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 […]
Last year’s El Niño turned out to have less impact on California than expected — the forecast for much higher rainfall did not come to pass, though precipitation totals achieved nearly normal levels and reservoirs in Northern California refilled. Now we are entering a period climate scientists call La Niña. El Niño is characterized by […]
Rather than call out the hypocrisy of San Francisco’s complaint that losing nearly half of its Tuolumne River water to the State Water Board and environmental activists, let’s see these concerns as a “glass half-full” opportunity. According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s opinion page, the city/county’s public utilities commission is concerned about losing much of […]
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 […]
Is La Niña On The Way?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Sonoma Valley SunLast year’s El Niño turned out to have less impact on California than expected — the forecast for much higher rainfall did not come to pass, though precipitation totals achieved nearly normal levels and reservoirs in Northern California refilled. Now we are entering a period climate scientists call La Niña. El Niño is characterized by […]
BLOG: Are Farmers, San Francisco Up The Same River?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Western Farm Press (Fresno)by Todd FitchetteRather than call out the hypocrisy of San Francisco’s complaint that losing nearly half of its Tuolumne River water to the State Water Board and environmental activists, let’s see these concerns as a “glass half-full” opportunity. According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s opinion page, the city/county’s public utilities commission is concerned about losing much of […]