San Diego was ranked the “greenest” city in the United States, thanks largely to clean energy sources and environmentally friendly policies, in a new study by WalletHub.
The Miami-based personal finance website compared the 100 largest cities using 28 indicators ranging from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita, green job opportunities and public transit to organic farms, bike lanes and air quality.
After a summer of record-smashing heat, warming somehow got even worse in September as Earth set a new mark for how far above normal temperatures were, the European climate agency reported Thursday.
Last month’s average temperature was 0.93 degrees Celsius (1.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1991-2020 average for September. That’s the warmest margin above average for a month in 83 years of records kept by the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
“It’s just mind-blowing really,” said Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo. “Never seen anything like that in any month in our records.”
The San Diego County Water Authority has earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for the fourth consecutive year. The Water Authority was recognized for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions, an effort that fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and helps the agency track and validate emissions reductions in the future.
The San Diego County Water Authority has earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for the fourth consecutive year. The Water Authority was recognized for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions, an effort that fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and helps the agency track and validate emissions reductions in the future.
The Climate Registry operates North America’s largest voluntary registry for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Water Authority’s 2021 and 2022 inventories were verified and published in The Climate Registry’s public database in July and September, earning the agency gold status for both years. The agency also published its 2019 and 2020 inventories, earning the Water Authority gold status for those years. In addition, the Water Authority has met all California state aligned GHG reduction targets, while decreasing its emissions over the past 13 years compared to its state-aligned baseline year.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a key part of the Water Authority’s Climate Action Plan and our commitment to the environment,” said Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz. “As a climate leader, we continue to develop forward-thinking solutions that increase our contribution to energy and water efficiency efforts across the state.”
The Water Authority works with its 24 member agencies to deliver safe and reliable water supplies across San Diego County. Sustainability has been an important part of the agency’s commitment for years. Water-use efficiency not only lessens the Water Authority’s dependence on imported water, but it also reduces energy costs and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transporting and treating water.
As a centerpiece of its sustainability efforts, in 2014 the Water Authority voluntarily developed a Climate Action Plan and updates it every five years, comparing GHG emissions against a baseline and tracking progress toward State of California goals. Since the plan’s adoption, the Water Authority has conducted annual GHG inventories and provides updates to the Board of Directors. Verification of the annual inventory by a third-party is another step toward validating the Water Authority’s climate mitigation efforts for stakeholders.
The Climate Registry is a nonprofit organization governed by U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories. The registry designs and operates voluntary GHG reporting programs globally, and assists organizations in measuring, reporting and verifying the carbon in their operations to manage and reduce it. The registry also builds capacity for emissions reductions by government agencies, and spearheads innovative projects such as the Water-Energy Nexus Registry.
“The San Diego County Water Authority’s continued achievement of Climate Registered gold status through reporting years 2021 and 2022 demonstrates sustained and consistent leadership in emissions disclosure,” said Charles Pope, Director of Registry Services for The Climate Registry. “The Climate Registry is proud to recognize SDCWA’s extraordinary commitment to transparency, which sets a clear example for all organizations in California.”
(Editor’s note: For more information about the Water Authority’s sustainability initiative, go to: www.sdcwa.org/projects-programs/programs/environmental/.)
Amid a backdrop of extreme weather events and devastating wildfires, federal and international officials this week issued dire warnings about record-setting temperatures and the worsening effects of climate change.
Last month was the planet’s warmest August on record, and the Northern Hemisphere experienced its hottest meteorological summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.
“Global marine heat waves and a growing El Niño are driving additional warming this year, but as long as emissions continue driving a steady march of background warming, we expect further records to be broken in the years to come,” read a statement from NOAA chief scientist Sarah Kapnick.
Earth is exceeding its “safe operating space for humanity” in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said.
Earth’s climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and “novel” chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in Wednesday’s journal Science Advances. Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe, and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said.
“We are in very bad shape,” said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. “We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick.”
Climate scientists are bracing for potentially lengthy El Niño and La Niña events, according to a new study revealing how the underlying mechanism for climate variability is responding to increased greenhouse gas emissions in unpredicted ways and inducing El Niño-like conditions after volcanic eruptions.
The research published in Nature Wednesday details recently discovered trends of the “Pacific Walker Circulation,” (PWC) an atmospheric phenomenon relating to east-west circulation along the equatorial Pacific.
Helix Water District received recognition from The Climate Registry as a Water-Energy Leader Gold organization after the district reduced its electric use by 15% and greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.
The Climate Registry is a nonprofit organization that helps companies, governments, and institutions reduce their emissions. Its Water-Energy Nexus Registry is sponsored by the California Environmental Protection Agency and allows utilities and cities to measure, track, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions associated with California’s water system.
Helix Water District received recognition from The Climate Registry as a Water-Energy Leader Gold organization after the district reduced its electric use by 15% and greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.
The Climate Registry is a nonprofit organization that helps companies, governments, and institutions reduce their emissions. Its Water-Energy Nexus Registry is sponsored by the California Environmental Protection Agency and allows utilities and cities to measure, track, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions associated with California’s water system.
The University of San Diego Energy Policy Initiative Center, or EPIC, confirmed the district’s 2019 and 2021 total greenhouse gas emissions are 40% lower than those in 2009. EPIC’s findings were verified by a third party. The Climate Registry made the announcement this month based on this verification.
Solar panels atop the Helix Water District Operations Center in El Cajon help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Photo: Helix Water District
“This award is a testament to the fact you can be a good steward of the environment while also making sound financial decisions,” said Helix Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg. “We found that energy efficiency is very similar to water conservation. You take advantage of every opportunity to save a little bit because there isn’t one thing that will get you to the finish line. But together they have an impact.”
Helix Water District Board of Directors in the district’s new all-electric, zero-emission, Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck in 2022. Driver’s seat: Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg. Backseat: Director Dan McMillan. Back of the truck: Directors Joel Scalzitti, De Ana Verbeke and Mark Gracyk. Photo: Helix Water District
Helix achieved its most recent emission reductions through multiple efforts, including a comprehensive lighting retrofit program, new lighting management system, and an upgrade to the HVAC system at the district’s R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant.
Helix also transitioned its diesel fleet to 100% renewable diesel fuel.
Previously, the district installed solar panels at its operations center, initiated load shifting at its Levy Water Treatment Plant and pump stations to off-peak periods, and obtaining grants to install electric vehicle charging stations at its facilities.
Have you heard? @theclimatereg has named Helix Water District a Water-Energy Leader Gold organization! Learn more about this recognition at https://t.co/jB7NSjrVQ6. #elcajon #lamesa #lemongrove #cawater #sustainability pic.twitter.com/uf22UKzLhR
— Helix Water District (@helixwater) July 26, 2023
In 2021, the San Diego County Water Authority earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions.
(Editor’s note: The Helix Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)
A railway project in Eastern Utah is drawing significant pushback in Colorado as elected officials voice concerns about crude oil risks to the Colorado River, which is the West’s primary freshwater river.
The Uinta Basin Railway project would build around 80 miles of train tracks connecting oil production to America’s rail network.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
