You are now in California and the U.S. Media Coverage category.

Winter 2019-20 Will Likely Be Warmer Than Average in Southern U.S. & Colder Than Average in Parts of Northern Tier

/in , /by /The Weather Channel by Linda Lam

A warmer winter is in store for much of the southern U.S., while the northern tier of the country shivers, our new winter outlook shows. In addition, NOAA’s winter outlook indicates that parts of the flood-weary Northern Plains and Midwest may see a wetter-than-average December through February.

Winter temperatures will likely be near to warmer than average for much of the southern U.S., but parts of the northern tier won’t be so lucky. Temperatures there are projected to be near to slightly below average.

Full Story

The Water Crisis Cities Don’t See Coming

/in , , /by /Axiosby Kim Hart

Aging water treatment systems, failing pipes and a slew of unregulated contaminants threaten to undermine water quality in U.S. cities of all sizes.

Why it matters: There’s arguably nothing more important to human survival than access to clean drinking water.

Full Story

The Ecosystems Of Innovation

/in , /by /PV Magazine by Christian Roselund

There are few myths as enduring in American culture as the Great Man Theory, the idea that history is shaped primarily by exceptional individuals who rise, creating themselves like the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra out of primordial chaos, independent of social circumstances, family, collaborators, education, mentorship or overall context.

And there are few places where this fantasy is as prevalent as the worlds of technology and energy. If we haven’t actively participated in perpetuating the cult of Steve Jobs, the legend of Nikolai Tesla, and of course Elon Musk idolatry, then we’ve at least witnessed these.

 

Full Story

Trees That Survived California Drought May Hold Clue To Climate Resilience

/in , , /by /KQEDby Lauren Sommer

When California’s historic five-year drought finally relented a few years ago the tally of dead trees in the Sierra Nevada was higher than almost anyone expected: 129 million. Most are still standing, the dry patches dotting the mountainsides.

But some trees did survive the test of heat and drought. Now, scientists are racing to collect them, and other species around the globe, in the hope that these “climate survivors” have a natural advantage that will allow them to better cope with a warming world.

Full Story

As Groundwater Law Plows Forward, Small Farmers Seek More Engagement

/in , /by /Valley Public Radioby Kerry Klein

Dennis Hutson’s rows of alfalfa, melons, okra and black-eyed peas are an oasis of green in the dry terrain of Allensworth, an unincorporated community in rural Tulare County. Hutson, currently cultivating on 60 acres, has a vision for many more fields bustling with jobs. “This community will forever be impoverished and viewed by the county as a hamlet,” he says, “unless something happens that can create an economic base. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

While he scours his field for slender pods of ripe okra, three workers, community members he calls “helpers,” mind the irrigation station: 500-gallon water tanks and gurgling ponds at the head of each row, all fed by a 720-foot-deep groundwater well.

Full Story

SJV Water Blueprint Submitted For Water Resilience Portfolio

/in , /by /AgNet West by Brian German

The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley recently presented recommendations for the Water Resilience Portfolio in response to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order.  The information sent to the Governor’s office highlights some of issues facing water security in the San Joaquin Valley.  Some of the Blueprint coalition participants include the California Farm Bureau Federation, Western Growers Association, California Citrus Mutual, and Dairy Farmers of America.

Full Story

Metropolitan, Sanitation Districts Launch New Water Recycling Demo Plant

/in , /by /Water World

In a major step toward the potential construction of one of the largest water recycling plants in the nation, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County were joined today by federal, state and local water leaders to celebrate the start of operations at the Regional Recycled Water Advanced Purification Center.

The 500,000-gallon-per-day demonstration facility takes cleaned wastewater from the Sanitation Districts’ Joint Water Pollution Control Plant and purifies it using an innovative process that could significantly improve efficiencies and reduce costs in water recycling.

Full Story

Lithium Will Fuel the Clean Energy Boom. This Company May Have a Breakthrough

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sammy Roth

Gaze across the Salton Sea, a sparkling oasis in the California desert, and you’ll see white plumes of steam rising against the hazy Chocolate Mountains.

The steam comes from 11 geothermal power plants, nestled between the accidental lake and the verdant farm fields of the Imperial Valley. The area has been churning out climate-friendly geothermal energy since the 1980s, long before solar panels and wind turbines became cheap and abundant.

Full Story

California Needs a 21st Century Electric Grid

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Gregory Wetstone

Our electric grid is outdated. For those of us in the renewable sector, this is not a new concept, and it is a national problem, not just one here in California. But unfortunately, the ramifications of an antiquated grid have now been felt by millions of Californians plunged into darkness by these forced power outages. Today, the world is watching to see how California, a historic leader when it comes to environmental initiatives and energy policy, overcomes this potentially recurring problem.

Full Story

East Bay Water District Considers Buying Giant Cattle Ranch That Straddles Four Counties

/in , , /by /East Bay Times by Joseph Geha

The Alameda County Water District is considering shelling out $72 million for a fourth-generation, 50,500-acre cattle ranch — touted as the largest potential land sale in the state — to preserve water quality, officials say.

Much of the property lies in watersheds that feed into critical water supply facilities for millions of Bay Area residents, including Lake Del Valle, Calaveras Reservoir and Alameda Creek.

While no final decisions have been made, district officials and experts say the rare opportunity to buy such a wide swath of undeveloped upstream land — and preclude any future development that could degrade potable water — must be seriously weighed.

Full Story