Geology 300: Physical Geology

Geology 301: Physical Geology Lab

Geology 305: Earth Science

Geology 306: Earth Science Lab

Instructor: Arthur Reed

September 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

Lawmakers plan to convene hearing on Chevron oil releases in western Kern

State lawmakers will soon take up discussion of the large, uncontrolled oil releases that have recently drawn attention to Chevron Corp. operations in the Cymric Oil Field in western Kern County, legislative officials said Tuesday.

          Bakersfield Californian, 9-3-19

Understanding the link between fracking and earthquakes

Researchers studying hydraulic fracturing have answered a longstanding question over how the practice can sometimes cause moderate earthquakes and may be able to use their model to forecast when quakes linked to fracking might occur.

          Phys.org 9-4-19

Valley Voice: Geothermal holds great promise for California — especially for our desert (Commentary)

Geothermal energy is the recovery of heat from the Earth that is then converted to electricity or used directly. It is a renewable energy source that emits very low green-house gases, just like solar or wind power, except that the energy comes from deep within the planet beneath our feet. California is going through an amazing transition to 100% renewable and clean power by 2045. That’s incredibly exciting for all of us, geothermal experts and general public alike, as the Golden State leads the transition to a reduced-carbon economy, vehicle electrification and long-term sustainability of our energy.

          Palm Springs Desert Sun, 9-3-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Earthquake: 3.4 quake near Ukiah, Calif.

A magnitude-3.4 earthquake was reported Tuesday at 8:05 a.m. Pacific time 19 miles from Ukiah, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-3-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Could teff, an ancient African grain, find a foothold in a warming California?

An ivory to brown seed from a type of bunch grass, teff accounts for nearly 70% of the local diet in Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. Teff is grown and sold mainly as horse feed in the United States, when it is grown at all. But at a time when scientists worry that climate change will decimate the wheat, corn and rice that dominate Western diets, its hardy nature may give teff an edge.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-3-19

President's message: Fifty years ago, as today, Farm Bureau looks ahead

In a few weeks, the California Farm Bureau Federation will reach its 100th birthday. Our organization was founded in October 1919, with the object of demanding a "square deal" for family farmers and ranchers. The Farm Bureau has remained vital for a century: continuity in purpose combined with the ability to change to serve the needs of its ever-more-diverse membership.

          Ag Alert, 9-4-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Pulling CO2 out of the air and using it could be a trillion-dollar business

Given that global carbon emissions are still rising and there are hundreds of gigatons on the way from existing fossil fuel infrastructure, almost every model used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that shows us reaching a safe climate involves burying gigatons of CO2. But there’s a problem: burying CO2 has no short-term economic benefits. Here’s one idea: for a while at least, rather than burying the carbon, the companies capturing it could sell it.

          Vox, 9-4-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Kamala Harris: 'No question' I would ban fracking

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Wednesday that she supports banning the technique of fracking for natural gas to combat climate change.

          Washington Examiner, 9-4-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Earthquake study casts doubt on early warnings but hints at improved forecasting

University of Tokyo Professor Satoshi Ide discovered that earthquakes of differing magnitudes have more in common than was previously thought. This suggests development of early warning systems may be more difficult than hoped. But conversely, similarities between some events indicate that predictable characteristics may aid researchers attempting to forecast seismic events.

          Phys.org, 9-4-19

Earthquake similarities complicate the development of early warning systems

Earthquakes of different magnitudes may have more similarities than previously thought, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.

          Earth.com, 9-4-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

SLO council passes policy to make new buildings all-electric — but gas is still an option

With an eye on its ambitious 2035 carbon neutrality target, 10 years ahead of California’s statewide goal, San Luis Obispo’s City Council passed a new energy policy Tuesday that paves the way for all-electric new buildings.

          San Luis Obispo Tribune, 9-4-19

2020 Democrats offer up ambitious climate plans in CNN town hall

Even as they touted ambitious proposals to reduce carbon emissions to a national audience, Democratic candidates for president tried to balance the boldness of their plans with the need for simplifying a complex scientific problem to make it palatable to voters.

          Bloomberg, 9-5-19

Will concern about climate change affect the presidential race?

Scientists have warned for the last 30 years about the dangers of climate change — more droughts, forest fires and catastrophic weather — as the Earth continues to warm from fossil fuel pollution. But climate has never been a major issue in a presidential campaign. This year, however, as the dire predictions increasingly become reality, that seems to be changing.

          Bay Area News Group, 9-4-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

$8 gas prices possible with no fracking, energy expert says

Motorists could be in for rude awakening at the gas pump if anti-fracking advocates get their way, according to one industry insider. Myron Ebell, the director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, predicts that gas prices will triple the national average if fracking is halted.

          Fox Business, 9-5-19

Bernie Sanders wants to eliminate fracking. Here's how many jobs may go with it

Presidential candidate and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders renewed his call for a ban on fracking on Wednesday, but how many jobs would disappear if his policy went into place?

          Fox Business, 9-5-19

U.S. shale firms cut budgets, staff as oil-price outlook dims

Oil producers and their suppliers are cutting budgets, staffs and production goals amid a growing consensus of forecasts that oil and gas prices will stay low for several years.

          Reuters, 9-6-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

USGS: M5.9 earthquake detected off Oregon Coast, no tsunami expected

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake was detected Thursday morning off the Oregon Coast. At 8:02 a.m., the National Geological Survey placed the earthquake's epicenter about 192 miles west of Coos Bay on Oregon's south coast.

          Salem (Ore.) Statesman Journal, 9-5-19

Role of earthquake motions in triggering a 'surprise' tsunami

In newly published research, an international team of geologists, geophysicists, and mathematicians show how coupled computer models can accurately recreate the conditions leading to the world's deadliest natural disasters of 2018, the Palu earthquake and tsunami, which struck western Sulawesi, Indonesia in September last year.

          Science Daily, 9-5-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

White House prepares to revoke California’s right to set tougher pollution rules

President Trump is strongly considering a plan to revoke California’s legal authority to set state tailpipe pollution standards that are stricter than federal regulations, according to three people familiar with the matter.

          New York Times, 9-5-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

17 new CA laws just signed by Governor Newsom

Governor Gavin Newsom this week signed more than a dozen bills into law, including one aimed at helping California homeowners who've faced unimaginable destruction, one aimed at helping youth find the resources they need when in a bad situation and another that's supposed to help officials crack down on illegal gambling.

          Banning-Beaumont Patch, 9-8-19

In Wine Country, the debate over pot farming rages on

Will Napa allow pot farming, or won’t it? A huge question hangs over the valley, the heart of Wine Country. Currently, Napa County bans outdoor cultivation in unincorporated areas. But a moratorium on commercial marijuana growing expires in December — and what happens next has been the subject of a twist-and-turn saga.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-8-19

Hanford council votes for hemp moratorium

One of the most fertile valleys in the United States can’t seem to make up its mind about hemp. The federal government passed the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp and left the rule making up to the individual states. California’s regulations regarding hemp is addressed in AB228 but hasn’t made it out of committee. That means the cities and counties are on their own. During an August 20 Hanford public hearing to extend the emergency ordinance to restrict the production of hemp, the city council voted for a 10-month and 15-day extension.

          Valley Voice, 9-5-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Why a ban on fracking will never happen

It's primary season, which generally means Democratic candidates for President are trying to see who can swing farthest Left. This is especially true when it comes to punishing the oil and gas industry that supplies most of the country's energy. The latest test of party purity involves promises to ban fracking if elected. But these are simply not realistic promises.

          Forbes, 9-7-19

Even if injection of fracking wastewater stops, quakes won’t

Production techniques—including hydraulic fracturing, or fracking—led to large-scale underground wastewater disposal, which scientists have tied to the Oklahoma’s 900-fold increase in quakes since 2008. After 2015, when oil demand fell as prices dropped and Oklahoma instituted new wastewater-disposal rules, earthquake rates fell sharply. Still, the state continued to see rare but damaging tremors triggered by the fluids that had already been shunted underground. Two new studies show how the continuing movements of injected wastewater can trigger earthquake activity—knowledge that sheds light on how to forecast and mitigate tremors.

          Scientific American, 9-9-19

Fracking is the bridge to renewable energy (Commentary)

Senator Bernie Sanders is leading the charge for a national moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, the process of extracting oil or gas by cracking open subterranean rock. Unfortunately, such a ban would make another of his goals – switching to green energy – harder to achieve.

          Bloomberg, 9-9-19

Elizabeth Warren’s fracking ban would be bad news for the US, IEA chief says

Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA (International Energy Agency), told CNBC that a ban on fracking as proposed by some Democratic presidential contenders would have “major implications” for the U.S. energy industry.

          CNBC, 9-9-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Why the Blanco Fault Zone earthquake is fun, not fearsome

It's as certain as sunrise: the moment there's a sizeable earthquake anywhere near the Cascadia subduction zone, nearly everyone starts wondering if it means The Big One is next. The M6.3 earthquake that struck on the Blanco Fault Zone on Thursday, August 29th was no different. The verdict of seismologists: there's no increased risk.

          Scientific American, 9-5-19

2nd large earthquake in one week hits off Oregon coast

An underwater earthquake with an initial 5.9 magnitude has struck off the southern Oregon coast. The U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday that no tsunami is expected from the quake, which happened about 180 miles from land at a depth of 7 miles (11 kilometers).

          Associated Press, 9-5-2019

CLIMATE CHANGE

Why simply planting more trees won't help us deal with climate change

At a time when the climate emergency is becoming more impactful faster, plantation drives alone can do little to solve the problem our species faces. It takes years for trees to mature into the kind of ecological support system that promotes carbon sequestration at peak capacity. That politicians believe they can dawdle with PR exercises instead of ensure sincere reforestation only highlights their limited understanding of the crisis at hand.

          The Wire, 9-8-19

WATER

Why California needs another water bond in 2020

The California Legislature is currently considering several proposals to put a $4 billion bond measure on a 2020 ballot for safe drinking water, drought preparation, wildfire prevention, and climate resilience. An $8.9 billion bond initiative has also been filed by environmental advocates.

Capitol Weekly commentary, 9-6-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

California lawmakers challenge Trump’s bid to expand oil drilling and fracking statewide

California on Monday sought to block the Trump administration from allowing new oil and gas wells in national parks and wilderness areas in the state. Any new oil or gas projects approved in federally protected areas would be prohibited from having their pipelines or other essential infrastructure cross state lands, under legislation approved by California lawmakers.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-9-19

Marin assemblyman’s energy extraction bill clears Legislature

Assemblyman Marc Levine’s bill to reform state energy extraction regulation has been approved by the Legislature. The legislation by Levine, whose district includes Marin, would require state oil and gas extraction regulators to put public health and the environment ahead of increased industry development.

          Marin Independent Journal, 9-10-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Highway 111 to shut down due to migrating geyser

Almost a year ago, a geyser just outside of Niland forced Union Pacific Railroad to move its tracks. Now it’s encroaching towards Highway 111.

          KYMA (Yuma, Az., TV), 9-9-2019

We’re barely listening to the U.S.’s most dangerous volcanoes

Mount Hood remains an active volcano — meaning that it will erupt again. And when it does, it could unleash mudflows not unlike those from Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz volcano in 1985. There, a mudflow entombed the town of Armero, killing roughly 21,000 people in the dead of night. And yet the volcano is hardly monitored. If scientists miss early warning signs of an eruption, they might not know the volcano is about to blow until it’s too late. Although federal legislation passed in March could help improve the monitoring of volcanoes like Mount Hood, scientists remain concerned that red tape could continue to leave them blind to future eruptions, with deadly consequences.

          New York Times, 9-9-19

MINES

CFO outlines US company's plan for end-to-end rare earths processing

MP Materials plans to leverage a $2 billion investment from the company's previous owner to put in place complete processing of strategically important rare earths. It is the only company in the United States that mines and processes rare earths, the strategically important elements that make modern technology and weaponry possible. Now, with the U.S. deep in the midst of a trade war with China — a country that has a virtual stranglehold on rare earths — the federal government is very much interested as MP Materials ramps up its capacity to be able to do end-to-end processing completely in-house.

          CFO Dive, 9-8-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

World must adapt to 'inevitable' climate change, warns report

Nations rich and poor must invest now to protect against the effects of climate change or pay an even heavier price later, a global commission warned Tuesday. Spending $1.8 trillion across five key areas over the next decade would not only help buffer the worst impacts of global warming but could generate more than $7 trillion in net benefits, the report from the Global Commission on Adaptation argued.

Phys.org, 9-10-19

GENERAL

Like ending a TV drama, the Legislature needs to tie up loose ends before shutting down

One might look at the last week of the legislative session like the last episode of a TV series. The job of the performers, writers and producers is to tie up loose ends in many of the story lines, and there are many story lines under the Capitol dome that beg for an ending.

          Fox and Hounds Daily commentary, 9-9-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

State ramps up pressure on Chevron over oil leaks in western Kern

State oil regulators turned up the heat on Chevron Tuesday, ordering the company to provide still more information about eight recent or ongoing uncontrolled releases of oily fluid in the Cymric Oil Field outside McKittrick. The demand letter from California's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources says material the company has turned over to date "does not demonstrate to DOGGR's satisfaction" that San Ramon-based Chevron has done everything possible to mitigate and prevent the releases, known in the industry as "surface expressions."

Bakersfield Californian, 9-10-19

Chevron Faces New Demands From Regulators as Kern County Oil Releases Continue

After months of back and forth with Chevron over a series of uncontrolled crude petroleum releases in a Kern County oil field, state regulators are demanding new information about its operations in the spill area. California's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, or DOGGR, issued a formal directive to the San Ramon-based company Tuesday, requiring the firm to provide a wealth of technical data on its petroleum extraction practices in the Cymric oil field.

KQED (San Francisco TV/radio), 9-10-19

California presses Chevron for data on oil field where 8 spills have happened since April

Despite new California regulations banning surface spills in the state's vast oil fields, at least eight spills connected to Chevron have occurred in just one Kern County oil field since the new rules took effect in April, state regulators say. The "surface expression" spills have spewed more than 1.26 million gallons of oil and wastewater in five months, with some still not contained. One, the Gauge Station 5 spill, has actually been flowing for 15 years, but the company did not halt it after the new regulations took effect.  

Palm Springs Desert Sun, 9-11-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

4.0 magnitude earthquake strikes near Wildomar in Riverside County

A 4.0 magnitude earthquake just east of Wildomar in southwest Riverside County rumbled through parts of Southern California on Tuesday, the seismology lab at Cal Tech confirmed. A preliminary report pushed the magnitude up from 3.9. The quake was centered about one mile east-southeast of Wildomar and four miles northwest of Murrieta, according to the Earthquake Data Center.

Los Angeles Newspaper Group, 9-10-19

Can an earthquake bring two Kern counties together?

Maybe we should drop the "y" and start identifying this part of the state as Kern counties, because it really is two distinct places: The Kern of the Central Valley and the Kern of the Mojave Desert. Valley Kern is the earth: fruits and vegetables from the soil, oil from its deeper reserves. Desert Kern is the sky: aviation, space flight, and the power of the wind and sun. A mountain range divides them.

Bakersfield Californian column, 9-11-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Expert discusses proposed rollback of key climate change regulations

The Trump administration is planning to roll back several key climate-change regulations from previous administrations, including ones requiring reduced methane emissions, much stricter fuel efficiency/vehicle pollution standards, and energy-efficient light bulbs. Here, Environmental Law expert Professor Deborah Sivas explains the regulations and how proposed changes might impact greenhouse gases and climate change.

Phys.org, 9-11-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Nearly all Sonoma County vineyards are certified sustainable

Did Sonoma County just become the most sustainable wine region in the world? That’s what Karissa Kruse believes. As the president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers, she has the numbers to support her argument. Five years ago, her organization announced an ambitious goal: for 100% of the county’s vineyards to hold a sustainability certification by 2019. It’s 2019 now, and the Winegrowers report that 99% are certified sustainable — not quite 100%, but awfully close. What’s next for Sonoma’s wine growers? Tackling climate change.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-12-19

WATER

Trump administration to roll back clean water protections

The Trump administration on Thursday announced the repeal of a major Obama-era clean water regulation that had placed limits on polluting chemicals that could be used near streams, wetlands and other bodies of water.

New York Times, 9-12-19

Farmers are not to blame for Valley subsidence, but they can help solve it with water

Why. They always leave out the “why”. Read any news article regarding subsidence, and it will tell you farmers pumped groundwater, and the land sunk. That’s true, but that is only the end of the story. Farmers are not to blame for subsidence, but if we give their water back, it can be alleviated.

          Fresno Bee, 9-11-19

Farms, the environment, and the future of water (Commentary)

Groundwater accounts for roughly a third of water used in California and up to half of our water during droughts, which climate change will only intensify. If we bring the right tools and adequate resources to bear, we can minimize the disruption and economic costs of the transition to groundwater sustainability. And if we work together to implement the  Sustainable Groundwater Management Act successfully, we will be taking a major step toward a more resilient water supply for farms, ecosystems and cities that meets the changing needs of a dynamic California in the face of a changing climate.

          CalMatters, 9-11-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Jane Goodall: These 4 issues may not seem related to climate change. But they are and we need to solve them now

In order to slow down climate change, we must solve four seemingly unsolvable problems. We must eliminate poverty. We must change the unsustainable lifestyles of so many of us. We must abolish corruption. And we must think about our growing human population.

          Time, 9-12-19

The tech innovations we need to happen if we're going to survive climate change

Eliminating the carbon emitted in the production of electricity is a crucial step toward keeping the world from heating to dire levels. It is also among the most straightforward, largely thanks to the innovations of the past few decades, which were driven by a combination of ingenuity, research funding and policy incentives. Innovation is not enough to avert the worst consequences of climate change, but there are solutions at hand that are commonplace and cost-effective.

          Time, 9-12-19

Costs soar for shoreline protections as SFO plans for rising seas

New sea-level rise projections have increased tenfold the cost to protect the San Francisco International Airport from flooding. In 2015, the Board of Supervisors gave initial approval to a $58 million shoreline protection program to protect SFO from sea-level rise. But on Wednesday, the board’s Budget and Finance Committee approved an updated program that will now cost $587.1 million.

          San Francisco Examiner, 9-11-19

Council votes to declare Malibu in 'climate emergency'

Malibu is in the midst of a “climate emergency.” That’s according to four out of five Malibu City Council members, who voted Monday night to declare a climate emergency and request nearby cities join Malibu in a “regional collaboration on an immediate just transition and emergency mobilization effort to restore a safe climate.”

          Malibu Times, 9-11-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

The best case for and against a fracking ban

The question of what to do about hydraulic fracturing, aka fracking, of oil and natural gas has emerged as a rich vein of debate in the 2020 race for the White House. For policymakers, the difficult choice is deciding whether the benefits outweigh the harm, and if fuels from fracking can be a stepping stone toward cleaner energy. Researchers and analysts have been studying it for years and still continue to debate its merits. It’s a microcosm of the broader policy discussion about the role of the fossil fuel industry in the carbon constrained future, whether it should be fought as an adversary or embraced as a partner. Here is a summary of the best arguments for and against a ban on fracking

          Vox, 9-13-19

Last-minute switch would serve one oil refinery — and environmentalists are crying foul

With a bit of 11th-hour legislative magic, state lawmakers have taken a bill related to volunteer firefighter reimbursements and transformed it into what opponents are calling a political gift to Kern Oil & Refining Co.

          CalMatters, 9-12-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

‘Like having a canvas that was ripped in half’: Governor’s Seismic Safety Commission hears latest on earthquake geology

The Governor’s Seismic Safety Commission traveled to Ridgecrest for an all-day meeting and public hearing Wednesday, followed by a brief meeting Thursday morning.

Ridgecrest Daily Independent, 9-13-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Sonoma County grape growers reach goal for sound farming, tackle climate change next

Sonoma County wine grape growers said Thursday they had reached a goal in committing to sound farming practices and are launching a campaign to curb agriculture’s contribution to climate change. The 1,800-member Sonoma County Winegrowers organization said 99% of the county’s vineyards had been certified as sustainable, essentially reaching the 100% goal set five years ago.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 9-13-19

Fresno County hits record crop value with full water allotment

Commodity prices across some crops, record cotton yields and ample water supplies combined to catapult Fresno County’s gross crop value to a record $7.88 billion in 2018, eclipsing last year’s figure by over 12 percent, and besting the previous record by nearly as much.

Western Farm Press, 9-11-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Occidental CEO calls for new U.S. laws to boost carbon capture

Occidental Petroleum Corp plans to shift toward a carbon-neutral production model, it’s chief executive said on Thursday, but new U.S. laws are needed to support technologies designed to fight global warming.

          Reuters, 9-12-19

‘Adapt to whatever mother nature gives us:’ Tahoe’s tourism economy in a changing climate

Climate change will mean big changes for the Tahoe region, with shorter winters, less snow, more intense droughts and warmer temperatures, according to a draft climate vulnerability assessment of the Lake Tahoe Basin. That means people who depend on Tahoe’s snow for their income will be losing work as the climate shifts. So what can people in Tahoe do to stabilize their community and make it easier for workers to stay in Tahoe? Find a way to spread the economy out over the whole year.

          Capital Public Radio, 9-12-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Newsom administration quietly stalls fracking permits

The administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom has imposed a de-facto moratorium on hydraulic fracturing while it studies permitting procedures for the politically controversial oil well-completion technique better known as fracking. State records show not one frack job has been approved in California since June 28, about two weeks before Newsom ordered the state's top oil regulator fired. The dismissal was carried out partly because of a spike in fracking permits during the first half of this year, when approvals were coming at an average of about 35 per month.

Bakersfield Californian, 9-16-19

Why oil giants aren’t excited about e-fracking

Drillers in the U.S. shale patch are continuously looking to save costs as they want to squeeze higher margins and profits. Exploration and production (E&P) companies have started to use a new technology for powering the fracking fleets—the so-called electric fracking. The e-frac, as the technology is also known, can save up to US$350,000 from the US$6 million-US$8 million cost of fracking a well. In the wider picture of the oil and gas industry, however, not all benefit from the electric fracking fleets.

          Yahoo Finance, 9-15-19

The case against fracking is based on ideology, not science

The environmental case against fracking crumbled years ago. The economic case for it is unassailable. So why are leading Democratic presidential candidates intent on shutting down one of the most beneficial US innovations of the modern era?

          Boston Globe column, 9-16-19

New fracking process highlights oil industry’s Achilles heel

A new hydraulic fracturing technology called “E-Frac” promises to save producers up to $350,000 per well over the more traditional frac spread. But big service providers like Halliburton and Schlumberger have already signaled that they won’t be rolling out their own “electric fracking” spreads anytime soon. Why? Because the up-front estimated capital cost of $60 million per spread is too expensive, double the cost of a traditional, diesel-fueled spread.

          Forbes, 9-15-2019

America has a huge stash of emergency oil. This is why

Three days before Christmas in 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law creating the United States' first emergency stash of crude oil. The nation had been traumatized by an oil embargo a few years earlier. At the time, OPEC, the cartel of oil-producing nations, had a stranglehold on the world's supply of crude. Today the United States is one of the world's largest producers and a major seller, not just a buyer, of oil.

CNN, 9-16-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

3.8 quake near Coachella, Calif.

A magnitude-3.8 earthquake was reported at 11:11 a.m. Monday 27 miles from Coachella, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred 28 miles from Brawley, Calif., 30 miles from La Quinta, Calif., 32 miles from Indio, Calif., and 35 miles from Imperial, Calif.

Los Angeles Times, 9-16-19

Earthquake: 3.8 quake felt near Soledad, Calif.

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake was reported Thursday evening at 11:50 p.m. Pacific time 11 miles from Soledad, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-12-19

Mysterious waves have been pulsing across Oklahoma

It all started when a wave swept across Oklahoma on June 24, just before 11:11 a.m. local time. It buzzed one seismometer after another, seeming to ping-pong hundreds of miles across the state. This wave didn’t just breeze by—it pulsed like a geologic heartbeat for about 10 minutes. A buzz that rocked the state all summer sent geologists on a labyrinthine chase—and unearthed new mysteries about how energy moves through land and air.

          National Geographic, 9-13-19

3.5 earthquake registered near Huntington Beach

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was registered Saturday morning nine miles offshore from Huntington Beach, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-14-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Suisun Valley Inn proposes event center, additional rooms

A use permit application for construction of a 4,000-square-foot barn-style event center and an increase to eight rooms in the inn is scheduled to go before the Solano County Planning Commission on Thursday. The 27.16-acre site is within the Suisun Valley Agricultural Zoning District. The property has agricultural land to the north and south, Suisun Creek is to the east, and Suisun Valley Road is to the west, the staff report states.

          Fairfield Daily Republic, 9-15-19

Energy plan may bring more solar, wind power to Santa Barbara County

A Strategic Energy Plan adopted by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors could allow the development of projects to provide power to critical facilities during disasters and public safety power shutdowns, make the county more energy independent, give ranchers a way to supplement their income and increase the use of renewable resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

          Santa Ynez Valley News, 9-14-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Sea-level rise threatens Orange County’s coast from top to bottom

From flooded neighborhoods and roads to disappearing beaches and crumbling bluffs, Orange County faces a range of drastic losses as a result of rising sea levels, according to a presentation to the state Coastal Commission on Friday. Early signs of those effects are already seen everywhere, from Seal Beach and Huntington Beach in the north through Doheny Beach and Capistrano Beach in the south.

          Orange County Register, 9-13-19

Forest fires destroying vital buffer against climate change

With fierce blazes raging in jungles from the Amazon to Indonesia, concerns are mounting about the impact as rainforests play a vital role in protecting the planet against global warming. Why are rainforests important in fight against climate change? Humankind's reliance on fossil fuels usually receives much of the blame for climate change but scientists say that deforestation has also played a big role.

          International Business Times, 9-13-19

Climate change and the Bay Area: Answers to your questions

Climate change is a huge problem for the Bay Area and the world. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming — especially since science has established that humans are largely to blame, and we're not doing nearly enough to cap the runaway emissions that make the problem worse. So The Chronicle asked readers to send in questions about climate change and its impact on the Bay Area. We're answering those questions here as we kick off a joint effort with other media organizations to spotlight the issue.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-15-19

California trumpets its climate leadership. But wildfires and flying could stymie its goals

California prides itself on having steadily lowered its greenhouse gas emissions over the past decade. But the reality behind that progress is more complicated. The state does not include every source of gases that contribute to climate change when measuring its progress against the 2020 goal of 431 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions — or it’s even more ambitious 2030 target. Significantly, California does not factor in emissions from wildfires, even though trees release carbon dioxide when they burn and people often provide the first spark.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-16-19

GENERAL

Newsom plans to veto bill that would have blocked Trump’s rollback of endangered species protections

Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to veto a bill passed by California lawmakers that would have allowed the state to keep strict Obama-era endangered species protections and water pumping restrictions for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-14-19

World 'losing battle' on 2020 goal to cut deforestation

Meeting a landmark target to slash by at least half losses of natural forests by 2020 is likely to be “impossible”, as deforestation has soared in the five years since it was set, warned a report on progress towards the goal.

          Reuters, 9-12-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Fact check: Some Democratic presidential candidates want to ban fracking. Could they?

From 2008 to 2018, US crude oil production more than doubled, from 5 million barrels a day to almost 11 million barrels a day, according to the Energy Information Agency. Much of that increase has been the result of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Many 2020 Democratic contenders support a ban on fracking. Beyond the market implications that such a move would have, it raises obvious political and legal questions, chief among them: Does the President actually have the authority to ban fracking?

          CNN, 9-16-19

California gas prices will probably rise after attack on Saudi oil plant

California gas prices will probably rise gradually after the weekend attack on an oil processing plant in Saudi Arabia, an analyst said Monday. Within a week or two, prices at the pump could be up 10 to 25 cents per gallon, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, a company that tracks real-time gas prices. They could jump even higher if the Saudi plant cannot resume operations as quickly as expected, he said.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-16-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

U.S. solar market growth slows this year as projects pushed back

The U.S. solar market will grow more slowly than previously forecast this year as some large projects are shifted into 2020, an industry trade group said on Tuesday.

          Reuters, 9-16-19

Climate change: Electrical industry's 'dirty secret' boosts warming

Sulphur hexafluoride, or SF6, is widely used in the electrical industry to prevent short circuits and accidents. However, the significant downside to using the gas is that it has the highest global warming potential of any known substance. Leaks of the little-known gas in the UK and the rest of the EU in 2017 were the equivalent of putting an extra 1.3 million cars on the road.

          BBC News, 9-13-19

Race against time

There’s a lot to like about the Bay Area’s efforts to prepare for sea level rise: the collaborative efforts, the detailed studies and, laudably, the voters who are willing to tax themselves with an eye to future needs. But if the long-term threat is as grim as scientific projections indicate, local experts say the region needs to respond with increased urgency — an urgency that is at odds with the Bay Area’s often cumbersome decision-making processes.

San Francisco Chronicle, 9-17-19

Humboldt grapples with sea level rise

Humboldt County is stepping up its planning for sea level rise in the Humboldt Bay area and is pursuing creation of a multi-jurisdictional agency to deal with it. What was described at the September 3 Board of Supervisors meeting as the “huge implications” of sea level rise is motivating the county to form a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) with the City of Eureka and infrastructure agencies.

Mad River Union, 9-14-19

Satellite data record shows climate change's impact on fires

Hot and dry. These are the watchwords for large fires. While every fire needs a spark to ignite and fuel to burn, it's the hot and dry conditions in the atmosphere that determine the likelihood of a fire starting, its intensity and the speed at which it spreads. Over the past several decades, as the world has increasingly warmed, so has its potential to burn.

Earth News, 9-15-19

GENERAL

California bullet train’s mishandling of land deals adds to mounting costs and delays

California’s bullet train project confronts an array of political and financial challenges, but its biggest problem involves mismanagement of land acquisitions, which has contributed to construction delays, cost increases, litigation and the launch of a federal audit.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-16-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

State's top oil regulator issues emergency cleanup order against Bakersfield company

A Bakersfield independent oil producer was ordered Tuesday to address a list of alleged violations at a well site it operates in the Fruitvale Oil Field in metropolitan Bakersfield.

          Bakersfield Californian, 9-17-19

Newsom administration stops approving fracking permits - for now

Governor Newsom has quietly halted fracking permits in California. This move came just two weeks before Newsom fired the state’s top oil and gas supervisor. Since then not a single permit has been approved since June 28.

          KBAK (Bakersfield television) 9-17-2019

San Jose set to become largest U.S. city to enact natural gas ban

San Jose is set to become the largest city in the United States to ban natural gas from many new homes in direct contrast to the federal government’s rollback of environmental regulations.

          Bay Area News Group, 9-17-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

3.4 quake hits near Fortuna, Calif.

A magnitude-3.4 earthquake was reported Wednesday at 10:23 a.m. 14 miles from Fortuna, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred 27 miles from Eureka, 28 miles from Arcata, 37 miles from McKinleyville, and 84 miles from Redding.

Los Angeles Times, 9-18-19

Why Earthquake Insurance Rates Spiked for Some Californians

Dennis D. was in for a shock when he opened a letter from his homeowner's insurance provider. The notice informed Dennis his annual earthquake insurance premium would be going up -- from $2,524 last year to $6,320 for the next 12 months. That's about a 150 percent increase.

NBC Bay Area, 9-18-19

MINES

U.S. 'falling behind' in global race to develop electric vehicle supply chain

The United States is losing the race to extract and refine minerals used to make electric vehicles and should do more to spur domestic production, a bipartisan group of senators said on Tuesday.

Reuters, 9-17-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Time to end ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore (commentary)

The National Park Service has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a General Management Plan Amendment to determine the future of 28,000 acres of park lands in Point Reyes National Seashore and the North District of Golden Gate National Recreation Area—lands currently leased for beef ranches and dairies. A key consideration in development of this GMP Amendment is the future of the Point Reyes Tule elk herds.

          National Parks Traveler, 9-18-19

Eyes in the sky help farmers on the ground

Aerial imaging companies using high-resolution cameras and artificial intelligence data analysis are giving the agricultural community a high-tech boost. A share of this new crop of businesses is dedicated to what’s known as precision agriculture — the Platonic ideal of providing just enough water, fertilizer and pesticide that a crop needs for maximum yields in an era of climate change and increasing global population.

          New York Times, 9-18-19

Commentary: Research investments will help farmers help climate (commentary)

When the question arises of how we are going to feed the world's 9 billion people in a climate that seems increasingly volatile and extreme, all eyes turn to U.S. agriculture, and rightfully so. Important lessons can be gleaned from the longtime efforts of farmers to promote soil health, conserve water and efficiently use nutrients.

          Ag Alert, 9-18-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

EPA set to revoke California's authority to set vehicle standards

The Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to revoke California's authority to set its own vehicle emission standards, a source familiar with the plans told CNN on Tuesday, the latest move in the Trump administration's ongoing fight with the Golden State and attempts to chip away at former President Barack Obama's environmental legacy.

          CNN, 9-17-19

Trump plans to revoke a key California environmental power; state officials vow to fight

President Trump is expected Wednesday to revoke a decades-old rule that empowers California to set tougher car emissions standards than those required by the federal government — putting the state and the administration on a path to years of fighting in court.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-17-19

San Mateo County: Climate emergency

In an effort to underscore the need for actions to stem the effects of climate change and invite local jurisdictions and agencies to join together to address the issue, officials Tuesday voted unanimously to declare a state of a climate emergency in San Mateo County.

San Mateo Daily Journal, 9-18-19

Faster pace of climate change is 'scary', former chief scientist says

Extreme events linked to climate change, such as the heatwave in Europe this year, are occurring sooner than expected, an ex-chief scientist says.

          BBC News, 9-16-19

San Diego’s climate crisis: The risks and costs of living in the backcountry

A warming world has made life much more expensive for a lot of people in rural areas susceptible to fires, said David Victor, a professor at UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. Higher temperatures mean California’s all-important snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains is smaller and melts faster than it did in the past. As a result, forests are dryer for longer. Scientists agree this chain reaction begins with climate change and ends with an increased wildfire danger.

          KPBS (San Diego television), 9-16-19

WATER

Newsom bucks his party on water (commentary)

It had to happen sooner or later. At some point, California’s “resistance” to President Donald Trump would move beyond flowery rhetoric, tweets and lawsuits and seriously affect Californians. By blocking SB 1, Newsom alienates some of his Democratic Party’s most important constituencies, the 41 environmental groups and labor unions listed as its supporters. But he placates an even greater number of business and agricultural groups that opposed it.

          CalMatters, 9-18-19

GENERAL

Bullet train board votes on proposed Valley to San Jose route, amid backlash

The California High-Speed Rail Authority board voted unanimously Tuesday on a route that may ultimately connect the San Joaquin Valley with San Jose – though it didn’t come without some backlash from community groups.

          Sacramento Bee, 9-17-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Exclusive interview: Chad Hathaway, Founder and CEO of Hathaway LLC

In 2001, Chad Hathaway founded Hathaway LLC with four things: an entrepreneurial spirit, a $5,000 loan, eight orphaned wells acquired from the California Department of Oil and Gas (DOGGR), and the operating experience he gained from working in the oil business, beginning at the age of seven on family leases. With the in-depth knowledge base, prior success, an excellent portfolio of developed and substantially underdeveloped properties, an outstanding operational team, and the desire to continue to expand, Hathaway LLC is poised for long-term growth.

          Oil and Gas 360, 9-17-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

3.6 earthquake registered near Coachella

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Thursday morning at 2:59 a.m. Pacific time 27 miles from Coachella, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-19-19

FORESTS AND WATERSHEDS

A California conservation group wants to buy world's largest remaining private giant sequoia forest for $15 million

A San Francisco conservation group has kicked off a public fundraising campaign to buy and protect the world's largest remaining privately owned giant sequoia forest. It just needs $15 million. Save the Redwoods League announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to purchase the 530-acre property, known as Alder Creek, from the current owners if it raises the funds.

          CNN, 9-18-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

California looks for ways to preserve environmental clout

In July, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that Ford, BMW, Honda and Volkswagen had agreed to follow California’s emission standards, bypassing the administration, which had been working on new rules. California officials have been negotiating with other automakers to follow suit. But those talks stalled Wednesday when President Donald Trump announced, via Twitter, that he was revoking California’s authority to set its own emission standards. Top California officials and environmental groups pledged legal action to stop the Trump rollback.

          Associated Press, 9-19-19

Demise of key environment bill could escalate California’s water wars

The smoke has (partly) cleared from the legislative battlefield, in the aftermath of a struggle pitting the leader of the California Senate against not only powerful water and agricultural interests but also Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom has said he won’t approve Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins’ bid for a legal backstop against environmental rollbacks by the Trump administration. The governor says a water accord already in progress is better for the state. But some groups will likely paint him as a politician who, when it mattered, sided with big business and Trump.

          CalMatters, 9-18-19

Can he do that? Lawyers doubt Trump can kill California's clean-air powers

In a tweet this morning, President Donald Trump announced the revocation of California’s legal authority to set tailpipe pollution standards, upending 50 years of precedent under the federal Clean Air Act of 1970. The latest attempt by the administration to dismantle longstanding environmental regulations follows California's voluntary framework agreement in July with Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW on clean-car standards. But, it’s unclear when President Trump’s order will go into effect.

          KQED (San Francisco TV/radio), 9-18-19

The jury’s still out on Newsom as governor — but he did OK his first year

In truth, Newsom probably is doing a little better than most people think. It just isn’t noticed that much. We’ve reached an important measuring point for Newsom, however: the end of the legislative year. It was his first experience dealing with the lawmakers. How’d he do? For an answer, it helps to go back and reread his inaugural and State of the State speeches and note the agenda he laid out for himself. Then compare it with what he achieved through the Legislature. Newsom’s overall grade so far: B-minus.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-19-19

Can Trump really yank California’s power to police tailpipe pollution? ‘See you in court’

The Trump administration has revoked California’s unique authority to combat tailpipe pollution on its own terms, setting the stage for protracted litigation, jeopardizing public health and hindering the state’s ability to battle climate change. The long-promised revocation, announced as the president raised money in California, could reverberate beyond this state: 13 others use identical car-emissions rules.

          CalMatters, 9-18-19

Newsom and Becerra lash out at Trump plan on California emissions standards

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday criticized the Trump administration’s plan to rescind California’s nearly half-century-old authority to impose tough car emissions standards, vowing to take legal action to block the move. Newsom’s comments came during a morning news conference with state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols, and California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Jared Blumenfeld.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-18-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Ninth Circuit voids geothermal leases on sacred tribal land

In a decision hailed by some as a victory for tribal rights and ecological preservation, the Ninth Circuit on Thursday upheld voiding 40-year lease extensions for geothermal energy production on 26 plots of California land deemed sacred by Native Americans.

          Courthouse News Service, 9-19-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

3.1 magnitude earthquake strikes southeast Monterey County

A 3.1 magnitude earthquake struck in southeast Monterey County, Wednesday afternoon.

          KSBW (Salinas television), 9-18-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

California farms, ranches strive to adapt as climate warms — it’s a matter of survival

Every degree of warming is expected to worsen what, in many ways, is already a crisis for the state’s multibillion-dollar agricultural industry. And a crisis here is a problem everywhere, given that California produces 50% of the nation’s fruits and vegetables and 90% of its nut crops. But agriculture is beginning to fight back, employing groundbreaking technology and techniques that experts believe will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the health of livestock, increase food production and maximize the effectiveness of the state’s over-tapped water delivery system.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-19-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

San Diego’s climate crisis: Sea level rise will threaten imperial beach for decades

Imperial Beach regularly experiences flooding during high-tides and storms — climate change and rising oceans are threatening to make that flooding significantly worse.

          KPBS, 9-19-19

Marin County dairy farmer leading charge to reduce methane gas

When it comes to the less-glamorous side of dairy farming, West Marin County dairyman Albert Straus has embraced everything his cows care to contribute — from their milk to their poop to their belches. As the world looks for ways of reducing polluting greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, Straus has taken aim at his own dairy in the fight.

          NBC Bay Area, 9-18-19

Earth to warm more quickly, new climate models show

Greenhouse gases thrust into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels are warming Earth's surface more quickly than previously understood, according to new climate models set to replace those used in current UN projections, scientists said Tuesday.

          Yahoo News, 9-17-19

Q and A with Coastal Commission chief: Sea-level is rising now

The next few days will put a political spotlight on the environment, with a youth-led global climate strike Friday, international beach cleanup day on Saturday and the United Nations Climate Action Summit on Monday. When it comes to California’s role in these concerns, Jack Ainsworth is in the thick of it.

Southern California Newspaper Group, 9-20-19

WATER

Editorial: Governor Newsom must show commitment to protecting the Delta

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s jaw-dropping announcement last week that he plans to veto a crucial water bill, SB 1, calls into question his commitment to protecting the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

          Bay Area News Group, 9-19-19

Climate change could mean less farming in the West

Most years, ranchers in Wyoming irrigate their land with water from the Green River — a tributary of the Colorado — in the summer so they have forage to feed their cattle late in the season. In 2016, however, George Kahrl of Sarah Faith Ranch in Jackson, stop irrigating several of his fields in exchange for a check.

GreenBiz, 9-20-19

GENERAL

Editorial: Gavin Newsom just decided to carry Trump’s water by vetoing an endangered species bill

On the eve of President Trump’s visit to California this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his intention to veto a bill that would have protected the state’s iconic migratory salmon and many other endangered species from the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-19-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Smith conducts joint oversight committee in response to Aliso Canyon transparency bill

In light of the Aliso Canyon root cause analysis released in May, Senator Henry Stern and Smith, D-Santa Clarita, conducted a joint oversight hearing to discuss and receive public input on SoCalGas’s failure to anticipate foreseeable risks and the emergency response conducted in the wake of the blowout.

          Santa Clarita Valley News, 9-19-19

Does this oil company owe Seal Beach $9 million or more? Officials are drilling for answers

If you look a mile or so off the coast of First Street in Seal Beach you might see a sailboat cruising by. What you won’t see are oil wells deep beneath the water’s surface, under the floor of the Pacific Ocean, pumping out crude. The offshore wells are at the center of a yearlong legal dispute between the city of Seal Beach and one of California’s largest oil companies. Millions of dollars could be at stake.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-20-19

Oil spill reported in Cat Canyon southeast of Santa Maria

An oil spill was reported Friday at the Bell Lease southeast of Santa Maria and Orcutt, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said. Capt. Daniel Bertucelli said the department confirmed a spill of 330 barrels of produced water and 4-5 barrels of oil, and the spill was confined to the pad area.

          Santa Barbara Noozhawk, 9-20-19

New report reveals that 'Green' California seeks to expand oil and gas operations

While California officials and many media outlets constantly promote the myth that the state is the nation’s “green leader,” the on-the-ground reality is much different. In reality, California has the nation’s dirtiest air, some of the country’s dirtiest crude oil and some of the least restrictive regulations regarding fracking and oil drilling. Despite the persistence of the “green” California myth, Governor Jerry Brown’s oil and gas regulations approved over 20,000 new oil and gas permits in the state and this expansion has continued under Governor Gavin Newsom.

          Indybay, 9-20-19

Robert Price: State's new energy blueprint can't leave Kern County in the dark (Commentary)

The state budget appropriates $1.5 million for a study, commissioned by the California Environmental Protection Agency, that orchestrates a progressive reduction in fossil fuel demand and supply for the purpose of managing California's transition to a carbon-neutral economy by midcentury. That plan, in line with the state’s climate change-fighting goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045, appears intended to drastically scale back, if not completely shutter, Kern County's oil industry. Aera Energy CEO Christina Sistrunk, whose 35-year career in the oil industry has taken her to Houston, New Orleans, the Netherlands and, immediately prior to her Bakersfield assignment, the Arctic, doesn't believe the state's current approach is realistic, equitable or wise. And others agree.

          Bakersfield Californian, 9-21-19

Fracking ban could have unintended consequence of boosting coal

A big environmental talking point this election season is a call to ban fracking. In some political circles, activists believe that decreased fracking would reduce carbon emissions. Those activists are actually wrong. Fracking is a popular political target today, but targeting fracking is also irresponsible. It is about more than just cheap gasoline. It is about cleaner air right now, about a healthy domestic economy and about controlling our own geopolitical strategies.

          The Hill, 9-22-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

3.6 earthquake registered near Coachella

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Thursday morning at 2:59 a.m. Pacific time 27 miles from Coachella, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Los Angeles Times, 9-19-19

Artificial intelligence takes on earthquake prediction

After successfully predicting laboratory earthquakes, a team of geophysicists has applied a machine learning algorithm to quakes in the Pacific Northwest.

          Quanta Magazine, 9-19-19

Earthquake retrofitting program on track in aftermath of Loma Prieta

30 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake, contractors and the city of San Francisco are working to make sure buildings are prepared for the next "big one." Still, both the city and contractors warn that retrofitting a property doesn't make it earthquake proof.

          KTVU (Oakland television), 9-20-2019

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Planning Commission approves events center at Suisun Valley Inn

The Solano County Planning Commission on Thursday approved a use permit that will allow the Suisun Valley Inn to operate as an expanded eight-room bed and breakfast and build a 4,000-square-foot barn-style event center.

Fairfield Daily Republic, 9-20-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Progress on climate change is happening — everywhere but Washington

Climate change is a complex problem requiring urgent action — just the type of thing that confounds Washington. Between President Trump and a Republican majority in the Senate, climate activists have few friends in positions of power in the nation’s capital. But even with a like-minded administration, advocates say, the key to moving forward is working everywhere but Washington, building momentum that could lead to national action.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-21-19

Global climate strikes: Protesters rally around the world

From Paris to Peshawar, Washington state to Washington, D.C., hundreds of thousands of young people led protests Friday demanding action on climate change as a United Nations summit approaches Monday.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-20-19

Bye-Bye beaches: How parts of SoCal's iconic coast could disappear in our lifetime

The stretch of coast from Santa Monica to Malibu is iconic and quintessentially Californian. It's also ridiculously beautiful — and it's clear, based on the latest science, it could be unrecognizable by the end of the century. As the planet warms, sea levels will continue to rise, threatening some of our most beloved stretches of coastline. The good news is that everything we love about our coast is not going to disappear overnight. And we'll have the opportunity to decide how we want to manage things going forward.

          LAist, 9-20-19

Despite climate crisis, California continues to embrace exurban sprawl

Even in the midst of a climate crisis, the Bay Area’s skyrocketing housing costs are pushing families into far-flung suburbs like Tracy. And the American dream of a single-family home coupled with cities’ restrictions on building multifamily rentals and condos means “exurbs” continue to thrive despite state and local officials’ recognition that they exacerbate climate change.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-20-19

Can Tracy and other Central Valley cities get onboard with ‘smart growth’?

It’s not just the suburbs of mid-size cities like Tracy that raise questions about smart growth. It’s also the downtowns. If the mega-region is going to break the cycle that has workers driving ever farther to make a living and afford housing, cities like Tracy and Stockton have to be onboard, said Chanell Fletcher, executive director of ClimatePlan, a land use and planning group.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-20-19

Gavin Newsom tells CalPERS, CalSTRS to favor green investments in climate change order

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed an executive order to leverage the might of California’s $700 billion public pension funds and the state’s purchasing power as a highway builder in a campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

          The Sacramento Bee, 9-20-19

To fight climate change, car-loving California must overhaul transportation. Can it?

California’s crusade against planet-warming emissions seems at times disconnected from the reality of its gridlocked freeways. But that hasn’t stopped a push for change. The challenge is huge. Even as power plants and other sectors have cleaned up, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in California have actually grown in recent years, a sign that cleaner and more fuel-efficient cars have been unable to overcome population growth, a growing economy and suburban sprawl.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-22-19

Trump’s War on California and the Climate

Trump’s adversarial stance is helping to shape California’s twenty-first-century identity as the Resistance State. On Friday, California, as it has become accustomed to doing, sued the Administration in an effort to preserve the state’s legacy rights surrounding emissions standards and clean vehicles. It’s a fight that California has to win.

          The New Yorker, 9-21-19

In a race against the sun, growers try to outsmart climate change

It was a long, hot summer, like most in the San Joaquin Valley. But while sweltering summers are the norm in this part of central California, there’s a new, existential threat to these trees, one that scientists warn could spell the end of the pistachio harvest: warmer winters. Many crops are facing similar threats as agricultural regions across the world experience previously unseen extremes in heat, rain and drought. Scientists in 2013 urged “immediate adaptation” by farmers to ensure that they can feed the 10 billion people expected to inhabit the planet by 2050. Those changes are already happening worldwide.

          New York Times, 9-21-19

These trees survived California’s drought and that’s giving scientists hope for climate change

When California’s historic five-year drought finally relented a few years ago, the tally of dead trees in the Sierra Nevada was higher than almost anyone expected: 129 million. But some trees did survive the test of heat and drought. Now, scientists are racing to collect them and other species around the globe in the hope that these “climate survivors” may have a natural advantage, allowing them to cope with a warming world a bit better than others in their species.

          KQED (San Francisco TV/radio), 9-23-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Faults' hot streaks and slumps could change earthquake hazard assessments

For more than a century, a guiding principle in seismology has been that earthquakes recur at semi-regular intervals according to a "seismic cycle." In this model, strain that gradually accumulates along a locked fault is completely released in a large earthquake. Recently, however, seismologists have realized that earthquakes often occur in clusters separated by gaps, and one research group now argues that the probability of a tremor's recurrence depends upon whether a cluster is ongoing—or over.

          Phys.org, 9-23-19

The next big effort in AI: keeping L.A.’s water flowing post-earthquake

Can artificial intelligence save the L.A. water supply from a big earthquake? USC researchers have embarked on an innovative project to prove that it can. Using federal funds, experts at the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS) are working with Los Angeles city officials to find solutions for vulnerable plumbing. The goal is to make surgical improvements to strategic pipelines to keep water flowing after shaking stops.

          USC News, 9-23-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Farmers are living the facts of climate change. By focusing on soil, they can lead the way on climate adaptation

Most farmers haven’t heard about the recent report from the UN, even though it deals with climate change and land use and features agriculture prominently. But we don’t need to read the science — we are living it. But it’s not all doom and gloom, either in the UN report or in California’s farmland, because farmers are good at adapting and problem-solving. We can adjust our farming practices to buffer against climate impacts like drought and flooding and reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions, while cutting costs and cleaning up our air and water.

          Fresno Bee, 9-20-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Brown launches California-China climate think tank

Jerry Brown is still sounding his signature alarm on climate change — and doing an end run around the federal government. The former California governor on Monday announced the launch of a climate-focused think tank at the University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with China's top climate official, Xie Zhenhua.

          Politico, 9-23-19

California, China to team up on climate research institute

As tensions between China and the United States ratchet up, former California Gov. Jerry Brown sees a way to bring together the world's largest carbon emitter and a U.S. state that's leading the way in energy standards: climate change. Brown and Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate official, will announce a new university partnership focused on climate research and policy on Monday as part of the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York.

          KCRA (Sacramento television), 9-23-19

Are we at a climate change turning point? Obama’s EPA Chief thinks so

In the debate over how to respond to the perils posed by the earth’s changing climate, the ground has been rapidly shifting in recent years: as the Trump administration has retreated from efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and engage in climate diplomacy and public demand for action has grown—particularly among younger generations—cities and states have stepped into the breach. Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under former president Barack Obama, thinks we may be turning a corner on combatting climate change.

          Scientific American, 9-23-19

California vs. Trump, the climate change edition

California is likely to again dominate the discussion of U.S. states as government leaders, scientists and activists gather in New York for this week’s United Nations summit on climate change. But the timing of the event serves to highlight a key point: It’s not clear what happens when the federal government insists it has the final say. That unsettled issue presents a unique chance for Gov. Gavin Newsom to step forward on a topic with which his two immediate predecessors often dominated national and world headlines.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-23-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Faults' hot streaks and slumps could change earthquake hazard assessments

For more than a century, a guiding principle in seismology has been that earthquakes recur at semi-regular intervals according to a "seismic cycle." In this model, strain that gradually accumulates along a locked fault is completely released in a large earthquake. Recently, however, seismologists have realized that earthquakes often occur in clusters separated by gaps, and one research group now argues that the probability of a tremor's recurrence depends upon whether a cluster is ongoing—or over.

          Phys.org, 9-23-19

The next big effort in AI: keeping L.A.’s water flowing post-earthquake

Can artificial intelligence save the L.A. water supply from a big earthquake? USC researchers have embarked on an innovative project to prove that it can. Using federal funds, experts at the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS) are working with Los Angeles city officials to find solutions for vulnerable plumbing. The goal is to make surgical improvements to strategic pipelines to keep water flowing after shaking stops.

          USC News, 9-23-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Farmers are living the facts of climate change. By focusing on soil, they can lead the way on climate adaptation

Most farmers haven’t heard about the recent report from the UN, even though it deals with climate change and land use and features agriculture prominently. But we don’t need to read the science — we are living it. But it’s not all doom and gloom, either in the UN report or in California’s farmland, because farmers are good at adapting and problem-solving. We can adjust our farming practices to buffer against climate impacts like drought and flooding and reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions, while cutting costs and cleaning up our air and water.

          Fresno Bee, 9-20-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Brown launches California-China climate think tank

Jerry Brown is still sounding his signature alarm on climate change — and doing an end run around the federal government. The former California governor on Monday announced the launch of a climate-focused think tank at the University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with China's top climate official, Xie Zhenhua.

          Politico, 9-23-19

California, China to team up on climate research institute

As tensions between China and the United States ratchet up, former California Gov. Jerry Brown sees a way to bring together the world's largest carbon emitter and a U.S. state that's leading the way in energy standards: climate change. Brown and Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate official, will announce a new university partnership focused on climate research and policy on Monday as part of the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York.

          KCRA (Sacramento television), 9-23-19

Are we at a climate change turning point? Obama’s EPA Chief thinks so

In the debate over how to respond to the perils posed by the earth’s changing climate, the ground has been rapidly shifting in recent years: as the Trump administration has retreated from efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and engage in climate diplomacy and public demand for action has grown—particularly among younger generations—cities and states have stepped into the breach. Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under former president Barack Obama, thinks we may be turning a corner on combatting climate change.

          Scientific American, 9-23-19

California vs. Trump, the climate change edition

California is likely to again dominate the discussion of U.S. states as government leaders, scientists and activists gather in New York for this week’s United Nations summit on climate change. But the timing of the event serves to highlight a key point: It’s not clear what happens when the federal government insists it has the final say. That unsettled issue presents a unique chance for Gov. Gavin Newsom to step forward on a topic with which his two immediate predecessors often dominated national and world headlines.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-23-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Robert Price: Can you imagine Bakersfield without oil? EPA does (Commentary)

Telling Kern County that California has reached the end of oil is like telling a cowboy to go home because the cattle drive has no more cattle. What now? A cowboy has to feed his family. Bakersfield and Kern County, utterly reliant on agriculture and oil, must see economic growth and diversification in ways not yet identified that maintain or even enhance the region's present level of prosperity. Kern County oil jobs pay well — well over $100,000 per year in many cases, and often a high school diploma suffices. Those jobs aren't easily replaced in a county with one of the lowest educational attainment levels in the state. Ashley Conrad-Saydah, the EPA's deputy secretary for climate policy, said the key at this point is inclusiveness.

          Bakersfield Californian, 9-24-19

City Councilman Calls for Investigation of Playa del Rey Gas Storage Field

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin called Tuesday for a report on the Playa del Rey gas storage field amid health concerns of community members.

MynewsLA.com, 9-24-19

Oil industry’s future may rest on climate debate over natural gas

Championed by Big Oil as the fastest way to reduce emissions and reviled by environmentalists who say the world needs to ditch all fossil fuels -- the debate over natural gas may be one of the controversial aspects of climate change. The arguments will get an airing as politicians, activists and business leaders gather for Climate Week in New York.

          World Oil, 9-23-19

Federal study finds oilfield activity lowered groundwater quality in western Kern

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey concludes oilfield activity has lowered the quality of groundwater in western Kern County, making it saltier and possibly affecting nearby irrigation sources but not harming drinking water. The findings published this month in a technical journal of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists raise a red flag about local oil industry practices but do not point to any imminent government action on what has for years been a hot topic among California anti-oil activists.

          Bakersfield Californian, 9-25-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Death toll from Pakistan earthquake rises to 37 - local official

The death toll from an earthquake in Pakistan on Tuesday has risen to 37, the Mirpur divisional commissioner, Muhammad Tayyab, said on Wednesday.

          Reuters, 9-25-19

Earthquake: 3.4 quake strikes near Soledad, Calif.

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported Tuesday evening at 10:49 p.m., 11 miles from Soledad, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-24-19

Earthquake studies lead to new data gathering techniques

The California Earthquake Authority (CEA) gathered experts together from academic, government, and private organizations for their third annual research forum on September 7 in Sacramento, Calif. Topics discussed were how to better the collection of information regarding data that is collected on earthquakes and the devastation they create. It is with hopes that this data will help improve safety standards quicker.

          Kern Valley Sun, 9-24-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

California farmers face ‘catastrophic’ water restrictions. Can they adapt to survive?

Starting next January, California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, will require farmers to gradually rein in the amount of groundwater they can pump from their wells. In a region where agriculture is king — and the ability to extract the water beneath one’s soil has been practically a birthright — a difficult reckoning is coming. Farmers will have to start throttling back their pumps, dramatically altering how they cultivate one of the world’s most fertile valleys. Although the law will take 20 years to fully take effect, the impact on the San Joaquin Valley will be considerable.

          Fresno Bee, 9-25-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

Bay Area marshes could help slow global warming

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta was once one of the lushest marshlands in the state. The peat-rich soil made it an ideal place for some of the state's first farms to pop up. Today, scientists are hacking their way through thick brush to see if restoring these marshes is a way to reduce carbon dioxide in the air.

          KGO (San Francisco television) 9-23-19

America’s great climate exodus is starting in the Florida Keys

The Great Climate Retreat is beginning with tiny steps, like taxpayer buyouts for homeowners in flood-prone areas from Staten Island, New York, to Houston and New Orleans. Florida, the state with the most people and real estate at risk, is just starting to buy homes, wrecked or not, and bulldoze them to clear a path for swelling seas before whole neighborhoods get wiped off the map. By the end of the century, 13 million Americans will need to move just because of rising sea levels, at a cost of $1 million each, according to Florida State University demographer Mathew Haeur, who studies climate migration.

          Bloomberg, 9-20-19

New U.N. climate report: Monumental change already here for world’s oceans and frozen regions

Growing coastal flooding is inevitable, and damage to corals and other marine life has already been unleashed. But scientists say the world still has time to avert even more severe consequences.

          Washington Post, 9-25-19

GENERAL

California could face power shortages if these gas plants shut down, officials say

It’s been nearly a decade since California ordered coastal power plants to stop using seawater for cooling, a process that kills fish and other marine life. But now state officials may extend the life of several facilities that still suck billions of gallons from the ocean each day. Staff at the California Public Utilities Commission recommended this month that four natural gas plants in Southern California, which are now required to shut down in 2020, be allowed to keep operating up to three additional years. Without the gas plants, PUC staff said, the state may face power shortfalls as soon as summer 2021.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-24-19

Plans to phase out natural gas in all new SF buildings gain traction

Two San Francisco supervisors announced legislation Tuesday that will eventually phase out natural gas in all new buildings constructed in San Francisco. These efforts in San Francisco come after Berkeley became the first city in the nation in July to ban the installation of natural gas lines in new homes. The push comes as local officials grapple with how to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy as concerns about lowering carbon footprints to combat the climate change intensify.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-24-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Gov. Newsom, it’s time to phase out oil and gas production in California, SLO mayor says

Mayor Heidi Harmon of San Luis Obispo is joining more than 275 local elected officials from 47 counties calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to create a plan to phase out oil and gas production in California.

San Luis Obispo Tribune, 9-25-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

How the Central Valley became the ‘Appalachia of the West.’ Now, new threats loom for economy

Throughout its history, the San Joaquin Valley has defied quick or easy fixes. The Valley’s problems are so deeply ingrained, some community leaders fear they’ve stamped the region with a sense of hopelessness that can discourage bold economic thinking. Now the Valley is about to confront a series of problems that could cripple the region for decades to come. Its inability to diversify its largely rural economic base, even as boom times have reduced unemployment rates, leaves the region acutely vulnerable as the nation faces the prospect of another recession. Meanwhile, the Valley’s ability to do the one thing it does best — feeding the world — is going to be challenged as never before.

         Fresno Bee, 9-26-19

Butte County’s 2018 crop report shows $65 million, 10 percent decline in production

Butte County’s 2018 crop report was released on Tuesday, and it shows a 10 percent decline in overall production. Butte County’s gross value for agricultural production in 2018 was $631,798,727, according to the report. This represents a decline of nearly $65 million from the previous 2017 Butte County Crop report, which resulted in $696,563,214 for Butte County.

          Chico Enterprise Record, 9-26-19

MINING

From the Archives: 1932 gold mining in San Gabriel Canyon

Gold prospecting in the San Gabriel Mountains started in the mid-1800s and continues today. While on a small scale — compared with Northern California — miners continue to find small amounts of gold dust and nuggets.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-25-19

5 hours of comments lead Orange to push housing proposal decision back one month

Orange City Council members will wait until Oct. 22 to decide on a contentious rezoning proposal that wants to build 128 homes to replace a former quarry in east Orange. Council members on Tuesday, Sept. 24, decided to postpone their vote on The Trails at Santiago Creek after hearing five hours of comments from the developer and more than 60 residents.

          Orange County Register, 9-25-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

UN climate panel finds growing risks to oceans, glacial regions

Arctic ice is melting faster than expected and is contributing to a global climate crisis that will include stronger storms, longer droughts and an alarming increase in the marine heat waves that recently ravaged the ocean ecosystem along the West Coast, an international panel revealed Wednesday. The special report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paints a bleak picture of a world already suffering from rising temperatures, loss of snow packs and a fast-warming ocean.

          San Francisco Chronicle, 9-25-19

Newsom will announce new plans for a satellite to track climate change

Former Gov. Jerry Brown famously said last year that California would launch its “own damn satellite” to track climate change in defiance of the Trump administration. On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will announce a new approach and way to pay for it.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-25-19

The oceans are taking a beating under climate change, U.N. report warns

The planet is in hot water — literally — and that will have dire consequences for humanity, warns a new United Nations report on the state of the world’s oceans and ice.

          Los Angeles Times, 9-25-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Political Rhetoric Aside, Fracking Must Remain Legal

And just like that, the oil price fear premium disappeared. The temporary rise in crude prices that took place in the wake of the alleged September 14 Iranian missile attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure, which at one point had added a 15% premium over the September 13 WTI close of $54.85, had been completely erased on Wednesday morning as markets responded to a larger-than-expected increase in U.S. crude inventories.

Forbes commentary, 9-26-19

DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION

‘Farming the sun:’ As water goes scarce, can solar farms prop up the Valley?

On the Changala family farm in Tulare County, the past and future are separated by a dirt road and a barbed-wire fence. On the south side sits a wheat field. On the north, a solar farm, built three years ago, sending electricity to thousands of Southern Californians. Alan Changala sees little difference between the two.

Sacramento Bee, 9-27-19

Expanded Housing Opportunities Provide More Options for Farmers

On Tuesday, September 17, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors removed zoning restrictions that prohibit the ability to apply to construct an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADUs) on over 1,900 agricultural properties. This action will eliminate unnecessary regulatory constraints on a recognized form of affordable housing, while continuing to protect and support the county’s agricultural and environmental resources. 

Sonoma County Gazette, 9-26-19

WATER

California must embrace groundwater management, and expand it

We all walk on water. Not literally, but most Californians do walk over the water stored in the aquifers beneath our feet.  This unseen resource is groundwater, which provides 40% of our water supply in normal years, and up to 60% of our supply in times of drought.

CalMatters commentary, 9-27-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Our View: Kern’s critical oil industry must be fairly regulated (Commentary)

A slow-down in the state’s issuing of Kern County oil fracking permits in the wake of this summer’s firing of the state’s top oil regulator and the ongoing leaking of oil from wells in a west side field is not surprising. It’s a reasonable regulatory move that even oil producers are downplaying in significance. But some environmentalists suggest the temporary moratorium is a sign that it’s time to end oil production is California – spell that K-E-R-N, the state’s major producer. The oil spigot cannot and should not be abruptly turned off.

          Bakersfield Californian, 9-28-19

Henry: Green breakthroughs are coming from an unlikely source (Commentary)

America's power plants will emit 2.3 percent less carbon dioxide this year compared to 2018. Even better, emissions will continue falling next year, according to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This progress isn't the result of new environmental protections or alternative-energy breakthroughs. The credit actually belongs to natural gas firms.

         Bakersfield Californian, 9-28-19

Sound Off: Oil may be vital here, but state still intends to 'manage' it out of existence (Commentary)

Kern County oil observes the strictest extraction standards on the planet, represents an essential component in a wide range of products and processes, and bolsters the local economy in a vital and dramatic way. Today, as a global commodity, oil is substantially irreplaceable. But it's not completely irreplaceable and California fully intends to "manage" it out of existence.

Bakersfield Californian, 9-27-19

Extinction Rebellion activists in Sacramento

Over 20 activists from the Extinction Rebellion today targeted the offices of the Western State Petroleum Association (WSPA) offices at 1415 L St. at 12 Noon. They sang songs, shouted out chants and briefly blocked the street in front of the WSPA offices just down the street from the State Capitol.

          Counter Punch, 9-27-19

Los Angeles County updating standards for urban oilfield

California’s Los Angeles County is updating its safety standards for the Inglewood Oil Field, the largest urban oilfield in the U.S. The county’s Department of Regional Planning released its initial draft update to the safety standards imposed on the operations at the oilfield, which lies mostly in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County.

          Kallanish Energy, 9-26-19

Texas oilfield regulator exceeds goals for cleanup of abandoned oilfield sites

The Texas Railroad Commission assessed and cleaned up more than 400 abandoned oil field sites in fiscal year 19, more than double the performance measure goal set by the Texas Legislature to assess and clean up 188 abandoned sites

          World Oil, 9-29-19

Climate strikers urge political action

Speakers young and old rallied a Friday-afternoon De la Guerra Plaza crowd, roughly 800 people strong in Santa Barbara’s second climate strike in as many weeks. It’s time to act now on the slowly simmering crisis before it comes to a full boil, they warned.

          Santa Barbara Independent, 9-27-19

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Death toll in east Indonesia earthquake rises to 30; thousands in shelters

The death toll from a strong earthquake in Indonesia’s eastern province of Maluku has risen to 30 people, the national disaster mitigation agency (BNBP) said on Sunday, and hundreds of thousands of people remain in evacuation shelters.

          New Straits Times, 9-29-19

CLIMATE CHANGE

PD Editorial: Climate change forecast keeps getting worse (Commentary)

Anyone who grumbled about disruption from the recent climate strike and demonstrations and wondered what the fuss was all about should read the latest climate report from the United Nations about what climate change is doing to our oceans. The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the stress from increasing temperatures and greenhouse gas levels is changing the oceans in dangerous and consequential ways. These disruptions are already having a global impact, one that will only get worse if we don’t successfully limit greenhouse gas emissions very soon.

          Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 9-29-19

DIVISION OF OIL, GAS, AND GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

California’s foreign-oil problem (Commentary)

Following the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities last month, many forecasters warned that gas prices would spike. Yet prices have hardly budged—except in California, where they are surging due to policies that have made the state more reliant on foreign oil.

          The Wall Street Journal, 9-30-2019

Councilman calls for health report on Playa Del Rey gas storage

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin recently called for a report on the Playa del Rey gas storage field amid health concerns of community members.

          Patch, 9-30-2019

Financial trouble, design changes delay major solar project in west Kern oilfield

Plans for a west Kern oilfield installation touted as California's largest solar energy project have been delayed by financial trouble at the Bay Area company that agreed to build the plant for Bakersfield-based oil producer Aera Energy LLC. Fremont-based GlassPoint Solar Inc. recently informed investors the scope of the project's initial phase had been scaled back as the company searched for financing to begin construction, which was supposed to start earlier this year but was postponed.

Bakersfield Californian, 9-30-2019

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Devising an earthquake algorithm to save lives

Has earthquake warning technology come far enough to give us a real prediction or meaningful warning? WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez heads to UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab to learn about the first U.S. earthquake early warning system currently in development.

          The Wall Street Journal, 9-23-2019

CLIMATE CHANGE

Where animals and plants might survive climate change

Scientists are searching for pockets of ecological resistance in the face of climate change, places that seem to be warming less quickly than others due to unique natural conditions. The hope is that as the earth continues to get hotter, these “climate refugia” could serve as strongholds for plants and animals.

          KQED, 9-30-2019

(news updated as time permits…)

· Link to 2018 news articles

· Link to 2017 news articles

· Link to 2016 news articles

· Link to 2015 news articles

· Link to 2014 news articles

· Link to 2013 news articles

· Link to 2012 news articles

· Link to 2011 news articles

· Link to 2010 news articles

· Link to 2009 and older news articles