There is little good news for drought-parched California in the latest forecast for the winter. There is about a 55 percent to 60 percent chance that California will come under the influence of La Niña during the fall and winter 2016-17, it says. La Nina is the name given to a general cooling of Pacific […]
In January of this year, James Watson, an Australian scientist who works for the Wildlife Conservation Society, noticed an image that had been tweeted by a friend of his, a physician in Sydney. With a chain of progressively larger circles, it illustrated the relative frequency of causes of death among Australians, from the vanishingly rare […]
Calling for more scrutiny of one of the largest proposed infrastructure projects in California history, legislators from up and down the state on Wednesday approved a financial audit of Gov. Jerry Brown’s $15 billion Delta tunnels. A request by Assembly woman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, and Sen. Lois Wolk of Davis, cleared an audit committee with […]
In 1933, a number of scattered newspaper articles appeared across Southern California extolling the grandeur and beauty of some recently discovered massive limestone caves within the Mojave’s Providence Mountains near the old Bonanza King Mine. Known today as Mitchell Caverns, these geological wonders were named after Jesse E. “Jack” Mitchell who had initially explored the caves […]
Dear Garden Coach: I am a new gardener who replaced a lawn with Mediterranean and native plants and have noticed some of the plants, such as a native purple sage and monkey flower, are losing their leaves. They are not dead. I see smaller leaves appearing. Do I need to water the plants more often?
La Niña May Develop Between Now and October
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Central Valley Business Times (Stockton)There is little good news for drought-parched California in the latest forecast for the winter. There is about a 55 percent to 60 percent chance that California will come under the influence of La Niña during the fall and winter 2016-17, it says. La Nina is the name given to a general cooling of Pacific […]
Federal Water Bills Would Harm our Salmon
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Patty Unterman and Alice WatersToday, one of our state’s most iconic local foods, chinook salmon, is in critical danger, threatened by drought and Congress.
Are Conservationists Worrying Too Much About Climate Change?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The New Yorkerby Michelle NijhuisIn January of this year, James Watson, an Australian scientist who works for the Wildlife Conservation Society, noticed an image that had been tweeted by a friend of his, a physician in Sydney. With a chain of progressively larger circles, it illustrated the relative frequency of causes of death among Australians, from the vanishingly rare […]
Legislators Agree to Audit of $15 Billion Delta Tunnels Project
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Stockton Record by Alex BreitlerCalling for more scrutiny of one of the largest proposed infrastructure projects in California history, legislators from up and down the state on Wednesday approved a financial audit of Gov. Jerry Brown’s $15 billion Delta tunnels. A request by Assembly woman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, and Sen. Lois Wolk of Davis, cleared an audit committee with […]
Still Searching for the Mojave’s Lost River of Gold
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /KCET (Burbank)by Kim StringfellowIn 1933, a number of scattered newspaper articles appeared across Southern California extolling the grandeur and beauty of some recently discovered massive limestone caves within the Mojave’s Providence Mountains near the old Bonanza King Mine. Known today as Mitchell Caverns, these geological wonders were named after Jesse E. “Jack” Mitchell who had initially explored the caves […]
Are Plants Dying or Just Adapting to the Heat?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The San Jose Mercury News by Patrice HanlonDear Garden Coach: I am a new gardener who replaced a lawn with Mediterranean and native plants and have noticed some of the plants, such as a native purple sage and monkey flower, are losing their leaves. They are not dead. I see smaller leaves appearing. Do I need to water the plants more often?