Geology
300: Physical Geology
Geology
301: Physical Geology Lab
Geology
305: Earth Science
Geology
306: Earth Science Lab
Instructor: Arthur Reed
November 2019 Earth Sciences topics/events making news…
...with emphasis on California news
Remember
the principles of the scientific method when evaluating news stories!
|
· (link to 2009
& older news articles) |
· (link to 2014
news articles) |
|
|
· (link to 2010
news articles) |
· (link to 2015
news articles) |
|
|
· (link to 2011
news articles) |
· (link to 2016
news articles) |
|
|
· (link to 2012
news articles) |
· (link to 2017 news articles) |
|
|
· (link to 2013
news articles) |
· (link to 2018
news articles) |
|
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
UK
halts fracking ahead of election; some want permanent ban
The
British government announced Saturday that it will no longer allow fracking
because of new scientific analysis that casts doubts on the safety of the
controversial practice, but some critics called the action an election stunt
and demanded a permanent ban.
PBS, 11-2-19
U.K.
halts fracking in England, citing quake concerns
Prime
Minister Boris Johnson once hailed fracking as “glorious news for
humanity,” and said the British government should “leave no stone
unturned, or unfracked.” But in a major U-turn,
Mr. Johnson’s government announced on Saturday that it would temporarily
halt fracking in the only active site in Britain, in northwestern England. The
move came after the Oil and Gas Authority concluded this past week that it
could not rule out “unacceptable” consequences for people living
near fracking sites, including pollution risks and earthquake-related damage.
New
York Times, 11-2-19
The
great shale fracking slowdown has arrived
The
mighty shale machine is finally slowing down. The question is how concerned
energy investors and consumers should be since a decline in drilling activity
ultimately points to a drop in production.
Forbes, 11-1-19
The
Trump Administration moved to allow fracking and drilling on 1.2 million acres
of public lands in California, despite renewed outcry from environmental
activists who sued the administration over a different fracking proposal
earlier this week. On
Friday, the Bureau of Land Management announced that it had completed a Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for new leases in California and
announced that the lands would be opened for extraction activities.
Newsweek, 11-1-19
Exxon,
Chevron begin pushing back against Warren’s fracking ban
America’s
two biggest oil companies are starting to push back against the fracking ban
touted by the leading candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination,
which may become one of the most consequential flashpoints for energy markets
during the election campaign.
Bloomberg, 11-1-19
Nigerian
Uduak-Joe Ntuk given top
oil post by California governor
Nigerian-American,
Uduak-Joe Ntuk, has been
appointed by the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, as the State Oil and Gas
Supervisor, responsible for managing the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal
Resources (DOGGR).
P.M. News, 11-3-19
Everyone
wants a sustainable energy future. Let’s work together to make it happen
(Commentary)
While
talking over each other rather than with each other is the prevalent approach
to tough policy matters nowadays, we believe that finding common ground, even
small bits of it, is more productive to finding a sustainable energy future
than demonizing each other will ever be. So, let’s talk about where two
folks coming from different roles on energy and the environment can agree.
Sacramento
Bee, 11-3-19
Robert
Price: Electric car lovers are among us, right here in oil city
Fossil
fuel extraction has been an essential part of the Kern County economy for more
than a century, but these days it's under siege. The state Environmental Protection
Agency, in partnership with the University of California and others, is
developing strategies to engineer a major decline in California oil production,
an industry centered primarily in Bakersfield. A major aspect of the plan is a
wholesale transition away from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles in favor
of EVs. The tipping point is a long way off, but it's visible on the horizon
and closing fast.
Bakersfield
Californian, 11-2-19
Supplemental
EIR clears way for fracking, oil drilling in Santa Barbara County
A
supplemental environmental impact report on hydraulic fracturing released
Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management found no significant impacts, and plans for leasing 1.2 million acres for oil and
gas development in eight counties, including Santa Barbara County, will not
change.
Santa Ynez Valley News, 11-2-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.7-magnitude
earthquake rattles Sonoma County
A
3.7-magnitude earthquake rattled Sonoma County on Saturday morning, but there
were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, authorities said.
San Francisco Chronicle, 11-2-19
3.9
earthquake shakes wine country region hit by wildfires
A
magnitude 3.9 earthquake was reported Saturday morning in the Northern
California wine country region recently stricken by wildfires.
Los Angeles Times, 11-2-19
Earthquake:
3.1 quake registered near Red Bluff in Northern California
A
magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Sunday morning at 2:38 a.m. Pacific time
17 miles from Red Bluff, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-3-19
3.5
earthquake felt near Ridgecrest, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported at 2:33 a.m. Friday 63 miles from
Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-1-19
Earthquake:
3.1 quake felt near Palm Springs
A
magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Thursday evening at 6:45 p.m. Pacific
time nine miles from Palm Springs according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-31-19
DIVISION OF MINE RECLAMATION
INCATech wins a contract with the Department of the Army
Corp of Engineers
INCATech has been awarded a contract through the
Army Corp of Engineers to support the State of California, Department of
Conservation, Abandoned Mine Lands Database Development Project. The project
consists of database and web-based application design, and integration of
tabular, documentary, and spatial data for the California Department of
Conservation's, Division of Mine Reclamation, Abandoned Mine Lands Program.
Benzinga, 11-28-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
State
board to hear report on California's ag future
The
California State Board of Food and Agriculture will hear a presentation from
the UC Agricultural Issues Center on California’s Agricultural Future and
have updates on CDFA’s CalCannabis and Farmer
Equity programs at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Western Farm Press, 10-31-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Al
Gore makes the climate case for old-fashioned farming
Al
Gore's 400-acre farm is located in Carthage, a small
Tennessee town where the former vice president and senator kicked off his
political campaigns. During Gore's second act as a famous environmentalist, the
farm became the site of a training program for aspiring climate activists, and
more recently, an experiment in what he said is the world's most realistic
chance at averting climate catastrophe. If farming practices are changed through the use of cover crops, low-tilling and
tree-planting, Gore said, agriculture conglomerates and family farmers alike
could theoretically make their farms more productive while fighting global
warming.
San Francisco Chronicle, 11-3-19
Trump
Stymies California Climate Efforts Even as State Burns
For
the past three years, countries and companies around the world have looked to
California as a counterweight to the Trump administration’s aggressive
dismantling of efforts to combat climate change.
New York Times, 11-3-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
4.2-magnitude
Sonoma County earthquake shakes area near Kincade
Fire on Sunday
A
4.2-magnitude earthquake struck Sonoma County Sunday afternoon near The
Geysers, near the mountains east of Geyserville where the Kincade
Fire has been burning for more than a week, according to the U.S. Geological
Survey.
Bay Area News Group, 11-4-19
4.2-magnitude
California quake rattles world’s largest geothermal field, USGS reports
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck
the California coast north of San Francisco on Sunday afternoon, the U.S.
Geological Survey reports. The 1.3-mile deep quake hit near The Geysers at
12:34 p.m. Pacific time, according to the USGS. Dozens of people from as far
away as Santa Rosa reported feeling the tremor to the agency.
Sacramento Bee, 11-3-19
California
suffered widespread cellphone outages during fires. A big earthquake would be
much worse
When
Ted Atz, a 75-year-old retiree in Marin County,
learned that his power would go out during the Kincade fire,
he texted his loved ones that he might lose cell service. He was right. For
four long days, Atz couldn’t make or receive
calls. He’d drive around his hometown of San Anselmo, hoping to find
better reception. He had no luck and was frustrated by the knowledge that if he
suffered some kind of medical or other emergency, he
couldn’t reach 911.
Los Angeles Times, 11-5-19
State
water officials working on ways to reduce the impact earthquakes have on
Castaic Dam are expected to begin the retrofitting process by examining a
concrete chute this week.
Santa Clarita Signal, 11-5-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
In
the four years since a gas well ruptured at the Aliso Canyon underground gas
storage field near Porter Ranch, residents have wanted to know if the chemicals
that came out of the well for months made them sick. They complain that they
can't get straight answers from the L.A. County Department of Public Health or
the gas field owner, Southern California Gas Company.
LAist, 11-5-19
Federal
oil lease auctions may soon resume after BLM finds minimal fracking risks in
California
A
long-running legal battle over federal oil-and-gas leasing in California may be
nearing resolution after new findings by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
that the oilfield technique known as fracking does not pose undue environmental
harm to 1.2 million acres in Kern County and other parts of California.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-5-19
Feds
crack moratorium on fracking
he federal government announced a
proposal last week to open more than 1 million acres of public lands and
minerals in the Central Valley to oil drilling and fracking. The plan, first
floated in draft form in April, would end a more than five-year moratorium on
leasing federal public land in the state to oil companies.
Exeter Sun-Gazette, 11-6-19
Mountain
View City Council backs natural gas ban for all new homes
The
Mountain View City Council took a strong stance in battling climate change,
unanimously approving new building codes that would phase out the use of
natural gas in all types of new homes.
Mountain View Voice, 11-5-19
Trump
Opens Up 122,000 Acres of County Land to Oil and Gas Leases
On
Halloween, the Trump administration confirmed it would open another million
acres of public land for oil and gas leases — 122,000 acres of them in
Santa Barbara County — including Bureau of Land Management properties
near Jalama Beach, Lake Cachuma, and Cate School.
Carpinteria’s City Council voted to oppose the plan on October 28, as did
the county two weeks before. The lease sales were opposed in 2016 by California
groups Los Padres ForestWatch and the Center for
Biological Diversity, which gained a court order for the BLM to conduct a
study; it determined no environmental impacts would result from fracking.
Santa Barbara Independent, 11-5-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE
PROTECTION
Historic
$93 million deal reached to preserve San Jose’s Coyote Valley
Ending
more than 35 years of development battles on one of Silicon Valley’s most
sought-after landscapes, the San Jose City Council on Wednesday is expected to
approve a $93 million deal to purchase 937 acres in Coyote Valley, a rural
expanse of farmland and open space on the city’s southern edges.
Bay Area News Group, 11-5-19
San
Diego farmers find innovative solutions to climate change problems
San
Diego County farmers are finding innovative solutions to problems brought on by
climate change. "It's getting hotter and drier, and we're in longer, more
frequent droughts," says Al Stehly, who manages
15 farms in the North County. "So we have to use
the water we do have better."
KGTV (San Diego television), 11-5-19
Farmers
urged to think big and small to survive groundwater cutbacks
The
thinking started small and then grew much bigger at a gathering Tuesday in
Bakersfield that was intended to provide a "survival toolkit" for
farmers and water managers facing drastic restrictions on Central Valley
groundwater pumping.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-5-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Can
farmers sow their way out of climate change?
Nine
percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are caused by agriculture.
Those emissions are changing the earth's climate and amplifying savage weather conditions
that have been taking a heavy toll on the nation's farmers over the past few
years. They've been battling historically wet conditions over the past year,
including massive floods last spring.
CBS News, 11-5-19
Does
a rain-free October signal a return to drought in California?
“There
are 200 different definitions of drought,” said climatologist Bill Patzert. “If you’re a firefighter with no rain
in the month of October, and there are strong Diablo and Santa Ana winds,
it’s a drought.” Southern California got no rain during October,
and it was desiccated by super-dry Santa Ana winds.
Los Angeles Times, 11-4-19
Cities,
states and companies vow to meet U.S. climate goals without Trump. Can they?
Despite
President Trump‘s decision to withdraw from the
Paris climate accord, the United States hasn’t completely abandoned the
landmark international agreement. In fact, when the president announced
his intent to drop out of the deal two years
ago, he inadvertently catalyzed a flurry of climate action among cities,
states, businesses and other organizations that remain committed to reducing
carbon emissions in order to help the world avoid the worst effects of global
warming, experts said.
Los Angeles Times, 11-4-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Oil
moratorium extended for year with results of water study still unknown
A
moratorium on new oil wells in the vicinity of a key source of groundwater has
been extended for as long as another year. Voting unanimously Tuesday, the
Ventura County Board of Supervisors continued a ban on the drilling of
steam-injection wells and the re-drilling of existing ones in the vicinity of
the Fox Canyon Aquifer.
Ventura County Star, 11-6-19
Feds
continue to push for new oil leases in Santa Barbara County
The
Trump administration has finalized a study on the environmental and public
health impacts of fracking, a final step towards opening more than one million
acres of lands throughout the coastal and interior regions of Central
California to new oil drilling and fracking. The action ends a five-year
moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands in California.
Coastal View, 11-6-19
Geoscientist
hopes to make induced earthquakes predictable
University
of Oklahoma Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy
assistant professor Xiaowei Chen and a group of
geoscientists from Arizona State University and the University of California,
Berkeley, have created a model to forecast induced earthquake activity from the
disposal of wastewater after oil and gas production.
Phys.org, 11-7-19
Local
environmental groups battle against fracking leases
Local
environmental advocates are fighting plans to expand or kickstart fracking on
federal lands in California’s Central Valley and on the Central Coast.
Santa Maria Sun, 11-6-19
Up
to 10 barrels of oil spills at former Greka facility
on Black Road
An
estimated eight to 10 barrels of crude oil leaked Wednesday at a former Greka facility on Black Road, but no riparian or waterways
were threatened by the spill, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire
Department.
Santa Maria Times, 11-6-19
Firefighters
respond to oil spill at Greka oil facility near Casmalia
Firefighters
responded to an oil spill in the Santa Maria Valley Wednesday. The fire
department said the spill had been contained.
KEYT (Santa Barbara television), 11-6-19
Midland,
Texas: America's ultimate boomtown
For
years, Midland, Texas, was a quiet corner of the oil patch, in the middle of
the desert, hours away from the state's population centers. It knew oil booms
and oil busts, but little changed year-to-year. Then came fracking, and
Midland, the center of a West Texas region known as the Permian Basin, would
never be the same again.
CNN, 11-7-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Design
plans, environmental review underway for new Montecito debris basin
Environmental
review for a new Montecito debris basin will be finished next year, according
to Santa Barbara County Flood Control, which held a workshop on the project
Monday night. The county does not have all the funding necessary for the
proposed debris basin on Randall Road and Highway 192, at San Ysidro Creek, but
has hired project design and environmental review process consultants, said Tom
Fayram, deputy public works director.
Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 11-5-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
A
third of California methane traced to a few super-emitters
NASA
scientists are helping California create a detailed, statewide inventory of
methane point sources - highly concentrated methane releases from single
sources - using a specialized airborne sensor. The team identified more than
550 individual point sources emitting plumes of highly concentrated methane.
Ten percent of these sources, considered super-emitters, contributed the majority of the emissions detected. The team estimates
that statewide, super-emitters are responsible for about a third of
California's total methane budget.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 11-6-19
Dr.
Geeta Persad: Climate change and the future of California’s water
Climate
change is already transforming California’s water cycle, putting stress
on the state’s rigidly engineered water infrastructure as well as our
unique ecosystems. Current water management strategies will need to be
fundamentally rethought as climate change depletes the state’s natural
snowpack storage, concentrates rainfall into increasingly extreme events,
brings salty ocean water farther inland, and dries out vegetation and soils.
Maven’s Notebook, 11-7-19
Largest
solar plant in US approved in Los Angeles
While
the White House began the United States’ formal withdrawal from the Paris
climate agreement this week, the city of Los Angeles on Wednesday approved the
construction of the largest solar plant in the country. The Eland Solar and
Storage facility will be located in the Mojave Desert
and is estimated that it will power over 280,000 homes across Los Angeles when
it is fully operational.
Courthouse News Service, 11-6-19
Rising
seas will threaten San Clemente’s railroad and pier, could wipe out
beaches, study says
Sea-level
rise in San Clemente will threaten portions of the seaside railroad, increase
the pier’s exposure to high surf, radically shrink beach size, hurt
surfing quality and eventually erode bluffs that are topped with homes,
according to a vulnerability assessment presented to the City Council on
Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Southern California Newspaper Group, 11-6-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Southern
California wakes up to several minor earthquakes
Several
minor earthquakes shook Southern California early Thursday morning, including two in Ventura registering a
magnitude of 3.4 and 3.2.
Ventura County Star, 11-7-19
Earthquake
impact can be affected by seasonal factors, historical study shows
The
season that an earthquake occurs could affect the extent of ground failure and
destruction that the event brings, according to a new look at two historical
earthquakes that occurred about 100 years ago near Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Seismological Society of America, 11-6-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Why
frackers are using sewage to collect oil and gas
America's
oil industry faces a number of challenges, including low oil prices, the rise of electric vehicles and proposals to limit fracking. But one of its biggest
problems: The industry is running out of water. The US oil boom is being driven mostly by the growth of
fracking — injecting water into shale formations to free up deposits of
oil and natural gas that were never economically accessible before. But much of
that oil and natural gas is found in the most arid parts of the country, where
water is scarce.
CNN, 11-8-19
Industry
Continues to Make Progress on Carbon Capture
Does
the world really want carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS)? The
answer is an unequivocal “Yes,” say the International Energy Agency
(IEA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations, and
many oil and gas companies, among others. The consensus is that rapid scale-up
of CCUS is essential for meeting climate and emissions targets while not
crippling economic growth. As much as 450 million Mt of CO2 could be
captured, used, and stored globally with a commercial incentive as low as
$40/Mt, according to the IEA. Yet this potential remains largely untapped.
Journal of Petroleum Technology, 11-1-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
SLO
County supervisors fire back at state ag board
A
confrontational morning session of the Nov. 5 San Luis Obispo County Board of
Supervisors meeting ended in the narrow approval of a written retort to the California State Board of Food and
Agriculture, which recently criticized SLO for its handling of water
policy over the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin.
San Luis Obispo New Times, 11-7-19
Kern
farmland values begin to stabilize as investors absorb groundwater restrictions
A
new report shows market conditions in local agriculture are generally
stabilizing — though not improving much — as investors in Kern
County farmland take in the bad news about upcoming restrictions on groundwater
pumping and, to a lesser degree, lower commodity prices and a continuing labor
shortage.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-7-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Sudden
oak death spreading fast, California’s coastal forests facing devastation
It
is the forgotten killer when compared to our increasingly frequent climate
calamities, but the virulent pathogen known as sudden oak death remains active
and is spreading death so fast it could destroy California’s coastal
forest ecosystem, UC Berkeley scientists reported Thursday.
San Francisco Chronicle, 11-7-19
GENERAL
Governor
Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced the availability of $610 million in funding
to help California communities build more housing and increase transit and
active transportation options close to job centers and services – actions
that are crucial to both meeting the state’s need for housing for all
Californians, and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. This
follows the release of $279 million from the Infill Infrastructure Grant
program.
Mariposa Sierra Sun-Times, 11-8-19
How
to Win on Climate and Conservation
When
I joined Point Blue
Conservation Science as its new CEO earlier this year, I did so with
equal parts excitement and humility. Excitement because after many years
working on conservation and climate change issues from Washington, DC to
sub-Saharan Africa I had found my new home in the Bay Area. And with humility
because I was taking on the leadership role for an organization with such a
long, rich history at a critical time for our environment. Six months into my
new role here, I couldn’t be more certain that this is exactly the right
place for me, though the challenges ahead for our conservation community are
immense.
Bay Nature commentary, 11-7-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Elizabeth
Warren’s fracking ban pledge shows a ‘total lack of
understanding,’ oil guru Yergin says
One
of the energy industry’s most prominent experts is flabbergasted at
Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren’s promise to ban
fracking if elected.
CNBC, 11-11-19
Glimpse
of Kern's oil-free future at EPA workshop Nov. 13
The
state's war on oil comes to the front lines this week. The California
Environmental Protection Agency will host a public workshop Wednesday evening
at Bakersfield College's Norman Levan Center, where EPA officials, along with
representatives of partner agencies, will solicit public input on two
state-funded studies that focus on California's quest to achieve ambitious
carbon neutrality goals by 2045.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-12-19
New
York struggles to show Exxon misled investors on climate
New
York rested its securities-fraud case against Exxon Mobil after nine days of
trial testimony without appearing to produce any definitive evidence that the
oil company intentionally misled investors about how it accounted for climate-change
risks.
World Oil, 11-3-19
Methane
detectives: Can a wave of technology slash natural gas leaks?
Greg Rieker is a professor of
mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and chief
technology officer of LongPath Technologies, a
startup that aims to provide oil and gas companies with a new method for
detecting methane leaks from their operations. He is among a growing cadre of
scientists and entrepreneurs working to develop and deploy novel technologies
to address the growing issue of methane leaks across the fossil fuel supply
chain.
Mother Jones, 11-9-19
Opinion:
Is banning natural gas an ‘antidote to climate change’?
As
governments in California increasingly consider limiting new residential
natural gas connections, it is important to question whether banning natural
gas is an “antidote to climate change”. We need to
question critically whether banning new natural gas hookups actually
reduces carbon dioxide emissions as natural gas will continue to be
used—just in a more inefficient way.
Bay Area News Group, 11-12-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Coachella
Valley hit by two earthquakes separated by about 12 hours Sunday
A
pair of earthquakes similar in size but separated by about 12 hours shook the
Coachella Valley Sunday. The
first magnitude-3.5 temblor happened about 1:45 a.m. and it was centered about
three miles east of Cabazon, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The second
earthquake happened 2:07 p.m. and it was centered about nine miles north of
Indio.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 11-10-19
What
do the experts say about Ventura earthquakes?
A
48-hour swarm of earthquakes rumbling through Ventura isn’t a harbinger
of a bigger quake to come, according the seismological experts. While the swarm
may not signal a larger quake, experts say it does signal what you should do:
be prepared.
Ventura County Star, 11-8-19
Swarm
of earthquakes hits Ventura
A
swarm of weak earthquakes has been rattling Ventura for at least two days,
including a magnitude 3.6 temblor that hit before dawn Friday.
Los Angeles Times, 11-8-19
Southern
California magnitude 3.5 earthquake latest in swarm of temblors in region
A
magnitude 3.5 earthquake shook southern California early Sunday, marking the
latest of a swarm of temblors to hit the state over the last few days.
Fox News, 11-10-19
Magnitude
3.1 earthquake hits near La Quinta
A
magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Saturday morning near Salton City in
Imperial County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-9-19
Iran
earthquake: Five killed and hundreds injured
The
5.9-magnitude tremor struck in the early hours of Friday in East Azerbaijan
province, Iran's Seismological Center said. Most of the injuries were caused by
crowd stampedes, state-run TV reports.
BBC News, 11-8-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Editorial:
Preserving Coyote Valley is a gift to entire Bay Area
The
successful effort to preserve Coyote Valley — what has been rightly
called San Jose’s last great open space —
is a gift to residents and wildlife from Mount Diablo to Santa Cruz. It
took a rare public-private partnership between open space preservationists,
developers John Sobrato and Diane Brandenburg, and
government officials to make it work.
Bay Area News Group, 11-10-19
Underground
water impacting farmland property value
The
water crisis plaguing the state is also affecting the value of farms here in
Kern County. Michael Ming, Lead Appraiser for Alliance Ag Services, said
groundwater sustainability efforts have proven to be a big challenge.
Bakersfield Now, 11-8-19
5,600
homes, a Sac State campus: Major Placer County development in final planning
stages
A
plan to transform more than 13 square miles of farmland sandwiched between
Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville into a vast development has inched closer to
reality. The final planning and environmental review reports for the Sunset
Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan were released Oct. 31, designating new
uses for the land west of Highway 65, including major hubs of entertainment,
business, retail, industry and housing. The anchor for the proposed community:
A planned Sacramento State satellite campus that could eventually serve
thousands of residents in a new community called Placer Ranch.
Sacramento Bee, 11-11-19
GENERAL
California’s
working landscape generates $333 billion in sales, 1.5 million jobs
California’s
working landscape and the industries associated with agriculture and natural
resources contribute significantly to the state’s economy, according to a
new study by the California Community Colleges Centers of Excellence for Labor
Market Research, California Economic Summit and the University of
California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Red Bluff Daily News, 11-8-19
Legislating
by whim (Commentary)
The
Democrats who dominate the state Legislature have developed a very bad habit
— legislating by whim.
CalMatters, 11-11-19
This
startup is saving crops by making 'super bees'
One
company wants to help farmers adapt to a world of rapidly declining bee
populations. Argentina-based startup Beeflow has
developed a special nutrient-packed formula for bees meant to boost their
immune systems and make them stronger to work better in colder temperatures.
CNN, 10-17-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Swarm
of earthquakes rattles El Centro; strongest at 4.0 magnitude
Five
earthquakes varying in strength from magnitude 2.5 to
magnitude 4.0 rattled El Centro Monday night. The first earthquake
hit at 6:07 p.m., less than a mile east of El Centro and had a magnitude
of 2.8 with a depth of 10.3 miles, according to initial information from the
U.S Geological Survey. The strongest temblor — magnitude 4.0 —
hit nearly seven minutes later at a depth of 11.7 miles about a half-mile east
northeast of El Centro.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 11-11-19
Earthquake
swarm: Small quakes hit the California-Mexico border
A
swarm of small earthquakes has struck near the California-Mexico border,
centered beneath the town of El Centro in Imperial County. Scientists are
closely watching the cluster, which began at 6:07 p.m. Monday with a magnitude
2.8 quake, followed six minutes later by the largest quake so far, a magnitude
4. There were 18 aftershocks within the first two hours, Caltech seismologist Egill Hauksson said.
Los Angeles Times, 11-12-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Fracking
may indeed be causing earthquakes in Texas, according to UT study
Since
Texas earthquake rates first picked up in 2008, academic scientists, regulators
and oil and gas companies have publicly agreed on one thing: fracking was not
to blame. Instead, studies tied the quakes to the disposal of wastewater from
oil and gas production. Now, a new study suggests for the first time that some
Texas earthquakes — specifically, those in West Texas — may indeed
be connected to hydraulic fracturing, the process of injecting fluid, sand and
chemicals underground at high pressure to release oil and gas.
Dallas Morning News, 11-11-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
How
Scientists Got Climate Change So Wrong
For
decades, most scientists saw climate change as a distant prospect. We now know
that thinking was wrong. This summer, for instance, a heat wave in Europe
penetrated the Arctic, pushing temperatures into the 80s across much of the Far
North and, according to the Belgian climate scientist Xavier Fettweis, melting some 40 billion tons of Greenland’s
ice sheet.
New York Times, 11-8-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Workshop
looks at ways of managing the decline of California's oil industry
Local
environmental activists sat down with Bakersfield oil company representatives
Wednesday for a civil discussion about California's goal of managing the
decline of the state's petroleum industry. The evening meeting, which drew
about 100 people to Bakersfield College's Norman Levan Center for a two-hour
public workshop, elicited thoughtful conversation about what state officials
ought to take into account while planning to achieve a
"carbon-neutral" economy statewide by 2045.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-13-19
Energy
summit spotlights business opportunities, political divisiveness
The
steak prepared for breakfast at Wednesday morning's Kern County Energy
Summit served as an apt metaphor for the 13th annual event in downtown
Bakersfield. Not only did it speak to good times ahead as speaker after speaker
pointed to business opportunities facing the county's increasingly
diverse energy industry, but as red meat it also epitomized some of the
political themes.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-13-19
EPA
and FERC chiefs brief independent producers on administration achievements,
policies
Late
last week, on Day 2 of its annual meeting and 90th anniversary, the Independent
Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) heard from the respective heads of the
EPA and FERC on how Trump administration policies are benefitting both the
nation and the upstream oil and gas industry. Speaking at a hotel in
Washington, D.C., their assessments received a favorable response from a key
administration constituency.
World Oil, 11-12-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
POST:
Tax break will keep farm affordable
San
Gregorio’s Blue House Farm has been enrolled in the Williamson Act.
Proponents of the move say it will ensure the land is used for agricultural
purposes and provide tax relief. According to the California Department
of Conservation, a third of privately held land in the state and about half of
the state’s agricultural land is enrolled in the program. The Williamson
Act Program — passed in 1965 as the California Land Conservation Act
— was designed to allow local governments to create contracts with
landowners to designate land for agricultural production to preserve farmlands.
In exchange, farmers get a tax break.
Half Moon Bay Review, 11-13-19
Sonoma
Land Trust secures $14.5 million deal for Mayacamas Mountains ranch eyed for
parkland
From
a North Bay hilltop about 70 miles from San Francisco, afternoon sunlight
bounces off thousands of windows on the 52-story Bank of America skyscraper,
transforming it into a distant “gold bar.” The airy vantage point
is called Big Hill, rising to 2,500 feet amid the Mayacamas Mountains east
of Santa Rosa, and Jim Perry considers it his favorite spot on the 654-acre
ranch that’s been in his family since 1844.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 11-13-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Trees
that survived the California drought could contain the key to climate
resilience
California’s
five-year drought killed 129 million trees across the state’s forests.
Their lifeless trunks are mostly still standing, but among their browning
leaves and needles are survivors — trees that withstood the historically
hot, dry years that climate change is expected to make more
frequent and more intense in coming decades.
The Hill, 11-13-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Earthquake
rumbles Pismo Beach days after series of Central Coast quakes
A
small earthquake shook some SLO County residents awake late Wednesday night.
According to the United States Geological Survey, a 2.6-magnitude earthquake
occurred in Pismo Beach around 11:49 p.m.
San Luis Tribune, 11-14-19
Drones
reveal earthquake hazards hidden in the abyss
There
is no force on Earth quite like a subduction zone. But much remains unknown
about how those faults slip and stick between catastrophes. To gauge motions
underwater, scientists rely on a daisy chain in which a ship tracks acoustic
beacons on the sea floor—and the ship, in turn, fixes its position with
GPS. Now, a team led by David Chadwell, a geophysicist at the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California, has found a way to cut
costs by replacing the expensive ships with ocean-going drones.
Science Magazine, 11-14-19
Earthquake
conspiracy theorists are wreaking havoc during emergencies
Earthquake
conspiracy theorists aren’t a huge group, but they do exist and have an
immense amount of sway over their dedicated fans. What’s more, with
social media, their power is growing.
Vice, 11-14-19
7.1
Magnitude earthquake hits near Indonesia, tsunami warning issued
The
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near
Indonesia on Thursday, and reports stated that a tsunami warning was issued.
Epoch
Times, 11-14-19
Earthquake:
3.9 quake near Ridgecrest, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.9 earthquake was reported at 11:26 a.m. Wednesday 12 miles from
Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-13-19
Southern
California Edison strikes $360-million settlement over wildfires and mudslide
Southern
California Edison has agreed to pay $360 million to dozens of public agencies
affected by wildfires and mudslides in the last two years, attorneys involved
in the deal said Wednesday. The public entities sued Southern California Edison
over expenses and damage they incurred during and after the 2017 Thomas fire,
the Montecito mudslide or the 2018 Woolsey fire.
Los Angeles Times, 11-13-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Billionaires
poised to buy U.S. oil and gas assets at distressed prices
Billionaires
are circling the distressed U.S. oil and gas patch, looking to pick up assets
on the cheap at a time when the state of the industry is scaring off other
investors. Sam Zell has teamed up with Tom Barrack Jr. to buy oil assets in
California, Colorado and Texas at fire-sale prices from companies trying to get
ahead of a coming credit crunch. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said his
Comstock Resources Inc. is in talks to acquire natural gas assets in Louisiana
from struggling Chesapeake Energy Corp.
World Oil, 11-14-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Surfrider
study calls for allowing the ocean to advance inland
While
California scored the only “A” in a new environmental assessment of
the nation’s beaches, the state’s sole shortcoming in the report
pulls back the curtain on a growing conflict over whether beachfront homeowners
should be allowed to protect their property against rising seas.
Orange
County Register, 11-13-19
California
Coastkeeper Alliance releases climate change plan for coastal areas
The
California Coastkeeper Alliance released its Ocean Climate Resiliency Action
Plan Wednesday, a roadmap to mitigate the effects of climate change and sea
level rise on coastal areas like northern San Diego County. The plan includes
objectives such as recycling 100% of wastewater along the coast by 2040,
requiring the use of nitrate removal technology at wastewater treatment plants,
establishing a state program for wetlands restoration and creating a state fund
to help coastal communities respond to sea level rise without using harmful
tactics like sea walls.
KPBS (San Diego television), 11-13-19
Cap
and Trade Is Supposed to Solve Climate Change, but Oil and Gas Company
Emissions Are Up
Gov.
Jerry Brown took the podium at a July 2017 press conference to lingering
applause after a steady stream of politicians praised him for helping to extend
California’s signature climate policy for another decade. Brown, flanked
by the U.S. and California flags, with a backdrop of the gleaming San Francisco
Bay, credited the hard work of the VIPs seated in the crowd. “It’s
people in industry, and they’re here!” he said. “Shall we
mention them? People representing oil, agriculture, business, Chamber of
Commerce, food processing. … Plus, we have environmentalists. ...”
ProPublica, 11-15-19
WATER
And
we wait. 81% of California abnormally dry as seasonal rains fail to materialize
California’s
drought-prone hills and valleys are on the verge of another troubling dry
spell. The U.S. government’s Drought Monitor on Thursday classified more
than 80% of California as abnormally dry because rain has eluded the state for
most of the fall. Forecasting models, meanwhile, suggest little change in the near future.
San Francisco Chronicle, 11-14-19
Editorial:
Californians must help kill sleazy Westlands water
deal
The
Westlands Water District has engaged in some sleazy
maneuvers over the years, but this one, which threatens the Bay
Area’s water supply, tops them all. The Trump administration, led by
Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt, is poised to give a massive
quantity of cheap federal water to the Central Valley water district —
the same district that paid Bernhardt’s firm $1.3 million over a
five-year period for lobbying services before he took the Interior job.
Bay Area News Group, 11-15-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
A
Westside oil site was supposed to undergo regular reviews. That didn’t
happen
When
Westside residents battled plans to step up production at an oil drilling
facility on Pico Boulevard, their fight ultimately went from City Hall to the
courtroom and ended nearly two decades ago with a legal settlement meant to
protect neighbors from noise and fumes. That deal with the city and Breitburn Energy included a requirement meant to keep
problems from recurring once the facility was renovated. There were supposed to
be regular reviews by the city every five years after an initial study. That
didn’t happen. And the city didn’t do them.
Los Angeles Times, 11-17-19
Oil
firm will fight on after losing appeal over land-use violations
Planning
commissioners have backed a decision to cancel producer Peak Operator's
authorization for oilfield development near Oxnard and are upholding findings
of numerous land-use violations. Commissioners also denied Peak's appeals
of those decisions at the lightly attended hearing in Ventura. Peak has denied
the allegations and said it would have resolved the issues but for a lack of
cooperation from the county's Planning Division.
Ventura County Star, 11-15-19
Millions
of gallons of oily water have surfaced in a Kern County oil field, and more
keeps coming
A
dry streambed had begun filling with crude oil and water in the Cymric Oil Field
west of Bakersfield in July. That single surface expression released more than
1.3 million gallons of oily water before it was sealed, prompted fines and
violations against the operator, a site visit from Governor Gavin Newsom, and
investigations into state regulators, but spill reports reveal the amount of
fluid released at 1Y represents only half of what’s seeped to the surface
just this year, just in the Cymric Oil Field.
Valley Public Radio, 11-15-19
Platform
Holly plugs first well
As
part of Venoco’s shutdown, caused in part by
the Refugio Oil Spill and the closure of the oil pipeline, the company
quitclaimed Holly to State Lands, saddling the state with the costs of removing
the wells, estimated to be in the neighborhood of $348 million. On Halloween, the
State Lands Commission closed the first well on Holly.
Santa Barbara Independent, 11-16-19
Will
the UK’s temporary ban on natural gas fracking impact U.S. policy?
The
United Kingdom’s conservative government has issued a temporary ban on
shale gas production, forcing the rest of the world to take notice. Will the
UK’s decision have broader ramifications around the globe and
specifically in the United States?
Forbes, 11-17-19
Why
Is California Approving So Many New Oil Wells?
As
Donald Trump’s administration pushes to expand oil extraction in
California, the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has signed bill after
bill limiting the practice. In October, new laws banned federal oil
extraction on state lands, removed the terms “oil” and
“gas” from the name of the state’s department of energy, and
expanded its mandate to include public health and safety.
CityLab, 11-18-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
New
research finds small faults caused Ridgecrest earthquakes
The
Big One could be triggered by the energy on a series of small faults, new
research has found. The
morning of the Fourth of July, a magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck near the city
of Ridgecrest, which was rocked 34 hours later by a bigger quake – a 7.1.
Caltech researchers now say those two earthquakes, which were felt throughout
Southern California and in Nevada, weren’t produced by just one fault
– they were the result of 20 or more faults releasing energy seconds
apart.
KCBS (Los Angeles television), 11-15-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
GSP’s
potential adverse impact on ag
When
the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority technical and policy advisory
committees reviewed a draft sustainability plan, it left many with questions
and criticisms. The plan may also leave uncertainty for the valley’s
agricultural industry. They face the brunt of the plan’s water
sustainability requirements when the plan is implemented following its
submission to the California Department of Water Resources at the end of January.
Ridgecrest Daily Independent, 11-18-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
When
It Comes to Climate-Change Adaptation, As Goes California, So Goes…the
World
It’s
almost biblical: Apocalyptic images of fires sweeping through communities. The
worst droughts in recorded history, followed by floods overwhelming dams and
levees. Homeless encampments. Power outages for millions of people
Time commentary, 11-18-19
California
Gets Good Marks Planning For Sea-Level Rise
California
got an A-grade for its efforts to protect the state’s beaches in the
latest coastal survey from the California-based Surfrider group. The survey
looked at how states with coastlines managed sediment, coastal development,
coastal armoring, and sea-level rise.
KPBS (San Diego television), 11-15-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Newsom
blocks new California fracking pending scientific review
In
a victory for critics of California’s oil drilling industry, Gov. Gavin
Newsom on Tuesday stopped the approval of new hydraulic fracturing in the state
until the permits for those projects can be reviewed by an independent panel of
scientists. Newsom also imposed a moratorium on new permits for steam-injected
oil drilling in California, another extraction method opposed by
environmentalists that was linked to a massive petroleum spill in Kern County
over the summer.
Los Angeles Times, 11-19-19
Fracking,
oil wells to get more scrutiny under new rules from Gavin Newsom
Gov.
Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced a crackdown on fracking projects and a
moratorium on new oil wells that use high-pressure steam. Fracking, short for
hydraulic fracturing, involves shooting a high-pressure stream of water or
another substance into rock formations to extract oil or gas.
Sacramento Bee, 11-19-19
California
to consider ban on oil-drilling method tied to leaks
California
will study whether to ban a high-pressure oil extraction method that has been
linked to repeated leaks at a Kern County oil field. The state’s oil and
gas regulator said Tuesday that it would halt the approval of new wells that
use high-pressure steam injections to break up underground formations and
release oil for pumping. During the moratorium, the Division of Oil, Gas and
Geothermal Resources will consult with experts to determine whether the
process, known as cyclic steaming, can be conducted safely with new rules or
should be prohibited altogether.
San Francisco Chronicle, 11-19-19
Newsom
halts new dangerous steam injection, oil fracking in California
California
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday placed a moratorium on new permits for potentially
dangerous oil drilling techniques, which officials said are linked
to illegal spills across the Central Valley. The temporary ban on new
permits for steam injection and fracking is one of several measures
being taken to better scrutiny of oil operations across the state.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 11-19-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
3.1
magnitude earthquake hits Southern California border town
A
3.1-magnitude temblor struck a Southern California town Sunday afternoon, about
40 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The epicenter of the earthquake was
2.3 kilometers deep and 14 kilometers north of Calipatria,
a town in Imperial County, at the southern tip of the Salton Sea, according to
the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Bay Area News Group, 11-17-19
3.2
quake reported near Chico, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.2 earthquake was reported at 11:37 a.m. Tuesday five miles from
Chico, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred
18 miles from Paradise, 19 miles from Magalia, 26 miles from Red Bluff and 28
miles from Oroville.
Los Angeles Times, 11-19-19
MINING
'Zone
Rouge': An army of children toils in African mines
A
boy climbs out of a pit in the ground and shields his eyes from the sun. His
hands and feet are covered in dust, his T-shirt and shorts covered in rips. The
boy has spent the last several hours working inside the pit. Now above ground,
he proudly holds up an example of his labor: a silvery sheet of mica, the
iridescent mineral shimmering in the afternoon light.
NBC News, 11-18-19
WATER
Is
rain done in 2019? Is California in a drought? What to know as weather stays
dry
It’s
been warmer than normal. It’s been drier than normal. For most of the
region, it hasn’t rained more than a sprinkle or a brief thunderstorm
here or there in about six months. Northern California weather has done a
relatively quick 180 in 2019. Heavy rain coming via “atmospheric river” systems drenched
the Sacramento Valley, created some flood concerns and filled reservoirs to
healthy levels this January through March.
Sacramento Bee, 11-18-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
A
Carbon Tax Won’t Kill the Economy
Would
a national price on carbon emissions, designed to reduce the U.S.’
contribution to global warming, damage the country’s
economy? Answers to this question have been emphatically partisan in
Washington D.C. where, at various times over the past two decades, Democratic
and Republican lawmakers have spent considerable political capital promoting,
or attempting to kill, carbon price legislation.
Forbes, 11-19-19
Arctic
Ocean could be ice-free for part of the year as soon as 2044
It’s
hard to imagine the Arctic without sea ice. But according to a new
study by UCLA climate scientists, human-caused climate change is on track
to make the Arctic Ocean functionally ice-free for part of each year starting
sometime between 2044 and 2067.
UCLA, 11-18-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
California
Governor cracks down on fracking, requires audits and scientific review
California
Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed new regulations Tuesday on hydraulic fracturing,
known as fracking, and curbed steam-injected oil drilling in his state,
extractive methods long opposed by environmentalists.
NPR, 11-19-19
State
puts hold on some oil well permits after Chevron's Kern County 'crisis'
State
regulators announced Tuesday they're imposing a moratorium on new permits for
an oil extraction method that has been linked to what California's top
conservation official is calling "a crisis of oil leaks" — a
series of uncontrolled crude petroleum releases from Chevron wells in Kern County.
KQED, 11-19-19
California
bans high-pressure steam oil wells
California
intensified its battle against fossil fuels by halting new permits for a key
production technique following leaks at a Chevron Corp. facility in an area
that has pumped crude for more than a century.
Rigzone,11-19-19
How
will Newsom’s policies affect Arroyo Grande oil field expansion plans?
News
of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stricter policies on oil extraction methods was
celebrated by environmental groups Tuesday — but likely won’t
affect extraction methods used at the Price Canyon Oil Field near Arroyo Grande
without local action.
San Luis Obispo Tribune, 11-20-19
Prompted
By Kern County oil seeps, regulators tighten oversight
of oil and gas extraction
California
oil and gas regulators announced today a series of initiatives aimed at better
protecting public health and the environment, including more scrutiny of
permitting for some extraction techniques and a moratorium on another called
cyclic steam extraction.
Central Valley Public Radio, 11-19-19
Newsom
pulls plug on new fracking projects
Governor
Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium today to halt the permitting of new
high-pressure steam-injection wells in California. Newsom’s action comes
after high-pressure cyclic steaming caused massive
surface leaks of oil in Kern County.
Santa Barbara Independent, 11-19-19
Huntington
Beach residents protest against development of
‘tank farm’ oil storage site
Last
month, the city’s planning commissioners voted 5-2 to recommend approval
of a zoning change for the proposed building of homes and a hotel on the now
vacant lot at Magnolia Street and Banning Avenue. For six decades, the site was
home to three 25-million-gallon oil tanks. The massive above-ground tanks
stopped being used in 2009 and were removed in 2017. Protesters at Huntington
Beach City Hall Monday, Nov. 18, made it clear that they would not accept
development of the “Magnolia Tank Farm” without a fight.
Long Beach Press-Telegram, 11-19-19
Americans
would rather reduce oil and gas exploration than ‘drill, baby,
drill’
A
large majority of Americans say drilling for oil and natural gas off the coasts
and on public lands should decrease or remain at current levels, a viewpoint at
odds with the expansion promoted by President Trump as part of his
“energy dominance” agenda.
Washington Post, 10-25-19
'The
Geysers' power plant keeps California's electric grid green | Bartell's
Backroads
The
Geysers Calpine Power Plant--better known as just "The Geysers"--is
California’s largest geothermal electrical generation site. Engineer John Farison says the steam turns giant turbine generators that
create electricity day and night.
"We
are generating 750 megawatts. That's enough to power the city of San
Francisco," explained Farison.
KXTV (Sacramento television), 11-19-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Fossil
fuel production on track for double the safe climate limit
The
world’s nations are on track to produce more than twice as much coal, oil
and gas as can be burned in 2030 while restricting rise in the global
temperature to 1.5C, analysis shows. The report was produced by the UN
Environment Program and a coalition of research organizations.
The Guardian (London), 11-20-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Stock
market spurns governor's oil crackdown
Investors
slammed local energy stocks after news hit Tuesday that California's governor
intends to expand his crackdown on in-state oil production. Shares of two oil
companies that have focused investment in the state, California Resources Corp.
and Berry Petroleum Co. LLC, lost more than a fifth of their value Tuesday
following the announcement of a three-pronged approach that could lead to
potentially strict new regulations for California oil producers.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-20-19
California
toughens drilling oversight in setback for industry
California,
the seventh-biggest U.S. oil-producing state, on Tuesday unveiled new
regulations for drillers as it seeks to wind down its reliance on fossil fuels.
The regulations, which were applauded by environmental groups, sent shares of
California-based oil drillers Berry Petroleum Corp and California Resources
Corp down sharply.
Reuters, 11-19-19
California
tightens oil and gas regulation but stops short of a fracking ban
Gov.
Gavin Newsom’s administration Tuesday announced broad changes in the
regulation of oil production, amping up health and
safety rules and placing a moratorium on high-pressure steam injections—a
common oilfield practice that can be dangerous to workers and foul water
sources. Newsom
stopped short of banning hydraulic fracturing but did add oversight. Some
environmentalists praised the move, and representatives of California’s
oil region protested.
Lake County Record-Bee, 11-20-19
Gov.
Newsom blocks new fracking, pending scientific review
Governor
Gavin Newsom announced another investigation this week that could set back the
oil industry. He said he won’t approve any new hydraulic fracturing
permits, or fracking, until scientists can review the projects.
KCRW (Santa Monica NPR), 11-20-19
State
places moratorium on new high pressure steam-injection
wells
Oil
and gas operators going through the planning process in Santa Barbara County
may have a new obstacle to overcome after the state announced a moratorium on
new steam-injection wells. The Department of Conservation’s Division of
Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) issued a statement on Nov. 19 that
says the state is halting its approval of new oil wells that “use
high-pressure steam to break oil formations below the ground.”
Santa Maria Sun, 11-20-19
Anti-fracking
advocates were cautiously optimistic Tuesday after California Gov. Gavin Newsom
announced a moratorium on fracking in the state and new steps to mitigate the
disastrous public health effects that extractive industries have on
communities.
Common Dreams, 11-19-19
So
freakin' cute! (Commentary)
You
know what's cute? The new name of the state agency in charge of regulating
mineral extraction. It used to be the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal
Resources—DOGGR for short—which is also cute, but a little too
accurate. Now, thanks to legislation from Assemblymember
Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), we can now call that state agency CalGEM (Geologic Energy Management Division)!
San Luis Obispo New Times, 11-21-19
Newsom's
new oil policies won't affect Price Canyon production, yet
Although
the state's temporary moratorium on new permits for oil wells that use high-pressure
extraction methods doesn't directly impact the Arroyo Grande Oil Field, it sets
the stage for a future that could.
San Luis Obispo New Times, 11-21-19
Governor
Newsom adds new oil and natural gas extraction regulations
Governor
Gavin Newsom added new regulations on natural gas fracking and oil drilling
Tuesday, while also calling for the closure of some facilities.
California Globe, 11-20-19
Newsom
explores faster shutdown of Aliso Canyon natural gas facility
Four
years after a massive leak at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility
forced thousands of families in the northwest San Fernando Valley to evacuate,
Gov. Gavin Newsom has called on California’s utilities regulator to look into accelerating the facility’s permanent
shutdown.
Los Angeles Times, 11-20-19
Gov.
Newsom to CPUC: Study feasibility of closing Aliso Canyon gas site – and
quickly
Roughly
four years after a large gas leak broke out near residential homes at the Aliso
Canyon underground storage facility, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state agency
that oversees the site to “expedite planning for the permanent
closure” of the 3,600-acre facility.
Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 11-20-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
A
shift in seismic zoning in West Hollywood
Tonight,
Nov. 21, the West Hollywood Planning Commission will consider recommending the
City Council adopt an amendment of the city’s general plan to reflect new
information about earthquake faults in the city. The fault changes are
state-mandated, as the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones Map was recently
revised, requiring West Hollywood to adjust its fault precaution zones, said
Jennifer Davis, contract planner for the city of West Hollywood.
Beverly Press, 11-21-19
Earthquake:
3.5 quake reported near Palm Springs
A
magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Tuesday evening at 10:42 p.m., seven
miles from Palm Springs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-19-19
Earthquake
jiggles Coachella Valley Tuesday night
If
you felt the ground move, it wasn't your imagination. An earthquake rattled
areas of southwestern Riverside County and the Coachella Valley Tuesday night,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 11-19-19
BUDGET
California
agency predicts $7 billion state budget surplus
California
is expected to have a $7 billion budget surplus next year, but lawmakers were
urged Wednesday not to spend all of it because a sizable chunk depends on an
upcoming decision by the Trump administration as it feuds with state Democratic
leaders.
Associated
Press, 11-20-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Environmental
group sues EPA over oil waste dumping into aquifer near Pismo Beach
A
California environmental group on Thursday sued the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, alleging the agency wrongly allowed oil waste to be dumped
into a San Luis Obispo aquifer and ignored impacts to the California red-legged
frog and other endangered species.
Palm Springs Desert Sun, 11-21-19
Environmentalists
seek to halt expansion of California oilfield
A
Central California oilfield expansion project approved by the federal
government failed to consider the impact to the environment, wildlife or
drinking water, according to a federal lawsuit filed on Thursday. The Center
for Biological Diversity says state and federal regulators did not consider the
environmental impact of over 400 new oil wells at the project site in San Luis
Obispo County, a violation of the National Environmental Policy Act and
Endangered Species Act.
Courthouse News Service, 11-21-19
California
drilling ban is fueled by indifference
Governor
Newsom hasn’t banned fracking in California. Rather, in response to oil
spills in Kern County, he has ordered regulators to assess the safety of cyclic
steam-flooding. However, he has also taken the opportunity to order that new
permits for fracking be subject to scientific review and that the whole
permitting process undergo an audit by the state’s Department of Finance.
Above all, Newsom’s decision can be viewed as another example of tactics
aimed not at outright bans of fossil-fuel production, but the imposition of
measures or delays that upend the economics of the business.
Washington Post, 11-20-19
California
Governor Gavin Newsom provides a preview of a federal fracking ban
There
are myriad ways any president and their administration can negatively impact
the ability of companies to perform fracking operations anywhere in the
country. Governor Newsom just gave us a preview of one of them. On Tuesday of
this week, Governor Newsom announced a moratorium on the issuance of new
fracking permits pending an “independent scientific review by experts at
the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the permitting process will be
audited by the state Department of Finance to study compliance with state
law.”
Forbes commentary, 11-21-19
New
Trump administration plan could boost oil drilling on remote Alaska reserve
The
Trump administration announced a plan Thursday that could allow oil drilling on
over three-quarters of the nation’s largest piece of unprotected
wilderness, overhauling a 2013 plan that limited development on the Alaskan
reserve.
Washington
Post, 11-21-19
Has
U.S. shale seen its profits peak?
For
the U.S. shale industry, the third quarter was more of the same: new record
highs in oil production, but another quarter of negative cash flow. A sample of
38 publicly-traded oil and gas companies posted $1.26
billion in negative cash flow in the third quarter, according to a study by the
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The performance
was a deterioration from the previous quarter, which saw marginal positive cash
flow.
Oil Price.com, 11-22-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Earthquake:
3.3 quake strikes near Avenal, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Wednesday evening at 11:11 p.m. nine
miles from Avenal, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-20-19
Earthquake:
3.1 quake felt near Encinitas, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Wednesday evening at 7:36 p.m. Pacific
time 15 miles from Encinitas, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-20-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Sonoma
County Planning Commission approves rules to govern hemp crop, paving way for
legal industry
Seven
months after Sonoma County supervisors narrowly approved a ban on commercial hemp
cultivation, the crop looks poised for a reset, with planning commissioners
voting Thursday to recommend a new governing framework that would allow
cultivation to move forward.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 11-21-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
The
administration’s climate denialism is getting more and more dangerous
(Commentary)
Impeachment
hearings are dominating the news cycle, but some things remain the same. The
Trump administration is still in power, it’s still bad at governing, and
the president and his appointees are still putting Americans in danger. Perhaps
the most outrageous recent example is the administration’s lackadaisical
response to a disturbing report on the nation’s most polluted sites,
which threaten to become public health disasters as climate change accelerates.
Washington Post, 11-21-19
In
Napa Valley, winemakers fight climate change on all fronts
Every
wine region has had to deal with some manifestation of climate change, but few
have had to deal with as many devastating consequences as Napa Valley. If any region has
had an incentive to act collectively to try to limit its effects, it would be
Napa Valley.
The Business Times, 11-22-19
Eleven
years. That’s all the time that’s left before the Marshall Islands
will be uninhabitable, said Selina Neirok Leem, 22, an environmental activist and a climate change
warrior, at the Bank of Guam Economic Outlook Forum at the Dusit Thani Guam
Resort on Friday. She said scientists had previously predicted that by 2050 the
Marshall Islands and many other small island nations in the Pacific would be
gone. But global warming bringing king tides and extreme droughts, that time
frame has shortened considerably, and the future looks bleak.
Guam
Daily Post, 11-22-19
WATER
California
to sue over federal rules governing water
California
officials said Thursday they will sue the federal government over proposed
rules managing the state’s scarce water, arguing its conclusions are not
scientifically adequate and fall short of protecting species and the
state’s interests.
Associated Press, 11-21-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Economists
rip California's plan to cut in-state oil production
California's
plan to curtail in-state oil production as a way of reducing greenhouse-gas
emissions relies on questionable economics and might not be the wisest path to
achieving climate-change benefits, according to several economists familiar
with the proposal. They contend that cutting the state's oil supply will simply
force California refiners to import more foreign petroleum using tankers, which
burn some of the world's most polluting fuel.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-24-19
Newsom
halts hundreds of fracking permits
California
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Nov. 19, halted approval of hundreds of fracking permits
until independent scientists can review them. The order will temporarily ban
new wells using another drilling method that regulators believe is linked to
one of the largest spills in our state’s history.
Antelope Valley Press, 11-23-19
Local
elected officials on Newsom’s request for speedy shutdown of Aliso Canyon
gas facility
Gov.
Gavin Newsom has called for an accelerated shutdown of the Aliso Canyon natural
gas facility, which received commendation from some local elected officials.
Santa Clarita Signal, 11-22-19
Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory to review California fracking permits
Governor
Newsom is committed to moving California away from oil. On Tuesday he announced
a strategic plan to “help advance California’s goal of becoming
carbon neutral by 2045.” That plan includes tapping a third party to
review fracking permits, new cyclic steam-injection permits and other methods
of well stimulation. That third part can be the county in Livermore, California
at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
KBAK (Bakersfield television), 11-22-19
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
How low should we go
when warning for earthquakes?
A
key goal of earthquake early warning (EEW) systems is to alert populations who
may be affected by a particular level of ground shaking so that they can take
action to reduce impacts of that shaking, such as injuries, damages to physical
infrastructure, or emotional distress. The decision on when to issue earthquake
alerts must balance the technical capabilities and potential outcomes, both
desired and undesired, when choosing a ground-motion alerting threshold.
Science Magazine, 11-22-19
Dangerous
L.A. apartment buildings most at risk in an earthquake are quickly being fixed
An
earthquake safety revolution is spreading along the streets and back alleys of
Los Angeles, as steel frames and strong walls appear inside the first-story
parking garages of thousands of apartment buildings. The construction is
designed to fix one of the most dangerous earthquake risks: Wood apartment
buildings collapsing because the skinny poles propping up parking at the ground
level are not strong enough to withstand the shaking.
Los Angeles Times, 11-22-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
A
disease that could devastate citrus growers has reached San Bernardino County
An
economically devastating citrus disease has been detected for the first time in
San Bernardino County, expanding an already large quarantine area aimed at
keeping the malady from hitting the commercial groves centered in the southern
San Joaquin Valley, according to California agricultural authorities. Just one
tree near the city of Montclair was stricken with citrus greening disease, or Huanglongbing, a bacterial infection spread by a tiny
insect, the Asian citrus psyllid, according to the state Department of Food and
Agriculture.
Los Angeles Times, 11-23-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
SoCalGas
shouldn’t be using customer money to undermine state climate goals,
critics say
The
Gas Genius social media accounts feature softly lit images of families and
millennials cooking on outdoor grills, enjoying warm baths and relaxing by
roaring fire pits. The
posts are part of a national campaign to highlight the virtues of natural gas,
one of the main contributors to global climate change, as California and other
states make plans to phase out fossil fuels. The campaign is led by the
American Public Gas Assn., a trade group for municipal gas providers. But some
of the funding has come from unknowing customers of Southern California Gas
Co., newly disclosed documents show.
Los Angeles Times, 11-22-19
Three
times tectonics changed the climate
Fifty
years after the birth of modern plate tectonics theory, a group of researchers
highlights three key examples of how our planet’s shape-shifting outer
layer has altered our climate.
Eos, 11-22-19
The
New Climate Math: The Numbers Keep Getting More Frightening
Climate
change is many things — a moral issue, a question of intergenerational
justice, an economic threat, and now a daily and terrifying reality. But
it’s also a math problem, a point I’ve been trying to make for awhile now. Let’s run some new numbers.
Yale Environment 360, 11-25-19
WATER
Editorial:
Gov. Newsom’s Delta water plan is merely ‘Trump lite’
Join
the crowd of California water officials if you are confused by the mixed
message Gavin Newsom offered Thursday on the future of the Sacramento-San
Joaquin River Delta. Give the governor credit for announcing that California
will sue the Trump administration over its plan to send more water to farmers
at the expense of the Delta’s health. That’s huge. The White House
plan is a recipe for extinction for endangered species living in the largest
estuary west of the Mississippi. But the alternative put forward by the
governor also ignores decades of peer-reviewed science.
Bay Area News Group, 11-24-19
Opinion:
California lays out position for meeting state water needs
California’s
water policy can be complex, and — let’s be honest — often
polarizing. Water decisions frequently get distilled into unhelpful narratives
of fish versus farms, north versus south, or urban versus rural. Climate
change-driven droughts and flooding threats, as well as our divided political
climate, compound these challenges.
Bay Area News Group, 11-24-19
Is
it drought yet? Dry October-November 2019
So
far, October and November 2019 has been the driest (or
almost the driest) beginning of any recorded water year with almost zero
precipitation. (The 2020 water year began October 1, 2019 – so you might
have missed a New Year’s party already.) Should we worry about a drought
yet?
California Water Blog, 11-24-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE
PROTECTION
Housing
versus agriculture: The battle for California's land
California loses one acre of farmland
every five days, according to the state’s Department of Conservation. And
70 percent of that loss is prime farmland, areas with rich soils and water
access. The department has spent decades mapping out how land has changed due
to urbanization. It’s a battleground that’s been brewing and could
reach the tipping point soon with Governor Newsom’s call to add an
additional 3.5 million new housing units by 2025.
KXTV (Sacramento
television), 11-25-19
DIVISION
OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Consultant:
Oil restrictions could hit small producers hardest
The state's new moves aimed at the oil
industry to halt steam injection and hydraulic fracturing are going to hit Kern
County's small producers the hardest, and they could have a major impact on the
county's property tax revenue. Those were two of the big items discussed at an
informal luncheon in Taft on Thursday, two days after Gov. Gavin Newsom
announced the stringent new controls imposed on the oil industry.
Bakersfield
Californian, 11-22-19
Eliminating
natural gas will impose significant costs on people and businesses (Commentary)
California has foisted substantial costs
on the public to fight greenhouse gasses from higher gasoline prices, pass
through costs from cap and trade legislation, cleaning up industrial pollution,
mandating new diesel truck engines and other commercial vehicles. In the end,
eliminating natural gas is just another in a series of regressive costs that
will be foisted upon the public in the name of climate change. Eliminating
access to natural gas is a mistake, especially in state that cannot assure
access to electricity.
CalMatters, 11-25-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Earthquake:
3.1 quake shakes near Big Bear
A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported
Sunday evening at 5:25 p.m. Pacific time four miles from Big Bear City, Calif.,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-24-19
CLIMATE
CHANGE
‘Bleak’
U.N. report finds world heading to climate catastrophes
Four years after countries struck a
landmark deal in Paris to rein in greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to
avert the worst effects of global warming, humanity is headed toward those very
climate catastrophes, according to a United Nations report issued Tuesday, with
China and the United States, the two biggest polluters, having expanded their
carbon footprints last year.
New York Times,
11-26-19
Above-ground
power lines grow in risk as climate changes
Around the U.S., dealing with the
vulnerability of overhead power lines — one of many problems that experts
say will only get worse as the climate deteriorates — by burying them or
strengthening them is spotty and disorganized on a national level, and
painfully slow, at best.
Associated Press, 11-24-19
Scientists:
Carbon dioxide in Earth atmosphere is at an all-time high
Levels of carbon dioxide in the
Earth’s atmosphere are at an all-time high, the World Meteorological
Organization announced Tuesday.
The Hill, 11-26-19
Majority
believe US government is doing 'too little' to fight climate change: study
A majority of Americans believe
the government must do more to address pollution and climate concerns,
according to a new study. The federal government must do more to protect clean
water, air quality, animals, open lands and reduce the effects of climate
change, according to a majority of respondents in the
survey released Monday by the Pew Research Center.
The Hill, 11-25-19
WATER
DWR’s Taryn Ravazzini
updates the Commission on the Department’s activities, including major
milestones, 2019 activities, and the Department’s technical and financial
assistance. To
date, SGMA implementation has included local agencies forming groundwater
sustainability agencies (GSAs), two rounds of basin boundary modifications and
basin prioritizations, and alternative plan reviews.
Maven’s Notebook, 11-26-19
Water managers trying to bring groundwater
into balance in the severely overdrafted Indian Wells
Valley basin near Ridgecrest laid out a draft plan last month that would
essentially mean the end of large-scale agriculture in that desert region.
Last week,
several ag companies fired back with a lawsuit.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-26-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Albania
Starts to Grasp Earthquake Toll
With
whole sections of towns reduced to rubble, and rescue workers desperately
racing to find survivors the day after a deadly earthquake rocked this small
Balkan nation, Albanians were still trying on Wednesday to grasp the scale of
the devastation.
New York Times, 11-27-19
Threat
of mudslides returns to California after devastating fires. How do they work?
With
parts of California yet again burned by severe fires, the state is facing a new
winter of mudslides.
Los Angeles Times Q&A, 11-27-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Cat
Canyon Oil Projects Unaffected by Newsom’s Actions
After
decades of fighting to safeguard a healthy environment for all, the
Environmental Defense Center applauded actions announced by Governor Newsom to
catalyze efforts to protect public health and the environment from risky oil
extraction. The news came after a series of controversies this past summer with
the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) as well as the spill
of nearly one million gallons of oil and water in Kern County’s Cymric
Oil Field.
Santa Barbara Independent via
Environmental Defense Center, 11-26-19
Detection
Of Methane Leak From Space Could Herald A Revolution
If
142,000 tons of methane escape into the atmosphere above western Turkmenistan,
and nobody is around to see it, did it really happen? That is a
hypothetical question, because someone did see it—from space.
Forbes, 11-27-19
DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION
Farmers
at mercy of elements as rain and cold arrives in Valley
Growers
in the middle of harvest were in a race against time with a storm moving into
the Central Valley. Crews were harvesting olives before the skies opened up over the orchard. Once that happens, the harvest
can't resume until the ground dries. Dropping temperatures were also a concern
for olive growers.
KFSN (Fresno television), 11-26-19
CLIMATE CHANGE
Scientific
Breakthrough: MIT Solves Two Huge Energy Problems
While
methane has recently started to grab some attention for its contribution to
climate change, carbon dioxide remains the main culprit that
scientists point their finger at. Because of its bad-guy status, there have
been understandably many attempts to capture and store, or even utilize this
CO2. But so far, none of these attempts has demonstrated potential for
large-scale adoption. That is, up until now.
Oilprice.com, 11-25-19
LA
Mayor Announces Roadmap to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday the release of the Zero Emissions
2028 Roadmap 2.0, a strategy to help accelerate the reduction of carbon
emissions. The roadmap is a product of a partnership between the mayor's
office, Los Angeles County, the California Air Resources Board, automakers,
labor groups, industry partners and cities across the county.
Los Angeles City News Service, 11-26-19
WATER
Salinas
Valley farmers and county water agency settle lawsuit over reservoir operations
A
recent settlement between Monterey County, Monterey County Water Resources
Agency, and a coalition of Salinas Valley farmers brings an end to a protracted
legal battle over reservoir operations during drought conditions.
Monterey County Weekly, 11-27-19
CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Margaret
Mangan wants Californians to know — and love — their backyard
volcanoes
California
is famous for its catastrophic earthquakes and wildfires, but they are not our
only natural hazards. As head of CalVO, Margaret
Mangan has drawn attention to the state’s more overlooked threats: a
dozen restive volcanoes that stretch from Medicine Lake near the Oregon border
to the Salton Buttes in the Coachella Valley.
Los Angeles Times, 11-30-19
Train
service disrupted following bluff collapses in Del Mar
Portions
of the train tracks that regularly carry passengers between Los Angeles and San
Diego are closed Saturday to repair damage from a bluff collapse in Del Mar.
The cliff failure occurred sometime Friday morning south of Seagrove Park, in
front of the Wave Crest condominium complex, following heavy rains, according
to observers.
San Diego Tribune, 11-29-19
Big
Sur highway to be closed — again — due to landslide risk
Planning
a weekend drive through scenic Big Sur? Caltrans says to wait a few days
– or take a different route. With heavy rain boosting the risk of
landslides, two stretches of the classic coastal Highway 1 will be gated, with
locks. The
route will re-open when Caltrans experts decide they’re safe, with an
update will be provided by mid-day Wednesday, Dec. 4 or sooner.
Bay Area News Group, 11-29-19
Balkan
countries rush to help in Albanian earthquake
In
the initial hours after a deadly pre-dawn earthquake struck Albania, pancaking
buildings and trapping dozens of sleeping people beneath the rubble, the
country's neighbors sprang into action. Offers of help flooded in from across
Europe and beyond, with even traditional foes setting aside their differences
in the face of the natural disaster.
Stars and Stripes, 11-29-19
Albania
has finished search and rescue operations after tragic earthquake as death toll
hits 51
Search-and-rescue
operations for survivors of the earthquake that struck Albania Tuesday have
ceased, the country’s prime minister announced Saturday, the same day the
death toll hit 51.
New York Daily News, 11-30-19
Magnitude
4.5 earthquake hits Oregon coast
A
small earthquake hit Port Orford on the Oregon coast
Friday, shaking the community shortly after dusk. The 4.5-magnitude earthquake
struck at about 5:45 p.m., with its epicenter about two miles inland, according
to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Oregon Live, 11-29-19
Earthquake:
3.5 quake shakes near Barstow, Calif.
A
magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Thursday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. Pacific
time 13 miles from Barstow, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Los Angeles Times, 11-28-19
Magnitude
3.7 earthquake rattles Ridgecrest
A
magnitude 3.7 earthquake was reported Thursday afternoon at 4:49 p.m. Pacific
time three miles from Ridgecrest, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological
Survey.
KTLA (Los Angeles television), 11-28-19
Living
in earthquake country is unpredictable
Living
in California, you're probably familiar with the term "earthquake
country." Despite extensive studies and research, predicting an earthquake
continues to be impossible.
KSBY (San Luis Obispo television), 11-29-19
A
new way to detect underwater earthquakes
Thousands
of miles of undersea cables support our voracious demand for communication. In
the future, they also could reveal watery earthquakes. In a startling finding
in Monterey Bay, local scientists recorded seismic waves from a magnitude 3.4
earthquake near Gilroy as a long underwater fiber-optic cable strained and
shifted. The discovery suggests an important new use for the cables of our vast
global undersea telecommunications network, laid by phone companies and also tech giants like Google, Amazon, Facebook and
Microsoft.
Bay Area News Group, 11-30-19
DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
San
Francisco Bay dredging fuels an unexpected concern: climate change
What
began as an unremarkable bid to deepen a shipping channel in San Francisco Bay,
making it easier for cargo vessels to come and go, has become a flash point in
the debate over climate change. Environmental groups are blasting plans by the
Army Corps of Engineers to dredge 13 miles of waterways inside the Golden Gate
because the work would benefit ships delivering oil to East Bay refineries.
San Francisco Chronicle, 11-30-19
No
one is covering the California oil industry at the moment
better than Business Editor John Cox. The evidence: Neither the local oil
industry, nor state regulators, nor environmentalists leading the charge to
dismantle the industry in the name of climate change mitigation is often very
happy with him.
Bakersfield Californian, 11-30-19
U.S.
posts first month in 70 years as a net petroleum exporter
The
U.S. solidified its status as an energy producer by posting the first full
month as a net exporter of crude and petroleum products since government
records began in 1949.
Bloomberg, 11-30-19
(news updated as time permits…)
·
Link
to 2018
news articles
·
Link
to 2017
news articles
·
Link
to 2015
news articles
·
Link
to 2014
news articles
·
Link
to 2013
news articles
·
Link
to 2012
news articles
·
Link
to 2011
news articles
·
Link
to 2010
news articles
·
Link
to 2009
and older news articles