The long-debated casino and resort appears to be on the brink of approval by the city of Richmond, which has just finished reviewing the environmental impact report. The billion-dollar project will still require state and federal approval. [Read more - San Francisco Chronicle]
The California Public Utilities Commission reports that the state’s three major utilities are getting roughly 18 percent of their energy from renewable energy sources. That’s two percent shy of the twenty percent they were supposed to have by 2010. It looks likely they will make it by 2012. And then they have eight years to meet a 33 percent mandate by 2020 currently under debate in the legislature. [Read more - Grist]
Commercial and sport fishermen are happy to report that for the first time in three years they will likely be granted a full salmon fishing season along the California coast. The Pacific Fishery Management Council has concluded that the uptick in the salmon population means it is safe to take fish over two feet in length. The season’s exact dates are still being discussed. [Read more - The Press Democrat]
The numbers are in. The U.S. Census, which counted the country’s population in 2010, reports that the number of people living in San Francisco climbed from 776,733 in 2000 to 805,235 last year. Almost 9,000 fewer people now live in Oakland than did a decade ago, and San Jose proves to be more diverse than San Francisco[read more - The Bay Citizen, The San Francisco Examiner]
In other census news, Stanford University and U.C. Davis scientists counted the number of great white sharks between Monterey Bay, Bodega Bay and the Farallon Islands in a ground breaking study whose results are published in journal Biology Letters. They during six months of the year. That’s a low number compared to other top predators. The article includes a cool video and the journal article. determined that just 219 of the massive fish inhabit the area. [Read more - San Jose Mercury News]
The Bay Area is a leader in sustainable food. Our chefs get it and customers demand the best in organic, locally sourced products. But seafood is a different matter. Many restaurants continue to put red-listed fish on the menu, a factor of feeding demand and confusion in the supply chain. A customer has to practically be an ichthyologist to make the right choices. [Read more - San Francisco Magazine]
A 30-year-old recycling center in the Haight Ashbury district is being evicted by the parks department to make way for community gardens. The issue has become so heated that the police may get involved in forcibly removing the recycling center from its spot. City officials say there are other options: a mobile recycling center or automatic vending machines at the nearby Whole Foods could collect materials. [Read more - The Bay Citizen]
Hundreds of dog owners protested outside at San Francisco’s Fort Mason against plans to restrict and ban pooches from national park land in the city. Under the Golden Gate National Recreation Area proposal dogs would be kicked out of some of the most beloved dog walking spots in the region, including Muir Beach, parts of Crissy Field, and a good chunk of Ocean Beach. Park officials say the new dog rules are meant to protect to wildlife and provide spots for non-dog lovers to enjoy nature. [Read more - San Francisco Chronicle]
Scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary are investigating how a shipping container that fell to the bottom of the sea outside of Monterey Bay in 2004 is impacting the environment. The scientists are using a remote controlled submersible, called Doc Ricketts, to collect soil samples and video footage to determine if invasive species have moved into the area and threaten the ecological balance. [San Jose Mercury News]
The San Francisco Chronicle’s Kathleen Pender has a nice overview of how the conflict in Libya impacts the world oil market and gas prices. While Libya only marshals two percent of the global oil supply, in a tight market every bit counts, and Libya produces high quality, desirable crude. It appears gas retailers are taking advantage of the situation, hence the recent $4 a gallon prices. But like in 2008, this could be a window for environmentalists to promote clean energy. [San Francisco Chronicle] [Way Out West]
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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Tags: california red-legged frog, endangered species, San Francisco, san francisco garter snake, san francisco recreation and park department, sharp park, yahoo
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The San Francisco-based company Jellyfish Art has found success selling the serenity of jellies. www.jellyfishart.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...
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It’s been a long, cold rainy winter this year in California. But it could get worse — much worse. The USGS warned this past...
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Listen to WOW reporter Alison Hawkes’ radio story about the greening of Treasure Island, which aired on KQED’s California Watch.
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