It’s official: 2017 is the deadliest and most destructive year on record for wildfires in California. Dry conditions, high temperatures, roaring winds and bone-dry trees and brush are all factors responsible for the devastation. But one underlying question is how much of a role has climate change played? “There is no singular cause for any real significant […]
Why is California burning? One answer is simple: California always burns. But this latest inferno — three wildfires eating at the hills in and around Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest city — is frightening even for people who are accustomed to big burns. What’s more, it follows the state’s deadliest fire on record by only a few weeks.
December has been bone dry in California, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get much wetter by the time the 2018 rolls around. Precipitation levels in Sacramento and most major California cities are below average for this time of year. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is just 37 percent of normal. The U.S. Drought […]
Water conservation statewide dipped into single digits during October according to a report issued last week by the State Water Resources Control Board. The water board said on average Californians used 8.5 percent less water than in October 2013, the benchmark pre-drought year. Mandatory water conservation targets and penalties for excessive use were dropped this […]
California’s dam inspectors appear to be doing their jobs well. Unfortunately, too many dam operators aren’t, and could be placing the public at risk. That’s the conclusion we reached after reading a report by The Sacramento Bee’s Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, we’ll be left with […]
It is always difficult to reflect back on a year and identify the most notable annual events on any given issue. Water is no different and perhaps more challenging. Progress in the water sector, for the most part, seems at times to move at a glacial pace with a few exceptions. As I look back […]
Southern California Is Burning — Is Climate Change to Blame?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /KQED News (San Francisco)It’s official: 2017 is the deadliest and most destructive year on record for wildfires in California. Dry conditions, high temperatures, roaring winds and bone-dry trees and brush are all factors responsible for the devastation. But one underlying question is how much of a role has climate change played? “There is no singular cause for any real significant […]
Why Are California’s Wildfires So Historic? For Starters, A Diablo Is At Work.
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Washington PostWhy is California burning? One answer is simple: California always burns. But this latest inferno — three wildfires eating at the hills in and around Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest city — is frightening even for people who are accustomed to big burns. What’s more, it follows the state’s deadliest fire on record by only a few weeks.
Dry Weather Continues in California. Time To Start Worrying About Another Drought?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento BeeDecember has been bone dry in California, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get much wetter by the time the 2018 rolls around. Precipitation levels in Sacramento and most major California cities are below average for this time of year. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is just 37 percent of normal. The U.S. Drought […]
Statewide Water Savings Down To Single Digits In October
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Record NewsWater conservation statewide dipped into single digits during October according to a report issued last week by the State Water Resources Control Board. The water board said on average Californians used 8.5 percent less water than in October 2013, the benchmark pre-drought year. Mandatory water conservation targets and penalties for excessive use were dropped this […]
Pay To Fix Dams Or Pay More In A Catastrophe
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Modesto BeeCalifornia’s dam inspectors appear to be doing their jobs well. Unfortunately, too many dam operators aren’t, and could be placing the public at risk. That’s the conclusion we reached after reading a report by The Sacramento Bee’s Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, we’ll be left with […]
3 Ways The Course Of Water Sustainability Changed In 2017
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Green Biz (Oakland)It is always difficult to reflect back on a year and identify the most notable annual events on any given issue. Water is no different and perhaps more challenging. Progress in the water sector, for the most part, seems at times to move at a glacial pace with a few exceptions. As I look back […]