California homes with a PV solar system sell for more than those without one, finds a new report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Proponents of solar hope the new finding will encourage more homeowners to go solar. See the full report on Climate Watch. [Read more - KQED Climate Watch]
As part of SFpark – San Francisco’s ambitious attempt to reduce city traffic through real-time parking data – a new application is available for smartphones that will help drivers find available parking spots. To address the obvious conflict around drivers using cell phones, which is illegal in California, the app launches a warning if the vehicle is moving faster than 10 miles per hour. [Read more - The Bay Citizen]
A herd of water buffalo living on a Tomalas Bay ranch in West Marin will help bring locally produced buffalo mozzarella cheese to farmers markets next winter if Silicon Valley-based software consultant Craig Ramini has his way. Each of the large, shaggy-headed bovines is named after a class rock star. [Read more - Point Reyes Light]
The CEO of PG&E, Peter Darby, announced his retirement in the wake of a terrible year for the utility. Darby was at the helm during the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, a disastrous public relations campaign while rolling out the company’s SmartMeter program, and spending tens of millions of dollars in an unsuccessful fight to preserve the company’s monopoly. Darby will depart with $35 million retirement package. [Read more - SF Examiner]
The San Francisco Planning Commission is on the cusp of determining the fate of the Treasure Island redevelopment plans, which propose turning the man-made island into a community of 20,000. For an astute criticism of the plan, check out Larry Bush’s blog post on the topic. An award-winning package of stories about the project were published by the San Francisco Public Press last summer. [Read more - CitiReport, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Public Press]
The Big Wave housing and office development project in Moss Beach, one of the largest Coastside developments ever proposed, has been appealed by a coalition of environmental groups to the California Coastal Commission. The groups argue the project is inappropriately placed. [Read more - San Jose Mercury News]
Vegans were outraged to learn that VegNews, a vegan lifestyle magazine, was doctoring photographs of food containing meat and dairy to appear free of animal products. Initially the magazine’s editor brushed aside the criticism claiming it was a budgetary necessity, only to face the fury of the blogosphere. Going forward the magazine says it will only run “vegan photos.” [Read more - New York Times]
PG&E argued to state regulators yesterday that the September gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno would have occurred regardless of the utility’s sloppy record keeping. The company said that because the faulty weld responsible for the blast has no past record of problems, inspectors would never have checked the seam and instead looked for corrosion. [Read more - San Francisco Chronicle]
Powerful lawmakers on the Peninsula presented their ideas for remedying California’s troubled high-speed rail project, suggesting the train should share the right of way with CalTrain in order to avoid the controversial elevated tracks. The ideas are hardly new, but come from state Senator Joe Simitian and state Assemblyman Rich Gordon, who control local purse strings for high-speed rail. [Read more - San Jose Mercury News]
UC Berkeley researchers have found that California kids have seven times the amount of flame retardants circulating in their blood as compared to children in Mexico. The problem stems from a state law requiring the makers of couches to use large amounts of flame retardants, but state Senator Mark Leno has introduced legislation to counter the obscure law. [Read more - California Watch]
Despite all the news coverage of two recent mountain lion shootings in the Bay Area, the number of encounters between people and the big cats have fallen dramatically, say the California Department of Fish and Game. The reasons why are unclear, but best case scenario the felines are learning to stay clear of humans...
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Tags: bay area, california department of fish and game, human encounters, mountain lion shootings
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SF Environment Director Melanie Nutter talks about SF climate change policy at TEDx
Just as farmers markets are swinging into full bloom, there’s very disturbing news about radiation from Japan reaching new levels in Europe. And if...
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Did you know that sleeping next to someone blitzes you with 0.05 millionth of a sievert of radiation per night? That eating a banana...
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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...
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