UC Berkeley scientists detected very low, harmless levels of radiation in the Bay Area, they said during a press conference on Thursday. At the same time California heath officials said no level of radiation had been detected. They also criticized the United Nation’s prediction that negligible amounts of radiation from Japan would arrive in the Bay Area on Friday. [Read more - San Jose Mercury News]
The California Legislature approved significant budget cuts on Thursday that further reduced funding to state parks and will lead to more closures. The approval addresses $14 billion of the state’s $26.6 billion funding gap. Next week lawmakers will continue to debate the most contentious budget issues, including the elimination of redevelopment agencies [Read more - San Francisco Chronicle]
As the Bay Area population swells from 7 to 9 million people over the coming 25 years, planners must find ways to reduce the region’s carbon footprint and dependence on automobiles in order to meet state greenhouse gas reduction mandates. A report just released by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments lays out a transit-centered vision for meeting the requirements. Public workshops to discuss the plan begin in April. [Read more - Oakland Tribune]
The United Nations predicted that radiation from Japan’s nuclear crisis would reach the West Coast on Friday afternoon, based on weather patterns. It stressed that the amount would be very low, and the New York Times reported that “at worst, [it] would have extremely minor health consequences in the United States.” The calculations were made Tuesday and weather patterns have continued to change since then. [Read more - New York Times]
For the past 15 years nitrates from fertilizers have polluted the drinking water of two million Californians, but most of the funds approved by voters in 2006 have still not been allocated to solve the problem, according to a report by the Pacific Institute. Nitrate-polluted water can harm babies. Industrial-sized dairies are the primary culprit and only eight of the 75 most risky dairies have gone so far as to install monitors. [Read more - California Watch]
The Environmental Protection Agency is adding more radiation monitors to its RadNet system along the West Coast following concern over Japan’s nuclear crisis, although officials will not reveal how many monitors or their location. The 124 monitors currently in the RadNet system track in real time the radiation levels in the air, drinking water, and milk. Anyone can obtain RadNet data by registering with the EPA’s Central Data Exchange. [Read more - CBS San Francisco, Way Out West]
Five Republican lawmakers are attempting to strong arm Governor Jerry Brown into overhauling California’s Environmental Quality Act in exchange for their votes to pass his proposed budget. The senators’ proposal would significantly change the environmental review process for urban development and the ability to challenge the reports, as well as exempt telecommunications companies from various environmental building ruls. The final proposal has not been made public, but the LA Times obtained a copy of a draft proposal. [Read more - Los Angeles Times]
Furious with PG&E’s lack luster response to provide safety records for gas pipelines throughout the state, the California Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday threatened the utility with fines of up to $1 million a day until the documents are provided. CPUC executive director Paul Clanon called PG&E’s behavior “willful noncompliance” of a direct order and “inexcusable” behavior. [Read more - San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle]
The travel book publisher Lonely Planet surveyed its readers for their 10 favorite cities in the world in which to take a stroll and our fair, foggy home made the list. Grist offers a slide show of the ten winners. [View more - Grist]
In a hypothetical worst-case scenario, in which a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami, the Bay Area could see waves between 8 and 30 feet high, depending on the location, say scientists. The Bay Citizen has produced simulated animations of how much water various areas along the California coasts would have to face should a tsunami strike. [Read more - The Bay Citizen]
An aerial view of the San Andreas fault. Photo courtesy of USGS.
California’s San Andreas fault is already overdue for a slip, and the triumvirate of consequential earthquakes along the Pacific Plate this year has some speculating the Golden State could be next. The recent earthquakes in Japan, Chile, and Christchurch, New Zealand all occurred along the Pacific Plate, which also falls beneath the West Coast and San Francisco in particular. [Read more - California Watch]
Tags: chile, earthquake, japan, new zealand, pacific plate, san andreas fault, San Francisco
Watch grapes on the vine wither into raisins in this very cool clip shot over 90 days by James Knott. www.agileh.com
It’s been a point of maddening frustration for scientists and environmentalists that as the predictions on global warming grow more dire, the public seems...
Read more »
It’s been a long, cold rainy winter this year in California. But it could get worse — much worse. The USGS warned this past...
Read more »
Listen to WOW reporter Alison Hawkes’ radio story about the greening of Treasure Island, which aired on KQED’s California Watch.
Read more »
We're camping out at public meetings, traipsing through parks, and sticking our noses into green tech research to bring you relevant local stories that matter.
WOW is produced by two local environmental journalists for you, our eco-savvy readers. We'd love to hear what you want from this site.
