Geology
300: Physical Geology
Geology
301: Physical Geology Lab
Geology
305: Earth Science
Geology
306: Earth Science Lab
Instructor: Arthur Reed
August 2017 Earth Sciences topics/events making news…
...with emphasis on California news
Remember the principles of the scientific method when evaluating
news stories!
·
(link to 2018 news articles)
·
(link to 2016
news articles)
·
(link to 2015
news articles)
·
(link to 2014
news articles)
·
(link to 2013
news articles)
·
(link to 2012
news articles)
·
(link to 2011
news articles)
·
(link to 2010
news articles)
·
(link to 2009
& older news articles)
Houston
offers a grim vision of Los Angeles after catastrophic earthquake
For years,
scientists have drawn up terrifying scenarios of widespread destruction and
chaos that would come to Southern California when a catastrophic earthquake
hits.
Los Angeles Times, 8-31-17
Yellowstone
Supervolcano Earthquake Swarm Now One of Biggest on Record, With Over 2,300
Tremors
An ongoing
earthquake swarm at Yellowstone volcano is now one of the biggest ever
recorded, with over 2,300 tremors since it began in June.
Newsweek, 9-1-17
3.6
quake strikes near Kellogg, Calif.
A shallow
magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Thursday morning one mile from Kellogg,
Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 8:59
a.m. PDT at a depth of 4.3 miles.
Los Angeles Times, 8-31-17
Drought has brought long-lasting changes
to local farming
The drought has taken a toll on cities and individuals, especially those
in farming. Farmers with the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market
Association shared their perspective on the long-lasting drought.
Simi Valley
Acorn, 8-31-17
County Rejects Rancho La Laguna
Development Proposal
A proposal to carve 13 residential parcels out of 4,000 acres of
agriculture land north of Los Alamos was shot down Tuesday by the Santa Barbara
County Board of Supervisors.
Santa Barbara
Independent, 8-31-17
Rice
farmers expect ‘crazy harvest’; and more from Field Day
Rice growers and
researchers came together Wednesday in Biggs for the annual Rice Field Day,
where they learned about the latest trends in the industry and varieties being
grown.
Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 8-30-17
WATER
A cannon-shaped
sea drone plunges through the darkness. On the waves above, Nicky Suard
steadies herself in a speed boat as she monitors its video feed. The
drone’s tiny propellers keep it surging through the depths, diving
further into the heart of the Sacramento River. Its floodlights send back murky
images of bubbles and silt. There’s no sign of what Suard’s looking
for.
Sacramento News & Review, 8-31-17
Placer Water joins delta tunnel legal
wrangle
Placer County Water Agency is taking the state of California to court
over its twin tunnels plan.
Auburn
Journal, 8-30-17
For some, the Delta water tunnels are a
waste of money; for others, they could be a lifesaver
The controversial Delta water tunnels are the key part of something
called the California Water Fix-- giant tunnels that will carry water from the
Sacramento River down to Southern California.
Southern
California Public Radio, 8-30-17
GLOBAL WARMING
Gov.
Jerry Brown lays out his plan for cap-and-trade spending
Gov. Jerry Brown
unveiled on Thursday his plan for spending cap-and-trade revenue, prioritizing
cleaner vehicles and improving air quality.
Los Angeles Times, 8-31-17
An
earthquake early-warning system is coming to California
Three years ago
a major earthquake rattled the Bay Area. Napa Valley was
hit the hardest: 200 people were injured, one person died and the total financial damage in the
area was almost a billion dollars.
KALW San Francisco Public Radio, 8-29-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
California's
goal: an electricity grid moving only clean energy
California
lawmakers are considering a future without the use of fossil fuels to generate
electricity, a step that would boost the renewable energy industry and expand
the scope of the state’s battle against global warming.
Los Angeles Times, 8-31-17
In 2016, Fresno County Ag Profits Dropped
By $482 Million, Drought And Global Prices To Blame
The total value of agricultural goods sold last year in Fresno County dropped
in value by around $482 million compared to 2015 according to the 2016 Annual
Crop and Livestock Production Report released in mid-August by Fresno County
Agricultural Commissioner Les Wright.
Valley Public
Radio, 8-29-17
Drought,
lower crop prices drop Fresno County's farm gate values
When it comes to
farm-gate values, Fresno County used to lead the nation. This hasn’t been
the case since 2012 for at least a couple reasons – the water supply
being the primary factor.
Western Farm Press, 8-30-17
|
|
How
Safe Is Oilfield-Produced Water for Crop Irrigation? A New Study Wants to Find
Out
For five years,
California, the agricultural powerhouse that produces much of
America’s fruits, vegetables, and nuts, suffered from a drought that,
though officially over since April, continues to linger in some areas and may
well see a resurgence in the future thanks to climate change (and
California won’t be alone).
Modern Farmer, 8-28-17
Oil and water
may mix under extreme pressure
They say that
oil and water do not mix … but now scientists have discovered that
– under certain circumstances – it may be possible.
Phys.org, 8-28-17
Californians
respond to earthquakes in NorCal and SoCal
The day after a
solar phenomenon, Californians in both Northern and Southern Californian woke
up to another natural occurrence: earthquakes, waking many up as early as 6:30
a.m. With much fear of “the big one” to strike at any point in the
state, many turned to social media to shares their thoughts and scares,
prompting organizations like PG&E to send out emergency preparedness
reminders.
Record-Bee, 8-28-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Cash from pollution permits sparks feeding
frenzy in Capitol
There’s something of a feeding frenzy underway in the Capitol
during the final weeks of the 2017 legislative session.
CalMatters,
8-30-17
The Delta Is Sinking: Scientists Think
Planting Rice Will Help
Researchers hope
to stave off subsidence in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with a solution
farmers might like: planting rice. But a pilot project has yielded
mixed results.
WaterDeeply, 8-30-17
Cooperative effort helps families start
farming
Margarito
Palacios belongs to one of the two families that runs the Small Farmers’
Project, a cooperative for Latino families that sells organic blackcap
raspberries, fruit jam and U-pick strawberries at their farmstand
CapitalPress,
8-29-17
WATER
Hurricane
Harvey shows how we underestimate flooding risks in coastal cities, scientists
say
In the aftermath
of Hurricane Harvey, an event deemed “unprecedented” by the
National Weather Service, catastrophic floodwater has swept the Houston
metropolitan area.
The Washington Post, 8-29-17
|
|
Dan
Walters: It will take more than promises to polish the PUC’s tarnished
image
The California
Public Utilities Commission must, by its nature, straddle the fine line between
providing consumers with dependable electric power, natural gas and other
utility services at fair prices and protecting the financial health of the huge
corporations that supply those services.
CALMatters, 8-29-17
(OPINION)
California Focus: State Senate should look hard at new utility regulator
Depending on how
things go in a scheduled Aug. 23 state Senate confirmation hearing on Gov.
Jerry Brown’s latest choice for a seat on the powerful state Public
Utilities Commission, many millions of consumers could face both health risks
and higher-than-necessary electric, gas and water bills for the next six years.
Ukiah Daily Journal, 8-29-17
ALISO CANYON
State
regulators see methane spikes at Aliso Canyon
In the month
since Southern California Gas Company got the green light to refill its
underground gas storage field near Porter Ranch, airborne monitors have
detected at least two spikes of methane in the skies above the Aliso Canyon
facility, state regulators say.
KPCC 89.3, 8-28-17
Under
Obama, a gold mining firm was fine with a Mojave Desert monument. Under Trump,
an about-face
Less than a year
ago, President Obama’s designation of a new national monument in the
eastern Mojave Desert — featuring a row of jagged peaks rising above
native grasslands and Joshua trees — was hailed as a compromise that
served the goals of conservationists and the mining industry.
Los Angeles Times, 8-28-17
Vulcan
Materials to acquire Polaris Materials
Vulcan Materials Co. announced
its plans to acquire Polaris Materials Corp., an aggregates and logistics
company headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, AL.com reports. Vulcan will buy all issued and
outstanding shares of Polaris for $2.79 Canadian ($2.23 U.S.) per share for an
approximate total value of $252 million Canadian ($202 million U.S.). The
acquisition includes a processing plant and deep water port on Vancouver
Island, extensive aggregate reserves,
and five distribution outlets in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Long Beach,
Calif.
Aggregates Manager, 8-29-17
Creeping
earth could hold secret to deadly landslides
The explosive
volcano Sabancaya looms large over the hamlet of Maca in southern Peru. Smoky
plumes frequently spew from the mountain and sometimes rain ash down on the
town. But the geological threat that keeps Maca's residents up at night is not
15 kilometres away at Sabancaya, but right underfoot.
Nature.com, 8-23-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Can
California get 100 percent of its electricity from renewables?
The City Council
threw its weight Monday behind legislation that would require California to
deliver 100 percent of its electricity from renewable and carbon-free sources
by 2045.
Press Telegram, 8-28-17
California
scientists push to create massive climate-research programme
California has a
history of going it alone to protect the environment. Now, as US President
Donald Trump pulls back on climate science and policy, scientists in the Golden
State are sketching plans for a home-grown climate-research institute —
to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Nature.com, 8-16-17
Did
Climate Change Intensify Hurricane Harvey?
As of Sunday
afternoon, the remnants of Hurricane Harvey seem likely to exceed the worst
forecasts that preceded the storm. The entire Houston metropolitan region is
flooding: Interstates are under feet of water, local authorities have asked
boat owners to join rescue efforts, and most of the streams and rivers near the
city are in flood stage.
The Atlantic, 8-27-17
Thousand
Oaks-Oxnard-Ventura area ranks eighth in nation in sustainability efforts
The Thousand
Oaks/Oxnard/Ventura metropolitan area ranks eighth among the 100 most populous
such areas in the nation in terms of progress toward sustainable development,
according to a new survey by a group that works with the United Nations.
Ventura County Star, 8-28-17
WATER
Massive
Sensor Network Helps Scientists Monitor Mountain Water Resources
Scientists from
the Sierra Nevada Research Institute, UC Merced, UC Berkeley and
the USDA Agricultural
Research Service have designed the first ever wireless sensor network
(WSN) capable of accurately monitoring the hydrology of large mountain river
basins. The new system is detailed in two papers just published in the
journal Water Resource Research.
UC Merced,
8-28-17
Chico community
mobilizes to preserve water tanks
Mike Magliari, a
Chico State history professor, kicked off Chico Museum’s fall lecture
series Saturday with a discussion on the elevated water towers, which have been
put on California Water Service Co.’s list of towers to remove.
Oroville Mercury-Record, 8-26-17
Noozhawk Asks: What’s Planned for 2
Seep Tents Underwater near Platform Holly?
There are two seep tents underwater near Platform Holly. If these were
operated by Venoco, what will happen to them? Will seeps increase?
Santa Barbara
Noozhawk, 8-24-17
It
will take more than promises to polish the PUC’s tarnished image
The California
Public Utilities Commission must, by its nature, straddle the fine line between
providing consumers with dependable electric power, natural gas and other
utility services at fair prices and protecting the financial health of the huge
corporations that supply those services.
Sacramento Bee, 8-27-17
Federal
agency OKs gas pipeline project fought by residents
The Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission has approved construction of a high-pressure
pipeline that will carry natural gas from the shale fields of Appalachia,
across northern Ohio and into Michigan and Canada, a decision likely to be a
death blow for project opponents concerned about safety and property rights.
Associated Press, 8-27-17
Opponents
make 11th-hour bid to stop Newhall Ranch development
Following Los
Angeles County’s approval last month of the long-contentious Newhall
Ranch development, opponents have asked a court to halt the project until
additional environmental issues are remedied.
Los Angeles Times, 8-25-17
Mariposa
County Miners Take Note: Public Land Mining Claim Fees and Waivers Are Due By
September 1
Mining claimants
who wish to retain their mining claims on Bureau of Land Management federal
public lands through the 2018 assessment year must pay a maintenance fee or
file a maintenance fee waiver certificate on or before the Friday, Sept. 1, to
prevent the mining claim from being declared forfeited and voided.
GoldRushCam, 8-26-17
Landslide
repairs completed along Lompoc-Casmalia Road
Lompoc-Casmalia
Road was closed on March 17 after a landslide caused some of the road and the
ground underneath it to slip away.
KSBY TV, 8-25-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Key
senator vows to block California climate deal that would aid polluters
An irritated
chairman of a state Senate Budget subcommittee says he intends to thwart a
recent move by the state Air Resources Board that could give California’s
biggest polluters a cushion of more than $300 million.
CalMatters, 8-27-17
WATER
Yolo
Bypass serves as model for future California flood protection
The Yolo Bypass
is being used as a model for changing California’s flood-control policy
that looks to minimize building levees.
Daily
Democrat, 8-26-17
GENERAL
Charles
Bentley, pioneer of polar science, dies
Charles Bentley,
who in the 1950s led a team of scientists that measured the West Antarctic Ice
Sheet for the first time, and who later explained the mechanics of the
fast-moving ice streams that drain the sheet, died last Saturday at his home in
Oakland. He was 87.
SFGate, 8-26-17
UCSB Award-Winning
Disaster Expert Always Prepared
UCSB’s
James Caesar relies on communication and planning when responding to campus
emergencies; and now he’s been rewarded for it.
Noozhawk, 8-24-17
Methane leaks at
Southern California Gas Company’s Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage
Facility may not have been limited to the San Fernando Valley community of
Porter Ranch. Aliso Canyon is a hop, skip and a jump over Pico, East and Rice
Canyons to the south of the Santa Clarita Valley; and the environmental impact
of the leak could have implications for its residents as well.
Santa Clarita Gazette, 8-25-17
As reported from
California, Ormat Nevada Inc. has completed preparations for a 30-day flow and
injection test of two existing geothermal wells near the Town of Mammoth Lakes
in California.
ThinkGeoEnergy, 8-25-17
Problems at oil, gas wells off Ventura
County coast persist as bankruptcy case continues
Oil wells just off the Ventura County coast continue to pose a threat to
public safety nearly three years after the state directed the leaseholder to fix
problems, officials said this week.
Ventura County
Star, 8-24-17
What California should really do with
cap-and-trade windfall
Starting with Thursday’s Senate budget subcommittee hearing,
lawmakers can use a $1.4 billion cap-and-trade windfall to bring about
important change in the lives and lungs of Californians, or they can squander
it.
Sacramento Bee
editorial, 8-23-17
Map
shows disaster risks by location
Is there an
earthquake fault near your home, your workplace or your child’s school?
Or perhaps you live or work in a floodplain, high-risk wildfire area or a
tsunami inundation zone. If so, there are steps you can take to reduce your
risk in some cases, register for emergency notifications, and to better prepare
your family for an emergency. To do that, you need all the facts.
Fallbrook & Bonsall Village News,
8-24-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
How California’s car culture hurts
the state’s fight against climate change
Californians can’t shake their love affair with cars – and
pickup trucks and SUV’s. That’s hurting the greenest state in the
union’s much-publicized crusade against climate change.
Sacramento
Bee, 8-25-17
Key
senator vows to block climate deal that would aid polluters
An irritated
chairman of the state Senate Budget Committee says he intends to thwart a
recent move by the state Air Resources Board that could give California’s
biggest polluters a cushion of more than $300 million.
CalMatters, 8-24-17
WATER
Taking the high ground: City prepares for
sea level rise
In the year 2100, Carpinteria’s beach neighborhood could be
underwater. How to avoid or prepare for that fate and other potentially
disastrous effects of sea level rise are being considered by the City of
Carpinteria as it updates its long term planning documents—the General
Plan and Local Coastal Plan.
Carpinteria
Coastal View, 8-23-17
Consumer Watchdog:
Grill PUC nominee on oil, gas links
Aliso Canyon was
the biggest methane well blowout in U.S. history, and we still don’t know
why it happened. The California Public Utilities Commission and Brown
administration regulators just reopened the facility without the necessary
environmental and safety reviews, so we have no way of knowing if it will
happen again.
Capitol Weekly, 8-23-17
More
than 17 MILLION Americans are exposed to toxic fumes that could give you
cancer, heart disease, dementia, or cause birth defects
An estimated 17.6million Americans live within one mile of an active oil or
gas well, a study has revealed.
Daily
Mail, 8-23-17
Public interest
groups are urging the California Senate Rules Committee to demand
answers about oil and gas well safety breaches from Governor Brown's top oil
and gas aide and to not confirm him to the Public Utilities Commission without
them.
Markets Insider, 8-23-17
State
legislators return to Sacramento with focus on bills
After a month of
spending time at home in their districts with loved ones and constituents,
state legislators returned to work in Sacramento this week.
Santa Clarita Valley Signal, 8-24-17
State
senators say utility regulators must restore trust
A California
Senate panel gave narrow approval Wednesday to Gov. Jerry Brown's two recent
appointees to a powerful utilities commission after imploring them to restore
public trust in an agency that's been damaged by scandals and environmental
disasters, including the largest-known methane gas leak in U.S. history.
The Sentinel, 8-23-17
Tail
end of drought still impacting Fresno County Ag Report
No major
shakeups in the crop report-- almonds remain the lone billion dollar Ag
commodity. In 2016, Fresno County crops were valued at $6.18 billion, down
7.23-percent from 2015.
KFSN TV Fresno, 8-22-17
Challenges
facing irrigated agriculture in the western U.S.
Dan Keppen is
Executive Director of the Farm Family Alliance, a non-profit association that acts as
an advocate for family farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and allied
industries in the 17 western states. He has 28 years of experience in
water resources engineering and policy matters. At the July meeting of
Metropolitan’s Agriculture and Industry Relations Committee, he gave this
presentation on the challenges facing western irrigated agriculture.
MavensNotebook, 8-23-17
Sondra West-Moore
slipped on her work boots and gazed out over the 40 acres of rolling
grassland and heritage oaks her father, a retired Marine colonel, looked after
for decades. The acidic, nutrient-poor soil supports rare species of manzanita
and buckwheat, some of which are found nowhere outside this region.
Sacramento News & Review, 8-24-17
Two
earthquakes rattle Northern California
A pair of earthquakes
struck Northern California Tuesday morning, including a magnitude 3.0 shaker
off the coast of San Francisco, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
SFGate, 8-23-17
Earthquake:
4.1 quake strikes near Ashford Mill
A shallow
magnitude 4.1 earthquake was reported Tuesday afternoon 13 miles from Ashford
Mill, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at
12:51 p.m. PDT at a depth of 3.7 miles.
Los Angeles Times, 8-22-17
There
were two earthquakes on the San Andreas fault, but experts say not to worry
A pair of
earthquakes were centered on the San Andreas Fault in the past week, but
experts say there's no reason to believe they're a sign of the big one.
Desert Sun, 8-22-17
CALIFORNIA DAY OF
PREPAREDNESS SLATED
The California
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is hosting the 12th
annual California Day of Preparedness on Saturday, Aug. 26. The day encourages
Californians to take steps to prepare for emergencies or disasters in their
homes, businesses, schools and communities. This free, family-friendly event is
powered by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).
OakdaleLeader.com, 8-23-17
ALISO CANYON
Appointees
to powerful utility regulator set to testify
Gov. Jerry
Brown's two most recent nominees to a powerful commission that regulates
natural gas and other utilities are before lawmakers Wednesday for confirmation
hearings.
Redwood Business Times, 8-22-17
Old Oil Is New
Again (see article attached)
From
California’s Central Valley to the Native American lands of Oklahoma,
more small- and mid-sized oil firms—many backed by private
equity—are forgoing expensive shale drilling projects and opting for
old-school wells instead.
Wall Street Journal, 8-20-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
California
cap-and-trade program gets a shot in the arm with strong permit auction results
A month after a
bruising political battle to extend California’s cap-and-trade program,
the state received a big vote of confidence in the policy’s future.
Los Angeles Times, 8-23-17
WATER
County claims tunnels would
‘devastate’ Delta
A flurry of lawsuits over Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels continued
on Monday, with several Delta counties, farm groups and environmentalists
joining the fray as expected.
Stockton
Record, 8-21-17
ALISO CANYON
(Colorado)
Regs for underground gas storage might be reviewed
Colorado
regulators may evaluate their current rules regarding underground natural gas
storage in light of a new report on the subject.
The Daily Sentinel- Grand Junction, CO,
8-21-17
Aliso
Canyon under-use causes tight SoCal/PG&E spreads
SoCal’s
inability this summer to fully utilize Aliso Canyon, California’s largest
storage with a capacity of 86 Bcf, is impacting flow, pricing and storage
dynamics in the U.S. Pacific Region. Peak summer demand conjured up fierce
competition for gas between Northern and Southern California which let to
tighter price spreads between the two regional gas trading hubs, SoCal and
PG&E, this August.
Gas to Power Journal, 8-21-17
State
senators must ask tough question of PUC nominees
There are some
indications that Clifford Rechtschaffen, one of Gov. Jerry Brown’s two
latest appointments to the state Public Utilities Commission, would be more of
an advocate for utilities than for consumers, ratepayers and those adversely
affected by environmental issues.
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, 8-21-17
Sempra
Energy Announces Agreement To Acquire Ownership Interest In Oncor
Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE)
today announced an agreement to acquire Energy Future Holdings Corp. (Energy Future),
the indirect owner of 80 percent of Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC
(Oncor), operator of the largest electric transmission and distribution system
in Texas.
Business Insider, 8-21-17
3.2-magnitude
quake rattles near Golden Gate Bridge
A preliminary
3.2-magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday morning near San Francisco, according
to the United State Geological Survey.
KCRA 3 TV, 8-22-17
Slow-moving
landslide in Wyoming ruptures house, stuns town
A landslide that
been moving slowly for two weeks on a hillside in Jackson, Wyo., has picked up
speed and force, splitting apart a house and threatening others.
Los Angeles Times, 8-18-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Opinion: Confronting climate change at
Lake Tahoe
For 20 years, every August we've paused to reflect on our collective
commitment to Lake Tahoe's restoration at the Lake Tahoe Summit.
Truckee Sierra
Sun, 8-20-17
Can we breed crops to be more drought
resistant?
You might be carrying a tube of Chapstick right now. USC scientist
Sarah Feakins says both plants and humans use wax to stay moisturized - and a
new study shows it could help us generate plants that can
better withstand droughts.
Southern
California Public Radio, 8-18-17
The Trump administration just disbanded a
federal advisory committee on climate change
The Trump administration has decided to disband the federal advisory
panel for the National Climate Assessment, a group aimed at helping policymakers and
private-sector officials incorporate the government’s climate analysis
into long-term planning.
Washington
Post, 8-20-17
WATER
Dozens are suing to block Delta tunnels.
Will it matter?
They have one of the most powerful legal weapons found in any courtroom
– the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. But environmental
groups, local governments and others face an uphill climb in their fight
against the controversial Delta tunnels project. History suggests that suing
under the California environmental law likely won’t be enough to kill the
tunnels.
Sacramento
Bee, 8-21-17
GENERAL
L.A. County hit with lawsuit claiming Newhall
Ranch project would be ‘menace’ to public
Environmental groups are suing Los Angeles County and a development firm
for moving ahead with plans to build 5,500 homes and apartments in the Santa
Clarita Valley, despite concerns about traffic and the water supply.
Los Angeles
Newspaper Group, 8-21-17
State
Senate should look hard at new utility regulator
Depending on how
things go in a scheduled Aug. 23 state Senate confirmation hearing on Gov.
Jerry Brown’s latest choice for a seat on the powerful state Public
Utilities Commission, many millions of consumers could face both health risks
and higher-than-necessary electric, gas and water bills for the next six years.
The Union Democrat, 8-21-17
$4M
Mt. Shasta area ‘forest health and conservation project’ announced
CAL FIRE
announced today a $4,072,000 California Climate Investment grant award to Pacific
Forest Trust for its multi-partner forest health and conservation project that
is designed to reduce the likelihood and intensity of fire spreading across the
Black Butte and Mount Shasta forests.
Mt. Shasta News, 8-17-17
Sixty-five years later, 1952 earthquake
memories still vivid
Tom and Betty Holson were still newlyweds in the summer of 1952 when the
earth moved beneath them — literally.
Bakersfield
Californian, 8-19-17
WATER
Sacramento County sues to block Delta
tunnels – and it’s not alone
Sacramento County led a cascade of area governments suing the state in an
effort to block the Delta tunnels, saying the $17 billion project would harm
local farmers, endangered fish and low-income communities at the south end of
the county.
Sacramento
Bee, 8-18-17
California
Focus: Brown PUC appointee called ‘lapdog’ for oil
Depending on how
things go in a scheduled Aug. 23 state Senate confirmation hearing on Gov.
Jerry Brown’s latest choice for a seat on the powerful state Public
Utilities Commission, many millions of consumers could face both health risks
and higher-than-necessary electric, gas and water bills for the next six years.
Sonoma Index-Tribune, 8-17-17
Salton
Sea geothermal plant canceled by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy
It's been 14
years since California officials first approved the Black Rock power
plant, which would have tapped a powerful geothermal reservoir along
the shore of the Salton Sea and generated enough climate-friendly
electricity to power about 200,000 homes.
Desert Sun, 8-17-17
This oil company wants to swap land to
drill on wetlands in southeast Long Beach
An oil company’s plans that may result in new oil production in
southeast Long Beach, as well as the potential restoration of existing oil
fields to more natural conditions, are scheduled to receive a public review
this evening.
Los Angeles
Newspaper Group, 8-16-17
Plains Proposes to Replace Pipeline
Plains All American Pipeline submitted an application on Tuesday with
Santa Barbara County’s Energy Division to replace Line 901, the pipeline
that ruptured and leaked 142,000 gallons of crude oil in 2015 in what became
nationally known as the Refugio Oil Spill.
Santa Barbara
Independent, 8-16-17
(OPINION)
Gov. Brown’s office should release PUC emails
It has been
three years since a settlement agreement was reached over the costs of shutting
down the San Onofre nuclear plant, but many questions remain.
LA Daily News,
8-16-17
Farmers
& Environmentalists Join to Battle Planned Delta Tunnels Project
An hour’s
drive northeast of San Francisco lies California’s most important water
source and the West Coast’s largest estuary. Stretching across 1,100
square miles and five counties, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and its
dozens of manmade islands support a $5 billion agricultural industry and supply
water to over 25 million Californians.
Courthouse News Service, 8-16-17
Is Tunneling Water Across the State Our
Best Option?
Like many before him, California Governor Jerry Brown has vowed to
“fix” the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, that vast and beleaguered
wetland east of San Francisco Bay that is a source for much of Southern
California’s water, an agricultural powerhouse, and a nursery for
valuable fisheries.
California
Magazine, 8-17-17
COUNTY, CERES ASSESSMENT
ROLL CONTINUES RISE
Stanislaus
County recorded its fifth consecutive year of an increase in assessed values of
all taxable real and business property, according to Stanislaus County Assessor
Don H. Gaekle.
The Ceres Courier, 8-16-17
California
Today: A Growing Threat on the Shoreline
The Pacific has
been gobbling up the California coast with growing voraciousness.
New York Times, 8-17-17
Mining for gold,
she found a diamond. Her reaction? ‘Oh, my god’
A California
woman says she found a 1½ carat diamond while mining gold near the
Sierra Nevada foothills town of Foresthill.
Sacramento Bee, 8-17-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
California scientists push to create
massive climate-research programme
California has a history of going it alone to protect the environment.
Now, as US President Donald Trump pulls back on climate science and policy,
scientists in the Golden State are sketching plans for a home-grown
climate-research institute — to the tune of hundreds of millions of
dollars per year.
Nature,
8-16-17
County
Tries to Halt Aliso Canyon Gas Operations
Los Angeles
County has asked the California Supreme Court to stop Southern California Gas
Co. from continuing to resume operations at the natural gas facilities in Aliso
Canyon.
San Fernando Valley Business Journal,
8-16-17
Tehama County
farmer will pay $1.1 million for damaging waterways
Chico News
& Review, 8-17-17
Ranch
guessing: Can a black-run agriculture academy end Sacramento County’s
Boys Ranch curse?
Former juvenile
detention camp could instead teach youth to farm
Sacramento News & Review, 8-17-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Cap
& Trade shows difference in California politics
No other state
has a cap-and-trade system anything like California’s for limiting and,
in the long run, vastly reducing production of greenhouse gases behind climate
change.
Visalia Times-Delta, 8-16-17
California
climate deal could net big bucks for polluters
Against the
sparkling backdrop of sailboats bobbing on San Francisco Bay, Gov. Jerry Brown
last month signed a bill extending California’s cap-and-trade program,
assuring that the most high-profile piece of the state’s fight against
climate change persists for another decade.
CalMatters, 8-16-17
WATER
Sacramento
permanently limits lawn watering as ‘a way of life’
The drought may be
over, but Sacramento residents will still have to limit their watering.
Sacramento Bee 8-15-17
New
dams coming to California? A dozen projects seek $2.7 billion in state funding
During the
drought, Californians often asked why the state wasn’t building more
reservoirs. On Tuesday, the state finally began taking a major step toward that
goal, unveiling a list of 12 huge new water projects — from massive new
dams in the north to expanded groundwater banks in the south — that will
compete for $2.7 billion in state bond funding for new water storage projects.
Mercury News, 8-15-17
Shake maps illustrate need for earthquake
preparation, scientist says
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones outlined the need for earthquake preparedness
and preparation for other natural disasters on this edition of Eyewitness
Newsmakers.
KABC-TV (Los
Angeles), 8-15-17
Earthquake
Early-Warning System One Step Closer To Reality Thanks To Federal Grant
An early-warning
alert system for earthquakes, which has been under development by several major
west coast universities and institutions, received a $4.9 million grant from
the U.S. Geological Survey this week.
LAist, 8-14-17
Fight over
Aliso Canyon heads to state Supreme Court
Los Angeles
County has now taken the fight over Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso
Canyon natural gas storage facility to the state’s highest court.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 8-15-17
PUC
appointee deserves a hard look from state Senate
Depending on how
things go in a scheduled Aug. 23 state Senate confirmation hearing on Gov.
Jerry Brown’s latest choice for a seat on the powerful state Public
Utilities Commission, many millions of consumers could face both health risks
and higher-than-necessary electric, gas and water bills for the next six years.
Ventura County Star, 8-15-17
Report: 2016 saw $28 million decrease in
Siskiyou agricultural receipts
Siskiyou County Agriculture Commissioner Jim Smith presented the
county’s 2016 Crop and Livestock Report to the Siskiyou County Board of
Supervisors last week.
Siskiyou Daily
News, 8-15-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Death
Valley just had its hottest month on record
Weather
historian Christopher Burt had been closely tracking the blazing temperatures in
Death Valley, California, this summer. The days were hot, but what was
especially notable to him was that the desert nights failed to cool off much.
High Country News, 8-8-17
WATER
Editorial: Courts are our best hope
against twin tunnels
The state wants to build two huge tunnels to reroute much of the
Sacramento River under the delta to points south. Trust us, the state says.
There will be no environmental damage, the state says. In fact, it’ll
help, the state says.
Oroville
Mercury Register, 8-16-17
HIGH SPEED RAIL
Bullet
train faces difficult journey
California’s
bullet train may be in trouble again, as a recent court ruling and potential
funding obstacles have plunged the transportation project into further
uncertainty.
Capitol Weekly, 8-15-18
Caltech
and others get $4.9 million for earthquake warning system
Caltech and six
other institutions were awarded a total of $4.9 million in funds by the U.S.
Geological Survey today for the development of an earthquake-warning system on
the West Coast.
Whittier Daily News, 8-14-17
Scientists
discover new tectonic plate
A team of
researchers from Rice University in Texas have discovered a new tectonic plate
off the coast of Ecuador. There were 56 plates; now, there are 57 -- and
researchers think there could be one more to find.
United Press International, 8-14-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
California Hopes ‘Healthy
Soil’ Will Fight Climate Change
California lawmakers are enlisting farmers’ help in pulling carbon
dioxide out of the air and storing it in their soil.
KPBS (San
Diego radio), 8-14-17
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