Long before wind and solar, water was the nation’s top renewable energy source. Going back some 100 years, the United States built enormous dams — like the Depression-era Hoover Dam in Nevada — to produce tremendous amounts of energy. We have so many such dams that hydropower last year remained our fourth largest source of electricity overall and our […]
By the time the Sacramento River winds its more-than-400-mile course from the slopes of Mount Shasta past the state capital, it’s well into its leisurely stride, running slowly by fields of sweet corn, tomatoes and alfalfa. But this lazy stretch of river, just south of Sacramento, is a metaphorical whitewater. The rural Sacramento County town […]
The State Water Resources Control Board will began public hearings, today, on the controversial California WaterFix. The plan would add three new points of diversion that would move water around the Delta and to pumps near Tracy for transport to southern parts of the state. Farmers and environmentalists fear the project would mean less water for […]
California decision makers are at a historic crossroads in the long-standing California water crisis. The outcome will permanently alter the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Your voice can steer these decisions in the right direction and now is the time to speak up. On Tuesday, the State Water Resources Control Board will begin a series of hearings […]
The water that flows into Sorek desalination plant is drawn from near the Mediterranean Sea floor. Pumped inland, the water is cleansed, step by step, of salts and impurities. The transmutation does not take long. Forty minutes after entering the facility, the stuff of sailboats and sunbathers is now drinkable. Sorek is the newest of […]
In California we commonly debate how much water is used by agriculture, the environment, industry and urban users. We talk about water in terms of acre-feet and entire sectors. But we spend less time thinking about water on the individual level. California’s water conservation mandate helped bring this back into focus, at least for a […]
The surprisingly bright future of America’s forgotten renewable energy source: water
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Washington Postby Chris Mooney and Brady DennisLong before wind and solar, water was the nation’s top renewable energy source. Going back some 100 years, the United States built enormous dams — like the Depression-era Hoover Dam in Nevada — to produce tremendous amounts of energy. We have so many such dams that hydropower last year remained our fourth largest source of electricity overall and our […]
Dissent Brews Over Governor’s $16 Billion Water Project
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis AlexanderBy the time the Sacramento River winds its more-than-400-mile course from the slopes of Mount Shasta past the state capital, it’s well into its leisurely stride, running slowly by fields of sweet corn, tomatoes and alfalfa. But this lazy stretch of river, just south of Sacramento, is a metaphorical whitewater. The rural Sacramento County town […]
Delta tunnel hearing set for Tuesday
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Central Valley Business JournalThe State Water Resources Control Board will began public hearings, today, on the controversial California WaterFix. The plan would add three new points of diversion that would move water around the Delta and to pumps near Tracy for transport to southern parts of the state. Farmers and environmentalists fear the project would mean less water for […]
Twin tunnels would irreparably damage Delta region
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Tracy Pressby Don Nottoli and Chuck WinnCalifornia decision makers are at a historic crossroads in the long-standing California water crisis. The outcome will permanently alter the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Your voice can steer these decisions in the right direction and now is the time to speak up. On Tuesday, the State Water Resources Control Board will begin a series of hearings […]
Israel’s Mediterranean Desalination Plants Shift Regional Water Balance
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Circle of Blue (Traverse City, Mich.)by Brett WaltonThe water that flows into Sorek desalination plant is drawn from near the Mediterranean Sea floor. Pumped inland, the water is cleansed, step by step, of salts and impurities. The transmutation does not take long. Forty minutes after entering the facility, the stuff of sailboats and sunbathers is now drinkable. Sorek is the newest of […]
The Water Footprint of Our Everyday Lives
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Tara LohanIn California we commonly debate how much water is used by agriculture, the environment, industry and urban users. We talk about water in terms of acre-feet and entire sectors. But we spend less time thinking about water on the individual level. California’s water conservation mandate helped bring this back into focus, at least for a […]