San Francisco passing urban farming code

By Alison Hawkes

03/01/2011

Urban agriculture is the new hot thing in San Francisco. And with small farms sprouting up in the unlikeliest of places, the city is passing a new planning code that defines where and how these farms can take root. The city is also allowing farmers to sell from their lots, although not in any formal produce stand sort of way. But despite the locavore movement taking hold, there is concern that veggies may become toxic by contaminated soil. And one city agency is also worried about an uptick in water use, given a long term supply shortage. [Civil Eats]

PG&E in the federal hot seat over gas explosion

By Victoria Schlesinger

03/01/2011

The National Transportation Safety Board will seek answers from PG&E officials over the next three days about the San Bruno gasline explosion last September. Specifically, safety officials will try to determine why PG&E lacked any automatically controlled valves to shut off the gas, which gushed uncontrolled for more than an hour. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Khosla and Google Ventures invest $42 million in weather insurance

By Victoria Schlesinger

03/01/2011

Two of the most powerful venture capital investment groups – Khosla Ventures and Google Ventures – have ponied up $42 million for WeatherBill, a San Francisco-based crop insurance company. Founded by former Google executives, WeatherBill operates on the premise that climate change will increasingly disrupt agriculture, making the already precarious business of growing food even more unpredictable. [Wall Street Journal]

Berkeley Earth scientists aspire to end climate debate

By Victoria Schlesinger

03/01/2011

A small team of diverse scientists have received big money to try and resolve once and for all the contentious debate over climate change. Berkeley Earth says they will differ from past similar attempts by making all of their research and analysis open for review. Berkeley Earth is funded by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research and the Koch Foundation, among others. [California Watch]

New state program is hub for all energy efficiency incentives

By Victoria Schlesinger

03/01/2011

A statewide effort to help consumers reduce their energy bills begins today. The federally funded Energy Upgrade California program will offer rebates between $1,000 and $4,000 to homeowners who invest in energy efficiency. The state hopes the new program “reduces consumer confusion” by consolidating all incentive options under one roof. [San Jose Mercury News]

Spirit Rock building plans require more reflection

By Victoria Schlesinger

03/01/2011

Marin County planners are concerned that new plans to expand Spirit Rock, a popular meditation center, will draw large crowds. The environmental impact review, however, showed the revised plans would decrease the retreat’s environmental footprint. Planners are now drafting specific traffic managements plans to handle big events. [Marin Independent Journal]

EcoATMs coming to Bay Area grocery stores

By Victoria Schlesinger

02/28/2011

Kiosks that will give you cash for your old cell phone or iPod will soon stand side by side with coin machines in grocery stores. The San Diego start-up, EcoATM, received $14.4 million in funding earlier this month and plans to rapidly deploy the machines. The Bay Area should be on the top of the list. [The Atlantic]

San Francisco low-flow toilets result in bleaching sewer sludge

By Victoria Schlesinger

02/28/2011

The culprit behind the rotten egg smell wafting from San Francisco’s sewers in the summer has been identified. Apparently the city’s low-flow toilets have been so successful that sewage is backing up in the system. To treat the smell, the city plans to add 8.5 million pounds of bleach annually to the sewer system, a decision many oppose. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Doctors prescribe nature for healthy living

By Victoria Schlesinger

02/28/2011

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Environmental Education Foundation have teamed up with health care providers to promote outdoor activity as a way to get healthy. Doctors are writing prescriptions to parks. The two-year pilot program is being tried nationwide, including in Santa Clara where one Kaiser doctor has written 67 prescriptions to the Don Edwards Preserve. [USA Today]

Muni caught sleeping on the job

By Victoria Schlesinger

02/28/2011

Details are coming out about the California Public Utilities Commission’s initial investigation into Muni safety violations, and it’s not pretty. One driver was caught sleeping. Others speeding through school zones. And dozens of instances of failing tracks and emergency phones. [San Francisco Examiner]