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‘Blob’ Of Warm Pacific Water Is Back — Could Be Trouble For Marine Life And Weather

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Peter Fimrite

An ominous warm patch similar to the notorious “blob ” that wreaked havoc along the California coast five years ago has been detected along the West Coast, raising fears among scientists that the fragile ocean ecosystem may be facing another calamity.

A large marine heat wave has warmed the northern Pacific Ocean and is threatening to disrupt sea life from Alaska to Southern California, marine biologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

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Forever Chemicals’ Now Found In State Schools

/in , /by /Boston Globe by David Abel

The water fountains have either been turned off, wrapped in plastic, or fitted with a device to prevent students from using them. Much of the food preparation has moved off campus, and a water jug sits in the kitchen sink, replacing the faucet. The bathrooms are covered with signs that warn students in bold, red letters: “DO NOT DRINK FROM THE SINK.”

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OPINION: In Going After Trump, California Is Going Too Far With Environmental Legislation

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Adam Gray

Senate Bill 1 by Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins would require that California ignore new scientific findings on natural resources and water issued after January 19, 2017, the day before the Trump took office. That’s not an exaggeration. The date is actually listed in the bill 21 different times.

We cannot advance the fight for environmental quality by declaring that all science stopped on a specific date. If it’s dumb for the President to close his eyes to science, it’s dumber for us to follow him down that rabbit hole.

But SB 1 is not just dumb, it’s dangerous

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Water Interests Are fighting California’s Bid To Block Trump’s Environmental Rollbacks

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Phil Willon

California is close to adopting strict Obama-era federal environmental and worker safety rules that the Trump administration is dismantling. But as the legislative session draws to a close, the proposal faces fierce opposition from the state’s largest water agencies.
To shield California from Trump administration policies, lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow state agencies to lock in protections under the federal Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Fair Labor Standards Act and other bulwark environmental and labor laws that were in place before President Trump took office in January 2017.

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There’s a Silver Lining to California’s Wildfires: More Snowpack and Water Storage, Study Finds

/in , /by /Sacramento Beeby Michael Finch II

Wildfires in California leave behind acres of scorched land that make snowpack formation easier and more water runoff downstream from the Sierra Nevada to basins in the Central Valley, increasing the amount of water stored underground.

That’s the finding from researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who discovered that blazes in some parts of the state could result in more water availability.

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Ukiah’s Wastewater No Longer Being Wasted

/in , , /by /Ukiah Daily Journalby Justine Frederiksen

The city of Ukiah made its first delivery of recycled water through its extensive Purple Pipe system this week, putting about 2 million gallons of water reclaimed from local sinks, showers and toilets into an irrigation pond just south of the Ukiah Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant.

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Renewable Energy’s Booming, But Still Falling Far Short of Climate Goals

/in , /by /Inside Climate Newsby Kristoffer Tigue

Renewable energy capacity quadrupled worldwide over the past 10 years, with an estimated $2.6 trillion invested in its growth, a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme shows. But the speed of that growth still falls far short of what researchers say is needed to keep global warming in check.

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First Step Taken Toward Pipe Bringing Water From Paradise to Chico

/in , , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Steve Schoonover

An idea to pipe water from Paradise to Chico took its first step Wednesday, when the Paradise Irrigation District board signed off on a feasibility study for the proposal.

The plan might seem far-fetched at first glance, but it would solve a couple of problems. In the short-term, PID needs someone to buy its water in order to stay solvent, as most of its customers were burned out by the Camp Fire last November. In the long-term, California Water Service’s Chico Division needs an additional source of water to ease its complete dependence on wells.

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Fourteen Calif. Cities Water Agencies Receive Fed Funding for Water Efficiency and Reliability Projects

/in , , /by /California Water News Daily

Sixty-three projects throughout the western United States have been selected to share in $4.1 million from the Bureau of Reclamation for small-scale water efficiency and reliability grants. Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects are part of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program. Through WaterSMART, Reclamation works cooperatively with states, tribes, and local entities as they plan and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments to modernize existing infrastructure.

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OPINION: Why California Needs Another Water Bond in 2020

/in , /by /Capitol Weekly (Sacramento)by Jon Christensen

The California Legislature is currently considering several proposals to put a $4 billion bond measure on a 2020 ballot for safe drinking water, drought preparation, wildfire prevention, and climate resilience. An $8.9 billion bond initiative has also been filed by environmental advocates.

Many Californians might ask, “Didn’t we already pay for that?”

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