Flint, Mich., is not the only place in the U.S. facing a devastating, preventable public health disaster. In January 2018, water that had been flowing into the Salton Sea will be diverted from the Imperial Valley and sent to urban water districts. As a result, the Salton Sea will shrink rapidly, leaving behind vast areas […]
Over the past 100 years, this arid region of Central Washington has undergone a stunning transformation. Engineers and farmers have captured the annual mountain snowmelt and used it to change the sagebrush steppe into an agricultural Eden of tree fruits, mint, hay, and corn. Rows of green crops adorn a once-parched landscape. Reservoirs funnel water […]
The big weekend storm means an end to the official fire season and perhaps the start of long-term healing to California’s drought-devastated pine forests. There are twists to both stories. Over the weekend near Tahoe, the snow line was roughly 8,500 feet, well above 7,056-foot Donner Pass on Interstate 80, and flash-flood watches were posted […]
We’re facing a crisis that’s been building for a long time. Even within in the U.S., problems abound. Here in Baltimore, we’ve been dealing with the consequences for over a decade! But fear not! There is a solution. All you have to do is shut down your pipes. You’ll have to drink, cook, and bathe with […]
Twenty-seven years ago, on Oct. 17, 1989, I was a City Council member going about my normal business in Santa Cruz. I returned home in time for game three of the Giants v A’s World Series. As I settled in, the TV jumped at me. A 6.9 earthquake centered about ten miles away was shaking […]
In 2008, when Brice Jones decided to stop irrigating his grapevines, California was in the middle of a drought. Jones, however, wasn’t thinking about water conservation. He was thinking about making California pinot noir that would rival French burgundy.Jones had been in the winemaking business in California for decades and like most wine makers in […]
OPINION: Salton Sea Water Diversion Could Be Catastrophic For Public Health
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Timothy J. Bradley and David L. FeldmanFlint, Mich., is not the only place in the U.S. facing a devastating, preventable public health disaster. In January 2018, water that had been flowing into the Salton Sea will be diverted from the Imperial Valley and sent to urban water districts. As a result, the Salton Sea will shrink rapidly, leaving behind vast areas […]
How The Western Water Wars May End
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Mass.)by Zack ColmanOver the past 100 years, this arid region of Central Washington has undergone a stunning transformation. Engineers and farmers have captured the annual mountain snowmelt and used it to change the sagebrush steppe into an agricultural Eden of tree fruits, mint, hay, and corn. Rows of green crops adorn a once-parched landscape. Reservoirs funnel water […]
With Rains Come Benefits To Forest That Aren’t Always Obvious
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Tom StienstraThe big weekend storm means an end to the official fire season and perhaps the start of long-term healing to California’s drought-devastated pine forests. There are twists to both stories. Over the weekend near Tahoe, the snow line was roughly 8,500 feet, well above 7,056-foot Donner Pass on Interstate 80, and flash-flood watches were posted […]
There’s No Quick Fix For The Water Crisis
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Energy & Capital (Baltimore, Md.)by Megan DaileyWe’re facing a crisis that’s been building for a long time. Even within in the U.S., problems abound. Here in Baltimore, we’ve been dealing with the consequences for over a decade! But fear not! There is a solution. All you have to do is shut down your pipes. You’ll have to drink, cook, and bathe with […]
OPINION: Loma Prieta Memories Should Remind Of Delta’s Peril
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The San Jose Mercury Newsby John LairdTwenty-seven years ago, on Oct. 17, 1989, I was a City Council member going about my normal business in Santa Cruz. I returned home in time for game three of the Giants v A’s World Series. As I settled in, the TV jumped at me. A 6.9 earthquake centered about ten miles away was shaking […]
An Ancient Drought-Friendly Farming Process Could Become The Next Organics
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Quartz (New York)by Renuka RayasamIn 2008, when Brice Jones decided to stop irrigating his grapevines, California was in the middle of a drought. Jones, however, wasn’t thinking about water conservation. He was thinking about making California pinot noir that would rival French burgundy.Jones had been in the winemaking business in California for decades and like most wine makers in […]