The Bay Area is charging up. Along with L.A. and New York, San Francisco is one of the largest U.S. markets for plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). The pledge by the mayors of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose in 2008 to make the metropolis the nation’s EV capital is now bearing fruit. With political...
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The provocateurs behind the 2004 treatise “The Death of Environmentalism” are back at it. This time they’re taking on liberalism itself. The Oakland-based think tank, the Breakthrough Institute, is hosting a get together of 100 intellectuals today to deconstruct what’s wrong with liberalism in an era of shrinking resources. Some things that come to...
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Oakland is toying with the idea of parklets. Last week the city approved a pilot program that, if successful, could mean an official program would be in place by September. Parklets in San Francisco have increased the flow of customers for nearby businesses; eight have been built and 20 more are awaiting approval. [Read...
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DIY urban farmers have been closely following the showdown between the City of Oakland and famous urban farmer Novella Carpenter. Recently Oakland threatened to slap Carpenter with a $5000 non-compliance fine for growing vegetables and housing livestock in her yard. As it turns out, Oakland is currently debating its urban agriculture rules and Carpenter...
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From an unusually wet winter, the Bay Area has catapulted into a Spring of record-breaking temperatures. Yesterday, San Francisco reached a new high of 82 degrees, beating the previous March 30 record set almost 25 years ago. Similarly, Oakland, San Rafael, Mountain View, Napa, and Santa Rosa set new records for the day. And...
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If you enjoy stats, here’s a nice little rundown of rainfall around the Bay and just how much wetter than normal it has been this month. Take yesterday, Oakland soaked up 1.65 inches of rain compared to a normal 0.08 inches. Rumor has it there could be sun next week. [Read more - San...
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The EPA has ordered Oakland, Emeryville, Piedmont, Berkeley, Alameda, Albany and the Stege Sanitary District to replace decrepit sewage pipelines that are responsible for dumping 125 million gallons of sewage into the Bay since October. The heavy rains this season have helped expose the aged and rotting pipes, which cannot handle the excessive storm...
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A program to teach students about climate change at Oakland Unity High School seeks to find a way to “de-dorkify” the issue to the hipper, younger generation. “You didn’t start (climate change),” the presenter, musician and activist Ambessa Cantave, told students. “But we’re the first generation that’s ready to face that fact.” [San Francisco...
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Last July, Oakland’s Fair Trade USA reached a significant landmark in the fair trade fashion industry with the development of the world’s first-ever certification for ethically manufactured apparel. But the battle hasn’t been won. At last Monday’s Global Action Through Fashion event, panelists of well-informed fair trade experts and activists highlighted challenges that still face the industry....
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The latest green scorecard by National Geographic ranks four Bay Area cities among the top 25 in the nation: Santa Rosa (No. 5), Oakland (6), Berkeley (7), and San Francisco (18). A bit disappointing how far San Francisco is down on the list. Above SF is Lexington, KY; Springfield, IL; and Anchorage, AK. Is...
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