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Global Climate Action Summit puts stress on action

/in , /by /CBS Moneywatchby Rachel Layne

This has been a big week for advocates who fight climate change. Business leaders, mayors, governors and activists from around the world rallied in San Francisco at the Global Climate Action Summit to advance their agenda in the face of a defiant White House.

California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an order Monday announcing the goal to eliminate carbon emissions in the state within 27 years. He also just signed a bill into law, making the state’s electricity completely emissions-free by 2045. Brown signed as the White House reportedly enacted another policy to stymie such efforts, this time by relaxing methane emission regulations.

For advocates pressuring big pension funds, companies and investment firms to deploy their money with the environment in mind, a good return looks to be the best motivator.

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Auditors Flag Troubling Water Department Hiring Practices

/in , /by /Ry Rivardby Voice of San Diego

City workers may have helped their friends and family get jobs in the city’s troubled water department, according to two recent investigations. But instead of immediately addressing the allegations when they were made over two years ago, the water department simply stopped hiring some new workers. This previously undisclosed hiring freeze may have contributed to poor customer service in the understaffed department.

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OPINION: A Permanent Solution To California’s Water Woes — Seawater

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Michael L. Waxer

Environmental calamities recently have battered California with alarming frequency. Over the past year, we have suffered the most damaging wildfires in our history. But, as in Steinbeck’s era, chronic water scarcity remains our most serious environmental problem. In some corners of the state, extreme water conservation has become a year-round way of life. This is certainly the case on the Monterey Peninsula.

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As Cal Am’s Desal Project Is Set For Approval, Important Questions Remain About Its Water’s Cost.

/in , /by /Monterey County Weeklyby David Schmalz

As the California Public Utilities Commission is set to consider approving California American Water’s proposed desalination project sometime in September – as the Weekly went to print, it was not yet clear if it would be considered on Sept. 13 or Sept. 27 – crucial questions about the cost of that water remain unanswered.

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How Wet Will Sacramento Get In Winter 2018?

/in , /by /CBS Sacramentoby Jennifer McGraw

The cloud cover across parts of Northern California is a reminder the seasons are changing and experts say it’s time to get prepared for the rainy season. “I am not ready for the winter,” a viewer tells CBS13. “I think it would be awesome to get all that rain over here,” said another. According to the National Weather Service, El Nino is expected to jet through Southern California, which means there’s a chance extra rain will travel to the northern regions.

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California Fires, Floods, Droughts: “It’s Getting More Real Now” Jerry Brown Says In Climate Interview

/in , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Paul Rogers

California Gov. Jerry Brown has made renewable energy and climate change a centerpiece of his final term, which ends in January. This week, he co-hosts the “Global Climate Action Summit”in San Francisco. Thousands of scientists, political leaders, business representatives and celebrities from around the globe are arriving all week for the event, which is designed to continue momentum at local levels — despite indifference from the Trump administration — to expand renewable energy and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that scientists say are warming the planet and leading to more wildfires, heat waves, droughts, floods and other problems. Brown discussed the issues in an interview with Paul Rogers, resources and environment writer for the Bay Area News Group.

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OPINION: The Price Californians Will Pay

/in , /by /The Wall Street Journal

Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed a bill requiring that 100% of California’s electricity be generated by renewables like wind and solar by 2045. The price of his green virtue won’t be cheap. “California is committed to doing whatever is necessary to meet the existential threat of climate change,” the Governor declared. “California has been doing stuff that the rest of the world is hoping to get to one day.”

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Water Authority maintenance employees John Brown and Bobby Bond Jr. ready to compete at the National Skills Roadeo in Kansas City, Missouri. Photo: Courtesy Bobby Bond Jr.

Maintenance Men Bring Home the Hardware from National Contest

/in , /by

Two maintenance pros representing San Diego brought home awards from the 2018 American Public Works Association’s National Roadeo Skills Competition in Kansas City, Missouri , in late August.

The San Diego County Water Authority’s Bobby Bond Jr. placed second in the backhoe/mini-excavator event, while John Brown, also of the Water Authority, placed third in the skid steer competition. They are the only winners from west of the Rockies, and the only two winners from a single agency nationwide.

A record number of 86 participants competed in three categories of competition: the backhoe/mini-excavator, skid steer, and mechanics. Each competition fielded 50 to 55 participants. Organizers ran through the rules and provided an orientation to the three categories of competition, as well as a tour of each course. Finally, all of the competitors drew numbers to determine their starting order.

Competition tests skills used to maintain vital infrastructure

Winners received engraved belt buckles as prizes. Photo: Courtesy Bobby Bond Jr. National Skills Roadeo

Winners received engraved belt buckles as prizes. Photo: Courtesy Bobby Bond Jr.

Bond competed in the skid steer category early, which served as a warm-up for the backhoe and the mini-excavator tests. Despite incurring a 25-second penalty for dropping a section of PVC pipe, Bond’s time through the course was 3 minutes, 3.2 seconds with minimal faults, earning him the second place finish.

It was Bond’s second year in the event, and his previous experience paid off. “This year, it was really competitive,” said Bond. “The course was really tight. They did a really good job making it fair for everyone. It was fun.”

John Brown placed third despite an unusual hiccup. While he was competing, his mini-excavator ran out of fuel on the second obstacle. He was allowed to restart on a replacement machine, earning Bond’s admiration for remaining cool under pressure. Brown’s final time was 1 minutes, 55.8 seconds, with no penalties assigned.

Both the national and regional competitions mimic skills that Bonds, Brown and thousands of other employees use each day on the job while maintaining water and wastewater systems, streets, and other vital infrastructure.

Jim Fisher, Director of Operations and Maintenance for the Water Authority, is proud of the results, but not surprised. “Bond and Brown are part of a team whose skills we count on every day to maintain our region’s water system. They exceed our expectations and both earned this well deserved recognition for their accomplishments.”

Bond says he intends to return for local and national competitions in coming years – and he aims to compete for the Water Authority when the National Roadeo Skills Competition returns to San Diego in 2022.

See the complete list of winners here.

 

 

 

 

 

OPINION: Proposition 3: Two Biggest Reasons To Oppose Water Bond In November Election

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune

Proposition 3, which asks voters to approve $8.9 billion in bond funds for water projects, has a surface appeal. The state’s need for improved water infrastructure and new water storage facilities is plain. But there are strong reasons to reject it. The first and most obvious is that Proposition 3 is on the ballot not because the Legislature thought it was necessary but because of signature-gatherers paid by those who stand to benefit from the bond. A July 16 CALmatters story noted that more than half the money raised to promote the measure came from business groups and farmers seeking specific improvements, especially to the 152-mile-long Friant-Kern Canal in the Central Valley.

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California Works To Protect Its Shrinking Wetlands

/in , /by /Pacific Standard Magazine (Santa Barbara)by Matt Weiser

California officials are poised to seize control over a major arena of federal regulation in response to Trump administration rollbacks: the management and protection of wetlands. Wetlands are vital features on the landscape. Basically low spots in a watershed, when they fill with water they provide important habitat for birds, fish, and other species. Wetlands also help control floods and recharge groundwater, and they filter the water we drink. On the other hand, being generally flat and maligned as “swamps,” they are popular places to pave and build. As a result, wetlands have nearly disappeared across the western United States.

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