Geology
300: Physical Geology
Geology
301: Physical Geology Lab
Geology
305: Earth Science
Geology
306: Earth Science Lab
Instructor: Arthur Reed
September 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)
Troubled Delta tunnels plan viewed as
growth ally in High Desert
With an annual budget of roughly $45 million, the Mojave Water Agency is
likely looking at a $14 million expense for the WaterFix, although General
Manager Tom McCarthy tempered that these were still very round figures.
Victorville
Daily Press, 9-30-17
Geologists:
Yosemite’s Unpredictable Rock Slides are Rarely Deadly
After two days
of rock slides on El Capitan in Yosemite, officials are keeping visitors clear
of the area.
Fox 40 Sacramento, 9-29-17
Earthquake
warning systems improving, but prediction still not possible, scientists say
In the last
month, two earthquakes have rocked Mexico.
United Press International, 9-29-17
'Statistically,
it's coming.' California prepares for the next big earthquake
The scene is
terrifying -- entire sections of a Mexico City office building fall away and
crash to the ground. The screams of people reacting are almost worse.
CNN, 9-30-17
When the massive tsunami waves of the 2011 eastern Japan earthquake rolled back out to sea, they pulled with them
fragments of docks, boats, and buoys that sometimes contained living stowaways.
Science, 9-28-17
Mexico earthquake death toll rises to 361,
8 still missing in collapsed building
The death toll from Mexico's magnitude 7.1 earthquake has risen to 361
after another casualty was confirmed in the capital.
CNN, 10-1-17
After
1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, is Whittier better prepared for the next big
one?
For better or
worse, Whittier would not look like it is today without the quake that bears
its name.
Whittier Daily News, 9-29-17
Big One WILL hit California soon as huge
earthquake rattles Mexico, scientist warns
In the days following the powerful 7.1 quake in Mexico City which killed
more than 200 people, California was also hit by a handful of smaller tremors
– with the most powerful registering at 3.2.
London
Express,9-30-17
Proposed county agreement with Chumash
posted online
As promised by members of a county ad hoc subcommittee, the full text of
a proposed agreement with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians addressing
issues surrounding the Camp 4 property has been posted on the committee’s
website.
Lompoc Record,
9-29-17
Converting
an old mining pit into 1,800 homes
A 412-acre rock
quarry in Mira Mesa, approved for reclamation in 1994, is being replanned to
include a 25-acre community park instead of industrial development.
San Diego
Union Tribune, 10-1-17
WATER
Watershed
conservation key to solving California’s water problems
The California
Water Fix/delta tunnels project is facing new challenges every day, most
recently in regard to financing.
San Francisco Chronicle commentary,
9-28-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Hidden
Costs of Climate Change Running Hundreds of Billions a Year
Extreme weather,
made worse by climate change, along with the health impacts of burning fossil
fuels, has cost the U.S. economy at least $240 billion a year over the past ten
years, a new report has found.
National Geographic, 9-27-17
Booming demand for hay in Asia, Middle
East driving agribusiness in the California desert
If you drive along the two-lane roads that run through farmland around
the town of Blythe, you’ll see vast fields of alfalfa swaying in the
breeze and trucks rolling away loaded with bales of hay.
Palm Springs
Desert Sun, 9-28-17
Valley Residents Object to Tentative
Chumash Agreement
Santa Ynez Valley residents packed St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Church
Monday evening to blast Santa Barbara county supervisors Joan Hartmann and Das
Williams on the outline of a preliminary agreement reached with
the Chumash.
Santa Barbara
Independent, 9-28-17
GENERAL
Climbers
say deadly rockfalls at Yosemite's El Capitan won't deter them from climbing
Dangerous
rockslides at Yosemite National Park aren't keeping climbers away from the
mountain and the sport they love.
KGO ABC Channel 7, 9-28-17
VIDEO:
Second massive rockslide in 2 days hits El Capitan at Yosemite, 1 hurt
Another massive
rockslide happened at El Capitan on Thursday afternoon, and at least one person
was hurt.
KRON Channel 4, 9-28-17
Thinking
bigger on climate fix
You don’t
have to look hard to find the disparity: Nearly one in three Stockton residents lives in a
neighborhood that is among the 5 percent most environmentally vulnerable in the
state.
Stockton Record, 9-26-17
Valley
Residents Object to Tentative Chumash Agreement
Santa Ynez
Valley residents packed St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Church Monday evening to
blast Santa Barbara county supervisors Joan Hartmann and Das Williams on the
outline of a preliminary agreement reached with the Chumash.
Santa Barbara Independent, 9-28-17
GENERAL
1
dead, 1 hurt in rockfall at Yosemite National Park's El Capitan
One person was
killed and another injured Wednesday in a large rockfall from Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan,
officials said.
Los Angeles Times, 9-27-17
The Big One at San Andreas Fault: A Huge
Earthquake Will Hit California—It's Just a Matter of When
Last Tuesday, the Northwestern part of Los Angeles was shaken by an earthquake. A relatively small quake of magnitude 3.6 with
its epicenter in the Santa Monica mountains, the incident made itself felt with
only “mild” to “moderate" tremors, though it was
enough to provoke some alarmed tweets and freak-out reaction GIFs.
Newsweek,
9-25-17
Magnitude
4.3 earthquake strikes near Ferndale, California
The United
States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck
near Ferndale, California on Monday.
SFGate, 9-26-17
A week after a
devastating earthquake hit Mexico, officials are still tallying the number of
buildings that collapsed or were severely damaged.
Los Angeles Times, 9-26-17
Earthquake
‘thermometer’ shows LA region is boiling to Northridge level
The Los Angeles
region’s “earthquake potential score,” a gauge for assessing
the likelihood of a destructive temblor, has surpassed the level assigned to
the 6.7 magnitude Northridge Earthquake of 1994, according to a University
of California Davis professor.
The Mercury News, 9-26-17
WATER
Delta tunnels dead? Southern California ready to
plow ahead
Southern California’s mammoth water agency appeared ready to plow
ahead with the Delta tunnels project Tuesday, despite a “no”
vote by a giant bloc of San Joaquin Valley farmers that could doom the $17 billion proposal
Sacramento
Bee, 9-26-17
Our Valley desperately needs California
WaterFix
I am proud to say I was born and raised in Kern County. I’ve lived
here all my life. The people that live here with me are the best people I know.
They never quit, and they never falter. They are tenacious and they persevere.
Our character has served us well, because it is founded on what we know to be
true: the decisions we make and the actions we take determine our future.
Bakersfield
Californian comment, 9-25-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
U.S. Climate Change Policy: Made in
California
The Trump administration may appear to control climate policy in
Washington, but the nation’s most dynamic environmental regulator is here
in California.
New York
Times, 9-27-17
Mud
Creek: A long road ahead to rebuild Highway 1
With the rainy
season only months away, engineers working to rebuild Highway 1 atop a massive
landslide covering more than a quarter mile of the scenic coastal road have a
plan they hope will keep them on track to reopen the roadway in the late summer
of 2018
Monterey County Herald, 9-23-17
Earthquake
‘thermometer’ shows LA region is boiling to Northridge level
The Los Angeles
region’s “earthquake potential score,” a gauge for assessing
the likelihood of a destructive temblor, has surpassed the level assigned to the
6.7 magnitude Northridge
Earthquake of 1994, according to a University of California Davis
professor.
Riverside Press Enterprise, 9-23-17
Study:
$40M to install solar-plus-storage systems at 12 SF sites for seismic
resiliency
Equipping
multiple community buildings at 12 sites with solar-plus-storage systems to
provide power if a major earthquake knocks San Francisco off the grid would
cost $40 million, a new city study shows.
San Francisco Examiner, 9-25-17
Un-natural
disasters we often bring on ourselves
Every September
I engage in the ritual of drying grapes into raisins. Green grapes are picked
and laid onto paper trays on the ground between the vine rows. Then you wait
for weeks as they dry into raisins. Simple, efficient, using the sun’s
power – and highly risky because if a rainstorm rolls in, it can result
in disaster.
Fresno Bee commentary, 9-23-17
Santa
Clara County’s farming legacy alive in San Martin
As
fourth-generation men of the earth, the Bonino brothers know their picked
profession isn’t for everyone.
Bay Area News Group, 9-25-17
Santa
Ynez Valley meeting on county agreement with Chumash draws unhappy crowd
The more than
200 people who showed up Monday night at a Santa Ynez Valley church to hear
details of a tentative agreement between Santa Barbara County and the Chumash
regarding 1,400 acres called Camp 4 were not happy with what they heard.
Lompoc Record, 9-25-17
Santa
Barbara County, Chumash Tribe Reveal Tentative Pact for Camp 4 Site
After what
officials dubbed “intense, sincere and thorough” talks, a Santa Barbara County ad hoc
subcommittee has reached a tentative agreement with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians regarding
development of the tribe's Camp 4 property.
Noozhawk, 9-25-17
WATER
Groundwater
in Santa Clara County now back to pre-drought levels
Santa Clara
County’s groundwater — which provides nearly half the drinking
water every year for 2 million Silicon Valley residents — fell by up
to 60 feet during the state’s recent historic drought due to heavy
pumping. But now the vast underground basins have filled back up to the levels
where they were before the drought started in 2011, a welcome trend that
experts say was driven by heavy winter rains and strict water conservation
rules during the drought that eased the need for pumping.
San Jose Mercury News, 9-25-17
Filter may be a match
for fracking water
A new filter
produced by Rice University scientists has proven able to remove more than 90
percent of hydrocarbons, bacteria and particulates from contaminated water
produced by hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations at shale oil and gas
wells.
Phys.org, 9-25-17
What
next for Gov. Brown’s ‘twin tunnels’ project?
The decision
Tuesday by the largest irrigation district in the state to not participate in
the project to put two tunnels underneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River
Delta has been hailed by opponents of the project as a sign the project is
dead.
Chico Enterprise Record, 9-23-17
California
Water: Debating The Delta Tunnel Plan
The state's
water users will find out soon if they will be paying for the $17 billion
tunnel project called the California WaterFix.
KPBS (San Diego radio), 9-25-17
We’ll all pay price for
California’s tunnel vision on water policy
One of
civilization’s greatest accomplishments, really a wonder of the world, is
the water infrastructure built during the 20th century in the state of
California.
Los Angeles
Newspaper Group column, 9-22-17
A
half-century later, Delta water bypass still just a notion
I first heard
the term “peripheral canal” more than 40 years ago, during a forum
of state water officials in Stockton.
CalMatters column, 9-24-17
The
United States Needs an Earthquake Warning System Already
On Monday night,
residents of the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westwood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake,
and parts of the San Fernando Valley experienced a mild earthquake—a
magnitude 3.6. Most people slept through the temblor and no damage was
reported.
Wired, 9-20-17
Is
the U.S. Overdue for a Catastrophic Earthquake? These Cities Are Most at Risk
The likelihood
that the U.S. will see a catastrophic
earthquake within the next 30 years is very high — and it's not
just the West Coast that's at risk, experts say.
Time, 9-21-71
LA is one of the riskiest places to own a
house, report says
Los Angeles ranks third among major cities at greatest risk of losing
housing from natural disasters, according to a new report out Thursday.
Southern
California Public Radio (KPCC), 9-21-17
Here’s
what earthquake magnitudes mean—and why an 8 can be so much scarier than
a 6
We e know an
earthquake is severe when it has a high magnitude number. The 1985 quake that
devastated Mexico City was an 8. The quake that shook central Mexico this week
was a 7.1.
Los Angeles Times, 9-22-17
Earthquakes are even harder to predict
than we thought
A siren blares in the distance just before the ground under your feet
starts rocking, jolting you into action. You drop, cover, and hold on to something sturdy, wondering if this is the
big one.
Popular
Science, 9-21-17
Mexico
earthquake crumbles concrete buildings, sending deadly warning to California
Seismic safety
experts long have warned that brittle concrete frame buildings pose a
particularly deadly risk during a major earthquake.
Los Angeles Times, 9-22-17
Why
It Took Two Earthquakes for San Francisco to Finally Build Smarter
San Francisco
location along the San Andreas Fault means that the city is, and always will
be, prone to earthquakes.
History, 9-21-17
3.3
quake strikes near Capetown
A shallow magnitude 3.3 earthquake was
reported Friday morning 43 miles from Capetown, Calif., according to the U.S.
Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 9:54 a.m. PDT at a depth of 9.3
miles.
Los Angeles
Times, 9-22-17
For people who
spent their formative years in Los Angeles in the 1990s (someone like, say,
me), being shaken awake in the pre-dawn hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in
1994, certain that we’re all going to die, left an indelible mark on our
psyches. It is our shared experience of how suddenly and unsparingly violent a
major earthquake can be.
Los Angeles
Times, 9-23-17
Mexico
hit with an earthquake aftershock of 6.1 magnitude
A strong new
earthquake shook Mexico on Saturday, causing new alarm in a country reeling
from two still-more-powerful quakes this month that have killed nearly 400
people.
Associated Press, 9-23-17
The Strange Tectonic Coincidence of
Mexico’s September Earthquakes
In 1325, the Aztecs, until then a nomadic people, chose the site
of their capital, Tenochtitlan, based on a prophecy that the location would be
marked by an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus.
The New
Yorker, 9-22-17
Groups appeal Santa Paula Canyon oil well
decision
Two conservation groups have appealed a planning panel's decision
allowing the drilling of 19 oil wells in the Santa Paula Canyon area.
Ventura County
Star, 9-21-17
Would
Aliso Canyon gas wells survive a massive earthquake? Here’s what
regulators and experts say
This
week’s deadly 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico might have San Fernando
Valley residents asking: how secure are the natural gas wells in nearby Aliso
Canyon?
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 9-21-17
Court
dismisses lawsuit over Obama-era fracking rule
A federal
appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit over the validity of a
hydraulic-fracturing regulation instituted by the Obama administration.
The Hill,
9-21-17
Raw,
leaking sewage compounds oil-tainted Carson neighborhood. Now what?
Armed with a new
study that blames oil pollution for leaking sewage pipes beneath Carson’s
Carousel housing tract, city leaders again are asking state water regulators to
step in to help residents of the contaminated neighborhood.
Los Angeles
Newspaper Group, 9-21-17
Keep
attention on Aliso Canyon gas leak and its victims
Harvey, Irma,
Jose, Katia and, now, Maria. Headline-snatching hurricanes and tropical
thunderstorms are rapidly becoming a dystopian staple. With Texas recovering
from the devastating effects of Harvey, Floridians reeling after Irma and
Puerto Rico still underwater from Maria, Americans are justifiably consumed by
the current hurricane hype. As we send our well-wishes, the whole nation gives
our sympathy and unwavering support to the victims of these natural disasters.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 9-22-17
Porter
Ranch residents take first steps to try and shut down Aliso Canyon Gas Storage
Facility
More than 50
people attended what was advertised Saturday as a community action workshop to
shut down the Alison Canyon gas facility, where organizers issued calls for
pressure to be placed on Gov. Jerry Brown to take action before he leaves
office.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 9-23-17
Los Alamos Cemetery land swap will provide
space for more burials
Los Alamos Cemetery on Drum Canyon Road will have more space for burials
after a land swap is completed with the Carrari Family Trust.
Santa Maria
Times, 9-21-17
WATER
What’s next for Brown’s Delta
tunnels now that a big chunk of funding has disappeared?
Shellshocked by an influential farm irrigation district’s refusal
to help pay for the Delta tunnels, advocates of the $17.1 billion project were
scrambling Wednesday to salvage it or conjure up a Plan B. Three possible
options were floated by California water policymakers for reviving the
proposal. All of them face substantial hurdles of their
own.
Sacramento
Bee, 9-21-17
Farmers rejected the Delta tunnels, but
the battle ain’t over. Here’s what Brown should do next.
Westlands Water District underscored a basic truth in rejecting a
decade-long effort to construct a $17.1 billion twin tunnel project to transfer
water from the Delta to farms and cities to the south and west: Without clear
financing, the project will collapse.
Sacramento Bee
editorial, 9-20-17
Southland
farmers have sunk Gov. Brown’s twin tunnels idea
In
California’s long-raging water wars, pitting north against south and
farmer against city dweller, the one thing everybody agreed on Wednesday was
that the outdated method of shipping water throughout the most populous state
needs a serious upgrade.
Associated Press, 9-20-17
Don’t count on demise of tunnels to
stop state’s water grab
We’re glad Westlands Water District voted against funding Gov.
Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels. They don’t deserve to be built.
Modesto Bee
editorial, 9-20-17
Editorial:
Now Gov. Brown threatens to force us to pay for Delta Tunnels?
It’s over,
governor. The Westlands Water District’s 7-1 vote against helping to pay
for Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17 billion Delta tunnels project Tuesday should
be the death knell for an awful idea that will squander billions without
accomplishing the “WaterFix” its name implies.
San Jose Mercury News editorial, 9-20-17
History
is repeating itself for Gov. Brown's delta tunnels project
What
Gov. Jerry Brown has been pitching as his California WaterFix
is seen by many San Joaquin Valley farmers as a checkbook buster. History may
be repeating itself.
Los Angeles Times column, 9-25-17
There
is a multibillion-dollar hole in the delta tunnels funding plan
The
decision by one of the state’s major water players to opt out of
California’s $17-billion replumbing project was a surprise to many. The
reasons for it were not.
Los Angeles Times, 9-24-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Opinion:
Stop this huge carbon emissions polluter–Delta islands farming
Sometimes the
solution to a problem is staring us in the face. But we develop perspectives
that blind us from seeing it.
Bay Area News Group commentary, 9-21-17
The Weird Way That Climate Change Could
Make Earthquakes Worse
Shifting tectonic plates cause earthquakes, and several human activities
cause shifting tectonic plates—however, the effect is indirect
Newsweek,
9-24-17
GENERAL
Finally, a focus on saving the great
forests of the Sierra. Is it too late?
We Californians take for granted the great forests of the Sierra Nevada. It
is where we ski and hike, and breathe fresh air, and it’s the primary
source of our water.
Sacramento Bee
editorial, 9-21-17
High-speed rail in the Valley was once
supposed to be done by Saturday. Not even close
In 2010, when the Obama administration started to pony up more than $2.5
billion in economic stimulus money for construction of California’s
high-speed rail project, the funds came with three important conditions:
Fresno Bee,
9-24-17
Expert:
Thousands of California buildings would collapse in large earthquake
One of
California's state seismic safety commissioners is headed to Mexico to assist
in evaluating buildings and to see what lessons the state can get from the
disaster.
KCRA Channel 3,
9-22-17
The amateur
videos emerging from the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that devastated Mexico City
on Tuesday are grim. Some show taller buildings swaying. Others show short,
squat structures suddenly collapsing. Remains of brick walls have fallen onto
sidewalks in heaps of rubble. Over decades, seismologists and structural
engineers have gained extensive knowledge about why some buildings collapse
while others remain standing during an earthquake. Part of the answer
lies with construction: Concrete buildings without enough steel reinforcement
can become disastrously brittle during shaking, allowing concrete to burst out
of the columns just before a catastrophic collapse. Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles
Times, 9-22-17
Earthquake
Preparedness: 'It's Not a Question of If, It's a Question of When'
Feeling recent
minor tremors close to home and watching all the earthquake devastation in and
near Mexico City is causing Bay Area residents to think about their own safety.
NBC Bay Area,
9-22-17
Sooner
or later L.A. will get hit by a Mexico-sized earthquake. We're not as ready as
we should be
How stunning and
terrifying it is to watch the destruction in Mexico unfold in real time, with
cellphone video capturing the devastation and panic and fear caused by a 7.1
magnitude earthquake. The sight of a building collapsing conveys the power of a
temblor like no Great ShakeOut drill or lecture from the United States
Geological Survey could ever do. Of course we mourn for the hundreds dead and
worry for the displaced — but in the back of our minds we also know that,
in fault-riddled California, it’s not a matter of if such
geologic force will visit us but a matter of when.
Los Angeles
Times, 9-21-17
Yolo
County agritourism encounters snags
A back-burner
agenda item became a two hour long discussion recently as Yolo supervisors and
county staff attempted to make sense of current Williamson Act guidelines, and how
they may be modified to best suit both farms and event centers.
Daily Democrat,
9-19-17
How Damaging Would A Major Earthquake Be
For San Francisco And Los Angeles?
There was a magnitude 3.6 earthquake in the Los Angeles area Monday
night. It wasn't strong enough to cause serious damage, but it's a reminder of
a looming potential disaster: a major earthquake in California
Here and Now,
9-19-17
State
deems Lafayette icon seismically unstable
The California
Division of Safety of Dams released new classifications and assessments of its
statewide jurisdictional dams, including the 22 owned by the East Bay Municipal
Utility District. All of the EBMUD dams were given a "satisfactory"
rating in September, except for one: the Lafayette Reservoir.
Lamorinda Weekly, 9-20-17
Why
some buildings crumbled and others survived the Mexico City quake: A sober
lesson for California
The amateur
videos emerging from the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that devastated Mexico City
on Tuesday are grim. Some show taller buildings swaying. Others show short,
squat structures suddenly collapsing. Remains of brick walls have fallen onto
sidewalks in heaps of rubble.
Los Angeles Times, 9-21-17
How
ready will Bay Area be for next big quake?
The 7.1
magnitude earthquake that shattered buildings and left more than 200 dead in and
around Mexico City is another powerful reminder of what could happen when
— not if — another major temblor strikes the Bay Area.
San Francisco Chronicle, 9-20-17
Could
your building collapse in a major L.A. earthquake? Look up your address on
these databases
The destruction
from the 7.1 earthquake that rocked central Mexico on Tuesday is a reminder of
the vulnerabilities Southern California faces from a strong temblor.
Los Angeles Times, 9-20-17
Fearing
a big earthquake like the one in Mexico isn't enough. Here's how to turn
anxiety into action
The magnitude
3.6 earthquake that struck Westwood on Monday night was small and caused no
damage. The deadly 7.1 earthquake that struck hours later in Mexico City caused
buildings to collapse and resulted in a significant number of deaths.
Los Angeles Times, 9-20-17
Soft
Soil Makes Mexico City Shake Like it Was 'Built on Jelly'
The soft soil
that lines the ancient lake bed that Mexico City is built on amplified the
shaking from Tuesday's earthquake and increased its destructive force,
seismologists say as they try to better understand the quake that has killed
more than 200 people.
NBC Los Angeles, 9-21-17
3.8
magnitude earthquake hits near Shasta County
A 3.8 magnitude
earthquake struck near Shasta County Wednesday afternoon.
KRON Bay Area TV, 9-21-17
Bay
Area scientists work toward early earthquake warning system
San Jose State
University assistant professor of earthquake geology, Kimberly Blisniuk, said
there's no technology to predict earthquakes-so preparation is everything. A
five-second warning could save lives.
ABC 7 Bay Area TV, 9-21-17
California,
Oregon, and Washington have been working on an early warning detection system
for earthquakes since 2006, but the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit has learned
the system is still only about 50 percent complete.
NBC Bay Area TV, 9-20-17
EPA
chief: Climate science review could take months
Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt said Tuesday his “red
team-blue team” review of climate change science could take months to
complete once it eventually kicks off.
The Hill, 9-19-17
California and a
growing alliance of states committed to fighting global warming said Wednesday
that they're slashing greenhouse gas emissions at the rate required by the
Paris climate agreement.
Los Angeles Times, 9-20-17
From oil refineries to solar plants,
unions bend California climate change policies in their favor
No contour of
California’s vast landscape inspires such passionate devotion as its
coastline, so state lawmakers recoiled when President Trump announced in April
that he wanted to expand offshore drilling. The outrage was channeled into a
proposal for preventing any new infrastructure along the water, pipelines or
otherwise, for additional oil production.
Los Angeles Times, 9-20-17
Bay
Area cities sue major oil companies over climate change
San Francisco
and Oakland are suing to get five oil companies, including San Ramon-based
Chevron, to pay for the cost of protecting the Bay Area from rising sea levels
and other effects of global warming.
Los Angeles Times, 9-20-17
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, & GEOTHERMAL
RESOURCES
California
climate regulators adopted the strictest methane rules in the country this
summer, minimizing leaks on natural gas rigs that produce the energy to warm
millions of homes and businesses.
Sacramento News & Review, 9-21-17
Former
CPUC judge says she was fired for cooperating with corruption investigators
The former chief
administrative law judge at California’s powerful utility regulator said
Tuesday she was fired for cooperating with investigators looking into collusion
between regulators and utility company executives.
San Diego Union Tribune, 9-20-17
WATER
Water
district vote deals major blow to California's delta tunnel project
The board
of the Westlands Water District on Tuesday dealt a potentially fatal blow to
the most ambitious California water project planned in decades.
Los Angeles Times, 9-19-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Lawsuit
aims to block oil drilling on US land in Nevada
Environmentalists
have sued a U.S. agency to try to stop it from allowing oil and gas drilling on
a vast stretch of federal land in Nevada, where the government is reversing
protections put in place nine months ago under the Obama administration.
Associated Press, 9-19-17
Fearing
a big earthquake isn't enough. Here's how to turn anxiety into action
The 3.6
magnitude earthquake that struck Westwood Tuesday night was small and caused no
damage, But it was reminder that a much bigger and more damaging quake will
eventually hit Southern California.
Los Angeles Times, 9-19-17
3.6
magnitude earthquake strikes near Westwood
A magnitude 3.6
earthquake was felt in Los Angeles on Monday night, particularly on the
Westside and in the San Fernando Valley.
Los Angeles Times, 9-19-17
Small
Quake Rattles Nerves, Causes No Damage in Los Angeles
Los Angeles was
jolted by a small earthquake that rattled nerves and got people talking on
social media, but didn't cause any major damage.
Associated Press, 9-19-17
Highway
1 landslide meets its match in SLO’s most famous name: Madonna
When
you’re facing a “once in a lifetime” mudslide, it’s not
a bad idea to hire a contractor who can call on two lifetimes’ worth of
experience in road-building. The mudslide is the enormous Mud Creek Slide on Highway 1. The contractor is John
Madonna, son of Alex Madonna — whose name is on both the famed Madonna
Inn and the Alex Madonna Memorial Highway in San Luis Obispo.
San Luis Obispo Tribune, 9-17-17
'Earthquake
weather' talk won't die even though seismologists find cracks in the theory
In the San
Francisco Bay Area, where the ground often shakes, the term "earthquake
weather" is part of the vernacular. This idea that a certain type of
weather might signal a major seismic event comes up in
conversation—especially on a day when the temperatures are soaring, the
sky lurid and the air eerily still and awash in a light haze.
San Francisco Chronicle, 9-19-17
Nearly
500 property owners miss deadline for soft story building retrofit program
The owners of
nearly 500 "soft story" buildings missed a city deadline Friday to
apply for permits to do seismic retrofitting work, a San Francisco building
department official said today.
Bay City News Service, 9-18-17
How
much longer can California farmers adapt to regulatory change?
California growers A.G. Kawamura and Don Cameron might farm in totally
different climates and soil types, but they both agree that the state's
regulatory burdens and agricultural policies present challenges that have
forced some out of business and will change how they continue to farm.
Western Farm Press, 9-13-17
WATER
Water
project’s cost falls to more Californians
Water districts
and households across California could be compelled to help pay for Gov. Jerry
Brown’s plans to build two giant tunnels to ferry water to cities and
farms mainly in central and Southern California, under newly revealed plans to
shore up funding for the struggling $16 billion project.
Associated Press, 9-18-17
It’s
time to approve ‘California WaterFix’ project
Every day, I
walk into the kitchen, turn on the faucet, and clean drinking water magically
appears. It’s a miracle, really, and I’ll bet, like me, you
don’t even think about it — the water always flows. Even in the
years of drought we endured, good local water management and conservation got
us through the tough times. The water always flows.
Orange County Register comment, 9-16-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate
change not as threatening to planet as previously thought, new research
suggests
Climate change
poses less of an immediate threat to the planet than previously thought because
scientists got their modelling wrong, a new study has found. New research by
British scientists reveals the world is being polluted and warming up less
quickly than 10-year-old forecasts predicted, giving countries more time to get
a grip on their carbon output.
The Telegraph (U.K.), 9-18-17
USGS
Scientist Reports to Council About Storms, Rising Sea Level
A federal
geologist predicted that global sea rise could cause devastating destruction on
Point Dume, swamp Pacific Coast Highway and overrun Malibu beaches with surges
comparable to what the world saw this week in Florida.
Malibu Times, 9-17-17
GENERAL
Five
ways to reform CEQA without ruining the Earth or the middle class
When then-Gov.
Ronald Reagan signed into law the California Environmental Quality Act in 1970,
he and its authors could not have foreseen what the landmark legislation would
become decades later: a law stretched so far beyond its original intent that it
threatens to turn the Golden State’s economy to lead.
Fox & Hounds, 9-18-17
ALISO CANYON
California
Passes Bundle of Energy Bills, But Climate Change Agenda Stalls
As the
legislative session wound to an end on Friday, California legislators in the
past few days have passed a litany of bills regarding energy storage,
wastewater handling and abandoned oil and natural gas wells.
NGI Shale Gas Daily, 9-15-17
DIVISION OF OIL,
GAS, & GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
US
rig count drops by 8 this week to 936
The number of
rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell by eight this week to
936. That's up from the 506 rigs that were active a year ago.
Associated Press, 9-15-17
If you’ve
noticed the 18 years and more than $10 million the Santa Clarita City Council
has spent combating Cemex’s Soledad Canyon mine, you might think they
were fighting a prison next to an elementary school. Actually, Soledad would be
used for its sand and gravel much like other mines operating closer to homes in
the area. The mine site is in a virtually uninhabited area outside city limits.
It is not a pristine wilderness, but was actively mined for 20 years.
Santa Clarita
Gazette, 9-15-17
3.1
earthquake jostles people awake in Julian area
A magnitude 3.1
earthquake occurred at 6:22 a.m. on Friday roughly 13 miles from Julian, causing
brief shaking, according to the US Geological Survey.
San Diego Union Tribune, 9-15-17
Why seismologists didn’t see
Mexico’s deadly earthquake coming
Mexico has a long seismic history, so any given earthquake here does not
necessarily come as a surprise. In the pre-Hispanic epoch, inhabitants of the
country’s central zone reported on earthquakes in their “códices,” or indigenous records, attributing the
shaking to the wrath of their gods.
The
Conversation, 9-15-17
3.2
quake strikes near Highland Springs, Calif.
A hallow
magnitude 3.2 earthquake was reported Friday evening nearly a mile from
Highland Springs, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor
occurred at 9:39 p.m. PDT at a depth of 3.1 miles.
Los Angeles Times, 9-15-17
San
Jose residents reminded to prepare after swarm of earthquakes
Customers
outside the Berryessa branch of the U.S. Postal Service in San Jose have been
so rattled by Thursday's string of five 3.3 or less magnitude earthquakes in
the Eastern Foothills that they're reminding themselves to get prepared with
emergency supplies if there's a major temblor.
KGO-TV (San Francisco), 9-15-17
Seismic building inspections underway in
San Francisco after recent earthquakes
Seismic safety
is a priority for San Francisco building owners and residents. The retrofit
staff at the San Francisco Department of building inspection is working
overtime this Friday.
KGO-TV (San Francisco), 9-15-17
Magnitude
3.1 quake strikes near Salton Sea
A shallow
magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Saturday morning four miles from Fondo,
Calif., just south of the Salton Sea, according to the U.S. Geological
Survey. The temblor occurred at 2:45 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 5.0 miles.
Los Angeles Times, 9-16-17
Small
earthquake shakes Cherry Valley area in Southern California
A magnitude-3.2
earthquake struck 4.4 miles northwest of Banning in the Cherry Valley area of
Riverside County at 9:39 p.m. Friday, but no damage or injuries were
immediately reported.
Los Angeles City News Service, 9-15-17
How will a major earthquake shake out in
SoCal?
What will happen when the Big One hits? Earthquake scientists gathered in
Palm Springs this week to discuss that exact topic.
Southern
California Public Radio, 9-16-17
Magnitude
3.3 earthquake strikes near East Foothills, California
The United
States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck
near East Foothills, California on Thursday.
San Francisco Chronicle, 9-15-17
Report
Shines Light On Importance Of Valley Agriculture
The recent five
years of severe drought across California has fueled debate on whether
agriculture uses too much water.
Fresno Business Journal, 9-14-17
WATER
Follow the money – Delta tunnel foes try new
strategy
Opponents of the Delta tunnels proposal, facing a long-shot bid to kill
the controversial project on environmental grounds, are now trying to undermine
the plan’s financial structure.
Sacramento
Bee, 9-15-17
Borrego
Springs trying to deal with underground water crisis
Residents of Borrego Springs are reluctantly coming to grips
with a problem that threatens the very existence of their community, one they
have known about and been slow to solve -- until the state threatened to intervene.
San Diego Union Tribune, 9-16-17
ALISO CANYON
Proposal
would close Aliso Canyon — but not for a decade
The troubled
Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility would be closed down in a decade
under new legislation, but that’s not fast enough for some activists.
Los Angeles Times, 9-14-17
6
earthquakes rattle Northern California on Thursday
The United
States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck
near East Foothills on Thursday.
SFGate, 9-14-17
3.4
quake strikes near Yucca Valley
A shallow
magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported Wednesday afternoon near Yucca Valley,
Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake occurred at
2:59 p.m. at a depth of 1.2 mile.
Los Angeles Times, 9-13-17
3.5
quake strikes near El Centro
A shallow
magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Wednesday afternoon five miles from El
Centro, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at
3:21 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 8.7 miles.
Los Angeles Times, 9-13-17
Earthquake forecasting during the complex
Amatrice-Norcia seismic sequence
Earthquake forecasting is the ultimate challenge for seismologists,
because it condenses the scientific knowledge about the earthquake occurrence
process, and it is an essential component of any sound risk mitigation
planning.
Science
Advance, 9-13-17
Improving the imperfect science of
earthquake prediction
Earthquake prediction is a notoriously risky – yet simultaneously
vital – pursuit. Models for estimating when, where and how hard a quake
might hit rest on two theoretical pillars: the Omori and Gutenberg-Richter
power laws.
Cosmos,
9-13-17
Cannabis
cultivation creates new territory for Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara
County policymakers are in the middle of a unique task -- creating the
infrastructure to make an illicit activity a legitimate one.
Lompoc Record, 9-14-17
Repairs and maintenance scheduled on
uranium mine waste landfill east of Pinecrest
A Cold War-era uranium mine in the Stanislaus National Forest that
provided ore for nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the 1950s and 1960s is
now described by its federal custodians as a uranium mine waste landfill, and
it needs maintenance and repairs.
Sonora Union
Democrat, 9-13-17
Sand
Wars: Illegal Mining Is Making One Natural Resource A Lot Rarer
Extracting and
using natural resources has fueled social and political conflict for
years, especially when it comes to oil. Now, another resource is
gaining attention — sand.
ABC Channel 10, 9-14-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
County
supervisors debate climate change during meeting
The Santa Barbara
County Board of Supervisors was presented the progress report from the
county’s 2015 Energy and Climate Action Plan at its Sept. 12 meeting, and
the supervisors used much of their designated comment time to reiterate their
stances on climate change and how best to tackle it.
Santa Maria Sun, 9-12-17
U.S. House Votes to Block Climate Rules,
Using Critical Budget Bill
The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to cut funding from key
climate protection rules and rejected an attempt to save regional offices of
the Environmental Protection Agency from being closed.
Inside Climate
News, 9-13-17
WATER
Why
costly WaterFix tunnels project fixes nothing
The clock is
ticking as the Brown administration presses public water agencies to make a
final decision on whether to fund the proposed California
“WaterFix” project, a plan to construct two 40-foot diameter,
35-mile long tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
San Diego Union Tribune commentary,
9-13-17
ALISO CANYON
Weeks
after Aliso Canyon reopening, several gas storage wells were taken out of
service
Just weeks after
Southern California Gas Co. resumed injecting natural gas into the
storage wells at Aliso Canyon, one-third of those wells were taken out of
service.
Ventura County
Star, 9-13-17
Aliso
Canyon Partially Closed, 13 Wells in Service for Gradual Buildup of Pressure
Only weeks after
Southern California Gas Co. resumed injecting natural gas into the storage
wells at Aliso Canyon, one-third of those wells have been taken out of service,
it was reported Tuesday.
NBC San Diego
Channel 7, 9-13-17
Aliso
Canyon gas field to remain open as LA County loses court bid
Los Angeles
County lost another bid Wednesday to halt operations at the Aliso Canyon
natural gas storage facility near Porter Ranch, with the state Supreme Court
declining to review a lower court decision that allowed Southern California Gas
Co. to resume limited gas injections at the facility.
Los Angeles
Newspaper Group, 9-13-17
Court:
Aliso Canyon Can Stay Open
Los Angeles
County once again failed to halt natural gas operations at the Southern
California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon facilities, after the state Supreme
Court on Wednesday said it would not review a lower court’s decision that
permitted limited operations at the site.
San Fernando
Business Journal, 9-13-17
(OPINION) An
‘abnormal’ subduction zone quake
It took 90 seconds
for the 2017 global earthquake energy release to double. That was the time for
a fault to rupture off the coast of the Mexican state of Chiapas a week ago
today. The earthquake had a magnitude of 8.1 and was the largest quake to occur
anywhere in the world since a magnitude 8.3 in Chile two years ago. In less
than two minutes, it released just about the same amount of energy as all the
quakes in 2017 up to this moment.
Eureka
Times-Standard, 9-13-17
8.2
Mega-Earthquake Could Hit SoCal and Cause Catastrophic Damage in L.A. Area,
Scientists Say
The magnitude
8.2 earthquake that ravaged southern Mexico on Thursday was the largest to
shake the country in nearly a century.
KTLA Channel 5, 9-12
Eagle
Rock High Shows Off Earthquake Early Warning System
Students in Mr.
DeLeon’s advanced physical science class know exactly what the alarm
means.
CBS Los Angeles
TV, 9-13-17
Researchers:
6.9 earthquake in San Diego could kill thousands, cost billions of dollars
A team of
researchers, geologists and engineers Wednesday will present their latest
research on San Diego's Rose Canyon fault, and their predictions are costly and
deadly.
ABC News 10,
9-13-17
Has
California seen its agricultural 'heyday?'
We recently
carried a story online that asked, “Has U.S. farm income turned a
corner?” Missing from the optimistic tones in the national story, as is
often the case, is what’s happening in California – still
America’s leading agricultural state by gross value.
Western Farm
Press, 9-13-17
Kawamura,
Cameron: Regulations threaten California agriculture's sustainability
Two California
growers with ties to the state’s main agricultural agency say farming
practices in America’s highest grossing farm state will change –
how much so and to what extent depends largely, but not solely, on regulatory
challenges foisted on farmers.
Western Farm
Press, 9-13-17
State wetlands proposal worries
farmers, ranchers
In an action
that could have broader impacts than a federal "waters of the U.S."
rule now being rewritten by the Trump administration, the state of California
is aggressively moving to finalize new "waters of the state"
procedures and a new wetland definition by the end of the year. Farm and
industry groups say the action would create new regulatory burdens.
Ag Alert,
9-13-17
Marin supervisors approve $1.6M to
preserve 998-acre ranch
The 998-acre Evans-Giacomini ranch just outside Point Reyes Station is
closer to agricultural preservation now that the Board of Supervisors pitched
in for the purchase this week.
Marin Independent Journal, 9-12-17
Kern could become No. 1 in crop value for
the first time
We already have Fresno County beat. Tulare could be next. For the first
time, said Kern County Agricultural Commissioner Glenn Fankhauser, the San
Joaquin Valley's southernmost county could become the top ag producing county
in California.
Bakersfield Californian, 9-12-17
HIGH SPEED RAIL
Report:
Investment needed to prepare San Joaquin Valley communities for high-speed rail
Without state
and local intervention, San Joaquin Valley cities with high-speed rail stations
will become bedroom communities, sending out waves of tech workers on express
trains to the Bay Area and Los Angeles, a report released Wednesday by nonprofit think-tank SPUR
argues.
Mercury News,
9-13-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
This is California’s next step to
lead on climate change
California has long been a global leader on climate change and energy
innovation. Since the passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act a decade ago,
other countries have sought to emulate our cutting-edge approach to reducing
carbon emissions.
Sacramento Bee commentary, 9-12-17
WATER
Who’s watching out for taxpayers on
twin tunnels?
The latest news about the twin tunnels project in the delta reminds us
too much of another multibillion-dollar boondoggle, the bullet train.
Oroville Mercury
Register, editorial, 9-13-17
GENERAL
Too
many CEQA uses unrelated to environment
A bill to cut
red tape for Olympics projects in Los Angeles and a new Clippers’ arena
in Inglewood has been shelved, but political favoritism in development is not
going away.
Orange County
Register editorial, 9-13-17
ALISO CANYON
A third of wells shut down at troubled
Aliso Canyon gas facility
The largest gas storage facility in the West halted using a third of the
wells pumping methane underground at high pressure just weeks after it resumed
operations following a blowout that crippled it for nearly two years.
Associated
Press, 9-12-17
Weeks
after Aliso Canyon reopening, several gas storage wells were taken out of
service
Just weeks after
Southern California Gas Co. resumed injecting natural gas into the storage wells
at Aliso Canyon, one-third of those wells were taken out of service.
Los Angeles Times, 9-11-17
Aliso Canyon Partially Closed, 13 Wells in
Service for Gradual Buildup of Pressure
Only weeks after
Southern California Gas Co. resumed injecting natural gas into the storage
wells at Aliso Canyon, one-third of those wells have been taken out of service,
it was reported Tuesday.
Los Angeles City News Service, 9-12-17
Pressure
Buildup Forces SoCalGas to Shut In One-Third of Active Aliso Canyon Injection
Wells
During the first
two weeks that Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) began reinjection
operations at its troubled Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, the
company discovered a gradual pressure buildup at 13 of the 39 injection wells
that had been brought back online.
NGI Shale Gas Daily, 9-12-17
Death toll from southern Mexico's big
earthquake rises to 96
The death toll from Mexico's 8.1 magnitude earthquake rose to 96 on Monday as more victims were
confirmed in the hard-hit southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas and residents
worked to repair shattered homes and small businesses.
Associated
Press, 9-11-17
Unusual Mexico earthquake may have
relieved stress in seismic gap
When Vlad Manea heard about the deadly magnitude-8.2 earthquake that
struck the coast of Mexico’s Chiapas state on 7 September, he was
stunned, but not altogether surprised.
Science,
9-11-17
Researchers seek to better understand what
causes earthquakes
Scientists from across the globe are congregating in Palm Springs this
week to discuss and better understand the causes behind a threat that is top-of-mind
for many in Southern California: earthquakes.
Southern
California Public Radio (KPCC), 9-11-17
One day, next to
the traffic map and weather forecast on your smartphone, seismologist Thomas H.
Jordan envisions an app that you can check to see when the chances of a major
earthquake in California rise.
Los Angeles Times, 9-11-17
Is Berkeley prepared for an
earthquake the size of Mexico City’s?
Late last week,
an 8.2-magnitude earthquake shook Mexico City, killing more than 60 people
and making it the largest earthquake to hit the city in the last
century. Berkeley is situated directly on top of the Hayward Fault
— could an earthquake comparable to Mexico City’s occur in
Berkeley?
U.C. Berkeley
Daily Californian, 9-11-17
San
Diego quake could kill 2,000, inflict $40B in property damage
San
Diego’s Rose Canyon fault is capable of producing a magnitude 6.9
earthquake that could kill 2,000 people and inflict $40 billion in property
damage, according to a preliminary study sponsored by the Earthquake
Engineering Research Institute.
San Diego Union Tribune, 9-12-17
Concerns to have early warning earthquake
system rise after Mexico quake
When an 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck the southern coast of Mexico last
week, a loud alarm was heard going off in Mexico City hundreds of miles away.
KABC-TV (Los
Angeles), 9-11-17
Earthquake
conference held in the Coachella Valley
Southern
Californian's know too well about the looming threat the "big-one"
poses, this as experts say the state is long overdue for a major
earthquake.
KESQ-TV (Palm Springs), 9-11-17
Is
climate change wreaking weather havoc? Evolving science seeks answers
When San
Francisco hit 103 degrees in June 2000, a new high after more than a century of
record-keeping, the forces of global warming were likely at work. But
scientists weren’t ready to go there.
SFGate, 9-7-17
GENERAL
Facebook
and real estate developer pitch state lawmakers on speedier environmental
review cases
Facebook executives
and a New York developer are hoping that their major development projects could
get built years sooner than planned under last-minute legislation at the state
Capitol.
Los Angeles Times, 9-6-17
ALISO CANYON
Porter
Ranch gas leak health study hits roadblock after doctor is forced out
A physician who
has been tracking patients potentially affected by the massive Porter Ranch gas
leak has been let go from an urgent care clinic he led for eight years, which
could disrupt his clinical health study.
Daily News, 9-7-17
Atascadero
company helps upgrade earthquake early warning system
An
Atascadero-based satellite company is helping the state roll out its
earthquake early warning system.
KSBY, 9-8-17
Mexico
earthquake: Death toll rises to 90
A government
spokesman said 71 people had been killed in the south-west state of Oaxaca
alone.
BBC, 9-10-17
Death
toll now at 90 as aftershocks rattle Mexico
Life for many
has moved outdoors in the quake-shocked city of Juchitan, where a third of the
homes are reported uninhabitable and repeated aftershocks have scared people away
from many structures still standing.
Chicago Tribune, 9-10-17
Monster
slide will keep Big Sur isolated for at least an additional year
Big Sur will be
largely cut off from the south for at least another year because of a monster
slide that has blocked state Highway 1 for nearly four months, Caltrans said
Friday.
SFGate, 9-8-17
MEXICO
CITY’S EARTHQUAKE ALERT WORKED. THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WASN’T SO
LUCKY
"Alerta
sísmica! Alerta sísmica!" Few things strike as much fear
into the hearts of Mexico City residents as the words “seismic
alert” blaring from speakers in schools and parks. It means an earthquake
is rumbling up from the Pacific coast, and you have 60 to 90 seconds to get
someplace safe.
Wired, 9-8-17
Mexico
got early warning before deadly earthquake struck. When will California get
that system?
Mexico’s massive earthquake Thursday night
offered another example of how an earthquake early warning system can provide
crucial warnings for preparation.
Los Angeles Times, 9-8-17
California
could be hit by an 8.2 mega-earthquake, and damage would be catastrophic
The magnitude
8.2 earthquake that ravaged southern Mexico on Thursday was the largest to
shake the country in nearly a century.
Los Angeles Times,
9-9-17
The
world is facing a global sand crisis
When people
picture sand spread across idyllic beaches and endless deserts, they
understandably think of it as an infinite resource. But as we discuss in
a just-published
perspective in the journal Science, over-exploitation of global
supplies of sand is damaging the environment, endangering communities, causing
shortages and promoting violent conflict.
Salon, 9-10-17
Mining
a great Gold Rush getaway in Placerville
Hardhats in
place, audio tour-app queued up, we enter the beckoning maw of the Gold Bug
Mine in Hangtown, a.k.a. Placerville, sliding past slimy walls into the
darkness beyond. The temperature drops — a ghostly cold spot? Silly
me, no, it’s probably just the natural underground coolness. Either way,
it’s a pleasant relief from the summer heat of the Sierra foothills.
East Bay Times, 9-10-17
(OPINION)
Letter: Be grateful for dependable energy
The recent solar
eclipse was an interesting phenomenon, with people traveling, or getting
special glasses, to observe it.
Chico Enterprise Record, 9-11-17
CLIMATE CHANGE
With climate change upon us, where’s
the safest place in California to live?
Last week, as Los Angeles burned, San Francisco baked, Houston reeled
amid biblical flooding and the Florida Keys braced for Hurricane Irma, David W.
Titley picked up his phone on the other side of the country and cut to the
chase.
Sacramento Bee
commentary, 9-7-17
Heat wave, fires, hurricanes bear the
‘fingerprints of climate change,’ scientists say
Wildfires from the Oregon border to Los Angeles. Temperatures hitting 100
degrees in San Francisco, and higher in Sacramento, capping off the hottest
summer in California history.
Sacramento
Bee, 9-6-17
U.S.
Geological Survey Upgrades Pasadena Earthquake Data Processing Center
The U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) contracted Atascadero-based John Whitford
Communications to upgrade equipment at the USGS Pasadena Processing Center,
which conducts research and promotes activities to reduce earthquake hazards in
southern California.
Pasadena Now, 9-6-17
At
least 32 dead after 8.1 magnitude earthquake rocks Mexico
A massive
8.1-magnitude earthquake hit off Mexico’s southern coast, toppling houses
in Chiapas state, causing at least 32 deaths and setting off a tsunami warning,
state media reported Friday.
Associated Press, 9-8-17
Mexico's
strongest earthquake in a century leaves dozens dead
At least
32 people have died after the most powerful earthquake to hit Mexico in a
century struck off the country's southern coast.
KRCR-Redding News, 9-8-17
Hurricane
Irma a reminder of the need for Californians to be prepared for 'The Big One'
The devastation
from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma facing many in the U.S. and beyond serves as a reminder
of the need to be prepared for all kinds of natural disasters, including as the
long-awaited “Big One.”
Desert Sun, 9-8-17
Sunlight
glimmered off the large glass windows of the Lindal cedar home Red Heesch built
in 1986. His greyish-blue eyes panned the horizon from his balcony, counting at
least 36 different white, red, blue, black, and coastal live oaks that sink
their roots deep into the golden ground of his front yard, where San Diego and
San Dimas Road meet on a southwestern edge of Atascadero.
New Times SLO, 9-7-17
WATER
Banned
pesticides from illegal pot farms seep into California water
Toxic chemicals
from illegal marijuana farms hidden deep in California’s forests are
showing up in rivers and streams that feed the state’s water supply,
prompting fears that humans and animals may be at risk, data reviewed by
Reuters show.
Reuters, 9-8-17
The Indy Explains: Geothermal energy in
Nevada
Geothermal
energy is the forgotten Nevada renewable. By law, power providers in Nevada are
required to source 20 percent of their electricity from renewables.
Nevada
Independent, 9-5-17
Gas
Leaking in South L.A. Neighborhood After Underground Vault Explosion
Gas is leaking
in a South Los Angeles neighborhood on Thursday after an underground vault
exploded, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
KTLA Channel 5, 9-7-17
Riverside
Resources Inc. (“Riverside” or the
“Company”) (TSX-V:RRI),
is pleased to report that geologic mapping and rock-chip sampling continues at the
partner-funded Glor Gold Project (the “Project”) in northwestern
Sonora, Mexico.
Globe Newswire, 9-6-17
Earthquake
swarm now at 100 temblors in Southeast Idaho
People should be
prepared for the worst when it comes to the earthquake swarm that’s been
shaking Southeast Idaho since Saturday evening.
Monterey County Now, 9-4-17
Northwest
farmland values continue to increase
The average
value of cropland in Idaho, Oregon and Washington is on the rise this year,
while around the nation it’s unchanged from 2016.
Capital Press,
9-6-17
Yolo
Land Trust executive briefs Woodland council on its mission of preservation
Michele Clark,
executive director of the Yolo Land Trust, made a pitch to Woodland’s
City Council encouraging its members to turn out and support agricultural
preservation.
Woodland Daily Democrat, 9-6-17
WATER
California
updates its flood plan for Central Valley
The flooding
catastrophe in Texas and along the Gulf Coast as a result of Hurricane Harvey
is a reality check for those living in flood-prone areas, including in
California.
Woodland Daily Democrat, 9-6-17
HIGH-SPEED RAIL
California’s
high-speed rail promoters should heed the wisdom of rats
California’s
high-speed rail project has broken more promises than ground. At every stage,
the project has underestimated costs and overestimated benefits.
Sacramento Bee, 8-29-17
Lawmakers
lose battle to protect California coast from Trump’s oil drilling threats
A California
Senate bill meant to curtail President Donald Trump’s threat to expand
offshore oil drilling in federal waters died on Friday.
Sacramento
Bee, 9-1-17
Forest
group tries new strategy to stop oil project in canyon area
Conservationists
have tripled up on strategies to stop the expansion of an oil production
facility in the Santa Paula Canyon area.
Ventura County Star, 9-5-17
New
mining rule may head off new gravel pit (Nevada)
An ordinance
designed to head off another gravel pit on land in the Pine Nut foothills is
under consideration by Douglas County commissioners.
The
Record-Courier, 9-5-17
(OPINION)
Carol Marshall: In remembrance of Jack Clark and the mining era
The mining
community and the Sierra Nevada Mining and Industry Council celebrated Jack
Clark and other "old timer" miners while they were alive.
The Union, 9-6-17
Forest group tries new strategy to stop
oil project in canyon area
Conservationists have tripled up on strategies to stop the expansion of
an oil production facility in the Santa Paula Canyon area.
Ventura County
Star, 9-5-17
Lawmakers lose battle to protect
California coast from Trump’s oil drilling threats
A California Senate bill meant to curtail President Donald Trump’s
threat to expand offshore oil drilling in federal waters died on Friday.
Sacramento
Bee, 9-1-17
New
Loma Linda hospital designed to move up and down during an earthquake
The new Loma
Linda University Medical Center will be the first in the country engineered to
bob up and down during an earthquake, construction engineers said recently.
Riverside Press-Enterprise, 9-1-17
HIGH SPEED RAIL
California’s high-speed rail promoters
should heed the wisdom of rats
California’s high-speed rail project has broken more promises than ground.
At every stage, the project has underestimated costs and overestimated
benefits.
Sacramento Bee
commentary, 8-29-17
GENERAL
UN
chief says natural disasters have quadrupled since 1970
Natural
disasters have nearly quadrupled in number since 1970 and the United States has
experienced the most disasters since 1995, followed by China and India, the
United Nations chief said Tuesday.
Associated Press, 9-5-17
WATER
Will costs sink Brown's water tunnels?
The first time Jerry Brown was governor of California, his greatest policy
defeat came when resentful Northern Californians voted almost unanimously in
1982 to reverse a legislative vote authorizing a massive ditch around the delta
of the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers.
Ventura County
Star syndicated column, 9-5-17
Owners
of S.F. ‘soft-story’ buildings slow to file for required retrofits
Time is running
out for more than 1,100 San Francisco property owners who thus far have ignored
a deadline to bring their apartment buildings up to current seismic safety
standards.
San Francisco Chronicle, 9-2-17
Magnitude
3.0 quake strikes near Coso Junction, Calif.
A shallow
magnitude 3.0 earthquake was reported Saturday afternoon seven miles from Coso
Junction, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred
at 12:30 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of zero miles.
Los Angeles Times, 9-2-17
WATER
Will
lawsuits, high costs frustrate Brown’s water tunnels plan?
The first time
Jerry Brown was governor of California, his greatest policy defeat came when
resentful Northern Californians voted almost unanimously in 1982 to reverse a
legislative vote authorizing a massive ditch around the delta of the San
Joaquin and Sacramento rivers.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group column, 9-5-17
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