The death toll following the tsunami caused by the Anak Krakatau volcano has risen to at least 373, Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency says. Saturday saw giant waves crash into coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java.

BBC, 12-24-19

Rumbling Indonesia volcano could trigger more tsunamis, experts warn

Another tsunami could strike Indonesia, experts have warned, after a powerful wave caused by a volcanic eruption killed hundreds when it swallowed coastal settlements, taking earthquake-focused disaster monitors by surprise.

Agency France Presse, 12-24-18

Indonesia's tsunami on Saturday, which killed at least 373 people, never triggered the alert system

A devastating tsunami took Indonesians by surprise because an early warning system — designed to detect changes in wave height in coastal areas near an active volcano — hasn't worked since 2012, government officials said.

USA Today, 11-24-18

Lava, ash spew from new fracture on Italy's Mount Etna

The Mount Etna observatory says lava and ash are spewing from a new fracture on the active Sicilian volcano amid an unusually high level of seismic activity.

Associated Press, 12-24-18

3.1 quake strikes near Genesee, Calif.

A shallow magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Saturday morning two miles from Genesee, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 9:03 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 0.6 miles.

Los Angeles Times, 12-21-18

Santa Barbara County takes emergency action to better protect Montecito from mudslides

Santa Barbara County granted an emergency permit Friday to a private group’s request to install 11 steel ring nets to hold back boulders in canyons above Montecito that led to January’s deadly debris flows. With the mountains still bare and a wet El Niño predicted for January, the group had been working to convince county, state and federal officials that the hazardous conditions still exist.

Los Angeles Times, 12-21-18

3.5 quake strikes near Aguanga in Riverside County

A shallow magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Thursday four miles from Aguanga, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 12:18 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 1.9 miles.

Los Angeles Times, 12-20-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

San Diego County's carbon-offset plan for developers in jeopardy but some projects could survive

San Diego County’s plan that would allow developers to pay their way around restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions appears to be in legal peril. However, several projects already approved by the Board of Supervisors still could move forward

San Diego Union Tribune, 12-21-18

California invests millions in technology research to reduce global warming emissions

The Strategic Growth Council, or SGC, approved funding for four groundbreaking research initiatives that will develop clean technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance equitable outcomes for vulnerable communities. The research teams that were selected for funding will explore topics as varied as developing tools for resilient forest management, sustainable use of biomass, improving carbon sequestration on farmlands, and advancing more efficient cooling technologies in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Lake County News, 11-23-18

FORESTS AND WATERSHEDS

Angwin's Pacific Union College sells conservation easement for forest

On Dec. 20, Pacific Union College, the Land Trust of Napa County and CalFire agreed on a conservation easement on 864 acres of college-owned forest land in Angwin. The easement will permanently eliminate the potential for residential, commercial, and agricultural development of the property.

St. Helena Star, 12-23-18

GENERAL

What Jerry Brown fixed and couldn’t fix

With his time in office down to 17 days, Gov. Jerry Brown spoke of things he fixed, tried to fix and fears can never be fixed. He sat in the main room of the home he and his wife, Anne Gust Brown, have built on land his great-grandfather, August Schuckman, bought for $1 an acre in the 1850s. He wore a jacket, a fire blazed in the fireplace, and his corgi, Colusa, barked.

CalMatters, 12-22-18

It's an easy A for Jerry Brown in his final two terms as governor of California

It’s time to grade Gov. Jerry Brown, who’s packing his thousands of books and leaving the Capitol campus for good. No need to think twice. He earned an A for his final two terms as governor.

Los Angeles Times column, 12-24-18

How Jerry Brown fits in among California’s greatest governors

He was California’s youngest governor in a century, its oldest governor in history, and will remain its longest-serving governor for the foreseeable future. Jerry Brown likes to dodge questions about his legacy, but as he leaves office next month, it’s time to take stock of his remarkable tenure. Call it a rough draft of history — we asked a panel of eight California historians, Sacramento veterans and longtime followers of state politics where they’d rank Brown among the Golden State’s best governors.

Bay Area News Group, 11-23-18

California’s bullet train is pumping billions into the Valley economy. So why is it so unpopular?

Vicente Ward had trouble finding work after leaving the Air Force — until California’s bullet-train project came along. Now he’s helping build a bridge that someday will carry rail passengers across the San Joaquin River between Madera and Fresno.

Sacramento Bee, 12-23-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY

Santa Barbara County knew mudslides were a risk. It did little to stop them

During severe winter storms, Cold Springs Creek above Montecito turns into a torrent of mud, uprooted trees and shed-size boulders as it drains three square miles of sheer mountain front.

Los Angeles Times, 12-20-18

Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes off eastern coast of Russia

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the east coast of Russia early Friday local time, initially sparking warnings of a tsunami. The United States Geological Survey said the quake was about five miles deep and struck before 5 a.m. local time about 50 miles west of Nikol’skoye.

Fox News, 12-20-18

National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act reauthorized

It’s been a busy week in the geoscience world. I’ll quickly hit three highlights.

Eureka Times Standard column, 12-19-18

3.0 quake strikes near Holcomb Village

A shallow magnitude 3.0 earthquake was reported Thursday morning five miles from Holcomb Village, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 3:21 a.m. PST at a depth of 6.2 miles.

Los Angeles Times, 12-20-18

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

District builds ponds for farmers

As farmer Ryan Casey crested the hill at his Blue House Farm location in San Gregorio, kicking caked layers of mud from the bottom of his boots, he was greeted by the gentle burbling of flowing water. In front of him, a massive, man-made reservoir was slowly being filled up with water pumped from nearby San Gregorio Creek.

Half Moon Bay Review, 12-19-18

Vasquez wants new look at Solano ag districts; Williamson contracts

The look of agriculture has changed since Solano County last evaluated the various ag districts leading into the General Plan update in 2008. The change has been significant enough, in fact, that Supervisor John Vasquez wants the county to re-evaluate those areas to better protect the industry’s viability.

Fairfield Daily Republic, 12-20-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

How Climate Change Is Affecting Small Sierra Nevada Lakes

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, are taking the temperature — and other measurements — of lakes of all sizes and shapes throughout the mountains of California to see how climate change is affecting them and what, perhaps, can be done about it.

UC Davis News, 12-19-18

Newsom must prepare for the worst. Here’s a map

Like every California governor, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom risks natural disaster on his watch. But Newsom’s risk is worse because his term overlaps with the highest atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of the last 800,000 years — and that level is increasing.

San Francisco Chronicle, 12-19-18

Why is sea level rising faster in some places along the US East Coast than others?

Sea levels are rising globally from ocean warming and melting of land ice, but the seas aren't rising at the same rate everywhere. Sea levels have risen significantly faster in some U.S. East Coast regions compared to others.

Science Daily, 12-19-18

Judge blasts San Diego County's pay-to-pollute plan — putting 10,000 new suburban units in limbo

A county plan that would allow housing developers to pay their way around restrictions on greenhouse-gas emissions looks increasingly to be on shaky legal ground. The Sierra Club has challenged the plan in court as part of its longstanding fight with the agency over its so-called climate action plan.

San Diego Union Tribune, 12-20-18

GENERAL

Deep Beneath Your Feet, They Live in the Octillions

At the surface, boiling water kills off most life. But Geogemma barossii is a living thing from another world, deep within our very own. Boiling water — 212 degrees Fahrenheit — would be practically freezing for this creature, which thrives at temperatures around 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

New York Times, 12-19-18

California's legislative analyst, after decades of nonpartisan research for lawmakers, calls it a career

Only five people have led the independent research office of the California Legislature since its creation in 1941. And each of them has had a pretty simple mantra to live by in reviewing public policy proposals and government programs: Call it like you see it. “The job of any analyst, to me, is you maintain that nonpartisanship,” Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor said.

Los Angeles Times, 12-21-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY

Mild earthquake hits Riverside County

Riverside County was hit by a magnitude 3.0 earthquake early Thursday morning. The quake struck about 3:20 a.m. at a depth of about 6 miles. Its epicenter was about 26 miles east of Temecula, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report.

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 12-20-2018

Earthquake rattle Carson City area in Nevada Thursday Morning

Two bigger-than-usual earthquakes hit the Carson City area Thursday morning. At 5:24 a.m., a magnitude 3.6 quake was reported about 4 miles south-southeast of Carson City. Six minutes later at 5:30 a.m., a magnitude 3.4 quake was reported at about the same spot.

Reno Gazette Journal, 12-20-2018

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Developer Submits a map for 235-home development as part of the Loma Rica Ranch in Grass Valley

It has been in the planning stages for decades, transitioning through several owners and multiple designs. But the Loma Rica Ranch could finally see a housing development break ground, as early as next summer.

Grass Valley Union, 12-18-2018

‘Dead Skunk’ stench from marijuana farms outrages Californians

When Californians voted to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016, there were debates about driving under the influence and keeping it away from children. But lawmakers did not anticipate the uproar that would be generated by the funk of millions of flowering cannabis plants.

New York Times, 12-19-2018

Oxnard project calls for construction of nearly 600 housing units, high school

On Tuesday, the Oxnard City Council discussed the development of a 107-acre property on the northeast corner of Rose Avenue and Camino del Sol. The farmland is destined to have nearly 600 units of housing, a high school and commercial space.

Ventura County Star, 12-20-2018

FORESTS AND WATERSHEDS

Washington, California, British Columbia join forces on forest health and climate change

California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and British Columbia Minister of Forests Doug Donaldson today pledged to share information and work jointly to improve forest resilience and better understand how forests are responding to climatic changes.

Monroe (Wash.) Monitor & Valley News, 12-19-2018

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY

18 days after the earthquake, nearly 5,000 aftershocks and counting

18 days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake shook Southcentral Alaska, nearly 5,000 aftershocks have been registered by seismic sensors, and on Sunday, the Alaska Earthquake Center reported surpassing 50,000 recorded earthquakes in Alaska in a year for the first time ever.

KTUU (Anchorage television), 12-18-2018

WATER

Paper outlines how L.A. County can adapt its water supply for climate change

The climate is changing, Earth’s population is growing and more people are living in cities. That means urban areas — particularly those in arid or semiarid regions — need to update their water supply systems. The world was reminded of this earlier in the year with the water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa, which has a climate almost identical to that of Los Angeles. At the peak of the crisis, residents were required to limit daily water consumption to 50 liters (about 13 gallons), taking two-minute showers and letting their lawns and gardens dry up. A new UCLA paper has created a guide for Los Angeles County — based on 10 years of research — that could prevent such a crisis from happening here.

UCLA Newsroom, 12-18-2018

Other view: My turn: Peace in California’s water wars is within grasp

The outlines of a truce in California’s unending water battles began to come into focus last week, though not everyone is willing to sign the treaty. The State Water Board adopted the first phase of a far-reaching revision to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento‒San Joaquin Delta and its watershed. But something else happened in the board meeting that may be more important and longer-lasting: state officials presented the framework of a peace treaty for Central Valley water wars.

Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 12-20-2018

CLIMATE CHANGE

Agriculture is a big climate problem. Now farmers are sharing solutions.

Climate change has come for farmers, in California and beyond. Yet while agriculture is suffering the impacts of a warming world, it is also a part of the problem. Now, farmers from around the world attending this year’s COP24 are trying to persuade their peers to play their part in saving the world.

Grist, 12-18-2018

California is aiming for 100 percent clean energy. But Los Angeles might invest billions in fossil fuels

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is leaning toward spending billions of dollars to rebuild three aging gas-fired power plants, even as California aims to eliminate fossil fuels, a goal endorsed by Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Bakersfield Californian, 12-20-2018

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Like Oil and Water: The Arroyo Grande oil field and nearby domestic drinking wells

Voters in six California counties have passed measures banning fracking and placing limits on other types of oil extraction. This November, a citizen’s initiative in San Luis Obispo County sought to do the same. Oil companies funded an $8 million dollar campaign to defeat the measure, and a majority of voters rejected Measure G—54 to 46 percent. The defeat removes one roadblock to a planned expansion of operations at the Arroyo Grande oil field near San Luis Obispo.

KCBX (San Luis Obispo radio), 12-19-18

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Farm Bill could mean big bucks, legalization for hemp industry

With the expected approval from President Donald Trump, the 2018 Farm Bill could open the doors to making industrial hemp a multibillion dollar crop in the U.S. The massive $867 billion spending bill that funds everything from food assistance programs to crop research was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate earlier this month. It awaits the president’s signature that could come soon.

Fresno Bee, 12-17-18

FORESTS AND WATERSHEDS

PG&E’s mass tree removal Initiative is short-sighted

If a tree falls in the woods, and no powerlines are around, does it make a fire? If you are not living in a community in the Sierra, the foothills or other wildfire-threatened areas where hundreds or thousands of trees are being removed near powerlines, consider yourself lucky — 0r uninformed.

Placerville Mountain Democrat commentary, 12-17-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Did Jerry Brown do enough on climate change?

Jerry Brown, in the last term of his two-part, 16-year governorship, came close to redeeming his environmental faults. Brown deserves a salute for striving to get out the message that climate change is indeed, in his words, a global “existential crisis” and that we are living in the “new abnormal.”

Los Angeles Times commentary

GENERAL

Legacy and the Future: Brown talks before leaving office

There was a rousing welcome for California Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday, who made his first, last and only appearance before the Sacramento Press Club in eight years. “I’m not here to make news,” Brown quipped. “I’m here to enlighten you.”

KCRA (Sacramento television), 12-18-19

Does California have a budget surplus of nearly ‘$30 billion,’ as Gov. Jerry Brown claimed?

Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown’s has received wide praise for his ability to manage California’s fiscal health. Brown inherited a $27 billion budget deficit when he started his most recent two terms as governor in 2011. Early on, he sharply reduced spending, spearheaded voter-approved tax increases and benefitted from a resurgent economy.

Politifact, 12-18-18

Five remarkably candid tips from departing Gov. Jerry Brown

Don’t hold regular press conferences. Reward loyalty. If you’re a Californian with presidential aspirations, move to New York. Are you taking notes, Gov-elect Gavin Newsom?

CalMatters, 12-18-18

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY

Scientists claim progress in earthquake prediction

The Big One — a catastrophic earthquake — is coming. When? Where? How violent and destructive will it be? Scientists would love to be able to answer these questions, but they’ve been humbled by earthquakes too often. The earth shakes unpredictably. There’s chaos in the mix.

Washington Post, 12-17-18

Crews work to prevent debris from washing down five creeks after the Carr Fire

A crew was out this week spreading grass seed and straw on hillsides in west Redding to prevent erosion where the Carr Fire burned last summer. So far the California Conservation Corps crew has finished spreading erosion control on about 20 acres out of a planned 1,640 acres where work is planned

Redding Record Searchlight, 12-14-18

What caused nearly 20,000 quakes at Oroville Dam? Scientists weigh in on mystery

The earthquakes hit just days after last year’s near-catastrophe at Oroville Dam, when the spillway cracked amid heavy rains and 188,000 people fled in fear of flooding.

San Francisco Chronicle, 12-17-18

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Homeowners file first in series of lawsuits against Crimson Pipeline over 2016 oil spill in Ventura

A Ventura couple has filed a lawsuit against Crimson Pipeline LLC alleging the company failed to clean up oil from a 2016 spill that sent gallons of crude onto their property.

Los Angeles Times, 12-17-18

SoCal Gas addresses Blythe Council, takes issue with state energy initiatives: ‘California wants to electrify everything’

At the Dec. 11 Blythe City Council meeting, Southern California Gas (SoCal Gas) Public Affairs Manager Deborah McGarrey made a public presentation as part of the company’s ongoing awareness efforts regarding the state’s direction and future in energy – namely, the issue of proposed mandates that could see a massive overhaul requiring all-electric homes and buildings in the coming years.

Palo Verde Valley Times, 12-17-1LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

California's first orange tree

Seven billion dollars... that's the economic impact of California's iconic citrus industry today. Citrus trees grow all over the state and it’s all thanks to gold miners.

KXTV (Sacramento television), 12-17-18

MINING

Mining Truck Traffic On Stevens Creek To Be Discussed This Week

Two meetings from the city and Santa Clara County related to increased truck traffic on Stevens Creek and Foothill boulevards are set this week in Cupertino and San Jose.

Cupertino Patch, 12-17-18

WATER

Gov. Brown working to save his tunnels

In the world of water politics, where change occurs at a glacial pace, the past few weeks have seen enormous swings in how our state’s most precious resource is managed and delivered.

San Francisco Chronicle editorial, 12-16-18

Trump Is Wrong to Weaken Clean Water Rules

President Trump really dislikes the 2015 Clean Water Rule. Barely a month after taking office he directed the Environmental Protection Agency to take steps toward killing it. The “horrible, horrible” rule, he said, was a “massive power grab” that burdens farmers and developers with restrictions on “every puddle” and “every ditch.”

Bloomberg News editorial, 12-17-18

El Niños to strengthen because of global warming, will cause 'more extreme weather', study says

El Niños will be stronger and more frequent in the decades ahead because of global warming, causing “more extreme events” in the United States and around the world, a news study says.

USA Today, 12-16-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Mixed signals for the solar industry as 2018 wraps up

Third quarter numbers delivered a combination of good news and bad news for the California solar industry, echoing a pattern seen on the national stage as the sector confronts growing pains that include tariffs recently put into place by the Trump administration.

San Diego Union Tribune, 12-18-18

The world needs great strides to fight global warming. Climate talks in Poland delivered only baby steps

On Saturday night, at the end of two weeks of meetings in Katowice, Poland, delegates from nearly 200 nations gave themselves a standing ovation for their accomplishments in combating climate change. But even though they no doubt worked very hard on a very difficult issue, the fact is that their enthusiastic self-congratulations were undeserved.

Los Angeles Times editorial, 12-18-18

GENERAL

Angela Avery Named Executive Officer of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Governing Board last week announced the hiring of Angela Avery as the state agency’s new Executive Officer.

Mariposa Sierra Sun-Times, 12-15-18

Jerry Brown wanted to save the planet and the California budget. How did he do?

Deep into his fifteenth year leading the nation’s largest state, Gov. Jerry Brown practically shuddered when a reporter asked him about his legacy. “I don’t have a legacy. I don’t know what a legacy is. This is a media construct,” he said at a June 2017 press conference.

Sacramento Bee, 12-18-18

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Federal search warrants executed at Greka Energy in Santa Maria

Federal investigators executed several search warrants Thursday at the Santa Maria offices of Greka Energy as part of an Environmental Protection Agency investigation.

Santa Maria Times, 12-13-2018

More oil fracking on Central California public lands? Thousands voice concerns on air, water

Thousands of people have voiced concerns over the prospect of fracking on public lands that are open to oil and gas exploration across Central California. Around 400,000 acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management are available for new oil and gas leases, including on the coast, and that could mean more fracking.

San Luis Obispo Tribune, 12-13-2018

Local BLM office released scoping summary on fracking study, plus news on local home market and the outlook for almonds

A four-year-old effort to assess the effects of hydraulic fracturing on federal lands in Kern County and elsewhere in California has drawn 8,400 public comments, most of them from the Central Coast. The responses, 2.5 percent of which have been classified as unique and substantive, are summarized in a scoping report released Thursday by the Bakersfield field office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Bakersfield Californian, 12-14-2018

Controversial Long Beach wetlands deal approved, more oil drilling expected

A controversial land swap that could eventually restore a 150-acre Long Beach oil field to its natural state as part of the Los Cerritos Wetlands was approved by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday, a key step for the project to move forward.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 12-13-2018

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

County buys 2 east county land parcels for conservation

County supervisors Wednesday unanimously approved two land acquisitions for conservation, including 254 acres in the town of Alpine. Most of the property, owned by Helix Land Co., is designated as a conservation area and home to the coastal California gnatcatcher, which is listed as a threatened species.

Times of San Diego, 12-12-2018

Solano supervisors support resource district planning grant application

The Solano County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday adopted a resolution in support of the Solano Resource Conservation District’s application for a planning grant from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy.

Fairfield Daily Republic, 12-12-2018

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY

Montecito volunteer ready for 2019 emergency calls

The MERRAG group (Montecito Emergency Recovery and Recovery Action Group) in Montecito has laid out its goals for the 2019 year after coming off of one of the biggest years for disaster response in anyone's recent memory.

KEYT (Santa Barbara television), 12-14-2018

CLIMATE CHANGE

New climate model to be built from the ground up

Facing the certainty of a changing climate coupled with the uncertainty that remains in predictions of how it will change, scientists and engineers from across the country are teaming up to build a new type of climate model that is designed to provide more precise and actionable predictions.

Science Blog, 12-13-2018

Climate talks at risk of failure as U.S. leaves a leadership void

Global talks to combat climate change risked breaking up with little to show for them, with the hostile U.S. stance on aggressive action leaving a leadership void that other countries have been reluctant or unable to fill. The year’s largest gathering of climate negotiators, with nearly 200 countries represented, is seen as a crucial moment when the world will either commit to ramping up its ambitions to attack the issue or risk falling even further behind in staving off the worst effects of global warming.

Washington Post, 12-12-2018

Climate talks inch forward in Poland, may go thru weekend

Officials from almost 200 countries on Friday discussed the first comprehensive draft agreement to emerge at the U.N. climate talks in Poland, mindful that the clock was ticking to reach a deal.

Associated Press, 12-14-2018

WATER

Aquifer gets MRI

Thanks to a 21st century upgrade of World War II technology, with a boost from—of all places—Denmark, both Butte and Glenn counties will have a better understanding of the underground layers where water flows and caches. This knowledge, apart from the scientific benefit, will inform groundwater sustainability plans required by 2022 under the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

Chico News & Review, 12-13-2018

EPA seeks clarity on Clear Water Act for farmers, landowners and states

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army (Army) are delivering on the president’s agenda by proposing a new definition for “waters of the United States.” The agencies’ proposal would end years of uncertainty over where federal jurisdiction begins and ends.

Fresno Bee, 12-12-2018

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

US oil prices predicted to climb in 2019 on lower supply

After a turbulent two months during which oil prices plummeted from a four-year high to a one-year low, investors may wonder what comes next for U.S. crude. Analysts at Swiss bank UBS are among those who predict prices will recover in 2019, as oil cartel OPEC, the U.S. and Russia curb output from the current record level.

Associated Press, 12-13-18

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Poway to increase open space holdings

The city is poised to spend $5,600 to acquire another 46 acres to its growing inventory of open space acreage. The City Council will be asked Tuesday night to approve spending money for its Habitat In-Lieu Fee Fund to obtain the property, which is in tax default with the county.

San Diego Union Tribune, 12-13-18

DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION

Rescued man says mine ordeal was ’life changing’

One of three adults rescued after four days in an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia says he learned a valuable lesson. The faces of Cody Beverly and the others were covered in soot as they emerged from an ambulance and were reunited with loved ones Wednesday night before being taken to a hospital for treatment.

Associated Press, 12-13-18

CLIMATE CHANGE

Eco-friendly 'algae curtains' could help curb air pollution in crowded cities

Air pollution is an enormous problem in many urban areas, but two European architects have developed plant-filled plastic curtains designed to turn building facades into “living walls” that help purify dirty air.

NBC News, 12-12-18

Scientists identify new minerals for carbon capture

Research confirms new minerals are capturing and storing carbon in a new paper by University of Alberta geologists and their collaborators. The minerals, members of the hydrotalcite group, are the first outside of the carbonate family to naturally capture atmospheric CO2 in mine waste, important as society continues to forge ways to lower our carbon emissions and combat climate change.

University of Alberta, 12-12-18

Carbon bank the size of Switzerland found in the Great Barrier Reef deep water seagrass

Researchers have found a "surprising" level of carbon sequestration by a deep water seagrass bed the size of Switzerland in the Great Barrier Reef.

ABC News, 12-12-18

California’s cap-and-trade system may be too weak to do its job

California is regarded as a global leader on climate-change policy, having put in place some of the world’s most ambitious carbon-reduction targets. Most recently, it extended its landmark climate law from 2020 out through 2030, drawing international praise and signaling that the state would stay on the path of decarbonization.

Vox, 12-13-18

Wind and solar clash with energy reality

In the name of protecting the environment, some public and political leaders want most of our electrical energy to come from renewables. The reality is that wind and solar combined supply only 17 percent of electricity-generating capacity in the U.S. and even less globally.

The Hill commentary, 12-11-18

Climate change will bring more strong El Niños. Here's what that means for California

California is no stranger to extreme weather. The last decade has brought crippling droughts and dam-busting deluges. And climate change is only making the situation worse by turning up the heat during the dry season and supercharging storms during the wet season.

Los Angeles Times, 12-12-18

WATER

California shifts water from farms, cities to fish. But a Jerry Brown compromise plan isn’t dead

Despite an epic last-minute compromise brokered by Gov. Jerry Brown, state water regulators voted Wednesday to reallocate billions of gallons of San Joaquin River water from farms and cities to revive struggling fish populations.

Sacramento Bee, 12-12-18

GENERAL

Los Angeles just green-lighted a development on land that's 8 times the size of San Francisco, and scientists are warning it's in wildfire territory

Los Angeles has approved a plan to build a mixed-use development on land that's eight times the size of San Francisco. Earlier this week, the county's board of supervisors voted in favor of the Centennial project, a sprawling suburban oasis that's being touted as a solution to the region's housing shortage.

Business Insider, 12-12-18

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