By Linda Adams and Peter Blackmore : eastbaytimes – excerpt SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission works against the businesses and citizens it is supposed to serve Bay Area residents deserve government agencies that work for them – and for the benefit of the environment that we all hold so dear. But the San Francisco … More Opinion: Bay environmental watchdog agency has lost its way
By Alastair Bland : calmatters – excerpt At the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers, a winter of heavy rains could inundate about 1,200 acres of riverside woodland for the first time in 60 years. That’s by design: Here, a few miles west of Modesto, work crews removed or broke several miles of … More Let it flow: In about-face, state breaks and shifts levees to restore natural floodplains
By Zoë Schlanger : qz – excerpt California’s 2018 fire season, including the largest fire in state history, released nearly as much climate-warming and air-polluting emissions as a year’s worth of electricity use there. The wildfires released 68 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2018, according to the US Geological Survey, or 15% of the state’s total … More California wildfires accelerated climate change as much as a whole year of power use
by Chris Reed : calwatchdog – excerpt The Trump administration has launched a bold effort to up-end water policies in the Central Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, calling for big changes that would favor farmers over endangered species in allocating water. Helping craft the administration’s new approach: Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former … More Trump memo orders Central Valley water changes
By Liam Dillon : latimes – excerpt Academic researchers, state analysts and California’s gubernatorial candidates agree that the fundamental issue underlying the state’s housing crisis is that there are not enough homes for everyone who wants to live here. The problem, a new poll says, is that the public doesn’t believe it. Carolyn Coleman, executive … More Experts say California needs to build a lot more housing. But the public disagrees
By Matier & Ross : sfchronicle – excerpt Its neighbor, the Millennium Tower, might be sinking, but — get this — the new $2.2 billion Transbay Transit Center has the potential to go in the opposite direction. One of the main challenges the builders faced was keeping the three-block-long monster from rising. “It’s like a … More SF builders struggle to keep transit center from rising
by: Bob Silvestri : marinpost – excerpt On Monday evening, I attended an event held by the Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers (CO$T) at Piatti Restaurant, entitled “What they don’t want you to know about taxes, pensions, public education and services.” David Crane, the guest speaker and founder of Govern for California, made a compelling presentation … More The Committee to House the Bay Area and the coming tax tsunami
By Dana Bartholomew : labusinessjournal – excerpt Tetra Tech Inc., a consulting and engineering firm based in Pasadena, has been awarded a $60 million water resources contract from Los Angeles County, the company announced Sept. 11. The three-year, multiple-award engineering services contract includes planning and support for flood hazard mitigation,cwater reuse and supply management and … More Tetra Tech Wins $60 Million Water Resources Contract from L.A. County
By Jim Wunderman : sfchronicle – excerpt Apart from a famous Mark Twain quote involving whiskey and fighting, no cliché about California water is more abused than the phrase “water wars.” However, in the instance of the State Water Resources Control Board’s plan to restore the San Joaquin River, the label fits. War has been … More State Water Board plan would require water rationing in the Bay Area
by Lauren Sommer : kqed – excerpt (includes audio) For a century, California has harnessed its water with concrete, building dams and reservoirs on an epic scale. Now, as the state prepares to hand out $2.7 billion for new water storage projects, it looks as though that era of dam-building might be ending. During the height … More The Great Era of California Dam Building May Be Over. Here’s What’s Next
