse in Pasadena, where I attend a Quaker meeting, and where the houses of several Friends are …

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UCLA/Berkeley Law & Attorney General’s Office release report recommending policies to encourage sustainable real estate development

For those of you who haven’t memorized the AB 32 scoping plan pie chart that details the sources of greenhouse gas emissions in California by sector, “vehicle miles traveled” (or, as lay folks call it, “driving”) represents the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state — almost forty percent. We can hope …

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Bisphenol-A in baby bottles . . . and in Sigg bottles (!)

The chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), commonly found in polycarbonate plastics and other household containers, is the subject of a new bill in California because of its potential adverse health effects.  BPA hasbeen linked through animal testing to serious health problemsinvolving behavior, brain development, reproduction and heart function. Environmental advocacy groups such as the Environmental Working Group, …

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Pavley-Waxman Hearing at UCLA

As Cara posted yesterday, California State Senator Fran Pavley and Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) hosted a joint Climate Change forum today at UCLA.  As predicted, protesters gathered outside the event but the anti-cap and trade crowd was quite small.  Here are photos showing a few protesters: In contrast to the small number of Waxman opponents, a larger crowd turned …

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Rep. Waxman, Sen. Pavley, and Mary Nichols talk climate change

For those of you interested in the relationship between federal climate legislation and California’s landmark global warming laws, tune in tomorrow 10am-noon PDT for a public forum at UCLA.  It will be live webcast here, and yes, we are apparently even twittering it.  Rep. Henry Waxman will talk about his work in passing the American Clean Energy and …

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Time for Fundamental Water Reform in California?

Yesterday was a most interesting, and potentially-momentous, day for water policy in California.  Taking center stage at the state Capitol in Sacramento was a joint hearing of California State Senate and Assembly environmental committees to consider a package of bills addressing the chronic environmental ills that have befallen the California Delta and failures in state …

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