Oiled seabirds have been flooding into the center following heavy storms that stirred up the oil seep that naturally occurs off California’s coastline. Rising to the surface, the oil has contaminated scores of birds that live on the ocean, mainly Western Grebes, Clark’s Grebes, Red-throated Loons and Surf Scoters.

Orange County Register, 2-27-19

Rub a dub dub: more than 100 oily birds get cleaned up in San Pedro

More than 100 seabirds were rescued in San Pedro after getting slimed by a natural oil seep Wednesday. After heavy rainfall and storms, workers at the International Bird Rescue's Los Angeles center splish-splashed and gave the oily birds a bath.

KNBC (Los Angeles television), 2-27-19

SDG&E and SoCalGas want to offer renewable natural gas to customers

On Thursday, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission to establish a voluntary program that would allow residential and commercial customers to buy designated amounts of renewable natural gas each month. If approved, the program would be the first in California, which would join dairy-rich Vermont as the only other state offering something similar.

San Diego Union Tribune, 2-28-19

Taxing the oil and gas industry to its knees

A one-two punch is being aimed at California’s oil and gas industry and that just may be fine with anti-fossil fuel crusaders, but it could have an immediate disruptive effect on the California economy.

Fox & Hounds Daily, 2-28-19

Citing extreme winter, SoCalGas seeks easier access to Aliso storage

Amid recent generator curtailments, Southern California Gas said this winter's cold weather shows why state regulators should allow it to lean more heavily on the Aliso Canyon storage facility to mitigate reliability concerns and price spikes in the region.

Platts, 2-28-19

It’s time for California to get out of the oil business

A decision by California to discontinue oil production could be exponentially beneficial to the climate fight in the near term. In the same way that California's early greenhouse gas reduction policies influenced lawmakers and the public in other states, a California policy to phase out oil could influence the world.

Sierra Club, 3-1-19

GEOLOGY

Is your building safe after an earthquake? These cheap sensors could tell you

Earthquake engineers have long put sensors in large, critical structures such as bridges and skyscrapers, so they can look for clues to hidden, deadly damage after a quake. The plummeting cost of sensors and the cloud computing needed to process all the data is allowing researchers in both the public and private sectors to deploy the sensors in many parts of the world.

Science, 2-27-19

MINING

Brazil’s deadly dam collapse pushes miners to set global rules for tailings

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), a London-based industry group representing 27 major companies, said Tuesday it would set an independent panel of experts in charge of developing a global standard for tailings facilities to be followed by its members.

Minning.com, 2-27-19

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

CA Rangeland Trust Holds Gathering

On February 21, about 200 guests, many of them ranchers from Santa Barbara and surrounding counties, gathered at the Santa Barbara Club to celebrate and learn more about the California Rangeland Trust (CRT).

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-28-19

FORESTS & WATERSHEDS

Why new forests are better at sequestering carbon than old ones

Forests store vast quantities of carbon and play a huge role in the world's carbon cycle—as well as in human hopes of mitigating global warming. Tropical rainforests were once thought to take the cake when it comes to carbon sequestration. But a new study adds to a growing body of evidence that other types of forest may actually be better at sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere. Specifically it finds that young temperate forests may be more effective carbon sinks than old rainforests.

Pacific Standard, 2-27-19

WATER

MWD may agree to more Colorado River cuts to seal drought pact

Frustrated by delays in agreeing to plans for coping with looming shortages on the Colorado River, the head of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California wants to move the deal forward by agreeing to shoulder additional supply cuts.

Los Angeles Times, 2-27-19

Solano supervisors commit another $70K in fight against Delta tunnels project

Solano County is now fighting the California WaterFix tunnel project on three legal fronts – joining the opposition in a second “validation action” against the state Department of Water Resources.

Daily Republic, 2-28-19

Snowpack more than doubles in a month – and it’s still storming in the Sierra

Cold and wet January weather contributed to the doubling of the snowpack at Phillips station that month — from 25 inches to 50 inches, or 18 inches of water when it melts. And the storms haven’t let up since then.

Los Angeles Times, 2-28-19

Winter storms wash away California drought, burnish snowpack

California is drenched and its mountains are piled high with snow amid a still-unfolding winter of storms that was unimaginable just a few months ago. Drought conditions have almost been eliminated, hills blackened by huge wildfires are sporting lush coats of green, and snow has fallen in the usually temperate suburbs of Southern California, where chilly conditions have made jackets and scarves the rule.

Associated Press, 2-28-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

With climate science on the march, an isolated Trump hunkers down

New efforts by President Trump and his staff to question or undermine the established science of climate change have created a widening rift between the White House on one side, and scientific facts, government agencies, and some leading figures in the president’s own party on the other.

New York Times, 2-28-19

GEOLOGY

Mudslide has shut down Bohemian Highway indefinitely outside of Monte Rio

A mudslide on Bohemian Highway has closed the roadway in both directions near Monte Rio, limiting driving options for those looking to evacuate due to flooding along the Russian River, officials said.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-26-19

California’s hidden threat: high-risk volcanos that might erupt in the next decade

For years now, California has been bracing for the "big one" — the magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake that is expected to send ripples through the state within the century. But there's another deadly threat that is almost as likely — and that people may be much less prepared for.

Live Science, 2-27-19

California’s real volcano threat revealed in new USGS report

Seven active volcanoes in California could pose a threat to nearly 200,000 people who live, work or pass through California’s volcanic hazard zones on a daily basis, a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey says.

The Weather Channel, 2-27-19

The U.S may finally get an early warning system for volcanoes

America is home to 161 active volcanoes spread across 12 states and two overseas territories. This easily makes it one of the most volcanic places on Earth, which is why it’s deeply strange that the United States doesn’t yet have a nationwide early warning system for its fiery mountains. A land conservation bill that passed the Senate earlier this month and passed the House on Tuesday has changed that.

Earther, 2-27-19

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

California farmers surviving Trump’s trade war with China, but how long will it last?

Roughly a year into President Donald Trump’s trade wars, California farmers have escaped the kind of economic blow that has walloped some of their Midwestern counterparts. But it’s not clear how much longer they can continue to avoid more serious repercussions, especially in light of the Trump administration’s admission Wednesday that a deal with China is still some ways away.

Sacramento Bee, 2-28-19

FORESTS & WATERSHEDS

Headwaters Forest Reserve and the battle that saved it

March 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Northern California’s Headwaters Forest becoming a designated reserve, but protections for the 7,472 acres of partially old growth redwood forest didn’t come quickly or easily — it took more than a decade of grassroots organizing to save the ancient groves, organizing that often had violent consequences.

Earth Island Journal, 2-27-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Evidence for man-made global warming hits ‘gold-standard’: scientists

Evidence for man-made global warming has reached a “gold standard” level of certainty, adding pressure for cuts in greenhouse gases to limit rising temperatures, scientists said on Monday.

Reuters, 2-25-19

California’s biggest county could severely restrict solar energy projects

San Bernardino is California’s largest county by area and a hotbed for the state’s solar industry. But local officials may pump the brakes on solar this week, which developers say could disrupt ambitious climate change policies passed by state lawmakers.

Los Angeles Times, 2-27-19

GENERAL

House passes public lands bill seen as a win for conservation

The House of Representatives Tuesday overwhelmingly passed legislation aimed at safeguarding nearly 2 million acres of public lands and permanently continuing a federal fund that supports conservation projects around the country.

McClatchy News, 2-26-19

GEOLOGY

Magnitude 3.3 earthquake rattles Norwalk

A preliminary magnitude 3.3 earthquake rattled Norwalk early Tuesday morning. The quake was registered at 1:55 a.m. and it was felt in areas including Long Beach, Beverly Hills, Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos and Downey according to the United States Geological Survey.

KNBC (Los Angeles television), 2-26-19

WATER

Plan to combat drought in West hinges on California, Arizona

A California irrigation district with the highest-priority rights to water from a major Western river is using its power to demand federal funds to restore the state’s largest lake, hoping to capitalize on one of its best opportunities yet to tackle a long-standing environmental and human health hazard.

Associated Press, 2-26-19

Farming Water

For all the stakeholders involved in Siskiyou County, there’s a consensus that in order to be successful, conservation efforts must be interwoven with local values. But “farming water” also touches on deep-seated rural ideals of self-efficacy, independence, and private property rights.

Grist, 2-26-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Commentary: Trump needs to disband ‘climate denial panel’

As we careen toward irreversible environmental tipping points, we have no time to waste debating alternative facts only to invest years more reestablishing trust in the real ones. Debate how to address the climate national security threat, not whether it's real.

Napa Valley Register, 2-26-19

Report cards show continued sea-level rise on the East & Gulf coasts

Researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science have issued the first annual update of their sea level "report cards," marking 50 years of water-level observations from 1969 through 2018.

Phys.org, 2-25-19

San Francisco Supervisor wants city to declare a climate state of emergency

San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced a resolution Tuesday that would declare a state of climate emergency for the city. The move follows similar actions taken by Berkeley, Richmond, Hayward and Oakland.

KQED (San Francisco TV-radio), 2-26-19

GENERAL

Gov. Gavin Newsom uses the power of appointments to shape government in his image

Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted a highly significant but less visible power of his office in his first State of the State speech earlier this month: selecting appointees who can reshape California government in his image and help deliver on his ambitious policy agenda.

Los Angeles Times, 2-27-19

Land bill that includes Feinstein’s attempts to protect California’s deserts wins House approval, heads to Trump’s desk

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed its first significant public lands conservation bill in years, designating more than 1 million acres of wilderness for environmental protection and permanently reauthorizing a federal program to pay for conservation measures.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 2-26-19

California analysts: Make up your mind on high-speed rail, Gavin

Nonpartisan state analysts have a message for Gov. Gavin Newsom and the legislature: Make up your mind when it comes to bullet trains. In a report released Tuesday, the Legislative Analyst Office cautioned against any continued waffling about whether the state should complete its high-speed rail.

Bay Area News Group, 2-26-19

Wildlife and off-roaders gain room to roam in California’s new desert protection act

In the latest round of a 25-year battle to save the California desert, House lawmakers approved a sweeping conservation bill Tuesday that designates more terrain for wildlife and off-roaders alike and sets the stage for a final signature by President Trump.

Los Angeles Times, 2-26-19

Earth scientist plan to meld massive databases into a ‘geological Google’

The British Geological Survey (BGS) has amassed one of the world’s premier collections of geologic samples. Housed in three enormous warehouses in Nottingham, U.K., it contains about 3 million fossils gathered over more than 150 years at thousands of sites across the country. Now, that could change, thanks to a nascent international effort to meld earth science databases into what Stephenson and other backers are describing as a “geological Google.”

Science Magazine, 2-26-19

GEOLOGY

Study details California volcanic hazards

Nearly 200,000 people live, work or pass through California’s volcanic hazard zones on a daily basis, researchers said Monday in a report broadly assessing what could be at risk from an eruption.

Associated Press, 2-25-19

Forget San Andreas – California’s next big hazard could be a volcano, USGS warns

The U.S. Geological Survey has warned that California’s next big hazard could come in the form of a volcanic eruption—not a massive earthquake, landslide or wildfire, as the state is often recognized for.

Newsweek, 2-26-19

Earthquake: 3.3 quake strikes near Lonoak

A shallow magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Monday morning seven miles from Lonoak, California, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 10:31 a.m. PST at a depth of 3.7 miles.

Los Angeles Times, 2-25-19

Earthquake Near Eureka

The U.S. Geological Survey says a small earthquake has rattled a rural area of far Northern California. The USGS says the 4.0 preliminary magnitude quake hit Sunday at 1:05 p.m. near Capetown, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) down the coast from Eureka.

CBS13 Sacramento, 2-24-19

Varying impact of earthquake- and monsoon- induced landslides.

Using nearly 50 years of satellite data and records stretching back millennia, scientists determine the relative frequency—and the erosional power—of monsoon- and earthquake-induced landslides in Nepal.

Earth & Space Science News, 2-25-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Judge Oks settlement from nation’s largest natural gas leak

A $120 million court settlement from the nation’s largest-known natural gas leak was approved by a California judge Monday despite objections from local residents and criticism from environmentalists.

Associated Press, 2-25-19

LA County judge approves $120 million Aliso Canyon gas leak settlement

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday approved a $120 million settlement stemming from the largest release of methane in U.S. history. Judge Carolyn Kuhl approved a consent decree between Southern California Gas Co. — which is responsible for the Aliso Canyon gas leak — and city, county and state officials. The settlement will fund a long-term health study and other environmental projects.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 2-25-19

Assemblymember Holden introduces idle oil well emission reporting bill

Assemblymember Chris Holden reintroduced legislation that requires operators of idle and abandoned oil and gas wells to report hydrocarbon emissions found during the well plugging process. Assembly Bill 1328 also requires results from these tested oil and gas wells to be collected and publicly reported by the Department of Conservation.

Pasadena Now, 2-26-19

How Kern County dairies are benefiting from Aliso Canyon settlement agreement

Over the objection of environmental and other groups, six Kern County dairies will get access to millions of dollars in loan financing as part of a legal agreement approved Monday to settle a key lawsuit filed in response to the massive, 2015-16 Aliso Canyon methane leak in Los Angeles County.

Bakersfield Californian, 2-25-19

FORESTS & WATERSHEDS

State faces hurdles in ‘aggressive’ forest thinning plans

Spurred on by the devastating wildfires of the past few years — including the Carr Fire and Camp Fire — state officials are pursuing ambitious plans to double the amount of wildland tree and brush thinning over the next five years.

Redding Record Searchlight, 2-24-19

Predicting how forests in the western US will respond to changing climate

On the mountain slopes of the western United States, climate can play a major role in determining which tree communities will thrive in the harshest conditions, according to new work from Carnegie's Leander Anderegg and University of Washington's Janneke Hille Ris Lambers.

Science Daily, 2-25-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Soil may save our climate

The California Collaborative on Climate Change Solutions, or C4S, is a group of researchers from UC Davis and other California universities who believe that reductions alone will not be enough to prevent the worst effects of climate change; they argue that humans must actively remove carbon dioxide from the air. On December 21st 2018, C4S won a 4.7 million dollar grant from the state of California to explore how soil amendments like compost, biochar and certain rocks can help pull carbon dioxide out of the air.

California Aggie, 2-25-19

We can’t wait for Washington’s Green New Deal. California needs just transition now

As the deadliest wildfire in a century raged in Butte County last year, leaving 85 people dead and thousands without homes, hundreds of young people filled the halls of Congress to demand a Green New Deal.

Sacramento Bee, 2-24-19

High carbon dioxide could suppress cooling clouds, climate change model warns

Stratocumulus clouds, which hover low in the sky and create vast decks of cloud cover, have a supreme value in our warming world: Their white tops reflect lots of solar radiation back into space. But Earth's broad portfolio of clouds in the year 2019 could potentially be altered by extreme climate change. Those stratocumulus cloud decks could vanish, further intensifying global warming.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-25-19

The ocean is running out of breath, scientists warn

Escaping predators, digestion and other animal activities—including those of humans—require oxygen. But that essential ingredient is no longer so easy for marine life to obtain, several new studies reveal.

Scientific American, 2-25-19

WATER

California’s Central Valley: ground zero in Water War

Now stripped of its once vast wetlands and nearly sucked dry from the over pumping of groundwater during the West’s increasingly common droughts, the fertile valley is in need of a reboot: Its aquifers have shrunk and the remaining water is often contaminated with nitrate and salts. Citing a new water law that will have major effects on water suppliers and farmers, experts are calling for an “all hands on deck” approach to fixing the valley’s water woes.

Courthouse News Service, 2-22-19

The Delta tunnels project would capture more storm water. So why cut it to one tunnel?

In short, the single tunnel alternative would allow more water to be “wasted” to the ocean than the twin tunnels.

Los Angeles Times, 2-23-19

What’s Gavin Newsom’s plan for sustainable water in California? We still have little idea

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s references to water in his first State of the State address were brief and a bit patchy, but they were enough to make fiercely competing factions each believe the new governor had their backs. But water policy in California is never that easy. Two weeks later, we still don’t know much about Newsom’s plans.

Los Angeles Times, 2-24-2019

PD Editorial: California needs to save more of its rainwater

The amount of rain that has fallen on California this winter is prodigious — 18 trillion gallons, enough water to fill 27 million Olympic swimming pools, in February alone. Unfortunately, the Golden State hasn’t applied its prudent financial strategy — stashing billions of dollars in a rainy day fund for a recession that’s bound to come — to preparing for the next prolonged dry spell. And, sure as the sun sets in the west, there will be another drought.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 2-23-19

GEOLOGY

Earthquake early warning system will mean false alarms but it’s still worth it, researchers say

Earthquake early warnings can come as false alarms — but it’s better to be safer than sorry, researchers concluded in a new study.

Los Angeles Times, 2-23-19

7.5 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Ecuador's Border With Peru

A powerful earthquake struck eastern Ecuador early Friday, sending tremors for miles through a sparsely populated area and into neighboring Peru and Colombia. The quake hit at an intermediate depth of about 82 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

NPR, 2-22-19

Recovery efforts resume after woman buried in landslide at Fort Funston

The effort to recover the body of a hiker who was buried in a landslide at Fort Funston in San Francisco resumed Saturday morning. Park officials say it's unknown if the woman's body is still beneath the sand, or if it was taken out by the surf when high tide came in overnight.

KGO (San Francisco television), 2-23-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Poop-to-power part of Aliso Canyon settlement raises stink

A stink is being raised over a $120 million court settlement from the nation’s largest-known natural gas leak and it’s not about money, but cow manure. Environmental groups have criticized a plan to put more than a fifth of the settlement toward capturing climate-changing methane from dairy farms in the state’s farm belt — more than 100 miles from where the blowout occurred on the edge of Los Angeles.

Associated Press, 2-24-19

FORESTS & WATERSHEDS

Forest soils take longer to recover from fires and logging than previously thought

According to Elle Bowd, a researcher with Australian National University’s Fenner School of Environment and Society, there have been very few studies about the long-term impacts of disturbances like wildfires and logging on forest soils.

Mongabay (Australia), 2-22-19

Passionate comments open Napa Planning Commission's watershed protection debate

People have conflicting opinions about proposed, stronger Napa County watershed and tree protections — the ideas are on target, too weak, a solution looking for a problem, a natural resources savior, an unnecessary burden on farmers.

Napa Valley Register, 2-22-19

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Analysis says to end Valley’s groundwater overdraft, farmland must be retired

The San Joaquin Valley is on the brink of a major transition as it seeks to balance its groundwater accounts. California’s largest farming region has the state’s biggest groundwater deficit — almost 2 million acre-feet per year by our estimates. To put it in context, that’s about one Don Pedro Reservoir’s worth of water a year.

Fresno Bee, 2-21-19

California avocado production struggles to keep up

Avocado production throughout California is taking a huge hit. Conditions have hurt crops and growers are feeling the burn of Mexican imports filling the void. Katherine Epperson of Parks Ranch in Goleta said years of drought followed by an unusually hot July destroyed her avocado crops.

KEYT (Santa Barbara television), 2-21-19

WATER

How can California capture more water? Competing interests will have to compromise

Storm water has been rampaging down the Sacramento River, carrying ripped out docks, uprooted trees and homeowners’ backyards, hellbent for the Golden Gate. But very little of this precious water can be saved.

Los Angeles Times column, 2-25-19

Farm leader says water forecast demonstrates system’s limitations

With the Sierra Nevada snowpack rising to nearly 150 percent of average, the California Farm Bureau Federation said it’s understandable why some agricultural customers of the federal Central Valley Project would be disappointed by the initial CVP water outlook.

Lake County News, 2-22-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Capturing carbon: Can it save us?

Time is not on our side. Catastrophic consequences of climate change are just steps away, according to a slew of reports released at the end of 2018.

Chemical & Engineering News, 2-25-19

Humans have made the planet greener, and why that could be a mixed blessing

“Humans are officially greening the earth,” says the headline about a study by Boston University environmental researchers. It then asks, “Is that a good thing?” NASA satellites show the world is literally getting greener as reforestation projects and intensified agriculture have spread vegetation across more land. While this sounds like progress, experts note that not all vegetation is equal in the effort to fight climate change.

Circle of Blue, 2-21-19

Santa Clara County Builds Coalition to Fight Climate Change

When President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, backpedaling on a commitment to join 195 other nations in taking on climate change, Santa Clara County launched a campaign to rebuild that commitment—one local government at a time.

San Jose Inside, 2-22-19

GENERAL

Can America Still Build Big? A California Rail Project Raises Doubts

In a neighborhood littered with derelict warehouses, Miguel Arias pointed to a wide strip of dirt where California’s high-speed rail, one of America’s most ambitious and divisive infrastructure projects, has been taking shape. The son of Mexican farmworkers and a newly elected member to the City Council in this sprawling Central Valley city, Mr. Arias is hoping the train will deliver to Fresno the California dream that long ago bypassed the impoverished region.

New York Times, 2-25-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Greka Found Operating Open Waste Pit Without Permit

Greka has been filling an unlined pit with hazardous waste without a permit at its asphalt refinery on Sinton Road in Santa Maria, the EPA announced today.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-21-19

EPA Orders Greka Oil to Review Hazardous Waste Releases

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered Greka to conduct sampling at its Santa Maria, Calif. refinery to determine whether improper storage and management of hazardous wastes contaminated local soil and groundwater.

Santa Barbara Edhat, 2-20-19

EPA orders Greka Energy to sample soil, groundwater for contamination

After concluding Greka Energy improperly stored hazardous waste at its facility near Santa Maria, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday ordered the company to conduct sampling to determine whether its operations resulted in contaminated local soil and groundwater.

Lompoc Record, 2-21-19

EPA orders Greka to look into possible soil, water contamination

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered Greka to determine whether its Santa Maria refinery is contaminating local soil and groundwater. Greka conducts oil drilling operations. Its Santa Maria facility is surrounded by agricultural land and not far from residential neighborhoods in Santa Maria and Guadalupe.

KSBY (San Luis Obispo television), 2-21-19

Physician sues lab for not releasing blood results of residents near 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak

A Porter Ranch physician has filed a lawsuit against a clinical laboratory a few months after launching a study that examines levels of cancer-causing chemicals in the blood of many residents who live near the site of the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 2-21-19

MINING

50M gallons of polluted water pours daily from US mine sites

Every day many millions of gallons of water loaded with arsenic, lead and other toxic metals flow from some of the most contaminated mining sites in the U.S. and into surrounding streams and ponds without being treated, The Associated Press has found. That torrent is poisoning aquatic life and tainting water supplies in Montana, California, Colorado, Oklahoma and at least five other states.

Associated Press, 2-20-19

FORESTS & WATERSHEDS

State Analysts Weigh In On Forest Management Changes, Funding

Mechanical thinning, prescribed burns, and meadow restoration are among necessary practices lawmakers are hearing about during budget allocations. This past week, the State Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) briefed members of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Resources and Transportation and the Committee on Natural Resources on combinations of activities that have reached a broad consensus as essential to improve conditions.

MyMotherLode.com, 2-20-19

Land Trust pursues Big Valley Wetlands acquisition as path to a healthier Clear Lake

The current project of the Lake County Land Trust is the purchase of the 200-acre Wright property, a parcel located in the Big Valley Wetlands area of Lake County.
This area is the No. 1 priority for the Lake County Land Trust, or LCLT, as it seeks to protect the largest remaining area of unprotected wetland habitats adjacent to Clear Lake.

Lake County News, 2-21-19

WATER

“All Hands on Deck” Approach Needed to Manage Growing Water Stress in the San Joaquin Valley

The San Joaquin Valley, California’s largest agricultural region and an important contributor to the nation’s food supply, is on the brink of a major transition as it seeks to balance its groundwater accounts.

Maven’s Notebook, 2-21-19

See all that water flowing into the ocean? Bill by Sen. Hertzberg aims to save it

In stormy winters like this, residents of drought-prone Southern California fret about how much rainfall flows into the ocean, a reminder of the amounts of water the region is wasting instead of saving for good use. A new bill by a San Fernando Valley state senator aims to fix that.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 2-20-19

Delta interests should seize the opportunity to cease water fights

The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is a major source of water for cities and farms across the state, and a major source of water conflict. In a Sacramento Bee commentary two years ago, we and our colleague Brian Gray promoted a grand compromise for the Delta.

CalMatters commentary, 2-21-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Sacramento Might Feel More Like Bakersfield By 2080

In six decades, you might wake up in Sacramento and feel like you're living in Bakersfield. And other cities such as Reno could be as hot as southern Utah.

Capital Public Radio, 2-20-19

Climate change 'cause of most under-reported humanitarian crises'

Climate change was responsible for the majority of under-reported humanitarian disasters last year, according to analysis of more than a million online news stories. Whole populations were affected by food crises in countries ravaged by by drought and hurricanes such as Ethiopia and Haiti, yet neither crisis generated more than 1,000 global news stories each.

The Guardian (U.K.), 2-21-19

Coastal communities losing ground on climate change planning, study shows

Coastal communities like Homer, Alaska, are losing ground when it comes to planning for climate change even as they're already seeing its effects, according to new research out of the University of Alberta.

Phys.org, 2-20-19

Trump Administration Ends Talks With California Over Fuel Standards

The White House announced on Thursday that it has ended talks with California over a proposed rollback of federal fuel-efficiency standards. The Trump administration is moving forward to finalize a rule that would end the state’s ability to set its own fuel-efficiency standards.

Daily Beast, 2-21-19

What happens if Trump takes back California’s high-speed rail funds?

The Federal Railroad Administration’s threat Tuesday to withdraw nearly $1 billion in grant funds for the state’s high-speed rail is just a small sliver of the project’s estimated $77.3 billion budget. So what’s really at stake?

East Bay Times, 2-21-19

Trump’s plan to take back $2.5 billion in California’s high-speed rail funding ‘unprecedented’

The Trump administration’s decision to cancel a $929-million grant to California’s troubled high-speed rail project and claw back $2.5 billion in funds already spent has thrust the federal government into uncharted legal territory and poses an existential threat to the state’s largest investment ever.

Los Angeles Times, 2-21-19

GEOLOGY

Are LA's High-Rises Ready for the Big One?

City National Plaza in downtown Los Angeles is surrounded by chaos. Honking cars, bike messengers, a tractor moving dirt from one pile to another.

Towering above it all are two massive buildings that have been around since the 1970s.

LAist, 2-20-19

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Camp 4 Trust Decision Reversed

(Williamson Act-related) On February 13, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson found the 2017 decision to take the land known as “Camp 4” into trust for the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians was unlawful. The plaintiff's attorney Barry Cappello, with Cappello & Noel LLP Trial Lawyers in Santa Barbara, released a statement with the announcement.

Santa Barbara Edhat, 2-19-19

WATER

California wastes most of its rainwater, which simply goes down the drain

California’s wet winter has dumped an estimated 18 trillion gallons of rain in February alone. But much of it is simply going down the drain. In what has become a source of much concern in a state prone to droughts and water shortages, the vast majority of rainwater in urban areas flows into storm drains and is eventually lost to the Pacific Ocean.

Los Angeles Times, 2-20-19

California Democrats taking action by asking for more water to be allocated to farmers

The Sierra is packed with snow because of the recent storms. Now, local farmers are hoping the bounty of water will make it's way to the valley. Democratic representative T.J. Cox, Jim Costa, joined senator Feinstein to send a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation asking that recent snowfall be taken into account when allocations are announced.

YourCentralValley.com, 2-19-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

White House prepares to scrutinize intelligence agencies’ finding that climate change threatens national security

The White House is working to assemble a panel to assess whether climate change poses a national security threat, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post, a conclusion that federal intelligence agencies have affirmed several times since President Trump took office.

Washington Post, 2-20-19

GEOLOGY

County Starting Debris Basin Sediment Disposal at Goleta Beach

Crews are still trucking loads of rock and mud from South Coast debris basins, and will expand beach disposal to Goleta Beach County Park starting Tuesday, the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department announced.

Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 2-18-19

MINING

County tells Cupertino quarry to stop hauling rock on city streets

To the relief of neighbors, Santa Clara County has ordered Stevens Creek Quarry to stop hauling crushed rock from neighboring Lehigh Permanente Quarry in the Cupertino hills until it obtains a use permit to do so.

Bay Area News Group, 2-16-19

FORESTS & WATERSHEDS

Napa County Planning Commission takes on watershed protections

Napa County's post-Measure C debate over increasing watershed protections goes to the Planning Commission on Wednesday. Commissioners will help mold a proposed ordinance that follows parameters set Jan. 29 by the Board of Supervisors.

Napa Valley Register, 2-19-19

For a Warming World, A New Strategy for Protecting Watersheds

Long before an aspen tree fell on a power line in New Mexico’s Jemez Mountains in June 2011, triggering the biggest wildfire in the state’s history, fire managers knew that New Mexico’s forests were vulnerable.

Yale Environment 360, 2-19-19

WATER

Sen. Feinstein, Reps. Costa, Cox Send Letter Urging Additional Water for Valley Farmers Following High Snowfall

Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representatives Jim Costa and TJ Cox sent a letter last week to the United States Bureau of Reclamation urging the Bureau to incorporate recent precipitation into the initial water allocations to Central Valley Project (CVP) water contractors given the high amount of rainfall and snow the region has experienced since the February 1st water forecast.

Maven’s Notebook, 2-19-19

‘A pretty good season.’ What California’s winter rain and snow mean for you in 2019

It’s shaping up as a wetter-than-usual winter in California, putting to rest fears of another drought hitting anytime soon. Depending on where you live, though, you will still likely face some limitations on how much you can water your lawn this summer.

Sacramento Bee, 2-19-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Can California homes and businesses quit natural gas? Some say yes

To meet its aggressive goals for fighting climate change, California wants to wean millions of homes and businesses in the state off natural gas. And the efforts appear to be intensifying this year as state leaders turn more of their environmental attention to the buildings sector, the state’s second-largest source of planet-warming emissions after transportation.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-19-19

HIGH SPEED RAIL

Newsom claims ‘retribution’ after Trump administration demands high-speed rail funds back

The Trump administration, stepping up its fight with California over the state’s struggling high-speed rail project, said Tuesday it plans to rescind a $928 million federal grant. The action could imperil the first phase of the project, connecting the major cities of the San Joaquin Valley, which is dependent on federal funding.

Sacramento Bee, 2-19-19

Trump administration to cancel $929 million in California high-speed rail funding

The fate of California’s high-speed rail project was cast into further doubt Tuesday when the federal government announced plans to cancel $929 million in grant funds, a move U.S. officials linked to violations of the grant agreement but some view as political payback.

Los Angeles Times, 2-19-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Oilfield wastewater disposal operation near Bakersfield closes under pressure from regulators, environmentalists

A controversial oilfield wastewater disposal operation east of Bakersfield has been shut down amid a years-long regulatory crackdown and opposition by environmental activist organizations.

Bakersfield Californian, 2-16-19

County Crude Report Highlights Greka, Plains, and Other Spills

Leave it to Andy Caldwell, reigning rhetorical firebrand of Santa Barbara’s right, to state the obvious: Greka Oil can change its name, but it can’t change its spots.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-15-19

How Sempra decided to go all in on natural gas — $10 billion worth

For miles, you drive past the reeds and marshes of the Louisiana Gulf Coast on a February morning under a cloudy, bruised-colored sky. Then, after going over a ridge, it appears.

San Diego Union Tribune, 2-17-19

GEOLOGY

Magnitude 3.7 earthquake strikes near Yountville, CA

The United States Geological Survey reports a preliminary magnitude 3.7 earthquake struck near Yountville, CA on Sunday.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-18-19

Early Morning Quake Jolts Wine Country

A 3.7 magnitude earthquake early Sunday morning, rumbled through Northern California’s Wine Country, jolting local residents from their beds but causing little damage and no injuries.

KPIX (San Francisco television), 2-17-19

3.4 magnitude earthquake hit Tehachapi

The city of Tehachapi was hit with a 3.4 magnitude earthquake early Sunday morning. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 3:36 am hitting near Tehachapi, 12 miles North Northwest of the city.

KGET (Bakersfield television), 2-17-19

How earthquake patterns could let us know when the ‘Really Big One’ is coming

Is it the tick of Earth’s heartbeat, or a ticking time bomb? Either way, instruments that monitor a 14-month pattern in seismic activity could serve as an super-early warning system for the “Really Big One,” the massive earthquake that’s expected to hit the Pacific Northwest sometime in the next few centuries.

GeekWire, 2-16-19

Earthquake rattles Quincy, Belden

An earthquake rattled some windows in Quincy early Saturday; so far it’s the largest of 10 minor quakes that have gone through the region in the last month. The 3.1 earthquake was centered about 3 km (1.8 miles) south by southeast of Belden, west of Quincy, and occurred at 11:04 a.m. Saturday.

Paradise Post, 2-18-19

A Single Earthquake Can Move Millions of Tons of Carbon into Earth's Deepest Trenches

In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 earthquake rumbled to life off the coast of Tohoku, Japan, triggering a massive tsunami and killing more than 15,000 people. The global effects of the Tohoku earthquake — now regarded as the fourth most powerful since recording began in 1900 — are still being studied.

LiveScience, 2-18-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

EPA chief knocks Green New Deal: 'Not really ready for prime time'

Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Andrew Wheeler knocked the Green New Deal and its rollout as "not really ready for prime time."

The Hill, 2-14-19

Santa Clara County builds coalition to tackle climate change

Peninsula Press, 2-14-19

Where Glaciers Melt Away, Switzerland Sees Opportunity

For hikers looking for a daylong outing in central Switzerland, the Trift Glacier bridge is a popular destination. It’s a short gondola ride from the village of Gadmen, followed by a few miles’ trek up a rocky path overlooking a granite gorge.

New York Times, 2-14-19

Greenland's melting glaciers are unearthing a hidden economic goldmine

Our world doesn’t seem short on sand. It covers our beaches, lines our rivers, and makes up a good portion of soils. Silica, the primary component of sand, is the second most abundant element on Earth. But global demand for sand is high, and supplies—in the form of pits and offshore dredging sites—are limited, leading to conflicts and even violence in some areas.

Popular Science, 2-13-19

Two new ferry terminals address the practical — sea level rise — with style

The Bay Area’s ever-expanding ferry service does more than move commuters back and forth. It also strengthens our connections to the body of water that gives this region its name.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-18-19

WATER

Storms push Bay Area rainfall past 100 percent of normal

The dead lawns and depleted reservoirs that marked California’s historic five-year drought seemed a long way off Friday, as a week of wet weather — with a bit more to come Saturday — pushed rainfall totals across Northern California above 100 percent of their historical averages.

Bay Area News Group, 2-15-19

Stanford experts discuss impacts of downsizing the Delta twin tunnels project

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week his plan to downsize the Delta twin tunnels project, a controversial $17 billion water conveyance system aimed at diverting water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to the Central Valley and Southern California. The tunnels are intended in part to reduce the impacts that massive pumps at the south end of the Delta currently have on Delta hydrology and ecosystems.

Stanford News, 2-14-19

Garamendi stops short of supporting Newsom’s modified Delta tunnels plans

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to downsize a controversial Delta waterway project is a step in the right direction, but more progress needs to be made to satisfy critics who say even the modified proposal does more harm than good, Rep. John Garamendi – whose district includes communities that would be affected by the project – said in a wide-ranging interview Wednesday with the Daily Republic.

Fairfield Daily Republic, 2-14-19

Brown was obsessed with twin-tunnel vision. Newsom has a more realistic view

A potential grand compromise to settle a decades-long water fight has been obvious for years but blown off. Now Gov. Gavin Newsom is forcing all combatants to consider it seriously. California’s water future hinges on the ultimate deal.

Los Angeles Times column, 2-18-19

Metropolitan Water District ready to support scaled-down Delta tunnel plan

Ventura County’s main water supplier supports Gov. Gavin Newsom’s scaled-down Delta tunnel project, even though it’s been cut in half. Newsom said Tuesday in his State of the State address that he wants the twin-tunnel project — designed to re-engineer the troubled Northern California estuary that’s the hub of the state’s water-delivery system — reduced to a single tunnel.

Ventura County Star, 2-16-19

FORESTS & WATERSHEDS

Strengthen watershed ordinance

The Napa Group of the Sierra Club applauds the Napa County Board of Supervisors for its rapid action on increasing protections for Napa County’s watershed.

Napa Valley Register commentary, 2-18-19

HIGH SPEED RAIL

Please, Governor, don’t derail the bullet train derailment

Even before California’s High Speed Rail bond proposal appeared on the ballot in November 2008, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association commissioned a study in conjunction with the Reason Foundation because of deep concerns about the project’s viability. The study, published in September 2008, just prior to the election, confirmed our worst fears.

Victorville Daily Press commentary, 2-19-19

California’s high-speed rail is still on. But how can it move forward?

Despite delivering what some interpreted as a death knell, California Governor Gavin Newsom has confirmed — and re-confirmed — that a comprehensive high-speed rail system is still happening in the state.

Curbed Los Angeles, 2-15-19

Train to nowhere? Here’s how high-speed project went off the rails

It’s the railway dream that bedazzled California for decades: bullet trains whipping up and down the state, cutting a path from Los Angeles, through the orchards of the Central Valley and into downtown San Francisco. The route promised to eventually push north to Sacramento and south to San Diego.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-17-19

No, Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t kill high-speed rail. But what’s his Plan B?

It’s been a dream for years in California’s sprawling Central Valley. Sleek bullet trains would race workers to and from booming Silicon Valley in the Bay Area, bridging the economic and cultural gap between urban and rural California.

Sacramento Bee, 2-18-19

Gov. Newsom’s decision to change high-speed rail plan doesn’t go far enough

Gov. Gavin Newsom used his State of the State address on Tuesday to lambaste President Donald Trump. No surprise there. California is now the “State of Resistance” and our new governor aims to be the Resister-in-Chief. Trump makes a good foil for opportunistic politicians, and Newsom couldn’t help but rail against the president’s immigration policies.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 2-17-19

Gov. Gaslight? Newsom’s slippery words on high-speed rail raise questions

Good news for supporters of California High-Speed Rail: When Gov. Gavin Newsom said “there isn’t a path” to complete the system’s planned connections to San Francisco and Los Angeles, he actually meant to say he’s fully committed to getting it done.

Sacramento Bee editorial, 2-17-19

GENERAL

Rare L.A. mega-storm could overwhelm dam and flood dozens of cities, experts say

Scientists call it California’s “other big one,” and they say it could cause three times as much damage as a major earthquake ripping along the San Andreas Fault. Although it might sound absurd to those who still recall five years of withering drought and mandatory water restrictions, researchers and engineers warn that California may be due for rain of biblical proportions — or what experts call an ARkStorm.

Los Angeles Times, 2-18-19

GEOLOGY

'It just happened too fast,' says woman who was in her home as a mudslide took it down a hill

Susan Gordon was asleep on the second floor early Thursday when the mudslide lifted her home off its foundation, breaking it apart and pushing it down a hillside -- with her inside.

CNN, 2-15-19

Calfire director addresses wildfires wreaking havoc on California's natural resources

California state lawmakers are looking into how intense wildfires are damaging the state's natural resources.

YourCentralValley.com, 2-13-19

Massive Bolivian earthquake reveals mountains 660 kilometers below our feet

Most schoolchildren learn that the Earth has three (or four) layers: a crust, mantle and core, which is sometimes subdivided into an inner and outer core. That's not wrong, but it does leave out several other layers that scientists have identified within the Earth.

Princeton University, 2-14-19

Monster storm pummels California, prompting evacuations amid mudslides and flooding

A fierce winter storm packed with subtropical moisture continued its destructive path across California on Thursday, triggering widespread flooding that prompted evacuations and unleashing a mudslide that sent one home sliding into another in Marin County.

Los Angeles Times, 2-14-19

Storm creates chaos in California with flooding, mudslides

Waves of heavy rain pounded California on Thursday, trapping people in floodwaters, washing away a mountain highway, triggering a mudslide that destroyed homes and forcing residents to flee communities scorched by wildfires last year. At least two people died as the powerful system swept in from the Pacific Ocean and unleashed damaging rain, snow and wind.

Associated Press, 2-14-19

Powerful rainstorm drenches Southland, triggering widespread flooding and debris flows

A powerful winter storm drenched Los Angeles and Orange counties on Thursday, pummeling the region with rain and wind that led to widespread flooding and debris flows while dumping as much as five inches of rain on the San Gabriel Mountains.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 2-14-19

Earthquake Reported East Of Temecula, Murrieta

A magnitude-3.0 earthquake struck Riverside County, but there were no reports of damage or injuries, authorities said Wednesday morning. The quake originally came in as a 3.3, but was later downgraded to a 3.0.

Temecula Patch, 2-13-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Why SoCal Gas Wants You To Just Chill When It's Cold Outside

The ongoing cold weather has made it difficult for the Southern California Gas Company to keep enough gas flowing. It now seems a broken pipeline at its big storage field near Porter Ranch made the situation worse. On Feb. 5, an above-ground pipeline at SoCal Gas' Aliso Canyon storage field was found to be corroded and needed repairs. That reduced any withdrawals of gas to serve homes and businesses or to send out to utilities.

LAist, 2-14-19

WATER

Good riddance to the Delta twin tunnels boondoggle

At long last, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta twin-tunnels boondoggle is dead. Good riddance. Gov. Gavin Newsom made that official Tuesday during his State of the State address, calling instead for a smaller, single-tunnel approach that would include a broad range of projects designed to increase the state’s water supply.

Bay Area News Group editorial, 2-14-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

How will sea life adapt to climate change? Grunion might show us clues, says new CSU Long Beach study

Grunion, the little fish that come to shore to spawn along Southern California beaches, may hold clues as to how sea life will adapt to the effects of climate change on the ocean, according to a new study from California State University, Long Beach.

Long Beach Press-Telegram, 2-13-19

How to Cut U.S. Emissions Faster? Do What These Countries Are Doing.

The United States is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions far too slowly to help avert the worst effects of global warming. But what would happen if the country adopted seven of the most ambitious climate policies already in place around the world?

New York Times, 2-13-19

California’s ‘smart’ energy future glows on the horizon—but how to get there?

An unusual experiment began a few years ago on four blocks of stuccoed ubiquity in suburban Irvine. The rows of nondescript subdivision homes, inhabited by UC Irvine faculty and staff, afforded a high-tech peephole from which to observe how humans interact with electricity.

CalMatters, 2-14-19

GENERAL

Is California’s controversial bullet train still headed to the Bay Area?

The bullet train to the Bay Area might not be dead after all. Gov. Gavin Newsom sowed confusion this week about the future of California’s controversial high-speed rail project, suggesting that the state must focus on a much-abbreviated Central Valley route instead of the long-heralded San Francisco-to-Los Angeles vision.

Bay Area News Group, 2-14-19

No, Gavin Newsom Didn’t Just Kill California’s High-Speed Rail Project

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s remarks on California’s embattled high-speed rail project in his State of the State address this week seemed to confuse just about everyone.

Capital Public Radio, 2-14-19

GEOLOGY

Voluntary evacuation orders in Trabuco Canyon: Wed, Thurs.

A voluntary evacuation warning was underway for the Holy Fire burn area, issued by the Orange County Sheriff's Department due to potential flooding and debris flows.

Trabuco Canyon Patch, 2-13-19

Mudslide in Santa Cruz Mountains leads to overnight traffic impacts

Saturated soil across the South Bay is the product and problem of recent strong winter storms to hit the Bay Area. On Wednesday, soaked soil led to a massive mudslide on the southbound lanes of Highway 17 at Sugarloaf Road.

KGO-TV (San Francisco), 2-13-19

Mudslide risk closes part of Highway 140 between Mariposa and Yosemite

Caltrans says the Highway 140 closure will last until 8 p.m. Thursday. The potential risk of mudslides brought on by the latest storm was enough for Caltrans officials to shut down a 17-mile stretch of Highway 140 in Mariposa County Wednesday.

KFSN-TV (Fresno), 2-14-19

Mudslide hits homes and forces evacuations in Sausalito, California

One home was destroyed and at least 50 others were evacuated after a mudslide occurred in a neighborhood in Sausalito, California, Thursday morning.

AccuWeather, 2-14-19

What Happens To SoCal Water If The Big One Hits?

I’m touring a construction site near Western Municipal Water District’s headquarters in Riverside. The water district is expanding a facility called the Arlington Desalter, which could provide fresh water to customers in the event of a large earthquake.

KVCR (San Bernardino NPR), 2-12-19

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Resource conservation district seeks new directors

The Eastern Kern County Resource Conservation District (EKCRCD) has three vacancies on its board and is seeking new directors.

Ridgecrest Daily Independent, 2-13-19

Napa County, Bremer Family Winery reach lawsuit settlement

Napa County and Bremer Family Winery settled a lawsuit brought by the county against the winery over alleged permit and code violations, ending a dispute that called into question how the county interprets older use permits.

Napa Valley Register, 2-12-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Another looming climate disaster: dam collapses

Major dams in California are five times more likely to flood this century than the last one due to global warming, a new study finds, possibly leading to overtopping and catastrophic failures that threaten costly repairs and evacuations.

Buzzfeed News, 2-13-19

California’s renewables mandate sets an impossible example for the world

California has long been proclaiming itself the leader in fighting “climate change,” and incoming governor Gavin Newsom promises to continue the efforts. But will any of this work? Is California setting an example that the world can follow? Can renewables meet future global energy demand?

California Globe, 2-14-19

California’s ‘smart’ energy future glows on the horizon – but how to get there?

The complex system that powers the world’s fifth-largest economy is at a turning point. Utility executives, policymakers and regulators are peering into a future where California has shed fossil fuels and is fully buzzing with electricity. Before the state completes its shift to a modern, safe, sustainable energy grid, it has to decide precisely how that should be accomplished.

CALmatters, 2-14-19

Los Angeles to close 3 power plants in aggressive move toward green energy

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will be shuttering its three gas-fired coastal power plants over the next decade, a key step in the city’s aspiration to become the nation’s first metropolis to run entirely on renewable energy.

Los Angeles Daily News, 2-12-19

Los Angeles Phasing Out Natural Gas for Power Generation

Los Angeles (LA) Mayor Eric Garcetti hosted a rally on Tuesday to announce the start of a program to phase out the use of natural gas for power generation in Southern California. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) plans to begin by phasing out Scattergood, Haynes and Harbor gas-fired power plants along the Southern California coast that represent 38% of the city utility's gas generation and collectively 1,662 MW.

NGI Shale Gas Daily, 2-13-19

Limón Proposes Bill to Help Farmers Adapt to Climate Change

In California, climate change is an ongoing reality that Assemblymember Monique Limón intends to address. The hottest and driest summers in state history have occurred within the last 20 years, according to National Geographic.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-12-19

GENERAL

Newsom is right to scale back the bullet train, and it’s good politics too

If anyone thought that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration would merely be an extension of fellow Democrat Jerry Brown’s, that notion has been completely obliterated. While campaigning for governor last year, Newsom said he’d scale back Brown’s two big legacy infrastructure projects: the bullet train and monstrous twin water tunnels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. And that’s what he did Tuesday.

Los Angeles Times, 2-14-19

Trump demands California return $3.5B in federal high-speed rail money

Donald Trump seized on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to refocus California’s high-speed rail away from a promised San Francisco-to-Los Angeles leg, falsely trumpeting Wednesday night that California had been “forced to cancel” the project.

Politico, 2-13-19

Gov. Newsom derails Trump’s call to return funding for bullet train project

A day after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to scale back the high-speed rail project, President Trump demanded that California return billions of dollars to the federal government. Newsom fired back, decrying what he called “fake news.”

Los Angeles Times, 2-13-19

Bullet train went from peak California innovation to the project from hell

It was billed as the most ambitious public works project since the transcontinental railroad opened up the West. Yet bite after bite, huge cost overruns, mismanagement, political concessions and delays ate away at the sleek and soaring vision of a bullet train linking San Francisco to San Diego.

Los Angeles Times column, 2-14-19

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Regenerative agriculture can make farmers stewards of the land again

For years, “sustainable” has been the buzzword in conversations about agriculture. If farmers and ranchers could slow or stop further damage to land and water, the thinking went, that was good enough. I thought that way too, until I started writing my new book, “One Size Fits None: A Farm Girl’s Search for the Promise of Regenerative Agriculture.”

The Conversation, 2-11-19

Is sustainable agriculture the future, or the past?

Successful farming societies — and there have been many of them throughout the history of agriculture — have never been driven by the profit motive, though profit has played a part in some societies, at least where farmers were free and markets significant. Instead, they have been governed by principles of resilience — by the effort, to put it simply, to survive and to do so well under uncertain conditions.

GreenBiz, 2-9-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

The truth behind oil and gas

The column written by Bryant Baker (“Iconic landscapes threatened by drilling and fracking proposal,” Jan. 27) was in serious need of some “fact checking.” It was so far off base that I am surprised The Californian published it.

Bakersfield Californian commentary, 2-12-19

FORESTS & WETLANDS

18 million trees just died in California, continuing worries of major wildfires yet to come

An estimated 18 million trees have died in California wildlands and private property in the past year, many of them victim of recent droughts and bark beetle infestations, the latest federal tree mortality count has found. In total, an estimate 147 million trees, many Sierra conifers, have died in California since the start of the state’s drought years in 2010.

Sacramento Bee, 2-11-19

18 million trees died in California last year; officials say that's an improvement

Another 18 million trees in California died over the last year, a grim toll that nonetheless officials see as a sign the epic forest die-off in the state’s mountains is finally slowing. A study by state and federal forest officials released Monday noted that the 18 million dead trees since the fall of 2017 marks a major decline from the last study in 2016, which detected 62 million dead trees, and 2017, which found 27 million dead trees.

Los Angeles Times, 2-11-19

18 Million Trees Died In California Last Year, But Experts Say This Is Encouraging

Last year, more than 18 million new trees died in California's forests. That brings the number to 147 million since 2010, according to a new survey from Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service. The Forest Service warned Monday that dead trees continue to pose a hazard to people and infrastructure, especially in the central and southern Sierra Nevada regions, where they can serve as fuel for wildfires.

Capital Public Radio, 2-11-19

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

Newsom to scale back struggling high-speed rail, twin tunnels projects

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in his State of the State speech Tuesday that he intends to scale back California’s $77-billion high-speed rail system, saying that while the state has "the capacity to complete a high-speed rail link between Merced and Bakersfield … there simply isn’t a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A."

Los Angeles Times, 2-12-19

‘Let’s be real.’ Gavin Newsom says he’ll cut back on California’s high speed rail plan

In his first State of the State speech Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the state to scale back the focus of its high speed rail project to focus on one portion in the Central Valley.

Sacramento Bee, 2-12-19

Newsom kills controversial Delta twin tunnels plan

In a major shift in one of the largest proposed public works projects in state history, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced he does not support former Gov. Jerry Brown’s $19 billion plan to build two massive tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to make it easier to move water from north to south.

Bay Area News Group, 2-12-19

Newsom says California high-speed rail must focus on Central Valley

Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to scale back two major California infrastructure projects backed by his predecessors that have come under increasing financial and regulatory challenges.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-12-19

California Gov. Gavin Newsom downsizes Delta water project: one tunnel, not two

Gov. Gavin Newsom, diving into one of California’s most contentious water issues, said Tuesday he wants to downsize the Delta tunnels project. The Democratic governor also set out to overhaul state water policy by naming a new chair of the state’s water board.

Sacramento Bee, 2-12-19

California governor pulls plug on LA-SF high-speed train

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday he’s abandoning a plan to build a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a project with an estimated cost that has ballooned to $77 billion.

Associated Press, 2-12-19

LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

A Plan for the Yuba Watershed

An effort is underway to hire a full-time watershed coordinator focused on forest management projects in the Yuba River Watershed and a grant from the Yuba Water Agency could help.

Marysville’s Appeal-Democrat, 2-8-19

California’s ‘dry farmers’ grow crops without irrigation

As California gets hotter and drier because of climate change, members of a small but brave band of farmers predict that dry farming and other water-sparing techniques will become more popular in the Golden State.

Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2-10-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Commentary: America’s short lived shale oil resurgence

Celebration of America’s reemergence as an oil superpower riding on shale oil production may be cut short. Last year may well have been the high-water mark of US preeminence.

Channel News Asia, 2-9-19

Why are seabirds covered in oil washing up on Central Coast beaches?

Large numbers of injured birds with oil on their feathers and legs have been found stranded on Central Coast beaches in the last few weeks, placing high demand on animal emergency clinics like Pacific Wildlife Care in Morro Bay.

San Luis Obispo Tribune, 2-6-19

Santa Barbara County supervisors to hear report on oil, gas facilities

A comprehensive look at how well oil and gas production facilities in Santa Barbara County are complying with safety and environmental regulations will be delivered to the Board of Supervisors when it meets Tuesday.

Lompoc Record, 2-10-19

GEOLOGY

What you need to know about the Transbay Tube seismic retrofit

Engineers have feared for years that BART’s Transbay Tube would leak — perhaps even flood — during a major earthquake, with water pouring in faster than people could get out. On Monday, BART will begin a $313 million retrofit. Scheduled to be completed in 2022, it will require the system to open an hour later each weekday to accommodate nightly construction work.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-9-19

Earthquake: 3.6 quake strikes near Valle Vista, California

A shallow magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Sunday morning four miles from Valle Vista, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 9:12 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 9.9 miles.

Los Angeles Times, 2-10-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Elkhorn Slough’s fight to adapt to climate change

Amidst a constant struggle to balance tidal flow from the ocean ahead and sandy soil erosion from behind, Slough managers are now working to protect it from a future defined by climate change, including a sea that is rising and changing.

Monterey Herald, 2-10-19

Organic Green New Deal? Comprehensive climate change policy must address the American food system

In the face of worsening climate chaos and massive economic inequities wreaking havoc on the nation, a broad coalition of social justice and environmental organizations and visionary politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are building momentum for a Green New Deal.

GreenBiz, 2-8-19

New project to build climate resilience through improved land management

$4.6 million grant to UCs Merced and Irvine will help researchers develop new tools and methods for better managing the state’s forests, shrub lands and grasslands.

University of California Merced Newsroom, 2-7-19

2018 was the U.S’s third-wettest year on record – here’s why

On Wednesday, NASA and NOAA announced that 2018 was the fourth hottest year on record. But the impacts of a warming planet extend beyond just warming air; the feverish state of the planet is also changing when, where, and how intensely rain and snow fall. And 2018, the reports say, was the third-wettest year since 1895, when steady record-keeping began.

National Geographic, 2-7-2019

Climate change is a health emergency. Let’s act like it

Newsom’s early actions to expand health care access and prioritize housing, jobs and income security and early childhood education — the “social determinants of health” — are vital strategies to reduce persistent and unacceptable health inequities across the state. But climate change threatens to undermine even the best efforts to achieve health for all. Climate change is a health emergency. It’s impacting our health now and acts as a threat multiplier to exacerbate the state’s many social and health equity challenges.

The Sacramento Bee, 2-10-19

GEOLOGY

Lori Dengler: Did you feel it? A lot of little shaking going on

If you felt any of the weekend tremors in the Cape Mendocino area, Monday’s short jolt from south of Eureka, or this morning’s 4.4 from east of Blue Lake, perhaps you are ready to think about earthquakes more seriously.

Most of the recent earthquake activity was centered in the Mendocino triple junction region near Cape Mendocino and the town of Petrolia. The triple junction is one of the most seismically active areas in California and experiences several earthquakes in the magnitude 2 to 3 range almost every week.

Eureka Times Standard, 2-6-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Do California cement factories pollute more than those in China or India? Study suggests time to further reduce carbon emissions

California's cement industry could be overhauled if Sierra Club California and a Bay Area Assembly member get their way. A new Sierra Club study says cement production is responsible for 5 percent of carbon pollution globally.

Capital Public Radio, 2-7-19

UCSB researcher studies carbon storage in soil

In addition to growing plants and making mud pies, soil is good for storing carbon. In fact, soil contains more than double the amount of carbon than the atmosphere. For more than 25 years, Chadwick has been using Hawaii as a natural laboratory. Containing lava samples ranging from freshly produced to as old as four million years old, Hawaiian soil produces a large amount of reactive minerals that can bond with organic matter.

U.C. Santa Barbara Daily Nexus, 2-8-19

New project to build climate resilience through improved land management

A $4.6 million grant to UCs Merced and Irvine will help researchers develop new tools and methods for better managing the state’s forests, shrub lands and grasslands.

University of California Merced, 2-7-19

Putting solar panels on water is a great idea – but will it float?

Although U.S. adoption to floating solar arrays has been slow, some recent deals may turn the tide.

Scientific American, 2-7-19

WATER

Drought concerns loom for California farmers, ranchers despite recent rain

Even with the onslaught of rainy weather, the U.S. Drought Monitor states San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County remain abnormally dry after the new map was released on Thursday. Farmers and ranchers enjoy the precipitation, but still face an uncertain supply of water when they need it.

KSBY (San Luis Obispo television), 2-6-19

Drought concerns lessen in wake of latest rain, but experts still cautious

Recent storms have drenched Southern California enough that areas have almost twice their average rainfall totals. The recent storms have pushed much of Southern California out of drought classifications, according to figures published Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor. But, sections of southeastern Orange County, western Riverside County, eastern Imperial County and all of San Diego County, remained under moderate drought conditions.

Riverside Press-Enterprise, 2-7-19

Rainy weather washes away drought conditions in LA

A week of rain—and snow at higher elevations—have nearly washed away drought conditions across California, according to report released today by U.S. Drought Monitor. Just a week ago, nearly one quarter of the state, including all of Los Angeles County, was experiencing “moderate drought” conditions.

Curbed Los Angeles, 2-7-2019

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

No News Was Bad News

The Jan. 11 blowout at an abandoned 1930s oil well along Via Marina and an apparently unrelated gas pipeline leak about a block away on Jan. 30 do have at least one thing in common: nearby residents received little to no information about what was happening until well after the fact.

Culver City Argonaut, 2-5-19

MDR Oil Well Explosion Sparks Debate

Discussions on public health in Los Angeles have been sparking back up, after an oil well in Marina Del Rey experienced a blowout on January 11. The well, which has been sealed up since 1959, was in the process of being resealed when the burst occurred.

Santa Monica Mirror, 2-7-19

WATER

California revels in a rare wet winter, and more storms are in the forecast

Snowcapped mountains are pretty typical in California — just not the peaks that got a dusting this week. A series of storms has brought a rare wet winter to the state, sending snow levels plunging and creating some surreal scenes Californians won’t soon forget: a blanket of white covering vineyards in Napa Valley.

Los Angeles Times, 2-6-19

Lawsuits from Central Valley, Bay Area keep state ‘water grab’ tied up in courts

An assortment of groups, from a leading farming organization to a water supplier for Silicon Valley, joined the legal fray in courts over the State Water Board decision in December to reduce water diversions for farms and cities from the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers.

Merced Sun-Star, 2-5-19

Lake Tahoe’s new reality: Study says Sierra Nevada snowpack to suffer sharp decline

Imagine Lake Tahoe with no snow year round. Every winter storm that reaches the basin brings only rain. No skiing. No snowboarding. No winter sports of any kind.

Tahoe Tribune, 2-6-19

MINING

The Hidden Environmental Toll of Mining the World’s Sand

Nothing sounds so dull — even for most environmentalists — as sand mining. But in India, reports of sand mafias cashing in on the country’s construction boom have lately been making headlines.

Yale Environment 360, 2-5-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Disturbing before-and-after images show how parts of San Francisco could be underwater by 2100

Rising seas and sinking land spell bad news for San Francisco. Nearly a decade ago, researchers estimated that, by the year 2100, rising sea levels would result in $100 billion worth of property losses and 480,000 displaced people along the California coast.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-6-19

5 Science Teams Racing Climate Change as the Ecosystems They Study Disappear

The landscapes and climate in many parts of the world could be nearly unrecognizable by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current pace, research suggests.

Inside Climate News, 2-6-19

Americans say they’re worried about climate change – so why don’t they vote that way?

According to a January public opinion survey, “Record numbers of Americans say they care about global warming.”

The Conversation, 2-4-19

Sea-Level-Rise Report Adapts Carpinteria to 10 More Feet of Ocean

Just as Carpinteria was finishing its draft ocean adaptation report, the State of California put out some gloomy news: Sea-rise levels were now expected to rise 10 feet by 2100, not 5 feet.

Santa Barbara Independent, 2-5-19

GENERAL

Most Californians like Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $209 billion budget proposal, survey says

Most Californians support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first budget proposal, especially his plans to increase funding for early childhood and higher education, according to a survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

Sacramento Bee, 2-6-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Repairs complete from gas leak in Marian Del Rey

Repairs were completed on a pipeline that caused a gas leak last week in Marina del Rey, county public health officials said Monday. The leak occurred at an abandoned well at a construction site at 4360 Via Marina on Jan. 11.

Marina Del Rey Patch, 2-4-19

SoCalGas says natural gas may be curtailed due to cold snap

Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) on Tuesday warned it may have to curtail natural gas supplies and reiterated its plea to customers to use less of the fuel until further notice to avoid straining its system as cold weather blankets its service area.

Reuters, 2-5-19

GEOLOGY

Dark fiber lays groundwork for long-distance earthquake detection and groundwater mapping

In traditional seismology, researchers studying how the earth moves in the moments before, during, and after an earthquake rely on sensors that cost tens of thousands of dollars to make and install underground. Now researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have figured out a way to overcome these hurdles by turning parts of a 13,000-mile-long testbed of “dark fiber,” unused fiber-optic cable, into a highly sensitive seismic activity sensor that could potentially augment the performance of earthquake early warning systems currently being developed in the western United States.

Berkeley Lab News Center, 2-5-19

WATER

Governor Newsom must mop up Brown’s water mess

Despite many high priority issues on his plate, one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first tests will be how he deals with California’s water challenges and opportunities. Unfortunately, in the last days of his term Gov. Jerry Brown made a bad bargain with the Trump administration and special interests. It’s yet another mess for the new governor to mop up.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 2-5-19

California Farm Bureau Federation files lawsuit to block plans for San Joaquin River

The California Farm Bureau Federation has filed a lawsuit to block by the State Water Resources Control Board's plans for the lower river flow of San Joaquin River.

KERO (Bakersfield television), 2-4-19

Trump taps ex-California water lobbyist for Cabinet. Critics call him a ‘swamp creature’

President Donald Trump on Monday nominated David Bernhardt, the former top lobbyist for a powerful Fresno-based irrigation district, to run the Department of the Interior, raising renewed questions about whether he’d try to steer more California water to his former clients.

Sacramento Bee, 2-4-2019

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is altering the color of the ocean

Climate change is already having profound effects on our planet, and here’s one more: It’s changing the color of the oceans, with the blues getting bluer and the greens getting greener.

WBUR (Boston NPR), 2-4-19

Earth’s oceans are routinely breaking heat records

Two recently published peer-reviewed studies make clear that the planet’s oceans are continuing to set hottest-yet temperature records nearly every year and, secondly, that the rate of ocean warming is in virtual lockstep with what modern climate models have projected.

Yale Climate Connections, 2-4-19

GENERAL

New scale to rank atmospheric river storms like hurricanes

Distinguishing a good atmospheric river storm — a modest one that can help end a drought — from a catastrophic one that can kill people has been elusive. On Tuesday, that changed, as scientists published the first-ever scale to rank the strength and impact of incoming atmospheric rivers, similar to the way hurricanes are classified.

Bay Area News Group, 2-5-19

GEOLOGY

Deadly earthquake traveled at 'supersonic' speeds—why that matters

When the earthquake struck on September 28, 2018, Indonesia's Sulawesi island flowed like water. Currents of mud swallowed anything in their paths, sweeping away entire sections of the city of Palu and crosscutting the region's neat patchwork of crop fields. Minutes after the shaking began, locals were caught unaware by a wall of water that crashed onshore with devastating results.

National Geographic, 2-4-19

Seismic boom may explain why 2018 Palu earthquake was so devastating

More than 2000 people died when an earthquake in Indonesia triggered a tsunami last year. We now have a better idea of why the event was so devastating — Earth’s crust ruptured so quickly that it effectively broke the sound barrier for earthquakes and generated a seismic boom.

New Scientist, 2-4-19

Indonesian earthquake broke a geologic speed limit

The geological rupture responsible for the devastating magnitude-7.5 earthquake that struck Palu, Indonesia, in September 2018 ripped through Earth’s crust at rare high speed, two teams of scientists reported this week. This “supershear” behavior likely intensified the shaking in the quake, which triggered a tsunami and killed more than 2000 people. And the setting, on a fault not expected to sustain such a rupture, raises fears that far more regions could be at risk of high-speed quakes than once thought.

Science Magazine, 2-4-19

Northern California's Cascadia Subduction Zone Hit by 11 Earthquakes Over Weekend

Over the weekend, nearly a dozen earthquakes struck within a relatively small region just off the coast of Northern California, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The 11 quakes ranged in magnitude between 2.9 and 4.5 on the Richter scale. Tremors from 3.0 up to 3.9 are considered “minor”—although they can often be felt—whereas quakes that measure between 4.0 and 4.9 are classified as “light” on the scale.

Newsweek, 2-4-19

Earthquake swarm rattles the North Coast

A series of small earthquakes rumbled across Humboldt County and the surrounding region over the weekend and into today as more than a dozen temblors were recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey with the largest recorded at 4.5 magnitude on Sunday afternoon.

Eureka Times-Standard, 2-4-19

WATER

California Lawmakers Push for Oversight of Delta Tunnels Project

A group of Northern California lawmakers seeking more sway over a mammoth $17 billion water project introduced a proposal Friday that would require new construction contracts to be reviewed by the Legislature.

Courthouse News Service, 2-1-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Sea level rise agency takes shape

A countywide effort to address sea level rise is gaining momentum after San Mateo County supervisors took steps to form a new government agency to manage flooding, sea level rise, coastal erosion and stormwater infrastructure this week.

San Mateo Daily Journal, 2-4-19

Scientist Sees Even Conservatives Now Worried Over Climate Change

Over the weekend, the Midwest and eastern U.S. were finally released from the grip of an icy air mass known as the “Polar Vortex." Tens of millions of Americans experienced life-threatening cold that set record lows across the region.

KQED (San Francisco television/radio), 2-4-19

GEOLOGY

Ten earthquakes strike the coast of Northern California in less than 24 hours

Ten earthquakes of preliminary magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.5 struck off the coast of Northern California between Saturday and Sunday, the United States Geological Survey reports. The series of earthquakes rumbled beneath the Pacific Ocean, between 3 miles and 27 miles west of Petrolia in Humboldt County.

San Francisco Chronicle, 2-3-19

Mexico earthquake: 6.6 magnitude at southern border

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicenter of the quake hit at a depth of 42 miles near the Pacific coast and Mexico’s border with Guatemala, according to the USGS.

Reuters, 2-1-19

Storm that pounded Southern California on Saturday will ease up the next few days, forecasters say

A powerful winter storm that pounded Southern California on Saturday, triggering mudflows that shut down Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County, will ease into scattered showers for the next few days.

Los Angeles Times, 2-2-19

Final 2018 seismic wrap

2018 was a relatively quiet year for the contiguous 48 states and on the North Coast. There were no damaging earthquakes and fewer felt ones than the past few years. But there were two unusual tsunamis in places that few would expect.

Eureka Times-Standard column, 1-30-19

OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Marina del Rey Gas Leak Discovered

Public health inspectors have discovered a gas leak in Marina del Rey, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. At the time of publishing, public safety officials do not believe this leak is related to the gas well blowout that occurred nearby on January 11.

Yovenice.com, 2-1-19

Gas Leak In MDR Unrelated To Earlier Release

A gas release in Marina del Rey was unrelated to an earlier one that occurred in the same area less than three weeks ago, a county supervisor said Friday.

MyNewsLA, 2-1-19

Fifty years after Santa Barbara disaster, time to end oil drilling

Last week marked 50 years since the most disastrous oil spill in California history. The Santa Barbara oil spill spewed three million gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean beginning on Jan. 27, 1969, killing thousands of birds, fish and sea animals. The spill produced a 35-mile long oil slick along the California coast, devastating coastal communities that rely on these beaches for their livelihoods.

Sacramento Bee commentary, 1-3-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

California’s Big Climate Plans Could Be in Hands of PG&E Bankruptcy Judge

Bankruptcy lawyers began hashing out the future of PG&E in court this week, but the battle over billions of dollars in renewable energy power is already well underway.

KQED (San Francisco television/radio), 1-31-19

2018's most significant climate change reports

Two climate change reports caused quite a stir last year. The IPCC’s special report on Global Warming of 1.5 C° raised alarms in October. And the odd timing of the Trump administration’s release of the second part of the Fourth National Climate Assessment produced a spike in the coverage of climate change at the end of November. But other less-noticed reports also contributed to the evolution of our understanding of climate change in 2018.

Yale Climate Connections, 1-30-19

How the geography of climate damage could make the politics less polarizing

As a new Congress and the 2020 presidential election cycle gear up, much of Washington is likely to focus on topics where political polarization is high. Yet there may be surprises. Take climate change, a top priority for many Democrats.

Brookings Institute, 1-29-19

Here's how much California is spending to put electric cars on the road

California policymakers are committed to making sure that electric vehicles — and the charging stations and other infrastructure needs associated with them — transform the state’s transportation sector. But it won’t come cheaply.

San Diego Union Tribune, 2-3-19

GENERAL

Southern California deserts need protection, Congress says as it crafts legislation for off-roading, wilderness land

Republicans and Democrats disagree on a lot of issues, but protecting deserts in Southern California doesn’t seem to be one of them. Legislation was introduced this month in both chambers of Congress, by members of both major parties, with the goal of protecting 716,000 acres of regional desert, adding a swath nearly as big as Rhode Island to regional land that’s already under protection.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 1-31-19

Arbuckle is sinking, according to state survey

New data released Tuesday shows that Arbuckle is sinking. And portions of Yolo County aren’t far behind.

Woodland Daily Democrat, 1-29-19

(news updated as time permits…)

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