An ode (in pictures) to the northern elephant seal

03/15/2011
By Victoria Schlesinger
An ode (in pictures) to the northern elephant seal

The northern elephant seal mating season in Ano Nuevo State Park has come to a close, but young pups will linger through March. If you missed this year's raucous, endearing, and at times heartbreaking season, take a look at our photos.
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California utilities commission to allow customers to opt-out of smart meters

03/10/2011
By Alison Hawkes

After repeated pressure from groups protesting the rollout of smart meters in Northern California, the California Public Utilities Commission announced Thursday that it will allow PG&E customers to opt-out of the devices on their homes. California PUC President Michael Peevey said he had spoken with the president of PG&E to allow customers who are...
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Need to charge your EV? There’s an app for that

03/10/2011
By Victoria Schlesinger

In an effort to make sure the new wave of electric vehicle owners have a positive first experience, auto makers are developing a slew of mobile applications to smooth the way, including resources for finding charging stations. Google Maps is getting in on the action, too. “Range anxiety” or where-is-the-nearest-charge-station jitters is considered by...
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Transit officials make Market St. restrictions permanent, approve youth Fast Passes

Transit officials make Market St. restrictions permanent, approve youth Fast Passes

It just got a little harder for motorists to navigate around Market Street downtown. And local transportation officials say that’s an improvement. A pilot program that forces cars heading east to make a right turn from Market street to Sixth and 10th streets was approved unanimously by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board...
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Enviro groups sue San Francisco over Sharp Park Golf Course

03/02/2011
By Alison Hawkes
Enviro groups sue San Francisco over Sharp Park Golf Course

Environmental groups have filed suit against the city of San Francisco under claims it’s violating the Endangered Species Act at Sharp Park Golf Course. The groups say that San Francisco, which owns and operates the 90-year old golf course in nearby Pacifica, is harming two imperiled native species: the California red-legged frog and the...
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Bay Area premier of the San Bruno Mt. film Butterflies & Bulldozers

03/02/2011
By Victoria Schlesinger
Bay Area premier of the San Bruno Mt. film Butterflies & Bulldozers

You drive by it often. You can see it from any high vantage point. And yet many people living in the Bay Area know very little about San Bruno Mountain – the massive, bald hill just south of San Francisco – let alone its fame among national and international conservationists. The surprising story of...
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Not just fun and games, America’s Cup races have environmental toll

02/28/2011
By Alison Hawkes
Not just fun and games, America’s Cup races have environmental toll

The America’s Cup races are two years away, but San Francisco is already bracing for the massive crowds and construction that will accompany the international sailing competition. Among the first items of business is raising $32 million in private funds to pay for police, transportation, and other public services so that public coffers aren’t...
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Green film festival coming to San Francisco

Green film festival coming to San Francisco

Washington, D.C., has one. Seoul has one. Bristol, Tokyo, and Turin have one. And now, finally, the Bay Area has one. The first annual San Francisco Green Film Festival will take place from March 3-6, joining a growing number of environmentally focused film festivals throughout the world. The event seems a natural fit for...
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San Francisco requiring large commercial buildings to get energy audits

02/18/2011
By Alison Hawkes
San Francisco requiring large commercial buildings to get energy audits

San Francisco is hoping to sway building owners to reduce their energy footprint with the power of knowledge. City officials signed into law on Friday a new requirement that buildings 10,000 square feet or larger be subject to regular energy audits. The idea is that once building owners know how much money can be...
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San Francisco sidewalk gardens cause kerfuffle

02/18/2011
By Victoria Schlesinger
San Francisco sidewalk gardens cause kerfuffle

San Francisco sidewalk gardens are suddenly the buzz around town, but not quite in the way the city had hoped. Last Saturday the city kicked off a series of free monthly workshops on how to create sidewalk gardens, but in the same week a Mission resident started a petition to save the potted flowers in...
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San Franciscans work to reduce shark slaughter

02/16/2011
By Erica Gies
San Franciscans work to reduce shark slaughter

The movie “Jaws” created the notion of sharks as powerful eating machines who stalk humans. Yet ironically, in the 35 years since that movie debuted, it’s sharks that have been driven nearly extinct by humans. Around the world, about 10 people are killed by sharks annually. But every year humans kill up to 73...
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Proposal to ban shark fins in California heats up

Proposal to ban shark fins in California heats up

A proposed ban on the sale, possession and distribution of shark fins in California has been introduced by Assemblymen Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael),  much to the dismay of some Chinese restaurant owners. The ban would prevent fishermen and distributors from acquiring and distributing shark fins to restaurants who use the...
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Field Notes Blog

Report: San Francisco faces water-related dangers

San Francisco  has been identified as one of the most vulnerable cities in the nation when it comes to water-related impacts of climate change....
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Builders cheer demise of California environmental law

Upon attending the West Coast Green events at the Moscone Center in San Francisco this week, I was thrilled to find out that Governor...
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Recycling carpets in California will save landfill space

Of the myriad of things cramming California landfills, discarded carpets are taking up lots of space. About 400 million pounds are tossed each year,...
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Way Out West is a news site for the Bay Area dedicated to daily coverage of local green news.

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