Weekly Green: July 13, 2015

In recent headlines:

• White House declares Berryessa-Snow Mountain national monument;
• Independent fracking study shows toxic chemicals put water & wildlife at risk;
• Jerry Brown will visit Vatican for climate change talks with Pope Francis;
• El Niño may offer drought relief this winter; and much more.

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Above the Fold

White House declares Berryessa-Snow Mountain national monument
President Barack Obama is designating the Berryessa Snow Mountain area as a national monument, permanently protecting the rolling mountainous region that runs through Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Solano and Yolo counties.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4186835-181/white-house-declares-berryessa-snow-mountain

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument: what comes next?
Friday’s declaration of the monument status begins a long process of creating a new management plan for the federal lands included in its boundaries. “You’re talking about 330,000 acres,” Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Martha Maciel said on Friday.
http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/management-plan-comes-next-for-berryessa-snow-mountain/article_4b01babc-1ecc-589e-bce7-568599753536.html

Berryessa-Snow Mountain Becomes California’s Newest National Monument
The designation, under the 1906 Antiquities Act, could create California’s biggest national monument–slightly edging out the recently-designated San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in Southern California. Initial announcements carried conflicting versions of the monument’s size, from just under 331,000 acres to nearly 360,000.
http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/07/09/berryessa-snow-mountain-becomes-californias-newest-national-monument/

CLCV Statement on Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument:
http://www.ecovote.org/news/president-obama-designates-berryessa-snow-mountain-national-monument

Jerry Brown will visit Vatican for climate change talks with Pope Francis
Gov. Jerry Brown, a longtime champion of environmental causes and one-time seminarian, will travel to Vatican City this month to meet with Pope Francis and attend gathering of local officials on climate change and human trafficking.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article26867299.html

Brown blasts 'troglodytes' who deny climate change threat
In a speech Wednesday to government officials and environmental advocates that capped his trip, the governor took aim at “troglodytes” who deny the threat of climate change, and insisted that all aspects of modern life must be scrutinized to save the planet.
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-speech-toronto-climate-change-20150708-story.html

State issues toughest-in-the-nation fracking rules
State officials on Wednesday [July 1] formally adopted new rules governing hydraulic fracturing in California, setting in motion some of the toughest guidelines in the nation for the controversial oil extraction practice.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-state-issues-fracking-rules-20150701-story.html

Water and wildlife may be at risk from fracking's toxic chemicals, panel finds
Hydraulic fracking in California uses a host of highly toxic chemicals that have unknown effects on drinking water supplies, wildlife and crops because state regulatory agencies don't fully understand what oil companies are doing, a state science panel warned Thursday.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-california-science-panel-warns-that-fracking-poses-unknown-risk-20150709-story.html

Is fracking harmful? New California study says more data is needed
An independent scientific study of hydraulic fracturing in California called Thursday on state and federal agencies to determine what chemicals are used in the oil well-stimulation technique and how they might affect the environment and human health.
http://www.dailynews.com/article/20150709/NEWS/150709430

USFS: Conditions Ideal For Megafires This Summer
The U.S. Forest Service is re-examining how it manages wildfire this summer. It has historically tried to let lightning-caused fires burn in remote areas as a way to reduce forest density. The hope was to keep forests, particularly in northern California, healthy.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/06/us-forest-service-says-conditions-ideal-for-megafires-this-summer/

Start-up turns methane from manure into eco-friendly plastic
What if you could pluck pollution out of the air - like the methane gas emitted from cow manure - and create plastics?
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0712-newlight-20150712-story.html

Voucher program helps you trade in your gas guzzler for an electric car
Low- and moderate-income shoppers from disadvantaged communities are scrapping their older, higher-polluting cars and buying fuel-efficient gasoline, hybrid and electric plug-in models. They're stepping into showrooms clutching cash vouchers ranging from $2,500 to $9,500 issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District's Replace Your Ride program.
http://www.dailynews.com/article/20150712/NEWS/150719852

What kind of car is the most green, fuel efficient and budget friendly?
Today the selection of efficient, lower-pollution cars includes a bewildering array of technologies and models — hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electrics, diesels and hydrogen fuel cells. Conventional gasoline cars, meanwhile, have made great strides in going farther on less fuel.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-green-car-emissions-20150713-story.html

Tom Steyer’s intensifying war on Big Oil takes center stage in California
As Gov. Jerry Brown used his inaugural address in January to call for broad changes to fight climate change, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer nodded approvingly from the Assembly gallery.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article27059809.html

Greenhut: Agency may get power to force oil cuts
We’ve all become accustomed to bold rhetoric from politicians. But while Brown talked about climate change, his allies in the Legislature were advancing a bill [SB 350] that tries to put many of his far-reaching goals into action.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/10/agency-power-oil-cuts-efficiency-standards-brown/

Climate change: Controversial 'cloud brightening' project proposed for Moss Landing
A team of elder Silicon Valley scientists is building an audacious device that might solve one of humanity's most profound dilemmas -- a "cloud whitener" designed to cool a warming planet.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_28470304/climate-change-controversial-cloud-brightening-project-proposed-moss

Fran Pavley: The quiet crusader
To environmentalists in California, across the nation and around the world, she is a trailblazing leader. To the California Chamber of Commerce and many Republicans, she is the unrealistic author of job-killing, la-de-da legislation.
http://capitolweekly.net/fran-pavley-greenhouse-gases-california-crusader-landmark-quiet/

Economy up, greenhouse gas down
California’s greenhouse gases declined even as the state’s economy expanded, according to state and federal agencies tracking the numbers.
http://capitolweekly.net/greenhoujse-gases-carbon-emissions-decline-economy-up-arb/

California scores nearly 2,000 clean energy jobs
California created nearly 2,000 clean energy and clean transportation jobs in the first quarter, to rank second in the nation behind Georgia, according to a report made public Tuesday, June 30.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2015/06/california-2-000-clean-energy-jobs-solar-city-scty.html

Rooftop solar benefits dwindle
It will get a little harder soon for rooftop solar households to "zero out" their utility bills and avoid standard charges, under rate changes adopted last week by the California Public Utilities Commission.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/07/solar-benefits-dwindle/

Special session on road repairs takes on $59 billion problem
At the heart of the problem is two fold: rising construction costs and the diminishing revenue from the gas tax as cars have become more fuel efficient or gas-free. The rate hasn't been raised from 48.6 cents per gallon since the early 1990s.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/07/10/53011/special-session-on-road-repairs-takes-on-59-billio/

Southern California lawmakers: Keep drones away from wildfires
Inland Empire and Los Angeles-area lawmakers are taking aim at drones that get in the way of firefighters trying to do their jobs.
http://www.sbsun.com/article/20150710/NEWS/150719938

Diablo Canyon: Panel hears conflicting safety assessments for nuclear plant
Environmentalists argued Thursday that government regulators have allowed California's last operating nuclear power plant to sidestep federal rules and conceal the risk of earthquakes that could threaten its twin reactors.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/07/09/53014/panel-hears-conflicting-safety-assessments-for-dia/

California says new Delta tunnels plan better for environment, fish
California officials, unveiling the fine print on a significant redesign of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels project, said Thursday that the plan would reduce impacts on the environment and improve habitat for endangered fish and other species.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article26872906.html

Bike-sharing as a bridge between commute gaps
Commuting by mass transit in Los Angeles can sometimes feel like a schlep, particularly for those who don't live and work within easy walking distance from bus and train lines.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-california-commute-20150707-story.html

More tar balls wash ashore on Los Angeles County beaches
Some surfers at a Malibu surf break were seen using peanut butter to get tar off their feet, as tar balls washed ashore at two Los Angeles County beaches just at today's start of the Fourth of July weekend. Lifeguards said, "These tar balls are an annual natural occurrence that we experience in Los Angeles County as temperatures rise."
http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150703/more-tar-balls-wash-ashore-on-los-angeles-county-beaches

The Drought

Court ruling is a potential blow to state water-saving efforts
A Sacramento judge on Friday blocked the state from enforcing the rigid water restrictions it imposed on a handful of Central Valley water agencies, a potential blow to California’s broader push for conservation.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Court-ruling-is-a-potential-blow-to-state-6378631.php

California Drought: Warmest June Ever For California
A dry June has caused the drought to worsen in the western United States. And NOAA says California, along with Nevada, Oregon and Washington, had a record warm January to June.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/09/california-drought-warmest-june-ever-for-california/

California’s rural poor hit hardest as groundwater vanishes in long drought
Whenever her sons rush indoors after playing under the broiling desert sun, Guadalupe Rosales worries. They rarely heed her constant warning: Don’t drink the water. It’s not safe. The 8- and 10-year-olds stick their mouths under a kitchen faucet and gulp anyway.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/californias-rural-poor-hit-hardest-as-groundwater-vanishes-in-long-drought/2015/07/05/0ed88938-1452-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html

California water rates rise as cities lose money in drought
Saving water doesn't always mean saving money in parched California. Millions of Californians expecting relief on their water bills for taking conservation measures instead are finding higher rates and drought surcharges.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_RATE_HIKES_CAOL-?SITE=CASON&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-07-05-11-13-35

Is a strong El Niño on the horizon? Forecasters say count on it
Californians should brace themselves for one of the strongest El Niño events to hit the Pacific Ocean in years.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-chance-for-strong-el-nino-20150710-story.html

California drought: Strengthening El Niño could mean wet winter
The U.S. Climate Prediction Center reported that telltale signs of El Niño — which include warming sea surface temperatures and emerging equatorial winds — bore close resemblance to conditions preceding some of the strongest El Niños in recent history. El Niños carry no assurances for forecasters, but big ones have correlated with increased rainfall across much of California, such as in the winters of 1982-83 and 1997-98, which were among the state’s wettest years.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-drought-Strengthening-El-Ni-o-could-6375822.php

How much do we really know about El Nino?
Long-range forecasters are growing increasingly confident that a strong El Niño weather pattern will at least put a dent in California’s four-year drought. But as the potential rainmaker evolves, it’s telling to look back on how scientists’ understanding of the periodic phenomenon has evolved.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/12/el-nino-california-drought-forecasters-rain/

To encourage Californians to conserve, a tweak in wording can help
Fighting California's drought is a bit like running a political campaign, complete with carefully calibrated messages crafted with polling data.
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-drought-poll-20150705-story.html

West Nile virus spreads: Is California drought to blame?
Many scientists suspect that the historic California drought is causing the West Nile virus to spread because it's bringing mosquitoes and birds into closer contact at fewer watering holes. The initial data this year seems to support that theory.
http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28473947/west-nile-virus-spreads-is-california-drought-blame

Ballot measure threatens California water tunnels plan
Amid long-standing controversy surrounding Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to build two tunnels to divert water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the south, one advantage the project appeared to hold was that Brown could forge ahead without a public vote.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article27052015.html

San Diego's unusual water recycling program
San Diego’s $3.5 billion plan to fight the drought by recycling sewage into drinking water is forcing state regulators to rewrite their water recycling rule book.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/11/drought-recycling-reservoir-ground-water-purify/

California’s Drought Changes Habits in the Kitchen
Andrea Nguyen, who writes cookbooks for a living, knows that making pho in a pressure cooker is not the solution to California’s drought. Still, developing a reasonable version of the Vietnamese noodle soup that can be made in less than an hour, with half the water, matters to her these days.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/08/dining/california-drought-restrictions-kitchen-chef-restaurants.html

Delta smelt ‘abundance’ index hits zero as California drought worsens
It’s a milestone nobody wanted to see: A key index measuring the “relative abundance” of the troubled Delta smelt registered zero in the latest survey by state scientists, the first time that’s happened since the survey began in 1959.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article26982244.html

California regulators discuss water pricing in drought
California water regulators heard proposals for a statewide drought fee and hefty fines for water-guzzling homeowners as part of a Wednesday workshop discussing how to implement Gov. Jerry Brown's order for water pricing to maximize conservation.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-agency-considers-water-prices-to-save-6372173.php

Drought, beetles preying on weakened California forests
Frank Cody wasn’t surprised to learn that at least 12 million trees across California recently have died from a lethal mix of bugs and long-term drought. Business is booming for the South Lake Tahoe tree service business owner.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article26996020.html

California Congressman unveils plans for 27 new recycled water projects, calls for federal funding
Citing concerns over statewide water shortages and recent proposed legislation that "panders to South Valley water users," Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton, announced Thursday that he will introduce legislation to seek federal funding for 27 recycled water projects, all but six of which are based in the Bay Area.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28424534/california-congressman-unveils-plans-27-new-recycled-water

New drought-relief bill introduced in Congress
After touring water recycling facilities in Southern California last week, a Democratic congressman from San Rafael [Jared Huffman] introduced an omnibus drought-relief bill Wednesday that will compete with Republican drought-response bills.
http://www.dailynews.com/article/20150708/NEWS/150709513

California’s Matsui wants to bypass Congress on water recycling projects
New legislation in Congress could help accelerate the construction of wastewater recycling facilities in California in a bid to improve severe drought conditions in the state.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/economy/article26813209.html

Drought prompts California state beaches to shut off outdoor showers
State park officials ordered the outdoor showers at 38 state beaches, many of them in Southern California, shut off as of July 15 to conserve water during the drought.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-outdoor-showers-20150710-story.html

Despite California state edict, L.A. County beaches will not turn off showers
Los Angeles County beachgoers will still be able to rinse off the sand and salt after a day at the ocean even though state officials have ordered outdoor showers and rinse stations be shut off at all state parks and beaches.
http://www.sbsun.com/article/20150710/NEWS/150719934

Californians getting drought message: Water usage plunges
California residents cut their water use by nearly 29 percent in May compared with the same month in 2013, the steepest reduction since officials began calling for people to conserve last year, according to figures the state released Wednesday.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Californians-getting-drought-message-Water-usage-6361565.php

Free Water in Fresno, if You Can Haul It Yourself
When you live in a hot part of California and can only water your garden on certain days during the drought, you may have to make some hard choices about letting trees or shrubs die.
http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/07/08/free-water-in-fresno-if-you-can-haul-it-yourself

California city’s desalination push sparks debate over costs, coastal impact
The slumbering desalination plant that rests off the Ventura Freeway in a seedy area called the Funk Zone might one day be the answer to this coastal city’s desperate need for water.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/california-citys-desalination-push-sparks-debate-over-costs-coastal-impact/2015/07/08/8f0b2ede-1a84-11e5-bd7f-4611a60dd8e5_story.html

Some Urban Water Suppliers Far From Conservation Goal
A close review of water conservation numbers shows some urban water suppliers in California still have a long way to go to meet mandatory conservation targets.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/07/some-urban-water-suppliers-far-from-conservation-goal/

Apps Help Farmers With Efficiency During The Drought
As the drought continues and the weather heats up, California farmers are grappling with how to allocate dwindling water supplies. Patrick Dosier, an independent agronomist and agriculture tech consultant, says smartphone or tablet apps can help with water efficiency.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/06/apps-help-farmers-with-efficiency-during-the-drought/

California Looks To Australia For Drought Tips
As the drought continues, California is looking to Australia for ideas. The state today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian state of Victoria to share knowledge and training in wildfire and flood management.
http://www.capradio.org/52838

And finally

Joel Fox: Another Study, Similar Result—Oil Industry Essential to CA Economy
In 2009, the Milken Institute issued a report on the impact California’s oil and gas industry had on California. The report stated the statewide impact was immense with a ripple effect of over 300,000 jobs and a $46 billion impact on the state’s economy.
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/07/another-study-similar-result-oil-industry-essential-to-ca-economy/

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