Weekly Green: October 12, 2015

In recent headlines:

• California Is Sinking — and Now Could Flood;
• The California Towns Without Safe Drinking Water;
• Massive El Niño is now 'too big to fail,' scientist says;
• Gov. Brown signs climate change bill (SB 350) to spur renewable energy, efficiency standards;
• ... and much more!

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TOP NEWS

California Is Sinking — and Now Could Flood
California is sinking at a historic rate. That sinking, which scientists call subsidence, has damaged flood levees intended to protect hundreds of miles of Central Valley farmland. Some levees near the San Joaquin River have sunk more than 6 feet.
http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/10/09/california-is-sinking-and-now-could-flood

The California Towns Without Safe Drinking Water
Bitter disputes in the municipal politics of California’s drought-ridden San Joaquin Valley have kept the poorest areas from consolidating water systems.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/california-drought-towns-without-drinking-water/409930/

Massive El Niño is now 'too big to fail,' scientist says
An El Niño that is among the strongest on record is gaining strength in the Pacific Ocean, and climate scientists say California is likely to face a wet winter.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-massive-el-nino-is-now-too-big-to-fail-scientist-says-20151009-story.html

Gov. Brown signs climate change bill (SB 350) to spur renewable energy, efficiency standards
California launched an ambitious effort Wednesday to expand renewable energy and increase energy efficiency, advancing Gov. Jerry Brown's plans for battling climate change. Brown signed the new goals into law at Griffith Observatory, where the panoramic view of smog across the Los Angeles Basin provided a reminder of the work to be done.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-jerry-brown-climate-change-renewable-energy-20151007-story.html

GOVERNOR BROWN’S SIGNATURE

Yesterday was the deadline for Governor Jerry Brown to sign or veto bills passed this year by the California Legislature. Now that the governor’s pen has done its work, it’s our pleasure to present the following highlights from a long list of good bills that are now law of the land in California:

• AB 96 (Atkins): Full Ban on Ivory Trade
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-passes-sweeping-ban-on-elephant-ivory-rhino-horn_55e75831e4b0c818f61a6392
• AB 243 (Wood): Medical Marijuana Cultivation
  http://yubanet.com/california/Governor-Brown-Signs-AB-243-Marijuana-cultivation-to-face-environmental-regulation.php
• SB 414 (Jackson) + AB 864 (Williams) + SB 295 (Jackson): Oil Spill Response & Prevention
  http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-gov-brown-on-oil-spills-20151005-story.html
• AB 559 (López): Monarch Butterfly Habitat Conservation
  https://www.facebook.com/ecovote/videos/vb.60158871244/10153224084841245/?type=2&theater
• AB 693 (Eggman): Multifamily Affordable Housing Solar Program
  http://grist.org/climate-energy/solar-power-access-looking-a-lot-brighter-in-california/
• AB 888 (Bloom): Microbeads Banned from Personal Care Products
  http://ecowatch.com/2015/10/09/california-ban-microbeads/
• AB 1461 (Gonzalez): Automatic Voter Registration at DMV
  http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article38684598.html
• SB 185 (de León): State Pensions Divest from Coal
  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-10-09/why-california-pension-funds-are-divesting-from-coal
• SB 226 (Pavley): Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
  http://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/politics/pavelys-groundwater-management-bill-signed-by-governor-brown-161393
• SB 350 (de León): Climate Change & Clean Energy
  https://youtu.be/ywB9Mx978L0

CALIFORNIA NEWS

To Protect the California Desert, Sen. Feinstein Will Host Public Discussion Tuesday
On October 13th, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) will be holding a public meeting in Whitewater, CA, to discuss the designation of Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains as national monuments. In attendance will be Department of Interior Deputy Secretary Mike Connor, Undersecretary of Agriculture Robert Bonnie, and other senior officials from the Obama Administration.
http://californiadesert.org/october3/

Brown rejects labor-backed laws in sweeping bill package
Gov. Jerry Brown barred public schools from using the Redskins name, strengthened the state's vaccine rules by requiring mandatory vaccination for day care workers and handed a win to the business community by vetoing two bills on the Chamber of Commerce list of so-called "job killers" as he took action on dozens of pieces of legislation Sunday.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CA_XGR_CALIFORNIA_LEGISLATION_CAOL-?SITE=CASON&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-10-11-18-44-19

Oil well oversight in L.A. Basin is 'inconsistent,' audit finds
California's oil regulatory agency concedes that it has allowed serious lapses in its monitoring of oil operations in the Los Angeles Basin, confirming long-standing fears of community activists who say that lax oversight puts Southern California neighborhoods at risk.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-oil-report-health-20151009-story.html

Rain No Help For California Reservoirs
A fifth year of drought is likely in California, and El Niño won't end it, say water scientists and forecasters. Water managers can only wait, hoping the fall and winter precipitation brings enough snowpack and rain to ease four years of drought. The snowpack last year was gone in early spring.
http://www.capradio.org/58467

California Considers Tough Campaign-Finance Rules
California is considering some of the nation’s strictest campaign-finance rules, aimed at keeping candidates from coordinating with groups able to raise unlimited amounts of money on their behalf.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-considers-tough-campaign-finance-rules-1444602199

Tech industry lags in political transparency
While Silicon Valley firms often preach about the value of transparency, a new study finds that top tech companies are among the least open about their “dark money” political contributions — funds funneled to nonprofits that can easily mask their donors.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Tech-industry-lags-in-political-transparency-6557382.php

Fines Over Water Use Rankle Californians
Cities under pressure from California for failing to slash water consumption enough during the prolonged drought are cracking down on residents.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/fines-over-water-use-rankle-californians-1444605991

California pushes to make landfills food-free
In a little-heralded move with potentially sweeping implications, the California Air Resources Board last month announced a push to halt disposal of nearly all organic waste by 2025.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article38764776.html

Solar panels getting cool reception from homeowners associations
Despite state laws limiting the control that homeowners associations have over solar installations, green advocates say the groups are a steady challenge to extending the systems to more residential rooftops.
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_28954783/solar-panels-getting-cool-reception-from-homeowners-associations

Gov. Jerry Brown orders study aiming to restore parts of shrinking Salton Sea
Gov. Jerry Brown announced this week that he has signed legislation to require the Salton Sea Authority, working with the Natural Resources Agency, to lead a feasibility study of projects to restore parts of the rapidly shrinking Salton Sea, a huge and troubled body of water long considered a health menace.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-gov-brown-study-salton-sea-20151010-story.html

Cutting ozone will require radical transformation of California's trucking industry
At a laboratory in downtown Los Angeles, a big rig spins its wheels on massive rollers as a metal tube funnels its exhaust into an array of air quality sensors. Engineers track the roaring truck's emissions from a bank of computer screens. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-adv-ozone-transportation-20151011-story.html

1998 El Niño pounded an unready Bay Area: Are we prepared now?
The storms in the winter of 1997-98 sneaked in late, but when they finally hit they were merciless, relentless, and drenching up and down the state.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/1998-El-Ni-o-pounded-an-unready-Bay-Area-Are-we-6564050.php?t=96bb34da93f294ee0d

San Mateo County to experiment with mail-only voting
Ready or not, San Mateo County voters are about to get an up-close and personal look at the future of California elections.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Mateo-County-to-experiment-with-mail-only-6559539.php

In California, Electric Cars Outpace Plugs, and Sparks Fly
Unlike gas stations, charging stations are not yet in great supply, and that has led to sharp-elbowed competition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/science/in-california-electric-cars-outpace-plugs-and-sparks-fly.html

Senators drill into California water bill
Ever hopeful lawmakers on Thursday conjured the vision of a compromise California water bill that succeeds instead of fails. It may be a mirage.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/article38288907.html

California’s federal reservoirs even lower than last year
In the latest indicator of the severity of the drought, the federal government’s main reservoirs serving California have begun the new “water year” at just a quarter full and in worse shape than last year.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article37985994.html

State OKs burying nuclear waste at beach
State regulators have approved a controversial plan to bury nuclear waste in concrete bunkers within 125 feet of a seawall and the beach at the shuttered San Onofre nuclear power plant.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/oct/06/nuclear-waste-permit-approved/

NATIONAL NEWS

OK, he's not the next House Speaker. What's next for Kevin McCarthy?
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy seemed to have the top job in Congress all but locked up before he shocked his colleagues this week and announced he was withdrawing his bid to become speaker of the House.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-kevin-mccarthy-next-20151009-story.html

Issa considering running for Speaker
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is considering a bid for Speaker, a source close to the congressman told The Hill. "There is no definitive decision that's been made, but it's certainly being talked about. All options are on the table," the source said.
http://thehill.com/homenews/256471-issa-considering-running-for-speaker

Trump, Carson, Fiorina lead poll in California
The Field Poll, released Thursday, reflects national movement in the Republican presidential primary, with three political outsiders leading establishment politicians.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article38146023.html

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