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OPINION: California Governor Signs Bill To Protect The Mojave Desert

/in , /by /Planet Watch by Gina- Marie Cheeseman

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill (SB 307) that prevents proposals to export desert water without state review. The bill goes into effect on January 1, 2020.

The bill protects federal and state lands, including Mojave National Preserve and Mojave Trails National Monument. It effectively stops the Cadiz Water Project which would extract water from an underground aquifer in the Mojave Desert and export it. Developed by Cadiz Inc., the project proposes to pump 16 billion gallons of water a year from the Mojave Desert aquifer.

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Tiny Toxins: How Algal Blooms Affect Coastal Systems Through A Complex Web Of Interactions

/in , /by /Berkeley Labby Julie Choa

Think summertime and the mind usually wanders to warm thoughts of sand, sunscreen, and fireworks. But increasingly summertime fun is being interrupted by algal blooms. From the Atlantic seaboard to the Gulf of Mexico, from the Great Lakes to the Pacific coast, harmful algal blooms are shutting down beaches, killing fish, birds, and other wildlife, and contaminating drinking water. The economic impacts of an algal bloom can be severe, especially if the algae become toxic.

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Newsom’s Labor Dispute, Pay Equity, PG&E’s Lobby Fight, Death On The Streets, And Delta Tunnel

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Dan Morain and Adria Watson

After months of virtual silence, the California Department of Water Resources revealed via its blog on Tuesday that it is pursuing work on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s scaled-back Delta tunnel project. Newsom announced in February that he was dropping former Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to bore two tunnels to transport water from the Sacramento River 30 miles south across the Delta to massive pumps near Tracy.

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As Salton Sea Shrinks, Experts Fear Far-Reaching Health Consequences

/in , , /by /USC News (Los Angeles)by Eric Lindberg

In the string of small farm towns that stretches south from California’s Salton Sea toward the border with Mexico, pretty much everyone knows someone with asthma.

As many as three of every 10 people report having the disease in places like Brawley, Calipatria and Westmorland — compared with about one of 10 in California as a whole. Bronchitis is also common, and many residents complain about coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath

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UC San Diego Launches Study On Recycling EV Batteries Into Energy Storage

/in , /by /Utility Dive by HI Mai

Cummins, a manufacturing company, on Tuesday announced a multiyear partnership with the University of California (UC) San Diego and its battery validation lab to analyze viable business applications and technical approaches to reuse and repurpose electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

The partnership will focus solely on lithium-ion batteries and is one of the first projects to exclusively study second-life battery capabilities that were designed for commercial applications, Cummins said.​

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Wastewater Treatment Startup Secures Funding

/in , /by /The Daily Transcriptby Mark Armao

Aquacycl, a San Diego-based wastewater technology startup, announced Wednesday that it has closed a $4 million seed round that will help the company scale its manufacturing processes and expand its sales efforts.

The investment round was led by The Roddenberry Foundation, with participation from existing and new angel investors and impact funds, according to a news release.

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Water Harvester Makes It Easy To Quench Your Thirst In The Desert

/in , , /by /Berkeley Newsby Robert Sanders

With water scarcity a growing problem worldwide, University of California, Berkeley, researchers are close to producing a microwave-sized water harvester that will allow you to pull all the water you need directly from the air — even in the hot, dry desert.

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Facebook Is Launching Local Alerts To Keep You Safe During Emergencies, Including Severe Weather

/in , /by /Daily Herald by Jason Samenow

Severe weather, traffic incidents and crime disrupt routines and threaten lives. Facebook announced Tuesday that is arming state, city and local government emergency managers with the ability to issue local alerts that will rise to the top of news feeds during dangerous situations.

Potential uses include storm warnings and advisories for extreme temperatures, evacuations, road closures, active shooter situations, bomb threats, missing person reports, water main breaks and more. The aim is to keep its users “safe and in-the-know.”

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California Challenges Trump Plan To Ease Review Of Climate Impacts

/in , /by /KQED News by Kevin Stark

Another day, another environmental policy skirmish.

California, 17 other states, and Washington, D.C. today challenged a Trump administration plan to limit climate change analysis for major energy and infrastructure projects.

In a statement emailed to reporters, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra called Trump’s plan “reckless” and said it “leads agencies to ignore the climate crisis, the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.”

“We’re reminding President Trump once again: if you try to backslide on the safeguards protecting our nation’s environment and put polluters in the driver’s seat, we will hold you accountable,” he said.

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Water Costs Are Rising Across The U.S. — Here’s Why

/in , , /by /CBS News by Rachel Layne

Each glass of water, shower or flush costs far more than it did just eight years ago — and your water is bill is likely to go up again in 2019.

The average water and sewer bill in 50 cities jumped 3.6% this year, marking the eighth consecutive year of increases, according to a recent annual study from Bluefield Research. Since 2012, water bills have surged 31%, outpacing inflation.

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