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New Poll Shows Californians’ Opinions On Climate Change, Water

It’s been 10 years since California enacted AB 32, which requires the state to reduce greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020.

The state is on track to meet its goal. A poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows, despite a partisan divide, 62 percent of likely voters favor the law.

Fifty-nine percent of likely voters also favor a new law that requires greenhouse gases be reduced even more. For Californians who believe gas prices will rise as a result, 63 percent of voters still favor expanding the goals.

New Wetlands Are Being Created in Weird Ways—and That’s Good for Birds

Around the world, vital wetlands are being destroyed. Researchers recently estimated that the planet has lost at least 54 percent and as much as 87 percent of these important habitats globally since 1700. As the wetlands disappeared, so have many of the species that once called them home.

At the same time, something else is going on. Agriculture and other types of development are creating some new wetlands where they may not have existed before.

New species of tiny endangered fish found only at Camp Pendleton

Scientists say a tiny endangered fish found in lagoons and streams along the California coast belongs to two separate species.

The tidewater goby, a 2-inch translucent fish, survives in relatively isolated populations from Del Norte County down to San Diego. The fish spend most of their lives in the same puddles, rarely traveling far from where they spawned.

Study recommends groundwater recharge as way against drought

A new Stanford University study recommends groundwater recharge and storage across the state of California as what it calls as “an affordable solution” against drought in recent years.

In addition to building more resilient water supplies in the Golden State, the study suggests that the process, known as “managed aquifer recharge,” or MAR, can incorporate co-benefits such as flood control, improved water quality and wetland habitat protection.

 

Deep Water Desalination Proposed in Monterey Bay

Backers of a new Monterey Bay desalination project think they have found a fix for the environmental problems posed by most seawater intakes: Instead of drawing seawater from the beach, they plan to draw from the one of the world’s deepest marine canyons.

The Deep Water Desal project is proposed at Moss Landing, exactly midway along the curving shore of Monterey Bay. As such, it may be ideally positioned to serve the chronic water shortages affecting the region. 

Revised CA Twin Tunnels plan draws support, controversy

A scenic spot along the Sacramento River is quickly becoming ground zero in the fight over California’s water future as the new California WaterFix project is generating strong reactions. We are absolutely opposed to the Tunnels,” one Delta resident said. The Twin Tunnels are a big part of the revised California WaterFix.

The new plan would draw fresh water out of the Sacramento River from three intake points between Clarksburg and Hood. Eventually, the tunnels would divert the water through the Delta to protect endangered fish before ultimately supplying 25 million people surrounding Los Angeles with California’s most precious resource.

Statewide energy alert issued as California bakes in summer heat

Sweltering temperatures across California prompted calls for residents statewide to reduce their energy use through 9 p.m. Wednesday, officials said.

The so-called flex alert initiated by the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s electric grid for most of the state, was scheduled to run from 2 to 9 p.m. Utility companies urged their residential customers to voluntarily delay washing clothes and dishes until bedtime and to keep their thermostats at 78 degrees or higher.

‘Live WaterSmart’ Ads Coming to San Diego Malls, Billboards

San Diegans are likely already seeing advertisements at regional malls encouraging them to “Live WaterSmart,” which is the main message of an outreach campaign launched Tuesday by the San Diego County Water Authority.

Although state water-use reduction mandates were lifted in May, the Water Authority’s hope is that customers of its 24 member agencies will help maintain what’s already seen as a strong regional commitment to water-use efficiency. In June 2016 — the first month following the end of state water-use reduction mandates — water use was down 23 percent compared to June 2013.

What is the Heat Dome and How Does it Affect California?

Much of the country has experienced record-setting temperatures this summer, thanks in large part to a weather phenomenon known as the heat dome. And while San Francisco and Los Angeles lucked out with mostly average temperatures in early July, much of California right now is in the midst of what the National Weather Service is calling triple digit heat. That means increased fire danger at a time when two massive wildfires have burned more than 60,000 acres in California in the past seven days. Let’s break down what exactly the heat dome is and how it’s affecting weather in the state.

Two raging California wildfires grow, killing 1 and prompting closures in Los Padres National Forest

As fire crews made progress controlling a deadly wildfire in Southern California on Wednesday, another blaze continued to rage along the state’s picturesque Central Coast, killing a heavy equipment operator and triggering numerous trail closures and hiker rescues in Los Padres National Forest.

The Sand and Soberanes fires, both of which erupted on Friday, tore through wildlands in Southern and Central California overnight with thousands of firefighters tackling unpredictable flames. Firefighters managed to gain 40% containment of the Sand fire, which has caused one death and destroyed 18 homes.