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Washington Lawmakers Open Groundwater Fight Against Bottled Water Companies

/in , , /by /The Columbian by Alex Brown

Washington state, land of sprawling rainforests and glacier-fed rivers, might soon become the first in the nation to ban water bottling companies from tapping spring-fed sources.

The proposal is one of several efforts at the state and local level to fend off the fast-growing bottled water industry and protect local groundwater. Local activists throughout the country say bottling companies are taking their water virtually for free, depleting springs and aquifers, then packaging it in plastic bottles and shipping it elsewhere for sale.

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How is Climate Change Affecting Winter in My Region?

/in , , /by /Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Peach

Winters are getting warmer and shorter. Here’s the impact in your area.

“Dear Sara,

I would like to read your prediction of the effects of climate change on the traditional four weather seasons.”

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New Data Show Nearly 10% of California is in Moderate Drought

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Paul Duginski

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday shows that 9.5% of California is considered to be in moderate drought. The abnormally dry area, which includes the drought area, has expanded from about 34% to 46%.

The dry area on the new map has spread southward to include most of Los Angeles County, much of Kern and San Luis Obispo counties and all of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

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Rockies Snowpack Good, but Dryness Could Threaten Colorado River Flow

/in , , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Blake Apgar

The snowpack in the Rocky Mountains is currently 14 percent above average for this time of year, but last year’s dry summer could reduce runoff to the Colorado River.

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New Online Interactive Tool Helps Californians Prepare for Future Drought

/in , , /by /KSBW 8 (Salinas, Calif.)by Alani Letang

This rain-year has brought an alarmingly dry winter in California so far, according to climate change experts.

Now, there’s a new tool to help Californians navigate your water supply. It’s an online toll that allows a person to see the groundwater levels in their area. The tool then gives a representation of what could be at risk or impacted if a drought hits.

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California Analysts Urge Lawmakers: Reject Gov. Newsom’s $1 Billion Climate Loan Proposal

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Rachel Becker

Nonpartisan policy analysts took aim Thursday at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to use $1 billion in state funds to seed innovative climate change efforts, questioning the state’s ability to even identify the right projects.

The Climate Catalyst Loan Fund, which Newsom called for in his $222.2 budget proposal for next year, would offer low-interest loans to public and private projects that would otherwise struggle to attract venture capital money or bank loans — particularly those intended to combat climate impacts of recycling, transportation, agriculture, and forestry sectors.

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Creating ‘Forever Chemicals’: A Guide to PFAS Companies (2)

/in , /by /Bloomberg Environment (Arlington, Va.)by Sylvia Carignan

The billion-dollar companies that made and used chemicals now popping up in water supplies around the country are switching to newer alternatives, but they haven’t escaped liabilities for historic environmental contamination.

The chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, have become ubiquitous in everyday consumer goods as well as in specialized industrial applications. For some of the companies, including 3M Co. and the Chemours Co., liabilities from their PFAS operations have negatively affected the value of their stock.

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Reclamation Awards $3.5M in Applied Science Grants to Help Water Managers in the Western US

/in , , /by /WaterWorld

The Bureau of Reclamation selected 19 projects to receive $3.5 million in WaterSMART Applied Science Grants to develop tools and information that will inform and support water management decisions. These projects will be matched by more than $4.5 million, non-federal cost-match, supporting a total project cost of $8 million.

Water managers need the most updated information to ensure they are making the best water management decisions,” said Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman. “Applied Science Grants fund tool development and studies that help make western water more reliable.”

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One Tunnel, Same Distrust

/in , /by /Sacramento News & Review Extraby Scott Thomas Anderson

State water officials offered an early look at the downsized California WaterFix project earlier this month, and conservationists and far-traveling indigenous tribes say they still believe it has the potential to permanently alter life in and around the Delta.

The old version of California WaterFix, better known as the “twin tunnels,” was opposed by virtually every major environmental organization in the state, as well as fishing alliances, Delta businesses and groups concerned with the cultural and historic resources from Freeport to Walnut Grove.

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California is Dry With no Rain in Sight. Should We Start Worrying About Drought and Wildfire?

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Bee by Dale Kasler

California’s alarmingly dry winter continues, with no meaningful snow or rain in sight. Although it’s far too soon to predict a drought, experts said wildfire risks could worsen this summer as a result of the shortage of precipitation.

And while the rainy season still has more than two months left, a persistent high-pressure ridge over the Pacific is keeping wet weather at bay, just as it did during the five-year drought, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA. Swain said it’s possible parts of Northern California “could go completely dry in the month of February.”

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