Weekly Green: April 20, 2015

Hello and good afternoon, all. In recent news & opinion:

• Mandatory water restrictions examined;
• California almond growers to expand orchards;
• Senate leader de León says California can reduce oil use;
• LCV, others aim to register a million climate voters; and much more.

» Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Green, your no-frills news roundup provided free of charge by the California League of Conservation Voters. If you're not a regular subscriber, sign up for your free subscription today: http://ecovote.org/wg »

Above the Fold

Pro Tem Kevin de León: California can reach petroleum reduction goal
When the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger worked together to pass Assembly Bill 32, skeptics said we set naive and unrealistic targets and that the California Air Resources Board could not be trusted with its implementation. Yet here we are, well on our way to meeting our carbon reduction targets, with an economy that is stronger than ever.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article18522089.html

Liberal groups aim to register a million climate voters
A coalition of environmental, civil rights and progressive groups aims to register a million climate-conscious voters by Election Day.... The coalition’s voter registration campaign won’t endorse candidates because most of the organizations’ tax statuses won’t let them take part in some types of political activity. Instead, the campaign will focus on educating voters about climate change.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/liberal-groups-aim-to-register-a-million-climate-voters-116973.html

California's Historic Drought

"New normal": Scientists predict less rain from here on out
What’s most clearly known is this: A huge dome of stagnant air has spent much of the past four winters parked off the West Coast, driving the storm path far north of California. In years past, it would periodically slide south, letting in rain to the lowlands and snow to the mountains. Now, it hardly budges.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/New-normal-Scientists-predict-less-rain-from-6209104.php?t=2b9fa0d12c972bc8cd&cmpid=twitter-premium

Water managers announce mandatory cuts
Under the new mandate, each of the state’s 400 largest water agencies is assigned to one of nine tiers of cuts, with those that have historically consumed more water required to make larger reductions — even more than the initial proposal recommended.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Water-managers-announce-mandatory-cuts-6208521.php

To shield tech executives, California’s biggest water users are secret
In the midst of a historic drought, Californians have no way of knowing who’s guzzling the most water. That’s not an accident. It’s by design, thanks to an obscure 1997 measure that weakened one of the state’s chief open government laws, the California Public Records Act.
http://www.revealnews.org/article/californias-biggest-water-users-are-secret-to-shield-tech-executives/

What you need to know about the state's proposed water restrictions
The state water board has modified its proposed conservation regulations in an attempt to incorporate feedback from urban water suppliers, interest groups and members of the public who had roundly criticized its framework.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-cuts-q-and-a-20150418-story.html

Some say they’ll get soaked by state’s big water cutbacks
Gov. Jerry Brown’s call for mandatory water reductions is not sitting well with some Californians, particularly those in the crosshairs of a sweeping plan to make the state’s biggest guzzling communities trim the most.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Some-say-they-ll-get-soaked-by-state-s-big-6204996.php

CA's environmental water use scrutinized
Cities and farms soak up vast amounts of California’s water. So does the environment. Both through natural and government regulated water flows to streams, rivers and deltas. But when Gov. Jerry Brown announced mandatory 25 percent water cuts early this month, he exempted both agricultural and environmental water use.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/apr/17/sacramento-drought-california-environment-water/

California almond growers to expand orchards, despite drought
Almond orchards have become ground zero in the debate over California’s epic drought, the focal point of criticism that agriculture uses too much water. The response? More almond trees.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article18716937.html

Jerry Brown argues against ‘Big Brother’ picking crops in drought
With almonds and alfalfa coming in for criticism amid California’s drought, Gov. Jerry Brown argued Thursday against any “Big Brother” effort to curtail production of water-heavy crops.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article18725088.html

Dry, warm conditions keep California's national forests parched
With the state’s snowpack at only 5%, water resources in the 18 national forests in California are low and trees are water-starved, said climatologist William Patzert of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-dry-conditions-national-forests-20150420-story.html

Desalination could provide Orange County an infinite water supply, but at a steep cost
As California’s four-year drought forces the state to grapple with the possibility that growth and consumption face hard limits, technology that separates salt from water offers a tempting alternative.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-658616-desalination-county.html

Drought Not Likely To Cause Higher Grocery Bills
Even though the price of water is skyrocketing in California and experts predict farmers will fallow about a million acres this year, your grocery bill is not likely to go up. California farmers are making choices to insulate consumers from the drought.
http://www.capradio.org/46325

Bill Would Require Water Submeters On New Apartments
California lawmakers are considering a bill that would require the installation of water meters in each unit of newly constructed apartments.
http://www.capradio.org/46539

San Diego County farmers pleased at changes in water cutback rules
After a vigorous effort to alert the state water board about what they saw as the unfairness of proposed drought rules, San Diego County farmers were pleased at how the rules were modified.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-farmers-pleased-20150420-story.html

Governor urges unity in drought fight during visit to Sonoma County’s Iron Horse Vineyards
Gov. Jerry Brown used an Earth Day celebration at Sonoma County’s Iron Horse Vineyards on Sunday to applaud California’s environmental leadership and reassure residents the state will survive its historic four-year drought by tapping its reservoirs of innovation and creativity.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/3812019-181/governor-urges-unity-in-drought

Drought restrictions may end era: Bye-bye front lawn
Planning a move to Santa Barbara, the Nolets expect to soon list their property for $7 million to $8 million, and theirs is one of a growing number of high-end properties that are on the market without the traditional lawn.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_27947081/drought-restrictions-may-end-era-bye-bye-front

Report: Bay Area ill-prepared for coming superstorm's floods
With California stuck in a remorseless drought, most people in the Bay Area probably aren't worried about getting too much rain. But a new report claims they should be.
http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county-times/ci_27947587/report-bay-area-ill-prepared-flooding-from-150

Cities criticize California water cuts as unfair, unrealistic
Representatives of urban water suppliers and advocacy groups from across the state have criticized a plan from state water regulators that would force some to cut water consumption by as much as 35% over the next year.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-cut-targets-20150415-story.html

William Shatner: Solve California drought with Seattle pipeline
Actor William Shatner is hoping to save California from further drought by proposing an enterprise of his own — importing water from the Seattle area, where rain is plentiful.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-william-shatner-drought-seattle-20150420-story.html

State water regulator flexes new muscle in response to drought
A rare rain was falling outside, but that wasn't enough to lift the spirits of Felicia Marcus, California's top water regulator [and former CLCV Board Member], on a recent morning.
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-water-board-20150415-story.html

Higher water rates on tap as utilities cover losses from drought
Planning to save water this year to help with the drought? Don’t expect to save money. Water departments across California, including dozens in the Bay Area, are now looking to raise rates — in many cases by double digits — to shore up revenues as customers use less water during dry times and water sales plummet.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-drought-Get-ready-to-pay-more-at-the-6197359.php

Drought unlikely to cause major damage to California economy, analysts say
California's drought has threatened farmers, ski resorts and golf courses, but it's unlikely to do much damage to the state's overall economy or budget, according to a new report from legislative analysts.
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-drought-impact-california-budget-economy-20150414-story.html

More Environmental News

Wedge of warm seawater known as 'the blob' blamed for marine havoc
It's called "the blob," and some blame it for the thousands of dead seabirds and emaciated sea lion pups that have washed ashore on California beaches since late last year.
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-wetter-days-20150419-story.html

Tiny plastics likely polluting Sacramento River, UC Davis researcher says
A UC Davis researcher is studying whether tiny bits of plastic used in face washes, toothpaste and other consumer products are accumulating in Sacramento-area rivers and flowing out to the Pacific Ocean.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article18887061.html

Conservationists upset as much of Point Reyes elk herd dies
Nearly half of the tule elk in a fenced preserve on the Point Reyes National Seashore died over the past two years, and a conservation advocate says he believes it’s because their water sources dried up and they couldn’t get outside their fenced enclosure to find more.
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Conservationists-upset-after-nearly-half-tule-elk-6204983.php

Boxer: Regulators’ 'heads should roll’ over Diablo nuclear plant
Weeks before Pacific Gas and Electric Co. released a long-awaited seismic report about the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant last year, Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials had already drafted talking points declaring the plant safe from earthquakes, Sen. Barbara Boxer said Wednesday. “Heads should roll on this,” Boxer said, during a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “You don’t write talking points before you even get the document.”
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Boxer-Regulators-heads-should-roll-over-6202735.php

Did California Just Break Six Gigawatts of Grid Solar?
It looks as though California might have broken another solar record, with 6,000 megawatts of solar power flowing into the state's grid for about four hours Wednesday.
http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewire/solar/did-california-just-break-six-gigawatts-of-grid-solar.html

New bill could legalize paid carpooling
Carpooling is one of the most popular services transport network companies like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar offer, but it faces a problem. Under California law, paid carpooling is prohibited. Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) is hoping to change that.
http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-tnc-carpooling-20150420-story.html

Borenstein: BART looking to 2016 voters for property tax increase to fix ailing system
Lauded when it opened in 1972 as the transit model of the future, BART has deteriorated into a dirty, expensive and overcrowded metropolitan rail system.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/daniel-borenstein/ci_27929716/daniel-borenstein-bart-looking-2016-voters-property-tax

'NAFTA on steroids’ pact pits Silicon Valley against big labor
It may be one of the thorniest, and most critical, votes the California congressional delegation has faced in decades, a proposal pitting Silicon Valley and Hollywood against big labor over a trade pact the Obama administration calls a linchpin of its economic agenda.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/NAFTA-on-steroids-pact-pits-Silicon-Valley-6202695.php?t=9e0b3bd85c00af33be&cmpid=twitter-premium

Earthjustice: Why You Should Care About Flame Retardants
The chemical industry's deceptive practices and partnership with Big Tobacco were documented in a landmark investigative series by the Chicago Tribune two years ago. But not enough attention has been paid to the health consequences of loading furniture and other household items with toxic chemicals.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earthjustice/why-you-should-care-about_7_b_7079188.html

Our Ever Green World
In surprising new research on the evolution of different forms of photosynthesis, scientists have found that the prized oxygen-making variety may be much older than anybody suspected, and that the greening and aerating of Earth could well have begun soon after the earliest living cells appeared.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/science/our-world-ever-green.html

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