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EV Deal Shows ‘Lithium Valley’ Could Be For Real

/in , /by /E&E Newsby David Ferris

If all goes to plan, General Motors Co.’s future electric cars will rely on batteries made from a broiling-hot, brownish fluid that gushes from the California desert.

The contours of that future emerged on Friday, when GM struck a deal with a little-known company called Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) to supply the country’s largest domestic automaker with tons of lithium from a desolate area called the Salton Sea.

The arrangement is the first concrete sign that “Lithium Valley,” as its boosters call it — a green industrial ecosystem that produces zero-carbon electricity, battery-grade lithium and lots of jobs — could actually become a thing.

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Vallecitos Employee Encourages Veterans to Work in Water Industry

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Vallecitos Water District Senior Pump and Motor Technician Dale Austin is a strong advocate and one-person recruiting program, encouraging military veterans to consider water and wastewater industry careers. As an eighth-generation military veteran with 20 years of service, he successfully transitioned to his current profession and wants to help others do the same.

“Every job in the military can be transferred into a water agency,” said Austin. “I’m a proud veteran. I will support veterans 110% any way I can, any time of the day.

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From the Air, Drone Footage of Salton Sea Shows California Drought Impact

/in , , /by /Reuters

Drone footage taken at the Salton Sea, California’s largest inland lake, shows the dramatic effects of the state’s worst drought since 1977.

Its receding shoreline has caused an ecological crisis as exposed silt is carried into surrounding areas.

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To Get ‘White Gold,’ We Need More Geothermal

/in , /by

A vision for a “Lithium Valley” around the Salton Sea does appear to be on its way to reality.

The potential of the sea as a vast untapped and sustainable reserve of lithium for a world increasingly focused toward renewable — and rechargeable — sources of power got a shot in the arm last week.

San Diego County Would Get $97 Million for Transportation, Road Projects in House bill

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Lauryn Schroeder, Anissa Durham

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would fund more than $97 million in major infrastructure projects in San Diego County.

California would get nearly $1 billion for transportation and infrastructure projects statewide, if the measure passes through the Senate and is signed by President Joe Biden.

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Scripps Researchers Call for More Collaboration to Combat Local Effects of Climate Change

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby City News Service

A team of experts recommended increased effort, coordination and engagement by San Diego agencies and researchers to build climate resilience with attention to disadvantaged communities.

Those areas are particularly susceptible to climate change impacts, according to a report released Thursday.

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Fresh Out of Stealth Mode, San Diego Startup FutureProof Pinpoints Financial Risk of Climate Change

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Mike Freeman

FutureProof, a San Diego fintech startup that taps artificial intelligence to project the dollars and cents financial risk of climate change, has come out of stealth mode with a $3 million round of seed funding.

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Water Project in Mission Trails Park More Than 50% Complete

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority’s Mission Trails FRS II water project is now more than halfway complete.

The project will upgrade the Water Authority’s untreated water system in Mission Trails Regional Park. When finished in 2022, the upgrades will provide more reliable water delivery to treatment plants that serve the central and south sections of San Diego County.

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Native Plant Communities in Sustainable Landscaping

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Plants growing wild naturally arrange themselves into communities with other plant varieties based on their shared characteristics such as water and nutrient needs. This natural selection extends to interactions with each other, and with other species such as insects, birds, and other animals.

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Santee Lakes Celebrates 60th Anniversary

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve has been celebrating its 60th anniversary during the month of June. The 190‐acre park surrounding seven lakes has been around since it received San Diego County Health Department approval in 1961. The site has five miles of walking and biking trails, a campground with 300 full hook-up sites, seven lakefront cabins and three floating rental cabins on Lake 7. The lake allows for fishing with a permit and there are more than 200 species of birds that have been documented at the park. The preserve also has seven playgrounds, a brand new administrative building and a revamped general store that rents out pedal boats.

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